Lean on the truth

 Today topic for the currents series is Lean on the Truth

We have and are going through a lot, a time like most of us have never experienced before. People emotions  are all over the place.  Opinions have taken over conviction and truth of the word. Lack healthy social interaction has created a void where the head space reality is the reality.  An environment where healthy debate is being perceived as mis-information.  Either you are with us or against is the narrative.

 Propaganda of one and only one perspective, is dividing the people in to pro and anti camps. Families are getting divided. Social and emotional pressure are being experience by individuals at work, home, relationships and church.

Our thoughts are being influenced by facts presented. Fear is being used to coerce us to compliance in to one way or the other. 

If you know the word, the truth, you will know that fear, compulsions, divisions, emotional blackmail, hate, coercion are all tactics of the enemy, the devil.  Giving in to it is playing in to hands of the enemy.

Almighty God does not force people. He believes in freedom and choice. He respects individuals choice to choose Life or Death, obedience or sin. He gave perfect man Adam the choice, let him have the consequences of his sin choice.

 He also promised Adam and Eve the messiah, the saviour on the day He judged them.

 I prayed to God asked for his insight in to that we are going through today. He reminded me of the days of Daniel. Daniel and his friends lived in challenging times like these. Compulsions, edicts and fearful consequences of not compliance were the norm of the Day. You could lose your life for not complying with authorities.

Daniel and his friends, did not live in fear but in faith and prayer. They did not flow with the current, their conviction was not based on an opinion but based on the truth of the word of God.

 I would highly recommend you study the book of Daniel. In it you will see How God protected and vindicated Daniel and his friends.

Don’t get me wrong, I have friends that are not vacinnated  and I have friends that have had vaccinations. I love them both so does God. I have my own convictions based the truth but I won’t let it my convictions divide God’s people.  (I am firm on my convictions and I am willing to pay a price for it.) Do you know who divides people, the Devil.

Having the same point of view is not unity and having diverse point of view is not division. How you approach diversity brings about unity or division. A healthy relationship will not impose ones view on the other but celebrate diversity.

If you know my past, I was born as Hindu who chose to follow Jesus Christ, I have endured through persecution, coercion, emotional blackmail, pressure tactics from my family, friends and relatives, I was ridiculed for my faith back in India, I did not comprise my faith or conviction. My dad threatened me that he would have nothing to do with me, and that he would not give me any inheritance if I pursued my faith. I chose my faith over fear and pressure.

Where did I get my strength from? I am just like anyone else, I have a soul that gets overwhelmed, that gets fearful.

I got my strength from the word. When we are guided by the word and faith that comes from the word, the word will give us the strength to endure and persevere. Our souls will find rest. Our safety will not be in things and assurances given by the world but in God.

Do you know everything you believe as a Christian comes from your understanding of the truth. What you believe is how you will live. You relationship with God is based on your relationship with The Truth of the word of God. Did you know Word and God are one and the same. That the word does not change like our feelings do!

John1:1-3                               NASB 1995

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ^2 [a]He was in the beginning with God. ³ All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.

Jesus  said in John 17: 17

John 17:14-17

14 I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

15 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.

16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

John 14:6

Jesus also said, ⁶ Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Truth and God are unseperable. When you know the truth you get to know God! If you get a distorted understanding of the truth you will get distorted understanding of Who God is.

Marc Thomas taught me, He said ”Vivek if you want to know God you have to know and understand the truth intimately.”

 

Romans 10:17 NASB1995

“So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.”

 

Joshua 1:8

⁸ This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may ^[a]be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will ^[b]have success.

Psalm 1

Hebrews 11:3 NASB1995            

“By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible.”

The word of God is the lamp unto our feet. It lights the path we need to take while walking in this dark world. This world is dark, only the truth will light your path.

How you see the world is based on the truth or a lie. Lie will make fearful, Truth will make unshakable.

Psalm 119:105 Nasb 1995

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.       

Its only in the revealed word, we understand the character of God as it explained by God himself through his Spirit inspired word. He explains his actions and why he did it.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 NASB1995

“All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.”

All scriptures not just the words Jesus spoke are inspired by God not just the red font letters in the gospel which Jesus spoke. Paul’s letters are not just his opinions they are the word of God.

2 Peter 3:14 -16

14 Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless, 15 and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation; just as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you, 16 as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction. 17 You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unprincipled men and fall from your own steadfastness, 18 but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.

We hear nowadays unhitch the old testament. Did you know the character of God is revealed in the old testament. Did you know the old testament and the prophecies of Jesus aunthenticate Jesus is the Messiah.

 A character of a person is revealed in how they interact with other. The old testament reaveals the character of through the dealings of God which he had with  mankind.

Many would like to believe that somehow that God, has become soft in the new testament.

