What Is Truth?

"What is truth?"

Of course, those were the famous words uttered by Pontius Pilate when he was talking with Jesus, just before the crucifixion of our dear Lord. Pilate was confused and he didn't know whom to believe.

First, he had the Jewish leaders yelling at him, "Crucify him!" Then his own wife said, "Have nothing to do with this man." Even Pilate couldn't find anything wrong with Jesus but for some reason all of the people in the Praetorium wanted Jesus dead. What to do? What to do?

Fast forward 2,000 years to 2026. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is on the rise. We as a culture find ourselves asking the same question. "Is this video real? Is it true?" Or, is it a deep fake?

The news media doesn't help matters much. CBS got sued by Trump for editing a Kamala Harris interview in such a way as to make her appear smart and coherent. Busted! So, what do we do? Who can we trust?

"I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." - John 14:6

We are living in a world filled with lies. And Jesus tells us in John 8:44 that Satan is "the father of lies." And it's that simple. Jesus = truth, Satan = lies.

When we come to realize that God cannot lie why would we look anywhere else for the truth?

“God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?" - Numbers 23:19

The innocent little girl in the picture above is totally fake. AI generated. In ALL things, consider the source. Is it of the world? Or it is of God?

AI Macarena

Real-Life Vampires

We all are familiar with vampires - those blood sucking, Bela Lugosi spin off characters that we allow our kids to dress up as during this time of year. But that's a different story. Today we will be learning about a real, present-day "vampire" - the Bible study leader.

I was sitting in the living room reading as my wife watched her Good Morning America show. They had a guest on who I recognized from a television series my wife and I used to watch - One Tree Hill. Her name is Bethany Joy Lenz.

She has a book out right now about being trapped in a cult that began, believe it or not, in a Bible study. The book's name is Dinner For Vampires.

Her Bible study started out simply, like most of them do. But then someone new joined the group and things went downhill from there. This new member, a man, began to lead the group and then brought his "new biblical insight" into their meetings. Demonic insight. The next thing you know he was heading up his own cult. And then the sexual nastiness began.

The point of this story is this: do not let just anybody lead your Bible study. Especially someone who will suck the life, and the truth, out of it.

Here is a truism: A Bible study is only as good its most knowledgeable member.

The key word in any Bible study is discernment. We all must be good Bereans. And what does that mean?

"Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true." - Acts 17:11

Truth is found everywhere in The Bible, not in anyone's thoughts or desires. Don't trust anyone . . . unless he or she is reading God's Word.

Dinner For Vampires - Bethany Joy Lenz

Aha!

Are you a good detective? What I mean is, are you good at figuring things out. Why did something happen? What caused it to happen? Or better yet, WHO caused it to happen?

We had a big storm go through our area a few days ago. Lots of rain. Maybe you heard about the dam in Manawa being breached and the resulting flooding.

During the storm my wife and I heard a loud bang. It wasn't thunder. It was a one-off whack of something in our backyard. I got up and went to investigate.

I could see no fallen branches in the yard. No storm damage at all. What the heck was it then?

Well, it was a pine cone. It's in the picture above. It's sitting on the metal housing of our air conditioner. How could a pine cone make such a loud noise?

Well, the pines trees in our yard are quite tall. 80-90' tall. Drop an unopened pine cone on your head from 90' in the air and you will understand. Bang!

We have a swamp on our family farm in Michigan. One summer we noticed its water level was dropping. Why? Lack of rain? Global warming? Farmers over-irrigating their crops? No. What then?

A pair of beavers had built a dam upstream and blocked off the water source. It was easy to figure out once we waded upstream.

Why does God allow certain things to happen in our lives? Even bad things. Is it for some yet unforeseen reason?

Joseph is a perfect example of God using him for His ultimate glory. God saved Israel by having his brothers sell him into slavery in Egypt.

"You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives." - Genesis 50:20

But the day Joseph got sold into slavery, he had no idea why. He was probably wondering,  "Why is all of this happening to me?"

What has God done in YOUR life? Has something happened that was initially bad but God used it for HIS glory?

"Walk upstream" and investigate the events of your life. Have we missed something that God wanted us to do for Him? What are the clues? And why you of all people?

I encourage you to look back at your life from where you are today. What were the turning points, the decisions, the milestones. Look closely. You just might be surprised. And praise God!

"Now all these things are from God." - 2 Corinthians 5:18

Gaslighting

Gaslighting is defined as "psychologically manipulating someone over a period of time." Examples of gaslighting would be something like "our border is secure" or "the president just had a bad day."

Of course, KJP had to be the featured picture for today's story about gaslighting. She does it so well.

These lies, repeated over and over again, become truths in the minds of the gullible.

Our best weapon against gaslighting is called discernment - doing our own investigating to find out whether or not something is true.

We need to use discernment in our daily conversations, while scrolling through social media, and even while sitting in a church pew.

Jesus warned us about false teachers.

"Watch out that no one deceives you." - Matthew 24:4

Jesus knew that false teachers would come. And He said that it would be a sign of His coming and "the end of the age."

When the Berean Jews heard the disciple's teachings, they went home and examined the scriptures to see if they were true and the disciples commended them for it.

That is the key. We must constantly be going through the Bible, imprinting its truth on our hearts, so that when we hear some strange teaching or story, we will recognize it for what it is. A lie.

