Beware of thieves

By James Berry
My Mamaw Calla (my mother’s mom), was a very special woman.  She endured many struggles and hardships in her life.  The “crossroads” crisis that still impacts our family to this day happened when her youngest daughter, Kathy, was killed by a school bus in front of their Sumter, SC home at the age of 10.  

I’ve heard the story many times of how Mamaw rode in the backseat of the car with Kathy’s head in her lap all the way to the hospital. My mom still speaks of the blood stain in the road that was a constant reminder for many years. My grandparents took two different paths to dealing with this loss. My grandfather put all of his energy into his work as a farmer and insurance agent.  He basically pretended that it never happened and did not grieve at all.  Mamaw grieved for her daughter, and struggled with depression and emotional problems to the point that she eventually needed to be hospitalized for a period of time. While my grandmother was hospitalized, my Grandfather developed a relationship with another woman and my grandparents were eventually divorced.  My grandfather basically took everything and left Mamaw with nothing.

Mamaw moved back to Kentucky and lived with family there until she fell in love with a man named Bob and remarried.  Mamaw and Bob were so happy together and I remember sitting in their apartment listening to Cincinnati Reds games with “Papa Bob” during visits there.  During this time, she witnessed the death of her oldest daughter to cancer at the young age of 33.  Bob was so supportive through this difficult time. He was a great guy and they were so happy together until Bob’s teenage son and a few friends who were high on heroin broke into the house one night. They beat my grandmother with a baseball bat and shot Bob in the head multiple times.  Bob survived and recovered physically, but was never the same emotionally.  He became paranoid and violent. Mamaw stayed with him as long as she could but eventually Mamaw had to leave as she feared for her safety.

Mamaw spent many years living with her parents and taking care of them until they passed.  After their death, she came to live with my family in Columbia.  She and I shared the upstairs of my parents’ home, so I obviously spent a lot of time with her.  We were later able to get her a small one bedroom apartment where she lived for her last 10 years on this earth.

Despite the many struggles in her life, I would say that my Mamaw was one of the most positive and giving people I ever knew.  She volunteered by reading to local elementary children and served food to the homeless at local soup kitchens.  I particularly remember grade school care packages that were filled with baseball cards and baseball t-shirts (items she clearly couldn’t afford to buy and mail), but she knew how excited I would be to receive them). She had very little monetarily, yet she made a point of hosting a small Christmas celebration for our entire family at Christmas. She did her very best to make it as fancy and entertaining as possible and she was always excited as she gave the grandchildren some quite unique presents at Christmas. She had JOY, despite all of the trials she had faced.

I am convinced now more than ever that we are engaged in a spiritual war every day and for whatever reason we are afraid to admit it.  I have heard many sermons based on the statement “God has a plan for your life” (Jeremiah 29:11), but I rarely hear anyone mention that Satan has a plan for us as well.  I believe one of Satan’s main ways of attacking us is through worry, stress, and regret. I also believe that he attacks followers of Christ in an attempt to lessen our witness in hopes that he can keep nonbelievers from becoming believers. 

John 10:10 says, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." The “thief” discussed here clearly is Satan.  I believe that one of the main ways that Satan attacks believers is by trying to steal our joy.  We get so wrapped up in troubles and stresses in our life that we miss seeing where God is at work.  We focus too much on the problems at hand and trying to fix them ourselves that we forget that our Savior wants us to give these burdens to Him.

When Jesus was explaining the parable of the sower in Mark 4:19 he said, “but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful”.  I don’t know about you, but I want to be fruitful.  I want to produce each of the fruits of the spirit, especially joy.  But a lot of the time, I let the “stuff” of everyday life steal that away from me.

Another area where Satan attacks us is our past.  I know that in my life there are times in my past where I know I failed both God and my family miserably. I have confessed my sin, asked for forgiveness, and know that God has forgiven me. Yet, I still find myself reflecting back on those times and experiencing feelings of guilt and regret for those actions.  God has forgiven me, but I can’t seem to shed the feeling of guilt associated with some of my sins of the past. 

I heard a great analogy recently at a PowerUp Lunch here in Lexington.  Mike Crapps of First Community Bank shared this quote from a sermon at his church that he said has really changed his outlook on life.  He talked about how Jesus was crucified on the cross for our sins and that he was hung between two thieves.   Then, he said, “Most Christians are being crucified on a cross between two thieves; Yesterday’s regrets and tomorrow’s worries."

Don’t let Satan steal your joy by keeping you focused on worry and regret! Remember that Jesus wants you to turn all of that “stuff” over to him so that you can have life to the full.

 

Why is forgiveness so hard?

By Chris Hammett

If someone asks you what the world needed most in these days of terrorist attacks, school shootings, wars, and all types of other issues what would your answer be?

Then if that same person asks you what the church needed most what would you answer?

When I think of these two questions I am led to think that the only relief from the world's issues will be revival. I mean a true deep spirited turning to Jesus - the type Paul had when he encountered Jesus on the road to Damascus. I also believe this is the same for the Church, learning to allow the Holy Spirit to transform us more and more into likenesses of Christ. Today, I want to direct your thoughts to an issue the church faces at all levels. 

THE COST OF FORGIVENESS!

Why is forgiveness so hard? Why do we all think we have the right to hold grudges? What are some things we don’t want to forgive? In a class this large I can only believe there are all sorts of opportunities to extend forgiveness, and also hold grudges. These can be big items, or at least to us they seem big. They can be small. I have had chances over the past few weeks to encounter several people who wanted to tell me why they had every right to hold a grudge. A couple weeks ago Sharon and I were doing some much needed spring cleaning and we came across a box of various items we had stashed under our bed. As we started to pilfer through the items we were taken back to a time in our life’s journey that we both would love to forget. As we found these items I was transformed to a time of pain, hurt, and despair. Sharon quickly recognized the change in me and asked,  "What did you find?" I handed her the findings and she quickly recognized them and knew why my countenance had changed. She reminded me that that was the past and we were over it now. This did lead to several questions I have asked myself over the past couple weeks. 

First, If I truly extended forgiveness then why did I keep these items?

Second, Why is it so hard to forgive?

Third, When are we commanded to forgive?

Fourth, do we forgive without being asked to forgive?

Let’s look at a few examples in scripture and see how followers of God extended forgiveness.

Genesis 45: 3-5 - How would you reply? Joseph would have had every right to be bitter. How can someone have this level of forgiveness in their hearts? I propose the closer you are to the will of God the more understanding and forgiving you are. Joseph spent years as a slave only to then be thrown in prison before he was put in a place to realize God’s purpose.

