Truth will Change People
19 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. 20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. 21 But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.” – John 3:19-21
It’s really hard to understand why folks reject the truth. You’d think that when someone hears the truth, it would just make sense, they’d accept it and move on regardless of the cost. I’d always believed that everybody wants the truth! But, sometimes I wonder if this is really the case. It just feels that we’re living in a time when nothing could be further than the truth.
I’ve heard someone use this example. A man is floating down the river in an inner tube on a hot summer day. The cool water feels amazing, they’re just enjoying the beauty that surrounds them. There’s only one problem, there’s a deadly waterfall up ahead and in they’re bliss they’re oblivious to it.
You know what lies ahead so you yell, you scream, you throw them a rope to pull them. They just blow you off because they’re comfortable and having a good time. They don’t know what’s headed their way and even when you warn them they don’t want to listen. So, they suffer the consequences.
Well, recently a good friend told me some true stories that confirmed in my mind that this is scenario is more real than we’d like to believe. For example:
Scenario 1: A lady goes to her advisor and tells him the great news that she’d been won $350.00 in a drawing. There’s only one problem, when they deposited the money into her savings account they somehow added an extra zero making the total deposited $3,500.00. They were very kind and apologetic and requested that she please refund by sending a wire transfer of $3,150.00 to their account.
She checked her savings account and sure enough, there was a $3,500.00 deposit. So, she asked her advisor to please wire the refund to this group.
There’s one problem though, the advisor had seen this before and it’s a scam. To make sure he did his research, and sure enough, someone had hacked her bank information. They had taken a $3,500.00 loan from her home credit line account and deposited it into her savings account! They did NOT put THEIR money into HER savings. They took HER money, from HER line of credit, and put it into HER savings account. If she sent them $3,150, she’d be sending $3,150.00 of HER money, NOT a reimbursement.
The adviser gathered all of the paperwork showing the withdrawal coming from HER line of credit and deposited it into HER savings account. He then explained exactly what was going on and told her to not transfer the funds. Unbelievably she still insisted that he do it. He refused to do it, telling her that it was a scam. For an hour he explained everything to her, over and over again showing her all of the documentation. “But they deposited the money in my savings account. I owe them!” she exclaimed.
Finally her boyfriend joined the discussion. This time the advisor explained to them both what had happened. This client still argued and refused to believe it. The boyfriend in exasperation said, “It’s your money, they’re tricking you. Trust your advisor!” She didn’t. The meeting ended with the client going somewhere else to make the “payment” because the advisor still refused to make the wire transfer.
Scenario 2: A lady spoke with her banker asking him to transfer everything that she had in her bank account to an account in the Bahamas because someone had contacted her with an investment opportunity. Because of his years of experience in the business he knew this was very dangerous.
The banker did the research, he double checked everything and found out that this was indeed a scam. He told the lady what he’d found. She still wanted him to wire transfer everything she had to the other account. This banker also refused because it was an unethical group and they were stealing her money.
This lady closed her account and took all of her money to another bank where they sent the it to the other group. She lost everything. As a matter of fact, she also ended up losing her home and eventually had to move in with a neighbor because she had nothing left.
Two years later this same lady came back to the bank that she’d originally been with to open a new account up. When she meet the banker who’d refused to wire her money for the scam, instead of expressing sorrow for not listening to what he’d told her, she was still upset at him!
Scenario 3: An elderly gentleman came into his bank explaining that his son had just called from Mexico and was in trouble. The father needed to wire transfer money to the son to help him get out of the predicament he was in. They sent $1,500 to the account. A very short time later the same man came back to the same bank and said that his son was in serious trouble and needed more money. This time the banker asked him questions to make sure he wasn’t being deceived. The man got angry at being questioned, “I know my son’s voice! He’s in trouble and I have to help him.”
The banker doubting what was going on went back into his office and found the son’s name and work phone number. He called the work number and spoke with the son and explained what was happening to his father. The son spoke with the father assuring him that he wasn’t in Mexico and not in trouble. This man still lost $1,500 and had been totally convinced that it was his son on the phone, until he spoke with his real son.
These are true stories that make me realize just how easily we’re deceived. Satan has had years of practice at duping people and knows the buttons to push. If you think you can’t be duped, be very careful.
Just like the man floating down the river headed towards a waterfall these three people had somebody who knew the dangers ahead and warned them. They were given a “lifeline” to protect them, but they chose not to listen and suffered the consequences.
The exact same thing is true in our lives. Every day we make decisions that have consequences. Some have short term consequences, others long term, but one decision is eternal. In Matthew 11:28 God tells us to come to Him, give your burdens to Him and He will give you rest! In Acts 16:31 the Apostle Paul tells the jailer to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and he would be saved. That same salvation is still here. If you’ve not made the decision to follow Christ, please do that today.
How do we approach the Word of God? Do we read it because that’s just what we’re supposed to do, or because it gives us a good feeling? Or, do we read and incorporate what it teaches into our lives? Do we allow it to be the authority for our actions and submit ourselves to what God is teaching there?
In all honesty, sometimes I do read it in the proper manner, sometimes I don’t! I am working at allowing it to be the absolute authority in my life though. With God’s grace and strength I’m getting better every day. Pray for me and let us know how we can pray for you. But, most importantly, if you love Jesus . . .
