Why does it always sound so hypocritical when Evangelicals bash Gays and so worldly when the other side embraces them? Could it be that they are both wrong!

In LGBT congregations the wrongness of the position is so apparent; they openly allow and advertise their sin. On the other hand, in the “Gay bashing” congregations, exposure by members mean repentance or censure.

The sin of homosexuality is sinful, simply and for no other reason, than the Bible says so. But, the reality is that there are homosexuals on both sides, but dealt with in different ways. The difference being that one side keeps their Gays in the closet, making this group appear more pure. And the other side, by openly flaunting their sin, wears this—forthrightness–as a cloak of honesty and righteousness.

The Evangelical’s unwritten rule of “don’t ask, don’t tell” has been a governing factor for many, many, years, and is nowhere questioned. Their assumed theory in this reasoning is, “what we don’t know can’t hurt us.” The business side of doing church has much to do with this approach. Organizational Christianity has no way of filtering out sin, because of its structure. When the “OPEN FOR BUSINESS” sign in hung out, any and all comers are welcome, and nobody really knows who they are sitting next to. If someone dares to speak out they are either directed to the church down the street or asked to straighten-up; but the preferred unspoken rule is to keep your activities to yourself. And, if homosexual sin is discovered, it is usually by accident, and not because of any real intimate family type relationship with the congregation, or a conviction of sin on the part of the sinner. The business managers, i.e. clergy, are isolated from their members and think that it is necessary only to preach to the crowd, and hopefully put a few under conviction, and not to get personally involved in the lives of the laity, except on a have-to basis.

On the other hand, the LGBT congregations come across as holier-than-thou because they are proud and parade their honesty and impartiality as a sign of Biblical righteousness. And, if they should be part of a peaceful protest, or confront their opposition with 1 Corinthians 13:1-4, spewing words of love and tolerance, then they win the acclaim of the world, being perceived as the more holy of the two. Is openness to depravity really the answer to modern Evangelicalism’s stalwart stance to old line legalism?

Modern brick-and-mortar Christianity, whether Left or Right, operating on modern business and marketing principles, is not what Jesus foresaw, and is at best, a dysfunctional family affair. This is not the Biblical model and cannot be found in Scriptures, anywhere. But, as in times past, from the very beginning of the Church, there are those who have discerned the problems on both sides of the aisle, and have chosen to separate themselves from both moderates and liberals.

Today many are finding true Ecclesia in small intimate gatherings of faithful believers; no advertising, no CEO’s, no 501c3 Government shackles, no programs; only trust in the promises of Jesus to do what He said He would do.

Can you believe in a hundred mothers, brothers, and sisters? Can you envision a living body, all contributing their gifts for the benefit of all the others, to the glory of God? all sharing their resources; all building on the strength of the others and the Holy Spirit, sharing in the development of the whole, dealing with sin at a family level, moving the whole body toward perfection. If you can then you are envisioning the Church as Jesus envisioned it; nothing fancy, no expensive buildings; just simple, humble, service to each other, to those looking for a way out of the deep dark woods; this is service to the Lord.

The Church as Jesus envisioned it is so far removed from what we see up and down Main Street that it seems impossible to achieve, but it is the only Church that exists. The Church of Jesus is not run by accountants, it is run by miracles, and only God can achieve it.

Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain. Psalm 127:1

From Moriel Ministries

In case you haven't noticed the Vatican is on the move. As the faithful would expect, the Book of Revelation is beginning to make sense in these last days before the Lord's return. It is not the mysterious locked prophecy it once was; It is becoming very clear in respect to the Antichrist and false prophet, and their identity; thanks to researchers like Roger Oakland, Chris Pinto, and the folks at Herescope. Before long Revelation will be an open book to those whose will is to do the Lord's will; it is a promise; even now, we are getting it.

As we see Rome and the nations making great strides in the fulfillment of prophecy, so likewise we can expect our God to make even greater strides in strengthening His elect for the forth coming calamities. There is no question that God will call out His elect and purify them by the infilling of His Spirit in a mighty way, and ready them for his return.

It is an exciting time as our eyes scan the eastern sky, in anticipation of His coming. The words of Scripture coming more and more alive and the trimming of the lamps breathing with a new reality and earnestness of meaning. Separation, purging the old leaven, holiness, faith and truth are words filled with a new dynamic, driving the sheep into new pastures of rest and reassurance.

Below is an article of great interest to those interested in discerning the signs of the times. It would appear that the Vatican is coming out of the closet as to their role in the forming of a one world government and religion. Could it be that they are oblivious to the words of prophecy; are they so blind that they cannot see their own reflection in that great book of Revelation, or is it that they don't care and only concerned with power and prestige. 

Well, for us who see, the following article has been written.

