FATHER KNOWS BEST

FATHER KNOWS BEST

My passion for the lost, and my love for the diversity of humanity has intensified, since I first realized the call of God upon my life and began to walk in it!  One of the things I've grown to appreciate is the "Mind of the Spirit", which knows the best part of our humanity, and develops godly compassion out of our own process and preparation to be a bold and consistent witness for Christ!

Just yesterday, I met a gentleman full of conviction about his culture, his conviction, and his cause - and there was no deterring him from sharing his heart; because he believed what he knew up to that moment of time was "all encompassing knowledge" concerning life! WOW!

That's pretty bold, but also quite presumptuous, if the pursuit is not growth or the "gain" of enlignment in the pursuit of truth! There will surely be "witnesses" that attest to whatever philosophy that we'll espouse.

RELIGION is man's attempt to reconcile with God!  

RELATIONSHIP through Christ is God's way of reconciling the world to Himself!

IS JESUS CHRIST THE ONLY TRUE WAY?      IS THE BIBLE TRUE?

Of course, we all know that there are many convincing ideas and voices of influence in this world that either solidify our conclusions about the truth in general, or leads us to frequent disturbing vascillations in our own hearts -- through the unprecedented circulation of religious books, internet websites that champion the expertise of some spiritual guru, and in the countless religious or philosophical commentaries we read about the so-called "truth" or fascinating theories concerning God.  

In the midst of a truly sincere search, I believe that we can all discover, in this age of relatavism (there is no truth), secularism (there is no god), humanism (I am my own god), hedonism (my feelings and pleasure are my god) , and pervasive religiosity (I have the answer and you don't) - whether this mystical idea of "truth" concerning Jesus Christ being the Savior, Lord and Messiah of both the Jews and Gentiles (the entire world), is TRUE!  

You might ask, Walter - how could someone who lived more than two-thousand years ago, foster such growing controversy amongst all of the major religions in our world?  And, why would the claims Jesus made about himself in the scripture be so "narrow", especially because of the diversity of our cultures and intellectual ideas about a higher being.

The question that we must all ask ourselves is, how could one man spawn so many unprecendented physical attacks; hostile exchanges and interaction between competing factions; aggressive prosletyzing of religious zealots toward innocent bystanders; and unending debates amongst scholarly thinkers reveal the truth?  

Because TRUTH is the only law or principle that can spark controversy and debate without ever disappointing the adherent!  

Truth needs no crutch to survive the test of human opinions or empty arguments!

Some time ago, I began an intense study on this idea of "truth" (concerning Christ and the Bible), and I discovered what I considered to be a sound and intelligent explanation for both the confusion I see among many - and the resolution I've experienced in my own heart that powerfully confirmed the perspective I've come to know concerning life and our world.  

How do I know that my perspective is not as skewed and narrow as everyone elses?  Well, I don't know that, unless I relinquish the need to be right and pursue passionately my desire to know the truth concerning the claim Christ made about Himself and in relation to the Bible as the Word of Tuth.  

Many people's pursuits for truth (concerning Christ) is already tainted due to them being influenced by religious traditions, past negative experiences or religious indoctrination.  But, as my heart searched for the truth many years ago, I remained persistent in sincerely seeking the truth about Jesus Christ, without trying to justify myself or my personal beliefs - even from the early years of my religious upbringing!

My ongoing discovery helped me to see that there is spiritual truth , which is both founded in and governed by God's spiritual and physical laws/principles (proven science), which stands authenticated (empirically verifiable) through the test of time because God's Word is both infallible and immutable.  

Whether this idea of spiritual truth involves you or I jumping off of a three-story building - experiencing the inevitable consequences of that decision.  Or, we encounter the necessity of us both having to wear protective suits for travel to the moon, because the laws that govern space travel demands it.  

I can NOT change these ultimate realities through my own human intelligence or natural ability - I am completely subject to there inescapable conclusions.

  

Self-made truth is gathered through our unique educational, experiential and environmental encounters in our lifetimes as human beings - that definitely shapes both our spiritual perception and perceived reality, but can not determine the reality of another person under a similar set of circumstances.

  

Whether this involves how you or I adapt and adjust in a certain neighborhood for safety from threatening gangs; or if it involves knowing how to keep relational peace and open communication in your home - the reality of experiencing happiness in your life is unique to your particular situation.  But, the laws and principles that govern strong marriages and healthy relationships don't change - they are common for all human beings!  Cultural norms and peer pressures often determine the treatment or mistreatment of certain classes and people groups; but the common things among us, tend to be cross-cultural. 

  

In relation to the framework or worldview of how we see life and the world - spiritual truth or the Holy Bible, with both the Old and New Testaments in its entirety as the foundation, has helped me begin to realize the impact of not just the external influences on our individual lives (that shapes much of what we see or experience).  But also powerfully confirms the fragility of our humanness without having a solid framework for living and enjoying life - God's Word.

  

Until we realize the inevitable reality that some person, place or thing will further impact our beliefs at one point or another, for better or worse - we continue to wander around in the maze of holding rigidly to our ideas, or we allow our vulnerable state to open us up to many winds of doctrines (false teachings for people with itching ears).

    

Well you might ask me, can you explain how come I get so much truth from things that aren't in the Bible?  Well, that is an untrue assumption if you don't study God's word for yourself!  But, what is quite interesting about discovering truth, is that the inspiration or motivation we receive in our lives - often comes through seemingly unspiritual moments; like as we watch a feel-good romantic-comedy about love and the disappointments we experience in life; or while hearing a moving story about a heroic person that saves someone else's life by risking their own life; or through a real-life testimony that we actually experience with a family member who has overcome wrestling a defeating addiction after many years, which they credit a model social program or some behavior modification exercise helping them get through.  

