Wendy Speake came to our church as a guest speaker Saturday April 13th to encourage the ladies that heeded the invitation to Turn and Return to the only One who could satisfy their hunger, namely Jesus.
From this event, many of us have decided to do The 40-Day Feast to taste and see the goodness of God’s Word for ourselves. When we made this decision, we knew as we read each day’s entry we would picture Wendy standing on stage sharing her story and more importantly the impact of God’s story on her life. What we didn’t know was Wendy’s mother would die unexpectedly the very next day. She is currently on a social media fast but has broken it twice to post briefly on Instagram. This was shocking to those of us who had encountered her that weekend as a new friend and delighted in her as a true Sister. Our hearts are grieved with her and we lift her before our Heavenly Father’s Throne of Grace asking for comfort and peace that passes understanding. I have no doubt these prayers will continue the 40 days of the Feast and beyond.
I had already contemplated writing about what stood out to me as I was Feasting and now I feel more compelled to do so as the Holy Spirit keeps her fresh on my heart.
The Word is The Complete Message
As I have been Feasting, what has stood out to me the most in the first week? Is it Corrie Ten Boom’s quote and the love for the Torah? Or maybe Henry Allen Ironside’s courageous response to an agnostic detailing the transforming power of God’s Word? I have definitely been impacted by the possibility of those reading the Bible but missing the Gospel. All of these are so good, but it was Day 7 that kept me captivated by its message this week.
On Day 7, Wendy introduces us to The Complete Message. John 1:1-5 proclaims the eternal Jesus as The Word, which in Greek means the complete message. He not only was with God, He was God from the beginning and beyond. From Genesis 1:1, God the Father carried out creation in the beginning through His Son. Nothing in the universe was created without Him. In Him was life and this Life was the Light of men. This Light shone in the darkness and some believed, but many chose to stay in the dark.
Wendy says it like this, “God put flesh on His message and then sent it to us in the form of a Messenger so that we might hear the message, see the message, touch the message, and receive the complete message. Ultimately, there is nothing more important to God than us getting this message.”
The Message is also the Messenger
In order for us to see the completed message, The Word left heaven, took on flesh in the humblest of ways, and chose to dwell and live among us where we could behold His Glory, Glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of Grace and Truth. When the Son of Man was fully grown, He shared The Complete Message He was born to bring. He used The Word that He is when He was tempted by satan so He would know our struggles as our compassionate High Priest. Then at the right time, He died so that you and I could partake of this Message. The Complete Message was not completely Complete until after three days when He rose again from the grave, thereby conquering death so that we could have eternal life. This world is not our home, we are just passing through.
Some reject The Messenger
I uncover the message as I spend time with the Messenger. But some will read the Message and reject the Messenger. I recently spoke with an older woman who had lived a hard life and was completely estranged from her family. She could tell me a lot of facts about the Bible and how there would come a day when God sets all things right. She said she believed Jesus was the Son of God, but refused to believe He was God. At the time, the Lord brought John 10:9 to mind. Jesus is The Door. This was the verse God used to ultimately open Nicholas’s blind eyes to the Truth that the only way to enter God’s Kingdom is through The Door. I could tell when she heard these words from The Word she was considering them. Her eyes opened as if she was receiving some illumination, but she chose not to make a decision that day. If God gives me the opportunity to speak with her again, I pray He will open her eyes completely to see Jesus as not only the Son of God but as God, The Complete Message.
The Word Became Flesh
1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life,[a] and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son[a] from the Father, full of grace and truth.
