Truth Archives

Is America asking for Jesus this Christmas?

Most of us work hard to give Christmas gifts that others will want. I hope the gifts under my own Christmas tree will give joy and happiness to the people I love. I love the Lord and what the Christmas holiday represents for his children. I’m sad for the people who try to celebrate Christmas without the indwelling joy of Christ. If I could give a gift to America, I would give the gift God chose to give that first Christmas.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

Jesus is the most valuable Christmas gift ever given, a gift all of us can freely give. The only catch is that we must receive the gift ourselves before giving it away.

A recent article that Christians should know about

The Wall Street Journal published an important article on December 1 of this year. The article was titled Sales of Bibles Are Booming, Fueled by First-Time Buyers and New Versions.

The article stated that “Bible sales are up 22% in the U.S. through the end of October, compared with the same period last year, according to book tracker Circana BookScan.” I founded and now serve the Foundations brand of the Denison Ministries. This brand is focused on teaching biblical truth and helping others to learn how to study and apply God’s word to their lives. Needless to say, the Wall Street Journal article caught my eye!

The article quoted Jeff Crosby, president of the Christian Publishers Association, who explained the increase in Bible sales, saying, “People are experiencing anxiety themselves, or they’re worried for their children and grandchildren. It’s related to artificial intelligence, election cycles…and all of that feeds a desire for assurance that we’re going to be OK.” The article also stated, “The demand for Bibles is rising despite evidence that the country is growing increasingly secularized.”

Is the country growing increasingly secularized, or are America’s citizens increasingly coming to realize they need God?

What causes people to seek God’s word?

America has been through a season of stress this past year. Regardless of which side you take in our political system, this year’s election campaigns were filled with angst, threats of disaster, and a sense that if your candidate didn’t win, the future looked disastrous. Americans have learned to question and doubt the news reports we see on television.

Are Americans looking for truth in the midst of doubts and stress? The Bible is known as a book of truth. Jesus described himself as “the way and the truth and the life” (John 14:6).

Last September, we watched the news footage of the horrible storms that hit places like North Carolina. A U.S. News article said, “The Carolinas braced for a storm that forecasters warned could bring heavy rain — as much as 6 to 8 inches in some spots. But one narrow band got a ‘firehose’ that dumped as much as 20 inches in a so-called 1,000-year flood that shocked many with its intensity.” Psalm 107:28 says, “Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress.”

Some television news reported that people weren’t getting the help they needed, and other stations reported all that would be done to care for people, many of whom had lost everything they owned and someone or something they loved. While the reporters were arguing about the truth, groups like The Samaritan’s Purse jumped in to be the truth and bring immediate, much-needed help. Compassion for people in need led to increased funds that were used, and are still being used, to help America’s citizens physically and spiritually. I don’t think we can overestimate Franklin Graham’s influence on our nation as he spoke God’s truth on our national news programs.

The election sent a clear message to everyone on both sides of the political war, as did the news footage about the terrible storm. Anyone who watched the news wanted something different because the people of our country deserve the help they need. Christians understand the government will never provide for a person’s greatest need. That is the real purpose of this blog post.

Christians know what America needs most this Christmas

Increased Bible sales point to an increased interest in God’s message to the world. When people realize they need truth, they look for truth. It’s our job as Christians to be watchful and ready to help them find the biblical truth that Jesus was born to provide.

The baby in the manger was and is God Incarnate. He was and is Immanuel, God with us. I like the way William Barclay described Jesus. He said, “God was always like Jesus.” I’ve often said that the baby in the manger was God, with skin on him. People often struggle to understand the God of the Old Testament. They simply need to understand that God has always been the Jesus they see in the New Testament.

Our country has bought a lot more Bibles this year, but will they read them? Will the average American understand the rich, eternal teaching of the words they are reading? Will they read the word of God and then live with biblical choices?

God’s word is powerful truth, but that truth is more likely gained through study, not simply reading. That’s why I wanted to start the Foundations brand at Denison Ministries. Before I ever owned the promise of my salvation in Christ, I owned a few Bibles. God’s word is written to help people know God. God’s creation speaks to his reality every moment of every day. Paul said God’s “invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made” (Romans 1:20). Paul goes on to say that’s why people are “without excuse” for not knowing there is a God.

If you read this blog post, you probably know that God exists, and you probably want to know God as well as you possibly can. Sanctification requires a willing heart and careful study of God’s word. Even Paul said, “Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord” (Philippians 3:8).

My “end of year” request

Christmas and New Year’s Day fall on Wednesdays this year. This blog post is the last lengthy post I will write this year. I believe America is seeking to know the God whom the apostle Paul wanted to know and the Lord Jesus whom God gave to a world he so loved more than two thousand years ago. I pray all of us will look for the chance to give the gift that matters most this Christmas and continue to give that gift throughout the new year to come.

It’s difficult to know what we should expect in 2025, but every Christian should look at the increase in Bible sales and recognize the felt need in our country today. We can all share the gospel message with the people God brings across our path. Will you “count everything as loss” compared to the “surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus” as Lord?

I promise to commit our work at the Foundations ministry for that very purpose. I’ll send some wishes in the next two weeks, but this week, I wanted to answer my own question and say, “Yes, America is asking for Jesus this Christmas.” We at the Foundations brand want to help people know that the baby in the manger was the God of the universe and still is today.

We would be truly grateful if you helped us continue to help others know Jesus and study biblical truth. Thank you for caring, giving, and helping us provide God’s word of truth to the people of this world.

Masked blessings

I have to confess, sometimes I’m a prayer whiner. Admittedly, things have to get pretty tough before I slip into the “whine mode,” but it happens.

I’m supposed to be on a fun girl’s trip this week, but I decided to stay close to home. (And I promise. . .I won’t use this blog post to whine about that—at least not anymore.)

I was almost home from a glorious walk watching the beautiful sunrise through the tall East Texas trees, and I almost missed my blessing. I was still whining to God when I passed a neighbor’s home with cute Halloween characters in the front yard. His quiet answer to my self-centered, immature prayers caught me off guard.

Sometimes, life sends us into toddler mode spiritually. Our loving Father puts up with our whining, but only for a time. He’d rather bless us instead.

