Pastor Thoughts April 19 2010

PASTOR JACK'S THOUGHTS    APRIL 19, 2010

WHO DO YOU LOOK LIKE?!
Interesting question?!  Sometimes when a baby is born we try to decide which parent the baby looks like.  It seems that all of us look like someone or something.  The way we appear brings up images of something in people's minds. People sometimes think, "Oh that person looks wealthy, educated, happy, angry, kind" or many other things. The Bible even speaks about idols and says that "Those who make idols and trust in them will be like them." (Ps. 115:8) That is a scary thought.  People sometime become like the thing or person that is most important in their life!

The Bible also says that in the beginning, "God made man in His own image."  (Genesis 1:26)  It is God's desire and will, that we become like Him and His Son, Jesus.  This is His will and goal for our lives.  Sometimes it is a process that takes a long time.  God patiently works on us to mold us into what He wants us to be, like His Son!  We see this in many Bible characters, but one of the most interesting people in the Bible is how God molded and worked on one of Jesus' disciples, Peter!  When Jesus first called Peter to follow Him, he was a 'rough and tumble' fisherman.  He probably did not have much formal education and he certainly was not 'refined' in ways and speech.  Yet, we can clearly see how Jesus worked with Peter until evidently he became an outstanding evangelist and author!!  God took a fisherman and made him into a 'fisher of men' as Jesus promised Peter in  Mark 1:17.  Jesus worked on Peter and made him like Himself!  It was a long hard journey for Peter. He went through some times of doubt and denial, but in the end of his life no one could deny that Peter did not look like His Savior in words and in actions. People could look at him and tell that he had 'been with Jesus' because he looked like Him and talked like Him.

So, who do you look like? Who do I look like?  Do we look like Jesus?  Remember, we become like the person who we honor and love the most!  Let us all try for the next four or five days to judge everything we do and say but "What would Jesus do in this situation?"  "How would He look at this person or that person?" "What would His reaction be to this?"  Then let us do exactly what we think Jesus would do.  Keep a note of this on paper so you can go back and read your response to life and see if you looked like Jesus in word and action.  I'll try, will you?

I want to be a "Jesus look-alike"
Pastor Jack

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