1 Samuel 24:1-7 - What would you do? Would you have taken this opportunity to remove a clear and present threat to your very life? Remember also that God had already removed his hand from Saul and passed His anointing on David. David could have taken this opportunity to begin his reign as King.  He instead chooses to defer to God’s timing and not raise a hand to Saul. As a side note in 2 Samuel the first chapter I find it interesting how David responded when Saul did die. David spent years of running and hiding and never being able to rest while Saul pursued him.

John 23:34 - What would you do? This is probably the most under emphasized area of the Easter Story. We focus on the Trial, the Sentence of Death, The two Thieves, the Death, the Burial, the empty tomb and the Resurrection. All are greatly important but how often do we take time to really focus on the three words My Savior uttered on behalf of those killing Him. Jesus gave his own life for the ones who were executing Him!

Lucy's Story - A Parable

In September 2008, our German Shepherd, Queen, died after being bitten by a snake. Normally, a single snake bite would not kill a 100 pound, healthy German Shepherd, but it was the right bite in the right place, and she could not recover from it.

Matthew had never known a day of his life without Queen. And, it was his first encounter with the death of anything beloved. So, he was heartbroken. When I went to pay the veterinarian’s final bill, I took Matthew with me so that the veterinarian could console him – helping him understand what had happened and why death was a relief to Queen’s agony.

In the few days after Queen’s death, I thought it best to get another dog pretty quickly. But, none of us wanted another German Shepherd. It would be impossible for us to replace Queen, and another Shepherd would keep reminding us of her. So, I asked the veterinarian to recommend a good dog for a boy of nine, and she recommended that we get a beagle. Yes, I know, a howling, digging, and overly-playful beagle. “Every boy needs a beagle,” she said.

Not knowing anything about beagles, I asked her where Mathew and I might go see one and learn more about them. She directed us to an area breeder who raised beagles, taught them to rabbit hunt, and sold them across the country. I called him, and Matthew and I, on a Monday evening, went for a beagle visit.

It was a first-class operation. I learned more about the personality and temperament of beagles in 30 minutes than I suppose most beagles owners really understand. As we received an education worthy of The Discovery Channel, he pointed to female and said, "If you want one, I can let you have her for $100. She's a year old and completely up to date on shots. I can give you her health history.” And, he only wanted $100.

We became beagle owners.

Perhaps I was the victim of shrewd salesmanship because I believe he intentionally talked of the sale with Matthew’s ears on full alert. But, Matthew was happy, and our family is very comfortable with dogs. And, so we left with a one-year-old, full-blooded beagle that we named Lucy. When I completed the ownership transfer with the American Kennel Club, I learned that Lucy’s sire was paid royally for his stud services.This further added legitimacy to the man’s rabbit-hunting operation and to Lucy’s pedigree.

Let me add a bit of disclaimer. We love dogs. We are not indoor dog people. Vicki and I have had beloved dogs all of our lives. My family even raised full-blooded Cocker Spaniels. But, we are a family that understands dogs are dogs and people are people. We don't ever get that confused.

Lucy, just like Queen, was going to be an outdoor dog. Well, sort of.

As soon as we got home with Lucy, we noticed something was wrong with her. Though the September temperatures were warm, she was noticeably shivering – her heart racing out of control. As the boys moved in to love her, she retreated. I understood that all the noise was probably overwhelming to a dog with very limited human contact, and so we wrote it off to first-day jitters. I put her in Queen's extra large kennel box that night so she could stay indoors with us. I didn't want to put this terrified dog in our back yard for the night.

Over the next several days, the fear did not go away. In the back yard, Lucy went behind the shed, cowered in the underbrush, and stayed there all day. Where was the playful beagle? Where was the diggingest dog? Where was the howler?

We decided to continue bringing her in the house at night, if for no other reason but the human contact. So, at night, I went out to get her. I would approach her and she would run from me. She would not let us get near her. She did not threaten to bite me. She never snarled or growled. She didn't whimper. She just ran and hid - and hid well. And, she trembled. We tried everything.

Hoping to connect with Lucy, we tried everything to approach her in the yard and point her, at night, to the light and warmth of the house. But, she would not respond. Finally, I took a lesson from my childhood around the hog farm. We developed a system of corrals, forcing Lucy into smaller and smaller spaces until we could pick her up and bring her into the house.

When we brought her in, one of us would sit in the floor, holding her, consoling her as she trembled. We noticed that she never once soiled the kennel box, and so one night we left her out of the box. The next morning, she was in the exact same place we had left her the night before – a comfortable pet bed on the floor. She had not moved, or explored. And, no accidents. I opened the back door and she ran outside, and hid. In fact, let me interject here: In five years of coming in - or being brought in - at night, Lucy has never explored another part of our home. Once inside, she goes to her bed, curls and rests . . . and never moves until the next morning.

Days, weeks and months passed. We watched Lucy get more comfortable with the back yard, playing by herself. She took an old tennis ball, nudged it forward and then chased it down. We had a big oak tree cut down and she would perch on the stump like the ruler of the back yard. She owned the back yard, and we would spy on her through the window blinds. But, if we ever opened the back door or she saw us in the window, she would run behind the shed and hide.

And, at night, even on rainy and cold nights, she would not come inside. We physically had to bring her inside. Some nights, I can walk to the far corner of the yard, leave the back door open, and she will run inside on her own. But, she will not run inside if any of us are near the door.

Once inside, she curls up on the floor. One of us will often sit by her, love on her, and offer her a dog treat. She doesn't love back. She just rests.

Last year, Matthew and I built a small patio and fire bit. We are out there a lot, and I thought surely she would come up to the patio and sit with us. Nope. As we sit around the patio, she is hiding over behind the shed or under the shed. I even went to her one evening, and brought her to the fire pit. As soon as I let her go, she ran away.

This past winter, on a particularly cold, wet and miserable day, I looked outside to see Lucy cowering under the shed. I went to get her. I opened the door to our home and moved far from it, but she would not run inside. I went to the shed, and lay down on the ground, looking at her. I began talking to her.

“Lucy, why won’t you come inside?” I asked her. “Inside, it’s bright and warm, and we all love you. Out here, you are all alone, it’s dark, and it’s cold, and it’s lonely. Why are you so content to stay out here? Why has this gotten so comfortable for you?”

She just looked at me.

“Lucy, we aren’t trying to clean you up before we bring you in. Not one time in five years have we tried to give you a bath as a requisite to coming inside the house,” I said. “It doesn’t matter to us." (We do bathe her,  obviously, but as therapy it's always in the tub with warm water.)

She just looked at me.

“Inside there are people who genuinely love you. Even big Richard loves you though he doesn’t show it like Matthew shows it,” I said.

