Praise God for another supporter who joined the team today and with his monthly commitment, raised us up to 87% of our goal!
Just $371 in monthly commitments are needed for us to reach 95% and book our airfare to Ireland!
God is great and the jump of 2 percentage points today was a real encouragement for us. I am reminded daily of how he is in control.
What will tomorrow bring?
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
June 23rd Update
Just a quick update on a few things that have been happening in our lives since the last post:
- God has continued to bless our support raising and we are now at 85% of our required goal! Just a little under $500 in monthly commitments for us to be released to Ireland. The Lord keeps placing people in our path who have an interest in our ministry and want to partner with us in their finances and prayers.
- With a lot of help from our church we had a successful garage sale, clearing out a lot of our stuff and making some money in the process to help with moving expenses. Special thanks to John & Angela Caprine, Stacy Bins, Stephanie Osowski, Kerri Wittwer, Jason Green, Shannon Howard and everyone who donated items to the sale!
- I attended my grandfather's memorial service this past weekend. It was a great time of remembrance as we shared memories and stories of him with friends and family. I was blessed and honored to share the eulogy/message at the service for him.
- This Sunday, the 28th, we will have our commissioning service at Summit Ridge Church in Las Vegas. Dave McBride from Operation Mobilization in Tyrone, GA will attend and help give the message along with Pastor John. This is a service that is totally being done in faith that God will provide the remainder of our support in time for us to leave by the end of July. If you are in Vegas, we would love to see you there!
The next couple of weeks we will be working on packing up the house and getting everything ready to load on a U-Haul to Enterprise, OR. We will store some of our stuff there at Sarah's mom's house. Before we leave, we will take a short trip to San Diego to say goodbye to most of Sarah's extended family. We'll spend a week or so in Enterprise and then a week or so in Marcola, OR before (God willing) flying out of Portland to Dublin during the last week of July.
Please prayerfully consider what part God would have you play in all of this as we look to wrap up the final bit of support raising. Stay tuned!
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Support Raising Update
Yesterday God added 3 new supporters to our team which resulted in a 3% increase toward meeting our financial requirement. We are now officially at 80% of our goal!
Again, we must be at 95% of our goal in order to be released to Ireland. That is just $700 in monthly commitments to go! Another way of looking at it is 4 more people committing to $100/month and 6 more committing to $50/month.
Please pray that God will continue in His provision for the financial needs of our family. All in God's timing of course, but we would love to have the remainder come in quickly so that we can book our airline tickets soon and save some money that way.
If you haven't already done so, please prayerfully consider partnering with us financially. No monthly amount is too small at this point...it will all go towards knocking the remaining $700/month down. Even "special" lump-sum gifts will be applied to our monthly needs and spread out over the 2 year period we will be in Ireland. For example, if someone gave $2400 then that would spread out to $100/month.
If you are already part of our prayer & financial support team, THANK YOU! Please continue to pray for us and if you know of others who may have a heart for our ministry, let us know. Would you also pray about possibly increasing your commitment by a small amount? Another $5 or $10 per month multiplied by 50 people would have a tremendous impact on our remaining amount.
Looking forward to seeing what God will do in the days & weeks to come!
Again, we must be at 95% of our goal in order to be released to Ireland. That is just $700 in monthly commitments to go! Another way of looking at it is 4 more people committing to $100/month and 6 more committing to $50/month.
Please pray that God will continue in His provision for the financial needs of our family. All in God's timing of course, but we would love to have the remainder come in quickly so that we can book our airline tickets soon and save some money that way.
If you haven't already done so, please prayerfully consider partnering with us financially. No monthly amount is too small at this point...it will all go towards knocking the remaining $700/month down. Even "special" lump-sum gifts will be applied to our monthly needs and spread out over the 2 year period we will be in Ireland. For example, if someone gave $2400 then that would spread out to $100/month.
If you are already part of our prayer & financial support team, THANK YOU! Please continue to pray for us and if you know of others who may have a heart for our ministry, let us know. Would you also pray about possibly increasing your commitment by a small amount? Another $5 or $10 per month multiplied by 50 people would have a tremendous impact on our remaining amount.
