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Biblical truth

Aligning With Truth

by GOD TV May 14, 2022

written by GOD TV

You know, there’s this idea of truth, and we know that Jesus is the person of truth and that God is truth. But so many people get confused on what truth really is, because we all have our versions of true. And true is a perspective, and true is maybe an external thing or an internal thing that we believe. But it doesn’t mean it’s truth. When we can allow ourselves to see what truth is in the midst of our true experiences, we can find a place of stability and steadfastness that we can rely on for the rest of our lives, because God being truth is never going to vary. He’s always the same. He’s never going to change. And it’s something that we can build a foundation of our lives on.

True is dictated often by society, by feelings, by emotions, they can be manipulated because they are things that we experienced, the things that we may internalize, but it may not be lined up with truth. So what I want to encourage you today is that, get into the word of God, get into a place of prayer, worship, just allow Him to speak. And so often when we pray, we pray only towards not really praying with an ear to hear. The word of God is the most solid truth that you can rely on, but His voice always affirms that truth. So I want to challenge you to make a discipline in your life of going to truth to navigate your day. When you start to feel like you’re not sure what’s going on and you’re not sure what’s true anymore, go to the only source of truth and find yourself a place to realign. Get into the word, get into prayer, spend time just listening. Meditating on God is good. Meditation has this weird feeling that it’s a bad thing because meditation has been perverted to be empty yourselves of everything. That’s not what the Bible tells us to do. It says to meditate on Christ. You let everything else go away so that truth can be seen clearly.

So Father, I just pray that people would actually get convicted and stirred up, and that time would seem to manifest itself, that they would have the ability to get into your word and not feel rushed, that they could pray and not feel like they had to do it for a reason, but they could listen to what you’re saying back. God, I pray that we would enter into this relationship with your word and your presence that we know that we’re in communion with you, and that truth is the foundation that we live in. So Father, bless each of us. Just allow us to step into that type of truth-based relationship with you that helps a strong stable life from this point on, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

________

Christian Rock Band Skillet Singer John Cooper Rebukes Churches To Defend Biblical Truth About Jesus

by Rhoda Gayle December 23, 2020

written by Rhoda Gayle

Christian rock band Skillet’s lead singer John Cooper rebukes Churches to defend the Biblical truth about Jesus.

Skillet

Since John Cooper co-founded the popular Christian rock band Skillet in 1996, he has lived his life to entertain people. For more than two decades, he has been creating faith-based songs that have inspired people.

Recently, the rock singer has been open about his new mission, and that is to combat cultural relativism. John has been increasingly vocal on issues plaguing Christianity and America. In relation to his mission to bring Biblical truth in this era, he has released a new book titled “Awake and Alive to Truth: Finding Truth in the Chaos of a Relativistic World.”

“We have gotten so scared about saying things that are true that it has caused a crisis,” John said in an interview. “It has caused a crisis of people believing that they are good and that they can reach heaven without Jesus’ help.”

John Cooper

John has started this battle after he started seeing friends around him struggle with their faith. On top of that, they started to make comments that are not aligned with Biblical truth like “I don’t think that Jesus is the only way.” That sparked a desire in John to speak out and help others who are navigating this chaotic culture.

“There is chaos happening for a reason and we need to be bold about what those reasons are,” he said. “If you just ground your life in the truth of Christ, you can escape all of this chaos.”

Biblical Truth

The 45-year-old musician is disturbed about the rising trend in today’s society that “nothing in the world is absolutely 100 percent true.”

“Relativism is something that Christians cannot believe,” he said. “We are in a war where the church is losing so much ground within the church … the church is not looking like Christianity anymore.”

Despite the risk of losing his fans over his bold mission, he will still continue this battle to help people encounter real salvation.

“What we are losing is so great,” he said. “If it costs me fans, we have to start trying to save as many as we can. It’s that kind of a time.”

