WSR REPORT: THE TRUTH

Good Afternoon Friends

I pray all is going well for you this Sunday afternoon

This is a blessed day – but if I am honest – it has been a challenging week.

The week began with a re-visit to urgent care,

And I still do not feel 100% - in the midst of a shingles flare-up

However, that being said, I still recognize how tremendously blessed I am

The truth is that the LORD has blessed me beyond my expectations

                And certainly more than I could ever deserve [if there is such a thing]

THE TRUTH –

This is a subject which has been on my heart and mind for a few days

It started Friday with my reading of the following verse:

‘And, you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free’ John 8:32

Today – I will not be focusing on my long-held observation that,

                The truth shall generally make you mad, long before it sets you free

Neither will I focus on the traditional angle from which I have heard that verse preached

                That the truth of the Word of God, the Scriptures, will set you free

No – today I will be focusing on The Truth who is the Word, Jesus

This is truth –

John 1:1-3, 14 tells us, ‘In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.Through Him all things were made; without Him, nothing was made that has been made ...[and] the Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us.'

That Word, who was there from the beginning of time,

That Word, who was with God,

That Word, who was God – He is Jesus

However –

It is also a statement of truth that Jesus is The Truth

He, Himself said, ‘I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life’ John 14:6

And as I read and studied Friday, this is the thought that occurred to me;

When we know the truth, the truth sets us free

My focus was on Jesus being the Truth in the context of that verse I read,

And it brought me a whole new level of comfort as I wrote in my journal:

 ‘Jesus is The Truth – therefore, no matter how many enemies come against me – no matter how many lies are spoken, no matter the attempts to bend the truth – Truth is my Defender, He is my Refuge, He is my Strength, He sets me free’

THE TRUTH – JESUS 

HE IS SOMEONE ON WHOM WE CAN DEPEND & TRUST WHOLEHEARTEDLY

There are a great many things that we have realized we cannot place our trust in:

Economies, health, traditional supports, employment and relationships,

                They are all subject to change

However there is one thing which never changes TRUTH

The Word which is truth does not change;

The LORD Jesus Who is Truth does not change.

In my book, When Storms Rage, I note that we can trust the LORD:

“Trust and call upon the One who works all things together for the good. He works the good and the bad, the things you get right and the instances where you completely miss the mark. He answers the call – every time. Be assured, He will protect and defend, effectively anchoring you through your situation and ensuring that you are not swept away or overtaken by the challenges that invade your life.”

As we delve into the Word of God –

As we read, study, meditate, memorize and put it into practice,

The truth of the Word truly does set us free.

As we draw near and get to know personally The Word who is The Truth –

As we pray, sing, listen and cry out to Jesus the Living Word, Who is Truth –

He, the Truth, truly does set us free.

He frees us from insecurity, fear, confusion, intimidation, anxiety, loneliness & brokenness

Therefore – I declare

§  No weapon formed against you shall prosper & every tongue which rises against you is already condemned (Isaiah 54:17)

§  The LORD shall cause the ground to rise and meet your feet in every place your enemy has dug a pit (Psalm 26:12, Habakkuk 3:19)

§  The Light of the LORD is exposing every wicked scheme (Luke 8:17)

§  Every mountain that stands is your way is reduced to rubble that you may walk through, unencumbered on smooth ground. (Isaiah 45:2)

§  Every fiery dart is extinguished before it ever comes near you (Psalm 91:5)

§  Every promise the LORD God has made to you & the truth of His Word is fulfilled and is flooding your life – right now. (II Corinthians 1:20)

It is an amazing thing – truth

He is an amazing LORD – Truth  

Take some time to get to know truth and The Truth –

You’ll be surprised the freedom which will impact every area of your life!

Have a Blessed Afternoon!

THANKS GIVING 2019: THE TRUTH

Good Afternoon Friends!

I pray your day is well –

That you are making time to celebrate all the things which make you THANKFUL

I am definitely benefiting from focusing on THANKS GIVING

AND TODAY?

TODAY – I am exceptionally thankful for THE TRUTH OF GOD’S WORD

You see, there are time when I am uncertain of everyone and everything around me 

But I know His nature and I know His Word to be true

Therefore, if ever there is a time when I find myself doubting –

which happens more than I care to admit

If ever there is a time when I start think He just does not care or –

that I must have made Him angry

His Holy Spirit assures me there is something amiss in my reasoning.

He reminds me - that is not the God I serve.

He gently [and sometimes forcefully] prods me to GAIN A DEEPER UNDERSTANDING,

to EMBRACE A BROADER PERSPECTIVE.

