In Truth Based Thinking I tell the story of John F. Kennedy Jr.’s final flight on July 16, 1999. He and his wife Carolyn and sister-in-law Lauren were headed to Martha’s Vineyard from the Essex County airport in New Jersey.
Although other pilots had cancelled their flight plans that evening due to inclement weather, Kennedy insisted on flying even though he was not instrument qualified. As he flew into the haze hugging the Atlantic ocean, there were no lights to see along the shoreline, there were no stars overhead. Even so, everything seemed fine until he began his descent into the Martha Vineyard airport. As he approached the airport he made two right turns and became disoriented. A review of the radar data indicates that he accelerated to a speed 10 times that of a normal decent and crashed out of control into the ocean killing all aboard.
Authorities would later tell us that the cause of the crash was spatial disorientation. Spatial disorientation happens when a “visual horizon” is lost due to poor weather conditions. Without a point of reference, such as lights along a shoreline or stars in the sky, a pilot becomes disoriented not knowing where he/she is relative to the ground.
As in flying, reference points are critical in LIFE. If we don’t have reference points, our lives can easily go astray.
That’s what truth does. Truth provides a reference point from which we can guide our lives. Without truth we are lost.
But where do you find truth?
There are actually three different kinds of truth. There is:
• Relative truth
• Absolute truth
• Transcendent truth
Some truth is discovered and some truth is revealed. In Truth Based Thinking I spend the time showing you why this is so.
But for our purposes, here at the Academy, we need to zero in on a source of tested truth that we can implement in Weapons Training.
The Science of Probability
The Science of Probability has some interesting things to say about the Bible and prophecies in it concerning a Messiah.
With the help of 600 college students, Peter Stoner, science professor and author of “Science Speaks”, analyzed hundreds of Messianic prophecies in the Old Testament. The students carefully analyzed all the prophecies and considered factors that might indicate men had conspired to fix the prophecies.
Then professor Stoner invited other scientists to submit their own INDEPENDENT studies to determine if his student's calculations were accurate. By the most conservative of estimates they concluded that 456 Messianic prophecies were fulfilled in one man, Jesus of Nazareth.
Then using just 8 of these prophecies, Professor Stoner calculated the probability of just one man fulfilling them. According to the Science of Probability, the chance of one man fulfilling just 8 prophecies is 1 in 10 to the 17th power (1 in 10^17). How big a number is 10^17 power?
If you covered the entire state of Texas to a depth of 2 feet with silver dollars, then dropped in a single marked dollar and mixed them all up, your chance of finding that marked dollar on your first try, wearing a blindfold, would be 1 in 10^17 power.
The 8 prophecies Professor Stoner considered are:
1. Born at Bethlehem (Micah 5:2)
2. Preceded by a messenger (Isaiah 40:3)
3. Entered Jerusalem on a donkey (Zechariah 9:9)
4. Betrayed by a friend (Psalm 41:9)
5. Sold for 30 pieces of silver (Zechariah 11:12)
6. The silver subsequently thrown in God's house and used to
buy the potter's field (Zechariah 11:13)
7. He was silent before his accusers (Isaiah 53:7)
8. His hands and feet were pierced (Psalm 22:16)
The Bible is an amazing book consisting of 66 books and written by 40 authors. It's message concerning the fall of man and God's loving response to rescue him is legitimized through fulfilled prophecy. In trying to decide if we can rely upon the Bible as a source of truth, all we have to do is look to the objective Science of Probability. The odds say it's true.
This being the case, here at the Academy we train our warriors in the TRUTH of the Bible.
The Belt of Truth
The Bible is the Belt of Truth. It PREPARES us for battle. Without a belt, a knight could not carry his scabbard and sword. Without a belt, a knight would have no where to tuck his loin cloth in the time of battle.
How could a knight challenge or defend against an onslaught of illogical thinking if he did not have a reference point from which to evaluate truth?
The Bible gives him that reference point.
The Bible itself gives insight into this truth.
There is a way that seems right to a man, but the end leads to death.
Proverbs 14:12
Also...
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.
Proverbs 3:5
As I discussed in our session, Knights of the Way Academy, the first thing a knight must do in order to bring heaven to earth, that is, bring who he is in heaven (a justified spirit) to who he is on earth (a fallen soul), is to read, study and meditate on the Bible.
Only in this, will they experience the truth of the following scripture:
It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect. He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he enables me to stand on the heights. HE TRAINS MY HANDS FOR BATTLE; my arms can bend a bow of bronze. You give me your shield of victory, and your right hand sustains me; you stoop down to make me great. You broaden the path beneath me, so that my ankles do not turn.
Psalm 18:32-36
So where do you begin? How do you study the Bible?
The Best Way to Study the Bible
The best way the study the Bible is to READ it and to LISTEN to it.
For example, pick a book of the Bible. Let’s say you pick the book of John in the New Testament (a good choice for beginners). Read it from beginning to end. In one sitting if possible. Then listen to it from a recording.
My favorite is Max McLean. You can listen to him for FREE at www.biblegateway.com(.) Just go to the site and pick a version of the Bible that includes audio. Not all of them include the audio. I listen to the King James Version (KJV) of the Bible.
Now, click on audio. Choose Max McLean. Choose the chapter you’d like to listen to. Close your eyes and absorb!
Do this for every chapter in the book.
Decide how much time you are willing to devote to reading and listening to the Bible each day. Map out how many books and chapters you will cover each month.
Take notes and jot down key scripture verses that speak to you. Write them out on memorization cards. Take these cards with you everywhere you go. Meditate on them and get them deep inside your heart.
For those of you who are new to the Bible, go to this Overview of the Bible.
It will help you decide where you’d like to start. I suggest you begin with the New Testament and then go to the Old Testament. The exceptions to this suggestion are the Psalms and Proverbs. I find then exceptional for meditation and personal discovery.
Some of my favorites are: Psalm 1, 15, 23, 27, 51, 55, 86, 91, 119, 121 and 131.
When you are fearful meditate on Psalm 27.
When you have sinned meditate on Psalm 51.
When you feel betrayed meditate on Psalm 55.
When you need confidence meditate Psalm 91.
Without the Truth of the Bible, as knights we would be helpless. We wouldn’t know what was true and what wasn’t.
Make sure as a Knight of the Way you spend countless hours training in Truth. In order to be a successful knight, a fearless knight, you have to make sure that your belt is secure!
All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be throughly equipped for every good work.
2 Timothy 3:16
In our next session I’ll cover the Breastplate of Righteousness.
Synopsis
Piece of Armor: The Belt of Truth (Ephesians 6:14)
Concept: Truth provides a reference point from which to guide your life.
Action needed to put on piece of armor:
1. Create a daily Bible reading plan. Read my article, How To Get the Most Out of the Bible.
2. Listen to the Bible with CD’s or on the internet (biblegateway.com).
3. Study scripture using a Study Bible.