I went to see 13 Hours in Benghazi the other day and noticed that it said, “Based on a true story.” I also remember watching the Senate hearings regarding the Benghazi events, and what I have come to realize is that the State Department’s version and Hollywood’s version don’t match very well. I have also been to movies which said, “Loosely based on . . . .” (fill in the book title), and have to tell you that those movies rarely resembled the book.

I have also sat around lunch tables with colleagues and friends and discussed all kinds of topics––and rarely have two people agreed on the order of events or the words actually spoken or the intention of those words. Even members of the judicial system (from police to lawyers to judges to jury members) are now wary of accepting eye witness accounts as irrefutable truths. Too many eye witness accounts of the same event differ or even contradict, and many are in error. All human truth seems to be flawed.

When I looked up the word “true” in the dictionary, there were some 25 definitions on different ways the word is used and what it means. No wonder we have trouble determining “what is true.”

So where do we find truth? The moral relativists would say that there is no absolute truth . . . that all truth is relative (which is ironic because for their belief to be true that statement must be an absolute truth).

Such is my question here at the end of January after focusing on the portion of Philippians 4:8 that says “whatsoever is true.” Granted I have not exhausted my search for truth by any stretch of the imagination, but I have learned that before one can say something is true, the very foundation on which that statement rests must also be true. This was my point last week.

However, I did learn quite a few truths this past month, such as worry changes absolutely nothing and trust in God does indeed bring peace. But the one that seems to trump them all and on which all other truths build upon is the following. (The ellipses, bold lettering, and italics are my insertions as I wanted to think about portion of each phrase on its own and then in total.

“For God so loved the world . . . that He gave His only begotten Son . . . that whoever believes in Him . . . should not perish . . . but have everlasting life.” John 3:16

What a wonderful truth.

If you recall, I had mentioned that my one New Year’s resolution for 2016 was to focus on one verse this year to see if I could live by it. Again, the verse I chose is Philippians 4:8 –– “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things.”

For the month of January, I have been focusing on “Whatever is true.” I bring this up because I was having a conversation with one of my colleagues the other day about the Bible. We discussed heaven and hell, Jesus’s claim to be the Messiah, and what is considered sin. My colleague’s response was a response I have heard many people make: “Well, I don’t believe the Bible, so none of that applies to me.” Coming from a very logical person, this seemed like a very illogical comment. I know I have used this analogy before, but I think it appropriate here. It is kind of like saying, “I don’t believe in the California Vehicle Code, so those rules don’t apply to me.”

I don’t think it works that way. If the Vehicle Code is indeed the law of the land, and if the State of California does indeed have the authority to mete out justice based on it, then it really doesn’t matter if a person believes it or in the authority of the State of California. If he breaks those laws, he will still suffer the consequences.

The question, then, is not do you believe in the Bible or not, or if there is a God or not, but is the Bible true and is God in authority. If both of those answers are yes, then regardless of what a person believes, he or she will still be held accountable. Therefore, everyone, believers and non believers alike, need to make and then take the time to determine the truth of the Bible. This is exactly what Peter said in I Peter 3:15 when he said, “. . . always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you.”

Welcome to Week Two of the new year. It is very different from Week One, isn’t it?

The first of the year is still filled with festivities and get-togethers, end of year recaps and New Year’s resolutions. We are still in a bit of the frenzy of the Christmas holidays and the New Year’s celebrations.

But by the second week we are settling back into the routine of life. We are back to work or back to school. The only college bowl game left is the often disputed match up for the national title. The Christmas gifts have taken their proper place in the dresser, closet, or garage awaiting use, and the excitement a New Year’s resolution has already dimmed due to the reality of actually having to work at it.

I, for one, am always ready for week two. As much as I enjoy the holidays, getting together with family and friends, seeing and hearing from people I might not have seen or heard from in a while, and celebrating the New Year, I find it hard to actually “live” during this time. I enjoy the heightened sense of excitement, but I don’t think I could live like that all the time. It might just be my personality, but I need to have some routine so that I can do the things I need to get done and have time set aside to spend with God and to work at the goals I have set for the year.

Week Two is a comforting reminder to me that in life’s ups and downs, there are some consistencies. Life does level out.

I hope you enjoy the pleasant memories of the Christmas holidays 2015 as you settle into living 2016.

Welcome to 2016 . . .
So what year is this for you? Your 16th? Your 60th? Somewhere in between or later?

I don’t know about you, but I relish the beginning of a new year. Regardless of what the previous year held, the New Year always brings with it hope, anticipation, opportunities to right wrongs or to try new things, or a fresh start after disappointments.

As always, God knew what he was doing when He created a temporal world with distinct divisions between past and future, with each creating a fresh start: a new day, a new week, a new month, and a new year.  

Sometimes we put a lot of undo pressure on ourselves with lofty New Year’s resolutions, but I think each of us wants to do and be a little bit better than we did or were the year before, and any amount of success should be celebrated. I was reminded of this when a new friend said that at the end of each year, she writes down her accomplishments for the year. What a wonderful idea—to focus on the successes of the past year rather than the failures. (Thanks, Heather.) Such an activity would also remind us of God’s goodness and providence. I think I will add this tradition to my year end activities.

However, though I am one to set goals, I am also learning that a daily setback is not a final setback. I love Matthew West’s song “Day One,” a part of which is quoted below.

Well, every single day Your grace reminds me
That my best days are not behind me
Wherever my yesterday may find me
Well, I don’t have to stay there
 
It’s day one of the rest of my life
It’s day one of the best of my life
I’m marching on to the beat of a brand new drum
Yeah, here I come
The future has begun
Day one.
 
Jeremiah first penned such words in 586 B.C. when he wrote,

 The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
     His mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
     great is your faithfulness (Lam. 3:22-23)
 
And probably the greatest beginning of all--
 
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.  (2 Corinthians 5:17)

I pray that despite difficulties you may have faced last year, that 2015 also brings some pleasant memories and some personal successes, and that you may look forward to 2016.

Remember, there is beauty in both the sunrise and sunset.