I don’t know if any of the previous meditations on truth were of interest to you. I found out today that, if nothing else, they were drill exercises for me for what I had to face today.
I had someone get into a discussion with me regarding their struggle to believe whether there is a heaven, a hell, a devil. He was also struggling to get his mind around who God is too.
I had to establish from the start whether we could both agree on what truth is. Threw in the whole law of non-contradiction thing; what truth looks like etc. Got him to agree with me pretty quickly on the fundamentals of the attributes of genuine objective truth.
Then went on to establish God has to be the source of truth. Covered some territory as far as God is Spirit, God is love, God is truth in the sense that these are attributes of Him as well as the source of our human experience of these things. In other words we only experience things like truth, love, a sense of righteousness, a source of moral integrity because God is the well spring of all of these things.
So then I went to John 14:6 and reminded the man of the scripture he had heard before. “I am the way the truth and the life.” Truth or not the truth; can’t be both. Lord, liar or lunatic.
Have you ever seen the Holy Spirit give an intelligent person a left hook? I did just then.
So once I got his attention there, we moved on to address heaven, hell, and the devil. “Okay. Now let’s talk about whether there’s a devil, a hell or a heaven”
“Jesus talked about all three” Once again truth or not the truth. Lord Liar or Lunatic. But only one.
And on the heels of that . . . MAN! . . . Did I feel God shout in my ear! "Bob remind him about what he already knew: Jesus was tempted by the devil right after He was baptized. They had a conversation! Does he exist or doesn’t he? Only one answer is the truth.”
Holy Spirit: right hook and upper cut. A stunned look and then there was almost a look of embarrassment on this man’s face.
My goal was not to upstage him, embarrass him or belittle him. I was only there to share the truth with him. I tried to keep a smooth energy level not take on an attitude of competitive debate, and remain a soft calm spirit to share these things with compassion.
I saw scripture quicken this man. We threw in the towel for the day; I trusted the Holy Spirit was going to continue to work on him because I could see he was familiar enough with scripture that the momentum was now going for him to rethink every thing he had doubted.
And what echoed through my mind as I processed the day was from John 8:32
Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."
So you are probably wondering where the heck I got the title for today’s meditation. Well it’s like this. If we can’t accept the word of God as Truth, Jesus as truth, everything he said as truth, then everything in the Bible has open season declared on it. It will unravel like a chain stitched fabric. Everything fails miserably. Nothing is the unchangeable immutable truth anymore and we are left with no moral compass.
Further, the whole chain of not accepting God as truth his word as truth, His son as truth, all will eventually lead us to rationalize that there is no reason to even be decent or respectful toward one another because the snowball of disbelief in truth can run right over the 10 commandments and our sense of right and wrong.
New Living Translation of the Bible Romans 1:
18 But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness. 19 They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them. 20 For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.
21 Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused. 22 Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools. 23 And instead of worshiping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshiped idols made to look like mere people and birds and animals and reptiles.
No Jesus, No Hope
Know Jesus, Know Hope!
Stay close to the truth, stay close to Him!
REG
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Double nickels
Back when I used to drive a lot and use a CB radio “double nickels” was (and probably still is) slang for “55 miles an hour.” Well today is double nickels for me. Yeah it’s official. Next time I go to Eat N Park I can’t be insulted if I get the senior discount. I now deserve it! I have arrived! As one of my seminary professors used to say sarcastically, “Thrilling!”
Twenty- five years ago seems like 25 months ago. Twenty-five years from now seems way too comfortably close and I’m not too sure I’m real anxious to see what that’s going to look like! (Coincidentally, my mom, bless her heart just turned 25 last month so I guess I have a rough picture in front of me.) The older I get, the younger I was.
Sometimes on occasions like this people get asked, “If you had a chance to do it over again what would you do differently?” I don’t know about you, but I’m not the best to give an impromptu answer to questions like this. So in the event someone might ask me that in the days to come I guess I need to think this through.
I could ask for help answering the question and I’d probably have people coming out of the wood work for miles around to stand in line to take their turn to me answer that question.
