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Rattling Bones

Get the picture with me. You are praying and everything is great, suddenly you open your eyes, and you are standing in the middle of a valley filled with bones. They had been there a while. These skeletons covered the whole valley floor. God tells you to walk among them and as you do so, He asks you if they can live again. Now you know there is no way, but since you are talking to God you know nothing is impossible with Him. You wisely answer, “Lord, God, You Yourself know.”

You are standing there a little weirded out half wishing he had put you somewhere less creepy. Then he tells you to speak to the bones. This is what God wants you to say to them.

“Prophesy over these bones and say to them, ‘You dry bones, hear the word of the Lord.’This is what the Lord God says to these bones: ‘Behold, I am going to make breath enter you so that you may come to life. And I will attach tendons to you, make flesh grow back on you, cover you with skin, and put breath in you so that you may come to life; and you will know that I am the Lord.’”

The man is Ezekiel, and this story is found in Ezekiel chapter 37. Ezekiel does what God asks of him. While Ezekiel prophesied “there was a loud noise, and behold, a rattling; and the bones came together, bone to its bone.” While he was watching, “tendons were on them, and flesh grew, and skin covered them; but there was no breath in them.”

Ezekiel is standing in the middle of this valley where only a moment before had been covered with dry bones. Now it is full of dead men laying all over the valley floor. He had watched as their bones had come back together and tendons and ligaments came to cover the bones and muscles, and flesh covered the tendons and ligaments. They lay there with no breath in them. But God wasn’t done. He tells Ezekiel to prophesy one more time,

“Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, ‘The Lord God says this: “Come from the four winds, breath, and breathe on these slain, so that they come to life.”’” So I prophesied as He commanded me, and the breath entered them, and they came to life and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army.” (Ezekiel 37: 7-10)

God put breath in these men. They were just dry bones lying in a valley. Now they were living men. God had restored them.  They stood there looking around at each other and at Ezekiel wondering what had just happened. Ezekiel was looking at them wondering what in the world this was all about.

God does not do anything without a reason.  He tells Ezekiel that these bones are the house of Israel. They believed all hope was lost. They were in exile from their land. The land God had promised them. God tells Ezekiel the people are saying three things. First that their bones are dried up. Represented by the valley of bones. Second, their hope had perished. They felt they had nothing left to hope for. And third, they had been completely cut off. They felt abandoned. Psalm 88:5 gives an example,

Abandoned among the dead,
Like the slain who lie in the grave,
Whom You no longer remember,
And they are cut off from Your hand.


I just wonder, have you ever felt abandoned by God? I think if you breathe you have felt that way at some point in your life. We go through difficult challenges, and we cannot see a way out of them, and we pray to what feels like a heaven made of iron. We feel forgotten and alone and cut off. Sometimes the fault is our own and the choices we have made. Other times it is just a season of life that we all walk through.

Israel brought their exile on themselves. God had given them prophets and warnings for years. He had tried to turn their hearts back to Him, but they were hard-hearted and unwilling. So, they were left with punishment and exile. Now here they were feeling abandoned, forgotten and cut off. Still God loved them. He gave Ezekiel this vision to give to the people to give them hope again.

The entire chapter of Ezekiel 37 is about the restoration of Israel. God reveals his plan in verses 12-14,

“Behold, I am going to open your graves and cause you to come up out of your graves, My people; and I will bring you into the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Lord, when I have opened your graves and caused you to come up out of your graves, My people. And I will put My Spirit within you and you will come to life, and I will place you on your own land. Then you will know that I, the Lord, have spoken and done it,” declares the Lord.’”

What began as a terrifying moment for Ezekiel turned into a word of hope for the people of Israel. It is also a word of hope for us. As Israel came out of their captivity back into their land we are assured of God’s promises. There is a two-fold promise in this chapter. I challenge you to read the chapter sometime over the weekend. He promised them to return to their homeland and it happened – twice. First following the exile and second following the holocaust when Israel was recognized as a nation in 1948. Today as Israel sits on the land God promised we have hope in the assurance that God keeps his promise. No, Israel is not on the entire land. The rest will come. But Israel stands as a nation again. One and united, not two separate nations of Israel and Judah. When they were released from captivity, they were Israel.

