A Secret Is A Terrible Thing

I want to warn you about one of Satan’s favorite schemes…secrets. A secret is a terrible thing…especially when the secret is your own sin.

When you hide a sin, keeping it “just your little secret”, what you are doing, unintentionally no doubt, is allowing Satan leverage over you. He can, and will, use that “dirty little secret” against you. “But it’s just between me and God”, “I’ll never do it again”, “It was so long ago”. Sadly, all you’re rationalizing won’t change that.

A secret sin is the equivalent of allowing Satan to put a handle in the middle of your back. Every time you try to stand up spiritually, Satan will use that sin against you. He will black-mail you. Interestingly, the name ‘Satan’ means ‘accuser’, and he is a specialist at that. “Just who do you think you are?”, “You’re not much of a Christian!”, “If people find out what you’ve done, your public humiliation will destroy you”, “How can you be so arrogant to confront them about their sin, considering what you’ve done?”

So what is the best way to get rid of a black-mailer? Pay him? That’s usually the first thing we try isn’t it? But you’ve seen the movie, he’s never satisfied, he always wants more and more, the payments never end. So, what can be done to get rid of a black-mailer? Well, obviously, get rid of the secret, confess it, expose it. When you do that, he has no more leverage over you.

That, I believe, is one reason God tells us over and over to confess our sins. Once you do, Satan cannot use your secret against you anymore. Do you have a secret sin? Find a godly brother/sister in the Lord who will give you righteous counsel and get that handle off your back!

He who covers his sins will not prosper,
But whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy.
Proverbs 28:13

MichaelMcCorkle

Being an Example, Part 2

If you will remember, in the first study we looked at being an example to our children and why that is important.  Parts 2, 3, 4, & 5 we will further study how to be a good, holy example to our children in the way we use our eyes, mouth, hands and feet.  In this study we will look at being an example in the way we use our eyes, the things we let our eyes behold.

Anyone who has children knows they watch your every move.  Kids want to mimic their parents; they idolize all that moms and dads do.  My daughter just turned 1, and it is amazing to me all the things she sees and understands.  She is my biggest accountability partner.  I want to be a good example to her.  When she watches me, I want her to view the actions of a good, solid Christian woman. How can I accomplish being this kind of example?  I have to start with the way I use my eyes, the things I let my eyes see because this impressionable child is watching me.

I John 2:16, “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.”

Here we see that basically all our sins can be pinpointed to one of three things:  the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, or the pride of life.  I want to take notice of the lust of the eyes and study this further.

We should teach our children how to be faithful to their spouse by being loyal to our own spouse.

Job 31:1, “I made a covenant with mine eyes; why then should I think upon a maid?”

Job literally made a covenant/promise with his eyes.  He had a wife; therefore, he wasn’t going to look at any other woman.  This is a good covenant to make with your eyes because the Bible teaches us that if you even look at another woman, you have already committed adultery in your heart.

Matthew 5:28, “But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.”

Show your children you are faithful to your spouse.  Don’t let your eyes wonder.  Don’t let them catch you staring at someone in the grocery store or starting at some “hot” celebrity on TV.  Make a covenant with your eyes, and teach your children to do the same.

This is not the only way we can be an example to our children.  Don’t let your eyes behold anything evil or ungodly.

Psalm 119:37, “Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity; and quicken thou me in thy way.”

The NKJV translates the word vanity to worthless.  Here the Psalmist is praying the Lord will help him keep his eyes from looking at anything worthless.  What kinds of movies, television programs, books, and etc. do your children see you looking at?  Are they worthless?  It is a good question yourself before you look at anything.  Is it worthless?

The Bible teaches us to do whatever it takes to keep ourselves pure and holy.  We have to purge our lives of unholy things, even if that means removing our eye from its socket.

Matthew 5:29, “And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.”

Demonstrate to your children that you will do whatever it takes to keep your eyes off of things that are worthless and focused on things that are holy, godly.

Be an example; show your children how to have “spiritual eyes.”

Luke 11:34-36, “The light of the body is the eye: therefore when thine eye is single, thy whole body also is full of light; but when thine eye is evil, thy body also is full of darkness. 35 Take heed therefore that the light which is in thee be not darkness. 36 If thy whole body therefore be full of light, having no part dark, the whole shall be full of light, as when the bright shining of a candle doth give thee light.”

The things our eyes see direct our entire life.  It is important to look on godly things so our words and actions will reflect the light of Christ.  Work on spiritual attributes so you won’t be spiritually blinded.

II Peter 1:5-9, “And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; 6 And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; 7 And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. 8 For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.”

