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Slip Sliding 

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2 Chronicles 1:15
“Also the king made silver and gold as common in Jerusalem as stones, and he made cedars as abundant as the sycamores which are in the lowland.”

After Solomon ascended to the throne of David, he was gifted by God with everything necessary to become the greatest king the world had ever known. Because of his father’s military campaigns, the nation would experience a time of peace unlike anything they had ever known. The wisdom of Solomon and the wealth of the nation made it seem as though they would have years and years of abiding peace, strength and growth. It seemed as though nothing could stop the nation that had been birthed by God. Tragically, in a few short decades, this nation would go through a heated civil war, dividing the nation, and costing many their lives. Not too much later, this nation would be defeated over and over again by their enemies, until they were finally overthrown and carried captive to Babylon. What happened? What caused the rapid fall of a nation with such promise?

The collapse of the nation began with the compromise of its leadership. By the end of Solomon’s life, the nation was filled with altars to false gods, and the people were involved in strange and immoral worship practices. This did not come suddenly. It was the byproduct of a slow, but slippery slope that began with just a little compromise. Solomon ignored the warnings of God, and began to multiply horses, money and wives unto himself. Soon his trust was no longer in the Lord, but in his army and his wealth. His wives began to turn his heart away from the Lord.

I wonder, if we were to truly examine our lives, if we could find things that do not belong? These things did not suddenly appear, instead we let them in gradually. A casual look at something forbidden, has led to an addiction that seems to control us. A neglect of the Word, has made it more difficult to get back in the habit of reading the Word, or a misunderstanding with someone, has led to a failure to be consistent in fellowship. Whatever it may be, understand this slippery slope will end with a tragic fall.

Before things get worse, it is time to get things right. Let’s determine, today, that we will walk with Christ.

Pastor Jim

 

Quick Fix

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2 Kings 8:18
“And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, just as the house of Ahab had done, for the daughter of Ahab was his wife; and he did evil in the sight of the Lord.”

Sometimes, the reason a person fails to walk with the Lord is quite simple. In the case of Jehoram, king of Judah, it was anything but complicated; he got involved with an ungodly woman, who turned his heart from the Lord.

What would we find if we took a few minutes to examine you? Would we be able to discover anything that is keeping you from walking with Jesus? Would we find that past hurt has created a bitterness of which you refuse to let go? Or perhaps a compromise has led to a sin thats grip is so tight, you feel incapable of ever breaking away? Maybe it is as simple as it was for Jehoram, and you are involved in a wrong relationship, or at least in doing relationships wrong? What ever the case, the way to get things right,is to do an honest self evaluation, and make the proper adjustments.

The other day I was driving, and suddenly the car began to shake so ferociously, I was barely able to steer, and unable to continue driving. When I pulled over, I found the cause of what was keeping me from moving forward, was a simple flat tire. It was hot, it took some work, and I got dirty. However, after a relatively short period of time, the problem was addressed, fixed, and I was moving forward to my desired destination. Whatever is keeping you from moving forward has to be addressed and repaired if you are going to find yourself pressing toward the goal of the upward call of God in Christ.

Pastor Jim

 

Slippery Slope 

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Psalm 73:2
“But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled; my steps had nearly slipped.”

This psalm is the personal testimony of a man who almost fell away from the Lord. When he speaks of slipping, he is not talking about a little slip, but rather about throwing in the towel, and giving up on following the Lord.

His condition began when he bought into the lies of the devil. Jesus exposed who Satan really is when He described him as the father of lies. His lies are always the same. He brings into question the goodness of God, and makes sin look like something it is not. He did it to Eve, when he convinced her that God forbid the fruit in order to keep something good from her; persuading her that the fruit was the secret to really enjoying life. He did the same with the Psalmist, when he convinced him that God was keeping good from him, and those who rejected the Lord, were the ones who were gaining in life. From this skewed perspective, he describes the ungodly, “Behold, these are the ungodly, who are always at ease; they increase in riches” (Psalm 73:12).  He also spoke of the sinner as having no pain in death, great strength, no sicknesses, and living in abundant riches; all of which was and is completely untrue.

When the devil makes us think God is keeping good from us, he can also convince us that life is better away from the Lord; that is when we start to make compromises. We allow things into our lives that we had once laid down at the cross. Those things do give an immediate sense of pleasure, but like all sin, the pleasure is soon gone. We are then left ensnared in something that is robbing us of the abundant life Jesus provides. As scary as this may be, there is a solution.

The Psalmist declares, “Truly God is good to Israel, to such as are pure in heart” (Psalms 73:1). He was rescued when he remembered the goodness of God. When he took his eyes off others, and put them back upon the Lord, he was reminded of the character of God.

