LOOKING reveals so much
“I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus,
who is to judge the living and the dead,
and by His appearing and His kingdom:
- preach the word;
- be ready in season and out of season;
- reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.
For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine;
but wanting to have their ears tickled,
they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires,
and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths.
But you,
(The Second Letter of Paul to Timothy 4: 1-5 NASB)
- be sober in all things,
- endure hardship,
- do the work of an evangelist,
- fulfill your ministry.”
There is something Satan hates. Yes, most definitely, Satan hates a church that is discipling, filled with Christians who are growing. I must pause to admit that it brings me great joy to know that through the power of God’s Holy Spirit living inside us that we have the power to affect the devil.
Think about that for a moment.
Satan hates us!
He always has and he always will.
The devil hated us even when we were lost to the Lord, walking in darkness, and headed to hell.
Now, here’s an epiphany, an ‘aha’ to behold—as a believer, as a child of God, and as one walking toward the glorious future of spending eternity within God’s presence, it is a truth—the devil hates us still & he wants to steal the joy we have in the Lord.
BE PREPARED FOR SPIRITUAL WARFARE!
We live in a world where people speak of epiphanies of thought, such as:
- Being alone does not mean we will be lonely. We might just be, lonely.
- The journey is more important than the destination. Tell that to any vacationer.
- You are not a number on a sliding scale. Speak these words to an employee who has been overlooked over by an employer for a job promotion.
- Plan B is often better than Plan A. The world says so, but if Plan A is God’s will, then this is never so.
- You are not what people say. While this might be true, oftentimes, the words of others do speak so that a person’s trajectory of life alters.
- Love is a feeling rather than a choice. Just ask any Christian about the untruth of this statement. FOLLOWING JESUS IS A CHOICE WE INDIVIDUALLY MUST MAKE!
- Conflict is a sign of a failing marriage, so divorce is necessary. Just ask any couple who has grown stronger BECAUSE OF HOW THE HOLY SPIRIT LED THEM THROUGH THEIR CONFLICT TO A STRONGER, BETTER MARRIAGE.
Epiphanies of the world are sometimes just not true.
There once lived an individual, a runner who was made to race with great speed.
Eric Little was the fastest sprinter in Scotland in the 1920s, but Little also felt the call of God on his life. You see, God had called Little to preach the Gospel, just as God had called Timothy to preach the Gospel (who the apostle Paul was writing to in his letter).
When the 1924 Olympics were held, the countrymen of Scotland wanted Little to compete for the nation, and Little trained to do just that—until he learned that his ‘best’ race, the 100-meter race was going to be held on Sunday, the day he attended church.
Little knew in his spirit what he needed to do; he refused.
As we might imagine, his countrymen were angry, upset, and attempted to demand he change his mind, but Little would not budge.
WHAT DOES GOD DO WHEN WE TAKE A STAND FOR HIM, FOLLOWING WHEREVER HE LEADS?
GOD DOES WHAT HE DOES BEST!
GOD GIVES THE WORLD AN EPIPHANY MOMENT—AN ‘AHA’ TO BEHOLD!
The 400-meter race, a full sprint all the way around the track, was Little’s worst race. As you might know, a 100-meter sprint is a full-out race down one side of the oval track, and now Little was training to run a full sprint for the entire oval. His countrymen were skeptical and thought all hopes of a gold medal were lost.
THEN GOD DID SOMETHING AMAZING THROUGH HIS SERVANT ERIC LITTLE!
On the day of the 400-meter race, Little ran the race, and get this—
- Little ran the fastest 400-meter race EVER!
- Little set a new world record—finishing in 47.6 seconds!
Then Eric Little did the most bewildering thing imaginable—HE LEFT FOR CHINA WHERE HE WAS CALLED TO BE A MISSIONARY TO REACH THE LOST!
Child of God, there are three important truths to notice about LOOKING & what it reveals to the watching world—
- LOOK UP TO JESUS!
- LOOK BACK TO WHO LED US TO JESUS!
- LOOK DOWN TO THE WORD OF GOD!
A simple definition of an ‘epiphany’ is a manifestation of a moment that usually begins with a small everyday experience. Let me explain. One day, over 2,000 years ago, a baby was born in Bethlehem. Since his parents could not find a room at the inn when they knocked on the innkeeper’s door, this baby just happened to be born in a stable where the animals were kept.
After the night of this baby’s birth, Almighty God placed the brightest star EVER directly over the city where the baby had been born!
THEN GOD DID SOMETHING AMAZING THROUGH HIS SERVANTS (the wise men from the east).
- GOD REVEALED TO THEM HIS STAR! & THEN
- GOD LED THEM TO JESUS BY HIS STAR! & THEN
- GOD USED HIS STAR TO REVEAL THE MANIFESTATION OF HIS ONLY SON!
“Then [king] Herod secretly called the magi [the wise men]
(The Gospel According to Matthew 2: 7-11 NASB)
and determined from them
the exact time the star appeared.
And he sent them to Bethlehem and said,
“Go and search carefully for the Child;
and when you have found Him, report to me,
so that I too may come and worship Him.”
After hearing the king, they went their way;
and the star,
which they had seen in the east,
went on before them until it came and stood over the place where the Child was.
When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy.
After coming into the house they saw the Child with Mary His mother;
and they fell to the ground and worshiped Him.
Then opening their treasures, they presented to Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.”
TRULY, LOOKING reveals so much!
The manifestation of Jesus is now celebrated annually on January 6th—The Epiphany, also called Three Kings’ Day. When Christmas comes to us on December 25th, we celebrate with the giving of gifts. Then for the following twelve days, we walk toward THE GIFT, the arrival of January 6th & The Epiphany—the BABY JESUS!
- THE EPIPHANY MARKS THE DAY JESUS WAS REVEALED DURING THE FIRST CENTURY.
- THIS IS OUR EPIPHANY—THE INSIGHT THAT POWERFULLY SHAPES THE TRAJECTORY OF OUR LIVES—THE SUDDEN REVELATION OF THE SAVIOR JESUS!
Thus, in closing, may we look to God’s Word, allowing the Holy Spirit to teach us, to direct us & to lead us in the way the Lord would have us go.
Recorded in the longest Psalm in the Bible, may we proclaim these words, just as David, the servant of God, exclaimed—
“Deal with Your servant according to Your lovingkindness
(The Psalms 119: 124-132 NASB)
And teach me Your statutes.
I am Your servant; give me understanding,
That I may know Your testimonies.
It is time for the LORD to act,
For they have broken Your law.
Therefore I love Your commandments
Above gold, yes, above fine gold.
Therefore I esteem right all Your precepts concerning everything,
I hate every false way.
Your testimonies are wonderful;
Therefore my soul observes them.
The unfolding of Your words gives light;
It gives understanding to the simple.
I opened my mouth wide and panted,
For I longed for Your commandments.
Turn to me and be gracious to me,
After Your manner with those who love Your name.”