Study from God’s Word… Acts Acts 5: 36 through chapter 18: 11, documenting Paul’s second missionary journey to Asia-Minor and southern Greece … Passage for Reflection: Acts 17: 11 [in the context of verses 10 – 12] … NIV 10 As soon as it was night, the believers sent Paul and Silas away to Berea. On arriving there, they went to the Jewish synagogue. 11 Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. 12 As a result, many of them believed, as did also a number of prominent Greek women and many Greek men.
My Journal for Today: What is truth, anyway? And that’s a question which rattled Pilate when he was adjudicating Jesus’ fate [see John 18: 37-38]. Pilate was weighing two truths; and all he could really focus on was the worldly, political truth that he had a man before him who was touted as “a king;” and the truth of Roman power during that time was that only Caesar could be king. So, for Pilate, political truth weighed more heavily that the pursuit of absolute truth; and THE truth, as it turned out, was standing right before Pilate in the person of The Christ.
But, as we read, in the book of Acts, of the 2nd missionary journey of Paul and some of his compatriots, including Silas, Timothy, and Luke, we read of Paul being led by the Holy Spirit to Berea; and from Acts 17: 10-15 [linked] we have today’s highlight passage, one I hold to strongly because of the example set by the Berean Jews who encountered Paul and heard him preaching the Gospel. These Berean believers, in the one, true God, were well trained and well-versed in the Scripture as they knew it, which was The Law and the written words of the Prophets. So, when they encountered Paul, preaching a new type of truth, the first thing that they did was to go back and match what Paul was teaching with THE TRUTH of Scripture to see if the word Paul was bringing could stand up to the plumb of truth as they knew it from God’s Holy Word.
And that, my fellow Christian, is exactly the attitude which we should have when we hear people of worldly influence (and I’m now thinking of people like Oprah Winfrey), spouting messages they claim to be truth, especially messages which do not square up with Scripture, as we know it, which, of course, includes the canonized and scholarly translated Bible.
We need to be Bereans in our beliefs, holding closely to truth, absolute truth, such as is found in 2nd Tim. 3: 16-17, which I hope you know, which says, All SCRIPTURE is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. And this scriptural plumb of truth, the Bible, teaches (in 1st John 4: 1 and 1st Thess. 5: 21) for believers to test out all espoused doctrine and ideas to see, as the Bereans did, … if worldly ideas are in accord with God’s truth as we know it from the Bible.
As today’s devotional title by Dr. Smith posits, we, as Christians, need to have a "holy hunger for truth" as we live live in a world of growing secularism and increasing relativity of ideas. Therefore, as we are trying to know what is “truth,” we must have a solid, believable, and steady standards upon which to stand in the world of ideas. And as we glean from what God has shared with me today, this TRUTH is found – and only found - in the person of Jesus Christ and documented in His Holy Word.
Therefore, when you hear doctrines being taught or preached in the marketplace of ideas and ideals, such as those by the likes of Oprah and even false “christian” teachers, like the so-called word-of-faith proponents, we need to be like the Bereans and go back to check these teachings to see if they test out positive when it comes to the plumb and standard of Biblical truth.
My Prayer for Today: Lord, help us to become Holy obsessed with Your TRUTH which is found and give to us by Your word, the Bible. Amen
Showing posts with label examined truth. Show all posts
Showing posts with label examined truth. Show all posts
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
2010 – September 29 – Seeing the Signs
Study from God’s Word… Psalm 78 … Passage for Reflection: Psalm 78: 8 … NIV 8 They would not be like their forefathers — a stubborn and rebellious generation, whose hearts were not loyal to God, whose spirits were not faithful to him.
My Journal for Today: Today I was led to read Psalm 78 from the collection of God’s songs in His word, which is a Psalm written for God’s people, summarizing the many times the Jews ignored the signposts God had for them along their historical road and the many times God was merciful and gracious to/for His chosen people.
