Wednesday, July 29, 2015

Pure Truth (Part 2)




"For the word of the Lord is right, and all His work is done in truth. He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the goodness of the Lord." ~ Psalm 33:4-5

There's a difference between fact and truth.

Facts tell us the way things are. Truth tells us the way things should be. 

Facts are a rendering of the current state of a thing. Truth speaks to the future.

Facts give us a framework with which to work but truth gives us the entire picture.

The next time someone tells you something, make sure you separate fact from truth.

The word of the Lord is always right. It always gives us truth, not just facts.

God bless,
J.W.

Friday, July 24, 2015

Faith, Fear, and Love (Part 2)



"For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind." ~ 2 Timothy 1:7

Need more proof that the way to more faith and less fear is through love?

See 2 Timothy 1 above.

Notice: God did not give us a spirit of FAITH instead of fear, but a spirit of love.

Why is that?

Because He knows that while faith is the ultimate goal, LOVE is the pathway that will lead us there.

The question is, are we willing to grow in love in order to grow in our faith?

More to come in the days ahead.

God bless,
J.W.

Wednesday, July 22, 2015

Faith, Fear, and Love (Part 1)




"There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love." ~ 1 John 4:18

How can you increase your faith?

By increasing in love.

Why does increasing in love increase your faith?

Because according to 1 John 4:18, love casts out fear, which is the opposite of faith.

So, increasing your faith involves increasing your love.

In the days to come, we'll continue to explore the relationship between love, faith, and fear.

God bless,
J.W.

Monday, July 20, 2015

Pure Truth


"For the Lord gives wisdom; out of His mouth comes knowledge and understanding." ~ Proverbs 2:6
The Bible, i.e. the Word of God, is a source of truth.

That doesn't mean that the Bible is the ONLY source of truth. 

Books by Christian authors, self-help books, and even other religion's "holy books" can have some semblance of truth within them. 

So why should we believe the Bible over other texts?

Because the Bible is the only source of pure truth

While other texts may require you to parse out that which is true from that which is not, the Bible is THE ONLY text in which truth is the only thing that could possibly emanate from it

Why? 

Because according to Proverbs 2:6, its Author gives wisdom. That's just what He doesAccording to Numbers 23:19, God does not lie. He is trustworthy. And because the Bible is His word, we can believe what it says.

So the question is, in your thirst for knowledge and understanding, would you rather drink from a pure well, or from a well that could be contaminated?

I don't know about you, but I'd rather drink from the purest water there is.

God bless,
J.W.