Psalms 134:1-3, and 8:1
My Shepherd met me in His green pastures, reading 2nd and 3rd John. The Mind of the Spirit of truth (John 14:17; 15:26; 16:13) brought the attention of the spirit of my mind to the central focus of both these letters: Truth.
Compare:
2John 1 ¶ The elder unto the elect lady and her children, whom I love in the truth; and not I only, but also all they that have known the truth;
2John 2 For the truth’s sake, which dwelleth in us, and shall be with us for ever.
2John 3 Grace be with you, mercy, and peace, from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.
2John 4 I rejoiced greatly that I found of thy children walking in truth, as we have received a commandment from the Father.
With:
3John 1 ¶ The elder unto the wellbeloved Gaius, whom I love in the truth.
3John 3 ¶ For I rejoiced greatly, when the brethren came and testified of the truth that is in thee, even as thou walkest in the truth.
3John 4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.
3John 8 We therefore ought to receive such, that we might be fellowhelpers to the truth.
3John 12 ¶ Demetrius hath good report of all men, and of the truth itself: yea, and we also bear record; and ye know that our record is true.
Along the still waters, I reflected on the fact that these letters were written by John “The elder” (2 John 1:1; 3 John 1:1), who identified the Spirit of God as the “Spirit of truth” (John 14:17; 15:26; 16:13), recorded Jesus famous declaration that He is the “Way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6), and the “Word” (John 1:1) praying “sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth” (John 17:17). He referred to truth or what is true forty times in his Gospel. (Compare: Matthew and Mark – 3x; Luke – 6x).
All who know the truth love all who are in the truth (2John 1:1), and do so “for the truth’s sake” (1:2). All that is good comes from God “in truth and love” (1:3). So John rejoiced to find God’s children “walking in truth” (1:4). He warned of the deceivers that have entered into the world, that fight against the truth, and of the great truth that separates the deceiver from the truth: “Jesus Christ is come in the flesh” (1:7-9). Bid no one “God speed” (God bless you) who has rejected the Truth of the doctrine of Christ (1:10-11).
John identified wellbeloved Gaius whom he loved “in the truth” (3John 1:1). He rejoiced when he received the report that “the truth is in thee, even as thou walkest in the truth.” John expressed it to be his greatest joy to hear that his “children walk in truth” (1:4). He commended the church for advancing the cause of truth (1:6-8), and rebuked those who opposed the work of the truth (1:9-11). He commended those who had a “good report of all men, and of the truth itself” (1:12).
My mother impressed on me the value and importance of truth. My father demanded rigorous employment of reason and challenged the logic of any argument not grounded in truth. It was clear to me that truth is what corresponds to reality, and reason must always bow to truth. Truth is what is, and the lie is what is not. There is no dishonor in having an incorrect notion, unless we stubbornly resist the truth to preserve it. Jesus said those who “do truth” will come to the light, and those who hate the light embrace deceit to cover themselves from exposure that their deeds are evil (John 3:17-21). Jesus testified to Pilate: “For this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice” (John 18:37). Cynical Pilate scorned the notion: “What is truth?” (John 18:38). He walked away from Him, and sought justice without it, but having no foundation, succumbed at last to the lie and released the Truth to be crucified.
The Spirit of Truth (John 16:13) guided me to the Scripture of Truth (Daniel 10:21), the Word incarnate in flesh and His words inscripturated in the Bible (John 1:1, 14; 14:6; 17:17), which is “the word of truth” (Ephesians 1:13), and He spoke to me. To “walk in the truth,” we must never deny the “doctrine of Christ” (2John 1:9). The doctrine of Christ declares that “Jesus Christ is come in the flesh” (2John 1:7). Any who reject Jesus Christ as the promised King is a “deceiver and an antichrist” (2John 1:7). All who affirm that Jesus has come and taken “the government” upon His shoulder (Isaiah 9:6), and declare that to Him has been given all power in heaven and in earth (Matthew 28:18), and is today “prince of the kings of the earth” (Revelation 1:5), confess that Jesus Christ is LORD (Romans 10:9). All else deny the doctrine of Christ, and is antichrist.
My Shepherd accompanied me into the valley and we walked into the shadow of His Cross. He spoke: “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me” (Luke 9:23). This is how we “walk in truth.” We do not, like Pilate, cynical and jaded, scoff: “What is truth?” And then, like those who “crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh” put Him to “an open shame” (Hebrews 6:6). Pilate’s scorn is the surest path to hell. Unlike those who follow Pilate’s course, rather than “crucify the Son of God afresh,” we will take up His Cross instead (Galatians 2:20; see Matthew 27:32; Selah!).
At the table, with hands that today bear the wounds of His Cross, He poured His anointing oil upon my head and filled my cup with His grace. We walked together into the harvest, goodness and mercy following!
Praying for revival! 🙏
Going live asap.
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