After being away for some time on a business trip, ... Bill thought it would be nice ... to bring his wife ... a small gift.
"How about some perfume?" ... Bill asked the cosmetics clerk.
She showed him a bottle ... costing $60.00.
"That's a bit much," he said, ... so she returned ... with a smaller bottle ... for $30.00.
"That's still quite a bit," ... he complained.
Growing annoyed, ... the clerk brought out a tiny $15.00 bottle.
"You know," ... he said, ... "What I mean is ... I would like to see something ... really cheap."
So, the clerk handed him ... a mirror. (Long Pause)
In today's text ... James also speaks ... about a mirror:
BIBLE 23 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. 24 For he looks at himself ... and goes away ... and at once ... forgets ... what he was like. END (James 1:23-24)
The Apostle Paul ... shares this truth ... about the mirror of life: "For now we see in a mirror, dimly, ... But then we will see face to face." (1 Corinthians 13:12)
Beloved ... What is the first thing you do ... when you get up in the morning?
Whatever it may be, ... it is probably the same thing ... every day.
Everyone ... seems to have their own special ritual... their own special routine... to get them going ...in the morning.
Maybe you have a cup of coffee ... before you start the day.
Maybe you make your bed as soon as you get up ... maybe you jump ... right into the shower.
Others have to brush their teeth ... before they can do ... anything else.
Some start their ritual ... the night before;
Putting coffee and water ... in the automatic coffee maker.
Laying out the clothes they will wear ... the next morning.
Yet ... some part ... of everyone's morning ritual ... is coming face to face ... with ... the mirror.
Most of us ... probably get our first glance at ourselves ... while we are still ... a little scary looking.
Our eyes ... have that bleary, ... dazed look.
Our hair ... is sticking out in strange places ... and others ... are growing ... in new places.
And even normally clean-shaven guys ... have some scruffy overnight growth on their face ... to deal with.
Facing our mirrors ... is Not ... that pleasant ... of an experience.
Why? ... Because Good Mirrors ... are very honest ...little things.
They do not ... compromise.
(Slow) Mirror, Mirror on the wall ... who's the fairest of them all.
Good mirrors ... do not lie.
They do not gloss over our defects ... and tell us we are better-looking ... than we really are.
They show us every wrinkle ... every gray hair.
In fact, ... the better the mirror, ... the more flaws ... you will see.
So why do we all have mirrors ... in our bathrooms?
Well ... because as unpleasant as it may be to confront our own faces first thing in the morning;
We know ... if we do not take a look at ourselves, ......and make some minor ...... or in some cases major adjustments, ... the rest of the world ... is going to see ... that morning face!
So, ... It is better to "face" the truth, ...and make the changes... So, we are somewhat presentable ... to the rest of the world. (Long Pause)
Beloved... If we are going to be ... all that God has called us to be;
Then we must have ... a clear vision ... of who we are ... and a clear vision ...of what needs to change ... in our life. (Pause)
As I thought about this passage ... I began to realize ... that all of us ... look at life ... in slightly ...different ways.
We all look at life ... through ... different mirrors!
What image do you see ... when you look... in the mirror?
Who is that person ... in the reflection?
We each ... see ourselves ... differently.
Because we are seeing a reflection ... of who we think ... we are.
Yet ... where is that reflection ... coming from?
Beloved ... What kind of mirror ... are you looking ... into?
Hear God's Word: BIBLE "For now we see in a mirror, dimly; ... but then we will see face to face ... now I know only in part; ... but then will I know ... fully ... even as I have been ... fully known." END (1 Corinthians 13:12)
None of us ... see ourselves ... as clearly ... as we should.
Why ... Because ... there are mirrors ... that do not give us ... an accurate picture ... of what we really look like.
Some people ... look at themselves, ...... at their image, ...... as though they are looking ... into a very tiny mirror.
Every woman ... seems to have one.
Some of those mirrors ... must be very special ...because they look like they have made a home in their purse ... for years.
I know ... my mother ...would always have one of those tiny mirrors ...buried somewhere ...inside her purse.
She would hand one of us the mirror ...and say get that smudge off your face ...... Or your hair is all messed up.
It was so small ... I could barely see anything ...except my own eyeball ...looking back at me.
I have looked ... at my own life ... at times ... through... a tiny mirror.
You fix a little something here... You cover up a little something... there.
And if you cannot fix it ... or cover it up ... you move the mirror away ...so you don't have to look at... anymore.
But if we were honest ...that image that we think were covering up ...or ignoring ... is seen not only by God ... but also by those ...around us.
Sometimes... we think we are hiding something so very well, ......that others see... so very ... clearly.
It isn't that we could not get a bigger ... or better mirror.
It's that we have become comfortable... with the false image.
It seems ... there are some things in our lives... that we would like ...to hide.
But it is those very things ...that we are hiding from ... or refuse to acknowledge ... that in time ...become sin ...to us.
They will keep us... from transforming ...into the image ...of Christ. (Long Pause)
Beloved ... There are other mirrors ... that can also ... deceive us.
Have you ever been to a house of mirrors ... at a fair ... or carnival?
