Is It The Truth?

True or false questions can be the trickiest ones to answer correctly.

1 John 4:1-6  Dear friends, do not believe everyone who claims to speak by the Spirit. You must test them to see if the spirit they have comes from God. For there are many false prophets in the world.

2  This is how we know if they have the Spirit of God: If a person claiming to be a prophet acknowledges that Jesus Christ came in a real body, that person has the Spirit of God. 3  But if someone claims to be a prophet and does not acknowledge the truth about Jesus, that person is not from God. Such a person has the spirit of the Antichrist, which you heard is coming into the world and indeed is already here.

4  But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world.

5  Those people belong to this world, so they speak from the world's viewpoint, and the world listens to them.  6  But we belong to God, and those who know God listen to us. If they do not belong to God, they do not listen to us. That is how we know if someone has the Spirit of truth or the spirit of deception.

---

You see all kinds of scams reported in the news and you wonder how somebody could think they were being told the truth. We all should know that you cannot believe everything that you hear, people will lie to you just as fast as the devil does, maybe we are a lot more vulnerable to scams than we want to admit. It seems like the most outrageous lie will still have somebody that is willing to believe it.

Jesus warned us that Satan is the father of lies and he has a lot of children that act just like their father.  They may be the nicest people that you could ever meet but they are liars. There are people lying to you about the everyday stuff of the physical world as well as people that are false teachers that are lying about spiritual things. You need wisdom to help you test their motives so that you can know the truth.

John 8:44 For you are the children of your father the devil, and you love to do the evil things he does. He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies.

Every teacher needs to be put to the test to determine where their teaching is coming from. The most important teaching that must be checked is what they teach about Jesus:

✔  Do they believe that Jesus is God?
✔  Do they believe that God's Son came to earth to pay the penalty that we owed for sin?
✔  Do they believe that Jesus covered our sins without any help from us based on our good works?

Just about all of the New Testament books have teaching about the dangers of bad doctrine and the people who try to teach it. The devil is okay with you knowing about Jesus but he doesn't want you to have the correct beliefs about Jesus. Wrong teaching about Christ showed up right away, Satan didn't want the truth to be known so he had plenty of subtle variations of the truth ready for those who do not want to believe the truth about Jesus.

The trouble with false teachers

Galatians 5:7-12 You were running the race so well. Who has held you back from following the truth? 8 It certainly isn't God, for he is the one who called you to freedom. 9 This false teaching is like a little yeast that spreads through the whole batch of dough! 10 I am trusting the Lord to keep you from believing false teachings. God will judge that person, whoever he is, who has been confusing you.

The InterVarsity New Testament Commentary explains the problems that false teachers cause:

✔  they distract Christians from obeying the truth of the gospel (v. 7)
✔  they replace the call of God with their own deceptive persuasiveness (v. 8)
✔  they gain control over the whole church (v. 9)
✔  they cause confusion and discouragement (v. 10)
✔  they spread false reports about spiritual leaders (v.11)
✔  they emphasize sensational rituals (v.12)

We need to be concerned about the danger and keep our guard up but there is no need for Christians to fear the false teachers because those in whom God dwells can overcome those in whom Satan dwells. We should be motivated to dig into the word so that we will know what we believe and why we believe it.

I need to follow the truth as I finish the race that God has called me to run.

Got A Light? Don't Hide It.

The children of light should never cover it up.

Matthew 5:14-16  "You are the light of the world--like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden.  15  No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house.  16  In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.

Luke 11:36  If you are filled with light, with no dark corners, then your whole life will be radiant, as though a floodlight were filling you with light.

---

In this familiar passage of scripture in Matthew, Jesus has just finished talking about the lifestyle of his followers in the verses that we call The Beatitudes.

We usually separate The Beatitudes from the following verses about being salt and light and don't put the two concepts together but I think that shining our light has some prerequisites.

Beatitudes - A list of the godly attitudes that mark a true believer and insure true happiness.

-John MacArthur

Living for him with the attitudes and character that please him will make you a bright light in this dark world, if you are not doing that then there won't be any light, you will look like everybody else that is living in the dark. But if you are living the beatitudes lifestyle you will stand out.

