How Well Are You Doing Raising Your Children?

"For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it." ~ Hebrews 12:11, ESV

This verse popped into my head as I was talking to my beautiful sister on the phone a bit ago and we were discussing how obvious it is that man is depraved from birth. For instance, consider a new born infant.   What is the first thing that baby does after it's gone through the birthing process and been poked and prodded, swatted and swaddled, and lets us know its displeasure?  I mean after you get the baby home and the loving and doting attention it receives begins?  The baby screams at you, makes its demands because its inherent inclination is to let you know it's hungry or needs cuddled; complains about its discomfort over a dirty diaper; throws a hissy fit when a toy is taken away, and I'm sure we can think of many more examples.  And as the child grows, he or she begins to figure out that pouting, crying, or a temper tantrum will oftentimes get them what they want, especially in today's culture where parents are forbidden to immediately address such behavior, or have fallen for the ill advice received from "experts" who probably never raised children, or even from well-meaning parents.

 So, when do we begin the godly discipline process to insure that our children become responsible, honest and, more importantly, respectful adults? Some of you may disagree, but it should start from the beginning.  This is not to say that the discipline you mete out isn't different for an infant, a toddler, or a juvenile.  The method varies in degree by age and maturity in understanding their offense and how well they are able to grasp the instruction and discipline we give them.  It begins with words, then redirection and, if necessary, a good old-fashioned swat on the backside followed up by a heartfelt explanation why it was necessary.

You see, we don't give babies or toddlers enough credit for being as smart, manipulating, and conniving as they can be.  Through careful study, it's determined a child develops their personality by the time they are 3 years old. That's one year after the dreaded "terrible 2's" so many parents suffer through.  We all remember that stage of our child's life.  We are only given a very narrow window of opportunity to set the stage and it's critical that we pay very close attention to them during that time and gently correct them when necessary.   If we fail to do that, instead of the "trusting 3's" and "pleasing 4's," the "terrible 2's" are apt to become the disappointing 3's, the shocking 8's, or the horrific teens.

In other words, it's what we put into our children that spills out of them as they grow.  If you teach your children they are the center of the universe, if you allow them to manipulate you, control you, and answer to all of their demands, they will continue that pattern throughout the rest of their lives and yours, and they will more than likely recreate the same attitude with their own children because that’s what they were taught.   Once this behavior is established, there will be no turning back and undoing the grave errors parents made when they had the opportunity to make the right choices and choose the proper discipline.

Why did I add the above verse to this post? Most Christians would apply it to the discipline God finds necessary to dole out upon adult Christians who are straying from the truth, not heeding His Word, or discipline being used to draw them back into the fold.  But it can also be applied to our children.   If we faithfully train our children with the instruction God has given us, then the harvest we see when they are finally grown will be fruitful, righteous, and pleasing to the LORD, and to ourselves and everyone the child comes in contact with, whether it's with family, at school, in play, or at work. And society will be much better for it.

But if we fail to raise them as they should be, if we fail to teach them proper godly behavior and refuse to discipline them when they demonstrate the depravity they were born with, we not only have failed them, we have failed ourselves by creating the proverbial monster our society is being plagued with.

I’ll end with one of the most important proverbs relating to raising a child in the Word of God, Proverb 22:6, and I hope all young parents will take it to heart.   I’ll be praying and trusting in God to make it so.

"Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it."

Yes, Bruce Jenner Is Still A Man, But Are You Praying?

I don't think I've ever witnessed such a massive media campaign such as that over Bruce Jenner and the world's attempt to convince the masses that what he did to himself is acceptable, and even "courageous" by our President, who "tweeted" the same; that we should celebrate his "transformation" and believe that he is now what he was intended to be.   I won't post pics and articles or link quotes to specific websites about Bruce Jenner and how he mutilated his body trying to "fix" his self-perceived notions that there was some cosmic "mistake" made regarding his gender.  The media has infected our minds with enough images.

Bruce Jenner is still a man.  He may have gone to every possible length to alter his outward appearance, but he's still what God created him to be and nothing he does to himself will ever change that.

For the rest of Jenner's life, he will be forced to continue taking hormones in order to maintain this false and deplorable persona.  He will heavily rely on cosmetics, plastic surgery, and photo-shopped images to blur the reality of his true self.  And the notoriety he received as an Olympic champion and anything else he accomplished in his life will be overshadowed by gawkers and sensationalism-seekers with their own twisted and perverted sins.  In my opinion, all Jenner accomplished was admitting himself into a carnival side-show and sadly, one day, the world will grow tired of him and cast him off as just another "freak" unworthy of their attention.

