Truth

OUR MORAL COMPASS

~ Tony Busquets ~ Leave a comment

Everyone has a definition of right and wrong.  Right and wrong are mostly defined by what we ourselves or what society defines as right and wrong.  This definition can be altered based on our perception of right and wrong, the current societal perception of right and wrong, political perception, business perception, ethical perception, or any other perception that we feel should be considered based on current events or current circumstances.

What if I were to tell you that there is a perception that is always correct for every circumstance and can give an unbiased perspective on right and wrong? 

In the book of Proverbs Chapter 1, we are treated to the introduction of right and wrong.  I will quote the first four verses here:

1 These are the proverbs of Solomon, David’s son, king of Israel.

2 Their purpose is to teach people wisdom and discipline,
    to help them understand the insights of the wise.
3 Their purpose is to teach people to live disciplined and successful lives,
    to help them do what is right, just, and fair.
4 These proverbs will give insight to the simple,
    knowledge and discernment to the young.

The entire Bible is filled with examples of right and wrong.  The Proverbs and the Ten Commandments of God are a great starting place.  Those give us the ultimate test of right and wrong. 

What is the ultimate test of right and wrong?  We can start with the Ten Commandments, which were the first laws given to Moses from God, to guide us into living a righteous life.  These are found in the Book of Exodus in Chapter 20 of the Bible.  I will place the portions of the commandments here for all to see.

20 Then God gave the people all these instructions[a]:

2 “I am the Lord your God, who rescued you from the land of Egypt, the place of your slavery.

3 “You must not have any other god but me.

4 “You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea. 5 You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations of those who reject me. 6 But I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on those[b] who love me and obey my commands

7 “You must not misuse the name of the Lord your God. The Lord will not let you go unpunished if you misuse his name.

8 “Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9 You have six days each week for your ordinary work, 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of rest dedicated to the Lord your God. On that day no one in your household may do any work. This includes you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, your livestock, and any foreigners living among you. 11 For in six days the Lord made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and everything in them; but on the seventh day he rested. That is why the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy.

12 “Honor your father and mother. Then you will live a long, full life in the land the Lord your God is giving you.

13 “You must not murder.

14 “You must not commit adultery.

15 “You must not steal.

16 “You must not testify falsely against your neighbor.

17 “You must not covet your neighbor’s house. You must not covet your neighbor’s wife, male or female servant, ox or donkey, or anything else that belongs to your neighbor.”

Basically, they are broken down in this way:

  1. You shall have no other gods before Me. (God is our God.  There are no other Gods)
  2. You shall make no idols. (Do not worship anything or anyone except God.  And there are no other Gods and nothing can take the place of our God)
  3. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.
  4. Keep the Sabbath day holy.
  5. Honor your father and your mother.
  6. You shall not murder.
  7. You shall not commit adultery.
  8. You shall not steal.
  9. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. (Don’t lie)
  10. You shall not covet. (Don’t be jealous because your friend or neighbor may have a better car, a nice house, a beautiful wife or muscular husband, etc.).

The book of Proverbs in the Bible provides more instructions on right and wrong.  They will help guide you to make the best decisions using the standards God has given us thru the prophets. 

We get more instructions from Jesus himself.  In John 14: 6 Jesus tells us “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.”  He gives us instructions on how to live and know the difference between right and wrong. 

Digging a little deeper Jesus told us in John 8: 31-32 “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. 32 And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”  Knowing the truth from the point of view of Jesus provides us with a compass detailing what is right and what is wrong.  It provides us with the best way to live and the best way to make a difference in the world to those who are hurting or those who need to understand the difference between right and wrong. 

In Psalm 43:3 the author writes the following: “Send out your light and your truth;
    let them guide me” The author was asking God to show him what is right, what is the right thing to do or to say.  If we look further down in the rest of verse 3 and into verse 4 we can read the following: “Let them lead me to your holy mountain,
    to the place where you live.
There I will go to the altar of God,
    to God—the source of all my joy.
I will praise you with my harp,
    O God, my God!”

Right and truth is what God loves.  Doing the right thing according to God pleases Him.  Understanding His truth and His righteousness helps us to understand Him and have a deeper relationship with God. 

