Tuesday is trash pickup at our house. While I was getting it all together out by the garage, I noticed all the little tiny limbs that had fallen from the trees during Monday’s thaw. The ground had been covered with beautiful, untainted white snow but now tiny limbs, pieces of bark and an occasional pinecone littered up this beautiful landscape. God reminded me of an illustration I once used to illustrate sin in people’s lives. The room where we have the wood burner has a window facing the east. During the morning, even though the room had been swept clean, when the sun shone through the window, you could see all kinds of little dust particles floating in the air. These tiny limbs on this blanket of pure white snow was like that dust. What I mean is this: If there hadn’t been any snow on the ground then these limbs wouldn’t have been so noticeable, just as the dust isn’t visible until the sunlight hits the window. It’s just a plain fact; light shows the dirt.

There are at least twenty-six direct and indirect reference of Jesus Christ being the Light of the world in the Gospel of John alone. So, it is befitting that the gospel starts out with; In Him was life and that life was the light of men. Jesus is like that sun shining through that east window. His light reveals little tiny sin that is in your life. You might never have known that it was there –but His light reveals it all. You might think that everyone has sin and besides that, if it is so undetectable, why bother with it? First of all, even though you and I may not notice it, God does and He knows that even just a “little” sin will kill you. Little sinful thoughts become bigger by and by and often times, thoughts become actions. We must remember the warning God gave after He revealed to Caleb his thoughts: “Sin crouches at your door and it desires to have you, but you must master it.” If we choose to live mediocre Christian lives, being apathetic to sin, the light of Jesus Christ will become dimmer and dimmer. It’s kind of like several cloudy days right in a row. You begin to feel humdrum and you can’t explain why. When we, as God’s people, live without the Light, sin begins to cloud our vision and takes away our joy. Which brings me to my final point.

Someone once said to me, “I’m not that bad of a person. I haven’t hurt anyone with my lifestyle.” In other words, they were saying that the sin in their life wasn’t significant enough to affect anyone else; therefore, it was all right to be a little sinful. That is not a Christian attitude. Didn’t Jesus tell us to treat others as we want to be treated? Knowing what you know about Heaven and Hell, wouldn’t you want others to encourage you to live for Christ? Knowing what you know, wouldn’t you want someone to caution you about a reckless way of life? Knowing what you know, wouldn’t you want someone to tell you that if you die in your sins –you will die and go to Hell? I guarantee you, Beloved, someone who allows sin in their own life (no matter how insignificant they may think it is) will never warn people of the coming Judgment of God. And not telling people about the Light of the World will prove to be the greatest sin of all.

“By faith Abraham, when called to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.”
I was asked to leave my parents home. Don’t blame them. If you would have lived with me back then, you would have asked me to leave too. I was asked to leave my brother’s and his wife’s home just a year later. Don’t blame them… well, they might have been partly to blame. But, no matter how you look at it, in the late spring of 1976, I was roaming the back roads of Guernsey County in a 1967 Ford Maverick. In a Maverick –how ironic! I felt like a maverick, and I felt like a rebel, and a man without a country and… I felt rejected. I was alone with nobody to talk to. I was forgotten with nobody that cared. It would be a terrible thing to be without a home, some place that you could hang your hat and kick off your shoes. Some place that you could take off the “dress” of society and lay “naked” before your loved ones. I’m not talking about hypocrisy here, but the sanctity that loved ones offer because of the love that you know they hold for you. They accept you –you are welcome -you are home. It is a comforting feeling to know that you are loved and this is one of the feelings that home has to offer.
Abraham was asked to leave his home and venture out into unknown territory. God said to him, “Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you.” God asked Abraham to leave his life of familiarity and routine to live a live of faith and uncertainty. Faith and uncertainty? Wait a minute, faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. Heb.11:1 You are absolutely right! But hope that is seen is no hope at all! Rom.8:24 We must understand, that faith would no longer be faith without uncertainty. Because of faith, Abraham was able to live in uncertainty. Nothing in this life is for certain. Things change all the time and change breeds uncertainty. But this is why God called Abraham to His home of unchanging foundations. God wanted to give Abraham something certain in an uncertain world. We have to take note here though –the “certainty” comes with the calling of God, not with anything in this life. Like Abraham, we all have received this calling from God to leave our familiar way of life and venture out into a life in which God leads us –this is salvation.
Jesus said that He is preparing a place for us and I believe Him. Jesus said that in this world we shall have trouble and I believe that too. But Jesus also said that He has overcome this world of trouble! He is coming back for us to take us out of this world of uncertainty and bring us to His home (in Heaven). A home where we are accepted – a home where we are welcomed and loved. A home that will endure forever! From our faith springs the living waters of hope and it is that hope that saves us. Therefore, lean not to your own understanding but acknowledge God in all thy ways –and He shall direct your path. That path leads us through this life of uncertainty straight to the Arms that hold the everlasting promise.

