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Day 15: O is for Others

“Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.” Philippians 2:3

O is for others. Others is used in reference to anyone other than oneself. I know that we like to think that we are the only person on this planet, but, let me assure you, we are not. There are many other persons; in fact, billions of other persons.

Since there are so many others living here with us, how does that affect us? How are we to live and act? Well, one of the principles found in the scripture today is that we are to “esteem [respect; honor] other[s] better than [above]” our own selves. Hmph! Is that not sitting too well in your spirit, my friend? Why do you think that is? Have you been promoting self too much these days? Have you been so wrapped up in your own little life and own little world that “you deserve” that you have pushed aside and cut off all others who dare to stand within your personal space? Is this sounding too familiar?

I really am more of an introvert than an extrovert. I like my personal time and my personal space just as much as the next person … believe me! BUT, that does NOT excuse me from reaching out to others around me!

We have spent so much time in the world and listening to the world … and reading all of those “make me feel good” quotes that are all over social media, that we have let them completely brainwash us. This is a fact.

How are we going to reach others around us (saved and unsaved alike) if we will not even get the bushel basket lifted high enough to let our lights shine before men? That is our purpose, is it not, dear Christian? To live a life that testifies of God’s love, His saving grace, His mercy, His omnipotence, and so much more?

I believe that we need to win the lost for Christ. The scripture so plainly backs this up. But, what about that person sitting next to you in the church pew? What about that Christian sitting at the very back of the church trying to not be seen because they are so over-whelmed in their spirit from the attacks of the devil that they just want to find a hole and die?

When was the last time that we did something for someone else expecting NOTHING in return … and I mean NOTHING? God has given EACH one of us talents to be used for His glory. When was the last time that you used it to serve in your church? To serve another brother or sister in Christ? To serve that lost person that will not let you into their personal space?

The Bible goes on to tell us in Philippians 2:4-8 “Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.” Oh, my friend, my heart is greatly convicted! Woe is me, Lord! How can I compare? How can you compare?

Lesson Objective: To understand that others means just that … OTHERS … NOT self, NOT me, NOT you, and NOT I! What are you doing to reach others around you? How much time have you taken for others today, this week, or this month?

Did you pass or did you fail?

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Day 14: N is for Nigh

“Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you …” James 4:8

N is for nigh. Nigh means near in place, time, or relationship. There are things in life that we should be close to and there are things in life that we should not be close to. The most important thing that we can choose to be close to is God.   Without a close relationship with God, all else truly pales in comparison.

In our Christian lives, there are going to be times that we are closer to God than at other times. What determines this? Umm … ME!? Yes, me! When I feel far from God, guess who moved? Not God … I did! If you are going through a season in your life where you feel far from God, you probably are. But, guess who moved? That’s right … YOU did!

I love hymns and there are so many good ones … each one telling their own story. The hymn that I want to share with you today is entitled, “Nearer, Still Nearer.” It was written by Lelia (Mrs. C. H.) Morris (1862-1929). Lelia was born in Ohio and from what little I found on her background, it looked like she lived her entire life in Ohio. She enjoyed writing hymns as she did her housework … now, that was true multi-tasking! When she became blind at the age of 52, her family built her a 28-foot-long blackboard to write the hymns on that she composed. It is said that, in all, she wrote over 1,000 texts.1

I imagine this hymn held more meaning than some to Lelia because, as we saw in our devotion yesterday, it is in our storms and the dark of night (aka her blindness) that we find ourselves closest drawn to our Savior.

V1: “Nearer, still nearer — close to Thy heart; Draw me, my Savior, so precious thou art; Fold me, O fold me close to Thy breast, Shelter me safe in that “Haven of Rest,” Shelter me safe in that “Haven of Rest.”

V2: “Nearer, still nearer — nothing I bring, Naught as an off’ring to Jesus my King — Only my sinful, now contrite heart; Grant me the cleansing Thy blood doth impart, Grant me the cleansing Thy blood doth impart.”

