TRUTH IS A PERSON
Over a number of years, the Readers Digest have published lists of the most trusted professions in Australia, as well as compiling a list of the most trusted individuals. When I searched online, I found the list of 45 most trusted professions, published in 2011. I would imagine the list would not have changed very much since then, in the public perception of trustworthiness.
At the top of the list were paramedics, firefighters, pilots, rescue volunteers and nurses in positions 1 to 5.
At the other end of the scale of trustworthiness were taxi drivers, real estate agents, car salesmen, politicians and telemarketers. Having been a taxi driver in Hobart, the southernmost capital city in Australia - for over fourteen years (Is it really that long? Time flies when you are having fun - or more to the point, as you get older) - my boss has had me laughing at times, when directing my reverse parking at his yard into awkward spaces, he has called out: "Trust me, Pete! I'm a cab driver".
Having said that, it is clear that looking at the list of professions, the perceived levels of trustworthiness are generalizations. As a cab driver - I have just recently hung up my keys for the last time, I think - many of the cabbies I have known have been hard-working, decent people just trying hard to make an honest living. Also, our recent experience over the past twelve months as we have had our house on the market, and subsequently sold and bought another house, to which we have moved just recently - dealing with three real estate agents, lower on the list of professions than taxi drivers - has been a very happy one, and we could say without a shadow of a doubt that we trust these three agents implicitly.
As to the list of most trusted individuals, I personally would question some of the choices at the top of the lists, but that is another story.
The reality is that, in the second decade of the twenty first century, honesty and trustworthiness seem to be character qualities that do not always appear to be in ample supply. It used to be said that a person's word on a matter was their bond. In other words, if a person said he would do something for you, his word could be trusted - at least in the majority of dealings with reputable people and organizations. That, obviously is far from reality in our present times.
With the advent of personal computers, laptops, tablets, smartphones and other readily accessible communication platforms, using the internet to host a myriad of social media sources, the potential for users to fall victim to a host of online scammers and cyber-criminals of varying degree and sophistication is mind-boggling and not just a little bit scary!
Add to the online scammers, the criminal telemarketers preying on the elderly, in particular, who use fear and intimidation techniques to attempt to catch them unawares, and in turn, by deceit and lies, to fleece them of financial assets - all the while, presenting as bona fide representatives of organizations such as the Australian Taxation Office, Centrelink (Department of Human Services), and Telstra. We have had bogus calls from people purporting to be from all of those bodies just mentioned. The "Telstra" one has been almost on a daily basis lately - and usually with voices from overseas call centres. So frustrating! The really upsetting thing is that, no doubt, there would be numbers of people who fall for these scams and suffer financially, physically and mentally in the process - and it would seem they can do nothing about it!
Then there is the "fake news" phenomenon spurned by the Presidential campaign in the USA last year, and since the installation of Donald Trump in the White House - with some of the major US TV networks and newspapers deliberately presenting stories as fact, when in reality, oftentimes they are nothing more than attempts to denigrate him as a person in ways that cannot be substantiated by the truth.
Here in Australia, where I live, the mainstream media also has been guilty of presenting "fake news" and for political advantage, only presenting a one-sided appraisal of individuals and political parties.
Respected American author, philosopher, and pastor, Francis Schaeffer, who is remembered for establishing the L'Abri community in Switzerland, said of truth:Today not only in philosophy but in politics, government, and individual morality, our generation sees solutions in terms of synthesis and not absolutes. When this happens, truth, as people have always thought of truth, has died.
We should not be surprised that truth and personal integrity are dwindling commodities in today's world. The Bible says in 1 John 5:19 We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one. NKJV
Speaking of the rebellion of Satan, when as the angel, Lucifer, he lost his place in the presence of God, Revelation 12:9 tells us: And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan,who deceives the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. Paul the apostle says in 2 Timothy3:13 But evil men and imposters will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.
Lies and deception entered the human race when Adam fell into sin in the garden of Eden.
Jesus, in John's gospel, chapter 8, when stating His divinity to a group of Pharisees, who virtually were accusing Jesus of being an illegitimate child, says to them: "If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me.
Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word.
You are of your father, the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.
But because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me.
Which of you convicts me of sin? And if I tell the truth, why do you not believe Me?
He who is of God hears God's words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God." John 8:42-47.
In stark contrast to Satan, the father of lies, Jesus Christ said of Himself: "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through Me." John 14:6 He was saying to His disciples, and directly to Thomas, in reply to a question from him, that He Himself was the embodiment of Truth.
Earlier in John 8, the chapter quoted above, Jesus defends his self witness to being the Son of God, as He says in verses 29,30 "And He who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him."
As He spoke these words, many believed in Him.
Then Jesus made an astounding claim, which proved to be true for those who put their trust in Him at that time, and still proves to be true today in the lives of those take the Living God at His Word -
Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, "If you continue in My word, you are My disciples indeed.
And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." John 8:31,32.
I love what the Director of the Bible college I attended in New Zealand said of that verse: You shall continue in My word, and you shall know the truth, AND THE TRUTH SHALL BE IN YOU A LIBERATING FORCE!"
Jesus re-stated this truth concerning Himself, in verse 36, where He said: "If the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed."
Back in the eighties, I remember hearing the testimony of Barry McGuire, who had a huge hit in 1965 with the protest song "Eve of Destruction". He said he went around to a friend's place one night to "smoke dope". On the coffee table was a copy of "Good News For Modern Man", a popular version of the New Testament of the Bible, with the famous stick drawings. He said in his gravelly voice: "Hey, I'm a modern man. What's this all about!" He took it home and began to read it, and he could not deny it was the Truth. That was the beginning of a transformed life as he encountered the Jesus of the Bible in the twentieth century - the God who still makes people free from the power of sin and its consequences.
As a Christian, I am far from perfect. At times, I have been guilty of not representing the Truth in my life. I say that to my shame, but daily I seek to follow the One who is unwavering in truth and integrity.
Jesus, the eternal Son of God, who is One with the Father and the Holy Spirit in the Godhead, calls to you today: I am STILL the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. I am the light of the world; he who follows Me shall not walk in darkness. I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, yet shall he live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die.
Those who all their lifetimes have sat in darkness and the shadow of death have seen a great light - and their lives have forever changed as they have encountered the Person, who is Truth, the Lord Jesus Christ!!
Although this present world has been corrupted by the lies and deception of the evil one, I have read the back of the book and we win! The book of Revelation paints graphic word pictures of the final judgment of Satan and his hordes - to deceive the nations no more. Jesus Christ will return as King of Kings and Lord of Lords, pictured in Revelation 19:11 Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True....
Tessa's postscript: When our daughter survived a high bridge plunge, she survived. Unconscious, somehow she could breathe. Although the water was very cold, her body temperature did not go below 30 degrees Celcius. Below that temperature, brain damage could have occurred (so we have been told).
The Truth is her survival was a miracle.
For information on how to become a Christian, here are a couple of suggested websites to help point you in the right direction: livingwaters.com
and vision.org.au
On the vision site, click on the "Grow your faith" tab, then Looking for God?
Add to the online scammers, the criminal telemarketers preying on the elderly, in particular, who use fear and intimidation techniques to attempt to catch them unawares, and in turn, by deceit and lies, to fleece them of financial assets - all the while, presenting as bona fide representatives of organizations such as the Australian Taxation Office, Centrelink (Department of Human Services), and Telstra. We have had bogus calls from people purporting to be from all of those bodies just mentioned. The "Telstra" one has been almost on a daily basis lately - and usually with voices from overseas call centres. So frustrating! The really upsetting thing is that, no doubt, there would be numbers of people who fall for these scams and suffer financially, physically and mentally in the process - and it would seem they can do nothing about it!
Then there is the "fake news" phenomenon spurned by the Presidential campaign in the USA last year, and since the installation of Donald Trump in the White House - with some of the major US TV networks and newspapers deliberately presenting stories as fact, when in reality, oftentimes they are nothing more than attempts to denigrate him as a person in ways that cannot be substantiated by the truth.