December 23, 2020 0 comment

Faith

Quiz: How Well Do You Know God’s Word?

by Henrietta Decruz November 30, 2020

written by Henrietta Decruz

Let’s have some fun! This is a quick exercise to see how well you know the Lord God Who wrote the Bible.

A Simple Exercise

You can put down your answer and write down the Bible verse where the answer for that question is found in the Bible. Don’t worry if you find that there is more than one verse that fits as an answer. Find the most appropriate one.

You can choose to do it by yourself or do it with your friend or in a group!

There is a message in the answers of these questions, can you figure out the message? Ask the Lord to speak to you through the questions and the verses. Enjoy!

Are you ready?

The Questions are:

What does God call Himself when He spoke to Moses?
Is He a changing God or an unchanging God?
Who can stand before Him, who has the right to enter His presence?
What does He want for us His children?
How does He want us to treat the poor and needy, the orphans, the widows, strangers and foreigners in our land?
Does God say anywhere in His Word that it is okay to sin? How does He want us to view sin?
Who is the enemy of God?
Who lied to Eve and led her to disobey God? What were the consequences of Adam & Eve’s disobedience? Who suffered the most because of the lies?
Did God give us freewill and the option to choose? Do you think He forces us His ways on us?
Does this life end here on earth? Is there a heaven? Is there a hell?
Who did God create hell for?
Why did God send His only begotten Son on earth? What was the purpose of His life?
God created the sun, moon and stars and named each of them – when did He name you and when did He write a plan for your life?
Who is the Father in the story of the prodigal son? What was his heart towards his son? How did he feel when his son returned?
Jesus said, I am the ______, the _______ and the ______! Complete the sentence.

Did you enjoy this treasure hunt of Bible verses? If you did, do leave a comment.

It is wonderful to learn Biblical truth for ourselves through God’s Word. You’ll be surprised how clearly and directly God speaks to us.

Are you ready to begin a new journey with knowing God through His Word?

November 30, 2020 0 comment

Faith

Good Friday: Discover The Significance Of The Cross And It’s Place In Our Lives

by Ann Cuddy-Sullivan April 18, 2019

written by Ann Cuddy-Sullivan

As we mark Good Friday, let’s take a fresh look at the Cross of Jesus.

Billy Graham had a profound understanding of the Crucifixion: “The Cross splits the world,” he wrote. “Either you look at it and think – that’s pathetic or you look at it and you think– that’s powerful. If you think it’s pathetic, Paul says you are perishing. But if you think it’s the ‘Power of God’, you are being saved. But it’s one or the other”

Peter, Newman writes In The Meaning of the Cross, “Our faith must begin and end at the Cross. The trouble is that many Christians have bypassed the Cross and are trying to be moral by their willpower and self-effort rather than trusting in the indwelling power of Christ to transform them (Galatians 3:3) But if we attempt to build our spiritual life by any other foundation than Christ crucified, we are doing so by our natural strength.”

“Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh?” (Galatians 3:3)

In April 2007 Decision magazine wrote: “We preach Christ crucified. This is the focal point of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is a picture of blood flowing from Christ’s veins as He hung on the Cross. The message of shed blood is repugnant to many, and they turn from such a gory sight, feeling that their delicate sensibilities have been outraged. Many people will accept Christ’s character, but they reject His crucifixion.”

“For the message of the Cross is foolishness [absurd and illogical] to those who are perishing and spiritually dead [because they reject it], but to us who are being saved [by God’s grace] it is [the manifestation of] the power of God.” (1 Corinthians 1:18 AMP)

The Truth of the Cross is that God Himself offered salvation by sending His Son, Jesus Christ, to die as an atonement for our sins. This atonement, a free, unmerited, undeserved gift, provides each of us the singular path to eternal salvation. While the receiving of this gift is dependent on the receiver, it is only through the crucifixion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ that we are saved from eternal damnation and separation from the Kingdom of God as adopted sons and daughters and rightful co-heirs of that Kingdom.

“Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under Heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:1) and that name is Jesus Christ!

