Speak the Truth, Shame the Devil

I love the saying, "Speak the truth, shame the devil." It speaks volumes about the direct contest we're in against forces of deception, manipulation and lies. In a short sentence it shows us how to win every time. Speak the truth. Shame the devil.

In today's society, there is a battle for truth. There are those who would claim to be the authority for absolute truth, others who insist that truth is relative, and each person experiences their "own truth." As Christians, the plumb-line of truth is found in Jesus, and in His written word, the Bible.

Over millennia, the written word of God has been categorized, translated, exegeted, studied, and dissected. There are Jesus-believers who include certain ancient writings into their cannon that others don't. There are some who read the Word with an ancient Eastern lens, whereas most of us born and raised in the Western church, read it with a perspective that is altogether different from the context it was written in. So, if the very basis for our truth is disputable and can be interpreted in a variety of ways, what are we to do?

Ephesians 4 talks about the plan that Christ made for us to sort-out truth, as we mature. "11 So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers,12 to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up..."

If we are to mature, we need to be equipped by those God has charged with the task. Why, then, do we think we can do it alone? Why do we think that hearing a sermon once a week is enough? Or that reading our Bibles, without teachers to bring clarity and context, is enough? If the five-fold ministry is God's gift to the church, why do we try to mature ourselves in isolation?

The problem with the "just me and Jesus" mentality is that it lacks what we need to mature. We are easily influenced and deceived by the "Father of lies." Without mature believers around us, checking our doctrine, observing our actions, offending and forgiving us, we remain weak and ineffective.

Ephesians 4:14-15

14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming.15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.

The Bible joins the idea of spiritual maturity with the ability to speak the truth in love. When we've been through the trials and tests of maturing in community with others, and in submission to those in authority, we have a greater discernment of truth and a greater capacity for speaking that truth in love.

God's people are tasked with being a light in the darkness, of speaking truth in a crowd of competing voices. We are ineffective if what we speak is a twisted perspective or just as importantly, if we are spewing truth with a vitriol that turns people away.

Dig into the Word with others. Submit yourself to the five-fold ministry. Grow up and mature in your faith. Speak the truth (in love). Shame the devil.

Moldy Bread

In the tropics, things get moldy QUICK! Bread here doesn't have preservatives, and unless you put the bread in the fridge, it will last 2 days, tops. When we first moved down, used to the highly preserved breads of the US, we lost a lot of good bread.

In the Bible, the nation of Israel spent 40 years in the desert, relying on bread (manna) from heaven and quail to survive. The bread was like wafers that settled on the ground in the morning, which the Israelites had to gather for their food. They had specific instructions to only gather enough for each day, otherwise it would be "full of maggots and begin to smell."

Deuteronomy 8:3

3 He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.

"Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord." If my sustenance is less physical than it is spiritual, how often am I going out to gather my daily portion? Am I holding onto a word from Sunday several days into the week? Am I putting the word away for a rainy day, rather than digesting it and letting it strengthen me today? A daily word left uneaten will spoil just as surely as bread.

I'm not someone who likes to run errands. If I can get enough groceries for the week or longer, I'm a happy girl. If I buy bread, I want it to last, so I don't have to go "gather" again tomorrow. Repetitive menial actions are a thorn in my flesh; they just rub me the wrong way.

Reflecting on manna, and seeing moldy bread in my fridge, reminds me that God has a daily word for me. Will I get up, strap on my sandals and gather it? Or will I leave it out there, to dissolve with the dew?

Building on a Solid Foundation

As we work on making our new house our home, there are tons of projects to keep us frustrated, tired and busy. I'm someone who just wants to decorate, ignoring the holes in the walls, the broken screens and swollen door jambs. I'm excited by new ideas and progress, but before we can do anything new, we've gotta undo what's been done before.

With this house, we've got a strong foundation and good bones. It's solid and there's no need (Thank God!) to mess with anything structural. Same with the work we're doing with young people here. They have a strong foundation, one which is solid and was laid by parents and Sunday school teachers for years before we showed up on the scene. There's no need to tear down anything structural. The structure of a home isn't typically what needs work, if it's been made well. It's the finishing; the decor and personal touches that change over time.

Progressive younger Christians sometimes think that we need to burn it all down and start from scratch. While that may be true in instances of church abuse, what's more often true is the house just needs a facelift; a few patches, a coat of paint, some trinkets and art that are meaningful to a new generation.

Proverbs 22:6

Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.

I think where people most often trip-up is by confusing an update with an overhaul. The older generation anxiously envisions the new one with a wrecking ball and clipboard. The younger generation misses the goldmine they've inherited by focusing on shag carpet and vinyl floors. The promise that children will "not turn from it" isn't talking about the outer trappings of religious observance, but the solid foundation of who they are in Christ and who He is to them. That's the good bones that will stand even when layers of tradition and culture are stripped away.

So, be encouraged older brothers and sisters! Your intimate knowledge of this old house is needed and useful! You know the hacks and tips for keeping this thing standing! We, the younger generation, and those behind us, need you to welcome us in and give us space to make ourselves at home. Maybe if we roll up our sleeves together we can create an atmosphere that reflects to us both, building new things on a solid foundation.