John 1:14 (NIV)
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We
have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the
Father, full of grace and truth.
Certain times while we walk on the beach at Daytona you
can count on finding jellyfish on the beach. As I read about jellyfish I came
across a red jellyfish.
Though its name, probably derived from the jellyfish's
reddish-brown coloring, is far from unique, there is nothing else common about
this particular creature. For example, did you know that the red jellyfish
spends part of its time as a plant? It's true! Its eggs develop into a type of
plant called a polyp! The polyp has many sections, which all look identical.
Over time, the top of the polyp will pop off and turn into a red jellyfish, and
each section will eventually do the same!
Only the tentacles of jellyfish can sting, thus if you
touch one by accident lying on the beach, you won't be hurt. The red jellyfish
is unique in that its sting isn't deadly. If you come into contact with one of
its tentacle, all you will feel is a burning sensation. In order to stop it,
you first take a cloth of some kind to brush the tentacle off, and then you rub
wet sand on the infected part of the body. The sting will immediately vanish!
The jellyfish eats microscopic plant life and plankton,
and its means of propulsion is to expand and contract its cup-shaped body. This
isn't a very productive way to move, however, and the red jellyfish usually
tends to find itself following the latest water current. Unfortunately, this
can be a deadly habit!
While walking beaches in New Brunswick, you will discover
a multitude of these creatures. In fact, you have to watch where you walk in
order to not step on them! They had been following the current, and at high
tide, they had been driven up onto the beach. Now they were desperately waiting
for the next high tide to wash them back out to sea. Meanwhile, they were being
bombarded by the heat of the sun, which, if they didn't return to the water
soon enough, would eventually turn them into a baked, crisp substance, devoid
of any life. Too late they learned the hazards of following the latest current.
We, as humans, also have the choice of whether or not to
follow the latest trends. If we are not careful, some of these can be quite
deadly, especially if they turn God's message into utter mockery. You can read
about churches that no longer promote the gospel message. They proclaim that
anyone can get to heaven and that sin doesn't matter. Some even preach that
eventually everyone will turn into a god. God's Word, the Bible is set aside
and replaced with literature promoting their own ideas.
Some churches pretend to follow the Bible, but at the
same time they put other writings at the same level as God's Word. Every word
found in the Bible is always interpreted by their own literature. Beware of
these! They are like wolves disguised as lambs, promoting false doctrines! "Watch
out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they
are ferocious wolves." (Matt 7:15 NIV); "I know that after I leave,
savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. 30 Even from
your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away
disciples after them. 31 So be on your guard!" (Acts 20:29-31 NIV); and
"For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform signs and
miracles to deceive the elect-if that were possible." (Mark 13:22 NIV)
Friends, anyone promoting anything besides the Bible is
broadcasting a deadly message. God's gospel is simple. Sin is deadly. We cannot
be saved through our own merits. Salvation is solely made possible through
Jesus Christ. He is the only One who can save us. "For it is by grace you
have been saved, through faith-and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of
God- not by works, so that no one can boast." (Eph 2:8-10 NIV); and
"Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven
given to men by which we must be saved." (Acts 4:12 NIV)
Who will you follow? The latest current or God's Word
made flesh?
Dear Lord, help us not follow the current but put our
trust in You. Help us follow Your true
words and not the watered down words of the world. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
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