It is in those moments, often mixed with tears (like it was last night) –

that I am reminded how very blessed I am,

how much I truly have to be thankful for.

I talked a couple of days ago about how THANKS NEEDS TO BE INTENTIONAL at times 

I mean, life is not always sunshine and roses 

Indeed in the Word we are forewarned:

‘In the world you will have trouble ...’ John 16:33

It does not say you could, not that you might, not even a maybe ... it is a certainty 

But we also admonished to ...

     'take courage [be of good cheer] for I have overcome the world.’

Even the most painful experiences can provide value –

     They can usher in understanding and hope,

     if we will submit to the idea of them being our teachers and not our adversaries

GOD is still in control –

He does still sit enthroned 

And He cares for every single matter which matters to us

That is indeed something to be thankful for! 

No matter what kind of day you have had –

Irrespective of the type of week, the manner of month

I pray the truth of His Word will meet you where you are

AND

If you are filled with joy – that His truth would embolden you further

If you are filled with sadness – that His truth would be the spark of joy & light of hope you need

If you are filled with uncertainty – that His Word would be the peace, direction, comfort and assurance which you long for

I thank God for you in my prayers ....

Praying You Have a Blessed Evening!

The truth is ...

I can tell you what it is not ...


You do not have to believe in something for it to be true.

Your belief in something, or someone, does not qualify it...
Any more than your disbelief disqualifies it or them

Truth is not subjective as some would suggest.
Truth is not relative.
Truth simply is ... it is absolute.

Praying you have a blessed day ...

'The sum of Your word is truth, and every one of Your righteous ordinances endures forever.'

Psalm 119:160

choose truth ...

There is a saying in the Word,

‘And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free’ (Jn. 8:32).

However, my experience in life has been that the truth will make one mad long before it sets them free. Perhaps it is the fallen nature of man, but many people seem to prefer a lie over the truth any day.

• Do you think this is a good idea?
• How does this outfit look on me?
• Do you think I’ve gained weight?

Sadly, there are far too many instances where people will seek out the 'honest' opinion of another when what they truly desire is just for someone to agree with their viewpoint or with the decision that they have already settled upon in their mind. But why embrace a lie? What good could that possibly bring about? The answer is ‘none’.

So why do so many people do it?

The ego is an incredible and terrible thing and the pride of life is a burden around one's neck. It causes people to refuse to admit that they were wrong, restrains one from apologizing and prompts one to launch an unrelenting defense as to why their wrong perception is right, even as truth stands in their face and rings in their ears.

This is not a new phenomenon. From the beginning of time, men have possessed a bend toward embracing lies over truth.  Romans 1:25 notes, ‘For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.’

Unfortunately, as often as many will say that they hunger for truth, all too often they truly prefer a lie. Yet there is nothing shrouded in darkness which will not be brought to the light. And light is always better. The lie might spare your emotions and make you feel good temporarily, but its end is destruction. The truth, however, may injure your feelings and pride in the short term, but is always beneficial and life giving in the long run.

So, when given the choice, between the truth and the lie … choose truth.  

sweat and tears ...

So yesterday I talked about our ability to stay and go to the outer reaches of the world. Today, I would like to follow-up on something I pointed out in yesterday’s post. Therefore, we will pick up with the exact same verse in Acts 1:8, ‘… you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.’

As I stated yesterday, the Greek word for witnesses is ‘‘μάρτυς or mártys’ where we get our English word martyr. Jesus was letting them know that they would be His martyrs – those who suffer persecution and death for refusing to renounce a belief or cause. Why is this significant to us? Unfortunately, there has emerged a type of ‘Christian mindset’ which believes that the Christian walk is supposed to be all blessings and sunshine. Yet that is not the message that Jesus conveyed when He commissioned His disciples, those who would take His message to the world. They would be persecuted - it was what Jesus was preparing them for.

We too must realize that we have been called to a living hope but a dying life ...

I recall a situation several years ago where I was sitting in my car, having a full blown pity part. I was praying and crying and complaining to God about how wicked certain people were acting, how difficult things were and how tired I was. And that is when He spoke so clear that it sounded like an audible voice: ‘You have not yet resisted to the point of bloodshed in striving against sin.’ Stunned by the clarity and the directness of the message, I began to question, ‘Is that a verse in the Bible?’ Yet before I could even finish the thought, He told me where to find it, Hebrews 12:4. He went on to remind me of all that Christ endured for our freedom, for our salvation, the horrific cruelty, the excruciating torture and the tremendous bloodshed that He suffered so that we could be reconciled to the Father.

