Happy Thanksgiving!
Do you know what year the first black and white film came out? According to my Google search it was 1888! What was the year of the first color film? The generally accepted answer to the first film shot in color was “Cupid Angling” made in 1918. You can see that the answer to the second question is not exactly “black and white.”
Are you a black and white thinker? As human beings we have a strong need to categorize everything; this is not a fault but an asset. Without our ability to take isolated instances, gather them together in groups, and generalize, we would not have math, language, or even the ability for coherent thought. Without an ability to generalize from the specific to the abstract, you would not be able to read and understand this right now. Nevertheless, as much of a vital asset as it is, it can be taken too far as we all well know.
We continue this Sunday in John 8 and Jesus is going to make claims and state things in “black and white!” For example:
“Then, Jesus again spoke to them, saying, “I am the Light of the World; the one who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.” John 8:12
“Therefore, I said to you that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins” John 8:24
Jesus is or He is not, “The Light of the World.” Jesus states that belief in His identity as the Messiah is what determines everyone’s eternal destiny. There are not many ways, many doors, many truths – thus no gray areas. The teachings of Jesus are not very palatable today. I encourage you to meditate on John 8:12-30 before Sunday. The fact that you and I will die is not in question, but what is in question is whether we die “in our sins?”
I trust that you will have a joyful Thanksgiving. Also, a reminder that Sunday afternoon at 2 pm we will have a celebration of the life of Anna Aseltine. Anna believed with all her heart all the teachings of her Savior and Lord. She was a woman of prayer and of the Word!
Thankful for Jesus,
Glen
P.S. Members of Valley Church’s Young Adult Ministry Group will be leading us in worship.