Word of God

Spiritual Bug Squashing

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For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. James 1:23-24 ESV

A few weeks ago I shared how on the farm I needed a flashlight to find my way out to the barn and how that is like God’s word being a lamp for our path. But sometimes God’s word also shows us some things on the inside of us that really aren’t so great. That reminds me of a recent incident coming into the bathroom in the morning and switching on the light. Suddenly I saw perched on the lip of our brand new sink, the biggest ugliest palmetto bug ever! It didn’t take more than a few seconds for me to usher our uninvited guest into eternity and thankfully though I looked high and low he hadn’t brought along any friends or relatives! Now you would think it pretty strange if I had simply switched off the light and gone back to bed. You would probably say, “That’s disgusting! You’ve got to kill that critter!” But I could reply. “Yeah but it’s so much easier to just go back to sleep.”

Now that’s a funny story and even if I thought going back to bed was an option, my wife would never let me get away with it. So let’s ask ourselves today, how often do we wake up in the morning, read our Bible and decide that flicking off the light seems easier than dealing with the issues it reveals? Now I admit that, the spiritual solutions to straightening out relationships, telling someone we’re sorry or paying back an overdue loan from a friend are all much more painful than getting rid of a palmetto bug. But James encourages us in the following verse that if we take action, God has a special blessing in store. Jesus doesn’t just leave us on our own to do all the spiritual bug squashing . Instead He comes along side with his Holy Spirit to show us what to do next. We must never forget to be thankful for the blood of Jesus that forgives our past sins. But we must also remember that God wants to shine His word in our hearts, so that as we walk up His pathway we can live a life for Him with the light on, both on the inside and out!

But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing. James 1:25

Who is Jesus?

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Somehow we got a bit off track in our men’s zoom meeting last week and some of the newer believers seemed confused by conversations they had with some Jehovah’s Witnesses as to just exactly who Jesus is. They probably didn’t realize that the Watchtower society teaches that Jesus Christ was really originally the Archangel Michael – but not to get too deeply into the weeds I simply put together a pop quiz of people in both the Old and New Testaments to ask them one question. “Who is Jesus?” Here is a brief sampling of their answers –

Peter said: Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ the Son of the Living God.” Matthew 16:16

 Isaiah said: For unto us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government shall be upon His shoulder, and His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor Mighty God; Everlasting Father; Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6

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John said: In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the word was God. John 1:1

Moses said: In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. And God said, “Let there be light!” and there was light. Genesis 1:1-3  (Father Son & Holy Spirit in creation)

Paul said: Waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ. Titus 2:13

King David said: Your throne O God is forever and ever. The scepter of your kingdom is a scepter of uprightness. Psalm 45:6

Thomas said: Thomas answer him, “My Lord and my God!” John 20:28

Daniel said: And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations and languages should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion which shall not pass away, and His kingdom shall not be destroyed. Daniel 7:14

Jesus said: So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly I say to you, before Abraham was, I Am.” John 9:57

I am the Alpha and Omega, says the Lord God, “Who is and who was and who is to come” Revelation1:8

But Most important of all is who you say that Jesus is!

Matthew 16:15 He said to them “ But who do you say that I am?”

The Power of the Gospel

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For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. Romans 1:16 ESV 

We often look at the telling of the story of Jesus’ life as if it were simply recounting one adventure after another. But when we look a bit deeper we discover that most of the Gospel is actually about the word of God revealed either through the teaching or ministry of Jesus.

John reminds us of this at the beginning of His account;  -In the beginning was the Word. And the Word was with God and The Word was God.   John 1:1

For example think of how the parable of the sower teaches us to be careful how we listen to God’s word. Jesus tells us that its transforming power only works when if enters our hearts in a way that changes our behavior and attitudes. Then directly afterward Jesus heads off in a boat with his disciples and He falls asleep after a long day. But as they begin to sail away into the sunset a terrible storm comes up and in desperation His disciples shake him awake crying out in fear. Then Jesus gets up and commands the wind and waves and – what do they do? – They immediately obey His word.

grayscale photo of body of waves

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Today it is no different. God’s power in our lives occurs not by our reading, listening to or even watching films about the Bible. It only takes root when it comes in power; so that our believing and receiving forms a living connection with Him. When we get truly connected to Him then proclaiming His word to others will become more and more a natural outflow. Maybe one part of God’s purpose in this moment when we are shut in has been to give us opportunity to connect in a deeper way with the true Gospel. If we will treasure this time, then both in the middle of the storm and when it is over; His Gospel will work in power both in our hearts and around us on little patch of earth.