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CatieladyB, all credit and glory has to be given to our Heavenly Father.  He is the one who prompts me and he is not letting me rest with this question and Psalm 51.  I believe that he prompted Tom put up his post to get some of us to think about His Truth and the need to see through the traditions of men and release the Almighty from the box humanity has put him in.  I also phrase it this way - We need to conform to his design and not want Him to conform to our design.

All Glory and Praise to the ALMIGHTY.

I love THEE FINAL CHAPTER.      

I continue to ponder this question "Does Truth Matter?"  "His Truth Absolutely Matters!" is the only answer I come up with.

I started to think and I tied a rope around my waist I went down this rabbit hole.  We are the Eternal's creation and he wants us to know His Truth.  I have to remember that I am a spirit with a body and not a body with a spirit.  That does make a difference in my mind in how I look at things and experiences.  I really have to look at our Father in Heaven as the epitome of love that we can't even comprehend.  I look at us as little children trying to crawl and learning how to walk.  We fall down and cry, have temper tantrums, reach up with our hands and someone helps us to our feet to only fall again.  Our Father is encouraging us and puts people in our path to help us along as we inch ever so closer to the finish line.  For example, my therapist recommended that I read Psalm 51.  The following day, a nurse practitioner, who is a Christian, was telling me about the sermon at her church and said he was preaching a Psalm and I said "Let me guess, Psalm 51."  She said yes and asked how I knew.  I have shared with her numerous experiences over the past two years that are very similar to this one.  Tonight I was speaking with a very good friend about this experience with Psalm 51 and he said that he just listened to that Psalm earlier in the day.  I believe that this is an example of how our Creator reveals His Truth to us.  Once I get done with this post, I am reading Psalm 51. 

His Truth is there for us to find.  All we have to do is remove the scales from our eyes, die to ourselves, absolutely surrender and continuously seek and grow closer to him.  People like to say pursue Him, like he is running away from us and we are chasing after him.  I believe he is standing still, waiting on us to stop chasing our tails and head toward him because he wants us to latch onto him.  He wants his family.  Not an easy task. I am sure I am not done with this fun question Tom.  Thanks and I love you brother from a different mother and different coast.    

["does truth matter?" I have wrestled with this question myself for many years and I will say that I believe TRUTH DOES MATTER. First I would like to start off with a favorite scripture:Revelations 12:9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him." KJVWe have been warned that the whole world has been fooled, not just the Jews, Mormons, Baptists, Methodists, Catholics, etc.... Also in Revelation 17 it describes the woman on the back of the beast arrayed in purple and scarlet (colors worn by the Cardinals at the Vatican) and all of her harlots which are all of the world's religions. That is another entire discussion, but I am just trying to point out that the adversary has fooled the entire world. Since I am a psychotherapist, I frequently think about how we read and interpret things. We all have filters related to life experiences and what we have been taught and all this influences how we relate to others and how we interpret scriptures. We all have different levels of spiritual development based upon our filters. I love that iron sharpens iron, but everything needs to be put up against scripture and through prayer. I also think that one of the key concepts is absolute surrender/dying to ourselves. We need to really purge ourselves of sin and be totally open to our Creator. Because of our finite bodies and brains, we have a difficult time truly comprehending the everlasting/Alpha and Omega/eternal nature of our Creator. We like to put Him in a box to fit our understanding of the truth as opposed to us conforming to His Truth. This is no easy task and I am nowhere near that, but it is a glorious journey. Here are several scriptures to go along with Tom's that help me:Proverbs 1:7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction 1 Corinthians 1:25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men Isaiah 55:8-9 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. To me this just points to His Word and absolute surrendering of our limiting thoughts of our Creator because He is the Almighty.Micah 7:5-7 Trust ye not in a friend, put ye not confidence in a guide: keep the doors of they mouth from her that lieth in thy bosom. For the son dishonoureth the father, the daughter riseth up against her mother, the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; a man's enemies are the men of his own house. Therefore I will look unto the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation: my God will hear me. This verse is talking about the rebellion of Israel. I look at "house" possibly = "church." "Guide" = pastor?Psalm 117:2 For his merciful kindness is gret toward us: and the truth of the Lord endureth forever. Praise ye the Lord.Phillipians 3:3 For we are the circumcision which worship God in the spirit and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnationto them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.1 Corinthians 2:14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can they know them, because they are spiritually discerned.This is probably one of my favorite scriptures:Isaiah 28:9-10 Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk and drawn from the breasts. For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:It has to be this way. I did not see the movie but here is a quote from "A Few Good Men": You can't handle the truth By this I mean, if Our Creator revealed all to us, why would we need to be on this planet. I don't think our finite minds could handle it. He also knows that we are in a fallen state and that we are slow learners and if we learn things on our own, we tend to remember them more than if we are given the answers/truth. We need to discover the truth ourselves and test it against scripture. This walk with YAHUAH is definitely not linear and does not always make sense. I am still wrestling with being separated from my wife, but without going through this separation, I would not have had the opportunity to get my life more lined up with YAHUAH and embark on this wonderful journey with him. YAHUAH knows each of us and knows what we need and he puts people in our paths for a variety of reasons, but for all of our good and the discovery of His Truth. I even spoke to my mother about your post Tom, and she said that humankind really complicates things. She said that it is really simple: Follow the 10 Commandments and the Golden Rule. I really couldn't argue against that viewpoint. I have probably rambled in a few spots, so here is my answer to the question does truth matter? HIS TRUTH MATTERS as His Word is eternal and it will come to pass no matter what the adversary attempts to do.ALL PRAISE AND GLORY TO YAHUAH!]

