Early on that first Easter morning the Bible says the women appeared at the tomb of Jesus with spices to anoint His body. But Jesus wasn’t there. Two angels who stood by asked them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead?” (Lk.24:5 nkjv) The message was clear; Jesus was not there. Why would He be in a place reserved for dead people? It was a dead place. Jesus was alive and not with the dead.
As I read this passage of Scripture this morning those words jumped out at me. ‘Why do you seek the living among the dead?’ I thought of it in a spiritual sense. Some things we may participate in, calling them vices or not so bad, is Jesus there? Those sins that easily entangle us (Heb.12:1), is Jesus there? I would think not. It is a dark place among the dead. Jesus is not there. But those of us who know the Lord as Savior have His Spirit living in us, so, when we engage in that vice or activity we bring Jesus along with us.
The world today has many dead places of sin in which our Lord would never go. It is true He is the creator of the world and ever-present. The world has also been corrupted by sin and is dead, but Jesus is alive. When a person turns to Christ in repentance for their sin they become alive in Him. Once dead, now alive! We cannot get away from the temptations of our sinful dead world, but we have the Christ’s Spirit in us to help us through it. Remember Jesus is not there, don’t bring Him along with you.
“That is why the Israelites are running from their enemies in defeat. For now Israel itself has been set apart for destruction. I will not remain with you any longer unless you destroy the things among you that were set apart for destruction.” Joshua 7:12 NLT
The Lord God has led Israel out of slavery in Egypt and into the Promised Land. Israel was assured of victory in every conquest. All they needed to do was to obey God. Christians today can also be certain of victory for it is the Lord who fights our battles. All we need to do is obey. When we fail to obey God, we will suffer defeat when we were assured of victory because sin became a hindrance as in story presented to us Joshua chapter 7.
After the successful battle of Jericho, Joshua sends men to spy out the city of Ai. The report is highly favorable concluding that a smaller number of warriors were needed to conquer it and not the entire fighting force. Ai was a town small in number and would easily be defeated. Without hesitation Joshua sent about 3,000 men on the mission only to be defeated being driven back and losing thirty-six men in the process. Distraught over the results, Joshua and the elders of Israel tore their clothes bowing down before the Ark of the Lord until evening. “Then Joshua cried out, ‘Oh, Sovereign LORD, why did you bring us across the Jordan River if you are going to let the Amorites kill us? If only we had been content to stay on the other side! Lord, what can I say now that Israel has fled from its enemies?’” (Jos.7:7-8 nlt) It sounds like Joshua is having buyer’s remorse for having bought in to the Lord’s plan for them to enter the Promised Land. The Lord would reveal to Joshua what he did not know on why Israel was defeated. Israel had sinned against the Lord.
The first insight for us to learn is the consequences of our sin does not affect us alone. The Lord tells Joshua, “Israel has sinned and broken my covenant!” (Jos.7:11 nlt) One man, Achan, had disobeyed God’s command in the previous battle of Jericho by coveting, stealing, hiding, and lying about the things that were to be set apart for the Lord. The sin led to his family to being complicit in helping cover up the disobedience to the Lord and breaking His covenant. Achan and his family were part of God’s chosen people Israel. Sin had been committed by having disregard for God’s commands and directly disobeying them. God is a holy God having instructed Joshua and the nation of Israel to have faith, courage, and to be obedient. Israel as a nation did not do so completely in the battle of Jericho. God had said, “Israel has sinned and broken my covenant!”
Our second insight; as God is holy, He cannot deal with sin in His presence. God will not deal with us as we go our own way but will put the brakes on us as He did with Israel’s defeat at Ai. The Lord told Joshua, “I will not remain with you any longer unless you destroy the things among you that were set apart for destruction.” (Jos.7:12 nlt) We must do the same. If we expect to see the Lord’s continued blessings we need to be obedient to Him and destroy (get rid of) any sin that is causing a major hindrance to that end.
