Making Truth Effective - 12 - Importation of Truth

There comes a time when you are in the Word and and in  relationship with God that truth just flows. 

Grace allows the word to flow to us. And we have this grace as we are walking in the light. Stay in the light and continue to seek more of God and His grace.

Making Truth Effective 11 Revolution of Truth

As we follow the new truth we become an example for others to follow. We let our light shine before men. We spur others to love and good deeds. We bring the standard of living further by living the life we have received from Jesus. We become the living epistle. We move from just following what others say to being a cutting edge minister. We don't just talk about it, we pattern it.

Our speech shows God's truth. The promises start to manifest through us.

Having this new insight and living it does not mean we are perfect. It is the same with us as we listen to others. We should not reject what others say about the Bible, if what they are saying is true. If what they are saying is true we should pay attention to them,even when there are other parts of their life that is not Godly. Don't take the attitude of pride and reject other teachers because of their short comings.  Prove all things and hold fast to that which is good. Accept people and gently encourage them where it is needed.

Look at David. He followed God with his whole heart. At the same time there were things in his life that were not right. He was a murderer and adulterer. David did repent when he was confronted.

Have a heart for truth and seek God with all your heart.

Making Truth Effective - 10 - Transformation of Truth

These last 3 stages move quickly. There is a clarity of truth in our lives now.

When it is worked into our lifestyle, we have a boldness and confidence in what we are saying. Our conscience testifies with the Holy Spirit that it is truth. Romans 8:16 “The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God,” We have access to the things promised to God's sons. What Jesus, the first born Son of God has, we have access also. This brings confidence as we live as sons and not as unworthy intruders. When we take our place in Christ, what is offered to us is available to us. We can bring what is God's will, from heaven to earth. Matthew 6:10

People will call you prideful, deceived, fanatical etc. to discredit you. Time will prove all things and the fruit of Biblical truth will show the wisdom of making this truth part of our lives. Our conscience will support us and shield us from peoples negative reactions.

Our mind has been transformed by the truth of the Scriptures and we are not walking by sight but by faith.

We can agree with Spiritual truth but not believe it. We can know truth but not live it. When we believe God's truth, that truth will hold us and be powerful in our lives. We will express boldness and confidence in God's truth in our lives. If we are tentative about the truth, we are not there yet. Faith and belief are bold and confident.

When truth has transformed us there is a change in our soul. Instead of looking at the truth from the outside we look at the truth on the inside. We have this truth because we have Jesus living within. We draw from Him when we need His strength. We are in Christ and have this overflowing fountain of the Holy Spirit within sustaining us.

Making Truth Effective - 8 - Application of Truth

Continue to seek action steps to apply what we are learning. Something new like this does not come naturally. We need to focus and be creative on ways to bring new truths into our life.

With meditation on applying new strategies, bringing this new truth into our life, will get easier. Remember, trying and uncomfortable work will be required. Food that we have eaten and is in our stomach, has not become effective for our strength. It is after it has passed to our bloodstream that food becomes effective.

People will respond to a teaching saying how good it was. This is only half way into a change in our life. It is necessary to apply the teaching to our daily lives for it to be effective. Remaining in God's work John 8:31 means we will not give up on it when life is hard. It is our responsibility to utilize God's truth in our life.

The Spirit of truth lives within us. John 14:16-17 “ I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; 17 that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you.”

With the Spirit we have help to live as we should. He will help our prayers. Romans 8:26 And when our prayers are of faith, we will receive answers because of God's promise of an answer. 1 John 3:22; 1 John 5:14-15

As the spark of God's word reaches us we won't have to be goaded to follow God, but instead we will do it with joy and peace.

Isaiah 55:11-12 “So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth;
It will not return to Me empty,
Without accomplishing what I desire,
And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.
12 “For you will go out with joy
And be led forth with peace;
The mountains and the hills will break forth into shouts of joy before you,”

Making Truth Effective - 7 - Commitment to Truth

Now that a new truth is found and understood. The encouragement by others may fall away and all we have is our own will to follow this truth. Discipline and Devotion to the Lord and His leading us, will be what propels us.

We
can be tested with this truth by an inward struggle. This struggle involves old habits, old emotions and old thoughts. In Proverbs 23:7 “For as he thinks within himself, so he is.  . . . “ it says that what you think about is what you become. If we want to change to use the truth we have learned we need to corral our thoughts to line up with the truth we are learning. If we need praise and encouragement to continue we won't last. Let us set our heart to follow the Lord in the good times and the rough times.