You are going to be strange in a world that seeks happiness in favorable circumstances and pleasant emotions, the world tells us to look out for ourselves but God's expectations are different, he taught that happiness is found in living for him and when we live for him we will be a shining light in this dark world.

John 8:12 “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.”

You have the potential to be the light, as a child of God you already have the light in you but you have a choice whether you will let it shine out for everyone else to see. Are you going to put a lamp shade or even worse a blanket over it so that it doesn't help anybody else?

1 Peter 2:9  But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God's very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for He called you out of the darkness into His wonderful light.

The light of good deeds are for God's glory, don't put the light on yourself so that you will get the credit, the world needs the real source of light and what it can do in their lives. If we live like his chosen people and have the beatitude attitude then we will want our light to shine on Jesus instead of ourselves so that they can see his love and kindness. That's what this dark world needs.

Judging My Motives

What is my motivation, is it a good thing?

Psalms 26:1-3 A psalm of David. Declare me innocent, O LORD, for I have acted with integrity; I have trusted in the LORD without wavering. 2 Put me on trial, LORD, and cross-examine me. Test my motives and my heart. 3 For I am always aware of Your unfailing love, and I have lived according to Your truth.

1 Samuel 24:15-19 May the LORD therefore judge which of us is right and punish the guilty one. He is my advocate, and He will rescue me from your power!"

16 When David had finished speaking, Saul called back, "Is that really you, my son David?" Then he began to cry. 17 And he said to David, "You are a better man than I am, for you have repaid me good for evil. 18 Yes, you have been amazingly kind to me today, for when the LORD put me in a place where you could have killed me, you didn't do it. 19 Who else would let his enemy get away when he had him in his power? May the LORD reward you well for the kindness you have shown me today.

---

It takes a lot of confidence to say to God  "Judge me, go ahead, put me on trial" In David's experiences with King Saul we see that David had an incredible amount of integrity. David had a clear conscience in how he handled the threats that Saul was making, I don't know how pure my thoughts would be about somebody that was trying to kill me, but David didn't let fear get in the way of what he believed about God.

"I have done what is right," David says "My motives were pure" King Saul could have been assassinated by David but David didn't make a power grab to get what was already promised to him, instead he waited for God to take care of fulfilling his promise. It would have been easy to jump at the opportunity to "help God" and accomplish God's work for him without worrying about the means.

David said "Your love for me is my motivation for trying to please you" His love should be all we need to motivate us to live so that he will be pleased with us. How incredible is that? What better motivation do I need? The God of this universe loves me and has a plan for me to spend eternity with him in paradise, could there be any better reason to please him in the way that I live?

I need to be careful that I don't work around God in order to accomplish what he has asked me to do, all I have to do is to continue to please him with my life, I just have to focus on "who" (that's Jesus) and he will take care of the "how" he is going to accomplish it.

Forgive me Lord when I try to do things my way, I pray that everything that I do will be selfless and loving, help me to be able to say that my motives are pure.

God's Awesome Instructions

Do you view God's word as being awesome?

Psalms 19:7-14 The instructions of the LORD are perfect, reviving the soul. The decrees of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple.

8 The commandments of the LORD are right, bringing joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are clear, giving insight for living.

9 Reverence for the LORD is pure, lasting forever. The laws of the LORD are true; each one is fair. 10 They are more desirable than gold, even the finest gold. They are sweeter than honey, even honey dripping from the comb. 11 They are a warning to Your servant, a great reward for those who obey them.

12 How can I know all the sins lurking in my heart? Cleanse me from these hidden faults.

13 Keep Your servant from deliberate sins! Don't let them control me. Then I will be free of guilt and innocent of great sin.

14 May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to You, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.

---

How awesome that God gave us an instruction manual for life, he didn’t leave us out in the cold to figure it out on our own. He could of left us alone wondering around miserably without any direction.

Do you view god's word as a precious treasure? God’s instructions to us are perfect, trustworthy, right, clear, true, fair, desirable, sweet, a warning, rewarding. God’s instructions revive the soul, make the simple man wise, bring joy to the heart, give insight for living, last forever,

Even with all this awesome instruction for life and with all its benefits we still have sins lurking in our hearts, hidden agendas and motives that we are not even aware of, Lord I pray that you will get rid of that stuff as well.