Looking forward to seeing what God will do in the days & weeks to come!
Monday, June 8, 2009
Psst...here's a short cut to getting on the mission field!
Made you look! There are no short cuts!
It has been an interesting few days for us. Our support level is still at 77%. We have often remarked to each other that it would be easier if the remainder would just come in today, or if the exchange rate would improve, or if this or that... Basically, how nice would it be if there was some type of short cut we could take to get to Ireland like, tomorrow!
I'm reminded of a story about two lumberjacks, one who was young & strong and one who was old & wise. The young man was bragging about how many trees he could chop down in a day. The older man couldn't keep from laughing at the young man's boasting. With his pride offended, the youth replied, "What are you laughing at, old man? I could cut down more trees in a day than you could dream of!" This only made the old man laugh harder and they decided to make a wager on who could cut down the most trees in a day. The next morning on the word "Go!", the young man flew in to the forest and you could hear the crack of the axe echoing off the mountain as he attacked each tree. But the old man sauntered off to the tool shed, grabbed a file, and started sharpening his axe. At the end of the day, the old man had won.
There are several lessons here that apply to ministry/missions/evangelism. It is not something to be rushed in to, preparation is key, and it is good practice to keep your "axe" sharp. I believe anyone who is called to ministry or missions is also called to be successful in that endeavor, with God's grace. My definition of success here is to win people to Christ and bless the next generation - or in other words, reproduce reproducers who can share the gospel.
Here are some ways that I am looking to keep my axe sharp while I wait upon the Lord so that I am prepared for the opportunities that will come in His timing:
1) Practice faithfulness - I want to hold firm to the call that I believe God has given me. I want to offer everything that I am and have to Him, and allow Him to use me for a successful ministry. I realize that any success realized is not of my own skill or knowledge, but is a result of my faithfulness to His calling.
2) Be in prayer - Acts 1:14 "Those with one mind were constantly devoting themselves to prayer" Philippians 4:6 "do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God"
I highlighted the words in red because what stood out to me here is to constantly be in prayer about everything! Bringing our requests before God is both our privilege and our duty. Jesus modeled intentional, fervent, and undistracted times of prayer - if Jesus needed to pray, how much more so do we!
3) Be in God's Word - The bible is a map to understanding God and His purpose for our lives. It shows us how to live with and love each other. I do not want to wander in the wilderness as we set out to the mission field - I want to vividly know and live by the best map there is!
4) Find encouragement - Some of this can be accomplished through the points already listed, but what I really mean here is being encouraged by other believers. I'm not talking about just going to church, saying hello, and being polite. I desire people that can share in the ups & downs of life and be there to encourage me, and I them - it is a two way street.
We very much want to be on the mission field, but I do not want any short cut and I do not want to be beating on trees with axe handles. I want to keep my axe sharp and "...be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work" (2 Timothy 2:12).
As strong as our desire is to get to Ireland, Sarah & I have been reminded that it is not about us. It is about the people there that will be reached with the good news as God uses us for His purpose. Ireland is a country in great need and our prayer is to be used to help meet some of that need. Our passion about our calling is stronger than ever and we remain faithful to He who called us. What a joy and an honor it is to watch God work!
It has been an interesting few days for us. Our support level is still at 77%. We have often remarked to each other that it would be easier if the remainder would just come in today, or if the exchange rate would improve, or if this or that... Basically, how nice would it be if there was some type of short cut we could take to get to Ireland like, tomorrow!
I'm reminded of a story about two lumberjacks, one who was young & strong and one who was old & wise. The young man was bragging about how many trees he could chop down in a day. The older man couldn't keep from laughing at the young man's boasting. With his pride offended, the youth replied, "What are you laughing at, old man? I could cut down more trees in a day than you could dream of!" This only made the old man laugh harder and they decided to make a wager on who could cut down the most trees in a day. The next morning on the word "Go!", the young man flew in to the forest and you could hear the crack of the axe echoing off the mountain as he attacked each tree. But the old man sauntered off to the tool shed, grabbed a file, and started sharpening his axe. At the end of the day, the old man had won.