“Well ya should have done this then.”
“And you should have done that the other time.”
“Ya should have bailed when you stuck it out.”
“You should have stuck it out when you bailed.”
“Do you realize that because you chose to do that you won’t be able to enjoy this later on?”
Well. Actually, I’m not 100% sure I would change anything. I’m not trying to imply that everything I have done I did without error, without regret, and only with perfect execution. Rather, I know myself too well. If I could change the past to improve my “handicap” in life, I’m inclined to believe I’d just use the “corrected” opportunities to free myself up to make other mistakes in different ways. Come to think of it, if I could change my past, would I even be guaranteed I’d be alive today?
In 55 years of living I have learned that life is full of choices. Not all of them will be good ones. Some of them will be down right painful. Some of them will be prudent and full of wisdom. Some of them will be made without forethought and some will be made without even realizing until a much later point, there was a choice made at some point in time and I did not consciously recognize the mile marker or the consequences.
There have been some great choices, some rewarding choices, and some life changing choices. There have been some incredibly bad choices. I even believe that a lot of times when I though I had some great plans, God sat back and laughed.
Through it all; through all the good and bad choices I’m grateful to have a wife that chooses to love me when I know I’m not very lovable. I’m glad I have friends who forgive me when I have hurt them and maybe didn’t even know I did. I’m glad I have a God who loves me despite all my imperfections.
I’m actually to some degree content that I have not always made the best choices in life. It’s been in the brokenness of botched up living that I’ve come face to face with the sufficiency of Christ. Maybe I have not achieved success by other people’s standards, but my “trip-ups” in life have been the times when God has shown his grace towards me. That’s priceless.
I believe God has used and will continue to use all my “my bad”‘s to teach me and guide me if I try to humble myself and learn what He wants to teach me in the moment. God does not waste anything. He can take the most hideous things in life and turn them inside out to glorify Himself. How many times have you seen God take an experience you went through and use it as a connection point with someone else? Or have you ever even considered the uncanny precision with which that happens over the years? Is it really just coincidence that you end up coming along side someone who needs some encouragement in life that only you can offer? Or vise versa? I am so relieved that God is in control. He can take our mistakes and transform them into teachable usable experiences to do His kingdom work.
Romans 8:28 We know that in everything God works for the good of those who love him. They are the people he called, because that was his plan. (New Century Version)
He sure has done that with me!
Jeremiah 29:11 11 For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. (New International Version)
I continue to learn how to seek him with all my heart.
Because of his Grace poured out for me, I know what I want most for the remainder of my time on this earth is to be put into situations where people need the good news and I can be a part of sharing that.
Lord,
Thank you for letting me get this far in life. I have met many who have not made it even to this simple milepost.
Thank you for keeping me around for purposes I have not yet fulfilled.
In these next 25 years, continue to be my guide more and more each new day and help me to ignore the things that distract me from you.
Help me be a better husband, dad, friend, and pastor. Use my past to touch the future.
In Jesus’ name I pray.
Amen
Stay close to Jesus
REG
Twenty- five years ago seems like 25 months ago. Twenty-five years from now seems way too comfortably close and I’m not too sure I’m real anxious to see what that’s going to look like! (Coincidentally, my mom, bless her heart just turned 25 last month so I guess I have a rough picture in front of me.) The older I get, the younger I was.
Sometimes on occasions like this people get asked, “If you had a chance to do it over again what would you do differently?” I don’t know about you, but I’m not the best to give an impromptu answer to questions like this. So in the event someone might ask me that in the days to come I guess I need to think this through.
I could ask for help answering the question and I’d probably have people coming out of the wood work for miles around to stand in line to take their turn to me answer that question.
“Well ya should have done this then.”
“And you should have done that the other time.”
“Ya should have bailed when you stuck it out.”
“You should have stuck it out when you bailed.”
“Do you realize that because you chose to do that you won’t be able to enjoy this later on?”
