Skip to main content

A Scary Mask



  I bet you might have a few people at your door tomorrow in a scary mask. Normally we put on a mask to scare someone not to stop them from being scared but the Bible tells us of a time when that norm was reversed.

  In Exodus 34, we read that when Moses would come down from Sinai his face would literally shine after being in the presence of God. This made everyone fearful. So, Moses made a habit of putting on a mask or veil to cover up when he was with them. They saw Moses but not fully.

  Paul uses this historical quirk to explain the response of some Jews to the gospel in 2nd Corinthians 3:13-18. The veil was a temporary measure but they became so used to it that they thought it was the norm. Because of that distraction, they were not seeing fully what they should be.

 People today put on masks. Not just on Halloween, they put on a mask because they are afraid of revealing who they truly are. We downplay our faith, we blend into the world, and we cover the truth to not upset the crowd.  That is a problem.  In not revealing ourselves, we are not allowing the glory of God to shine thru. The world is not seeing the glory of God in us because we are covering it over.

And that is scary.

 Because we may be the only glimpse of Christ they may ever see. That is why we are told to let our light shine, not to get people to look at us but to glorify God (Matthew 5:16).

 So, make sure not to hide what you should be proclaiming. 

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Mysterious Ways

    William Cowper didn’t see any reason to live.   He decided that he’d jump off the bridge over the Thames. So, he called a cab to take him there.   But that night in 1763, a thick fog enveloped London. It was so thick the cab driver couldn’t find the bridge and couldn’t even find the way to take William home. In frustration, he ordered the driver to stop and get out to get his bearings. He walked up to the nearest house to read the number and it was William's house. Gone now were William’s thoughts of suicide and instead a new idea came into his head. So, he went in and wrote these words: God moves in mysterious ways His wonders to perform. He plants his footsteps in the sea And rides upon the storm.  You fearful saints, fresh courage take; The clouds you so much dread Are big with mercy and shall break In blessings on your head.     I sometimes wish we could see all the ways God watches over us when need it. There are...

The Gift You Give Yourself

    I always hated buying gifts for my Mom. If I got her something like a new set of pans, it was like saying “Here’s something you can use to go make me something to eat”. A gift for her was seemingly a gift for me.   There are however gifts you give that benefit you more than the receiver. For example, forgiveness. When you give it, you are giving it to yourself as much as you are giving it to them. Jesus said that when we forgive others it means God is forgiving us our wrongs (Matthew 6:14-15).  I once read: “ Heaven is where everyone's forgiven. Hell is where nobody's forgiven.  So, when we forgive we pull heaven down into our lives.  When we withhold forgiveness, we pull hell up into our lives ” Give yourself something nice today, Forgive.

Canned Faith

  As Dale Jenkins wrote: “Faith is a little like paint. As long as it’s in the can, it isn't much. Left in the can long enough a gallon of paint will ruin. Faith left unpracticed and unexercised will too….  You can’t just talk about faith.  To be effective, you must be living it out. So take the paint out of the can and start painting.”   The Bible says in James 2:18,”  But someone may well say, "You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works . " Faith is something that only works when it is used. If our faith doesn’t do anything, is it really there at all?   Truly “ living by faith ” isn’t just a proclamation we make but one we live in how we walk and talk, how we live and interact, and what we say but also what we do.  Is our faith canned? Is it something we have if we go looking for it? Or is it something that is being used daily in our lives?   Does your faith color eve...