ARE YOU ON THE SIDE OF TRUTH?
Part 4

“Pay close attention to what you hear.
The closer you listen, the more understanding you will be given—
and you will receive even more.
To those who listen to my teaching more understanding will be given.
But for those who are not listening,
even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them”
(Mark 4:24, 25 NLT).

Isn’t it amazing how much the Bible says about truth? Well, it shouldn’t be amazing because God is Truth.

1. TRUTH GIRDERS

Ephesians 6:14: “Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth.” When speaking about the armor, God begins with truth. And He starts at the loins! Many translations of the Bible translate it: “The belt of truth buckled around your waist.” However, when I check this Scripture in the Strong’s Concordance, I see that the original word is “loins,” not waist. There is no mention of waist! It is the Greek word osphus and literally means “the loins, procreative power.” We don’t have procreative power in our waists.

In Bible days, men often wore long robes and when they went into battle or began hard work, they tucked up their robes in their belts so their clothes did not impede their actions. And of course, a garment around the loins must be held up with a belt around the waist. I can see where they get that. But why do they eliminate the word “loins” altogether? I can’t see what benefit there is in having truth around your waist!

Can you imagine a warrior going out to war with only a belt? No, he wore protective covering around his loins. His strength and procreative power were in his loins and he guarded them well.

However, there is a powerful truth in this Scripture, and I think this must be why God starts with the loins. The devil has deceived God’s people regarding their loins more than any other area. He has convinced men to stop their procreative power through vasectomies and child-bearing women to stop childbearing through tubal ligation and other birth control methods so readily available today.

The devil, who hates every plan of God, has successfully hindered God’s very first commandment “to be fruitful.” He is the deceiver who comes to “steal, kill and destroy” and one of his favorite ways is through birth control, sterilization, and abortion. God is the giver of life, but Satan is the eliminator of life.

Do you see how God wants us to have the amour of truth around our loins? And can you believe how many translations have missed this?

2. TRUTH GUSHERS

Am I getting carried away? No, I’m giving it to you straight from God’s word. David pours out his heart in Psalm 145:7 saying: “They shall abundantly utter the memory of thy great goodness, and shall sing of thy righteousness.” The Hebrew word naba is used for “abundantly utter” and it means “to gush forth, belch out, to flow, to pour out, to send forth.”

Have you been excited and enriched as you receive revelation of truth from God’s Word? Your heart is overwhelmed. Sometimes I’ve wanted to get upon my chair and raise my hands to God in worship. This Scripture informs us that we are not “over the top” and “super-spiritual” when we are so full that we can’t wait to share God’s truth to others. This should be natural for those who seek and live in truth.

Proverbs 18:4 says: “The words of a man’s mouth are as deep waters, and the wellspring of wisdom as a flowing (naba) brook.” When we are filled with the wisdom of God’s truth, it will flow from our lips.

3. TRUTH HEARERS

It’s so easy to hear and yet not hear isn’t it? To be grounded and rooted in truth we must first hear. No wonder Jesus constantly said: “He that ears to hear, let him hear.” (Matthew 11:15; 13:9; Mark 4:9, 23; 7:16; Revelation 2:7, 11, 17, 29; 3:6, 13, 22; 13:9; and 22:17). We must listen not only with our outer ears but our inner ears. I love the line of the hymn that says: “Hearing His voice in every line, making each faithful saying mine.”

Jesus also said: “Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice” (John 18:37).

4. TRUTH HEEDERS

Deuteronomy 11;16: “Take heed to yourselves, that your heart be not deceived, and ye turn aside, and serve other gods, and worship them.”

Psalm 119:9: “Wherewithal shall a  young man cleanse his way? By taking heed thereto according to thy word.”

5. TRUTH INCLINERS

Psalm 78:1: “Incline your ears to the words of my mouth.” (Proverbs 4:20).

Psalm 119:36: “Incline my heart unto thy testimonies.”

Psalm 119:112: “I have inclined mine heart to perform they statues always, even unto the end.”