Keep looking up, for your redemption draws near,

Steve Blackwell

Herescope

This week I was reintroduced to a good friend. This friend of mind has been home with the Lord for 29 years now and I can hardly listen to his music without going back in my head and heart to those days of youth; me and Marilyn fresh in our new birth listening to Keith Green and those crystal clear lyrics. Keith was born October 21, 1953 and died, along with two of his children, in an airplane accident, only 28 years old. Keith was unashamedly a Christian, and knew why he believed, and preached his belief through great music.

Marilyn and I would sit and listen to Keith and others and question, and probe, and search for truth. Keith’s ministry was a loud speaker in those days, penetrating our darkness with the light we craved. In the years since then many things and challenges have come and gone, but the search for truth in this world of darkness has never waned. To sit back and re-listen to all those wonderful songs fills me with sadness, sorrow, joy, and a vibrant life, which sometimes gets lost in our present circumstances. Keith's songs bring me back to what is important; he did it then, and he's doing it now.

I shed a tear for Keith and his wife, and for all those who are searching and just can’t seem to find anything solid to stand on. Be my guest and listen to this music video and allow Keith’s words speak to your heart.

We here at IndyWatchman love you.

Steve and Marilyn Blackwell 

by glennchristopherson

I know a lot of nice people and some of them are Christians.

Where do we start an examination of “truth,” well, at the beginning would be a good place, so let’s go back to Genesis and the Garden of Eden.

The common story of the “beginning” seems to always start and finish with the disobedience of eating the forbidden fruit. That is all well and good, but much is being left out. A few questions need to be asked:

·         Why the test

·         What is the significance of the test

·         Why is the “knowledge of good and evil” a bad thing

·         Why is it important today

Let’s go back to before the eating of the fruit, when things were good between man and God. God walked with Adam and Eve, and there was an open, harmonious, relationship; not like today. Adam, not knowing “evil,” instinctively knew the right thing to say and do, always. He was not distracted with all the mental gymnastics that accompany decision making now.  Answers and solutions flowed easily from a mind uninhibited by contrary thought processes and guilt.  All of nature was in sync and operated according to a perfect order. It was a time that we can only dream about; the stuff fairy tales are made of. Adam and Eve never spent time considering a better life than what they had; trying to imagine a more perfect perfection doesn’t even make sense. They were perfectly content.

In the entire Garden there were only good things, and Man and Woman had every bit of it at their disposal, to enjoy for evermore, and never grow bored, or complacent. Only a single test was required. God did not put any pressure on them outside of a single test.

It is paramount that we understand what happened in the Garden for us to understand all the problems that followed, and to grasp the significance of our predicament today. It is kind of like a math formula; if you get the expression wrong up front the outcome will be wrong also. When things don’t work mathematically it is necessary to go back and see where you erred and make corrections.  Consequently, very much of what we are faced with today, in the church, and in the world, is a miscalculation of the consequences that took place with that single test.

There are a lot of opinions as to why God tested our ancient parents, but the one thing we know for sure is that they failed. Speculation and debates are useless and only allow good debaters to take advantage of those who are not as talented in arguing, and we see this in the world stage at every level; men, governing, controlling, and lording it over those who are considered to be their “lesser.”

The church has missed a very important part of the event that took place in the Garden. The issue of sin is not being minimized; sin is tragic, and will be the reason for the loss of so many souls to the torment of Hell. But, there is something else here that is going virtually unnoticed, and is critical for our successful navigation through the maze we call human life. How do we find our way back to God? How do we determine good from evil, and truth from error?

 The Bible declares that men are “lost.” I went wandering off one time in the desert around Superstition Mountain in Arizona. It was a long time ago. My girls were still very young. I pulled the car over to the side of the road and told Marilyn that I would be back shortly. So with camera in hand and brain turned off I started taking pictures. When I was finished I turned to go back to the car, but to my stark realization, I had become “lost.” I did not know where I had come from, or where to go. I became acutely aware that this was serious, and for an instant an adrenaline rush of fear passed over me. Lucky for me Marilyn had the presence of mind to honk the horn and direct me out of danger. That was a great lesson, and the lesson of the Garden is similar. What men have failed to learn from the Garden lesson is that they are very lost in this world and hear horns honking from many different directions, and have only succeeded in going deeper, and deeper, into a vast waste land, trying to reason-out which horn is theirs.

A human characteristic, which is now an inherent part of our makeup, is this new ability to know both good and evil. But, wouldn’t this be a good thing? Where once we were in harmony with God and His creation, and now we are in such pain, sorrow, and confusion, do you think this is a good thing? It is true,  we do know both good and evil, we just don’t know good from evil; so now what do we do? God has chosen this way to make His offer of salvation; He had a plan.

The whole idea of faith, trust, belief, devotion, obedience, consecration, dedication, sanctification, allegiance, and reliance, is that we would be able to find our way out of this wasteland by being able to distinguish the sound of God’s horn, from all the others. The horn I refer to is the voice of God. This is exactly the problem we now face, the inability to distinguish right and wrong, good and evil, and black from white. Every question has a thousand nuances, and every horn sounds like salvation.

