WHAT TO DO WHEN YOUR SIN IS EXPOSED

“Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death…2 Corinthians 7:10.”

Most of us live in deep fear of being found out. We are scared of people knowing us deeply, our weaknesses, inadequacies, fears, doubts and sin. We are deeply ashamed of our condition. Yet, we all have darknesses – we are all very flawed, and our responses to our conditions are peppered with brokenness.

Coming clean with who we are and what we have done can feel terrifying … apart from the grace of God. Letting others, God or even ourselves know just how corrupted parts of our souls are raises fears. We are afraid of being judged, condemned – or worst of all – rejected.

So, we are tempted to deny or hide our “stuff.” We try to tell ourselves and/or others that we either didn’t do what we did, or that it wasn’t really sin when we did it. We often coat our motives with feigned good intentions. We perform these mental gymnastics because it’s too scary to admit the truth about ourselves … apart from the grace of God.

The Good News, however, is that God (our Creator) knows who we are – that we are made from dirt. (Psalm 103:14) He knows that we are helpless and hopeless to overcome the things that hinder us and the sin that so easily entangles us. (Hebrews 12:1) So, He sent His Son – the invisible fully God Son – to become fully human. He lived a human life, and He died in our stead. In God’s economy, Jesus’ death paid the full debt of our sin. (2 Corinthians 5:21; Galatians 3:14)

Jesus’ death released the grace of God on earth. No longer do people have to strive for unattainable perfection or hide from reality. Our debt has been paid, so we are free to be completely honest and vulnerable. We can – in fact – be who we are without fear … by the grace of God. When we do wrong, we need not deny it or hide it, we can simply admit it and receive God’s personal and fresh forgiveness. “Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.” (2 Corinthians 7:10)

What do you do when your sin is exposed – when you, God and/or others see who you are and what you’ve done?

You come clean.
You bring it to God and admit it all – motives included.
You agree with its nastiness.
You thank God for the complete payment of Jesus’ death and receive His forgiveness.
You ask for the power of the Holy Spirit to help you change … and
You move on in thankfulness in a renewed direction.

When your sin is exposed, don’t hide; be transformed – in the name of Jesus!

Not wanting to hide from you,

Pastor Tom

Words, Words, Words

“In the multitude of words sin is not lacking, but he who restrains his lips is wise…Proverbs 10:19.”

Words, Words, Words – How meaningful are my words? There are times when we are in someone’s company and the silence is deafening…so we begin filling those silences with words, usually empty words. We all know someone who talks and talks and say nothing. Then we know those individuals who talk and use biting words that hurt and wound others. I recall a time when my son and his precious family were looking for a church because of unkind words said to them, not once, but twice.

Oh, dear saints, we don’t realize how sharp our tongues can be, and I include myself in that. I use to pray, God gives me the words to say, but now I find myself asking Abba Father to help me to know when to keep silent! Abba Father says to us, “Be still and know that I am God.” Silence is golden because it is those moments that God speaks to us so clearly.

Dear saints, in this age of saying the “politically correct” thing, no one has said, “being politically correct can be silence”! My prayer is that we will all find ourselves silent when God would have us to be, but full of wisdom and knowledge, His knowledge when we speak. Most humans are not comfortable with silence, but silence is a golden nugget that quiets and stills our hearts, souls, and minds.

Let’s examine ourselves to see if we are being silent enough to allow Abba Father to speak to us, as well as give us the wisdom to speak His words to others! Praise to our God and Heavenly Father, Jesus, our Savior, and to the Holy Spirit, our dear Intercessor! Amen and Amen

The Righteous Garment

“And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots; that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, they parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots… Matthew 27:35.”

Here those present parted his garments and not being able to part his cloak or vesture, they cast lots to see who would get this prize. His vesture was so made, it’s said, that it was without seam. It could be removed from the person who wore it but it couldn’t be parted

Jesus gave his life, for us, but no man took it. Nor could any man take his life. He laid it down willingly, for you and me. He laid aside his defenses which were formidable, as he could call and receive help from legions of angels to come to his defense any one of which could have defeated armies.

