Sinning Away Conviction

Sinning away conviction of sin.
In his book, Indwelling Sin in Believers, John Owen writes of the believer who, "sins away his conviction of sin."

I must admit that this was a source of very real conviction for me.  I reflected upon how often I catch myself engaged in something that one might consider a "little" sin with less conviction than I should have.  Maybe a book or a TV show or a movie.  Even the purchase of something that I delude myself into believing will bring some lasting satisfaction and meaning to my life.

I am confronted with the question, "How sensitive to sin and I - really?"  I have to admit that like many folks I don;t do well in my answer.  As James tells us, my desires create havoc in my soul that unfortunately is common enough to be dismissed unless directly confronted from outside.

This is due to several things not the least of which is an intentional examination of most of my life in the light of the Word and the Spirit.  What seems OK is most often not.  The law of grace loses it's power to restrain me because my mind is not fixed upon Him, His sovereignty and His calling.  I simply find it distressingly easy to let the "little" one's slip by.

Though these "sins" are (according to man;s measure) "little" they have the cumulative effect of numbing my heart to sin in general.  The old "everyone does it," or the "it's not a biggy," even "I'm redeemed and forgiven," are poor rationales for my failure in regards to these sins.

I have to make myself remember that if I had only committed the least of these "acceptable" sins Christ would have still had to suffer the horrors of their payment.  There only one acceptable payment for any and all sins but I, maybe like may of you, have a tough time keeping this in the front of my mind.

So I grow numb to conviction in an ever increasing way and find myself humiliated by greater lapses.  Lapses that would not have been so easy to make had i dealt honestly and directly with the "lesser" sins.

All this is to say that we must (ok, maybe it's just me) must do whatever is needful to become and remain sensitive to all sin in our lives.

This take intentional commitment and discipline.  It is hard and tedious work.  It looks a lot like legalism but though the law was fulfilled its use in our lives still stands.  Somehow I have to move from being a mere fan of Jesus to being a fanatic for His glory.

Sin is spelled  S-I-N not O-O-P-S!

It's a scary proposition to consider praying for a level of sensitivity to sin that truly honors God.  So much of what is our lives - my life - will have to be examined and re-evaluated.  So much will have to change - even what seems like the minutia.

But - gratitude demands it.  God expects it.  The Word and the Spirit enable it.  Who am I to refuse it?

Pray to see to what degree you may had sinned away some of your conviction of sin.

Uses of Afflcition 02 031314

Uses of Affliction 02  031314

1.  The trial of one's state, whether one is in the state of grace or not.

When we are under any affliction it is quite common for us to do a lot of questioning.
One of the uses God makes of affliction and a use we can use is in questioning whether or not we are indeed in a state of grace (saved) or not.  This is not a doubting of God's willingness or ability to save us but whether or not our confession is genuine.

Is this legitimate?  It would appear from scripture that indeed it is.
 In 2 Chronicles we read concerning Hezekiah:

2 Chronicles 32:31 NASB
. . . .God left him alone only to test him, that He might know all that was in his heart.

In afflictions we have a sense that God has "left" us and it is normal for us to be in distress.  But one of the uses of afflcition is certainly that we might know what is truly in our hearts.  Not to be trite but the questions in this instance might be, "is Jesus really in my heart?"  "Is my confession of faith true?"  "Am I really a child of God?"

Difficult and distressing questions - but questions that need to be asked.

We know how evil and fickled our hearts are and we know there are many whose confessions are mere ascent to a set of facts and not true faith (trust) in the saving power and Lorship of Jesus.  Afflictions provide us with a context where these quesitons are not only appropriate but vital.

Consider the following:

1 Corinthians 11:28 NASB
But a man must examine himself, and in so doing he is to eat of the bread and drink of the cup.

2 Corinthians 13:5 NASB
Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you--unless indeed you fail the test?

Galatians 6:4 NASB
But each one must examine his own work, and then he will have reason for boasting in regard to himself alone, and not in regard to another.

2 Peter 1:10 NASB
Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble;

None of these passages are directly connected to any afflcition.  We are admonished to consistantly examine ourselves and our faith to determine its veracity, it's soundness.  If we are so admonished to do so outside of any affliction how much more so in afflcition.

By afflcition God tests us.  Not for His benefit but for our own.  We need to know two things.  That God is real and all He says He is and we need to know that our faith is genuine.

