“Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.”

James 1:19-20

In the wake of George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis and the subsequent protests and riots all over our nation, I have tried to take a step back and evaluate the situation from an objective position. Although none of us can be truly objective, it is important to make an attempt to hear all sides and gather as much information as possible before expressing an opinion about any given situation — especially one that is fueled with such fire that it appears to be ripping at the fabric of our society.

I, of all people, should know this because I can be quite opinionated and have often spoken too quickly about matters out of emotion or anger. The words above from James were just the reminder I needed over the past several weeks. As a follower of Christ in what seems to be an increasingly more chaotic and confusing culture, these words are both wise and true.

With that in mind, I will now share honestly about what I see in light of the recent events.

Quick to LISTEN

Listening is a lost art. In both public and private dialogue, we are so busy formulating opinions and come backs that we often forget to listen to those speaking to us. I am guilty of this. The way my mind works in concert with my argumentative nature is a recipe for poor listening skills. I also must remember that “hearing” isn’t always listening. I might “hear” what you’re saying without ever listening to a word you say.

I have to work hard at listening. I want to be a better listener — an empathizer. I want to connect with people on their level and truly hear their heart, even if I don’t agree with what they are saying.

This is a very important truth for this generation to understand — so important that I do not believe successful communication is achievable without it. We can listen to others without having to agree with them. We can empathize with others while fundamentally disagreeing with their sentiment. As a matter of fact, this is one of the most necessary characteristics of a good listener. Let people say what they need to say and be quick to listen to them.

In a culture dominated by the absurdity of moral relativism, however, we have been conditioned to believe that tolerance means that we must fundamentally agree with someone else. In other words, if you disagree with another’s beliefs or lifestyle or convictions, then you are labeled intolerant — which is the worst of labels in our “progressive culture.”

On the contrary, the true meaning of tolerance is that one can disagree with another in principle but at the same time love and respect him/her as a person. Sadly, true tolerance has been trampled under foot and replaced with an artificial virtue that neither cultivates progress nor encourages mutual respect.

It is clear that the majority of protestors out in the streets and the pundits on their social media platforms are sending a message — they just want to be heard. They want to know that they have a voice and more importantly that their voice matters. I have no problem whatsoever with this sentiment, and frankly I am willing to die for the fundamental right for people to peaceably assemble and exercise freedom of speech.

Now let me be perfectly honest. I have listened to the public outcry surrounding the George Floyd incident. His death is tragic and I pray justice will be served.

At the same time, I am hearing all the mantras and reading all the signs. While I understand and even empathize with much of what is being said, I also do not agree with much of what I am hearing.

Examples? Sure.

Let’s start with the #blacklivesmatter mantra. I don’t agree in principle with most of the Black Lives Matter Movement, nor with the double standard it portrays. While some might accuse me of being a “racist” for not standing up for black lives or standing against police brutality, I see it entirely differently. As a Christian, I stand for the inherent worth and value of every human life and for the protection of human life.

But that is not where I disagree with the BLM movement. BLM wants to insist that others must unite with their cause and also how they are appropriately to do so. If an individual doesn’t meet their own prescribed demands, then they are automatically labeled a racist and black-listed by the community. Doesn’t sound very “tolerant” to me.

The Black Lives Matter movement is demanding major social changes that I cannot agree with. BLM rejects what they call the traditional, Western-prescribed “nuclear family,” which means that they fundamentally reject the God-ordained institution of marriage between a husband and wife and the sacredness of family, as defined by God’s word. Furthermore, BLM rejects traditional “gender roles,” which again violates the Scriptural definition of gender and God’s purposes of sexuality within His created order.

BLM wants to defund police departments across this nation — effectively eliminating our police force. This apparently is justified by the notion that law enforcement is institutionally racist, endangering African Americans more than protecting them. The Minneapolis City Council has already vowed and voted to do as much. Only God knows what kind of anarchy would emerge without police.

Advocates of the BLM movement preach the necessity for slavery reparations and the redistribution of wealth to the African American community. Leaders proposes a transfer of trillions of dollars to “level” the economic playing field.

Others leading this movement continue to push the envelope further by demanding white authors be removed from public libraries and white actors be denied roles in Hollywood films. Where will it stop?

While it is entirely possible to publicly acknowledge the general truth that black lives matter and at the same time disagree with the BLM movement, I feel like it is nearly impossible to separate the two while using the BLM platform.

Of course black lives matter. They matter to me and most importantly to God, for the Lord Jesus Christ came that He might reconcile the world to God by demonstrating His love on the cross for all mankind. That is the core message of the gospel, which frankly transcends every subgroup, race, class, and social division that exists in our world.

What about the popular “no justice, no peace” slogan?

Again, I get the sentiment, but it is lacking one essential component. People forget that justice and peace are Biblical concepts they can only be defined Biblically.

Only Jesus Christ is able to bring complete justice and peace, and more importantly has promised to do as much through His own presence and power. True and total justice will be realized and experienced in the Kingdom of God after the Lord Jesus returns as King of kings to rule this world.

True peace can only be experienced through a relationship with God through Jesus Christ — the Prince of Peace — which is only possible when Christ dwells in an individual’s heart. So even though there are obvious injustices in this world, we still are capable to experience true and lasting peace through the presence of Christ in us.

Finally, what about the mantra that is circulating — “silence equals violence?”

In other words, many are demanding that white people in particular, who remain silent about police brutality and institutional racism, are just as complicit as the very perpetrators of hate.

That leads me to my next point.

Slow to Speak

Biblical wisdom teaches us that we should seek to tame the tongue and learn to think before we speak. It is not wise to jump to conclusions, make impulsive judgments, and emotionally vent our frustrations in the heat of the moment.

Yet we now have an entire movement that again has arbitrarily made the rules and set the standards and then vehemently shame those who don’t meet their qualifications.

