Friday, August 18, 2017

The Truth Will Set You Free


John 8:32
You shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.

Peter is the disciple with whom I most readily relate.  Impetuous, out-spoken, faith-filled, loyal to a fault, he is the first to recognize Jesus for who He really is:  The Messiah.  Yet still, just as I am and you are, Peter is a sinner in need of a Savior.


  • Peter loses his focus upon Jesus, and begins to sink in the sea the Lord bade him walk on.
  • Peter doesn't understand the miracle of the transfiguration, and tries fumblingly, and desperately, to contain the entire event in the limited realm of human understanding.
  • Peter denies knowing Jesus at the very time when his Lord needs him most.  In bitterness and regret, he weeps.
  • Peter forgets, in the aftermath of the horrific crucifixion, Jesus' promise that the Son of Man will rise from the dead.
Peter fails.  He falls.  And all of us, from time to time in our lives, have done the same.  We detest being faced with our shortcomings, don't we?  We refuse to share the truths of our inadequacies with others because we are ashamed of them, fearful that confessing our sins will make us unlovable in their eyes.  In cowardice, we hide behind a veneer of what we hope is perceived perfection.

But Peter, the one Jesus proclaims as the rock upon which the church will stand, parades his dirty laundry for all to see.  He holds nothing back.  The story of his denial of Jesus is one of the few accounts contained in all four Gospels.  That alone speaks volumes.

Peter, warts and all, does not withhold the truth about himself because he recognizes The Truth, which must be told.  Because he allows the transparency of his transgressions to be recorded so liberally in the New Testament, we can find hope in and take inspiration from his willingness to confess his shortcomings, that we might also come to salvation in Christ Jesus by confessing our own.

~

I listen attentively to President Trump's statements denouncing the violence which occurs in Charlottesville, Virginia, this past weekend.  The media refuse to accept his remarks as honest ones.  They hound him for further clarification.  Even when Trump gives more precise details, outlining the truth that there are two sides involved in this tragic clash, the media refuses to accept it.  Instead, their reports emerge as scathingly derisive of the president, as if they never heard a word he uttered.

They lie.

Now, you may not be a supporter of President Trump.  You may have opposed him during the election.  But this is the reality:  We are all Americans and he is our president.  A man who gave up the privileged life of a billionaire to serve his country.

A sinner in need of a Savior.

A man who is not reluctant to state that we are all created by God, no matter what our skin color or status in life.

A man who is not afraid to ask God to bless this nation, which he routinely does.

A man who seeks the truth, the facts, and is not afraid to share them with the American people in spite of the opposition.

And the opposition, which routinely spins truth into lies, is not going away any time soon.

I think Peter understood that concept all too well as he carried out his mission to spread the Good News of Christ Jesus.  He, too, was accused of telling lies.

But he stuck with the Truth.  The Truth, which still today, sets us free.

Amen!

16 comments:

  1. Thanks for sharing this poignant piece, truth is like a light in the dark, it attracts growth and progression and more than anything else freedom. Warm greetings to you and hope you are well.

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    1. Warm greetings to you, too, Blogoratti! May the light of truth ever pierce the darkness in which so many people are shrouded in this world.
      Love and blessings!

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  2. Thank you for this very strong and positive statement today, and I agree with you whole-heartedly. May I share your post on Facebook? I keep trying to stay out of the political maelstrom that is engulfing our nation, but it is becoming more and more difficult to remain silent. Thank you for putting this into words that are very succinct and positive and true. THANK YOU!!

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    1. Pamela, I'd be so honored if you would share this on Facebook. I did not share it on some of the writing venues I ordinarily do, such as Christian Poets and Writers and Walk to Emmaus because it is rather politically charged. I'm so blessed to have your support in this. I'm just so, so tired of the lies and the spin when our nation needs to be focused on the agenda of the American people.
      Love and blessings!

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    2. Amen! I so agree with you, and you said it so well. I will share. Thank you. I was watching for some other announcement today...is it still forthcoming??? :)

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    3. I think that picture and verse has a double meaning....am I right????

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    4. Double meaning? Not that I realized when selecting it. Email me about what you're thinking here. :)

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  3. Well...I agree. I tire though of "spin" put on by the media. I have almost closed myself off to listening or even reading. I'm tired of the whole process. He is our president and because of that should have a modicum of our respect. Funny how the wheels have turned now that the previous "president" was in office. As for truth; there is nothing to hide when truth is proclaimed. From the Oval office. From the pulpit.

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    1. Amen, Bill, and thank you for your support of what I've tried to communicate here. I held my breath as I posted it, but have escaped, thankfully, any negative comments here. Did have quite the scathing tongue lashing from someone on Facebook that I thought would show some sense and sensibility, but no . . .
      Love and blessings!

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  4. Most of this world doesn't want the truth... they want their own reality. It is sad, but truth indeed. How thankful I am for our Savior, who is our lighthouse in the darkness, a rock to anchor us in the storms, and the very TRUTH of which this world seeks and is looking for... we will keep praying and believing, our Hope after all, is in HIM!

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    1. Marilyn, you are absolutely spot-on when you say the world doesn't want the truth. Jesus knew it. We know it. The forces of evil and darkness want to see the destruction of this country founded on God's principles happen. We cannot let it. We must speak out. Thank you so much for your loving support and your shared conviction.
      Love and blessings!

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  5. Martha, Thank you for this timely piece--it came from your heart. I'm proud of you for following through on your convictions. I think this piece deserves to be shared, so I plan on sharing it.

    Love and blessings!

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    1. Kim, I am so grateful that you are willing to share. It means so much to me! This is not easy stuff to shoulder in a nation so divisive, but the truth has to be told, like it or not. The real truth of Jesus will set us all free!
      Love and blessings!

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