Finally, I got far enough under the shed that she let me get a foot, and then I inched her to me until I carried this mentally wounded, dirty, wet dog into the comfort of our house.

As I hope you understand . . . this is not a dog story.

I look around Lexington. I see hundreds if not thousands of people who would have gotten comfortable in the dark, cold, and lonely world that we live in. They have gotten comfortable with the lie that being a follower of Jesus is limited to an hour of dress-up on Sunday morning. Nothing about this world loves you and me – not one thing of this world loves us. Only in faith with Jesus, can we experience love that can't be defined. John 15:19: “The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you.”

I don’t understand why these good people won’t come inside of faith, where the pressure and pain of this world is made joyful and peaceful and hopeful. I don’t understand why people value this world more than they value Jesus, and, yes, they do, we do – all the time. I know people inside of faith are noisy, imperfect, and do stupid things – but it’s still a better place than living in the dark.  John 3:19: “ And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil.” (Any deed grounded in self-fulfillment is evil).

God doesn't expect any of us to come to Him in perfection. He doesn't ask us to get squeaky clean before we come to Him. He sent His son to us just as we are, and Jesus just says "follow me." Jesus never says, "take a shower, and then follow me." As the old hymn reminds us, "Just As I Am, I Come." You and I cannot get clean enough for a Holy God, and God knows that. He judges sin, yes, but he loves us enough to send Jesus to be with us. Psalms 130.3-4 – If you, O LORD, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand? But with You there is forgiveness… I don't understand why people put up barriers, preventing their own faith from taking root.

I don’t understand why people can’t see that God loves us so much that He sent His son to save us. God didn’t say, “Find me on your own or go to hell.” No, he sent his son to crawl under the shed and be with us – to find us where we are and to love us right there. John 3:16-17 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” Jesus is still in the business of coming to us every day and saying, "Follow me."

I don’t understand why a loving God never gives up on us. No matter how much we resist Him. No matter how much we resist His love for us, God never gives up on us. He is always opening the door and calling us inside. It breaks my heart that people can’t let God love them the way He wants to love them.  Philippians 1:6: "God is the one who began this good work in you, and I am certain that he won't stop before it is complete on the day that Christ Jesus returns."

What about you?
Are you living in the light or are you comfortable in the darkness?
Perhaps you have even experienced the light, but still find a lot of contentment in the world. You can't serve two masters.
What’s stopping you from going into the dark places and talking to people about Jesus?
What’s stopping you from running to faith, full throttle, and discovering what God needs to do through your life?
How long will you live this life, day after day, living tomorrow just like today, knowing it’s better on the inside of faith, but unable to fully commit to it? How long will you waste the precious time that God has given you on this Earth to reflect the Savior who loves you?
Today, do something. Turn to Jesus. Come inside and fear no more.

Life In A Hole

Life in a hole.

From Facebook: Facebook friends and family, I need a prayer tonight. Tomorrow, I will be at the hospital and it's going to be a very hard day. This is really heavy on my heart.

Life in a hole.

Also from Facebook: I'm so very nervous and anxious. I just need to breathe! I would take an Ambien but it is almost daylight.

Life in a hole.

In an e-mail: Quite honestly, Scott, my wife does not love me anymore and we both know it.

Life in a hole.

From The Carpenters: Rainy days and Mondays always get me down.

Life in a hole.

From a conversation at the ballpark: I have failed my children. All of their friends have so many opportunities, and mine look at me and wonder, “Why not me?”

Life in a hole.

In an e-mail: My child is an alcoholic. 

Life in a hole. 

From a conversation over lunch: I close my eyes at night and see myself walking up the steps of a gallows. I have failed at life.

Life in a hole.

I've been in a lot of holes and you have, too. Some are just a temporary bad mood, others are a day-long funk (like, for me, last Thursday), others linger for a while, some show up to haunt us from our childhood, and some are deep and wide. We can see some of the holes coming from a distance, but others surprise us and we fall in before we can help it. Some holes are in our head, created by a wild imagination and too little rest. Some are knee-buckling and all too real.

We live our lives in and out of holes.

The purpose of this lesson is to give four reminders about life in the hole.

Jesus is there in the hole.

The Bible is one giant book about men and women who find themselves in holes and are touched by the hand of God. I would tell every hurting person - unemployed, separated or divorced, and sick over an uncertain future - to read the Bible and draw hope from God's redemption of people who found themselves in holes.

Most all of us are, to a degree, Sunday morning Christians. We want a nice, clean and easy faith life. When things are going great, we say, "Well, thank you, God, for all these blessings, and for making my life so great." We walk tall and proud when we are out of the holes. And, then we step in a hole and we panic. We forget all about God. The true color of our faith is exposed.

But, listen, God is in the hole. God is everywhere, and He is everywhere all the time. And, His son, Jesus, is calling us to faith in Him and a restored relationship with God, who can bring peace to us in the hole.

One of my favorite Bible stories is from Daniel 3:19-28. It's the story of the three boys, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. King Nebuchadnezzar ordered everyone to bow down to his golden statue. These boys refused, and the king had them throw into a furnace so hot it killed the guards who threw the boys inside. As the king looked inside, he saw a fourth figure with the boys, and he saw the boys were no longer bound. Ultimately, the three boys emerged from the furnace unharmed.

Many presume that fourth figure in the furnace was an angel. It could have been, but I believe it was Jesus - years before He was ever born in the manger. The reason I believe the figure was Jesus is because the king was converted to a faith in our holy God because of the experience.

I won't unpack this whole story for you, but look closely: These boys were consistent in their love of the Lord, and they stood for the things of the Lord. Their faith was not altered by the hole because they knew the Lord was in the hole with them. The hole was not prevented, but the Lord was in the hole with them.

In the first chapter of Joshua, over and over, God says to the people, "Don't be afraid. I am with you, always." The next time you feel a panic coming, open Joshua 1 and read it. Don't be afraid. Jesus' last words to His disciples, knowing they would all be martyred (John survived poisoning and was exiled), Jesus said, (I know you are going to find yourselves in holes as you carry the gospel), but I am with you until the end of the age (forever)." That message is for us today, too.

