Memorizing:: Isaiah 41:10

Yesterday, Caleb told me that this is his favorite verse. How dear is that?

"Do not fear
for I am with you,
Do not be dismayed
for I am your God.
I will strengthen you
and help you.
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."
Isaiah 41:10

Memorizing:: Philipians 4:4

"rejoice in the Lord always; and again I say rejoice." -Phil. 4:4

{photo credit: our cool babysitter Sarah}

When men hate you

God warns us that when we follow Him, the world will not understand. We will be mocked, scorned, excluded and insulted. But he also promises all good things to those who He calls His own.

Our family is in a season where this is all too real to us, in more ways than one.

What God is teaching me right now:

"Blessed are you when men hate you,
when they exclude you and insult you
and reject your name as evil,
because of the Son of Man."
{Luke 6:22}

Psalm 7

"Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have,
 because God has said,
'Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you."
So we say with confidence,
'The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid.
What can man do to me?'"
{Hebrews 13:5-6}

“But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed but not in despair, persecuted but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed…Therefore we do NOT lose heart.”

{2 Corinthians 4:7-8, 16}

"Cast your cares on the Lord,

He will sustain you.

He will never let the righteous fall."

{Psalm 55:22}

When the rug is pulled out...

yesterday, we got some news that will prove to be a challenge for our family.


the rug got pulled out from under us...

but guess what?

under our rug, we found Our Rock.

steady.

unchanging.

sure.

and full of hope.

 Psalm 62:1-2

"My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from Him.

He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken."

The rug was pulled out from under us.

Yet, we are not shaken.

If you think on us, can you please pray for our family? Thank you, dear ones.

Insecure much?

Um. yeah.

So, who is up for a good read? No. Make that a neccessary read. And a group discussion?You see, I need to read this book and maybe you do too. I am tired of letting fears and insecurities take the wheel in my life. And those pesky put-downs that come from my own head?? Ugh. Don't get me started!! Plus, I could use some accountability to see this thing through to the end. Cause... I know I need to see it through.

So, do you want to join me?

Here's what you do:

1. Get yourself this book (um. preferably -but not neccessary- by Thursday. hey, we are expecting 18 more inches tomorrow, so if I can do it... you can too. wink. wink). Good price at Christianbook.com

2. Go here to sign up on Beth Moore's blog page {optional step, but fun!... and Beth will want to know!}.

3. Go here to read more about the Siesta So Long Insecurity Discussion Group {this post tell you how you can choose to leave comments for Beth on Thursdays if you wish}.

4. Link up here too to participate in studying this book together. Then, on subsequent Thursdays, I will give you further opportunities to link up posts about your thoughts on the book.

Won't you join us??

Compared to what?

"The grass is always greener on the other side..."

We have all heard of the dangers of comparing ourselves to others. Others' stuff. Others' bodies. Others' beauty. Others' homes. Others' lives.

.......We shouldn't compare.

But lately a thought has been in my mind:

It is not comparing that is the danger. It is WHAT or WHO we are comparing ourselves to.

"I don't have enough."
Compared to what?
Compared to a magazine?
Compared to a blog post?

or compared to a mud hut?

"I'm so poor."
Compared to who?
The filthy rich?
The friends who are going on a really nice vacation?

or compared to the 1.1 billion of the world that has no access to clean water.

"I'm not pretty."
Compared to who?
An edited supermodel?
A cut and poked movie-star?

or the reflection in the mirror that God created with His own hands.

"I'm a good person."
Compared to who?
Compared to a murderer?

or compared to Jesus?

I find that it is good to compare.
It keeps reality in check.
It reminds me to get a grip and quit complaining.
It reminds me to give.
It opens my eyes to my blessings.
It causes me to ask God what He wants of me.

"From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked."-Luke 12:48

Memorizing :: John 16:33

"I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace.

In this world you will have troubles,

but take heart, I have overcome the world."

{photo note: photos taken by mio, before and after a storm in Montepulciano, Italy}

Siesta Scripture Memory Team: June 15, 2009

We have been playing hard here lately, how about you?

