"What's Truth?"

"Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come."  John 16:13

Everyone is searching for "truth", or so they say.  Where do we find truth?  Who can we trust to give us the truth?  Many people look to many sources to find it.  Some look to education.  Some look to the news commentators, their elected officials or some other popular personality to tell them the truth.  Some look to their inner self.   Some search for it through the wisdom of the ages.  Others are convinced that truth is whatever you believe it to be.  Then some have just given up in their quest to know the truth, concluding there is no absolute truth. 

How do we learn the truth?  The answer isn't complex.  We look to the One who is Truth.  The Holy Spirit is The Spirit of Truth.  When in doubt, you look to Him.  He was Truth in the eternal past.  He will continue to be Truth throughout the eternal future.  He does not change.  He is God (the third Person of the God-head). 

Are you struggling to know the truth?  Are you confused because you are being bombarded by so many varying opinions?  Is it hard to know who is telling the truth and who isn't?  Is it hard to know who to believe and what to believe?  There is so much "logic" floating around, who can know the difference?  Well, logic and opinion, is not always truth.  Jesus told us that in the end times there would be false teachers, preachers and prophets.  He also warned us not to be deceived.  When He left earth, He gave us our answer to keep from being deceived by the false.  He said He would not leave us by ourselves, but He would send the Comforter (Holy Spirit) to be with us and He would do the work of showing us truth and helping us stay in the truth-- even during times when truth is being twisted, buried, placed on the "back burner" and denied.  Look to Him.  Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal the truth to you.  Ask Him to lead you in all truth.  Ask Him to show you the difference between what is and what isn't truth.  He will.  So listen to, heed and follow Him.

Have a great day.  It is hard to always know what is the truth, but if you want to know, you go to the source of truth.  The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Truth, so He will tell you.

For further reading:
John 14:16-18; 8:32
Luke 21:8
Matthew 24:11,24
Mark 13:21-23

"A Promise Instead"

"And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me."  2 Corinthians 12:9

Paul had a "thorn in the flesh" and he prayed three times for the Lord to remove it.  The Lord didn't remove it though.  Sometimes no matter how much you pray, no matter how much you fast, no matter how much you bargain with God, kick and scream, cry and beg, stand in faith, confess the scriptures, there are some things that you are just going to have to go through.  In God's perfect knowledge, divine counsel and excellent plan for your life, He sees fit to allow you to walk down certain paths sometimes instead of removing them.  In Paul's case, this "thorn" was given so that he would not be "exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations". (verse 7)

Paul was not being "punished" with this "thorn", he was being "protected".  It was an instrument to keep him humble.  It was there to keep him from becoming full of pride because of the great revelations that he had received.  Paul saw and knew things that most mortal men did not.  It would have been easy for pride to take hold of him.  Thus, causing his destruction. (Proverbs 16:18)

Have you prayed for a "thorn" to be removed, yet it is still there?  It might be meant for your protection.  It might be meant to perfect the character of Christ in you.  It might be there to produce the Fruit of the Spirit in your life.  It might be there to keep you from destruction.  I don't know.  But this I do know, God did not remove the thorn from Paul but He gave him a promise instead.  He promised to give him His grace to bear it and His strength to go through it.  The same promise is given to you.  If you are having to walk through it, if you are having to deal with a "thorn", His grace is sufficient enough so you can keep going and His strength will be made perfect when you get weak.

Have a great day.  Sometimes God won't remove the thorn, but He will give you a promise instead.  

"Troubled Heart"

"Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me."  John 14:1

How do we not let our hearts be troubled (anxious, distressed, disquieted, agitated) when we live in a wicked world?  When we are perplexed on every side?  When society is acting in a Godless manner?  When evil men are getting more powerful?  When temptations are pressing upon us?  When the cares of this life are trying to choke out God's word in is?  When besetting sins are binding us?  When the enemy is attacking us?  When we are being persecuted for our faith?  When bad reports are all around us?  How do we do it?  How is it possible not to be troubled in our heart?

The answer:  "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee." (Isaiah 26:3)  When we keep our mind (also means heart) stayed on Him/the Lord, which doesn't mean that we are just to constantly think about the Lord and nothing else, but the word means to have our mind firmly leaning up Him.  When our hearts/minds are firmly leaning/trusting upon Him, He will keep us in not just peace but perfect peace.  Perfect peace means to have completeness, soundness, quietness and contentment.  When our hearts/minds are at rest, content, whole and well, they are not troubled.