Jesus laid his cloak aside, or let them take it from him, for you and for me. As he hung there, no doubt he could see them casting lots for his garments. As Jesus paid the price for our sins, so we could have a relationship with God the Father and with Jesus, he knew that he would be home soon; the home where he could put on the Robes and Cloak of his former position and sit at the right hand of the Father in Heaven.

The one that won the cloak of Jesus, I wonder what he did with that? Did he wear it around town? Did others, even but for a moment, recognize it was worn by Jesus? Did they come running to him and say, “Master, is it you?”

Did this soldier see the desire in their eyes to see Jesus? Did he wonder about such love? Did such a thing happen enough that he visited his followers and inquired about this man Jesus? Did he found out he was the Son of God? Did he accept him as Lord?

I imagine he did find Christ and wanted to return that vesture but no one was there to accept the cloak. A cloak that no doubt was expensive to make or purchase back then being without a seam. But he who had worn that cloak had paid the price already for a new garment. He who had worn that cloak had ascended on High and had paid the price at the Heavenly Tailor shop for Garments of Righteousness for you and me. This garment, when you put it on, no man can take off.

Those of us that are saved have ours; those of you without Christ seek at the local Church for such a garment. The price is already paid and he who wears this garment of Righteousness wears the Righteousness of Christ. One day, it will be your ticket to heaven. Perhaps there we’ll see that soldier who won the old vesture Jesus wore. If we do, he’ll be sporting his new Righteous Garment also.

Looking to Him

“The Lord looks from heaven; He sees all the sons of men. From the place of His dwelling, He looks on all the inhabitants of the earth; He fashions their hearts individually; He considers all their works… Behold the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him, on those who hope in His mercy, to deliver their soul from death and to keep them alive in famine. Our soul waits for the Lord; He is our help and our shield. For our heart shall rejoice in Him, because we have trusted in His holy name. Let our mercy, O Lord, be upon us, just as we hope in you! …Psalm 33:13, 18-22.”

This past year has been quite a year for us all! Many people are living in fear and many of those are Christians. However, fear is NOT from the Lord. The above Psalm says, “He is our help and our shield”! Looking to Him instead of what we see and hear around us, makes Him our shield and comforter.

When I taught at Hubbard a few years back, I had a student say in class, “Mrs. Parrish, if I do what is right and lead a good life, I should not have any big problems or troubles: I gently shared with him that life is a series of ups and downs, and it is just life. For us Christians, the sooner we turn to our Lord, especially in those difficult times, the sooner we experience His peace. Greater though is knowing He lives in us through the good and the bad, and He is there 24-7.

We are His sons and daughters in whom He delights! Yes, He loves and delights in you and me! Praise God! No matter what happens on this earth, we are only traveling through!

Heaven is our home! My prayer for us all is that we will include Him more in our lives than ever before. Above all, may the unsaved see Him in each our lives and as a result, they become saved. Let our hearts truly rejoice in Him!

THE TANGIBLE HAND

“Oh, love the Lord, all you His saints! For the Lord preserves the faithful and fully repays the proud person. Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart, all you who hope in the Lord…Psalm 31:23-24.”

Many of the religions of the world say one must do something to be saved. Good works, prayers, reading the Scriptures, baptism, and on and on. All of these things are good, and should not be ignored, but the only thing our Lord requires of us is to choose Him! In the above Scripture, He asks us to love and trust Him. Sometimes I am good at that, and other times, I fall short.

Most of the time, we humans want tangible things. Things we can see or hold in our hands. Faith is not tangible, and so therefore many people say they can’t believe in the intangible. However, if I reflect back on my life, I see the tangible hand of the Lord. I see His protection, His faithfulness and His unfailing mercy. Even when I find it difficult to love and trust Him, He remains faithful to me! What an awesome God He is!

We all go through dark days, but keeping our eyes fixed on Him, no matter what our human eyes see, requires resolve. Resolve to trust Him! Knowing how much He loves us and that He lives in us, removes some of the sting of those dark days.

Years ago, I heard a sermon about praising God in the bad times. I have never forgotten that, because when we do that, the sad in us, gets glad in us! What is happening there is we are taking our minds off of ourselves and focusing on or choosing God! You can’t be sad, angry or mad when one praises our Heavenly Father!