Tom,

There are so many ways for me to make an attempt to answer this question of "does truth matter?"  I have wrestled with this question myself for many years and I will say that I believe TRUTH DOES MATTER.  First I would like to start off with a favorite scripture:

Revelations 12:9  And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world:  he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him."  KJV

We have been warned that the whole world has been fooled, not just the Jews, Mormons, Baptists, Methodists, Catholics, etc....  Also in Revelation 17 it describes the woman on the back of the beast arrayed in purple and scarlet (colors worn by the Cardinals at the Vatican) and all of her harlots which are all of the world's religions.  That is another entire discussion, but I am just trying to point out that the adversary has fooled the entire world. 

Since I am a psychotherapist, I frequently think about how we read and interpret things. We all have filters related to life experiences and what we have been taught and all this influences how we relate to others and how we interpret scriptures.  We all have different levels of spiritual development based upon our filters.  I love that iron sharpens iron, but everything needs to be put up against scripture and through prayer.  I also think that one of the key concepts is absolute surrender/dying to ourselves.  We need to really purge ourselves of sin and be totally open to our Creator.  Because of our finite bodies and brains, we have a difficult time truly comprehending the everlasting/Alpha and Omega/eternal nature of our Creator. We like to put Him in a box to fit our understanding of the truth as opposed to us conforming to His Truth.  This is no easy task and I am nowhere near that, but it is a glorious journey. 

Here are several scriptures to go along with Tom's that help me:

Proverbs 1:7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge:  but fools despise wisdom and instruction

1 Corinthians 1:25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men

Isaiah 55:8-9  For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways saith the Lord.  For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.  To me this just points to His Word and absolute surrendering of our limiting thoughts of our Creator because He is the Almighty.

Micah 7:5-7 Trust ye not in a friend, put ye not confidence in a guide:  keep the doors of they mouth from her that lieth in thy bosom.  For the son dishonoureth the father, the daughter riseth up against her mother, the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; a man's enemies are the men of his own house.  Therefore I will look unto the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation:  my God will hear me.   This verse is talking about the rebellion of Israel.  I look at "house" possibly = "church."  "Guide" = pastor?

Psalm 117:2 For his merciful kindness is gret toward us: and the truth of the Lord endureth forever.  Praise ye the Lord.

Phillipians 3:3 For we are the circumcision which worship God in the spirit and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.

Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnationto them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

1 Corinthians 2:14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God:  for they are foolishness unto him:  neither can they know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

This is probably one of my favorite scriptures:
Isaiah 28:9-10  Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk and drawn from the breasts.  For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:

It has to be this way.  I did not see the movie but here is a quote from "A Few Good Men":  You can't handle the truth  By this I mean, if Our Creator revealed all to us, why would we need to be on this planet.  I don't think our finite minds could handle it.  He also knows that we are in a fallen state and that we are slow learners and if we learn things on our own, we tend to remember them more than if we are given the answers/truth.  We need to discover the truth ourselves and test it against scripture.  This walk with YAHUAH is definitely not linear and does not always make sense.  I am still wrestling with being separated from my wife, but without going through this separation, I would not have had the opportunity to get my life more lined up with YAHUAH and embark on this wonderful journey with him. 

YAHUAH knows each of us and knows what we need and he puts people in our paths for a variety of reasons, but for all of our good and the discovery of His Truth. 

I even spoke to my mother about your post Tom, and she said that humankind really complicates things.  She said that it is really simple:  Follow the 10 Commandments and the Golden Rule.  I really couldn't argue against that viewpoint. 

I have probably rambled in a few spots, so here is my answer to the question does truth matter?  HIS TRUTH MATTERS as His Word is eternal and it will come to pass no matter what the adversary attempts to do.

