Category Archives: Sin

July 9 – It’s Not Too Late

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Jonah

Nineveh was forty days from destruction because of their disobedience. Forty days. But when they heard Jonah’s warning, the people repented and turned to God. And God relented. He didn’t destroy them.

Folks, we might not have forty days. But I know from reading Scripture God punishes disobedience. He is not willing that any person should die in their sin, but He will not let the guilty go unpunished. I kinda want to carry a banner and do a Jonah:

REPENT! THE END IS NEAR!

REPENT! THE END IS NEAR!

REPENT! THE END IS NEAR!

God will relent if His people humble ourselves, and turn from our wicked ways. So I am pleading with you:

REPENT! THE END IS NEAR!

 

July 7 – Commitment Is Personal

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2 Kings 12-13, 2 Chronicles 24

Joash’s story always makes me sad. As long as the priest Jehoiada was there, the young king honored God and encouraged the Jews to obey Him. “Joash did what was right in the sight of the Lord all the days of Jehoiada the priest.” (2 Chronicles 24:2)

The sad part begins when the priest dies and Joash is left on his own. For the first time in his life he didn’t have that old man looking over his shoulders. Joash didn’t choose well. Read it for yourself in today’s chapters.

I am reminded that faith in God is personal. I am not a Christian because my parents were. I can’t assume my children will follow the Lord just because I am devoted to God.  It’s a decision everyone must make for themselves.

Have you chosen to follow God because you realize YOU are a sinner before a Holy God? Have you repented of your own sin, and accepted Jesus death on the cross as something He did for YOU?

No one can decide that for you but you.

 

July 5 – Angel Armies

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2 Kings 5-8

We just celebrated the birthday of this great nation. The United States of America was founded on Christian principles, and has been blessed by God because of it. I know there are some who would re-write history to obliterate the facts, but their denial doesn’t change the truth.

It’s because of the flagrant disregard of God and His Presence that the US is in trouble today. But reading about Elisha reminds me that God is standing at the ready to fight the battle for His children.

Christian, do you believe that? Do you pray believing that? It’s not the Hillary Clintons of the world we should fear. It’s the Christian who doesn’t pray, doesn’t vote, doesn’t spend time in God’s Word, and doesn’t nurture a relationship with the Savior. We should fear the Christian who sits back and waits for God’s “will” to be done. It’s the Christian who laughs at sin, is tolerant of sinful lifestyles, accepts multiple ways to God who should scare us.

Do you know that, as a Christian, you hold the key to America’s future? In 2 Kings 6:16-17 Elisha says: Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.

Then he prayed: O Lord, I pray, open his eyes that he may see. What that servant saw was a mountain full of angels ready for battle.

That same angel army is standing at the ready today.

O Lord, open our eyes that we might see and believe. May Christians humble ourselves, and turn to You once again. Defeat our enemy Satan in this land, and around the world. In Jesus’ name, and for His sake.

July 3 – It’s War!

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Obadiah, Psalms 82-83

 

In these days of war, and terrorism, and hate, let me remind us that these things have been happening almost since time began. We read the Old Testament and hear God’s people pray for the deaths of their enemies. We see how God commanded His people to destroy men, women, and children, in an effort to purify the land. It’s horrible.

But Jesus’ presence on this earth turned a page. He made it plain that our enemy is no longer flesh and blood. It’s Satan. It’s sin. It’s spiritual. God is as passionate about purifying the land. But He loved the world, every nation and tongue, enough to send His Son to die so that whoever believes in Jesus will be saved. The land will be purified when people come to accept this Truth.

I don’t for a minute mean to say we should ignore the physical danger we are in because of ISIS, or Muslims, or the danger we have of losing our rights through political correctness and blatant immorality. There are people who simply hate Christians. They hated Jesus, too.

Yes we are at war. But I don’t believe hating people or wanting them dead is what God intends for His people. I’m all for defending ourselves with force and am thankful for and support our military. But we will win this spiritual war when hearts are changed and souls are saved through the precious blood of Jesus.

Are you battle-ready?

July 1 – The Deceiver Isn’t God

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I Kings 22, 2 Chronicles 18

Micaiah’s vision has me thinking. It sounds like God allowed one of His angels to cause the prophets to lie. Does God make people sin in order to get His will done? That just doesn’t fit with God’s nature, the One who demands we be holy, the One who loved the world that He gave His Son that whoever believes in Jesus will be saved.

I don’t remember any Scripture that describes God as being the deceiver. Yet here it is: “The Lord has put a deceiving spirit in the mouth of these your prophets…”

I went to Matthew Henry to see his take on these verses. He says the spirit who volunteered to deceive Ahab was Satan himself.

So I re-read the passage and noticed that Micaiah saw the Lord on His throne, and all the hosts of heaven standing on either side of Him. Then a spirit came forward. I had assumed it was one of the heavenly hosts. But I see now it was the deceiver.