Tragically, what Bruce Jenner and the world is not being told is that the majority of the people who undergo "gender-realignment surgery" are thrown into even greater depths of darkness.  As this article portrays, they come to the realization that changing their bodily structure did nothing to alleviate the turbulence and unrest they previously experienced in the body God gave them.   It only drove them deeper into their depravity because of failed expectations, often driving them to suicide.

And as the world turns, it becomes more insistent that Christians who oppose homosexuality and gay marriage on Biblical grounds become more "tolerant" to the practice.  We are told we must accept it as an inevitability and that to not accept it makes us "homophobic," unloving, judgmental, and hateful.  Dr. James White, a highly respected theologian, recently answered the question in this short video where he thought the church would be in 5 years in regard to persecution.  It is well worth 7 minutes of your time to view it because he impresses that laws will be passed in order to silence the Gospel and Christian witness of God's truths, especially in regard to homosexuality and gay marriage.

As further evidence and as this map portrays, I don't need to remind my readers that the homosexual agenda has become militant, not only in our own nation, but around the world.  While I sit writing this, the United States Supreme Court is ruling on the argument for "marriage equality."  Recently, Ireland, a historically staunch defender of marriage between a man and a woman, overwhelmingly passed a referendum to allow gay marriage.  A push in the State of Israel to overthrow the ban that prevents legal gay "marriage" is gaining ground.  Pastor Conrad Mbewe of Zambia wrote a blog post on the influence the West is having through financial means to push the homosexual agenda there.  Italy, which is the last Western European holdout against gay marriage, has become the latest target.  It was also reported by a former U.S. Congressman, Steve Stockman, that the United States refused to give aid to assist Nigeria in recovering the 250 women and girls who were kidnapped by Boko Haram (now reportedly all murdered) because of their long-held stance against gay "marriage."  To me, and if this is true, it demonstrates the depth of depravity of the Obama Administration that they would hold hostage innocent people to further their depraved agenda.  The list of nations being pressured by the United Nations to accept the homosexual lifestyle and marriage "equality" is growing exponentially, and when poorer nations who rely upon western money to survive are being threatened, it won't be long before the entire world caves to that pressure.

So what do Christians do about this ever-increasing problem?  We do the same thing we would do for anyone involved in any sin.  We pray, and we pray remembering that we, also, were once slaves to sin.

Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work,  to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people.  For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another.  But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared,  He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior,  so that being justified by His grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. ~ Titus 3:1-7

Like all men and women who are caught up in the sin of homosexuality, and who think that by mutilating their bodies it will soothe the turmoil they have allowed to consume them, it's not their outward appearance that needs changing.  It's their deceitful and hard hearts.  As my sister, Dana, reinforced yesterday in a phone conversation, these people don't need tolerance and acceptance for their bad behavior, or ridicule and an outward expression of disgust - which, if we would all be honest, we harbor - but prayer for them.  We need to demonstrate through our witness the LORD Jesus Christ with love and kindness, but with a firm commitment to never compromising God's Truths regarding sin and the eternal consequences of an unrepentant heart.  Jesus is the ONLY answer for a sinful world and nothing else will turn people like Bruce Jenner into what they were truly intended to be.

Albert Mohler wrote a chapter in John Piper's book, "Sex and the Supremacy of Christ," entitled "Homosexual Marriage as a Challenge to the Church: Biblical and Cultural Reflections,"  that impresses upon Christians the need to fight against the "yuck factor" because "it is an attitude of disgust that lacks any moral argument."   Because of who we are, that's a hard thing to realize.  We hate sin and when it's outwardly manifested and we are forced to see it, our first reaction is complete disgust bordering on hatred.  The sin of homosexuality goes so far beyond God's purpose for creating man and woman that to even consider the practice causes us great distress.  But as Mohler impresses upon us, we need to love the homosexual more than the homosexual loves his homosexuality.  By choking down the bile that rises in our throats each time we are forced to view and read about this behavior, we move a little closer to accomplishing the daunting task of putting out of our minds the images and outright debauchery of this practice and enabling us to more appropriately respond.  However, he also stresses that Christians must never accept the very concept of homosexual marriage because it is contrary to God's law and will for mankind.  The truth must be told in its entirety, leaving nothing to conjecture or debate, in spite of the negative reaction we may receive.

