What Is Truth?

Those words, spoken by Pontius Pilate over 2000 years ago (John 18:38) as he interrogated Jesus, still resonate throughout our world today.  In our world, there is an all out assault on the definition of truth because the Adversary knows that if he can delude us into believing that which is a lie to be that which is true, then we will be truly lost both individually and corporately as a people.  Whether it is embodied in the numerous religions of the world - all clamoring to know how to achieve happiness, bliss, or eternal blessing - or it is perversions of actual truth within cultural norms, truth (real truth) is being bombarded, blockaded, and besieged.  There is only one truth and that is the one true God himself. The Almighty God who created all things.  Every word that proceeds from the mouth of God is truth because God is truth.  Unfortunately, that concept alone may not be enough for us to understand truth because we have so many differing ideas about who that God is that we literally have numerous truths just embedded within our concept of God.

  

For this reason, God himself sent the embodiment of truth into the world so that we may know exactly what truth looked like.  John 1:1 says “In the beginning was the Word (i.e., the word of God – that is, truth), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”  Then in John 1:14 – “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”  In other words, Jesus Christ himself is the Word of God and therefore he is the flesh and bones embodiment of truth.  Jesus himself said “I am the way, the Truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me.”  Over and over and over again, his teachings began with the simple phrase, "I tell you the truth..."

  

There is no truth except that which is embodied in the life and teachings of Jesus Christ.  It is the standard for truth that all must ultimately acknowledge and abide by or else one day be judged by.  From him, we can know the truth, and the truth will set us free. 

  

What does the life of Jesus teach us about truth?  Jesus was compassionate to those who needed him.  He healed them, opened their blind eyes, and fed them.  He didn’t ignore them or tell them they deserved their suffering.   Jesus fellowshipped and ate with sinners.  He spoke to them of repentance and forgiveness.  He did not bar the door of his home and place a loaded shotgun beside it to keep them at bay.  He would not have shot them dead for breaking into his house.  He did not look after his own interests or try to destroy his enemies.  He didn’t use pejoratives to describe them just because they did not yet know him.  He did not despise them or try to intimidate them - except perhaps the self-righteous, holier than thou, overly religious types who were enslaving the people.  Those he called hypocrites.  Jesus didn’t string sinners up in the street like some vigilante, but rather said “he who is without sin cast the first stone”.  Then, when no one could come forward to cast that stone, said “go and sin no more.”   Earthly judgment is in the hands of the God-ordained government.  Whether we like it or not, God put it there.  If they don’t carry out their responsibility, then eternal judgment is in the hands of God alone!   Our job as Christians is to show the way to repentance, not to condemn, for not even Jesus came into the world to condemn, but to seek and to save that which was lost (John 3:17)!  Jesus’ half-brother James says “Out of the same mouth come both praise and cursings. My brothers this should not be!”

  

The only one that Jesus saw as the enemy was Satan.  The only ones he ranted and railed at were the blatantly unrepentant (Matthew 11) and self-righteous (Matthew 23).   Everyone else he loved and wished for them to repent – of their sinfulness as well as their self-righteousness.  Because he was lifted up, he draws all men to himself (John 12:32).  None are outside of his reach.  Jesus’ life teaches us to serve others and to give ourselves for them. Jesus came as a servant and gave himself willingly – even to the point of death – not for those who loved him, but for those who hated him (Romans 5:8). 

  

What does the teachings of Jesus teach us about truth?  Jesus taught us to love our enemies and pray for them (Matthew 5:44).  In fact, he taught us that our enemies are just as much of our neighbor as those closest to us and so we are to do good to them.   Jesus taught us to be humble instead of being self-righteous (Matthew 23:12).  He taught us to forgive rather than to hate, going so far as to say that if we do not forgive, then the Father will not forgive us (Matthew 6;15).  He taught us that every one of us are a light in the darkness.  He taught us to submit rather than to complain – or worse – to rebel. It is our obligation to shine forth HIS truth.  Not the truth of the Republicans or the Democrats or the Libertarians, Tea Party, or Neo-Nazis.  We are to shine HIS truth.  And that truth is that the world will know we are Christians by our love.  It doesn’t matter what we say, only what we do.  In Matthew 21, Jesus tells of two sons.  One said he would obey but didn’t.  The other said he would not obey but did.  It is our actions, not our words that define whether we are truly in the truth.  On his last night on earth, Jesus said if we truly love him, we will keep his commandments.  He then said what that command was: “a new commandment I give you that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.”  We are not to love country more than we love Jesus or, for that matter, more than we love each other.  Our first obligation is not to country but to Christ by being obedient to his command to love one another.  Each of us has an obligation to show that love of Jesus to those around us and to teach them the truth of the gospel. 

What is truth?  Jesus is truth.  He is the only measure of truth.  Any other so-called truth that does not measure up to his life or teaching is a lie.  Lord help me to display your truth in my life by living as you would live!

Faith is Hard Sometimes

Sometimes faith is just plain hard.

Over the fourth of July week, Patty and I had the privilege to go on a mission trip to Ecuador.  We stayed at an orphanage called House of Happiness (http://www.housesofhappiness.org/)that was founded by the late Henry Davis and his wife Dorothy the year I was born - 1966.  While we were there, we heard many stories told by Mrs. Davis about the miracles of faith that God had performed to provide for their needs and the needs of the orphanage over the years.  Her message to all of us was to “Trust and Obey” – to not put God in a box because he could do wondrous and miraculous things to accomplish his purposes.

