Karen and I have been married going on 30 years. After the things of God Karen is the next best gift God has given me. The longer we go together the more I love her and the more I see how at times I fail her. This is an ugly picture in my eyes, but it is the beginning of making Dave a better husband, father, and Christian. One of the many things I really like about Karen is her brutal truthfulness. I know where she got this. As a young girl growing up in New Jersey she was raised Catholic and even went to two Catholic schools. What wonderful story after story Karen tells of Sister Theophane Marie and the pretend iodine to the tongue or the ruler to the knuckles, now that is real love. She was tough, stern, and took no crap, but at the same time she was very fair and compassionate. Every Sunday Karen’s Dad and Mom would take the entire family to Mass. Karen’s parents made sure she had a solid foundation of right and wrong, they put within her a sense and a desire for the truth that has carried over in the lives of our children. Grandparents begin affecting their grandchildren while raising their children. To this day if someone lies or goes against the truth it is a big deal to Karen and it should be. Lying is wrong and must be avoided at all cost, but today we find lying is becoming common place in schools, the work place, and yes even churches. God has nothing good to say about a lying tongue. Please take a look at what God has to say about lying, here are some verses: Psalms 109:2, 120:2 and Proverbs 6:17, 12:19, 21:6, 26:28. Here is one from Proverbs, “These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: 17A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, 18An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, 19A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.” (Proverbs 6:16-19) This may seem a bit silly to you, but I have made an observation that my Protestant friends might find offensive. I have found my Catholic friends to be much more truthful than my Protestant friends. Why I do not know? Maybe it is just the people I associate with (both sets of friends) or maybe it is the message of grace without consequences that dominates the thinking of most Protestant churches and denominations. At any rate, unless we can see our lack in areas we will never be able to see the need to change. Our prayers like the Vineyard song are often “Change My Heart Oh Lord,” but when God comes and exposes areas in our lives so that we can change our heart we deny and reject Him, yet we continue to sing, dance, and run around playing games with God. My friend God is not mocked, the Bible says, “And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive (Strong’s #1777 to judge, to contend, to plead) with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.” (Genesis 6:3) God is a righteous and holy God. My friend there is a time when God will say enough is enough. I do not know about you my friend, but verses like these down right scare me. Paul too had this Godly fear, “But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.” (1 Corinthians 9:27) Now this verse and many others are the truth in spite of how we try to wordsmith, spin, or right out deny them away. My friend truth has an ugly side we do not like to know, but if we some day are going to look like our wondrous Savior Jesus Christ we must become very well acquainted with the ugly side of truth.
In John we read one of the most memorized verses (other than John 3:16) in the Bible, “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. 7If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.” (John 14:6) What a powerful verse and we should memorize it. It is true from start to finish, but please notice Jesus did not say He was the way and the truth that leads to Heaven. We today in the church want to run off to Heaven. I wonder what God will do on earth to share the Gospel message if they get their wish? I do not know about you my friend, but I am not eager to stand before a holy God. But Jesus did said “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” What way, what truth, and what life is Jesus talking about? The way Jesus is talking about is the narrow way of decisions that leads through the strait gate of our heart, “Because strait (narrow or restricted) is the gate (a place of decision in our heart), and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” (John 7:14) The place in God we are to be heading is into His life, but please notice, “and few there be that find it.” Not too many Christians come into the life God desires to bring us into. God wants us to come into His life, but like salvation this too is our choice. Are we willing to submit to His dealings and judgments in our lives? If not we will have no life to raise us from the death in the resurrection. My friend serving the Lord is a very narrow, limited, and restrictive way we must go and out from our obedience to His restrictions in our lives come completion and fulfillment in God. Now do not think this way is a burden or boring, a promise comes with Jesus’ command to take His yoke upon us, “My yoke is easy and my burden is light” IF we take His yoke upon us. He (Jesus) is the only way that leads to the life of God. Jesus is the truth. The word “the” means one and only there is no other. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” He is the embodiment of all that is true, righteous, holy, and Godly. He said when you see me you see the Father. When we see (understand and know) and hear (take within our spirit) His words we will know the truth and the truth will make us free. If we desire to know truth, we first must come to know Jesus Christ, all other attempts to know truth will be vain and worthless. Many look but few find. John said it this way, “and few there be that find it.” And the life Jesus is talking about is not a life of ease, power, and plenty, but a life of obedience and service to God and man. We can not serve God without serving man. The only way God can bring us into His life is if He is able to open our eyes to the truth about our selves and our critical need for Jesus Christ. Paul had this revelation, “If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good. 17Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. 18For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.” (Romans 7:16-18) Unless God can open our eyes, through His dealings and judgments, to the truth about the sin that dwells within us we will never be able to come into the life of God. And if we say we have no sin we lie and the truth is not in us. We may have salvation (that only requires believing Jesus died for our sins), but we will not have the fullness of God’s life moving within us. John was right when he said, “and few there be that find it.” Not too many Christians (I include myself at times) are willing to endure God’s dealings and judgments to know His life. The more God deals in our lives the more revelation we shall receive. Please read the Bible, it is God’s dealings with man that brings man to God’s revelation.