We should learn the blessing of afflcitions by embracing the opportunity for greater assurance of our faith.  Afflictions are on the one hand tests - tests for us.  They are tests that strip away all the comforts and causes of our ease so that we may determine wherther or not our faith/trust is truly in Him or whether it is mixed with our trust in other comforts and causes of ease.

I have grown to see afflcitions as a kind of second calling.  When I stray, as all sheep tend to do, I get into trouble (which God ordains/allows to happen).  I have learned to view the afflcition as God calling me either back to Him or to a unslullied trust in Him.  Afflcitons are never pleasant but they do have purpose and there can be no greater purpose than for us to grow in our assurance that we are indeed His.

This is one of the reasons James can write:

James 1:2-4 NASB
Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, [3] knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. [4] And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

Isn't is interesting that God will lead us into a place where we lose much of our comforts and there casues so that we may lack nothing - but that's for a later blog.

Uses of Affliction 01 031214

Uses for Afflictions  01  031214

We all at one time or anthor (at least) find ourelves suffering some sort of affliction.  It may be transitory, it may be permanent; it may be small, it may be great, but we all will indeed suffer in this world.

So what's the point?  Why does God allow us to suffer?  Is there a good use of afflictions in which we can find comfort and encouragement and strength.

Thomas Boston in his work, A Crook in the Lot, give us a list of seven ways in which we and God can use afflcitions for good.  Submitting to God, trusting in Christ and depending upon the Holy Spirit afflictions can bring blessings.

Below you will find a paraphrased list of the uses Boston suggests.  I hope to address each of them in a practicle and personal manner in this new series of blogs.

Uses of Afflictions

1. The trial of one's state, whether one is in the state of grace of not.
2. Excitation to duty, weaning one from this world, and prompting him to look after the happiness of the other world.
3. Conviction of sin.
4. Correction and punishment for sin.
5. Preventing sin.
6. Discovery of latenet corruption whether in saints of sinners.
7. The exercise of grace in the chidren of God

I will attempt to expand and illustrate these points in the coming weeks.  They are not easy points and certainly they are not comfortable but I believe that we need to work hard at understanding the uses of affliction in order to be betterr able not only to endure but to encourage.

1 Corinthians 10:13 NASB
No temptation ((trial)) has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted ((tried)) beyond what you are able, but with the temptation ((trial)) will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.

May God bless my efforts and yours as we look at the uses of afflictions to the glory of God.

Please don;t hesitate to email me questions or comments:
sheepdog.ms@gmail.com

Heart Keepers 05. 030914

Heart Keepers 05

5.  A constant and holy jealousy over our own hearts.

This is a tough one.  "Jealousy," isn't that a sin?  And yet shouldn't we be jealous of anything that would woo us away from the Lord?

Think of the power (albeit evil) of sinful jealousy.  It's the Great Green Monster.  It sparks anger and bitterness, even fury and odd behaviors.  Shouldn't anything that comes between our hearts and God be seen as an interloper, a seducer, a harlot attempting to lead us into adultery?

"My heart is God's, leave it alone!"  "It is His do not intefere!"  Even, "I hate you for trying to come between God and I!"  Should not this be our stance?  Should we not pray for this holy jealousy over our hearts?

Indeed God is jealous for our hearts.  He responds mightily when anything seeks to woo or win us.  He hates - yes hates - that which would come between you and Him.  We see it over and over again in the history of Israel.  God is a jealous God and will not tolerate our having any others.

Exodus 34:14 NASB
--for you shall not worship any other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God--

Deuteronomy 4:24 NASB
"For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.

Psalm 78:58 NASB
For they provoked Him with their high places And aroused His jealousy with their graven images.

1 Corinthians 10:22 NASB
Or do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? We are not stronger than He, are we?

James 4:4-5 NASB
You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. [5] Or do you think that the Scripture speaks to no purpose: "He jealously desires the Spirit which He has made to dwell in us"?

We need to be just as jealous for God as He is for us.  I know it seems odd and is quite a tough nut to crack but we need to pray that the Holy Spirit will give us insight.

These are His eyes, you may not enter.
These are His ears, you may not sound.
This is His mind, be ye gone.
This is His heart, there is no place for you here.
ms

Melancholy 020214 Faithfulness

Most times all I've got to offer to Him is faithfulness
Obedience
I don't have joy,  exuberant praise, just obedience

And sometimes it's just obedience becasue obedience is expected

I don't believe that faithfulness demands any special "feelings."
I just demands the doing of it.

