THE SUM OF THE LAW!

GALATIANS 5: 14

"For the whole law can be summed up in this one command. Love your neighbor as yourself."

The Lord gave us 10 commandments and His manual for our life, the bible. We are to learn from the prophets and His Word. With all the wisdom and understanding contained in the Old and New Testament, there is one question that could make us pause and reflect. Is it possible to sum up the entire teaching and concepts of the Word of God in one scripture or One Truth Today? The answer is yes. For the whole law can be summed up in this one command. Love your neighbor as yourself. The bible is without error and is the truth that we can rely on and believe in. That is why we must understand what this scripture is all about. What is it that God wants us to know?

Is it possible that all of the law regarding human relationships is found in this one command of God? If all the law is fulfilled in this one command then we can comply with its precepts and know that we are in God's will and pleasing Him. Love your neighbor as yourself. In other words treat others as you want to be treated yourself. Give the same care and concern to everyone else that you expect for yourself. You can not hate your neighbor. You can not ignore your neighbor. You can not hide from their needs and wants, for they are really your needs and wants. Will you help the sick, go to those in prison, give to those in need? Think Mother Theresa. Will you give up yourself because you love the others? Wow, maybe that does sum up the Law of Jesus Christ. He was willing to give everything He had, including His life for you. That is THE SUM OF THE LAW!

How do you treat your parents? How do you treat your children? How do you treat your brothers and sisters? How do you treat the rest of your family? How do you treat your next door neighbors? What do you give to your school, city, country? In the end you will find out that everyone is your neighbor in spirit. You have a command to love your neighbor, do you do it? How do you treat people of other races, sexes, religions or appearance? Do you treat them the way you want to be treated? Do you love your neighbors as you love yourself? Check it out and then do not just be a hearer of the Word, be a doer of the Word. Love you neighbor!

IN PERFECT PEACE!

ISAIAH 26: 3

"You will keep IN PERFECT PEACE all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you."

Tell the truth, there are times when you yell out, or scream. There are times when you may use salty language. There are times when you feel like your life is crazy. You may feel like the harder you run to catch up, the farther you get behind. Are there times when you have hatred or anger? Is cursing and bad behavior a part of your life that you want to hide and want to end? Does the thought of perfect peace sound pretty good to you? Then the One Truth Today is what you need to hear and then put into action. It is possible to have peace, not just some times, but at all times. It is possible in this evil and hectic world to have perfect peace. The Word tells us how!

There is only one way to have perfect peace in this world and the world to come. The thing you need first is to have the Lord in your life. The Lord is the only perfect thing that has occurred in this world. Without God there is no peace. Man is incapable of obtaining peace apart from the Lord. You must have a relationship that is based on complete trust in God. The angels declared at the birth of Jesus Christ that He would bring peace on earth to men in God's will!

Are you in God's will? Is Jesus Christ your Lord and your God? Do you have a steadfast mind that is fixed on God and His Word? Do you Trust the Lord?

There is one final component of this scripture that is so important if you want perfect peace in your life. Are your thoughts fixed on the Lord. Do you remember to only think about things that are true, honest and just? Do you keep your mind on things that are pure, lovely and of good report? Do you think about things that are praiseworthy, virtuous and are positive? If you think on these things with an emphasis on what will bless the Lord, then you can honestly say that your thoughts are fixed on the Lord. In that we can only think of one thing at a time then you will avoid thoughts of evil and what will have a negative effect on your life. As a man thinks in his heart, that is what he will be. If you want perfect peace then you need to trust the Lord and keep your thoughts fixed on Him and His Word!

COMMIT YOURSELF!

PROVERBS 23: 12

"COMMIT YOURSELF to instruction; listen carefully to the words of knowledge."

Tell the truth, how much time do you spend listening to the words of knowledge and instruction in the Bible? Pastor's will acknowledge that they spend a great deal of time in the Word. Some Christians spend a great deal of time getting instruction and learning about the Lord. What about those of us who have not been called to be a teacher of pastor? How much time and energy should the average christian spend in instruction and learning about the Lord? Are you committed to instruction from the Lord? Do you listen and learn the words of knowledge in the bible? It should be the desire of every believer to Know and Love God. Have you made that kind of commitment. Today may be the right day to COMMIT YOURSELF!

