https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0-RGfm7fKc&list=PLPhb5GPf3Rfc944An2iDh_kTHkrKhoCED&index=3&t=0s
Truth is that which is. Truth agrees with facts, and facts prove truth. There is no conflict between truth and facts, even though Joe Biden said "We choose truth over facts."
Maybe Joe was reflecting on the liberal perspective of truth, which promotes the concepts agreed to be politically correct. Those things which the elite thinkers believe are important, and should be reinforced by constant propaganda.
So there is my truth and your truth, and we should not assume our truth is superior to other truth. We must be respectful of the "other", even if the other is calling for the end to my existence.
We must define what we mean by words we use. When I see truth, I see what is. Truth is that which is real, that which exists. Many things are temporary, and do not establish truth. That which exists forever is most definitive of truth. Truth lasts, does not pass away.
But that which is may often be confused with that which claims to be. Claim to be is not truth, unless facts can be summoned to prove the claim.
For example, Jesus has been credited with the horrible things done by people who called themselves "Christians" during the past one thousand years. People who called themselves Christians fought each other for thirty years in Europe.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thirty_Years%27_War
Do the facts prove that Christians murdered each other? Do the facts support that the murderers were truly Christians?
To answer that question, we must establish the fact of who is a Christian in reality. Truly only those who Jesus claims as His own are really followers of Jesus.
Jesus in His teaching established the facts of who is His disciple, who is really following him, whom can we really recognize as a believer in Jesus.
Jesus told Nicodemus that one must be born again to enter the kingdom, to belong to Jesus.
John 3 Christian Standard Bible (CSB)
Jesus and Nicodemus
3 There was a man from the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 This man came to him at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God, for no one could perform these signs you do unless God were with him.”
3 Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, unless someone is born again,[a] he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
4 “How can anyone be born when he is old?” Nicodemus asked him. “Can he enter his mother’s womb a second time and be born?”
5 Jesus answered, “Truly I tell you, unless someone is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 Whatever is born of the flesh is flesh, and whatever is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not be amazed that I told you that you must be born again. 8 The wind blows where it pleases, and you hear its sound, but you don’t know where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”
9 “How can these things be?” asked Nicodemus.
10 “Are you a teacher[b] of Israel and don’t know these things?” Jesus replied. 11 “Truly I tell you, we speak what we know and we testify to what we have seen, but you do not accept our testimony. 12 If I have told you about earthly things and you don’t believe, how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? 13 No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven —the Son of Man.[c]
14 “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 so that everyone who believes in him may[d] have eternal life. 16 For God loved the world in this way:[e] He gave[f] his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Anyone who believes in him is not condemned, but anyone who does not believe is already condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the one and only Son of God. 19 This is the judgment: The light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than the light because their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone who does evil hates the light and avoids it,[g] so that his deeds may not be exposed. 21 But anyone who lives by[h] the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be shown to be accomplished by God.”
Jesus also said that not all who claim Him are recognized as actually having a real relationship with Him.
Mat 7:21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in your name, drive out demons in your name, and do many miracles in your name?’ 23 Then I will announce to them, ‘I never knew you. Depart from me, you lawbreakers!’[b][c]
So our being known by Jesus is essential to our being real followers of Jesus. Those who are of the truth listen to Jesus.
John 18:33 Then Pilate went back into the headquarters, summoned Jesus, and said to him, “Are you the King of the Jews?”
34 Jesus answered, “Are you asking this on your own, or have others told you about me?”
35 “I’m not a Jew, am I?” Pilate replied. “Your own nation and the chief priests handed you over to me. What have you done?”
36 “My kingdom is not of this world,” said Jesus. “If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would fight, so that I wouldn’t be handed over to the Jews. But as it is,[e] my kingdom is not from here.”
37 “You are a king then?” Pilate asked.
“You say that I’m a king,” Jesus replied. “I was born for this, and I have come into the world for this: to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.”
Peter’s Sermon
Acts 2:14 Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice, and proclaimed to them: “Fellow Jews and all you residents of Jerusalem, let me explain this to you and pay attention to my words. 15 For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it’s only nine in the morning.[c] 16 On the contrary, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel:
17 And it will be in the last days, says God,
that I will pour out my Spirit on all people;
then your sons and your daughters will prophesy,
your young men will see visions,
and your old men will dream dreams.
18 I will even pour out my Spirit
on my servants in those days, both men and women
and they will prophesy.
19 I will display wonders in the heaven above
and signs on the earth below:
blood and fire and a cloud of smoke.
20 The sun will be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood
before the great and glorious day of the Lord comes.
21 Then everyone who calls
on the name of the Lord will be saved.[d]
22 “Fellow Israelites, listen to these words: This Jesus of Nazareth was a man attested to you by God with miracles, wonders, and signs that God did among you through him, just as you yourselves know. 23 Though he was delivered up according to God’s determined plan and foreknowledge, you used[e] lawless people to nail him to a cross and kill him. 24 God raised him up, ending the pains of death,because it was not possible for him to be held by death. 25 For David says of him:
I saw the Lord ever before me;
because he is at my right hand,
I will not be shaken.
