Log Jam

Day 18 of 40 days of Lenten Posts
You can see the speck in your friend’s eye.

But you don’t notice the log in your own eye.

How can you say, “My friend, let me take the speck out of your eye, “when you don’t see the log in your own eye? You show-offs! First, get the log out of your own eye. Then you can see how to take the speck out of your friend’s eye. Luke 6:41-42 CEV

At times we can be quick to point out sin in a friend’s life when it is outwardly visible to the world. But what about our own sins, the ones done behind closed doors, the ones no one sees or knows about.

Until we deal with the sin in our life, do we have the right to point out another’s sin?

When we try to remove the speck from our friend’s eye, while harboring a log in our eye, we become the Pharisee in the parable that Jesus told in Luke 18:10-14.

Two men went to the Temple to pray. One was a proud, self-righteous Pharisee, and the other was a cheating tax collector. The proud Pharisee ‘prayed’ this prayer: ‘Thank God, I am not a sinner like everyone else, especially like that tax collector over there! For I never cheat, I don’t commit adultery, I go without food twice a week, and I give to God a tenth of everything I earn.
But the corrupt tax collector stood at a distance and dared not even lift his eyes to heaven as he prayed, but beat upon his chest in sorrow, exclaiming, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner.’ I tell you, this sinner, not the Pharisee, returned home forgiven! For the proud shall be humbled, but the humble shall be honored.”

When the sin in our life has been dealt with, then when we go to our brother to help him recognize the sin he has in his life, it will be done with humility. We will stand with that brother, holding him up, encouraging him and keeping him accountable to walking in righteousness.

May we pray as David did.
Look deep into my heart, God, and find out everything I am thinking. Don’t let me follow evil ways, but lead me in the way that time has proven true. Ps. 139:23-24 CEV

Detours and Paths

Day 7 of 40 days of Lenten posts

Life for Christians can suck; don’t let anyone tell you that when you become a Christian all your problems will be gone. You will still sin, mess up and wonder if you are even saved.

When you give your life to Christ it is like painting a target on your back, the enemy of your soul will come after you with discouragement, temptations, and lies.

John 10:10 says the thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. He’s not after the non-Christians, he already has them. You have become his prey. God’s purpose is to give you a rich and satisfying life. It may seem a contradiction that you will have all these problems but still have a satisfying life. Think about it, isn’t there satisfaction in overcoming obstacles?

God doesn’t always deliver us from the messes we get ourselves into or from all that the enemy throws at us, instead He steps up alongside of us and shows us the way through, and out, of the muddle we have gotten ourselves into.

As we read the Word and listen carefully we become better at discerning when the enemy is speaking and when it is the Spirit of God directing us. When peace descends you know you are on the right path.

And if you leave God's paths and go astray, you will hear a Voice behind you say, "No, this is the way; walk here." Isaiah 30:21-22 TLB

Mirror, Mirror

Don’t you hate being wrong. I do.

With age comes wisdom, or at least that’s what the world says and what I hope manifests in my life someday.

God gets down and dirty with me and I cringe when he uncovers the unlovely in my life. Today He started it during Praise and Worship and went deeper during the sermon. I wish He would wait until I get home to deal with me and my issues.

He knows me too well. In church He has my undivided attention. At home there are too many distractions, including the three hour nap I took today.

I didn’t sleep much last night, maybe I should have asked God then what was up. I might have saved myself the yucks I felt during service as God unpeeled some ugly, rotten layers in my life.

Today He was knocking on the door of my heart asking me to check with Him instead of thinking I know all the answers. I need to do some back tracking and cut through the brambles that I have allowed to grow around me and find my way back to that door to let Him in.

When I know the right thing to do and don’t do it, that is rebellion. It’s not the big things, but the seemingly insignificant, that trip me up.

When He holds His mirror up for me to peer into I don’t like what I see. There is a way to clear away the unwholesome reflection, I confess my sins and ask His forgiveness. Now the reflection is covered in the blood of Christ and He no longer sees my sin.

How long will I maintain this perfected reflection, probably not for long but there is always His grace waiting to be poured onto, and into me.

Tomorrow is a new day and a fresh opportunity to get it right. I am thankful.

photo: MorgueFile

The Cup of Sin

Communion, a precious time to reflect on Christ and His sacrifice for all mankind.

When Jesus was sharing that first communion with his disciples, in Matthew 26:27-28 it says: Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.”

Sunday I did some reflecting on the “cup” that is spoken of frequently throughout scripture.

Scene: Moses and Joshua coming down from Mt. Sinai with the Ten Commandments.
Aaron and the people are dancing around the golden calf. A calf they had crafted with their own gold, a calf they sacrificed to, and worshipped. They had quickly turned away from God and returned to the sin and bondage that God had delivered them from when he brought them out of Egypt.

Moses took the golden calf, representing their sin, burned it in the fire, and ground it to powder; and he scattered it on the water and made the children of Israel drink it. They drank the cup of their sin. Exodus 32:20

Scene: The Garden of Gethsemane
Jesus is on his face, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.”
A second time he is on his face, “O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from me unless I drink it, Your will be done.”
A third time he prayed the same. Matthew 26:39, 42, 44

The cup – full of sin, our sins. Sins that could only be wiped away with his sacrifice, he had to drink it fully.

Jesus drank the cup of sin dry, every drop. Only a love that we cannot comprehend could do this.

Now he offers a cup to us, another cup, the cup of salvation. Will you drink of this cup?

Psalms 116:13 I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the LORD.


Photo: Morguefile