Finally, the Lord’s blessings were seen by Achan and his family in the victory at Jericho. They witnessed the Lord fighting their battle and achieving victory; however, they were not content and wanted more. The Lord helps overcome major battles in our lives. His blessings continue to flow through our lives as we obey Him. If suddenly a small inconvenience becomes a major battle and wipes you out perhaps there is a ‘sin of Achan’ that needs to be destroyed. Being obedient to God and getting rid of that persistent sin will lead to God’s blessings.
“So Sarai said to Abram, “The LORD has prevented me from having children. Go and sleep with my servant. Perhaps I can have children through her.” And Abram agreed with Sarai’s proposal. So Sarai, Abram’s wife, took Hagar the Egyptian servant and gave her to Abram as a wife.” Genesis 16:2-3 NLT
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Abram had received a promise from God sealed with a covenant that his descendants would outnumber the stars in the sky. The Lord said a son would be born to him and his wife Sarai in their old age. God also promised Abram that the land where he stood would be his descendants possession. Abram was called to leave his home country for this purpose. The Lord had watch over, protected and led Abram and Sarai since they first journeyed out from Ur and He was not about to leave them on their own now. Abram’s and Sarai’s timetable was causing them to become impatient, but God works on His schedule. Running ahead of God and taking matters into our own hands is never a good idea and Abram and Sarai will soon find that out.
Ten years after God’s call to Abram, Sarai still had not borne a child. We are not sure who was more impatient, Abram or Saria, but perhaps it was Sarai. The Bible says Sarai suggested to her husband to take her servant, Hagar, as a wife or concubine and she could have a child through her. Hagar, an Egyptian, was one of the servants Pharoah gave to Abram when he was told to leave Egypt. Hagar had become Sarai’s personal servant. Another custom in those ancient days, as we saw last week where Abram asked God if his servant Eliezer could be his heir, was a custom that a female servant in the home could a bear child for a couple. Even though this was the custom of the day, it was not God’s design and certainly not for Abram and Sarai.
Abram should have recalled that God said no to his request for his servant to be his heir. There was nothing wrong with Abram asking about Eliezer, but this action he was about to take with Sarai’s servant was definitely wrong. We do not read where Abram and Sarai asked God about this. The Lord would have said no to this request as well. Sometimes in our own lives we do not ask God because we know the answer is no. So, we just move ahead and Abram did just that. Scripture says, “So Sarai, Abram’s wife, took Hagar the Egyptian servant and gave her to Abram as a wife. So Abram had sexual relations with Hagar, and she became pregnant. But when Hagar knew she was pregnant, she began to treat her mistress, Sarai, with contempt.” (Gen.16:3-4 nlt)
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Immediately after Hagar became pregnant things started to fall apart. No doubt Abram sinned by taking Hagar as a wife and having relations with her. He also sinned by running ahead of God and not having faith in the covenant promise God gave him. This great man of faith had failed, and it will now have mass consequences for thousands of years. The first harsh reality was the broken relationship between Sarai and Hagar. Hagar began to despise her mistress. Sentiments of contempt by looking down on Sarai for not being able to become pregnant had become visible, causing problems in the home. Sarai turns to Abram and blames him for the crisis. “Then Sarai said to Abram, ‘This is all your fault! I put my servant into your arms, but now that she is pregnant she treats me with contempt. The LORD will show who’s wrong—you or me!’” (Gen.16:5 nlt)
Although Sarai is not innocent in all this, she does have a point. Abram being the spiritual head of the family and God’s servant should have refused his wife’s solution to her barrenness. Abram knew of God’s faithfulness and His ability to do what He had promised but gave into his wife’s wishes from his own impatience. Sarai wanted her husband to fix the problem. But Abram added to the problem by granting Sarai the freedom to oversee it herself by saying, ‘“Look, she is your servant, so deal with her as you see fit.’ Then Sarai treated Hagar so harshly that she finally ran away.” (Gen.16:6 nlt)
It is thought that Hagar was reduced back to her servant status or lower. Her harsh treatment she received could have been extremely hard, heavy burdened continual tasks. The Wycliffe Bible Commentary notes, “Passionate jealousy and bitterness set the two women against each other. And Abram was not much help to either of them. Conditions grew worse by the moment.” We will see how worse they get when we continue next week…….
