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There’s a magical mirror mentioned in the scriptures. It’s a mirror that doesn’t reflect physical features but reflects our spiritual condition.
“But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.” (2 Corinthians 3:18)
“For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing” (James 1:23-25)
James describes a man who looks in the mirror and walks away unchanged. Paul describes a Christian who beholds the Lord's glory and is transformed.
As we turn our lives over to Christ, something wonderful happens.
Gradually, we eliminate sin and replace selfishness with service, hatred with love and pride with humility.
Until when we look in the mirror we see Jesus Christ looking back at us and the transformation is complete.
Here's a question worth the asking…
Do you want to just get older and uglier or do you want to look like Jesus?
Make-up can’t make you look any better, only looking at Jesus can give you true beauty.
God formed Adam from the dust of the ground, but Adam wasn't alive until God breathed into his nostrils the breath of life (Genesis 2:7). Adam received physical life... but that physical life would eventually end in death.
In Ezekiel 37, God showed Ezekiel a valley of dry bones. The bones came together, were covered with flesh and skin, and became fully formed and functional bodies. But they weren't alive until God's breath entered them. They too received physical life... life that would also eventually end.
Then came Pentecost.
This time humanity was already physically alive but spiritually dead (in sin). God poured out His Holy Breath (Spirit) upon them, offering a new kind of life... spiritual life that could extend into eternity.
Three occasions. Three acts of God giving life.
Adam received the breath of life.
The dry bones received the breath of life.
At Pentecost, humanity was offered the Holy Breath of eternal life.
Physical life is temporary. Spiritual life in Christ is eternal.
And in all three cases, life comes from the breath of God.
Choose God’s breath and live like no other.
God is holy, and it makes sense that He would want a clean place to live in.
In Ezekiel 36:25–27, God promises Israel that He will sprinkle them with clean water, cleanse them from their impurities, and then put His Spirit within them.
Notice the order... first cleansing, then the Holy Spirit.
At Pentecost, Peter told the people to repent and be baptized for the remission of their sins and they would receive the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38–39).
Again... first cleansing, then the Holy Spirit.
In Ephesians 5:25–27, Paul describes Christ cleansing and sanctifying the church by the washing of water with the word, preparing His bride to be holy and without blemish.
Once again... first cleansing, then a holy relationship.
Even in the Jewish Temple, God would not live in just any part of it. He had to live in the Holy of Holies where the only human who could enter was the High Priest and only once a year and with a sacrifice.
God won’t live in a filthy house. He cleans us so that His Holy Spirit can live within us.
“For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins” (Hebrews 10:26)
Be careful or the Holy Spirit just might move out rather than live in a hog pen.
The Gospel of Luke contains two genealogies for Jesus Christ… his biological genealogy through his physical parents and his spiritual genealogy.
Jesus’ baptism (Luke 3:21) concludes with God proclaiming, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased”
That’s a pretty short genealogy… a father and a son.
Then notice what happens immediately after this, (Luke 3:23) Jesus’ biological genealogy begins with Joseph and goes back in time all the way to Adam and concludes with the “son of God”.
But look what happens after God calls Jesus his beloved son. Joseph is identified as the “supposed” son of Joseph.
How appropriate that God who became flesh had both his spiritual and biological genealogies identified right next to each other in the Gospel recorded by Luke.
That begs the question then how many genealogies do followers of Christ have? The same as Jesus... two. Our biological genealogy and our spiritual with our Father... God. Hopefully one day he can say "you are my beloved sons..." Won't that be a day!
I had a fellow Christian e-mail me recently who had just sent his child off to college and he didn’t think the kid was attending church. What could he do?
That made me think about how it was when we sent our kids off to college.
first i told our kids they could go to any university they wanted but the only one I would pay for was Texas A&M in College Station. That’s where they both went. For the sake of perspective me and my two brothers paid for 100% of our college. Dad was very encouraging but didn’t contribute monetarily.
then I told our kids they had to do three things to stay up there. They had to go to church, they had to behave themselves and they had to pass their courses. Otherwise they could come back home and go to a local Junior college. Texas A&M is not cheap and they had conditions for me to spend the big money.
I’ve always demanded respect from our children. If they disrespected me or my wife or any other adult there would be serious negative consequences. I don’t recall them violating that rule.
One time a neighbor knocked on our door who was a little irate and said our son had been speeding down our street and he was concerned for his children. I called my son to the front door and asked him, what about this. He apologized and we moved on.
another rule I always required was that if you lived in my home and ate my food you would go to church and at least act like you liked it.
when my kids were in High School and wanted a car I told them whatever money you save up towards a car, I’ll match it. My son saved up $500 and got a $1,000 car. Our daughter saved up $3,000. You do the math. I felt like that was pretty generous. My two brothers and I had to buy our own cars.