So how do we keep our minds on the Lord?  "And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." (Romans 12:1)  When you are tempted to be troubled in your heart, renew your mind.  Renew it in God's Word.  Combat those thoughts that would make you anxious with His Word.  Capture those thoughts that make you afraid with His Word.  Counteract them with His Word.  His Word brings life, health, peace, joy, contentment, etc.  As you are transforming your mind with God's Word, you are at the same time keeping it stayed on Him because He is the Word. (John 1:1)

Have a great day.  Don't let your heart be troubled.  Keep it on God.    

"Working Out A Good Plan"

"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose."  Romans 8:28

Yesterday I asked the Lord to give me a word to read.  The verse above is what He gave me.  He encouraged me through it and wants you to be encouraged as well.  I know this is a very familiar verse but one we need to hold on to in the daily trials of life. 

The verse doesn't say that all things are good, but that God knows how to work them together for good.  The point is that no matter what you see happening in the world around you, what you hear the enemy say, or how defeated and overwhelmed you feel, remember that God is at work working all things together for the good.  Remember that He has a good plan in mind-- for you and the time in which we are living.  He will bring His plan to pass... even when it looks like things are as bad as they can get, even when it looks like evil is winning, even when it looks like the bad is triumphing.

There were some bad things that happened to Joseph.  He was hated by his brothers.  He was sold by them into slavery.  He was taken from his home into a foreign land.  He was tempted then falsely accused by Potiphar's wife.  He was beaten, thrown into prison and suffered in chains.  Yet, all the while, God had a good plan for Joseph's life.  He knew how to make all these bad things work together for good.  You know the story.  Joseph became the second most powerful man in the world.

God knows how to take your suffering, your pain, your sorrow, your persecutions, your difficulties, the accusations of the enemy, the fear that is trying to come upon you and put it in His hands, press it down, shake it together and bring forth something good.  God had a good plan to redeem mankind.  He sent His Son Jesus to die.  Jesus suffered, was beaten, mocked, ridiculed, falsely accused and crucified.  When Jesus died, the devil thought he had won.  The demons shouted in victory.  The disciples lost hope.  The world looked dark.  But God took the bad and worked it into His good plan and Jesus was victorious even though it looked like defeat!

Have a great day.  Regardless of what you see, hear or feel, God is working it all together to bring forth His good plan. 

"Whose Plan?"

"Now the man out of whom the devils were departed besought him that he might be with him: but Jesus sent him away, saying,  Return to thine own house, and shew how great things God hath done unto thee. And he went his way, and published throughout the whole city how great things Jesus had done unto him."  Luke 8:38,39

When Jesus arrived in the land of Garada, He cast out the demons that had tormented a particular young man.  Because Jesus had commanded the demons to go into a herd of swine, the people were not happy and wanted Jesus to leave.  Before He left, the young man whom He had cast the demons out of desired to go with Him.  But instead of letting him go Jesus told him to return to his own house and show and tell others what great things God had done for him. 

When we come to the Lord, we are so grateful for what He has done for us that we desire to follow Him, serve Him and be used by Him.  Like this young man, we often have our own idea of what "serving Jesus" should look like.  To this man it looked like leaving his home and going with Jesus.  Some of us have the same idea.  Some believe it means that they should be a preacher or a pastor of a church.  Others believe it means they should be a missionary.  And in some cases, it just might truly be either of these.  But God's plan for you may be that instead of starting some ministry or becoming a preacher that you show the grace and power of God on your 9-5 job.  It may mean that you are to be a Christian businessman, or a housewife, or a factory worker, a doctor, a lawyer, a politician, a schoolteacher, etc. 

Jesus sent this man back to his own house and told him to show God's great works there.  As a result, the next time Jesus went to Gardara, they didn't reject Him.  They gladly received Him and welcomed Him.  "And it came to pass, that, when Jesus was returned, the people gladly received him: for they were all waiting for him." (verse 40)  Why?  All because this man chose God's plan for his life and not his own desire.  He chose to serve the Lord the way He wanted him to instead of how he wanted to or what he thought he should do.

Are you following God's plan for your life?  Are you letting Him place you where He wants you to be?  Are you serving Him in a capacity that you desire or want because you think that is the thing you should be doing?  Do you really have His plan and His way at heart?  If you will sincerely seek Him for His plan, it may mean that some of you will have to change course.  It will mean that you have to lay some ministries aside and get refocused.  It will mean that you will have to transition into another field.  But when we are following His plan instead of our own desire, the end result will bring Him much, much glory!

Have a great day.  Are you following God's plan for your life or your own desire?