Bruce Jenner didn't need a sex "transformation."  He needs his heart transformed.  The only way that Jenner and other homosexuals will ever have peace of mind is if they are brought, with the Holy Spirit's help, to a realization that they have grievously sinned against a Holy God and repent, ask God for forgiveness, and place their faith and trust not in man or themselves, but the LORD Jesus Christ.  They need to know that the turmoil and confusion they have created over their sexuality and their lust for people of the same sex can be overcome, not through their own efforts, but through Him.  It is only through His power and His grace that they will find freedom from their sin, and ultimately peace in their minds that the gender in which they were created is exactly what God intended for them

Our responsibility as Christians does not lie in condemning Bruce Jenner and others with the same proclivity.  Our responsibility lies in praying for their deliverance and giving them the Gospel of salvation.  Yes, Bruce Jenner is still a man.  But as my sister asked on a Facebook post, and I would like to reiterate here:  "Are you praying?"

Are You Sitting With Jonah Under His Tree?

The title to this post may seem a bit disconcerting to some.  But I think it's an honest question; one that needs to be truthfully answered by many of us who profess Jesus Christ.  If you will take a moment and consider my own personal reflection regarding my witness to unsaved friends and family, you may discover like I did that you are more like Jonah than you are willing to admit.  With that said, let's briefly refresh our memories about his story.  (For the complete account, please click on this link.)

Jonah, a prophet of God, received a message from the Almighty he really didn't want to hear.  He was to go to the Gentile people of Ninevah and tell them to repent or face the wrath of God.  For a Jew, the people God chose to take His message of salvation to all nations, Jonah greatly resented what God was asking him to do.  So he took off in another direction, forgetting that God is omniscient and aware of every thought and move he was making.

Jonah jumped aboard a ship that was headed to Tarshish, so God summoned a great storm on the sea.  While Jonah slept, the pagan crewmen threw everything they could overboard to try and prevent the ship from sinking, but to no avail.  Rousing Jonah, they cast lots to determine who the person was that had brought what they viewed as "evil" upon them, and the lot fell on Jonah.  They demanded he call out to his God for deliverance because they understood Jonah was fleeing from Him and they would be unwilling victims of His wrath.  But instead of turning to God in repentance for his disobedience, and still stubbornly obstinate, Jonah told them to throw him overboard in order to save themselves.  Unwilling to follow through with Jonah's request, they attempted to out-row the tempestuous waves, but the billows and waves only grew more intense.

What follows is interesting, considering that the ship's crew were idol worshiping pagans.  It appears that the people of Ninevah weren't the only ones to receive God's message, and their somewhat disturbing action in throwing a man overboard to drown in the sea, then watching as the sea became calm and their lives were spared, was enough evidence that Jonah's God was, indeed, genuine:

Therefore they called out to the Lord, “O Lord, let us not perish for this man's life, and lay not on us innocent blood, for You, O Lord, have done as it pleased You.”  So they picked up Jonah and hurled him into the sea, and the sea ceased from its raging.  Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows. (Jonah 1:14-16)

Ultimately, Jonah is swallowed by the great fish God had summoned, spends three days in its belly - miserably, I am sure - acknowledging the sovereignty and power of the Almighty, then spit up onto dry land.  The LORD once again commands Jonah to go to Ninevah, and Jonah begrudgingly yields.  The message to turn from their evil ways and repent, lest they suffer the wrath God had in store for them, was given.  The king decreed that the people of Ninevah obey this edict and God relented of the judgment He was going to bring upon them.

One would think that after all he had gone through, Jonah would have exalted God and praised Him for His great love for all mankind.  However,  Jonah grew angry, jealously grumbling that a Gentile would receive such favor.  He even went so far as to once again ask God to take his life.  When it became clear that God had no such intention, Jonah stomped up to the top of a hillside, built a covering to keep the brutal sun from baking him, and sat down to watch the destruction he still thought would be coming to that great city.  As he watched with anticipation, God continued to show mercy on Jonah and caused a plant to grow above his head to spare him from any discomfort.  The next morning, however, God sent a worm to kill the leafy tree, brought a scorching east wind, and an even more scorching sun to beat down upon Jonah.

Further enraged, Jonah once again requested that God let him die.  God's response to Jonah came in the form of a question and should have caused him to realize the compassion God had for all men, including the 120,000 people (which, if we include all the children, could have realistically been nearly half a million people) in Ninevah.

Although I have often wondered if there was more to the conclusion of Jonah's story, it ends there.  We are left to ponder Jonah's response to God's final question.  Did Jonah humble himself and repent?  Did he understand from that point forward the tremendous responsibility the Israelites had been given, to take God's message to the entire world, which meant Gentiles like the Ninevites he so despised?  Or did Jonah make his way back home and keep his trial to himself, fearing the reaction his people would have, thus sparing himself from having to stand up and proclaim God's true plan of salvation?

