“THE TRUTH!”

John 14:6                               (ESV)

“JESUS said to him, “I AM the way, and “THE TRUTH”, and the LIFE. No one comes to the FATHER except through ME.

Recently I was exposed to a story of a retired military officer and he was quoted as saying “I call it a war of narratives where there is distraction. There’s deception. There’s truth.  There is some physical aspects of it.  “Smart generals over the history of time have always used distraction, deception, untruths, and mixed with some truth.”  This military man spoke what he observed as true, but the dissemination of TRUTH wasn’t something that he speaking about.

JESUS had just washed HIS disciples feet, an act of servitude that was usually reserved for servants!  Yet THE CREATOR OF THE UNIVERSES subjected HIMSELF lowering of what HE knew about HIMSELF and serving the needs of HIS followers for the Glory of HIS FATHER!  While it is accepted that the disciples were CHOSEN, ALL of them were flawed, some to a great degree.  Why did the CREATOR OF ALL THINGS (Colossians 1:16) bow to washing the feet of the disciples shortly before HIS crucifixion?  

Shortly thereafter, JESUS spoke to them “I AM the way, and “THE TRUTH”, and the LIFE. No one comes to the FATHER except through ME”!  A few days later JESUS was crucified on Calvary, something that HE knew would bring separation from THE FATHER!  Yes, JESUS had never experienced being alone from GOD THE FATHER until HE was on the cross of Calvary.  “THE TRUTH” is that this sacrificial offering had to be paid in order for my wretchedness to gain salvation from the punishment I deserved!  And THAT is “THE TRUTH”, no matter how many times we humans misuse the word!!!

Jeremiah 17:5-13 (ESV)

 Jeremiah 17:5-13                             (ESV)

   “[5] Thus says the LORD:

    “Cursed is the man who trusts in man

        and makes flesh his strength,

        whose heart turns away from the LORD. 

    [6] He is like a shrub in the desert,

        and shall not see any good come.

    He shall dwell in the parched places of the wilderness,

        in an uninhabited salt land.

    [7] “Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD,

        whose trust is the LORD. 

    [8] He is like a tree planted by water,

        that sends out its roots by the stream,

    and does not fear when heat comes,

        for its leaves remain green,

    and is not anxious in the year of drought,

        for it does not cease to bear fruit.”

    [9] The heart is deceitful above all things,

        and desperately sick;

        who can understand it? 

    [10] “I the LORD search the heart

        and test the mind,

    to give every man according to his ways,

        according to the fruit of his deeds.”

    [11] Like the partridge that gathers a brood that she did not hatch,

        so is he who gets riches but not by justice;

    in the midst of his days they will leave him,

        and at his end he will be a fool.

    [12] A glorious throne set on high from the beginning

        is the place of our sanctuary. 

    [13] O LORD, the hope of Israel,

        all who forsake YOU shall be put to shame;

    those who turn away from YOU shall be written in the earth,

        for they have forsaken the LORD, the fountain of living water.”

“THE JEWS GRUMBLED ABOUT HIM!”

 John 6:41-44                     (ESV)

“[41] So “THE JEWS GRUMBLED ABOUT HIM”, because HE said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” [42] They said, “Is not this JESUS, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does HE now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?” [43] JESUS answered them, “Do not grumble among yourselves. [44] NO ONE can come to ME UNLESS THE FATHER WHO SENT ME draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.”

“THE JEWS GRUMBLED ABOUT HIM” speaks very vividly about the ones who were finding fault with JESUS.  One dictionary says that those who GRUMBLE have a “discontented or dissatisfied mood”.  Apparently “the Jews” EYES were not OPENED to SEE JESUS as the SON of the living GOD?  How could anyone observe GOD IN FLESH and not be able to SEE that HE was of DIVINE origin???

“THE JEWS GRUMBLED ABOUT HIM” because they could NOT SEE WHO HE was, and HIS DIVINITY was totally beyond their comprehension!  They “thought” they were absolutely right, but they were as far from TRUTH as they could possibly be!  THE CREATOR OF THE UNIVERSES was in their midst and they were unable to recognize HIM!  HE WHO was giving them the breath they breathed (Isaiah 42:5) was speaking to them and they wanted to question WHO HE was?

“THE JEWS GRUMBLED ABOUT HIM”, but are we any better?  We claim to be CHOSEN to serve HIM, but do we serve HIM every opportunity we have, or GRUMBLE that everything is less than perfect in our journey?  FATHER IN HEAVEN, cause me to always SEE where “I could be” without YOUR intervention in my life!  My JOY doesn’t need to be overshadowed by “THE JEWS GRUMBLED ABOUT HIM”!!!

“THE ONE THAT IS LOST!”

 Luke 15:3-7                      (ESV)

“[3] So HE told them this parable: [4] “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after “THE ONE THAT IS LOST”, until he finds it? [5] And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. [6] And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ [7] Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.”

Repeating the same MESSAGE over and over can be extremely frustrating.  But knowing that  our CREATOR (Colossians 1:16) says that going after “THE ONE THAT IS LOST” and leaving the 99 (with the HOLY SPIRIT to keep them) should make us extremely grateful??

One would think that we who have been “rescued” by THE LORD should have a desire to be mature enough to struggle through a brief period by ourselves???  But like sheep, we tend to wander at times in a path that is not always the right way to go!  I was “rescued” on January 08, 1977 and my evaluation of my growth was pretty positive (for the most part) as I sojourned through “this world”.  But when I “experienced” the Brain Hemorrhage fifteen years ago I was able to SEE a few years later that I was NOT in control at all, and was extremely grateful that HE was!!!  Even controlling my breathing while in the coma wasn’t in my control!  A machine had to assist me with that.  

