The Truth

Tag: Christian blog

  • YOU ARE THE FRUIT- BEARING THORNY TREE

    The thorns represent the pain, rejection, opposition, misunderstanding, or difficult circumstances surrounding your life. A thorny tree is not an attractive or comfortable thing to approach. People may avoid it, criticize it, or even hate it because of its thorns.

    Yet you bear fruit.

    The tree’s value is not determined by how people treat it. It is determined by the fruit it produces.

    Lord Jesus said: “Ye shall know them by their fruits” (Matthew 7:16).

    And apostle Paul describes the fruit produced by the Spirit: “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance” (Galatians 5:22,23).

    You may experience rejection, but continue loving.

    You may be misunderstood, but continue walking in truth.

    You may be opposed, but continue doing what is right.

    You may be wounded, but do not stop producing good fruit.

    The thorns do not cancel the fruit.

    A person can have thorns around them without becoming thorny within them.

    People may hurt you but you don’t have to become hateful.

    People may reject you but you don’t have to reject everyone.

    People may speak against you but you don’t have to answer evil with evil.

    People may fail to recognize your fruit but God sees it.

    Our Lord Jesus Himself experienced rejection:

    “He was despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief” (Isaiah 53:3).

    Yet His life produced the greatest fruit the world has ever known.

    You might be hated by everyone.

    Lord Jesus warned His followers that obedience to Him can bring opposition:

    “And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved” (Matthew 10:22).

    Do not measure your calling by people’s acceptance of you.

    Sometimes obedience to God will make you unpopular.

    Sometimes standing for truth will cost you relationships.

    Sometimes doing what is right will leave you misunderstood.

    But rejection does not mean you have failed God.

    Your patience can encourage someone who is suffering.

    Your forgiveness can teach someone mercy.

    Your faithfulness can strengthen someone who is weak.

    Your testimony can give hope to someone who thinks there is no way forward.

    Your wounds, when surrendered to Christ, can become places from which wisdom, compassion, and spiritual fruit emerge.

    Apostle Paul says in 2 Corinthians 12:10: “For when I am weak, then am I strong.”

    Do not be discouraged by your thorns.

    Do not measure yourself by those who reject you.

    Remain rooted in Christ.

    Keep bearing fruit.

    Let the fruit speak louder than the thorns.

    Our Lord said,  “He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit” (John 15:5). 

    You may have to endure pain, rejection, and opposition, but do not allow the thorns around your life to prevent the Holy Spirit from producing beautiful fruit through your life.

    The goal is not to prove that you are a good tree to people. The goal is to remain rooted in Christ and allow Him to produce good fruit through you. 

    “Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples” (John 15:8).

    John Mark

  • YOU BELONG TO GOD

    “Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;

    And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone” (Ephesians 2:19,20).

    There was a time when we were far from God, separated by sin and without hope. We may have felt like strangers, unwanted, forgotten, rejected, or without a place to belong. But when we come to Christ, everything changes.

    We are no longer strangers.

    We are no longer foreigners.

    We are no longer outsiders.

    We are members of God’s household.

    God does not merely allow us to stand at the door of His house. Through Christ, He brings us into His family. We become fellow citizens with His people and heirs of His promises.

    “For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:26).

    Your past does not determine your place in God’s family. Your failures do not have the final word. Your circumstances cannot cancel what Christ has accomplished for you.

    You don’t belong to this world. God says, “You are Mine.”

    When people reject you, remember that you have a place in the household of God.

    When you feel alone, remember that you are not walking alone.

    When you feel forgotten, remember that God has not forgotten you.

    “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee” (Hebrews 13:5).

    Our lives are like a spiritual building, and our foundation is described as the apostles and prophets, and the Lord Jesus Christ himself being the Chief Cornerstone.

    Christ is the Cornerstone. The cornerstone determines the alignment of the entire building. If the cornerstone is right, everything built upon it can be properly aligned.

    Lord Jesus must be the centre, foundation, direction, and authority of our lives.