It's evident from their continued unbelief that God's chosen people have yet to acknowledge this great truth; to recognize their Savior Jesus Christ and take the Good News of His salvation to every corner of the earth.  That will ultimately come, but not until God deems it time.

Ironically, we converted Gentiles have been passed the witness baton.  It's very unlikely God will send a great fish to swallow us, but He can and will send storms into our lives to wake us from our slumber.  I am sure many of you can recall times when your disobedience brought on unwelcome trials.  I sure can.  But we should ask ourselves if we are any more faithful than Jonah in this regard.  Are we obeying Jesus' command to go out and make disciples of men?  Are we faithfully and willingly answering God's call to give the Gospel to a lost and dying world every chance we get?  Are we deeply concerned for our friends and family, even the stranger on the street, who could possibly suffer the wrath God had in store for the unrepentant Ninevah?

Or are we comfortable in our own salvation and running from God in the opposite direction as Jonah did?

An even harder question is this:  have we found ourselves sitting with Jonah under his tree, sulking in unbelief that the message we delivered fell on deaf ears, and waiting to exclaim, "See!  I told you this was a waste of time!"?

These are questions all Christians should ask themselves.  There is a vast world out there that's growing more wicked with each day and desperately needs to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  God has written that there will be a time when the opportunity to receive salvation will end; a time that is growing closer with each breath we take.

Don't run from Him.  And more importantly, don't fume in anger expecting your own selfish results.  The work of salvation belongs to the Holy Spirit.  We are merely the messengers who, unlike Jonah when called, joyfully respond, then wait with eager anticipation to see how God will work for His glory.

God will have His children drawn to Him, even if He has to use extraordinary means and unwilling servants to achieve it.

Charles H. Spurgeon once wrote,  "If there existed only one man or woman who did not love the Savior, and if that person lived among the wilds of Siberia, and if it were necessary that all the millions of believers on the face of the earth should journey there, and every one of them plead with him to come to Jesus before he could be converted, it would be well worth all the zeal, labor, and expense. If we had to preach to thousands year after year, and never rescued but one soul, that one soul would be full reward for all our labor, for a soul is of countless price."

So, get out from under that tree and go.

The Expectation of Thanks

For the last twenty years, I have been watching a growing problem in society.  Well, let's say that it's just one of many that rubs me the wrong way.  None of us are so blind that we don't see the degrading of Godly morals and values and the world's population becoming more centered on self.  As is commonly opined, when society begins to crumble, the first place to look is in the home and how it's structured and how our children are being raised.  And the problem I will be referring to begins there.

Gratitude and thankfulness for the things we do for others is on the wane.  I am seeing it far too often in today's youth.   I can't tell you the number of times my husband and I have done things for family members that puts a strain on our pocketbook, only to receive no thanks.  What's worse is when we do get that telephone call, only to find out later that the caller had to be reminded to make it.  When that happens, it causes me to wonder if the response was genuine, or if it was only uttered to silence a harping parent.  However, if a child is raised right, a reminder shouldn't be necessary, even if the thanks you receive is only viewed as a duty.

I don't give gifts because I want gushing praise.  I don't expect anything, except that the recipient understand how much I love them, regardless of the size or cost of the gift.  A gift is an expression of how much that person means to me.  And the response I receive - a phone call or silence - may tell me how much I mean to that person.  Others I know have expressed the same disappointment and, sadly, this behavior is a heart problem.  As Charles Spurgeon once said, "For the most part, nothing is more easily blotted out than a good turn."

I don't expect others to shower me with gifts.  Money and things aren't important to me.  A simple card with a hand-written note, or a phone call just to let me know I am loved, lifts my spirits more than material things ever could.  They are ways of letting me know that I am important to that person, and they are more than enough.  But when the occasion to exchange gifts becomes a one-sided event with nothing in the way of reciprocation, it can be hurtful.  To draw once again from Charles Spurgeon, "The foal drains his mother, and then kicks her.  The old saying is, 'I taught you to swim, and now you would drown me,' and many a time it comes true. The dog wags his tail till he gets the bone, and then he snaps and bites at the man who fed him."  Spurgeon's metaphor describes the harshest response and, sadly, I have been the recipient of such heartlessness.  As I did with my children, my parents instilled in me a heart of gratitude, especially when it came to thanking others for their thoughtfulness.  But today's youth are either not being taught the proper response, or are, and just don't care.