The cute Halloween display

Generally, I’m not a fan of Halloween. I decorate for fall, but my decor reflects the season instead of that holiday. That’s why the display caught my eye and surprised me. I actually liked it. I wouldn’t usually enjoy a Halloween display, but this little grouping of witches, each dressed in cute little dresses and masks, made me smile. Why would I write about that? Because in that moment, God taught me something about my prayers.

Sometimes our blessings wear masks, too.

I have good reasons to whine, but no excuse

Here is a quick list of the reasons I was whining.

I missed a fun girls’ trip.
Most of my adult life has included the responsibility of taking care of an aging or dying parent. First, Jim’s mom. Then my dad. Now, my mom.
I’ve missed trips, vacations, sporting events, and other moments that felt important to me.
Craig, my youngest son, was going into kindergarten when Jim’s mom got cancer for the first time. She was diagnosed and treated for cancer twice more after that.
Two years after Jim’s mom passed, Craig was planning his wedding when my mom called to say they were moving to Dallas to be nearby. She needed help with my dad. After my dad died, my mom began to decline and needed help. Now, a decade later, my mom is entering her last days.

I was whining to God about how much time I have spent going to doctors, paying bills, handling funeral arrangements, closing out estates, etc., etc., etc. Then, I passed a Halloween display that made me smile. Why?

The Halloween display stopped my whining, and God was able to insert his answer into my prayers. I looked at those cute little witches and heard, “You have no reason to whine. Those moments are your blessings.” As with all the “God thoughts,” I knew it was truth the second I heard that quiet, very clear God voice within.

I knew but needed to remember and rely on the truth of God’s answer to my prayers. I finished my walk thinking about how Satan loves to put a “mask” over God’s truth, especially the truth about the hard times in our lives. Sometimes, we have to quit whining long enough to allow God to get his word in edgewise!

We all have reasons to whine when we pray. Spiritually, though, we don’t have an excuse because of God’s word to us. Every reason that causes us to pray will be redeemed as our blessing.

God would rather bless our prayers than just listen to them

God’s voice is a blessing that too often gets masked by the world’s messaging. There are some tough times right now. I’m slowly losing my mom. A LOT of people have lost their homes, a family member, their jobs, their pets, their finances, and almost everything they had come to value in their lives because of a hurricane. They have so many reasons to whine to God, but spiritually, there is no excuse. Why is that?

God understands our struggles and hears us every time we cry out to him in pain, exhaustion, fear, anger, and grief. But God would rather heal us than just hear us. He wants to bless our prayers with his answers.

Do we spend more time telling God what we think, feel, and need than listening for him to give us what we need? Some thoughts about prayer:

Our whining isn’t necessary, but his answer is. “Before they call I will answer; while they are yet speaking I will hear” (Isaiah 65:24). God already knows what to do and how to direct your life toward his answers.

Our circumstances may feel too difficult to endure, but they aren’t. “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it” (1 Corinthians 10:13). If God allowed it, you are equipped and able to handle it with his help.

Every difficult time is an opportunity to help people know God and give him glory. “And call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me” (Psalm 50:15). People are watching, and you can show them God’s amazing grace.

God will hear us, help us, and bless us throughout our trials. “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16). You will also receive God’s amazing grace when you ask.

Unmask your blessings

I rediscovered Psalm 66 as I was putting together this blog post. That psalm is the eternal truth we all need for life on this side of heaven. It is a psalm of praise for God’s compassionate character, especially his care and compassion for us during the tough times.

The psalmist gives some crucial advice toward the end. He wrote, “If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened. But truly God has listened; he has attended to the voice of my prayer” (Psalm 66:18–19).

I wouldn’t have heard God’s voice if I hadn’t stopped whining to him. If I had “cherished” my self-centered thoughts, I wouldn’t have been reminded of my blessings. God attended to the voice of my prayer by giving me new thoughts that unmasked his truth.

What has God said to you as you read this blog post? What prayers do you need to pray, and what prayers do you need to re-pray with a new perspective? Choose to spend more time listening than talking. God already knows what you want, need, and hope for. Will you allow him to get a word in edgewise? I hope his answers will make all of you smile, too!

The Truth – almost

My first words this week need to be words of gratitude. Many of you donated to our ministry last week through the North Texas Giving Day, and once again, we at Denison Ministries realize we are abundantly blessed. You, our readers and friends, make this ministry possible. We praise God for each of you.

I went back and forth on this blog post. Should I write it or should I not? In the end, the message was so close to the focus of our entire ministry that I decided it was important for us to consider.

If you have been a reader of this blog post for a while, you know I am a huge fan of Christian music. Some of the best “God thoughts” these days are in our music. A song that is playing often now on our Christian stations is one that I almost love.

The song is practically perfect, except for one important line. The song is titled “The Truth,” and it is mostly true. Take a few minutes to listen to the song by Megan Woods. Are you able to discern the one line in “The Truth” that just isn’t biblical truth?

Why does that one line matter?

I spoke to two groups last week, making this point to both: God’s word is pure truth and doesn’t contain any error. Yet, we live in a culture that often feels the need to alter God’s word to align with or sympathize with people’s emotions, values, and feelings.

All of us at Denison Ministries have committed to a singular value. If we write content, we want it consistent with biblical teaching, even when it might not be a culturally popular subject. We never want to teach something about God that the Bible would not teach.

That’s why one morning when I was enjoying a Christian song titled “The Truth,” I cringed a little when I heard the chorus. Did you pick out the line that doesn’t stand with the “truth” of God’s word?

Megan Woods sings, “I was made in the image of a perfect King.” That is full truth. God is our Father, and he loves us completely, as a perfect King loves his child. But the line that follows that truth says, “He looks at me and wouldn’t change a thing.” That one line is just not true.

Why does that one line matter so much that I wanted to write a blog post about it?

Jesus said, “And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:32). Jesus was praying for his disciples when he said, “Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth” (John 17:17). If I could rewrite that one line in the song “The Truth,” it would say, “I was made in the image of a perfect King. He saved my soul and changed everything.”

