Learn to Discern: How to Determine What Is True

Learn to Discern: How to Determine What Is True

We are in a war – a war of ideas, a war of beliefs, a war of perspectives, a war of values, a war of cultures; we are in a war for your mind. Do you recognize it? Do you feel your mind being assaulted by warring factions?

And most of these groups are not interested in your individuality, your ability to think and reason – they don’t want to teach you how to discern, to figure out what is actually true. No! Most of the factions warring for your mind are seeking to indoctrinate you, to propagandize you, to program you to their views, methods, and beliefs.

But God has given you individuality – your own capacity to think, reason, and choose – your own mind. And it is God’s design that you exercise your abilities to think and to develop the ability to discern by putting your God-given reasoning powers to use. This is why the Bible teaches that every person must be fully persuaded in their own mind (Romans 14:5) and that the mature are those who, by practice, have developed the ability to discern the right from the wrong (Hebrews 5:14).

At Come and Reason Ministries, we aren’t here to tell you what to think or believe. No! We are here to help you exercise your God-given abilities to think and reason for yourself and become a person who possesses the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16) – a person who can differentiate truth from lies efficiently.

Below are a few tools that you can use and actions you can implement to help grow your ability to differentiate fact from fiction, right from wrong, and truth from error.

 

Establish a Reliable Standard

If you have no standard by which to test against, you will not be able to determine truth from lies. Secret Service agents who are trained to identify counterfeit currency are not trained to know every conceivable counterfeit; they are trained to know the genuine currency and compare all others against it. Any bill deviant from the genuine is recognized as counterfeit. But if one doesn’t know the standard, one is left uncertain when a counterfeit mimics the genuine too closely.

God’s standard is His law, which is Design Law – the never-changing constants upon which the Creator built reality to operate. This law includes the physical laws of the universe, such as the laws of gravity, physics, and health, but it also includes the laws of love, liberty, worship, and many more.

Most children don’t have the ability to understand the design principles for life, such as the second law of thermodynamics – the law of entropy that states if you don’t put energy into a system, it decays. This is why they need a rule given to them to brush their teeth until they mature enough to embrace the law into their heart and freely brush their teeth because they want to be healthy – and health requires that we live in harmony with the laws of health, which are part of God’s design laws.

Most spiritual children don’t understand God’s design laws, so our loving heavenly Father gave us a list of rules – the Ten Commandments – to help us in our immaturity. Unfortunately, some people don’t realize that this list is merely a distillation of God’s design law of love. That is why Jesus said that all law is contained in two commands: love God and love your neighbor (Matthew 22:37–39). Love is one of God’s design laws for life; it is the principle of giving, of other-centeredness.

If we really want to be able to differentiate truth from lies, we must first understand God’s standard, which is the law of love, perfectly revealed and lived out in the life of Jesus.

If we substitute God’s living law of love for a list of rules; if we teach that sin is rule-breaking rather than breaking God’s design law for life; if we teach that sin is a legal problem requiring punishment rather than sin is the terminal condition of being out of harmony with God’s design law for life – then we accept a false standard that warps our ability to discern truth from error.

If we accept the lie that God’s law works like human law – imposed rules requiring imposed punishment – then when we see people using coercion and force to inflict pain and suffering on others, we may be deceived into believing that such behavior is okay as long as the cause is a just cause, such as opposing racism.

But when we understand design law, we understand that we cannot win God’s cause using the methods of His enemy. We cannot eradicate hate with hate, evil with evil, violence with violence, fear with fear, darkness with darkness, lies with more lies. No! We can eradicate lies only with truth, fear only with love, darkness only with light, evil only with real righteousness, hate only with forgiveness.

But to discern God’s ways from the ways of the world, which at times seem so right, requires that we know God’s design law, His character, and His methods. God is the standard, and God revealed Himself perfectly in Jesus. Thus, Jesus is the standard of righteousness, the standard of living for which we must strive.

The first principle in learning to discern is to study God’s design laws, how they function, how they apply to life, and most important, understand how they were all lived out in the life of Jesus. Then, with God’s design law as the standard, you can begin to compare ideas, actions, and movements to determine whether something is a genuine movement of God, which is being led and empowered by the Spirit of God, or is nothing more than an enticing counterfeit.