26 Therefore my heart is glad
and my tongue rejoices.
Moreover, my flesh will rest in hope,
27 because you will not abandon me in Hades
or allow your holy one to see decay.
28 You have revealed the paths of life to me;
you will fill me with gladness
in your presence.[f]
29 “Brothers and sisters, I can confidently speak to you about the patriarch David: He is both dead and buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. 30 Since he was a prophet, he knew that God had sworn an oath to him to seat one of his descendants[g] on his throne. 31 Seeing what was to come, he spoke concerning the resurrection of the Messiah: He[h] was not abandoned in Hades, and his flesh did not experience decay.[i]
32 “God has raised this Jesus; we are all witnesses of this. 33 Therefore, since he has been exalted to the right hand of God and has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit, he has poured out what you both see and hear. 34 For it was not David who ascended into the heavens, but he himself says:
The Lord declared to my Lord,
‘Sit at my right hand
35 until I make your enemies your footstool.’[j]
36 “Therefore let all the house of Israel know with certainty that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.”
Call to Repentance
37 When they heard this, they were pierced to the heart and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles: “Brothers, what should we do?”
38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is for you and for your children, and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call.” 40 With many other words he testified and strongly urged them, saying, “Be saved from this corrupt[k] generation!” 41 So those who accepted his message were baptized, and that day about three thousand people were added to them.
https://rgonce.blogspot.com/2019/01/apostasy-on-baptism.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZoKX5-q2x4
Truth is that which is. Truth agrees with facts, and facts prove truth. There is no conflict between truth and facts, even though Joe Biden said "We choose truth over facts."
Maybe Joe was reflecting on the liberal perspective of truth, which promotes the concepts agreed to be politically correct. Those things which the elite thinkers believe are important, and should be reinforced by constant propaganda.
So there is my truth and your truth, and we should not assume our truth is superior to other truth. We must be respectful of the "other", even if the other is calling for the end to my existence.
We must define what we mean by words we use. When I see truth, I see what is. Truth is that which is real, that which exists. Many things are temporary, and do not establish truth. That which exists forever is most definitive of truth. Truth lasts, does not pass away.
But that which is may often be confused with that which claims to be. Claim to be is not truth, unless facts can be summoned to prove the claim.
For example, Jesus has been credited with the horrible things done by people who called themselves "Christians" during the past one thousand years. People who called themselves Christians fought each other for thirty years in Europe.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thirty_Years%27_War
Do the facts prove that Christians murdered each other? Do the facts support that the murderers were truly Christians?
To answer that question, we must establish the fact of who is a Christian in reality. Truly only those who Jesus claims as His own are really followers of Jesus.
Jesus in His teaching established the facts of who is His disciple, who is really following him, whom can we really recognize as a believer in Jesus.
Jesus told Nicodemus that one must be born again to enter the kingdom, to belong to Jesus.
John 3 Christian Standard Bible (CSB)
Jesus and Nicodemus
3 There was a man from the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 This man came to him at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God, for no one could perform these signs you do unless God were with him.”
3 Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, unless someone is born again,[a] he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
4 “How can anyone be born when he is old?” Nicodemus asked him. “Can he enter his mother’s womb a second time and be born?”
5 Jesus answered, “Truly I tell you, unless someone is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 Whatever is born of the flesh is flesh, and whatever is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not be amazed that I told you that you must be born again. 8 The wind blows where it pleases, and you hear its sound, but you don’t know where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”
9 “How can these things be?” asked Nicodemus.
10 “Are you a teacher[b] of Israel and don’t know these things?” Jesus replied. 11 “Truly I tell you, we speak what we know and we testify to what we have seen, but you do not accept our testimony. 12 If I have told you about earthly things and you don’t believe, how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? 13 No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven —the Son of Man.[c]
14 “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 so that everyone who believes in him may[d] have eternal life. 16 For God loved the world in this way:[e] He gave[f] his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Anyone who believes in him is not condemned, but anyone who does not believe is already condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the one and only Son of God. 19 This is the judgment: The light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than the light because their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone who does evil hates the light and avoids it,[g] so that his deeds may not be exposed. 21 But anyone who lives by[h] the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be shown to be accomplished by God.”
Jesus also said that not all who claim Him are recognized as actually having a real relationship with Him.
Mat 7:21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in your name, drive out demons in your name, and do many miracles in your name?’ 23 Then I will announce to them, ‘I never knew you. Depart from me, you lawbreakers!’[b][c]
So our being known by Jesus is essential to our being real followers of Jesus. Those who are of the truth listen to Jesus.
