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Dear Beachside Family and Friends,
One of the most popular television shows in the 1960s was "Dragnet". Set in Los Angeles, Sergeant Joe Friday and his partner, officer Bill Gannon, worked the community, both enforcing the law and encouraging citizens to live better lives. When interviewing witnesses to a crime, Sergeant Friday often used the phrase he made famous "just the facts ma'm, just the facts". He recognized that the pursuit of truth could only be based upon facts.
The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines "fact" as "something that has actual existence." A fact is something that has observable reality, such as "the sun is shining", or "it's raining". Both of these facts are not disputed because they can be easily verified. Even though facts should be verifiable, we live in a time where facts are no longer established by evidence, but upon the feelings of the observer. If someone thinks and feels that something must be factual, then their thoughts and feelings alone establish facts.
Proverbs 23:7 tells us "For as he thinks in his heart, so is he." Whatever men think about and talk about becomes established fact to them. It does not matter whether or not there is evidence to support what they think and feel, it must be fact because they think it is. When what people think is fact is not supported by evidence, it becomes impossible to arrive at the truth. In today's society, Sergeant Friday would be hard-pressed to solve any crime he was working on, because "just the facts" are not "just the facts": they are manipulated and driven by thoughts and emotions, and are no longer "just", meaning righteous and true.
Paul wrote to Timothy " ...,in the last days there will be very difficult times. For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that!" (2 Tim 3:1-5) To see the facts of Paul's word confirmed, all that is necessary is to turn your television to CNN or other left wing media outlets and listen to what they say.
While facts are in short supply in media reporting, there is a source of reliable fact that has been in existence for thousands of years. Society has changed, but it has not. Purveyors of the news have changed, but it has not. It is the Word of God. it will always be factual and never change because its' Author never changes. He says " For I am the Lord, I change not..." (Malachi 3:6) When the insanity of politicians and media distorts the truth, there is a source of truth, peace, and stability that is an everyday refuge for the believer. It is the BIBLE!
Bible prophecy predicted the mess we are in today, and Bible prophecy establishes that God's plan for the world will yet prevail. The facts in the Word of God establish a truth that is eternal and indisputable. As Benjamin Franklin observed "I have lived, Sir, a long time, and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth- that God Governs in the affairs of men."
Reliable facts can be found in the pages of the Bible, where no "fake news" exists. In fact, there is Good News to be found by all those who read it. 2 Timothy 1:10 reveals "And now he has made all of this plain to us by the appearing of Christ Jesus, our Savior. He broke the power of death and illuminated the way to life and immortality through the Good News. If every politician and media personality discovered the Good News, they would be in possession of the most important fact: “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16) As sergeant Joe Friday could say "Now that's a fact ma'm, that IS a FACT!"
Pastor Ramon