It's a sad thing when our government lies to its people. It's even worse when lies and half-truths come from the pulpit. Don't trust anyone. Like Jesus said, "There is no one good. No, not one."

For as good as Karine is at gaslighting reporters and the American people, there is still someone better. Her boss. No, not Joe. Although he too is pretty good. I'm talking about Satan.

"You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies." - John 8:44

Know the truth. Live the truth. Speak the truth.

The Spirit Speaks

I am leary of "Christians" who say things like, "I have a new word from the Lord" or "God spoke to me today." My response is usually, "Really? Have you ever read the Bible?"

"You shall not add to the word that I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God that I command you." - Deuteronomy 4:3

That's pretty clear.

"I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book." - Revelation 22:18-19

Old Testament or New, God's Word is what it is. There are no NEW words to be added, or words to be removed. Period.

Still, God can and does communicate with us through His Holy Spirit. We might feel convicted about something in a sermon, or hear a news story and feel compelled to help someone or to pray.

But the key to living an obedient Christian life is to actually DO what the Bible says. And the Holy Spirit will never lead us to do something contrary to it.

Here's a question: If we are led to do something, and then don't do it, are we not disobeying God? And if we claim to be followers of Jesus but do not do what He says, are we truly, really, His followers?

"Why do you call me 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say?" - Luke 6:46

Here's another question: If we feel led to do something, is it really from God? Or is it just our human feelings?

In the Book of Acts Peter had a vision. "A voice" told Peter (in a trance) to do something. Peter questioned it. The voice answered.

"While Peter was still thinking about the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Simon, three men are looking for you. So get up and go downstairs. Do not hesitate to go with them, for I have sent them.”

Peter went down and said to the men, “I’m the one you’re looking for." - Acts 10:19-21

How did Peter know that the Spirit was speaking to him? He went downstairs, as the Spirit had told him to do, and there were the three men.

When we feel led by the Holy Spirit, it is our duty to follow, being discerning as we do so. Our actions should always line up with God's Word. God DOES test us. And, when He does, will we pass the test?

Keep Reading

'Coffee cup verses' - short, meaningful Bible verses .... that can really screw up our theology.

We can get into trouble if we take just one verse and let it stand all alone by itself. What led up to that verse? What came after it?

Sometimes a parable can be related to the previous story. And without that background information it's hard to understand the parable.

Here's an example that loses its full meaning because someone inserted chapter breaks and verse numbers ro make things easier to read.

Jesus and Peter are talking. Jesus has just told the disciples that where He is going they cannot follow. 

"Peter asked, “Lord, why can’t I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.”

Then Jesus answered, “Will you really lay down your life for me? Very truly I tell you, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times!" - John 13:37-38

That's where the chapter ends. It sounds like Jesus really let Peter have it, doesn't it? But the original text had no chapter break here and the story still continues in John 14 where we find Jesus reassuring His disciples in this way.

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am." - John 14:1-3

See what I mean? It's the same story, only by continuing to read, with no chapter break, we learn that although Jesus rebuked Peter, He also has compassion for him and the rest of the disciples.

Matthew 7 is another example. Jesus says "Do not judge" but then He goes on to explain about righteous judgement and then says "then you will see clearly" .... to judge.

The Bible can seem difficult to understand sometimes. But if we keep reading it, and do a little research, our understanding of it will increase.

T-E-S-T

I downloaded an app for my phone the other day. I uninstalled it today. Why? Because it was taking the place of something very near and dear to me. My God.

Phones can be a distraction all by themselves, but add an addictive game app or social media to your daily routine and it can quickly become an obsession.

Some people can control their phone usage. When it comes to puzzles and games, I can't. I tend to obsess. When our obsession takes the place of our time with God, that's a problem. It's called idolatry. It's a sin.

I think that we Christians need to constantly be examining ourselves when it comes to things like this. If there is anything that interferes with our time with God, it must be eliminated.

This story is a day late in coming to you. Why? Yep. I was too busy playing my new little game to write one. I also discovered that, even though I tried to write one, the inspiration never came. It was lacking. Not good.

Is there something in your life that is getting in the way with your time with God? Perhaps you should take a look. We are to be "set apart" from the world. Not to be a consumer of it.

If my little word game could offer advice to the Christian it would be

E-X-A-M-I-N-E

T-E-S-T

D-I-S-C-E-R-N

Nothing should be coming between us and God.

N-O-T-H-I-N-G

"Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you - unless, of course, you fail the test?" - 2 Corinthians 13:5

The Courage of the Midwives

Courage is defined as "the ability to do something that frightens one." When we think about people who exhibit courage we tend to think about soldiers, the police, or firefighters. But if we read Exodus 1 we can find two Hebrew midwives who qualify.

The Hebrew slaves we being persecuted in Egypt. It was shortly before Moses was to be born when the king of Egypt ordered the midwives to kill all the baby boys born to the Hebrew women.

"But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread; so the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites 13and worked them ruthlessly. 14They made their lives bitter with harsh labor in brick and mortar and with all kinds of work in the fields; in all their harsh labor the Egyptians worked them ruthlessly.

15The king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, whose names were Shiphrah and Puah, 16“When you are helping the Hebrew women during childbirth on the delivery stool, if you see that the baby is a boy, kill him; but if it is a girl, let her live.” 17The midwives, however, feared God and did not do what the king of Egypt had told them to do; they let the boys live." - Exodus 1:12-17

The midwives disobeyed the head of the ruling authority because they feared God more, even though they had to lie. That took real courage! And they were blessed for it.