The words that come from our lips or the actions we take are the results of things we have in our hearts.  Matthew 15: 17 – 18 states 17 “Anything you eat passes through the stomach and then goes into the sewer. 18 But the words you speak come from the heart—that’s what defiles you.”  Our actions define us.  What we say or do determines how others view us – Good or Bad.   What we learn and how we react is what defines us. 

Thru the salvation given to us by Jesus we are also given the truth.  We are given truth from God thru Jesus.   We have had the truth with us from the beginning of time.  Psalm 26: 3 states “For I am always aware of your unfailing love,
    and I have lived according to your truth.” 

We can fill ourselves with the truth that comes from God thru the Bible.  This will be our Moral Compass and our guide to right and wrong – an infallible guide, an inerrant guide.  What we feed our hearts is what will come out.  Food only fills us for a short time.  The truth stays with us forever. The definition of right and wrong remains in us, and we can be a better example of parents, friends, managers, employees, etc.  We will be the ones who are trustworthy, and no one can fault a trustworthy person.

I remember a saying from Frank Jackson that goes like this: “Watch your thoughts, they become words.  Watch your words, they become your actions.  What your actions, they become habits.  What your habits, they become character.  Watch your character, it becomes your destiny.” 

How do you want your ultimate destiny defined?  Where do you want to spend eternity?  In the smoking or non-smoking section of eternity (Heaven or Hell)?  I am not saying good works and good character will get you into Heaven.  Only believing and accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior and repenting of your sins will open the doors to Heaven for you.  Understanding what is truly right and truly wrong thru God’s eyes will provide a better life for you.  There will be some trials and troubles, Christianity does not give you an escape from trouble.  But with Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we can have peace during the troubles.

Feeding our minds with the Word of God will help us to get closer to our Creator.  Understanding God and his definition of right and wrong will help us lead better lives.  We will become better people for the sake of our Creator and our Savior.  We will make mistakes and we will slip up, that happens.  We have mercy and grace from our God who will forgive us our sins.  That does not give us a right to sin (which will be discussed later), but we have a merciful God who forgives us and welcomes us back when we sin.  We are all born as sinners and we need forgiveness.  We need to acknowledge that Jesus is our Savior, who died on the cross for us to have freedom from Sin, and rose again three days later so we can have freedom from death.  If we acknowledge all this and accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we will have eternal life.  Understanding his teachings and the teachings in the rest of the Bible will help us to know what is truly right and truly wrong.  And we will live a better life. 

So, when the last day on Earth has come and you have slipped past this world and gone into the afterlife, how do you want to be remembered?  What epitaph do you want to be left for you?  What would you like people to truly say about you?  And where do you want to spend eternity? 

WHAT IS THE MEANING OF LIFE?

~ Tony Busquets ~ Leave a comment

What is the meaning of life?  What is my purpose on this earth?  These are probably the two most asked questions by anyone.  Philosophers have tried to define it.  Different people have tried to answer it.  According to the book “The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy,” the meaning of life is 42.  I believe there is a true meaning of life that is right in front of us.

The meaning of life is to live for our Lord Jesus Christ.  This meaning of life gives us a purpose and a reason for living.

Too many people are living without hope.  Many think they know what the meaning of life is and end up empty.  Some never find their “purpose” and end their lives with disappointment. 

I believe we were given a primary mission, or purpose, in life.  That mission is to help people find Jesus.  It is to help our fellow humans know God and to point them to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 

Many will say “I don’t know if I can do that” or “I am not equipped to do that”.  To be honest I am also guilty of this.  In this fallen world, it is Jesus who gives us our hope.  God tells us in Jeremiah 29:11 that He knows all the plans for our lives.  And His plans for us are to prosper us and not to harm us, to give us hope and a future (Paraphrased).  He wants to guide us and give us His best. 

Luke 19:10 is from Jesus’ own words – “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”  In this journey we call life, it is nice to know we have a God who wants to help us feel we have purpose and that we are cared for. 

Jesus has said “If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them gets lost, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others in the wilderness and go to search for the one that is lost until he finds it? And when he has found it, he will joyfully carry it home on his shoulders. When he arrives, he will call together his friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.’ (Luke 15:4-6). What better leader do we have?  He (Jesus) loves us all and wants to provide for us in unimaginable ways. 

