Truth

How To Tell If You Are Being Told The Truth

Ken

“And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32 KJV). Everyone claims to have the truth, and even Artificial Intelligence can manufacture or “hallucinate” the truth quite convincingly. Don’t believe anything you hear or even what I say unless you can verify it for yourself. “These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so” (Acts 17:11). 

Jesus told Pontius Pilate, “Every one that is of the truth heareth My voice” (John 18:37). To which Pilate replied, “What is truth?” (18:38), then he had Jesus scourged (19:1) and crucified (19:16). 

Jesus revealed the formula for determining how to arrive at the truth. 

“If any man will do His will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of Myself” (John 7:17 KJV). Or, “If anyone wants to do God’s will, he will know about My teaching, whether it is from God or whether I speak from My own authority” (7:17 NET). 

If you are willing to do whatever you understand to be “God’s will” (7:17 NET), then you “will know” (7:17 NET) the truth. 

Your willingness to do the will of God is both your opportunity to understand the truth and your safeguard from receiving lies. God has established the opportunity and safeguard to guarantee Truth Will Not Perish from the Earth. 

Your willingness is the key to understanding truth, so the Almighty has made His Spirit available. 

First, God’s Spirit has been promised to inspire us to obedience under His New Covenant. “And I will put My Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in My statutes, and ye shall keep My judgments, and do them” (Ezekiel 36:27).

Second, the Holy Spirit has been promised to those who “repent, and [are] baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost” (Acts 2:38). 

Third, the Spirit of God “which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13).

God has done all that is necessary to ensure you know the truth, so you can be accountable to obey it. 

What do you plan to do?

Meeting and Kissing

Ken

“Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other” (Psalm 85:10 KJV). Physical existence is only an attempt to replicate spiritual reality. We understand meeting a spouse with a kiss is a sign of close affection, and so it is with mercy and truth, righteousness and peace. The truth is we need God’s mercy, for only the righteousness of a right relationship with Him can give us the perfect peace with our Creator, Savior, and King. Mercy is God withholding the punishment we deserve for our sins. “God be merciful to me a sinner” (Luke 18:13). The truth, as it is in Jesus, is only completely surrendering to Christ can give us a right understanding of Pontius Pilate’s question, “What is truth?” (John 18:38), for Jesus had just said to him, “Every one that is of the truth heareth My voice” (18:37). Righteousness is a right relationship with God causing us to rightly act, but it is impossible without first coming into contact with the Prince of Peace, who is the Lord Jesus Christ. The supernatural act of balancing mercy and truth, righteousness and peace comes only from God’s Spirit working in us “to will and to do of His good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13). 

Surrendering to Jesus Christ as the Lord of your life is part of accepting Christ into your life. “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved” (Romans 10:9). Without complete submission to Christ, it is impossible to defeat the devil. “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7). Satan already knows submission to Christ is resistance to him, and resistance to Christ — in anything — is submission to the devil. Father, awaken the understanding of Your Professed Church. May Your Professed Body admit we are at war with the devil. Grant to us a firmness, which will prevent cowardice, but a softness, which will invite You to control our lives. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

Lazy Man Approach?

Ken

Work smarter not harder. Ever hear that said by a reproachful colleague at work? Wisdom is more economical with choices, unless the cheaper, quicker alternative is unethical. “But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way [love]” (1Corinthians 12:31 KJV). Make no mistake, laziness is universally condemned by the LORD. “A slothful man hideth his hand in his bosom, and will not so much as bring it to his mouth again” (Proverbs 19:24). The world may have no such aversion to sloth and may prefer it to the ‘stupidity’ of honest labor, if it gains the same money. Yet, the godly can be taught by even an ungodly, unethical colleague, when their lazy man approach accomplishes a task more efficiently. Love is “not self-serving… but rejoices in the truth” (1Corinthians 13:5, 6 NET). Just because our goal is the eternal does not mean we should be inefficient, but never sacrifice the eternal on the altar of the immediate. Father, grant us the humility to be taught by the world, when their lazy approach is more efficient than our well meaning but less efficient attempt. However, cause our light to shine before the world at other times, when they notice we do not attempt to take advantage of them, if it is only self-seeking. Give them opportunity to seek the truth, or give Yourself evidence to condemn them in the Judgment. Lord Jesus, return quickly. Amen.

Do You See What I See?

Ken

Probably not, but as it should be, I probably don’t see what you see. Why? Truth is unified only in Christ. “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me” (John 14:6 KJV). No one but God knows all. We each only have a small puzzle piece of the grand picture. What I don’t know could fit into innumerable volumes. And, I marvel at the understanding God has given to others to explain what I do not see. Only the Spirit of God integrates everything together in the Body of Christ. “If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?” (1Corinthians 12:17). Rather than complain of the darkness, should we not pray for faith to increase our understanding? “And the apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith” (Luke 17:5). LORD, give us eyes to see and ears to hear that we may better appreciate You and be Your faithful servant. Lord Jesus, come quickly and deliver us. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

Father of Lies

Ken

When we lie, we own the devil as our father and practice the same evil desires as Lucifer, when he coveted God’s glory. Lucifer murdered the Almighty in his heart, when he refused the truth that all glory belongs to the Most High. Denying the truth of our Creator’s worthiness of all glory is the foundation of all lies. “Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it” (John 8:44 KJV). If simply not declaring all the facts about a circumstance is lying, then would a photograph where a house appears larger than it is, be lying? Intention is obviously the point. Do we see God as unworthy of His glory? Then we murder God in our heart. LORD, may we exalt You in our heart as worthy of the glory due You. May we not be those, who say, I know You, and keep not Your commandments, and be accounted a “liar, and the truth is not in [us]” (1John 2:4). Bless Yourself. Return quickly. In Jesus’ name, amen. 

Where Freedom Ends

Ken

My right to swing my fist ends where your nose begins. God created all humans “in His own image” (Genesis 1:27 KJV) with the potential of free moral choice. Without the liberty or freedom of choice, humanity is less than human — reduced to slavery, serfdom, or a clone imitation of a real human. But, the very freedom to choose must also contain the seeds of rejection of that liberty, unless the subsequent generations choose to continue in that liberty. If left solely in the hands of humankind, then we are in great peril of being the last generation who understands the Truth. But, glory be to God, He has given us His Eternal Spirit (Hebrews 9:24), through the new birth (John 7:39) and baptism (Acts 2:38) to ensure the success of Truth to the end! “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). 

Success of Corruption

Ken

Why does corruption succeed? It spreads because it has not been stopped by a better alternative. The world gauges success by, If you’re so smart, why aren’t you rich? On the other hand, God measures us by how well we know Him. When evil men surrender to the Truth, corruption is halted one disciple at a time. The LORD’s way is not in the majority in the earth nor does it need a consensus or a quorum for Him to declare victory. He is the Almighty, and it is done, when He says, It is finished. “For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea” (Habakkuk 2:14 KJV).

Seven Basic Concepts About Scripture

Ken

“Sanctify them by the Truth; Your Word is Truth” (John 17:17 NIV). 

Things do not change suddenly, until they do. Growing up becomes growing older. Only God can say, “I the Lord do not change” (Malachi 3:6 NIV). For many things, what was once a necessity to know is no longer so. Surviving, coping, and prospering may no longer require navigating by the stars, reading the signs for a trail, or starting a fire without matches, but navigating the internet, responding to an email or text, purchasing online, or remembering where you filed something on your laptop may now be just as crucial. And, before I forget, I’d like to share with you. 

Seven Basic Concepts About Scripture 

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