Right now, a great movement in Christian ministry is especially appealing to the younger generations—one that is especially important to correct. The message intends to bring healing, comfort, and self-esteem to a generation that has been greatly impacted by the content and messaging of a lot of the social media they consume. But if a message isn’t biblically true, it won’t be truly helpful to our lives.

That one line in the song matters because while God loves us as we are, he would never leave us as we are. In fact, his great love for us is why he sent his Son to die for every sin we would commit. God gave us Jesus so that we could be “born again” and experience complete change. The problem with that one line is that it dismisses the lifelong journey of sanctification that God wants us to live.

Why is the need for sanctification crucial biblical truth?

One of the great omissions in much of today’s popular preaching is God’s command to be sanctified. Over and over again, God said in the Old Testament, “Be holy because I am holy.” Jesus prayed we would be sanctified by the truth.

In his letter to the Ephesian church, Paul wrote to Christians who were slipping back into the Gentile practices they had lived with. Paul was very specific about their need to grow in the knowledge and grace of the Lord continuously. He wrote about their desire to carry on with some of the cultural practices, saying, “But that is not the way you learned Christ!— assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness” (Ephesians 4:20–24).

To teach that God “wouldn’t change a thing” about our lives is to deny the truth of Scripture. It also gives the listener permission to live without the transforming work of the Holy Spirit that God has given his children. In his letter to the Colossians, Paul wrote, “And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God” (Colossians 1:9–10).

God, our heavenly Father, loves us as we are. Our salvation means we are his beloved child. The perfection and holiness of God calls his children to live perfected holy lives, growing in wisdom and grace and knowledge of who he is. God wants his children to become more like him every day.

How might the truth about sanctification change our culture?

I love almost all of Megan Woods’s song, “The Truth,” but I had to write about that one line: Truth matters because partial truth deceives.

A 2024 WebMD article stated, “Teen mental health problems have hit a new peak in the US, and the gap between the number of teenagers who report conditions like anxiety, depression, and hopelessness and the number of those who receive treatment is increasing.” Our kids need to know they are loved by a perfect God, but they also need to know that God’s truth is the source of their self-esteem. God doesn’t want to leave them as they are. He wants them to be sanctified by the truth and continuously strive to be like him. Holiness can be their lasting confidence if it is their lifelong goal. The same is true for all of us.

People’s feelings truly matter, just not as much as the truth of God’s word. God made certain we would have his word and be filled with his Spirit so that we could live with the discernment we need to ignore the cultural versions of truth and trust what actually is truth.

It might seem that I have been too picky about one line of a song, but if a song is titled “The Truth,” then it needs to be entirely true. Discernment matters, and as our culture continues to drift from biblical truth, it will become increasingly crucial that God’s children do not.

Our perfect God loves us as we are, but we can be grateful that he wants to change who we are. Our Father wants us to be sanctified, made holy, so we can become more like him.

Christians should ponder Katherine Maher’s position on truth

Katherine Maher was hired as CEO and President of National Public Radio (NPR) in March of this year and is already making national headlines. She is forty years old and worked previously for Web Summit and as chair of the board of directors at the Signal Foundation. She was married last year to an attorney and stepped into her job at NPR a month ago.

Why should NPR’s brand philosophy matter to Christians?

NPR has existed since 1971. It was a product of President Lyndon B. Johnson’s Public Broadcasting Act of 1967. When Johnson signed the Act he said, “Today we rededicate a part of the airwaves—which belong to all the people—and we dedicate them for the enlightenment of all the people. I believe the time has come to stake another claim in the name of all the people, stake a claim based upon the combined resources of communications. I believe the time has come to enlist the computer and the satellite, as well as television and radio, and to enlist them in the cause of education.”

NPR’s original purpose, according to its board of directors, was to “provide an identifiable daily product which is consistent and reflects the highest standards of broadcast journalism.” It was established as a non-profit but, due to significant budget issues in the early 1980’s, became largely supported by donations from listeners, charitable foundations, and corporations. Eventually the donors’ opinions began to influence the programming.

In 2004 a Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting study reported that “NPR’s guestlist shows the radio service relies on the same elite and influential sources that dominate mainstream commercial news and falls short of reflecting the diversity of the American public.”

When the brand philosophy changes, so does the purpose.

Katherine Maher was on Ted Talk in 2022 when she gave her opinion about the importance of truth in journalism. She said, “Perhaps for our most tricky disagreements, seeking the truth and seeking to convince others of the truth might not be the right place to start. In fact, our reverence for the truth might be a distraction that’s getting in the way of finding common ground and getting things done.”

Every Christian would agree that we are surrounded by “tricky disagreements” in this world. Jesus sent his disciples into their culture saying, “Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves” (Matthew 10:16). Our purpose as disciples is to share the truth of God’s word with others. If we, as Katherine Maher suggests, see truth as a distraction that is “getting in the way of finding common ground,” we would be altering our purpose.

Jesus said, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:31–32). The only way we can truly be a disciple of Christ is to “abide” in his word. When we allow the opinions of others to influence truth, we have ceased to abide or dwell in the truth of Christ. And Jesus said it was his truth that would set us free.

Our opinions do not lead people to a saving faith in Jesus Christ. Our practical purpose as a disciple will change if our definition of truth isn’t biblical. Jesus said, “abide in my word.” The outcome of our testimony might bring people to church and even to a better life on earth, but if our testimony is anything other than the perfect truth of God’s word, we might not have brought that person to an understanding of their need for saving faith in Christ.

“Bothsidesism” isn’t a biblical option

My husband wrote an article in 2020 saying, “A writer for the Columbia Journalism Review made an impassioned argument last December against “bothsidesism,” the journalist philosophy that “both sides” of a story should be covered objectively and fairly.” The writer went on to say that “the top duty of a journalist was to fight for the truth.”

The problem: the journalist’s definition of truth was actually whatever opinion or position the journalist wanted to take on a subject.

Christian disciples cannot be wise as serpents unless we realize the overwhelming need to abide in biblical truth rather than public opinion. The truth about Jesus sets people free and opinions will not.

As you consider your own witness, is it completely based on the truth of God’s word, or has it been softened by the opinions of our culture? “Bothsidesism” isn’t an option for a Christian. Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). In the original language, the word translated “the” means “the only” way, “the only” truth, and “the only” life. If we share any other truth, we have not shared the truth about Christ.