The word incline means “to stretch out, to extend, bow down.” It’s not enough to casually listen to truth. We must stretch out our spiritual ears to hear. Do you try to do this? This is how we get truth right down into our very beings.

PRAYER:

“Dear God, I want to be one who hears your truth. I want to keep my ears listening close to Your voice instead of the voices of this world. Please keep my in Your truth. Amen.”

AFFIRMATION:

“I don't want to miss one word You speak
'Cause everything You say is life to me!”
~ Chris McClarney

FURTHER STUDY

No. 20: TRUTH HEARERS

Deuteronomy 6:4 (Mark 12:29-31); Psalm 81:13-16; Proverbs 8:34; Isaiah 48:18; Matthew 7:24-27 (Luke 6:47-49); Matthew 13:15-23 (Mark 4:13-20 and Luke 8:11-15); John 5:24; 8:47; and Mark 4:24, 25.

ARE YOU ON THE SIDE OF TRUTH?
Part 3

“I will delight myself in thy statutes: I will not forget thy word”
(Psalm 119:16).

More truth points to meditate upon and and talk about with your children.

1. TRUTH CONTINUERS

Jesus spoke to those who believed in Him in John 8:31, 32: “If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.”

It’s not enough to accept and believe the truth of the glorious Gospel. We must continue in it. The word continue is meno and means “to stay, abide, dwell, remain.” We don’t deviate from God’s Word. We live in it, dwell in it, and remain in it. To do that we need to read it continually. We are only His disciples as we continue in the truth.

John 15:5, 7: “If ye abide (meno) in me, and my words abide (meno) in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.” Do God’s words live in you? Are they part of the essence of your being?

Galatians 5:2: “That the truth of the gospel might continue with you.”

2. TRUTH DECLARERS

We are to show forth God’s truth in our conduct and speech.

1.  We are to declare God’s truth in the congregation of God’s people: Psalm 40:9, 10: “I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart: I have declared thy faithfulness and thy salvation: I have not concealed thy lovingkindness and thy truth from the great congregation.” Read also Psalm 22:22, 25 and 66:16.
2. We are to declare God’s truth to the heathen and to those who don’t know Him. Psalm 86:3: “Declare his glory among the heathen, his wonders among all people.” Read also 1 Chronicles 16:24.
3. We are to declare His truth in the gates of the city where the laws and decisions are made. Psalm 9:14: “That I may show forth all thy praise in the gates of the daughter of Zion.”
4. We are to declare God’s truth to the following generation. Psalm 48:13 tells us to: “Tell it to the generation following.” Dear parents, your table is your pulpit. Read also Exodus 10:2; Psalm 44:1; 79:13; 78:4-7; and Joel 1:3.
   
   

        3. TRUTH DELIGHTERS

Do you delight in God’s truth? Ten times in Psalm 119 the psalmist declares that He delights in God’s truth. Read these Scriptures and constantly declare that you delight in His truth: Psalm 119:16, 24, 35, 47, 48, 70, 77, 92, 143, and 174.

4. TRUTH DELIVERERS

Proverbs 14:25: “A true witness delivereth souls.” Don’t be afraid to tell the truth to a needy soul. Your witness could deliver them from destruction.

When someone you know is being judged unfairly, and you know the truth, don’t be afraid to stand up and speak the truth. Once again, you could deliver your friend.

5. TRUTH DISCERNERS

Do you constantly pray for discernment? I do. I don’t want to be deceived. I want to discern between what is really truth and what looks like truth. They can look very similar. The only way we can truly discern truth is to become totally familiar with the Book of Truth, God’s living Word. People who deal in exposing counterfeit money are not trained to know the counterfeit. They are trained to become so familiar with the original that it enables them to discern and feel the counterfeit. 

It is the same with us. The more we are entrenched in God’s Word, the more we discern what is deception. It may look like and sound like truth, but we will have that check from the Holy Spirit that there is something off key.

