A Repentant Heart - The prodigal son demonstrated a repentant heart that was broken when he came to his senses and decided to return home to his father. Repentance is a brokenness and change of life-direction marked by:

Hunger for Restoration - The prodigal son longed for something more than what he had available to him in his sin. He longed to go home. Luke 15:16

Humble confession - He willingly acknowledged his selfish violation of love, first toward God and then toward others. Luke 15:18-19

Plea for mercy - He recognized that he deserved nothing and pleaded for mercy, to serve as a slave, without a demand for restoration to his previous position in the family. Luke 15:21

Author Unknown

Salvation is not solely based upon feelings, but when a person has truly been saved (forgiven) they will know on the inside that Christ has delivered them and set up residence.

Romans 8:16 And the Spirit himself speaks to our spirits and makes us sure that we are God's children. ERV

The word salvation means deliverance. If this is its meaning, then there must be something horrible we need deliverance from and that something is sin and its enslaving power in us. When the Holy Spirit speaks to our spirits, He also testifies to us of this work He has begun in breaking the heavy burden and bondage that sin has wreaked upon our souls from birth.

“Whenever the Holy Spirit is genuinely drawing someone to salvation that person’s heart cries out for deliverance from sin!” John MacArthur from his book “Ashamed of the Gospel, when the Church becomes like the World, third edition.”

What is Truth?

John 18:38 Pilate saith unto him, What is truth? And when he had said this, he went out again unto the Jews, and saith unto them, I find in him no fault at all. KJV

No doubt Pilate when he heard our Lord tell him that truth was the very reason He came into the earth, it must have shaken him somewhat. Pilate pondered in his heart and in his mind what he considered to be true and thought about what our Lord had said to him, that all people who are of the truth would listen to Him (Jesus). Pilate perhaps saw his truth to be that of finding himself in a sort of catch 22 position of having to answer to Caesar no matter what decision he made regarding Jesus. Pilate felt trapped in his perceived truth. He felt that he was in a no win situation and being frustrated he asked our Lord this question (What is truth?).

If the soil of his heart had been plowed firmly, like Nicodemous and Joseph of Arimathea he would have recognized who it was that stood before him and perhaps made a different decision. But because his perplexed heart and conscience in him did not fully recognize the Lord (though his wife had warned him of this Man), the Scriptures were fulfilled by his decision to allow Christ to be crucified.

The question Pilate asked so long ago is still being asked today. What is Truth? How does one really tell whether what they believe is true or not? Is there one universal truth? Can truth be relative? Is truth absolute? There are so many questions in the minds of human beings in every part of the world today. One of the biggest arguments we here is that what is true for you does not have to be true for me. I always like to answer that type of thinking with real life scenarios.

Example, if you and I jump off a 10 story building, we will both fall straight to the ground proving the truth of gravity. This is true for both of us, correct. I also like to ask a simple math question of what is 1 + 1. The answer to both of those scenarios is the same everywhere on the earth. Our conscience tells us what is truth, but when we are unconverted or unregenerate we don’t want to know truth. Truth conflicts with the evil desires of an unregenerate heart.

1Corinthians 2:14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. KJV

To tell an unregenerate person that it is not the will of God for them to have any kind of sex outside of marriage is like talking to your dog and telling him you want him to fly. I know that sounds extreme and outrageous, nevertheless it is real. But the unregenerate person will say to you that they have seen many people that claim to be Christians having sex outside of marriage.

Proverbs 24:16 For a righteous man may fall seven times and rise again, but the wicked shall fall by calamity. NKJV

This statement in many cases would be true, but if that man or woman is truly a Christian (a person who has been regenerated and born again), then they can’t continue in that state or condition because God the Holy Spirit (who dwells in them) will not allow them to be comfortable living that way. The Spirit of God teaches true Christians to do the will of their Heavenly Father by the daily grace they receive from the Lord Jesus Christ. Just because a person professes Jesus Christ does not mean that they possess Him.

Romans 9:6 Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel. KJV

Paul clearly tells us here that not all of the people that professed to be Israelites were truly the people of God. Although God chose this nation from among all the other nations on the earth, He knew not all of them were His truly committed people. In like manner, not all people that identify themselves as Christians are true Christians. This is one of the tools the enemy uses in the hearts and minds of people to keep them from having their own personal relationship with Jesus Christ. When a person perceives many professing Christians to be hypocrites, this gives them a false security about their own spiritual condition and affirms the lie of there are many ways to God and one is no better than another.

You see God the Father has known before He founded this world all that would truly turn to Him. He does not make any man or woman continue in unrighteousness, but on the contrary, He has fully extended His longsuffering merciful hand out to any repentant sinner to lovingly bring them into the safety and security of His family.

Paul wrote to the Corinthian Church and reminded them what God had already done in the past. Paul reminded them and reminds us today through that letter that God was not well pleased with most of the Israelites that He brought out of Egypt. Well read it yourselves, “1 Corinthians 10:5 But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness.” You see our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ either dwells in a person’s heart through the Holy Spirit or He does not. This is truth.

No amount or type of religious activities or ceremonies or rituals can make a sinful corrupt heart clean and pure. Religion and religious activities are the chief operation of the devil and it will forever keep people from a personal relationship with Jesus Christ through repentance and faith in His death, burial, and resurrection. Listen to these words by Matthew Henry, “Grace does not run in the blood; nor are saving benefits inseparably annexed to external church privileges, though it is common for people thus to stretch the meaning of God's promise, to bolster themselves up in a vain hope.”