There are several lessons here that apply to ministry/missions/evangelism. It is not something to be rushed in to, preparation is key, and it is good practice to keep your "axe" sharp. I believe anyone who is called to ministry or missions is also called to be successful in that endeavor, with God's grace. My definition of success here is to win people to Christ and bless the next generation - or in other words, reproduce reproducers who can share the gospel.
Here are some ways that I am looking to keep my axe sharp while I wait upon the Lord so that I am prepared for the opportunities that will come in His timing:
1) Practice faithfulness - I want to hold firm to the call that I believe God has given me. I want to offer everything that I am and have to Him, and allow Him to use me for a successful ministry. I realize that any success realized is not of my own skill or knowledge, but is a result of my faithfulness to His calling.
2) Be in prayer - Acts 1:14 "Those with one mind were constantly devoting themselves to prayer" Philippians 4:6 "do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God"
I highlighted the words in red because what stood out to me here is to constantly be in prayer about everything! Bringing our requests before God is both our privilege and our duty. Jesus modeled intentional, fervent, and undistracted times of prayer - if Jesus needed to pray, how much more so do we!
3) Be in God's Word - The bible is a map to understanding God and His purpose for our lives. It shows us how to live with and love each other. I do not want to wander in the wilderness as we set out to the mission field - I want to vividly know and live by the best map there is!
4) Find encouragement - Some of this can be accomplished through the points already listed, but what I really mean here is being encouraged by other believers. I'm not talking about just going to church, saying hello, and being polite. I desire people that can share in the ups & downs of life and be there to encourage me, and I them - it is a two way street.
We very much want to be on the mission field, but I do not want any short cut and I do not want to be beating on trees with axe handles. I want to keep my axe sharp and "...be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work" (2 Timothy 2:12).
As strong as our desire is to get to Ireland, Sarah & I have been reminded that it is not about us. It is about the people there that will be reached with the good news as God uses us for His purpose. Ireland is a country in great need and our prayer is to be used to help meet some of that need. Our passion about our calling is stronger than ever and we remain faithful to He who called us. What a joy and an honor it is to watch God work!
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord
So, today is June 3rd. We are two days past our self-imposed deadline of reaching 90% of our required financial support level by June 1st. I wanted to take a moment to provide an update of where we stand, what our remaining need is (along with our strategy to get there), and share our updated time line.
We are currently at 77% of our required support level. At first I felt disappointed that we did not achieve what we set out to do by June 1st. But I am reminded that this is not about our goals and our timetables, but about God's perfect plan for us. While I have no doubt that we are called to serve in Ireland and that God's hand has been upon this endeavor, I am ashamed to admit that I have doubted in His provision when things haven't gone the way I wanted them to go. God is faithful - I just need to remember that! In many ways, our support has been like manna from heaven. It seems as though we get just enough every day to keep the percentage ticking upward. I am thankful for all that God has given to us so far.
Our remaining need is that we are required to get to 95% of our support before we can be released to Ireland. That is another 18% of our goal to raise - which comes out to $872 in monthly commitments to obtain. That would be only 9 people contributing $100/month! There are a handful of people for us to contact and/or hear back from, but the fact is that our network of potential supporters is dwindling.
Our strategy to get to 95% of our goal is this:
1) Pray
2) Pray
3) Pray
4) Be prepared for opportunities that God provides to share about our ministry and to ask for prayer and financial support
5) Reach out to those who are already part of our support team with 2 things in mind:
A) Do they have friends, family members, co-workers who have a heart for missions and may be interested in our ministry in Ireland?
B) Would they be in prayer about increasing their financial support by as little as $10/month or 33 cents per day? With nearly 50 monthly supporters on the team, this alone would produce more than a 10% boost to our required budget!