Now it is one thing to read John 14:6 and dissect it while looking at who Jesus is, but it is a far different and difficult thing when God shines His flashlight of truth on our heart. Did you know God has a flashlight? No! Well, serve Him long enough and submit to His will for your life and you will become accustomed to His searching light. David a man after God’s own heart said, “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: 24And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” (Psalms 139:23-24) We will never be able to go the way God has for us to go, know the truth, or come into the life of God unless we first, like David, allow God to search our heart. Not our money, talent, gifts, and abilities, but our heart. And if we do the ugly side of truth will be ever before our eyes until we allow God to work in our lives. You know we really like knowing Jesus is the truth and yes some day in the sweet bye and bye we all will go to heaven. And we even are really comfortable with the truth of the dying Jesus on the cross for our sin, but how about when the resurrected Jesus comes to us and asks us about this area or that secret sin in our lives? I do not know about you, but I am not so comfortable when Jesus comes to me and says, “you are the man.” The mirror of truth kills us, but at the same time it makes us alive if we allow God to show us our heart. Over my many years serving the Lord He has brought into my life many mirrors. Most often these mirrors I would call enemies. If you really want to know what kind of person you are please do not ask a friend ask your enemy. Most friends will lie to protect you, your feelings, and your relationship. Some even lie to protect a thought, a cause, or organization. In some churches Karen and I have been to, in the past, we have known friends lying to protect other lies, this ought not to be. This is nothing but the blind leading the blind. Jesus taught this to His disciples when talking about the Pharisees, “But he answered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up. 14Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.” (Matthew 15:13) For David the man who prayed, “Search me, O God” his mirror was named Nathan. “And Nathan said to David, Thou art the man. Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul; 8And I gave thee thy master’s house, and thy master’s wives into thy bosom, and gave thee the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that had been too little, I would moreover have given unto thee such and such things. 9Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the LORD, to do evil in his sight? thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon.” (2 Samuel 12:7-9) What an ugly truth. Now please know I am not beating up on Brother David, my name is David too, oh me my Lord, but truth especially about ourselves can be ugly and we do not like it. But if we allow God to deal in our lives He (and only He) will give us beauty for ashes. David repented and learned from His ways and was restored. The heart of truth that is always running in the background, in all situations, is always healing and restoration. If this is not your heart condition then you are lost, undone, and of need of salvation.
Well my friend let us learn not to run from the truth, but to run with open abandonment into its open arms and allow God to deal with the areas in our lives He so desperately wants to. John again lays the foundation, “But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.” (John 3:21) If we do not come to know truth in our lives we will never be able to come to the light and remain in the darkness of our own heart. Make no mistake my friend “our deeds will be manifested, that they are wrought of God” but, the question I leave us with is will we be ashamed and continue in the lie the ugly side truth has revealed or will we confess (agree with God what He is saying about us is true) and allow Him free sway in our heart and lives? Our answer will be seen by God and those who know truth. Written by David Stahl
In John we read one of the most memorized verses (other than John 3:16) in the Bible, “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. 7If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.” (John 14:6) What a powerful verse and we should memorize it. It is true from start to finish, but please notice Jesus did not say He was the way and the truth that leads to Heaven. We today in the church want to run off to Heaven. I wonder what God will do on earth to share the Gospel message if they get their wish? I do not know about you my friend, but I am not eager to stand before a holy God. But Jesus did said “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” What way, what truth, and what life is Jesus talking about? The way Jesus is talking about is the narrow way of decisions that leads through the strait gate of our heart, “Because strait (narrow or restricted) is the gate (a place of decision in our heart), and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” (John 7:14) The place in God we are to be heading is into His life, but please notice, “and few there be that find it.” Not too many Christians come into the life God desires to bring us into. God wants us to come into His life, but like salvation this too is our choice. Are we willing to submit to His dealings and judgments in our lives? If not we will have no life to raise us from the death in the resurrection. My friend serving the Lord is a very narrow, limited, and restrictive way we must go and out from our obedience to His restrictions in our lives come completion and fulfillment in God. Now do not think this way is a burden or boring, a promise comes with Jesus’ command to take His yoke upon us, “My yoke is easy and my burden is light” IF we take His yoke upon us. He (Jesus) is the only way that leads to the life of God. Jesus is the truth. The word “the” means one and only there is no other. