"For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever." Romans 1:25 (NASB)
Get for yourself that which is true, and do not let it go for money; get wisdom and teaching and good sense." Proverbs 23:23 (BEB)
There is a new movie coming out from Ben Stein, entitled "Expelled" that talks about the debate between evolution theory and intelligent design. Ben Stein says, "There's no doubt about it. We have lots and lots of evidence that [a deity created life] in the movie. And you know Einstein worked within the framework of believing there was a God. Newton worked within the framework of believing there was a God. For gosh sakes Darwin worked within the framework of believing there was a God. And yet, somehow, today you're not allowed to believe it. Why can't we have as much freedom as Darwin had?" Quoted in Christian News and Research of Christianity Today article by Marty White, Executive Administrative Editor.
Man has always been on a quest for truth, but it seems that we are constantly changing the standards to that which we declare are fundamental truths. Sometimes it is because we realize that what we thought was true isn't; such as demeaning and devaluing another race because of differences. Unfortunately, we too often are too pigheaded to have a Truth that is far beyond our capability to alter to our world and so we adjust the telling of what that Truth may be to suit our desires.
And when we do that, we run afoul of nature, others, and ultimately God Himself. Altered truth cannot stand the weathering of time, or the assault by those who oppose its rotten core. Ultimately, human truth falls prey to those who would change it to their own methods and society fails.
We have taught our children that they are lucky, lucky to walk on the earth because we've allowed them to be born. And in that truth, we have taught that they aren't valued or treasured and without our intervention, have no purpose or individuality. We call it abortion and right to chose.
We teach our children that they are special and things can be adapted to eliminate competition, goals, and rules because of that. And families have broken over the growing tendency of children gone amok. Love cannot exist, we claim, with boundaries and absolutes and then we create scattered lives without focus.
Truth is on the auction block to the highest bidder, that person with the loudest voice that proclaims the succor of love can only be filled by their proclamation. And we follow as sheep because we don't want to offend, devalue, or be brought against the law in our desire to correct and ascertain the real Truth.
We remove what we believe is the only obstacle to our being gods, able to proclaim and enforce a truth that changes before the dawning of another day that we are incapable of creating. We remove God, for there can only be one and we want us to be that one. Despite our human failings, fragility, or self-preserving tendencies.
The Truth cannot be altered by individuals, truthfully. It stands far above our individual needs, wants, and desires. It hasn't changed in eons. And it can set you free, far beyond the boundaries we too often allow to be imposed upon our life.
It's not mystic, it's not illusionary, but it is frightening in the sheer power that comes from knowing and realizing the Truth. You become free, beyond the lock-down cry of self-preservation, and are able to move freely within boundaries set by the Designer.
Yet, we don't want the Truth and keep rewriting it. Isn't there something wrong with that picture?
"When the Spirit of Truth comes, he will guide you into the full truth. He won't speak on his own. He will speak what he hears and will tell you about things to come." John 16:13 (GWT)
Friday, March 28
Thursday, March 27
Heir/heiress living
"Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God." Galatians 4:6-7 (NASB)
America was built on the concept of Freedom. Freedom to govern human society with biblical standards, although that seems to be under attack more and more as we deny the historical evidence and nitpick the heritage of our Founding Fathers. The claim that they were deitists, or not "Christian", seems to ring hollow with me because if they were societal Christians, deitists, then why didn't they stay in England and submit to the distorted view of the Church of England? Again, we rewrite history to suit our desired view of the present difficulties in this Republic.
We are dismayed that the Truth can seemingly be altered to meet the cultural structure of the society in which we live, failing to realize that it is us who are changing the truth to suit our desire to be capable of controlling our world, our destiny, and our relationships.
We short-change God, and we create self-preserving blindness because we don't want the responsibility that comes with being heirs to a dynasty that was created before we were thought of in the minds of our peers, before all that we know even existed. Instead of rejoicing in a God that is so beyond our human failings and understanding, we seek to humanize God so we can attain the unattainable; Godhood.
To submit to the authority of Someone that has no reason we can think of to love us is unthinkable.
Paul tries to explain to us the glory and honor that awaits us and the blessings that we, in modern society, too often fail to see is right within our grasp. All we have to do is reach out, be willing to embrace it, and be still. It is against our nature, and against our desires to be under the authority of Someone that is so powerful, so holy, and so foreign to human understanding. Yet, there lies the answer to the peace we so desire to have.
This is what is wrong in the church today. The concept that the Gospel can be adapted to cultural 'awareness' rather than adapting, drawing the culture back into an awareness of the Gospel, is why we see the trend of college-age adults moving away from the church despite the pleasant, non-threatening message preached. Or the adaptation by those still spiritually immature to proclaim a 'new' gospel message, one of love without boundaries, desire without instruction, and pathways without guideposts. Truth has become self-serving, self-preserving, and ultimately distorted by individuals strong enough to sway the thousands.
The Truth is beyond anyone, insofar as it cannot be changed to suit individual desires. It stands beyond our capability to adapt to our needs, our wants, and our hopes and it is within that 'truth' that we find something more than ourselves, SOMEONE beyond our limitations, that has given us such a powerful and loving gift that we desire to be closer to Him.
And it lies within our hope that the inheritance, the adoption that has taken place within our hearts upon the submission of our lives to the Truth, that we find the joy, the passion, and the desire to know more of that Truth, and the God who is the embodiment of it in every way.
We are all, those who have submitted their hearts to the call of Salvation, heirs to something we once lost through our father Adam. True love, True peace, and a return to the world that we were originally built to occupy, in a relationship with a Creator that we were meant to serve.