Our updated time line is that we will be cleared to depart when 95% of our monthly support is committed. Our prayer is that God will provide in time for us to fly to Ireland while Sarah is still able to (due to her pregnancy). The last day that she can fly is July 29th. If we are not able to go by then, then we will need to have the baby here and then wait a couple of months to travel, which would put us in December/January.
Well, that's the latest. We remain encouraged and optimistic and we know that we will be strengthened as we wait upon our Lord!
We are currently at 77% of our required support level. At first I felt disappointed that we did not achieve what we set out to do by June 1st. But I am reminded that this is not about our goals and our timetables, but about God's perfect plan for us. While I have no doubt that we are called to serve in Ireland and that God's hand has been upon this endeavor, I am ashamed to admit that I have doubted in His provision when things haven't gone the way I wanted them to go. God is faithful - I just need to remember that! In many ways, our support has been like manna from heaven. It seems as though we get just enough every day to keep the percentage ticking upward. I am thankful for all that God has given to us so far.
Our remaining need is that we are required to get to 95% of our support before we can be released to Ireland. That is another 18% of our goal to raise - which comes out to $872 in monthly commitments to obtain. That would be only 9 people contributing $100/month! There are a handful of people for us to contact and/or hear back from, but the fact is that our network of potential supporters is dwindling.
Our strategy to get to 95% of our goal is this:
1) Pray
2) Pray
3) Pray
4) Be prepared for opportunities that God provides to share about our ministry and to ask for prayer and financial support
5) Reach out to those who are already part of our support team with 2 things in mind:
A) Do they have friends, family members, co-workers who have a heart for missions and may be interested in our ministry in Ireland?
B) Would they be in prayer about increasing their financial support by as little as $10/month or 33 cents per day? With nearly 50 monthly supporters on the team, this alone would produce more than a 10% boost to our required budget!
Our updated time line is that we will be cleared to depart when 95% of our monthly support is committed. Our prayer is that God will provide in time for us to fly to Ireland while Sarah is still able to (due to her pregnancy). The last day that she can fly is July 29th. If we are not able to go by then, then we will need to have the baby here and then wait a couple of months to travel, which would put us in December/January.
Well, that's the latest. We remain encouraged and optimistic and we know that we will be strengthened as we wait upon our Lord!
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
By the Numbers
We recently returned from a trip to Oregon where we spent 4 weeks connecting with family and friends to share about our upcoming ministry in Ireland and our prayer/financial needs. Here is a look at our trip "by the numbers":
3473.6 miles driven round-trip
950 dollars raised in new monthly support commitments
72 percent of our required financial need has been met
20 percent increase in support that God has provided so far as a result of the trip
18 percent of our monthly support is still needed by June 1st to depart July 1st
15 new supporters added to our team lifting us up in prayer and contributing their finances
6 days left to raise the remaining 18% of our required monthly support
4 different churches attended in the same number of weeks
3 is the total number of boys we will have after finding out the gender of the baby due 9/25
2 birthdays celebrated on the road (mine & Sarah's)
1 offer made on our house since we returned!!
Thank you to all of our new supporters and if you have been thinking about joining our team to help us serve God in Ireland, please let us know. For as little as $2-$3 per day, you can have a huge impact on the families and young people we will interact with during our missions work.
3473.6 miles driven round-trip
950 dollars raised in new monthly support commitments
72 percent of our required financial need has been met
20 percent increase in support that God has provided so far as a result of the trip
18 percent of our monthly support is still needed by June 1st to depart July 1st
15 new supporters added to our team lifting us up in prayer and contributing their finances
6 days left to raise the remaining 18% of our required monthly support
4 different churches attended in the same number of weeks
3 is the total number of boys we will have after finding out the gender of the baby due 9/25
2 birthdays celebrated on the road (mine & Sarah's)
1 offer made on our house since we returned!!
Thank you to all of our new supporters and if you have been thinking about joining our team to help us serve God in Ireland, please let us know. For as little as $2-$3 per day, you can have a huge impact on the families and young people we will interact with during our missions work.