I saw a similar story on the news recently where the governor of our fine state issued a mask mandate. Our local Sherriff then said he was not going to enforce the mandate because it violated a higher authority - the Constitution.

In another Covid-related case, many governors have shuttered churches trying to stop the spread of the virus. Some churches have defied their governors because they feel that God is a higher authority and that our government has illegally interfered. The U.S. Supreme Court agreed with the churches.

What decisions will you and I be forced to make? Will we blindly follow any government edict that comes down the line or will we discern what is right in God's eyes?

A time is coming when each of us will have to make hard choices about whether or not to obey our government's laws or to obey God laws. It will be interesting. And it WILL happen. It's already happening in other countries.

Canadian pastors cannot preach against the sin of homosexuality. It's a Canadian law. Will Canadian pastors continue to preach the truth, even if they face jail time for doing so?

The Apostles disobeyed many laws to spread the truth of The Gospel, undergoing all sorts of tribulation and punishment. Even death. Am I that courageous? Are you?

Each of us will have to make up our own minds when faced with decisions involving God's law.

"But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD." - Joshua 24:15

Jogging With The Dead

There's jogging, and then there's zombie jogging. The first is how things SHOULD be. The second occurs when we become surrounded by our enemies, or those who think differently than we do.

A few stories ago we saw how Satan manipulated King David's mind and caused him to sin. That's an important discovery. Is Satan manipulating someone in YOUR life right now? Is it you?

We Christians have to be weary these days of things that distract us or try to manipulate us in some way. We have to be very discerning with what we allow to enter our minds and our hearts.

Our default switch should always be, "What does God's Word say about this?" or "What does God want me to do?"

Earlier this week Joe Biden chose Kamala Harris as his vice presidential running mate. That should scare just about everybody, including Joe. I will predict right here that Joe Biden will not make it through his four year term if elected.

Kamala, like Joe and every other left leaning politician, is anti-gun, pro abortion, and anti-Christian. You might say, "Gee Bob, how can you make such broad, sweeping statements like that? Joe's a Catholic, you know."

I would reply with, "He says he is, but then why did his priest not allow him to take communion? It was because of his pro-choice stance on abortion."

The majority of people won't dig deeply enough to find the truth. That's a problem in politics and it's a problem in most people's faith. They refuse to dig. Then they wind up living with what happens AFTER the election. AFTER Jesus returns.

"I have done my research. I have found what is true." - says me and says you. Our opinions won't count for much standing in front of God on Judgement Day. Only the truth will matter. God's truth.

No king is allowed to take control unless it is from God. Sometime God means it for good. Sometimes, however, God means it FOR our good and will allow a particular "king" to take power for a reason.

The way 2020 has gone this far, are you ready for the November election?

We who believe have great reason for hope in these last days before Christ's return. We have not been appointed to wrath! (1 Thes 5:9). Jesus wants us to be ready, He wants us not to be deceived. He has warned us of the things that will come, not so we become fearful, but so that we are prepared.

"As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” 4 And Jesus answered them, “See that no one leads you astray. 5 For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray. 6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are but the beginning of the birth pains." - Matthew 24:3-8"

Are We Nearing The End? - Max Lucado
Kamala Harris' Catholic Problem

The Rebel In Me

What is it with us humans? Half of us want to do whatever the government tells us to do while the other half want to do just the opposite. How to tell what is right and what is wrong?

One thing that always gripes my cookies is when someone tells me what I can and cannot do.  We live in America - the land of the free for goodness sakes! We are free to make our own choices and, as long as they don't infringe on anyone else's rights, we should be free to make them.

This whole stay at home thing for example. Our governor here in Wisconsin has now decided that we all need to stay "safer at home" until the end of May. That's ridiculous. I understand where he's coming from. He wants to "keep everyone safe." But what about our sanity?

The biggest topic of discussion I have heard talked about during the past several years has been mental health. Heard anyone talking about that lately? No. The news is all corona virus - 24/7. What happened to mental health? Locking someone up in their homes for two months with no income and zero social interaction is mentally depleting.

I'll go out on a limb at predict that there will be an a huge spike in domestic abuse, suicide, depression, alcoholism, and any other "ism" you can think of during this month and next. Why? Because were all cooped up in our homes. We're slowly going crazy! So much for mental health.

Do you remember this Bible verse?

"Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's" - Mark 12:17

Jesus spoke those words. We, as followers of Christ, are to obey our government's laws EXCEPT when they conflict with God's laws. For example, abortion. It is a lawful thing to do in our country. We are to obey that law. Yet God says "do not murder." It's one of the ten commandments. So what do we do? God wins out. Therefore I personally will oppose abortion so should any Christian. Those who perform abortions will answer to God one day. So will those who support it.

What about the stay at home executive order? I think that we should obey the governor's wishes as much as possible. I also feel that "his wishes" are very close to violating our constitution and Bill of Rights. The Constitution say "we have been endowed by certain unalienable rights." By whom? OUR CREATOR! I therefore have decided to stay inside . . . except when I feel the need to go out and exercise my rights. Freedom of assembly. Freedom of worship.

We should be smart but we should also be wary. There are too many politicians lurking around with agendas of their own. Many are not interested in what God thinks, only in what THEY think. And that's where the rebel in me says, "Enough!"