And our obedience needs to be simple and honest

He calls us to pray - so we pray
We don't have to pray well
We just have to pray
We bring - prayerfully - whatever we've got
But we bring it faithfully

He calls us to study His word
So we do
It may be a little hollow
We may not feel inspired
But we need to obediently feed upon it
So the Hoy Spirit can work it into our minds and hearts

He calls us to worship
Individual and corporate
So we do
However  can
We do

All I have to offer Him
Is a crippled and staggering faithfulness
Sometimes I walk
Sometimes I crawl
In seeking to faithfully follow

Some He  calles to great things (as man estimates them)
Others He calls to small simply things
But He calls all of His
To be faithful
In what he has given them

The widow gave all she had
What do we have to give
Sometimes it's just faithfulness
In the simple and quiet things

Pray to simply be faithful
And then be faithful in those simple things
We're all called to it
Wherever we are
With whatever we have
However we can

In my affliction
All I can offer Him
Is my faithfulness
And sometimes even that is hard
Most times it's all I have

MS

It is finished - He is risen - but He isn't done!

OK - it's the Monday after.  Not an easy day for those disciples.  Still amazed, confused and frightened.  But, "it is finished," will come to mean more and more as they are empowered and instructed over the following 39 (?) days.

There are two lessons I hope we will take from this.

First, without the empty tomb the cross is just a very very sad event.  I understand why we use the cross as the symbol of our faith - it is appropriate.  But I wish someone would design an empty tomb that could be worn - either with or I stead of the cross.

No, I don't want to detract from the significance of the cross in any way but I am saddened that we typically only think of the empty tomb once a year.

Second, I hope we realize from what comes after the tomb - that there is still a plan and process that God is working in the lives of believers.  Ignorance, misunderstanding, the flesh, - all these things are worked through by the Spirit in the lives of those early believers.  We do ourselves and others great harm when we forget that it is so in our lives as well!  We also impose a burdensome yoke on new believers when we have unrealistic expectations of them.

The great commission is primarily to teach - to teach as witnesses and to teach as those who are just a little bit further ahead in our walk than others.  But, too much of the "teaching" we find in the church is more world and flesh focused that Christ and the faith focused.

Catechism has gonna the way of the Dodo bird and with it the opportunity to firmly ground believers - young and old - new and mature - in the fundamentals of the faith.

"It IS finished!". "He is risen!". But we aren't finished nor is He finished with us.  Oh, we will rise on that great day but between we really need to be about the work of growing in maturity, knowledge, understanding and right living.

Just some post Resurrection Sabbath thoughts.

Father - let me not be idle as You complete what You have begun in me.  Give me a hunger and a conviction to do all I can to work with You as You conform me to His likeness.
Amen

Sorrow for sins OR afflictions? Yep!! 002

Afflictions are, for the believer, God's refining fire.  Period!  They are not punishment but rather one way He responds to our need to trust Him.

Our faith (trust) is refined in affliction and so they are a sure source of comfort and encouragement.  But they are hard and they can hurt and sorrowing in them is not inappropriate.  


And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? "My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him.   (Heb 12:5)

For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.   (Heb 12:11)


AND


Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.   (Rev 3:19-20)

The discipline and refining of affliction is not easy and we need to know that we may sorrow in it.  Yes, we need to be hopeful concerning its purpose and outcome but we may sorrow as well.

Our sorrowing though needs to be healthy and honest.  We are not required to enjoy it but rather engage it as a gift - those He loves, He disciplines.  Discipline is not punishment it is training and training is not easy.  But if we keep in sight the goal He has for it and us we will do better than if we do not.  

Admittedly, this is not easy.  For one, when we are undergoing the discipline it seems that God is far from us and our brothers and sisters even farther.  We feel alone, abandoned, and isolated.  This is such a sad circumstance.  Perhaps this is one of the failures of the Body in that, though many are willing to pray for you - few come and pray with you.  Though many may hug you, few are willing to hold you.

There is a thing called sympathetic pain.  That's when an injured part of the body produces pain in a near by yet undamaged part of the body.  Maybe this is what "the Body" is missing.  I know that I have been convicted of not hurting for a brother or sister as I believe the Lord would have me and so my prayers were just embarrassing.  I am seeking to learn to pray from a place where I at least appreciate their pain and lift it up along with their circumstances.

