Where is the Truth?
Howdy my dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
How are you? Really? Is that the truth? Or are you exaggerating or downplaying it or just being polite? The Truth is an elusive answer these days. There use to be a Truth in Advertising law right? Mmm, maybe I should research that because there sure doesn't seem to be much truth in advertising today. Everyone has the best, it lasts the longest, it is the most powerful, etc. etc. Then there are our politicians, ok, politics. I am generalizing here but campaign promises do not seem to have much truth to them these days. I know you are doing the best you can and that you have to play politics or you wouldn't get anything accomplished, but at the expense of the truth?
How about hollywood? The entertainment industry doesn't seem to care about the truth anymore. Good guys used to wear the white hats and bad guys the black hats. Good guys didn't lie while bad guys couldn't be trusted. Oops, sorry, almost forgot about soap operas. NO truth there. Our sports figures are not the role models they used to be(generalizing again). And the Media? Don't get me started. I don't have enough time to talk about how elusive the truth is there. Our school books are now being questioned as to their veracity. Hey, history books were written with biases don't you know so they are not true. That leaves us with religion/church. The church preaches love and then turns its back on those who are different and those who live on the fringes of society. Truth for the church has become 'tradition', after all that is the way we have always done it. Give me a break. The Church is the keeper of the Truth even if the Church doesn't follow it.
The basis for Truth is the Word of God. John 14:6 "Jesus answered, 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.' Right from Wrong is contained in the Bible not in our feelings/emotions. The truth is a light to guide us along the path of life. We must not base our actions on our feelings because our desires are all too often selfish. See Romans 7 and read what Paul has to say about wrestling with sin. John 8:32, 'Then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.' Lets face it, we need a measuring rod in life. Something to tell us if we are doing the right thing or not. Our gut tells us what our hearts want to hear and that is not always a good thing. The Bible tells us how to please God and that is always a good thing. The truth is that this world is not our home and the only way out of it to Heaven is through Jesus. Beware, there are a lot of self help gurus and literature out there telling you differently. You can earn your way into Heaven or everyone will be saved (universal salvation which is NOT true). Thesse are just a couple of the lies being spread around today. Seek the Truth. His name is Jesus. I know, I know, people even argue over how to interpret the Bible. Try this approach: whenever you read the Bible ask yourself what is God saying to me? Be more concerned with the message rather than the vehicle. aka: think Hebrew. Let Love, God's love, be your theme in life and the lens through which you view others. Alway seek the Truth according to the Word of God. Sigh, we will not always agree but that is no reason to give up seeking the Truth. The Truth will set us free.
God loves you and so do I,
Pastor Bruce