But does silence really equal violence? Are those who have chosen to remain silent guilty of hate and violence? Should those who remain silent automatically be labeled racist and socially shamed for not conforming to the culture?

On the contrary, I believe that it is wise to remain silent and be slow to speak for several reasons. We must be clear about what we say, but also we must sure about why we are saying it. There is big difference of speaking out of obligation or social pressure and speaking out of conviction.

Also, let’s apply the same logic to another scenario. What about … oh I don’t know … abortion. Using the logic of “silence equals violence,” then I could just as easily say that those who refuse to openly and publicly speak out against abortion are complicit in the murder of nearly a million innocent babies every year in America — many of them black babies who are murdered at the hands of “white” doctors.

So I am sorry but I will not be boxed in or backed into a corner simply because I have chose to remain silent and be slow to speak about issues that I am still trying to understand. It is precisely this kind of social shaming and virtue signaling that leads to more anger, which is a nice segway into my last point.

Slow to Anger

Of course there are times when we should be angry. I believe every man and woman has the right to be angry at injustice because we are made in the image of God, who created us with an innate sense of morality and an inherent desire for justice. There is such a thing as righteous anger — justified anger — but most of the time man’s anger is tainted with a sinful nature that often is boiling with hate, violence, revenge, and retribution.

Those things obviously are not of God. Vengeance is the Lord’s. He will repay. That doesn’t mean we should not demand and seek justice in this life. Of course we fight for justice at all costs.

It simply means that when man’s system of justice fails us, we can rest in the promise of ultimate justice at the hands of a Holy God, who has promised to judge the world in righteousness.

Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. 17Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. 18If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. 19Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” 20To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” 21Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Romans 12:16-21

Michelle Obama, recently speaking to a graduating class, shared a message that I thought was appropriate for this day. Although I fundamentally disagree with the Obamas on nearly every political and social issue, I wanted to give credit where credit is due. Even as I read some of the headlines, it was clear that some were trying to spin her words to imply that she was encouraging anger, when in reality she was not. There is truth in her words, and I would have missed this had I not taken the time to read her speech.

“Graduates, anger is a powerful force. It can be a useful force. But left on its own, it will only corrode and destroy and sow chaos — on the inside and out. But when anger is focused, when it’s channeled into something more — that is the stuff that changes history.”

Michelle Obama — https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/michelle-obama-encourages-graduates-to-channel-their-anger-to-change-history

I know that man’s anger is a tremendously powerful force, but I also know that rarely does it yield the righteousness of God. So where I would differ from Obama in her words is to emphasize the one thing more powerful than man’s anger.

That of course is the love of God!

Instead of channeling our anger during this perilous time, we must turn to God in faith and ask Him to pour out His love into our hearts and learn to channel His love to others. Only then can we obey the greatest commandment, which is to love God and love our neighbors. To love our enemies and bless those who curse us. To overcome evil with good.

May we all continue to be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry, but more than anything, may we all be quick to love others as Jesus Christ has loved us!

Jesus Christ is the God-Man — truly God and also truly man. He transcends time and yet stepped into time when he was born as a baby. He is the Creator of the universe who willingly entered His own creation.

The very nature of Jesus Christ is mysterious and glorious at the same time.

On the one hand, God the Son is eternal, immortal and immutable in His deity. On the other hand, the Son of Man wrapped Himself in mortality and subjected Himself to the limitations of the physical world in His humanity — even to the point of death on a cross.

These mysteries — though worthy of discovery and study — are far beyond the scope of this post, but they are important to answering a controversial theological question about the death, burial and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. That questions being …

Where did Jesus go when He died?

When Jesus — who is both truly God and truly man — died on the cross, where did He go? We know His body was laid in the tomb, but where did Jesus go in His spirit once departed from His human body?

The answer is important because some believe that between the cross and the resurrection, Jesus went to heaven, and still others believe He descended into hell, or Hades.

So which is it? And why does it matter?

The Apostles’ Creed

One of the oldest church traditions as expressed in the Apostles’ Creed says that upon His death, Jesus descended into hell before rising again. It should be noted that The Apostles’ Creed is a revision of the “Old Roman Creed,” which did not include the phrase “He descended into hell.” This is important because various theological doctrines have emerged from this teaching, such as the erroneous ransom theory of atonement, which proposes that Jesus went to hell to pay a ransom to Satan in order to set sinners free.

You can read more about the history and progressive development of the creed here. For those who need a refresher, the Apostles’ Creed in modern form is as follows.

I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
the Creator of heaven and earth,
and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord:
Who was conceived of the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He arose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty,
whence He shall come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church,
the communion of the saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and life everlasting.
Amen.

The Apostles Creed

The Biblical Testimony

As always, we must ask the most essential question about any particular teaching or topic.

What does the Bible say?

As far as I can tell, there are only three, possibly four, relevant passages in the New Testament that provide the clear answer to this question. I will deal with them in order.

As far as the teaching that Jesus descended into hell before being raised to life on the third day, there are only two potential passages that come into view.

The first is Ephesians 4, where Paul is speaking about Jesus having “ascended” into heaven to give spiritual gifts to His church. Paul’s teaching actually is an interesting interpretation of Psalm 68, which clearly has the Second Coming in view. Nonetheless, let’s consider what Paul says to the church in Ephesus.

But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Therefore it says,

“When he ascended on high he led a host of captives,
and he gave gifts to men.”

(In saying, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth? He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.)

Ephesians 4:7-10 – ESV

In all consideration, I do not find real substance in this passage that is specific to the idea that Jesus somehow “descended” into hell/Hades before being raised on the third day. Many interpret this passage to simply represent the incarnation of the Lord Jesus, as he descended from heaven to the earth when taking on human form before ascending to heaven after his resurrection.

Then there is 1 Peter 3. This passage perhaps is most referenced when it comes to the idea of Jesus descending into hell. Let’s take a look.

