| <!-- @page { margin: 0.79in } P { | | | | Both of these two accounts are examples of |
| margin-bottom: 0.08in } --> | | | | touching Spiritual Reality. As Paul stated in I |
| | | | | Corinthians 13:12, "Now we are looking into a |
| My Dad and I really enjoyed going fishing | | | | mirror that gives only a dim (blurred) reflection, |
| together. On one of our trips, he looked at me | | | | but then when perfection is come, we shall see in |
| and said, "John, God is as real to me as you are." | | | | reality and face to face." (Amplified Translation) |
| That statement has stayed with me these forty | | | | Because we "are being made into the image of |
| years since he made it. | | | | The Lord Jesus Christ." (Romans 8: 29), we can |
| | | | | have confidence that as we become more like |
| SPIRITUAL REALITY | | | | Him, we will take on His attributes. |
| He once told the story of an elderly Pastor who | | | | In the past, the inference has been made that we |
| went to a mountain cabin to spend forty days | | | | will stay sinful and unable to live righteously here |
| fasting and praying. Before they left, the two | | | | on earth. Then, when we entered heaven, there |
| men who had driven the pastor to the cabin, | | | | would be a complete change and God would be |
| made arrangements to return in forty days to | | | | happy with what we had done because He knew |
| pick him up. | | | | that we couldn't help but sin a little every day. |
| Forty days later, the two men were returning to | | | | Oh, we wouldn't do the major sins, just the little |
| pick up their friend. Because they had no idea in | | | | ones like gossiping and telling "white lies". |
| what kind of shape they might find him, they had | | | | CLEAN OFF THE MIRROR |
| not only food supplies but also medical supplies as | | | | That attitude is what has been causing the mirror |
| well. Parking the jeep outside the cabin, they | | | | to "be blurred". In the Book of Phillipians, we are |
| approached the front door rather hesitantly. | | | | told to think, and by inference, be like Jesus. |
| Suddenly, as one of them reached for the door, | | | | Touching spiritual reality occurs when we view |
| they heard a loud whoop from within. | | | | and respond to situations just as Jesus did while |
| Opening the door, the two amazed men found | | | | He was here on earth. Dear friend, not only is it |
| their friend with his hands raised, walking around | | | | possible to live in spiritual reality, but this is what |
| the small cabin praising God! | | | | we have been commanded to do! |