Alētheia: Truth

Tag: Jesus


  • As a diabetic, I must spend an enormous amount of time trying to maintain my blood glucose levels to the acceptable numbers set by the doctor(s). Twice a day, I test my blood, inject insulin and take an oral medication. I must eat the “right” foods and exercise. All this to be healthy. Diabetes is a horrible disease that will kill you slowly from the inside out. It can destroy all your internal organs, cause nerve damage which leads to loss of feeling in your extremities and can cause heart attacks and strokes.

    There is a distinct correlation between having diabetes (or any other disease) and sin. Diabetes is a disease of the flesh. Sin, on the other hand, not only destroys the body but also the soul.

    You cannot control sin without the work of the “great physician” Jesus Christ. We must first accept the fact that we are sinners, that the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23) and by faith accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior. We must then live by the spirit and not in the flesh. We must daily go through the delightful protocol of our faith.

    First, we must spend time in God’s word – the Bible which like the blood test for diabetes, shows the Holiness of God and the lack of holiness in our own life. The bible is also the “insulin” for the soul – “faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17.) When you “inject” God’s word into your life it will penetrate down to the bone and expose any and all sin (Hebrews 4:12). Then, we can confess that sin, be forgiven and be cleansed from our unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).

    Second, we must spend time in prayer. Paul in 1 Thessalonians 5:17 tells us to pray without ceasing. There is soul satisfying joy in communing with God in prayer.

    Third, we must share the good news of Jesus Christ with others. The rise of diabetes in our culture today has led to a great effort in awareness and education. Many people don’t realize they have diabetes which is why they call it the “silent killer” and it’s the same with sin. Sharing the gospel will expose this eternally deadly disease of sin and brings hope for every man, woman and child regardless of race.

    I am not saying that sin and diabetes (or any other disease) are equal. Sin destroys the soul for eternity – diabetes only destroys your health and makes life difficult. Sin is the ultimate disease in our lives. Sin must be dealt with through the life changing grace of Jesus and the price he paid on the cross. And if you ignore the warning signs – you will die forever.

  • Job-Japan


    Trying to understand the sovereignty of God is very difficult, especially in light of the earthquake and the ensuing tsunami that hit Japan. The death toll continues to rise daily and the sheer number of people who are homeless and hungry is mind-boggling. So many questions.

    It’s hard to imagine losing so many friends and family along with all your possessions. By the grace of God I have not had to endure such heart ache. Though I have had many trials and tribulations in my life time, they are minuscule in comparison to the suffering in Japan.

    I am sure that people are asking the question, “where is God in all this?” A question that entered another person’s mind in the bible who suffered the loss of his family and all his possessions – Job.

    We can read the historical event of Job in the bible. Job lost all his wealth; his family and all his servants in one day. The agony he must have felt surely is the same for the survivors of the devastation in Japan. Though Job lost everything (except his wife) the bible tells us that “in all this Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong” (Job 1:22).

    There is hope

    In time, God restored to Job twice what he had lost and blessed him more in the latter days than his beginning (Job 42:12). There is hope and it’s in Jesus Christ – the author and finisher of our faith. We must pray for those who do not have a personal relationship with Jesus, that they would come to the saving grace and faith in the Son of God. We must also pray for God’s sovereign will in this tragic time for the people of Japan.

    While it is difficult to understand why bad things happen, one thing we can know for sure – God is holy and just; He is sovereign and there is no other God like him. We can take great comfort in God and his holy word:

    Matthew 5:4

    “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.”

    Nahum 1:7

    “The LORD is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; he knows those who take refuge in him.”

    Psalm 138:7

    ‘Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life; you stretch out your hand against the wrath of my enemies, and your right hand delivers me.”

    Psalm 121:1-2

    “I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth.”

    2 Corinthians 1:3-4

    “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.”

    Isaiah 51:11

    “And the ransomed of the LORD shall return and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads;
    they shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.”

    minuscule

  • Sinking to Victory


    The Battle

    A few years ago, my good friend and then senior pastor of Providence Baptist Church Larry Miller, asked me to serve as his associate pastor. I remember that day as if it were yesterday. My response to him was that I would certainly pray for God’s direction. Not feeling very confident in my own abilities, I also told him that he could count on one thing – “I would no doubt make mistakes, but that I would not  make them sitting the boat.”