“For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit, in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison, because they formerly did not obey, when God’s patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through water.”

1 Peter 3:18-20

Once again, if we read this passage carefully, with interpretive integrity, I believe the entire issue is resolved.

Verse 18 says that Jesus was put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit, so the resurrection is already in view. When you read verse 19, it is connected to the resurrection of Jesus, not to the period of time his body was in the ground.

That is significant because what Peter is saying is that it was not until after His resurrection — after being made alive in the Spirit — that Jesus went and proclaimed victory over the rebellious spirits being held in prison for their sins in the days of Noah.

This passage says nothing about Jesus descending into Hades before His resurrection, which is why I reject that portion of the Apostles’ Creed.

The Simple Answer

Beyond that, I believe the Gospels provide the simple truth about where Jesus went after He died. He went immediately into the presence of God the Father. Let me prove it to you.

“And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit.”

Matthew 27:50

When Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished.” And bowing His head, He yielded up His spirit.

John 19:30

And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

Luke 23:42-43

Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” And having said this he breathed his last.

Luke 23:46

Jesus yield up the ghost to God the Father and committed His spirit into the Father’s hands. To be absent from the body is to be present with the LORD.

Just another example of how man’s traditions can become church doctrines without Biblical foundations.

“But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.”

Isaiah 53:5

I’m not sure when the Friday before Resurrection Sunday became known as “Good Friday.” At first glance, there seems to be nothing good about it.

Good Friday is the day the Son of Man was beaten beyond recognition and tortured to within an inch of His life.

Good Friday is the day that the Righteous Son of God was punished for crimes He did not commit and for sins He never knew.

Good Friday is the day that the Lord of Glory — the Creator of the Universe — was rejected and murdered by His own people.

Good Friday is the day that Jesus Christ was nailed to a Roman cross, only to bear the full weight of the world’s wickedness and become the sole object of God’s unbridled wrath for the sins of mankind.

Good Friday doesn’t sound very good.

So why is it called “Good” Friday?

The Cross Was the Eternal Plan of God

The Scriptures remind us that the cross of Jesus Christ is the focal point and apex of God’s eternal plan of redemption. God would defeat death through death and destroy the works of the devil through the humble sacrifice of the Son.

The Scriptures also reveal that this plan of redemption was conceived in the heart of God before the very foundation of the world.

“Knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, 19but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. 20He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you 21who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.”

1 Peter 1:18-21

“And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.”

John 17:3-5

“All who dwell on the earth will worship him [the Beast], whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.”

Revelation 13:8

Good Friday is good because it was the plan of God, accomplished by God, and for the glory of God.

The Cross was the Father’s Will

As Jesus agonized with blood and tears in the Garden of Gethsemane, He had to remind Himself of the very purpose for which He was born. All that Jesus came to do on earth was in perfect obedience to the Father’s will.

And he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and knelt down and prayed, saying, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.” 

Luke 22:42-43

The prophet Isaiah also reminds us of the Father’s will.

“Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him;
he has put him to grief;
when his soul makes an offering for guilt,
he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days;
the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.”

Isaiah 53:10

Good Friday was Jesus’ final step in obedience to the Father’s will, fulfilling all righteousness!

The Cross is Our Only Hope

More than anything, Good Friday is good news for all mankind because the cross of Jesus Christ is our only means of forgiveness and our only hope to be saved and restored to a Holy God.

When the Son of God was nailed to the cross, the greatest exchange in human history took place that day. All the universal guilt and shame and sin of mankind was placed on Jesus, as He suffered the punishment and took our place on the cross. At the same time, all the righteousness and perfection and purity of Jesus Christ was made available to everyone who would believe in Him by faith.

“Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous.”

Romans 5:18-19

Jesus is our substitute for sin. He was punished in our place. He suffered and died the death we deserve so that we could be forgiven and set free and live forever! The punishment that brought us peace was placed upon Him.

Jesus paid the price for our sin — a debt that we could never repay.

Jesus suffered the penalty for our sin — which was more than just the excruciating death on the cross. Jesus suffered the unbearable wrath of God. The Father crushed Him under the weight of His indignation. The Father exhausted the full measure of His wrath on Jesus that day.

That is why for those of us who have trusted in Christ alone for salvation, we are not destined for the wrath of God [1 Thessalonians 5:9]. Only those who reject the Lord Jesus remain in the imminent shadow of God’s righteous wrath.

Good Friday is good because it is the day that God made a way for sinners to saved and transgressors to be forgiven. Only by His wounds, are we healed.

As we remember the cross today … may we be overwhelmed by the grace of God and bow before our Holy God, who turned the worst day into the best day in human history!

“For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

2 Corinthians 5:21

“No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.”

Luke 13:3

As I write this post, at least 22 people have been declared dead in Middle Tennessee from a devastating wave of tornadoes that touched down in the early morning hours. Many are still missing and death tolls are expected to rise. Downtown Nashville was among one of the areas hardest hit, suffering immense damage.

Stories of catastrophe, violence, pain and suffering seem to grip the headlines and provide the most riveting news content in our culture. There is something about tragedy that directly appeals to human interest while at the same time speaks to the depravity of our human condition. Bad news seems to travel much faster than good news for a reason.

And I believe I know the reason why.

We are terrified of our own mortality.

Where Was God?

When something as apparently arbitrary and capricious as a tornado devastates an area, we assess the aftermath and naturally start to ask questions.

Why was my home spared when the one next door was swept away?

Why did my loved one die when tens of thousands walked away unscathed?

Why did God protect us and not someone else?

Where was God last night? Did He do this? Is He to blame?

All of us have wrestled with the age-old philosophical problem of evil and suffering. While I will not attempt to answer such questions here, I would like to point out that such questions arise from an innate sense of fairness — justice — right and wrong. This sense of moral fairness has been engraved upon every human heart because we all recognize injustice and automatically appeal to an objective moral standard that transcends time, place and culture.