Monday, May 4, 2009
Truth, Knowledge, and Wisdom
What is truth?
This is a fundamental question that has been asked countless times over the ages to which humans have come up with countless explanations.
In our current age, and really beginning with the Enlightenment, truth and fact are determined based on empirical evidence. Empirical evidence is part of the scientific method and is basically a fancy way of saying that something is true only if it can be experienced and tested through the senses - and that an observer must rely on the observation alone without any due regard for system or theory.
There are dozens of sources dedicated to utilizing empirical evidence to determine if God and the bible are true. Here is a quote I found on one of them:
“With every other object and phenomenon in our experience, we use the scientific method to determine whether it exists or not. For example, X rays are invisible, but we know that they exist. We can devise scientific experiments to prove that they exist. Then, once proven to exist, X-rays can be used predictably in all sorts of beneficial ways.
If you would like to hypothesize that God exists, then you should say to yourself, "Let's devise a repeatable scientific experiment to provide evidence that God exists." Every experiment we devise demonstrates, yet again, that God is imaginary”
Our God does not fit into this box. The very idea that somehow He is subject to our rules is just not plausible. He is invisible, immortal, and created everything for His purpose.
Colossians 1:15-16 – He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities – all things were created through him and for him.
1 Timothy 1:17 – To the King of ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.
However, most of us have been indoctrinated with the scientific method of determining truth. But if we are followers of Jesus, how does this notion fit within our belief system? How do we reconcile what the bible says with the standard that the world uses to judge its truthfulness?
I think that to better appreciate truth, a distinction must be made between knowledge and wisdom. To paraphrase the notes in my study bible, "Knowledge tends to focus on correct understanding of the world and oneself as creatures of the magnificent and loving God, while wisdom is the acquired skill of applying that knowledge rightly, or skill in the art of godly living."
With that in mind, look at the following verses from Proverbs:
Proverbs 1:7 – The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Proverbs 2:6 – For the LORD gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.
The assertion here is that submission to God is foundational to the attainment of real understanding, an idea that is not present in a worldly pursuit of knowledge and wisdom.
The underlying issue here is that by taking God (or more accurately, the fear of God) out of the picture - we distort the truth. In Matthew 28:18, just before giving the Great Commission, Jesus says to his disciples, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me." Not some of the authority, not authority over certain things, but all authority. What does this mean? For me, it means that absolutely everything, on every level, is subject to the lordship of Christ. We reject that notion when we assert that our ways of determining truth and discovering knowledge need not involve God.
The bible is clear on the dangers of the arrogance and folly of thinking that truth is independent of Christ:
Proverbs 3:5 – Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD, and turn away from evil.
Colossians 2:8-9 – See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.
Truth, knowledge, and wisdom are part of God's desire for us - as long we have the definition and context of those embedded clearly on our hearts. The truth around which all other truths come from is referred to in these passages:
1 Timothy 2:3-6 – This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.
Ephesians 3:17-19 – so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith – that you being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
So what did our Mediator, our Redeemer, our Savior have to say about truth?
John 8:31-32 – So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.”
John 14:6 – Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
Here we are not only dealing with biblical perspective on truth, but also some other ideas. Modern day society is big on things like relativism & tolerance - and they sound like good qualities to have. But there is no relativism here - there is no tolerance. There is no sense around there being one god, but many different paths. Jesus Christ says that he is the only way to God. This statement in its very nature is exclusive, and if you believe Jesus' claim, is absolute truth.
The question, "what is truth?" is asked in the bible in the context of Jesus being interrogated by Pontius Pilate before his crucifixion.
John 18:37-38 – Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world – to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.” Pilate said to him, “What is truth?”
How ironic that Pilate, whose job it is to determine the truth in the matter, sarcastically dismisses the relevance of truth in the very presence of the embodiment of truth in Christ Jesus.
I think that Romans 1:16-22 sums it up nicely:
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.” For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools.
Just because we cannot see something or feel something or measure something does not mean that it does not exist. One of Satan's greatest deceptions is convincing people that he does not exist, which leads them to believe that neither does God.
