John 16:13 – “13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.”

Actor Anthony Anderson and his mother are the new host of the once popular game show called, “To Tell The Truth” which pits celebrity guests against three people who all claim to be the same person with the same incredible talent, job or achievement but only one is telling the truth, the others are not.  The celebrity panel; made up of actors, comedians and TV personalities, ask the contestants questions about who they claim to be, in order to decide who they think is telling the truth.  It is a game that unfortunately imitates real life where many, for various reasons, 

• Don’t face or tell the truth!
• Distort the truth
• Manipulate the truth or,
• Only tell partial truth and not the whole truth!

There is no such thing as a “little lie,” in Psalms 101:7NLT, the psalmist David wrote, “I will not allow deceivers to serve in my house, and liars will not stay in my presence.”  Liars are dangerous and not trustworthy. Some say the truth hurts the Bible says it sets you free! 

God is the way, the truth, and the life, He requires that we tell the truth under all circumstances and at all times; when it is hard to tell or receive, when it’s challenging to hear, Telling the Truth builds trust and a good reputation, establishes character, and releases you from having to memorize lies told. Lies are always, eventually revealed, our responsibility is to tell the truth and let God reveal the truth in us and to us!

It takes courage to tell the truth without compromise yet, many people have put their right hand on the Bible and taken an oath to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, only to perjure themselves by lying! Whether you’re speaking it to those in authority over you, a friend, or close loved one, tell the truth!  It may temporarily sting and cause them to become angry with you but it is always best to tell the truth, in love and in the spirit of,

• Building others up and not tearing them down
• Helping others grow and not hurting or disparaging their name 
• Doing unto others, what you would want them to do unto you

Philippians 4:8NLT admonishes believers to “Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.”  

Blessings & Favor,

Pastor Holmes

“Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place.”  Ephesians 6:14

#23-8.2018