A friend sent some pondering thoughts the other day. I have copied it at the end of this, so you can see how the Lord stirred my own pondering for this week. Most of us remember the movie “A Few Good Men”, and the famous line by Jack Nicholson, “You want the Truth? Well you can’t handle the truth”. I thought about this in light of my own life, the lives of God’s people, and how the same question and statement could be made to us.
Do we really want the truth?
Jesus says you will know the truth and the truth will set you free. It seems that many believers simply desire to live out of compromised paradigms, traditions, and religion, rather than seeking after the truth that will set them free. They say truth hurts, but it “hurt is so good”, when it can set someone free. If we are serious followers of the King and His Kingdom, it would seem to be a high priority for all of us to passionately go after truth. We must constantly declare, bring on the truth Lord, set me free to know you more and bring you glory through my life.
Psalm 139:23-24
Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.
Hearing the Truth
I was speaking to the leadership team of a church recently about relationships. Do we know how to relate? Can we trust one another? What can we do to move towards greater trust filled relationships? As a coach and consultant, one of the biggest challenges I often witness is the fact that God’s people are so easily offended. Jesus promised we would be, and yet we will end a God ordained relationship over some of the smallest offenses.
One of the smallest offenses that often happen in people’s lives is when someone exposes them to truth. Let’s consider truth that is given through relationship and love with godly delivery and timing. Why then would the truth not be received? And even if timing was off, and the delivery was awkward, would not the truth still be The Truth?
Get Over It
One of the people I was coaching was painfully offended by a close friend. The friend had revealed some tendencies that this person may want to consider changing. This Relationship that had been forged for many years came to a screeching halt because of this. The client admitted that all that the friend had said was true. Instead of being offended, my client should have thanked this friend for loving them enough to speak the truth. It turns out that even family members and other friends were aware of these unhealthy relational habits, and said nothing.
A deceptive reality often presents the one with truth as the bad or unloving person. Kingdom of God reality presents those willing to bring truthful enlightenment, as ones willing to risk for the sake of His love and His freedom. Therefore the one that becomes obediently willing to bring truth to set the captives free, loves much. The one’s that hold back truth to a friend because of fear, must now question their agendas, bondages, or the ability to operate in Fathers agape love.
Spirit Led
Keep in mind, that Jesus, being led by the Spirit, only spoke what the Father intended. So even in our humanity, we must be Spirit led in His ways. A word of truth fitly spoken should be intended to be divinely timed, delivered, and in the Spirit of love as we are led by Him.
Timing and language is critical. We can get in God’s way when we do not operate in high level discernment. Are we praying for this person? Are we coming with the heart of the Father, or the desire to be right? What is our motive? Many have brought forth truth maliciously and this is not God’s will.
Can You Handle the Truth?
So can we handle the truth? Can we live in His presence, hear His voice, and deliver His truth to those we love? Can we receive the truth? Can we receive it from those who desire the Fathers best for us? Can we appreciate truth from someone who can see truth for us, and yet lacking truth in their own life. Can we receive it even if the person’s timing, delivery, and agenda seem to be off? Can we have grace and appreciation for those who may miss the mark in their willingness to risk for the sake of truth?
Embrace the Truth, bring it on!
Truth is truth, can we receive it without rejecting the messenger. Let’s begin a fresh new journey of safe authentic relationships in which we begin to not only give permission, but insist on genuine, relational truth exchanges. These are serious days, and we must be serious about our relationship with the Father and with one another. This is a great season to be the overcoming church that Jesus lived and died for. Lord bring forth your transformational truth and we receive it in whatever form you bring it. Bring it on Lord!
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A Few Good Men, by Vincent Sucec
Movie - "A Few Good Men" with Jack Nicholson and Tom Cruise. Famous court room scene, "YOU CANT HANDLE THE TRUTH !!!" If the nature of Truth is revealing the nature of things then wouldn’t He have to slowly do this ? If we couldn’t handle the truth wouldn’t the issue be US? So by nature then the Light is the Truth - illuminating areas that are closed or hidden.
