One Sunday in church all were singing an old gospel song: "What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus." Sitting right next to me was an unkempt, stinking man in tattered clothes. Folks name this pitiful type "skid row winos". He had dirty nails, with a smokers yellowed fingers, glassy eyes, and the wrinkles of aged abuse. He turned to me and spoke these slurring words "I know what you sing is right, nothing but the blood of Jesus can wash away my sins. But I used to be the president of the seminary, I know all about what Jesus can do. But you know, there is a BIG
BIG difference between being WASHED WHITE and being whitewashed. ~ The old man with a tear in his eye staggared away while his wisdom soaked through my soul. God will use anyone, even a donkey to teach us profound lessons. This man had been WASHED WHITE, then with unconfessed sin, he told his truth, his choice. Folks that dress in whitewashed clothes, who sing praises, and attend church regularly, slip nothing past a God that knows every heart, and every motive. This man, a sad priest knows the way, but he chooses to live with his unconfessed sin...and he knows, that unconfessed sin remains unforgiven sin.
Our human intelligence, wit and denial works over time to cover up sin, but Godly wisdom convicts and uncovers sin. Man whitewashes, and God WASHES our souls WHITE. The blood of Jesus purifies us, and He gives us His JOY in the midst of our sorrow as we admit our sins. Sorrow is one of life's greatest teachers, it leads us into a quiet place, and a deep reflection to face the times we missed the mark, and a Godly sorrow gives us cause to confess our need for a CHANGE, for His NEWNESS to flood our souls and cleanse us, once again. Human sorrow comes when we get caught and we ask a person for their forgiveness. Godly sorrow comes when we realize that our thoughts, actions, or reactions were NOT Christlike. CRACK my HARD stone HEART
with the TRUTH of how my ways have offended Thee. Lord break my pride. Holy Spirit convict me and produce a Godly sorrow in me. Alive with Christ in me, Lord make me ANEW, show me what to confess that I may bring You glory not shame. Give me courage to admit my errors, to reveal what idols replace You on the throne of my heart. As my Holy Father hates pride, I confess that my ministry has become a pride filled idol. Holy Spirit I asked You to shine a light on any murmuring, and remind me of the WOE in me for any unkind scarcastic remark against a person or an authority in my life.
So You arranged for a man to sit in front of me in church Sunday with this TSHIRT on. This pricked my heart with a reminder of a woman covered in tatoos to which I dismissed without mercy in the previous week. I realize each small sin separates me from a close fellowship with my Lord. I ask in the name of Jesus to be bathed, submerged and cleansed by the blood of Jesus. The word for the day is NEW ~ Make me NEW in YOU Lord, and I thank You that ONLY YOU are my judge, restore me with a FRESH start today.
One Sunday in church all were singing an old gospel song: "What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus." Sitting right next to me was an unkempt, stinking man in tattered clothes. Folks name this pitiful type "skid row winos". He had dirty nails, with a smokers yellowed fingers, glassy eyes, and the wrinkles of aged abuse. He turned to me and spoke these slurring words "I know what you sing is right, nothing but the blood of Jesus can wash away my sins. But I used to be the president of the seminary, I know all about what Jesus can do. But you know, there is a BIG 
BIG difference between being WASHED WHITE and being whitewashed. ~ The old man with a tear in his eye staggared away while his wisdom soaked through my soul. God will use anyone, even a donkey to teach us profound lessons. This man had been WASHED WHITE, then with unconfessed sin, he told his truth, his choice. Folks that dress in whitewashed clothes, who sing praises, and attend church regularly, slip nothing past a God that knows every heart, and every motive. This man, a sad priest knows the way, but he chooses to live with his unconfessed sin...and he knows, that unconfessed sin remains unforgiven sin. 
Our human intelligence, wit and denial works over time to cover up sin, but Godly wisdom convicts and uncovers sin. Man whitewashes, and God WASHES our souls WHITE. The blood of Jesus purifies us, and He gives us His JOY in the midst of our sorrow as we admit our sins. Sorrow is one of life's greatest teachers, it leads us into a quiet place, and a deep reflection to face the times we missed the mark, and a Godly sorrow gives us cause to confess our need for a CHANGE, for His NEWNESS to flood our souls and cleanse us, once again. Human sorrow comes when we get caught and we ask a person for their forgiveness. Godly sorrow comes when we realize that our thoughts, actions, or reactions were NOT Christlike. CRACK my HARD stone HEART 
with the TRUTH of how my ways have offended Thee. Lord break my pride. Holy Spirit convict me and produce a Godly sorrow in me. Alive with Christ in me, Lord make me ANEW, show me what to confess that I may bring You glory not shame. Give me courage to admit my errors, to reveal what idols replace You on the throne of my heart. As my Holy Father hates pride, I confess that my ministry has become a pride filled idol. Holy Spirit I asked You to shine a light on any murmuring, and remind me of the WOE in me for any unkind scarcastic remark against a person or an authority in my life. 