Well. Actually, I’m not 100% sure I would change anything. I’m not trying to imply that everything I have done I did without error, without regret, and only with perfect execution. Rather, I know myself too well. If I could change the past to improve my “handicap” in life, I’m inclined to believe I’d just use the “corrected” opportunities to free myself up to make other mistakes in different ways. Come to think of it, if I could change my past, would I even be guaranteed I’d be alive today?
In 55 years of living I have learned that life is full of choices. Not all of them will be good ones. Some of them will be down right painful. Some of them will be prudent and full of wisdom. Some of them will be made without forethought and some will be made without even realizing until a much later point, there was a choice made at some point in time and I did not consciously recognize the mile marker or the consequences.
There have been some great choices, some rewarding choices, and some life changing choices. There have been some incredibly bad choices. I even believe that a lot of times when I though I had some great plans, God sat back and laughed.
Through it all; through all the good and bad choices I’m grateful to have a wife that chooses to love me when I know I’m not very lovable. I’m glad I have friends who forgive me when I have hurt them and maybe didn’t even know I did. I’m glad I have a God who loves me despite all my imperfections.
I’m actually to some degree content that I have not always made the best choices in life. It’s been in the brokenness of botched up living that I’ve come face to face with the sufficiency of Christ. Maybe I have not achieved success by other people’s standards, but my “trip-ups” in life have been the times when God has shown his grace towards me. That’s priceless.
I believe God has used and will continue to use all my “my bad”‘s to teach me and guide me if I try to humble myself and learn what He wants to teach me in the moment. God does not waste anything. He can take the most hideous things in life and turn them inside out to glorify Himself. How many times have you seen God take an experience you went through and use it as a connection point with someone else? Or have you ever even considered the uncanny precision with which that happens over the years? Is it really just coincidence that you end up coming along side someone who needs some encouragement in life that only you can offer? Or vise versa? I am so relieved that God is in control. He can take our mistakes and transform them into teachable usable experiences to do His kingdom work.
Romans 8:28 We know that in everything God works for the good of those who love him. They are the people he called, because that was his plan. (New Century Version)
He sure has done that with me!
Jeremiah 29:11 11 For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. (New International Version)
I continue to learn how to seek him with all my heart.
Because of his Grace poured out for me, I know what I want most for the remainder of my time on this earth is to be put into situations where people need the good news and I can be a part of sharing that.
Lord,
Thank you for letting me get this far in life. I have met many who have not made it even to this simple milepost.
Thank you for keeping me around for purposes I have not yet fulfilled.
In these next 25 years, continue to be my guide more and more each new day and help me to ignore the things that distract me from you.
Help me be a better husband, dad, friend, and pastor. Use my past to touch the future.
In Jesus’ name I pray.
Amen
Stay close to Jesus
REG
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
What is truth? Part deux
Picking up from yesterday, a friend once said to me, “God is whoever you define him to be.” At the time he said it, I hadn't been challenged yet to really think deeply about such things. There was something inherently irksome about it to me. It just didn't set well. I'm glad my experiences, education and most importantly journey to know Christ more deeply, led me to where I am today. I know that can’t be true. (Although a lot of people believe its true.)
We are in a funky age where people think truth is subjective rather than objective. Believing something is true is not what validates it to be the truth. Truth is self evident and non contradictory. It stands alone and is independent of any opinion we have of it. Saying God is what we define him to be, de facto, puts us in the position of being God to make that defining statement. God can define himself and that would not be contradictory but for us to define him is not logical.
In a effort to validate ourselves to “look good” and maybe appear religious, we could buy into the notion it is a "right thing to do" if we at least acknowledge there is some sort of spiritual hierarchy in the universe, some sort of higher power. But we are fools to think that each one of us has the right to individually define that higher power that created and holds the universe together.
In order for God to be God he must be the essence of truth in nature, self defined, eternally existent. He must always be all knowing (omniscient), all powerful (omnipotent) and ever present (omnipresent).
Deuteronomy 6:4 (Contemporary English Version)
4Listen, Israel! The LORD our God is the only true God!
