SS Thoughts #15: Optical Illusions

Many people enjoy optical illusions. These are pictures that seem to be one way, but when you look again you see something else! This is because the eye works like a camera—it merely takes a picture. It’s the brain that actually tells us what we see. And the smart brains with which we were created are constantly interpreting things in new ways! Look at the following - what do you see?

So how does the world see us? What do our appearance and attitude say to others? Do they see Christ’s love reflected through us? Are they seeing a picture of a true Christian or are they really seeing an optical illusion – persons who say one thing but live/act another way?

Luckily God does not see as we see; “for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” – 1 Sam. 16:7. We must ask God daily—by “knee-mail”—to live in our hearts and to help change us from the inside out. Christ’s love, embedded in our hearts, should shine out of us for all to see. People will then be able to look at us and know we are Christians, “by our love”. They will see the true picture and want to be like us.

Are we Instagramming, What’s Apping, or Facebooking a true picture of ourselves? Or is it a distorted image? What about your selfie? How does it really look to others?

SS Thoughts #14: Phantom Pain

(Adapted from Doug Batchelor’s Book: Amazing Facts 2)

Amputees often experience “phantom pain”.  For example they might have lost their leg, but their toes hurt or itch, even though they no longer have them! Doctors are helpless to treat these parts of the body that the patient says need attention. 

In the same way, there are persons who have confessed their sins and applied the blood of Jesus for cleansing. And Jesus does forgive. He casts those sins into the depths of the sea—Micah 7:19; and He remembers them no more—Jeremiah 31:34. But now WE continue to hold on to guilt for those sins, as in the well-known story of a man walking along a road carrying a heavy load on his head. When offered a ride he gets into the vehicle, but keeps the load on his head–thinking that it would be an imposition for the driver to give him a ride and give his load a ride too!!

None of us knows what the future holds, but Paul bids us in Hebrews 12:1,2 to “Lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith”. Let us lay aside not only our sins but also the phantom weight of guilt that weighs us down. Let us try to look only to Jesus who has promised to return and take us home to live with Him on the earth made new. What an assurance.......

SS Thoughts #13: Too many thou shalt not’s?

Teachers make rules – even in virtual ‘classrooms’! Hopefully the rules help to mold good students, and responsible citizens of a country. But it has been proven that rules are more easily obeyed if they are phrased positively, rather than negatively. For example, instead of saying, “Do not shout!” it is better to say, “Speak softly”. Or instead of saying, “Late online posts will not be accepted” it might be better to say, “Try to be on time with your posts”. Much more encouraging!

In the Bible, God gave 10 rules, nay COMMANDMENTS—written with HIS OWN HAND, (see Exodus 20). Choosing to obey them will help to mold good citizens here on earth and for His kingdom.

An interesting thing about the commandments: 8 of them are written in negative phrasing, e.g. "Thou shalt not steal; Thou shalt not kill; Thou shalt not commit adultery. But TWO of them are phrased POSITIVELY! They are:

§  Remember the Sabbath Day to keep it holy (#4)

§  Honor thy father and thy mother…………. (#5)

Perhaps God wanted special attention paid to these 2 commandments???? What do you think????

SS Thoughts #12: Use it or lose it.

“Use it or lose it” is a phrase that often refers to athletic ability, brainpower, or gifts and talents. Lack of exercise causes our muscles to atrophy, and if we don’t use our talents we can lose them.

The concept can also be applied to faith. Yes, faith is a gift from God. But it doesn’t mean that because we are given this gift, it stays with us forever. Faith needs to be EXERCISED to become strong. It needs to be USED OFTEN so that it becomes a HABIT. Habits are difficult to break. Think about how hard it is to break a child’s habit of thumb sucking, or to break a habit of smoking. Trusting in God should also become a habit that is HARD TO BREAK - by anyone or any circumstance.

How though? If all our prayers were answered, would that build our faith? What if our prayers aren’t always answered, or even exactly how and when we want? How does that affect our faith?

“The promise “with God nothing is impossible” should enable us to WAIT upon God, to LISTEN to his Word, and to PRAY for the fulfillment of His purposes in our lives. (Adult SS Lesson #1 Q2 2015: Teacher’s Summary)”.