God was clear in His directions on how to distinguish the correct path to follow, so what’s the problem? Human nature is the problem. If the easy path can be the right path also what a blessing that would be, and there lies the problem. When I was lost in the desert I had good reason to be afraid, but being lost in the “world” doesn’t appear that bad. As a matter of fact, most people don’t even consider themselves lost with all the creature comforts they have. Our diversions hide the problem, and the solution.

Have you ever stopped to consider that everything in nature takes the path of least resistance? Water will always run downhill and into the sea. The wind is the same, unless forced into another path. The laws of electricity are governed by an equal reality. The “law of the jungle” is dictated in the same way. Animals push their sick and weak to the back of the herd. Animals will do their business in the open without shame. They will procreate in the open with no regard for onlookers. They have absolutely no consciousness of guilt about destroying other animals, and little concern about the death of a sibling or parent. Humans who display such characteristics are called “animals.” Why? If evolution is the correct answer then why are we infected with all this inner turmoil to “care” about others? Why do we protect our sick and elderly? Why do we take food out of our own mouth to feed the hungry? Why are we tormented with guilt when we lie, cheat, and steal? Are the traits in animals somehow left undeveloped in humans? Are lower animals actually more highly evolved than humans in this sense, and humans still evolving to this higher state of being self-centered, un-caring, and free of guilt?

As we see in all of our surroundings, mankind is very confused in their role on this planet. Our human nature seems to be a composite of natures, a good caring side, and an opposite “law of the jungle side.” It is this law of the jungle side that desires the, go-with-the-flow, I’ll do it my way, path of least resistance, way of life. This way appears to be the right way because it blends so nicely with what we experience in life. But, this way always leaves a lot of baggage behind in the form of guilt, and the common way to remedy the problem is to submerge our hearts and souls into the mire of this depraved kind of “freedom,” and liberate ourselves from conscience. These warring natures are actually clues of how to distinguish which “horn” to listen to.

Here is the part that never makes it to the pulpit, and for some reason, we never hear of; it is the new way of coming to the knowledge of “truth,” and hearing God’s voice outside the Garden; don’t follow your heart or its reasoning. [1]Because of this we have accepted that it is O.K. to have divisions within the body of Christ, that achieving [2]“unity of mind and thought” is passé. “Is Christ divided?” Did the Holy Spirit communicate one truth to one denomination and another truth to a different denomination? Or, was truth spread around through so many religions and cults? All the Christian denominations look at all the other religions and say they have missed it, while thinking it is alright for them to pulverize God’s word into so many sects and denominations.

[3]Our “natural” ability to find solutions to problems has been totally corrupted by the invasion of a foreign element–the knowledge of evil– and there is now no way to escape from the wasteland. [4]All of our imagined solutions are only mirages, which lead us further and further away from the “truth,” and into despair. [5]There is only one way out of this house of mirrors, and without help we are doomed. [6]All of the solutions we are faced with today are only different facets of the grand delusion that [7]Eve was offered; and that delusion is the lie that we can be self-reliant; that in and of ourselves, and our own brilliant insight, we can be complete, and make our own decisions.

At this point God steps in. In our minds we would reason that the best thing to do would be to just kick the Devil out of the Garden, but the truth is just the opposite; God kicks us out, and gives us [8]instructions on how to distinguish the sound of His “horn,” or voice. Faith, trust, and belief, are key components of those instructions.

This is all very [9]simple, but has been missed by the majority of people, including Christians. We cannot see the truth because it all seems so illogical to our now impaired ability to reason correctly. Here is the simple God-logic of the situation. [10]Do not listen to the instructions that come from your faulty navigation system—your mind‑‑they will trick you into faulty conclusions, and keep you self-confident, and follow the wrong path.

In the Garden, God told our Grandparents to enjoy all of His creation for their own benefit; nothing was off limits, except one tree; “the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.” God told them not to eat of that tree, that if they did, they would die; it would be the beginning of a trip into superstition and despair, which would result in death.

We don’t know how long Adam and Eve lived in the Garden before the “fall;” all we know for sure is that they fell, and they died.

According to the Bible the Earth is the kingdom of Satan and his horde of disenfranchised angles called demons. God obviously had a plan since He created this place of beauty and rest in the middle of a prison planet occupied by evil on all sides. The Garden was a haven in the very center of enemy occupied territory.

Outside the sanctuary of Eden is the chaos of Satan’s dark kingdom. In this kingdom everything is antithetical, pretentious, and counterfeit. Out here, in the world, there are many horns sounding, and everyday more are heard. All of them come with a promise of light and wisdom, showing us a way to god or to become gods. Even as we speak, all of these prognosticators, seers, oracles, soothsayers, esoterics, philosophers, prophets, politicians, mystics, kabbalist, sects, denominations, cults, orthodox and unorthodox, are raising high the standard of truth, with voices sounding ever more as one voice, propagating the religion of the world.  

 In the Garden, beauty, simplicity, peace, and harmony, was obvious; chaos could not be found; everything was “the truth.” Outside, chaos and confusion reigns, and lying is the norm; you will look very hard to find true peace.