Here in Australia, where I live, the mainstream media also has been guilty of presenting "fake news" and for political advantage, only presenting a one-sided appraisal of individuals and political parties.
Respected American author, philosopher, and pastor, Francis Schaeffer, who is remembered for establishing the L'Abri community in Switzerland, said of truth:Today not only in philosophy but in politics, government, and individual morality, our generation sees solutions in terms of synthesis and not absolutes. When this happens, truth, as people have always thought of truth, has died.
We should not be surprised that truth and personal integrity are dwindling commodities in today's world. The Bible says in 1 John 5:19 We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one. NKJV
Speaking of the rebellion of Satan, when as the angel, Lucifer, he lost his place in the presence of God, Revelation 12:9 tells us: And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan,who deceives the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. Paul the apostle says in 2 Timothy3:13 But evil men and imposters will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.
Lies and deception entered the human race when Adam fell into sin in the garden of Eden.
Jesus, in John's gospel, chapter 8, when stating His divinity to a group of Pharisees, who virtually were accusing Jesus of being an illegitimate child, says to them: "If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me.
Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word.
You are of your father, the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.
But because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me.
Which of you convicts me of sin? And if I tell the truth, why do you not believe Me?
He who is of God hears God's words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God." John 8:42-47.
In stark contrast to Satan, the father of lies, Jesus Christ said of Himself: "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through Me." John 14:6 He was saying to His disciples, and directly to Thomas, in reply to a question from him, that He Himself was the embodiment of Truth.
Earlier in John 8, the chapter quoted above, Jesus defends his self witness to being the Son of God, as He says in verses 29,30 "And He who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him."
As He spoke these words, many believed in Him.
Then Jesus made an astounding claim, which proved to be true for those who put their trust in Him at that time, and still proves to be true today in the lives of those take the Living God at His Word -
Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, "If you continue in My word, you are My disciples indeed.
And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." John 8:31,32.
I love what the Director of the Bible college I attended in New Zealand said of that verse: You shall continue in My word, and you shall know the truth, AND THE TRUTH SHALL BE IN YOU A LIBERATING FORCE!"
Jesus re-stated this truth concerning Himself, in verse 36, where He said: "If the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed."
Back in the eighties, I remember hearing the testimony of Barry McGuire, who had a huge hit in 1965 with the protest song "Eve of Destruction". He said he went around to a friend's place one night to "smoke dope". On the coffee table was a copy of "Good News For Modern Man", a popular version of the New Testament of the Bible, with the famous stick drawings. He said in his gravelly voice: "Hey, I'm a modern man. What's this all about!" He took it home and began to read it, and he could not deny it was the Truth. That was the beginning of a transformed life as he encountered the Jesus of the Bible in the twentieth century - the God who still makes people free from the power of sin and its consequences.
As a Christian, I am far from perfect. At times, I have been guilty of not representing the Truth in my life. I say that to my shame, but daily I seek to follow the One who is unwavering in truth and integrity.
Jesus, the eternal Son of God, who is One with the Father and the Holy Spirit in the Godhead, calls to you today: I am STILL the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. I am the light of the world; he who follows Me shall not walk in darkness. I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, yet shall he live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die.
Those who all their lifetimes have sat in darkness and the shadow of death have seen a great light - and their lives have forever changed as they have encountered the Person, who is Truth, the Lord Jesus Christ!!
Although this present world has been corrupted by the lies and deception of the evil one, I have read the back of the book and we win! The book of Revelation paints graphic word pictures of the final judgment of Satan and his hordes - to deceive the nations no more. Jesus Christ will return as King of Kings and Lord of Lords, pictured in Revelation 19:11 Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True....
Tessa's postscript: When our daughter survived a high bridge plunge, she survived. Unconscious, somehow she could breathe. Although the water was very cold, her body temperature did not go below 30 degrees Celcius. Below that temperature, brain damage could have occurred (so we have been told).
The Truth is her survival was a miracle.
For information on how to become a Christian, here are a couple of suggested websites to help point you in the right direction: livingwaters.com
and vision.org.au
On the vision site, click on the "Grow your faith" tab, then Looking for God?
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