Be smart! Think! But do what is right in God's eyes. We are His. He is our King. Read that verse again. "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's." We belong to God!

Look, I will stay inside. But if there is a church service somewhere, where everyone is worshiping within the social distancing guidelines set up by Caesar, I am going! No matter what Caesar says.

Come, Now Is The Time To Worship - Phillips, Craig and Dean

Angels of Light

When Jesus was talking with His disciples on the Mount of Olives, He was asked what would be the sign of His returning to earth one day. And what were the first words out of His mouth? Do not be deceived.

"3 Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?”

4 And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many." - Matthew 24:3-5

It seems like everybody has their own idea about who God is and what He is like. Pastors, politicians, television hosts and celebrities all seem willing to talk about what THEY believe to be the truth, whether it is actually THEE truth or not.

I once followed a young pastor named Rob Bell. He was young and hip and had these really cool videos about God. He pastored a mega church in Michigan. I bought his book and downloaded his videos. But then he started saying some things that didn't seem right to me. Things about God that didn't seem true. It wasn't long before his church kicked him out. But people are still thinking he is a Christian. People are still following him.

Rob Bell is a false teacher. Why? Because he teaches things that are contrary to God's Word - The Bible

"For such people are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ. 14And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. 15It is not surprising, then, if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve." - 2 Corinthians 11:13-15

The guy in the picture above is named Deepak Chopra. He is another false teacher. Here are some of his teachings taken from an interview with Oprah Winfrey (courtesy of Stand Up For The Truth).

• We are constantly reincarnating
• Jesus, Buddha, etc. are great teachers
• When we die, we fetch our memories and simply exist in space
• We are all part of a collective ocean of humanity; we live in each other forever and are inseparable
• Our soul is part of the universe and the universe is a part of our soul

All these teachings conflict with the Bible. Deepak Chopra is a false teacher.

Sadly, the lady in the picture is guilty of false teaching as well. Her show often has New Age teachers on, yet she claims to be a Christian. Wait until you see her reply to this statement by Deepak Chopra.

Deepak: God is an infinite being who did not create the universe, but rather, becomes the universe. God is the evolutionary result of the universe.

Oprah: I think that is a great definition.

Wow! So how do we know who is telling the truth these days and who is twisting it? Read the Bible!

Do you know how banks teach their employees to detect counterfeit money? They hold it up next to some money that they KNOW to be genuine. If the two bills do not look the same and feel the same, one of them is a fake. They KNOW that one bill is real therefore the other HAS to be the fake.

The same is true of the people who tell us things about God. Take me for example. How do you know if what I am telling you is true or not. You don't. Compare the things I say to what the Bible says. God's Word is true! If my words match those in the Bible then what I am saying is true. If not, I am a false teacher. Do your research.

Jesus told us there will be many false teachers in the last days. Most indicators are that we are living in those last days right now. Find the false teachers who speak into your life. Compare everything you hear to the Word of God. God cannot lie! Do the words you receive as true match up with God's?

In the following video you will hear someone who once was part of the New Age Movement offshoot of Christianity. He talks about a book called A Course in Miracles. The book was written by Marianne Williamson. Do you recognize that name? She was running for president. She has a great message of peace and love. She is also a false teacher. Be watchful!

Let's pray for Oprah, Deepak, Rob and Marianne. That God might open their eyes to the truth of God's Word.

A Course In Miracles - Warren B. Smith

Carpenter?

People tell us all kinds of things. We can even believe them to be true, but does our belief MAKE them true? No. The truth stands on its own. Our challenge is to find out what that truth is.

To do that we need to do our homework. We need to examine things to make sure we are being told the truth. We shouldn't just accept things because they sound good or because someone you thought you could trust told you. We should look them up for ourselves! Be a good Berean!

"10 As soon as it was night, the believers sent Paul and Silas away to Berea. On arriving there, they went to the Jewish synagogue. 11 Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. 12 As a result, many of them believed, as did also a number of prominent Greek women and many Greek men." - Acts 17:10-12

I was having a conversation with friend the other day and I brought up the Mark 6 Bible verse that says "Isn't this (Jesus), the carpenter's son? Isn't this Mary's son?" My friend said, "You know, that's really translated "Builder" not "Carpenter".

`

I could say nothing. I don't know all the Greek words. Maybe my friend was right. So I thought I'd do a little research.

It just so happened that the Sunday before our pastor had told us about a Bible app he uses. And it's free!! And it had all the Greek, Aramaic, and Hebrew text too. So I checked it out. Here's a screen shot of the key Greek word (tekton) and its Greek meaning. Carpenter.

You might say you don't believe in God. Our belief has nothing to do with whether or not God actually exists. We can believe anything we want. But if our beliefs are founded in an untruth, they are nothing more than a lie.

Examine everything that comes into your eyes, ears and mouth to see whether or not it is true. Be a good Berean.

What I Believe - Skillet

Evidence

This morning I woke up to the sound of a distant rumbling. Thunder perhaps? A jet flying high above? A tornado? Nope. I knew exact what it was as soon as I heard it. Then I waited. I was waiting for another sound. More evidence. And then, there it was.

The two sounds I heard early this morning are evidence. Evidence of things unseen. Based on things I knew to be true, I surmised that what I was hearing was a train was rolling down the tracks. The train engineer blew his whistle whenever he got to an intersection. How did I know that? Because that's what train engineers are supposed to do.