    After considerable reflection of the past 10 years, I have made a lot of mistakes in ministry! I did step out of the boat and onto the water, and like Peter, I took a few steps and began to sink, and it feels like I have been sinking ever since. I sometimes feel like I have caused more harm than good.

    I would struggle daily with despondency and doubts as to whether I heard God right. Satan whispering in my ear that I am not worthy to serve the Lord in ministry. Of course, it was not always Satan trying to discourage me, my own flesh warred against me. It’s a daily conflict for the battle ground of my mind.

    The Promise

    “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” Philippians 1:6

    I plunge into daily battle with my sword – the word of God. It’s in His word that victory is won. It’s the absolute promises of God and the power of the Holy Spirit that gets me through the daily trials and tribulations of life – no matter how much ground it appears that I am losing – I am victories through the blood of Christ! Knowing the promise that Jesus began his good work in me when I made him the Lord of my life, will complete his work in me and through me until I see him face to face.

  • Not Alone


    Romans 8:38-39

    “For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

    It’s dark and cold. That season of life which seems to come around when you least expect it. Your friends are scarce. Loneliness creeps in trying to capture your last bit of hope. You wait for the phone to ring – for someone to acknowledge that you have been missed, but it never does. No doubt, that everyone is busy with life. Still, you wait.

    Darkness tries to settle in and make itself home. Despair soon joins in the gathering of emotions working to rob you of hope. “How can this be,” you ask your self in an attempt to try to understand, “how can you know so many people and yet feel so all alone?”

    Quietly, a still voice – the Holy Spirit – begins to speak. Gently reminding you of God’s love, that bond of unbreakable friendship made possible by the blood of Christ and through his Lordship you know you have a friend in Jesus – a friend who is calling and waiting for you with an inseparable love that conquers all fears. Darkness has no place to work it despair for nothing can separate God’s love for us.

    “I am not alone.”

    Remembering God’s promises brings life. Jesus is the light that destroys the darkness. In Jesus hope is restored. A new day dawns. There is more pain, more darkness and despair, there are others. Time to make a phone call…

     

  • God’s Love and His Pursuit


    In the book of Hosea, we see an awesome picture of God’s love, and pursuit of  his people. This is clearly illustrated in the marriage between Hosea and his wife Gomer.

    Gomer would stray from her marriage to Hosea and become a prostitute and eventually be sold into slavery. Hosea would pursue her and “buy her back.” This is not only a beautiful picture of God’s grace towards his covenant people Israel – for Israel had strayed from God and was committing spiritual adultery by worshiping Baal –  but also for sinners as Jesus would pay the price for our sin on the cross and buy back his “bride” – the body of Christ from the bondage of sin and death.

    There is a great parallel between Israel then and the United States of America today. While Israel was in captivity in Egypt for 400 years, they worshiped the Lord and held on to the promise of deliverance. After Israel had been set free, It wasn’t long before Israel was enjoying political peace and prosperity that she was soon forgetting about God and began worshiping Baal and the ingenuity of their own hands. As a nation, they no longer humbled themselves before the one true God and worshiped him alone.

    Our Nation Today

    It seems clear to me that the USA is just like Israel in the time of Hosea’s prophecy. We have become the most prosperous nation that has ever existed and it seems that we, as a nation, have forgotten about God, and his love for us, that while we were yet sinners, he sent his son Jesus to die for us and bring us back to Him (Romans 5:8).

    My fear is that the United States as a nation may have gone to far down that wide road which leads to destruction – straying from God and worshiping other god’s of today. In the day of Hosea, it was Baal that Israel worshiped. Today its sports; computers, tv, relationships and idols that we worship. We have traded God’s glory for man-made images (Romans 1:23).

    I pray that it’s not too late. However, if it is too late for the US as a nation to return to God, I know it’s not too late for true believers to share the Gospel – God’s glorious love and grace for His people through his Son Jesus Christ – with this lost and dying world. As long as you and I are still here on this earth, there is still time to be the “fragrance of Christ” and share this great “love” that God has shown us and to glorify His name in all the earth.