Stay Bold!
It’s really hard to understand why folks reject the truth. You’d think that when someone hears the truth, it would just make sense, they’d accept it and move on regardless of the cost. I’d always believed that everybody wants the truth! But, sometimes I wonder if this is really the case. It just feels that we’re living in a time when nothing could be further than the truth.
I’ve heard someone use this example. A man is floating down the river in an inner tube on a hot summer day. The cool water feels amazing, they’re just enjoying the beauty that surrounds them. There’s only one problem, there’s a deadly waterfall up ahead and in they’re bliss they’re oblivious to it.
You know what lies ahead so you yell, you scream, you throw them a rope to pull them. They just blow you off because they’re comfortable and having a good time. They don’t know what’s headed their way and even when you warn them they don’t want to listen. So, they suffer the consequences.
Well, recently a good friend told me some true stories that confirmed in my mind that this is scenario is more real than we’d like to believe. For example:
Scenario 1: A lady goes to her advisor and tells him the great news that she’d been won $350.00 in a drawing. There’s only one problem, when they deposited the money into her savings account they somehow added an extra zero making the total deposited $3,500.00. They were very kind and apologetic and requested that she please refund by sending a wire transfer of $3,150.00 to their account.
She checked her savings account and sure enough, there was a $3,500.00 deposit. So, she asked her advisor to please wire the refund to this group.
There’s one problem though, the advisor had seen this before and it’s a scam. To make sure he did his research, and sure enough, someone had hacked her bank information. They had taken a $3,500.00 loan from her home credit line account and deposited it into her savings account! They did NOT put THEIR money into HER savings. They took HER money, from HER line of credit, and put it into HER savings account. If she sent them $3,150, she’d be sending $3,150.00 of HER money, NOT a reimbursement.
The adviser gathered all of the paperwork showing the withdrawal coming from HER line of credit and deposited it into HER savings account. He then explained exactly what was going on and told her to not transfer the funds. Unbelievably she still insisted that he do it. He refused to do it, telling her that it was a scam. For an hour he explained everything to her, over and over again showing her all of the documentation. “But they deposited the money in my savings account. I owe them!” she exclaimed.
Finally her boyfriend joined the discussion. This time the advisor explained to them both what had happened. This client still argued and refused to believe it. The boyfriend in exasperation said, “It’s your money, they’re tricking you. Trust your advisor!” She didn’t. The meeting ended with the client going somewhere else to make the “payment” because the advisor still refused to make the wire transfer.
Scenario 2: A lady spoke with her banker asking him to transfer everything that she had in her bank account to an account in the Bahamas because someone had contacted her with an investment opportunity. Because of his years of experience in the business he knew this was very dangerous.
The banker did the research, he double checked everything and found out that this was indeed a scam. He told the lady what he’d found. She still wanted him to wire transfer everything she had to the other account. This banker also refused because it was an unethical group and they were stealing her money.
This lady closed her account and took all of her money to another bank where they sent the it to the other group. She lost everything. As a matter of fact, she also ended up losing her home and eventually had to move in with a neighbor because she had nothing left.
Two years later this same lady came back to the bank that she’d originally been with to open a new account up. When she meet the banker who’d refused to wire her money for the scam, instead of expressing sorrow for not listening to what he’d told her, she was still upset at him!
Scenario 3: An elderly gentleman came into his bank explaining that his son had just called from Mexico and was in trouble. The father needed to wire transfer money to the son to help him get out of the predicament he was in. They sent $1,500 to the account. A very short time later the same man came back to the same bank and said that his son was in serious trouble and needed more money. This time the banker asked him questions to make sure he wasn’t being deceived. The man got angry at being questioned, “I know my son’s voice! He’s in trouble and I have to help him.”
The banker doubting what was going on went back into his office and found the son’s name and work phone number. He called the work number and spoke with the son and explained what was happening to his father. The son spoke with the father assuring him that he wasn’t in Mexico and not in trouble. This man still lost $1,500 and had been totally convinced that it was his son on the phone, until he spoke with his real son.
These are true stories that make me realize just how easily we’re deceived. Satan has had years of practice at duping people and knows the buttons to push. If you think you can’t be duped, be very careful.
Just like the man floating down the river headed towards a waterfall these three people had somebody who knew the dangers ahead and warned them. They were given a “lifeline” to protect them, but they chose not to listen and suffered the consequences.
The exact same thing is true in our lives. Every day we make decisions that have consequences. Some have short term consequences, others long term, but one decision is eternal. In Matthew 11:28 God tells us to come to Him, give your burdens to Him and He will give you rest! In Acts 16:31 the Apostle Paul tells the jailer to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and he would be saved. That same salvation is still here. If you’ve not made the decision to follow Christ, please do that today.
How do we approach the Word of God? Do we read it because that’s just what we’re supposed to do, or because it gives us a good feeling? Or, do we read and incorporate what it teaches into our lives? Do we allow it to be the authority for our actions and submit ourselves to what God is teaching there?
In all honesty, sometimes I do read it in the proper manner, sometimes I don’t! I am working at allowing it to be the absolute authority in my life though. With God’s grace and strength I’m getting better every day. Pray for me and let us know how we can pray for you. But, most importantly, if you love Jesus . . .
Stay Bold!
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