It should be asked, therefore, from where does this inherent sense of morality and justice originate?

I think we all “know” the answer. Some just had rather not admit it.

But what are we to make of natural disasters and seemingly capricious tragedies in life? How should we interpret tornados and earthquakes and random accidents from a Biblical worldview?

Thankfully, the Lord Jesus gives us the answer and gets to the bottom of the issue.

Unless You Repent …

One day Jesus was posed with a very similar question from the crowds, and He answered in the most fascinating way.

There were some present at that very time who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And he answered them, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them: do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.”

Luke 13:1-5

Notice how Jesus addressed two primary truths in His answer.

First, He dismissed the faulty notion that every accident or tragedy is an act of divine judgment directly connected to a specific sin. Those who had suffered tragedy and death were no “worse” sinners or offenders than any others. The point Jesus was making was that all of humanity proper is guilty of sin before a Holy God.

Death entered the world through sin and because all have sinned, all will be judged by God in death [Romans 5:12]. In other words, death is the common denominator that reminds us of divine judgment. We somehow forget that someone dies every 2 to 3 seconds on this earth. Our timing of death may vary. Our certainty of death, however, is universal.

What is 80 to 100 years to God? Nothing. So if we live to be 20 or 120, the sobering reality remains — we all will pay the price for our sin.

The second truth that Jesus conveys in this lesson is that instead of trying to justify why some die sooner than others — or even under different circumstances — we should be examining our own lives in light of our own imminent death and judgment.

After all, death is certain and tomorrow is not guaranteed. Jesus was getting to the deeper issue and the heart of the matter. Unless we repent of our sins and turn to God in faith in the “living years,” we too will perish and face the Judge of all the earth.

The Nashville tornado is especially tragic for those who lost their lives, but the catastrophe was not wasted. God is giving every single survivor — including those reading this right now — another chance to examine his/her life and take advantage of His grace. As long as we have breath, we are being offered an opportunity to repent and turn to Jesus Christ in faith.

For God So Loved

Some may ask, “where was God,” in the wake of this disaster, but the answer is always the same. God is here. He has always been here. And the good news is that He has made the only way for mankind to be saved from the wages of sin and find ultimate rest in His free gift of eternal life.

God has always been here with arms outstretched, willing to receive all who would believe in His Only Son, Jesus Christ — who is the Only means of forgiveness and salvation.

The truth is that we all will perish in our mortal flesh, but the good news is that God has made a way for us to live, even if we die [John 11:25-26].

Jesus is the One who promised that even though we may die … we do not have to eternally perish, and He is the Only One who can make good on such a promise.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

John 3:16

If you were to die today, are you certain that you will spend eternity with God in heaven?

If so … why?

I’m breaking away from my normal prophetic mode to do something I rarely do — share a personal observation.

The genesis for this post was born one morning in the shower — where all great ideas seem to emerge!

As I was washing my hair with cheap shampoo — labeled with some notion of being 100% natural — I decided to flip the bottle over and read the ingredients on the back. Needless to say, the fine print disclosed what I already knew in my heart.

There was nothing “natural” about the product I was using on my hair — only a long list chemical concoctions and artificial ingredients that I couldn’t even pronounce, much less identify.

And that’s when it hit me … we are being systematically poisoned by chemicals.

Just think about it. Consider how many chemicals we are putting in or on our body throughout the course of each day. If you have never considered this before, allow me to put it into perspective. The average person will be exposed to countless chemicals every day. Let us count the ways.

• Brush my teeth with chemically ridden toothpaste (fluoride etc…) which seeps into my gums, followed by gargling more chemicals in the mouthwash. Don’t forget, I’m using the city water supply as well, which contains … you guessed it — more fluoride, chlorine, pesticides and fertilizers.

• Take a hot shower with that same chemically charged water supply, which again penetrates the skin, seeping into our body. Lather up with chemically composed soap and shampoo that compounds the chemical release into the body. So most of us have already had a heavy dose of these harmful substances before 7 am.

• Put on lotions or perfumes, body sprays and deodorants, which contain aluminum and other chemicals that also penetrate the skin and enter the blood stream.

• Ladies are putting on tons of makeup and concealers etc… that are also composed of chemical compounds.

• Shave with more chemicals in my name-brand shaving cream plus more contaminated water. Maybe slap on an aftershave chemical splash to boot.

• Get dressed with clothes that have been washed in chemically charged laundry detergent and whatever chemical fabric softeners we use.

• Although I try to be conscious about my diet and try to avoid processed and packaged foods, the average person will likely eat some form of highly processed, sugar-laden snack for breakfast (more chemicals) and wash it down with something along the lines of a Diet Mountain Dew, which contains one of the most harmful substances known to man – aspartame. Any cooking we may do, if not using a water filter, will be done with the same city water supply, releasing more chemicals into your food.

• Many cooking utensils and pots and pans release more harmful metals into our food and surely everyone has to admit that the traditional microwave meal in plastic containers cannot be good for us as it melts around our food.

• Plus, we just washed our dishes in detergent full of … yep more chemicals.

• Beyond that, even most of our fresh fruits and vegetables have been sprayed with harmful pesticides and other chemicals to preserve color or accelerate ripening. Not to mention the genetically modified foods we eat that have been infused with pest-resistant chemicals, such as the notorious RoundUp. It’s impossible to know what we are consuming if we don’t grow it ourselves.

• Most Americans are taking some form of medication, which may or may not be legitimate to treat our medical “conditions.” Big pharmaceutical companies are making billions of dollars each year on keeping us just sick enough to remain dependent on their drugs. Big Pharma has become specialized in treating symptoms as opposed to providing any real cures. And the question remains. Do we really know what we are putting into our bodies with these medications and how they affect us?