 The Word of God, i.e. the Tree of Life, has been reduced to a loosely held set of cultural events and archaic moral recommendations. The Bible has become a muffled sound in a whole concert of horns, all blaring and blending as one synchronized commotion to drown out the one true sound that can save us.

 This is exactly what we should expect if we understand what has happened in Eden. What God has said, Satan has copied, or tried to destroy. God said to Adam, “And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” Gen 2:16, 17. The anti-type of Satan sounds something like this, “my world is here for your enjoyment, take all you want and have fun, and be happy, but there is this one restriction, do not eat from the tree in the midst of my garden, the tree of Life, or you will die.”

 What the Bible says throughout is to live a separated life, isolated from all the commotion outside the Garden; from all the efforts of Satan to tempt and trick us into responding to one of the false sounds of deliverance. We must make a decided effort to ignore the sirens and seductresses of this world by closing off all avenues of assault. Not only that, but we are instructed to not even trust our own thinking. I know this all sounds ridiculous, and that is precisely why very few will heed the warnings, and so many will be lost.

 [11]As the world continues to rumble, and the seas roar, like a woman in labor, ready to deliver, the events that took place in Eden, and after that, should begin to make more sense. The tree of Life—the Bible–that we are advised to not take literally, is our only escape. It foretells of these end time calamities. The religious and political power structures of Satan’s world have diluted the message to a near meaningless book of verbiage. For anyone still seeking the truth, the message is still absolute, and able to lead any who follow to safety, but the trip is not without perils; the Bible is clear on that point also.

 The Bible, the Word, is the “tree of Life.”  When the Bible speaks of mixing two types of cloth together, plowing with an ox and an ass, or adding yeast to dough, it is speaking of the peril of adding or mixing anything of the world to the truth of Scripture; this will never work; it is like adding venom to vaccine, as history has proven.

 By extension we can say: If you think you can do something good for the Lord, you are wrong. If you think you can build or plant a “Church” for the Lord, you are wrong. If you think you can live a good life and please the Lord that way, you are wrong. If you think speaking in tongues, or healing the sick, or even reading your Bible will secure you a seat on the Gospel Train, you are wrong. We had life once, inside the Garden of Eden, but now, outside the Garden, the Lord requires death. Jesus said to follow Him. Where did He go? He went to a hill outside Jerusalem and died, and it is there we are to follow. Dead men do not do anything, they are dead. All our thoughts and good intentions must go; all our aspirations and education, no good; all our lust, desires, and habits along with all of those things, even our devotion to children and spouse, must take their place on the burning altar and be reduced to ashes. Then, and only then, with the faith and belief of Abraham, we know that what we have dedicated to the Lord He is able to raise again from the ashes, to be a vessel for the King’s use, forever, and evermore.

Rom 12:1-2

 “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God — this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is — his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

 John 14:23-24

 Jesus replied, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. He who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.

 This is part of the lost truth of the Bible, and this is only the beginning. There is so much that we are not hearing from the sounds coming from so many religious buildings, with their CEO’s and Sunday morning speeches, and the horns are earsplitting. We have men trained by men to preach the party line; ordained by men, commissioned by men, sent by men, to build something for “men.” It sounds very much like the episode of Nimrod and the Tower of Babel.

 These are the last days of the last days, before the Lord’s return, and truth is at a premium. Solomon instructs us to “buy the truth and sell it not.” Jesus instructs us to sell everything we own and buy “the pearl of great price.” They both speak of “truth” as the most valuable possession that a person can own. There are so few of us who really want to know the truth. We will satisfy ourselves with concession, because it is something we can live with.

 You have to be very careful and “See to it, then, that the light that is within you is not darkness.” Luke 11:35

 “Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!”  Matthew 7:22, 23

Many people, and Christians also, simply do not understand the story of the Bible, and throw out the parts that bother them. The Bible is the complete testimony of God; we accept it all or we reject it all, there is no middle ground. Those who did not accept Noah's offer of safety inside the ark perished; mercy had run it course. The Truth is still setting people free.

1. Christians on both side of the aisle debate the goodness of a God who would permit the kind of death and suffering we see in the aftermath of Japan’s 9.0 earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear meltdown.  

2.  

3. All over the world the main topic of discussion is the Japan tragedy, and now we learn that the worst is yet to come. Both Christian and non-Christian people are confused. People can’t understand how a “good” God could allow thousands upon thousands of innocent people to be killed. It is not necessary to present another theological or philosophical debate to explain what, and why, these things happen, or to try and justify God; John Piper has done that; and Brian McLaren’s philanthropic love has cornered the market on empathy. With those bases covered the question of “why?” still remains, and will not go away. After the prayers are over, and the aid exhausted, the mothers, fathers, and children, who have lost so much, return to their homes, and keep asking, “Why?”

   Christians don’t have to have all the answers, but answers help, especially now; and you can do no better than opening up the Bible.