Christians will not be “harmless as doves” if we are seeking to win an argument rather than seeking to win others to Christ. It’s usually a fine line and therefore easy to miss. If our goal is to win an argument, we will likely enter whatever arena is presented and fight with whatever weapons are necessary to win the battle. If our goal is to win a soul for Christ, we will stick to the truth—ALL the truth of God’s word. A dove doesn’t cause harm, and neither should our words.

What is your position on truth?

Our position on truth is defined not just by what we believe personally but by what we share with others.

Jesus came to his disciples and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:18–20).

Jesus issues the same call to his disciples today. His word has “all authority,” and we have been commanded to speak his truth. When we do, Jesus himself is with us, helping us always to serve him wisely.

Our position on truth is directly related to our position with Christ. Are you abiding in the truth, the way, and the life? If so, his truth has set you free. Wisely, gently, share the truth with a culture that, like Katherine Maher, has lost “reverence for the truth.”

When God speaks

My blog posts this week is about listening to God.

He speaks to servants who listen.

But sometimes God whispers.

Why is that?

GOD’S WHISPER IS PERSONAL

When did you last whisper to someone?

Chances are, it was someone you love. We don’t whisper in the ears of strangers. God whispers to those he loves too.

Scripture records God’s whispered voice in 1 Kings 19. This is one of the most touching passages in the Bible.

Elijah’s experience with God took place after his public stand against the prophets of Baal. The Lord had shown himself to the people when Elijah’s altar was consumed by fire from heaven. Everyone witnessed the power of God, and the prophets of Baal were defeated and killed. But, when Jezebel threatened Elijah’s life, the prophet was afraid and fled into the hills.

Elijah traveled for forty days and ended up in a cave on Mount Sinai. Some commentaries suggest it could have been the cave on Mount Sinai, the cave where Moses had met with God. When God wanted to whisper to his prophet, he took him to a place where he knew Elijah would listen.

When God whispers, his words are personal and private. They are his message to you, before they become a message for others.

GOD’S WHISPER HAS A PURPOSE

There have been countless sermons and books from this passage about Elijah. The prophet was afraid, dejected, depressed, and alone, and this is soon after he had prayed for fire from heaven. The people who saw the miracle recognized the power of God, but the prophet was still afraid of Jezebel’s threats.

Elijah has always been considered the great prophet of Israel. It is just like God to provide his people with a story like Elijah’s so that every generation would learn from his example. People tend to look for greatness in other people, in other things. Every prophet, from Elijah to today, is simply a human being whose greatness is a product of God’s.

Elijah was in a cave when an angel of the Lord came to him and said, “Go out and stand on the mount before the Lord” (1 Kings 19:11). God wanted to speak a personal message to Elijah, meet his needs, and direct his path. God was going to whisper to the prophet, and he wanted Elijah to listen.

God still whispers his purpose and plans to his people today.

GOD’S WHISPER IS POWERFUL

Elijah stood before the Lord, and “he passed by.” Scripture says that “a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire” (1 Kings 19:11–12).

Everyone has needed to alter their life this past year. I have masks in my car, in my purse, and in my home. A lot of God’s people, myself included, have looked at this past year and wondered if the Lord was speaking to our American culture. My only answer to that question is maybe.

On the other hand, if I stand on the mountain with Elijah, I see things differently.

Are we supposed to look for God in a virus, in the news, in the government, and in the storms? What if God wants us to seek his voice in the quiet?

After the wind, the earthquake, and the fire, there was “the sound of a low whisper” (1 Kings 19:12). The Bible says, “when Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out” (v. 13).

God’s voice was most powerful when it was most personal.

God’s words to Elijah were whispered because the prophet was close and listening. That’s why Elijah covered his head. God was so near that the prophet was careful to be reverent. In that moment, nothing else mattered except hearing God’s quiet voice.

When God whispers to us, it is for our ears only—and we should strain to catch every word.

GOD’S WHISPER IS OUR PEACE

God spoke directly to Elijah’s needs. Elijah felt alone and dejected. As a prophet, he was supposed to convince people of their need for God and help them return to faith and obedience. But, when Elijah called fire from heaven, giving proof of God’s existence, he only made Jezebel more of an enemy. Elijah needed to measure success differently.

God told Elijah to return and anoint new kings over Israel and Judah. God also told him to anoint Elisha as the new prophet for these kings. Then God told Elijah which king would be responsible for Elisha’s death.

God didn’t whisper that everything would be fine. He told Elijah that most of the people would not change, but some would. God said, “Yet I will leave seven thousand in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him” (1 Kings 19:18).

God didn’t whisper that everything would be fine. God whispered his will, and Elijah was fine.

GOD’S WHISPER IS HIS WORD

Do you expect God will whisper to you?

Our generation of faith is blessed to have access to his word every moment of every day. We can Google a verse, grab a Bible, or download a sermon at any time. Never in history has God’s word been more available to people. But access to God’s word doesn’t mean people will be convinced.

This is an important time in history to remember that Jesus said, “The gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few” (Matthew 7:14). Our promise is never most. In fact, it isn’t even many. Success is measured as some, those who hear and receive the truth about salvation in Christ.

Take a moment to draw close to Jesus.

Then allow him to whisper his words to you.

Hear Jesus quietly say, “The gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.”

Allow his words to be personal and powerful and to bring you peace—if you have chosen to walk that narrow path.

Allow the whisper to remind you that you are close to his voice, and the Lord will strengthen you to walk his purpose, regardless of others’ opinions.

And listen closely for God to guide you to the people who need to hear that the Savior died for them too.

God still whispers his words to those who will listen.

God’s whisper is his word to you.

Draw close—and listen.

*Original posting for this blog was July 19, 2022

The ancient roads aren’t paved at all

We’ve been in ministry for a long time now, and our most important lessons have been learned by living our faith journey with biblical truth. Don’t let anyone convince you that the faithful life is always easy and filled with joy. It never has been, and it never will be. It is rewarding, blessed, fulfilling, and often an uphill effort.

