Truth

By Allen J. Huth, President of the Ezra Project |

We may all remember
the slogan from the movie A Few Good Men (Jack Nicholson and Tom Cruise), “You
can’t handle the truth”.
In our world today, I might change that to “You
can’t find the truth!”

We are in an era
where truth is hard to find. Whether you care more to watch Fox News of CNN,
truth on major news networks is hard to find. We just went through one of the
most astounding Supreme Court Justice confirmations in our history, and
regardless of what side you were on, truth was hard to find, affirm, or agree
on.

I am not sure where
truth went, or when it left the public discourse, but for me it’s hard to find
in our day and age. It may be just as evasive in business, in school, in
relationships, or even in church. Where has truth gone? Can we find it again?

And, how are we doing with truth as Christians? For
years, George Barna has studied our faith. 
He has reported findings like:

  • Being a Christian, or associating with the Christian
    faith is not as attractive to Americans as it used to be. Besides the battering
    Christianity takes in the media, another reason is it is relatively rare to
    find someone who exemplifies the Christian faith. 

    • Most self-identified Christians are comfortable with
      the idea that the Bible and the sacred books from non-Christian religions all
      teach the same truths and principles.
    • Faith in America is now individual and customized.
      We are comfortable with the idea of being spiritual as opposed to devoutly
      Christian.We become our own unchallenged spiritual authorities,
      defining truth and reality as we see fit. 
      Only 34% of adults believe in absolute moral truth.

The Study continues, and I believe the reason for all
the above trends:

  • Biblical literacy is neither a current reality nor a
    goal in the United States. Little, if any, progress is being made toward
    assisting people to become more Biblically literate

    • Bible reading has become the religious equivalent of
      sound-bite journalism. When people read from the Bible they typically open it,
      read a brief passage without much regard for its context…if they are
      comfortable with it, they accept it, otherwise they deem it interesting but
      irrelevant to their life, and move on. 
    • Only about half of self-identified Christians firmly
      believe that the Bible is totally accurate in all of the principles it teaches.

The Study concludes, “We
cannot really call the faith of American Christians a Bible-base
faith…Christians today have accepted and combined so many ideas from other
worldviews and religions that they have created their own faith system.”

I believe the challenges facing our nation and our
churches, are directly related to our neglect of God’s Word.  Hosea 4:1, “Hear the word of the LORD, You
children of Israel, for the LORD brings a charge against the inhabitants of the
land:  There is no truth or mercy or
knowledge of God in the land.”
 Verse
6, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.  Because you have rejected knowledge…Because
you have forgotten the law of your God.”

This is not the first time in history this has been
the case.  Go with me back to a day when
the children of Israel had lost their way. They too stopped reading and obeying
the truth of God’s Word. 

In 2 Kings 22:1, “Josiah was eight years old when
he became king, and he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem.”
  They were rebuilding the temple in Jerusalem,
when in verse 8, the high priest “found the Book of the Law in the house of
the LORD."
 And they read it
before King Josiah.

Continuing in 2 Kings 22:11-13, “Now it happened,
when the king heard the words of the Book of the Law, that he tore his
clothes….Go, inquire of the LORD for me, for the people and for all Judah,
concerning the words of this book that has been found; for great is the wrath
of the LORD that is aroused against us, because our fathers have not obeyed the
words of this book, to do according to all that is written concerning us."

And in verses 16-20,
"Thus says the LORD: 'Behold, I will bring calamity on this place and on
its inhabitants -- all the words of the book which the king of Judah has
read--because they have forsaken Me and burned incense to other gods, that they
might provoke Me to anger with all the works of their hands. Therefore My wrath
shall be aroused against this place and shall not be quenched. But as for the
king of Judah (Josiah), who sent you to inquire of the LORD, in this manner you
shall speak to him, 'Thus says the LORD God of Israel: "Concerning the
words which you have heard--because your heart was tender, and you humbled
yourself before the LORD when you heard what I spoke against this place and
against its inhabitants, that they would become a desolation and a curse, and
you tore your clothes and wept before Me, I also have heard you," says the
LORD. Surely, therefore, I will gather you to your fathers, and you shall be
gathered to your grave in peace; and your eyes shall not see all the calamity
which I will bring on this place.”