I don’t know where you are today or what your struggles are. You might feel abandoned forgotten and cut off. Maybe you feel like those dried bones. But look up. God can breathe fresh breath of life into those rattling bone and call you out of your grave of despair and hopelessness.  Today walk in his love and assurance.

Angela

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Third Verse Devotion: Are You Washed

The greatest anticipation of Christians is the return of Jesus. We have been expecting his return since his ascension 2, 000 years ago. I know some might say he is slow in his return, yet Peter already had an answer for that very argument.

2 Peter 3:9

The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not willing for any to perish, but for all to come to repentance.

His delay is for those who have yet to believe. The Lord will keep all his promises, including his promise to return. He doesn’t want any to perish in an eternity away from him, so he waits. He gives ample opportunity for unbelievers to come to him in repentance for salvation. One day the clock will run out and he will return. As sure as I type these words, he will return. Our hymn today asks the question, Are you ready?

When the Bridegroom cometh will your robes be white?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?
Will your soul be ready for the mansions bright,
and be washed in the blood of the Lamb?

When he comes have you done what you needed to in preparation? Jesus told a parable in Matthew 25 of the second coming in relation to ten virgins five had extra oil and five did not. When the bridegroom came the hour was late and five virgins trimmed their lamps with their extra oil and went out to meet him. The remainder did not have enough oil. They tried to borrow some from the other five but there would not have been enough for all of them. They were told to go to the market and purchase more. While they were out, the bridegroom came, and the party went in and shut and locked the door. Finally, they came and knocked on the door begging to be let in but were refused. They weren’t prepared, they weren’t ready in advance of his coming.

The second part of the line is “will your robes be white” and harkens to Revelation and perhaps Isaiah. In Revelation chapter 7, John looked and saw a great multitude. Look at Revelation 7:9

…I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all the tribes, peoples, and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands…

John was asked by one of the elders with him if he knew who they were, he answered he did not. The elder responded with,

“These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” (Revelation 7:14)

There is a time coming when a great tribulation will fall on the earth. A man of lawlessness will reign for a short time. Any who profess to believe in Jesus during that time will suffer for their belief like never before. These martyrs for the name of Jesus are the ones who are referred to here. Earlier in chapter 6, John had witnessed those who had been martyred crying for justice. At this time, they were also given a white robe. (Revelation 6:11)

This idea can also be found in Isaiah 1:18,

Though your sins are as scarlet,
They shall become as white as snow;
Though they are red like crimson,
They shall be like wool.


When we are covered in the blood of Jesus, we are made new again and made white as snow. Our sins are no more. We will be ready for the bridegroom and our robes will be white. Then we will be ready for the mansion bright. Jesus talks about that mansion in John chapter 14. He has been talking to his disciples about going away to prepare a place for them and he says this,

John 14:2

In My Father’s house are many rooms; if that were not so, I would have told you, because I am going there to prepare a place for you.

The many rooms translated in the New American Standard is often translated mansions in other versions. It means he is preparing a place for us. Whether it is a room or a mansion, he has us in mind, and it will be magnificent. It will be a place beyond our wildest dreams. So, if he has gone to prepare a place for his believers, doesn’t it stand to reason he will come back for them? Yes, he will.

 I don’t know when but someday Jesus will come back for his church until then let me encourage you to be ready. Be washed in the blood of the Lamb. Let your robe be white and be ready for the mansions bright. O be washed in the blood of the Lamb.

Angela

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Into the Water

Baptism can be a divisive issue among Christians. Some baptize by immersion, fully putting the one baptized under the water, others baptize by a sprinkling of water or pouring of water over the one to be baptized. Some baptize infants and some say one should be baptized when one can make a full confession of faith in Christ and an infant cannot make such a confession. Some say baptism is not necessary for salvation while others say it is essential. All these varying claims can cause confusion for those who are not affiliated with any church. After all, if the churches can’t figure it out how can anyone else?

I don’t think baptism was ever meant to be divisive. After salvation, baptism is the first natural step in obedience to following Jesus. If you have confessed Christ as Savior, the next step is baptism. The chances are good you are already affiliated with a local church, and they will probably talk to you about their form of baptism. If you aren’t connected with a local bible believing church, you need to do that and let the pastor know of your decision to follow Jesus.