Walking God’s ancient road to heaven isn’t the easiest way to live our lives, but it is the road that takes us where we want to go.

The “road to hell is paved”

The familiar words say, “The road to hell is paved with good intentions.” I find it interesting that we are supposed to think the road to hell is paved. The familiar saying isn’t a biblical concept, but the fact the road is paved actually is.

Proverbs 14:12 is ancient wisdom. The proverb says, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.” Scripture spoke of the “ancient road” as the more difficult path to follow, but it was also the path that led people to heaven. The easy path is the road that seems right but isn’t. Taking the easy way, or the popular way, is often taking the wrong road. The prophets were called to preach the truth people needed to know, even when it wasn’t what they wanted to hear.

It would seem like every generation of humanity has wanted this life to be easier than it turns out to be. I’ve always squirmed a bit at Jesus’ words when he said, “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few” (Matthew 7:13–14).

Jesus’ words to his disciples were really clear and clearly sobering. Living a holy life in this unholy world will not be an easy or widely popular road. Jesus said the way is hard and few find it.

If the road to hell is paved, it is a much easier road to walk. It “seems right to man” and it has a lot more people to walk alongside. The road to heaven is often a difficult journey, a narrow road that requires constant direction to navigate. The only way to walk that path is to be willing and determined to do whatever it takes to reach the end.

Ancient paths require ancient truth

The prophet Jeremiah is sometimes called “the weeping prophet.” He preached to the people of Judah when Josiah was king of Judah. Jeremiah’s dad had been a priest so he grew up knowing the ancient truths about God and the nation of Israel. As the nation turned more and more to the worship of Baal, God made his truth very clear.

God told Jeremiah to tell his people what to expect if they wanted to make the journey to his eternal Presence and blessing. Jeremiah 6:16 says, “Thus says the Lᴏʀᴅ: ‘Stand by the roads and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls.’ But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’”

Sometimes the journey to heaven is filled with paths that can appear too difficult to walk and may seem unfairly narrow. Jeremiah and King David questioned God, saying, “Why do the evil prosper?” It is tempting to live this life on the roads that are most popular and easier to enjoy. We have to consider the destination more important than the journey.

God told Jeremiah to ask for the ancient paths. Why?

The answer to that question might be the most important part of this blog post and a change point in your spiritual journey.

Our culture is full of “fresh ideas” and “new thinking.” Many of our churches are leaning that way as well. All is good if the fresh ideas and new thinking are still based on ancient truth. Scripture teaches us that Jesus was with God in the beginning (John 1:1) and that Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8).

If someone believes today what Christians have never believed before, their theology is not going to carry them down the ancient paths that lead to heaven. On the other hand, there is a new movement beginning among some Christians in college today who are looking for ancient, proven truth. They are a generation that recognizes the abundance of confusion and discord in popular thinking and have learned to appreciate what has always been considered true.

Ancient paths require ancient, eternal truth. The ancient paths are “the good way,” and it is on those paths we can find “rest” for our “souls.”

The question for each individual to consider is: Will I walk in it?

Have we forgotten the ancient truth?

Jeremiah 18:15 reveals God’s heart for his people: “But my people have forgotten me; they make offerings to false gods; they made them stumble in their ways, in the ancient roads, and to walk into side roads, not the highway.”

There is a higher way to live our lives and it depends on the ancient, eternal truth of God’s word. God’s definition of truth doesn’t change, but people’s interpretations of his truth have always drifted, then returned, only to drift again—throughout centuries of biblical history.

Every generation in Christian history gets some things right and other things wrong. We are a fallen people who need their Lord to direct their daily walk. Jesus offers to guide us along the ancient path but the question remains, “Will we choose to walk it?”

Tough journeys require a great God

None of us wish for the difficult parts of this road, but it is the road that takes us to the place we need to be. We learn to trust doctors to save our lives. Some of you have experienced the pain of difficult treatments that while painful at the time, have led to your healing.

Shouldn’t we all consider that crucial thinking for our spiritual lives as well?

As Christians, each of us has our own journey and that will be a difficult road at times. We should want to walk the ancient paths of God’s eternal truth because that road leads us to heaven. It isn’t the easier, paved road of popular thinking; it is the proven path of ancient truth. It’s the road to “Well done, my good and faithful servant.”

I hope all of us will choose to say, “Yes, Lord. I am willing.”

That narrow gate is an uphill effort at times but worth every step that draws us closer to our eternity with God.

The difference between faithful and Pharisee

Every Christian has Pharisee potential. At times, there is a fine line between faithful and Pharisee.

If you are like me, you are looking forward to the midterm elections so we can get rid of all those commercials! Most of the political ads are slanderous, and I wonder what our children think when they see and hear the vitriol—of our leaders.

No wonder so many teenagers are struggling with depression and social anxiety. They have been given a set of standards by various sources that certainly don’t encourage kindness. Words are like weapons these days and people are getting hurt. Our culture is getting hurt.

A lot of Christians who run for office use faith for political advantage.

I want to vote for a faithful person but not a Pharisee.

The difference between faithful and Pharisee

The Pharisees knew more about God than almost anyone in the culture. They also lived lives of strict obedience to the rules as their witness. That’s why all of us who have “learned the ropes” of our faith have Pharisee potential.

It isn’t that the rules were all that bad. In fact, most of them made a person look “set apart” from the culture and helped to keep them from sinning. If a Pharisee worked hard to follow the hundreds of rules that had been written by Jesus’ day, they wouldn’t have had as much time or opportunity to commit a sin.

Or so they thought, until Jesus came.

John the Baptist and Jesus called the Jewish leaders a “brood of vipers.” Their words and their witness didn’t lead people to know and love God. Instead, they kept most people from wanting to know God. Their words were like venom that poisoned the people from knowing the truth about God, who loved them and wanted to be their Father.

So, you see why it is easy for the faithful to have Pharisee potential. Does our witness attract people to want God as their Father? And do our words speak God’s truth, or do they offer a message we think will impress or influence others?

Paul defined the faithful Christian witness in his letter to the Thessalonians. He wrote, “To this he called you through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by our spoken word or by our letter” (2 Thessalonians 2:14–15).

