Bread Broken, Promise Spoken

 

For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

1 Corinthians 11:26

Communion.

The Lord's Supper.

The Eucharist.

We have given it lots of different names and observed it in lots of different ways.

Weekly. Monthly. Quarterly. One annual hullabaloo.

But whether you use matzo and wine or saltines and Welch's, one truth remains: Jesus was executed on a Roman cross, and what was meant by the Jewish leaders to silence him once and for all ended up amplifying his Good News until it reverberated in the hearts of every nation, tribe, and tongue.

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Truth is...Some of that spreading of the good news remains unfinished, so let me be clear. The death of Jesus covers the debt of every sin I’ve committed or ever will commit. His resurrection from the tomb foreshadows the unending life that awaits me in Yahweh’s presence. As for the phrase, “proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes,” it carries a promise: Jesus is returning.

And all this can be true for not just me, but for you, too.

Do you believe this?

Recipe for a Better Life

 

Take one part Psalm 1:1-3.

How happy is the one who does not walk in the advice of the wicked or stand in the pathway with sinners or sit in the company of mockers! Instead, his delight is in the Lord’s instruction, and he meditates on it day and night. He is like a tree planted beside flowing streams that bears its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.

Add a cup of John 15:13.

No one has greater love than this: to lay down his life for his friends.

Season to taste with "Amazing Grace".

Was blind, but now I see.

Mix well and cook over a sweet overlay of guitars, and you've got Phil Keaggy's "Now I Can See".

I can feel a warmth inside filling me

A hand touched my eyes

Now I believe the Son did rise

And He will be my Everlasting Light

Now I can see what He wants me to see

I then shall be like a tree planted by a river

And I shall not be moved

Come and walk with Me, He said

Talk with Me, I am your friend, your friend

Greater love hath no man than this

That a man lay down his life for his friends

And He did, yes He did

This was God's love for man

He took upon Him all of our sins

And this was His plan, His plan

Now I can feel that warmth inside filling me

His hand touched my life

Now I can see what He wants me to see

I then shall be like a tree planted by a river

And I shall not be moved

https://youtu.be/zeFcbeMq3ag?si=Y4pSlNDl01dNibc-

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Truth is...While being a Christian involves looking at facts and making decisions, there is certainly an emotional element and a personal benefit. I'm not just recognizing Jesus' authority or adhering to a list of rules. I am being transformed into a better, wiser, more joy-filled person.

Rejoice

 

The last song on the first side of Phil Keaggy's debut solo album offers a warning, a call to action, and a glimpse into a heavenly party...

Now the time of the harvest is near

Don't be blind and take heed how you hear

Now there are many saying which way to go

And you listen but still you don't know

He's the Shepherd that will give you rest

All ye heavy laden

He who asks will receive and

All who seek will find Him

Can you dig what this means?

All the angels in Heaven above

Rejoice when there's a soul saved ...

Don't close your eyes

Let not your heart become cold

What has been said is what has to be told

Don't be deceived, let the blind lead the blind

But now receive and life you will find.

He's the Shepherd that will give you rest

All ye heavy laden

He who asks will receive and

All who seek will find Him

Can you dig what this means?

All the angels in Heaven above

Rejoice when there's a soul saved.

All true saints of Jesus Christ

Rejoice when there's a soul saved.

https://youtu.be/Y9gfCXx2nbs?si=eMdRqKoqkBUCFJIy

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Truth is...Life as we know it IS going to end, whether by our personal deaths or by the return of Jesus. Knowing that, and desperately needing the rest and peace that Christ offers, isn't there ample reason to put our faith in him and give the angels a reason to rejoice?

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P.S. I've got a book being released November 1, and you can win a copy. In fact, you can win THREE books. Watch the video at this link (which originally appeared on the "Truth Is..." Facebook page), share the links below to your friends on Facebook, X, and Instagram, and help me get the word out about "The Best of Truth Is..." (Please and thank you!)

Link to the FB event: https://www.facebook.com/share/17GDmA3Qi8/

Link to the Amazon Kindle pre-order: https://a.co/d/6UFy2Io

Gotcher Steps In?

 

Without a doubt, the Jesus Music of the early Seventies was definitely more oriented toward evangelism and what it's like to live as a Christian in the day-to-day than today's worship-centric Christian radio.

However, Phil Keaggy blended both concepts in "Walking With Our Lord."

Is the inventor of the ear unable to hear?

The creator of the eye unable to see?

Is His arm so short that it cannot save

In your time of need?

And at the moment you decide

You'll find He's your guide

Helping you along in times of distress

So just put your faith in Him

And give Him your heart

He will do the rest

Follow Me, He calls us

Come to Me, He wants us

Trust in Me, He tells us

Abide in Me, He loves us

When He calls, we'll follow

When He calls, we'll go

We can surely trust Him

His voice, we surely know

Walking with our Lord, talking to our God

He is compassionate

Giving you a peace

That you never can forget

Singing every heart, ringing every bell

Loving His tenderness

Giving Him the praise

And His holy name we'll bless. Oh yes!