There are three things that baptism entails and must be found in the life of the one to be baptized. First, a confession of sins. Second repentance. And third belief in Jesus.

John’s baptism followed a confession of sins. Matthew 3:6 gives us our first look at baptism in the New Testament and he writes:

“and they were being baptized by him in the Jordan River, as they confessed their sins.”

From this we can gather that confession of sins is a necessary prelude to baptism. Without the confession of sins there would be no reason to be baptized. The confession of sins indicates the fact we need cleansing. We need washing away of our old life and the putting on of a new life. The act of confession is the beginning of the process of taking off the old self. This does not mean we need to go through the baptismal waters every time we need to confess our sins. No, once is enough. We follow the example of Christ. While he had no sins to confess, he led by example through the waters of baptism and our new life in him begins the same. We confess our sins and repent of our old ways. In the gospel of Luke, speaking of John the Baptist, we find,

…he came into all the region around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins; (Luke 3:3)

Repentance is the decision to change behavior. It is the act of turning away from what one had been doing and not doing it any longer. A thief no longer steals. A liar no longer lies. An addict no longer uses. Repentance results in changed behavior. Confession and repentance often go hand in hand. We confession our sins and repent of them in that we turn our back on them striving never to commit them again. We are not perfect, but we are in the process of becoming more like Jesus.

This brings us to belief in Jesus. We confess our sins and repent of them. If we stop here, we have done nothing more than turn over a new leaf. There must be belief. We must put our belief in Jesus. Without belief in Jesus, baptism is only getting wet. Baptism is the outward demonstration of the change that has taken place in our hearts. It is the act of showing the world that we belong to Jesus now. We are serious about our confession and repentance. We choose to follow Jesus. It is because of this choice we are following his example in baptism. Mark 16:16 states that,

The one who has believed and has been baptized will be saved; but the one who has not believed will be condemned.

Baptism is one of the two ordinances Jesus gave us while on earth. The second being communion, or the Lord’s Supper, which he instituted before his death. Baptism is the first step in a life devoted to obedience to Christ. If you have accepted Christ as Savior and confessed your need for him to forgive your sins and have repented of your ways, the next step is to follow him in baptism.

I have tried to stay away from the various forms of baptism and arguments various churches have over baptism. I fear that my belief leaked through onto the page. While I do have my answers for what I believe about baptism from the beginning of this post, I wanted to go to the heart. What is in our heart is essentially what leads us to the baptismal waters. If our heart is not changed, there is no need to be baptized. If we are not willing to confess our sins or repent of them, turn away completely from them, then our heart is not changed, and we have not believed. We are still lost, and it doesn’t matter what we believe.

So, where are you today? The way to baptism has three stops, confession, repentance and belief in Jesus. My hope for you is that you have passed all three. Now step into the water.

Angela

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Third Verse Devotion: How Great Thou Art

Many of us grew up to George Beverly Shea singing this beloved hymn on the Billy Graham Crusades that used to air on television. For some this may have been our introduction to this hymn and even to Christianity itself. The hymn is a blending of Creator and Savior. It begins with the power of the universe and ends with the power of Christ’s return.

We will be looking at the second verse this time rather than verse three. When I led singing in the small church we attended, sadly this was the verse I omitted

When through the woods and forest glades I wander,
and hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees;
when I look down from lofty mountain grandeur
and hear the brook and feel the gentle breeze; [Refrain]

There are times we are struck by the beauty of the earth and the wonder of God’s creation. As we have traveled the highways of America, or any other country, we cannot miss the stunning beauty that is all around us. Of course, it is better to get off the highways to really see the sights. I have stood on the shores of lakes and the Gulf of Mexico and listened to the waves and the water. There is a difference of course in the power of the two. I have seen the tragic power of the aftermath of a hurricane before me and looked at the water behind me calm and peaceful. He lets us know something beyond ourselves exists, something greater.

There is strength in mountains. I enjoy visiting state parks and taking their hiking trails. I am not a backpacker mountain climber. So, I content myself by taking the trail I can and tell myself I will work up to the more challenging ones. Still, I have viewed some beautiful sites. There are almost always vistas to look out over. Maybe wildlife to spot. A hushed moment of peace if you take the time to observe it. Again in these wooded areas we know there is something greater than ourselves in the strength and solidity of the trees and the abundance of life.