John 18:33 Then Pilate went back into the headquarters, summoned Jesus, and said to him, “Are you the King of the Jews?”
34 Jesus answered, “Are you asking this on your own, or have others told you about me?”
35 “I’m not a Jew, am I?” Pilate replied. “Your own nation and the chief priests handed you over to me. What have you done?”
36 “My kingdom is not of this world,” said Jesus. “If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would fight, so that I wouldn’t be handed over to the Jews. But as it is,[e] my kingdom is not from here.”
37 “You are a king then?” Pilate asked.
“You say that I’m a king,” Jesus replied. “I was born for this, and I have come into the world for this: to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.”
Of the truth! Belonging to the truth. We listen to His voice when we belong to Him. He is the truth. He is the way. He is the light.
So those who claim to follow him while refusing to listen to His voice can not establish that they are actually following Him. What pretenders do in their claims to relationship have no validity toward truth. People who hated and murdered each other through the ages, while claiming to be Protestant or Roman Catholic, can not establish an actual connection to Jesus. They were not following the one who said, John 13:35 "By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."
So condemning followers of Jesus for what non-followers did is not based upon respect for truth or facts. Condemning Christianity for what pretenders did shows a great disregard for reality. Christianity needs to be defined as those who truly love and follow Jesus. All other that is called Christianity has no claim to being real. Facts establish who is truly a Christian.
And yes, it is right to condemn those who are pretenders and destroyers. We need to see the facts. The King of England was never the head of followers of Jesus, and the Pope in Rome was never head of the followers of Jesus. They were usurpers and pretenders.
In fact, freedom of conscious that permits people to establish their own faith in what is by examining the facts is essential to the well being of humankind. No group of believers that depends upon the approval of the state for their existence has ever been truly followers of Jesus. Take a look at those who were killed by various "Christian" states for being steadfast in their personal faith, and you will find many true followers of Jesus. It is these martyrs who died in support of truth established by facts who are the real Christians.
And all the nefarious acts done by false "Christians" have nothing to say against Jesus, as those false actors were following Satan. Satan is the father of liars and murderers.
But what about those who deny Him, those who insist their way is just as good as any way? Those who live by their feelings, thinking that their way is ok? They have believed lies.
Peter told us how to become real Christians on the Day of Pentecost.
Acts 2:14 Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice, and proclaimed to them: “Fellow Jews and all you residents of Jerusalem, let me explain this to you and pay attention to my words. 15 For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it’s only nine in the morning.[c] 16 On the contrary, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel:
17 And it will be in the last days, says God,
that I will pour out my Spirit on all people;
then your sons and your daughters will prophesy,
your young men will see visions,
and your old men will dream dreams.
18 I will even pour out my Spirit
on my servants in those days, both men and women
and they will prophesy.
19 I will display wonders in the heaven above
and signs on the earth below:
blood and fire and a cloud of smoke.
20 The sun will be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood
before the great and glorious day of the Lord comes.
21 Then everyone who calls
on the name of the Lord will be saved.[d]
22 “Fellow Israelites, listen to these words: This Jesus of Nazareth was a man attested to you by God with miracles, wonders, and signs that God did among you through him, just as you yourselves know. 23 Though he was delivered up according to God’s determined plan and foreknowledge, you used[e] lawless people to nail him to a cross and kill him. 24 God raised him up, ending the pains of death,because it was not possible for him to be held by death. 25 For David says of him:
I saw the Lord ever before me;
because he is at my right hand,
I will not be shaken.
26 Therefore my heart is glad
and my tongue rejoices.
Moreover, my flesh will rest in hope,
27 because you will not abandon me in Hades
or allow your holy one to see decay.
28 You have revealed the paths of life to me;
you will fill me with gladness
in your presence.[f]
29 “Brothers and sisters, I can confidently speak to you about the patriarch David: He is both dead and buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. 30 Since he was a prophet, he knew that God had sworn an oath to him to seat one of his descendants[g] on his throne. 31 Seeing what was to come, he spoke concerning the resurrection of the Messiah: He[h] was not abandoned in Hades, and his flesh did not experience decay.[i]
32 “God has raised this Jesus; we are all witnesses of this. 33 Therefore, since he has been exalted to the right hand of God and has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit, he has poured out what you both see and hear. 34 For it was not David who ascended into the heavens, but he himself says:
The Lord declared to my Lord,
‘Sit at my right hand
35 until I make your enemies your footstool.’[j]
36 “Therefore let all the house of Israel know with certainty that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.”
Call to Repentance
37 When they heard this, they were pierced to the heart and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles: “Brothers, what should we do?”
38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is for you and for your children, and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call.” 40 With many other words he testified and strongly urged them, saying, “Be saved from this corrupt[k] generation!” 41 So those who accepted his message were baptized, and that day about three thousand people were added to them.
https://rgonce.blogspot.com/2019/01/apostasy-on-baptism.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZoKX5-q2x4
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