Real Truth in a Fake News World

So I have a love hate relationship with the news media right now. I love the media because we get videos like this from it…but then there are other times where I find myself never wanting to read or watch anything as it relates to news because there I have a hard time figuring out who to believe.

John Mayer said it best,

I remember

And when you trust your television What you get is what you got Cause when they own the information, oh They can bend it all they want

That's why we're waiting (waiting) Waiting on the world to change We keep on waiting (waiting) Waiting on the world to change

John Mayer describes how most of us feel about the media age in which we live. We dont know who to trust or what to believe because we

Fake News isnt new. It turns out that discerning truth from lies has been something that human beings have dealt with since the dawn of our existence. When Eve was doing her duty as Adam’s wife and God’s Daughter in the garden she was met with the first fake news story. Satan comes to her in the form of a serpant and does not outright fabricate some story, he puts a spin on what was clearly communicated by God. He adds his own twist to the story to make the truth of what God said muddy, he spins it.

Genesis 3:1–7 CSB

1 Now the serpent was the most cunning of all the wild animals that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You can’t eat from any tree in the garden’?” 2 The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit from the trees in the garden. 3 But about the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden, God said, ‘You must not eat it or touch it, or you will die.’ ” 4 “No! You will not die,” the serpent said to the woman. 5 “In fact, God knows that when you eat it your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 6 The woman saw that the tree was good for food and delightful to look at, and that it was desirable for obtaining wisdom. So she took some of its fruit and ate it; she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.

genesis 3:1-

Fake News and lies isnt anything new, it’s been around forever…but...Discernment is needed to make it in today’s world maybe more than ever before because the lies of the enemy have more access to our minds than ever before.

But this is not new. People have been sifting information forever trying to determine what is and is not true.

We live in a digital age where we have access to whatever information, whatever worldview, whatever belief, whatever value we want to find, we can find it…but at the same time…we live in a world where all of that information has access to us as well. We encounter stories and worldviews that other generations before us never had to deal with. YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, SnapChat, TikTok, and myspace (just kidding)…the internet, give us all access to the world. But in some ways, the internet gives the world an all access pass to us, as well.

So in a world where we encounter all kinds of stories, how can we determine what is actually true?

The World is full of lies

The spirit of the antichrist (satan) is at work desiring for us to believe lies...

Relativism

Individualism

Moralism

Depression

Anxiety

Loneliness

Be a Sceptic

The digital world that we live in is a blessing and a curse. We have more access to the world than ever before. But the flip side of that is also true…the world has more access to you than ever before.

Be a Sceptic

1 John 4:1 CSB

1 Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see if they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

When I was a senior in highschool I started watching YouTube debates between Christians and Atheists. For the first time in my life I was facing questions that I never had dealt with before and I didnt really know what to do with them. Questions like, if God is good and all powerful why would he allow evil to exist? Questions like, how can I believe in God and trust in science at the same time?

Growing up I

This means I dont give in to fads typically…like celery juice in the morning.

But because Im a skeptic when I was a senior in highschool

Anything that is worth believing will be able to stand against any amount of questioning or criticism.

1 John 4:1

Ask the Right Questions

1 John 4:2–4 CSB

2 This is how you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 but every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming; even now it is already in the world. 4 You are from God, little children, and you have conquered them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.

1 John 4:2–3 CSB

2 This is how you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 but every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming; even now it is already in the world.

1 john

1 john 4:2-

What John is essentially saying is this, if someone doesnt believe in the person and work of Jesus, they are Fake News when it comes to truth and values for living.

If a person doesnt believe in Jesus they are missing the point of everything else.

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Here is an example, a person may say they dont believe in God because they believe science has proved that there is no need of God anymore. My response will be something like this, “That’s great…so explain to me how you make sense of Jesus...”

How do you explain the fact that a Jewish peasant is exalted as the savior of the world and Billions upon billions of people believe it? Explain that to me...

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One of the things that kept me believing even when I had major doubts about my faith, and it was trying to make sense of Jesus.

I had no categories to understand who Jesus was if He wasnt actually the Son of God.

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That means it affects how we view depression and anxiety.

Depression tells us a story—that their is no hope and that life sucks…but Jesus says that He is working everything for our good and that His best really is yet to come.

Naturalism tells us that there is no God—but Jesus that He is the creator and sustainer of life.

Relativism tells us that there is no such thing as truth—but Jesus says that he is the Alpha and Omega

Moralism and Religion tell us that we have to work our way to God — but Jesus says that our best works are as filthy rags and that if we are tired and heavy laden we should come to him to find our rest—even from our religious works.

Depression tells us a story—that their is no hope and that life sucks…but Jesus says that He is working everything for our good and that His best really is yet to come.

Anxiety tells us that we cant get ourselves together—Jesus says that we shouldnt be anxious in anything, but in all things through prayer and supplicatin we can experience the peace of God.

Listen to the Word

1 john 4:

1 John 4:5–6 ESV

5 They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them. 6 We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error.

Not only can we just test atheism or naturalism on the existence of Jesus…but if Jesus is who He said He was…that means He’s God and what He says matters:

How many of us have totally given up on politics and news because we arent sure who or what to believe anymore?

That means it affects how we view depression and anxiety.

Naturalism tells us that there is no God—but Jesus that He is the creator and sustainer of life.

Relativism tells us that there is no such thing as truth—but Jesus says that he is the Alpha and Omega

Moralism and Religion tell us that we have to work our way to God — but Jesus says that our best works are as filthy rags and that if we are tired and heavy laden we should come to him to find our rest—even from our religious works.

Depression tells us a story—that their is no hope and that life sucks…but Jesus says that He is working everything for our good and that His best really is yet to come.

Anxiety tells us that we cant get ourselves together—Jesus says that we shouldnt be anxious in anything, but in all things through prayer and supplicatin we can experience the peace of God.

This is true for all of us.

He says that people who are “from God” listen to the people of God.

Here is essentially what John is saying,

The bible gives us a lot of instruction on how we can have discernment…1 John helps us

Listen to the Wise

John says that people “from the world” listen to the world.

He says that people who are “from God” listen to the people of God.

That means it affects how we view depression and anxiety.

Here is essentially what John is saying,

Naturalism tells us that there is no God—but Jesus that He is the creator and sustainer of life.

Relativism tells us that there is no such thing as truth—but Jesus says that he is the Alpha and Omega

Moralism and Religion tell us that we have to work our way to God — but Jesus says that our best works are as filthy rags and that if we are tired and heavy laden we should come to him to find our rest—even from our religious works.

Depression tells us a story—that their is no hope and that life sucks…but Jesus says that He is working everything for our good and that His best really is yet to come.

Anxiety tells us that we cant get ourselves together—Jesus says that we shouldnt be anxious in anything, but in all things through prayer and supplicatin we can experience the peace of God.