So, with that thought in mind, let's move on to how God may feel about how we respond to the gifts He faithfully and continually bestows on us.  When His providence continues without fail, do we thank Him, or are we the "dog [that] wags his tail till he gets the bone, and then...snaps and bites" His gracious hand?  Do we even acknowledge the fact that, without Him, we couldn't draw a single breath?  When we rise in the morning, do we thank Him for giving us one more day?  As meals are being prepared, do we pause to consider that if He had not provided the ingredients, we would go hungry?  The roof over our head?  The clothes on our backs?  The job that guarantees our family will be cared for?  Even things as simple as the weather and His creation that surrounds us?  The bounties God pours out upon us are endless, yet how often do we thank Him for the simplest and most basic things?

Not often enough.  And I am just as guilty as the rest who daily fail to recognize His magnificent beneficence.

What is even more astounding is the fact that God provides life and its necessities even for those who hate Him:

"For He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust."

 (Matthew 5:45)

Now that is definitely something worthy of serious thought!

But there's one difference between how we respond to gifts we receive from others and the response God desires when He gives them.  We may not get the thanks we think we should get, but we can live with it.  God, however, wants to be thanked for the gifts He daily pours out upon us.  He wants to be praised for His benevolence in giving the gift.  He wants to receive the glory He so richly deserves when we acknowledge that it is Him, and only Him, that makes the gift possible.  We were created for His glory, and God is greatly honored by our reciprocation and delights in it.  King David, as well as others, understood that God deserved all of our worship and praise for everything from deliverance from trials and tribulations to merely living and breathing.  The book of Psalms is replete with words of thanksgiving and are too numerous to mention here.  But here is one very small example that sums it up quite nicely:

"Praise the Lord!
Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good,
    for His steadfast love endures forever!"

 (Psalm 106:1)

Throughout the entire Bible, men gave praise where praise was due, for they knew from whom it was the gift came.  Just a couple more examples:

"If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him! 

(Matthew 7:11)

 "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change."

 (James 1:17) 

  

When we receive gifts, although we desire it, there should be no overabundant expectation of thanks, especially in light of today's messed up civilization and the lack of parental guidance.  A hug and the simple words, "thank you," should be sufficient.  But with God, there is an expectation of thankfulness.  After all, He is the giver of all things and His greatest desire is that we acknowledge the tremendous love He has for man and all that He does for us.  When He honors us with a gift, whatever that gift may be, small or large, our response should be continual overwhelming gratitude.

The gifts we give our children and grandchildren are only material things that will not last.  But God the Father gave to mankind the ultimate gift that will last forever:  His Son Jesus Christ.  Through His death and resurrection, Jesus secured us a way back to the Father.  He is the Giver of Life, our Provider, our Protector, our Comforter, and the only way to have eternal life.  We may not receive much in the way of thanks from others, but our deep gratitude and sincere thankfulness to God should be such that there is never any question where we stand.

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

 (1 Thessalonians 5:16)

 

There is an old song from Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young, "Teach Your Children," that parents should take to heart.  By instilling in yourself and your child a heart of gratitude towards God and others, you will know they love Him and you.

May grace and peace, and a heart of gratitude, abound to all who have visited. 

 

 

Sin In Small Doses

Buried beneath the earth is a chemical element of creation called "arsenic" that, by its very nature, is deadly.   The origin of the word comes from the Syriac (Middle Aramaic) word "(al) zarniqa," which is derived from the Persian word "zarnikh," meaning "yellow," or literally, "golden colored."  Because arsenic is belched from the earth in the form of volcanic ash which dissolves in groundwater, it is found in the water, soil, and air.  Since it is absorbed by all plants, especially leafy varieties, this deadly mineral takes up residence in nearly everything we drink and consume for food, including seafood.

Since the discovery of arsenic in ancient times, its application and use has been broad.  Originally, man's ignorance compelled him to mess around with the stuff by adding it to bronze to strengthen the alloy, and in the Victorian Age, women actually mixed it with vinegar and chalk, foolishly thinking that by ingesting the poison, it would improve their complexion.  

During World War I, the United States stockpiled 20,000 tons of a chemical weapon called "lewisite" that included arsenic, and that was used against the enemy as a blistering agent and lung irritant.  Eventually in the 1950's, the chemical weapon was "neutralized" with bleach and dumped into the Gulf of Mexico.  During the Viet Nam War, "Agent Blue," a chemical weapon containing arsenic, was used as a herbicide to kill the foliage cover and rice paddies that hid the North Vietnamese soldiers.

Arsenic is found in our car batteries, in bronzing and pyrotechnics, in lead shots and bullets, is used to prevent corrosion, in electronic circuitry, in wood preservation, and for the last four centuries has been used in medical compounds to treat ailments, such as syphilis and psoriasis.  Its most recent application is in the battle to fight cancer.  In 2000, the Food and Drug Administration approved "arsenic trioxide" for the treatment of a form of leukemia, and even more recently, the injection of "arsenic-74" has replaced "iodine-124" to locate tumors using PET scans to eliminate the "noise" that iodine causes and the scan picks up as it travels to the thyroid gland.