As RC Sproul says in The Truth of the Cross, ”The Cross of Jesus Christ is God’s intentional method by which to bring salvation. To assume that we mere humans can do anything in our own power to gain entrance into the Kingdom is blasphemy. But for the finished work of the Cross, there is no salvation, there is no hope. The Truth of the Cross is an uncompromising reminder that the atonement of Christ is our gift of grace and mercy from the Throne of God Himself. “If you take away the Cross as an atoning act, you take away Christianity.”

“…fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the Cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:2)

Newman, Peter; in The Meaning of the Cross says: “We must never lose sight of Christ’s triumph on the Cross. ‘Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the Cross… (Hebrews 12:2).’ We were saved by faith in Christ’s sacrifice on the Cross and we now over come by faith in Christ’s victory on the Cross. The Cross is the secret to our overcoming. Christ conquered satan and sin on the Cross.”

So, this begs the question – If the Cross of Jesus is the beginning and the end of our faith, then why are so many Churches removing it from view?

The Cross is our message of hope

The Cross is our message of hope and you cannot take the Cross out of the Church. To do so, negates the reason Jesus Christ died. You cannot downplay its role in the life of the Church or the believer. It is on the CROSS of Calvary that we are saved through the brutal barbaric whipping and lashes Jesus took on His body. It is on the CROSS of Calvary that our sins are buried under the blood that poured out of His crucified body. It is on the CROSS of Calvary that we are granted eternal life with Him in Heaven.

As David A. DePra says in The Centrality of the Cross, “The Cross of Jesus Christ is the central truth of Christianity. This is exactly why Satan has tried to minimize its importance, substitute for it, or, in many places, shut it out all together. The Cross is the instrument of Satan’s defeat, the means of our freedom from the power of sin, and is the doorway to newness of life. Take away the Cross, and everything else falls.”

This Good Friday, see the Cross as a place of victory, peace, joy, and newness of life. Accept Christ’s call to run to Him and find rest. Go to the Cross of Jesus Christ. The world needs this message today. This is the message of hope, peace and brotherhood. This is what the world calls “foolishness’ but what God has been pleased to call “wisdom”. What do you call it?

Written in collaboration with Michael Sullivan

Also see:

Why Are Churches Removing The Cross?

April 18, 2019 2 comments

Articles

The 1 Biblical Habit You Can Begin Today To Change Your Life Forever

by Kyle Winkler January 3, 2019

written by Kyle Winkler

Losing weight, getting more education, and managing debt and stress top the U.S. Government’s list of most popular resolutions for a new year. Certainly, self-betterment in things like health or finances is a noble goal. But issues in these areas are often mere symptoms of an underlying spiritual condition relating to who or what we each believe that we are—our identities. Consequently, we use money, education, work and so many other means to define ourselves and steer our own destinies.

As I mentioned in my previous article, I’m convinced that Satan loves to trap us in an endless cycle of “strategies” for self-improvement. In doing so, he keeps us on a treadmill where we consistently exert much effort, but get virtually nowhere. At the end of the week, month or year, too often we’re in the same condition in search of yet another regime in which we can find purpose and meaning.

Ultimately, Satan’s strategy is to fill our minds with other voices that detract from the voice of truth that identifies us with Christ: a new creature (See 2 Corinthians 5:17), righteous (See 2 Corinthians 5:21), chosen (See Ephesians 1:5) and accepted (See Ephesians 1:6). Satan knows that identity gives way to purpose and mission. That is, when you know who you are, you know what to do. So if he can confuse us about the former, then we’ll be on a never-ending search for the latter.

There is, however, a single, simple spiritual method that Jesus used when faced with similar issues. And you too can apply its power in the same way to begin to silence the enemy, build confidence in your identity in Christ, and thus, change your life. Let’s explore.