At one point in my life, I was unemployed. I was in a hole. The Lord called me to spend my idle time - waiting on interview callbacks - visiting people in the hospital. And, so I went to the church, got the hospital list, and went to visit those who were sick. I didn't know the right words to say, but I quickly found my "being there" was welcome ministry. Ministry is a great way to get out of a hole. During those visits, I had opportunity to sit - day by day - with a man whose daughter was dying with cancer. She was in the final stages. This was a strong family of faith, and she was a believer. I sat with this daddy every day until she died. I will never, ever forget the peace of that hospital room, and the peace this man enjoyed. He knew that Jesus was in that room. He knew the presence of the Holy Spirit was calming and I dare say glorious even in the face of a dying girl's groans. I will never get over that "knowing" that Jesus is in the hole with us, and that Jesus trumps death. I understood - in my own unemployment - that Jesus was in the hole with me, too.

Two more things: Jesus understands that we are afraid. It's okay. Just remember this from 1 John 4:18, "My perfect love will banish fear from your heart." Turn to Jesus in the hole. Pray.And, Jesus hears our prayers. 1 John 5:14: "And, we can be confident that He will listen to us.” For those who know Jesus, God is listening when we speak to Him, asking Him to make our lives right according to His will for us. 

I believe that most people, even most Jesus followers, never pray. My own prayer life isn't what it should be. Most people don't know how to pray. Most people are embarrassed to pray, believing it is a sign of weakness. Heck, I've even had people tell me not to pray for them because they saw it as a sign of charity. Pray, people. Pray. My most peaceful time with God comes when I say nothing out loud. I just kneel in front of the sofa, put my head in my hands on the sofa, and just focus on the Lord. As people come to my mind, I pray for them. I thank God for sending His son to die for me. I thank God for crossing my life with people who help me grow in faith. Sometimes, I cry out for God to help me out of a hole. There are no perfect prayers, and it's ridiculous to believe that we must seek out a "professional prayer warrior" to pray for us. I get nervous when I hear people, in the context of prayer, talking more about human intercessors than they do about Jesus. Brennan Manning wrote The Ragamuffin Gospel. I am reading it; you should read it, too. In it, Manning writes that God sees our prayers like a parent sees a toddler's coloring book. The toddler doesn't understand the colors.The toddler can't color within the lines. The result is a sloppy scribbling on a piece of paper. But, every parent looks at it and sees it as a Picasso. It's beautiful and it goes on the refrigerator. That's how the Lord sees our prayers. No matter how sloppy they are, God delights in the fact that we are praying. So, pray from the hole.

The size of the hole doesn't matter.

A friend of mine sent me a recent e-mail from within a hole.

I was so thankful that he took time to send it, honoring me with the opportunity to encourage him.

But, like so many of these cries from the hole, he wrote, "I know people are struggling with things that are a  lot worse than this." I told him, the power of God to be all to all and at all times is beyond our feeble attempt to even understand the word "power." God sees a person He loves, and He sees that person crying out from a hole. He focuses on the person; not the hole.

In Psalm 5:22, we read:  “Give your burdens to the LORD, and he will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall.” There is not a heavenly pecking order when it comes to holes. Psalm 139:12: "Even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.”

If you believe that God doesn't care when your car won't start and you don't have the money to fix it, you are not in worship of a God who can hang each star and call it by name. If you believe that God doesn't care when you are sad because the children are growing up and moving on, then I call that blasphemy. It's an insult to God. If you have a faith in Jesus as the Lord and Savior of your life, your burdens - great and small and even tiny - burden the God who loves you enough to send His son to die for you.

The size of the hole does not matter to God.

Tell others when you are in a hole.

We hate charity, don't we? Why? Because in our "stand on your on two feet" culture of personal supremacy, we have relegated charity to be synonymous with government welfare. Charity is a spirit of generosity and helpfulness. Believers have an obligation to be involved in charity as providers and as grateful recipients. I believe a person demonstrates their faith in Jesus by their approach to charity - coming and going. Jesus' death and resurrection was charity. How can we follow Jesus, and not be deep in charitable lifestyle - receiving and providing?

In 1 Peter 5:9, we read, “Stand firm in faith, because you know the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of suffering.” As believers, you and I join a universal family of faith, regardless of the sign outside the church building. We are part of a local church family, and many of us are a part of small groups of faith friends.

At the depth of one of my darkest holes, God sent a voice - spoken through the mouth of a family friend - who said, "Scott, your biggest mistake in this hole was not turning to your family and friends, who love you. As soon as you feel the ground shifting, reach out to those who love you.” Those words were a mile-marker in my faith life.

But, wait a minute. If I start telling people about my hole, they will start whispering about me. They might start raising money, and that will be embarrass me. They might start bringing chicken casseroles. They will take my pain and make it public knowledge. Some will try to fix my life. Some might say I deserve what I get. If you start feeling or thinking this way, well, you are hearing the voice of Satan, who wants you to stay in that hole with all its darkness and all its fear. You and I were not meant, as Jesus followers, to live private lives of pain. We have an army of fellow hole-dwellers standing with us. God says turn to the army of faith.

I was visiting a church recently, and sat on the periphery of a staff meeting. The pastor announced that one of the staff members was resigning. Her life had been in a hole for a long time, and she made the decision to leave the staff. There was obvious pain in the room, and there was no turning back from her decision. Clearly, around the room, there was concern for the hurting person. But, there was also pain at being robbed of the opportunity to love and serve this person before her climactic decision to leave.

It is sinful to be in a hole and selfishly rob others of the opportunity to exercise their faith - their charity - and to see how God will work in it. You can hide behind all the veils of privacy that you want, and initially some privacy with the Lord may be needed, but ultimately, I believe the Lord is going to say, "turn to your family of faith with this." Hole-dwelling can be very selfish and sinful. Don't be that way.

When you are not in a hole, help provide a ladder for those in the holes.

In those times when we are not in a hole, the last thing we want to do is think about the holes. Right? We stand on good ground, we breathe deep and we try to stay away from holes. We don't visit hospitals, prisons and nursing homes because they remind us of the dark places - the holes. And, we don't want to think about them. We don't want someone else's life to rub off on us. What if they pull us into the hole with them? We just want to rest and enjoy life outside the hole rather than looking down in holes.

Well, it's this selfish and sinful attitude that causes those in the hole to distrust us. Our inability to help people out of holes is why so many people get comfortable in holes and don't tell anyone. They don't want to be failed by those who claim to love Jesus. Is there a more sad statement than that? Not for me.

In 1 John 4:7, we read, "Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God.” We have to love one another. Believers must always carry ladders with them so we can help people out of holes.

I was able to exercise my faith last week, and received such a blessing from it. A friend of mine from high school was recently transferred to Texas. In this economy, it was one of those "move or lose it" corporate decisions, and so she moved. This separates her from beloved family. She's in a hole. I noticed her painful cry through Facebook. She wrote, "I'm having a difficult time adjusting to (Texas) and being without my husband and best friend, and my family. Keep me in your prayers that I will settle (calm) down and I will find a good church here for my Sundays away from my home church."

