Is My Sin Showing?

Sin is a big word. We all have sin in our lives, but it is not something we proudly display, most of the time. We think we hide our sins fairly well, but then someone calls us out on what they see, and we go scrambling to stuff them back under the covers, hoping it will all disappear.

I remember clearly at the time when my sin of ingratitude was pointed out to me. I was grumbling and unhappy with everything in my life. My very patient and loving husband took me to McDonalds and let me complain for a long while. Finally, he said to me, “Care, your problem is that you are ungrateful.” I was speechless. Of course, I wouldn’t have named my unhappiness in that way, but lying there in the deepest part of me was the ravenous monster called Thanklessness. Even though my sin was disguised by my blame game, it was showing. Patrick did the right thing by shining a light into my darkness. It was time to deal with that fiend once and for all.

We all are sinners. We all fall short of the mark. We all would like to hide those failings from others. But in all my years, I have to admit that though I think I am covering over my sin, it still shows. Like a child who closes his eyes or hides under a blanket, thinking we can’t see them, it still shows.

Yes, some sins are easier to hide than others, and we are more desperate to hide some sins than others, but all sins can be found out. Our only hope is to have them covered by the Blood of the Lamb.

Good Father, we see the world uncovering their sin without guilt or shame. We, too, sometimes excuse our sin as just a human condition that needs no fear of exposure. You see all of our sin. Yet, You love us so much that You will not let it stay hidden. You have made a way to remove it by Your Son’s blood. Thank You! Help us to open our hearts to Your plan and Your holiness. Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy on us!

"Knowledge hurts sometimes!" My granddaughter, Paige, exclaimed the one day.

Her outburst rang a bell with me. Facts discovered about sin in my life or someone else's can easily cause me to wince, step away, or weep. It seems the truth causes pain before it sets us free. Certainly not all truth reveals sin. Sometimes it is a discovery of beauty, grace, or love. It is the knowing of evil that hurts.

Adam and Eve were the first to know pain. The knowledge they acquired from disobedience became a life of pain, not only for them but for us as well. The scriptures tell us plainly that even God experiences pain from knowing our sin. He became a man so He could take our sin upon himself. He suffered with the knowledge of becoming sin for us.(2 Corinthians 5:21)

God also suffers in knowing our sin-filled lives. He is grieved because He knows how much sin hurts us. Knowledge hurts God sometimes, just as it does us. We have a Savior that truly understands.

Savior Lord, You know all and yet you remain good. You are the only One we can go to with the pain of our knowing. Forgive us our sins, Good Father! Thank You for knowing all and revealing truth.

Sin

A few weeks ago I was invited to join an online forum for spiritual writers. Because of who invited me I accepted the offer.

My first encounter with the group was a discussion, or I could say argument, about the homosexual issue. One side was defending all people to have the right to do as they pleased, and the other side spoke against the practice of same sex unions as sin. The statement that made me take note was that sin is what we ourselves decide to call sin.

I have tried my best to stay out of conversations such as these unless God nudges me or pushes hard for me to speak up for Him. At these times I want desperately to remember that God loves all sinners enough to go the full distance to bring them back into right relationship with Him.I want to lovingly speak the truth from God's word. I do not want to twist it, nor do I want to use it as a weapon for my own purposes. It is not an easy prospect.

My first thought was that sin is not determined by men (or women). It is against God first and affects people. Joseph, in Genesis 39:9, when Potiphar's wife approached him inappropriately, countered her by saying about his master, "He is not greater in this house than I am, nor has he kept back anything from me except yourself, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?" (ESV) It would seem the betrayal would be against Potiphar, but Joseph recognized that sin is against God.

We all know, deep down, what is right and what is wrong according to God. We often try to choose our own way, our own law to go by, but to do so is defiance against the Creator and Judge over us.

Sin. It is not ours to decide. Our legalization of any choices in which we want to engage, can never be okay as long as God says differently. From my understanding His word remains firm on sin. That is why He sent a Savior. We need Him!

Savior and Judge of all sin, You are Holy. You are Pure. You are Immutable. Forgive us our many sins, including those which we try to hide behind our legalizations. Thank You for making a way for us to be set free from the oppression of sin. Open our hearts to Your ways. Reveal the truth to us. Protect us from the deceiver and our own deceptive hearts. Free us!

Excuses

It must be a human condition to make excuses. I know of no one, myself included, that accepts responsibility for his/edher actions all the time. Even when we accept the blame, we can find a reason why we acted the way we did. People, circumstances, our health, how we were raised or just how God made us can all become excuses for our actions, good or bad.

Recently, the Spirit of God open my eyes to the excuses I make. The first was in response to a Sunday School question: Why do we not hunger for more of God? Even the question begged me to face the excuses I make for being hungry and thirsty for the things of this world more than for God. I can think of pretty good excuses for letting the world and its lies take the place of knowing, really knowing the heart of God. However, my excuses most often involve my pride, yet they bring nods from others, Chrisitans included. But what does God think of my excuses?