I love summer.

play.

rest.

get away.

re-prioritize.

Here is my scripture memory verse for June 15th. Maybe you need to read this one too. I know I did:

"Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed." -Mark 1:35

Siesta Scripture Memory Team: June 1, 2009

"Come near to God and He will come near to you.
Wash your hands, you sinners,
and purify your hearts, you double-minded."
-James 4:8
NIV

Worth Walking Toward.

Siesta Scripture Memory Team: April 1, 2009 {verses 5-6} and April 15, 2009 {7-8}

This big ol' scripture is going to be a challenge to memorize over the course of this month ... But I need these words!

They speak a truth too necessary.

Talk about a timely, relevant, and treasured verse, friends. Each word is a treasure to me. Don't miss the relevant words in the very last verse:

Jeremiah 17:5-8 (New American Standard Bible)

5"Thus says the LORD,

Cursed is the man who trusts in mankind

And makes flesh his strength,

And whose heart turns away from the LORD.

6"For he will be like a bush in the desert

And will not see when prosperity comes,

But will live in stony wastes in the wilderness,

A land of salt without inhabitant.

7"Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD

And whose trust is the LORD.

8"For he will be like a tree planted by the water,

That extends its roots by a stream

And will not fear when the heat comes;

But its leaves will be green,

And it will not be anxious in a year of drought

Nor cease to yield fruit. "

Trust in.

hmmmm.

Do you trust in Government? think about it. do you? what are you expecting them to fix?

Do you trust in being educated?? do you? what are you expecting to achieve? become? prevent? attain in the eyes of man?

Do you trust in money? do you follow all the sound advice? do you make sure your ducks are in all the right rows? can you give it away? can you "live" without it?

Do you trust in your church? do you? what are you expecting the church to repair? to do? achieve? sustain?

Your husband? do you? what are you expecting your husband to fulfill? to make all better?

Your pastor? do you? what can he explain or save you from?

Your parents? do you? what can they protect you from? what can they provide?

Your children? do you? what can they become that will bring you satisfaction and peace?

...Yourself? do you control? hold on tightly? or carefully hold back?

do you hold onto that one worrisome thing? do you suffer anxiety over it? ...because you are afraid that if you don't hold onto it tightly, it will crash to the ground???

all the while wondering: if I don't take care of it, who will????

Oh, hear me sweet friends. I have tried (um. still do.) all of those things!! And I still need daily bread {or whoopin's, :)} from God to remind me not to trust in my hubby, my church, ... myself.

OH, how I need these words of truth, Lord;

I have put my trust in those things that will not yield lasting fruit.

that will not save.

that will not fulfill.

that will, eventually, let me down.

Today, the Lord again whispers to my heart:

Trust in the Only Thing Worth Walking Toward...

His Name is Jesus.

Siesta Scripture Memory Team: March 15, 2009

Plant His very thoughts in your mind. Grow His very Word in your soul.

Scripture Memory is such a blessing, as God equips you to do His work. With God's help, may God and His Truth's alone be the air that I breathe...the water I drink!

Join in at the Living Proof Ministries Blog.

March 15, 2009 Verse:

"For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength." - 1 Corinthians 2:5

If it were not so....Siesta Scripture Memory Team: March 1, 2009

Maybe it is because I was born and raised as an atheist.

Maybe it is because, if I am honest, there are days when it seems too good to be true.

Maybe it is because I struggle with fear.

Maybe it is because God has been bringing this Trust Issue up to me, over and over: Do you Trust me, sweet child??

Maybe it is because I desperately need His Word to restructure my fearful thoughts, so that I can think thoughts of Truth.

Maybe it is because I have spent too much time in the hospital with sick, precious children this month.

Maybe it is because, at the end of the day, these verses deliver more Hope than we can comprehend.

Maybe that is why I need this Word from God so desperately....

"Do not let your hearts be troubled.

Trust in God; trust also in me.

In my Father's house are many rooms;

if it were not so, I would not have told you.

I am going there to prepare a place for you."

- John 14:1-2

Do we have to Do anything to be saved?