AND, as Dr. Smith, writing his devotional entry for today points out, we should not miss God’s repeated signs along our road of life as well. How many times do we need to read in God’s word how His chosen people rejected His Law and turned away from righteousness to sinfulness, for us to see that we worship a loving, merciful, and forgiving God? How many times from God’s story about Himself do we need to read that God grieves over the sins of His people; and how often do we read – over/over again – that sin has consequences?
God will turn mankind over to his own wickedness, as we read in both the Old and New Testaments (see this Psalm 78 in the OT and Romans 1: 18 – 32 in the NT); but one cannot read the Bible and not see the great signpost of redemption which God’s word presents so loudly. And that ultimately led to the His biggest signpost, … the life, death, and resurrection of His only Son, Jesus, The Christ.
And those who see this Signpost of redemption (see Phil. 2: 6-11) and believe in its message (see Rom. 10: 9 – 13) will be saved. I’m praying that all who read here have seen the Signpost, have believed in His message, and will be with me in Heaven.
My Prayer for Today: Lord, Your signs scream truth at me; and I see them. Help me to stay on Your path, always seeking and finding Your way through the wilderness of my sin nature. Amen
My Journal for Today: Today I was led to read Psalm 78 from the collection of God’s songs in His word, which is a Psalm written for God’s people, summarizing the many times the Jews ignored the signposts God had for them along their historical road and the many times God was merciful and gracious to/for His chosen people.
AND, as Dr. Smith, writing his devotional entry for today points out, we should not miss God’s repeated signs along our road of life as well. How many times do we need to read in God’s word how His chosen people rejected His Law and turned away from righteousness to sinfulness, for us to see that we worship a loving, merciful, and forgiving God? How many times from God’s story about Himself do we need to read that God grieves over the sins of His people; and how often do we read – over/over again – that sin has consequences?
God will turn mankind over to his own wickedness, as we read in both the Old and New Testaments (see this Psalm 78 in the OT and Romans 1: 18 – 32 in the NT); but one cannot read the Bible and not see the great signpost of redemption which God’s word presents so loudly. And that ultimately led to the His biggest signpost, … the life, death, and resurrection of His only Son, Jesus, The Christ.
And those who see this Signpost of redemption (see Phil. 2: 6-11) and believe in its message (see Rom. 10: 9 – 13) will be saved. I’m praying that all who read here have seen the Signpost, have believed in His message, and will be with me in Heaven.
My Prayer for Today: Lord, Your signs scream truth at me; and I see them. Help me to stay on Your path, always seeking and finding Your way through the wilderness of my sin nature. Amen
Tuesday, August 03, 2010
2010 – August 3 – Truth: A Crime Worthy of Death
Study from God’s Word… 2nd Kings 23: 29-30 [2Chron 35: 20-25]; 2Kgs 23: 30-35 [2Chron 36: 1-5]; Jeremiah 22: 10-17 and Chapter 26… Passage for Reflection: Jeremiah 26: 10 – 11 … NIV 10 When the officials of Judah heard about these things, they went up from the royal palace to the house of the LORD and took their places at the entrance of the New Gate of the LORD's house. 11 Then the priests and the prophets said to the officials and all the people, "This man should be sentenced to death because he has prophesied against this city. You have heard it with your own ears!"
My Journal for Today: What a mess! Reading about the contentious battle between the truth speakers, i.e., God’s Prophets, like Nahum and Jeremiah in these days when the tribes of Israel and Judah wavered back and forth in disobedience and even seasons of obedience, we read of Jeremiah being accused and threatened with death from false prophets, soothsayers, and the seers of the day. They had seen many of Jeremiah’s prophesies unfolding; but when Jeremiah prophesied against them, they would rather see him dead than listen or contend with God’s truth.
Dr. Smith, my devotional author, is right when he compares this time in Jeremiah’s life to the Passion of Jesus when our Lord was brought up on trumped-up charges and even killed unjustly. But Jeremiah was delivered from his life threatening dilemma because of God’s need to use this Prophet remained. However, what happened during these times is certainly an historical reflection of what we see going on in our world today.