Is the bible just a dust collector in your home? Do you have a habit of reading through the bible on a yearly basis? Do you read the bible everyday with the goal of learning more and more about the Lord. Have you committed to having the knowledge sufficient that you could instruct others? Do you carefully listen and then ingest the Word of God into your heart and mind? Are you just a hearer or reader of the word or are you a doer of the Word? Is the Word of God truth and light to you? Everyone needs to make a conscious decision to COMMIT YOURSELF!

If you have given your life to Christ and you want to follow Him then you need to know His Word. The bible is the manual for our lives. It is the instruction on what to do. All the information you will ever need in your life is in the Word. If we do not commit to reading and then learning the information in the instruction manual then the results are predictable. What is the most important thing in your life? The correct answer is to make sure that Jesus Christ the Lord God is first in anything and everything that you do. How much time do you spend with the Lord each day. What should come first before our other efforts of the day? What is the last thing we need to remember at night. COMMIT YOURSELF today and every day of your life!

GOD BE WITH YOU!

2 CORINTHIANS 13: 11

"Be joyful.  Grow to maturity.  Encourage each other.  Live in harmony and peace.  Then the God of love and peace will be with you."

Many times one christian will say to another, "GOD BE WITH YOU".  Can you think of any more important prayer than that?  What is more important in any ones life than that the God of love and peace is with you?  Being in God's will is the goal and purpose of every christian and to have the Lord with you on your journey through life, and at death, is paramount.  In fact good advise before you comment on any future endeavor or  plan for your life is to add the prayer, "God willing".  That is just another way of saying and praying that God be with us.  How do we achieve this lofty goal and just what is the One Truth Today?

In order to gain strength and truly receive the message of this scripture we have to implement it.  God wants us to be perfected and completed by listening to His Word and then doing it.  Are you joyful?  Do you count everything as joy and do you rejoice in the Lord at all times?  Are you growing up and becoming mature?  If you remain immature and childlike in your actions and words, demanding as a baby does, that is not responsible and it will not bring you peace.  Do you encourage others instead of always asking "what about me".  Do you make it a practice to live in harmony and peace with others or do you look for the dark side and go there?  You see your actions lead to reactions and the Lord is advising you on how you should act if you want His presence.  GOD BE WITH YOU!

God who is the source of all good and love is a God of benevolence and is the promoter of peace.  If you want peace and love then you need to align yourself to the Lord and be a doer of His Word.  Allow the Holy Spirit to lead you in life.  Let the Lord take control or your life and lead you in the path of righteousness.  Always put the Lord first in your life, before yourself. Become more and more Christ like as you grow older and wiser.  Rejoice in every circumstance.

Pray without ceasing about everything in your life.  Be joyful, be mature, encourage others, live in harmony and peace.  Then the God of Love and Peace will be with you.  Now you know what Christians mean when they say, GOD BE WITH YOU!  

OUR FATHER'S PLAN!

GALATIANS 1: 4

"Jesus gave His life for our sins, just as God OUR FATHER PLANNED, in order to save us from this evil world in which we live!"

So many wonder why they are here on earth. They want to know the purpose for their lives. They would like to know if there is a plan that is in place for their lives or if this is all that there is. They also wonder if there is a God and if He has a plan for this world and their lives. The One Truth Today should answer your questions. These questions have been asked since man first appeared on earth. The plan of God was not revealed until the coming of Jesus Christ. The plan was from the beginning, it was pre-ordained. There is a God and He has a plan for this world and for your life and you can be saved from inevitable death and eternal separation. The Lord will save you from this evil world if you believe in Him, His Word and His Salvation

Jesus Christ, the Lord God, had a plan to yield Himself on the cross to atone for our sins. As one without sin and the only "Good One", to ever live, He became the one who could sanctify and save us from our sins. God did this to rescue us and deliver us from this evil world with its pain, disease, death and separation from Him. It was the will and purpose of God that not a single person should perish but that they should have everlasting life in heaven with Him. Whoever believes in Jesus Christ and the Lord's plan will be saved. The plan is being played out in your life today. Have you been Saved? Have you given your heart to the Lord God? Do you believe the Lord?

Everyone of us has a part to play in the plan of God. Because you have free will it will be necessary for you to make a choice. You must choose to believe in the Lord or you must choose to reject Him. Making no decision is the same as rejecting the Lord, because you never accepted Him or opened your heart to Him. Choices have consequences and if you choose to Save yourself, good luck with that. You can accept OUR FATHER'S PLAN, for your life, or you can substitute some other plan. If you have not been born again of the Spirit of God then you will not receive new life and you will never enter the kingdom of God. That is the plan of redemption from God, to save all who come to Him. He will become your father, and He will never leave you or desert you. That is why the plan is so just. You make the choice and only you will be responsible for the consequences. If you want to be saved from this evil world and death, then hear and obey OUR FATHER'S PLAN!