   How do we balance the mercy and love of God, with His justice? I say “we” because God doesn’t do a balancing act, nor does He juggle His emotions, trying to keep some kind of equilibrium between good and evil. God is God, even when we don’t understand Him. God is perfect, and man confused; it is man that walks the tight rope wanting to know “why?” It is “we” who are out of balance and stumble, proposing our question in hopelessness, when the answer is right there, in the Book. God has spoken!

   God has anticipated the question and has included the answer, in His book of answers, the Bible. We will look in vain going anywhere else.

   Luke. 13:1-9 says everything that needs to be said for those who want the truth.

   “Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. Jesus answered, ‘Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them — do you think they were guiltier than all the others living in Jerusalem? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.’” 

   Then he told this parable:

   “A man had a fig tree, planted in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it, but did not find any. So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, ‘For three years now I've been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven't found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?’ ‘Sir,’ the man replied, ‘leave it alone for one more year, and I'll dig around it and fertilize it. If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.’” 

   It was generally accepted by the Jews of that time, and many today, that if something bad happens to a person it is because of sin in their life. In other words if a building falls on you, you must have been very bad. Jesus’ simple answer was, no, that isn’t true. “But, unless you repent you will all likewise perish.” So, Jesus’ answer to the Japan disaster is, no, God did not cause this disaster, but He did allow it, and “unless you repent you will likewise perish.” The parable that follows, which most people overlook when considering the above passage, sheds some light on the matter. What some will see here is a mean natured God; others will see a God of mercy.

   By looking closely we discover that the wrong question is being asked. They, and we, ask “why did God do this or allow this to happen?” By understanding the parable and what Jesus is trying to teach us we understand that the question should be, Why does a perfectly “just” God tolerate anyone to live, why doesn’t He destroy all mankind, not just allow a few to die in accidents? The answer is “MERCY.”

   In the parable God is the owner of the tree and Jesus is the gardener, who asks for mercy on the tree, for a period of time, to try and make the tree fruitful. God is a merciful God who has waited and waited and waited, but His justice cannot wait forever; justice must prevail.

   It is precisely because of accidents that the preaching of the Gospel is so important. How long will God’s mercy be put off, the Bible says, “Today when you hear his voice, don't harden your hearts as Israel did when they rebelled,” Heb. 3:15? And, this is precisely why the message of Brian McLaren and Rob Bell, and the whole camp of the neo-liberal “Emergents” is a death sentence for anyone caught in their web of deceit. They destroy the justice of God and leave the question of “why” unanswered, and hide poor sinners from the mercy of a Father who will wait, till He can wait no longer.

   Come home, poor sinner;
   Why longer roam,
   Thy Savior’s calling,
   “Come home, come home!”

   He died to save you
   On Calvary;
   Behold what suff’ring!
   ’Twas all for thee.

   Oh, come to Jesus,
   Do not delay;
   Come, and He’ll save you;
   Come while you may.

   Oh, come to Jesus;
   He’s waiting still
   With His salvation,
   Thy soul to fill.

   Oh, come to Jesus;
   How can you stay,
   He’s pleading, pleading;
   Come, come today.

    

What Color is Your Truth?

Part 2

Buy truth, and do not sell it; and as a bonus get wisdom, instruction, and understanding.

 Proverbs 23:23

Why does truth even matter? We throw the word around as if it is important, but rarely even consider the futility of the search. Yet, if we do not desire truth, above all things, we are guaranteed that this futility will follow us to the grave. The desire for truth is the clue that truth exists and can be known, as seen in Part 1.

Three things come to mind in consideration of truth:

1.      Truth does not exist,

a.       in which case we are all free to do as we please,

b.      and the rich and powerful decide what “truth” is,

c.       and “might” becomes right, or “truth.”

d.      and, we die frustrated.

2.      Truth does exist,

a.       but it cannot be known, which makes it little different from #1 above,

b.      or, an inner desire persuades us that, somehow, it is obtainable.

3.      Truth does exist,

a.       but, is knowable only to Christians through revelation.

b.      The world cannot know the truth, for sure, of any particular thing.

Since the Garden of Eden truth and error have become all mixed up in a Devil’s brew of reason and knowledge. Man, in his unaided state cannot decipher truth from error, but in his heart he knows it exist, and demands truth in others, but is continually frustrated in his desire for truth.

In our last installment we looked at whether or not truth exists, using simple reason and logic, and concluded that it did, but that it is hard to discover, and that at the core of our being is a relentless desire for truth. And we also saw that, “all of our present and future hope is based on knowing something for certain." "Are you comfortable pursuing a future built on the shifting sands of variety and theories, chaos and confusion, rumors and innuendoes, or a million shades of gray? Me either, I have to know the truth, regardless of the cost . . . .”

If our life depends on the truth, and we are convinced that it exists, then a good question to ask is, “where do I get truth?” and “how will I recognize it?”

There are many paradoxes in the Bible, and this is one of them. Truth is a gift, but it will cost you everything, and you must exercise a sober craving for its source.

