Gaylord Diaz's Blog

A Word By Way Of Introduction. This blog post is the third and final installment of a faith message relating to God’s truthfulness. If you haven’t read the two preceding installments I encourage you to do that now since the present post builds upon the truths contained in the previous posts.

WHAT IS TRUE CANNOT BE MADE UNTRUE

SOMETHING THAT’S TRUE CANNOT BE MADE UNTRUE. For example, a glass of water is a glass of water. It doesn’t matter what anyone else says: their words can’t change the fact that this is indeed a glass of water. The book that’s on my desk is a book. It doesn’t matter how hard you try to convince me it’s a piano: your words can’t change the fact that this is indeed a book. Jesus Christ rose from the dead. It doesn’t matter what the chief priests said: their arguments to the contrary can’t change the fact that Jesus did indeed rise from the dead. Do you understand what I’m trying to say? Something that’s true cannot be made untrue.

Now there are indeed a couple of things that can make something, something else. Take a glass of water for an example. Through a miracle or magic, this glass of water can be turned into something else. Jesus, you will remember, turned water into wine. Through a miracle of God, Moses’ rod turned into a living serpent. Some things, you see, can be changed or turned into something else. But until that change takes place, the glass of water is a glass of water, not wine. As long as Moses’ rod is a rod, it’s not a serpent.

Now when it comes to the truth, my friends, THERE IS NO MAGIC OR MIRACLE THAT CAN TURN GOD’S TRUTH INTO SOMETHING THAT’S UNTRUE.

• God Himself can’t do it, He has no such miracle, because God can’t say anything that’s untrue. He is a God of truth and without iniquity (Deuteronomy 32:4).
• Satan and men—be they believers or deceivers—can’t change God’s truth into falsehood because the Word itself cannot be changed. Isaiah 40:8 tells us, The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever. Psalm 119:89 reads, For ever, O Lord, thy word is settled in heaven. It cannot be changed! The Word will remain unchanged forever! There will never come a time or a miracle or a magic when the Word that’s true forever will be changed into a Word that’s false and untrue. O sure, men and the Devil can say that God’s Word isn’t true. In fact, they say it all the time. But, brethren, their saying it doesn’t make it so.  You can tell me all you want that this travel mug isn’t a travel mug. But all your arguments won’t convince me because this travel mug remains what it is–a travel mug. Do you see what I mean? No matter what men, demons, and circumstances say, God’s Word remains the same. It can’t be changed!

What’s true, you see, can’t be made untrue. Now it’s really important for you to comprehend and accept this fact because it will anchor your faith against the storms of doubt that will surely come your way. You see, there are many in our day who, either intentionally or unknowingly, cause us to doubt the truth of God’s Word by their loud and insistent arguments. They say that faith doesn’t always work, miracles aren’t for today, the promises don’t apply to us today, prayers aren’t always answered. What is it, brethren, that inspires people to make these serious claims and try to get us to quit believing in God’s promise?