 

Look Past Words to Actions

Satan is the father of lies, and his war is a war over ideas, concepts, and beliefs; thus, it is important to differentiate lies from the truth. But sometimes the truth is not what we want to hear; sometimes the truth causes discomfort; sometimes the lie is more appealing than the truth; and therefore, sometimes people cling to winsome words, enticing claims, promising proclamations, deceptive declarations rather than looking past the lie to see the truth revealed in the actions. Many people fail to realize that actions often reveal the truth of a matter despite the words being proclaimed or how things are stated.

A con man will give words proclaiming his trustworthiness, his interest in helping you, yet his actions of stealing from you reveal the truth.

A man who beats his wife while telling her he only does it because he loves her reveals that his declarations of love are a lie. But sadly, far too many battered women have refused to see past the words and accept the truth the abuser’s conduct reveals and thus stay in toxic relationships.

In the world today, many people are being deceived because they focus merely upon the words of a person. The promises proclaimed stir up powerful feelings that resonate with the heart’s desire and people are deceived into believing the words and joining the cause; they don’t examine the methods, principles, actions, and deeds and compare those with either the facts of the situation or God’s design laws to determine what is actually true.

Are the actions taken promoting liberty or restricting liberty? The law of liberty is one of God’s design laws, and righteousness seeks to promote the autonomy and liberty of others. Only in freedom does love grow; only in freedom do individuals develop and maximize their abilities; only in freedom is genuine health of the soul experienced.

The second principle in learning to discern is to examine what is happening beyond the words being proclaimed. Are people being given the freedom to express themselves, or are movements afoot that seek to silence dissenting voices, that seek to shut down outlets that present a differing view, that seek to cancel speakers or events that don’t conform to their ideas, that seek to get people fired from their jobs for sharing their views – even when those views are shared maturely and without malice or derogatory remarks?

 

Rely on Truth, Not Emotions

Many are deceived because their emotions react strongly to an event, a circumstance, a speaker, a movement, or an idea. They feel passionately and act as those emotions direct. Such a method is almost always destructive.

Moreover, the method of acting on powerful feelings is heightened in group settings, where emotions are reinforced by others who feel the same anger, resentment, or sense of their righteousness. Strong emotions impair sound thinking. When we are overly emotional, the thinking regions of the brain are derailed and our ability to differentiate right from wrong is impaired. Such strong emotions are at the root of much domestic violence – and it is also what drives mobs.

This is the big difference between a violent mob and a peaceful protest. The peaceful protester is governed by reason; they have a logical, evidence-based complaint; they want to persuade, to convince, to change by rational discourse the current culture, beliefs, ideas, or methods. The great Reformer Martin Luther used this method when he hung his 95 Theses on the church door. And centuries later, his namesake, Martin Luther King Jr., used this same method in his persuasive books and speeches.

This stands in sharp contrast to violent mobs, who are not governed by reason and whose higher cortexes are not in control of their actions. Even if they have a righteous cause, having given up reason they become a mob – as the Bible describes, like brute beasts driven by their passion – and they end up doing harm to others and sowing more seeds of discord.

The third principle in learning to discern is that when outrageous events occur and you feel strong emotions, even righteously, don’t let the emotions dethrone your reason. Be passionate, yes, but also be thoughtful; prayerfully ask God how you can seek to do justice, to change hearts and minds, using only His methods of love, truth and freedom. And I can promise you that, if you are led by the Holy Spirit – the Spirit of truth and love – your actions will always be reasonable, always be truth-based, always be expressions of love for others. Love will confront lies, hate, violence, and evil, but love never uses lies, hate, violence, and evil. Understanding God’s design laws, one can differentiate movements led by God and counterfeits led by the enemy.

So think for yourself! Study and internalize into your being God’s design laws for life; exercise your God-given abilities and reason to compare the various ideas, beliefs, movements, and causes with God’s standard and come to your own conclusion. For we are at war, and I want you to be victorious in your own mind and heart – but victory is only experienced by internalizing and wielding the weapons of God: truth, love, and freedom.


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Testimony 39

[This ministry is the] biggest blessing I have ever received! Your DVDs and lessons could not have come at a better time in my life. I have experienced in the past year many difficulties that, if it wasn’t for this wonderful view of God that I have discovered through this ministry, I would not have been able to respond in love and forgiveness. My heart is being transformed everyday by the Calvary-looking God you teach. Hallelujah!! I have tears in my eyes as I write, because my life has taken a complete turn from where I was heading.

I am from Central America. Most of my family is scattered in different parts of the world and all have the same view of God that I had growing up; a distant, exacting, and ready-to-punish-us-with-tragedy type of God. So, I have been translating lessons for my family and, to my surprise, they have also been sharing them with others! I can already see the difference. My brother has often said, “Thank you for sharing, I have never heard it this way!” My other family members are taking an amazing turn from a message of “repent or burn” towards a loving God, pleading to us that we won’t reject him because he loves us eternally.