Isaiah 43:10-11 (New International Version)
10 "You are my witnesses," declares the LORD,
"and my servant whom I have chosen,
so that you may know and believe me
and understand that I am he.
Before me no god was formed,
nor will there be one after me.
11 I, even I, am the LORD,
and apart from me there is no savior.
It either is the Truth or it isn’t but it can’t be both and still be the truth.
Lord,
Help us to understand there is just one truth not many.
Help us to understand you are the source of all truth.
Help us to wrap our minds around the greatness of who you, the authenticity of who you are and the authority of your written word that reveals to us who you are.
Amen
Stay close to Jesus
REG
We are in a funky age where people think truth is subjective rather than objective. Believing something is true is not what validates it to be the truth. Truth is self evident and non contradictory. It stands alone and is independent of any opinion we have of it. Saying God is what we define him to be, de facto, puts us in the position of being God to make that defining statement. God can define himself and that would not be contradictory but for us to define him is not logical.
In a effort to validate ourselves to “look good” and maybe appear religious, we could buy into the notion it is a "right thing to do" if we at least acknowledge there is some sort of spiritual hierarchy in the universe, some sort of higher power. But we are fools to think that each one of us has the right to individually define that higher power that created and holds the universe together.
In order for God to be God he must be the essence of truth in nature, self defined, eternally existent. He must always be all knowing (omniscient), all powerful (omnipotent) and ever present (omnipresent).
Deuteronomy 6:4 (Contemporary English Version)
4Listen, Israel! The LORD our God is the only true God!
Isaiah 43:10-11 (New International Version)
10 "You are my witnesses," declares the LORD,
"and my servant whom I have chosen,
so that you may know and believe me
and understand that I am he.
Before me no god was formed,
nor will there be one after me.
11 I, even I, am the LORD,
and apart from me there is no savior.
It either is the Truth or it isn’t but it can’t be both and still be the truth.
Lord,
Help us to understand there is just one truth not many.
Help us to understand you are the source of all truth.
Help us to wrap our minds around the greatness of who you, the authenticity of who you are and the authority of your written word that reveals to us who you are.
Amen
Stay close to Jesus
REG
Sunday, September 7, 2008
What is the truth?
That’s a critical question in deciding what you want to believe.
I can remember back to some conversations I had in the “closing moments” of my shoeing days. They took place while I was in the early days of seminary (I was a slow learner by the way: it took me 5 years to get through a 3 year program). There were two separate occasions with people I had known for over twenty years. Just one remark from each person has left a lasting impression. I guess that’s because they were a representation of what I was going to face on a regular basis if I was going to risk leaving the comfort zone of ”the church” and get out into the world to share my faith in Christ.
One statement was, “that may be true for you but that does not necessarily mean it’s true for me.” The second statement at another time and place from the other person was, “God is who you define him to be.”
Are you okay with either one of those statements? Well I wasn’t and still am not. I’m not going to get on a soap box and render an opinion of those two friends. That’s not my goal here. I haven’t seen either one in a long time but I still love ‘em. I actually needed to hear those statements to make me wiggle with my faith.
So what’s so penetrating about either one of those statement? They take me to a place intellectually where I can’t let it go. They touched me both where my faith lives and also where my logic reside: in my heart and in the head.
Lets take the first statement: “that may be true for you but that does not necessarily mean it’s true for me.” Can something really be true in one application and not another? A simple illustration to answer that question can be found by using arithmetic. Can 1+2 = 3 for you but = 4 for me?
There is a concept I was introduced to several years ago called the law of non-contradiction. It basically states that nothing is able to coexist in a state of being something and not being something at the same time. (It’s okay. I smelled electric wires overheating the first time I heard that too. . . .I’ll wait a few moments for you to catch up)
Trying to state that another way it means: a statement cannot be the truth and not be the truth at the same time.
A great illustration of an attempt to defy the law of non-contradiction is to make the statement, “there are no absolute truths.” This is something a lot of people actually believe today but in order for it to be true it must be absolutely true and it can’t be absolutely true without defeating itself. Are you with me?