    “For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 3:11).

    Build your life on Christ and not on wealth, reputation, human approval, relationships, emotions, or the changing opinions of people.

    Everything else can shake. Lord Jesus Christ remains.

    The world changes. People change. Circumstances change. Our strength may change. But the Cornerstone never changes.

    “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever” (Hebrews 13:8).

    We are not being built alone. God is creating a people who belong to Him, united in Christ.

    “So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another” (Romans 12:5).

    You have a place. You belong to Christ, you have a spiritual identity that the world cannot give you and cannot take away.

    You are God’s child.

    You are a citizen of His kingdom.

    You are a member of His household.

    You are part of His spiritual building.

    And your life is being built upon Jesus Christ, the Chief Cornerstone. So stand firm.

    Do not return to the identity of a stranger when God has called you His own.

    Do not live like an outsider when Christ has brought you into His household.

    Do not build your life on things that cannot stand.

    Build on Christ. Trust Christ. Follow Christ. Obey Christ. Remain in Christ.

    For storms will come, but a life founded upon Christ can stand.

    “Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock” (Matthew 7:24).

    John Mark

  • LORETA

    Loreta left her home,

    for she had found a strange home;

    the love of a stranger

    seemed more fascinating

    than the love of those who loved her.

    And so, love went on for Loreta.

    She gave birth to two children—

    two little lives,

    whose father was known to God alone.

    Then disease came knocking.

    AIDS struck Loreta

    and her newborn children.

    Poverty entered through the same door,

    and suffering became her companion.

    Disease tormented her.

    Hunger tormented her.

    Loneliness tormented her.

    And betrayal sat beside her

    when no one else remained.

    Then, somewhere beyond human hearing,

    a whisper was heard:

    “Loreta… Loreta…”

    The prophet asked,

    “Who is that, Lord?”

    And the Lord described her.

    He gave him the place where she lay,

    and guided his steps

    with the precision of the All-Knowing God.

    The prophet went searching for Loreta.

    And when he found her,

    the description was unbelievably true.

    For He is Truth—

    and truth can never hide

    from the Truth.

    God saw what men had refused to see.

    He saw her disease.

    He saw her poverty.

    He saw her betrayal.

    He saw her loneliness.

    But above all,

    He saw her heart.

    And from the depths of her brokenness,

    Loreta cried out to the One

    who had created her.

    Her faintest cry

    reached His ears.

    She cried.

    She repented.

    And heaven heard.

    The God who found her

    did not condemn her.

    He healed her.

    He saved her.

    He comforted her.

    He fed her.

    He gathered the pieces

    of the life that had been shattered.

    What men had abandoned,

    God remembered.

    What men had betrayed,

    God restored.

    What the world had overlooked,

    God saw.

    And Loreta—

    who had lost so much—

    received something back

    that no man could give her:

    her laurel.

    Her honor.

    Her dignity.

    Her hope.

    Her victory.

    For the eyes of God

    had pierced through her suffering

    and seen into the deepest chambers

    of her heart.

    And He heard

    even the faintest cry

    of a forgotten woman.

    Loreta gets her laurel back—

    because she was never forgotten

    by the One who knew her

    all along.

    John Mark

  • FORSAKEN BY MAN, COMFORTED BY GOD

    Hagar—betrayed, rejected by her own, and rejected by the world.

    A child in her arms.

    A burden too heavy.

    A journey too long.

    A wilderness with no visible way forward.

    She was sent away into the desert by the very man whom she had trusted.

    Abraham—the man known for his faith, called righteous, and described as a friend of God—sent Hagar and her son into the wilderness.

    Understanding without an understanding heart.

    A mistake made.

    A mistake unaccepted.

    Righteousness found in unrighteousness.

    Yet when man abandoned Hagar, God did not abandon her.

    When Abraham could no longer see her, God saw her.

    When Sarah rejected her, God heard her cry.

    When the wilderness became her dwelling place, God became her refuge.

    Human words, human decisions, and human actions can have consequences far beyond what a person initially sees.

