“Now all the tax collectors and the sinners were coming near Him to listen to Him.” Luke 15:1 NASB
What was it about Jesus that drew sinners and the outcasts of society to Him? Tax collectors in Jesus’s day extorted money from people by demanding excessive amounts above the required payment. They were the most hated and mistrusted individuals in that day. They were earning a lucrative living by openly stealing. Note that it was not just tax collectors who were drawn to Jesus for the Bible says “and the sinners were coming near Him.”
And who were the sinners? Yes, drunkards, prostitutes, swindlers, thieves, liars, murderers and the like, “coming near Him to listen to Him.”
And who are the tax collectors and sinners in our day? I’m afraid it’s you and me. In some degree all of us have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Ro. 3:23). And we all have a void, a deep hole in our souls that can only be filled by Jesus Christ. We were created to have a relationship with our heavenly Father, but that relationship is broken by our sin. It is an empty and nagging feeling that if you admit it; you know it is there. The tax collectors and sinners in Jesus’s day knew it was there. They didn’t want religious rules and regulations, they wanted forgiveness, and they wanted to fill the void, that deep hole in their life.
May you take the opportunity this Christmas to fill the void in your life by accepting Christ as your personal Savior. That is why He came. That is why we celebrate Christmas.
“I looked for someone who might rebuild the wall of righteousness that guards the land. I searched for someone to stand in the gap in the wall so I wouldn’t have to destroy the land, but I found no one. So now I will pour out my fury on them, consuming them with the fire of my anger. I will heap on their heads the full penalty for all their sins. I, the Sovereign LORD, have spoken!” Ezekiel 22:30-31 NLT
The United States of America is still the greatest, most prosperous nation in the world today. Cemented on Judeo-Christian values from the pages of Holy Scripture by the founding Fathers, the United States has been blessed as no other nation for the undivided attention given to God’s commands and the truth given to us from our creator. But, I’m afraid those days may be coming to an end. The United States as a country has abandon God and we are starting to see the beginning of the end of our freedom unless radical change back to God is made very soon.
It is impossible for anyone to not be aware of the deterioration of the very fabric of our nation. Even the casual observer of the news is confronted with, political turmoil, ever increasing crime, hatred towards others, racism, scandals within our government institutions, attempts to silence free speech, discrimination, churches turning away from the truths of God’s Word, and the spending of the Federal government causing the rising debt ceiling. The hard fact is, although being aware of the crisis in in our country, many are either uninterested or simply don’t care, others are too busy with their own concerns, some are part of the problem, and then there are others who do care but only complain and never take the initiative of getting involved to help in any way they can, even praying for the country.
The Lord speaking through the prophet Ezekiel was looking for someone to intercede on behalf of the people of Jerusalem who was about to be taken captive and the city destroyed. Their continued sinning by turning their back on God, who had blessed them overwhelmingly, is about to unleash the consequences. Sadly, the Lord found no one to ‘stand in the gap’ rebuilding the wall of righteousness. There was no one to teach repentance and return to the Lord their God. Jerusalem was destroyed and the people were taken to Babylon in captivity.
The United States must heed this warning from the Old Testament book of Ezekiel. If the Lord God did not spare His own people from destruction due to their sin, what makes us think He will spare the United States of America? “So now I will pour out my fury on them, consuming them with the fire of my anger. I will heap on their heads the full penalty for all their sins. I, the Sovereign LORD, have spoken!” (Ez. 22:31 NLT) Who will help rebuild the wall of righteousness, the sacred Judeo-Christian values that established the United States of America, and stand in the ‘stand in the gap?’ Will it be you? Will it be me?
“Then the LORD said to Joshua, ‘Point the spear in your hand toward Ai, for I will hand the town over to you.’ Joshua did as he was commanded……… Then Joshua built an altar to the LORD, the God of Israel, on Mount Ebal.” Joshua 8:18, 30 NLT
There may be times in your life you wish you could turn around and go back either to a previous job, a former place of residency, a school you transferred from, or to anything other than being in the military. You have come to the conclusion that you have made a mistake. I have been there several times in my life, but one sure thing I found out is if God has lead me all the way, I didn’t make a mistake. Understand you haven’t either if you truly know the Lord. Last week in our reading of Joshua 7, Israel had thought it was a mistake to enter the Promised Land, their new territory. They were defeated in battle by a much smaller fighting force from the city of Ai. Joshua, in particular 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!” (Jos. 7:7 NLT) What Joshua didn’t know at the time their defeat was due to their sin and not due to a mistake in entering the land. If we look hard enough, myself included, I’m sure we can find some losing battles in our new territory that were cause by sin and not as a result of a mistake.
