Building on the Foundation

  When He appeared before Pontius Pilate for judgment, Jesus Christ had a revealing exchange. Questioned by Pilate about whether He was a king, “Jesus answered, ‘You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.’ Pilate said to Him, ‘What is truth?’” (John 18:37-38). Indeed, what is truth? We live in a world so filled with lies that it can be hard to know. At times, it seems as if almost everything you hear is a lie. Politicians lie, scientists lie, doctors lie, the news media lie, “influencers” lie, and many people you interact with will simply parrot whatever lies they’ve been brainwashed into believing. Worse still, many lies seem to be mixed with an element of truth. A few elements of the narrative can often be verified as fact, causing people to believe the rest. God spoke of ancient Israel, shortly before sending her into captivity, ...

 Today is July 4th, 2022 on the Gregorian calendar — 246 years since America's 13 colonies declared independence from Great Britain. When the Declaration of Independence was read publicly 4 days later on July 8th, 1776, bells rang out all over the colonies in celebration. The most famous of these bells, the Liberty Bell, bears this inscription: "Proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof." The bell was cast with its famous inscription in 1751 — 25 years before American independence!  The inscription quotes part of Lev. 25:10: "And you shall consecrate the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout all the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a Jubilee for you; and each of you shall return to his possession, and each of you shall return to his family." In AD 27, when Jesus Christ began His ministry/service, He quoted Isa 61:1-2, which itself referenced back to this passage in Leviticus. We read in Luke 4:16-21: "So He c...