So You arranged for a man to sit in front of me in church Sunday with this TSHIRT on. This pricked my heart with a reminder of a woman covered in tatoos to which I dismissed without mercy in the previous week. I realize each small sin separates me from a close fellowship with my Lord. I ask in the name of Jesus to be bathed, submerged and cleansed by the blood of Jesus. The word for the day is NEW ~ Make me NEW in YOU Lord, and I thank You that ONLY YOU are my judge, restore me with a FRESH start today. 
“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise;
ReplyDeletethe intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.” Where is the wise person? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength. 1 Corin 1:22
Do not deceive yourselves. If any of you think you are wise by the standards of this age, you should become “fools” so that you may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight. As it is written: “He catches the wise in their craftiness”; and again, “The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile.” So then, no more boasting about human leaders! 1 Corin 3:18
ReplyDelete"The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit,
ReplyDeleteA broken and a contrite heart—
These, O God, You will not despise."
Psalm 51:17
SPIRITUAL SACRIFICES, Not my will, but His will be done. By submitting fully to His will, with apt remorse over any sin, and with a sad sorrow for having offended God, in our recognition of our blighted ways, we repent, we turn and accept our forgiveness.
PRAISING JESUS for HIS WAYS and for GRACE: "For you created my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from You when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in Your book before one of them came to be." PSALM 139:13
ReplyDeleteTHANK You Father for bathing my heart in the LIGHT of Your living Word. AMEN
WASH ME LORD, BATHE my heart with Your way: Lord Jesus ~ Show me whenever I am arrogant. "Some of you have become arrogant, as if I were not coming to you. But I will come to you very soon, if the Lord is willing, and then I will find out not only how these arrogant people are talking, but what power they have. For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power."
ReplyDelete1 Corin 4:19
SINS TO RECOGNIZE, CONFESS and TURN FROM:
ReplyDelete1) Murmuring: complaining, criticizing, fault finding, rumoring, railers of slander, a negative confession about another. The tongue speaks small remarks, cutting comments, sarcastic jibes which create warfare and bonfires of bitterness/hate which keeps us distant from a holy God. Consider that Jesus listens to all conversations internal and spoken. But the GREATEST COMMAND is to forgive ourselves and to LOVE ourselves as we are forgiven and loved by our Creator, full of grace, hallowed be the name of Jesus!
2) Idolatry: A value system that man creates and assigns as a priority. A practice, a ritual that is esteemed with more attention than our devotion to God. EXAMPLES: work, sports, and even for priests, their ministry, their PROUD work for the cross becomes their focus, and not Jesus.
3)Lust: Not necessarily sexual, lust is activity that we get pre-occupied with at the expense of spending time with God. Has our lust for recognition taken us away from our first Love? Do we neglect our mate because our hobby, our ministry is more important? GOD IS LOVE and FAITHFUL LOVE always gives of itself, its time ~ but lust is greedily seeking satisfaction or recognition for its activity. LOVE GIVES and LUST desires to GET. Lust is selfishness. Do ye strive for humility to honor God, or to appear in white washed clothes and get honor?
4) Fornication: Single or married, young or old we are human and driven by our desires, passions, appetities ~ which satan uses to entices people to gratify themselves ~ with the purposed intention of breaking our intimacy with God by any sexual promiscuity.
Paul had the mind of the Lord when he wrote the NEED for CHANGE. Without CHANGE, we stop growing in grace, and therefore we become deluded about our propensity to sin, and then deny that we have any sins to admit.
"I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world. But now I am writing to you that you must not associate with anyone who claims to be a brother or sister but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or slanderer, a drunkard or swindler. Do not even eat with such people. What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? God will judge those outside. “Expel the wicked person from among you." 1 Corin 5:9
WICKED = people who DENY that they sin
THE ACT OF GOD's LOVE is to SHOW us, is to DISCIPLINE us, is to WRITE down that which we easily become BLIND to. GOD want us to REMAIN holy, becuase He is holy, and to confess our NEED for grace...daily if needed.
"But make up your mind not to worry beforehand how you will defend yourselves. For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict." Luke 21:14-15
ReplyDeleteAs appointed Ambassadors of Christ we are equipped with the full authority of the indwelt Holy Spirit! We do not need to blend in, we are set apart, to stand out, and to speak up as it is our blessed priviledge to use our voice on behalf of Jesus.
"We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making His appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf:
Be reconciled to God."
2 Corinthians 5:20