Sorrowing for affliction should not be immoderate.  I mean it should not consume us and keep us from our "duties," such as prayer, study, worship, etc....  Yes, it is hard to pray when you feel your hair is on fire.   But what do you do when you feel you've stepped off the edge of a cliff?  Maybe pray all the way down???

No, I'm not trivializing the pain and sorrow of affliction but neither do I want to let any of us be so consumed by our sorrow that we just curl up and weep endlessly or hopelessly.  Weep - yes.  Sorrow - yes.  Give up?  Never - even if you just move slowly, move!

Imagine yourself as Peter.

"Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, 

(Luk 22:31)

Do you really think that Peter is the only one?  I don't, I won't, I can't.  BUT I also know that Jesus says:

but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers."   (Luk 22:32)

Do you really think Jesus is not interceding for you as well?  I don't, I won't, I can't. 

Father, my affliction hurts - physically, emotionally and spiritually.  I am in pain and my sight is dimmed.  Sometimes I can't see You.  Sometimes I can't feel You.  Sometimes I fear You have left me.

But Father, I know You can not lie.  I know by Your Word - the very Words of Your Son my Savior that You will never ever leave me - and that nothing can snatch me from Your loving and mighty hand.

Yet I am weak and I am anxious and fretful and sorrowing.  Do not let me wallow in this but accept my sorrow and fretfulness and even my anxiety as part of my realization that I NEED THEE EVERY HOUR, in every circumstance.  AND that Your plans for me are for me to glorify YOU and to be a witness and evidence of Your grace and glory.

Father, it does not feel good but I know it has to BE good.  Father I would not have chosen it for myself but I need Your power and strength to accept Your choice of it for me.

Father - calm my heart, still my mind and draw my eyes to You.

Amen

How are you doing? doxy/praxy

Has anyone really asked you how you are lately?

Has anyone asked after your prayer life or your Bible reading?

Has anyone really focused on your walk and expressed a concern to be part of your growth?

In your distress and affliction, has anyone come alongside to pray with you?  Has anyone come alongside to hear your worries and struggles and to encourage and admonish you in His love and grace?

Just wondering.  It seems to be a lost art of the Body.

Orthodoxy - right belief and Orthopraxy - right practice seem to have been split or at least just ascribed to head stuff and not hear stuff.


Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.   (Gal 6:2)

Though the context in which we find this verse has to do with a brother or sister who has stumbled I can't believe that it is limited to that.  Afflictions, difficulties, etc. are all times of temptations to sin.  Should we wait until the temptations has overcome a brother or sister before we begin to bear their burdens with them?

There is never any reason or excuse for a believer to be isolated and alone.  Yes, I know God is with them always - but He has also provided human servants and called them to serve one another diligently, sacrificially and lovingly.  

I have served the isolated for many years and their pain and anguish is a terrible thing.  I've known that isolation myself and to be honest, it is indeed, if not a faith killer at least a faith smother-er.  

We tell those in distress to "trust God," and we are right in that BUT we have to come to that uncomfortable place where we ask, "What is my role in God's work in this my brother's or sister's distress?"  We have to ask, "What must I do?"  

See, telling folks to trust God is good.  But when you see a brother or sister in need do you just dump them on God's door step or do you ask God how you need to trust Him in reaching out to those in need?  I know, having worked with a lot of isolated believers that, "Trust God!" sounds and feel more like, "Lot's of luck, you're on your own!"

Yes, I'll be honest enough to share that this comes not just from my experience with the isolated but from my own experience as well.  I have known the pain and fear, the terror of hearing, "Trust God!" and getting a pat on the back.  Yes, this is kind of a "soap box" for me and to a degree about me.  But God has blessed me with the opportunity to "be there" int he middle of the mess with folks who needed someone - some human believer - to stand with them in the mess and hold them up.

We spend so much time and effort and money fighting the "culture wars" that we let our own wounded languish.  Yes, we do need to confront the culture but I believe we only do that when we are the church Christ calls us to be.  There is now very real need for the church to be the church - and by that I mean to follow the example of those early isolated believers.



And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved. 
(Act 2:44-47)


There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold and laid it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need. (Act 4:34-35)

But - we're not there.  We haven't been there or a long long time.  Perhaps this is what we need to repent of.  This is not "communism," it is fundamental "Christianity."  If the church is not being the church how can God add to it - why would He want to?