V3: “Nearer, still nearer — Lord, to be Thine, Sin with wits follies I gladly resign — All of its pleasures, pomp and its pride; Give me but Jesus, my Lord crucified, Give me but Jesus, my Lord crucified.”

V4: Nearer, still nearer — while life shall last, Till safe in glory my anchor is cast; Through endless ages, ever to be, Nearer, my Savior, still nearer to Thee, Nearer, my Savior, still nearer to Thee.”

I do not know about you, my friend, but this hymn speaks to my heart in such a keen way. It makes me want to be the writer of this hymn as my heart cries out with those very words … “nearer, still nearer!” I desire, not just a one-time moment, but a continual movement nearer and nearer to my Lord!

Lesson Objective: To understand the desire of God for us to draw nigh to Him. Does your heart cry out as the hymn-writer’s does in this hymn?

Did you pass or did you fail?

1http://hymnary.org/text/nearer_still_nearer_close_to_thy_heart

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Day 13: M is for Morning

“… weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.” Psalm 30:5

M is for morning. Morning means the period between midnight and noon, but more specifically between sunrise and noon. I am not a coffee drinker, but if I were, morning would still be my most favorite time of the day. Is it your favorite time of the day as well?

Our country has seen some very severe storms this summer. I know for us here, we have had a couple. It seems like they invariably come in the middle of the night. Yikes! Storms bring their own darkness, but add to it the dark of night and the darkness is so thick that it feels like it is penetrating to your very soul.

It is the same way in our spiritual lives. Storms of life come in pairs or back-to-back with no relief between them for the weary worn believer. I have been there. I am confident that you have been there as well, my friend, have you not? Or you may even be there right now.

When those storms come, what do you do? Well, for me, when those storms of nature come, I find my prayer closet (I literally go into our closet and start praying). Nature’s storms strike great fear in my heart … when I say great fear, I mean GREAT fear! So, when I find my way to my prayer closet, I do two things. One, I close my eyes and cover my ears (squeezing hard) because I want to shut out every bit of the noise and lightening that is completely surrounding me. Two, I start praying as if my life depended on it … because when the storms are so great that our mobile home is rocking, yes, make no mistake, my life is depending on those prayers!

Storms of life can be great and they can put great fear in our hearts. They may even be shaking us to the very core of our being. But, what must those storms do? They must drive us to our prayer closets and in those closets, we must shut out every bit of the noise and storm that is raging around us. When the noise has subsided, we then can find God. It is here that we can cry out to Him in prayer … sharing our every fear and our every burden. It is also here that we can find His still, small voice speaking to us.

No battle was ever won nor storm endured that did not find oneself anchored in Him. Where do we find Him? In His WORD! Storms will come, my friend! There is no avoiding them. The question is  … how prepared are you? Are you in His Word searching for life’s answers? Are you writing them down? Are you claiming them in your storm?

Always remember that “weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.” Hang tight, my friend, morning is coming!

Lesson Objective: To understand the blessing of the storms in life. To find ourselves in our prayer closets seeking the face of God and clinging to His promises … that the weeping will only endure for a time and then His joy and peace will follow.

Did you pass or did you fail?

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Day 12: L is for Love

“He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is LOVE.” I John 4:8

L is for love. Love is an intense feeling of deep affection. That seems like such a simple definition; yet, how often do we struggle with love in our relationships? Love for a spouse. Love for a parent. Love for a child. Love for our neighbors. Love for our brothers and sisters in Christ. Love for the church. Love for God. Who knew that there were so many relationships in our lives … and these are only a small part of them?

I know this is not Valentine’s Day … or even close to it … but I would like for us to take a moment and reflect on what true love is. I am sure that at some time or another you have told someone that they were your “true love.” If you have not, you more than likely have heard someone else say it. But, what is true love anyways? Let us take a look.

