Love the Truth

"For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work;

but the one who now holds it back

will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way.

And then the lawless one will be revealed,

whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow

with the breath of his mouth

and destroy by the splendor of his coming.

The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance

with how Satan works.

He will use all sorts of displays of power

through sings and wonders that serve the lie,

and all the ways that wickedness

deceives those who are perishing.

They perish because they refused to 

love the truth 

and so be saved.

 . . .So then, brothers and sisters,

stand firm and hold fast to the teachings

we passed on to you,

whether by word of mouth or by letter."

2 Thessalonians 2:7-10, 15

Prayer infringes upon our personal rights and should be banished from schools.  The ten commandments cannot be considered a standard of morality since it comes from one religion and consequently violates the first amendment to the Constitution.  Married couples should have the freedom to be able to divorce, even if it's only because they no longer get along.  A woman has a right to kill her own unborn child because it's not really a life but merely some tissue that has attached itself to the wall of her uterus, kind of like a tumor.  Two men, or two women should have the same rights as any other heterosexual couple to enter into a marriage contract, receiving all the benefits found therein.

These are some examples of how the truth is being exchanged in our culture for lies that sound good to the human mind.  While we can rationalize sin, it does not make it any less sinful.   But when we are living in an age where the secret power of lawlessness is already at work, those who are lost easily buy into everything that sounds good, even if it goes against the truth.  

Therefore, it is important that I stand firm, even if it makes me stick out like a Yankee fan at a Boston Red Sox game.

Loved

I am unlovable.  My life is in shambles; I've messed up more than I care to admit and have left more wreckage behind than Hurricane Katrina.  I'm incapable of doing anything right and might as well give up trying.  Who do I think that I am, anyway?  How can anyone love me when I'm such a loser?

The truth is that I am so loved by God that He would do anything to have a relationship with me.  In fact, He did do the ultimate thing by sending His only Son to die a sinner's death, taking the punishment meant for me so that I can, through faith, live in relationship with God as my Father! (John 3:16, Romans 5:8, 1 John 3:1)

In this age of lawlessness where I am surrounded by lies that sound good to my itching ears (2 Timothy 4:3), it is important that I remember the truth.  Satan constantly deceives me with thoughts that are easy to believe about myself, like that I'm a failure and am incapable of being loved.  If I choose to listen to God, however, He will tell me what is right, setting me back upon His path.  Then I can let His love flow to a world who so desperately needs it. 

The truth to stand upon is this:  God loves me beyond measure and His love is not conditional upon my performance.

Spiritually minded

These people just don't get it!  They are ruining our society, pulling us down with their godless beliefs.  We must fight against these organizations whose agendas are bad for our country.   We are constantly losing ground in this battle, though and I'm starting to feel hopeless.

It's easy to adopt this kind of attitude when I see the destruction of the healthy framework for a moral and upright society that our forefathers so diligently laid.  The truth is, however, that my battle is not against any human.  While it's the people I see on a day-to-day basis who are spewing their divisive talking points, rallying their troops and garnering support who I tend to hold as responsible.  Instead, my focus needs to be upon the unseen forces who influence them and are truly to blame.

My battle in this world is not against those who I see before me, but rather against Satan and his army who are constantly at work against God and His ways.  (Ephesians 6:12)  In order to fight this spiritual battle, I must use spiritual weapons; namely the Word of God and prayer (v 17-18)  By wielding these weapons liberally, I am doing much damage in the spiritual realm and am helping to make headway in the war waged against God and His people.

In short, I must be a woman of prayer who knows the Word of God and allows my Father to use it to transform my life.  (2 Timothy 3:16-17) 

The truth to stand upon is this: The battle that really matters is the one that takes place in the heavenly realms.

Strong and Courageous

There's nothing I can do, I am only one person.  What good will my actions serve in the scheme of things?  If only I held a higher office or had more influence, then maybe I could really take a stand.

The truth is that there is plenty I can do to influence my society.  Just as God told Joshua on more than one occasion, He also is telling me:  He wants me to be strong and courageous, not to be discouraged or afraid because He will be with me wherever I go. (Joshua 1:9)

The truth is that I am called to be the salt of the earth (Matthew 5:13), to improve the place where God has positioned me by living for Him.  Sometimes that means I'll be moved by His Spirit to speak the truth in love, even when I'm the only dissenting voice.  Other times God will inspire me to love the unlovable or reach out to the lost who act cruelly toward me.  Many times He'll drive me to my knees, praying for all who persecute His people and who pervert all that is good.

The truth to stand upon is this:  I have been given a spirit of power, love and self-discipline.  (2 Timothy 1:7)

When living in a culture where absurd beliefs are accepted as good and beneficial to all, it is important for me to take a stand for what I know to be true.  Some of these truths are that I am loved by God, that the real battle takes place where I am unable to observe it, and that I am given the ability to stand strong.  I can show how I love these truths by allowing His love to flow through me, wielding my spiritual weapons of warfare, and in living as the salt of the earth.  In this way, it's not my words that betray my beliefs, but rather my actions that show the lost around me the way to the Truth.

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can always keep in mind how much God loves me.

How do I let my own bad feelings for myself influence the way I treat others?

When have I let His love over come evil?