• Don’t forget to wipe down the counters with chemical cleaners before you go!

• Grab a bottled water for good conscience when you head out the door. Well, most bottled waters are nothing more than municipal tap water, and even spring water in a plastic bottle will be contaminated with traces of plastic.

• Pop a piece of gum into your mouth before arriving to the office and digest even more artificial ingredients.

• By lunch time it’s time to eat more processed food, or worse, fast-food, which is notorious for using artificial ingredients, margarine, hormones, dies, food coloring, high fructose corn syrup, and other harmful ingredients like monosodium glutamate etc… Wash it down with more soda, adding to the poison intake for the day.

• It’s flu season, so like a good citizen we head down to the clinic to grab a flu shot, not knowing that the vaccination solutions contain heavy metals and other harmful chemicals that contribute to the contamination of our bodies.

• Wash you hands with chemical soap throughout the day.

• Consume more chemically laden food and beverages throughout the day that have little to no nutritional value.
• How about cell-phone radiation and other radiation we are constantly being bombarded with in this digital world. Studies have shown for years that cellular radiation is linked to cancer and lowered testosterone in men.

• And notice that I haven’t even begun to mention the amount of contaminates we are inhaling through the air, whether purposefully or not. Smoking cigarettes and vaping chemicals are obviously the most dangerous forms of poison intake, but add to it the reality of chemical trails and other pollutants being released into the air, and it become clear that we rarely are breathing clean air.

Now before you classify me as a radical environmentalist or fringe conspiracy theorist, just stop and ask yourself, “is this a reasonable assessment of what we put in and on our bodies on a daily basis?” I think it is self-evident that chemicals are ubiquitous in the products we use everyday, and we all are being adversely affected by them.

This is not an exaggeration of the facts. If anything it could be an underestimation!

I do not have to align myself with the radical environmental lobby and climate change militia in order to exercise enough common sense to know that we are being systematically poisoned by chemicals.

We know that our society is plagued by auto immune diseases, chronic fatigue, low testosterone and sperm counts among men, ADHD, autism, mental fogginess, short-term memory loss, obesity, diabetes, and CANCER. It seems everywhere we turn we are growing sicker as a society.

It is not a stretch to draw some connection between the impurities and chemicals that we are putting in our bodies and this enormous explosion of sickness in our world today.

If you are like me, then maybe it is time we truly begin making necessary changes to our diets and hygiene that will eliminate the chemicals from our bodies so that we can actually feel what it is like to be healthy again.

There are many good websites out there that can help you get started on the road to healthy, chemical-free living. Here is one example — Young Living.

For we know him who said, “Vengeance is mine; I will repay.” And again, “The Lord will judge his people.” It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

[Hebrews 10:30-31]

In light of the apparent “suicide” of billionaire pedophile Jeffery Epstein early Saturday morning, I felt compelled to look past the political and conspiratorial rhetoric and hopefully provide some perspective on the deeper theological implications at the heart of the matter.

The first notion I must address is this. Jeffrey Epstein did not get away with anything. He did not get off by taking the easy way out. His “premature” death was not his escape from justice. Jeffrey Epstein, like so many other deplorable and wicked men, may never stand trial before a human judge and face a human jury of his peers, but he will most certainly stand before the Judge of all the Earth.

We must be reminded that every man’s own “conscience also bears witness, and our own conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus” [Romans 2:15-16].

God’s word is clear. “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account“[Hebrews 4:13]. Furthermore, “For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil” [Ecclesiastes 12:14].

God will by no means leave the guilty unpunished [Exodus 34:7], and although the LORD takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked [Ezekiel 33:11], He must punish sin because “righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne” [Psalm 97:2].

When justice seems to allude us in this life, we must never forget that ultimate justice will prevail in the end. Death is not a way out for the wicked. It is appointed for every man once to die, and then face the judgment.

“And the dead were judged according to their deeds, as recorded in the books.”

[Revelation 20:12]

After all, God says, ““Vengeance is mine; I will repay.”

One Serious Danger to Avoid

“When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise.

[2 Corinthians 10:12]

It is easy for most people to climb upon their moral high horse and look down on the likes of Jeffry Epstein and immediately feel better about themselves.

“I may not be perfect,” one may say. “But at least I’m not as sick as that guy.”

Now, I in no way want to diminish the abhorrent and horrendous acts of perversion, evil, and abuse perpetrated by Epstein and those involved in this ring of wickedness. There are different degrees of sin and there are different degrees of punishment for that reason, both on earth and in hell [Matthew 23:14]. And I personally believe that the depth of depravity that Epstein represents is among the very worst in our world.

But also there is a danger in comparing ourselves to people like Epstein and gaining this false sense of moral superiority. We fall into a trap when we fail to recognize that Jeffrey Epstein is not our moral standard.

God is.

God’s Standard of Perfect Righteousness

The Bible makes is clear that the LORD is perfect in righteousness and that His eyes are “too pure to look on evil” [Habakkuk 1:13]. Jesus says that “unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” [Matthew 5:20], and then He says, “You must be perfect even as your Heavenly Father is perfect” [Matthew 5:48].

Furthermore, the Bible is clear that no man can be justified and declared righteous by keeping the law because we all have sinned and fallen short of God’s righteous and perfect standard [Romans 3:10, 23]. If we attempt to obtain righteousness and perfection by keeping the law, we must keep all of it [Leviticus 18:5, Galatians 3:12].

There is only one problem with that. The Bible also reminds us that “whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it” [James 2:10].

So God’s law never saves us but actually exposes our sinfulness and moral insufficiency to meet God’s standard. The law condemns all of us, for no man is righteous — no, not even one.

Not you. Not me. Not Jeffrey Epstein. Not anybody.