We have the “prophets” of political-correctness and those who promote false-doctrines like the word of faith movement coming out and loudly attacking God’s truth. The former would like to “kill” the concept of “God” or “Christ” in the public arena, and strike down every vestige of The Bible from the view, study, and consideration by a public whose mind they want to control with policies of death and the flesh such as their views on pro-abortion, homosexual marriage, and the like. … Then there are the religious soothsayers of our day, such as the Oprahs or Osteens, who preach a feel-good gospel. And these false-teachers don’t want anyone to tear down their empires of thought control which produce vast wealth for them. Who wants to hear “the truth” when non-truth is so lucrative and produces so much power? So, all of these arch enemies of GOD’S truth do all they can to bring down those who are purveyors of the real-deal truth, which I believe is being preached in our days by modern day Jeremiahs, … men whom I so greatly admire, like John Piper, John MacArthur, R.C. Sproul, and others.
Once again I return in my thoughts to the marvelous witness of the Bereans when they heard what they thought was a “new” message of hope from an Apostle who used to be a Christian killer, … that Saul of Tarsus who had become the Apostle Paul. We read about (see Acts 17: 10 – 15 - linked) what these Bereans did when Paul came to their area, preaching the Gospel of Christ. They carefully searched the Scriptures as they knew them (the Torah and the words of the Prophets); and God helped them see His truth being preached by His man, Paul; and they believed.
And that’s what we need today, … discerning Christians who know God’s truth – from His word – so fully and clearly that we can readily see the counterfeit message being taught in our culture. When Oprah puts forth her gospel of self-dominance or Osteen his “take control of your life with your thoughts” messages, we need to go back to the ONE source of real truth, … God’s word, and discern that these messages just don’t measure up to the plumb of God’s will for our lives.
When the social gospel preachers of political-correctness do all they can to manipulate our political systems to eradicate “God” from the market place of ideas, we need to stand up for God as did the Jeremiah’s and other Prophets of truth in their day. The question, from Dr. Smith today, gets to the core of our lives, when he asks, ”What am I willing to forfeit in defense of the truth?”
Personally, it needs to be all I have; … and I will pray today that it is.
My Prayer for Today: Lord, help me to be a trumpet for your truth even if my very life or freedoms are threatened. Amen
My Journal for Today: What a mess! Reading about the contentious battle between the truth speakers, i.e., God’s Prophets, like Nahum and Jeremiah in these days when the tribes of Israel and Judah wavered back and forth in disobedience and even seasons of obedience, we read of Jeremiah being accused and threatened with death from false prophets, soothsayers, and the seers of the day. They had seen many of Jeremiah’s prophesies unfolding; but when Jeremiah prophesied against them, they would rather see him dead than listen or contend with God’s truth.
Dr. Smith, my devotional author, is right when he compares this time in Jeremiah’s life to the Passion of Jesus when our Lord was brought up on trumped-up charges and even killed unjustly. But Jeremiah was delivered from his life threatening dilemma because of God’s need to use this Prophet remained. However, what happened during these times is certainly an historical reflection of what we see going on in our world today.
We have the “prophets” of political-correctness and those who promote false-doctrines like the word of faith movement coming out and loudly attacking God’s truth. The former would like to “kill” the concept of “God” or “Christ” in the public arena, and strike down every vestige of The Bible from the view, study, and consideration by a public whose mind they want to control with policies of death and the flesh such as their views on pro-abortion, homosexual marriage, and the like. … Then there are the religious soothsayers of our day, such as the Oprahs or Osteens, who preach a feel-good gospel. And these false-teachers don’t want anyone to tear down their empires of thought control which produce vast wealth for them. Who wants to hear “the truth” when non-truth is so lucrative and produces so much power? So, all of these arch enemies of GOD’S truth do all they can to bring down those who are purveyors of the real-deal truth, which I believe is being preached in our days by modern day Jeremiahs, … men whom I so greatly admire, like John Piper, John MacArthur, R.C. Sproul, and others.