Some of you are indeed doing what we find those early believers doing and may God encourage and bless you greatly.  Some of you would rather not put yourself in the position of having to trust God enough to follow the example of the early believers.

The church is seen in these Acts passages taking care of its own.  Did they ignore the needs of those outside?  I don't know.  What I do know is that regularly, sacrificially and faithfully the "saints" cared for the "saints," and God added to their number those who were being saved.

It is a thing worth praying about and seeking His guidance about and following His example about - it is a good thing, a biblical thing, a faithful thing.

Father, let me not become so fixed on my needs both real and imagined that I forget that I may well have what another needs.  Let me seek Your guidance and the power to trust You to follow the example my early brothers and sisters set.

May your Bride be faithful to You and to herself.  May she care for her own, trusting You to provide.  May we all be appropriately convicted and concerned for the example we find in these early believers as they trusted you to provide for all through Your blessings to each individual.  

Forgive me for seeing only my own need and affliction and forgetting that I am a member, a part of a Body and that You not only provide me with what  need but You provide for me to help others in their need as well.

Dear Father - let the church be he church.

Amen

Psalm 30:6-7

Psalm 30:6-7 ESV
As for me, I said in my prosperity, "I shall never be moved." [7] By your favor, O LORD, you made my mountain stand strong; you hid your face; I was dismayed.

Oh my, how many of us can say "Amen," to this?

I take special not of the words, "my mountain."  

I have to admit it's convicting because it never was, "my mountain," it was His.

But isn't that common to our struggle?  When things are going well we get a little tunnel vision.  We see us and ours and my and mine and we do not look to Him as constantly as we need to.  We get a little cocky about things and our duties to and for Him slip on our priority list.

Of course the opposite is true as well.  When He hides His face (or seems to) we run the danger of curling into a little ball in the corner and doing nothing in terms of our duties to and for Him.  

Perhaps this is why we need to be a little more tough on ourselves when it comes to our duties.  I'm no proposing some legalistic, rigid, heartless process but rather a commitment to pray and study, etc. daily and intentionally.  

We eat, we go to the bathroom, we go to work, we pet the dog - we do so many things regularly.  Perhaps we need to begin to view (and pray for help to) our "duties" as not quite so lofty and unreachable.  Maybe we need to see these duties as simply the common and simple things believers do.  Which, I am coming to believe they are.

Though we have a special privilege in these things they are not unusual to the believer - or shouldn't be.  

Recently I spoke with some friends and we all were "feeling" kind of numb in our walks.  The temptations was to do something "special" for Him.  But we realized that He is the  one who does the special things - we are simply called to do simple things.  Pray, study. worship, give, encourage, comfort ---- simple things.

If, and he has, God has put His Spirit in us to reside forever then we have all we need in terms of right and ability to engage these duties.  Regardless of our "feeling" when engaging in them we should be about them.  It's hard when we don't "feel" like doing them or they don't make us "feel" better but that in no way decreases the value of them.

Father, it is so easy for us to be tempted to try to bargain with You.  It is so easy to wonder what we need to do to get on Your "good side."  We know this is a deception, a trick Satan wants us to fall for and we really need Your help to fight it.

We struggle with Your assurance of our salvation and our needs here.  Our needs here have a nasty habit of overwhelming us and keeping us from knowing the "joy of Your salvation."  We don't know what to "do" about this - so we ask You to do what needs to be done.  

Whether we need a change of heart or mind, we ask You to heal and help us to engage You in the ways You have provided - regardless of how we "feel."  You know our deepest need and indeed you know our true hunger.  Please keep us from being seduced by opportunity and despair into doing nothing.  Help us - make us - faithful in as much as we can be right where we are.

Amen.........

Being of more value. 012413b

Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?   (Mat 6:26)

Continuing His lesson Jesus gives us an example from nature.

He asks us to consider our "value," to our Father.

Birds can't sow, reap or gather - yet they are provided for.

If you can't sow, reap or gather - does thin not suggest that God will feed (provide for) you?

Is this just about food?  I think not!  This is about value.

Actually I believe it's about who we look to in order to determine our value.

Birds?  I'm of greater value that birds?  Actually the idea here is that we are "of so much MORE value" than birds. 