What do your kids see you doing?  Do you watch filthy movies or read inappropriate romance novels?  Do you “check out” other people when you should only have eyes for your spouse?  Or, do your children see you opening the word of God, watching things that are not worthless, and living a life that is not spiritually blind?  Let’s remember we have little eyes watching us, taking in everything we do.  Be a good example; show them the right path.

Elise Fleming

A Conversation With God

As believers, we all know that we should pray. The question is, do we know why, or how?  In order for us to have an effective prayer life there are a few things that we should have an understanding of. First and foremost, prayer is nothing more than having…

A Conversation With God…

Prayer is not contemplation, or meditation. Prayer is in direct address to Him. It can be oral or mental. It can be occasional or constant. It can be exclamatory or formal. Regardless of what it can be, it is a conversation.

We find Moses “beseeching the Lord” in Exodus 32:11. In 1 Samuel 1:15, we find Hannah telling Eli that she was, “pouring out the soul before the Lord,” when he accused her of being drunk, because she prayed so fervently. Hezekiah and Isaiah were “praying and crying to heaven” in 2 Chronicles 32:20. In Job 8:5, Job was “seeking unto God and making supplication.” David drew near to God in Psalms 73:28 and Paul was “bowing the knees” in prayer in Ephesians 3:14.

Prayer assumes a belief in the personality of God and his ability and willingness to hold a conversation with us. And above all things, prayer is a belief in his personal control of all things. Without this whole hearted belief, what good is our prayer?

Prayer must be Sincere and offered with reverence, Godly fear, a humble sense of our own insignificance and unworthiness. It should be offered with earnest insistence, but also unhesitating submission to His divine will. We must have faith that God is, and is the hearer and answerer of prayer.

One thing that is most certain, is that we can and even should, ask others to pray for us. James 5:16 presents this very idea to us, as God’s children.

“Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”

Our pride sometimes keeps us from doing this, but we have so many examples in God’s word, where people took advantage of it and saw that their prayers were indeed answered. Abraham, prayed for others on several occasions. Moses prayed for The Israelites when they were facing destruction by God and God repented. Moses prayed for Miriam when God struck her with leprosy and God answered his prayer. When Aaron would have been destroyed by God because the Israelites had turned away from God during the exodus, Moses prayed for him and he was offered the opportunity to live and repent.

One particular instance that really stands out to me is when Peter was taken prisoner in Acts 12:5. The church came together and prayed for him, that he would be released, and he was. As a matter of fact, they were still praying for him, when he came to their door, knocked and asked entrance.

In all of these examples, as well as the many more that we could discuss, those offering prayer were doing so with confidence. They were having a conversation with God and God gave them an answer.

There is no doubt that we have the model prayer, in the Lord’s Prayer, that shows us how we should have this conversation, but the bottom line, is that God simply wants us to have a conversation.

If we pray in the right spirit, and with the right frame of mind our prayers will be answered. It may not be what we are expecting, or even what we selfishly want, but we should have the comfort that it is what we need…

“Prayer is like the dove that Noah sent forth, which blessed him not only when it returned with an olive-leaf in its mouth, but when it never returned at all.” Robinson’s Job.

Max Gaskins

The God of Second Chances

Luke 13:6-9

He spake also this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none. 7 Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground? 8 And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it: 9  And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down.

 Have you ever needed a second chance?  You messed up.  You said or did the wrong thing.  You didn’t mean to, or maybe you did.  And now you’re sick about it.  You heart aches and you want to make it right – at least the best that you can.  We find in this snapshot that we serve a God of the second chance, or fourth chance as in this account.  We find a God who is for you – not against you.  A Holy Father who’ll lift you up, dust you off, and return you to your seat at the table where He pours your cup until it overflows.  A fresh start.  Who doesn’t want that?

In the Old Testament we find that the children of Israel were a wayward people, and as we know so are WE.  They tested God regularly through the wandering in the wilderness.  But after they dealt with their sin and repented God gave them a second chance.  God forgave them and gave them a fresh start, a new beginning.  I’m thankful that our God is a God of new beginnings, of fresh starts.

It is the nature of God to forgive repentant sinners. There are probably those reading this, if fact I know there are those reading this, who have failed the Lord.  Perhaps you think God is finished with you. May I reassure you?  He is not, because He is the God of the second chance.  God is the God of grace and of mercy; of forgiveness, and new beginnings.  I want you to know that failures are not fatal and failures are not final as long as you recognize and repent of your sins.

Why?  Because God wants to give you another chance.  God wants you to have a new beginning.