The Lord knows what we are made of; “For he knows how weak we are; he remembers we are only dust.” (Ps. 103:14 NLT) He also knows of our sin nature; “All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own.” (Is. 53:6a NLT) Yet the Lord forgives us of our sin as we confess to Him and continues to lead us in the path He has set for us. The apostle John writes the most memorable verse for confession of sins in 1 John 1:9, “But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.” (NLT) It is the Lord’s desire that we follow Him and are successful in our new territory. We can say with the Psalmist King David, “You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever.” (Ps. 16:11 NLT)
Yes, God will discipline us as we go our own way. He only wants the best for us as any parent does for their children, especially when they are embarking upon something new. God wanted the best for Israel in the land He led them to and He wants the best for us where He is leading us. The best for Israel and for us today is total obedience to God Almighty who has done such great things for us. As we acknowledge His greatness recognizing it is only through Him we have blessings we never thought we would have, we begin to understand it is only by His leading we are in the place we are today.
God restored his blessing to Israel upon them getting rid of the sin before them. We read in the beginning of chapter 8 after the disaster of chapter 7, “Then the LORD said to Joshua, ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged. Take all your fighting men and attack Ai, for I have given you the king of Ai, his people, his town, and his land.’” (Jos. 8:1 NLT) The Lord not only guaranteed victory, but permitted them to take the plunder and the livestock for themselves. An important insight here is the Lord does not hold back any good thing from His people. If Achan had only waited on the Lord and not coveted, stealing the material goods he would have received in God’s timing, Israel would have not been defeated and Achan would be around to enjoy the spoils of victory.
If you have overstepped and gone ahead of God by going about things your own way and it didn’t turn out so good. God is in the restoration business. He knows we are sheep and go our way. Confess it to God, restore your fellowship with Him, and be obedient in the future with faith and courage in His leading.
“But God’s firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: ‘The Lord knows those who are his,’ and, ‘Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity.’” 2 Timothy 2:19 ESV
The word ‘seal’ in the Merriam-Webster dictionary is defined in both verb and noun form. One noun definition is: “a) something that confirms, ratifies, or makes secure; guarantee, assurance. b) a device with a cut or raised emblem, symbol, or word used especially to certify a signature or authenticate a document.” The most recognized seal in the United States is the Presidential Seal which authenticates any correspondence from the President. The Presidential seal is properly displayed on every podium from which the President speaks. The President has the right to use the seal as the authorized owner of the office for a four year term by the electoral process. The Presidential seal of ownership carries with it security and protection for those under their authority.
The apostle Paul speaks of an ownership in 2 Timothy. In Paul’s final letter to Timothy and the church before his martyrdom, he addresses the seal put upon the church and everyone who names the name of the Lord believing in Him. Paul writes in chapter 2 verse 19, “But God’s firm foundation stands, bearing this seal.” God has placed His seal on His firm foundation, which is the church, and every believer in Christ. Paul then encourages the believers by stating, “The Lord knows those who are his.” God knows each one of us intimately providing security and protection as we bear His seal. We are then to depart from sin and pursue holiness.
The tragic events of our broken world have an effect on each one us, even the most spiritual Christians. Whatever situation we may find ourselves in today or the days ahead, we can rest assured the Lord has placed a seal upon His church. Jesus told Peter, “And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” (Mt. 16:18 ESV) The Lord has set upon us His seal of ownership, security, and protection.
“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
Moving into new life changing territory and conquering it can be somewhat of a daunting task as we have learned the last few weeks. These changes in our lives come through our creator the Lord God. Again, He is not going to place us somewhere outside of our comfort zone and leave us. He will miraculously pave the way for us by opening doors, clearing the path, and removing obstacles in our way as evidenced by God’s Hand in directing Israel into the Promised Land. The first six chapters of Joshua reveal God’s leading Israel from the eastern shore of the Jordan River, through the Jordan River, and in their victory at Jericho. Israel had been totally obedient to the Lord by following His commands having the faith and courage to conquer their new territory with the Lord God by their side. All is good, but now we come to chapter 7.
Joshua sends men to spy out the city of Ai, their next battle as chapter 7 begins. 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 small in number and would easily be overcome. 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 didn’t 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 doesn’t affect us alone. The Lord tells Joshua “Israel has sinned and broken my covenant!” (Jos. 7:11a NLT) One man, Achan, had disobeyed God’s command in the 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, to be obedient, and to be devoted to His Word. 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; with God being holy, He cannot deal with sin in His presence. God will not deal with us as we go our 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. 7:12b NLT) We must do the same. If we expect to see the Lord’s continued blessings in our new territory 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 clearly seen by Achan and his family in the first big test of conquering their new territory. They witnessed the Lord fighting their battle and achieving victory, however they weren’t content and wanted more. The obedience and victory in chapter 6 was overshadowed quickly by sin in chapter 7. As you journal entering your new territory, may you be careful not to include a ‘chapter 7.’