We will all experience joy and sadness that is a fact. It is also a fact that our Heavenly Father will be faithful to us, no matter what the situation is. He wants us to turn to Him, to choose Him, and to be honest with Him. He knows what we are thinking and feeling anyway.

There may be times when we feel like He is unaware of our circumstances. But He is never unaware of what is happening with us! Why? Because His love is unending and unconditional!!!!!!! In addition, we CANNOT depend on our feelings. They are like the wind, they come and they go. If we believe, as the Scripture says, that He does live in us, we will know He IS there!

Bottom line, our hope is in the Lord, now and always. This message is speaking to me, and I hope it speaks to you. I love you all with the love of the Lord, and pray we all will choose Him more, and in every circumstance of our lives! Choose him in the sad and the glad times! After all, He is there anyway, whether we choose him or not! Praise God forever and ever for His faithfulness!

LISTEN WITH POWER!

“This you know, my beloved brethren. But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger…James 1:19.”

Are you a good listener? How do you know if you are or you aren’t?

Jesus said,” Consider carefully how you hear, with the measure you use, it will be measured to you – even more.” (Mark4:24) This is an intense statement. As we evaluate others by their messages, we will be evaluated. God will evaluate us in like manner – yet, somehow, in a deeper way.

I am not sure how you feel when you read this, but it makes me want to be careful to be gracious in my listening. I don’t want to be judgmental or harsh. I want to believe the best about the one to whom I am listening. I want to apply faith and God’s grace to what I hear. And, I want to be a blessing to the message giver. Why? … Because that’s how I want others to relate to me and my message, and more importantly this is how I want to be blessed by God.

Be quick to listen – and listen well. Be slow to speak – and speak carefully. (James 1:19) Don’t react – process well. Don’t judge – support with grace. Receive what is good and put it into practice. God will bless such listening and hearing. It is a mark of God’s wisdom. (Matthew 7:24)

What if we all became good listeners and taught others to do the same? It would make a difference in your family, your friendships and workplaces. What if believers started to be known as good listeners? We would see more people come to Christ!

If you listen well – with the gracious help and empowerment of the Holy Spirit, you will have a greater impact. God will be with you – and God will move through you.

Have a great day listening to others in a life-transforming way!

Listening to you,

Pastor Tom

WITHOUT FEAR AND CONFIDENCE

“So, they were seeking to seize Him; and no man laid his hand on Him, because His hour had not yet come. But many of the crowd believed in Him, and they were saying, When the Christ comes, He will not perform more signs than those which this man has, will He? …John 7:30-31.”

There are an enduring peace and confident excitement in knowing our lives rest securely in the Master’s hands. Nothing can happen to us apart from the Lord’s consent.

There was a period in my life when I feared losing my secular job because of my recommitment to Christ. After sharing my concerns with my pastor, he said these words which I carry in my heart to this day:

“Bruce, if the Lord wants you in this job there is no power on earth that can remove you from it. And if the Lord doesn’t want you in your job there is no power on earth that can keep you in it.”

Those simple words of truth erased my fear and gave me confidence.

It is a blessing to experience the Lord working in our lives. Yet, there is often a two-fold reaction to the Truth as seen in the above passage.

In verse 30, “…they were seeking to seize Him.” In verse 31, “…many of the crowd believed in Him.” The Bible says: “To the one, we are the savor of death unto death, and to the other the savor of life unto life…” (2 Cor. 2:16)

When we share our faith with others, it will at times cause division. This is surely what Jesus meant in Luke 12:51-53:

“Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division: For from henceforth there shall be five in one house divided, three against two, and two against three. The father shall be divided against the son, and the son against the father; the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother; the mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law, and the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.”

The Truth challenges our concept about ourselves. It forces us to make a decision about Jesus Christ. There is no middle ground in determining where we stand with Jesus. We each face this question:

“What am I going to do with Jesus Christ?

As followers of Christ, we should have the confidence to serve the Lord and be encouraged by His Presence and Power. His divine protection will surround us against the forces of evil until our race is done. Therefore, let us walk as Jesus walked without fear and the confidence God is directing our steps for, indeed, He is.