THOUGHTS
I have thought a lot about truth lately. Pontius Pilate once asked Jesus "What is truth?" (John 18:38). I don’t know if he asked that question in a mocking way or if he had just despaired of ever finding truth, but I do know that truth is the most valuable ingredient in the recipe of life. Without it, nothing holds together, confirming what Paul said in Colossians, "in Him all things hold together." Jesus Himself said that He was the Way, the Truth, and the Life. The enemy of our souls is a liar; all lies are generated in him, because he is the father of lies. It is his nature to lie.
The Muslims believe they have the truth and are willing to die for that truth. The Buddhists, Hindus, and animists believe they too have the truth. Some believe that God is an amalgam of any belief that man cares to have … that the god of the universe reveals himself in many ways to man. The god of the Muslims is proclaimed to be the same god as the Most High God, but can two truths exist side by side and be equal? If the Most High God is the same god as the Muslims worship, then He would have to be schizophrenic and we know He is not. God has said that He is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow - period. His immutability is one of His attributes.
Yet, almost all the mainline denominations who claim to worship the Most High God are waffling and tip-toeing carefully through a minefield of new ideas, cultural changes and shifts that dictate new philosophies about sin. I read in the paper recently of a delegate who went to a mainline denomination’s annual meeting and tried to explain the controversy over homosexuality. She said that people who believe the Bible as literally inspired and interpreted are going to believe that homosexuality is sin, but for others "who view it from their own discernment process, their own experiences or their own belief systems, they are not going to view it as sin." The delegate observed that people in the church are really divided over the homosexual issue and there were a lot of "tears and frustration" at the convention. The irony here is that the tears and frustration she indicated were not for the people who engage in the harmful practice of homosexual sin. Rather the tears and frustration came from .those "who love each other, no matter what sex they are," because they are not getting unanimous hearty approval from the church.
The charity the delegate expresses in her article towards those in the homosexual lifestyle does not extend to ordinary Americans whose health care costs will go up or whose children will see affirmed in society a lifestyle that brings tragic consequences to the participants and to the culture.; She fails to mention the detrimental effects homosexual "marriage" will have on law, the foundation of a free society. The limited scope of her compassion will be lauded by many, but it will be short-lived because the license that is being advocated will lead to the demise of our civilization.
In our Prayer/Action chapter meeting the other day, we prayed for churches and our pastors, taking note of the fact that God will judge the Church first. One of our participants noted that the Bible says that King Asa was a good king, but he did not tear down the high places. Failure to tear those high places down led to severe judgment for Israel. The high places in ancient times were altars and asherah poles erected to false gods. We regard that as pagan, but are we tolerating "high places" in our culture?
God’s truth decrees that anything that we place before Him is an idol - a "high place." The Body of Christ needs to be tearing those things that come against the truth down, not building them up or protecting them from scrutiny because of misplaced charity. We have to tell the truth because we are the only ones who have access to it.
The darkness of our world is growing…who would have thought we would be witnessing beheadings on television or celebrations of "marriages" of people of the same sex? But, in the darkness the light is more visible.
Be a pinpoint of light: a.) Witness to the hope that is in us to all we know, even when it is rejected; b.) Be salt and light by speaking the truth in love; c.) Love the brethren and the world with self-sacrificing love d.) Register to vote and vote your convictions; and reflect Christ’s love in a world that does not know how to love.
In Him,
Judy Smith
State Director