Truth Spreading
An all-creatures Bible Message

Truth Spreading
 
A Sermon Delivered to
The Compassion Internet Church
 
19 May 2019
 
Frank L. Hoffman, Pastor

Scripture References

John 13:31-35
Acts 11:1-18
Revelation 21:1-8

Truth spreading is something that we all should be doing, because this world is filled with lies, alternate facts (which are also lies), and conspiracy theories, which are not based on truth (which also makes them lies), and we need to peacefully counter lies by telling people the truth.
 
Unfortunately, one of the major problems in the world is that many people don’t want to hear the truth, but there is a funny thing about the truth; it has a way of creeping into the minds of those people who want to follow the lies; thus, they have to make a conscious decision to stubbornly reject the truth.
 
One of the major truths in the world that most people are still rejecting is that God created us to be vegan, and created only plant foods for us to eat; in fact, the eating of only plant foods was a commandment (Genesis 1:29).
 
We became ethical vegans over 30 years ago for reasons of compassion, because we could no longer be a part of any aspect of the animal exploitation and killing that was occurring in just about every aspect of our society, and as a result we saw a dramatic improvement in our health, and we decided to learn more and more about all aspects of veganism.
 
In this case we were the recipients of truth spreading: from God because it was a blessing from God from returning to His creation intent, and eliminating the curse of Genesis 9 that comes with the eating of animals, and from the other educated people we were listening to.
 
This is turn made us into the people we are today who have been doing our own truth spreading to everyone we can reach on the internet or in person, and it is our hope and prayer that you will do the same.
 
The Bible is a form of truth spreading, but we need to understand the difference between the heavenly will of God, as we see in John 13:31-35, and the truth about the worldly ways of living that we are to reject and that are even more prevalent in the Bible.

31. When therefore he had gone out, Jesus said, "Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in Him;
 
32. if God is glorified in Him, God will also glorify Him in Himself, and will glorify Him immediately.

And if we believe this and it becomes part of our faith, then we are also recipients of part of this glorification, for the Holy Spirit resides within us.

33. "Little children, I am with you a little while longer. You shall seek Me; and as I said to the Jews, I now say to you also, 'Where I am going, you cannot come.'

This is not a final statement.
 
Jesus is only referring to the present time when He said this, because all of us who truly believe will one day join the Lord in heaven.

34. "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.
 
35. "By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."
NASB

And we strongly believe that this new commandment applies to the whole of God’s creation: to every other human being, to every animal, and to every aspect of the environment in which we all live.
 
This is also another form of truth spreading.
 
Let’s now take a look at Acts 11:1-18, and detect the truth spreading that is taking place.

1. Now the apostles and the brethren who were throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God.
 
2. And when Peter came up to Jerusalem, those who were circumcised took issue with him,
 
3. saying, "You went to uncircumcised men and ate with them."

This happens when people follow their traditions more than they follow the heavenly will of God, so Peter needed to do some truth spreading, as we see next.

4. But Peter began speaking and proceeded to explain to them in orderly sequence, saying,
 
5. "I was in the city of Joppa praying; and in a trance I saw a vision, a certain object coming down like a great sheet lowered by four corners from the sky; and it came right down to me,
 
6. and when I had fixed my gaze upon it and was observing it I saw the four-footed animals of the earth and the wild beasts and the crawling creatures and the birds of the air.
 
7. "And I also heard a voice saying to me, 'Arise, Peter; kill and eat.'
 
8. "But I said, 'By no means, Lord, for nothing unholy or unclean has ever entered my mouth.'

Peter is talking about non-kosher food.

9. "But a voice from heaven answered a second time, 'What God has cleansed, no longer consider unholy.'

But God is referring to the gentiles; in other words, God is wiping out the tradition of Jews not entering the homes of Gentiles, and while repeating this story, Peter is doing some truth spreading.

10. "And this happened three times, and everything was drawn back up into the sky.
 
11. "And behold, at that moment three men appeared before the house in which we were staying, having been sent to me from Caesarea.
 
12. "And the Spirit told me to go with them without misgivings. And these six brethren also went with me, and we entered the man's house.
 
13. "And he reported to us how he had seen the angel standing in his house, and saying, 'Send to Joppa, and have Simon, who is also called Peter, brought here;
 
14. and he shall speak words to you by which you will be saved, you and all your household.'

This man obviously believed the angel and did what the angel told him to do.

15. "And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them, just as He did upon us at the beginning.
 
16. "And I remembered the word of the Lord, how He used to say, 'John baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit.' 
 
17. "If God therefore gave to them the same gift as He gave to us also after believing in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could stand in God's way?"

Because Peter lived in the heavenly will of God, and believed in God more than in the traditions of humans, these people were saved.
 
And note the results of Peter’s truth spreading…

18. And when they heard this, they quieted down, and glorified God, saying, "Well then, God has granted to the Gentiles also the repentance that leads to life."
NASB

As this passage shows us, our truth spreading can have positive results, for even if most people don’t believe, some will; and by doing this over and over again, we can be a positive factor in helping to free creation from its present corruption and saving many people from the destruction of the earth to come.
 
In Revelation 21:1-8, John tells us about the vision he saw from God of the new heaven and the new earth; and by writing the Book of Revelation, he is also doing some truth spreading.

1. And I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea.

The world as we know it today will no longer exist, for in doing away with it, God is also removing every trace of its corruption.
 
But, we are not to wait for God to do this, we are to be telling as many other people as we can about God’s desire for our lives, and how it involves living in His heavenly will.

2. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband.
 
3. And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He shall dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be among them,

God will no longer be in some distant or inaccessible place, for at that time He will dwell among us, which we believe must be something like Adam experienced in Eden when he was able to talk directly to God.
 
And by doing our own truth spreading, we are hopefully helping others to believe in the Lord and have the belief and the faith that one day we also will be in heaven with the Lord forever and ever.

4. and He shall wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there shall no longer be any death; there shall no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away."

We strongly believe that we also are to live upon the earth, today, in such a way that we bring this future way of living in heaven to earth; this is the vegan lifestyle that we are trying to present to others that they would also believe and live in the heavenly will of God. 

5. And He who sits on the throne said, "Behold, I am making all things new." And He said, "Write, for these words are faithful and true."

And by writing the words, John is doing his truth spreading that is still going on to this very day, and even into the future, and by telling others, we are also doing our part in this truth spreading that the Lord desires us to do.

6. And He said to me, "It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give to the one who thirsts from the spring of the water of life without cost.

And God is doing this to all who truly believe in Him and live in His heavenly will.

7. "He who overcomes shall inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be My son.

God is telling us that we are also to overcome the sin and corruption of this world, and when we do, all this is for us.

8. "But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death."
NASB

To us, this is proof that not everyone gets into heaven.
 
There are some people who stubbornly hold on to ungodly worldly things instead of repenting and living in the heavenly will of God; they make up lies, such as “God wants me to eat meat,” when the Bible clearly shows us that this is not true.
 
We need to seriously look at our lives before God, and clean up the things that are not in the heavenly will of God, and start living as the peacemaking children of God who we are called to be.
 
We are also to be truth spreading and counter the lies that are all around us, and help free creation from its present corruption.
 
Amen?
 
Amen.

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