Masterpiece

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Masterpiece

Andrew Stevens

June 16, 2020 • Lori Z. Scott • Jeremiah 17:9, Romans 3:10–18, Romans 3:23–26

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Jarrod clung to his steed, spurring it faster. Dust thrown by thundering hooves swarmed behind him.

His pursuers closed in. Hair on the back of Jarrod’s neck stood on end. He breathed frantic gasps, gagged on raw fear.

“Bravo!” Jarrod said, pulling off the virtual reality headset and then carefully removing the fiber-optic gloves.

“It’s perfect,” he said to the vendor, Reuben.

“You were pleased with the Remington?”

“I was. Does it work on all the paintings in the gallery?”

Reuben nodded. “It allows the viewer to experience the very heart of the creation.”

With greedy eyes, Jarrod studied the masterpiece. It now seemed strangely dull and lifeless. But paired with this new technology...

Introducing it to museums would make him the envy of the art world.

. . .

“Imagine delighting in Mona Lisa’s smile, indulging in the tranquility of Monet,” Reuben said, “or exploring Picasso...”

“I’ll pass on Picasso, thank you,” Jarrod said with a chuckle. “Too surreal.”

“Quite so,” Reuben agreed. “Shall we finish viewing the Western collection?”

In response, Jarrod pulled the equipment back on. It felt disorienting at first, but he soon became accustomed to the swirl of color and sound. Familiar masterpieces blossomed to life as he strolled, one heart-pounding image bleeding into the next. And then...

The stench of rotting flesh slammed Jarrod. A horror of a man dressed in filthy rags swallowed his vision. Malice bore into Jarrod’s mind like a thousand stinging maggots. Terror knocked him to his knees.

Screaming, he ripped the headset off his head, yanking away the horror in a flash. Reuben crouched beside him. “Sir, are you okay?”

Bile rose in Jarrod’s throat. “That artwork... it must be removed.”

The room grew painfully quiet. Finally, Reuben said, “I’m afraid you are confused. There is no portrait on this wall.”

“What?” Jarrod asked. Legs trembling, he stood. An arrogantly handsome face stared back at him.

Reuben was correct. No artwork adorned the wall.

Only a mirror. • Lori Z. Scott

• When he looked in the mirror, Jarrod saw the essence of himself. What was he really seeing? How does that relate to you? See Isaiah 64:3-8.

• Read Jeremiah 17:9, Ezekiel 36:26-27, and Ephesians 2:1-10. If our hearts are sick with sin, who is the One who can make them new?

• What does it mean to be made new by Jesus? To learn more, check out our "Know Jesus" page.

The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is? Jeremiah 17:9 (NLT)

Everything Points to Jesus

June 30, 2020 • Christiana Cudworth • Matthew 5:17–19, John 5:39–47

Have you ever heard that “everything in the Bible points to Jesus”? That seems kind of weird, doesn’t it? How can it be all about Someone who isn’t even named until the last quarter of the book? . True, the Old Testament is sprinkled with prophecies about the Messiah: it’s easy enough to link those to Christ. But there’s still a lot that seems irrelevant. Chapters and chapters are filled with the story of the nation of Israel. What does that have to do with Jesus? . When we start into the New Testament, Matthew summarizes Jesus’ ancestry. Right off, we see several of the “big names” from the Old Testament—Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Ruth, Jesse, David, Solomon, Hezekiah, etc. And that’s our first link! . But then, after the Christmas story, we get into the life of Christ, with His escape to Egypt, return to Israel, baptism, and temptation in the desert. It looks like we’ve left the Old Testament far behind. . But wait! Where have we seen Egypt before? Way back in Genesis, Israel escaped to Egypt until Moses led them on the Exodus. And then what? They spent forty years in the desert as the children grew up. They gave into temptation, worshiping other gods and complaining. . And Jesus? After escaping to Egypt, He returned, grew up, and spent forty days in the desert. Coincidence? Maybe not. When the devil tempted Him, every answer Jesus gave came straight from the book of Deuteronomy. The two Egypt stories link with an Old Testament prophet’s words: “I called my son out of Egypt” (Hosea 11:1). . Israel was formed by God to be His representative on Earth, to bless all the people of the world. When they abandoned Him, God sent Jesus — a flawless representative, who succeeded where Israel had failed. It’s one story, culminating in Christ, of God revealing His love to all the world! • Christiana Cudworth . • The Bible was written by a lot of different people, in a lot of different times and places. Why do you suppose it all fits together? . • What other examples from the Old Testament can you think of that Jesus mirrored or fulfilled? (Check out Genesis 22 and Job 19:25-27, just to name a couple.) . You search the Scriptures because you think they give you eternal life. But the Scriptures point to me [Jesus]! John 5:39 (NLT)