In God’s sight, every man is guilty and in jeopardy of His righteous judgment. None of us enter into heaven based on our own merits and good works. There are no amount of good works we could ever do to “right the scales” and earn our salvation. Besides, if God were to award us eternal life based on our good works, then He would be obligated to pay us for what we have done.

But that is preposterous! God owes us nothing. We deserve nothing from God but to be judged and condemned according to our sinful deed and rebellion. The only wages we deserve is death [Romans 6:23].

The Good News of the Gospel

All of sudden, it becomes evident that maybe we aren’t so much better than Jeffrey Epstein after all. It’s easy to believe you are good person when you are standing next to a deplorable pervert and comparing yourself to him.

But if we are to stand next to the Lord Jesus Christ in all His righteous perfection and holiness, the true condition of our heart and of our sinful nature is exposed. When we compare ourselves to God’s standard of righteousness, we quickly realize just how sinful we are and how short we fall before Him.

Only God is good. Only Jesus Christ is perfect, and that is why we need Jesus Christ so desperately to save us, forgive us, cleanse us, and give us the free gift of eternal life.

The good news of God’s salvation is that through the Person and work of Jesus Christ, God has made the way for all sinners to be saved and restored into relationship with Himself. In trusting in God’s only provision for forgiveness and salvation, God has promised to take the righteousness and perfection of Jesus Christ and apply it to us!

“For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

[2 Corinthians 5:21]

God has promised to give the free gift of eternal life to all who believe in Christ! And therefore, we all come to God as sinners and understand that we can only be saved by His grace alone and by trusting in Christ alone.

“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

[Ephesians 2:8-9]

I pray everyone reading this will ask this question.

In Whom’s goodness am I trusting to save me?

My own?

Or in the goodness the Lord Jesus Christ?

Jesus is our only hope.

“God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you,”

‭[‭1 Peter‬ ‭5:5-6‬ ‭ESV‬‬]

Once a year Americans celebrate the idea of independence. We salute freedom from tyranny and remember the bravery of our forefathers that gave birth to arguably the greatest nation in history.

In his speech from Washington yesterday, President Trump used Independence Day as a backdrop to commemorate and celebrate this great American ideal of exceptionalism.

In contrast, the globalist ideology of our day is working hard to destroy the patriotic spirit of American exceptionalism, where an entire generation has been conditioned to be ashamed to be American.

Which begs the question. Is the ideology of American exceptionalism good or bad ?

It’s All a Matter of Perspective

Most patriots would agree that our once great nation is only vague resemblance of what it used to be. The fabric of our nation has clearly changed and the ideological dividing lines are more clearly defined than ever before. Many believe we now are closer to civil war than any other time since abolition.

Like many great empires before us, America is dangerously close to crumbling from within, falling under the enormous weight of immorality, injustice, and ignorance. The problem with today’s America is not government corruption or social tensions or media bias or any of those things.

The problem with America is spiritual depravity and the spirit of pride and rebellion against a Holy God.

Our Founding Fathers knew that America would only survive if her citizens remained people of virtue, morality and conviction.

“We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion. Avarice, ambition, revenge, or gallantry would break the strongest cords of our constitution as a whale goes through a net. Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people.  It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other..”

John Adams — October 11, 1798, letter to the officers of the First Brigade of the Third Division of the Militia of Massachusetts. Charles Francis Adams, ed., The Works of John Adams, Second President of the United States, (Little, Brown, and Co., Boston, 1854), 9:229.

The fierce spirit of independence and rugged individualism that historically defined our nation and the very patriots who founded it also created a culture of spiritual independence from Almighty God. Somewhere along the way the pursuit of wealth, prosperity and pleasure replaced the pursuit of God.

“No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.”

[Luke 16:13]

So where national independence can be a good thing … spiritual independence is death to a nation.

But spiritual independence from God is always replaced by spiritual dependence on other “gods.” Now our culture in many ways is defined by a spirit of entitlement, complacency, ignorance and immorality.

Dependent on the State

First, our nation is plagued by an unhealthy dependency upon the government. God never intended the state to provide benefits as much as to protect basic rights and freedoms. Government was ordained by God to reward good and punish evil. Government was created by God to provide a free and fair market for people to pursue financial gain and personal property. Government was created by God to preserve life and protect the most vulnerable in society from injustice and abuse.

The recent Democratic presidential debate, however, was a perfect example of politicians making promises that they can’t keep. Their message was clear.

“VOTE FOR ME and GET EVERYTHING FOR FREE!”

Free college education. Free healthcare. Free food. Free housing.

The welfare state has conditioned generations to become fully dependent on the government and with that dependency millions have relinquished the control of their lives to the state.

Dependent on the Bank

Second, our culture has grown dangerously dependent upon debt. The central bank and its network of credit lenders has effectively lured the majority of Americans into consumer debt. Our false sense of security is fragile and drives us to become slaves to our jobs, spending money we don’t have to buy things we don’t need to impress people we don’t like.

“The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower is the slave of the lender.”

[Proverbs 22:7]

Markets may be good for now, but personal debt ratios are at an all-time high – forcing most families to live paycheck to paycheck. Another collapse like the one in 2008 or worse 1929 and this nation will come unraveled in despair.

Dependent upon Media and Entertainment

Ours is a culture plagued by dependency upon amusement, entertainment, and sports. This dependency has cultivated a culture of people who can no longer reason or think critically for themselves. It has created the soundbite generation who only regurgitates bits of information they glean from social media. The dependency on entertainment has created a persistent distraction and fosters an attitude of escapism.

“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because you have rejected knowledge, I reject you from being a priest to me. And since you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.”

[Hosea 4:6]

Dependent on Drugs and Alcohol

Drug and alcohol abuse are rampant in our nation. Opioid overdose has become one of the leading causes of death among young adults. Suicide rates are skyrocketing out of control. This spirit of drug dependency is a satanic form of control and destruction that has been around for thousands of years. The Bible calls this sorcery — coming from the Greek word pharmakeia — which means using drugs and spells to control the mind.