It is sad to see people baptizing infants and believing that this will affirm their eternal salvation. This is not true, it is a lie. It is absolutely alright for parents to dedicate their children to our Lord, but that is where it ends. Our Lord Jesus said, “No man can come to Me, except the Father who sent Me draws him to Me.” There are people who deny that Jesus Christ was born of a virgin, deny He came out of that tomb in a physical body, deny His miracles, deny the entire bible is inspired, and deny many other clearly revealed truths in Scripture and yet they are deceived into believing that they are Christians and will be in Heaven with Christ.

Isaiah 59:4 None calleth for justice, nor any pleadeth for truth: they trust in vanity, and speak lies; they conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity. KJV

Paul told the Corinthian Church to not be deceived by such falsehoods and revealed to them from the heart of our Lord Jesus Christ that those who show forth fruits of the continuing practice of sin would not inherit the Kingdom of God. Paul reminded them that God in one day killed 23,000 Israelites that came out of Egypt but committed sexual immorality and some became idolaters, some tested God (Christ) and were destroyed by serpents, while others complained and they were destroyed by the destroyer. You see truth always leads to obedience to the revealed Word of God, while lies only lead to sinking deeper and deeper into sin and sin brings forth death. The Lord Jesus prayed that His followers would be sanctified by the truth and that the Word of God is the truth. When a man or woman won’t believe the Word of God there is left no remedy for their sin condition, only a downward slide further into unbelief.

Hebrews 3:17-19 Now with whom was He angry for forty years? Was it not with those who did evil, who came to their deaths in the wilderness? And to whom did He swear that they would not enter his rest?  But to those who did not obey? So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief. NKJV

Many times throughout the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John when they recorded the words that our Lord spoke, He would often begin with this “Verily, Verily I say to you” which translated means “Truly, Truly, I say to you.” Our Lord wanted all of His listeners to hear and understand truth. This was one of the chief purposes of John the Baptist in coming before our Lord appeared upon the scene to plow the hearts of the people of Israel to be prepared to receive truth from our Lord. A heart prepared to receive the truth opens willingly and joyfully to the truth. Outside of Jesus Christ and His Word there is no truth. Our Lord also said, “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”  

Listen to these words by Adam Clarke, “No man is truly free, but he in whose heart the power of sin is destroyed, and who has received the Spirit of adoption, through which he cries, Abba! Father! Romans 8:15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out “Abba, Father.” The bondage of sin is the most grievous bondage; and freedom from its guilt and influence is the greatest liberty.” Therefore, my answer to the subject question is simple; truth is a personal relationship with Jesus Christ through the new birth and complete obedience to His revealed Word, nothing less. I wonder if you believe it is truth.

Teach me Teacher

Summer is almost over and the days begin to get shorter and shorter. The anticipation of the new school year for Amos and Kyle begins to build and build. This year they will be in the sixth grade and that means Mrs. Washington's class. All the students just adore Mrs. Washington. She always goes about doing good to all the children and adults alike who are in her sphere of influence. Despite having her own sorrows and disappointments at times as we all do, she's never rude or harsh with any of the children. However, she is firm with each child and commands their respect. But the children always understand that she only has their best interest at heart whenever she commands them to not do or say certain things.

Well Mrs. Washington is a God send to the children of Brandon Elementary School. There are never any rumors of scandalous behavior in her personal life in the community. Of course she is far from perfect, but she lives her life by the same principles she teaches her young elementary students. She is a Teacher sent by God. Love governs every thing she teaches her young sixth grade students. Even when they are being very difficult and hard to love she always disciplines them with love and never in anger. Her Teaching principles have come under attack by some parents and other Teachers. She has endured harsh criticism from many who do not understand her methods of getting her children to listen and learn.

One Wednesday afternoon a couple of weeks before school was to start, Amos and Kyle were playing in the back yard at Amos' house and they began to talk to each other about being in Mrs. Washington's class the coming school year. Amos, as he shovels up a pile of dirt to make a small dirt track for his remote control motor bikes, says “Kyle what lessons do you think we will learn this year in Mrs. Washington's class?” Kyle says “My older sister told me she would teach them a lot of different things about life and stuff.” Amos: “What kind of things?” Kyle: “Well, my sister said she would take certain History lessons and facts and teach us a life lesson from other peoples failures and their successes.” Amos: “Wow, none of our other teachers ever even seemed to care about us learning life lessons.” Kyle: “My sister said that Mrs. Washington really loves God and that all the lessons she taught them were things that she had herself learned from God.” Amos: “But I thought Teachers were not suppose to talk about God in School.” Kyle: “Well that's right, she never talks about God directly, but the life lessons she teaches all come from what God has taught her. “If she talked about God directly she might lose her job.” As he runs one of his remote control motor bikes over the hill he made Amos says “Well none of us want to see that happen, we love her dearly.”


Note or Contemplation: How can we today relate to this story? Does your life teach lessons about God without saying a word? Our everyday lives should show people that we've been with God. Acts 4:13 “They recognized that they had been with Jesus.” Many of us today are ashamed of the Lord Jesus Christ and our lives testify to that fact. People can't tell supposed Christians from the other people of the world. All around us we are bombarded with constant wickedness and evil. People in our communities, businesses, and work places are always trying to persuade those of us who know Christ to compromise our integrity. The character of the Lord Jesus Christ can never change or be compromised. His children are called out of darkness into His marvelous light. Light has no fellowship with darkness. We are to engage this culture but never compromise our integrity. Let me encourage you to learn from the Mrs. Washington's of this world. They are all around. You probably have one in your family or in your city.

Sincerely in Christ,

Clifford D. Tate, Sr.
Author, Silent Assassins of the Soul (not yet published; coming soon)