When you SEE that you are NOT in control of anything, only then can you fully understand that HE IS IN CONTROL!  When you are the one who is seemingly “LOST” with no clear direction to sojourn, it could be that THE CREATOR is leading you on a PATH where HE will be GLORIFIED by your journey???  KNOWING that HE IS FAR MORE CAPABLE of leading us is something that is a difficult thing to accept, but liberating as well!

The Scripture above has been made known to me since I was a child, but I would never say that I have LEARNED the lesson from it completely.  Maybe I need to yield to HIS LEADERSHIP in my life (as in the 17 day coma!) as “THE ONE THAT IS LOST”???  HE has a PLAN, and I need to be submissive to HIS WILL for my life!!!

“PROVIDED WE SUFFER WITH HIM!”

 Romans 8:14-17                        (ESV)

“[14] For ALL WHO ARE LED BY THE SPIRIT of GOD are sons of GOD. [15] For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the SPIRIT OF ADOPTION as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” [16] The SPIRIT HIMSELF bears witness with our spirit that WE ARE CHILDREN OF GOD, [17] and if children, then heirs—heirs of GOD and FELLOW HEIRS WITH CHRIST, “PROVIDED WE SUFFER WITH HIM” in order that we may also be GLORIFIED with HIM.”

According to those who claim to know, the world population is currently approximately 8 billion people. Of these multitude of people, our CREATOR has only selected a certain ones to CHOSEN to “suffer” for HIS GLORY.  In writing to the Roman church the Apostle Paul identifies these Believers as SPIRIT OF ADOPTION in the focal passage above.  To be ADOPTED in a society could grant the said child full rights of inheritance!  

It is difficult for this finite mind to grasp that a person can be CHOSEN “before the foundation of the world” (Ephesians 1:4), especially when the subject is according to Romans 3:10 “None is righteous, NO, NOT ONE”!!!  Why would THE CREATOR divinely select me out of all of HIS CREATION to sacrifice HIS SON so I could spend eternity with HIM in HEAVEN???  The only way to fathom this is to accept HIS AMAZING GRACE and be forever grateful for HIM!

As humans, we have NO intrinsic value in our earthly lives.  If we are CHOSEN, we need to prepare for times that we are subjected to persecution.  “PROVIDED WE SUFFER WITH HIM” isn’t a veiled threat, it is what comes before “in order that we may also be GLORIFIED with HIM”.  Most want to “be GLORIFIED with HIM”, but we try to ignore the “PROVIDED WE SUFFER WITH HIM” that precedes it!  REJOICE when “PROVIDED WE SUFFER WITH HIM” is exhibited in your life, because that is followed by “that we may also be GLORIFIED with HIM”!!!

“WE ARE AMBASSADORS FOR CHRIST!”

 2 Corinthians 5:17-21                    (ESV)

“[17] Therefore, if anyone is in CHRIST, he is a NEW CREATION. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. [18] All this is from GOD, WHO through CHRIST reconciled us to HIMSELF and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; [19] that is, in CHRIST GOD was reconciling the world to HIMSELF, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. [20] Therefore, “WE ARE AMBASSADORS FOR CHRIST”, GOD making HIS appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of CHRIST, be reconciled to GOD. [21] For our sake HE made HIM to be sin WHO knew no sin, so that IN HIM we might become the righteousness of GOD.”

Trying to negotiate an outcome of a situation is something that we humans tend to default towards.  When we do not see the hope for a “good outcome” we tend to begin negotiating for a lesser outcome, which humanity seems to accept as best the way out of hopeless position.  

So often we attempt to find a way out of our predicament with very little hope for a reprieve.  The concept of IMPUTATION is described as “the action or process of ascribing righteousness, guilt, etc. to someone by virtue of a similar quality in another”!  Our GUILT is IMPUTED upon CHRIST when we accept him as our LORD and SAVIOR!  But in the EYES of THE FATHER, the RIGHTEOUSNESS OF CHRIST is also IMPUTED to us, not because we are worthy, but because HE CHOSE (Ephesians 1:4) before the foundation of the world!  

“WE ARE AMBASSADORS FOR CHRIST” and certainly I need to be ever more mindful of this!  The next point that is written is “GOD making HIS appeal through us”!  We are not left on earth to simply use the oxygen we are provided!  In HIS OMNIPOTENT wisdom, GOD chooses to make HIS appeal to others through the testimony others SEE in our reactions to the cares of “this world”!  

FATHER IN HEAVEN, USE ME to draw others to YOU because “WE ARE AMBASSADORS FOR CHRIST”!!!

“HE SHALL STRENGTHEN THINE HEART!”

 Psalms 27:14                       (KJV)

“WAIT ON THE LORD: be of good courage, and “HE SHALL STRENGTHEN THINE HEART”: WAIT, I SAY, ON THE LORD”.”

There are times (far too many!) that I find myself wanting results in this fast-paced environment where I find myself!  Is it possible that the place where I am is not where GOD’s PLAN would have me currently be located?  

KNOWING precisely what GOD has for our future isn’t as simple as one might desire.  HE may have us “get alone with HIM” and GROW a bit?  But for this “natural man” it is seemingly impossible to “get alone with HIM”?  We might need to get away from “this world” and BE STILL (Psalms 46:10)???

When we are facing “the enemy” and we KNOW that ALMIGHTY GOD is trying to SPEAK in HIS “still, small voice” (1 Kings 19:11-12), “HE SHALL STRENGTHEN THINE HEART” might be our best option?