Secrets

Throughout my life I’ve had too many secrets.  There have been things that I’ve thought or done in which I felt that as long as nobody knew, I was safe.  But the thing is that God knew.  There comes a time when God has a way of bringing everything out into the open.

In 2 Samuel David had a secret.  He had sinned against God with Bathsheba and then he killed off her husband to hide it.  In 2 Samuel 12 God sends Nathan to David to reveal David’s sin.  In the process of revealing God through Nathan rehearses all of the blessings that He had blessed David with.  He had anointed him king and delivered him from Saul.  He had done all of this for David and would have done more.

Let me just stop there and say that I’ve been there.  God in my life has done so much for me.  It is amazing…absolutely amazing what God has done for me.  He has given me opportunities that I could not have done on my own.

After rehearsing the blessings he then asks him why has he despised the Word of the LORD, to do what s evil in his sight?  God had done all of those things for Lord and  David repaid him by despising God’s Word.

Been there too. I’m ashamed to tell you that I have but I have.  And it didn’t happen overnight.  It was a slow process and I kept my secrets along the way.  It reminds me of the new video by Casting Crowns.

 

You can keep your little secrets but in the end God knows.  God has a way of showing us grace and mercy and giving us time to repent and return. If we don’t, though, there comes a time when He acts just like He did in David’s life.  Nathan told him this:  ^{12 “}“For you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel and before the sun.’  2 Samuel 12:12 (ESV)“  God has a way of bringing the secrets to light and when He doe it is not pretty.

David’s secret sins cost him.  They cost him dearly.  They cost those closest to him dearly as well.  Yes, the Lord forgave him but the scars from his sin would effect his family for many years to come.

We know David’ secret.  What’s yours?  What are you hiding? 

Once when I was young I stuck a key in an electrical plug in.  I had the fire knocked out of me.  It was not very smart.  Because of that to this day I can’t stand to be shocked in any way form or fashion.

Going through the experience of God’s great reveal has taught me several lessons.  First it taught me to never ever ever take for granted God’s goodness.  Second, always take advantage of God’s mercy and grace when He gives you the opportunity to come clean.  Third, sin hurts.  What I experienced when I failed the Lord was horrible.  It was absolutely horrible.  It was worse than sticking the key in the plug in.  I never ever want to go down that road again.  EVER!

David failed in private long before he ever failed in public.  So do most of us.  We allow little private sins to enter in.  We keep them as our little secrets.  Before we know it they have gotten bigger.  But we think we can manage them.  We miss God’s opportunity to come clean and before we know it our private failures start hurting those we love.

So, what is your secret?  Don’t tell me.  Tell God.  He already knows by the way but He wants you to tell Him.

 

Was God Fair To Uzzah?

To those who read this blog I’m sorry that I have not posted in a while.  I’ve been spending ever spare minute getting ready for some state insurance tests.

Today I was reading 2 Samuel 6 and there you find the story of David brining the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem.  The Scripture tells us that the oxen stumbled and Uzzah put out his hand to steady the Ark and keep it from falling out.  The Scripture tells us that the anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzzah and God struck him down and he died. 

This is one of those passages that causes us at times to scratch our heads and wonder what in the world is God doing here.  Uzzah had good intentions mind you.  Didn’t God know that?  Why did he have to die just because he was keeping the Ark of the Covenant steady?

I remember one of my seminary professors at Reformed Theological Seminary by the name of John Currid speaking on this one day in chapel.  He helped me to see that there were some deeper issues going on.  The lesson here for you and me is the importance of God’s Word when it comes to living our lives.

You see God had given clear instructions when it came to the Ark of the Covenant.  It was Holy or separated onto the Lord.  It was not your ordinary pieceof furniture.  When moved there was a special group that was to be in charge of the moving.  They were from the tribe of Levi and specifically that were to be Kohathites.  And when this group moved the Ark they were to do so with special staves (poles) that were made specifically for this purpose.  When David decided to move the Ark he did so not by the service of the Kohathites and he did so using a new cart pulled by oxen.  The reason Uzzah died that day was because David didn’t follow the Lord’s instructions.  Kind of makes you think doesn’t it?  Our decisions and failures usually has an affect on the people around us.  If David had read and followed the Scripture then the Ark would have been moved correctly.