The other day, while driving in my car, I was listening to a radio talk show. The caller remarked about the Koran, the holy book of Islam. He said that there were over three hundred scriptures that dealt with death to the infidels, viz., anyone who isn’t a Muslim. The host then remarked that there was an X-rated Bible that someone produced showing all the violent Scriptures that were in the Old and New Testaments. The purpose of this particular bible, I assume, was to show that Christianity is a very violent belief system. If anyone had read just a little of the Bible, they would have to agree that the Bible is indeed full of violence, but that does not mean that Christianity is violent. You must understand, God chose to intervene into the lives of ordinary men and ordinary men are violent! Men have fought each other since the slaying of Abel by his brother Cain. Men have been sexually immoral, greedy, slanderous, idolaters and homosexual offenders. They have killed for selfish reasons and have gotten drunk for any or no reason. Unfortunately, this is just the way people live. The good thing is that God does intervene into the affairs of men, through Christ Jesus. And when He does, lives change!
Paul tells us plainly in 1Corinthians; “Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.” Then, Paul goes on to say what happens when God intervenes; “And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” You see, the implication here is that we are no longer this type of person nor do we do those things any longer that will keep us from inheriting the kingdom of God. Any Christian who refuses to allow God to circumcise his heart is a Christian in his own eyes only and in the end he will see that he has deceived himself.
I recently read an article about the great linebacker, Ray Lewis, who plays for the Baltimore Ravens. The article talked about God intervening in his life while he sat in prison and now he is a new man. He may have changed a few things in his life, but he didn’t become born-again into the Lord Jesus Christ based on some of the things that were quoted in the article. So here we have a sports figure stating he has a relationship with God, who makes statements in accordance of worldly wisdom rather than Biblical truth. Someone may say, “Brother, you shouldn’t judge him, or, you shouldn’t say his name.” I wonder if these same “someones” would think the Bible was wrong when Paul told Timothy to be on guard from men whose teaching was like gangrene; among them were two fellows that he named in particular, Hymenaeus and Philetus. 2Tim.2:14-19
I cannot sit by and allow the world, or those in the church who are not preaching the sound doctrine of Jesus Christ to define our Christianity. The Bible defines our Christianity through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Beloved, be not deceived, for even the devil can appear as an angel of light. Paul told the believers in Corinth, that they should follow his example as he followed the example of Christ. You see, Jesus Christ defined Christianity –we are just supposed to reflect it!

Have you ever heard that expression “O, for the Love of God…”? I realize that it can be said very flippantly, and I don’t encourage its usage at all, but I wonder, what would life be like if we took that to heart. Or should I say, “if we spoke that from our heart”? For instance, what would you do for the love of God? Would it be any different from what you do because of your love for money? If you give me a chance, you will see that I’m not meddling. Besides that, you can choose not to read this or better yet, read it with a constant affirmation of the nodding of your head and slip in a soft “Amen” every now and then. The folks around you will think that you agree with every word!
Robin bought a $6 pair of shoes the other day so that she could wear more dresses to church. But they didn’t fit and she started stuffing the restaurant napkins into her shoes so they wouldn’t fall of her feet as she made her way to the salad bar. I wanted to help but she declined wearing my shoes in the restaurant. Needless to say, I stopped into K-mart to look for another pair of shoes and was blessed to see that I could buy her another pair for $7. The point that I am trying to make is this: I was going to buy her a pair of shoes whether they cost $7 or $37. If she has a need I try to meet it, no matter the cost. Come to think of it, if I have a need I try to meet it, no matter the cost. You see I figure I pay my tithes and I give in offerings and I even try to bless a few folk outside of church. So, what’s the problem? I think I fall in the category of Christians who think that as long as I “pay my dues” God should leave me alone as for what I do with the rest of my life. C.S. Lewis described us as those who pay taxes but hoped that there was enough left over to pay for that little vacation, buy that motor boat or new dress. You know, we are upright, law-abiding citizens that will pay the tax, only let there be enough left over for me. You know, we are upright, law-abiding Christians and will give God our lives, only let there be enough left over for me.
Jesus’ sobering words come a little too close for comfort; “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it. For what does it profit a man if he gain the whole world, and yet in the end forfeit his own soul?
Let us be all the more determined to love God with all our hearts, souls and minds. For the love of God… let’s do it!