Chapter 23:3 is Josiah’s response to hearing God’s
Word: “Then the king stood by a pillar and made a covenant before the LORD,
to follow the LORD and to keep His commandments and His testimonies and His
statutes, with all his heart and all his soul, to perform the words of this
covenant that were written in this book. And all the people took a stand for
the covenant.”

I believe God is searching for Josiahs today, those
who will read their Bibles and obey what it says. It was no easier for Josiah
in his day than it will be for us. He faced tremendous obstacles like we do,
but he heard the Word of God, sold out to God and His Word, and decided to act
accordingly, regardless of the price. 

We will return to the text later in this article to
see what bold steps he took to obey God’s Word, but take a moment to see what
the Bible says about truth. Where do we find truth, what happens when we are
truth-less, and what happens when we are truthful? Rather than my words, here
are 12 verses on truth:

Where is truth found?

John 14:6

Jesus said to
him, “I am the way, and the truth,
and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. The truth is found in Jesus.

John 16:13

When the Spirit of
truth comes, he will guide you
into all the truth, for he will
not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he
will declare to you the things that are to come. The truth is revealed by the Holy Spirit.

John 17:17

Sanctify them in
the truth; your word is truth. The truth is found in God’s Word
.

When we ignore Jesus,
we ignore truth. When we deny the Holy Spirit, we deny truth, and when we avoid
God’s Word, we avoid truth. No wonder the world is truth-less today!

The next 3 verses are
on truthlessness:

Romans 2:8

but for those who
are self-seeking and do not obey the truth,
but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury.

Isaiah 59:14

Justice is turned
back, and righteousness stands far away; for truth has stumbled in the public squares...

Jeremiah 7:28

And you shall say
to them, ‘This is the nation that did not obey the voice of the Lord their God, and did not accept
discipline; truth has perished;
it is cut off from their lips.

Truthlessness
results in wrath, fury, unrighteousness, and lies.

The next 3 verses are
on the pursuit of truth:

2 Corinthians 4:2

But we have
renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice cunning or to
tamper with God's word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to
everyone's conscience in the sight of God.

Psalm 86:11

Teach me your
way, O Lord, that I may walk in
your truth; unite my heart to
fear your name.

2 Timothy 2:15

Do your best to
present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be
ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.

To pursue truth, we need to renounce disgraceful, underhanded ways, refuse to tamper with God’s Word, seek the Lord, present ourselves to him, and rightly handle the Word of truth

The last 3 are on the benefits of truth:

John 8:32

and you will know
the truth, and the truth will set you free.

Psalm 51:6

Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart.

Zechariah 8:16

These are the
things that you shall do: Speak the truth
to one another; render in your gates judgments that are true and make for
peace;

The benefits
of truth are freedom, delight, wisdom, good judgment, and peace.

Where
is the most reliable source of truth today? The Bible! What’s contained within its pages?

A.         
Basic Instructions Before Life Everyday

B.         
66 books
written by 40 authors over 1600 years. 1,189 chapters, 31,102 verses; and can
be read at pulpit speed in 72 hours.

Yet among Bible readers, the average total time per week of Bible reading
is 52 minutes, or 7.4 minutes per day. The average time in front of the
television is 3 hours! 

Yet...surveys show we don't read it! Be honest with yourself and see
where you stand when it comes to you Bible reading. Which one defines you? 1. I have not read my Bible at all since
last ________. 2. I have read my Bible some, 3-4 times a week, but not
everyday. 3. I have read my bible everyday since last
________.