“For your merchants were the great ones of the earth, and all nations were deceived by your sorcery.”

[Revelation 18:23]

The dependency on drugs and alcohol is representative of the spiritual void left in the hearts and minds of so many today.

Dependency upon the Lord Jesus Christ

Only when our nation returns to total dependency on the Lord and acknowledges the One who gives us life and purpose, will this nation ever return to greatness in the eyes of God. God opposes the proud, independent spirit. But He gives grace to the humble and those dependent on Him.

We need a Day of Dependence if America is ever to survive the downfall to come.

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

[Matthew 11:28-30]

“Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

[Matthew 5:11-12]

As covert forms of persecution and intolerance against Christians continues to grow in the West, the church in more restricted nations is experiencing some of the worst overt forms of persecution in recent memory. Recent attacks in China, Nigeria, Syria, and Indonesia and many other nations have become commonplace.

Strangely, as our corrupt culture just finished spending an entire month celebrating gay pride including every form of sexual deviancy and perversion, the mainstream media has remained deafly silent when it comes to the relentless injustice and oppression of Christians all over the world.

I would expect as much from the biased, godless media, but my heart breaks to see how the church in the West is either ignorant or worse indifferent toward the systematic persecution of Christians in other nations.

Social media and 24-hour news access provides up-to-date information about these atrocities, so that the evil is at least being exposed. But the question remains.

What can we do about it?

IDENTIFY WITH THE PERSECUTED CHURCH

“Resist him (the devil), firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brothers and sisters throughout the world.”

[1 Peter 5:9]

Our first response must be to identify with the universal church and reaffirm that we are one body, united by Christ, and therefore brothers and sisters of the faith, adopted into family by our Heavenly Father.

How would we respond if our wives or children or siblings were being brutally murdered or unjustly imprisoned against their will?

In many ways, our family of faith is more closely related than our biological families because we are united by the Holy Spirit and have been redeemed by Christ for the same destiny — eternity with God.

Jesus affirms this unique relationship that the church has been given.

“But he replied to the man who told him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”

[Matthew 12:48-50]

Every single believer in this world has been spiritually united in Christ and therefore is part of God’s family, brothers and sisters forever. When we begin to see the persecuted church as our own family and begin personally to identify with them, it will change our attitude and actions altogether.

SHARE IN THE SUFFERINGS OF CHRIST

The Bible commands us to “weep with those who weep” [Romans 12:15], and also to “bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” [Galatians 6:2]

As followers of Jesus, we are called to share in the sufferings of Jesus Christ and endure persecution for the sake of Christ, knowing that God uses such trials to teach us dependence upon the LORD and to transform us into the image and likeness of Christ.

When we identify with our brothers and sisters who are suffering and learn to weep with them and remember them, we are bearing their burdens and sharing in their sufferings for the sake of Christ and His gospel.

BE INFORMED — NOT IGNORANT

There is no excuse for us to remain ignorant in today’s Information Age. There are many trusted ministries that keep track of the most heavily persecuted regions of the world and give updates and offer prayer requests for our brothers and sisters in need.

Two exceptional ministries are …

1. Voice of the Martyrs — https://vom.com.au
2. Open Doors USA — https://www.opendoorsusa.org

Being informed is the first step in identifying with the family of God in peril around the world and beginning to partner with them. As Paul says in 1 Corinthians 12 …

That there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.”

[1 Corinthians 12:25-26]

OFFER RELIEF AND CONSIDER POLITICAL ACTIVISM

There are many different reputable ministries that provide direct relief to Christians in distress. Many of these focus on war-torn nations that have a refugee crisis. Others offer relief and even legal advocacy for Christians in oppressed nations.

One may also consider how to engage our state and federal politicians to use their influence to bring attention to the most extreme cases of persecution against our brothers and sisters. There are literally countless ways to become engaged on the front lines of this battle.

PRAYER IS THE GREATEST ACT OF LOVE

The Apostle Paul coveted the prayers of the saints while he was suffering all kinds of persecution throughout his ministry. He says in Colossians 4:3, “At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison.”

Our greatest weapons against such evil … Prayer.

And in Ephesians 6, Paul reminds the church that our battle is not against our fellow man, but against the evil forces and powers at work behind every kind of evil we face.

“Praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints.”

[Ephesians 6:18]

We may be sitting rather comfortably in the West for now, but our time of persecution is coming quicker than we may think. The least we can do right now is remember our brothers and sisters in Christ who are suffering for the NAME and engage in the spiritual battle on their behalf.

“For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat.”

[2 Thessalonians 3:10]

A Gallup poll released this week reflects a growing trend among Americans to embrace socialism as a viable system of government. Just over 40% of pollsters said that socialism would be good for the country. You can review the details of the survey here.

For some bizarre reason, socialist ideals have become especially appealing to millennials, who represent one of the most demanding generations of consumerism in American history. In other words, the same generation that has grown ever dependent on the fruits of the free market system is now ignorantly lauding socialism as the future hope of liberation in a polarized America. This cultural conundrum and logical inconsistency is simply startling and must be attributed to pure ignorance of understanding classical socialism.

Either young Americans have embraced some redefinition of socialism or have been led to believe that socialism won’t affect them personally. I’m not sure which is worse.

Just consider the raw irony of an American culture in love with socialist ideals. We are talking about the same generation that can flip on the lights, sit in the cool air-conditioning, and drink an endless supply of fresh, clean water. This is the generation that casually streams Spotify, YouTube and trolls social media sites on their $1000 iPhones. We are talking about the same generation that can grab take out from an endless variety of restaurants and enjoy fresh food prepared just the way they like.

We are talking about a generation that can hop in their personal hybrid vehicle, gas up at any filling station, and hit the first Starbucks for a $7 latte. We are talking about the same generation that can get care from the best doctors and hospitals in the world. We are talking about the generation that can order basically anything in the whole world from the comfort of their own couch and have Amazon ship it right to their door.