Once again I return in my thoughts to the marvelous witness of the Bereans when they heard what they thought was a “new” message of hope from an Apostle who used to be a Christian killer, … that Saul of Tarsus who had become the Apostle Paul. We read about (see Acts 17: 10 – 15 - linked) what these Bereans did when Paul came to their area, preaching the Gospel of Christ. They carefully searched the Scriptures as they knew them (the Torah and the words of the Prophets); and God helped them see His truth being preached by His man, Paul; and they believed.
And that’s what we need today, … discerning Christians who know God’s truth – from His word – so fully and clearly that we can readily see the counterfeit message being taught in our culture. When Oprah puts forth her gospel of self-dominance or Osteen his “take control of your life with your thoughts” messages, we need to go back to the ONE source of real truth, … God’s word, and discern that these messages just don’t measure up to the plumb of God’s will for our lives.
When the social gospel preachers of political-correctness do all they can to manipulate our political systems to eradicate “God” from the market place of ideas, we need to stand up for God as did the Jeremiah’s and other Prophets of truth in their day. The question, from Dr. Smith today, gets to the core of our lives, when he asks, ”What am I willing to forfeit in defense of the truth?”
Personally, it needs to be all I have; … and I will pray today that it is.
My Prayer for Today: Lord, help me to be a trumpet for your truth even if my very life or freedoms are threatened. Amen
Friday, July 09, 2010
2010 – July 9 – Basking in Illusions
Study from God’s Word… Isaiah, Chapters 18 – 19; 20: 1 – 6; as well as Chapters 30 and 31: 1 – 9 … Passage for Reflection: Isaiah 30 : 10 – 11 … NIV 10 They say to the seers, "See no more visions!" and to the prophets, "Give us no more visions of what is right! Tell us pleasant things, prophesy illusions. 11 Leave this way, get off this path, and stop confronting us with the Holy One of Israel!"
My Journal for Today: Judah was a bad child of God, rejecting Isaiah’s word from the living God, wanting to look everywhere but at THE TRUTH. And today’s readings in my “Daily Bible” studies document Judah’s desire to blissfully ignore God’s warnings and His mirror of truth. And that is so much like what we see going on in the world today, … and yes, even the way those who think of themselves as “christians” isolate themselves by self-denial and the lack of willingness to confront the truth of the Gospel and God’s word.
Today’s highlight passage, drawn by Dr. Smith from the readings from Isaiah’s prophesies, could be speaking to those in today’s post-modern church who are in serious denial as they stick their heads (and minds) in the sand, unwilling to read or hear what God’s word really says about what’s happening in the world. Certainly non-believers don’t want to even hear the truth from God’s word. No, they’d rather have their minds tickled with new-age fantasies and the tasty non-truths coming from the “church of Oprah” or the psychobabble of Dr. Phil.
But that’s not surprising at all. I used to be one of them, calling myself an “agnostic,” and thinking of myself as an “intellectual,” I tried to fill the hole in my soul with all kinds of far-eastern religious thought process. At this time in my life, if it had “ism” after it, I was probably pursuing it, trying to find the answers for life from those who were very simply and literally “devil’s advocates.” So, again, I’m not surprised at any pagan pursuing pagans who bear untruths which tickle the fancy of our sin-bound nature.
It’s those who call themselves “christian,” and are unwilling – or unable – to see themselves trying to be entertained in “churches” rather than enlightened. So, those who fancy themselves as “believers” flock to hear the pseudo-teachings of teachers/preachers like Joel Osteen, hearing the warm fuzzies and sugar coated half-truths which concern me so greatly and lead them down a garden-path of destruction. And as the lives of these so-called “christians” become imprisoned by habitual sin, such as addiction to pornography or eating disorders or the chemical chains of drugs or alcohol, the first symptom for those who think of themselves as disciples of Christ is to fall prey to the seers of the world, not wanting to hear teachers/preachers who really are proclaiming God’s truth. Today “Christians” are turning away from God’s truth, unwilling to get into and surrender to God’s word, and moving away from churches where they have to look into the mirror of truth from God’s word every Sunday.