To establish the fact of just how rare truth is, use your imagination. Imagine the world is a fish bowl, filled with all kinds of diamonds, but all of them fake, except one. One genuine, and very costly gem, mixed in with all the rest, and you are free to choose any one you like. Not being a gemologist it would be impossible for you to know which one is real, and which fake; which is the true costly stone, and which the cheap forgery.

You would not be surprised to find that some “seekers” had selected a stone for its sparkle, and others because of size, and others because the stones appeared exotic or mysterious. You would also not be shocked, that when told they had chosen a phony, some respond with anger, indignation, and unbelief, or come across as an expert with an ability to spot an imitation. And, still others, not at all interested in the truth, would be content just knowing that they have something very close, and that it satisfies their particular need quite nicely. Besides, their choice matches their taste and wardrobe, and permits for frequent staring. All of these, unable to make a distinction, settle for a mere semblance of the truth.

A select few, being of a more honest sort, would be perplexed, and would agonize over their inability to know which of the stones held the secret of untold riches. “There are so many to choose from?”  “How can I know for sure, which one is the truth?” “I’m incompetent to make such an important decision.” “I would rather have nothing than to settle for a lie.”

In the world of precious stones there is no way to tell the true value of the gem, unless you are a gemologist, or have access to inside information. The world of diamonds becomes a world of illusions, shadows, opinions, confusion, and enigmas, which vex and perplex. The Master Jeweler, One having knowledge, a Revealer of secrets, at His discretion, may instruct you to not look at the outward appearance, that a very costly diamond in-the-rough may appear worthless to the untrained eye. He may also give you additional criteria for identifying truth. Real diamonds have certain characteristics which simple tests can unveil, like the breath test, the hardness test, or the baptism test.

But, if you chose to proceed in your own wisdom to discover truth, you will, without doubt, end up deluded and cheated, with a fraud on our hand.

What would you give for the answer? What would you give for the most precious of precious gems that this world has ever known? Would the price be too high if it cost you everything? When there is only one of something, its price can be immeasurable. 

The answer to our question, “where do we find truth?” is contained in the answer of how we discover the precious diamond. We must get inside knowledge of what to do, and what to look for. Someone with the “key” must unlock the allegory, and make the abstract understandable.

The whole world and the religious world included, look in all the wrong places for truth, and find only a philosophy, or a religion, full of sparkle and mystery, pretenders and hypocrites. They have considered their alternatives, and were enticed by what they saw, drawn away by size, bewitched by charm, and instead of the Truth, settled for a lie.

The Bible is a book of riddles for most, coded and encrypted, better left to the trained scholar, and seasoned seminarian. But, to a few, it is the answer to “where to find truth.”

Jesus is that precious Gem, the Diamond of Great Price. Jesus decodes the text by using simple language and giving inside information, somewhere a scholar wouldn’t look, hidden in plain sight. Jesus is that Diamond-in-the-rough. He took the form of a man, laying aside His Divinity and Throne. When Messiah, who the Jews fervently awaited, showed up on the scene, they never recognized Him, and scorned that Precious Gem, and slew the King of Glory.

The darkness that has settled over the hearts of men hides the simplicity of the answer. The fingerprints of Jesus compass the entire Old and New Testaments with the uncomplicated message of, “come unto Me and I will give you rest.” He answers the riddle throughout the Bible, with words that repeat the following:

“Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth." John 4:23-24 

“If anyone’s will is to do God’s will, then he will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own authority.”  John 7:17

“So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, ‘If you abide in my word (do what He says),  you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.’” John 8:31,32

“I can do nothing on my own. As I hear (understand God’s words), I judge, and my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me.” John5:30

“Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot bear to hear my word.” John 8:43

“He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way.” Psalms 25:9

“Many shall purify themselves and make themselves white and be refined, but the wicked shall act wickedly. And none of the wicked shall understand, but those who are wise shall understand.” Daniel 12:10

These are but a very, very, small sampling of the answers to the riddle of knowing truth.

It starts with an unrelenting desire for truth, followed by obedience to the dictates of Jesus.

“If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him.” John 14:15

Do you desire real purpose? Not the artificial purpose of men, but the purpose of a prince, of one born into the family of a Great King; as one gone out into the world to do his Fathers will, and to return home to jubilant reward.

The purposes of this religious world have nothing to do with truth. The purpose driven life of this world is built on the truth of this world, on a thousand shades of gray, and the shifting sands of men’s brilliant ideas, and on a truth that will leave you disillusioned and lost. The purposes and truth of this world are forgeries, even when they come from a pulpit.

“For the LORD God is our light (truth) and protector. He gives us grace and glory. No good thing will the LORD withhold from those who do what is right.” (Psalms 84:11).

Jesus is the Gem. His value was miscalculated, because He came “in-the-rough,” as a man. Although He represented His Father perfectly, men could just not get past His appearance. Men’s perception of truth is wholly different; they looked for the glitter and sparkle, an outward manifestation of Divine glory, and all He had to offer was the uncut truth. Today when we look for truth it is no different. A philosophic or religious exposition is so much more palatable than the simple words of Jesus: 

"Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth."