The second test comes from our friends, family, people we run across and our culture. Will we continue when they ridicule and question our intelligence? What will we do then?

Develop a good culture where we can be encouraged by our friends and peers. When we stay verbally and mentally committed to the truth we are able to grow in the knowledge and faith.

John 8:31-32 “So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”

Many know a bunch of Bible principles, but haven't experienced freedom in Christ. It is not just the learning but the continuing that brings us the knowledge and freedom.

Making Truth Effective - 6 - Confirmation of Truth

At this stage, a choice is made willingly. For truth to be confirmed, some action should be taken, even if it's just a baby step. Thinking of plants, truth is like a blade of grass breaking through the top of the soil. Seeds germinate, and our understanding of truth will take effect in our actions. God's word brings a spark of life and this life will give rise to a statement of our intent.

Romans 10:8 “But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart”—that is, the word of faith which we are preaching,”

We will speak from what is in our heart, the things we are learning from the Lord. Faith requires speaking. Learning will express what is within.

A new lesson needs nurture to grow just as a baby needs to be nurtured. Our speaking and meditating on the new truth protects it and builds confidence with us within.

Prayer, thankfulness and speaking God's promise are what I use as I process new things.

The lesson of the lady with an issue of blood is an example of how we can put truth to work. (Mark 5:25-28) This passage shows how God's faith laws (Romans 3:27) work when we learn new truths in the Bible.

The first 6 steps of the 12 are listed here. She heard, she thought, believed, spoke, and acted.

When we learn something from the Bible, the promise will make a change in our life, if we believe it.

Another example from Scripture is Jehu riding to deal with Jezebel. (2 Kings 9) He came up to Jezebel and said, “Who is on my side?” The officials who looked down at Jehu were under the authority of Jezebel. Jehu told them to throw down Jezebel. They did and killed her. We can do the same thing with things that afflict us.

We can be set free from what is attacking us as we learn to apply God's truth effectively. The truth will set us free. Meditation of these two passages will teach us:  Mark 5:25-34 and 2 Kings 9

Don't consider past ways of dealing with problems. Let the Bible teach truth for freedom. Review the steps of the “Process of Truth”.
Learn from the woman with the issue of blood. She heard, she thought, believed, spoke and acted.

The next 6 steps further explain how to reach even higher levels of victory.

Making Truth Effective -5 - Conclusion of Truth

With the understanding of new truth, there will a change in the way we think. Our mind rejects the old thinking and embraces the new.

Take for example, Santa Clause. When we were little kids most of us believed in Santa Clause. Then as time passed, his supernatural ability seemed impossible and we accepted this fact as our friends told us that he was not real.

Christians see truth when they accept Christ as their savior. It is a total mind change but it takes a while for thought processes to change. Truth is thought of as an idea, but in fact truth at its core is not an idea but is Jesus Himself. John 14:6 “... I am the truth...”

The way truth wins out in our mind is through humility, meekness, and humbleness. With pride we reject our being wrong. With humbleness we are willing to change directions. We are able to let go of old ideas and embrace the new. It is the excitement of the new that allows us to let go of the old. As we see this new truth we don't want to side step the truth but instead we embrace it.

Many will say I tried to follow things I learned in the Bible in the past but it didn't work. When we embrace what is true these objections fall away. If they don't fall away we really have not come to believe this new truth.

2 Corinthians 13:8 “For we can do nothing against the truth, but only for the truth.”

Truth works in us as a process. If someone has not worked in years. They can't expect to be offered a job without preparing themselves for the change in their life. There is a process and as we apply ourselves change will come.

When we see the opportunity a new truth offers we will be anxious to grow into this new reality. It will be on the forefront of our mind.

Take God's word that is speaking to you and meditate on it and see it happening for you.

Making Truth Effective - 4 - Resolution of Truth

Once an idea has been learned, there is a war within our minds. Two sides are being formed. The question is being bantered back and forth. Is this idea true or not?

(There are many people who have dismissed the Bible as not true or not livable. A vibrant Christian can't stay in this mindset. A vibrant Christian will look to Scriptural teachings as they really are, the teachings of Jesus. Jesus is not a liar or a deceiver. Numbers 23:19)

Something has to give with the dichotomy of these conflicting ideas. The old way of looking at things and doing things will have to change if we accept new truth. This old way will have to go. How will we respond to God's truth when we hear it? Our life is like soil. The way we receive God's words will show what kind of soil we are made of.