The words of today’s highlight passage, though directed by God, through Isaiah, to the tribes of Judah, could be words describing today’s Christian climate of isolation from the truth of Scripture. When Joel Osteen will tell Christians how great they can be by declaring their own self greatness, many would rather hear that than the messages of truth from God’s word; and so the witness of Christians becomes diluted and dampened by believers turning away from the discipline of pouring God’s truth into their minds through deep and abiding study into God’s word daily?
So, my friend, we all need to be asking ourselves: Do I really seek God’s truth? Am I willing to look deeply into the mirror of God’s word daily, digging for God’s wisdom, … mining for the mind of God; … or … am I in isolation from God’s truth, avoiding the die-hard disciplines of the faith such as a deep/abiding daily devotional time with God and His word – EVERY DAY? Does my Pastor tickle my mind with comfort every Sunday; or am I shaken by my Pastor in church weekly to pursue Christ and share Him with others?
My dear one, you have to answer those questions for yourself; but I hope that you’re not trying to avoid God’s message and His mirror of truth. I will pray – even today – that we all are digging deeply into the mind of God through His word and we’re willing to look at ourselves in the mirror of truth (i.e., study of the Bible) rather than to isolate ourselves from its clarity.
My Prayer for Today: Oh, Lord, I pray that all who read here are coming to Your mirror of truth daily, looking at ourselves in the light of Your truth, willing to see where we need to surrender to Your Spirit and be transformed into Your image. Amen
My Journal for Today: Judah was a bad child of God, rejecting Isaiah’s word from the living God, wanting to look everywhere but at THE TRUTH. And today’s readings in my “Daily Bible” studies document Judah’s desire to blissfully ignore God’s warnings and His mirror of truth. And that is so much like what we see going on in the world today, … and yes, even the way those who think of themselves as “christians” isolate themselves by self-denial and the lack of willingness to confront the truth of the Gospel and God’s word.
Today’s highlight passage, drawn by Dr. Smith from the readings from Isaiah’s prophesies, could be speaking to those in today’s post-modern church who are in serious denial as they stick their heads (and minds) in the sand, unwilling to read or hear what God’s word really says about what’s happening in the world. Certainly non-believers don’t want to even hear the truth from God’s word. No, they’d rather have their minds tickled with new-age fantasies and the tasty non-truths coming from the “church of Oprah” or the psychobabble of Dr. Phil.
But that’s not surprising at all. I used to be one of them, calling myself an “agnostic,” and thinking of myself as an “intellectual,” I tried to fill the hole in my soul with all kinds of far-eastern religious thought process. At this time in my life, if it had “ism” after it, I was probably pursuing it, trying to find the answers for life from those who were very simply and literally “devil’s advocates.” So, again, I’m not surprised at any pagan pursuing pagans who bear untruths which tickle the fancy of our sin-bound nature.
It’s those who call themselves “christian,” and are unwilling – or unable – to see themselves trying to be entertained in “churches” rather than enlightened. So, those who fancy themselves as “believers” flock to hear the pseudo-teachings of teachers/preachers like Joel Osteen, hearing the warm fuzzies and sugar coated half-truths which concern me so greatly and lead them down a garden-path of destruction. And as the lives of these so-called “christians” become imprisoned by habitual sin, such as addiction to pornography or eating disorders or the chemical chains of drugs or alcohol, the first symptom for those who think of themselves as disciples of Christ is to fall prey to the seers of the world, not wanting to hear teachers/preachers who really are proclaiming God’s truth. Today “Christians” are turning away from God’s truth, unwilling to get into and surrender to God’s word, and moving away from churches where they have to look into the mirror of truth from God’s word every Sunday.