The Pharisees’ big mistake

I think most Pharisees start out wanting to please God. They wanted to be seen as people who have a faithful witness to others. They wanted to faithfully follow the rules and guidelines of their faith.

The Apostles and the true prophets of the Old Testament spoke similar messages to the faithful of their day.

The Apostle Paul said, “Hold to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by our spoken word or by our letter.” There is a reason the Apostles were given that title in Scripture. Apostolic teaching was the anointed word from God.

In the Old Testament, the prophet Jeremiah spoke a message from the Lord saying, “Thus says the Lᴏʀᴅ of hosts: ‘Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you, filling you with vain hopes. They speak visions of their own minds, not from the mouth of the Lᴏʀᴅ” (Jeremiah 23:16).

Every generation has people who spoke God’s truth and people who only thought they did. The Apostle Peter explained the difference: “Knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:20–21).

The Pharisees made some mistakes along the way that led them to become “a brood of vipers.” Most of the laws and rules the Pharisees worked hard to follow were manmade, man-authored. God hadn’t given those rules; people had. Jeremiah spoke about the false prophets who were filling people’s minds with “vain hopes.” Jeremiah’s warning should be seriously considered by God’s people today.

The true prophets weren’t usually the most popular preachers. In fact, many of the prophets lost their lives because they refused to preach what the people wanted to be true. The truth has always come from people who “were carried along by the Holy Spirit” and willing to write, teach, and speak God’s biblical truth.

The best way to remain spiritually strong

Paul spoke about the difference between milk and solid food in 1 Corinthians 3:2.

Baby Christians need milk. They need to have someone consume the meat of God’s word and process it into spiritual food that others can benefit from.

Mature Christians have learned to pick up their Bibles and consume God’s word directly for themselves. Christian maturity is the ability to consume the solid food of God’s word. We all need good teaching, but that teaching should cause us to learn how to understand the Bible for ourselves. We need to focus on the voice of the Holy Spirit as we read and study. The Holy Spirit will never alter, edit, or contradict God’s word. His voice simply gives us the ability to receive God’s truth at the deepest levels.

How much spiritual steak are you consuming each week? How much milk? How often do you read God’s word for yourself and prayerfully listen to his voice teach you truth?

Christians need to consume more steak.

Fight the Pharisee with faith

I will end this blog post with a request. I want you to spend some time with one of my favorite passages about consuming the pure truth of God’s word. God’s word is wisdom, and Proverbs 2 is about the benefits of consuming God’s pure wisdom.

Pharisees followed men’s words and ideas and failed. The faithful follow God’s word and stand firm in its truth. They are counted among the righteous. Proverbs 2 explains why. Pray before you read that chapter and ask the Holy Spirit to speak the words of Scripture as God’s message of instruction for your life. Hear God’s voice of truth as you read.

We all have Pharisee potential. Thankfully, God gave us his Holy Spirit to guide us back to the truth. Jesus called him the “Helper” and the “Spirit of truth” (John 15:26). Allow the Holy Spirit to teach you the rich truth of Proverbs 2 today.

Christians are called to be witnesses and are gifted with the Spirit of Christ. Let’s strengthen our faith and fight the tendency to act like a Pharisee. Our culture needs to know and love their heavenly Father.

Pumpkin Spice theology

All the back-to-school stuff has been shoved to the clearance corner and the shelves are filling with fall leaves, pumpkins, and all things Halloween. I for one am glad to see it. I have been looking forward to September since the middle of June! It was a long, dry, hot summer here in Texas.

To say we have a “fall season” in the Lone Star State is a misnomer. We wear sandals to the grocery store until Thanksgiving. Fall in Texas means it dips into the seventies at night. The mosquitos have grown to the size of small birds and the highs are in the “low” nineties. But, “It’s fall, y’all,” and we are glad. We will just sip our pumpkin spice lattes in our flip-flops and decorate our homes to look like Vermont.

Fall in Texas means we “fake it till God makes it.” Our actual fall is usually a week or two around Thanksgiving—which means we will be raking the leaves that obscure our Christmas decorations!

Pumpkin Spice is nice

Still, we are a culture that loves to celebrate whatever we can. If we are able to add pumpkin spice to something, we will. We have pumpkin spice yogurt, coffees, donuts, candles, Oreos, creamer, noodles, cream cheese, ice cream and yes, it had to be—we can now purchase pumpkin spice Poo~Pourri. (I could make a funny joke here, but I will err on the side of decorum.)

Does everything need a pumpkin-pie spice version to make it more sellable? That thought led me to this blog post topic.

Have we created a “Pumpkin Spice theology” for this time of year too?

What is Pumpkin Spice theology?

What do we add to our theology to make it more fun, more tempting, more contemporary or current? What programs are churches producing to hopefully attract people back to the pews after the summer months? Are we spending more time trying to look relevant, or are we working to be “biblically relevant”?

A lot of theology is like the fall in Texas. It is more often “created” than true. For example: “A Welcoming Church” is now the way to advertise that “we don’t preach against homosexuality.”

The problem with that position is no one in the Bible accepted that as good theology. Paul called it a “perversion” in Romans 1:27. Leviticus 18:22 calls homosexuality “detestable.” Jesus was careful to define the biblically acceptable sexual relationship in Mark 10:6–9.

A lot of people are trying to add other sexual relationships to their theology, but it is like adding the smell of pumpkin spice Poo~Pourri to the toilet bowl. Let’s face it: what you have is still, well . . . you know. (So much for decorum!)

We shouldn’t become so open-minded that we make it easy for Satan to drop in his lies.

Christians have been asked to keep their beliefs quiet, not imposing them on others. You might like a pumpkin spice donut, but someone else may want the plain glazed, or the one with sprinkles. Evangelism has been called “imposing” our beliefs on others.

Yet, Jesus told his disciples, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:19–20).

We can’t add Pumpkin Spice to the Great Commission

Jesus said, “Go and make disciples of all nations.” There is not a nation or a group of people that does not need to receive salvation in Christ.
Jesus said to “baptize them” in the name of the Triune Deity. Father, Son, and Spirit are all the character of Jehovah God.
Jesus said to teach people “all that I have commanded you.” We don’t get to adapt our theology or flavor it to the season we find ourselves and our culture in. The times have changed, but the Great Commission and the entire truth of Scripture have not.
Finally, it doesn’t matter what season of history we have been born into, the same Jesus who was with the apostles is the person of Christ today. Jesus is unchanging with the times, and that will be true to “the end of the age.”