Then He closed by telling me, ‘What you are experiencing is just sweat and tears and the only way it will kill you is if you sit there and let yourself drown in it. Now stop crying, get back to work, I still have much for you to do.’ He knows exactly what I need to hear and how I need to hear it. However, my feelings were hurt [seriously] as I told Him that His communication was not kind or gentle. Then, I did what He told me to do. I stopped crying and got back to work, recognizing that there was something much greater at stake than my comfort. There were souls on the line.

This Christian walk, it is not for the faint-hearted. So if you were looking for sunshine and roses, you might want to reevaluate your commitment. And the next time you find yourself frustrated and complaining, consider this:
‘^{12 -13}Friends, when life gets really difficult, don't jump to the conclusion that God isn't on the job. Instead, be glad that you are in the very thick of what Christ experienced. This is a spiritual refining process, with glory just around the corner.
     ^{14 -16}If you're abused because of Christ, count yourself fortunate. It's the Spirit of God and his glory in you that brought you to the notice of others. If they're on you because you broke the law or disturbed the peace, that's a different matter. But if it's because you're a Christian, don't give it a second thought. Be proud of the distinguished status reflected in that name!
     ^{17 -19}It's judgment time for God's own family. We're first in line. If it starts with us, think what it's going to be like for those who refuse God's Message! If good people barely make it, What's in store for the bad? So if you find life difficult because you're doing what God said, take it in stride. Trust him. He knows what he's doing, and he'll keep on doing it.’
     I Peter 4:12-19 MSG

His witnesses and His martyrs ...
Quite a sobering thought

the reality about perception ...

Hope your week is off to a great start! 
 
I had an awesome time at church yesterday –   
Our executive pastor spoke on the topic of ‘The Truth About Lying’. It was great and offered some good insight and practical pointers on why honesty is so vital. 
 
He talked about how we reflect the character and nature of God when we are honest,  And how we reflect the character and nature of satan when we lie.  He then went on to talk about the fact that God cannot lie,  He is truth and therefore everything He says is accurate – no matter what lie life happens to be handing us at the moment.
 
It was one of those sermons on ‘basic information’ –   
But it was so impactful because it is often the simple things that get overlooked. And he said something else that I wanted to touch base with all of you about:  ‘God is not concerned about His image, He is concerned about His character.’ 
 
Have you ever heard the phrase, ‘Perception is reality’? 
 
Practically, we all know that is not a correct statement: 
If I am color-blind, and I perceive that the blue couch is green –   It does not make the couch the green. My perception is not reality. 
 
Likewise, from a spiritual standpoint, we must take care,  to ensure that we are not buying into the lie of this cliché statement.  Perception is not reality. 
 
If I perceive that God is not caring, I need only go to the ‘standard’, the truth of His Word where I find: ‘God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son …’ Jn. 3:16 The reality is that He loves me. 
 
If I perceive that my situation is impossible, I can turn the pages of my Bible and refer to the reality of the Word which reminds me:  ‘With man it is impossible, but not with God; with God all things are possible.’ Mk.10:27  The reality is that He is able to handle anything and everything.
 
If I perceive that I am all alone in my journey, that perception is overshadowed by the truth of God’s Word which conveys the reality:  He will never leave me nor forsake me [not utterly and completely abandoning me]. Heb. 13:5  The reality is He is present, He is Omnipresent, He cannot be absent from life or my situation.
 
So what does this have to do with God being concerned about His character over His image? 
 
He is not concerned with who we think He is. 
He only concerns Himself with who He actually is. 
 
As such, He will often allow circumstances which seem to completely contradict who He is and what He said. He allows situations which would constitute a public relations nightmare.   
 
He will allow the job and finances to fail –   
But He still proclaims that He is Jehovah-Jireh, the LORD who provides. 
 
He will permit the illness to occur and persist –   
Yet He still boldly declares Himself to be Jehovah- Rophi, the LORD who heals.
 
He will allow you to face situations of homelessness –   
Yet He does not waiver in His claim that He is Shelter & Refuge. 
 
Yes, with such a vast array of challenges plaguing our world it is easy to think that our perception are reality. It is easy to question whether God should be concerned about how people perceive Him.  Yet He never feels the need to hire a public relations spokesperson to clean up our perceptions.  He simply lets His light shine forth and be revealed from the shadows of darkness and confusion.   
 
My perception of God does not impact the reality of who He is.  My image of Him does not define His character. The reality about perception is that perception is not truth. 
 