Malachi 3:18: “Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth hi not.” Do you notice that it is when we return to God and His Word that we’ll know discernment? Read also Jeremiah 15:19; Ezekiel 22:26; and 44:23.

6. TRUTH DISPLAYERS

Psalm 60:4: “Thou hast given a banner to them that fear thee, that it may be displayed because of the truth. Selah.” Our lives are banners displaying God’s truth.

7. TRUTH DOERS

James 1:22: “Be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.” Read also Matthew 7:21-23; Luke 6:46; James 1:22-25; and 1 John 3:7, 18.

8. TRUTH EMBRACERS

Don’t resist the truth (Acts 7:51) but embrace it with all your heart.

PRAYER:

“Oh God of Truth, I thank You for Your living Word. It is the delight of my heart. I thank You for teaching me Your truths each new day. Amen.”

AFFIRMATION:

I choose the truth. I will contend for it. I will continue in it. And I will declare it.”

FURTHER STUDY:

No. 11. TRUTH DECLARERS

Read also 1 Chronicles 16:24; Psalm 9:1; 26:7; 22:22; 48:13; 71:15; 73:28; 79:13; 96:3; 107:22; 118:17; 119:13; 73:28; 145:6; Isaiah 43:21; and Jeremiah 51:10.

Did you know, I am now doing a podcast for you each week called FROM OUR HOME TO YOURS w/ Nancy Campbell? I know you will be blessed and encouraged. Go to www.aboverubies.org and you’ll see the icon. Or go to http://ARPoddy.buzzsprout.com

ARE YOU ON THE SIDE OF TRUTH?
Part 2

“And shalt return unto the LORD thy God,
and shalt obey his voice according to all that I command thee this day,
thou and thy children, with all thine heart, and with all thy soul”
(Deuteronomy 30:2).

1. TRUTH BUYERS

Proverbs 23:23: “Buy the truth and sell it not.” When we get hold of the truth, we don’t give it away. Nor do we sell it! We are not tempted by the bribes of deception.

2. TRUTH CHOOSERS

The Psalmist states in 119:30: “I have chosen the way of truth: thy judgments have I laid before me.” Again in 119:173: “I have chosen thy precepts.”

We constantly face choices, but you do not need to vacillate when making decisions. The right decision is always the way of truth (which is what God states in His Word on the subject), no matter what everyone else is doing and no matter what the cost.

3. TRUTH COMMANDERS

God lifted up Abraham as an example of godly fatherhood and said of him: “For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD to do justice and judgment” (Genesis 18:19).

Deuteronomy 32:46: “Set your hearts unto all the words which I testify among you this day, which ye shall command your children to observe to do, all the words of this law.” We don’t allow our children to find their own way. We command our children in the truth. This is the same word God uses when He commands us to walk in His statutes (too many Scriptures to list here). God does not give suggestions, but commands. He lovingly commands but expects obedience. As we parent in the likeness of God’s heart, we don’t bark commands at our children but lovingly command them in the right way—and we also expect obedience.

4. TRUTH CONFESSORS

Romans 10:9, 10: “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”

We are saved by believing in our hearts and confessing without mouths. We are not truly saved unless we confess with our mouths that Jesus is Lord. This is the way we came into God’s family. This is the way we continue to walk in God’s kingdom. We believe and then we confess. Believe and confess. Believe and confess. Yes, you are getting the message! As God continues to reveal truth to us through His Word, we not only believe it, but we confess it aloud! We speak it out.

The psalmist declared in Psalm 116:10: “I believed, therefore have I spoken.” That’s not only Old Testament. It’s repeated in the New Testament. 2 Corinthians 4;13 states: “I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak.” If we truly believe, we will confess. When we confess, the truth becomes stronger in our hearts and lives.

Matthew 10:32: “Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.” Read also  Luke 12:8; Romans 14;11; and Philippians 2:11.

1 Timothy 6:12: “Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called, and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.”