The second mirror held up to reveal my excuses was a question from the study we are doing in Potter's Wheel: Why do I procrastinate with my writing if God has called me to write? Again, the question brought me face to face with not an explanation that could be accepted, but an excuse revealed as sin.

My excuses almost always include a statement avowing that I do the right things. I guess the truth is that I am not perfect. I do let other things replace my total dependence and walk with the Lord. Having my excuses exposed is the first step to repentance.

I bow before You Lord God Almighty in humble repentance of my sin of hiding behind my excuses. You have said that nothing is impossible with You. Could You have meant that there really is no excuse for me for not seeing and knowing You more every day and obeying Your direction for my life? Thank You for opening my eyes. Expose my excuses, Lord and teach me the blessings of being honest with You, myself and others.

The Bad Guy

I have found myself in a simple, turned complex, conflict with a family member. I am confused and uncertain as to how to patch things up. No matter how hard I try, things get more tangled and stressful. "Oh what a tangled web we weave, when once we practice to deceive!" (Shakespeare?) It does not matter what other deception is taking place. My deception is in trying to hide the truth so that everything would blow over. Unfortunately the tangled web is tightening around me, and I have become the bad guy in all of it.

The one thing I know to be true is that I am willing to lay aside being right so that the relationship can be restored. It is so very hard to do that. It seems that every day I have to beat down the pride in my heart that rises up to say, "I am right!" I do not want to be the bad guy! I want to be right!

The more I pray about it though the more I hear The Holy Spirit guide me to put all that is right aside and let go of the matter. God will take care of it all in His time. I must admit that Jesus did the same for me. He became the "Bad Guy" (sin) for me. He took the weight of all my wrongs and let me go. Was it as hard for Him as it is for me? Maybe. But then, maybe not. He is perfect in love and I have so far to go. His love goes beyond my sin. My love, even for family, goes only as far as the love they give back.

Father in Heaven, forgive my lack of love for my family. Forgive me for not following Your example of sacrifice. You are Love and Forgiveness, and I have received it all from You. You are perfect Love. Thank You for being the "Bad Guy" for me. Help me to be the bad guy for my family and anyone else You call me to die for. Make my sacrifice a testament to YOU and only You. Bring my loved ones and myself closer to You in the process. I trust in You and Your word that promises life to those who will not cling to life. Help me be strong for You.

Taking a Stand

It is not often that I speak up about where I stand. I don't need to because it seems I can be read by most people when I feel strongly about something. In leadership, however, there comes a time when it is mandatory to make a statement that clarifies my position. I am standing in one of those places now.

My position is to stand firmly on God's word without giving in to popular opinion or the fear of hurting someones feelings. The issue is complicated. Though I might not reveal the issue here today, I can assure you that I have prayed, studied, and weighed the issue for a long time. I do not claim to have a definitive answer, but I remain firm in believing God's word on the subject.

My spirit is solid. My feelings are tender. The conflict is in knowing my steeled stance will hurt someone I care about. My hope is that the pain will be the catalyst that will turn them to Christ and the Truth.

Those affected by my taking a stand will undoubtedly see me as being unloving and uncaring. They may also see the place where I stand as a judgement seat. It is so far from the truth! I do love them and care for them. More importantly Jesus loves them and cares for them. He suffered so that they would know His love forever. I do not place myself as judge over them, but I do stand near the Judge and claim Him the Righteous Judge. His judgement is right.

My desire is that when I speak up, my friend will see that I care, and finally see what she tries so hard to disguise.

Righteous Judge and Father, You have taught me how to leave the judgement in Your hands. you have shown me my own sin in light of the cross so that I no longer can stand in judgement upon others. It is all between You and the individual. But, Lord, there are many times when I use that as an excuse to not speak up or stand firm on the Truth You have given us. Forgive me, Lord! Help me to stand close to You against every sin, mine first and then others. Thank You for judging rightly. Thank You for seeing our hearts. Thank You for providing us all with a Savior in Jesus The Christ!

Nothing New

Ecclesiastes 1:9 states: "What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun." (ESV)

This topic is very difficult to write about. My mind wanders to the news stories of children kidnapped and forced to do unspeakable acts for the pleasure of those bigger than them. I am reminded of the anger displayed by those who use weapons to speak for them, even against the innocent. I think about the perversions we have embraced as a society by our silence or tolerance. All of these things and more are weighing on my heart today. But there is nothing new in any of it. We may think it is new because we have made sure it was hidden in the darkness for a long time, but it was there waiting to be set free by popular demand.

