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PURSUING TRUTH

“Justice is driven away, and right cannot come near. Truth stumbles in the public square, and honesty finds no place there. There is so little honesty that those who stop doing evil find themselves the victims of crime." The LORD has seen this, and He is displeased that there is no justice. He is astonished to see that there is no one to help the oppressed. So, He will use his own power to rescue them and to win the victory.” Isaiah 59:14-16 GNB

Since the Garden of Eden, there has been a battle between light and darkness, good and evil, the truth and the lie. The god of this age has blinded the world against the truth, especially the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ (2 Cor.4:4). Some of the densest blindfolds are culture, traditions, worldviews, and religious upbringing. We live in an era where any information is available at our fingertips on our phones. But how do we verify any information? Can the media be trusted? People have used media for centuries to influence and manipulate the minds and beliefs of people. Propaganda is a very useful technique to present a lie as if it is the truth, and by repeating it often enough, people will believe anything. It was so in the Garden of Eden, and it is so even in our time. With Photoshop and recently with the development of Artificial Intelligence, any photo or video can be manipulated. Fake news is evil. And to aggravate our inability to discern truth is that our hearts are untrustworthy (Jer.17:9). Self-deception is the error that led many Christians astray through the centuries of church history.

How do we find the truth? There is only one way: we need to know the One whose name is the Way, the Truth, and the Light. And we need to be filled with His gift to us, the Spirit of Truth. This is the only way to discern between darkness and light, good and evil, the truth and the lie. Now, more than ever, we need to know our Lord Jesus Christ. We need to know His ways, intentions, words, and warnings. We need new hearts, spirits, and love, and our first allegiance must be not to our culture, people group, or nation but to the kingdom of Jesus Christ. Let us today determine that we will search for the truth and find it in our endeavor to become one.

PRAYER POINTS

ME: Bow low before the Lord Jesus Christ. Present to Him your heart. Ask Him to expose all lies and deception in your own heart, be it from your culture and traditions, your political alliance now and in the past, your fallen nature, or an evil spirit. Ask Him to fill you with the Spirit of Truth and to guide you in this journey of reconciliation.

US: Pray for the church of Jesus Christ. Our High Priest, the Lord Jesus Christ, is still praying for us that the Father may make us one. Let us join Him in that prayer and submit ourselves to His authority, guidance, and desire for us to know the truth and worship in spirit and truth.

THEM: The truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ has to be preached, taught, and lived. Let us pray that the unbelievers in our nations will come to know the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

"There are only two people who can tell you the truth about yourself - an enemy who has lost his temper and a friend who loves you dearly." - Antisthenes

Congratulations, you have just completed 7 days of journeying with God on Reconciliation and Oneness, starting in your own heart and praying for your church community and your society at large. We trust that God has been doing a wonderful work in and through your prayers. Why not consider joining us for another 7 days? Week 3 of our One Heart Series is called THE POWER OF THE WORD.

As part of this journey we decided to capture stories of reconciliation both in South Africa and in other contexts where reconciliation doesn't make sense (but for Jesus). These have been captured in podcast format in partnership with The Follower Podcast . These will be available weekly on Mondays starting on 17 June 2024, wherever you get your podcasts.