Category: Truth

Jesus, Our Rock

Malachi 3:6

People will sometimes say, “The only constant is change.” Fortunately, this is not true. There is One who never changes: Jesus Christ always remains the same. What a comforting truth! But it’s hard to find refuge in someone we don’t know well. So let’s explore the Lord’s actions to learn more about His nature.

  • Jesus forgave others. He showed mercy, not judgment, to those who recognized their sin. For example, Jesus had compassion on the woman caught in adultery and stopped her death penalty with a few wise words. Then, instead of pronouncing condemnation, He said that her sins were forgiven (John 8:1-11).
  • Jesus comforted the hurting. He visited Mary and Martha, who were mourning the loss of their brother Lazarus (John 11:1-45).
  • Jesus provided for needs. After spending three days healing all kinds of disabilities, He was concerned that the large crowd hadn’t eaten. He could have sent all 4,000 away to find their own food, but He provided more than enough to satisfy their hunger (Mark 8:1-9).
  • Jesus interceded for His disciples. Just before He was crucified, He asked the Father to protect and sanctify His followers, which includes you and me (John 17:15, 17, 19-20).
  • Jesus strengthened believers and gave them power to do God’s work. In Acts 1:8, the Lord sent His disciples out to share the gospel, assuring them, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you.”

Jesus still forgives, still comforts, still provides, still intercedes, and still empowers. What a blessing that we can find refuge in our amazing Lord!

Shared from In Touch Ministries.

Building Truth in our lives

Believers who have decided to make God’s truth the foundation of their life need a place to start building. First, identify a point of need—some area that requires attention, like financial stewardship. Then search the Bible’s concordance for verses related to that topic. The passages on the subject will form a blueprint of what a believer’s life should look like.

The Holy Spirit provides the construction material. Using His guidance, strength, and wisdom, install new truths in your life by practicing what you read. Let’s again look at examples from the topic of stewardship: Matthew 6:24 teaches that we can’t serve both God and money, so attitudes must change. And since a borrower is the lender’s servant (Prov. 22:7), spending on credit should be carefully evaluated. That’s how new ways of thinking will replace faulty ideas.

It is a good idea to note—literally—the results of our obedience to God’s instructions. Journaling about His provision and the growth of our faith will inspire us to continue adding to our foundation of truth. That means choosing new areas to remodel according to God’s blueprint.

The Light

A thinking person doesn’t drift through life, making decisions according to what looks or feels best. Acting on the basis of feelings will place a person at the mercy of Satan, who uses “spin,” deception, and half-truths to trap victims in the bondage of sin. But wise men and women—those who seek truth to guide them through life—can avoid the snare of poor choices and negative consequences.

The only perfectly dependable source of truth is Scripture. Living by biblical principles protects believers from the Enemy’s deceptions. He may try to deceive with outright contradictions to the truth, but those are easy to detect. The greater danger is the lie that contains an element of fact, which makes it both persuasive and difficult to refute.

Since such half-truths flow freely today, it’s vital that Christians be able to discern between truth and Satan’s twisted version of reality. If we make a decision based on an error in our thinking, we are likely to step out of the Lord’s will and into pain or embarrassment. But God has made provision for our weaknesses. He’s given us His Word and His Spirit so we can fill our minds with truth and live out His principles through divine power.

Living without biblical truth is like walking in the woods at night. The darkness is so complete that we repeatedly trip. But when we use the Scriptures as a guide—“a lamp for [our] feet”—we can see deception lying across our path like a fallen log (Ps. 119:105 NIV). We can also see our way around it so that our testimony is not harmed by stumbling.

Preparing for Battle

Read  2 Timothy 3:16-17.

An unprepared soldier won’t hold out against the enemy. Since believers are at war with Satan, we must train wisely so that our heart stays clean and our testimony remains strong. Here, then, is a Christian soldier’s guide to preparing for battle:

• Soldiers must acknowledge the war. The Bible is clear: The devil is determined to destroy the saints. For this reason, we must view our life as a battleground (1 Pet. 5:8).

• Soldiers must know the enemy. Satan’s ways and tricks are recorded in Scripture. We know that his words are deceitful—but also very tempting.

• Soldiers must undergo training. Every day believers have the opportunity to demonstrate their trust in God in at least some small way. This is preparation for facing future decisions or adversity with wisdom and courage.

• Soldiers must know how to use their weapons. The Word of God is very helpful in combating Satan, encouraging the heart, and guiding decision making. Prayer keeps us in touch with our Commander in Chief.

• Soldiers must resist propaganda. Satan will use any worldly means possible to entice us—the media and entertainment industries, educational systems, and false religions are all tools of his trade. Believers must be wise in deciding what to allow into their minds.