“If anyone is ashamed of me and my message in these adulterous and sinful days, the Son of Man will be ashamed of that person when he returns in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.” Mark 8:38 NLT
‘Rebellion’ carries with it a negative tone. The word is defined as, ‘armed resistance to one’s government, or defiance to any authority.’ A rebel is one who takes part in resisting authority. Certainly, this is not what a Christian should be involved in. I agree with that under most circumstances. But Christians have a higher authority to answer to, the Lord God creator of heaven and earth.
Christians are to be rebellious. We are to rebel against the sinful nature of our flesh and the evil Satanic ways of the world. Modern-day theologian David Guzik writes in his commentary, “ Most people think of following Jesus as conforming to the establishment. Actually, Jesus called us to rebel against the established order of this world. We are called to rebel against the tyranny of the flesh, against the fear and conformity of the world, against the traditions of man. Jesus encourages a slave rebellion, where the slaves of sin, Satan, and the world rebel against their masters.” (1)
The current world system is corrupt in every way. Flagrant immorality, thefts, murder, abortion, fraud, deception, and the list goes on. Many of these vices along with others are found in most governments, businesses, organizations, communities, families, and individuals who follow a secular worldview. Satan is influencing every social class and moving people away from the things of God and promoting his Satanic ideals. He is the prince and power of this world system. The apostle Paul makes that clear in Ephesians 2:2, “You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God.” (nlt)
We are living in a world between good and evil. Jesus Himself declare this world as adulterous and evil days. It is time for all Christians to rebel against our sinful flesh and the urge to conform to the world system which is under the control of Satan.
“Never be in a hurry about appointing a church leader. Do not share in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure. Remember the sins of some people are obvious leading them to certain judgment. But there are others whose sins will not be revealed until later. In the same way, the good deeds of some people are obvious. And the good deeds done in secret will someday come to light.” 1 Timothy 5:22, 24-25 NLT
Notorious criminal action is easy to spot. Flagrant public immorality is also hard to conceal. The same is true for acts of kindness by an organization or individual in supporting those in need without seeking recognition. Their deeds are noticed. Public displays of sinful lawlessness and immorality are seen by all who come across them. Again the same is true for public works of kindness. The Lord God also sees all these actions in real-time and He also sees the sins and good deeds done in secret. They will one day be revealed for all to see, but the Lord sees them now. There are no secrets with God.
The book of 1 Timothy is Paul’s manual for pastoral training. In this case, the pastor-in-training is Timothy. Paul is advising Timothy to continue to be cautious in the selection process of elders. He tells them not to be in a hurry. A hasty decision may result in not uncovering some sin in need of repentance and not fitting for an elder. Paul goes on to say that in keeping with a slower process in time these sins will be uncovered. But, regardless, God is aware of them for nothing gets past Him and it will be revealed. Again, the opposite is true, good deeds will also be exposed and come to light which is a good thing.
So, what is the lesson for us. Paul’s instruction to Timothy is applicable for us. It is a comfort and perhaps frightening to know there are no secrets with God. There is no such thing as a secret sin. The public, our friends and family may not know, but God does. If not dealt with in confession and repentance to God, you can be sure it will no longer remain secret.
One of the most tragic verses in all of Scripture is found in the very first book of the Bible, the Old Testament book of Genesis. The results of leaving the presence of the Lord is to live a life in the land of Nod, a life of wandering. The familiar story of Cain and Abel is well-known even among occasional church goers. It is a story of jealousy between siblings leading to the first murder in history. It is a story of obedience and disobedience. It is a story of anger when one does not get their own way. It is a story of the consequences when one turns their back on God doing their own thing.