We have not been given permission to add a different “flavor” to God’s word simply because the culture seems to call for that. Jesus isn’t seasonal. He is “the same yesterday and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8).

Pumpkin Spice theology is like the fall in Texas

The fall season will eventually come to Texas, but we “add” it to our thinking before God adds it to our days. Pumpkin Spice theology is a lot like that. We want to add things to our theology today that Scripture hasn’t promised us yet.

There will be a time of no more tears, no more illness, and no more wars. But that is a promise for heaven.

There will be a time when every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord (Philippians 2:10). That is happening in heaven today and will happen on earth when Jesus returns.

Jesus can do miracles of healing, but often that miracle is a person’s eternal healing. We pray for healing but often that means praying them to heaven. In last week’s blog post on praying for others, I wrote about two young men facing cancer. This week they have both been sent home without medical hope.

We all wish we had some earthly hope to add to their lives.

But their only promises of hope, apart from a miracle, are heavenly.

Good theology transcends the “seasons” of time

I love the changing seasons we experience on earth. One of the great truths of our earthly lives is that those who are “in Christ” are daily moving forward to the hope of heaven. I just think we need to be careful not to add a false flavor to our theology.

Cream cheese, ice cream, donuts, and coffee don’t taste like pumpkin spice unless we add it. It might seem better at the time, but it won’t be long before everyone is wanting to taste the peppermint added for Christmas. It is our nature to change what is natural. It is not God’s nature to change.

God is eternally consistent in his word, in his character, and in his promises. We shouldn’t think we need to “flavor” our theology to make it more appealing. Biblical truth is what people need.

In November, Texans can say, “It’s fall, y’all.” The fact we put pumpkins out doesn’t change the fact that it is still warm enough for flip-flops! Churches can say they are welcoming, but what is it they are welcoming people to? If it isn’t the truth of God, it isn’t the theology we were told to teach.

Jesus said, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:31–32). We are to “go” and make disciples of all nations. It is essential that we “abide in” or follow the words of Christ found in Scripture.

If I could add a little flavor to that truth, I would probably try, but I just can’t. It is the pure, natural word of the only true God that helps. People need to hear it in the purest form.

Pumpkin Spice theology seems nice, but it is like the fall in Texas. It isn’t real.

Let’s stick with the truth because that provides the real freedom in Christ people need.

Share God’s word, not word salad

Wouldn’t it be wonderful to share God’s word with perfect clarity?

I’ve most often muddled the task when I have assumed I know what to say instead of understanding I don’t. The only perfect words are authored by our perfect God and it’s easy to get in his way sometimes.

One of my favorite verses in Scripture is Psalm 19:14. It is a verse I like to pray before I teach, speak, or write a blog post. The psalm says, “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.”

We need more than words to communicate the truth of God; we also need an acceptable heart.

The phrase word salad has been used for political purposes recently, but I wondered what the phrase meant. As it turns out, it’s a pretty good description for some of our “muddled” speech. If we want to share God’s word with clarity, we should understand what that means biblically.

What is word salad?

Merriam-Webster defines word salad as “unintelligible, extremely disorganized speech” or “a string of empty, incoherent, nonsensical words or comments.”

Technically, it has often been used to describe the speech of someone with a mental disorder. Lately, word salad has been used politically to describe an answer to a question that never really provides an answer, or a series of relevant-sounding phrases that are actually irrelevant to the listener.

If you are like me, you’ve heard sermons and podcasts or have read articles or papers that, when finished, haven’t seemed to make an important point at all. (Even as I type those words, I am prayerful for my own writing!)

Someone described word salad as a jello salad, saying, “Who first thought about opening a can of fruit and putting it in a bowl of jello? It is like taking something healthy and mixing it with something to make it less healthy.”

Obviously, that person isn’t a huge fan of jello salad!

Do we sometimes mix God’s word up with things that make it sweeter to the taste but less beneficial than God intended his word to be?

One of the best seminars I ever attended was led by a Christian fiction writer who had, on occasion, been criticized for being too graphic in his mystery writing. He said his editors would often ask him to “soften” his words.

The man then spent the next minutes describing several passages in Scripture that had been “softened” in order to teach or preach them in church. I will always remember the point he made that day. He asked us, “At what point did God give us permission to edit or soften his word?”

It is sobering to consider the words of Christ who said, “I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned” (Matthew 12:36–37).

Careful speech is not “softened” truth

I think we need to word God’s truth carefully.

I sometimes cringed when I sat in the pew with my young boys and listened to a biblical passage or sermon that dealt with sensitive, adult topics. I knew the car ride home might get interesting!

Thankfully, I knew the preacher was coming home soon and I could just say, “Wait and ask your dad about that.”

My husband, Jim, and I were talking about our early years of ministry. We had a conflict in our small church because some of the women wanted to do a baby shower and help an unmarried, pregnant teen get ready for her baby. Other women in the church worried that we were expressing acceptance of sin as we were offering compassion to someone who needed it. Honestly, both sides of the conflict were able to make a strong, biblical argument.

We ended up hosting the shower and helping the unwed, teenage mother. I’m glad we did that, but, at the same time, forty years later, I’ve seen the problems associated with softening or withholding God’s word on the subject of a premarital sexual relationship. A 2015 survey said that almost 90 percent of unmarried men and women confessed to having a sexual relationship prior to marriage. Other articles called premarital sex “the norm.”

When is the last time your preacher boldly preached the truth of God’s word on the subject?

Hebrews 13:4 is a clear statement: “Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous.”

Have we softened God’s word on the subject of homosexuality?

Paul told the church in Rome that there would be consequences for those who engaged in that behavior. He said, “For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error” (Romans 1:26–27).

Many have tried to edit Paul’s statement or rewrite it to bring it into agreement with current, more tolerant thinking. There isn’t any way to edit Paul’s words to make those sexual sins acceptable today.