Siesta Scripture Memory: February 15, 2009

Here is my Memory Verse for mid February:

"Then they asked him, 'What must we do to do the works God requires?' Jesus answered, 'The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.'"-John 6:28-29


I know, to some, it is nothing short of blasphemy to suggest that God requires any works from us in order to 'obtain' salvation, and I am not suggesting otherwise...not really????... However, I struggle, as many theologically minded individuals might, with the balance in this question:
'What do WE need to DO to accept God's gift of salvation?'

Man has not the words, nor the understanding, to fully grasp the answer, or offer explanation, to this question. And I am not attempting to do that with this post, certainly not with any comprehensive presentation of thought.

But here is where I grapple, and here is what I have been pondering with my Lord:

When someone hands you a gift, and you have DONE nothing to earn it... you still must reach your hand out and DO something... you must accept it (a verb); You must actually take (a verb) the gift in order to have it.

In the case of our salvation, scripture makes it very clear that it is God ALONE who enables us to reach out and take His gift of eternal life. And He makes it clear that we cannot EARN this gift. Oh, how amazing is the grace.

I balance my memory verse, and these thoughts, with this ever wonderful scripture:
"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." -Eph. 2:8-9 [emphasis mine]

I must be honest: I struggle with schools of thought that encourage you to "cross a line of faith," or "say a prayer consisting of this, this, and this... but you can say it however you would like," or anyone that points us to "this is the way you do it," or even the "all you need to do is this..." Scripture has more often pointed me to something Bigger, not these Works,... and they are works.

"This is the way you get saved." Oh, no. no. no. HE is the only Way. And He cannot be contained. Our Jesus is much bigger than any formula that we formula-minded humans can conjure.

But, as I am currently pouring over the scriptures on this subject, and the recurrent theme that Christ never backs down from is this "To-Do" list:

"Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned." -Mark 16:16

"That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved." -Rom. 10:8-10

"Jesus said to her, 'I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?'" -John 11:25-26

Believe.
Do you believe?
He asks it of us.

And He himself tells us we must DO this in order to be saved.

not my words.
His.

and not a formula. but, a Trust. a Belief. a Love.

So, back to my memory verse:"Then they asked him, "What must we do to do the works God requires?" Jesus answered, "The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.'" -Jn. 6:28-9 [emphasis mine]

Christ, himself, calls "believing in Him" a "work." hmmmm. interesting. huge. beautiful.
His Ways are not our ways.....

Search your own Bible for more. Bring Him your deepest of questions. He has been answering mine....

Siesta Scripture Memory Team: February 1, 2009

I am a little late on posting my Scripture memory for the first of the month (I can't imagine why!!). I would encourage you to check out the LPM blog for information on Siesta Scripture Memory, and to join in!

I selected this verse because I feel like we are all, globally, being bombarded with messages filled with fear. This causes me to struggle deeply with anxiety, and a lack of trust and rest. Sometimes, as a Christian, I can be so hard on myself when I worry or have fear. I know that we are not supposed to worry. Truth be told, I have actually begged God to bring me peace when I am being persecuted with fear.

His Word is the only place that brings me peace at those/these times. And with a sick little boy, I have a new heap of fears that I am now attempting to surrender to the Lord. May He work mightily in my mind, renewing and cleansing it with His Truth!

Scripture Memory Verse, Feb. 1, 2009:

"Great peace have they who love your law, and nothing can make them stumble." -Psalm 119:165

P.S. Be sure to see an update on Caleb below. We are HOME!!

Siesta Scripture Memory Team: January 15, 2009

If you are not doing so already, come and join us over at the Living Proof Ministries blog for Siesta Scripture Memory! By the end of 2009, we will have memorized 24 God-handpicked verses that we so desperately NEED!

Here is my Second Verse for the month of January:

"But I trust in your unfailing love;
my heart rejoices
in your salvation.
I will sing to the Lord,
for he has been good to me."
-Psalm 13:5-6

Scripture Memory Begins

I have decided not to participate in an online Bible Study this semester because of some obstacles our family is facing at the beginning of 2009. HOWEVER, God is providing another wonderful way for me to grow closer to Him while blogging. And that is with Scripture Memory Accountability, "1st & 15 Siesta Scripture Memory Team," over at Beth Moore & Daughters' blog: The LPM Blog.