Just as it is in the nature of the devil to lie, it is the nature of God to give good things to His children. James reminds us that every good and perfect gift comes from God (James 1:17). Because He is good, He can only do what is good. In fact, the term ‘God’ is derived from an old word meaning ‘good’. Paul explained, having given us His only Son, He will freely give us all things (Romans 8:32). God will hold back no good thing from His children. If there is something I desire, and do not have, it may simply be that having it would not be good for me. It is so easy to lose perspective and begin to see the world through the eyes of the Psalmist. Thankfully, he explains what led to the lies being uncovered.

He declares, “When I thought how to understand this, it was too painful for me— Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I understood their end.” Psalms 73:16-17

The sanctuary was the meeting place with God, where the people of God gathered, and the truth of God was declared. If you are struggling, tempted to go back to the things of the world, rather than forward in your relationship with the Lord, get to the sanctuary. Get around the people of God, where the Word of God is being declared, and let Him remind you of His goodness.

Pastor Jim

 

Moving Forward

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Genesis 13:3-4
“And he went on his journey from the South as far as Bethel, to the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai, to the place of the altar which he had made there at first. And there Abram called on the name of the Lord.”

/home/wpcom/public_html/wp-content/blogs.dir/b9a/30989304/files/2015/01/img_1304.jpgAs we read the story of Abraham, we find erecting altars was a regular part of his walk with God. On five separate occasions, he took time to build an altar and call on the name of the Lord. These altars were tangible ways for Abraham to express his commitment and devotion to the Lord for all God had done for him. The story behind this altar is of particular importance, as we seek to walk with God.

The last scene in the life of Abraham was a low point for the patriarch. Difficult circumstances had led him to Egypt, where his faith faltered, causing him to lie about his relationship with Sarah, and risk her life for his own safety. Of all his stories, I am sure he wishes this one had not been recorded, but it is through his failure that we learn how to keep moving after we fall down. After his fall, Abraham returned to the place where he had experienced God. He went back to Bethel, back to the altar, and back to calling upon the Lord.

It is all too common, when a believer falls, that the guilt of the fall will keeps him from calling on the Lord. We feel like a hypocrite calling on God after we sin, and this guilt keeps us from returning to the Lord. I think we would all do well to follow the example of Abraham and get back to the place where we first met God. No matter what you might be struggling through, the answer will not be found avoiding the Lord, but spending time daily, at His feet and in His word.

Pastor Jim

 

Sports

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Proverbs 10:23
“To do evil is like sport to a fool,
But a man of understanding has wisdom.”

While Jesus hung on the cross, paying for the sins of humanity, paving the way for man to have fellowship with God, and giving entrance to heaven, we are told a group of soldiers was gambling for His clothing. The most important event in the history of humanity is unfolding, and these men are playing games at the foot of the cross. Sadly, their behavior is all too common among people today. Many, instead of taking seriously their need for Christ, are playing around with sin and treating it like sport. Even among believers this behavior is all too familiar. There are many Christians who seem to live for the adrenaline rush they receive, by getting as close to sin as possible, while not falling completely into it. That, my friend, is a dangerous game. Solomon wrote,

“Can a man take fire to his bosom,
And his clothes not be burned?
Can one walk on hot coals,
And his feet not be seared?” Proverbs 6:27-28

Toying around with, and living on the edge of sin, is a very dangerous game. It will not be long before you find you have taken one step too many and fallen hard. For many, once that line is crossed, it is very difficult to be restored. Sin gets its teeth in us, and like a pit bull, is unwilling to let go. The secret to success, is to stay away from the fences. Don’t live as close to sinning as you can, but as far away as possible.

I had a good friend who had a substance abuse problem. He was doing his best to walk with the Lord, and stay away from former habits. He knew, he not only had to make investments in his walk with the Lord, but he also had to avoid his old stomping grounds. He even had to choose new routes home from work, because the way he traveled in the past took him right through the neighborhood where he would purchase drugs. After months of doing well, staying clean, and growing in Christ, he thought he was strong enough to handle it, and decided to take a short cut home. His path took him right by his dealers place. Before he knew it, he had parked the car, entered the home, purchased drugs, and fell hard. It was over a week later when I heard from him. He had been on a binge and had finally come down. Broken, hurting, filled with self-loathing, and fearing what was ahead, he told me the details of his story.

His story is not an isolated case. If we are honest, we all have stories of toying with sin and falling. Our landing may not have been as hard as his, but sin has had a devastating effect upon us, and those to whom we are seeking to be a godly witness. It is folly to think we can gamble with sin and not lose. If you have been treating sin like sport, it is time to retire. Whatever has been leading you to the edge, remove from your life, and draw as close to Christ as you can. Paul told Timothy to flee youthful lusts (2 Timothy 2:22) and Joseph took this so seriously he ran from Potiphar’s house leaving his clothes behind (Genesis 39:12).

Pastor Jim

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