•  Some people don’t believe God’s promise because of the convincing arguments of men. “If it’s God’s will to heal every disease, how do you explain the fact that many saints of God who asked Him for healing live their lives diseased and infirmed? How do you explain the death of many who were believing God to heal them? Disease and death prove that sickness, like healing, is also God’s will.” The argument sounds good. But it flat out contradicts God’s Word in Psalm 103:3, He healeth all thy diseases. Deuteronomy 7:15a echoes the refrain, The Lord will take away from thee all sickness. God, brethren, told us what to do when we get seriously sick: Is any sick among you? Let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; {15} And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him (James 5:14-15).  Brethren, is God’s Word true or not? There are all sorts of good arguments that explain away the truth of  God’s Word. But if God’s Word is true, as it surely is, can anything–including a good argument–make it untrue? Let’s go back to my travel mug for an example. We can argue for hours about whether or not this is really a travel mug. The arguments we have may sound good. But do you know what? As good as our arguments may be, our arguments won’t change the fact that this travel mug is indeed a travel mug. OUR ARGUMENTS, YOU SEE, DON’T, AND CAN’T, CHANGE WHAT’S TRUE. Brethren, when it comes to God and His Word, NOBODY’S ARGUMENTS, NO MATTER HOW GOOD OR CONVINCING, CAN CHANGE GOD’S TRUTH AND MAKE IT UNTRUE. What’s true is true. The truth cannot be changed!
•  Others don’t believe God’s promise because of wrong results. They didn’t get healed. The baby died. The divorce went through. The money didn’t come in. They didn’t get what they were supposedly believing God for. Things didn’t happen as they expected. Things didn’t turn out the way they were supposed to turn out. For these people, wrong results make the promises of God’s Word untrue. Brethren, what’s true cannot be made untrue. SOMETHING THAT’S TRUE CANNOT BE FALSE AT THE SAME TIME. IT’S EITHER TRUE OR FALSE. AND IF IT’S TRUE, IT CAN’T BE FALSE, NOR CAN IT BE  PROVEN OR SHOWN TO BE FALSE. There are explanations for wrong results. I wish I could preach that sermon now, but I don’t want to get off the beaten path. When everything is said and done, WRONG RESULTS CAN NEVER MAKE WHAT’S TRUE, UNTRUE. THEY CAN NEVER MAKE GOD’S WORD A LIE, NOR CAN THEY MAKE GOD HIMSELF A LIAR.

•  For others, death changes the truth of God’s promise and renders it untrue. A brother or sister was believing God for healing, but they died. For their survivors and friends, death is the proof that faith doesn’t always work. Hobart Freeman was a faith teacher. Many who believed his message of  faith  regarded  it  as true and scriptural. But when he died, his death somehow made the message no longer true. Brethren, did Moses’ death change the Law that he gave? Did Jesus’ death change the Gospel that He preached? When the apostles died did their death change the truth of the Epistles that they wrote? If something is true, how can death make it untrue?
•  For others, the popularity of a message makes it true. And when a lot of people disbelieve and reject the message, then this somehow makes the message no longer true. Because not many people believe in the message of faith, including the promise of Divine healing, then somehow this makes the message of faith false. “What’s rejected and persecuted can’t be true!” Beloved, that’s absurd. Has it ever occurred to you that people will reject a message for the precise reason that it’s true? Paul prophesied in 2 Timothy 4:3-4, For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; {4} And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. A lot of people don’t want the truth. That is, God’s truth. The only truth they embrace is whatever truth they believe is the real truth. They themselves, not God, determine what the truth really is. Sadly, the truth as it is popularly regarded is nothing more than what the Bible calls the fables of men.  Tales. Fiction. Myths. But not truth. The great majority of people on this Earth don’t believe in God, that is, the Judeo-Christian God. Does this mean there isn’t a God? Most people don’t believe Jesus is the Son of God. Does this mean He isn’t the Son of God? Jesus was vastly outnumbered in Pilate’s court and just about everyone shouted for His crucifixion. Did the people’s rejection of Him mean He wasn’t the Messiah? In all this, numbers and popularity or persecution can’t make what’s true, untrue. WHAT’S TRUE REMAINS TRUE, EVEN WHEN NO ONE BELIEVES IT AND EVEN WHEN EVERYBODY REJECTS IT .

CONCLUSION

Make no mistake, beloved. The Devil is launching a full-scale assault against your faith because he doesn’t want you to believe, follow, and serve the living God. The Devil is doing today what he did to our forbears at the start of human history. Do you remember what he said and did in the Garden of Eden? He questioned God’s veracity, then proceeded to convince Eve that what God said really was not true (Genesis 3:1-5). Sadly, Eve believed him, she rejected God’s truth, embraced the lie, and ever since then, we all without exception have paid dearly for her unbelief and disobedience. A lie, brethren, doesn’t minister life. It kills. It’s not good for you. It may look good. It may sound good. But, truth be told, it’s not good for you.