The Holy Spirit nudged me to contact a ministry counterpart (a wife, mom and grandmother much like my Georgia friend) in Texas, and my Texas friend reached out to my Georgia friend. They made a connection. Who wins in that? We all do. My Georgia friend, a believer, cried out, "I'm in a hole!" The Spirit moved me to bring a ladder. My Texas friend jumped in to help with the ladder. All of us were blessed with the reminder that God is larger than all the holes we face. 

Are you in a hole today?

Do you feel all alone in the hole?

Does God seem a long ways away? Do you know He cares? 

Do you know Jesus as your Savior from sin, and as the comfort – the cool water – while in the hole?

Do you feel Jesus there with you in the hole?

Do you have other believers around you, loving you? Are you confiding in them?

Are you experiencing the undefinable joy of blessing someone else’s life?

Are you walking in tandem with our Savior?

Followship: The secret ingredient to being a great Leader

By John Wright 

The last opportunity that I had to speak to the V Class, I talked about leadership and how Jesus was absolutely the greatest leader that ever lived.  Well today, I will continue on that theme but talk about a leadership quality that is sometimes overlooked and that quality is followership.  I have had the opportunity over the years to work with some of the world’s greatest leaders and one thing that I am convinced of is that you cannot be a good leader without being a great follower.  There is no gray area in Jesus’ teaching about this. In John 14;15, Christ says “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” 

So let me start this discussion of followership by saying that I love a good story.  Growing up in southern Appalachia, a great part of our Scotch-Irish heritage is the handing down of history through the oral tradition.  In fact, the little town that I am from hosts the National Storytelling Festival every year.  Every year, people from all over the world pour into this little town to hear world-renowned story tellers.  I could get the same thing by sitting in my grandmother’s kitchen or the local country store.  And the good thing about those options, in addition to being free, I was usually able to eat what was left in a mixing bowl or have someone buy me a grape or peach Nehi.  In fact, Susan’s and my alma mater now offers a storytelling program of study, so hopefully this tradition is not going away in our modern times,

I say all this because this year, I am reading through the Bible using a chronological version and I am constantly amazed at how fascinating God’s word is as a literary work.  And what you have to appreciate is that all those great stories and historic accounts began with an oral tradition, generations and generations passing these stories down.  So, this morning, I would like to use two stories from the Old Testament as examples of good and bad followership. 

The first story is the account of Saul as the first king of the Israelites in the book of 1st Samuel.  The fact that Saul is the king of Israel is even an account of corporate bad followership by the entire nation of Israel.  If you remember, before Saul becoming king the affairs of the nation were overseen by judges whose job was to interpret the will of God for the people.  But like so many times in our lives, we have God’s perfect will but we think we know what is best.  So the people of Israel come to Samuel and say “well all the other nations have a king why can’t we have one.” The problem was that they already had a king.  God was their king and by wanting a king they, in turn, were telling God that he was not good enough.  Do we ever do that? Do we say to God, “well this person has this and that, and I want it, too.” When Jesus’ disciples asked Him to teach them how to pray, remember that he taught them to ask for their daily bread. Trust God for exactly what you need because not only is He Jehovah Jireh that can provide it, he is the God of Infinite Wisdom and he knows exactly what you need.  So fast-forward a few years. Saul has been doing a pretty good job as king.  After claiming the land that God had promised to them, there was one nation that continue to be a thorn in the side of Israel and that was the Amalekites. So let’s pick up the story in 1 Samuel 15.

15 Samuel said to Saul, “I am the one the Lord sent to anoint you king over his people Israel; so listen now to the message from the Lord. 2 This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘I will punish the Amalekites for what they did to Israel when they waylaid them as they came up from Egypt. 3 Now go, attack the Amalekites and totally destroy[a] all that belongs to them. Do not spare them; put to death men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys.’”

Now that sounds pretty rough, doesn’t it? It does to me and I have had the unfortunate opportunity to experience ground combat.  But, remember that this about followership, obedience to a perfect God, with perfect wisdom. 

So let’s pick up the story again:  

7 Then Saul attacked the Amalekites all the way from Havilah to Shur, near the eastern border of Egypt. 8 He took Agag king of the Amalekites alive, and all his people he totally destroyed with the sword. 9 But Saul and the army spared Agag and the best of the sheep and cattle, the fat calves[b] and lambs—everything that was good. These they were unwilling to destroy completely, but everything that was despised and weak they totally destroyed.

Did you catch that?  Everything that was good they kept, everything that was despised and weak they destroyed.  Saul has got clear instructions from God Almighty and he’s following those instructions right down to the letter. Nope.  Sound like anyone you know? Sounds like someone that lives in your mirror?

I love the next part of the story.  I think Samuel must been just a really cool old guy.

11-12 Samuel was angry when he heard this. He prayed his anger and disappointment all through the night. He got up early in the morning to confront Saul but was told, “Saul’s gone. He went to Carmel to set up a victory monument in his own honor, and then was headed for Gilgal.”

By the time Samuel caught up with him, Saul had just finished an act of worship, having used Amalekite plunder for the burnt offerings sacrificed to God.

13 As Samuel came close, Saul called out, “God’s blessings on you! I accomplished God’s plan to the letter!”

14 Samuel said, “So what’s this I’m hearing—this bleating of sheep, this mooing of cattle?”

Yes, you heard that right. Saul had gone to erect a monument to his own honor.  Oh, but he’s not done.  He’s standing in a hole already and shoveling as fast as he can.  He goes on tell Samuel:

15 “Only some Amalekite loot,” said Saul. “The soldiers saved back a few of the choice cattle and sheep to offer up in sacrifice to God. But everything else we destroyed under the holy ban.”

Of course, we know the rest of the story. God decides that Saul’s descendants will not serve as the king of Israel and Samuel will go on to find their next king.  He’ll find a country boy, Jessie’s youngest son, a kid named David.  But listen to what Samuel says to Saul after learning about what he has done.

What is more pleasing to the Lord: your burnt offerings and sacrifices
or your obedience to his voice?
Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice, and submission is better than offering the fat of rams.

23 Rebellion is as sinful as witchcraft  and stubbornness as bad as worshiping idols.
So because you have rejected the command of the Lord,he has rejected you as king.

Saul had a pretty good gig going.  The first king of Israel and he lets his pride get in the way and blow it for him.  You see, there is a major difference in following the instructions of God and the instructions of man.  When you follow the instructions of another person, there can be that little sliver of doubt as to whether or not this is really the right thing to do.  When following God there is never a reason to doubt his instruction, it’s perfect.  Many folks would tell you that The Bible is an antiquated book full of instruction and wisdom for people that lived a long time ago and in times very different than others.  I will tell you that they are wrong and will further say that there is not a conflict or crisis in your life that the Holy Spirit and the words of God himself in this book aren’t answered.  Followership is so easy but still so hard.