The words of today’s highlight passage, though directed by God, through Isaiah, to the tribes of Judah, could be words describing today’s Christian climate of isolation from the truth of Scripture. When Joel Osteen will tell Christians how great they can be by declaring their own self greatness, many would rather hear that than the messages of truth from God’s word; and so the witness of Christians becomes diluted and dampened by believers turning away from the discipline of pouring God’s truth into their minds through deep and abiding study into God’s word daily?
So, my friend, we all need to be asking ourselves: Do I really seek God’s truth? Am I willing to look deeply into the mirror of God’s word daily, digging for God’s wisdom, … mining for the mind of God; … or … am I in isolation from God’s truth, avoiding the die-hard disciplines of the faith such as a deep/abiding daily devotional time with God and His word – EVERY DAY? Does my Pastor tickle my mind with comfort every Sunday; or am I shaken by my Pastor in church weekly to pursue Christ and share Him with others?
My dear one, you have to answer those questions for yourself; but I hope that you’re not trying to avoid God’s message and His mirror of truth. I will pray – even today – that we all are digging deeply into the mind of God through His word and we’re willing to look at ourselves in the mirror of truth (i.e., study of the Bible) rather than to isolate ourselves from its clarity.
My Prayer for Today: Oh, Lord, I pray that all who read here are coming to Your mirror of truth daily, looking at ourselves in the light of Your truth, willing to see where we need to surrender to Your Spirit and be transformed into Your image. Amen
Saturday, May 22, 2010
2010 – May 22 – A Better Way of Seeing the Light
Study from God’s Word… Many Proverbs listed in The Daily Bible in Chronological Order from Proverbs 1, 3, 6, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, and 29 ordered by topics by the Editor, including Violence, Murderers, Causing Others Harm, Revenge, Dissension/Strife, Meddling, Truthfulness, Accurate Weights, Boundary Stones, Wrongfully Obtained Gains, Bribery, False Witness, Open-Mindedness, and Justice … Passage for Reflection: Proverbs 18: 17… NIV The first to present his case seems right, till another comes forward and questions him.
My Journal for Today: “Seeing the light” … and … “finding the truth” requires an open minded and rigorous search through all the evidence to determine if perceived truth is real truth. And Dr. Smith in his devotional entry for today asks the self challenging question, Is my truth really as true as I believe it to be.”
I’m one who believes in the truth which I’ve read, written by Paul in 2nd Tim. 3: 16, 17. I hope you can quote what it says. All Scripture (i.e., the entire Bible) is inspired by God; and is profitable for doctrine, for instruction, for rebuke, and for correction in righteousness; … that the man of God may be complete and thoroughly equipped for every good work. Do you believe that to be true? Have you examined the facts, in a Berean way (see Luke 17: 10-15), to see if examined evidence backs up the claims of this Scriptural position? As today’s Proverb posits, if we take the Bible and we scrutinize it with the facts of history and the findings of such sciences as archeology, we’d have a lot more confidence in the claimed promises and theological positions in the Bible than if we just went with what it said in THE BOOK.
Well, I went off to college believing that the Bible was true. Then I had an atheist room-mate who asked a bunch of questions about the so-called inconsistencies in the Bible; and he destroyed my faith. For many years I came to believe that THE BOOK was just a bunch of fables and myths, until I was challenged to really look at it; and the latter actually occurred AFTER I had declared Christ to be my Lord and Savior.