But not serve in the sense that we understand it, rather by being in a relationship with Him in a way that is the embodiment of Freedom, true liberty, through the love we were designed to give and the Love we were meant to receive.
The concept of the slave that Paul speaks of isn't speaking of the slavery we once knew of when we were fully in sin, ignorant of the Truth and the redemption of our souls. Rather, it is speaking of being a slave to the ceremonies once performed within the Old Testament Laws. We were given freedom from the requirement of the Law, performed to forgive sin, by the ultimate sacrifice of Christ. But, with that freedom comes responsibility and with fulfillment of that responsibility, we find ourselves living as sons and daughters, heirs and heiresses to the Truth and the Creator who is that Truth.
And we aren't left alone, just as human heirs and heiresses aren't within the realms of their human 'kingdoms'. We have a Counselor, a guide, and a Spirit that indwells within our newly beating hearts that if we would only listen, only follow the prompting of His guidance, would enable us to live joyfully and peacefully within a world broken, amongst those who are still ignorant and sinful, and find ourselves living a life that would be labeled as a 'serving life' by our human standards but a life that we would recognize as 'liberated' as we gain supremacy over the suffering of our world through 'not being part of the world', rather living as heirs/heiresses on the journey to our Father's kingdom.
And then, we can fight the enemy without fear. For we know our true heritage, we fight not only for our true inheritance but those who are blinded to it, and we become feared because we are fearless, as heirs/heiresses of the Truth can only be.
America was built on the concept of Freedom. Freedom to govern human society with biblical standards, although that seems to be under attack more and more as we deny the historical evidence and nitpick the heritage of our Founding Fathers. The claim that they were deitists, or not "Christian", seems to ring hollow with me because if they were societal Christians, deitists, then why didn't they stay in England and submit to the distorted view of the Church of England? Again, we rewrite history to suit our desired view of the present difficulties in this Republic.
We are dismayed that the Truth can seemingly be altered to meet the cultural structure of the society in which we live, failing to realize that it is us who are changing the truth to suit our desire to be capable of controlling our world, our destiny, and our relationships.
We short-change God, and we create self-preserving blindness because we don't want the responsibility that comes with being heirs to a dynasty that was created before we were thought of in the minds of our peers, before all that we know even existed. Instead of rejoicing in a God that is so beyond our human failings and understanding, we seek to humanize God so we can attain the unattainable; Godhood.
To submit to the authority of Someone that has no reason we can think of to love us is unthinkable.
Paul tries to explain to us the glory and honor that awaits us and the blessings that we, in modern society, too often fail to see is right within our grasp. All we have to do is reach out, be willing to embrace it, and be still. It is against our nature, and against our desires to be under the authority of Someone that is so powerful, so holy, and so foreign to human understanding. Yet, there lies the answer to the peace we so desire to have.
This is what is wrong in the church today. The concept that the Gospel can be adapted to cultural 'awareness' rather than adapting, drawing the culture back into an awareness of the Gospel, is why we see the trend of college-age adults moving away from the church despite the pleasant, non-threatening message preached. Or the adaptation by those still spiritually immature to proclaim a 'new' gospel message, one of love without boundaries, desire without instruction, and pathways without guideposts. Truth has become self-serving, self-preserving, and ultimately distorted by individuals strong enough to sway the thousands.
The Truth is beyond anyone, insofar as it cannot be changed to suit individual desires. It stands beyond our capability to adapt to our needs, our wants, and our hopes and it is within that 'truth' that we find something more than ourselves, SOMEONE beyond our limitations, that has given us such a powerful and loving gift that we desire to be closer to Him.
And it lies within our hope that the inheritance, the adoption that has taken place within our hearts upon the submission of our lives to the Truth, that we find the joy, the passion, and the desire to know more of that Truth, and the God who is the embodiment of it in every way.
We are all, those who have submitted their hearts to the call of Salvation, heirs to something we once lost through our father Adam. True love, True peace, and a return to the world that we were originally built to occupy, in a relationship with a Creator that we were meant to serve.
But not serve in the sense that we understand it, rather by being in a relationship with Him in a way that is the embodiment of Freedom, true liberty, through the love we were designed to give and the Love we were meant to receive.
The concept of the slave that Paul speaks of isn't speaking of the slavery we once knew of when we were fully in sin, ignorant of the Truth and the redemption of our souls. Rather, it is speaking of being a slave to the ceremonies once performed within the Old Testament Laws. We were given freedom from the requirement of the Law, performed to forgive sin, by the ultimate sacrifice of Christ. But, with that freedom comes responsibility and with fulfillment of that responsibility, we find ourselves living as sons and daughters, heirs and heiresses to the Truth and the Creator who is that Truth.
And we aren't left alone, just as human heirs and heiresses aren't within the realms of their human 'kingdoms'. We have a Counselor, a guide, and a Spirit that indwells within our newly beating hearts that if we would only listen, only follow the prompting of His guidance, would enable us to live joyfully and peacefully within a world broken, amongst those who are still ignorant and sinful, and find ourselves living a life that would be labeled as a 'serving life' by our human standards but a life that we would recognize as 'liberated' as we gain supremacy over the suffering of our world through 'not being part of the world', rather living as heirs/heiresses on the journey to our Father's kingdom.
And then, we can fight the enemy without fear. For we know our true heritage, we fight not only for our true inheritance but those who are blinded to it, and we become feared because we are fearless, as heirs/heiresses of the Truth can only be.
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