Friends, the truths of God’s Word will keep you anchored in the time of trial and temptation. But the only way they’ll do that is if you continue to believe God and His Word. As you affirm your faith in the fact that all of God’s promises are true, that God is always faithful; your faith will hold and God’s Word—indeed, His very presence and grace—will help you weather the war and emerge the victor over Satan’s lies.  Beloved, never question the truth of God’s Word. Question it if you must. But let your inquiry always lead you to an affirmation that God’s Word is true because God Himself is true. He cannot, He will not, lie. Keep on believing the Word. The trial will soon be passed and you will find out once again, as you’ve found out many times before, that God keeps His promise, Ye shall have it! With God nothing is impossible! Nothing shall be impossible to you who believe. Take heart and be of good courage, my friends. For I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me (Acts 27:25). May God bless and strengthen you with these words of truth and encouragement.

A Word By Way Of Introduction. This is the second installment of a post relating to God’s truthfulness. It shows how God’s truthfulness can dramatically inspire and strengthen your faith in Scripture and in God Himself. If you haven’t read the first installment yet, you may want to do that now since the following post builds on the one previously given.

WHATEVER CONTRADICTS THE TRUTH ISN’T TRUE

Truth is one. I have a travel mug in my hand. It’s a travel mug, not a binder or a book. Now there are many truths about this travel mug. For example, it’s made of stainless steel, it’s got a black handle, and it’s made by Thermos. But the bottom line is, it’s still a travel mug—not a lawn chair or mower. Truth, you see, is one.

Now two opposite, or contradictory, things cannot both be true at the same time. For example, the pen that I hold in my hand is a pen: it can’t be a fly swatter. The Bible on my desk is a Bible: it can’t be a lawn mower. I am a man: I can’t be a woman. You see, what’s true is true and WHATEVER CONTRADICTS THE TRUTH CAN’T BE TRUE. Why? Because two opposite, or contradictory, things cannot both be true. Why? Because truth is one. Now since the Bible is true, then we must understand that WHATEVER CONTRADICTS THE BIBLE ISN’T TRUE. It’s a lie.

• Since God said He would heal all of your diseases (Psalm 103:3), then it’s wrong for you to believe that God won’t heal every last one of your diseases. I know we all have an appointment with death if Jesus doesn’t come back in our lifetime. But if it’s not your time to die, then God’s promise of healing applies to whatever sickness or disease you’re going through right now. Since He said the prayer of faith would heal the sick and not kill them (James 5:14-15), then it’s wrong for you to believe that your prayer of faith won’t heal you. Since He said He would raise you up (James 5:14-15), then it’s wrong for you to believe  you’ll die or be diseased for the rest of your life.
• Since God said He would forgive all your iniquities (Psalm 103:3), then it’s wrong for you to believe that God won’t forgive you for whatever it is you’ve done. Naturally, you’ve got to confess your sin to God and repent of it in order to be forgiven (2 Chronicles 7:14, 1 John 1:9). If you’ve done that, then you need to know that there is no sin–except the sin of blasphemy against the Holy Ghost–that God cannot, and will not, forgive (Matthew 12:31-32). YOUR SIN, MY FRIEND, IS NOT BEYOND GOD’S DESIRE AND WILL TO FORGIVE. God wants to forgive you!
• Since God said there’s nothing too hard for Him to do (Jeremiah 32:17), then it’s wrong for you to believe that God can’t possibly do anything to help you in this situation or that. NO MATTER WHAT YOUR SITUATION IS, YOU WILL NEVER FIND GOD UTTERLY HELPLESS OR USELESS! Luke 18:27 assures us that the things which are impossible with men are possible with God.

You see, God says one thing and you say another that’s completely different and contradictory to what God says. Now BOTH YOU AND GOD CAN’T BE TRUE AT THE SAME TIME. ONE OF YOU HAS TO BE WRONG. YOU BOTH CAN’T BE RIGHT.  Since God is true and cannot lie, then what He says is true. I hate to have to be the one to tell you, and I really mean no disrespect, but whenever you contradict God you’re the one who’s wrong!