Paul in the book of Romans touches this in chapter one when he writes,

For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, that is, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, being understood by what has been made, so that they are without excuse. (Romans 1:20 NASB)

You see when we look at nature, we are without excuse for not believing in the God of Creation. He proves his existence by what we see in the natural world. The fact that this is the only planet in our solar system that can sustain life is enough to give us pause of a greater design. Not just life but thriving life. Science will try to tell us that these things happened by accident. Really. I don’t think so. From deep within the Mariana Trench, the deepest oceanic trench on earth to the top of Mt Everest, the highest point on earth, life can be found.

Not convinced by the natural order of creation and an earth teeming with life? Ok then let’s look just a little beyond our planet. Look at sunrises or sun sets. They are spectacular and stunning. Have you ever seen the Northern Lights, Aurora Borealis? I’ve heard it’s a breathtaking sight. Just a few years ago we had a total solar eclipse, and the best viewing was to be where I live. Schools dismissed, the place where I work shut down and we all prepared to what the show. We were not disappointed. If you ever have the chance to watch a total solar eclipse don’t miss it. It is a profound experience. There are the long moments of waiting for the total moment when the special glasses can come off and morning and night are beheld side by side. The temperature drops and a special twilight falls over the land. It is spellbinding and unforgettable. It leaves no doubt there is a Creator who does all things well.

Whether you are looking from a mountain top over valleys below or standing by the seaside you realize how small you are and how great God is. In each of these instances, our soul wells up with something beyond ourselves. Something we can’t quite put into words. But someone did many years ago. He put words to that feeling and we still sing them today.

Then sings my soul, my Savior God to thee, How Great thou art….

Angela

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Third Verse Devotion: At the Cross

Mary Shelley wrote a book called Frankenstein in which a doctor became so obsessed with creating life he robbed graves and stole cadavers and used the parts to create a man. He managed to bring this man to life. Once the deed was done, however, he was so horrified by what he had done he could not even look upon his “creature” as he called him. The book goes on to describe the lengths the “creature” went to in which to gain his creators attention and approval. The creature wanted companionship and love and acceptance and all he received was rejection and scorn.

As I read the book, I could not help but consider the comparisons between God’s “creatures” and Himself. Only in this case it was in reverse. God created us with his own hands and gave us life and the gift of speech and intelligence and yet we deny His very existence. He paints the sky with sunrises and sunsets to get our attention and we say it is only she way the suns rays react with the water droplets in the atmosphere. Or some other scientific explanation. We see the earth’s majesty and say it all began with some cosmic accident or ooze from the ocean. Really? The creature denies the Creator. We were created to love the Creator. We were created to fellowship with Him. Yet in a reverse Shelley story we run from the very one who loves us. Why? Because of the creature’s sin.

Isaac Watts addressed this in his hymn “At the Cross.” There are five to six verses to the song. I have posted five for context. Usually verses three and/or four are omitted when singing. I want to talk about both in the time and space we have.

1 Alas, and did my Savior bleed,
And did my Sov’reign die?
Would He devote that sacred head
For sinners such as I?

Chorus:
At the cross, at the cross where I first saw the light,
And the burden of my heart rolled away,
It was there by faith I received my sight,
And now I am happy all the day!

2 Was it for crimes that I had done
He groaned upon the tree?
Amazing pity, grace unknown,
And love beyond degree![Chorus]

3 Well might the sun in darkness hide,
And shut His glories in
When Christ, the mighty Maker died
For man, the creature’s sin.[Chorus]

4 Thus might I hide my blushing face
While Calv’ry’s cross appears,
Dissolve my heart in thankfulness,
And melt mine eyes to tears.[Chorus]

5 But drops of grief can ne’er repay
The debt of love I owe;
Here, Lord, I give myself away,
‘Tis all that I can do.[Chorus]

When Christ was on the cross the sun was “hidden” so to speak. Matthew 27:45 reminds us that, “Now from the sixth hour darkness fell upon all the land until the ninth hour.” For three hours the sun hid in darkness shutting in the glories of God. Many scholars believe it was during those three hours that Christ bore the weight of God’s judgment. He felt the full force of our sin. It was in these hours the price was paid for our redemption. At the ninth hour, Jesus cried out “My God, My God why have you forsaken me?” Someone ran and gave him a drink (verse 48). In verse 50, Jesus cries out again with a loud voice and gives up his spirit. The mighty maker died for man the creature he loved. For those whom he gave a free will to choose him or deny him. Who were under so great a weight of sin they could never be free any other way.