Some may think that, even though arsenic is dangerous, the element has some usefulness, as long as it is handled properly and the allowable limits of its concentration set by the FDA are strictly adhered to.  But as history has proven, ultimately, mankind quickly learned of its poisonous properties.  It then became a useful and effective method of murder.  Our history books are replete with accounts using arsenic or other poisons to rid a throne of a despot, and disgruntled spouses secretly slipping small doses of the poison into the pot roast dinner.  Unless the unlucky recipient of continued exposure and ingestion of this toxic cocktail undergoes screening of blood, urine, hair, and nails to evaluate its presence, and is put on a drug regimen to cleanse the body of arsenic, eventually a painful and untimely death, resulting from multi-system organ failure, is realized.

Now that I've educated my readers, as well as myself, on arsenic, you may be wondering why a Christian blog is spending so much time on the subject.  If you will bear with me for a few more lines, I'll try to draw my thoughts to a conclusion you can appreciate.

We have already established that death can be brought about by continued exposure to arsenic.  Taken in small doses over a period of time, or massive doses in one fell swoop, life here on earth will end.  But there is an even more dangerous toxin that can not only bring life to a sudden end in this world, but will insure an eternity of pain and suffering in the next:  unrepentant sin.

When arsenic is viewed in its natural state, its appearance is appealing, even beautiful.  The crystals form into a variety of geometric three dimensional shapes and vary in color, from whitish gray and black, to brilliant hues of yellow, orange, and blue.  But it's what is hidden in its anatomical structure, unseen to the naked eye, that is extremely dangerous.

The same can be applied to what many foolishly refer to as "little sins" - those seemingly innocuous, harmless acts of disobedience mankind refuses to acknowledge are a grievance to God and an affront to the Son who shed His blood for each and every one of them.  Far too many confessing Christians love their sins, examining them on the surface only and finding them appealing to their senses which causes them to not want to let go of them.  Often the excuse to continue in their sin is that the person repented when they responded to that altar call and, therefore, wrongly believe there is no need to continue to feel guilty over a continued pattern of behavior.

When sin is willingly and presumptuously taken in small doses, the poison it harbors spreads like a cancer, affecting one's entire life, until the person is completely consumed by it.  What once appeared pleasing to the senses, suddenly becomes dark and ominous as its true purpose becomes evident: the destruction of the soul and a guarantee of an eternity full of misery and separation.

Like arsenic which, when a person is exposed to it, requires immediate medical attention or death is a certainty, there is a cure for sin, as well.  Acknowledging that we are sinful and in constant need of repentance is required of us.  In 1John, we are reminded that, until we receive our glorified state in heaven, sin is present and repentance is a necessity.  John puts it this way:

"If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.   If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.   If we say we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us."  (1John 1:8)

The apostle Paul is even more clear regarding the depraved state that he knew lurked within him:

^"Did that which is good, then, bring death to me? By no means! It was sin, producing death in me through what is good, in order that sin might be shown to be sin, and through the commandment might become sinful beyond measure.  For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin.  For I do not understand my own actions.  For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.  Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good.  So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.  For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh.  For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out.  For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing.  Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.

"So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand.  For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being,  but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?  Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!  So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin."

Paul recognized his sinful state while he dwelt in his earthly body, and he also understood his need for continued repentance.

If you have become aware that you are attempting to hide sin from God, or even if you are overconfident that you are in good standing in spite of your sins, go to God's Word.  Pray for discernment.  Study it and apply it.   And if you are convicted that you have taken sin in small doses and the venom is about to consume you, go to the One who was sinless, our Great Physician who has the cure, and ask Him to cleanse your heart, mind, and soul of the poison that's coursing through your veins.

As God told Cain, who was angry because God found Abel's offering more acceptable, "... sin is crouching at the door.  Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it.” (Genesis 4:7b).

Sin, like deadly arsenic, is a destroyer of life.   Recognize it, confront it, then rid yourself of it for God's honor and glory.

The Hermit Monk and the Tourist

The world is coming unhinged and it's happening with breakneck speed. 

I would assert that one would have to be a deaf, dumb, and blind hermit monk cloistered on some mountain top in the Himalayas, far too remote and secluded for even the most foolishly determined seeker of the meaning of life to discover, to not sense the turmoil and conflict that is raging around this globe.