As we experience the gift that God has to give

Holy Spirit in our lives we can love everyone

If we live our faith, we'll receive a crown

When our day is done

Follow Me, He calls us

Come to Me, He wants us

Trust in Me, He tells us

Abide in Me, He loves us

When He calls, we'll follow

When He calls, we'll go

We can surely trust Him

His voice, we surely know

Thank you, Lord.......

https://youtu.be/hTyVlZE1RVg?si=pfwwrdwIlmuNOpUn

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Truth is...Because of our bent toward living life our way instead of God's way, we need to be led by God's Spirit. If I walk the direction that makes the most sense to me ... the direction that looks like it's going to get me what I want and let me do what I want ... it won't be long before I'm not only off God's best path, but I'm completely lost in the woods.

Holy Spirit, I don't need you to walk with me. I need you to take me by the hand so I can walk with you.

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P.S. I've got a book being released November 1, and you can win a copy. In fact, you can win THREE books. Watch the video at this link (which originally appeared on the "Truth Is..." Facebook page), share the links below to your friends on Facebook, X, and Instagram, and help me get the word out about "The Best of Truth Is..." (Please and thank you!)

Link to the FB event: https://www.facebook.com/share/17GDmA3Qi8/

Link to the Amazon Kindle pre-order: https://a.co/d/6UFy2Io

Get Out of Here!

 

Look at this infographic and let it sink in.

This kind of overwhelms me.

Think of the thousands and thousands of churches in North America and Europe and compare that to the millions and millions of people living in Southeast Asia.

No wonder Jesus urged us to "pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers" in Matthew 9:38.

No wonder Jesus commanded us to "go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit" in Matthew 28:19.

No wonder Keith Green challenged us to get off our duffs and make a difference in his song, "Jesus Commands Us to Go."

Jesus commands us to go

But we go the other way

So He carries the burden alone

While His children are busy at play

Feelin' so called to stay

Oh, how God grieves and believes

That the world can't be saved

Unless the ones He's appointed obeys

His command and His stand for the world

That He loved more than life

Oh, He died and He cries out tonight

Jesus commands us to go

It should be the exception if we stay

It's no wonder we're movin' so slow

When His church refuse to obey

Feelin' so called to stay

Oh, how God calls as He stalls

the great judgment of fire

So He can gain His greatest desire

'Cause He knows that the souls of the lost

They can only be reached

Through us

We're His hands and His feet

Jesus commands us to go

It should be the exception if we stay

It's no wonder we're movin' so slow

When God's children refuse to obey

Feelin' so called to stay
Lyrics © For The Shepherd Music

https://youtu.be/ptUy2rYzmEo?si=EMGGyH2fldby4fjV

Truth is...It wouldn't be practical for every Christian in the U.S. to drop what they're doing and move to China, but:

     1.  If we're not going, we should be sending.
     2.  A person doesn't have to go to China to share the love of Jesus with those living on the same street or working in the same office.

What If You Knew When Jesus Is Returning?

 

I don't remember in which Billy Graham movie I heard him say what I'm about to write, but I certainly remember the sense of anticipation and urgency that welled up within me as I heard him say it.

The Bible says that no man knows the day nor the hour of Christ's return. But what if you did?

What if, through some miraculous means, God endowed you with the knowledge of exactly when Jesus was going to part the skies and return in triumph?

And more to the point, what if you knew he was coming back next month? What changes would you make on your bucket list? What activities would you want to experience before Jesus called an end to time?

Or what if you knew he was returning to judge all of mankind next week? Would there be people you needed to mend fences with? Would there be words of love and appreciation that you made sure you said?

What if God told you, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that Jesus Christ was coming back tomorrow? Who would you tell? What would you say?

What about one hour from now? Who would get your first phone call?

What would you do if you knew Jesus was returning in five minutes?

One minute?

By the time you could count down from 10... 9... 8... 7... 6... 5... 4... 3... 2...

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Truth is...None of us know, so all of us should be living as if it could happen at any -

A Word I Have No Need For

 

This is the 14th time Truth Is... has featured a word from John Koenig's The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows, and it's the first time I've chosen a word  -  not because it resonates deeply within me  -  but precisely because I do not experience the "obscure sorrow" it talks about.

What word, you say?

redesis (Middle English rede, advice + pedesis, the random motion of particles. Pronounced "ruh-dee-sis.") n. a feeling of queasiness while offering someone advice, knowing they might well face a totally different set of constraints and capabilities, any of which might propel them to a wildly different outcome  -  which makes you wonder if all of your hard-earned wisdom is fundamentally nontransferable, like handing someone a gift card in your name that probably expired years ago.

There's another word that figures into why I've never experienced redesis ... at least when considering the advice and information I dispense in these here parts.

What word, you say?

Whosoever.

As in the King James Version of John 3:16...

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

No waffling around with thoughts of "My truth may not be your truth" or "You've got your opinion and I've got mine."

No. 

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Truth is...No matter what "set of constraints and capabilities" you're living with, Yahweh offers everlasting life to you. No redesis about it.