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Deal
with Sins
There's an old story about
a man who tried to save the city of Sodom from destruction by warning the
citizens. But the people ignored him. One day someone asked
"Why bother
everyone? You can't change them." "Maybe I can't
" the man
replied
"but I still shout and scream to prevent them from changing me!
Lot was a righteous man (2
Peter 2:7) who should have done some screaming. The record of his life reminds
us of how our sense of moral indignation can be dulled by the world. Lot chose
to dwell in cities where there was great wickedness (Genesis 13:12
13). When
Sodom was invaded by hostile kings
he was captured. Even after Abraham rescued
Lot
he was still drawn back to that wicked city (Genesis 19:1). And the last
chapter of his story is an account of heartache and shame (Genesis 19). What a
contrast -- this nephew and his uncle! Abraham trusted God
prayed for the
righteous
and lived a moral life. But Lot was "oppressed with the filthy
conduct of the wicked" (2 Peter 2:7). Although the sin of his day bothered
him
he apparently said little about it.
Our Daily Bread.
No illustrations yet.
The drunk husband snuck up
the stairs quietly. He looked in the bathroom mirror and bandaged the bumps and
bruises he'd received in a fight earlier that night. He then proceeded to climb
into bed
smiling at the thought that he'd pulled one over on his wife. When
morning came
he opened his eyes and there stood his wife. "You were drunk
last night weren't you!" "No
honey." "Well
if you
weren't
then who put all the band-aids on the bathroom mirror?"
Misdeeds are sins of
commission and missed deeds are sins of omission.
It isn't the thing you do;
It's the thing you leave undone
Which gives you a bit of heartache
At the setting of the sun.
The tender word forgotten
The letter you did not write
The flower you might have sent
Are your haunting ghosts tonight.
The stone you might have lifted
Out of a brother's way
The bit of heartsome counsel
You were harried too much to say.
The loving touch of the hand
The gentle winsome tone
That you had no time or tho't for
With troubles enough of your own.
The little acts of kindness
So easily out of mind;
Those chances to be helpful
Which everyone may find.
No
it's not the things you do
It's the thing you leave undone
Which gives you the bit of heartache
At the setting of the sun.
By Margaret Sangster
taken from Resource
Sept./Oct.
1992
p. 2.
"What's wrong with
the world?" a newspaper editorial once asked. G.K. Chesterton wrote in
reply
"I am."
Radio personality Paul
Harvey tells the story of how an Eskimo kills a wolf. The account is grisly
yet it offers fresh insight into the consuming
self-destructive nature of sin.
"First
the Eskimo coats his knife blade with animal blood and allows it
to freeze. Then he adds another layer of blood
and another
until the blade is
completely concealed by frozen blood. "Next
the hunter fixes his knife in
the ground with the blade up. When a wolf follows his sensitive nose to the
source of the scent and discovers the bait
he licks it
tasting the fresh
frozen blood. He begins to lick faster
more and more vigorously
lapping the
blade until the keen edge is bare. Feverishly now
harder and harder the wolf
licks the blade in the arctic night.
So great becomes his
craving for blood that the wolf does not notice the razor-sharp sting of the
naked blade on his own tongue
nor does he recognize the instant at which his
insatiable thirst is being satisfied by his OWN warm blood. His carnivorous
appetite just craves more--until the dawn finds him dead in the snow!"
It is a fearful thing that
people can be "consumed by their own lusts." Only God's grace keeps
us from the wolf's fate.
Chris T. Zwingelberg.
No illustrations yet.
This is the bitterest of
all--to know that suffering need not have been; that it has resulted from
indiscretion and inconsistency; that it is the harvest of one's own sowing; that
the vulture which feeds on the vitals is a nestling of one's own rearing. Ah
me! This is pain! There is an inevitable Nemesis in life. The laws of the heart
and home
of the soul and human life
cannot be violated with impunity. Sin may
be forgiven; the fire of penalty may be changed into the fire of trial: the
love of God may seem nearer and dearer than ever and yet there is the awful
pressure of pain; the trembling heart; the failing of eyes and pining of soul;
the harp on the willows; the refusal of the lip to sing the Lord's song.