The fourth stanza goes on to remark that as we look on the event of the crucifixion we should look away in shame for our sin. Yet the cross stands as a reminder of the great price which was paid there. It is this reminder which brings us to our knees in thankfulness and tears. Jesus paid a debt he did not owe. Paul writes to the Corinthians,

2 Corinthians 5:21

He made Him who knew no sin to be sin in our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

He loved you and me that much. He is not a weird Dr. Frankenstein, and you are not created out of leftover body parts. You were created with design and purpose. He loved you and gave himself for you.

 Oh, how lovely is the cross of Christ. The instrument of torture has become our symbol of freedom. What can we do in return but give ourselves to him?  The Creator is waiting Creature.

Angela

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The Choice

When I left us last time, we were under a load of guilt and shame. We were covered with sin and under judgement. We saw that Jesus was the propitiation for our sin, the satisfaction that God accepts for the removal of our sin. The only satisfaction God accepts. So, now what? Now we are faced with a choice.

Either we accept that Jesus is enough and accept his work on the cross and find salvation. Or we reject his work and face eternal separation from God. These are our only two options. Jesus is the only way to remove our sin. In John 14: 6 Jesus says, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No man comes to the father but by me.” This world will tell you that there are many paths to salvation and the world lies. There is only one. That path is through Jesus alone.

I do not want to alienate you at all, my friends, but I will not lie to you and risk losing you to an eternity separated from God. This world is cruel and violent. Of course you will hear there are many ways to salvation. Why would it tell you different? We are living when people are saying right is wrong and wrong is right. When people are killed for no reason. When people are filled with hate and call it justified. We will look to this world for answers and salvation? It doesn’t make sense, does it? Instead, we have a God who loves us so much that he sent his son into the world to die for our sins, to die in our place, so we can spend eternity with him. All we must do is accept it.

The choice is yours and mine. We each must decide what we will do considering this great salvation. We don’t have to wait until we are free from our addictions. We don’t have to wait until we have our family situations sorted. Let me tell you he already knows about them. There is nothing in your past or present that can prevent him from loving you. He is waiting to forgive and cleanse.

David was a man after God’s own heart. Yet, David was also a man filled with sin. In Psalm32:5 he writes:

I acknowledged my sin to You, And I did not hide my guilt; I said, “I will confess my wrongdoings to the Lord”; And You forgave the guilt of my sin.

David recognized the need to confess his sin and need of God. Confession is the act of admitting that we have sinned, of recognizing our sin. It is the first step toward repentance and forgiveness. We make our confession directly to God.

When we confess our sin and agree that we cannot pay the debt that is owed and accept that Jesus’s death on the cross was enough to pay our debt, something wonderful happens. We find it in 1 John 1:9:

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous, so that He will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

He has done all he can do. He will not violate your free will. Jesus paid the price. The debt is paid. The gift is yours. He made a way for you to be reconciled with him. It is not his desire for you to be separated from him.

2 Peter 3:9

The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not willing for any to perish, but for all to come to repentance.

Will you come to him today? What is your choice?

If you made the choice to accept Jesus and his gift of salvation, I would love to hear from you. Leave me a comment letting me know of your decision.

Angela

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The Price

September has always been a time of reflection for me. I look at September and reassess my year, what have I accomplished, what do I hope to accomplish in the coming year. I don’t exactly know why. I guess it was when school started and all the school supplies were out, it had the feeling of a new beginning. I don’t always accomplish my goals for the upcoming year, but I think it is good to evaluate and examine and think forward. I do the same thing in January, the actual start of the year. Yet my big review is September.