Although this story appears at the beginning of human history, it is still found and very active in our present day. Certainly not all wanderers have murdered a brother or sister, but all who wander have rejected God in one form or another. There are two types of wanderers, those who have never accepted Christ as their Savoir, rejecting His plan of Salvation, and then there are those who are born again, but find themselves turning their backs on God by ignoring His guidance and living life on their own terms.
The truth of the matter is, living every day without God in your life is living in the land of Nod, the land of wandering. We were created in the image of God and made to have a relationship with Him. If we are not in a relationship with the one who created us, how could we be anything but unsatisfied with life wandering about seeking true contentment?
Living in Nod is living outside the presence of God, but God is aware and sees us not living before Him. If you are wandering today, give up your wandering by turning back to God and allow Him to lead your life. If you have never turned to God do so now and accept His Son Jesus for Salvation. Live today in God’s presence and turn away from living in Nod.
There is much in the news cycle around the world these days concerning countries with open borders even though they say their borders are secure. The main reason for closed and secure borders is for protection of their citizens. This is nothing new or distinct for the 21st century. We find an early prime example of a ‘no open borders’ policy from the pages of the Bible in the book of Exodus.
The Lord God established Israel’s border before they entered the Promised Land. “I will establish your borders from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea, and from the desert to the Euphrates River.” (Ex.23:31 niv) Israel has well defined borders. They haven’t changed and a future day will come when Israel will possess all the land God has promised them.
What has caused a major delay in Israel not having all the land assigned to them was their unwillingness to finish the job of driving out the nations the Lord required them to do. They let them hang around within their borders. God specifically warned Israel if they did this their hearts would turn away from God. Israel would be influenced by those around them and would soon find themselves sinning against God. Israel didn’t secure their borders nor drive out all the heathen nations God required them to and we are still seeing the effects of that today.
Many Christians today are similar to ancient Israel in not having a ‘no open border policy.’ We let ourselves be influenced by things and even people God is instructing us to drive out of lives. The apostle Paul writes, “if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” (2Cor.5:17 niv) If we continue in our relationships as previously and do the things we did before as if nothing has changed, then nothing has changed! We have not closed our borders to the outside influences that can harm us. This will lead to damaging effects in our lives down the road. As a nation needs to secure its borders, Christians, especially new Christians need to seal off all negative influences that would lead them away from the Lord.
“But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness. So God abandoned them to do whatever shameful things their hearts desired. As a result, they did vile and degrading things with each other’s bodies.” Romans 1:18, 24 NLT
Last Sunday the greatest show on earth, Super Bowl LX, was televised and streamed across the world. That title once belonged to the circus act of ‘Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey.’ I realize they are still around, but the NFL’s Super Bowl has long surpassed them in more ways than one and not for the better.
Writing as one who watched the first Super Bowl as an impressionable youth, the NFL has changed dramatically over 60 years. The game itself has not changed all that much except for how the game is played according to the NFL but that is a subject for another day. Today is about what we as Christians are willing to accept in our entertainment choices when they cross the lines of decency, morality, and the Word of God. Rule changes in the NFL do not cross any of these lines. What does cross the line is the NFL’s push to grow its product by bowing to a decaying culture at the expense of corrupting our future generations. Of course, I’m speaking of the morally bankrupt half-time show witnessed by millions of people especially the impressionable youth of our day.
No, I didn’t watch it not even to be able to better review it, there was no need to. Debauchery does not need to be witnessed to know what it is. The problem within the current culture is that many people don’t see the problem and it is a big problem, nor do they care. It is understandable those outside of Christ would fall into this category, but for Christians who claim to follow Jesus and His teachings to not see the problem by staying silent or worst yet accepting it is unconscionable. The book of Romans says, “But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness.” (Ro.1:18 nlt) God is angry and so should we be.