Well where in the world did they get the idea of moving the Ark in a new cart.  I don’t know this for certain but we do have another occurence in the Scriptures of the Ark being moved.  In 1 Samuel when the Philistines stole the Ark in battle and wanted to return it to the Israelites because of the trouble that it brought them, the Scripture tells us that they used a new cart pulled by oxen to do so.  Now I don’t know for sure that is where David got the idea but the similarities are too obvious to not mention.  How important it is that when we get ready to do the Lord’s work that we don’t look to the world to get our direction but that we look to the Word.

This is what I believe.  The Word of God is very relevant for our day.  Although there are not specific commands for every situation in life there are precepts and principles that will help us in our decision making.  When it comes to serving our God it is vitally important that we do so with the Word of God as our guide or somebody around us just may pay a price for our sin.

Was God fair with Uzzah?  I think the better question is do we really want God to be fair with any of us?  I don’t want God to be fair with me.  I would much rather he show me mercy and grace because even my best efforts are tainted with sin.

Listen Up People!

Just making my way through 1 Samuel 15 and came to the story of Saul.  The Lord rejects Saul as king because Saul disobeyed God when he went out to fight the Amalekites.  God told him to destroy all people and animals but Saul had other ideas.  After defeating them Saul brought back Agag their king and the best of the sheep, oxen, lambs, and fattened calves.  He only brought back the good stuff.  Anything despised and worthless he killed.  The problem came when he did not obey God.

Well God told Samuel and when he approached Saul, he quickly toldly Samuel how he had obey the commandment of the Lord.  I just love the next line.  Samuel says, “What then is this bleating of the sheep in my ears and the lowing of the oxen that I hear?”  Samuel had him in a lie.  Saul then makes excuses.

We always have an excuse don’t we?  I’ve heard plenty being a pastor and well I’ve given a few myself to justify my own sin.  I’ve always said that when people say, “I’m just human” or they say, “Nobody is perfect” then they are getting ready to sin or they just got finished sinning.  Those are no excuses for us who are Christians.  We are no longer under the bondage and slavery of sin.  Jesus Christ has died so that we can obey.  We don’t have to sin.

This is what Samuel told Saul:  “ And Samuel said, “Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams.” {1 Samuel 15:22 (ESV)) 

God delights in our obedience.  That is the first thing that I see in this verse.  Also notice that little word “great”.  He takes great delight in our obedience.  But the phrase that hit me this morning that I don’t think I’ve ever seen is the end of that verse where it says,”to listen than the fat of rams.”  Listening is better than sacrifice too. 

Last night I was watching the reality show Top Chef.  I’m so glad that bleep out most of the ugly words.  This chef got sent home last night because he didn’t listen to the instructions given in the competition.  Because he didn’t listen he didn’t perform.  Listening kept the final product from being what the Judges were asking for.

You and I need to listen to the Lord’s instructions.  You say, “But God doesn’t speak to me.”  Sure he does in his Word but we need to meditate on the Word.  To meditate means “to chew on.”  We need to chew on the Word and get it into our minds and hearts.  Listening to God takes some effort.  All of us have a sinful nature still inside of us that causes us to fight taking in the Word.  Listening takes discipline.  Believe me I know.  I’m a husband with a one track mind.  To listen to my wife I’ve got to stop listening to something else.  I need to listen to her but greater still I need to listen to the Lord.  Listening leads to obeying.  God delights in obedience.  So let us stop making excuses for our sinfulness and start listening to Him.

Any dead fish can float down stream.  It takes a live one to go up stream.  Just keep swimming!

