“But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” (John 20:31).

Our faith is in Jesus. Our faith is grounded in scripture. The foundation of our faith is in what is written.

I know. You already know all this. The reason why I am reminding you is because every single person you know will let you down. People will hurt you. People will desert you. People will betray you. And, I wish I could say that this only happens with people outside the church. But that’s not the case. Because the church is made up of people, church people will hurt you, desert you, betray you, and let you down.

But you are not a Christian because of people. You are a Christian because of Jesus. You are a believer because of what is written about Jesus in the scriptures.

Judas, one of the twelve closest disciples of Jesus, betrayed Jesus with a kiss for thirty lousy silver coins! But the eleven others didn’t stop believing in Jesus because of what Judas did. They continued believing. They continued following. That’s why the church is still here today.

If the actions of others cause you to fall away from faith, you have to ask yourself who you were following to begin with.

Our faith is in Jesus. Our faith is grounded in scripture. The foundation of our faith is in what is written.

“If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone” (Romans 12:18).

Truth matters. AND, kindness matters.

It is quite possible to declare the truth in a completely offensive way. It is absolutely possible to say the right things, but to say it in such a way where no one wants to hear it.

Therapists say that couple fight more over how something is said than over what is said. You can say the same thing in a way that honors the person you are speaking with, or you can say the same thing in a way and a tone that demeans to person you are speaking to.

More couples argue over the tone of what is said than over the content.

It is quite possible to be absolutely orthodox – have the right beliefs and understandings – and be a complete jerk.

Don’t be a jerk.

Once heard a wise person say, “Don’t be a porcupine. You’ve got a lot of good points, but nobody wants to be around you.

Don’t be a porcupine. That’s good advice. Pay careful attention to your tone of voice and how you are speaking to the people around you.

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 5:10).

There is only one Holy Spirit. If we are not being led and guided by the Spirit, we are being led and guided by satan’s demons. Either we are living according to God’s guidance and truth, or we are being influenced by demonic forces.

Before you start thinking your pastor has gone off his rockers with all this talk about demons and such, let me explain. The Bible tells us that “satan himself masquerades as an angel of light” (2 Corinthians 11:14). satan and his demonic forces don’t show their true selves because if they did, we would all freak out and turn away. So, satan and his demons disguise themselves as something good, something desirable.

Not one time in the Bible does satan show up demanding our submission and obedience. Not one time does satan and his demons show up tempting people to hate and turn away from God. No. satan and his demons are much more crafty than that. They don’t demand hatred of God. satan and his demons show up making us question God.

• Does God really know what is best for you?
• Don’t you think you know better than anyone, including God, what is best for you and what you desire the most?
• I know what God says, but what does your heart say? What is your heart telling you to do?
• What God is asking is unreasonable…it’s too difficult…it’s too demanding.

satan and his demons disguise themselves under the guise of self-autonomy. satan and his demons want to convince people that they know better than God, that God is trying to make life more difficult than necessary. And once God is replaced by the self as the ultimate determiner of truth and good, satan wins.

The guide for disciples has always been – what has God declared? What has God written?

There is only one Holy Spirit. If we are not being led and guided by the Holy Spirit, we are being guided and led by satan’s demonic forces.

Who are you listening to? Seek God’s truth. What has God written?