Thirsty Thursdays: Ain't Nothing Like The Real Thing

Have you ever had or seen someone wearing costume jewelry? It may have looked real, for a moment it may have sparkled and shined like the real thing, but eventually the truth came out. It got dull their neck, wrist or finger (where ever the jewelry was) became umm a bit GREEN.  How about tofu? They can make it look like chicken, say it is supposed to taste like chicken but when you take that spoonful of chicken tofu and broccoli you are rudely awakened and disappointed because it taste nothing like chicken. In todays reading we see that there is only One True God, everything else is a fake and a sad disappointment.

In Acts 19, we once again read about the magnificent power of God. “11 God did extraordinary miracles though Paul, 12 so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them.” God was able to use Paul to heal the sick and cast out spirits. Even handkerchiefs and aprons that merely touched his skin were used to heal the sick. That is the real deal, TRUE POWER. Similar to fake jewelry that will turn your skin green the seven sons of Sceva (a Jewish chief priest) were imitators they went around attempting to drive out evil spirits and use Jesus name without having the power of God. “15 one day the evil spirit answered them, ‘Jesus I know, Paul I know about, but who are you?’ 16 Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding.” Cubic zirconium may imitate a real diamond it may shine and sparkle for a little while but when tested the true nature will be revealed. Many of those who said they believed in Jesus were good impostures however, when tested confessed they had practiced sorcery.

In Judges chapter 10, the Israelites began messing with the fake stuff and had to learn their lesson the hard way. “They served the Baals and the Ashtoreths, and the gods of Aram, the gods of Sidon, the gods of Moab, the gods of the Ammonites and the gods of the Philistines. And because the Israelites forsook the Lord and no longer served him, 7 he became angry with them.” For the next 18 years the Israelites were oppressed, they were in great distress. When the Israelites cried out to the Lord for help he replied,  “…you have forsaken me and served other gods, so I will no longer save you. 14 Go and cry out to the gods you have chosen. Let them save you when you are in trouble”.  The Israelites realizing that the other gods in which they were serving could do nothing for them began to plead for the Lord to rescue them. They got rid of the foreign gods and served the Lord once again.

There is only ONE TRUE GOD. Only one almighty, all loving, all-powerful, wonderful and magnificent God. The alpha and omega, he and he alone is deserving of our praise and worship. We must not put anything above him. We must not praise or worship any other, for there is no other god. No other entity can do what the one true God can do. He has no limit, there is nothing he cannot do, no miracle he cannot perform. He is our hope, our joy, our strength and our salvation. Ain’t nothing like the real thing.

Stay Thirsty My Friends

Thirsty Thursdays: Ron