I also deduced that the train I heard was five miles away and to the north. How did I know that? Because that's where I knew there were train tracks. There are no other train tracks around here except for those.

I was also able to figure out the train was going from east to west. How? Over time the sound of the train whistle only came from the west. It was loud and then got more quiet. Thus the train was moving away from me.

All these things I have described are evidence that led me to the conclusion that there was a train (train whistle), it was moving down the tracks (I had seen them and knew where they were), And the diminishing sounds told me the train's direction of travel. All these things are true because I was a witness to them.

When my wife wakes up I can tell her that a train was traveling east to west at 6:00 AM. She will probably believe me. Why? Because she has heard the same sound before herself. If she believes me she will be placing her trust in my ears and their ability to hear. She will be relying on her own experience. and she will have faith in what I said is true. Why?

Well, why would I lie? She has come to know me over the course of the last 40 years or so that I don't lie. She trusts me. Therefore she believes me.

What about our faith in Christ? Is there enough evidence that He truly existed? Yes there is. The Bible, of course, is our main body of evidence but the are also extra-biblical writings that corroborate that evidence. The writings of Flavius Josephus for example, who referred to Jesus.

About this time there lived Jesus, a wise man, if indeed one ought to call him a man.  For he was one who performed surprising deeds and was a teacher of such people as accept the truth gladly. He won over many Jews and many of the Greeks. He was the Messiah. And when, upon the accusation of the principal men among us, Pilate had condemned him to a cross, those who had  first come to love him did not cease.  He appeared to them spending a third day restored to life, for the prophets of God had foretold these things and a thousand other marvels about him.  And the tribe of the Christians, so called after him, has still to this day not disappeared.

I can tell you that Jesus exists by the change His Holy Spirit has brought into my life but would you believe me? If you don't know me, why would you? Is there evidence in MY life that I have been changed by the teachings of Jesus? Is there evidence in YOUR life that Jesus exists?

We need to BE the evidence in a world that desperately needs the truth - Jesus. Be that evidence  today.

"13We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face to prevent the Israelites from seeing the end of what was passing away. 14But their minds were made dull, for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read. It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away. 15Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts. 16But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 17Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate a the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit." - 2 Corinthians 3:13-18

The Case For Christ - Lee Strobel

What Is Real?

Things are not always as they seem. Our minds can be easily manipulated. We can think one thing is true when, in reality, it's the exact opposite. Knowing what the truth is is incredibly important. Our whole system of laws is based on it.

"Do you promise the tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help you God?"

Hmm, I wonder if they still use that last part . . .

You've probably seen the following video. It's a girl with blue hair. Or is it pink? Or purple?

Color-Changing Hair

What is her real hair color? How do you know?

Do you have a favorite newscast you like to watch? Are they factual? How do you know? Do you think ABC News is truthful? NBC? CBS? Fox News? What about the BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation)?

They recently reported about the declining reindeer herd population in Russia. They said it was due to global warming. That sounds right. We've all heard about global warming, right? So it must be true. Well . . .

The BBC has admitted to making a factual error in their reporting of the story. You can read about it here. It turns out that the majority of reindeer herds in Russia are actually increasing in number. They are either increasing or they are remaining stable. None are decreasing. How could they make such a mistake? That's easy. They have an agenda. They are looking at the world with "global warming" eyes.

Their agenda is more important to them than the facts.

We all have own set of values that we filter our "truth" through. Whether it is actually truthful or not is anybody's guess. So, what is real? What IS the truth?

^"5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”

⁶ Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. ⁷ If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.” - John 14:5-6

This is an amazing statement by Jesus. In it he says that all other religions are false because HIS way is the only way. He also says He is the truth. God can never lie. That's a sin and God cannot sin. The really amazing part of the scripture we just read is when Jesus said "from now on you do know Him . . . and have seen Him.

Jesus just told His disciples that He, Jesus, is God. Wow. And God doesn't lie. It's against His nature. He is holy.

So, when we go searching for what the truth is, let us begin with God and His Word. It contains all the truth we will ever need.

What Is Truth? - The Passion of The Christ

Vet Me

There has been a lot of talk this past year about vetting. What is vetting anyway? What does it mean to vet someone? Does it hurt? Our cat hates to go to the vet, but that's different. Why is it so important that we vet someone?

Vet - make a careful and critical examination of (something). To check, examine, scrutinize, investigate, inspect, look over, screen, assess, evaluate, appraise.

I see many Facebook posts about failed relationships and broken trust. To use the word of the day, it sounds like some people were not properly vetting their friends - weeding out the bad ones - only letting the good ones into their hearts.

As we look at whether or not to allow refugees from countries that allow terrorist activities into ours, let us remember the Ebola outbreak. What did we do with the guy on the plane who had been exposed to Ebola? Well, he was placed in quarantine, until it as proven that he didn't have it. Then he was released. Very similar.

What does God think about all this? I have no idea, but I can guess based on what I have read in the Bible. I know God wants us to love everyone of those refugees, especially our brothers and sisters (1 Peter 2:17). I also know that God commands us to cast out the evil ones among us (1 Corinthians 5:13).

There are many examples in the Old Testament about how Israel was instructed to treat people of different religions. It was never very pretty and not very politically correct. It was often bloody and complete. None being left alive.