John 17:17

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We have seen in Part 1 of this series is that there is such a thing as truth. In Part 2 we are discovering where to find that truth.

In Part 3 of What Color Is Your Truth? we will deal with “lies.” Since we are living in the world, and the world is blinded to the truth, what should we expect to find? We are confronted with a great many lies on a daily bases, of which we take to be the truth. We accept, for the most part, everything that is presented to us with sincerity. If we feel that a person is likable, or a business honest, or an advertisement sincere, we will, without reservation believe and trust them. On the other hand, if we dislike a person, because of the way they look or talk, or a business appears shady, or an advertisement cheap, we will not trust them. We are creatures of perception, not truth. In most instances, the perception of truth is, well, truth, regardless of the facts.

“It ain't what you don't know that gets you into trouble. It's what you know for sure that just ain't so.” Mark Twain

This quote by Mark Twain, especially the last part, illustrates what kinds of problems we can expect to find in this world, and with ourselves. A big question, we will try to answer is, if lies have governed the world for about six thousand years, how intricate might we expect the web of deceit to be? Many people are very sure of things “that just ain’t so,” and for good reason; Satan is the deceiver of the whole world.

“Now the snake was the most cunning animal that the Lord God had made. The snake asked the woman, "Did God really tell you not to eat fruit from any tree in the garden?" "We may eat the fruit of any tree in the garden," the woman answered, "except the tree in the middle of it. God told us not to eat the fruit of that tree or even touch it; if we do, we will die." The snake replied, "That's not true; you will not die. God said that because he knows that when you eat it, you will be like God and know what is good and what is bad." The woman saw how beautiful the tree was and how good its fruit would be to eat, and she thought how wonderful it would be to become wise. So she took some of the fruit and ate it. Then she gave some to her husband, and he also ate it. As soon as they had eaten it, they were given understanding and realized that they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and covered themselves. That evening they heard the Lord God walking in the garden, and they hid from him among the trees. But the Lord God called out to the man, "Where are you?" He answered, "I heard you in the garden; I was afraid and hid from you, because I was naked." "Who told you that you were naked?" God asked. "Did you eat the fruit that I told you not to eat?" The man answered, "The woman you put here with me gave me the fruit, and I ate it." The Lord God asked the woman, "Why did you do this?" She replied, "The snake tricked me into eating it." Gen 3:1-13.

Buy truth, and do not sell it; and as a bonus get wisdom, instruction, and understanding.

 Proverbs 23:23

part 1

What color is your truth?

Think for a moment of how many “truths,” there are said to exist…………O.K. times up. No one can possibly know how many! Did you come up with a number; did you even try? It could easily be said that there are as many truths as there are people. Do you think there is one truth about everything or many truths? Well, you know this is a trick question, don’t you. Of course there is only one truth about everything. I believe this because I am a Christian, and I know why I believe there is only one truth.

To begin with, simple logic tells us that if there is more than one truth, we would have to come up with a new word, like, “untruth,” no that word has been taken; how about “lie,” no that has been taken also; well, let’s just call it ridiculous, because the word itself dictates that truth be singular. It is impossible to have two truths. You can have one truth and one opinion; or you can have one truth and one lie; or you can have two lies, but it is impossible to have two opposing truths, one of them is a lie. Now, wasn’t that simple. There are no partial truths; partial truths are not true. Partial truths can be shaded, corrupted, clouded, compromised, debased, debauched, depraved, spoilt, ambiguous, equivocal, profaned, perverted, subverted, tainted, biased, colored, and evasive, but they can not be the truth. All of these things can be a shade of gray, but they can not be black or white.

Even the phrase “the truth” demands that it be unique and singular. We don’t say, “what is a truth of the matter,” we say “what is the truth of the matter.” The word the is definite, that is why it is called a “definite article.” When we say we are seeking “the truth” and end up with several options on the table, and everyone leaves satisfied to, “agree to disagree,” you have not discovered the truth, you have discovered compromise, or one of the other words above, but truth has not prevailed. 

There is some disagreement though. His Holiness, ugh, ugh, the Fourteenth Dalai Lama of Hamburg, Germany has this to say:

Some religions believe in one truth and some believe there are several truths. How do we resolve that difference?

 

For example, some people truly believe that their own religion is the ultimate, exclusively true one and that other religions are false. But religion is a personal, individual matter. So for any individual, what he or she believes and follows is in fact the only religion for him or her. But as for my friends who believe that there is only one true religion for everyone, the reality is that there are several religions in the world and several truths. We need to accept reality. Therefore, in terms of several people and communities, several religions are perfectly all right.

 

For those who feel there is only one truth, one religion, go ahead and keep that religion. But please respect other religions, since they bring deep benefit to my brothers and sisters. Because of that, I admire, appreciate, and respect all religions – Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Hindu.

