ISN’T IT OBVIOUS

We have had an ice cream freezer since the day of our wedding.  I think we received three.  They all worked for a bit, but each eventually made cold milk instead of ice cream.  A White Mountain was purchased and, sadly, after 30+ years, it has worn out.  I do mean worn out!  Parts that began as square were now worn into a circle.  It was time to purchase a new one. 

First, who could have imagined the price of a wooden bucket, a can and paddle, and motor would increase so much! The new freezer will still be working — or it better be — when I am looking down and watching the grandkids figure out who gets possession of the freezer.  (Inside story for the grandkids: This canister does not have a hole in it and the ice cream will not taste like salt.)

Second, there was an owner’s manual and recipe guide included.  We have not laughed so hard in a long time.  Please remember this is an electric ice cream freezer and does not have an on/off switch.  Some of the instructions and warnings:

·       To protect against electrical shock, do not immerse cord, plugs, or appliance base in water or other liquid.

·       Do not place on or near a hot gas or electric burner, or in a heated oven.

·       Unplug from outlet when not in use or before cleaning or storing.  (This was mentioned twice.)

·       To disconnect, remove plug from wall outlet.

·       Avoid contact with moving parts.

And to cover all the bases:

·       Heavy-duty Hand Crank (sold separately) — No cords or batteries needed.

But I am still curious:

• Did someone put the ice cream freezer in a heated oven?
• Did someone clean it and store it with it plugged in?
• Did the lawyer keep a straight face when he told the committee on safety, “You better point out that the ‘hand crank’ does not plug in and does not run on batteries.”?

I want to know why we have to point out the obvious.  How do people not know?

THE OBVIOUS — GOD THE CREATOR

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Genesis 1:1

Everywhere I turn, I see God.  He is in the wind.  He is in the peace and he is in the struggle.  God created the wood our home is built of.  He created the water we drink.  He created sound and color.  Oh how dull our world would be without color.  He gave us wisdom so we could use his creation to develop electricity and medicine and toothpaste and ink.  Without ink we could not write letters. (The mail carrier’s union would never allow them to deliver chiseled pieces of rock.)  I see God in every baby!

I want to know why we have to point out the obvious.  How can people look around and not know there is a God who created all this?

THE NOT SO OBVIOUS – JESUS, THE SON OF GOD

This is how God showed his love among us:  He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.  This is love:  not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.  1 John 49-10

Jesus – not so obvious.  No one alive today saw him born, heard him teach, saw him heal, or saw him crucified.  No on alive today saw him go to be with his Father.  Jesus – not so obvious.

I know!  We can pass out Bibles.  We can tell each person it is a safety manual for their lives.  We can point out the highlights.  We can tell them the Bible connects them with God and Jesus just like an extension cord connects the ice cream freezer to the source of energy.  We can tell them, “Here.  Read this and you will be saved.” 

Fun facts:

• Every day over 168,000 Bibles are sold or given away
• 20 million Bibles are sold each year in the USA
• 66,000 are using the Bible app at any given second
• Isaiah 53:5 is the most shared verse on social media

Well bless my soul!  With all that why isn’t Jesus obvious?  With all those Bibles, printed and on devices, why hasn’t everyone read the Bible?  How hard can that be?

But, the Bible, which apparently can be read in 70 hours, contains …

• 66 books
• 1,189 chapters
• 31,102 verses
• 783,137 words
• 3,116,480 letters

How hard can it be?  Apparently, pretty hard.  Many of those Bibles are never opened.  Many give up on reading it.  Many stop because they do not understand.  Sadly, many do not have the freedom to read the Bible.

So how are we to make Jesus obvious?

WE LOVE OTHERS

Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.  No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.  1 John 4:11-12

WE TELL OTHERS

Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.  And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” 

Matthew 28:18-20

WE ALLOW OTHERS TO SEE CHRIST THROUGH OUR ACTIONS

“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?  When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you?  When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ 

“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me’

Matthew 25:37-40

How does your life make Jesus obvious to others?

Or does it?