This is a fundamental question that has been asked countless times over the ages to which humans have come up with countless explanations.
In our current age, and really beginning with the Enlightenment, truth and fact are determined based on empirical evidence. Empirical evidence is part of the scientific method and is basically a fancy way of saying that something is true only if it can be experienced and tested through the senses - and that an observer must rely on the observation alone without any due regard for system or theory.
There are dozens of sources dedicated to utilizing empirical evidence to determine if God and the bible are true. Here is a quote I found on one of them:
“With every other object and phenomenon in our experience, we use the scientific method to determine whether it exists or not. For example, X rays are invisible, but we know that they exist. We can devise scientific experiments to prove that they exist. Then, once proven to exist, X-rays can be used predictably in all sorts of beneficial ways.
If you would like to hypothesize that God exists, then you should say to yourself, "Let's devise a repeatable scientific experiment to provide evidence that God exists." Every experiment we devise demonstrates, yet again, that God is imaginary”
Our God does not fit into this box. The very idea that somehow He is subject to our rules is just not plausible. He is invisible, immortal, and created everything for His purpose.
Colossians 1:15-16 – He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities – all things were created through him and for him.
1 Timothy 1:17 – To the King of ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.
However, most of us have been indoctrinated with the scientific method of determining truth. But if we are followers of Jesus, how does this notion fit within our belief system? How do we reconcile what the bible says with the standard that the world uses to judge its truthfulness?
I think that to better appreciate truth, a distinction must be made between knowledge and wisdom. To paraphrase the notes in my study bible, "Knowledge tends to focus on correct understanding of the world and oneself as creatures of the magnificent and loving God, while wisdom is the acquired skill of applying that knowledge rightly, or skill in the art of godly living."
With that in mind, look at the following verses from Proverbs:
Proverbs 1:7 – The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Proverbs 2:6 – For the LORD gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.
The assertion here is that submission to God is foundational to the attainment of real understanding, an idea that is not present in a worldly pursuit of knowledge and wisdom.
The underlying issue here is that by taking God (or more accurately, the fear of God) out of the picture - we distort the truth. In Matthew 28:18, just before giving the Great Commission, Jesus says to his disciples, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me." Not some of the authority, not authority over certain things, but all authority. What does this mean? For me, it means that absolutely everything, on every level, is subject to the lordship of Christ. We reject that notion when we assert that our ways of determining truth and discovering knowledge need not involve God.
The bible is clear on the dangers of the arrogance and folly of thinking that truth is independent of Christ:
Proverbs 3:5 – Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD, and turn away from evil.
Colossians 2:8-9 – See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.
Truth, knowledge, and wisdom are part of God's desire for us - as long we have the definition and context of those embedded clearly on our hearts. The truth around which all other truths come from is referred to in these passages:
1 Timothy 2:3-6 – This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.
Ephesians 3:17-19 – so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith – that you being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
So what did our Mediator, our Redeemer, our Savior have to say about truth?
John 8:31-32 – So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.”
John 14:6 – Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
Here we are not only dealing with biblical perspective on truth, but also some other ideas. Modern day society is big on things like relativism & tolerance - and they sound like good qualities to have. But there is no relativism here - there is no tolerance. There is no sense around there being one god, but many different paths. Jesus Christ says that he is the only way to God. This statement in its very nature is exclusive, and if you believe Jesus' claim, is absolute truth.
The question, "what is truth?" is asked in the bible in the context of Jesus being interrogated by Pontius Pilate before his crucifixion.
John 18:37-38 – Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world – to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.” Pilate said to him, “What is truth?”
How ironic that Pilate, whose job it is to determine the truth in the matter, sarcastically dismisses the relevance of truth in the very presence of the embodiment of truth in Christ Jesus.
I think that Romans 1:16-22 sums it up nicely:
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.” For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools.
Just because we cannot see something or feel something or measure something does not mean that it does not exist. One of Satan's greatest deceptions is convincing people that he does not exist, which leads them to believe that neither does God.
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