Corona Devo 3334

What would happen if we told the truth today?  God's truth.  

“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”  ~Matthew 3:2

John the Baptist told the truth.  God's truth.  
And do we know what happened?

People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. (6) Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.  ~Matthew 3:5-6

John didn't dress up God's Word with trending church ("worship") music. 

John did not dress himself up to look popular or fashionable: quite the contrary.  Even by the standards of the first century AD...John dressed (and ate!) and marched to the beat of his own unconventional drum:  

John’s clothes were made of camel’s hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey.  ~Matthew 3:4

This (clothes made of camel's hair and eating locusts and wild honey) is how John came before the people of his day. 
...The people that weren't following God, 
...The people that might have heard of the Lord, but that were not living for Him or didn't know how to live for Him. 

John did not try to blend in.  John did not water down the Word of God so that he might not offend the people that he was sharing it with.

John told the Truth, God's truth.  

He said, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near” (Matthew 3:2).

~~~

John looked weird and his words were blunt...but he told the truth.  God's truth.  

And do we know how people responded? 

People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. (6) Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.  ~Matthew 3:5-6

~~~

In our car, we have one of the satellite radio services, and there are hundreds of channels and programming to choose from at any given moment, and my new favorite is station #460: The Billy Graham channel. 

It broadcasts the speeching, preaching, and teaching of the Reverend Billy Graham (possibly the most famous and far-reaching evangelist ever). 

And as I listen to Billy Graham's past-sermons on the radio channel, I have noticed something about Billy's teachings that separate his messages from most of the Biblical messages that I hear today: Billy told the truth: God's truth.  

“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”  ~Matthew 3:2

In each and everyone of his messages, Billy Graham blatantly reminds his audiences that they are sinful.  WE are sinful...and we need a holy God to cleanse us.  

I listened today as Billy said, "Our sin is not acceptable to God.  He does not snicker, and look the other way...".  

In another of his messages, Billy proclaims that "America must repent" if we are to be saved from the track that we are on. 

Billy Graham (always) told the truth when he was preaching.  God's truth. 
And do we know what happened, and how people responded?

(Lifeway Research): The numbers may seem to be only a small part of his ministry, but they represent much more than that. They point to the millions whose lives were changed because they heard “America’s pastor” deliver a clear gospel message.

2.2 billion – estimated number of people who heard him preach.

2.2 million – estimated number of people at his crusades who responded to the invitations to become a Christian.

185 – estimated number of nations and territories where preached.

2 million – copies sold of his 1953 best-seller Peace With God.

~~~

 John the Baptist and Billy Graham are just two people who told the truth: God's truth, and lives were changed because of it. 

What would happen if we told the truth today?  God's truth. 

...That God is not pleased when we sin, or when we glory in our sin.  What if we told the truth that there is consequence for our sin and separation from God eternally if we do not repent of our sin?

The Bible states these truths clearly, but is anyone telling these truths from pulpits, or at supper tables?

Or are we dressing up God's Word with trending church ("worship") music and watered-down "feel good" (hand-picked) Bible verses?  

Are we "dressing the part" of followers-of-Christ, but also doing all that we can to fit in to culture, and not appear contrary or unconventional?

What if we marched to the beat of God's drum and told His truth today?
I dare say, people would listen.  
I dare say they might possibly be awakened to His truth and calling on their lives.  
I dare say people might become sensitive or aware of our depravity...and our need for a Savior.

Isn't this what happened with us?

One day, someone told us the truth: God's truth.  ...Not the world's false-claims of culture's happiness, or the empty lies of "success"...but the truth: God's truth

 Someone spoke the truth of God to us, and we heard it.  We believed it.  We were changed by it. 

People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. (6) Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.  ~Matthew 3:5-6

~~~

What would happen if we told the truth today?  God's truth. 

What if we stopped bubble-wrapping God's truth, in order not-to-offend--and instead we delivered the blunt and powerful words of the Bible.

John the Baptist told the truth of God. 

Jesus told the truth of God.

Billy Graham told the truth of God. 

Why can't we tell the truth of God: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” (Matthew 3:2).

The answer for today is: We can.

~~

The last sermon I listened to on the radio wrapped-up with Billy Graham telling the crowd that their sin was not acceptable to God, and outside of Christ, we are lost.
"You need Christ, and I'm going to ask you today to surrender your life to Christ" , Billy said.   

What would happen if we told the truth today?  God's truth. 

In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea (2) and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”...

(5) People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. (6) Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.  ~Matthew 3:1-5-6 

 Blessings,

sarah 

https://sarahsundy04.blogspot.com