( And bloggettes, If I am not growing closer to God while blogging, WHY on Earth would I want to, or should I blog at all????? hmmmmmm. Something to ponder in blogland...)

Soooo, I encourage you to join in! Here is the info:

1. Details on "the 1st and 15 Siesta Scripture Memory Team" and How to sign up: Click Here.

2. More details and FAQ's: Click Here.

3. Post your chosen Scripture Here.

On The LPM Blog, you will also find tips on memorizing scripture.

On the 1st and 15th of each month, you post a scripture, chosen by you - (well, God, actually, for you... you know what I mean!!), and begin to memorize it. By the end of 2009, you will be armed with 24 life altering verses!!! How COOL is that??!! Go check it out, friends!

So, without further ado... and a bit late, here is

My Scripture verse for January 1st, 2009:

"Cast your cares on the Lord

and he will sustain you;

he will never let the righteous fall."

-Psalm 55:22

P.S. I would love to know which verses God is weaving into your heart and mind right now!!

P.P.S. If structured scripture memory is not for you right now, I highly encourage you to check out the "Yes to God" Online Study here at Write from the Heart.

We cannot underestimate Truth.

Whew. I have had a whirlwind of a week, and I am just now sitting down to post about our final chapter....

Thank you, thank you, thank you to Lelia and Lisa for guiding us through this study.

If you have never done an online bible study before, you really must! I cannot tell you enough about how wonderful it was to do a study in this format. Because I had to recap each chapter, in an intelligable way, through a post, God's messages to me were driven home in a clear and fresh new way. He spoke so clearly to me as I pondered what God's Word was trying to teach each week. It was wonderful to post about the concrete ways in which He was transforming my heart, and even more wonderful to share that journey with fellow sojourners who I have never even met! I just loved doing this study. Click here to find out more about the next "Yes to God" bible study. Won't you join us??

And now,

I just don't know where to begin telling you about the last chapter of "Behind Those Eyes," Chapter ten - The Truth Heals. Lisa summed up the heart of her book sooooo beautifully. I just don't feel compelled to give you the Cliff's Notes. So, instead, I will encourage you to read this book. It has blessed my life.

If you struggle with being real, honest, authentic, I encourage you to read this book.

If you struggle with saying no when you should have, or standing up for yourself when appropriate, I encourage you to read this book.

If you think that the truth only burns and hurts, I encourage you to read this book.

If you are trying to do it all, and be perfect, I encourage you to read this book.

If you struggle with accepting yourself just as God made you, I encourage you to read this book.

If you struggle with trying to be Ms. Perfection, Ms. Confidence, Ms. Happiness, Ms. Spirituality, be set free! These ladies are fakers. And, I think these pesky ladies deserve to be called-out on their bluffs again:

"Ms. Perfection is a lie.We can never be her.... and trying to be
her is robbing us of the beauty of resting in He who is perfect.

Ms. Confidence is a lie.We can never sustain our own
well-being, world, family, career, etc. etc.... and trying to be her robs us of depth in our friendships, and a rooted dependence on God alone.

Ms. Happiness is a lie.We can never be her - not for long
anyway... and we were never meant to. Trying to be her keeps us buried in an unattainable goal, and keeps our eyes off of eternity.

Ms. Spirituality is a lie.We can never be a perfect
Christian... but only by dying to self, and to our pride, and to thinking that we have the magic formula of doing things 'just-right', can we accept that it is only by Christ, through grace, that makes us worthy at all."

But, yes. And the biggest meat is in the last chapter.

The Truth Heals.

The Way, the Truth, the Life. It is He who enables us to be Real. It is He who frees us from big, fat Lies. It is He who knows truth, shows truth, is Truth - and He longs to share it with us. He longs for us to reflect His truth, by being honest and authentic with others. He longs for us to accept that He made us this way... to be who we ACTUALLY are.... for a reason. His reason.

Authentic.

Everyone eventually figures out the fake.

Why not live in Truth?