Hebrews 4:14 (NKJV): “Let us hold fast our confession.”

Hebrews 10:23 (NKJV): “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.”

The word confession in the Greek is the word homologeo meaning “to publicly acknowledge, to confess, to say something in agreement with, to say the same thing another is saying.” In other words, we confess the same truth God says in His Word. We don’t have a different confession. It lines up with God’s truth.

5. TRUTH CONTENDERS

Jude 1:3: “It was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.”

To earnestly contend for the faith means “to strive for, to fight for.” When folks speak things that are contrary to God’s word or false doctrine, we earnestly argue for the truth. We fight for the truth, but we don’t do it in a fighting spirit. We answer with love, grace, and earnestness.

Ephesians 4:15 exhorts us to “speak the truth in love.” We never compromise the truth, but we do it with a loving spirit. We don’t show love to people when we leave them in deception. Jesus came to this earth “full of grace and truth” (John 1:14, 17). He spoke gracious words, but never compromised the truth.

PRAYER:

“Dear Father in Heaven, please help me to be a confessor of your truths. You gave me a mouth to speak for You and to confess Your salvation. Save me from being silent when I have opportunity to confess. `Amen.”

AFFIRMATION:

I believe and I confess that Jesus Christ is my Lord.

Did you know, I am now doing a podcast for you each week called FROM OUR HOME TO YOURS w/ Nancy Campbell? I know you will be blessed and encouraged. Go to www.aboverubies.org and you’ll see the icon. Or go to http://ARPoddy.buzzsprout.com

ARE YOU ON THE SIDE OF TRUTH?
Part 1

“Our courts oppose the righteous, and justice is nowhere to be found.
Truth stumbles in the streets, and honesty has been outlawed.”
(Isaiah 59:14 NLT).

Let’s get the facts straight. Our God is a God of truth. It is impossible for Him to lie. One writer says: “Truth is not truth unless it meets God’s definition of truth.’’ Conversely, the devil is a liar and is called “the father of lies.”

There is no middle road. We are either on the side of truth or we believe the devil’s lies. We are either in God’s kingdom which is a kingdom of absolute truths, or we are in the devil’s kingdom of lies and distorted truth. The devil makes his deceptions look good, plausible, and wise, but they are still lies. The worst lies are those that look like truth.

Charles Spurgeon wrote: "Discernment is not a matter of simply telling the difference between right and wrong; rather it is telling the difference between right and almost right."

Because God is truth, He wants us to live in truth. We must saturate ourselves with truth. We must be proactive about truth. If we don’t proactively go after truth, we can be deceived. If we think we’ll know the truth without studying the truth, we can be misled. Our God is “abundant in truth,” and therefore we should be abundant in truth also.

When a nation is founded and governed by truth, God releases His blessings. Lies and corruption destroy. We are facing this now in our nation. Isaiah 59:14, 15 (NLT) discloses what’s happening: “Our courts oppose the righteous, and justice is nowhere to be found. Truth stumbles in the streets, and honesty has been outlawed. Yes, truth is gone, and anyone who renounces evil is attacked.”

It’s time for truth to be restored. It’s time for parents who love truth and want truth established in our nation again to raise children who are grounded in truth, filled with truth, and who know how to speak the truth. It’s time to stand up against the deception and corruption that is happening in  our nation. We are facing this in our nation today with the corrupt impeachment against our president. It’s hard to believe that so-called intelligent people can believe their own lies. Romans 1:28 tells us that when they don’t want God in their minds and hearts, He gives them over to a “reprobate mind” (a mind void of judgment and abhorred by God and man). 2 Thessalonians 2:11 tells us that He sends them a “strong delusion.”

I am giving you 50 verbs about truth. Each point stands on its own, but please forgive me if I get carried away on some of the points! Do you think we could make each one part of our lives? Don’t keep them to yourselves but share each one with your children as you raise them to be filled with truth and truth speakers in the land. These can be a great Bible study for you and your family.

I believe we should be . . .