Before someone thinks ‘who are you to judge’ I’m not judging. I’m angry, and mostly angry at my brothers and sisters in Christ who are accepting of this kind of public behavior for all the world to see. It’s not OK, and no I’m not perfect, but I know when something is not OK with God. His Word tells us, for all who care to pay attention, what is right and wrong, what we should accept and what we should condemn. Reading through the Bible can be unsettling at times for we will come across passages we don’t like, but they’re in there, so we need to deal with it.
What are we willing to accept to be accepted by the culture? Many of us stay silent to not offend others notably friends, co-workers, and family. We want to be part of ‘the greatest show on earth’ with the Super Bowl parties, the commercials, and the half-time entertainment. We bring our families together for some family entertainment. The sad truth is Super Bowl LX was far from family entertainment. The Greatest Show on Earth clearly belongs to ‘Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey Circus.’ Pass the cotton candy.
“Abase me to self-loathing and self-abhorrence, Open in me a fount of penitential tears, Break me, then bind me up; Thus will my heart be a prepared dwelling for my God.” (1)
How many of us hate sin? Think it through before you answer. Yes, it disgusts us to see the devils footprint on this world and cry out against it every day, but do we see our own sin the same way? If we’re honest with ourselves we often find our sin as not that bad. Often it is repeated because God will forgive us until the next time and the time after that, and it continues on and on. Does our sin disgust us that we cry out against it every day?
In a devotion entitled ‘The Great God’ from the Puritan prayers and devotions, ‘The Valley of Vision’ the author writes, “Abase me to self-loathing and self-abhorrence.” He is asking to be humbled to feel intense hatred for his sins. He asks, to “Open in me a fount of penitential tears” to be able to repent authentically. But here is where the rubber meets the road, the author writes, “Break me, then bind me up.” He needs to be broken by the hand of God in order to see the true consequences of his sin knowing that God will also bind him up making him whole again.
We may flirt with sin thinking it is no big deal but a little deal. Big or little it is abhorrent and loathing to God and should be to us. If it’s not, perhaps we need to be broken. Broken to the point through penitent tears that we see our sin as vile as the evil in the world around us. Then we can say with the author, “Thus will my heart be a prepared dwelling for my God.”
(1) Bennett, Arthur The Valley of Vision. East Peoria: Versa Press, 2023. Pg. 6
Is there any sin you can commit that is outside the reach of God’s forgiveness? Have you found yourself in a place where you cannot approach God due to your sin, and yet knowing that you need to? Is the light of your Christian life clouded by repeated sin and keeps you from going to God for forgiveness? Have you reached a point where you feel God will or has driven you away from Him due to your sin?
Just a couple more questions. Do you believe in God? Have you accepted Jesus as your personal savior? Do you believe the Bible is God’s Holy Word to us and every word is true? If you answered yes to these last three questions there is some very good news in the pages of God’s Word especially for you, the good news of God’s forgiveness and restoration for all believers saved by His grace. It is true God hates sin, but He loves you and me, the sinner.
In teaching the crowd that followed Him after feeding five thousand men plus women and children, Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.” (Jn. 6:35 nlt) Jesus was telling them He was the way to salvation and eternal life. Those in need of repentance and forgiveness of sin leading to eternal life were to come to Him, He was the bread of life, eternal life. Jesus didn’t say to those with the most grievous sins to stay away, but ‘whoever comes to me I will never drive away.’
Jesus does not turn anyone away who comes to Him for salvation, nor He will not drive away any of those who accepted Him as savior when coming to Him in confession and asking for forgiveness. His words apply in granting salvation and in forgiving our sin after our salvation. Jesus died for your sins past, present, and future no matter how deplorable. Jesus wants us to come to Him with our sin, whatever it is, and confess it to Him. He will not turn His back on us, in fact, Jesus promised, “………whoever comes to me I will never drive away.” (Jn.6:37b niv)
“He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west.” (Ps.103:12 nlt)
“For a righteous man may fall seven times And rise again” (Prov.24:16 nkjv)
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 Jn.1:9 nkjv)
Word for the Soul 