 

One Down…One To Go

I’m very excited.  I passed my life and health TN state exam.  I’m halfway to starting my training as an insurance agent for Farmers Insurance.  I’ve worked real hard for this.  I’m finding that the older I get the harder it is for me to remember stuff.  Thanks to all that prayed.

The Leader We Deserve

I just think that it is interesting that in 1 Samuel 8-9 that when the people of Israel demand a King that would rule over them that God gives them exactly what they deserve.  God Himself tells Samuel that the people have rejected Him with their stubborness.  So when God sends them a king what does He give them?  He gives them a donkey hearder in Saul.  Maybe their leader reflected the people.  They were stubborn so God gives them Saul. 

What kind of leader does America deserve?

God Is Not Your Rabbit’s Foot

In my devotions this morning the Scripture took me to 1 Samuel 4.  Israel is fighting the Philistines in this chapter and are not faring well.  They believe they will do better if the Ark of the Covenant is present with them so they send for it.  I don’t know what is more astonishing whether it is that they sent or it or that the priest let it go.  If you read the Book of Exodus closely you will know that this Ark was holy before the Lord.  It required special attention whenever it was moved.  The priests were to be sure to cover it when it was out in the open so that people would not just gaze at it.  The Ark was the place when in the holy of holies where God met with them.  It was set apart but now in 1 Samuel it is used as a tool of war as if they could twist the arm of the Lord and have Him bring the victory because His ark is present.  Well 30,000 soldiers of Israel died in that battle including Eli’s sons the priest and the Ark is taken by the Philistines.

I’m reminded this morning that many times we tend to use God that way.  We go through the motions of church and prayer believing that by doing so maybe we can invoke God to be for us in our day to day activities.  Maybe if we put a fish on the backside of our car or if we read the latest and hottest Christian book that has come out then our lives will be smoother.  The fact of the matter is that God is quite offended by our going through the motions.  What He desires of you and me is relationship.  He desires a love relationship with you and me and he wants to do a great work in our lives.  To do so it may require suffering.  It may require deep pain but the end result in our sanctification.

Now I want you to know that I write these blog posts so that I myself can go back to them and read.  Sometimes my lovely wife reminds me of something that I have written.  You see many times I’m guilty of wanting to use God as my good luck charm.  I call myself a Christian and doesn’t that mean that I will win all the battles that come my way.  Not necessarily.  God has greater goals for me than to give me a smooth life.

I pray because I love to spend time with Him and worship Him.  I go to church because I enjoy God’s people and I desire hear a message from God for me.  I read the Scriptures because I want to know Him.  God is not my rabbits foot.  He is my God.  He is yours too.

Samuel later on told the people what they needed to do to defeat the Philistines.  He told them:  1 Samuel 7:3 (ESV) ³ And Samuel said to all the house of Israel, “If you are returning to the Lord with all your heart, then put away the foreign gods and the Ashtaroth from among you and direct your heart to the Lord and serve him only, and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.”

Amen Samuel.

This Mom Means Business

With Mother’s Day coming soon, I saw these pictures of this mom and had to share them with you.  This mom means business.  Hopefully she is consistent.

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So What Is Your Passion?

I’ve been thinking a lot about Myanmar these past days.  I just remember how kind the people were when I was there.  It is just awful what is going on with their government.  They would rather let their people suffer than for them to see the kindness of the relief workers.  What is so sad is that so many of the people there are caught up in a hopeless religion (Buddhism).  Most of them have no clue what they believe.  They just go to the places of worship because that is all that they have known.  They bow down and give worship to a little “g” god when they could have a relationship with a big “G” God.  They are very passionate about it though.  They have set up their Pagodas all over the place.  Below are some pictures from my trip.