1. TRUTH ACKNOWLEDGERS

Titus 1:1: “Paul, a servant of God . . . according to the faith of God’s elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness.” Read Timothy 1:25.

2. TRUTH ANSWERERS

Proverbs 22:20, 21: “Have not I written to thee excellent things in counsels and knowledge, That I might make thee know the certainty of the words of truth; that thou mightiest answer the words of truth to them that send unto thee?”

We must know the truth to be able to answer the questions of our children, and all we speak to. Mothers have a great responsibility to know the truth for they are the ones who primarily pass truth on to their children. Read 2 Timothy 1:5; 3:15; Colossians 4:6; and 1 Peter 3: 15.

3. TRUTH BEARERS

As Jesus stood before Pilate ready to be delivered to death He said: “For this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice” (John 18:37).

Paul confessed: “I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus” (Galatians 6:17 and 2 Corinthians 4;10). He suffered stripes, beatings, and stonings for speaking the truth of the Gospel.

4. TRUTH BELIEVERS

We are saved through “belief in the truth” (2 Thessalonians 2:13). We come to Christ by believing the truth. We continue walking in Christ by believing the truth. As we come to understand more of God’s truth as we read His word, we believe it. We don’t doubt it. We don’t question it. We believe it because it is God’s infallible Word written by the One cannot lie.

The psalmist states in Psalm 119:66: “I have believed thy commandments.” We are either believers or unbelievers. No in between. Doubting is still unbelief.

Mark 9:23: “If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.” Read also Mark 11:23, 24.

PRAYER:

“I thank You, Father, that You are the God of Truth. I trust You wholly. I trust Your word. Heaven and earth will pass away, but Your living Word abides forever. Please help me to never deviate from Your truth. Amen.”

AFFIRMATION:

When I stick with truth, I am safe; when I deviate from truth, I am on a shaky path.

FURTHER STUDY:

Please look up and meditate on the following Scriptures. Each one is powerful. Teach them to your children. Use them as a study in your Family Devotions. We must know that God is truth in the very essence of our beings.

GOD IS TRUTH

Exodus 34:6; Numbers 23:19; Deuteronomy 32:4; 1 Samuel 15:29; Psalm 25:5; 31:5; 45:3, 4; 57:3, 10; 86:15; 89:14; 96:13; 100:5; 108:4; 146:6; Jeremiah 4:2; 10;10; Malachi 3:9; John 3:33; 7:28, 29; 17:3; Romans 1:25; 1 Thessalonians 1:9; Titus 1:2; Hebrews 6:17, 18; and 1 John 5:20.

JESUS CHRIST IS TRUTH

Matthew 22:16; John 1:14, 17; 14:6; and 17:3.

THE HOLY SPIRIT IS TRUTH

John 7:37-39; 14:16-18; 15:26; 16:13; 1 John 2:20, 27; and 5:6.

GOD’S WORD IS TRUTH

Psalm 19:9-11; 33:4, 5; 43:3; 111:7, 8; 117:2; 119:142, 151, 160; 138:2; John 17;17; Proverbs 30:5; Daniel 10:21; John 5:39; 8:31, 32; Romans 15;5; Ephesians 1:13; 1 Corinthians 10:11; 2 Timothy 3:15-17; 2 Timothy 2:15; James 1:18; 1 Peter 1:23; and 2 Peter 1:20, 21.

THE DEVIL IS THE DECEIVER AND FATHER OF LIES

Isaiah 14;12-14; Matthew 13;19; John 8:44; 2 Corinthians 2: 11; 11:3, 14; Ephesians 2;2; 6:11, 12; 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12; 2 Timothy 2:26; 1 Peter 5;8, 9; 1 John 3:8; and Revelation 12:9.

No. 4 TRUTH BELIEVERS

Mark 16:1, 17; John 3:15, 16, 18, 36; 5:24; 6:35, 40, 47; 7:38, 39; 11:26, 27; 14;12; and 20:31.