What does this have to do with anything you ask? Well, when I wrote the post on sin. It was a getting back to basics. Understanding sin is foundational to our lives. We need to know we have all sinned and we are all sinners. Now see this causes a problem, because once we realize the fact we must do something with it. People have tried many things throughout history to do something with their sin. Many tried by themselves through good deeds thinking that good deeds will outweigh the stain of sin. Others tried penance. The act of confessing to a priest, self-punishment, prayer, fasting, or other means. While these may have merit on their own, though I can’t see much value in self-punishment, they are not enough to cleanse from sin. Even the Jews had to have a day of atonement each year to remove their sin.

So, what is to be done with this debt of sin?  We cannot get rid of it on our own. The blood of animals cannot cover it. Our own efforts are not enough to wash it away. Well, it happens that God had a plan to wash away our sin from the start. God being righteous and holy cannot look on sin and do nothing. There must be a judgement. There must be a price paid. Paul wrote in Romans that the price for our sin is death (Rom 6:23).  Death not just physically, but eternally. It is a price we cannot pay. We cannot wipe away our debt with a confession to a priest. We cannot wipe it away with a few good deeds. God must judge sin, but there is hope.  

Psalm 103:10

He has not dealt with us according to our sins, Nor rewarded us according to our guilty deeds.

God in his grace and mercy provided salvation for our debt. Paul finishes his statement in Romans 6:23 with, “but the gracious gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Were it not for God’s grace none of us could be forgiven. It is only by his grace and mercy we can be set free in Jesus Christ.  God did not just create us and leave us to our own devices to figure things out. No, he loves us and wants to be involved in our lives. In other words, he wants a relationship with us. Our sin gets in the way of that relationship. Jesus stepped in as our sacrifice and carried our punishment so that the relationship between God and man could be restored.

2 Corinthians 5:21

He made Him who knew no sin to be sin in our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

The writer of Hebrews also attests that,

“without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.” (Hebrews 9:22)

When Jesus died on the cross, he satisfied the debt of our sin. The judgment and wrath that was due was paid in full by the shedding of his blood. 1 John says it like this:

1 John 2:2

and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

1 John 4:10

In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

There’s a word in there we don’t use often. The word propitiation. It refers to satisfaction or appeasement. In other words, Jesus is the satisfaction for our sins. He alone is the appeasement for our judgment. He alone can turn away God’s wrath for our debt of sin which deserves death. Because Jesus took our place we can be restored to a right relationship with God. The relationship He had always intended. The choice is now ours.

Think and ponder on the things on which we have looked. Have you tried on your own to make things right with God? Do you plow through good deeds but still carry guilt? Are you in church every Sunday but Monday through Saturday there is no difference? Think on these things and ask yourself if you need a Savior.  What choice are you willing to make? We will talk about it next time.

Angela

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Dark, Dirty and Ugly

It’s something we don’t like to talk about. In fact, if we can, we dismiss it completely.  It doesn’t exist. It is the dark side we hide from ourselves and others. It is only mistakes made, an accident, a slip-up. Everyone does it. What’s the big deal? But see it is a very big deal. I am talking about sin. It started in the Garden of Eden, and it continues to this day with you and with me. None of us are excluded.

God has much to say about sin in the Bible. He takes sin very seriously. Sin separates us from him. Sin caused Adam and Eve to lose their home in the Garden. Sin has caused the loss of many a home and many broken families and broken relationships throughout history. We must talk about it.

 What exactly is sin? We might immediately think of the big things like murder, adultery, violence, theft, porn, human trafficking, and along those lines. You know the yuck of humanity. The things we can easily condemn. Surely all of these are sins. And they are. But what about the little things, the little lies we tell our family, coworkers, friends, bosses, the ones we make up on the spur of the moment. The ones to cover our tracks when we weren’t doing what we were supposed to be doing or where we were supposed to be. Or when we said we would do one thing and yet did something else entirely. What about the thoughts we know are better kept inside our head that we don’t dare speak about but man if we could tell that person what we really thought. Or our gut reaction to that driver. Or when we feel cheated. Or no one will notice. No one will care. No one sees.