F.B. Meyer in Charles
Swindoll
Living Above the Level of Mediocrity
p. 246.
BIOGRAPHY
OF SIN.
In Psalm
lxxviii. We have a summary by the Holy Spirit as to the continued sinning of
Israel in the wilderness.
“ Stubborn” ( verse
8).
“ Rebellious” (
verse 8).
“ Set not their
heart aright” (verse 8).
“ Spirit not
stedfast with God” (verse 8).
“ Turned back
in the day of battle” (verse 9).
“ Kept not the
covenant of God” (verse 10).
“ Refused to
walk in His law” ( verse 10).
“ Forgat His
works” ( verse 11).
“ Sinned yet
more” ( verse 17).
“ Provoking the
Most High” ( verse 17).
“ Tempted God”
( verse 18).
“ Spake against
God” ( verse 19).
“ Believed not
in God” (verse 22).
“ Trusted not
in His salvation” (verse 22).
“ Not estranged
from their lust” (verse 30).
“ They sinned
still” (verse 32).
“ They lied
unto Him” (verse 36).
“ Their hearts
not right with Him” (verse 37).
“ Not stedfast
in His covenant” (verse 37).
“How oft did
they provoke Him” (verse 40).
“ Grieve Him”
(verse 40).
“ Turned back”
(verse 41).
“ Tempted God”
(verse 41).
“ Limited the
Holy One of Israel” (verse 41).
“ Remembered
not” (verse 42).
──
F.E. Marsh《Five Hundred Bible Readings》
BONDAGE
OF SIN.
Israel’s
bondage in Egypt is an illustration of the sinner’s bondage in sin. Egypt is a
type of the world; Pharaoh is a type of Satan; and the bondage an illustration
of the enslaving power of sin. Different men are in bondage to different sins.
Let me give seven sample cases.
Ⅰ. The Pharisee. He was in bondage to self-righteousness.
He thought he was free
and behold he was bound. He thanks God he is not as
other men
and behold he is worse than other men
because of what he is not
and being proud of it (Luke 18:11).
Ⅱ. Esau. He was in bondage to
sensual satisfaction (Genesis 25:32; Heb.12:16). He did not care about the future of spiritual things
so long as his present need was supplied
and his desire granted. He had enough
when his appetites were met.
Ⅲ. Balaam. He was in bondage to the
love of money. He loved the wages of unrighteousness. It was of little moment
to him who suffered if only he could obtain his own ends (Jude 11; Numbers 22).
Ⅳ. Demas. He was in bondage to
worldliness ( 2 Tim.4:10). Love of the world fascinated Demas to his
destruction. It was a wrecker’s light that lured him on to the rocks of error
where he made shipwreck of faith and of a good conscience.
Ⅴ. Korah. Korah and his followers
were guilty of rebellion against God in coveting the priesthood; hence
they
were in bondage to pride (Numbers 16). Pride is self-assertion
and self-will in opposition to God’s word and will. Pride is a hideous power to
be under. It is a very octopus that will suck the life-blood out of any man
and lead him to eternal death.
Ⅵ. Nadab and Abihu. It seems that these sons
of Aaron
being under the influence of strong drink
brought strange fire into
the Lord’s presence
as after death the priests were prohibited from drinking
strong drink when in the service of the tabernacle (Lev.10:9). The sons of Aaron were in bondage to strong drink
hence
their rash action which brought such a terrible judgment upon them. How
many there are who are in bondage to intemperance. It is a blight that kills
everything that is bright
beautiful
noble
and moral.
Ⅶ. Lord of Samaria. The lord of Samaria was in
bondage to unbelief. He did not believe that God could meet the need of
Samaria. The consequence was
he was punished by death for his want of faith( 2 Kings 7:2
19
20). Unbelief is a
cloud that hides the sun from view.
There is only
one Person who can fee the one who is in hondage
and that One is Christ.
──
F.E. Marsh《Five Hundred Bible Readings》