  • Foundations – Bakers Dozen


    2 Corinthians 5:17  (ESV)

    “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

    It seems fitting to end this chapter of “Foundations” with 2 Corinthians 5:17 which is a beautiful reminder that as a believer in Jesus Christ we are  new creations – regenerated for the glory of God. And, it is awesome to know that our old self has passed away and a new life in Christ has begun.

    It is my hope that these 12 passages serve as a foundation – a begining – for a persons spiritual walk with the Lord. And as you journey through the many seasons of life, you will no doubt find many other promises to stand on and hide in your heart.

    I pray that you will continue to grow in your passion for God’s word and to hide it in your heart so that we can know the sweetness of His magnificent grace and mercy through life saving faith in Jesus Christ.

  • Foundations – Bakers Dozen


    1 John 1:9 (ESV)

    “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

    This is one of my all time favorite verses in the Bible. Our journey as born again believers in Jesus Christ is a life long experience in our growth to be more and more like Jesus. However, we are not perfect. We sin and it’s in this verse that I find great peace and comfort in God’s grace for our lives.

    Of course it begins with our confession. Not that God doesn’t already know our sin, He does. God is all-knowing. 1 John 1:9 starts with us acknowledging in our own life that we have sinned which leads to God’s faithfulness – that is – the absolute fact that God will always do what He says. Then, we see that He is just. That means God is the supreme authority when it comes to the forgiveness of sins. A debt paid by Jesus when he died on the cross for us. And in this justification, God extends His great power to cleanse us from our unrighteousness, which then (and sometimes is hard to comprehend) makes us righteous.

    God’s infinite grace to the faithful believer in Jesus Christ.

  • Foundations – Bakers Dozen


    Psalm 23 (ESV)

    The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
    He makes me lie down in green pastures.
    He leads me beside still waters.
    He restores my soul.
    He leads me in paths of righteousness
    for his name’s sake.

    Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
    I will fear no evil,
    for you are with me;
    your rod and your staff,
    they comfort me.

    You prepare a table before me
    in the presence of my enemies;
    you anoint my head with oil;
    my cup overflows.
    Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
    all the days of my life,
    and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
    forever.

    Psalm 23 begins with such a powerful statement – “The Lord is my shepherd.” Of course this only applies to people who have submitted themselves to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. But oh how wonderful to serve a Lord who would die so that I might live. There is such peace and comfort in this Psalm.

  • Foundations – Bakers Dozen


    2 Corinthians 5:17 (ESV)

    “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”

    This second verse in this series is one that helps me remember not who I was, but who I am. Satan loves to come along and remind us of who we were. He loves to try and bring us down from the celebration of the victory that we have in the cross. This victory is not of our selves but the sovereign work that God provided through His Son Jesus.

    I am a new creation in Christ. My old nature has passed away and the new has come. I am a child of God. I have the power of Christ living in me through the holy spirit. The only victory that Satan has is the ones that I give him. He has no power in my life. The chains have been broken.

    I am to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in righteousness and holiness. Ephesians 4:24

    Through the power of Christ, I am to pursue righteousness and the holiness of God and its on His power and for His glory that I live.

  • Foundations – Bakers Dozen


    Matthew 6:33 (ESV)

    “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”

    This is the first verse on my list of life verses. Matthew 6:33 is a verse that I have covered in a previous post but it bears repeating here. It is a verse that I claim on a daily basis.

    It starts with 2 key words that are vital in everyone’s walk with the Lord. The 2 words are “seek” and “first.”

    Seek

    Dictionary.com defines seek as: “to go in search or quest of: to seek the truth.” This is true for all Christians. To seek or pursue. This takes definite intention of the believer. The second word is –

    First

    This word indicates priority that we should pursue (seek) the Kingdom of God which is the next part of this verse –

    The Kingdom of God

    God’s righteous and sovereign reign over all creation.

    His Righteousness

    His holiness, perfection.

    Added Unto You

    All these things – our needs according to God’s sovereign plan – will be met.

    When we seek God and to live a holy life, which can only be accomplished through the power and grace of Christ Jesus, God blesses us. I am not talking about prosperity gospel that is so prevalent today, I am talking about God working in us His sovereign will and giving us what we need to live for God and bring Him all the glory.