(A Repost from September 2018)

“Truth isn’t truth,” “alternative facts,” and we are told to not believe what we see with our eyes or what we hear with our ears. Does this sound strange to you? Whether you are aware or not, we are living in an upside down world. What was once absolute, is no longer absolute, and what once was considered evil or even shameful, is now considered good and something to be embraced and celebrated.

This world is rapidly changing. All we have to do is look around. As I was doing my walk at this park, I noticed that the bathrooms are no longer marked with one for women and one for men, now they are both marked “All Gender Restroom”.  All gender? I thought there were only two genders, male and female. How did we get here? We left the word of God, the Bible, the Holy Bible. We exchanged the truth of God for a lie.

So, then who or what determines truth if we are untethered to “The Truth” – Jesus said: “I am the way, the truth and the life.” John 14:6a  His truth doesn’t change with the times or circumstances. His truth provides our moral compass.

To live in this upside down world, I believe:

• We have to, we must return to the word of God, for he alone is unchanging, and his word alone provides the key to life.

                             Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Hebrews 13:8 ESV

• We must value the word of God, rely on it as our authority and guide for living.   “The only authority in the universe is God, and the expression of  his authority is in the Word of God.” John MacArthur

All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; 17 so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work. II Timothy 3:16 NASB

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. Psalm 119:105 KJV

• We must daily read our Bibles to intentionally have our minds indoctrinated with the ways of God rather than the way of the world. Doing this daily, will aid to sensitize us through the Spirit to stay on the right course.

I have not departed from the command of His lips; I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my necessary food. Job 23:12 NASB

And be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God. Romans 12:2 KJV

As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming. Ephesians 4:14 NASB

• We must obey the word.

But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and at once forgets what he was like. James 1:22-24 ESV

• We must teach our children what the word of God says, and what the word of God requires of them. If we do not pass on what we have learned, it would be as if we are sending our children out into the world without survival gear.

You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. Deuteronomy 6:7 ESV

Recently, our church discussed catechizing our children. A catechism is a learning tool in the form of questions and answers for instruction of Christians. Here is one recommended source,  A Catechism For Boys and Girls | The Reformed Reader.  This catechism includes scripture reference.

And finally,

• We must have and share the love of Christ because we know that we all need the light of his word and his Spirit to see. Having the knowledge of Jesus Christ without the compassion and love of Christ means nothing. Christ died for us because we all are  sinners, and only he could save us from the penalty of our sin.

Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. Ephesians 4:15 NLT

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. I Corinthians 13:1-2 ESV