When seed is sown among weeds, it won't have a chance to grow because of competition. To accept God's teachings, the weeds in our life will have to be pulled out, but how? It is possible to renew our minds. Romans 12:1-2 We renew our minds by going over and over the Scriptures we are learning. Pondering and considering them, stating they are true. Emphasize each phrase and let the ideas seep in.

(Note: without laying down our life for Christ and denying our fleshly desires, we won't be able to accept God's words. They will be foolish to us. Romans 12:1)

Our life will move to where our mind dwells. The more we saturate our minds with the truth of God's word, the less we will be thinking that truth is not effective.

Making Truth Effective - 3 - Revelation of Truth

Receiving Revelation from the Lord.

Revelation 1 John was in the Spirit on the Lord's day and received the book of Revelation. It is putting our minds on the spirit of God that opens us to receive from God. When we allow our minds to stay on the things of the flesh that we miss out.

Psalm 119:130 “The unfolding of Your words gives light;
It gives understanding to the simple.”
John 6:63 “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.”

When God's light comes to us with understanding it sparks life within. Often I would read the Bible as if in a race to get through it. It is when I read the Bible to prayerfully ponder its meaning over and over that I receive light. Bible memory helps me in pondering Scriptural truths as I go throughout the day. Some say they can't memorize. Can you memorize your phone #? If you can, you can memorize.

What enables us to see this light of the Spirit? John 3:3 “Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” It is being born again that enables us to see. What has happened to me is I go to sleep spiritually and don't act and use what I have.

John was in the Spirit on the Lord's day. It was a day dedicated to serve and worship God. It is when I live for  God that I am able to see what the Lord has. When I live for myself nothing happens.

Matthew 18:3 “Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.” When I am able to not argue or debate Scripture, but instead accept it, then I am on the road to revelation.

There is a difference to saying you agree with an idea and believe it. I move from agreeing with Scripture to believing it by mediation and following.

Making Truth Effective - 2 - Perception of Truth

What how and whom
What are you hearing?
How are you hearing it?
Who is tell it to you?

There is much that comes across our life and takes our attention. Be careful what you pay attention to. Also guard the time spent in listening to things that are not productive to your life. That is not to say there can be no idle or recreational times. But guard those times that they are not counterproductive to what is your purpose.

The first thing is to decide to seek the Lord. When we hear we also need to know who is talking. How are they explaining the idea. And what are they saying.

It doesn't matter who says it or how they say it or what they say. We will make a decision on the validity of the message. It makes it easier to accept what someone is saying if they say it in a way that is pleasing to us. Don't reject teaching out of hand. On the other hand there is a filter we use to accept when to listen and when to not listen. Be humble and consider what others say. Sometimes we realize that a teaching is good but the teacher is not worth following. Matthew 23:3

My experience is that I am inundated in teaching and ideas. Where should I spend my efforts? Prayerfully read the Bible each day and let that set the tone for all the other things you hear.

What we hear can be life giving or bring death. Seek to perceive when you are hearing words of life.

John 6:63 NASB “ It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.”

Return to Chapter 1.
Go to the next chapter.

Making Truth Effective

John 8:31-32 “ So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”

I have been meditating on this scripture off and on for the past few months. I came across a booklet by Timothy Jorgensen called the “Process of Truth”

There are 12 chapters and I am expecting this study to help me in my understanding of John 8:31-32

The Reception of Truth
The Perception of Truth
The Revelation of Truth
The Conclusion of Truth
The confirmation of Truth
The commitment of Truth
The Application of Truth
The Assimilation of Truth
The Transformation of Truth
The Revolution of Truth
The Impartation of Truth

Each day I will comment on the next chapter. Today is chapter one.

The reception of truth takes a commitment of our attention. In the Sower parable there are 4 soils listed. Roadside soil, rocky soil, thorny soil and good soil. The roadside soil are the people that reject the seed of Jesus' teachings out of hand. They don't spend time considering it. Rocky soil are those who accept the teaching but give up on it when problems arise. Thorny soil are the people that are consumed with the worries and pleasures of life. Good soil are the people that receive the word and let it bear fruit in their life.

Note: The Sower parable is recorded in Matthew 13; Mark 4; and Luke 8.

To give a teaching from the Bible a chance to impact our lives, we need to get rid of the distractions that come our way.

Radio, TV, internet, social media, people, problems, other interest. All of these may be valid and useful but should be put aside to give the idea being presented in the Bible or from a teaching at church or a book or a mp3 message or a youtube message a chance. The messenger is presenting a message from the Bible and to allow God's truth to effect our lives, distractions need to be dealt with so we can let the message take effect.

Don't multi-task but instead give the idea your full attention.