True love revolves around God. What? Do you mean to tell me that love does not revolve around a man? No, it does not. Why do I say that true love revolves around God? Because I John 4:8 tells us that “God IS love.” So, in truth, our definition above should read, “Love IS God.” Am I correct?

So, since God is love and true love revolves around Him, then where does that leave us? Well, if we are His children, we are to love as God loves. Again, I John 4:8 tells us that “He that loveth not, knoweth not God …” What else can we learn about true love?

· True love loves with ALL its heart — Deuteronomy 6:5 “And thou shalt love the LORD they God with ALL thine heart …”

· True love loves with all or loves with nothing; there is no in-between; it is either one or the other — Matthew 6:24 “No man can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other …”

· True love does not rely on words, but is fulfilled in action — John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that He GAVE …”

· True love loves the unlovely — Romans 5:8 “But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

· True love is unconditional; we must love even when others do not do what we want them to do — ouch! This is a tough one for me because I am a very detailed person and on my sanest day, it drives me up the wall if others do not fall into place. I want everyone and everything to go as I want … but, I am learning that it is NOT at all about ME, but it is ALL about HIM!

· True love does not have to agree with someone to love them (let that sink in for a minute); Christ ate with Publicans and sinners, yet did not participate in their sin; He loved them even while they were living in sin.

· True love is the test of our faith; if we truly know God, then we will be able to love others — I John 4:7 “Beloved, let us love one another; for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.”

Lesson Objective: To understand what true love is. To examine yourself to see if you are living a life of true love toward God and man. Who is God telling you to love? Is it a wayward spouse, a rebellious child, a brother or sister in Christ? Who?

Did you pass or did you fail?

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Day 11: K is for Knee

“That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow … And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:10

K is for knee. Knee means a joint between two parts of the human leg. “The knee joint is one of the strongest and most important joints in the human body.”1 The knee joint is used for almost every daily activity imaginable. It is used for sitting,   running, walking, standing, and even kneeling. It is actually the true support of the body for all of these activities. One would think it would be the feet, since the feet are the ones at the bottom on the ground, but that is not true.

Think about this for a minute … the knee is one of the most important parts of the body … it has greater value than the eye, the hands, or the feet. The only part of the body that would have more value than the knee would be the heart. Romans 10:10 shows us this, “For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”

Let us briefly look at each of these main areas that the knee is important for. First, we need to be WALKING. If you have been to the doctor any time in the past, you have probably heard the same thing that I have heard … “You need to be walking!” Eeks! Does he have to remind me every single time that I come in? Yes, he does! Because walking is one of the single most healthful things that we can do for our bodies. Spiritually, we need to be walking in the garden with our Lord every single day as well!

Secondly, we need to be RUNNING. “Running?” you ask. Yes, running! Now, I am not a physical runner either … and that is nowhere on my list of goals to achieve in my lifetime. But, spiritually, I need to be a runner! Hebrews 12:1 tells me that I am to “run with patience the race that is set before” me. As a Christian, I also should be running aka fleeing from sin. We see this in numerous scripture passages (I Corinthians 6:18, I Corinthians 10:14, II Timothy 2:22, etc.).

Thirdly, we need to be SITTING … at the feet of Jesus. Martha spent all of her time serving and failed the most important part and that was sitting and learning at Jesus’ feet. Ashamedly, I have found myself too many times in Martha’s shoes. What about you, my friend? Yes, we need to serve. But there is a time to serve and there is a time to sit. May we not fail to do one over the other when BOTH are so important.

Fourthly, we must be STANDING. We just recently finished Vacation Bible School at church and each night we did the pledges to the Bible, the American flag, and the Christian flag. We stood out of respect and honor to what those items represented. As a Christian, we could add one more item to that and it would be the Lamb of God. Have you heard the lyrics, “I pledge allegiance to the Lamb, with all my strength, with all I am. I will seek to honor His command. I pledge allegiance to the Lamb.”2 Once we have taken upon ourselves God’s armor to fight against evil, we must stand firm in God! (Ephesians 6:13)

Lastly, we must be KNEELING. When we bow our knee in prayer, we are humbling ourselves before a righteous and holy God, are we not? Yes, we need to stand firm in the truth of God’s Word, but let us not forget to also kneel in humbleness to Him!