BUT (and here is another one of those big “BUTS”), as an atheist, the more I researched the facts which support the promises and claims of the Bible, like those Bereans did when they heard the teachings of Paul in Acts 17, I came to realize – and believe – that THE BOOK is the truth, … the whole truth, … so help Him, God. Other former atheists, and intellectual giants, men like Josh McDowell, Lee Strobel or C.S. Lewis (if you go to this website, you’ll see a long list like those three), men who have come to conversion to Christianity and full belief in the veracity of the Bible by merely being willing to look at the evidence of scriptural truth. If you go and read their books, Evidence that Demands a Verdict [McDowell], The Case for Faith [Strobel], or Mere Christianity [Lewis], you will see why these men, when they really cross-examined the Bible and those apologists who argued for its veracity, came to a faith changing decision to make Jesus Christ the Lord of their lives; and now they teach and preach what they know to be the truth of the Bible and it’s Gospel message. I challenge anyone of unbelief, who questions the truth of the Bible, to read all three of those books above and then to come back and make the same claims of unbelief.
Oh, how I pray that all who read this have examined the evidence for the truth of Scripture; because if you do, … no matter how deep you go into cross examination of the facts, you’ll come to see, as all those on that list at the website I linked you to above have realized, that the Bible is the real deal; and by believing in its truth, you are believing in the truth of Jesus Christ as the Savior of the world [and that include you and me].
My Prayer for Today: Lord, I have examined the truth; and I believe! Amen
My Journal for Today: “Seeing the light” … and … “finding the truth” requires an open minded and rigorous search through all the evidence to determine if perceived truth is real truth. And Dr. Smith in his devotional entry for today asks the self challenging question, Is my truth really as true as I believe it to be.”
I’m one who believes in the truth which I’ve read, written by Paul in 2nd Tim. 3: 16, 17. I hope you can quote what it says. All Scripture (i.e., the entire Bible) is inspired by God; and is profitable for doctrine, for instruction, for rebuke, and for correction in righteousness; … that the man of God may be complete and thoroughly equipped for every good work. Do you believe that to be true? Have you examined the facts, in a Berean way (see Luke 17: 10-15), to see if examined evidence backs up the claims of this Scriptural position? As today’s Proverb posits, if we take the Bible and we scrutinize it with the facts of history and the findings of such sciences as archeology, we’d have a lot more confidence in the claimed promises and theological positions in the Bible than if we just went with what it said in THE BOOK.
Well, I went off to college believing that the Bible was true. Then I had an atheist room-mate who asked a bunch of questions about the so-called inconsistencies in the Bible; and he destroyed my faith. For many years I came to believe that THE BOOK was just a bunch of fables and myths, until I was challenged to really look at it; and the latter actually occurred AFTER I had declared Christ to be my Lord and Savior.
BUT (and here is another one of those big “BUTS”), as an atheist, the more I researched the facts which support the promises and claims of the Bible, like those Bereans did when they heard the teachings of Paul in Acts 17, I came to realize – and believe – that THE BOOK is the truth, … the whole truth, … so help Him, God. Other former atheists, and intellectual giants, men like Josh McDowell, Lee Strobel or C.S. Lewis (if you go to this website, you’ll see a long list like those three), men who have come to conversion to Christianity and full belief in the veracity of the Bible by merely being willing to look at the evidence of scriptural truth. If you go and read their books, Evidence that Demands a Verdict [McDowell], The Case for Faith [Strobel], or Mere Christianity [Lewis], you will see why these men, when they really cross-examined the Bible and those apologists who argued for its veracity, came to a faith changing decision to make Jesus Christ the Lord of their lives; and now they teach and preach what they know to be the truth of the Bible and it’s Gospel message. I challenge anyone of unbelief, who questions the truth of the Bible, to read all three of those books above and then to come back and make the same claims of unbelief.
Oh, how I pray that all who read this have examined the evidence for the truth of Scripture; because if you do, … no matter how deep you go into cross examination of the facts, you’ll come to see, as all those on that list at the website I linked you to above have realized, that the Bible is the real deal; and by believing in its truth, you are believing in the truth of Jesus Christ as the Savior of the world [and that include you and me].
My Prayer for Today: Lord, I have examined the truth; and I believe! Amen
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