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” He is the embodiment of all that is true, righteous, holy, and Godly. He said when you see me you see the Father. When we see (understand and know) and hear (take within our spirit) His words we will know the truth and the truth will make us free. If we desire to know truth, we first must come to know Jesus Christ, all other attempts to know truth will be vain and worthless. Many look but few find. John said it this way, “and few there be that find it.” And the life Jesus is talking about is not a life of ease, power, and plenty, but a life of obedience and service to God and man. We can not serve God without serving man. The only way God can bring us into His life is if He is able to open our eyes to the truth about our selves and our critical need for Jesus Christ. Paul had this revelation, “If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good. 17Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. 18For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.” (Romans 7:16-18) Unless God can open our eyes, through His dealings and judgments, to the truth about the sin that dwells within us we will never be able to come into the life of God. And if we say we have no sin we lie and the truth is not in us. We may have salvation (that only requires believing Jesus died for our sins), but we will not have the fullness of God’s life moving within us. John was right when he said, “and few there be that find it.” Not too many Christians (I include myself at times) are willing to endure God’s dealings and judgments to know His life. The more God deals in our lives the more revelation we shall receive. Please read the Bible, it is God’s dealings with man that brings man to God’s revelation.
Now it is one thing to read John 14:6 and dissect it while looking at who Jesus is, but it is a far different and difficult thing when God shines His flashlight of truth on our heart. Did you know God has a flashlight? No! Well, serve Him long enough and submit to His will for your life and you will become accustomed to His searching light. David a man after God’s own heart said, “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: 24And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” (Psalms 139:23-24) We will never be able to go the way God has for us to go, know the truth, or come into the life of God unless we first, like David, allow God to search our heart. Not our money, talent, gifts, and abilities, but our heart. And if we do the ugly side of truth will be ever before our eyes until we allow God to work in our lives. You know we really like knowing Jesus is the truth and yes some day in the sweet bye and bye we all will go to heaven. And we even are really comfortable with the truth of the dying Jesus on the cross for our sin, but how about when the resurrected Jesus comes to us and asks us about this area or that secret sin in our lives? I do not know about you, but I am not so comfortable when Jesus comes to me and says, “you are the man.” The mirror of truth kills us, but at the same time it makes us alive if we allow God to show us our heart. Over my many years serving the Lord He has brought into my life many mirrors. Most often these mirrors I would call enemies. If you really want to know what kind of person you are please do not ask a friend ask your enemy. Most friends will lie to protect you, your feelings, and your relationship. Some even lie to protect a thought, a cause, or organization. In some churches Karen and I have been to, in the past, we have known friends lying to protect other lies, this ought not to be. This is nothing but the blind leading the blind. Jesus taught this to His disciples when talking about the Pharisees, “But he answered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up. 14Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.” (Matthew 15:13) For David the man who prayed, “Search me, O God” his mirror was named Nathan. “And Nathan said to David, Thou art the man. Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul; 8And I gave thee thy master’s house, and thy master’s wives into thy bosom, and gave thee the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that had been too little, I would moreover have given unto thee such and such things. 9Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the LORD, to do evil in his sight? thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon.” (2 Samuel 12:7-9) What an ugly truth. Now please know I am not beating up on Brother David, my name is David too, oh me my Lord, but truth especially about ourselves can be ugly and we do not like it. But if we allow God to deal in our lives He (and only He) will give us beauty for ashes. David repented and learned from His ways and was restored. The heart of truth that is always running in the background, in all situations, is always healing and restoration. If this is not your heart condition then you are lost, undone, and of need of salvation.
Well my friend let us learn not to run from the truth, but to run with open abandonment into its open arms and allow God to deal with the areas in our lives He so desperately wants to. John again lays the foundation, “But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.” (John 3:21) If we do not come to know truth in our lives we will never be able to come to the light and remain in the darkness of our own heart. Make no mistake my friend “our deeds will be manifested, that they are wrought of God” but, the question I leave us with is will we be ashamed and continue in the lie the ugly side truth has revealed or will we confess (agree with God what He is saying about us is true) and allow Him free sway in our heart and lives? Our answer will be seen by God and those who know truth. Written by David Stahl
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