I know that might be hard for you to accept because you believe you’re right. But have you ever been in a situation where you thought you were right, you were convinced you were right, but later found out you were wrong? There were times when I thought my bank made a mistake on my bank statement and I’d go in and talk to the bank about it. Do you know what? The bank was always right! I thought for sure I was right, but I was wrong. The point is, you can think you’re right. But friends, WHENEVER YOU CONTRADICT THE LORD YOU’RE NEVER RIGHT! You always come out the loser and the liar because God is always right. If He weren’t, He wouldn’t be God.

Since whatever contradicts the truth can’t be true, then two things just don’t matter. (1) First, it doesn’t matter who’s contradicting the truth. It may be the Devil or a skeptic, a Christian or a heathen, the smartest man alive or the ablest scientist and theologian around. It doesn’t matter who’s saying something that contradicts the Word. WHOEVER CONTRADICTS THE WORD IS WRONG! Romans 3:4 declares let God be true, but every man a liar. Brethren, WHOEVER’S CONTRADICTING GOD IS A LIAR. Settle that in your heart right now. It doesn’t matter who he is, what his name is, or what his credentials are. Whoever contradicts God is a liar. Beloved, the truth of God will bring peace, confidence, and faith to your troubled, doubting soul only as you resolve in your heart that GOD IS ALWAYS RIGHT AND WHOEVER’S CONTRADICTING HIM IS ALWAYS WRONG. Friends, don’t let the identity of an individual make you think he’s right in what he’s saying. He might be very logical, the proofs may be very convincing. But the bottom line is, he and God can’t both be right. One of them has to be wrong. GOD, BRETHREN, IS NEVER WRONG! You can quote me on that.

(2) Since whatever contradicts the truth can’t be true, then a second thing that just doesn’t matter is the contrary circumstances or evidence that seem to be resounding proof of the falseness of God’s promise or Word. The physical symptoms may linger. The unsaved loved one may still hate you and the Lord. The geological evidence may point to an Earth that’s billions of years old. And the anthropological evidence may point to man being millions of years old and sharing a common ancestry with monkeys. Despite the glaring and convincing circumstances, WHATEVER CONTRADICTS THE BIBLE IS FALSE! Brethren, it may be a real temptation to believe the circumstances or symptoms. But YOU DON’T GROW STRONG AND SETTLED IN FAITH BY BELIEVING THINGS THAT DON’T LINE UP WITH GOD’S WORD.

Here’s a case in point. When God promised Abraham a son, Abraham believed God for something that was, in the natural, impossible and unnatural. He was ninety-nine years old, Sarah his wife was ninety (Genesis 17). Besides that, she was barren! But Abraham believed God. He didn’t waver in the faith that he and Sarah would have a son. Do you know why he didn’t waver in faith? Because he chose to believe God’s Word, not the circumstances. Now get this. The circumstances of his age, her age, and her barrenness, were all very real. The obstacles to the promise becoming a reality were not imaginary They were very much real. They were facts that were beyond argumentation or debate. Which is to say, God does, at times, say things that defy human logic and contradict the worst and most impossible of circumstances. THE SEVERITY OF YOUR TRIAL, SYMPTOMS, OR CIRCUMSTANCES, DEAR FRIENDS, DOESN’T STOP GOD FROM MAKING YOU A PROMISE OF HEALING, HELP, OR DELIVERANCE. I know I’m straying from my point, but I believe some of you needed to hear what I just said. Anyways, back to my point. Even though the facts were real, Abraham chose to stick with what God said. Romans 4:19-21 reads, And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah’s womb: {20} He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; {21} And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.

