Gremlins

Happy Sunday!

"The Word of God is the platform for all increase for every believer." - Dr. Bill Winston

Hebrews 4:12 says, "For the Word that God speaks is ALIVE and FULL of POWER [making it active, operative, energizing, and effective]; it is sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating to the dividing line of the breath of life (soul) and [the immortal] spirit, and of joints and marrow [of the deepest parts of our nature], exposing and sifting and analyzing and judging the very thoughts and purposes of the heart."(Amplified).

2 Timothy 3:16-17 says, "Every Scripture is God-breathed (given by His inspiration) and profitable for instruction, for reproof and conviction of sin, for correction of error and discipline in obedience, [and] for training in righteousness (in holy living, in conformity to God’s will in thought, purpose, and action),  So that the man of God may be complete and proficient, well fitted and thoroughly equipped for every good work."(Amplified).

The Word of God is alive and powerful and able to make us well fitted for this life, and thoroughly equipped for every good work!  If you are old enough, you may remember your grandmother having a big bible on the coffee table. It was beautiful and elaborate, and not to be touched.  Hopefully, you had other bibles in the house to read and study.  Many did not have the opportunity to read it.  That's just what the Devil wants.  He wants us to look at the Bible just like any other book.  He wants us to disregard what the Word says just like we disregard an unfavorable article in the newspaper.  

The Word of God is Spiritual!  The Words when added to our lives produce positive results.  Do you remember the 1984 "Gremlins" movie?  A struggling inventor explores a store in Chinatown.  He sees a strange little creature called a "Mogwai".  The shopkeeper is hesitant to sell the man the creature but ultimately relents.  He warns the man not to expose the mogwai to bright lights or sunlight which will kill it, not to let it get wet, and never feed it after midnight. The man gives the creature to his son and of course the son violates the rules and there is chaos.  We live in spiritual, emotional, physical, and financial chaos because we do not heed the Word.  The word "Mogwai" means monster in Cantonese.  The monsters in our lives will die if we violate the rules the shopkeeper gave the inventor.  In John 9:5, Jesus said, "I am the light of the world."(KJV).  Monsters don't like light because it exposes their darkness and inconsistency.  Think of our ancestors.  Many of them were not allowed to learn to read.  Why would reading be detrimental to a slave?  Great question! If you can't read, you will never know what really belongs to you!  It's the same with the Word!  If you can't read it, you will never know that God wants you healthy, wealthy, and wise!  That's why the enemy deceives us into thinking reading the Bible is boring.  He know full well if you read it it will activate power in your life to overcome him and his plots!  Ephesians 5:26 says, "He(Jesus) died to make the church holy. He used the telling of the Good News to make the church clean by washing it with water."(Easy-to-Read Version).  Water is essential!  Our bodies are made up of about 60% water.  The Word is compared to water to help us understand that we cannot survive without fresh, clean water.  We cannot survive without the Word.  In John 6:35, Jesus said, "I am the bread that gives life. If you come to My table and eat, you will never go hungry. Believe in Me, and you will never go thirsty."(Voice).  The monster was not supposed to eat after midnight.  What's the big deal about midnight? Well let's see.  Boaz awoke at midnight to see Ruth laying at his feet, at midnight the death angel killed every first born in Egypt, at midnight Paul and Silas sang and praised God in jail and an earthquake freed them.   Most importantly Jesus used a parable about the bridegroom coming at midnight to encourage us to always be ready for his return!  We need to eat the Word of God, devour it, and desire it even after midnight.  Just watch the local news for a moment and you will see that it is getting dark out!  People are straying further from the Word of God.  The think they know it all!  Romans 10:2-3 says, "They don’t seem to realize that this comprehensive setting-things-right that is salvation is God’s business, and a most flourishing business it is. Right across the street they set up their own salvation shops and noisily hawk their wares. After all these years of refusing to really deal with God on his terms, insisting instead on making their own deals, they have nothing to show for it."(Message).

Hosea 4:6 says, "My people are destroyed because they have no knowledge."(Easy-to-Read Version).  This scripture goes on to blame the leaders in that day for not teaching the people.  The leaders disregarded the Word of God and the people were perishing.  It is vitally important to attend and be a part of a good church!  You know all the cliches, you don't need to hear another sermon laced with cliches!  You need a sermon full of the Word of God because the Word is our only hope!  The Apostle Paul told his son in the ministry, Timothy what to expect..."And know this: in the last days, times will be hard. You see, the world will be filled with narcissistic, money-grubbing, pretentious, arrogant, and abusive people. They will rebel against their parents and will be ungrateful, unholy, uncaring, coldhearted, accusing, without restraint, savage, and haters of anything good.  Expect them to be treacherous, reckless, swollen with self-importance, and given to loving pleasure more than they love God.  Even though they may look or act like godly people, they’re not. They deny His power. I tell you: Stay away from the likes of these.  They’re snakes slithering into the houses of vulnerable women, women gaudy with sin, to seduce them. These reptiles can capture them because these women are weak and easily swayed by their desires. They seem always to be learning, but they never seem to gain the full measure of the truth."(2 Timothy 3:1-7, Voice).  I sincerely hope you are not listed in this scripture!  If you see yourself, repent!  God will forgive you and you can move forward.

Killing monsters, and destroying the works of the Devil...love and prayers, Cynthia