truth

Thriving Under Grace

Dr. Mike 2024 , ,

“… because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel,which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and increasing—as it also does among you, since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth,” Colossians 1:5-6

Sin condemns. Grace regenerates.

We live in a society quick to condemn others for their behavior. We see the ugliness of evil and seek someone to blame. We feel guilty for our privileged surroundings. So we virtue signal to relieve the condemnation. Our culture standards of self-righteousness separate the moral elitists from the castaways.

But enter Jesus Christ.

No worldly status. No governmental power. No monetary influence. But someone speaking the truth in love. His message of divine grace empowered the individual. Yet many of us fail to practice grace according to God’s manner.

Grace is God’s unmerited favor. Humanity tries to duplicate God’s grace, but falls short. They emphasize half the formula while ignoring the other side. They speak of grace, but ignore the truth. For grace without truth leads to chaos. But truth with grace leads to regeneration.

Truth produces consequences. Grace without consequences leads to abuse. Consequences teaches accountability and responsibility. Both are the foundation for character development. To thrive in life requires healthy character. The ability to exercise will power for the sake of preserving the self and others. That is why:

When an evil act goes unpunished, corruption increases.

When an evil act is condemned, truth is preserved.

When an evil act is rectified, justice prevails.

When an evil act is forgiven, grace abounds.

When grace abounds, the soul regenerates. But grace without truth destroys. Truth aligns with reality. Reality demonstrates consequences for one’s actions. When one lives within the boundaries of Godly morality, love and respect for each other is shown. Truth understands the importance of wholesome character. Truth sees past the color of one’s skin and focuses on the content of one’s character. Since humanity is made in the image of God, God’s character is the standard to imitate.

Grace is the means to motivate one to continue picking up one’s life after each failure. Grace is the license to repeatedly fail until the lesson is learned. The lesson is to build the virtuous character patterned after our heavenly Father. To thrive under grace is to know God loves you and is rooting for you.

Your failures are only the building blocks toward becoming the person you are wired to be. As you mature, you understand grace is God’s love poured out for you to walk in the truth. To share HIS life with others. To prepare you for eternity. To enrich you in HIS way of life.

I am always encouraged to read the last sentence in the Bible.   

“The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen.” (Rev. 22:21)

It reminds me of our privilege to live under God’s grace. To not only live, but thrive. To thrive and allow HIS grace to regenerate our soul.

In summary: to thrive and endure to the end under HIS grace is the best place to be under the sun.

Rooting For You in Christ!

Dr. Mike

Faith-Integrator, Encourager, Scribbler

“We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives,” (Colossians 1:9)

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False Prophets. False Teachers.

Dr. Mike 2023 , , , ,

Matthew 7:15

“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.

2 Peter 2:1-3

But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed. And in their greed they will exploit you with false words. Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.

1 John 4:1

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.

Truth is a reflection of God’s character. Whenever we deviate from reality, we lean away from HIS solid foundation. This is why HE warns us of the dangers of following voices who do not represent HIM. The Bible identifies them as false prophets and teachers.

They look and sound good from the outside. They speak with a rhetoric tongue. Their narrative is package with emotional drama. They may even be sincere. But they don’t represent God Almighty. They are building a personal following for their gain.

When one deviates away from Jesus Christ, the outcome usually leads to destruction. The Bible has many historical situations where influencers misled the people. It generally starts with moral missteps. Followed by “new truth”. Then is attractively packaged and presented in a persuasive way. Then the momentum leads to carte blanche carnal behavior. The end result usually culminates in the destruction of a nation.

You look around today and witness similar destructive lies being fueled by greed. Like most tales, lies are blended with truth. When one doesn’t have a strong knowledge and relationship with the Triune God, one is swayed from such stories.

For example, climate change is happening. Yet the fear mongering and hysteria by greedy people are blinding sensible solutions to the issue. Is this God’s spirit in action or man’s profound attempt to personally gain at the expense of the masses?

Critical race theory, gender identity, and social justice are other teachings which deviate from the Bible’s instruction of productive living. They likewise have inklings of truth smothered by lies. Can you explain the difference between divine values and humanistic fantasy? You better know or find out the difference if you want to live a full, enjoyable life.

Yes false prophets are an issue today as in historical Biblical days. But as Jesus indicated, you will know them by their fruit. If they make a future proclamation that doesn’t happen, you know they are not of God. Does their work produce love, joy, and peace? Or is the outcome more hate, anger, and violence? If there walk doesn’t agree with their talk, than you know you are dealing with a liar. And yes, Jesus said there will be many who will follow their lead.

So, be careful. Study your Bible and history to learn from those who have gone before us. There is nothing new under the sun except technology and fashion. And even then, human nature continues to misbehave decade after decade. Only Jesus Christ and HIS Spirit can help keep you attuned to the truth. Observe the outcome of those who you listen too. Give them time to prove their words. When God is involve, HE will sustain them and bring about their vision. When God is not involved, hold unto HIM tightly as only human tragedy and carnage will come about from their actions. But HE will always be with you and direct your steps if you so allow.

Remember, truth is the reflection of God’s character. Always lean on HIM.

Rooting For You in Christ!

Dr. Mike

Faith-Integrator, Encourager, Scribbler

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Why Are You a Christ-Follower?

Dr. Mike 2023 , , , ,

John 18:37

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.

How many of us are still recouping from the lies which we trusted to be true but found out later they were not? And now paying the consequences of our error in judgement?

The sad fact is we have all been lied too. At times the lies are minor and we walk away with only a small dent in our life. Yet many times the untruths are major accidents.  Years later, we still struggle to restore normalcy to our lives.

Truth matters.

In business, without hard facts, management decisions may quickly lead to financial ruin.

In relationships, lies between parties subsequently destroys trust.

And yes, even in baking your favorite cake using the wrong mixture produces a lower quality treat.

Lies produce fantasies – a make believe world. Truth though allows you to build on reality – how God created the world to actually function.

So what does this have to do with who you follow in life?

Everything.

Each one of us follows someone. Early in life, we follow our parents. Then maybe teachers or coaches. Later, we search out other mentors to help navigate our way to the promise land. Over time, we either crown ourself as god, or realize our need to worship someone greater than self.

Enter Jesus Christ.

If following the truth is of prime importance, than you have a dilemma with Jesus. When you are introduced to HIM, you have a decision to make. Is HE who HE claims to BE, or is HE not?

Like many people before us who have faced the same question, so will you. As C.S. Lewis often stated, after you do your homework, you will have a decision to make. Either HE is who HE claims to BE, or HE was a liar or a lunatic. He couldn’t be a good, moral teacher because liars are not good people.

Yes, I follow Jesus Christ because HE is the Truth. The historical evidence is strong. The personal experience is reassuring. The shared examples with others are real. The proof is testing HIS hypothesis, and evaluating the outcome in your life and the lives of others.

Yes, Truth matters. This is the prime reason I follow my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Everything else sooner or later comes back to HIM. HE is the Alpha and Omega, the First and Last, and HE is the reason why you and I are alive, have hope, and value. HE gives meaning to the universe, to life, and to purpose. HE is the central core of everything good. Everything begins with HIM and ends with HIM.

This is the reason I follow HIM – Because Truth matters.     

Rooting For You in Christ!

Dr. Mike

Faith-Integrator, Encourager, Scribbler

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