“For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable.” Hebrews 4:12-13 NLT
The subject of transparency is a well-recognized topic in 2023 particularly in the world of politics. The truth of the matter is, many who claim to be transparent usually turn out to be not so transparent. Transparency defines as, ‘the quality of being done in an open way without secrets’ is far from what the general public observes. Perhaps there are good intentions on the campaign trail to present oneself as transparent, but the thought of exposing compromising positions or a deficiency while in office is considered a matter to be kept close to the vest.
Politicians are not alone in abusing transparency. Every one of us have a problem with being transparent, totally transparent. Many of us have fine admirable qualities such as honesty, sympathy, a non-judgmental character, caring for others, selflessness, and a loving attitude. While those qualities may be seen most of the time, there are circumstances when one or two of our admirable qualities are overshadowed by something we try to cover up-and if exposed they would cause a great deal embarrassment. It is at these moments we become non-transparent, thinking we have covered up our deficiencies and maintained our integrity.
But as hard as we try to remain transparent while covering up a deficiency or sin in our lives, eventually it becomes known if not dealt with honestly. We may be able to cover up our sin for a time before others, but we can never cover up anything from God who knows and sees all. Hebrews 4:13 says, “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable.” (NLT)
God is aware of our innermost thoughts and desires, we cannot hide them from God. We are capable of covering up our sin before others and even to ourselves as we refer to them as hidden sins and no big deal. But the Word of God has a way of reminding us that it is a big deal “For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.” (Heb. 4:12 NLT) If we are serious about eradicating our hidden sins, we need to be immersed in the God’s Word allowing Him through His Word to expose our innermost thoughts and desires and be transparent before Him.
“LORD, if you kept a record of our sins, who, O Lord, could ever survive? But you offer forgiveness that we might learn to fear you.” Psalm 130:3-4 NLT
Have you ever kept track of your sins? Do you have an on-going count for the week, month, or year? If you’re like me, the obvious answer is no. But there are some that you just can’t shake loose even after confessing them to God. They resurface in your mind from time to time causing guilt feelings and uncertainty of God’s forgiveness. Rest assured your sins are forgiven if confession to the Lord God was made. Psalm 103:2 says, “He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west.” (NLT) Your sins are gone. The east from the west cannot be measured without any substance as starting points. Your sin, the substance, does not exist, it’s gone. Not only do they not exist, but the Lord does not remember them, “I, I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins.” (Is. 43:25 ESV)
There may be some who think my sins would be easy to count as they are not many, or I have not sinned at all. But think again. Every selfish thought or mean spirited action against your neighbor, being prideful, a slip of the tongue using God’s name in vain, lying to prevent getting into trouble, going 80 mph in a 55mph zone, and being short of patience with your spouse are all examples of what the Lord considers sin, even though we made not see it that way. None of us are perfect, we were all born with a sin nature so it’s natural that we sin, but that is no excuse to sin or deny that we do.
Think of all the little incidental sins mentioned above along with others you can think of. Add those we would consider bigger sins and try imagine how many there have been in your lifetime. Now compare that with today’s scripture verse, “LORD, if you kept a record of our sins, who, O Lord, could ever survive?” I’m sure the list we compile for ourselves would not be as extensive as God’s would be, after all He doesn’t miss anything. But the good news is the Lord forgives as the rest of the verse indicates, “But you offer forgiveness that we might learn to fear you.” God’s forgiveness is never-ending and He remembers them no more as long as we confess and ask for forgiveness. This should be of great comfort to us for our sin is also never-ending as long as we are on this side of heaven.
It is hard to imagine today in the 21st century there is still slavery going on across the world. It is known today as ‘Modern Day Slavery’ or ‘Contemporary Slavery.’ According to ‘The Guardian’ from July 2018 it is estimated that close to 50 million people are enslaved in some form of servitude. The U.S. State Department website has the following: “Human trafficking can include, but does not require, movement. People may be considered trafficking victims regardless of whether they were born into a state of servitude, were exploited in their home town, were transported to the exploitative situation, previously consented to work for a trafficker, or participated in a crime as a direct result of being trafficked. At the heart of this phenomenon is the traffickers’ aim to exploit and enslave their victims and the myriad coercive and deceptive practices they use to do so.” (1)
We are living in a fallen and broken world with sin running rapid in every corner. Perhaps it shouldn’t surprise or shock us, but it does right down to our core. As Christians we need to be aware of the plight of these individuals supporting efforts to stop the spread of trafficking and to pray for those affected. In addition to ‘Modern Day Slavery’ there are many people in our society who feel trapped by addictions, abusive situations, emotional stress, and anxiety. Although not intentionally held against their will, they are being held against their will. Again, as Christians we need to pray and support those in need.