Jesus brought a different message with Him in the message of the Good Samaritan. You can read my take on that here.

The Commands of Jesus: Go And Do Likewise

The issue of vetting refugees and immigrants splits the nation in two - detain them 48%, don't detain them 42%. So who's right? Not us humans.

Jesus will vet each one of us one day. And not every "refugee" will be allowed in.

³¹ “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. ³² All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. ³³ And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. "

⁴⁶ And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” - Matthew 25:31-33 & 46

Personally, I feel we Christians are called to take care of all the refugees, whatever their religion. But I also believe that we are to treat our Christians brothers and sister above the rest - still, at the same time, helping all. Should we let refugees for our "enemies" countries into our country? I'm not so sure about that one. I think our president is erring on the side of safety for American citizens at the expense of those seeking to get in. That's unfortunate but that's what its come down to now.

That said, we must remember that WE are not citizens of this world anymore. We are aliens in our own country. Jesus will vet us all one day. Do you have proof of who you are in God's eyes?

The Sheep And The Goats - Keith Green
Separating Sheep and Goats

Why Is The Floor Wet?

Do you think you're a pretty good detective? I mean, given a few clues, do you think you can figure most things out? I'm that way. After 60+ years of experiences I can figure most things out . . . given enough information that is. At least that's what I thought.

This past week something happened in  our house. It happened right under our noses, There was no loud bang or sudden thud. Just subtle little signs here and there of a major problem.

"I must have spilled something while I was fixing dinner," my wife said. "The floor's wet."

That was clue #1 but I had no idea anything else was wrong. I just figured my wife was right so I went about my business. That was a mistake.

The following night my wife made a similar comment about the wet floor in our kitchen. This time I went to investigate.

"You're right. The floor IS wet."

I'm such a sleuth. Nothing gets past me. Only this time I noticed something else. A piece of our laminate flooring was buckling, warping, because of the presence of water. Hmm. Could my wife's spill from the night before STILL be damp?

I got down on my hands and knees and had a look around. There was ANOTHER wet spot. This thing was spreading. What's going on? I called for my wife, who had retreated to the living room. She likes to let the house detective work in peace.

"Let's move the refrigerator out, away from the wall," I suggested. And so we did. And we became enlightened. The entire floor under the refrigerator was wet. There was water slowly dripping from a plumbing fitting . . . loosened over time. Our kitchen flooring was ruined. All because of a little water leaking out of a supply hose. We never noticed it seeping in. All we saw was the after effects. The damage. What once would have been an easy fix, now will cost hundreds of dollars.

Our faith can be like that. Are you a good detective when it comes to apostasy and false teaching creeping into the church? Are you able to discern truth from lies? How DO we know what's truth and what is not?

I have heard it said that the best way to distinguish between a real 20 dollar bill and a counterfeit one is to hold the bill that is in question next to one you know is genuine. Examine it, inspect it. The same is true with the things we hear and see. We should hold them up next to God's Word and compare.

Is what the Pope says true? Your pastor? Your friend? Examine their words. Compare them to what is in the Bible - the Word of God. Do your own investigation. Examine the evidence. There can only be one truth. Find it. Follow it. Remember it.

"And they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are true and teach the way of God truthfully, and you do not care about anyone’s opinion, for you are not swayed by appearances." - Matthew 22:16

"For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ." - John 1:17

What Is The Truth - The Passion of The Christ

Soldier

What characteristics do you think of when you hear the word "soldier?" Bravery perhaps? Honor? Strength? Loyalty? Sacrifice? Determination? That's quite a list. And ALL are appropriate when talking about our these honorable men and women.

Last weekend I watched a special report about the attack on our country's embassy in Benghazi, Libya. It was amazing to hear a first-hand account of what exactly went on during that deadly attack from the perspective of the soldiers that were in the fire fight, defending our country's territory. Four Americans lost their lives that night . . . while serving their country.

Could you do that? Would you put your life on the line, defending something you believe in?

There are people in Iraq, Christians, who are being killed BECAUSE they are Christians. Would you be one so bold as to NOT renounce your faith in Jesus Christ? So bold that it would cost you your head? I hope that I would stand tall and proclaim His name until the end.

The past few weeks there has been a controversy in our area over a singer named Gungor performing at a Christian event. He said a few inflammatory things in a Christian Post interview about the Bible, stating this about Adam and Eve and Noah, "I have no more ability to believe these things than I do to believe in Santa Clause or to not believe in gravity." You can read the interview here.

His statements, and refusal to repent of them led a local radio station to pull its sponsorship of the event. It also led me and my friend to NOT take kids to the event this year. Then my friend said this, "Staying away from this event will only effect them a little. We should do more." She was right. So we planned to hand out information about the artist's statements, and what it means to be discerning about the things we hear and read in this world.

As it turned out, God already had things under control and Gungor pulled out of the event, thereby removing all of the distractions. A Christian event should be more about God than any one individual.

I am glad my friend and I were willing to stand up against this artist and his beliefs. I am pleased to see a radio station make a stand for the truth of God's Word. Placing non-believers on pedestals or stages gives them authority and if they use that status to present another Gospel other than our Lord Jesus Christ's, it is WE who said nothing who are to blame because WE gace them the opportunity to do so.