Friends, YOUR FAITH IN GOD BECOMES STRONG ONLY AS YOU STICK WITH GOD’S WORD. You see, we all have a choice as to who we’re going to believe: what God says or what the Devil says; what the symptoms tell you or what the Scriptures tell you. No matter how convincing the circumstances or logic may be, stay with God’s Word because GOD’S WORD IS ALWAYS TRUE. What God said will eventually come to pass, He’ll make good on His Word, because He cannot promise something and then not fulfill it—not as long as you’re believing. God, my friends, is not a liar. IF HE MADE YOU A PROMISE HE’LL COME THROUGH ON IT AND KEEP IT. How do I know that? Because God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should change his mind: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good? I didn’t make this up. The verse is Numbers 23:19 if you want to look it up for yourself. The point is, God’s Word is true. Stick with it through thick and thin and you’ll see for yourself just how true it really is. With the passage of time and your faithful endurance, you’ll see for yourself just how true it always is.

Drop by for another visit on the net next week. I’ll be posting my third and final blog of this series relating to God’s truthfulness. I promise you it’ll be a third, doubt-crushing, faith-fortifying dose of encouragement from God’s Word. Until then, God bless. Keep on believing God. And be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me (Acts 27:25).

A Word of Introduction. Psalm 62:8 exhorts us to trust in God at all times. Unfortunately, that’s not always easy to do, especially when the circumstances are frightfully contrary. When you’ve got the Devil perched on your shoulders, giving you all sorts of reasons why God doesn’t expect you to trust Him in this particular situation, trusting God becomes especially harder. Some will trust God anyway, but will waver and falter in faith as the symptoms linger and worsen and there seems to be no answer or miracle in sight. Enduring by faith has never been easy. Yet, it’s what God called us to do and it’s an integral part of receiving answers to prayer (Hebrews 10:35-36). I know of what I speak because I’m going through a physical trial right now that, in the natural, is a life-ending trial. After a month and a half of believing God for healing, I had to stop, get alone with God, and see if God really wanted to heal me or take me. Well, God met with me and made it unmistakably clear to me that this wasn’t my time to die. So I’m back to believing God for healing and, day by day, I’m feeling finer and finer because God is faithful to His Word. He said He’d heal me. I believe it. And that settles it…despite what Satan and the symptoms say. If you’re sick and infirmed right now, I’d like for you to know that our God is a Healer (Exodus 15:26) and there’s no sickness or disease that’s too hard, or impossible, for Him to heal  (see Luke 1:37). All things are still possible if you believe (Mark 9:23). I’d like to share with you some of the biblical truths that have been of immense  comfort to me in my storm-tossed, dark nights of trial. These truths strengthen and increase faith. They help us trust God and endure by faith. If you need prayer or counsel, please leave a comment at the end of this post. I’d be honored to pray for you and fight the Devil on your behalf.

GOD DOESN’T LIE!

The first faith-fortifying fact that I’d like to share with you is the fact that our God is true. The God we serve, brethren, is a God of truth. Deuteronomy 32:4 reads, He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he. Now when the Bible says God is a God of truth this means there is no lie, no falsehood, no deceit, no hypocrisy, in Him.

When it says God is without iniquity this means  God doesn’t sin. He can’t do anything that’s sinful or wrong. Lying, you see, is wrong. In fact, the ninth commandment is a prohibition against lying (Exodus 20:16). Saying something that’s  false  and  untrue  is  sin.  It’s  iniquity. Therefore, when the Bible says that God is without iniquity, among the many things this means is, God doesn’t lie. Brethren, God would never lie to you, to me, or to anyone else! He can’t because He’s a God of truth and there’s no sin or iniquity in Him. None whatsoever! If God lied just once, to only one individual in all of human history, He wouldn’t be a God of truth. You see, one lie is all it would take for God to become a sinful, untruthful God (see James 2:10).  So when the Bible tells us that our God is without iniquity we can rest assured that our God has never lied to any one individual. He has never lied. Not even once! After thousands of years of human history, with billions of people passing through the stage of time, God will not break His perfect track record and lie to you now.