What's Next?

June 29, 2020 • Kristi Dennis • Philippians 4:11–13

What’s next?” The ever-present question, heard every time you change schools, pick classes, or choose what happens after high school. . When I’m asked this question, I sometimes think it means I’m not good enough: "I haven’t 'arrived' at where they think I should be. I don’t know 'what’s next'! I was enjoying high school, but now I’m fixated on what comes after this." . I find myself becoming discontent, no longer happy where I am. I start comparing myself to other people. They have so many things I don’t have. A nice car. A significant other. A cat. A dog. A plan! . As I reflect on what others are doing, I get so focused on things I might do in the future that I lose sight of what God is doing in me right now. . When the apostle Paul was in prison, I’m sure he would sometimes look around and think of all the other things he could have been doing rather than sitting in a cell. In Philippians 4, after having been in chains for quite some time, he says he has “learned to be content whatever the circumstances” (verse 11). . That doesn’t mean he wasn’t thinking about what could happen if he were released from prison, but it didn’t consume him. Paul was excited about the possibilities, but he was also content where he was. . Notice Paul says he had to learn contentment (verses 11-12). It wasn’t like flipping a switch and everything was suddenly sunshine and roses. No, learning contentment was a process. . The Holy Spirit worked in Paul all along. In Christ, Paul was able to rest in peace and joy, equipped to do the work God put before him... and even to dream about where God would call Him next. • Kristi Dennis . • Have you ever been asked about what’s next in your future? . • Read Proverbs 3:5-6. How does it encourage you to know God is the One who can direct your steps? . I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. Philippians 4:12 (NIV)

The Fall of the Empire

June 28, 2020 • Kevin Zeller • Revelation 18:2–10

One Man defeated the evil empire. . The empire ruled the entire world for centuries, millennia. All humanity succumbed to it. All lands felt its iron grip. . The empire ruled with hate and vitriol. With domination and rebellion. With use and manipulation. With lies and deceit. With death, pain, and fear. . Then it fell, beaten by the love of the new King. . Oh, the empire tried to ensnare Him in its workings, but He had no interest in conquering, in dealing, in grasping wealth. It swallowed Him up in death, and He spit it out in life. In love, He broke the cycle of human violence. . The foundations of the empire were shattered when, in love, He died... but then rose again. . Oh, the empire seems to be in full operation. Tyrants and slavers still conduct their business. The hungry masses still rage and plot. The Earth is still full of the bones of the murdered. . But so many have already defected to join the King. Millions of them now. They eagerly await the day when His kingdom of love comes in fullness, destroying the last feeble remnants of the empire. . The end will come quickly. Get out of the empire while you can, because soon there will be nothing left. Join the King, and His new kingdom. It will last forever—its people loved by their King and, thus, loving Him and each other. . The old empire will be scarcely remembered. • Kevin Zeller . • Throughout the Bible, the empire of Babylon is used as a name for the sinful system of the world. What ways do you see the empire in the news every day? . • How did Jesus destroy the empire of sin and death? (To learn more, check out our "Know Jesus" page.) . • How do Christians undermine the work of the empire? . They will stand at a distance, terrified by her great torment. They will cry out, “How terrible, how terrible for you, O Babylon, you great city! In a single moment God’s judgment came on you.” Revelation 18:10 (NLT)