James 5:16 6/29/2021*

“Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.”

We don’t confess our sin to each other very often.  Because that would infringe on our national pastime of presenting a perfect self-image to the world. 

 
We use “filtered” photographs, staged activities, and blatant lies to present a deceptive picture of who we are…. 

Why would we ruin all that by telling someone the truth?

 
We might “humble brag” by confessing a struggle with pride or self-discipline.  But our propensity to tell the truth diminishes as the sin gets less socially acceptable.

Pornography, alcohol abuse, and drug addictions are less likely to be shared and the probability lessens as we get into sexual deviance, theft, and acts society deems as “darker” sins.…. We not only don’t confess these… we deny them.

  
This obsession with hiding our flaws and fighting our addictions by ourselves is the enemy’s greatest tool.  Our insistence on handling problems alone makes us vulnerable like an antelope that has wandered away from the herd. 

We hide our sin in the dark and put up a façade…. but sin flourishes in the dark, so God tells us to drag it out into the light.

  
Your first step is to find some loyal brothers and come clean about your struggle, then together you devise a plan to eliminate this sin from your life. 

The unmentionable wickedness that has paralyzed you for so long is a paper tiger… and if you will stop trying to be The Lone Ranger - stop hiding in the shadows - and reach out to some friends … its lack of power will become evident.

That does not mean to post it on Facebook or shout it in the streets.  It means to find some buddies you trust – tell them you need help and get their commitment to hold you accountable and to pray for you …. Resolve to remove this sin from your life whatever it costs …and according to God, the prayers of your friends will “accomplish much”.

  
Life is not an individual activity…it is a team sport, and we must have each other’s back…Be courageous enough to tell the truth, and watch the truth set you free. 

“The confession of evil works is the first beginning of good works.” - Saint Augustine

PSALM 23:1 6/22/2021*

 “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.”

This Psalm begins with a massive truth - and then immediately inserts what should be the result of that truth.
 
The Shepherds in David’s day lived with their sheep. And unlike western Shepherds, they did not drive them - they led them. The sheep recognized their Shepherd and followed him wherever he went. In times of danger, they would move toward their protector.
 
Does that describe your relationship with the Lord? 
 
It seems at times I run to God only after I have run everywhere else.  I turn to Him after I have tried to fight the wolves on my own. Then after struggling - I come bruised and bloodied to Jesus so He can rescue me.

Sheep are not the brightest animals in the pasture, but at least they know what to do when they are threatened. It would seem useful for me to learn that principle myself.
 
The second phrase, “I shall not want”  means I will have all I need - but the wording also illuminates another important message for me.  
 
Not only will I not be in need - but If the Lord is my Shepherd - I should not want anything more than I have. I should understand that He knows what I need - and He knows what I don’t need. I ought to trust in what I am given and what I am denied with equal enthusiasm.  In other words, I should practice contentment.
 
How about you? ...When you wake up in the morning would you describe your mood as content? Or would you use words like anxious, worried, or exhausted? Those are words used to describe Sheep with no Shepherd. Those are words that describe someone fighting their own battles.
 
A lamb is safest when he is close to the shepherd.  Do you trust Jesus as your Shepherd? Do you move close to Him when you are threatened and rest comfortably in His protection…or do you “want”? 
 
Practice relaxation and contentment today…He has given you what you need.

Even though the wolves prowl nearby - if you stay close to The Shepherd, all they can do is growl - Because He that is in you, is greater than He that is in the world.
 
“Safety comes in our nearness to God, not in our distance from our enemies.” ― Dillon Burroughs
 
 
 

Numbers 12: 1-3 6/15/2021*

 Miriam and Aaron began to talk against Moses because of his Cushite wife, for he had married a Cushite. “Has the Lord spoken only through Moses?” they asked. “Hasn’t he also spoken through us?” And the Lord heard this.…. At once the Lord said to Moses, Aaron and Miriam, “Come out to the tent of meeting, all three of you.”

This may be the first recorded “trip to the woodshed” in biblical history.

Miriam and Aaron didn’t agree with some life choices Moses had made so they spoke out against God’s chosen leader.  The part of the passage that gets my attention is … “the Lord heard this”. 

That should be enough reading for the day. That should stop us in our tracks and give us something to think about.

At times I say things about God’s children that are not uplifting… this is usually done to elevate myself….and the problem is, the Lord hears it.