Embrace your flawed self

If you are here visiting from the "Yes to God" bible study, or if you haven't done so yet, I would love it if you could stop by HERE to say 'Hi' to my 100th post.

This is the eighth week of the online bible study, Yes to God; studying the book "Behind Those Eyes," by Lisa Whittle. If you are not yet doing the study, and want to join in, click here. Even so, if you have ever spent even a moment hiding your flaws...read on:

I will not forget the bumper sticker I saw that read,

"Christians: not perfect, just forgiven."

Yes, we live in a world where Christian's are expected to be perfect. Aaargh, the pressure. People even will say, 'I don't go to church because it is full of hypocrites.' (Ok, I could write an entire ranting post on this one, but get real, who have you met who ISN'T a hypocrite. And if you say yourself.... look up the word in the dictionary, and pull out pictures from your college days....)

We live in a world where everyone strives to BE perfect. AAAH, the PRESSURE! It is not a possible task.

We live in a world where those who are NOT perfect (um. everyone.) are gossiped about, ostricized, alienated, hung out to be 'crucified,' for falling short....

(BTW: We live in a world where He who was perfect was hung out to be crucified.)

OK. So, do you get the point?? We are NOT perfect, right? But yet, we somehow feel all this pressure that we are EXPECTED to be perfect. We actually have to live in this world that I was just talking about.

Well, diffuse the pressure! It is time to embrace your flawed self!

Why? Because:

1. It is only by understanding how flawed we are that we can truly begin to grasp the AMAZING love offered by God's free gift of grace and forgiveness.

This is the truly the heart of what Lisa's Chapter Nine was about: Early in this chapter, Lisa states, "...as people and as followers of Christ, [we] are completely flawed and yet forgiven completely." (It reminds me of that bumper sticker)...If you need help understanding how we can be so flawed, and yet so forgiven... if you need help believing this in your marrow, you will be so blessed by this chapter. Better yet, read the New Testament. Especially the parts about forgiveness..

2. Sharing your flaws, and how God has redeemed you in spite of them, points to the Glory of God and brings freedom to the captive in your soul.

I am thinking of a friend of mine. She is an alcoholic. She is sober. But she is not free. You see, she refuses to share her story. She tries to pretend that she never suffered. She tries to pretend that her past is buried. She tries to hide that she ever made a bad choice or a mistake or has a heart filled with shame. She is trying to bury it... not heal it.

But OH, God CAN heal it. He can redeem it. And, in the process, He can use her story to bring comfort, healing, peace, and hope to others!!! I still pray that she will cooperate with Him...

I have first hand knowledge of this redemption myself. The more that I share how flawed I truly am, the more I can rejoice in my own salvation! AND, I can witness God using my hurts to help a brother or sister in pain. The pain is worth it...

But I would not be able to say that if I were not willing to get REAL, share my flaws, share my mistakes, admit my sins - these are VERY unpretty sins I am talking about- and then point to the very Christ who has made me perfect in HIS sight. ("As far as the east is from the west..." -Psalm 103:12; thanks for the reminder, Lisa!).

So open up, friends. Share what He has done in your life. Tell your story. Cry with a brother or sister in pain. Let others know that you are also unperfect, just like the rest of us. Encourage with your Real-ness. Point to His redemptive abilities. Show off your wounds, and your scars, and then let someone know Who healed you.

Embrace your flawed self.

Jesus Christ has.

How deep the Father's Love for me...

This is the seventh week of the online bible study, Yes to God; studying the book "Behind Those Eyes," by Lisa Whittle. If you are not yet doing the study, and want to join in, click here. Even so, if you have ever spent even a moment doubting God's love for you... read on....

About chapter eight...

I do not feel as though I have much to offer. I don't have much to give or to share. No wisdom to offer. And it is NOT because I did not like it. On the contrary. I loved it. And I needed to hear every last word.

It is just that I am still knee-deep in "the classroom" on the topic of being Completely Loved by God, and being Accepted Completely. God is working on me, and He has been working on me. God continues to try to press His message of Love deeper and deeper into my marrow... and often it just stays stuck in my head. The many reasons why I don't seem to "get it" are complex and full of personal history. And I suspect that I am not the only one who feels this way.