Bless you for all you do.

Sofia S., Ashfield, MA, USA

 

Testimony 35

I am so pleased with the response your message is receiving at my church from the middle-aged to the young adults. I have given out 100 copies of the first two seminars and there are more request every week. One of my [class members] came to me after viewing the series, grateful and impressed with how easy the message was retained. He had been a Seventh-day Adventist in fear all his life, and felt like the scales were removed from his eyes after viewing the seminars. I am so impressed by the change I see in members who have received this message, we are in one accord. However, I am sadden by the negative response of the older people. I am verbally attacked anytime I talk about imposed laws, but I believe my mission is to enlightened everyone I can. I watch your Bible Study Class on YouTube every Friday night and I feel like I am apart of the class. All of you are in one accord and I am so blessed to have found you. I pray that all of you continue to spread this message and I am committed to doing my part.

Clara S., Westfield, MA, USA

 

Testimony 21

I am absolutly on fire with the message at Come and Reason! I can’t get enough! I’ve read your book, blog, and articles. I’ve listened to your Bible study podcasts, your radio show, and your series – all excellent! It wasn’t until the past couple of years that I have I like I’m becoming “healthy,” with more to share with others than just beasts and commandments! I used to be a Bible worker and preached when the pastors were gone until I had had enough. I didnt realize at the time what the problem was, but i know now… the message wasn’t properly focused. Now my flame is rekindled. All of your little examples are so perfect in explaining something “complicated” and making it easily understood! Now I’m trying to shape it into a life changing evangelistic series! Thank you!

M.T., USA

 

Testimony 68

Your message of design law vs imperial law is so uplifting and makes so much sense- it is a game changer for me. The fact that Jesus’s death is not a big payment by an angry God is , quite frankly, a relief.

Laura G., London, Ontario, Canada

 

Testimony 62

I would like to express my thanks to the C&R team for creating a platform from which people can learn to trust in God and grow. My life is a witness to the effectiveness of this ministry. Without believing the truth about God as you have shown, I don’t know what my life would be like. I had given up on God helping me with certain sins – it was all useless. Given that the scripture is clear and God is so good, how could I have betrayed him so many times? I was a yo-yo christian; spinning up and down. My faith and enthusiasm was driven by discoveries/threats that prophecy is about to be fulfilled. But when I watched your “Healing the Mind” seminar, it was like a light finally went on. I could see God had no plan to hurt me, the danger came from sin, and that He is working to protect me and strengthen me. Thank you for allowing God to use you. The message God gave C&R saved my life!

Antony N. – Hobart, Australia

 

Testimony 9

I really enjoy with you the view of a gracious God. Thank you for sharing the work you are allowing the Lord to do in you.

L., Queensland, Australia

 

Testimony 49

I came into the church at 21, but that is as far as it went. I was so confused about what love is. I couldn’t find it in the bible, because I am not a person that can read between the lines. I have no logic. I have read many, many books; trying to figure out the crux of the matter. They were helpful, but something was still missing. I have become very frustrated to the point of crying out to God, “Where can I go?”  I needed some basics.

I found two books, written by Timothy Jennings, MD, to be very helpful. God showed me that I had lived my whole life in fear. I didn’t even see it. Now, I do. God is so good.  I discovered the “The Remedy”  Dr. Jennings new book, “The God-Shaped Heart!” Oh, I was so excited, I purchased them right away.

I can get rid of most of my books, because “The Remedy” brings the Love of God out so clearly, even I can’t miss it. Now, I want to sit and read my Bible. Wow, what a revelation! It is just simply Awesome! I am so grateful to Jehovah Almighty for hearing my prayer for more understanding! I am so encouraged!

Jackie S.

 

Testimony 66

I am incredibly grateful for the transformative impact you’ve had on my life, and words cannot fully express my appreciation. Over the years, I have been an avid listener and follower of C&R and extend my heartfelt thanks for creating the C&R mobile app. It has allowed me to immerse myself in your lessons repeatedly, enabling me to grasp the profound significance about the Character of God, Design Law, the protocols for life, the reasons behind the current chaos, and Christ’s mission to restore everything. They have deeply touched me. Having studied with various churches, I came away with the perception that God is no different from the deities of ancient Greek or Roman mythology—demanding sacrifices and taking pleasure in bloodshed. Thanks to your transformative teachings, I have experienced a profound awakening to the true nature of God and the immense power of His love. It is truly a remarkable and liberating sensation to finally grasp the truth and embrace the empowering nature of God’s laws. My self-perception has become brighter and more infused with love. My journey of growth continues on a daily basis.