I pray that my love and passion for the things of God will continue to grow so that every other appetite will be smaller. I pray that every thought and meditation will be focused on you and living in accordance to your instructions so that I will be pleasing to you and useful for kingdom work.

These People Are Blessed.....check them out.

This is a continuation of yesterdays blog entry.

Matthew 5:1 Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2 and he began to teach them, saying:

3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

• Don’t forget that God is in charge.

4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

• He didn’t promise us that this life would be easy, he did promise to help you through it.

5 Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

• It’s not about me; it’s about God and then others.

6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

• I need to long to be more like him every day.

7 Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.

• If I want to receive compassion then I better start showing some compassion. If I want to have a friend then I better be friendly.

8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

• This is a tricky one since we can be fooled by our hearts so easily.

9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.

• True members of God’s family do not like fighting

10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

• We are in a spiritual battle so remember your reward when you are persecuted, keep your eyes on the prize.

What Is Your Motive

Scripture

---

Acts 4:21-31 The Council then threatened them further and finally let them go because they didn't know how to punish them without starting a riot. For everyone was praising God for this wonderful miracle-- 22 the healing of a man who had been lame for forty years. 23 As soon as they were freed, Peter and John found the other disciples and told them what the Council had said.

24 Then all the believers united in this prayer:

"O Lord, Creator of heaven and earth and of the sea and everything in them--25,26 you spoke long ago by the Holy Spirit through our ancestor King David, your servant, saying, 'Why do the heathen rage against the Lord, and the foolish nations plan their little plots against Almighty God? The kings of the earth unite to fight against him and against the anointed Son of God!'

27 "That is what is happening here in this city today! For Herod the king, and Pontius Pilate the governor, and all the Romans--as well as the people of Israel--are united against Jesus, your anointed Son, your holy servant. 28 They won't stop at anything that you in your wise power will let them do. 29 And now, O Lord, hear their threats, and grant to your servants great boldness in their preaching, 30 and send your healing power, and may miracles and wonders be done by the name of your holy servant Jesus."

31 After this prayer, the building where they were meeting shook, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and boldly preached God's message.

Psalms 2:1-4  What fools the nations are to rage against the Lord! How strange that man should try to outwit God! 2 For a summit conference of the nations has been called to plot against the Lord and his Messiah, Christ the King. 3 "Come, let us break his chains," they say, "and free ourselves from all this slavery to God." 4 But God in heaven merely laughs! He is amused by all their puny plans.

Observation

---

Peter and John have just been released from prison, so what are the charges? Um… lets see that would be for the hideous crime of healing. Yep, how tragic. God’s mercy and love were extended to a man lame for over forty years and now Peter and John are in prison overnight.

Amazing! The group of leaders that plotted against Jesus for the three years of His ministry are still at it, even though their previous plans had all failed. They made plans over and over again to get rid of Jesus then they finally do get rid of him but it only lasted three days and then Jesus is back and he is still a sore subject that causes “the heathen to rage” (Acts 4:25). Now they are still trying to fight against God, they are still devising their own plans and they are still fighting against the crowds that are convinced that Jesus was God’s son.

The Pharisees still had not checked their motives, but we can not condemn them, you and I know that in ministry it is hard to keep our own ambitions and ego out of the way. We have our sacred cows and we also have our needs for power, position and importance that can get in the way when we are doing good things for God. Any minister or layman (actually we are all ministers, or we should be) should be aware of the danger and trouble that comes from having our motives left unchecked. If we are not careful we can be more offensive to the church and for God’s kingdom than any good that we may have accomplished. Peter and John had to suffer because somebody else was fighting against God, do we cooperate or do we force our church leaders to suffer when we fight against them?

Application

---

I will check my motives for every ministry that I participate in. Am I making plans that may seem good to me but they may not be God’s plans? Am I feeding my own ego? Any "success" that I may have in ministry must be tempered with humility.

Pray

---

I pray Lord Jesus that I will be cautious in ministry to always work on your plans and not my own. I pray that I will not stir up trouble when I don’t get my way at church or in ministry opportunities that I participate in. Give me clear direction for our mission trip plans that we make for next year.