Birds have a role in God's creation no less critical to the sustaining of that creation than anything else.  God maintains everything they need to fulfill their role in His creation.  There are lots of birds - that takes a lot of maintaining.  It's not a simple thing nor is it insignificant!

Then there is "us."  We were God's viceroys in the Garden.  Note:


Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." 
(Gen 1:26)

The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. 
(Gen 2:15)

God's intention for us was to be His means of maintaining His creation.  We were to work and keep the garden which in turn would provide for all the creatures of the creation.  Pretty important stuff!  

Now, in this fallen world our role has changed.  Now we are called to show forth His glory, to be holy as He is.  We are his witnesses, living testaments to His glory and goodness.  How much value can we put on that?

Consider:

". . . . when He comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at among all who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed."   (2Th 1:10)

Whose "value" do we choose accept?  His or the world's?  Who do we look to?  How do we measure it?  

The redemption of the creation - the birds - cost Him His Son.  However the price was demanded for our sin not for the birds' sins (birds don't sin they just suffer its effects).  So He paid the demanded price - for OUR sin - that He might redeems His creation.

Where in our fleshly spectrum of value do we really put that?  Is it first or just a close second?  Do we really accept that we are valuable enough for God to give His Son?  Are we willing to accept that his love for us was so great that he sent His Son to be a man, to suffer and be tempted as a man and then be killed as a criminal?  How valuable does that make us?

Are we willing to accept and live with Jesus as our total net worth?  Are we willing to be rejected and scorned and put down by the world so that we might live out His gracious gift for and to us?

Or do we play with the world's criteria for worth and value measuring our lives by their standards?  And how well have those standards served Him or His creation?  How cruelly have the standards of the world dealt with the world?

Think on what God has done for and in you.  Consider what you might be tempted to trade it for.  In times of weakness and suffering it is not uncommon for us to fall into "if only," and to see ourselves as worthless failures.  It is a struggle to cling to God's love and the value He has given us - He has made us ultimately valuable - He has given us a worth beyond words - Pray and think on that.

Father,

In these tough times I see my sin and my errors.  I see how I have been deceived and schemed by the world, the flesh and the devil.  Now, in my distress those three cruel enemies taunt me and pour shame upon me.  Help me Father, to cling to Your gracious gift as the only thing that matters.  Let the cruel accusations and aspersions of those three enemies drop from my mind and heart.  Deafen my ears to them, let me be comforted and let by Your Word and Your Spirit as I seek to  follow You in whatever circumstance I find myself in.

Two things I ask of you; deny them not to me before I die: Remove far from me falsehood and lying; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is needful for me, lest I be full and deny you and say, "Who is the LORD?" or lest I be poor and steal and profane the name of my God.   (Pro 30:7-9)

In the name of Jesus and for His glory, amen.

Check your "log!" 012313

Matthew 6:24 ESV
"No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.

We've had a look at the love of money and how it can be so subtle and easy to miss.  And that led me to greed.  Yeah, ouch!

See like to think of greed as we do avarice.  If it's not big and obvious and abusive then it must not be there.  Right?  Well not really.

See, we have been somewhat numbed to sin as sin with no degrees or shades.  We have actually come to a place where we talk about "little" sins and "big" sins.  We have even come to find comfort in opposing and fighting some sins while conveniently ignoring others.

Oh, this is nothing "new" but in considering the passage in Matthew I was struck that it is a clear either/or with no buffer room at all.  So, if I am a "little greedy," or a little mammonish I'm on the wrong side of the line.

Yes, we all sin.  But we must keep the following in mind AND heart:

1 John 1:8-10 ESV
If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. [9] If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. [10] If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

We will not cease to battle sin this side of heaven but it is a battle we must keep clearly in view.  We must faithfully seek the Spirit's conviction, faithfully confess our sins and faithfully repent - knowing His promise of forgiveness is realized through the blessing of conviction and repentance.

Consider also:

Luke 6:41-42 ESV
Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? [42] How can you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye,' when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother's eye.

Our sin should be "logs" to us.  Our brothers' sins but specks.  God did not forgive me my brothers' sins but my own.  He did not die for my brothers' sin to redeem me but died for my sins.

I have no "specks" only logs.  If I have grown to see them as specks I am well and sadly deceived.  But, being received is not sin, just it's "on ramp.". If I do not seek/pray to discover my decievedness then I sin.  If I ignore my deception when it is exposed, I sin.