Lesson Objective: To understand how the knee plays a key role in our Christian life. To understand how important it is to not only walk, but to run, to sit, to stand, and to kneel.

Did you pass or did you fail?

1http://www.innerbody.com/image/skel16.html
2http://www.metrolyrics.com/i-pledge-allegiance-to-the-lamb-lyrics-ray-boltz.html

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Day 10: J is for Joy

“Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fullness of JOY; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.” Psalm 16:11

J is for Joy. Joy is a feeling of great pleasure, happiness, or delight. According to this definition, one could easily think that joy was an emotion. But, it is not.

There is so much heard and seen in the world today about happiness. It seems like it is a world-wide … or at the minimum, a nation-wide … epidemic, correct? It seems like we are over-run with unhappiness. What is the world’s answer? Make yourself happy! They tell you to stop letting others dictate your life. In other words, DO things that make YOU happy! Hmm!? It makes me believe that happiness is based on the circumstances around me. Is that what you are seeing as well?

The definitions of joy and happiness are very similar, and, therefore, can be mistaken as one and the same. But, as I study this word, I am seeing more and more of a difference between the two.

In fact, out of curiosity, I looked up to see how many times the word happy was found in the Bible. It is found 25 times. That really is not a substantial amount seeing as there are 783,137 words in the King James Bible. So, that means that the word happy appears in .00003 percent of the words of the entire Bible. Wow! That is a great indicator of how important our happiness should be in our lives.

Now, look at the word joy. It is found 187 times. I did not read each of the verses with happy and joy in them, but I read enough to see a pattern coming forth. “What is that pattern?” you ask. Well, I see where happiness was always surrounded by happenings. Joy was always surrounded by inner peace and contentment that had nothing to do with the circumstances surrounding it. Take time today to check it out yourself and see if you can see this as well.

Out of all of the verses on joy, I love Psalm 16:11 because it just seems to so simply put true joy into perspective … and I need simple! True joy is found in God, my friend! You can try to change all of the circumstances around you in search of that peace and that happiness, but you will never find it … aside from God Himself!

True joy comes from being close to God … being in His presence … and being obedient to Him. It is not all about Y-O-U, my friend, but it is all about Him! I am sure that you have heard of the simple acrostic for J-O-Y (Jesus-Others-You). When we put Jesus first, others and yourself will fall into their proper place (Matthew 6:33). When you spell Y-O-U backward, what do you have? U-O-Y … does that even make sense? No, because U are in the way! Put J-esus first and then you will have J-O-Y!

Lesson Objective: To understand the difference between joy and happiness. To understand how “U” (you) can get in the way of true joy. To learn to put J-esus first, followed by others, and leaving yourself (“U”) for last.

Did you pass or did you fail?

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Day 9: I is for Individuality

“I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made …” Psalm 139:14

I is for Individuality. Wow! That is a mouthful, is it not? So, what in the world does this word actually mean? It means the quality or character that distinguishes one person from another.

Think about that for a minute … God made each one of us different. There are not two of me anywhere on this earth. I have known sets of twins before and no matter how close they look alike on the outside, they have their own personality on the inside.

Now, I know that you are wondering why I even picked this word for today’s devotion … and to answer that question, ‘I can only say it was God” … because who does not use I for Indian, right? Me, I guess!

There is such a wide variety of angles that we can look at this word from, so let us begin!

First, as an individual … a person uniquely myself … I should not be judging others according to my own makeup, my own ideas, nor my own thoughts. Matthew 7:1 says to, “Judge not, that ye be not judged” I am not to make myself the plumb-line (guideline for all others to be measured by). God’s Word is our only true guideline and He is our only true Guide. Let us let Him do the guiding.