This vision reminds me of what we read about Job. Satan doesn’t make a move without God allowing it. And, if God allows Satan to make a move, God has every means to use it to show Himself, to draw people to Himself.

I need to be aware that Satan is standing out there ready to trip me up, to throw those daggers, to put a little doubt in my head. I can be assured that God will never be surprised by Satan’s attacks. And that no matter what God allows Satan to throw my way, God is able to handle it far and above what I can imagine.

I don’t want to be like those prophets I read about today, who ran with Satan’s lies. I want to be like Micaiah and stay true to the Lord. Even if the backlash is prison, or sickness, or hardship, or death.

June 28 – Preach It!

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I Kings 15:25-16:34

When Jehoshaphat became king he shook things up a bit. His father, Asa, had gone through the motions of worshiping God, but that was as far as it went. Jehoshaphat, however, realized the Jews had gotten so far from obeying God’s law he sent missionaries throughout Judah to teach the people.

It wasn’t enough for Jehoshaphat to believe. He wanted everyone to turn to God.

I would encourage us today to take a page from the life of King Jehoshaphat. Are you satisfied with the fact that you’re ok? You’ve accepted Jesus as your Savior and are assured you are going to heaven. Do you sit back in your salvation and let those around you fend for themselves?

Jehoshaphat made a decision to share the Truth with everyone around. Isn’t that a decision we’re called to make, too? Didn’t Jesus tell us to make disciples of those in our homes, in our neighborhoods, in our towns, in our countries, and in our world?

Then Jesus promised to go with us in this effort, even until the end of time itself. (Matthew 28:18-20)

Preach it, dear one!

June 27 – When Faced With Sin

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I Kings 15:1-24, 2 Chronicles 13-16

Baasha, king of Israel, was at war with Asa, king of Judah. King Asa heard that the Israeli army was going to cut them off, preventing anyone from coming in our going out of Judah. So Asa sent silver and gold to Ben-hadad, king of Aram, asking him to break his treaty with Israel, and help the people of Judah.

Here’s the thing. Asa had been doing some pretty good things in Judah. He led his people in worship of God, and removed the idols from the land. But when Asa’s true colors were seen when went he to Ben-hadad for help instead of going to God, the seer Hanani got a word from God to deliver to Asa. The message went something like this:

You blew it, Asa. You didn’t trust God to help you against the Israelites, but you trusted a mere man. So God wants you to know that from here on out, your nation will surely have wars. (16:7-9)

I’d like to tell you that Asa repented when faced with his sin. But he didn’t. In fact, he got mad at Hanani and threw the seer in jail.

I get it. Nobody  enjoys hearing they’re wrong. Nobody likes having their sins thrown in their faces. But when we are wrong, and we will be, how we handle the correction is very important.

Asa’s stubbornness led to an illness . Even in this, Asa didn’t turn to God. He turned to the doctors and just tried to side-step the Lord. Not a smart move.

I need to remember that when God points out sin in my life, whether through reading His Word, through a Sunday sermon, or through the voice of a friend, my reaction is crucial. May I not react harshly toward the messenger, but rather repent of that sin.

And may my worship of God come from a heart that wants to please Him, even in those times I have to swallow my pride and admit I’m wrong.

June 26 – Satan In Church?

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Lamentations 3:37-5:22

I suggested yesterday that we read Lamentations and consider our relationship, and the relationship of the Church, with God. I was struck again today by what I found in 4:12:

The kings of the earth did not believe, nor did any of the inhabitants of the world, that the adversary and the enemy could enter the gates of Jerusalem.

That really scares me.

There are some who believe the Church is invincible because of God’s power. I think that leaves us open for a fall. If we believe the adversary and the enemy can’t enter the doors of the church, we haven’t been paying attention. It’s already happened.

It has nothing to do with God’s power. It has everything to do with our sin.

Once again I feel the urgency of lighting a fire under Christians and shouting WAKE UP! It’s time we identify the enemy and get him out of our pulpits, strip the name “Christian” from him, and call sin sin.

How long are we going to ignore our adversary, or worse – listen to him?

Dear God, help us defeat the one who is impersonating You. He is the adversary, the enemy. Satan isn’t just the power of evil out there in the world. He’s right here in our home. Defeat the evil in us, and in our churches, for Jesus’ sake.

June 25 – False And Foolish

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Lamentations 1:1-3:36

It is likely that, when we read Jeremiah’s lament over the condition of Israel and the devastating consequences they were experiencing as a result of sin, we are tempted to say, “Boy! God was really mad at the Jews.”

But I am reminded that the Bible is not merely a history book. It is alive and active and powerful for today. What was true for the nation of Israel in Jeremiah’s day is still true today for the 2016 Church.

