Sorry, my computer insists on adding all those numbers after the new 10 commandments! THE APPLE PRESS January 26, 2014 WHAT CAN IT HURT? Maybe that is the wrong question. Maybe we should ask, “Who can it hurt?” The words to a song keep running through my mind: “What you do speaks so loud that the world cant hear what you say.” What message is being sent to the world by our actions? Will what I do, what you do show the world we love Jesus? In the past we spent so much time identifying sin that very little time was spent on identifying the right things to do. We cant neglect either subject. So lets take a moment to see what is right and what is wrong. What is sin? Scripturally, it is transgression of the law. “All unrighteousness is sin.”. “Whatever is not of faith is sin.” “Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness.” “He that knows to do good and doesnt do it, to him it is sin.” So we can sin by doing things that we know are wrong. And we can also sin by not doing what we know is right! Can one little act of disobedience really make a difference? Ask Eve. She listeed to one lie, and succumbed to temptation. Who got hurt? Well, she did. So did Adam. Her firstborn son committed murder because sin had entered the world through that act of disobedience. Her second son was the victim of that murder. Every person who ever lived on the face of the earth has been affected by that one act of disobedience. (This doesnt let Adam off the hook. He knew he was disobeying God. Eve was deceived.) By giving in to temptation, we hurt even God Himself! Why did Jesus have to come to this earth and clean up our mess? Because we sinned! The love of God is so great and so precious, how can we just take it for granted, shrug our shoulders, and keep expecting God to wash our dirty hands and facess over and over? That is what we do when we continue to sin. “For if we deliberately continue to sin after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but only the terrifying prospect of Judgement, of raging fire that will consume the enemies. Someone who disregards the Torah of Moses is put to death without mercy on the word of two or three witnesses. Think how much worse will be the punishent deserved by someone who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, who has treated as something common the blood of the covenant which made him holy; and who has insulted the Spirit, giver of Gods grace!” Hebrews 10:26-29 “For when people have once been enlightened, tasted the heavenly gift, become sharers in the Holy Spirit, and tasted the goodness of Gods Word and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away—it is impossible to renew them so that they turn from their sin, as long as for themselves they keep executing the Son of God on the stake all over again and keep holding him up to public contempt.” Hebrews 6:4-6 Lets face it. We do all sin. We stumble. And, yes, when we confess our sins, he is faithful to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrightousness. The difference is, did we stub our toe, or did we think that it was just a little offense – no big deal- Was one bite of fruit a “big deal”? Disobedience is a big deal. I dont think that in Gods eyes there is a lie colored white.. Im just thankful He is patient, and lets us grow up! We start this process by setting our minds on what pleases God. Then we must keep putting to death the deeds of the flesh. So we mess up. Then clean up the mess immediately! DONT MESS UP ON PURPOSE!!! Its time we confess that we are not our own. We were purchased by God at a very high price! He cleaned us up for a purpose. Lets do what we are supposed to do – glorify God in everything we do. Corinne Hill ICE CREAM FOR THE SOUL The Stanford News, May 5, 1998 Last week, I took my children to a restaurant. My six-year-old son asked if he could say grace. As we bowed our heads he said, “God is good. God is great. Thank you for the food, and I would even thank you more if Mom gets us ice cream for dessert. And liberty and justice for all! Amen!” Aloong with the laughter from the other customers nearby I heard a woman remark, “Thats whats wrong with this country! Kids today dont even know how to pray. Asking God for ice cream! Why, I never!” Hearing this, my son burst into tears and asked me, “Did I do wrong? Is God mad at me?” As I held him and assured him that he had done a terrific job and God was certainly not mad at him, an elderly gentleman appproached the table. He winked at my son and said, “I happen to know that God thought that was a great prayer.” “Really?” my son asked. “Cross my heart.” Then in a theatrical whisper he added (indicating the woman whose remark had started this whole thing), “Too bad she never asks God for ice cream. A little ice cream is good for the soul sometimes.” Naturally, I bought my kids ice cream at the end of the meal. My son stared at his for a moment and then did something I will remember the rest of my life. He picked up his sundae and without a word walked over and placed it in front of the woman. With a big smile he told her, “Here, this is for you. Ice cream is good for the soul sometimes and my soul is good already.” THE NEW TEN COMMANDMENTS Thou shalt not worry, for worry is the most unproductive of all human activities. Thou shall not be fearful, for most of the things we fear never come to pass. Thou shal not cross bridges before you come to them, for no one yet has succeeded in accomplishing this. Thou shall face each problem as it comes. You can only handle one at a time anyway. Thou shall not take problems to bed with you, for they make very poor bedfellows. Thou shall not borrow other peoples problems. They can better care for them than you can. Thou shall not try to relive yesterday for good or ill, It is forever gone. Concentrate on what is happening in your life and be happy now!Thou shall be a good listener, for only when you listen do you hear different ideas from your own. It is hard to learn something new when you are talking, and some people do know more than you do. Thou shall not become “bogged down” by frustration, for 90% of it is rooted in self-pity and will only interfere with positive action. Thou shall count thy blessings, never overlooking the small ones, for a lot of small blessings add up to a big one. I know not by what method rare, But this I know, God answers prayer. I know that He has given His Word Which tells me prayer is always heard And will be answered soon or late. So I pray and calmly wait. I know not if the blessing sought Will come in just the way I thought, But leave my prayers with Him alone, Whose will is wiser than my own. Assured that He will grant my quest Or send some answer far more blessed. Candice Haskins My face in the mirror Isnt wrinkled or drawn. My house isnt dirty. The cobwebs are gone. My garden looks lovely And so does my lawn. I think I might never Put my glasses back on. Serenity is not freedom from the storm, but peace amid the storm.
Posted on: Fri, 31 Jan 2014 04:47:48 +0000
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