let's all cuddle up to the Sun

The Word for today:
John 7:1-24





mark this: John 7:7 --
The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me because I testify of it that its works are evil.

How could anybody hate Jesus?
The way Jesus is presented in our culture and even in many of our evangelical "Bible-based" churches would certainly make you wonder.

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The single reason for Bible reading and study is to get to know God. All else--service, love, prayer, self-transformation, world transformation--springs from our relationship with God.

The Bible, through its revelation of Jesus Christ, has the only complete picture of God:
In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways,
but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe.
The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. (1)

"In these last days he has spoken to us by his Son." What does that mean? It means that the language God speaks is "Jesus." Let me say it again: the language God speaks is "Jesus." Jesus is the way God communicates Himself to us. That's why Jesus is called the Word of God.

We speak English. We can't understand a person speaking Chinese. And we can't understand God unless we are fluent in "Jesus."

We've been told that Jesus is the Light of the world. Isn't that sweet and nice. The way that's presented to us 99% of the time, all we want to do is cuddle up to Him.

But here's the flip side of the Light of the world:

The world hates Christ because he is the Light of the world, revealing sin. Cuddling up to that Light would be like cuddling up to the sun.

But Hollywood won't present that Light. Most of our churches won't present that Light. They depict the Light as a candle, maybe a flashlight. No one ever got seriously burned by a candle or a flashlight. And no one was ever saved by one of them, either.

The only true (2) and complete Light, the only true and complete Word, the only true and complete God--is the Word, the Light, the Jesus of Scripture.

So let's learn the language of God; let's be fluent in biblical "Jesus." Let's gain a mature vocabulary so we understand that "Light" is comprised of a spectrum of many colors--that the Jesus who is the Savior of some will be the Judge of others; that the cuddly Lamb of God is also the Lion of Judah (3).

Many of you, in order to learn the complete language of God, will have to break free of the limitations imposed by your culture, your family, your church, and your century.

Learn to speak in real Jesus, biblical "Jesus." Think in "Jesus," pray in "Jesus." But when you do, beware--because then the world won't like you either:

Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. (2)

So, how could anybody hate Jesus? Because he is the Light of the world.

(1) Hebrews 1:1-3; (2) John 1:9; (3) Revelation 5:5; (4) 2 Timothy 3:12