Today's technology is such that, within mere minutes, we are receiving news that used to take days, or more, to reach us.  Cell phone cameras, computers, and the internet have given mankind the ability to convey around the world up-to-the-minute events, catastrophes, disasters, or just plane nonsense for all eyes to see.  And once this information hits the social media and bloggers' websites, sometimes long before the news agencies pick it up or deem it legitimate, we become inundated with a information overload that makes our heads spin and our minds reel.

But let us reexamine our deaf, dumb, and blind hermit monk, though, and his determination to not allow the world to disrupt his peaceful contemplation.  Unfortunately, that is how the majority of humankind behaves, especially in westernized nations that enjoy a degree of prosperity and peace and, more particularly, in America.

I live in a tourist trap.  What used to be a beautiful mountain valley where ranching, logging, and mining fed its hardworking residents, is now adorned with the allurement of recreation, entertainment, frivolity, and foolishness.  Most of the locals who have lived here for decades dread the end of the school year.  The highway that leads to our home becomes clogged with so much traffic during the summer that the highway department has to station traffic controllers at certain portions along the 100 mile route, in order that the bumper-to-bumper automobiles pulling RV's and trailers loaded down with all their toys will maintain at least a crawl, and so that those who have to divert off the main road are afforded that luxury.  Needless to say, the locals with any sense strategically plan their shopping and errands beforehand, then park their car and hide out at home while the tourists do as much possible damage to our valley and themselves as they are capable during their visit.  Woe to any of us who have to be out on the road.

You may be wondering why I have used two very distinctly different analogies.  But I have a purpose for doing so.  Let me explain.

The hermit monk and the tourists who invade us most of the year have something in common.  Something that's not recognized, but is really inherent in each.  The monk hides his head in a monastery to escape the outside world.  The tourist rushes into the outside world and hides his head in recreation to escape the doldrums and hubbub of his life.  But both have a selfish motive.  They are attempting to hide from the reality of the Creator's purpose in sustaining this universe for as long as He has done so.  God created the earth and all that is in it for us to enjoy, but His design was not planned long before time began so that man could find a false sense of meaning for why he exists, or peace, prosperity, and entertainment while he dwelt upon this earth.  His intention in creating man was so that man could glorify Him in all the things man does.  Instead, man seeks after his own glory and relegates God Almighty to second place, putting his pleasures and desires over and above his true purpose for his existence.

I often wonder about the tourists that come here: the money they may or may not have, but is being spent on such brief exercises of recreation; how many professing Christians are in the mix, and the attitudes that are seen and felt by Christians living here, instead of what we would expect if they were.  If, while briefly away from what they consider their "normal" life, they pause in thanksgiving for what they are able to do.  But what has really struck me, of late, is whether or not they truly realize and acknowledge the signs we are being given that point to the imminent return of our LORD Jesus Christ.  The turmoil in the Middle East and northern Africa.  The sinfulness that has permeated our beloved nation, America, and the threats to its sovereignty and its inevitable fall.  The building of the federation of Gog and Magog.  The unsettled weather and the disasters it is bringing.  The growing persecution of Christians.  And much, much more occurring every day.

All that was foretold nearly 2600 years ago reveals that the world is, indeed, coming unhinged (Dan 12:1-13; Matt 24:1-51).  I believe we are living in that age God has decreed, and time is very short.

The hearts and minds of both the hermit monk and the thoughtless tourist need to be opened to receive God's truths before our LORD Jesus Christ returns to remove His church (1Thes 4:13-18), and the enemy is given a brief seven year reign upon this earth before Jesus comes back to destroy His enemies and restore His kingdom (Rev 12:12; Rev 11:15).  Their eternal destination depends upon it, for the monk's monastery will crumble around him and the mountain upon which it is perched will topple; and the tourist's castle he built upon the sand of the lake shore will wash away from beneath his feet.

Are you a hermit, or are you a tourist?  It's imperative that you examine yourself, in the light of Scripture, to determine which you are.  Both are sinners who have built their lives upon self.  Both are attempting to hide from the reality of a Holy God who will bring utter destruction and death when He pours out His wrath.  Both are in need of the Savior who died so that we may live forever with Him.  Both have an eternal destination that has been determined for them.  And both need to understand that Jesus is returning at an hour none of us have the ability to expect, but He is coming soon.

To my Christian brothers and sisters,  “Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning, and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and knocks.   Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will dress himself for service and have them recline at table, and he will come and serve them.   If He comes in the second watch, or in the third, and finds them awake, blessed are those servants!   But know this, that if the master of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have left his house to be broken into.   You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”  (Luke 12:35-40)

But for my hermit monk, I encourage you to come down from your mountain and seek after the true meaning of Life eternal (John 17:3).   And for my tourist friend, I encourage you to examine the treasures you have amassed and where you are storing them (Matt 6:19-21).