I am a big fan of the movie, Forrest Gump. I especially love the scene when he has just assembled his M-16 and the big drill sergeant asks him “Gump, why did you put that weapon together so fast?” Of course, his reply was “Because you told me to Drill Sergeant!” Do you think God would like to hear us justify our actions by saying, “because you told me to God?"

I told you that I would give you a good and bad example of followership from the Bible.  Obviously that was the bad one.  Not only do I love stories as a result of my childhood, I also have a tendency to express myself using euphemisms.  That’s just the way people communicate where I’m from.  I went my whole childhood wondering who Cooter Brown was and why he didn’t get help for his drinking problem. And while I didn’t know who this guy named Dick was, I certainly wondering why he never adjusted his hatband. Southern mamas have some of the best ones.  My mother used to tell me to “get next to myself” and I never understood what that meant.  Anyway, one of my favorite metaphors is that “you have to drink upstream from the herd” and really no explanation is required for that one. So this story is about a guy who drank upstream from the herd both figuratively and literally.

Our next story takes place before Saul back in the time of the judges and begins the way that so many stories begin in the Old Testament, “The Israelites did evil in the sight of the Lord.” He we go again.  I think I could write my autobiography starting chapters that way. “Then John did evil in the sight of the Lord.” Then just like Scott talked about last week, God’s gotta do a little work on me.  Now a man named Gideon is chosen by God to be the judge for Israel. Now unlike Saul, who struggled with his pride, Gideon is like so many others who doubt their own abilities when God promises to side with us to do his own will.  For seven years, the people of Israel have been tormented by the nation of Midian.  So God tells Gideon that he is going to deliver the Midianites into the hands of the Israelite army. Preparing for battle, Gideon receives his first order from God:

Judges 7

2The Lord said to Gideon, “You have too many warriors with you. If I let all of you fight the Midianites, the Israelites will boast to me that they saved themselves by their own strength. 3 Therefore, tell the people, ‘Whoever is timid or afraid may leave this mountain[a] and go home.’” So 22,000 of them went home, leaving only 10,000 who were willing to fight.

Oh, it gets better.  The last time you heard this story might have been on a flannel graph in Sunday School and if you don’t know what a flannel graph is, I’m sorry your childhood just wasn’t complete.

4 But the Lord told Gideon, “There are still too many! Bring them down to the spring, and I will test them to determine who will go with you and who will not.” 5 When Gideon took his warriors down to the water, the Lord told him, “Divide the men into two groups. In one group put all those who cup water in their hands and lap it up with their tongues like dogs. In the other group put all those who kneel down and drink with their mouths in the stream.” 6 Only 300 of the men drank from their hands. All the others got down on their knees and drank with their mouths in the stream.

If I’m Gideon, I’m thinking, “OK, surely God is going to tell me to send those 300 home and I’ll take the 9,700 left and go defeat the Midianites.” Right? Nope

7 The Lord told Gideon, “With these 300 men I will rescue you and give you victory over the Midianites. Send all the others home.” 8 So Gideon collected the provisions and rams’ horns of the other warriors and sent them home. But he kept the 300 men with him.

But God did something very special for Gideon. He encourages him just like he will encourage you through the Holy Spirit when you resolve to do his will.  Like any great military leader, He instructs Gideon to go on a little recon. So Gideon and his servant, Purah go creeping down to the Midianite camp where they overhear this conversation: 

13 Gideon crept up just as a man was telling his companion about a dream. The man said, “I had this dream, and in my dream a loaf of barley bread came tumbling down into the Midianite camp. It hit a tent, turned it over, and knocked it flat!”14 His companion answered, “Your dream can mean only one thing—God has given Gideon son of Joash, the Israelite, victory over Midian and all its allies!”

Well, the rest of the story is pretty simple.  Gideon and his 300 troops go on to totally annihilate the Midianites.

Do you notice the difference between Saul and Gideon?  Both leaders were faced with huge tasks that can only be accomplished with the help of God. And unlike Saul, every time Gideon was given instruction he followed it with complete obedience.  You see not only was Gideon displaying obedience in his personal life, the fate of the entire nation of Israel rested on his decisions.  Think about the leadership roles that you have assumed (mom, dad, teacher coach, manager) and how your ability to follow God affects those around you.

In the latter chapters of John, Jesus had just washed his disciple feet and he is preparing for this terrible death that he will soon face.  This is what he tells His disciples:

John 14:

12 “I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father. 13 You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father. 14 Yes, ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it!15 “If you love me, obey[d] my commandments. 

When you read this that this whole concept of followership seems so elementary. Why wouldn’t we follow God with complete obedience? But there’s good news.  In the same passage, Jesus goes on to say

16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate,who will never leave you. 17 He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth.

Folks, never forget that when you become a Christian that the Spirit of God lives within you.  After Saul’s sin with the Amalakites the Bible says that the Spirit of God left him.  How sad does that sound?  But Jesus promises us that if we belong to him the Holy Spirit will never leave us.

God will discipline those who are His

Does God punish us?

As I have told you before, I was especially rebellious in my 20s, leading to some ugliness in my life as I reached 30. My mama, who had introduced me to Jesus and followed my Christian journey all my life, said to me one day, “Scott, God will not let ONE OF HIS continue to rebel like this.” Those words penetrated me and caused me to pause. She did not speak those words in anger. In fact, it was her lips moving, but it was the voice of God speaking to me. That is why I can tell you that God will not let us call Jesus, Lord, and then continue to purposely live our lives with self-indulgence. If I do that, I will be disciplined by God. If you live that way, you too will be disciplined by God.

But, let's start this discussion elsewhere and come back to that.

We all sin, and we sin (love self more than we love God and others) throughout our lives. We sin by putting our plans ahead of God's plans. We sin when we choose the smart action rather than the right action. We can't escape sin. Sin is with us from birth to death. And, because God is sinless, and all of creation belongs to God, God must punish sin.

It's like we're born on Death Row. But, there's hope! God sent Jesus to free us from Death Row. Those who confess Jesus as their Lord & Savior from sin are spared God's wrath. As a follower of Jesus, my sin - past, present and future - were punished on the cross, where Jesus was crucified. Paul writes in Romans 8:1, "So, now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus." Because of Jesus' sacrifice, God sees only the righteousness of Jesus when He looks at believers. Our sins were nailed to the cross with Jesus, and we will never be punished for them. That's why we call Jesus the Good News. It is Good News to be freed from Death Row.