How relative is that statement; one truth is as good as another? Dalai’s answer to solving the problem is to refer to reality. He says that we can obviously see with our eyes that there are other religions so there must be other truths; what insight! But, our quest is not complete until we at least refer to the world’s “answerer of all questions,” no, not the Bible, Wikipedia:

Truth has a variety of meanings, such as the state of being in accord with a particular fact or reality, or being in accord with the body of real things, real events or actualities.[1] It can also mean having fidelity to an original or to a standard or ideal. In a common archaic usage it also meant constancy or sincerity in action or character.[1] The direct opposite of truth is "falsehood", which can correspondingly take logical, factual or ethical meanings.

 

However, language and words are essentially "tools" by which humans convey information to one another. As such, "truth" must have a beneficial use in order to be retained within language. Defining this potency and applicability can be looked upon as "criteria", and the method used to recognize a "truth" is termed a criteria of truth. Since there is no single accepted criteria, they can all be considered "theories".

 

Various theories and views of truth continue to be debated among scholars and philosophers. There are differing claims on such questions as what constitutes truth; what things are truthbearers capable of being true or false; how to define and identify truth; the roles that revealed and acquired knowledge play; and whether truth is subjective, relative, objective, or absolute. This article introduces the various perspectives and claims, both today and throughout history.

These two examples from the world are the words of really smart men, who have an interest in keeping “truth” relative. If truth has a variety of meanings, then we can use our ingenuity and manipulate people and things; truth becomes a mere convenience.  If truth has a variety of meanings then why call them all the truth; can’t smart men come up with new words? According to Wiki truth means, “constancy or sincerity in action or character”? Does this mean that if a liar constantly lies and is sincere, he is speaking the truth? Um, if the direct opposite of truth is falsehood, and truth is relative (which makes it false), and can be defined in a variety of ways, doesn’t this make falsehood the opposite of falsehood? Then, is there really such a thing as falsehood, wouldn’t they cancel out each other, or does falsehood just become a variant of the truth? And, since there is no criteria for truth we can just redefine truth as a bunch of theories. Well, I’m not sure, but I think we just destroyed, not only truth, but also falsehood, or at least made them interchangeable; that should work out nicely for a lot of people in this age of full blown sin.

But, you see, people don’t really want to get rid of the word “truth,” because it is useful, it tidies up their lies lives, by giving them a sort of structure and stability, something to hold onto, that keeps them upright during the storms of life. We have all been caught, one time or other, referring to our own homegrown truth when necessary; fashioning it into a feature that gives us credibility; kind of like Play-Doh, we just extrude it through the Mega Fun Factory of our minds, and it comes out as, Pretended Truth or theory, or falsehood, or whatever.

Even institutional type “Christians” love Play-Doh, and I would venture to say that these Christians are the most proficient with the Mega Fun Factory. Truth, for these Christians is just as relative as it is with the un-Christian, but these Christians have this added feature, it provides an escape hatch, and a “get out of jail free” card. The un-Christians end up being more faithful to their credo than the institutional-Christians are to their belief system; at least the un-Churched cannot be hypocrites. Christians have the truth right in their hands, but only use it for show, to apply some “righteousness” when needed, or to sooth an aching conscience, or to fill out a new program, not to actually follow it, and allow it to direct their lives. The Bible says they are those “who hold the truth in unrighteousness.”

As we have seen above, truth is hard to discover for the un-Churched and institutional-Christians, if it even exist at all for them. But, is truth even important then, given its obvious elusiveness? Yes, yes, a hundred times yes! It is the very thing that our lives depend on for a sense of normality, and the thing we cherish in all our relationships, but it is the very thing that is denied, ignored, mocked, re-difined, and destroyed by everyone. Is truth important? You bet it is, but where do we find it, and how will we recognize it as the “truth?”

If brilliant philoshers, for thousands of years, have not discovered truth, what makes me think I can know the truth? Whenever we examine an argument or statement,  whenever we retrieve a memory, whenever we engage our brain at all, we are on a mission to discover truth. The very life of understanding and wisdom hinges on a continuous search for truth: is that thing I see in the distance a tree or a person? Where did I leave my car keys? On what bases do I chose a mate? Am I going crazy? Was Constantine really a Christian? Where is my child tonight? Our heart and mind is actually an organ designed to identify and pursue truth. The meaning of our life, has at its core the desire to know the truth.

Three questions that have plagued men since the gate was shut to the Garden of Eden are these: Where did I come from? Why am I here? What happens after I die? 

All of our present and future hope is based on knowing something for certain. Are you comfortable pursuing a future built on the shifting sand of variety and theories, chaos and confusion, rumors and innuendoes, or a million shades of gray? Me either. I have to know the truth, regardless of the cost, even if it spells disaster for my life on planet Earth. The goodnews is that truth exist, and can be known. Come back later and let's explore our options.

See you then. 

Proverbs 23:23 Buy truth, and do not sell it; and as a bonus get wisdom, instruction, and understanding.