Are you sure? Are you positive?  We are living in a world where anything can be published, recorded or shouted from the roof tops.  Friendships are sometimes strained, reputations are ruined, and sometimes apologies are necessary to save face.  Conspiracy theories are at an all time high and our world is more fragile than ever.  On the flip side, people are risking their lives to pursue truth and justice.  Our world is a mess!  So these are the things that I AM certain about.

John 16:33 – “These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”

Romans 8:38-39 – For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

There has always been controversy.  All the way back to the Bible days.  One of my favorite stories is the blind man that was healed by Jesus in John 9.    First of all, the people asked Jesus, “Who sinned?  Did he sin or his parents that he was born blind?”  Jesus said, “Neither.  It was for the works of God to be displayed in him.”  Then this is what happened. John 9:11 – “The man who is called Jesus made clay, and anointed my eyes, and said to me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash’; so I went away and washed, and I received sight.”

Later the “authorities” began to question him.  It’s actually a humorous story.  He get’s irritated with them because they keep asking the same questions.  They wanted to know who he thinks Jesus is.  He told them that he believes he is a prophet.  (You don’t mess with the religious authorities in that day.  You see, Jesus healed him on the Sabbath and that’s just not okay.)  The Pharisees called his parents in to see if he was really blind at birth.  They were terrified of saying the wrong things to these men that could harm them.   I like their answer.    It was basically, “Yes he is our son and he was born blind but don’t get us involved!  He is of age.  Ask him what happened!”   LOL

The Pharisees told him to give glory to God, not to Jesus because he was a sinner.  The young man said, “Whether He is a sinner, I do not know; one thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.”  They asked him to tell them the story again.  He got frustrated. He answered them, “I told you already and you did not listen; why do you want to hear it again? You do not want to become His disciples too, do you?”  I wish I could have seen their faces.  Makes me laugh.

Later Jesus came to him and asked him, “Do you believe in the son of Man?”  (Jesus is called the Son of man and the Son of God in the scriptures because he was fully man and fully God). The man answered that he would if he knew who he was.  Jesus told him he was him.  He believed and then he worshipped him.

So who are you to believe these days?  There are SO many voices!  There is one person that I know I can count on.  Yes, I whole heartily believe that the Bible is total truth.  Of course, it has been interpreted in many different ways.  But why not read it for yourself, and see what you think?  I always pray before I read the Bible, and ask God for His direction and wisdom.  You just might be amazed if you try it.  It’s helpful to start with the book of John.

I do know that God is not the author of confusion.  I do know that we have an enemy named the devil, who is alive and well.  He is a deceiver, and the instigator of death, destruction and disunity.  I also know that he is no match for God, and God resides inside of every believer.  We have hope.  We have promises that we can count on.  Read HIS word to see what they are.  It will bring you peace.

How do I know?  Because I have experienced it, over and over and over.  We can debate so called facts all day, but we can’t really debate a person’s experience.  Trust me.  God is real.  He knows what is going on in our world and He’s not surprised.  He also deeply wants a relationship with you, and relentlessly pursues all mankind.  Jesus died on the cross so that you can be reconciled to God the Father.  Once sin entered the world, every single one of us was spiritually separated from God.  Only our flawless Jesus, paying the sin debt with His blood, brings us back into relationship with God the Father.

But a gift is not ours until we receive it.  Ask Him if what I’m saying is true and watch Him reveal it to you.  Have you received His gift of salvation? Ephesians 2:8 & 9, “For by grace you are saved through faith, it is not of yourself, it is the gift of God…”