Miriam and Aaron started belittling Moses and God’s immediate response was “the four of us are going to have a discussion”.  I bet that was a long walk out to the tent for Aaron and Miriam. 

I remember in High School my typing teacher sent a message to my coach asking him to visit with me and my buddies at practice about being quieter in class…Coach sent back a message instructing her to have us come see him immediately…. that was a long walk as well.

I am aware that my kids aren’t perfect…but I would not respond well to someone degrading them - and it would be downright dangerous to demean them to their mother.

God is like that.  His servants aren’t perfect, but you should be careful if you plan to ridicule a child of God in public…because this scripture says God hears that…and He is partial to His kids.

Decide this morning to only say things that are “helpful for building others up according to their needs”.  If you do this, you will strengthen others - and avoid future long walks out to the woodshed with the Father.

"Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around."
- Leo Buscaglia

Malachi 4: 2-3 6/8/2021*

 ^“But for you who fear My name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings; and you will go forth and frolic like calves from the stall.” 
 
After the “Snow Apocalypse” last February – When the sun reemerged, I sat outside and let it warm me. The stress from the cold nights without water or power melted away and the warmth brought joy and energy because it signaled the end of the blizzard.
 
I believe it will be that way after the apocalypse of living a lifetime in this frozen world with its pain and disappointment …When I get to Heaven, the Son will warm my soul and bring it back to life. The stress will melt away and be replaced with the soothing Love of God.
 
That expectation is not a fictional concept designed to appease me – it is a trusted fact that my life is built upon - It is a game changer. This deliverance is the promise I count on.  It is my true North, and everything I do should be congruent with that calling. Time spent resting in the love of my Father is a beneficial habit that brings joy in this life - and it will be the glory of the next one.
 
However, some who are caught in this storm are not aware that there is a way out…they wander through life with no hope or direction.  Each day is just one escape after another – never knowing what they are pursuing. 
 
But that is not what we were created for...
 
It is true that in this world… we will endure trials and tribulations as Christ did - But we are not lost, or alone. We have a purpose and a promise. God walks with us, and He has given us His Word as a compass. We must use it to set our path out of the blizzard… and show others how to use the compass to help them find the healing warmth of the Son.
 
The Joy of the Lord is your strength (Nehemiah 8:10) and that joy comes when you realize that this cold world is not your home - you are just passing through… Resting in the warmth of God’s glory is your final destination.
 
“Aim at heaven and you will get earth thrown in. Aim at earth and you get neither.”  -  C. S. Lewis
 
 

2 Kings 22:12-13 6/1/2021*

"…When the king heard the words of the Book of the Law, he tore his robes…. Great is the Lord’s anger that burns against us because those who have gone before us have not obeyed the words of this book…”

The law is not soothing. The words of this book expose our sin and lead us to Christ. 

But our tendency is to downplay sin…we prefer to say we made a “mistake” or “slipped up” …. Instead of meeting our rebellion head on, we compartmentalize our sins and as long as they don’t fall outside our acceptable circle, we are content to believe that we “aren’t that bad”.

But that is not how God sees sin. God sees it as a grave violation of His holiness and the reason for the agonizing death of His only begotten Son.

We need to respond like King Josiah. Sin should produce remorse that ruins us.  We need confession and repentance - not minimization and denial. Sin is catastrophic.  The word itself should taste bad leaving your mouth.

Not owning the fact that we need forgiveness is the stumbling block many of us trip over…. When I was a coach, there were parents who could not accept that their kids were sinners. 

They would say “deep down he is a good kid” …. No, he is not …and neither are we…. In our DNA is a destructive, self-centered disease that we are born with – It is an affront to God and causes His anger to burn toward us. It must be destroyed.

There is only one therapy that will eliminate it and that is the complete submersion in the blood of Christ.

Christianity is not a sweet story intended to give you a warm feeling inside…. It is a narrative of redemption and rescue. It is a story of deliverance from a toxic, deadly virus at an unmentionable price.

The bible is extreme about sin and grace. And I must be an extremist in these areas also. If you are to understand the depth and width of the love of God – you must first grasp the horror and depravity of your sin. And your response should be like King Josiah’s… “tear your robe”, confess, and commit to repentance and change.

“Self-centered indulgence, pride and a lack of shame over sin are now emblems of the American lifestyle.” -  Billy Graham