THANKFUL

Chatting with Jesus

Monday, June 12, 2023

Lord, you taught the truth about the Kingdom of God. Everyday people gladly accepted your messages. However, the religious elites dismissed your teachings as heresy since it was contrary to the proper narrative of traditions and rituals established by the elites. When you proclaimed “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to God the Father except through me” (John 14:6), your claims sent them into a tirade.

Since the ugly snake/apple incident in the Garden of Eden when Satan lied to Adam and Eve, the devil offers a counterfeit to God’s truth.

Jesus’ truth: “For God so loved the world he gave his only Son that whosoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life,” (John 3:16).

Satan’s counterfeit: Believing is not enough. One must work your way to God and then he will let you into Heaven if your ‘good’ deeds exceeds your ‘bad’ deeds.

Jesus’ truth: God loves everyone regardless of who we are or what we have done. He may not like the things we do, but God will never stop loving us. He desires a personal relationship with everyone (2 Peter 3:9).

Satan’s counterfeit: Working diligently at keeping religious rules, rituals and observing traditions will make your worthy enough to earn God’s love.

Jesus’ truth: Jesus calls us to come to him just as we are, broken and shamed, and let him make the changes we are unable to make ourselves. Your grace is for everyone who believes (Ephesians 2:8).

Satan’s counterfeit: God will accept you, but first, you must clean up your act before coming to him.

Lord Jesus, you are truth. You said we will know the truth, and the truth will set us free (John 8:32). Help us reject any counterfeit immediately. We wanna live in the truth. Amen.