We as the Church must have Jesus in our hearts, we must put Him in everything.
We must not form God in our image but keep God in His image. We are the creation, He is the creator and we are to reflect Him not the other way around.
We need true Christianity not left, not right but center, Bible centered.
Not progressive Christianity, not liberal Christianity, not conservative Christianity. Just Christianity.
Not the American Gospel or any other countries Gospel just The Gospel.
Not woke Jesus, not Communist Jesus, not Capitalist Jesus, not any other distorted version of Jesus but just Jesus.
People will always make excuses for telling lies, they call them white lies but lies are lies. Lies are not only sin but they’re just like sin, both lying and sin just lead to more and worse lies and sin.
The Bible calls Satan the “Father of Lies” don’t be his child be a child of the Good Father, be a child of God who not only speaks the truth but is the Truth.
I have a story to prove the goodness of truth and faithfulness of God.
A man was in prison unjustly, a prisoner of the faith. He and his fellow prisoners decided to attempt to stage an escape, the prison itself was on an island so they decided to little by little find wood and build a boat. After a long time they finally had a boat ready that they hoped could get them to freedom.
They managed to sneak out but when they came around a corner there were two guards. One of them asked, “Are you trying to escape?”
The man knowing it was a sin to lie decided to be faithful to God’s word and said, “Yes.”
The guard said, “Good, so are we. Let’s go.”
The two guards led them out of the prison. They got on the boat and fled.
However the story doesn’t end there. You see when they got out to sea, a storm came and began to knock the little boat around But as it turned out the two guards were also sailors. The guards navigated the storm and they made it to freedom.
The man said if the guards weren’t with them they would not have survived.
All glory to God.
You see the truth can and will set you free (in some instances in more ways than one).
So be in truth, be in God and have a blessed week, Chris
24 Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin,[a] was not with them when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.”
26 Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” 28 Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
Because of this story Thomas is always referred to as “Doubting Thomas”. It has also led to a lot of people in the church calling those with doubts a “Doubting Thomas”. In reality that is unfair.
My Pastor on Sunday argued that this story really is about Thomas coming to belief in Jesus as He is rather than the part when Thomas doubted.
The truth is it very easy for us as to smugly read about Thomas’ doubt and shake our heads at him. But we all came to faith at some point, prior to that we didn’t believe in God at all in most cases and if we are honest with ourselves we all have doubt at times.
And that is okay!
I am big fan of Mike Winger and his Bible Thinker YouTube channel. He actually affirmed his faith by researching the claims in Christianity, he had doubt and now is an excellent Bible teacher.
Lee Strobel famously wrote “The Case for Christ” to verify the truth of Christianity but he originally was trying to debunk Christianity.
My testimony of how I started to take my faith seriously involves a lot of doubt.
I read the Bible and a lot of times struggled, I was confused and also asked myself, “How could this be true?”
I continued to read scripture, listened to apologetics while also listening to skeptics and reading books from both theologians and critics like Richard Dawkins and Bart Ehrman.
I went back and forth with points and counter points.
Then I finally just prayed for wisdom. I saw things so much clearer thank God and was able to understand the Bible and the history of Christianity a lot better.
God revealed Himself and continues to revel Himself to me in countless ways.
My faith was made stronger from my doubt.
Now like Thomas I can truly say, “My Lord and my God.”
1 But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. 2 And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel. 5 And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? 6 He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, 7 that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise.” 8 And they remembered his words, 9 and returning from the tomb they told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. 10 Now it was Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James and the other women with them who told these things to the apostles, 11 but these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them. 12 But Peter rose and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; and he went home marveling at what had happened.
13 That very day two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, 14 and they were talking with each other about all these things that had happened. 15 While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. 16 But their eyes were kept from recognizing him. 17 And he said to them, “What is this conversation that you are holding with each other as you walk?” And they stood still, looking sad. 18 Then one of them, named Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?” 19 And he said to them, “What things?” And they said to him, “Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, a man who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, 20 and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him. 21 But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things happened. 22 Moreover, some women of our company amazed us. They were at the tomb early in the morning, 23 and when they did not find his body, they came back saying that they had even seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive. 24 Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see.” 25 And he said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself. 28 So they drew near to the village to which they were going. He acted as if he were going farther, 29 but they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent.” So he went in to stay with them. 30 When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. 31 And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight. 32 They said to each other, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?” 33 And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem. And they found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together, 34 saying, “The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!” 35 Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread.
36 As they were talking about these things, Jesus himself stood among them, and said to them, “Peace to you!” 37 But they were startled and frightened and thought they saw a spirit. 38 And he said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? 39 See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” 40 And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. 41 And while they still disbelieved for joy and were marveling, he said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?” 42 They gave him a piece of broiled fish, 43 and he took it and ate before them. 44 Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” 45 Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, 46 and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, 47 and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”
50 Then he led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up his hands he blessed them. 51 While he blessed them, he parted from them and was carried up into heaven. 52 And they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, 53 and were continually in the temple blessing God.
The Good Word 