Even if you feel you have backslidden in your relationship with Jesus, He does not hold it against you.  He will take you back.  Jesus is the ultimate forgiver and the great redeemer.  Think of the Prodigal son who took his inheritance from his father, squandered it, and returned to his father.  Instead of tossing his son out into the street, the Prodigal Son’s father accepted him back and threw him a party.  That is how our God is.  He welcomes those who are accepting His salvation for the first time or returning to Him after backsliding.  You are His creation, and He wants you back.

In His last appeal before ascending to Heaven in Matthew 28: 19 He (Jesus) left a final request for us: “Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.”  We can be the only person that may provide hope to a person who has none.  We might be the one helping hand that gives hope to a person who is on their last bit of strength and is barely holding onto their life or sanity.  God will provide that hope to them, and the strength and wisdom to you to share your faith with them.  Trust in the Holy Spirit.

As a kid, I use to build model spaceships and airplanes.  I would place the pieces together, place the decals, and glue them all together.  Then I would paint the model and spray on the coat to make the model glisten as if it was the plane I saw at an airshow or the spaceship I saw in the movie or on TV.  And I would admire it and sometimes play with it.  I believe that God created everyone with their own special beauty and their own special gifts.  And He breathed life into you for His pleasure because He loves you.  God wants you for Himself.  And He has great things in store for you and for everyone, if they will come to Him and accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior.  But the message needs to get out to everyone.  All of us need to be the messenger that brings this good news to those without hope.

He knows there are those people who are lost and need to be found.  If you are a Christian you may be the only person to discuss Christianity with that person and help them back.  If you have backslidden all you need to do is ask forgiveness and recommit your life to God.  Please do not give up on yourself.  There are blessings waiting for you from God both in this life and in Eternity.  Give your life to God and find your meaning in Life.  You will find the meaning of life and you will discover your meaning and purpose in this life.

IS MAN GOOD?

~ Tony Busquets ~ Leave a comment

Is man good?  Do we all have good hearts?  Were we born good?  That is always the question that is pondered by philosophers and sociologists. 

The truth is a little more in-depth than that.  Many people don’t like the answer. 

Jeremiah 17:9 states that Man’s heart is deceitful and desperately sick.  Nobody can understand a person’s heart.  Romans 12:2 states not to let our minds conform us to this world, but to transform it to be like Jesus Christ.  These are paraphrases.  

What hope do we have?

There is hope in Jesus Christ.  You see, many people think that Jesus Christ, God in the flesh, is a vengeful or wrathful God.  This statement is very far from the truth.  Our God is a Loving God, a God who wants to have a personal relationship with you.  He does not want to condemn you.   He wants you to be with Him. 

John 3:16-17 tells us that Jesus said “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.  For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” (MEV)

God does not want to condemn his creation, He wants to save it.  You are His creation and He loves you.  However, God cannot allow evil in His kingdom.  With that, Jesus paid for our sins with His sacrifice on the cross at Calvary.  He gave His life as a substitution for our sins.  We need to accept Him (Jesus) as our Savior.  That is all that He asks.  He asks for your to accept Him and allow Him into your heart.  That is the important part of the verse in John 3:16 “That whoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.”  He does not ask much. 

This is a free gift for you.  He does not expect anything else except that you accept Him as your Lord and Savior. 

Ephesians 2:8-9 states “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not of yourselves. It is the gift of God,  not of works, so that no one should boast.”  This is important because God is giving us a free gift – the gift of salvation.  It is this gift that renews our hearts and turns us into Good.  We only need to accept this gift.  You do not have to do anything for His salvation except to accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior.  And acknowledge that without Him we are lost.  That is what this entire site is about, understanding Jesus and His plan for us, His salvation for us, His love for us, and that He wants us to live with Him in eternity. 

Jesus does not condemn us as stated eloquently in Romans 8:1 “Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”  He never wants to condemn us, or for us to feel condemned.  The truth is He (Jesus) wants you to feel safe, loved, and secure in Him. 
Will you take the step to accept Him as your Lord and Savior Today?