I know there are some wonderful things happening in the name of Jesus throughout the world. I know there are many of you who are standing on the Truth of Scripture, who are sharing the Gospel with boldness. I thank God for you, and praise Him for souls saved because of your faithfulness.

Yet sometimes when I read the Bible I get a sense of urgency. Warning bells go off. Like when I read 2:13b-14:

To what shall I liken you as I comfort you, O virgin daughter of Zion? For your ruin is as vast as the sea; who can heal you? Your prophets have seen for you false and foolish visions; and they have not exposed your iniquity so as to restore you from captivity, but they have seen for you false and misleading oracles.

This makes me think about the number of “churches” that have eliminated the word “sin” from their theology. Larger denominations that have accepted, and even promote sin in regards to abortion and homosexuality. The growing number of divorces happening in Christian homes, indicating that a vow to God is meaningless. The emphasis on positive thinking, deserving happiness, taking care of yourself before all others.

I think about the “tolerant” mantra being repeated by people claiming to be Christians, the acceptance of multiple paths to God, the denial of the inerrancy of Scripture, and the idea that Jesus wasn’t really God.

The prophets in Jeremiah’s day spouted false and misleading oracles. And Israel was suffering the consequences for going along with them. We’ve got some of those kinds of prophets yet today. I believe God is very clear to warn us that if we go along with them, we’ll suffer the consequences, too.

I hope you’ll read Lamentations and ask God to speak to your heart about your own relationship with Him, and what your church fellowship is feeding on.

Are we as broken before God over sin in the Church as Jeremiah was over sin in Israel? May it be so.

June 21 – First Love

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I Kings 10-11, 2 Chronicles 9

My sister Kathy and I were talking yesterday about the passages in Ecclesiastes I’d been reading. We were remarking about how Solomon was not only the wisest man who ever lived, he was the richest.  And as far as I can tell he was the most self-indulgent person on record, too.

Solomon had it all. And it became his ruin.

Kathy said something that has me thinking today as I read about Solomon’s turn from God. She wondered how the same man who wrote The Song Of Solomon, the man who was totally devoted to his first love, and who was loved like that in return, could end up with 700 wives and 300 more women he had sex with. How did he go from that precious first love, so pure, intense, and exclusive, to such a mind-boggling disregard for that love?

The answer is in the chapters I read today. It happened gradually. One day, one step at a time.

Most likely some of the women were gifts from neighboring kings. But Solomon welcomed them into his home. And he allowed them to bring their detestable idols with them. Everything God had warned him to avoid.

I don’t think Solomon woke up one morning and said, “I think I’ll worship Ashtoreth today.” But Scripture tells us eventually Solomon became a worshiper of that Sidonian god, and a worshiper of other imaginary gods as well.

Did it start out with curiosity? Solomon seems to be a man who loved learning everything he could. Maybe he thought observing his wives go through their pagan rituals was a learning experience, would help him understand his wives better. I don’t know. The Bible just says this about King Solomon:

For when Solomon was old, his wives turned his heart away after other gods; and his heart was not wholly devoted to the Lord his God, as the heart of David his father had been. (I Kings 11:4)

That makes me sad. The Bible seems to indicate that Solomon kept his first wife, his first love, separate from the others. Built her a better house. Maybe spent more time with her than with the others. Probably gave her roses on their anniversary or a box of candy on Valentines Day. But the reality is he had something else going on, too. And that something else ended up turning his heart away from God.

The Bible takes it a step further:

Solomon did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, and did not follow the Lord fully, as David his father had done. (I Kings 11:6)

Solomon who built that incredible temple, who was so gifted with wisdom and power and material wealth. Solomon who represented God to the nations around him. Ended up being remembered for doing evil in the sight of the Lord.

Fast forward a few thousand years. What would God want me to take away from Solomon’s life? I find myself checking my relationship with my own first love.

The early church in Ephesus was a vibrant, busy congregation who persevered, did not tolerate sin, even called their preachers out when the preachers weren’t speaking the truth. But Rev 2:4 reports what God says about that church in Ephesus:

But I have this against you, that you have left your first love.

That’s where God is nudging me this morning. I can think about Solomon and wonder about his fall, but there is a more important truth to consider. And that is my own heart’s condition before my Lord.

The question I need to answer today is this: Is my heart “wholly devoted” to God? Or have I tolerated a bit of sin in my life? Have I begun to take those steps away from God that I consider no big deal at the moment? Do I serve Him out of love? Do I nurture that love, think about Him, talk about Him, spend time with Him? Is God the focus of my life or not?

Solomon is going to be required to give an answer for his heart’s condition before the same Holy God I’m going to give an account to. What will my answer be?

God, I want to love You like You deserve to be loved. I want to keep You the focus of my thoughts and actions. I want to walk with You, include You in every minute of every day. And I want to forsake all others, keep myself only for You, resist the devil. I want to serve You out of a heart of love and devotion. It’s You and me, Lord. Just You and me.