Who's Your Daddy? The Rest of the Story*

Paul wrote that even if God's people have unbelief regarding the truth of God's Word, that unbelief does not make the faith of God without effect: "God forbid: yea, let God be true and every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged." (Rom. 3:1-4). God has made Himself to be an unassailable Truth for our benefit. Man lies, but God does not. Jesus taught that His sheep hear His voice, and follow Him. They won't follow a stranger, but will flee from him, because they do not know the stranger's voice (Jn. 10:1-5). This is proven in life as we can find videos of sheep only answering their shepherd's call, and not others. Today though, there are wolves in sheep's clothing who are not the true Shepherd, but are trying to deceive and call the sheep. The truth spoken in love that is found only in God, and in His Son, Jesus, is necessary for the church to "...grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase in the body unto the edifying of itself in love." (Eph. 4:15-16). The church only grows and becomes effective through the truth that it receives. Paul therefore cautioned that we put off the conversation of the old man which is corrupted by deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of our mind. Put on the new man created by God after His own righteousness and true holiness: "Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another." (v. 20-25). As Jesus taught about the truth that He brings, a truth that if we know it, will make us free. It is a truth that is testified by the fact that God has sent Him, Jesus. The testimony of Himself, and that of His Father, bear witness, according to the law, to Jesus, and that He speaks the truth. This makes Jesus the Light of the world, the Light of life. If we do not know Jesus in this manner, then we do not know the Father in heaven who sent Him (Jn. 8:12-19, 31-32). As He showed us through Jesus, the Father confirms His Word of truth with signs and wonders following. Jesus added to those who refused His Words: "...Whosoever committeth sin is a slave to sin...If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed...but ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you. I speak that which I have seen with my Father: and ye do that which ye have seen with your father...ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God...You are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not." (v. 34-47). Who's your father -the Father of Truth, or the father of lies? Whose word do you believe? If something does not line up with The Book, it's a lie. Paul prophesied that the Wicked one who is coming shall come with "the working of Satan with all power, signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: that they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness." (2 Thess. 2:7-12). In the end, the love of the truth, and the Father of it, or the preference for the lie, and the father of it, will determine who is saved, and who is destroyed. On this Father's Day, we must decide who our Father is. Isaiah prophesied the Word of the LORD concerning His rebellious, lying children who don't take counsel from Him, but from others, that seek a covering, but not the covering of the Spirit of God. They do this so "that they may add sin to sin" (Isa. 30:1). God's Word of truth tells His children what sin is, and the suffering and death that it brings, but we live in a time when people do not want to hear it. Isaiah wrote: "...this is a rebellious people, lying children, children that will not hear the law of the LORD: Which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things (helqa - flattering, smooth, slippery places), prophesy deceits." (v. 9-10). The LORD warns His people that the path they are on is not one that He travels. Their iniquity will be like a wall that is ready to fall (v. 11-13). God warns His people of the danger of their sin, but when will His people listen? The prophet Ezekiel heard the Word of the LORD concerning false and lying prophets, and the damage they cause. Instead of fulfilling the calling that they have been ordained by God to perform, they are not prophesying the word that they hear from God, but a word that comes out of their own hearts. They are not standing in the spiritual gaps and making up the hedge for the house of Israel to do battle in that day of the LORD. They see vanity and speak a lying divination. They seduce the people, and give false assurances to them of peace, when there is no peace, and the LORD is against them as a result. (Ezek. 13:1-8). The LORD will destroy in His fury the weak and ineffective wall that they have built out of vanity and lies (v. 11-15). The LORD asks the lying prophets: "...Will ye hunt the souls of my people, and will ye save the souls alive that come unto you? Will ye pollute me among my people for handfuls of barley and pieces of bread, to slay the souls that should not die, and to save the souls alive that should not live, by your lying to my people that hear your lies?" (v. 18-19). We can easily see the destruction and death caused by lies, and the LORD will act against it. God says that He hates a lying tongue (Prov. 6:16-19). Recently, history has revealed lies that have been told, and truths that have been withheld from the American people concerning racial and economic injustices and violence committed against black citizens including "Black Wall Street" in Tulsa. Oklahoma, the Rosewood Massacre in Florida, and Red Summer. during which white mobs rioted against and sometimes murdered black people in more than three dozen cities across the United States. It is not a black and white thing, it is a sin thing. The Book of Revelation gives yet another warning: "...the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolators, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death." (Rev. 21:8). Of the city of God, the New Jerusalem, the Lord said: "And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life." (Rev. 21:27). The Lord does not wish that any should perish. He died for our sins, so that we could live. Do you know His voice? *Based on Dr. Kenneth E. Stevenson's 6/19/2022 message to the church. To contact us, submit a prayer request, give a praise report, or to support this ministry: P.O. Box 154221, Waco, TX, 76705 OR Everlastingcovenant@ymail.com. You can also find us on Facebook, Twitter, theshroudofturin.org, and endtimeschool.com.