Chris P., Lake Mary, FL, USA

 

Testimony 61

I grew up in a prominent protestant church and had what I like to call religious anxiety. I’ve always had questions about God and Salvation that no one could seem to answer.  I didn’t know how to find resolution. During 2020, at the height of my anxiety, I fell to my knees and begged God to show me truth and light and to give me the hope that I’ve been longing for. Days later, I stumbled upon your online videos and it was like a veil was lifted and EVERYTHING made sense! For the first time in my almost 39 years of life, my religious/spiritual anxiety has lessened. I feel a sense of freedom and peace I’ve NEVER had before… and it’s all because my view of God has changed. Thank you!

Ashleighn C.

 

Testimony 2

I continue to enjoy your lessons every week. The more that I research your conclusions, the more I am convinced that the Holy Spirit has lead you to distill out the essence of human redemption. Thank you for your courageous stand for the truth.

S. G., TX, USA

 

Testimony 28

I have been following your Bible study class for about a year now. I must say I am impressed with how your ministry has grown. I took it upon myself to listen to all your lesson podcasts from the past and they have both enriched me physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. I have learnt a lot from this class. I have also noticed how the class has grown in spiritual strength. One of the things that benefited me is that now I am not afraid of God. I use to be, but now it has melted away. The second thing is that you helped me to have a real life relationship with God. Now He is my friend that was always there and I love having him with me all the time. Thirdly, because of this class, it inspired me to take over and lead a class. I have called it “Let Us Reason Together,” adapting your inquisitive style and creating a class of free thinkers.

T. Banda, Malawi, Africa

 

Testimony 51

I Love This Ministry!!!!!!! I see first hand how this message is desperately needed, how erroneous beliefs about God and His Character negatively affect humanity at every level. I thank God for your ministry, as I was searching on my own and was discovering some of your same beliefs and was blown away when I found your ministry. I know you hear it all the time, but it is truly life changing. May God continue to reveal His Will to you and Bless you!

Eric S., Sanford, FL, USA

 

Testimony 30

God lead me to your book “The God-Shaped Brain” while I was searching for another book about the brain and then to your interview about your book on HeartWise Ministries [where] I found out about [Come And Reason Ministries]. I’m now devouring the webcasts of your Bible studies. I have been so greatly blessed and I thank God so much for your courage to speak the Truth in love no matter what. Listening to you contrast the two opposing systems (laws) and digging deep to unearth the hidden treasures in the Bible makes me so incredibly happy and I feel very blessed to be part of your Bible Study Group although I live far away. I am just so excited that there is a group of people that is spreading the Truth about the character of God and it saddens me how few realize what our Father in Heaven is really like.

Kessy B., Australia

 

Testimony 43

Two years ago I stumbled upon your book, “Could It Be This Simple,” and then found “The God-Shaped Brain” videos on YouTube, your bible study class, and the ‘Come And Reason’ mobile app. I shared your book with a friend and after nine months of showing love, patience, and kindness this person has been changed by the love of God, too. The same love that healed me, I now express to other women in tangible ways, such as to a Baptist woman with high anxiety and childhood trauma. She was extremely happy and relieved when I shared about the so-called “judgment of God” and burning in hell. She had no desire to serve a God that was so harsh. I have repeated the phrase dozens of times to her. “What we believe has power over us, but we have power over what we believe…”

This message that you are sharing has changed my life. I will continue to serve other women and bring this message of God’s healing love to their lives by sharing your books, YouTube videos, and The Remedy Bible app. Keep up the good work. Don’t be discouraged. God is doing a mighty work in and through this ministry!

Jill L., Midwest, USA

 

Testimony 60

Just watched watched lesson 10 in the 1st quarter 2021 bible study classs on Isaiah. I want to thank you for your intellectual spirituality; it’s not an oxymoron! From the point of view of a teacher I also enjoy seeing how much personal pleasure you clearly take in not just tasting, but feasting on God’s word – it reminds me of Jeremiah not being able to hold it in! It makes me smile that your cup is so full and overflowing that you make it to Tuesday’s lesson (on a good day). It just goes to show the richness of God’s Word.

God bless the Come and Reason Team from our church here in Great Britain.

Andrew H., Great Britain