A prepared soldier is a believer whose mind and heart are full of the Lord and His Word. The Spirit-filled warrior will be victorious against Satan’s attack.

God’s Perfect Instruction Book

Even in this age of technology, there are still many people who don’t know how to work many simple things, for example: a flashing “12:00” on the oven clock. Isn’t it odd that a person can operate a motor vehicle at 70 mph, microwave an entire meal in three minutes, and navigate through the internet’s information superhighway and yet not know how to set a simple clock?

Is it so hard? Is the answer to this riddle so deeply hidden that only a few brave souls dare to seek it out? No, of course not! There’s only one reason why this technical tip-off is so common: People do not read the instruction book.

When we purchase a new gadget or appliance, we always find inside the instruction book. And what does this book contain? It has all the answers we need to either the object up or how to use it.

Do you realize the Christian life is like that? Scripture declares that when a person comes to faith in Jesus Christ, he or she is a “new creation” (2 Cor. 5:17 NIV). To get the most out of our new life, we are given an instruction book: the Bible. This is far more than a simple guide that teaches how to act or what to say; this Book tells us exactly how to live a life that is pleasing to God.

Is your Christian walk stuck? Do you have the proverbial “12:00” flashing in your life, indicating that you have set aside your Instruction Book? Pick it up today for a fresh look and enjoy God’s perfect how-to manual.

Fear of God

The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way And the perverse mouth I hate. —Proverbs 8:13

People are frequently confused by talk that has to do with fearing God. Scripture admonishes us to fear the Lord (2 Tim. 1:7), but at the same time, we are told that God has not given us a spirit of fear. So how are we to understand this phrase?

Fearing God does not mean always looking over your shoulder in anxiety to see what He will do next. The fear of the Lord is something positive and healthy that is clearly defined in several different scriptures. A particularly helpful one is today’s verse, where we are told, “The fear of the Lord is to hate evil.”

Many people are bothered by the thought of hating anything. Yet God says we are to hate evil because He Himself hates it in all of its forms for a simple reason—namely, the Lord sees the corrupting, destructive influence that wickedness has on us. We often fail to see any corruption at all. In fact, we sometimes look at evil and think that it’s not really too bad.

Satan’s job is to camouflage iniquity until it appears quite innocent or even attractive. In fact, the enemy is so successful in his deception that we often fall into his snares without any compunction. That is why we must learn to view things as the Lord sees them. We need to develop such a holy hatred for evil that we shun and refuse it at every turn. When we get the Lord’s view of transgression, the Devil will be stymied in his efforts to seduce us. Although it may not be a popular stance, we can choose to love the Lord and to hate evil.

People Pleaser, Pt. 1

Whatever may be your task, work at it heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing [with all certainty] that it is from the Lord [and not from men] that you will receive the inheritance which is your [real] reward. [The One Whom] you are actually serving [is] the Lord Christ (the Messiah). —Colossians 3:23,24

One of the most freeing things that I have learned in my years of walking with the Lord is how to break free from being a people pleaser. Now, I am not talking about living a healthy, unselfish life where we make the needs of others a priority. I am talking about a pressure to perform—an unhealthy drive to be accepted and approved by others. It is a desire so strong that it influences and controls the majority of our decisions

I call this needing an “approval fix.” Like an addict who “needs” a certain drug, people pleasers have a need to be liked by other people. And when they can’t get their “fix”…watch out! The “withdrawal” symptoms kick in and they become unhappy, depressed and even angry.

Here’s how to tell if you’re a “people pleaser”:

First John 2:27 says, “But as for you, the anointing (the sacred appointment, the unction) which you received from Him abides [permanently] in you….”

One of the greatest signs of being a people pleaser is not being completely truthful with others about who we are. We say we like things we really don’t like. We go places and say we are enjoying it, when in reality, it is the last place on earth we want to be. And we nod our heads in agreement to things we don’t feel right about in our hearts. Instead of telling people the truth about our desires, feelings and thoughts, we develop a pattern of telling others what we think they want to hear in order to remain accepted. There are also times when people are dishonest about their true thoughts and feelings because they are trying to keep the other person “fixed” or happy.

Ephesians 4:15 says, God wants us to grow up, to know the whole truth and tell it in love … Verse 25 goes on to say we are to …put away all falsehood and “tell your neighbor the truth” because we belong to each other (NLT). And in Colossians 3:9, we are told, Do not lie to one another, for you have stripped off the old self with its evil practices . I think it is pretty clear: God wants us to be truthful with each other at all times in a kind and considerate way.