I don’t know what my Christian friend’s arrangements with his child were and I’m not going to meddle. I simply advised him to periodically ask how are things at church?
“And when he had said this, he breathed (empysao) on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Spirit (pneuma)” John 20:22.
This is an interesting verse because it has the Holy Spirit being given to the disciples pre-Pentecost and with this gift there was no accompanying miraculous prophesying. They just went about their business.
Lets compare something from the Old Testament.
“And Jehovah God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul” Genesis 2:7
So in Genesis 2:7 you have a fully formed human being who is not alive. God breathes into him and brings Adam to life.
The disciples were already alive but Jesus breathed onto them his Holy Pneuma which can be interpreted his Holy Breath.
I suggest to you dear readers that Jesus was doing this with what his Father did for Adam in mind, to not give them life (that they already had), but to share with them his Holy Breath. Just like God did with Adam.
Symbolizing a new kind of life other than the kind of life possessed by Adam and all of humanity.
Genesis begins with God breathing life into man. The Gospel of John begins “In the beginning” and ends with Jesus breathing new life into man.
Julie and I went to Martha Banning’s funeral In Houston yesterday. Robert and Martha were some of the best friends of my parents. They had four kids that we grew up with… Angie, Kathleen, Dorothy and David. Of course David was just a pup but those three sisters… oh my!
We all attended Spring Branch Church of Christ which is no more. The Elders moved the congregation to Frey Road. The Banning’s with others from Spring Branch started the Klein Road Church of Christ where Robert became an Elder.
Turns out David Banning is one of the preachers at Kleinwood and he officiated the ceremony for his mother. He was amazing. Among the Elders were two kids that I grew up with… John Cogdil and Mark Richardson. Don Cantrel another one of the Elders is a guy that was friends with my mother. Small world.
When we went in the first familiar face was Beverly Cogill. Her dad was Vernon Goss. I remember when we first moved to Houston the men would go outside and smoke cigarettes between services. Vernon was an Elder at Spring Branch and was at D-Day in World War II. I guess he can smoke a cigarette.
Julie and I were sitting on a pew and a woman came up to me and said are you Scott Perkins (my deceased brother). We look alike.
I ran across Richard Besselman who drove down from the Fort Worth area. He looked at me and said… I figured you would be here. Richard’s family was at Spring Branch but I didn’t really know him because he was younger. What I did remember was a lot of talk about Patsy Besselman his mother because she passed away when he was young.
I caught up with Richard a few years ago ay a New Mexico Elk hunting trip that Ray Torno organizes every year. Richard and Tim Torno came. We had the best time visiting and playing “42” and Richard and I have kept up with each other. We get along like Peas and carrots.
He had reminded me that he was at a young peoples gathering at the Bannings and my brother Greg and cousin Mark were there and he took a bottle rocket in the eye and has no vision out of the eye. I introduced Richard to my brother Greg and blamed him for Richards eye. Richard dead panned… its okay I have another eye.
We saw former members Daniel and Julianne Baker and had a good visit with them.
We saw Richard and Joyce Bruce and her sister Nancy. Nancy recognized me immediately I have no idea how. They were great friends of my parents and are from Sinton, Texas just down the road.
My old friend Brent Clanton had a part in the service. I don’t know where he attends but I’ll bet he is an Elder.
I was hoping to see Paul Thornton and didn’t until after I had got to our car taken off my boots, jacket, etc. and my brother Greg texted me that Paul was looking for me. I had not seen Paul since about 1971. His dad preached for us at Spring Branch. Paul was very athletic and drove a VW Beetle. He was always gathering the young people together to go do things… basketball, bowling etc. In hind sight its good for young people to step up and take a leadership role. Fond memories.
Anyway I put my tennis shoes on and went back in and found him and had the best visit with him.
Whenever I would see some of my old friends I would say… looks like you have had a lot of birthdays or if I saw someone who looked familiar but I wasn’t really sure who they were I would go up to them, shake hands and say… you look like an older version of someone I used to know.
It was a big city funeral, a lot of coats and ties, etc. I did my best to represent South Texas casual. So did Richard Besselman.
Before the service Julie and I stood in the line to talk to Robert Banning and when we got to him he got a big grin on his face and mentioned a few stories like the time there was a big clap of thunder at out house and me and my brothers dropped down in the yard and pretended to be dead knowing mother would be worried and watching. Sure enough she ran out crying but when we popped up she started laughing. And they time Dad had drained the oil out of the truck and left it to do something else and mom ran out, jumped in and drove it to the grocery store. Robert remembered those things.
I wouldn’t have missed that funeral for anything for one thing because Angie said our mom was like a second mother to them and because they all came to my dad’s funeral and my brothers funeral.
One thing about Martha, she said don’t do anything to keep me alive longer because I’m ready to go.
This is pretty long and if you’re still reading I just have one more thing to say. I’m a better person for having attended that funeral.
