Possessor of Truth!

Listen to any national news media outlet and you will find that everyone is full of opinions.  Rarely does the news capture and report just the facts of an incident but they provide non-stop commentary to meet whatever political or social view they are trying to espouse.  

The reality is we all look at the circumstances of life through a specific set of lenses that molds our own commentary.  We all interpret the world by layering our values and views over the facts.  The worldview that we use to interpret all of life will guide us in how we live, guide the choices we make.  

The difficulty today is the world contains a smorgasbord of worldviews.  Everyone does their own thing as long as it good for them, they do what is right in their own eyes.  How does one know whether they are viewing the world correctly?  Is there truth?  Does truth exist?

As a Christian you can be confident that you possess the truth!  Do not be swayed by the thoughts and ideas of a relativistic world (Col 2:8).  Know that belief in Jesus Christ is the only truth, the only worldview that should guide your heart.  Jesus proclaimed, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me" (Jhn 14:6, emphasis added).  As a believer in Christ you possess the only truth within a morally relativistic world.  

The Book of Proverbs warns, "Every way of a man [is] right in his own eyes, But the LORD weighs the hearts" (Pro 21:2).  Is your heart aligned with Jesus Christ? 

      

Persecution in the USA? Part IV: Response Through Passion

Over the last several posts I have discussed persecution in and of the Church.  During this series I have briefly demonstrated how faith in America is being attacked.  One only has to read the headlines of many news stories to see this simple truth.  (Consider and evaluate some of the articles at Christian Persecution in America.)  I have shown numerous scriptures both in the OT and NT that demonstrate persecution is promised and expected for believers.  Finally, in the last post, we cautiously discussed the purpose in persecution.  I now conclude this series with a discussion on what a believer is to do in light of all we have learned.

Persecution in the USA? Part III: Purpose of Persecution

Over the last couple of weeks we have been examining persecution of the church.  Last post I demonstrated from the Word of God that persecution is assured for believers as a normal course of the Christian life.  This week we carefully consider God’s purpose in persecution.  I explore this topic with trepidation:  I make no claim to be the final authority on this issue nor do I make any claim to know the mind of God.  As I explore this topic I am relying much on the resources provided in the Voice of the Martyrs (VOM) online classroom.          

Persecution in USA: Part II - Persecution Promised

In the last post, I told you of a news story where Mikey Weinstein of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation is seeking to outlaw evangelism in the US Military calling it “spiritual rape” by “fundamentalist Christian religious predators” (FoxNews).  In another similar story, Weinstein's group petitioned the military to prohibit Bibles that had been printed with the emblems of our service branches on the cover calling them "a national security risk" (FoxNews).  From organized boycotts against businesses that uphold family values; the government deporting a Christian homeschooling family who fled their homeland to avoid persecution; universities prohibiting pro-life or Christian clubs; or, attempts at controlling speech or Christian displays in public, a mild form of persecution in the US is underway.      

Persecution in USA: Part I - Christian Foundations

The principles of genuine liberty, and of wise laws and administrations, are to be drawn from the Bible and sustained by its authority.  The man, therefore, who weakens or destroys the divine authority of that Book may be accessory to all the public disorders which society is doomed to suffer...

- Noah Webster, 1833

In the last post, I briefly mentioned Christian persecution.  We often think of persecution abroad because, quite frankly, we do not find ourselves suffering much for our faith here in the US.  However, the tide is changing.  Fox News reported that Pentagon officials met with Mikey Weinstein, of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation.  He is urging the military to make proselytizing of one’s faith a criminal offense subject to court martial.  He characterized the sharing of one’s faith as unconstitutional calling it “spiritual rape” by “fundamentalist Christian religious predators.”  The story is also covered here.  

There is a lot that could be discussed and argued regarding this horrific statement.  Since space is limited I am going to discuss this news report in two parts.  This will be a mult-part series as we first, examine our American Christian Heritage.  Future posts will examine the Biblical principles of persecution and evangelism in the face of persecution, for I fear it is coming soon.