The trappings of the holidays try to convince us that all is well when in reality it is not. But Advent reminds us that these are but falsehoods. Truth, instead, is embodied in the baby born to Mary of Nazareth in the town of Bethlehem in Judea.
Truth
God’s Truth and Love Are Inseparable
I most commonly hear truth and love treated as binary, opposites, or ends of a spectrum. Pastors speak of our tendency to choose one or the other and exhort us to find balance, to hold them in tension. But I'm not satisfied with this. I'm on a quest for clarity.
Recognize the Spirit of Truth vs the Spirit of Falsehood
Because many false teachers abound, the apostle John teaches us how to recognize the spirit of truth versus falsehood.
Be True to Your True Self
“Be true to yourself” they say. “But which self?” I say. "My introverted, organized, third-culture-kid, creative self? Or my true self in Christ?" I’d like to rewrite this phrase: Be true to your true self—your in-Christ self.
Let Us Walk in the Light
"Needs further explanation" my editor commented in the margin of my book manuscript, "The general public will not understand this phrase even though it's in the Bible." Again and again, she forced me to creatively explain Biblical phrases that seem second nature to Christians. We say them but we might not know what they mean or how to live them out. One of these phrases caused me to pause in my study of Isaiah.
Be Merciful Over and Over
"How do I know the Bible is true? Is God real? Is Jesus really God? I think the morality standards in the Bible no longer apply today. God loves everyone, so he won’t send any to eternal torment. The Bible is a book of nice stories but not the foundation for truth so it doesn’t matter how I live my life." Help for dealing with these questions and comments from my friends and loved ones can be found in Jude’s short New Testament letter.
Pondered Treasures 