So, where does that leave us? Truth is absolute. Unchangeable. Irrefutable. And at least for me there is a bone chilling reality that hits the person seriously considering the reality of the Christian faith square it the heart and the head. It is a statement that Christ made.
Jesus says, “I am the way the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6)
That cuts to the core of who I am and what I believe. Once confronted with the “either or but not both” decision demanded by this statement, I can never be the same again. Ultimately it led me to make a critical decision that is intimately tied in with who I am and what I believe.
Our personal intersection with this one statement confronts us and demands personal decision.
He either did say it or he didn’t.
He either had the authority to say it or he didn’t.
It either is the truth or it isn’t.
We do get to choose whether we believe it or not. But that does not change whether it is the truth or not. Truth exists independent of our opinion: it either is the truth or it isn’t but it cannot be both.
At the end of the day, Jesus Christ is either Lord, liar or lunatic. Everthing about him either is true or it is not.
Only one choice is the truth.
What will you choose to believe?
Choose wisely for only one opinion embraces the reality and leads to eternal life.
Enough for one day
I’ll save the other statement for another day.
Stay close to Jesus!
REG
I can remember back to some conversations I had in the “closing moments” of my shoeing days. They took place while I was in the early days of seminary (I was a slow learner by the way: it took me 5 years to get through a 3 year program). There were two separate occasions with people I had known for over twenty years. Just one remark from each person has left a lasting impression. I guess that’s because they were a representation of what I was going to face on a regular basis if I was going to risk leaving the comfort zone of ”the church” and get out into the world to share my faith in Christ.
One statement was, “that may be true for you but that does not necessarily mean it’s true for me.” The second statement at another time and place from the other person was, “God is who you define him to be.”
Are you okay with either one of those statements? Well I wasn’t and still am not. I’m not going to get on a soap box and render an opinion of those two friends. That’s not my goal here. I haven’t seen either one in a long time but I still love ‘em. I actually needed to hear those statements to make me wiggle with my faith.
So what’s so penetrating about either one of those statement? They take me to a place intellectually where I can’t let it go. They touched me both where my faith lives and also where my logic reside: in my heart and in the head.
Lets take the first statement: “that may be true for you but that does not necessarily mean it’s true for me.” Can something really be true in one application and not another? A simple illustration to answer that question can be found by using arithmetic. Can 1+2 = 3 for you but = 4 for me?
There is a concept I was introduced to several years ago called the law of non-contradiction. It basically states that nothing is able to coexist in a state of being something and not being something at the same time. (It’s okay. I smelled electric wires overheating the first time I heard that too. . . .I’ll wait a few moments for you to catch up)
Trying to state that another way it means: a statement cannot be the truth and not be the truth at the same time.
A great illustration of an attempt to defy the law of non-contradiction is to make the statement, “there are no absolute truths.” This is something a lot of people actually believe today but in order for it to be true it must be absolutely true and it can’t be absolutely true without defeating itself. Are you with me?
So, where does that leave us? Truth is absolute. Unchangeable. Irrefutable. And at least for me there is a bone chilling reality that hits the person seriously considering the reality of the Christian faith square it the heart and the head. It is a statement that Christ made.
Jesus says, “I am the way the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6)
That cuts to the core of who I am and what I believe. Once confronted with the “either or but not both” decision demanded by this statement, I can never be the same again. Ultimately it led me to make a critical decision that is intimately tied in with who I am and what I believe.
Our personal intersection with this one statement confronts us and demands personal decision.
He either did say it or he didn’t.
He either had the authority to say it or he didn’t.
It either is the truth or it isn’t.
We do get to choose whether we believe it or not. But that does not change whether it is the truth or not. Truth exists independent of our opinion: it either is the truth or it isn’t but it cannot be both.
At the end of the day, Jesus Christ is either Lord, liar or lunatic. Everthing about him either is true or it is not.
Only one choice is the truth.
What will you choose to believe?
Choose wisely for only one opinion embraces the reality and leads to eternal life.
Enough for one day
I’ll save the other statement for another day.
Stay close to Jesus!
REG
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