Jesus’ Temptation is Ours Too

At His baptism by John the Baptist, as Jesus arose from the water, the heavens were opened, the Spirit of God descended upon Him like a dove and the Lord spoke:

“This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:17)

Jesus’ baptism account marks the first time recorded in Scripture that God publicly spoke an identity upon Jesus. Freshly baptized, God declared Him to be His son. And even further, He assured His son of just how pleased He was with Him.

Immediately following, the Bible records that Jesus was sent into the wilderness, where after 40 days of fasting, He was famished. Here, at His weakest moment, the devil came to tempt.

The story of Jesus’ temptation is a popular one, which you’ve surely heard as the basis of more than one sermon. But what is less known, however, is what Satan was really after. Notice how he launches his attack against Jesus:

“If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” (Matthew 4:3)

God had just previously declared an identity upon Jesus. And now, Satan approaches Jesus in His weakest moment to question what God had already assured, taunting, “If you are the Son of God.” Satan’s temptation was aimed to cause Jesus to doubt who He was and what He had.

Isn’t this the bulk of the issues we face, and the beginning of so much of our own spiritual attacks? God’s Word contains a multitude of incredible assurances about who we are and what we have in Christ, and Satan comes to us with attacks, threats, lies, and accusations that cause us to doubt it all.

Doing What Jesus Did

It’s important to notice how Jesus didn’t respond. He didn’t yell and scream at Satan as if His volume would make any difference. He didn’t run back to His disciples crying, “Please pray because the devil is lying to me.” Nor did He begin the latest self-help fad. No, what Jesus did is so much simpler. Three times He put the power of God’s Word to work against Satan by countering him with it. He boldly declared, “It is written,” effectively saying, “Shut up, devil!” This silenced Satan’s attacks and caused him to retreat.

You can apply Jesus’ model of spiritual warfare to whatever lies the enemy launches at you today. Below I’ve listed a handful of Satan’s common attacks countered by the truth found in some of my favorite Satan-silencing Scriptures. As you read through, be sure to speak these truths aloud.

Addiction
I will not let myself be overcome by evil, but I will overcome evil with good (See Romans 12:21).

Anxiety
I don’t worry about anything. Instead I seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and I trust that all of my needs will be met (See Matthew 6:31–33).

Fear
God has not given me a spirit of fear or shyness. Instead I have power, love, and self-discipline (See 2 Timothy 1:7).

Guilt
I’m in Christ, and therefore I’m a new creation. My record of wrongs is erased, and I’m no longer defined by my past or mistakes, but I have a fresh new start! (See 2 Corinthians 5:17).

Health
At the cross Jesus bore my sins on His body, so I’m free from sin and live in righteousness. Because of His wounds I have been healed (See 1 Peter 2:24).

Stress
In my weariness I come to Jesus, and He gives me rest. I work with Him and learn from Him, for His yoke is easy and His burden is light. He refreshes my soul (See Matthew 11:28–30).

Temptation
I submit myself to God. I resist the devil, and he must flee from me. I draw near to God, and He draws near to me (See James 4:7–8).

(For a much more comprehensive list of Satan-silencing Scriptures to speak aloud, download my app, Shut Up, Devil!, free for iPhone and Android.)

The Bible contains truth to counter any of Satan’s attacks. Locate a scripture related to whatever you face, then begin to speak it aloud throughout your day. Remember: The father of lies has no power when the truth of the Father is present!

Make It a Habit

Speaking Scripture activates a powerful, mind-renewing cycle because it allows truth to ingest in you, to get out of you, then back in you, and so on. This transforms your life with confidence in what God has assured.

“So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” (Romans 10:17)

Make speaking Scripture a daily habit and you’ll soon realize that you’re no longer under attack, but you’re on the attack. As I’ve experienced, you’ll gain confidence in who you are and what you have, so that over time, the issues and lies you once dealt with will no longer influence you.

Let God’s Word be the only voice in your life that defines your identity and determines your destiny. Begin speaking it right now to begin to silence Satan and live victoriously.

January 3, 2019 1 comment