Hebrews 6:18 goes on to tell us that it’s impossible for God to lie. It’s interesting to note that in all of Scripture the word ‘impossible’ is used only one time with respect to God. And the one thing that’s impossible for God to do is lie. Brethren, what does ‘impossible’ mean? It means it can’t be done. God can’t say anything that’s wrong, false, or untrue. Do you know why? Because it’s impossible for Him to lie! The thing that I want you to understand quite clearly about God’s Word and His many promises, is this: if it wasn’t true, God wouldn’t have said it. Brethren, God would never say anything that isn’t true. He can’t. Do you know why? Because it’s utterly impossible for Him to lie.

Everything God Says Is True!  Because God can’t say anything that’s wrong or untrue, then this means that everything God says is true. The Bible, which is God’s spoken Word written down on paper, is true. Men are always calling into question God’s Word and finding things they claim are wrong or untrue. But the fact of the matter is, God is true. And since He cannot lie, then everything He says is true. Psalm 119:160 reads, Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever.  2 Timothy 3:16 goes on to say, All scripture is given by inspiration of God. God Himself was in charge of the writing of Scripture. He told the writers of Scripture what He wanted them to write down and everything they wrote down is true. Why? Because it’s what God told them to write. Now if God can’t say anything wrong, then it should be obvious to all that what God said in Scripture is true. Everything He said in Scripture is true. There’s not one false statement or promise in Scripture.

Jesus told us something that I find very interesting in John 14:1-2. He said, Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. {2a} In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you.  You see, Jesus doesn’t say anything that’s false or untrue. If He was lying to us He would tell us outrightly that He was lying. Listen to what Jesus said: If it were not so, I would have told you. What would He have told us? He would have told us that what He said to us was not so or was not true. You see, brethren, Jesus doesn’t lie. And if ever He lies, He would tell us  He  was  lying.  Now  did  Jesus ever tell us He was lying? Did He ever tell us that something in the Bible wasn’t true? Not at all! In fact, 1 John 3:5 tells us that in Him is no sin. In other words, Jesus never sinned. He never lied. Which is to say, every verse, every prophecy, every warning, and every promise, written in Scripture is true. Brethren, you will not find one word in Scripture that isn’t true!

Because every verse in the Bible is true, then you can take God at His Word. You see, brethren, you don’t have to wonder if what God said is true. There is absolutely no reason or cause for you to doubt the truthfulness of God’s Word. It’s true because He said it. If it wasn’t true, it wouldn’t be in the Bible. The very fact that a statement or promise is found written in the Bible is it’s own proof that the statement or promise is true.

For example, God said He wouldn’t allow you to be tried beyond your ability to endure (1 Corinthians 10:13). Because this is true, then whatever you’re going through right now is endurable. You can go through, and endure, whatever it is you’re faced with. If you couldn’t, God wouldn’t have allowed the trial to come upon you in the first place. You wouldn’t be going through it right now. I know there are times when it seems there’s no possible way for you to endure the trial. The rest of us have been there too. And the thing we’ve found out–after we’ve endured– is WE CAN ENDURE MORE THAN WHAT WE THINK WE CAN ENDURE. We may not want to go through the trial. We may be absolutely convinced there’s no way we can endure the trial. But after going through it, howbeit grudgingly or fearfully at first, we found that God does indeed give us grace and His grace enables us to endure what we once thought was unendurable. 

 Beloved, if God’s Word is true, as it indeed is, then you must find solace in the fact that no matter what you’re faced with, you can endure! You don’t have to give up or give in! God will see you through, brethren. He’ll be there to comfort, strengthen, and sustain you. He will never leave you or forsake you (Hebrews 13:5).  The trial will come to an end. And you’ll see, once again, that God is true and He’s faithful to His Word. For the Lord doth say unto His people, God is not a man, that He should lie; neither  is He a man, that He should change His mind. Hath He said, and shall He not do it? Or hath He spoken, and shall He not make it good (Numbers 23:19)?  Hang in there, dear saint. God isn’t done yet!

Drop by for a visit on the net next week. I’ll be posting part 2 of this 3-part message. I promise it’ll be a second, powerful dose of encouragement from God’s Word. In the meantime, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me (Acts 27:25). God bless.