The top five reasons why people don’t read the Bible:

  • I am
    overextended
  • Bad time
    management
  • My own
    laziness
  • Church-related
    activities
  • Lack of a meaningful
    plan

Why read the Bible? I have asked this question in audiences
since 2002.  Here are some of the answers
I have heard:

  • To know God better—John 5:39,
    “You search the Scriptures, for in
    them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me.”
  • To learn how to live like God
    wants me to live
    —the Word of God instructs us in Godly living! “0
    My son, give attention to my words; incline your ear to my sayings.  Do not let them depart from your eyes; keep
    them in the midst of your heart; for they are life to those who find them, and
    health to all their flesh."
    (Proverbs 4:20-22)
  • To find answers to problems I am
    having in my life
    —the Bible addresses the problems we face in life! “The
    entrance of Your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple.”
    (Psalm 119:130)

If you are confused about life and want real
answers, give the truth of the Word of God a chance in your life! He loves you!
He wants a truthful relationship with you and me! He has so much to show
you…and He chose to put His thoughts, His truth, His instructions to us in a
Book! 

How do you read the Bible? Research tells us you need a
plan!  Our goal at the Ezra Project is to
connect God’s people to God’s Word. We have several resources to help you stay
in God’s Word each and every day:

  • Bible
    reading journals are for purchase at www.ezraproject.net
  • Download
    the free ADDBIBLE® app from your app store and listen to an audio
    daily devotion.
  • Consider
    joining Club 365 on the ADDBIBLE® app to get all of the ADDBIBLE®
    recordings on each and every book of the Bible. Study the book you want, when
    you want.

Let’s go back to our text and see what happened
after Josiah read the Word of God and made a covenant to obey the truth what he
had heard.

He eliminated idols from the temple. (2
Kings 23:4) “And the king commanded
Hilkiah the high priest, the priests of the second order, and the doorkeepers,
to bring out of the temple of the LORD all the articles that were made for
Baal, for Asherah, and for all the host of heaven; and he burned them outside
Jerusalem in the fields of Kidron, and carried their ashes to Bethel.”

What idols have crept into your life? Work,
entertainment, selfish ambition, sports, shopping, listening to the voices of
men rather than the voice of God? What needs to be eliminated so you can get
back to pursuing truth?

He removed the idolatrous priests. (2 Kings 23:5) “Then he removed the idolatrous priests whom the kings
of Judah had ordained to burn incense on the high places in the cities of Judah
and in the places all around Jerusalem, and those who burned incense to Baal,
to the sun, to the moon, to the constellations, and to all the host of heaven.”

Where are your eyes? Are they on the things of this world,
rather than the things of the Word? What distractions needs to be removed, so
you can clearly seek and find truth again in your life?

He destroyed
the high places, altars, wooden images, and sacred pillars to the false gods of
the neighboring nations (2 Kings 23:10-16) and he executed the false priests
(20).

What worldly
influences have infiltrated your Christian life? TV, music, movies, the
internet? What needs to be controlled, or even destroyed so you can have time
for unhurried prayer and Bible reading again?

Once all the idolatry and false gods
were destroyed, he reinstituted Passover (2 Kings 23:21-23).

What spiritual activities have you left aside? Bible
reading, prayer, Christian fellowship? What needs to be reinstituted so you can
know the truth and the truth can set you free?

What
is our challenge? Matthew 21:42, Jesus asks the chief priests and Pharisees, "Did you never read in the
Scriptures?"

Josiah
read the Word of God. He got a Biblical perspective and it changed his life!
Because he became tender and humble before God, in the midst of calamity all
around, God blessed him! 

“But as for the king of Judah (Josiah), who sent you
to inquire of the LORD, in this manner you shall speak to him, 'Thus says the
LORD God of Israel: "Concerning the words which you have heard--because
your heart was tender, and you humbled yourself before the LORD when you heard
what I spoke against this place and against its inhabitants, that they would
become a desolation and a curse, and you tore your clothes and wept before Me,
I also have heard you," says the LORD. Surely, therefore, I will gather you
to your fathers, and you shall be gathered to your grave in peace; and your
eyes shall not see all the calamity which I will bring on this place.”
(2 Kings 22:18-20)

Like Josiah, turn to the Lord with all your heart,
all your soul, and with all your might. Rediscover the truth of God’s Word! As
you read God’s Word, it will set you free! 