Because of failure, some people will just give up – they’ll just quit.  He gave Samson a second chance didn’t he? I mean, after getting his hair cut in the “devil’s barbershop” where he lost his strength.  He was more victorious in his death than he was in his life.  John Mark got a second chance, you remember were Paul said that John Mark abandoned the work and went home; and, later Paul wrote and asked for John Mark to join him because “he’s profitable in the work.”  God gave Simon Peter a second chance – you remember he swore and cursed and denied the Lord three times.  Peter repented and subsequently gave the first gospel sermon on the day Pentecost where he used the keys to open the door to the kingdom.

The Bible is full of 2^nd, 3^rd, 4^th, 5^th, 6^th, and seven times seven new beginnings and second chances.  If you repent of your sins God will forgive you and give you a fresh start; and, you may serve him better, more faithfully, than you ever have before, because you have learned a lesson.  You’ve not only known the thrill of victory but now you have learned the agony of defeat.  Now you are ready to serve the Lord with a power that you’ve never known. 

Lamentations 3:22-23 “It is of the LORD’s mercies that we’re not consumed because his compassions fail not, they are new every morning…”

No, today may not have been perfect and odds are that tomorrow won’t be perfect either – But aren’t you glad that when sin is repented of … you get a new start.  So don’t give up or give in to the deceiver’s lies.  God loves you.  Welcomes you.  And is ready to get you started on a new path, a better path.  So let not you heart be weary … draw close to God and he’ll draw close to you.

JerryLowry

Potential

One afternoon I was listening to sports talk radio (I know what you are all thinking) and the subject of the day was how some sports figures never live up to their potential.  I believe the main athlete on display was Serena Williams.  Many callers called in to express their opinion on the issue.  Some disagreed with the topic saying she has accomplished much while others said she could have accomplished much more if she would have dedicated herself to exercise and practice more.

I personally am not a tennis fan and probably never will be.  However, I have had the same conversation about Roy Williams of the Dallas Cowboys.  I remember watching him at the University of Texas and thinking that this guy would make waves at the next level.  In college, we saw a glimpse of greatness.  Williams rarely dropped a pass and could outplay the majority of defensive backs and corners that he had to face at the college level.  Fast forward several years later and it seems the same Roy Williams can’t even catch a cold.  If you talk to any Dallas Cowboy fan, you would probably hear the same lament that Williams is not living up to his potential.

It is very easy for us to be critical of famous people when they do not excel at what they are supposed to do.  However, when was the last time we checked to see if we are living up to our potential in our Christian lives?  When did we last gauge our progress when it comes to spiritual growth?  If we truly examined ourselves, would we find that while we have huge potential to be a great servant for Christ, we have not lived up to that potential and are no where close to where we should be?

If you are currently a Christian, think back to the moment you were baptized.  Do you remember the zeal you had at that instant?  If you were anything like me, you felt that you were going to set the world on fire.  You probably started out studying your bible constantly.  You were out knocking doors and taking every opportunity to spread the word of God to those around you.  You were living up to your full potential as a Christian. But then those feelings died a little.  You still wanted to serve God but that excitement had faded.  Many times we get in a rut that holds us back from serving God in the manner that we should.  We get to a point that we are not living up to our full potential and we stop growing as a Christian.

Think about the following passage from the book of Hebrews:

5:12 For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which [be] the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. 5:13 For every one that useth milk [is] unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. 5:14 But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, [even] those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. The writer of Hebrews realized that these people should have been to a different stage in their Christianity at this time.  Instead of the author being able to write to these people about the meat of the word, he had to go back and start over with the basic principles of God.  In essence, these Christians had not lived up to their potential.  Instead of growing, they actually regressed in their knowledge of God.

We as Christians need to examine all aspects of our Christianity daily and make improvements in the areas that need help.  Instead of maintaining our current position as a Christian or even regressing, we need to constantly be striving to grow.  What parts of our spiritual lives need the most attention?  Are we lacking in our prayer life?  Are our study habits lacking?  If each of us really look and are honest with ourselves, we can find several areas that need improvement.  Part of being a servant of Christ is realizing that growth is an everyday activity and something we will never stop needing.

Maybe we are doing an “ok” job at being a Christian.  We may feel that we have done what we need to do to please God.  This is an attitude that we can’t have.  We all have room to grow and should never stop striving to be better.  Think about the comment about Serena Williams.  Many people would say she has achieved much.  The question that must be asked is can she do better?  Has she done everything she needs to do to be the best that she can be?

Sometimes we feel that we do more than enough and can relax a little.  However, we must ask ourselves, have we done everything possible to be the best Christian we possibly can?  Romans 12:1-2 sums this idea up when it says, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.”  This verse tells us it is our reasonable service to sacrifice our lives in the services of Christ and the Church.  This means that we should give everything we have to serve God.  Our duty is to put Christ first in our lives and live up to our true potential as a Christian.  Honestly, our total sacrifice is not much to ask seeing that Jesus Christ truly did live up to his full potential so that we could have forgiveness of our sins.  So ask yourself today, am I living up to my fullest potential?