    The words of Sarah remind us of the words of Eve. Eve’s disobedience brought consequences upon humanity, while Sarah’s decision concerning Hagar and Ishmael brought consequences that continued through generations.

    Eve looked beyond God’s command.

    Sarah looked beyond God’s promise.

    Both reveal the danger of allowing human reasoning to take the place of trusting God.

    Vanity of vanities! All is vanity.

    For when human wisdom replaces divine wisdom,

    when human decisions replace divine direction,

    and when human understanding replaces faith in God,

    the consequences can reach far beyond what the human heart can foresee.

    But Hagar’s story does not end in the wilderness.

    The God who sees also hears.

    The God who hears also answers.

    The God who allows the wilderness to come is also the God who meets us there.

    Man may forsake you, but God sees you.

    Man may reject you, but God hears you.

    Man may send you into the wilderness, but God can meet you there.

    “Thou God seest me” (Genesis 16:13).

    The wilderness may be the place where man leaves you but it can also become the place where you encounter God.

    John Mark

  • THE GREAT INVITATION

    “Come to Me,” says the Lord Jesus Christ.

    God’s heart is not to see people lost, condemned, or destroyed. His desire is that all people would be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth.

    God is calling humanity from darkness to light, deception to truth, sin to repentance, bondage to freedom, and death to life. And when a person truly comes to Christ, they don’t merely receive a religion, they encounter the Truth that transforms the heart and changes the direction of their life.

    Lord Jesus declared: “I am the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). Therefore, coming to the knowledge of the Truth ultimately means coming to Christ.

    His invitation is not restricted to a particular nation, social class, background, or past.

    No matter how far someone has wandered, God still calls them home.

    No matter how broken their past may be, grace can give them a new beginning.

    No matter how deep the darkness, the light of Christ can reach.

    God wants the sinner saved. God wants the seeker to find Truth. God wants the lost to come home. God wants humanity to know Him.

    And our calling is to pray, proclaim, love, and point people toward Jesus Christ.

    The heart of God is salvation. The pathway is Truth.

    The Truth is found in Christ.

    And the invitation is extended to all.

  • SHINE FOR CHRIST

    “Ye are the light of the world.” (Matthew 5:14)

    When Christ comes into your life, darkness no longer has the final word. His light begins to shine through you, not because of who you are, but because of Who lives in you.

    God did not give you His light so that you could hide it. He gave it to you so that someone walking through darkness might find their way.

    Your kindness can show them Christ’s love.

    Your forgiveness can show them His mercy.

    Your faith can give them courage.

    Your integrity can show them His truth.

    Your peace can reveal His presence.

    Your testimony can give hope to someone who has almost given up.

    You may think your light is small, but even a small light can be seen in great darkness.

    Do not allow fear to cover your light.

    Do not allow rejection to extinguish your light.

    Do not allow disappointment to dim your light.

    Do not allow the darkness around you to become darkness within you.

    You are the light.

    You are called to shine.

    You are called to be a witness.

    You are called to glorify God.

    So stay close to Jesus.

    Walk in His Word.

    Listen to the Holy Spirit.

    Keep your heart clean.

    Love when it is difficult.

    Forgive when you have been hurt.

    Speak truth with grace.

    Do good without seeking recognition.

    And let your life become a living testimony:

    “There is something different about this person.”

    That difference is Christ.

  • HAVE UNDERSTANDING AND DISCERNMENT

    Be ye not as the horse, or as the mule, which have no understanding: whose mouth must be held in with bit and bridle, lest they come near unto thee.” (Psalm 32:9)

    Do not make God force you to do what is right. A horse or mule does not naturally understand where its master wants it to go. Therefore, the rider uses a bit and bridle to control and direct the animal. God does not want us to live like that spiritually. He wants us to have understanding hearts to listen when He speaks, recognize His direction, and obey Him willingly.

    Let’s not be stubborn, but be obedient to Him and sensitive to God’s voice.