The irony is that none of these companies would even exist in a socialist economy. All of these private companies are the product of a free, capitalist market that provides incentives for free trade, supply and demand and consumer satisfaction. SnapChat and Starbucks and Wal-Mart and Amazon would never emerge out of a true socialists economy because in a classical socialist government, a free market doesn’t exist. Start-up businesses never happen. New innovative ideas never even form in the human mind because there is no incentive.

Socialism breeds mindless dependency upon the welfare state. Socialism discourages innovation by eliminating the competitive market that fuels it. Socialism destroys all motivation to work hard and better oneself. It eliminates the hopes and dreams of the people to strive for greatness. There are no rags to riches stories in socialism. Only oppression, bondage, and a vicious generational cycle of government dependency and abuse.

One needs to look no further to what is happening right now in Venezuela to see the real face of socialism. Once the richest nation in South America is now a nightmare of civil unrest and social chaos. Basic commodities like water, toilet paper, and fuel are virtually unobtainable. The people are starving. Inflation is astronomical. Money is worthless. Power outages abound. But you can bet the few government elites in power aren’t suffering, just the people who voted for them.

Don’t believe me … just read the following article. https://www.foxnews.com/world/how-socialism-turned-venezuela-from-the-wealthiest-country-in-south-america-into-an-economic-basket-case

In socialism, you get what you ask for. In America, if we don’t educate, inform and encourage dialogue about these issues, then we could potentially become the next Venezuela.

The Biblical principles found in God’s word promote hard work, personal property and free trade. If a man doesn’t work, he doesn’t eat. These fundamental principles are what have made America the greatest economy in the world, but it only takes one lazy and ignorant generation to ruin it. May that NOT BE our generation.

Pontius Pilate, first century Roman prefect of Judea, once asked a penetrating question. 

When confronted with the social, religious, and political implications of whether or not to release Jesus of Nazareth or to have him delivered over to be crucified, Pilate asked Jesus … 

“What is truth?” (John 18:38)

Pilate, apparently experiencing some crises of the soul, was torn between the decision to stand alone in doing what he knew was right and the pressure to appease a blood-thirsty mob and maintain his position of power.

I am one who is convinced of the necessity of absolute truth and who affirms that such objective truth can be discovered. I can, in at least some sense, identify with Pilate. Our culture both champions moral relativism and despises moral absolutes (at least ideologically) at the same time.

To be a man who stands alone on the foundation of absolute truth is to be a target of the contemporary mob mentality – where healthy debate and reason are drowned out by the relentless shouts… “Crucify him.” How often logic and reason are lost in ad hominem attacks and strategic diversions that avoid the glaring reality staring us all in the face.

I contend that the motivation behind Pilate’s question is not of primary importance. I believe that Pilate was asking the wrong question altogether. Instead of asking, “What is truth,” we must first ask a more foundational question, “Who is truth?” 

After all, we can only expect to get to the bottom of the truth when we ask the correct question. 

If any of us is serious about discovering absolute truth, we must be able to find its source. To define beauty or morality or love, we must go to the source — the One who gives meaning to such virtues. In seeking the Source, we understand we are seeking for a person, not the virtues themselves. 

If we can find the person – the Source – then we will find the virtue and its meaning. 

So what is of more importance is the claim that Yeshua made just prior to Pilate’s question – a claim so serious it that must be considered and weighed. 

“Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.”

(John 18:37 ESV)

The exclusive claim of Yeshua leaves no room for neutrality. The sheer laws of logic force an examination and evaluation of His words. Either Jesus is the personification and originator of truth, or He is a liar. He does not allow for anything less. He draws the line and forces us to choose sides. There is no neutrality to the claims of Christ.

The claim of Yeshua is that everyone who is of the the truth – who is on the side of truth – listens to His voice. He is saying that everyone who wants to know the truth must be willing to listen to Him – implying that He is the source and true expression of THE TRUTH – not just a truth or some truth – but of Absolute Truth. 

Some philosophers would say before one can begin to debate whether or not the truth claims of Yeshua are valid … one must first at least ask if truth can be known in a real sense. This crosses over into philosophical realm of epistemology and can be handled in turn at another time. 

But for now, let us just consider the testimony of Yeshua. 

I AM the TRUTH

Jesus of Nazareth never technically wrote down his own words for self-promotion or self-preservation. His contemporaries, on the other hand, had much to say about His life and teachings. The eye witnesses that carefully examined the life of Yeshua for years give us the most accurate and reliable historical record of any figure in antiquity. 

For Yeshua to be the Source of all truth, absolute truth, then we would expect Him to meet certain criteria.

First, Yeshua would be the One and Only Supreme God by nature and necessity. So how did His contemporaries describe Him? For Jesus to be Truth Personified He would have to be God Personified — the Word become flesh.

“He (Jesus) is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” 

(Colossians 1:15-17 ESV)

“Simeon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with ours by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ.”

(2 Peter 1:1)

Yeshua also would have to be perfect in word and in deed. What is the testimony?

“He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth.”

(1 Peter 2:22)

“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.”

(Hebrews 4:15)

Yeshua would have claimed to be truth personified because anything less would have disqualified him necessarily. What did He say?

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

(John 14:6)

So the irony is that when Pilate stared directly into the eyes of this seemingly weak, Jewish Rabbi, he wasn’t simply philosophically wrestling with the truth, he was in the presence of Truth Himself. Yeshua, God the Son, is The Truth and therefore defines all truth. If we want to know truth in its purest form, we must know Jesus Christ. To Know Christ — His word, His character, His nature, His heart, His will — is to Know Truth.

Next time someone asks, “What is truth,” you can confidently answer, “Truth is a Person, and that Person is Jesus Christ.”