This morning I read 1 Corinthians 11:1 where Paul said:¹ Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.   That is a pretty bold statement there to tell others to imitate you.  Just think about it.  Would you want some imitators of you running around.  Of course he is imitating Christ therefore he can say that.  Christ is his passion.  These people in Myanmar have just imitated what they have seen in the past.  I found while there that even those who called themselves Christians many times are nothing more than Christian by birth.  I’m not talking about a spiritual birth but the birth that took place when they were born to Christian parents.  Just like some are born into Buddhist families they were born into a Christian family.  Many cannot tell you how they came to a faith in Jesus Christ.  There is something missing there but yet them imitate.

Do people see the power of the new birth in us?  Do they see our passion?

One of the things that got me thinking about all of this was a memory of something I did while in Myanmar.  I’ve also done this in the Ukraine and in India.  When I go on a mission trip I always take with me some Mississippi State hats to give away.  In India I do confess I took some orange TN hats.  Why did I do that?  I love the Bulldogs and I’m passionate about them.  My office has bulldog stuff all over it.  I MSU tag on my car.  It doesn’t take you long to realize who I root for.  I wonder if people realize who my God is though.  I wonder if they see that in me.  I wonder do they see that in you?

Go State…no, rather Go Jesus!
 

Pray for Myanmar

About four years ago I went to Myanmar to do some mission work.  Keep them in your prayer as a storm has hit the small country killing thousands.  I want to share just a few of my favorite pictures of the trip I took.

I took this one on a boat that I was on.  Many of the women but this powder on their faces.  This is probably one of my favorite pictures.

 

 

 

 

 

They call this the land of a thousand Pagodas. These are places where the Buddhist worshippers come.  This country is in such great need of the one true God.

 

 

 

  These ladies belong to an unreached people group. There is no Christian witness presently going out to this tribe.  I just about got trampled in this village when I broke out a bag of candy for the kids.

 

Pray for this country!!!!

Disqualified

Last night I got to do something that I enjoy so very much.  I got to watch my daughter Sydney play softball.  I’m absolutely amazed how far she has come in just one year.  Sydney is probably the youngest and smallest player on her team but she is by far the quickest.  She is on a team this year that has several young players and they played a team last night that looked like giants in comparison.  When it was all said and done the lost in a landslide 13-0.   What is usually a great joy brought me pain because the other team’s coach was determined to get every single point that he possibly could.  Up 10-0 with the game well in hand he continuously kept running his girls around the bases taking advantage of every little mistake that our young team made.  One of the final points was scored when one of his players absoloutely leveled our catcher.  This coach didn’t even walk over and check on our girl.  No apologies.  It is just a game in his mind.

Well I must admit that I was becoming bitter as were other parents.  One guy behind me called him a pompuous @#$.  You get the point.  After the game this same coach gathered the girls to pray.  I heard another parent say, “Well look at the hypocrite.”  I promise you that wasn’t me although I sure thought it.  I asked somebody what this guy did and I was shocked when they told me he was a preacher.  I was shocked and then I was ashamed.  This Christian missed a great opportunity to teach his girls mercy.  I know what some of you coaches out there may be thinking but it is so easy for us as believers to miss opportunities to be a witness on the public stage.

I was reading 1 Corinthians 9 this morning when I cam across these verses.  1 Corinthians 9:24-27 (ESV)  Do you not know that in a race all the runners compete, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it.  Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. ⁶ So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air.  But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.

In running the race of the Christian life it is too easy for us to get disqualified.  Hey I’ve done it.  I have the scars to prove it.  No doubt this comes when we place ourselves above God and His plans for us.  And when we do this we destroy things that we worked so hard to build up.  We must keep ourselves under control because if we don’t then we too may become disqualified.

I beleive that this coach disqualified himself last night.  He may have won the game but he lost the war.  My guess is that he would have some people that absolutely would never listen to what he had to say when he preached the gospel.  What is frightening is that my wife told me on the way out of the field that I would probably do the same thing (run up the score).  She is right in that I would be tempted.

I’m thankful that I have a Sunday School class that I teach each Sunday.  Please pray that I don’t disqualify myself from this new race I’m running.