ALL PRAISE AND GLORY TO YAHUAH!

 

I've done some more digging in on Luke 22:50-51 and this is what I have come up with so far.  The right ear in Hebrew tradition is a symbol of obedience and hearing.  It is also associated withthe ritual of applying blood to the right ear, thumb and toe of a newly-ordained priest.  In ancient times, the right ear was considered the most important ear because it was the ear that heard the word and instruction of God.  So as I read this aloud to myself and then the scripture, the meaning became much deeper for me.  The right ear is for hearing the word and instruction of God, but the right ear was cut off, so he was now cut off from God.  Christ touched the ear and healed/restored it, now this servant could once again hear the word and instruction of God.  This made me think of John 14:6  ....no man cometh unto the Father, but my me.  That is where I am with this scripture at the moment.

As I was in my Bible study class this past week, I was asked to read Luke 22:  50-51: 50 And one of them smote the servant of the high priest, and cut off his right ear. 51  And Jesus answered and said, Suffer ye thus far.  And he touched his ear, and healed him.  As soon as I read the word healed, the word "restored" entered my mind.  To me, the word restore has more depth of meaning than heal.  This weekend, I plan on digging in on the words healed and restored.  I also found it interesting that it was his right ear.  I am pretty sure that there is some significance to that as well.  Maybe I am looking for things that aren't there, but I have found that there is the literal meaning in scripture, then there are metameanings as well.  In verse 50, I found it interesting that it was the servant of the high priest who had his ear cut off.  Christ has been referred to by some as the only High Priest.

I love this forum, as it provides me with an outlet to share ideas and elicit thoughts from others.  In my opinion, there is so much more to the scriptures than what we have been fed.

  

 

Being a prog-rock and prog-metal head, this ECHOVERSE cd is fantastic lyrically and musically.  As soon as I heard the first guitar note, I knew it was Rob Perez from Visual Cliff fame.  This has been in constant rotation.      

Fantastic    

CatieladyB --    

Yes, the brand new Stryper is fantastic.  I love the crunchy guitars, Michael is able to his some of the high notes without becoming screechy. The rhythm section is as solid as ever.  The songs are catchy and the choruses get stuck in my head.  Rarely does a cd remain in my car for more than a week and this one is going on week three.

I have spent the past few days gardening and pulling weeds.  As I was pulling weeds, I started to think about sin.  I usually don't do a lot of thinking when I garden, but today was different.  As I was pulling weeds, some of them broke off at the soil level and I did not get the root.  Without getting the root, the weed will show back up.  Very much like sin.  I believe that the outward appearance of sin is really only an outward expression of a deeper issue.  One needs to really dig in to get at the root of sin.  It takes a great deal of effort to get to the root.  I will only speak for myself, and my biggest sin is PRIDE.  It shows up in all different ways and even ways I would not necessarily think of.  For example, I wrestle with low self esteem, particularly now with being separated from my wife and some of my children not wanting to have a relationship with me.  It dawned on me one day that my low self-esteem is a pride issue.  I think I am a better judge of my self-worth than my Creator.  In my mind that is a pride issue.  I do a lot of reading on humility in order to battle pride.  The more I read the less I know and that is a good thing.  I do like to use this forum as a way to hold myself accountable and if anyone gets anything from my thoughts, great.  I am always open to others' thoughts as well.   Take care everyone. 

Here I go again folks.  I have been doing a lot of reading of scripture, books and watching Youtube videos on this topic.  I struggle with using the term "God" when speaking about our Almighty Creator, especially when we are supposed to have a personal relationship with him and he desires to have the same with us.  How can one have a personal relationship with a title, when we know his name.  When speaking with other people about "God," I really don't know who they are talking about, because "God" means many different things to each one of us.  I know that I have many gods in my life and I am trying to eliminate them as I only have one Creator.  By using his name, and my choice is YAHUAH, there are specific characteristics associated with that name and I can have a personal relationship with him.  I will also refer to him has Creator, Father, Father-In-Heaven, Abba, etc....

The word "God" is so easily slandered and used in vain to the point that it no longer is reverenced or respected.    I just don't think that people really pay attention to what comes out of their mouths. Just flip over the dollar bill and you will see the slogan "In God we trust" along with many pagan symbols.  Maybe this is a stretch, but Gad is not too far off from "God." Gad in Hebrew means luck/fortunate/fortune. 

Maybe being a therapist, I pay a great deal of attention to what people say.  I think it is important to have a personal relationship with our Creator and not a title.  I guess what I am saying is to assist with deepening that relationship, as we are all helpless little children and are totally dependent.


Have a great day!!