Day 5 #2017

..."And they shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free." Very powerful verse in the bible that means just what it says. I had the opportunity to spend some alone time in the presence of God. My wife went to work and our daughters were off to school. So there I was in the house all alone...I must admit my thoughts were not on the things of God. I paused and just began to call on the name of the Lord. It was right then I could feel the presence of God engulf me! I began to worship and I just went to another place. Now I must say that I did not have an experience like this for several months; it is so easy to get out of order so to speak when it comes to spiritual things. Nevertheless, while in the presence of God, He speaks...he reveals to us things that are necessary for us to know while on this journey. While mediating in God's presence this was impressed in my spirit: "don't convolute truth." If I can be honest, I didn't know what "convolute" meant. I mean I heard the word before, but I didn't know its meaning. Let me digress for a moment: One thing I love about God is the fact that when he speaks or reveals something to us its often quite simple, but yet life changing. One word from God can revolutionize an individual, a city or nation. Well back to my investigation of this word. After looking up the word convolute I discovered that it means: "make (an argument, story, etc.) complex and difficult to follow." After my discovery, my conscious was enlighten. I began to ask, "What then is truth?" Not according to human logic, but rather according to God's word. According to God's word truth is explained this way: "While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that you gave me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled. And now come I to thee; and these things I speak In the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world  pray not that thou should take them out of the world, but that thou should keep them from the evil. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them through your truth: your word is truth."(John 17:12-17). I was able to see that truth is God's word. I then asked myself, "What is God's word?" I discovered this: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God; And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. (John 1:1 &14). Jesus Christ is  the Word of God. So wait a minute - what was revealed to me was: "don't convolute truth." Truth is God's word and God's word became flesh and dwelt among us...now I get it!

So let me say it the way I now understand it: Don't twist truth or better yet,  Don't make following Christ complex. After getting it I began to examine myself to see if there was any way that I have made it difficult for others to follow Christ. I realized that our life is a way in which we minister. Our spouse looks to us, our children look to us, our family and our co-workers look to us. What we say and what we do can cause those that know that we are followers of Christ to second guest our relationship with Jesus and/or being His disciple. As believers, we have to "Let our light so shine before men that they may see our good works and glorify our Father which is in heaven."  Furthermore, we have to make sure that we are not watering down truth to make it fit into this world system. What I mean by that is compromising truth in order for those that are not aligned with truth to feel comfortable in the way he or she lives. We have to stand with truth and tell the truth when it comes to individuals that come into our sphere of influence. We should never tell a lie to someone that confides in us about their eternal destiny. We have to let them know that the "Wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life." There are consequences to living a life not pleasing to Almighty God. True, God does love everybody, but we have to live right. First we have to check the person in the mirror; because if I am not living in truth in my private life I will not proclaim the truth effectively to others publicly.  #TelltheTruth #Shamethedevil