None of these things can we discount or discredit, because they did have an impact on our lives.  In them, we find that there is truth contained in many of the silent messages woven into the fabric of a feel-good movie, in a devastating tragedy, or in a personal obstacle we encountered during our pursuit for the truth and throughout life itself.  

But, what often suprises us is, "where" the inspiration may come from - an "unexpected source".  Under normal circumstances, the normal source of inspiration doesn't fit into our particular framework or context - as we define it, and is rejected.  Or, if it would be welcomed - we want it to be introduced to us by "an acceptable spokesperson" or method that suits our fancy.  Because all of our beliefs and behaviors (lifestyle choices and decisions) are completely different from theirs, which causes us to minimize the significance and value we may discover through lifes bumps and bruises - as seen through another's eyes.

STUDYING HISTORY - BUT HAVING AN OPENNESS TO CHANGE!   

All of these things demonstrate our interdependence upon one another, and should help US to answer the eternal question that lives in all of our hearts about the truth concerning the existence of God, and more importantly the demanding question we mentioned earlier concerning Jesus and the Bible.  Recently, there seems to be agreement concerning the similarities and areas of congruence of many people of the jewish, muslim and christian faiths.  For some, this similarity is the beginning of positive interaction and interfaith coaltions moving toward a place of convergence or identification of the ONE TRUE GOD - and I believe will ultimately lead all of humanity toward the heart of the Father, hidden in the God-Man, Jesus Christ!  

Great experiential wisdom and encouragement may come out of many of our religious epiphanies or life-changing encounters.  But, life will teach you that there is no end to all the likable or unlikable experiences, and all of the interesting or uninteresting people we may meet in our pathway of life.

How do they (life's numerous experiences) really prepare us to embrace what is true?  

Do we wait to see what the "fallout" will be in the lives of some of the faithful adherents of these religious movements? 

 

Do we just do what feels good until we discover something we like better?  

Do we seek the truth under every rock and in every seemingly credible book that's published to determine what we should believe? 

 

Or, do we follow "the majority's" viewpoint on what we should do and who we should follow?

ABSOLUTELY NOT, to all the above!  

It's much simpler than that...We simply pray from our hearts, by asking the One True God to clearly reveal Himself to us!

  

Many believe, that there are unending paths to the same "higher being" or ultimate spiritual reality.  Others believe, that as long as we're true to what's in our hearts or conscience that we're alright with God.   And, some believe, that with rigorous commitments, legalistic disciplines, and perfect performance - we make ourselves acceptable to God, and earn our way into eternal bliss;  for some this means an endless number of opportunities to live in another form or state of being, or into a ceaseless state of nothingness and non-existence. 

 

But, in your heart - you must know and ask yourself, what do I do with Jesus Christ?

Is He (Jesus Christ) just an inspiring personality that I respect, and adhere to certain of His teachings for moral integrity?  

Is He just a prophet and ONE of God's chosen people that mightily touched the world through His life?

  

Or, is He actually the Savior of the World - and unless I receive Him as savior and Lord, I'm doomed to a sinner's?

All of these ideas have numerous variations and nuances, but none of them brings the desired certainty or clarity to our present human condition that eliminates human hatred, stops the lust of corruption and greed which is rampant in our world, or establishes our global community with peace and justice - unless we fully embrace the purpose for the life of Christ that was given for us all by the Father above!

We're all, in our own small or significant way, attempting to affect our human condition through the virtue of our faith - by encouraging the possibility of change for the betterment of our families, our communities and our world. 

 

We're all striving to keep hope alive in our own hearts, so that the growing resistance to the darkness and depravity of our human condition, does not engulf our hearts with fear - as we see dramatic changes and hostility rampant throughout the whole earth.  

We're all expressing (in our own way) a sentiment of love towards the sea of humanity that is suffering from physical and emotional pain, starvation, prejudice, injustice, inequality, sickness, poverty; as the list of fatal woes and sorrows in the world grows continually without end!

But, what do we do to find our place of common ground and common interest?

WE SEEK THE TRUTH!

WHAT IS THIS PURSUIT ALL ABOUT?

This pursuit — "Finding the Truth", is all about providing resources that we believe will help you to discover the truth about Jesus Christ, and shed light on why there is only one way to be reconciled back to God!  

Call it narrow, crazy or uninformed - but once you've searched for truth, by asking for God to reveal Himself clearly to you; your search will end in great peace of heart!

People come to Christ for many reasons - noble or ignoble.  But our need for Him is more about eternal life then about anything else - although there are numerous benefits and promises we will receive (our spiritual inheritance) from walking with Him!

Read some of the articles and links to other websites (SEE BELOW), for some great apologetic materials and tools about discovering the truth (CONCERNING CHRIST AND THE BIBLE) - that will in turn help you draw your own conclusions!

If you want to KNOW HIM (Jesus Christ) for yourself, RIGHT NOW go the the "Knowing Christ For Sure" page that will help you to experience new life and a reality of the Kingdom of God that will change your life FOREVER!

May God be with you in discovering THE TRUTH for yourself!

Walter L. Smith III (WS-3)

CEO/Principal

WS-3 Enterprises & Associates, LLC.

https://WS3Enterprises.Blogspot.com

Mobile Line: (424) 327-0933

**Gallup Strengths: Positivity, Learner, Connectedness, Responsibility, & Activator

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