Elvis Has Left The Mirror
Monday, November 16, 2020 Good Morning, Lord V.O.D.: Whoever has no rule over his own spirit is like a city broken down, without walls.—Proverbs 25:28 M.O.M.: Ephesians 4:31 31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.(English Standard Version) Today's reading: Ezekiel 5-7 Hebrews 12
Elvis Has Left THe Mirror
During his career, Elvis would enter a venue to perform and was 'in the building'. When he left, the word would go out, "Elvis has left the building". He was either there or he was not. (Stay with me here, please.)
James wrote in chapter one of his letter,"22Be doers of the word, and not hearers only. Otherwise, you are deceiving yourselves. 23For anyone who hears the word but does not carry it out is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror, 24and after observing himself goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.…
What this means to me is that we are never honest about what we see in the mirror in the first place. We see what we want to see. We 'coif'-up and make up so we can look a certain way to the world.
Look in the mirror. What do you see? Do you see someone who reads God's Word and does it or not?
Elvis needs to leave the mirror-or-the person you think you should be, or fantasize about being, and look past the mirror. There is more behind the mirror than the wall. Who is there?
Are you in pain? Do you worry? Do you follow God's word? Do you wish you had what the 'rich folks' have or are you content? Philippians 4: 11 I am not saying this out of need, for I have learned to be content regardless of my circumstances.12 I know how to live humbly, and I know how to abound. I am accustomed to any and every situation— to being filled and being hungry, to having plenty and having need. 13 I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength...
Paul said, "I have learned...". What have we learned? Are we learning from failures and successes in following God or have we learned how to 'go with the flow' as the world does?
Paul wrote later to the Roman Christians, "37No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor principalities, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.…Romans 8
The person looking back at you in the morror, you, are you listening to God or not? Have you learned how to be content or not. Are you and I convinced that nothing will separate us from God?
This is what Jesus died for-so we could live in faith and not by the mirror(sight). 2 Corinthians 5: 6 Therefore we are always confident, although we know that while we are at home in the body, we are away from the Lord.7 For we walk by faith, not by sight.
Elvis needs to leave the mirror-or the person or part you are playing needs to drop all the pretense. Who are you trying to fool anyway? The people that know and love you 'know' you. God knows you more deeply than anyone on earth and has never abandoned you nor given up on you.
Do you think that after Jesus died for you that God will stop at anything trying to get through to you? The Holy Spirit will never stop loving you. He will never stop encouraging you to get closer to Him. He will never stop pulling you to Him in prayer and through the written word and through meditation.
Do you think I have done this writing all these years to promote myself for money or renown? No-God is teaching me and I am just writing it down and sending it to you because God is relentless in His loving us all. God wants us all to do all we can to encourage each other.
Look in the mirror and tell 'Elvis' to leave. In the name of Jesus, take back control and hand that control to God.
Elvis has left the morror. The devil has to flee at the name of Jesus. But he is also relentless. He will be back. Learn, as Paul learned, to live in truth no matter the conditions around you and trust God for the rest of everything.
Look in the mirror in truth and see God looking back through His eyes at The child He gave everything for-and still gives all...
...because He loves us...
Father in Heaven, Forgive me for living behind this mask and in Jesus' name I throw it away. Teach me to see me the way You do. Increase my desire for You. Mighty Father who loves me completely! In the name of Jesus, Amen