We Christians need to be more like soldiers in how we live our faith. According to our pastor, being a soldier for Christ carries with it a higher commitment level than just "believing." That's what I think we Christians need. It would be very easy for us to just ignore false teachings and let the words slide. It is NOT so easy to make a stand and shout the truth from the rooftops.

These days there are many churches that "allow" certain things to go on inside their doors. They take liberties with God's Word, even to the point of condoning sin, all in the name of making members of their congregations happy and comfortable. Being a Christian is not about comfort. Just ask any Christian in Iraq, or China, or Syria. We need to become more like soldiers with God's Word.

The soldiers in Benghazi helped and protected each other. Sometimes it was to their death. We here in the relative safety of our sanctuaries tend to let things slide. That is NOT being a Christian. It is being ANTI Christ.

I'd like you to read a few passages. The first one is from the Book of Acts about the early church and a group of Christians known as the Bereans. They were soldiers, defending God's Word.

"10 The brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived they went into the Jewish synagogue. 11 Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so. 12 Many of them therefore believed," - Acts 17:10-12

Do we examine the scriptures to see if what our pastors say on Sunday morning is true or not? Do we examine the lyrics of hymns in the same way? Are we members of churches that allow behavior contrary to the teachings of God because we don't want to rock the boat or are comfortable in our faith?

God has told us that He WILL test us.

"Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the desert these forty years, to humble you and to test you (. . . WHY?) in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. He humbled you... to teach you that man does not live by bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord." - Deuteronomy 8:2-3

We Christians need to be defenders of our faith, not merely users of it. God has said He WILL test us. A local radio station in our area (Q90FM) passed the test, Will we?

"4 Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed. Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years." - Revelation 20:4

I Am A Soldier - D.L. Moody

Dietitian

In my last post I wrote a little bit about how my wife is a dietitian. The following day I heard a message by Pastor Eric Ludy which inspired me to write this post . . . about eating junk food.

I probably should preface what I am about to write by telling you all that I love my wife. She knows that. I just wanted all of YOU to know that, in case any of what I am about to say sounds like me picking on her. It will only sound like I am picking on her because . . . I am. ;)

My wife is an incredible cook. I'm not sure why I can still see my toes when I look down at my feet. I really should be staring at a too-full belly when I look down at the ground. She makes some amazing meals and desserts. Her cooking is SO good she often tweaks the recipes to make them more healthy. Rather than one cup of sugar she will use a sugar substitute. She might sprinkle in some "healthy" like wheat germ or ground flax seed. That's nice. But our children and I have become suspicious over time about the things that are placed in front of us at the dinner table.

Here's an example of what I mean. In the past my wife has made an absolutely decedent looking cake, which our kids and I absolutely loved. When we were picking up the last crumbs of cake off our plates my wife asked this all-too-familiar question. "So, . . . how did you like the cake?"

We immediately stopped chewing. My kids and I looked at each other for signs of nausea or abdominal cramping. Nothing. We survived . . . whatever it was. Eventually one of us asks, "Why? What's in it?"

Then my wife tells us all of the surprise ingredients. And I think she enjoys it just a little too much.

"Well, of course I had to put in some flax seed. I had to use my new Martha Stewart flax seed grinder you know! But my secret ingredient this time was . . . prunes! I substituted prunes for the eggs! You could hardly tell the difference, could you?"

Not right then we couldn't . . . but later???

This week I found myself thinking about what we eat, spiritually. There is an entire smorgasbord of "food" out there. And it's not all good for us either.

There are "progressive" Christians who say they follow Jesus but they "interpret scripture" in ways that break four or five of the Ten Commandments. They "tweak" the Chritians recipe" so to speak by "interpreting" scripture in a way that THEY want to hear it and ignore the true meaning. You know, how God really meant it.

There are the "Name It and Claim It" followers of the Prosperity Gospel which says that, if we pray for something hard enough it will become ours. We simply say things like "I declare" and God will lay treasures at our feet. Hmm, I Declare is the name of Joel Osteen's latest book. I wonder if he preaches the prosperity gospel? I wonder if Mr. Osteen has ever read Matthew 19 and the story of the rich young ruler?

"16 Now behold, one came and said to Him, “Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?”

17 So He said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.”

18 He said to Him, “Which ones?”

Jesus said, “‘You shall not murder,’ ‘You shall not commit adultery,’ ‘You shall not steal,’ ‘You shall not bear false witness,’ 19 ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ ”

20 The young man said to Him, “All these things I have kept from my youth. What do I still lack?”

21 Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”

22 But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions."

There are Syncrotists who feel that all roads lead to heaven and are forever seeking ways to blend all faiths together in to one world-wide faith where everybody can gather around the campfire and sing Kumbaya. If my wife added mustard, catsup and pickles to her cake recipe it might please the hotdog lovers of the world but us cake lovers might not like it very much. Rick Warren, Bill Hybels tend to like cake with many ingredients.

And speaking of Mr. Hybels, there are also Seeker Sensitive chefs leading many of our churches today. They will tweak the standard recipe (The Gospel) in whatever way we'd like. "More sugar? You bet! How about a larger piece of cake? You can have the whole thing if you'd like. And a glass of milk to go with it? Oh, and you can eat as much as you want beause it's all about feeling good, right?"

Did you ever see the Woddy Allen movie Sleeper? In the movie, Woody's character had himself cryogenically frozen and then got thawed out in the future. A future where things were kind of backwards in terms of diet . . .