    A stubborn person may know what God is asking but continually resist Him. When God says forgive, we hold onto resentment. When He says stop, we continue. When He says go, we refuse. When He says wait, we rush ahead.

    The problem is not that God has failed to guide us. The problem is that we are refusing to be guided.

    Do not wait until God has to restrain you. Listen while He is instructing you.

    Don’t wait for a painful consequence to teach you what obedience could have taught you peacefully.

    Don’t wait until every door closes before you realize God told you not to enter.

    Don’t wait until you fall before you decide to listen.

    Have understanding. Have discernment.

    Be teachable. Be sensitive to God’s voice.

  • BE STILL BEFORE GOD

    “Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few” (Ecclesiastes 5:2).

    There is a time to speak, and there is a time to be silent.

    When you come before God, do not rush to speak. Do not allow your emotions to make promises that your heart cannot keep. Do not speak carelessly in the presence of the One who knows the deepest thoughts and intentions of your heart.

    He is the Creator; we are His creation. He is Almighty; we are dependent upon Him. He sees what we cannot see, knows what we cannot know, and understands what is hidden even from ourselves.

    Sometimes we speak too much when God is asking us to listen.

    We bring God our plans, our demands, our explanations, our promises and our questions, but forget to become still and hear His voice.

    Prayer is not merely speaking to God. Prayer is also waiting before God.

    Your greatest prayer may be nothing more than silence before Him.

    Be quiet and silent, and allow God to speak.

    God does not need many words. He desires a sincere heart.

    A few words spoken with truth are more precious than many words spoken without understanding.

    When you stand before God, remember:

    He hears every word. He sees every motive.

    He knows every thought. He examines every heart. So speak carefully. And when you have nothing worthy to say, be still.

    Sometimes silence is not the absence of prayer.

    Silence is surrender.

    For God is in heaven, and you are upon the earth. Be still before Him. Listen for His voice.

    Trust His wisdom. And let your life speak louder than your words.

    “Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10).

  • GODLY LIFE

    What begins in the heart can eventually determine the direction of your entire life.

    Guard what is within you. Guard your heart.

    Guard what comes out of you. Guard your words. Guard what you look upon. Guard your eyes. Consider where you are going. Watch your path.

    Do not allow your feet to turn toward evil. Guard your steps. Remove your foot from evil. Move away from it. Sometimes the wisest spiritual decision is not to fight temptation while standing beside it, but to walk away from it altogether.

    And above everything, keep your eyes upon the Lord Jesus Christ, because the safest path is the path that leads us toward Him.

  • ANOINTED AND SET APART

    Rise up, holy generation!

    You are not forgotten. You are not insignificant. You are not here by accident.

    God has called you, chosen you, and set you apart for His purpose. His hand is upon your life. The Holy Spirit has been given to empower you, not merely to speak about Christ, but to live for Christ, stand for Christ, and shine His light in a world growing darker by the day.

    The Lord says in Isaiah 61:1

    “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me.”

    That anointing is not for your glory. It is for His glory. It is not given so that you may exalt yourself, but so that you may lift up the name of Jesus.

    When others are losing hope, you must carry hope.

    When others are walking in darkness, you must shine His light.

    When others are bound, you must proclaim liberty through Christ.

    When others are afraid, you must stand in faith.

    Jesus said, “Ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me.” (Acts 1:8).

    Therefore, do not shrink back. Do not be ashamed. Do not allow the world to silence the voice God has placed within you.

    Be strong when you are tested.

    Be faithful when you are overlooked.

    Be bold when you are opposed.

    Be humble when God lifts you up.

    Be obedient when He calls you to go.

    Your battle may be great, but your God is greater.

    Your enemies may be many, but the Lord is with you.

    The road may be difficult, but His grace is sufficient.

    You were not anointed to sit in fear. You were anointed to arise.

    You were not set apart to blend into the darkness. You were set apart to shine.

    So go forth in the power of the Holy Spirit. Carry the Gospel. Speak the truth in love. Break chains through the name of Jesus.