Second, as individuals, we are not to compare ourselves with others. II Corinthians 10:12 says, “For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: [for] they … are not wise.” We all know what the opposite of wise is and we surely do not want to be thought that, do we? So, let us not compare ourselves with others and let us try not to make others fit into our mold … because my mold only fits one person … ME!

Thirdly, there are times where we think that because someone else does not do as we say or act the way that we want them to act, that they must change to meet our expectations. Guilty! So, who died and made me boss? Umm … no one! I know it is hard to accept, but we cannot change anyone … our spouse, our child, the cashier at the grocery store, the dog groomer … NO one! Only God can do that! He is the One who is all-powerful! Jeremiah 32:17 “Ah Lord God! … there is nothing too hard for thee.”

Last, but definitely not least, we are individually going to have to stand before a righteous and holy God one day and give an account of our lives. We see this in Ecclesiastes 12:14. No one else can do that for us. Matthew 12:36 tells us that even every idle word that we speak will be brought into account. Oh my!

Lesson Objective: To understand how my individuality affects those around me. To understand that as an individual, I will have to give an account one day for things that I alone have done.

Did you pass or did you fail?

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Day 8: H is for Holy

“Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.” I Peter 1:16

H is for Holy. What do you think that the definition of the word holy is? Well, holy means to be morally and spiritually excellent; to be pure; to be dedicated or consecrated to a life of righteousness. I always thought of holiness as purity. But, as we see here, it is so much more!

You all know how I LOVE definitions and using my dictionary when studying my Bible. Why would I want to do that? Well, for this very reason … because I have heard most of these verses preached on sometime in my lifetime. In fact, many of these verses I have committed to memory over the years. But … you just knew there was a ‘but’ coming, did you not … when I go back to those verses and look up the words, they take me to an entirely different level of understanding. If you have never done this, I strongly encourage you to do so … and soon!

What is the command that we find here? To BE holy! Wow! The command could not be more simple or more plain, could it? Yet, have we obeyed it? Oops! I do not know about you, but I failed that test … BIG time!

Have you ever carried on … or tried to carry on … a conversation with an analytical, detailed person? Whew! It is a chore, is it not? I am that person; yet, there are times when I have been talking with others that I Just want to scream, “Just get to the point! Stop dilly-dallying around and just spit it out!” Are you like this? Now, be honest! I know that I am not the only one who is like this.

There are times when we need the details and knowing every step before we take it. But, this is most assuredly not one of those times! We just, in simple faith, need to obey!

We, as Christians, can get so lazy and so lackadaisical in our Christian lives that our only goal seems to be how we can portray to others (in hopes to convince them … and oftentimes ourselves) that we are a Christian. We do this totally over-looking the fact that if we are truly a Christian that we are called to not only be a follower (“be ye holy, [even as] I am holy”) of Christ, but we are to be LIKE Christ … HOLY!

We want the name of Christ, but at the same time, we do not want to live too closely to Him. I mean, what would others think of me then? We would be called one of those “goody-two-shoes,” or an “extremist,” or a “holier-than-thou” person. That is the last thing that we would want. But, the fact still remains … we are to be HOLY!

Lesson Objective: To understand what true holiness is. To understand that it is more than just being clean and pure, but it is something that we dedicate or commit or consecrate our whole being to. Is that you? Is that where you find yourself, my friend?

Did you pass or did you fail?

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Day 7: G is for God

“Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me.” Isaiah 46:9

G is for God. God means the Creator and Ruler of the universe; one who is the source of morality. Many believe that there are no gods. Others believe that there are multiple gods. Then there are others who believe that there is one, true and living God. That is my God!

This past week we had Vacation Bible School at church. The theme this year was “God Always Wins!” I absolutely loved this theme! Why? Because it clearly showed us from God’s Word that there is only one God. We saw that in our verse for today too. Not only is there no other God, but there are no other gods who can even compare to our God!