Those are as much sin as the big ones. God takes those just as seriously. He doesn’t see sin as big or little. He sees sin as sin.  Sin literally means missing the mark. Think of an archer or a marksman aiming for a bullseye. The arrow that misses the mark sins. The bullet that goes astray sins. God’s word, God’s law, is the bullseye and every time we go astray and miss the mark we have sinned. Every time we don’t meet God’s law we sin. The book of James puts it another way:

James 4:17 defines sin this way: So for one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, for him it is sin.

Paul also had something to say about how sin is defined. Paul had to address some concerns in the early church between Jews and Gentiles (or non – Jews). For now, the treasure I want us to see is the last part of the last verse of Romans 14.  Paul says, “and whatever is not from faith is sin.”

If you want something more concrete, ever hear of the Ten Commandments? God gave us a set of commandments to live by a guiding law for our lives. You can read them in Exodus 20. Yet we are not able to keep these. In fact, we go so far as to remove them from our presence. We don’t even want the reminder of them. Why? Because we know we cannot keep them. James, earlier in his letter, speaks about the commandments. He names some of the commandments outright then makes an interesting point, “For whoever keeps the whole Law, yet stumbles in one point, has become guilty of all.” (James 2:10 NASB)

What does all this mean then? Is any of us without sin? The obvious answer is no. No one is without sin. At some point we all have broken God’s law. We all have gone astray. We have all come face to face with sin and caved at the first opportunity.

God warned Cain in the very beginning, “If you do well, will your face not be cheerful? And if you do not do well, sin is lurking at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it.” (Genesis 4:7 NASB)

I think we all know how that ended. None of us can master sin on our own. We need a Savior. I don’t want to end this post without giving us some hope. Yes, we are all sinners. Romans 3:23 tells us that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Sin is dirty and dark and ugly, but there is a remedy and there is a hope. His name is Jesus. Next time we will talk about the price of our sin.

Angela

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Third Verse Devotion: Amazing Grace

John Newton, the writer of Amazing Grace, was at one time a slave trader in the Atlantic and then after his conversion at sea became an abolitionist and minister. He never forgot the depths of his former depravity or the depths of God’s grace that covered his sin. He wrote the words to this beloved hymn that most of us know at least the first stanza of by heart. It stands as a testament that when God entered his life, everything changed for him, and he wrote one of the most recognizable Christian hymns of all time.

Amazing Grace is typically found with five stanzas. All five are powerhouses and I cannot see how it can be justified to leave any out. I am going to display all five verses even though we will only discuss one. For more background on the hymn or the author you can always check out www.hymnary.org which is where I always go for hymns, aside from my Baptist Hymnal, of course. Certainly, you can do an internet search for John Newton and Amazing Grace and find more information.

Amazing grace! how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.

‘Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears relieved;
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed!

Thro’ many dangers, toils, and snares,
I have already come;
‘Tis grace hath bro’t me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home.


The Lord has promised good to me,
His word my hope secures;
He will my shield and portion be
As long as life endures.

When we’ve been there ten thousand years,
Bright shining as the sun,
We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise
Than when we first begun.

We could spend weeks mining the depths of treasure in this hymn and I hope you will spend some time in the next few moments and days meditating and singing on the hope, grace and truth found within its lines. The fourth stanza is where I want to bring our focus.

God’s promises are forever. As we read scripture and find a promise, we will find some of them are specific to Israel, some are specific to individuals, like Abraham or David, but there are a lot that are for all time for all people. His promise to never flood the earth again is one example. There have been tragic places where there have been floods, regional occurrences, but never again the entire earth as in the time of Noah. The rainbow in the sky is a reminder of this promise, however else it may be used and twisted. The promise that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life is for everyone. You and I and whoever has lived before and whoever will come after. This is a promise he will not break. He has promised good to us.

His word my hope secures. We can read the word of God and find hope for the situation we are in. That does not mean of course, we can just let our Bible fall open and randomly drop our finger in and find the answer we need. No, I mean daily reading. Abiding in His word. Spending time systematically reading through His word. There are a ton of different ways. If you are new to reading the bible, I suggest you start with the gospel of John. The theme of John is “that you may know.” John wrote his gospel that you may know that Jesus is who he says he is and is a great place to begin your journey. Of course, you can always go old school and begin with Genesis and read straight through. Watch out for those Old Testament names but go for it. However you do it, just get into God’s word and stay there. There is hope secure in the pages.