The question to then should be Lord show ME where I am missing it ! This position in the Lords Light is not topical, it is not a matter of proving anything, it is entirely relational at that point - it is a matter of alignment to theTruth that already IS. A photograph is developed in darkness. A copy.
An original is appreciated, adored, honored. It is priceless. The Master Artist is just trying to teach us How to paint a true Original.
An original relates to an ultimate origin – to identity. The enemy is the father of lies. A lie is a mutation of the Truth - it is a copy - a re-production. We are all originals and plagiarism is akin to usury and envy ...
Visionary Advancement Strategies is our Ministry along with Converging Zone. You will see Roberts Quotes and other's here.
We should also condition ourselves as well for seeking the "Truth" that builds our character over time. I believe this is an advanced Kingdom skill reserved for the "dead guys" who walk that nameless and faceless path of radical obedience in the service of the King. These are what I call the "special forces of God..." the ones who have totally died to self, who know meekness as God's power under control, who seek first the Kingdom in ways that give Him all the glory...who have found the straight and narrow path...knowing that embracing the "Truth" and failing forward is ultimately God's will for our lives...imperfect human beings chasing an amazing God with everything we have. I have no doubt in my mind that we are in the last leg of history...those who walk with the Truth everyday, sense the urgency of the times and are picking up the pace as "preparation meets opportunity," in the Kingdom.
ReplyDeletenfG3 (nameless & faceless & God get the glory)
I agree with the first comment completely. Also I agree with what you have written, Robert...I might just add that when we speak into people's lives truth that they are not ready to receive, the Holy Spirit has not revealed it to them and therefore the word from another has nothing to which to relate because that word is out of season in that person's life. My prayer for many these days is that people's hearts would be prepared by the Spirit to hear the truth and embrace it rather than feel threatened by it and run. These surely are serious days in which we live and it is surely time to walk, talk, and be in the Spirit. One of the main words the Lord has dropped on me recently is 'discipline'...and walking with Him is a discipline!
ReplyDelete"As scarce as truth is, the supply has always far exceeded the demand."
ReplyDeleteLanny
Truth can hurt others if we speak it but don't walk in it.
ReplyDeleteIt's hard to handle when it's given to us through evil which seeks to destroy the work of
God. If any man does that, God will destroy that
one if he doesn't repent and God will destroy those ways which are not in him.
Gossip is an example of speaking the truth (if is is indeed the truth about someone) that destroys.
Jesus taught us to go to one first if there is
a matter between us, and after that one has not
received us we can bring another (if we can find
one) with us and if that isn't enough to convince them of their sins that they continue in, then we may tell it to the church. I think we should do it in their presence, so they may
defend themselves if they need to.
If their defence is wrong we may need to correct
them sharply or tenderly depending on the working of God through us as we resist the many
temptations of the flesh.
Remember Steven's defence? His words were right, light, and his face was seen as the face
of an angel, for God was with him, as Jesus promised to those who he told would be brought before others for his sake.
Steven was right but some couldn't handle the truth, for they didn't know his name.
Correction. The man's name was Stephen and the
ReplyDeleterecord in in Acts 7. God was certainly with him
in his testimony. He was one of the 7 of Acts 6.
We need men like that to do as Absolom was doing
in II Samuel 15:1-4, but not for personal recognition, the glory of man, position or money, but for the work of the ministry of reconcilliation by the gospel of Christ, going
with another when there is a matter, listening
to all the things that cause any present distress to determine if a thing is right, for
isn't righteousness always the heart of the matter?, then make the plea for mercy on the behalf of any oppressed, without partiality, nor
hypocrisy, a high calling and a very good thing
indeed, for it will make the captives free, open
the eyes of those that have sat in darkness, as
they bind up the wounds, doing the fast God chose in Isaiah 58. Througout the history of God's people there have always been deliverers.
Are they ordained and identified in your church?
Do people know their names, or are they simply
people in the congregation that others go to?
Will it be you or will it be me?
I believe God seeks people to do that work.