Will you accept the challenge to find truth? I
invite you to read with me every day. 
Will you seek and find, will you knock and see if God will open His
truth to you? 

In Josiah’s day, all the people took a stand for the
covenant.
I invite you to make a covenant before the LORD,
to follow the LORD and to keep His commandments and His testimonies and His
statutes, with all your heart and all your soul, to perform the words of this
covenant that were written in this book.

You can find the truth!
You can handle the truth!

Father, thank You for Your Word. We confess
our lack of attention to Your Word. Holy Spirit bring us back to Your truth by
giving us passion for Your Word. In Jesus’ name, amen.


The Biblical Gospel

By Allen J. Huth, President of the Ezra Project |

Let’s look at the first chapter of the Book of Galatians. But first, let’s get a little background on the Book of Galatians. It’s one of the earliest writings of Paul, dated around 48 A.D., which is only about fifteen years after the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. The theme of Galatians is that believers do not have to become Jews or follow the outward ceremonies of the Law of Moses. New Christians are to live in the guidance and the power of the Spirit. Galatians is about freedom in Christ, but not license to sin. Now for Galatians 1:

Galatians 1

Paul, an apostle—not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead— and all the brothers who are with me,

 To the churches of Galatia:

 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ,who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.

 10 For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.

 11 For I would have you know, brothers, that the gospel that was preached by me is not man's gospel. 12 For I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ. 13 For you have heard of my former life in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God violently and tried to destroy it. 14 And I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people, so extremely zealous was I for the traditions of my fathers.15 But when he who had set me apart before I was born, and who called me by his grace, 16 was pleased to reveal his Son to me, in order that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with anyone;17 nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me, but I went away into Arabia, and returned again to Damascus.

 18 Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to visit Cephas and remained with him fifteen days. 19 But I saw none of the other apostles except James the Lord's brother. 20 (In what I am writing to you, before God, I do not lie!) 21 Then I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia.22 And I was still unknown in person to the churches of Judea that are in Christ. 23 They only were hearing it said, “He who used to persecute us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.” 24 And they glorified God because of me.

 I would like to use the ADDBIBLE® format for Galatians 1 by referring to three of my daily Bible reading journals. The one I wrote in 1999, another one in 2008, and more recently in 2012. I have journaled my daily Bible reading for over 30 years, and I've read the Book of Galatians at least 18 times in the last thirty years. So, let’s get started on Galatians 1.

In 1999, I wrote, “Paul defends his credentials in the opening sentence, “…not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ.” He also gives God glory in his greeting. He then gets right to the point. Why are you Galatians turning away from the Gospel so soon? There is one Gospel. It’s simple, but not easy. Man wants to complicate it with religion; Paul is trying to keep it pure.”

I continued writing, “Paul clarifies that the Gospel he preached came directly through Jesus Christ, not man. That’s why he knew it to be absolute truth. After Jesus converted Paul, he went to the desert for three years, not to seminary or to Peter. Jesus formulated Paul’s message. He then went to Jerusalem to meet Peter and James. Then he headed back out into the field.

In 2008, when I read Galatians 1, I kind of personalized it a little more. I wrote, “Paul, not sent from men, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father. Do I believe that about myself in the Ezra Project and the Gideons? If so, I better take it way more seriously.” And then I wrote on, “If anyone preaches the Gospel contrary to the true Gospel, he is to be accursed!” That’s according to verses 8 and 9.

There’s a lot of false Gospel being preached today and believed today. It should be accursed. God set apart Paul “from my mothers’ womb” (NASB, verse 15). Do I feel that way about my calling? Again, if so, I need to take it way more seriously.”