The unbeliever, sadly, does not have a relationship with God through Jesus. He or she is not saved from sin. The unbeliever may live a good life with what they perceive as rich blessing, but the unbeliever remains on Death Row. Dying on Death Row, the unbeliever receives God's death penalty, and spends eternity in a real and literal place called hell. God doesn't send people to hell; people choose to be there.

Let's now turn our attention back to the believers, spared from the God's wrath on sin. Though forgiven and saved, sin remains in our lives. But, believers have the Holy Spirit living within them. And, the Spirit cries out when we sin, telling us to avoid or flee from the sinful behavior, or thought, or action. As we are counseled by the Spirit that we are involved in sin and we don't repent of the sin, continuing to take up the sin, God will step in and discipline us in a divine way.

It's a parent-child relationship.

When the boys were little, if I told them to stop doing something, and they kept doing it out of defiance or neglect, I whipped them. I certainly loved them, and the whipping was to shape them into the men that Vicki and I wanted them to grow up and be. It was not a spanking to hurt them, but to get their attention and shape them. My preferred discipline style was a whipping. Other parents choose isolation punishment or the removal of activities. I preferred whippings because I could take care of business in less than three minutes, correct the behavior, and not have to keep up with how long someone had been in timeout, and I was not going to punish an entire baseball team by keeping my son out of practice. But, the point is this: As we discipline children for rebellious behavior, we can expect God to discipline us for continued rebellious behavior. That’s what my mama meant when she said, “God will not let ONE OF HIS continue to rebel like this.”

If you don't ever feel God's discipline - through the Holy Spirit, the words of others, or through a situation - you may not be saved from sin. I say this because I can't imagine a Holy God who loves you ignoring your desire to do, and act, outside of His plan for you as a follower of Jesus. I believe that all believers are regularly disciplined. I know I am, and I can't imagine that other believers are any different than me.

In Hebrews 12:7-13 (NLT), we read, "As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as His own children. Who ever heard of a child who is never disciplined by its father? If God doesn't discipline you as he does all of his children, it means that you are illegitimate and are not really his children at all. Since we respected our earthly fathers who disciplined us, shouldn't we submit even more to the discipline of the Father of our spirits, and live forever? For our earthly fathers disciplined us for a few years, doing the best they knew how. But God's discipline is always good for us, so that we might share in his holiness. No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening - it's painful! But, afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way. So, take a new grip with your tired hands and strengthen your weak knees.Mark out a straight path for your feet so that those who are weak and lame will not fall but become strong."

We should be thankful that God loves us enough to discipline us, shaping us as stronger followers of Jesus.

Why is the discipline necessary, you ask? Well, to make us more like Jesus, yes, but read again Hebrews 12:13. You and I have a responsibility to live lives that encourage the weak in faith. We will be disciplined when our lives have a negative impact on the weak in faith. The next time you socialize with friends, please keep that in mind. People are always watching. Believers must reflect the One they claim to follow. Failing to be conscious of the weak is grounds for discipline. It will sting.

God's discipline is designed to turn us from rebellion to obedience. It's to open our eyes more clearly to God's calling on our lives. Read what David writes in Psalms 32:3-5, "When I refused to confess my sin, my body wasted away, and I groaned all day long. Day and night your hand of discipline was heavy on me. My strength evaporated like water in the summer heat. Finally, I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide my guilt. I said to myself, "I will confess my rebellion to the Lord." And, you forgave me! All my guilt is gone." So, God's discipline is from a place of love. It is a shaping of our lives to a more peaceful, hopeful, and loving existence.

Okay, Scott, how does God discipline us, specifically? Well, none of us are God, none of us can understand the ways of God, and God can choose to discipline as He sees fit. But, here's some thoughts for you:

1. The discipline will be from a place of love. It will not be from a place of hard-heartedness or cruelty. My analogy. God's discipline will be more like a spanking; not a torturous event like cutting off your fingers. But, the spanking will have sting to it, it will get our attention, and it will cause us to confess sin and turn from it. When we do that, God promises peace.
2. The discipline will fit the sin, and you will be able to recognize that it does so. This is how God teaches us.
3. The believer will know he or she deserved the discipline. Because of the Holy Spirit within us, there will be brokenness and repentance. David wrote that he groaned all day under the weight of God's discipline. Come on, as a follower you know - you know to your core - when you have done wrong, acted wrong, said something wrong, and taken the low road. You know when you've been ugly. I do, and I know you do, too. And, because I belong to God - as a follower of Jesus - I can expect discipline for regular and unrepentant selfishness.

Very personally, I hear God's discipline through Vicki. I hear it through my dearest friends. I feel it to my core. God will take me to the desert to teach me, too. For me, personally, God takes His hands off my life and I start sinking. I'm restless, I'm not at peace, I'm worried, I'm frustrated, I'm sleepless, and I'm mildly depressed. Then I cry out, beg forgiveness, and peace is restored. That's how God's discipline works for me.

What inquiring minds want to know, because we are all sinners, is this: When do "they" get their discipline, and can I watch? We have this fascination with wanting to see others punished for what "they" do, specifically if "they" are doing it to me and mine. That's a very sinful attitude, because it inserts "me" in the discipline of others by a Holy God for my satisfaction. The prayer should not be, "Sic'em, Lord" but instead, "Use me Lord to love them into a stronger relationship with you." Big difference.

What about those who claim to love Jesus, but seem to sin their entire lives? Well, this leads us back to conversations of The Narrow Gate, right? If someone perpetually sins, and never turns from it, there’s a strong chance that person does not know the Lord at all – regardless of what they say and do. Why? Because a follower of Jesus is going to be disciplined, will realize it, and turn from the sinful behavior. So, our responsibility is to build relationship with that person toward the opportunity of sharing Jesus with them. We can’t turn from them, nose in the air, and give them the middle finger.

Some people have addiction problems. I understand that. While we all have a sin problem, in some believers sin has rooted and manifested into addiction – sexual, alcohol, chemical to name some. If the addict is a believer, God’s discipline will drive that person to seek professional help, including, possibly, Christian counseling.That’s why there is always hope for every person – even those whose sinful nature has gotten out of their control.

But understand something. It all begins with Jesus. Know Jesus as your Savior, and escape God's punishment on sin. Know Jesus and lean on the Holy Spirit for right direction in daily living. Enjoy today – and in eternity – the love, hope and peace that comes with Jesus victory over your sin. Thank God for the continuous shaping He does with me and you through His divine discipline.