Noah Hall

“No Army of One”

Do you ever feel alone in your battle of living a Godly life?  Does it seem as if no one else cares or even considers what God thinks about the decisions that they are making?   Do you think sometimes that we have just given up and resigned ourselves to the fact that this world is full of evil and we are just too weak to continue to fight?   Do you ever feel like throwing your hands up and giving in to the so called “easy life” that Satan tempts us with?  If you feel this way, then I want to share something with you…. You’re Human!!

Now this idea of being human does not excuse nor does it justify sinful worldly living with the expectation of  God’s grace exempting us from continuing to battle for morality.  This seems to be what the Christians in Rome were struggling with as Paul exhorted them to no longer live in their former sins.  Romans 6:1-2 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? 2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? Committing sin and living in sin are definitely two different things; for we know that according to I John 1 we are challenged to walk in the light and that as we walk in the light we receive the cleansing of our sins by the blood of Christ.  John also writes: I John 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. Let’s not ever deceive ourselves, but be honest that all of us “mess up” from time to time.  Sin is something that we will always struggle and fight against as long as we live in this world.  But here is a great truth that God reveals to you… You are not alone!!

First of all we know that the Lord himself is always there and he is leading us into this battle.  Psalm 94:14 For the LORD will not cast off his people, neither will he forsake his inheritance. God has created you for the very distinct purpose to serve him and to be his child and that places you in His inheritance.   That’s why all of us are here!  God wants to use you as a tool in some capacity to achieve great things for His Kingdom and that is even with his knowledge that we will continue to make mistakes.  You will not be a great warrior in the realm of spiritual warfare because you yourself are strong enough, smart enough, or courageous enough on your own.  But you will be successful because God through you can work and make you into what he needs you to be in his Army.  Without God, your efforts will be futile.

Not only is God always with us but we have our fellow soldiers that are there to protect and serve right by our side.  Have you ever heard the saying that “There is strength in numbers”?  How true that statement is.  Whenever you feel any of those things that we talked about in the beginning of this article, just think about your brothers and sisters in Christ who are facing the same challenges that you are everyday and aren’t laying down their spiritual swords or removing their spiritual armor.  They continue to battle, they continue to struggle, and they also continue to see wonderful blessings that come only through sincere service to our Lord.

Who do you want beside you in the trenches?  Do you want someone who will flee the moment things start to get tough or a person that will give up after they make a mistake?  What about someone who is sabotaging every effort that you seem to be making to move forward in the battle?  I know that if I am in battle that I want people that I can trust, who know me, and are going to stick beside me as long as I keep fighting and battling and always have my back.  I want people that when I stumble will help me get back on my feet.   And I must continue to strive to do the same thing for them.

So remember that you are not alone and you are not just fighting for yourself but you have other people depending on you to keep fighting and defending the truth.  Souls that are lost without Christ are depending on you.  Now when those feelings of desperation and hopelessness come; think of those who you know are fighting everyday to please God.  Then stand up yourself and dedicate yourself to the cause and get back in the battle.  Let us all look out for one another and protect each other from the common enemy that we share, which is Sin.

**Remember**

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour.
10 For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up.
11 Again, if two lie together, then they have heat: but how can one be warm alone?
12 And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

Chase Palmer

Do you believe in evolution?

Do you believe in evolution? I certainly do! But let me assure you that I’m not talking about the kind of evolution that attempts to explain how life came into existence, because “through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God” (Heb 11:3). I’m talking about the kind of evolution, or development, that we experience in our spiritual lives. Look back into your own life and recall the time when you became a Christian. Are you a different person today, why? It’s because you have been reshaped. God’s Word has the power to change every aspect of your life: the way you think, feel, talk, and even they way you look. We find in Jer 18:6 “O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the LORD. Behold, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel.” This verse teaches us that just as the potter has power to mold the clay as he wishes, God has the power to mold our spiritual lives according to His Will. Growth can be attributed to our use of the Word of God as the writer of Hebrews states in Heb 5:14  “But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil“. 

Some do not grow spiritually because they are not willing to submit to God’s will. Instead of allowing God’s Word to reshape their lives, they are reshaping God’s Word to fit their life. This attitude will lead us to seek convenience and personal preference over obedience to God’s Will. Essentially we are replying against God and telling Him what we think His Will should be (Rom 9:20).

If we have any expectation of spiritual growth it can only be on GOD’S TERMS. After all the scriptures teach in Isa 64:8 “But now, O LORD, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand.” We are the clay and God has the power to shape us into what He desires!

Ben Soto