Perhaps you may be one of the above feeling trapped or in a situation held against your will. Even in your confinement you can find and have freedom in Jesus Christ. The Psalmist writes when devoted to God’s commandments, His Word, he would walk in freedom or liberty. The Lord can lift the heaviest burden you are facing making it durable for you and give you joy and peace you thought not possible. And Jesus says to us who are trapped and overcome by sin, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free……I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave of sin. A slave is not a permanent member of the family, but a son is part of the family forever. So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free.” (Jn. 8:31-32, 34-36 NLT) The Lord Jesus can set you free from your sin establishing a permanent relationship with Him now and in eternity walking in freedom.
“I will hear what God the LORD will say; For He will speak peace to His people, to His godly ones; But let them not turn back to folly.” Psalm 85:8 NASB
We have all done foolish things. I hate to think back of all the foolish things I’ve done, and pray they are not brought back to memory by anyone I know. But there are some things you just cannot forget. The foolish things we’ve done without any evil intent but out of what we would say was a ‘dumb move’ may be looked at, even by God, as just an embarrassment. And yes that seems bad enough, but not as bad as sinning against God which is evil and foolish, and definitely a dumb move.
Psalm 85, A Psalm of the sons of Korah, is a prayer and a plea for pardon from the Lord. The Jews had returned from their exile in Babylon due to their many sins and turning away from God. The Lord graciously had mercy on Israel allowing them to return to the land after seventy years. The psalmist prayed that God had forgiven their sins in the past and withdrew His anger from them. Now that they are back in the land, they pray once again for forgiveness, restoration, and for God to remove His anger. There is a pause in the prayer to hear from the Lord with confidence that it will be a message of peace. Verse 8 of Psalm 85 says, “I will hear what God the LORD will say; For He will speak peace to His people, to His godly ones; But let them not turn back to folly.” The Psalmist is certain God will be faithful to His people in His forgiveness, but is careful to add they remain faithful to God and not turn again to their folly (sin).
Our God is a God of grace and mercy and is able and willing to forgive our foolish sins against Him. But let us be careful as we confess our sins that we do not go back to repeat them again and again, “Like a dog that returns to its vomit is a fool who repeats his folly.” (Pr. 26:11) Surely a ‘dumb move.’
“You have heard that our ancestors were told, ‘You must not murder. If you commit murder, you are subject to judgment. But I say, if you are even angry with someone, you are subject to judgment! If you call someone an idiot, you are in danger of being brought before the court. And if you curse someone, you are in danger of the fires of hell.’” Matthew 5:21-22 NLT
Our judicial system in the United States measures the punishment for a crime by determining what is appropriate according to the severity and circumstances of the crime. Obviously a murder conviction would bring on a much stiffer penalty than an assault charge or shoplifting. More recently in the 21st century the law now includes “hate crimes.” According to the United States Department of Justice a “hate crime” is “a crime plus the motivation for committing the crime based on bias equals a hate crime. In the simplest terms, a hate crime must include both “hate” and a “crime.” (1) The FBI’s definition is; “A hate crime is a traditional offense like murder, arson, or vandalism with an added element of bias………Hate itself is not a crime—and the FBI is mindful of protecting freedom of speech and other civil liberties.” (2)
Our Lord Jesus also had something to say about hate crimes 2,000 years ago. The scribes and the Pharisees in Jesus’s day had an external view of the law. The outward deeds that were seen and committed such as murder would never have be done by these religious leaders. They reasoned they had never broken the sixth commandment, “You shall not murder.” Jesus corrects their misguided thinking, “But I say, if you are even angry with someone, you are subject to judgment! If you call someone an idiot, you are in danger of being brought before the court. And if you curse someone, you are in danger of the fires of hell.” The real issue is the heart.
Anger, hate, and verbal abuse are the internal seeds of destruction that lead to murder. Jesus was pointing out the guilt of murder and inward sinful seeds resulting in abusive behavior are one and the same. Hate crimes are not only a product of our current society, but a product of a sinful heart since the fall of man in need of a Savior.
Word for the Soul 