My thoughts all began when I started thinking of Christmas. In that silent night long ago we would like to think that the evil resided only in the King Herods and Roman soldiers of that time. I've learned from history that much of what we see in the news today was also rampant in the time of Jesus. That is why He came! That is why He still offers Himself as Savior to everyone.

My friends and family who follow Christ agree with me that the world seems to be more evil. Maybe we are wrong. Maybe the evil has been there all along and we were strong enough to keep it in the dark. Maybe we have been too lax in our spiritual warfare. We have closed our eyes and refused to see the enemy working to bring down the walls that kept them bound.

God, Our Father, Righteous Judge, Forgive us for not standing firm against the enemy! We have allowed him a foot hold in our nation and we seem powerless to rein him in. Thank You for providing us with the weapons that fight against the powers and principalities effectively. Thank You for prayer. As the world seems to be filled with evil let Your people rise up, stand firm and never give up our territory, our souls. Keep revealing Your truth so that we will not be deceived. We need You now, Lord!

Testing

Whew! I passed the test! Forty questions and 80% needed to pass. I made an 87% only because there were a few distractions and questions with very reasonable and similar answer to which I chose the wrong one, with the right answer coming in as my second choice. Excuses! I wanted to ace the test. I was not happy with and 87%. How many other tests do I slide by and never fret over the less than perfect mark?

Every time I sin I miss the mark. How often does that bother me? I know there are many times I just say "Oops!" to my misdeeds. I never stop to think about my "score." Does it even matter what my score is, if I miss the mark? Can I be satisfied with less than perfect if eternity is at stake?

Jesus never missed the mark. He lived a perfect life. He made the 100% that we all are expected to make if we intend to enter heaven. Jesus then took my test grade and gave me His! Cheating? No. He came to do that for me! He is the tester, the teacher, the one in charge so He makes the rules! He hands His perfect test to me, and I need only take it and offer Him my failing grade. That is part of the test, too.

Lord Jesus, Perfect in all Your ways, You amaze me because I would never have thought of Your plan for my failures. Thank You for making my less-than-perfect life perfect in You! Thank You for knowing my heart and testing me with mercy and love, more than Your righteous judgement. Teach me how to do the same for others!

Telling Myself the Truth

"Am I judgemental?" was a question posed by a young woman who has high standards. I can't read the intentions of her heart, but my answer to her included my own experience with judging others. Her response revealed that she was not willing to even accept the possibility that she might be something she did not want to be. She asked a question to which she did not want an honest answer, even if the answer came from herself.

Sin likes to hide in the darkness. The truth may lie hidden under the false humility of asking a question we really don't intend to answer truthfully. We do not want to see ourselves as we are because our "High standards" do not permit that failure in our lives. The shadows of pretense successfully mask the truth, and our sin is not dealt with completely.

Sin is like the tiny thread that dangles from a seam. If we care for it immediately destruction is avoided. If we ignore it there will come a day when the garment is unwearable. Sin is like a stain on a favorite dress. It needs to be attended to with the proper cleaner for that particular stain. Left unaddressed the stain becomes harder to remove.

Honesty with ourselves is the first step toward freedom from sin. If we cannot say we sin, there is no offer of forgiveness and grace. If we think we can decide for ourselves what is right and wrong we wear the mantel of humanism. Where do we find the truth that we must tell ourselves? We find it in God's Word and through his Holy Spirit. It is HIS standard, not our own that we need with which to compare our selves. The light of His Word shining on our lives will spotlight the sin in us. We then have a choice to run and hide behind the mask we wear, or tell ourselves the truth and begin the change.

Light of the World, You are Truth and Mercy. You are the Grace I seek. You are the only way to holiness. My sins are many. I fail often to allow truth to open my eyes before damage to myself and others. Thank You, Father, for being persistent in calling me to repentance. I need Your voice to reveal truth to me so that I might tell myself the truth and make the right decision to change.

Trials

Jesus had more than one trial. He was tried by the Jewish leaders, the Roman government and the common man. All failed to judge Him in truth. All were blinded by sin.

I, too, judge Jesus each day. I judge His, goodness, faithfulness and truth by my obedience to His word, His calling on my life and His guidance in all my ways. I sometimes allow my sinful nature blind me to the truth and my judgement is clouded. I choose within me to turn away from my Lord and join the crowds who would deny His Godhood. My actions reveal the truth of what I believe.

I am a wretched sinner in those times and I need a Savior! I need a Savior that loves without first being loved. I need a Savior who is willing to be mocked by my trial and crucified for my sin. I need Jesus.

Lord Jesus Christ, You alone among men are holy, good, and loving. You alone are worthy of my complete trust. Yet, I do not always give You my trust. I let the crowd persuade me to follow their lead. I let my desires lead my heart away from You. I am weak. Thank You for coming to my rescue! Thank You for calling me back to Your side, Your pierced side where I can be washed clean of my sin. hold me close, Lord. Teach me to renew my mind so that i will believe and not doubt, so I will know the truth and live always in Your presence!