Dietitians from Sleeper talk about healthy eating in the future here.

When Paul spoke to the Corinthians he was speaking to them about their sinful sexual desires but Paul was one who liked to stick to God's recipe and not add anything to it.

When the Corinthians would say "12 “All things are lawful for me,” Paul would answer "but not all things are helpful." When the Corinthians would try to tweak the recipe God wrote by saying “All things are lawful for me,” Paul came back with "but I will not be dominated by anything. And when the Corinthians would say "13 “Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food” Paul's reply was "and God will destroy both one and the other."

There are many "chefs" in this world today whose goal is to create many different taste sensations for us all to enjoy. They all learned their trade at Satan's School for the Theologically Impaired. Food, like God's Word, is something we need to survive. We can't select a palitable verse here and there and expect to have a healthy Christian life. We need a balanced diet. The Bible provides the best of both worlds. We can have our cake and eat it too! God's recipe is simple. And we can eat as much of it as we'd like.

"48 I am the bread of life. 49 Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. 50 This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. 51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”

52 The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?”

53 So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. 54 Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. 55 For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. 56 Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. 57 As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me. 58 This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like the bread the fathers ate, and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.” - John 6:48-58

There are many things we like to eat but not all are beneficial - only the Bread of Life, Jesus, offers us a balanced, healthy, spiritual meal that will increase our longevity (eternal life). My words of advice today are simple. Stick to the recipe!

Discernment

"As soon as it was night, the believers sent Paul and Silas away to Berea. On arriving there, they went to the Jewish synagogue. Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. As a result, many of them believed, as did also a number of prominent Greek women and many Greek men." - Acts 17:10-12

When I first came to believe and made Jesus Lord of my life, I read just about every book I could get my hands on. I could NOT read and learn enough about Jesus and why he had to die for me. It was like I was starving for information about God, about Jesus, and words were my food.

I began by reading The Bible of course, Duh. But I didn't stop there. Then came The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren, Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller, Crazy Love by Francis Chan. I took in all this knowledge and stored it in my heart and in my mind.

I also watched television shows about God - The Gospel of Judas (it's not in the Bible) on the History Channel. I watched Jimmy Swaggert, Joyce Meyer & Robert Schuller in that beautiful Crystal Cathedral. I started to watch a Joel Osteen sermon once but I had to change the channel. That guy just gave me the creeps!

And then there were the movies - The Passion of the Christ, Facing the Giants, Fireproof, Courageous, I watched them all. Even Flywheel! And, of course, Rob Bell's Nooma videos.

I took a class in Spiritual Formation at the ELCA Lutheran church I was attending. I went through Purpose Driven Youth Ministry training. All these things provided me with information in my new-found faith. But then something happened. I began . . . to question.

I wasn't questioning God or his Word, but I began to see things happening in the church that made me wonder. I would be reading about certain things in my Bible and they didn't seem to line up with what was happening in the church and in it's doctrine. I began to question . . . my church. I began to wonder what the truth was.

The turning point for me came in 2009 - The ELCA's decision to allow and actively encourage gay and lesbian pastors. (ELCA Social Statement on Sexuality). It is rather clear to me that God does not support this. It seemed like "man" (the ELCA) was trying to define God in terms of who THEY thought he should be, not embracing who he truly is. I took my concerns to the church council, hoping they would understand. I had verses to back me up and everything. They chose not to deviate from what the ELCA handed down, despite it being contrary to God's written word. So I left the church.

From that point on though, not wanting to be burned again, I began to examine everything that came my way. Each week, as I listened to the pastor of my new church preach, I examined everything he said and compared it to God's Word. I STILL do that. So far, I have not been disappointed.

A friend of mine suggested I listen to Stand Up For The Truth, a radio talk show out of Green Bay, WI. They have a bunch of pod casts you can download and listen to. They are an excellent source of truth and they always refer their listeners back to God's Word. GotQuestions.org is another good source it you ever have any questions.

Those people I mentioned earlier? They have all spoken words contrary to God's written word or they have Approach with caution. Rob Bell and Robert Schuller are both leaders of the Emergent Church. They question many of he Bibles teachings.

Rick Warren, "America's Pastor," is a seems to be a proponent of Chrislam - a blending of the Christian and Muslim faiths. Here is a link to a YouTube video where Pastor Warren prays in the name of "Isa" at President Obama's inauguration. Isa is merely a prophet in the Qur'an, not the Son of the living God. There are many other wolves in sheep's clothing out there . .. so Beware!

As a youth leader I have a tremendous responsibility as a teacher (James 3:1). I will be held responsible for any of those I lead astray because of my teaching. I will answer to God. I must be very discerning in what I say is truth because teens WILL remember what they have heard. God's Word does not return void (Isaiah 55:11).

We ALL have a responsibility to our Lord and Savior, Jesus. He died for us. We owe Him our very lives. When we tell others about Him, let us make sure we tell them the truth. Refer to His Word. Read from the text. We are followers, not spin doctors. The minute we stray from what GOD says, and start "interpreting" for ourselves through the filter of what WE think, we sinning against God. By my count, we are breaking half of the ten commandments all at once!

Spread the Gospel. But spread THEE Gospel, not a man-made version of it. There is only one source of for truth and that is The Bible. Sola Scriptura baby!! By scripture alone!!

“I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves." - Matthew 10:16