DEFINITION OF A FOOL!

PSALM 53: 1

"Only fools say in their hearts, there is no God.  They are corrupt and their actions are evil.  Not one of them does good."

Anyone who lacks judgement and prudence can be called a fool.  Someone who is deranged or lacking in the common powers of understanding can be called a fool.  These definitions apply in an even greater sense when we apply the One Truth Today.  Only a FOOL says in their hearts, there is no God.  To deny God and His existence is the ultimate form or lacking judgement and prudence.  You have to be lacking in the common powers of understanding or deranged enough to want to close your mind to the existence of God.  Even the most limited powers of observation of the heavens tell of the Glory of God.  We can even go so far as to say that their unbelief is evil and corrupt and will come to no good.  Godless people are never going to be good people.  Only God fearing people through the mercy and Salvation of Jesus Christ  will be counted as good.  

In order to deny God you have to deny the sun, moon, stars and universe.  In order to deny God you have to reject His Word and Truth.  In order to deny God you have to have an alternative hypothesis that is beyond belief and has no proof in reality or truth.  Believing in anything except God requires more faith and an evil intent.  Making yourself a humanist, agnostic or atheist is a substitute for reason and has no merit.  None of the above can even make a simple thing like dirt out of nothing, so why would you want to believe their nonsense.  You, like them can not save yourself from death and give yourself life.  If you reject God you are more than evil and condemned to death, you are the DEFINITION OF A FOOL!

We have to ask this question, why would anyone deny God?  Is it because they want to be a god themselves and justify anything and everything that they do that is evil?  If you want to commit heinous acts and sins of all kinds that are an abomination to God you need to reject His Word and His existence.  Because some are defiant and rebellious to the commands of God they refuse to allow anyone to tell them what to do.  When the day of judgement comes what do you think will be their eternal result?  Every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is the Lord God at the judgement.  Those that have accepted the Lord will be Saved.  Those that have rejected God and disrespected and disbelieved Him will be condemned to eternal separation from God.  What a contrast.  If you have rejected the Lord you are the DEFINITION OF A FOOL!   Only fools say in their heart their is no God!

WHO CAN YOU TRUST?

ISAIAH 2: 22

"Do not put your trust in mere humans, they are as frail as breath.  What good are they?"

I have often told my children that they should never put there trust in a man.  Human beings will fail you every time.  The reason is that all of us have come short of the Glory of God and no one is good, no not one of us!  Have your parents deserted you?  Did your brothers and sisters let you down?  How about your "friends" or your spouse and their family?  It is true folly to put your trust and hope in any human being.  As Jesus Christ said, "only God is Good".  There are so many examples of where people have put their trust in someone only to be hurt and disappointed when their true nature, character and morals are revealed.  Go ahead, supply your own example!  Mans actions can never equal there words!  They may be sincere as can be, but they remain sinners.  So the threshold  question is WHO CAN YOU TRUST?

All men are weak, frail and from the moment of birth they are dying.  They may have breath in their lungs for a short time but in the end one thing happens to us all.  In God's time we are just a wisp of smoke, a breath of air, or a flower that blooms and then fades away.  Who are we in comparison to all that have been or will be.  Hardly a rock you can stand on or a shelter you can run into, for we are here today and gone tomorrow.  The lesson and the One Truth Today is that you should never put your trust in a human being.  They are as frail as breath and of no good in the eternal scheme of things.  That is why the Lord tells us to always seek Him First.   Jesus Christ, the Lord God is eternal and absolute.  The Lord always has the Truth and is the answer to any question.  WHO CAN YOU TRUST?  The answer is the Lord and Him only!

This does not mean that we can never trust anyone.  The measure of the trust should be in equal proportion to the how they keep their word.  Their actions will speak louder than their words and you can judge them by their fruit!  The closer the person is to God and His Word the more likely they can be trusted.  keep in mind that all are sinners and come short of the Glory of God, they are just like you, right!  That is why it is so important to Know, Love and Fear God, He is the only one you can really trust and this for eternity.  IN GOD WE TRUST, is more than a slogan on our dollar bill.  It is one of the foundational belief's of this country.  Well at least it used to be.  How about your life, who do you trust?  Better question, WHO CAN YOU TRUST?  You know the answer and now it is time to live the answer.  IN GOD WE TRUST!