God is Truth and you can trust in that!

when signs lie

Something happened earlier this week as I was driving.

I was traveling along and had just pulled to the side of the expressway to let a fire truck pass. However, as I started driving again, my son who was in the passenger seat asked, ‘Why are we driving so slow?’

This question puzzled me to a degree because I thought we were going at an adequate speed. Then I looked at the speedometer and realized it was reading zero. Instinctively, I started applying the brake. I think subconsciously, I wanted to make sure that I was not speeding.

Immediately, and for the rest of that trip, I started to gauge my speed based upon my feelings and the cars around me. It was twenty miles to get to where I was going. It felt like the longest ride ever. When I got to campus, turned the car off and restarted it, everything worked fine.

However, this little episode did two things: Stressed me out just a little bit and Got me thinking about the impact when signs lie.

Looking at the sign of the speedometer, my son and I came to two different conclusions – neither of which I believe were accurate. Seeing the needle on zero, he thought we were driving too slowly. And I – looking at the cars and working with a thorough knowledge of my tendency to have a bit of a ‘heavy foot’ – assumed I was likely going too fast. Both observations were based upon the signs we had available.

However, there are moments when you cannot use the signs because, they lie. We see this demonstrated within the kingdom of God quite a bit.

The Lord says in Isaiah 55:8-9, 'My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.’ As such, the signs in His kingdom are often inconsistent with human reasoning.

Being poor, can be rich, going down is actually ascension; death is life; demotion results in promotion; standing still is moving forward and remaining silent, can speak volumes.

Joseph was thrown into a pit, sold into slavery, falsely accused of attempted rape and put in prison. And he might have concluded that he missed God’s message and had fallen out of favor – if he read those signs. But the signs lied. Everything that happened, which looked like the wrong thing, was the right thing to set him up for promotion to the second highest office in Egypt. (Genesis 37-41)

The nation of Israel sent spies over into their land of promise. They wanted to survey the land and get an estimation of what challenges stood before them. There were plenty of signs: clusters of grapes so large that they had to be carried on poles between two men and a land flowing with milk and honey. However there were also large fortified cities and giants. Ten of the twelve looked at the latter signs and slowed things down to a stop. They convinced themselves and all of Israel that it was an impossible situation. The good was too good to be true and the bad seemed insurmountable. But those signs of giants and fortified cities were lies – lies which convinced them that what they saw was more powerful than who they were and more powerful than the invisible but ever-present, all-knowing, all-mighty God. (Numbers 13-14)

Later – during Israel’s second attempt at entering their promised land - Rahab received a promise. After helping two spies, she was promised that she and her family would be rescued during the impending invasion by the Isaraelites. For six days they marched around the city. Yet no rescue came. On the seventh day, they marched around the city seven times and gave a mighty shout which caused the city walls to start falling. As those walls began to crumble, all the signs would seem to indicate that Rahab had been forgotten. But the signs lied. She was positioned for deliverance and ushered into a future she would never have imagined for herself. She was a textbook example for ‘being still and seeing the salvation of the LORD’ – even when the signs likely made her want to run and escape. (Joshua 2,6)

Why is all of this important?

If we do not understand that signs sometimes lie – we will react based upon what we see. We will speed up or slow down, and we might even come to a complete stop. This is dangerous.

We must stay in-step with God to ensure we remain in the center of His will. The estimation of our progress cannot be based on the signs or on how fast or slow someone else is traveling. It must be done through individual prayer, through study of His Word and through consistent application of His principles.

Once we know what His Word says and understand what His will is, we can stand or move in that truth, no matter what the signs appear to be telling us.

The signs say you have been defeated.
But God says that you a more than a conqueror in Christ! (Rom. 8:37)

The signs say you are losing everything.
But God says that He will supply every need! (Phil. 4:19)

The signs say it is an impossible situation.
But God says nothing is impossible with Him! (Matt. 19:26)

The signs say it is too hard for you to do.
But God says His Holy Spirit works in you to want and to do what pleases Him! (Phil. 2:13)

Understand that He who promised is faithful also to bring it to pass – no matter what your situation looks like. (Heb. 10:23)

I guess that is why God told us to walk by faith and not by sight!

I like what it says in the Amplified version of II Corinthians 5:7, ‘For we walk by faith [we regulate our lives and conduct ourselves by our conviction or belief respecting man's relationship to God and divine things, with trust and holy fervor; thus we walk] not by sight or appearance.’

Keep your eyes on God – especially when signs lie!