At what point did God give us permission to tolerate what he has said is dishonorable, unnatural, and shameless? Are we helping a person if we offer tolerance for sin instead of offering the truth about that sin?

Paul taught we must speak “the truth in love” (Ephesians 4:15), but he also taught we must speak the truth.

Does our word salad sweeten God’s word but make it less beneficial?

As I have said before, one of my “life verses” is from the book of Hosea. God told the prophet, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because you have rejected knowledge, I reject you from being a priest to me. And since you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children” (Hosea 4:6).

Is our good desire to protect people’s feelings hindering God’s desire for them to know the truth?

Current statistics would seem to say that tolerating sins is not helping people to understand that God has said there are consequences to those sins.

Are people’s lives, and eternal lives, being destroyed because they lack knowledge of God and his word? Is a lack of truth destroying our children’s and grandchildren’s generations?

I know I have softened God’s word at times to help it feel more appropriate or acceptable. I may even have helped others feel better about their sin as a result. I pray that God will forgive my offering of word salad when what they most needed was the truth of God’s word.

There is a new way to look at an ancient psalm. Those words say, “Set a guard, O Lᴏʀᴅ, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips! (Psalm 141:3)”

As I read that psalm, I pictured the plexiglass guard that hangs over the salad bar at a steakhouse. My new version of that psalm became this: “Hang the guard, Lord, over all my ‘word salad’ and help me leave the jello-words unspoken. Instead, guide me back to the table to consume and share the meat from your word.”

The words of our lips ought to provide people the wisdom they need to walk in God’s truth.

Let no one suffer because they lack knowledge of who God is and what God most wants for their lives now and eternally.

They might want the salad bar, but we need to help them choose the steak instead.

Salted conversations

Do you ever feel bombarded by words in our culture today?

That probably seems like an odd thing to say, given that I make a living with my words. Recent news has certainly sent word bombs flying throughout all the media sources.

As Christians, how do we make certain our words are landing in the right places?

I have listened to a lot of the rhetoric surrounding the Supreme Court and other issues. I’m not going to debate the issue of abortion because there is no need. I have always liked the simple message I read on yard signs back in the eighties that said “It’s a baby y’all.” Truth isn’t as complicated as fiction.

I’m glad people are thinking again about the truth of the abortion issue, in addition to the politics the issue creates. But, in all the conversations I have listened to, no one seems to be discussing the deepest concern. There is a profound truth that has been lost to our culture today and to our conversations.

Why aren’t we speaking about the reason unwanted babies are being created?

The truth about consequences

There are millions of statements being made about personal freedom. Where are the statements about personal responsibility? I’m not unaware that the issue is complicated by the fact that some babies are created as the result of an attack. But the complete truth about abortion is shaded by that fact.

Last year, more than one million babies were aborted. Only 1.5 percent of those abortions were attributed to an attack. That means, if the numbers are correct, last year 985,000 babies lost their lives because their moms and dads didn’t want to take the responsibility or live with the consequences of creating them.

There is a reason that God wanted the most personal relationship a person can have to belong to a husband and wife, who would keep that relationship sacred and holy. Christians need to be salting their conversations with the complete truth of God’s word on this subject.

Any time we break God’s laws, there are consequences. Are we leaving a generation of God’s children in the dark because we don’t want to hurt their feelings? Be judgmental? Do we just quietly feel badly about the lack of truth, or do we choose to salt our conversations with truth?

The truth about consequences is that there are consequences for speaking truth, for speaking partial truth, for lies, and for staying silent when truth is needed.

The truth about salty words

Don’t you hate getting salt on a cut finger?

It stings and often we don’t realize there is a problem until we feel the burn.

I was curious: Why does salt sting? Google to the rescue!

I found an article that explained the sensation. Salt stings for the same reason antiseptic stings: both activate the nerve “receptors.” I couldn’t help but see the metaphor.

Sometimes “truth hurts.” We shouldn’t throw our truth around, hoping it will cause pain. That is using our words as weapons. At the same time, we can’t help the fact that when salt hits a wound people feel it. The sting alerts them that something is wrong. It is a natural response of our “receptors.”

God created all things, including us. It would seem he wanted us to feel truth sometimes, especially when it is applied to something that is wrong in our lives.

Why did Jesus call his disciples “the salt of the world”?

I just finished recording six Bible studies from the Sermon on the Mount. (They will be available on the website later this summer.) Jesus was teaching his disciples when he said, “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet” (Matthew 5:13).

Disciples are the salt of the earth. Our words may be the only Scripture, or message from God, that people will hear on a subject. Have we allowed the culture to remove the “saltiness” from our conversations? Is that why our culture has been “trampling” God’s word with their rhetoric?

Our unsalted words may not sting people quite as much, but that’s because they are no longer as good. People can throw them away and walk on them. Truth will sting, but that is because pure, salty truth hits a receptor.

God wants us to notice when something is wrong.

Will you live a salty life?

Peter Marshall was an American preacher in Washington D.C. who later served as a Senate Chaplain. He was known for his wisdom as well as his preaching talent. Peter Marshall said, “Give to us clear vision that we may know where to stand and what to stand for—because unless we stand for something, we shall fall for anything.”

Have Christians fallen for Satan’s messages of partial truth?

If so, we have lost our saltiness. If our words don’t “burn” some wrong opinions these days, our words have lost their saltiness.

If we don’t stand for biblical truth, we will fall for something less. Jesus taught his disciples that an unsalted life and witness won’t be good for anything. Jesus also taught his disciples to speak the truth in love. In other words, don’t rub salt into wounds but, at the same time, don’t hesitate to let God allow the truth to “burn” just a bit, even when you speak it with love. Be encouraged that when people “receive it” they might become aware of a wrong in their lives and know to fix it.

“Unless we stand for something, we shall fall for anything.” Peter Marshall was right to encourage us to live with a clear vision and the strength to stand for God’s truth. May our words be salted with his truth, by his Spirit, for the sake of his purpose. If our words burn just a bit, it is just the truth about consequences.

Disciples are the salt of the earth. Our salted conversations bring the flavor of truth to our words and to our world. Our culture deserves the chance to know God’s word and hopefully live a life he will bless.