Jesus did not come to abolish the law but to fulfill it. Without the old testament there is no foundation to our new testament faith!

Matthew 5:17

“Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill.

The character of God is that on which your faith on rest. I can vouch for Bryan as I know his character. I know his character based my observation of how he consistently behaves and acts.

Bryan is fallible he is human. God is not!

 When the outcome of your prayer and situations is not what you wanted. Its the character of God that brings you to reconciliation that, it was God’s will. (Satan does not want us to trust the  character of God.)

 The character of God you perceive is based on your understanding of the truth! The character of God (fruit of the Spirit) we display is based on the truth you know and practice!

We all know who picks and chooses scriptures out of context. We all know all know the spirit that’s in work in the sons of disobedience. Sons of disobedience, What are they disobedient to, they are disobedient to the word.

Truth should be our guide, should be anchor, should bring us hope of salvation from the things we go through.

When we read, understand, believe the truth we practice righteousness. Without the word we would not even recognize sin as sin, eternal penalty for practicing sin. Which is the bad news.

Without the bad news there wouldn’t appreciate how good the good news, the Gospel

 

Romans 1:16-17 NASB1995

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “But the righteous man shall live by faith.””

Romans 10:17 NASB1995

“So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.”

Don’t fill your mind with other things, that make you fearful but fill your mind with the truth! So what happens when truth is suppressed.

Romans 1:18-27 NASB1995

“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures. Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error.”

It does not happen overnight, little by little, lie creeps in few years and decades later we deviate far from the truth.

Without the truth you can not live this Christian life. You will constantly be on an emotional rollercoaster. You will live out of fear. You will make decisions out of it.

There is will no moral compass. No covenant of marriage. No integrity. No worship ( Spirit and truth).

Without the truth You will have this mindset, Just go as you feel, do what makes you feel good and do what makes you happy!

Without the word we drift away in to signs and wonders, laying fleeces and confirmations that validate our sinful, fleshly and soulish desires and goals.

2 Timothy 3:1-9 NASB1995

“But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these. For among them are those who enter into households and captivate weak women weighed down with sins, led on by various impulses, always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men of depraved mind, rejected in regard to the faith. But they will not make further progress; for their folly will be obvious to all, just as Jannes’s and Jambres’s folly was also.”

 The word of God does not change because God does not change. Yes God is loving and caring but that’s just one aspect of him. He is Holy. Set apart who who He is. He hates sin and he commands us to be Holy just like he is. Yes God is merciful but His Mercy should us to repentance and obedience to the truth.

Jesus is just like the Father, who judged Soddom and Gomorah. Jesus is not Softer cuddlier. Fluffier who turns a blind eye to sin and evil. He hated Sin suffered the wrath of God for it. He is coming back to Judge the world not to save it. The judgement begins with the house of God.

Where do I get this perspective, From the Word of God.

So how does this message apply to you and me today. Today more than ever we need to lean on the Truth! Not on feelings, not on facts, not hearsay but the Truth!

We need to lean on Faith not on fear! Reject fear, reject intimidation, reject division. You may not have the answers for what’s next but you have a God who knows the answers and cares for you.

Be like Daniel’s friends We know our God is able to deliver us even if he does not!

So when your soul is overwhelmed. Calm your soul by pointing it to God. Why are your downcast oh my soul put your hope in God.

He will never leave nor forsake you. He said do not be afraid of who destroy your body but afraid of him who can destroy your body and your soul.

I would urge everyone, this applies to me let us keep our eyes focused on God through his word. Cast our anxieties to God rest in the truth. Feed on His faithfulness.

Fear conforms us,  Truth transforms us. A transformed mind is bold and courageous. A Conformed mind is fearful and reactionary. The world and its propaganda will conform you.

The truth will transform you.

Romans 12:2

New American Standard Bible 1995

² And do not be conformed to this ^[a]world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may ^[b]prove what the will of God is, that which is good and ^[c]acceptable and perfect.

Four step process

1)      Read / Hear the Truth. Fill mind with, do not let it depart from the forefront of your mind. I shoot down every rationale and argument against truth.

2)      Understand the Godly logic behind the Truth, know the why behind it.

3)      Consistently Obey the Truth and experience it! Know that you can not obey the truth without God’s grace. Also know that God’s grace is available to humble.

4)      Lean on truth not on my experience, feelings, fear or presented facts. Make a choice to lean on God through his word.

When the truth is no longer a concept but a reality you live. You know the truth

The word of God says guard you heart. Is you are heart fearful? Anxious? Worried? It might be because feeding your mind and heart with something that's not the Truth.

If you have been knowingly unknowingly doing that, it’s time to change and fill ourselves with the truth.

Hope the messages points you to God’s truth and makes your faith unshakable by living it.