The next line is taken right out of scripture. He will my shield and portion be. See the two verses below:

Psalm 3:3

But You, Lord, are a shield around me, My glory, and the One who lifts my head.

Psalm 73:26

My flesh and my heart may fail, But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

He is our strength, shield, portion. He is our all in all. When we simply cannot take another step, he is our strength. He is the lifter of our head. Notice Psalm 73:26 “My flesh and my heart may fail.” My goodness. Haven’t we been there? The burden becomes too much, and we don’t know what else to do or where else to turn. There is a God we can turn to who is our shield, our glory, the One who lifts our head. He is not a magician who waves a wand, and everything is magically better. No. We still have to walk through the trial. But. He is the strength of our heart giving us the strength we need to take that next step.

Wow. We just looked at one verse of Amazing Grace and what an Amazing God we have found! I want to issue a challenge to us. Let’s memorize not Amazing Grace but the two verses I have posted above. I have them posted in the New American Standard Version but use whatever version with which you are comfortable. The New International Version and the New Living Translation are good versions for reading and memorizing.  Write them out on an index card and begin to commit them to memory. I wonder, can you sing them to the tune of Amazing Grace?

Angela

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Angela’s Bookshelf: The Handmaid’s Tale

The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood has become popular in recent years with the release of the movie. It was originally published in 1985. I believed it was a more recent release, so was surprised to find the copyright so far back. I read the book because I was curious to know what the hype was about.

The setting is dystopian America, and the location was hard for me to place. However, the story takes place following the takeover of the Regime. The Regime is a pseudo-religious government which twists Christian beliefs to control the people. Families are split apart, and viable women are given to “Commanders” to bear children to keep the new society going and proliferate the population with the new doctrine. The story is the first generation experiencing the Regime. It is told in the first person and is narrated by a handmaid separated from her husband and daughter and has now been sent to her second “Commander” having not borne any children for the first Commander. It flows in parts as diary and parts as stream of consciousness always from her perspective. The reader is never told her original name.

The story is well written and fast-paced. I read through it quickly even with other books and responsibilities. In fact, it rose to the top of my reading list for a time while I finished it. I found it to be engaging and was curious to see how it would end. I imagined various outcomes and scenarios for how the end would be. None of what I imagined occurred. I was disappointed by the ending. If you have read The Handmaid’s Tale, then perhaps you understand what I mean. If you have not, then I will not give it away in the chance you want to read it for yourself. The book does contain language, sex, violence, and suicide. I would not recommend it to anyone under the age of 18 or to anyone to whom these might be a trigger.  

There is an undercurrent of fear as there often is in dystopian novels. It is interesting that the Regime had its roots in Christian beliefs. While the Regime was in no way Christian, Christian words and behaviors were modeled while God and Jesus were left entirely out of the picture. It is reminiscent of this verse in 2 Timothy.

2 Timothy 3:5

holding to a form of godliness although they have denied its power; avoid such people as these.

This was certainly true of the Regime. They missed the point of Christianity and denied the true source of power. The regime had Its sole mission control and fear. Unfortunately, those under its influence were not able to avoid them. However, it did not seem that it held much beyond the borders of America. The regime, it seemed, had its roots in America and had spread little beyond it.

While I appreciated the ease of reading and the way I was drawn into the story, I did not appreciate the ending. While I cannot reveal it without giving it away, I can only say I was not satisfied. If you read the book, you understand what I mean. I believe there are other books to follow this one. I have not decided if I will continue and read more. My thinking at this point is I will not. I was so put off by the ending.

So, here it is. My humble review of The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood. Overall, I would rate it a 4 out of 5. I realize this is not a full summary of the book and this is intentional. I wanted to give you a surface of the book without revealing too much of the story. The negatives are the language, sex, violence, suicide and pitiful ending. The positives are the engaging read and the way the author pulls you into the story. I read it quickly. If I can do that, then the story gets a higher count, but the negatives always come into play. I could almost go a little lower because of them, but that would be unfair to the writing and story line. Again, in good conscience I cannot recommend The Handmaid’s Tale to anyone under age 18.

Angela