Our Savior Jesus Christ gently calls to you both, "Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.”  (Matt 11:28-30)

 

Hidden Cosmic Compost

 





Search me, God, and know my heart;
    test me and know my anxious thoughts.

See if there is any offensive way in me,
    and lead me in the way everlasting.

Psalm 139:23:24, NIV 

I decided that yesterday was the day I needed to clean house.  Much to my chagrin, I don't divide my time well and have a tendency to allow housework to go untended.   I'm not a messy housekeeper, in the least, but I tend to "surface clean," which satisfies me at that particular moment.  That is, until my conscience gets hold of me and forces me into action.  Yesterday was such a day.  I figured the dog and grandbabies had tracked in enough dirt after the week of rain we had, so I dragged myself up and went at it.

Mind you, I had no intention of doing a "deep clean".  You know the kind: moving furniture and scrubbing every nook and cranny and rooting out hidden offenses - what some call "Spring cleaning," even if it is mid-summer.  But I certainly decided that the vacuum attachments should be put to use; at least jabbing around with them under the couch, chairs, and into the corners.  If there was something that had fallen in those locations, I hadn't missed them and their importance was subject to debate.

As I reached the end of that process, I noticed a ball of dust poking out from behind a particular spot I had been ignoring for some time.  It was one of those locations that's small and out of sight, out of mind.  Moving things out of the way and looking closer, I realized how bad it really was.   The originator of the term "cosmic compost" escapes me at the moment (it was from a funny book I read over 35 years ago), but that's exactly what was staring at me.  The term "dust bunny" was just too mild and benign to compare to it.  So much had accumulated, it was difficult to recognize the object it surrounded.  As it leered at me like some monster out of a horror movie, I began viciously sucking it up with the vacuum, hoping that would satisfy me until I got serious about scrubbing from top to bottom.

It didn't.

Once the small offending ball of dust, hair, and who knows what was gone, more began to appear.  It seemed endless as dust and smaller balls of "cosmic compost" drifted down from the fabric it was hiding behind, and the worst of it was that when I finally got it all, what was lurking underneath was equally as offensive.

So much for cleaning the surface, today.  I spent the next half hour making sure that I had gotten everything in that corner and decided to take a quick look in a couple more.   When I was done, I sat down and started thinking about how complacent we are over things as trivial as housecleaning.  We want to put off for tomorrow what can easily be done today.  But even more, I began to equate it with the corners of our heart that we rarely examine for a buildup of sin.

Like the ignored dust that collected in the dark corner of my home, unrepentant sin can begin as a mote of dust lying idle in a corner of our hearts and can quickly build into a disgusting mess that we are forced to deal with after it has grown into a nearly unmanageable size.  Merely giving our a hearts a quick surface check-over doesn't address the hidden problems that may be lurking there.  We need to look deeply into every nook, every cranny, and every corner for the hidden sins that keep us from having a meaningful relationship with our God and Savior Jesus Christ.  And we need to do it often.

This is not to say that God isn't aware of every spot, wrinkle, stain, smear, or ball of "cosmic compost" that inhabit our hearts.  He is our Creator and knows our thoughts and our actions, including what we may be harboring in our hearts:

 “I the LORD search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds."   

(Jeremiah 17:10)  

 O Lord, you have searched me and known me!

You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
    You discern my thoughts from afar.

You search out my path and my lying down
    and are acquainted with all my ways.

Even before a word is on my tongue,
    behold, O Lord, You know it altogether. 

(Psalm 139:1-4)

Jesus Christ is our Savior because the blood of His atonement provided all that is necessary to clean us up for salvation.  All the needful scouring of our depraved hearts (sanctification) is performed by the Holy Spirit by shining His brilliant light into the dark recesses where sin may be hiding so that we may recognize them, repent, and our hearts prepared to receive the truth of God's Word.  We need to be eternally grateful that this cleansing process was afforded a worm such as us.  Without it, our souls would be caught up in the filth of sin and we would be judged accordingly.

If finding the mess I was forced to confront did anything for me yesterday, it convinced me that I need to ask the LORD to daily search my heart for any hidden "cosmic compost" that's lurking there.  Ignoring it won't make it go away, anymore than ignoring the forgotten corner of my home.  Sin needs to be confessed and rooted out.  After all, the Holy Spirit abides there.

Have you examined the corners of your heart, lately?  There just may be something skulking there that needs your immediate attention.  If there is, don't put it off - get after it for the honor and glory of God.

Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent.

Rev. 3:19, ESV