Sunday we saw that God wins over kings and armies. We see this in numerous passages of the Bible. One example is one of my favorite Bible stories that is found in Judges chapter 7. In this chapter, we see the story unfold of Gideon facing the Midianites. The Lord told Gideon that there was a problem though, and that problem was that Gideon had too many men in his army. So the Lord weeded out the weak and fearful ones, 31,700 in all, leaving him with only 300 men. But, God was with those 300 men and they were able to defeat the 135,000 Midianites. Truly God always wins!

Monday we saw that God wins over all other gods. I Kings 18 was the setting to the lesson on that night. This is another Bible story with a powerful message. Elijah, with complete faith in his God, stood up against the 450 prophets of Baal. No matter how hard the prophets of Baal tried to get their god to bring fire down upon their sacrifice, it did not happen. But, what did happen? The true and living God, the God of Elijah, not only brought fire down from heaven but completely consumed the sacrifice, the wood, the stones, the dust and all of the water that surrounded it. God always wins!

Tuesday we saw that God wins over Satan. Romans 3:23 tells us, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” But, then Romans 5:8 does not leave us in that place … “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Christ became our sacrifice. He shed His very own blood that we might live. God always wins!

Wednesday we saw that God wins over all other masters. Matthew 6:24 tells us that “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other …” How many times have we found ourselves trying to serve man and the world around us when we need to be serving God ALONE? It does not work, my friend! Do as Joshua did in Joshua 24:15, “… choose you this day whom ye will serve …” God always wins!

Lesson Objective: To understand that there is only one true and living God. To understand that no matter who or what our God goes up against, He ALWAYS wins! Is this your God? Are you living in defeat in the battles of life? If so, you have the wrong god. You need the God with a capital “G!”

Did you pass or did you fail?

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Day 6: F is for False

“A faithful witness will not lie: but a false witness will utter lies.” Proverbs 14:5

F is for false. False means opposite of truth; incorrect. Merriam-Webster even takes it a step further and defines it as “intentionally untrue; adjusted or made so as to deceive; intended or intending to mislead.”1

This world is more black and white than we think or admit. Because no matter how we “slice” it, it always comes back to black or to white. It is either false or it is true. We talked extensively about lying in Day 11 and Day 12 of the July 2019 devotionals, so we will not go back over that, but I do want us to see some truths today about falsehood.

It is like when a witness is sworn in into a court of law. They swear to “tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth”2 In layman’s terms … just in case we did not understand what that means … it means that “you will not lie, you won’t leave anything out, and you won’t try to deceive or mislead anyone.”2 Wowzer! I believe that nailed it on the head right there, did it not?

How can we know what is true and what is false though? Well, God did not leave us hanging on this one because He tells us in John 17:17 that His “Word is truth.” If God’s Word is the truth (white), then what is false (black)? Anything that does not match up with God’s Word, correct? What is the easiest way to spot a falsehood? To know the truth!

If I had a flat tire … and my husband was not around … and someone was trying to instruct me over the phone how to change a tire, I would follow their instructions. Why? Because I would believe that they have more experience than me changing tires … because, in my half a century of life, I have never changed a single tire! Now, if someone were to come to me and try to tell me how to bake a cake, that would be a different story because I know how to bake a cake. Do you follow me here?

Being in ministry and constantly working with people, you begin to learn them. There have been times when we have been confronted with someone or something and it just did not “sit” right. Some things just did not add up in the equation. Why do you think that was? Because there was something there that was not supposed to be in the equation!

People can try to deceive us with their words and actions, but the truth of God’s Word will reveal their lies, their deceitfulness, and their true self. It is like in a quiz or test with true/false answers. It can only be either true or it can be false. It cannot be both!

May we live a life of truth before God and all men, especially our brothers and sisters in Christ!

Lesson Objective: To understand what it means to bear a false witness. Have you been studying the truth (God’s Word) so that you may spot falsehood when confronted with it? Have you been trying to live a false (deceitful) life before others?

Did you pass or did you fail?

1http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/false 2http://www.johnfoy.com/glossary/oath/