A few years later, in 2012, I wrote, “Probably the earliest New Testament writing. Galatians. Before 50 A.D. Within 15-20 years of the death and resurrection of Jesus. Paul identifies himself as an apostle, which means one who was sent. Not from man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father. Those are his credentials. Jesus Christ ‘Gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age’. That’s verse 4. Paul is ‘astonished’ that the Galatians are so quickly deserting the one true Gospel, not that there is another one.

Much of Christianity today is deserting a Biblical gospel for a different gospel. Paul says, “Let them be accursed” (verse 9). The true Gospel may not please men, but it's still the unchanging true Gospel. We need to please God, rather than men, and stand for the one true Gospel of Jesus Christ.”

I think it’s pretty clear that Paul is saying, I’m “…astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel” (Verse 4).  That’s the general theme of this book. And, as Paul states,

11 For I would have you know, brothers, that the gospel that was preached by me is not man's gospel. 12 For I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.

Those are two good themes to think about today. Where did you receive the news about Jesus Christ? Where did you receive your Gospel? Is it man’s view or is it a Biblical view?

Lord Jesus, teach us Your one true Gospel. And help us not turn aside to any other Gospel but the one true Gospel of Jesus Christ. Teach us Lord. In Your name, we pray. Amen.


What's Your Purpose?

By Allen J. Huth, President of the Ezra Project |

In 2 Samuel 7, David wanted to build God a house, a temple, and God said no. Now I believe we each have a purpose, a reason, that God gives us life to sojourn on this earth. And David’s purpose was not to build a temple for God, it was to establish the kingdom of Israel. To be the king the people had asked for, that they wanted and to show, by God’s design, that an earthly king could work under God’s authority and blessing.

Part of David’s purpose was to defeat the enemies of Israel and secure the land. That was a charge actually given to Joshua long ago, but never fulfilled by the tribes of Israel.

So after God said no to David about building a temple, David gets back to work, gets back to his purpose, and defeats the enemies and the occupants of the Promised Land. He defeats the Philistines, Moab, the Syrians, Edom and the Ammonites. And the Lord was with David, as David focused on his purpose, 2 Samuel 8:6 says, “And the LORD gave victory to David wherever he went.” And 2 Samuel 8:15 says, “And David administered justice and equity to all his people.”

I think the lesson for me in 2 Samuel 8 is to understand my purpose. What did God put me on the earth for? And then to stay with that purpose. You see, as David wanted to stray from that purpose, then God said, “No, no that’s what I have for you to do. I have this for you to do.” So it’s important for us to understand our purpose and then to stay with it. And as we do that, God is with us and He blesses us in whatever we do and wherever we go.

So, what is your purpose? What has God placed you here on earth to do? Do you even believe that, first of all, that God created you in your mother’s womb for a specific thing to do here on earth? I believe that. Now I don’t know that everybody does, but I certainly do. And I try to discover that purpose in my own life and then try as best I can with the Lord to fulfill that purpose.

And by looking at David’s example, he wasn’t a priest, he wasn’t a pastor, he wasn’t in full-time ministry. He had a job to do and so do you. David was a king. David was also a brilliant warrior. And also David administered justice and equity to his people.

So what do you do every day? Do you get up, do you go to work, do you slug it out? But do you have in mind that God has a purpose for your life? And can you exemplify godly characteristics in whatever God has called you to do like David? To be victorious, to do what he’s called to do, to defeat his enemies and to be fair and just to other people.

I encourage you today to think a little bit about this. What is your purpose? What has God placed you here for? Spend some time on it. It doesn’t necessarily come easy to understand that. But seek the Lord and ask Him and watch Him guide and direct your thoughts. And then go after it like David did, to be successful knowing that the Lord is with you because He put that purpose in your heart.

Father, we’re thankful that You formed each one of us in our mother’s womb. And You did so with a purpose in mind. You have something for us to do. Lord, help us discover our purpose, what You have in mind for us to do, and then do it with all our might knowing that just like with David, You were with him, You will be with us. You can give us victory in all the things that we do, if it’s aligned with Your will for our lives. And You’ll get all the glory and the praise. In Jesus’ name. Amen.