Caught with Your Pants Down

This morning my Grandman, Scott age 19 months, was having trouble keeping his pants up. Even his diaper did not add enough padding to hold up those saggy pants. As we got ready to leave for Pappy's appointment I decided I needed to get him a new pair of pants.

As I came out with new pants in hand, he was standing there with his pants around his ankles! What a sight! I wish I had gotten a picture! He did not seem embarrassed, but he couldn't move! He was stuck! Any step he would try would land him on his face, so he stood and waited for help to come! I think he actually enjoyed the situation and maybe even understood our giggles!

I've had situations like that. Maybe I haven't been caught with my pants around my ankles, but I have been caught in embarrassing situations. Sometimes my mouth gets me in trouble. Other times it is my actions. I have even found that my heart attitude can cause me to feel caught with my pants down in front of Jesus! Sometimes the situation just calls for an adjustment. Other times it calls for a definite change. In either case I need help because if I try to move forward, I could fall flat on my face!

It is good to remember that we all have been caught with our pants down (fallen short of the glory of God). We all need someone to help us before we fall even further. The good news is that we have someone who understands and is the perfect one to help us out! After it is all over maybe we can laugh with Jesus over some of our life's embarrassments. But I think before we can laugh we might take time to cry because of what He had to endure because of us.

Jesus, Thank You for catching us with our pants down, providing us with a new set of clothes and being there with us as we try them on! I do hope that after I cry for what You have gone through for me, we can laugh with each other! I'd really love to hear You laugh!

God Sees

It is very comforting to know that God sees and looks after me. I know He is aware of everything that happens to me. He is all knowing about my thoughts, fears, issues and even those of people that influence me. He sees me and looks after me in all things.

My Lord sees me with love and tenderness, but He also sees me with truth and reality. He will ask me to do difficult tasks, but He will constantly watch over me. He sees all. He sees my sin, and He knows my heart and my actions.

It is embarrassing to know that He sees my secret sins. Knowing that He watches sometimes stops me, but there are times that I choose the momentary pleasure over Him. Going to Him with a humble and contrite heart, a broken spirit, reveals to me His choice to be blinded to my sin. Yes, He sees but chooses to not see that which I place in the nail scarred hands of Jesus. I am forgiven. I am free. I am righteous before Him when I trust in Jesus.

All seeing, All knowing God, you are so merciful and kind to me a sinner! You see me and help me to change. You see me and accept me as holy. You choose for me the way of forgiveness and love. I can only choose You!

A Week to Live

What would you do if you had only a week to live?

In the gospel of Mark we are told that Jesus came to Jerusalem knowing He would die. He was celebrated as He rode in and went to the Temple. He simply looked around and then left to go to Bethany with His twelve closest friends.

The next day He left Bethany to return to Jerusalem and stopped at a fig tree because He was hungry. Because there were no fruit on the tree He cursed it.

This story seems so insignificant for someone who is about to die, but in Gods' way I am certain that this act was done with great emotion and authority. Jesus was in control of the situation. He had the power to make figs appear, but He didn't. Within this simple story can we see Jesus revealing a truth that He expects us to be what we were created to be, and to bear fruit in being? He was not pleased that His beloved creation was bound by sin. Sin had made a great divide between the creation and the creator.

Revelation 22:2-3 tells us that in the new Jerusalem the trees will bear fruit each month. Could it be that Jesus saw the real purpose for the fig tree? Did He look past this week and long for the fruit that would be available to Him whenever He wished?

When we enter Gods' Kingdom through baptism, we should begin to bear fruit that never goes through a season. So, shall we repent from saying that we are just going through a season? I think so. In heavens' economy our fruitfulness is eternal, not seasonal.

Father , You are the vine dresser. You prune and cut away that which does not bear fruit. You see potential in each of us, and yet we fail You. It hurts to be pruned, Lord, but You do it all in love and with great care for our best. I offer up my fruit for Your enjoyment.

Beware

This is a warning to anyone who thinks they can cross the legal line and get away with it! No, I have not crossed that line but I know about the consequences from others experiences. I have crossed other lines though and so I too qualify for this message.

When you get caught beware! You will find that your sins will be turned back onto you through the "Justice" system. You will be married to the DOC for your entire sentence and maybe longer! You will be lied to, and conned by those who despise you. Your family will suffer the same treatment even though they have not committed any crime. You can be sure your life will be a living hell, that causes you to become the prey of people who think themselves righteous. It is an ugly life.

In all of this you must also know that if you do not get caught here you will still suffer the consequences. The only hope any sinner has is in the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. If you admit you are a sinner and you would like to have the hope He brings, let me know and I'll share some really good news with you!