I guess the best way I can explain it is this: I know of His Love. I believe that it is so. I choose to trust in Him, and I know that every word He says is true. That is enough, because I know that feelings come and go. But truth be told (we are still doing that whole truth thing - right??), in the pit of my heart, it is just rare that I actually do FEEL His love, to my marrow.

But do not fear, friends. He is working on me. He IS showing me. We have been working on this one together for a long time. In fact, it was about a year ago now that God commanded me to pay very specific attention to ANYTHING in His Word about His Love for me. And that I was to dwell on those Words. Chew on them. Let them seep into my bones. And His Words are, as promised, living healing water for my soul.

And here He is, using Lisa, and pointing me to His Love again. And I am listening. And I am learning. And I am trusting. And, by His enabling grace, I choose to love and follow Him, every day...

One additional note: Lisa referenced Roger S. McGee's book Search for Significance. If you have ever struggled with worthiness, or feeling unloved, (um. who hasn't?), this book/workbook will bless you. It was life changing for me. And truth be told, I should probably read it once a year! The following near-famous quote is taken from that book:

"MY IDENTITY IN CHRIST

Because of Christ's redemption
I am a new creation of infinite worth
I am deeply loved,
I am completely forgiven,
I am fully pleasing.
I am totally accepted by God
I am absolutely complete in Christ.
When my performance
reflects my new identity in Christ,
that reflection is dynamically unique.
There has never been another person like me
in the history of mankind
nor will there ever be.
God has made me an original
one of a kind, really somebody"

By Robert S. McGee in the book titled Search for Significance

Behind Those Lies

***If you are stopping over from our study group, thank you for visiting! I did finally get around to doing last week's post, yesterday. You can find it here, or below. I was a bit busy... with my baby's first birthday party! I must humbly say: He is stinking adorable, is he not???

Ok, ok. on to getting real....

As I continue to dive into our study, "Behind Those Eyes" by Lisa Whittle, I see a theme arising for me, as God uses Lisa's book to drive some points home:

Lies vs. The Truth

Chapters 6 and 7 were further reminders of this theme, and further reminders of some truths I am trying to learn in my marrow and my heart... not just my head!!

For example:

Ms. Perfection is a lie.

We can never be her.... and trying to be her is robbing us of the beauty of resting in He who is perfect.

Ms. Confidence is a lie.

We can never sustain our own well-being, world, family, career, etc. etc.... and trying to be her robs us of depth in our friendships, and a rooted dependence on God alone.

Ms. Happiness is a lie.

We can never be her - not for long anyway... and we were never meant to. Trying to be her keeps us buried in an unattainable goal, and keeps our eyes off of eternity.

Ms. Spirituality is a lie.

We can never be a perfect Christian... but only by dying to self, and to our pride, and to thinking that we have the magic formula of doing things 'just-right', can we accept that it is only by Christ, through grace, that makes us worthy at all.

In Chapter Six and Seven, "Cosmetics for the Soul" and "The Feelings we Conceal", Lisa dives into the lies.

Not just the lies we believe about ourselves,

but also the lies we present to others to 'keep from being found out.'

We lie by hiding our true feelings.

We lie by buying into an image of "Mrs.-who-we-are-supposed-to-be"

Oh, and then..... we lie all over again, by trying so hard to sell it.

Lisa asks us, "How many of us are trying to conceal our feelings to cover up our broken souls?" I feel that this is the crux of what Lisa is trying to get us to see. I love what she says, "But God wants us to be real... real to others, real to ourselves, and real with Him." This is truth.

Yes, again, it may hurt to be real sometimes. It is scary. Unknown. Risky. We may get raked over the coals. We may leave our necks twisting in the wind.

But we will be living.

And if we rest in Him, and rest in what He says is the Truth about who we are....

We will be living free! FREE!!!

So, day by day, minute by minute, choice by choice....Who are we going to believe?

him?:

"...He [the devil] was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies." -Romans 8:44

Or Him?

"...Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." -John 8:31-32