I remember ... running around in the fun house ... looking into every ... warped mirror.
I would make all kinds of different poses.
And stick my tongue out ... and watch it get so long ... that it seemed like ... it touched the floor.
Have you been there ... have you done that?
Some of the mirrors ... make you look like ...you are much taller .... than you really are. (Pause)
Have you every let your image be warped ...into thinking you are taller ... that you are better ...than someone else.
I have.
Maybe you placed yourself on a little pedestal ... and were looking down on others.
Often times, ... we do not even know ... that we are looking into this mirror.
We just ignore certain people ... around us.
Knowingly or unknowingly ... We become like the Priest and the Levite ... in the story ... of the Good Samaritan. (Luke 10:25-37)
In our case ... we might walk by the poor, ... the sick, ... those that are different then we are, ... the neighbor down the street ... the homeless.
The apostle Paul ... must have known some people like that ... in the early church.
He shares these words from his epistle to the Believers gathered in Rome:
Hear God's Word: BIBLE "For through the grace given to me, ... I say to every man among you, ... not to think more highly of himself ... than he ought to think..." END (Romans 12:3) (Pause)
On the opposite side ... there are those ... who look into a warped mirror ... and see an image of themselves; ... that is much smaller ... much shorter ... than it truly is.
People who look into this mirror ... often believe ... that they can never be special.
To them, ... every silver lining ... has a dark cloud.
They have difficulty trusting God ... or believing God ... for anything.
They have listened to their flesh ... or the devil ... whispering in their ear for so long ... that now they cannot hear ... anything else ... only the lies.
They only hear the voice that says, "You can't do that", ... "you will never build that", ... "who do you think you are"?
They see themselves as failures ... and are paralyzed in fear.
Oh, sure ... I have looked into this mirror also.
Sometimes we look through this mirror ... when we are stressed, ... depressed ... or wondering why God ... would ever use a sinner ... like me.
Most of the time, ... we get this point of view ... because we are not "eating" enough ... spiritual food.
We would not think of starving our bodies from food ... yet we often times ... starve our spirit.
We need to feed our spirits ... with God's Word ... and to spend time with him.
To have an intimate relationship ... with Him.
We need to quit looking into ... warped mirrors.
We need to see ourselves ...the way God sees us.
Remember the words spoken at Creation: "Then God said let Us make man in Our image according to Our likeness..." (Genesis 1:27)
Now if we are made in the image and likeness of God, ... why should we ever think .... that we are going to be a failure? (Pause)
Paul in his first letter to the believers gathered in Corinth ... also spoke of ... looking at our image ... in a mirror.
Hear God's Word: ... BIBLE "When I was a child, ... I spoke as a child, ... I understood as a child, ... I thought as a child; ... but when I became a man, ... I put away childish things. For now, we see in a mirror, dimly, ... but then face to face. ... Now I know in part, ... but then ... I shall know just as I also ... am known." END (1 Corinthians 13:11-12)
Now, Ancient mirrors, ... which were manufactured in the great city of Corinth, ... were made of metal ... and gave a very dim reflection.
Thus, Paul's words ... "Now we see in a mirror, dimly". (1 Corinthians 13:12)
This is an illustration ... of our imperfect knowledge ... on this side of eternity.
Now, ... when we cross over to the other side of eternity ... when we are in heaven, .... we will know all things ... knowledge will be full ... it will be complete.
But ... on this side of eternity ... it is dim ... it is imperfect.
Have you ever seen your reflection ... in a metal spoon?
I hope ... I'm not the only one ... who has ever done that.
The reflection in the metal spoon ... is a strange image ... isn't it?
It is dim.... It is imperfect.
Mirrors in Paul's time were metal ... and you could not see a very accurate reflection of yourself, ... it was much like looking ... into a metal spoon.
But in today's age, ... we have mirrors .... that visibly displays .... what we really look like.
You can clearly see yourself ... your image.
Yet this too ... is not the mirror ... we should be looking into.
We need to look into the perfect mirror ... of God's Word ... and gain spiritual power ... (Pick up the Bible) from these Holy Words.
The only perfect mirror ... is the Word of God, ... the Holy Scriptures.
And ...The only perfect image ... is ...Jesus. (Pause)
Beloved ... We need to look into the mirror of God's Word.
We need to examine ourselves ... and ask the question:
Am I being ... all that God ... has called me ... to be?
Am I allowing the Him ... to mold me?
Jesus is the light of the world. (John 8:12)
And he will bring that dim image ... that warped image that you are seeing ... into focus.
Jesus has the power ... to change ... "The Person in the Mirror"!
Jesus has the power to ... transform you.
Do not be cheap.
Do not cheapen your relationship ... with Jesus.
For He has the desire ... too infill you ... with His light ... and with His glory!
Beloved we are called to be ... the reflection of Jesus ... and yield to ... his transforming love.
You are ... a new creation .... A new Creation in Christ Jesus.
Be filled to the brim ... Be filled to overflowing ...with life.
Live to Love ... and Love to live.
And Beloved be assured.
That Those who are in Christ Jesus ... those who bear his image ... will be taken ... will be taken ...from Glory ... to Glory.
Amen & Amen
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