“What is truth?” retorted Pilate.

truth /troo͞th/

1. Conformity to fact or actuality. 
2. Reality; actuality.
3. The reality of a situation.
   

Lately, as I have traveled, I have truly enjoyed talking and getting to know people. I am learning that we all struggle with many of the same things whether a high school teacher in southern Turkey, a taxi driver in Athens, or a dentist in LA.  We see corruption seeping into many facets of life and we worry about our kids' future. 

I also like to find out where people are spiritually and I find very many are spiritual with their own special mix of what that looks like. Whether mixing a Muslim faith with Christianity or Christianity with New Age or Buddhism, many people have found what they deem true. To each their own truth, right? No judgment. 

But let's look again at the definition of truth. Actuality. Reality. If all these religions are true, if Christianity is true and Muslims, Hindus, and New Agers are all right and true, then by definition, none of these are true because each are diametrically opposed. Each faith makes truth claims that do not match up.  None agree on what is true about God and how to find ever-lasting life. And isn't the truth about who God is the most important question we will ever ask ourselves? As a living, breathing human on a planet in the midst of unbelievably empty space, wouldn't the questions as to why we are here, why we see beauty, why we see chaos, and what is our purpose be important questions?

As a young adult, I walked away from the God of my youth, the God of the Bible. It might be the best-selling book of all time but to me it became an old dusty book on the shelf.  Wasn't there something new and exciting that my generation was going to discover or that science had to offer us that those in the past just didn't get? The more I dove into other religions, into science and New Age practices, the more I came back to the Bible. 

It's chock full of fulfilled prophecies. So many things were foretold in the Bible about the rising and falling of kingdoms, the coming messiah, and much more. In fact, most of the Old Testament points to Jesus. And then Jesus foretold the coming destruction of the Jewish temple. Fulfilled prophecies can be taken as evidence of truth.

The Bible provides the only answer for sin. I used to think that I could work my way or earn my way to heaven. That my good could somehow outweigh my bad and I would make it in. In fact most religions lay out a path of works to get into heaven. Unfortunately, none of us are good. Not one. We all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).  In fact, the wages of sin is death BUT... the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus (Romans 6:23). Jesus came from heaven and lived the perfect life that we couldn't and died the death we deserve. Our debt is paid through Jesus and we can be right with God. That is why he said, "Tetelestai" as he hung on the cross. It is finished. The debt has been paid. Repent and believe.

You get a deposit! Did you know that when you repent and trust in Jesus,  God puts his Spirit in you as a deposit of what is to come (2 For. 1:22) You also get a relationship with God himself and he will speak to you through his Spirit. You get a relationship with your Creator. The one who loves you so very much. And you will know in your heart what is real and true in this crazy world. 

The Bible explains everything. In the garden of Eden, the serpent (Satan) was the first to question God's authority. God says to not eat from two trees and the serpent comes to Eve, "Did God really say you must not eat from any tree in the garden?" And we immediately see a pattern. If God says something, there will be a demonic force to counter God's instruction. If God says he created the heavens and the earth in six days, there will be a demonic agenda to question that and to even proclaim the impossibility that everything came from nothing over billions of years. If God says to be fruitful and multiply, there will be a demonic agenda to kill children and remove our abilities to reproduce. If God says I am the only way, there will be a demonic agenda to make sure you don't believe that to be true.  And here's one of the kickers for me... God says in the Ten Commandments to not misuse his name and what are the two curse words people use all the time? OMG and Jesus Christ. Does anyone use any false god's name as a curse word? Do you see how this world works?

It is exclusive. Truth by its very nature is exclusive. You can say the sun is cold but truth says otherwise. You might be concerned about those who have never heard the gospel but don't worry. Even the heavens and earth reveal his glory (Psalm 19:1) (Romans 1:18-20). Or what about those who grew up learning a different religion? Did you know that one of the biggest movements of Christianity right now is happening in Iran? God is giving dreams and visions of a man in white with holes in his hands and feet to those who have never heard the gospel. And these Iranians are now praising Jesus, the Jewish Messiah. That could only be a move of God! Truth is exclusive but Jesus is revealing himself to people all over the world. The Truth cannot be stopped.

Listen, if you've read this far and don't know where you're going when you die, I beseech you, I beg you, to lift your hands up and say "Jesus, if you're real, let me know! If you are the Truth you claim to be, I truly want to know."  For God says when we seek with all our heart we will find him (Jeremiah 29:13). God s not willing that any should perish but that all come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9).  I repented of my evil ways and God has given me a new heart and the assurance of salvation. I really just want the same for everyone out there. 

I am praying for you my friend : )