As I listened to her stories of miraculous provision, I knew that the message was for me.  I’ve been in somewhat of an interim stage of my ministry – literally.  This summer I am teaching on Wednesday nights as part of temporary interim for a local church that a friend of mine used to pastor until he recently moved to Georgia.  I am teaching “The Life of Christ” at the Lovelady Center on Thursday nights as part of a new program for the ladies there.  I am involved in a non-profit ministry called Designs for Hope (http://www.designsforhope.org ). And from time to time I am teaching Sunday School.  There is no question I am “busy” for the Lord.   Who knows, it may very well be that I am doing exactly what God wants me to do for the long term.  Deep down, though, I still think somehow that I am waiting on the Lord for something.  I am just not sure what that something is or when it will occur, but I truly believe it is out there waiting.  So as I listened to Mrs. Davis, I was struck with the thought that something was about to happen in my life that was going to require obedience and trust.  I just didn’t realize how quickly it would come up nor did it take the form I thought it would.

I am sitting at work yesterday about mid-morning when I get a call from a gentleman (Mr. Jim Thomason) who is on the board of TLA Ministries (http://www.tlaministries.org).  I had met with this gentleman a couple of months ago about the possibility that Designs for Hope and TLA Ministries could work together to provide pastors in rural areas of India with low voltage electricity for their homes. His ministry distributes bicycles and motorcycles to pastors in India.  Our ministry provides bicycle or motorcycle powered 12V battery chargers for pastors and church leaders in areas where power is unavailable or unreliable.  It certainly seems like it would be a great ministry partnership.   It was a good meeting, but with no definitive future action taken except the possibility of a later meeting somewhere down the line with A.K. Lama, the ministry’s director.  Such a meeting would occur whenever he next came to town.  With no such trip scheduled in the near future, I soon put TLA ministries on the back burner - until yesterday.  

Apparently, Dr. Lama had come into town unexpectedly and wanted to have lunch with me that very day to discuss the potential ministry partnership.  It was last minute, but I contacted the Designs for Hope director, Chris Bond, and we agreed to meet the two for lunch.  It was a very good meeting, with good discussions about how the two ministries could work together.   Then Dr. Lama looked at us and said “I would very much like for the two of you to come to India this fall for one of our distribution ceremonies”.  I think we were both initially stunned - at least I was.

This certainly sounds like a wonderful opportunity if we have the faith to act on it - and I am a man of faith – or at least I like to call myself one.  Sometimes, though, that faith is not as strong as it ought to be.  I hate to admit it, but I would not be truthful to myself or to anyone else to say otherwise.  In particular, when it comes to money, my faith is most weak.  It doesn’t matter that God owns the cattle on a thousand hills; I still struggle.  Designs for Hope is still a developing ministries whose resources are limited.  My resources are also limited, with one kid in college and another on his way to college next month.  Patty and I just got back from a week-long mission trip in Ecuador, which we had to raise the money for in order to go.  India is not a trip that I can just pull out the checkbook and write a check for.  How in the world can I raise the money to go to India on such short notice?

Faith.  Sometimes it can be so hard.  In my head, I have no doubt that if this is God’s will (which I believe it to be the case) that he will provide.  It certainly isn't the long term ministry opportunity that I think I am waiting around for, but I do think it is something that God wants me to do and so I need to "Trust and Obey". In my heart, though, I don’t mind saying that faith is sometimes difficult.  I think if you were honest, you would probably agree with me.

There is a story in Mark chapter 9 of a man who comes to Jesus because his boy is possessed by an unclean spirit.  He explains the situation to Jesus and then says “if you can” please have compassion on the boy.  Jesus’ reply is one of almost astonishment… in the ESV he says with exclamation “If you can!"  Let me just say right there that if Jesus chastises you in astonishment for something you say, then you have been properly chastised!  Jesus then goes on to say instructively that "All things are possible for one who believes.”  The man’s enigmatic response to Jesus is one I can so identify with.  It is both a capitulation to the chastisement he deserved, but also points to how difficult it is sometimes to have faith.  His response to that situation was the same as the one I have to my situation today…. “I believe; help my unbelief!”

How will this happen?  How will Chris and I get the funds to go to India this fall?   I really don't know.  If you have suggestions, I am certainly open, but if it is God's will I know it will happen.  Like the man in Mark 9, though, I think I will just put my unbelief in Jesus' hands and let him do what he does best.  I am duly chastised.  I capitulate to that chastisement.  I believe.  Lord, help my unbelief.

Remembering Ecuador

In a remote village in the mountains about an hour outside of Quito, Ecuador lives a 10 year old girl named Celina (right above). The only Jesus Celina ever knew was the one hanging on the cross in the Catholic cathedral in the nearest town, which her family only visited on very special occasions. She never saw a gringo except perhaps on TV, and we all know about the gringos we see on TV.

One day some gringos came to her village. They spoke through a translator, telling them Bible stories she had never heard before and about the love of the Jesus hanging on the cross, except they said he was still alive.  They said she could make a choice to follow Jesus. Whether she understood the importance of this choice is unknown.

One gringo in particular touched her heart, and she his. He played games with her, jumped rope with her (which was both funny and strange since he was "muy gordo"), and threw a frisbee with her. He showed her this same love the translator spoke of concerning Jesus. It made enough of an impression that she brought him flowers, melting his heart.

He tried to communicate with her using very broken Spanish, with poor pronunciation, poor grammar, and often just plain wrong. It was both funny and frustrating and on more than one occasion they both ran to find the translator to understand what the other was saying.

When he had to leave, she did not understand. She wanted to know when he would return, and it crushed him to have to tell her "yo no se". They both cried inside (and later he cried outside as well). As he left, he told her how much he liked her and that she would be his friend "siempre". Each will likely remember the other forever.

I pray that Celina understood the gospel of Jesus about which she was both told and shown. I pray the seed planted will grow into full blown salvation. And I pray that one day I will see her again, if not here, then in eternity .