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THE NORTHERN KENTUCKY SEARCHER VOLUME 1, NUMBER 8, MARCH 25, 2001 THE
WRITTEN WORD
Of all the different ways that God could have chosen to reveal His will
to man, He chose the written word. Who
can deny its power? John wrote in
John 20:30 & 31, “Many other signs therefore Jesus also performed in
the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book;
but these have been written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have
life in His name.”
In Ephesians 3:3 & 4, Paul tells us, “That by revelation there
was made known to me the mystery, as
I wrote before in brief, and by referring to this, when you
read you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ,”
Peter, in 2 Pet. 3:1 & 2, wrote, “This is now, beloved, the
second letter I am writing to you in which I am
stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder,
that you should remember the words spoken beforehand by the holy prophets
and the commandment of the Lord and Savior spoke by your apostles.”
Brethren,
consider using the tracts that are available in the tract rack as a means of
helping you in your personal evangelism. As
time goes on we will be adding more and more subjects.
Simply give them to friends that need to know the truth.
You can leave one in a public place.
They are even small enough to fit in an envelope, so you can mail them to
someone you know. Just make sure
that the church’s name and address is on the back, along with the phone
number. Who knows what good it might
do or how many people might read it? Over
the years I have been amazed at how far something like a little tract can
travel. Why not start several on
their journeys? “A SMALL INFLAMED SWELLING OF THE SKIN”
When I was a young person between the ages of 13 and 19 inclusive,
oftentimes the most traumatic experience of the day was looking into the mirror
in the morning.
This was occasionally difficult because from time to time, no matter how
many precautions I had taken, as I looked in the mirror I would be greeted by a
“small inflamed swelling on the skin” – a pimple.
I would have entitled this article “A Pimple”, but I didn’t think
anybody would read an article with that title.
After the initial wave of disgust, frustration and depression passed by,
I would set out to take care of that imperfection on my complexion as quickly
and efficiently as possible. Out
would come the wash cloth and the soap, both of which would be applied in
rigorous fashion to the afflicted area. Out
would come the alcohol and any other medicines designed to eradicate the
offending blemish. I did not want
that blemish, it did not belong on my face, and it detracted from the natural
beauty that was mine. Well, it sure
didn’t help!
The point I am trying to make is this; whenever we look in the mirror and
see an imperfection or a blemish, whether it be dirt or a pimple or any such
thing, and it is possible for us to do something about it, we do something.
We don’t get mad at the mirror for showing us the blemish, neither do
we just up and quit looking in mirrors because we don’t want to see.
Everyone of us does what we can to remove the imperfections.
Doesn’t it just make sense for us to feel the same way about spiritual
blemishes and imperfections and about the mirror that points them out to us?
In James
There is no better mirror than God’s Word.
Nothing can be hid from it and the reflection it gives is sharp and
three-dimensional. God’s Word goes
far deeper than the outside, physical appearance; it cuts to the core of the
matter and shows what causes the imperfections.
The Hebrew writer stated it this way in Heb. 4:12 & 13,
“For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any
two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both
joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open
and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.”
When I look in that mirror, either through personal study and reading or
through preaching, and see a spiritual blemish in my life, I need to do
something about it right away. It is
foolish and useless to get mad at the mirror, the Word of God, or to try to
convince myself that it does not say what it says.
We do not try to rationalize away a pimple; why do some try to
rationalize away a spiritual blemish pointed out by God’s Word?
It doesn’t do any good to get mad at the one holding the mirror either,
any more than it does to get mad at the bathroom wall on which the mirror hangs
at home. That is not going to take
care of the spiritual blemish or the pimple.
It also doesn’t do any good to say, “Well, I am just not going to
look into God’s Word anymore”, as some will do.
A failure to look into the mirror of God’s Word is just going to make
that spiritual blemish get worse.
No, the only reasonable thing to do is to use God’s Word as the mirror
it is intended to be. Let it show us
what we really are, and than make any necessary corrections to remove all
blemishes.
One other point that needs to be made is this; when I look in the mirror
at home, it is my face that I need to see. Sometimes
if Vicky is looking in the same mirror at the same time, I will ask her to move
over a little bit. Why?
Because it is my face that I need to see.
It is the same way with God’s Word.
When I am listening to it or studying privately from it, mine is the face
that I need to see. I don’t need
to see your face, or Vicky’s face, or anyone else’s.
I need to see what I am, and make any necessary adjustments before I am
in a position to point out any spiritual blemishes you may have.
Remember the statement of the Lord in Matthew 7:5?
Jesus said, “You hypocrite, first take the log our of your own eye,
and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.”
Surely our spiritual complexions are of much greater importance than our
physical. Everything we need to have
the “smoothest” of spiritual complexions is to be found in the “mirror”
of God’s Word.
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