Love Lifted Me - Easter 2013

Psalms 40:2 - "He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire. He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along."

God is perfect in every way. Deuteronomy 3:24 reads “God is the rock. His works are perfect, and His ways are just. He is a faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just.”

Paul reminds us in Romans 3:23 of the wide chasm that exists between God and us:  “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.”

What separates us from God is our sinfulness - our selfishness.
I chuckle sometimes at how ridiculous we are as human beings (self included!). We get so over-consumed with the manifestations of sin. We look at people who consume alcohol and we say, "You are a sinner." We at look at those involved in sexual sin, and we point fingers and say, "You are a sinner." We look at people who are not in church regularly and we say, "You are a sinner." We look at those who are hostile, angry, jealous, prideful (won't ask for help - even prayer support), bitter, divisive, envious and we say, "Sin, sin, sin, sin, sin."
I chuckle at all of this because we are all sinners. We all sin. We all sin all the time. We all fall short of God's glorious standard.

Sin is so easy. Last night, we were coloring Easter eggs. Vicki had bought plastic coloring cups because she and Matthew use a cold-water coloring method. I like to go old-school, using food coloring and hot water. Without thinking, I poured the first cup of hot water in a plastic cup. I watched helplessly as the cup melted and the red dye flooded across the counter and onto the floor. What came from my mouth - even in whispers - was not pretty. And, I don't know why I thought my blunder was Vicki's fault, but I lobbed a sarcastic comment in her direction. Vicki is not easily offended, but when she is offended she takes time getting past it. And, so she stewed over my reaction for hours. Both of us sinned. There was no right or wrong in either of our actions or reactions.

And, if it's so very easy to slip into sin over the coloring of eggs, how easy must it be for me to sin each day and every day?

There's no way around it. We all sin. Sin, at its root, is the breaking of God's law to love Him and to love others without condition and prejudice. It's putting love of self above love of God and others. To love God means we put Him first in our lives and we submit to His plans for us - not our own plans. We completely love others above self in all things. All things. Self love (sin) oozes from us in our attitudes, actions, words, and body language.

Sin is looking out for Number One, and putting Number One above all others. We are born into this condition. It's called "Human Nature." Human Nature is simply the natural drive toward living a good Earthly life by Earthly standards. As good as that sounds, it is sinful because it always puts "self" ahead of others. It lives by Earthly rules rather than Godly rules. Human Nature cries out, "I want and I need (fill in the blank)." I catch myself asking college students, "What do you want to do after school?" when the question should be, "What does God want to do through your life after school?" See the difference?

Sin is intoxicating. The more we focus on "self" instead of God and others, the easier sin becomes. And, yes, there are rewards. And, those rewards are intoxicating. The rewards - financial, influential, physical - they feed our love of self. And, soon, we are living life completely for the advancement of self. Deep within us, we temper this love of self with an occasional donation - even a big one - to the church or a charitable cause. We can even serve a charitable cause, but this salve does not really cover our sinful nature. In fact, many give only to love the fact that they give. That is sinful. There's honestly no escaping it.

Matthew and I are cleaning out the old shed and moving stuff into the new shed. I told him that he would learn some things about me in the process, especially as we go through the old trunks that I have from high school and college. These old trunks are full of memorabilia and collectibles from my youth. I haven't peered in them or gone through them in decades. Now, with the shed project, it's time to sort through all the mess and purge some of it. I told Matthew, "Some of what we find may tarnish your image of me." He said, "But, you weren't a bad person." And, I said, "No, but I was living for me and me alone. I was living deep in sin - far from God. I was living for what life could give me. And, I wanted a lot."

Sin pulls us to look in the mirror and see only ourselves (and I extend that to our children, too - all that is mine). The problem is that self can never satisfy. How many times have you ever saved for a purchase, bought the item, and then immediately regretted it? Sure you have. It's because the feeding of self never satisfies. You can't have a house big enough to make you happy. You can't have enough clothes to make you happy. You can't go on enough trips to make you happy. You can't lose enough weight to make you happy. There aren't enough promotions to make you happy. At the gym, I see young women on a quest to be "beautiful." But, they are so thin that they look ancient. They are desperately feeding "self" and dying in the process. Sin is addictive.

The hymn "Love Lifted Me" by James Rowe (words) and Howard Smith (music) includes these words, "I was sinking deep in sin far from the peaceful shore, very deeply stained within, sinking to rise no more."

Selfishness becomes a weight that drags us deeper and deeper into it.

Sin dehydrates us. It robs us of peace. I constantly hear people say things like, "I'm tired all the time" or "I can't sleep" or "I'm so weary" or "I'm so lonely" or "I'm so bored" or "I'm so angry" or "My life sucks" or "I need a friend" or "I just wish I could have one peaceful day." Friends, I have been there - so weary from "self" that self is all I can think about. I just put my head on the pillow and cried out, "Peace." This love of self is a chase that never ends and is never fulfilling. Sin robs us of peace because we’re always chasing something for self. It robs us of hope because we can’t see an end to the rat race and the stress. It robs us of love because we realize the person in the mirror can’t love us back, can’t hug us, can’t hold our hand, can’t console our tears. Sin is lonely. Sin is tired. Sin is depressed. Sin is sleepless. Sin is angry.

But, the hymn reminds us, "But, the Master of the sea heard my despairing cry, from the waters lifted me, now safe am I. Love lifted me! Love lifted me! When nothing else could help, Love lifted me!"

Whose love? God's love. God looks down on our sinfulness and says, "I love you more than you love yourself. And, I want to free you from that self-bondage." And, He sent Jesus as our rescuer, our Savior from sin. And, Jesus calls us back to the purpose of life: Love God, and love others, and help others discover Jesus as Savior. Pour your life into God and into others and watch how peaceful, hopeful and loving your own life becomes. Turn from the mirror of self and sin, and look out the window to see God at work and the struggle of others - without prejudice. What would your day be like if you did nothing for self or with selfish motivation? What would your day look like if you used your workplace, your home, your errands to pour into others in the name of Jesus? I believe you would find a blessing beyond words.

Jesus and Jesus alone is the only way to escape the sinful bondage of Human Nature. Those who acknowledge their sinful nature, turn from it to recognize Jesus as their own only Hope from sin, will be restored with God - through Jesus - for all eternity. Jesus says, in Matthew 11:28, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” Jesus’ sacrifice provides salvation from the bondage of sin, and restores those who believe in Him with Almighty God and God’s plan for us. Paul writes in Romans 12:2, “Restoration will allow us to discern the will of God, what is acceptable to Him and perfect for us.”

Love lifted me! Jesus lifted me! Amen.