fall

Steps To A Fall

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Mark 14:29
“Even if all are made to stumble, yet I will not be.”

IMG_1457Mingled into the fabric of the betrayal, arrest, conviction and crucifixion of Christ, is the story of Peter’s denial. What happened to him? He went from confidently stating he would never deny Christ, to hiding his faith, denying his Lord, and bitterly weeping. While we never start out to fall, the path we walk will always determine our final destination. Peter’s path inevitably led to Peter’s fall. Let’s take a few minutes to notice the steps leading to his failure, that we might avoid these same pitfalls.

First, notice the pride of Peter, “Even if all are made to stumble, yet I will not be.” Pride will always cause us to put our guard down and open us up to failure.

Second, notice that while he should have been praying, he was sleeping. How often we neglect to make spiritual investments because other things become more pressing.

Third, we read he attempted to do spiritual battle in the arm of the flesh. Having neglected to watch and pray, Peter was left to pull out a sword for battle. How ineffective the flesh is, to battle in the realm of the Spirit.

Fourth, we read, “Peter followed Him at a distance.” Instead of realizing his failure and running to Jesus, Peter’s fear caused him to keep his distance. Satan is so good at getting us to sin, then convincing us that we are guilty and must stay in our sin, rather than running to Christ.

Fifth, notice where Peter is hanging out. Eleven friends had been following Jesus together for over 3 years, yet in a time when his faith is being tested the most, Peter is hanging out in the enemy’s camp. How different the story would have been if these eleven men had returned to the garden for prayer and fellowship.

Finally, Mark gives us an interesting insight into the story that is particularly relevant. He tells us, before the third denial, there was the sound of a rooster crowing. In the 11th hour of temptation, Jesus is still giving warning signs to keep Peter from his fall and the subsequent misery. Instead of heeding the warning, Peter continues down the road until his sin is complete.

Let’s learn a lesson from Peter’s failure and draw near to Jesus today.

Pastor Jim

 

Likeness

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Genesis 5:1
“This is the book of the genealogy of Adam. In the day that God created man, He made him in the likeness of God.”

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The Bible teaches that man was originally created in the image of God. Since God is eternal, man was created to live forever. Since God is triune: Father, Son and Spirit, man was also created as a triune being: spirit, soul and body. Since God is holy, man was originally created without sin, placed in a perfect environment,

and enjoyed sweet communion with God. Tragically, we read man’s condition did not last long. Within a few verses of the narrative, we find the first man and woman giving into the tempter and sin entering the world. The effects of this sin were both immediate and far reaching. Immediately they were changed, knew their sin, and were separated from God. The far reaching aspect of their sin is seen, here, in Chapter 5.

Genesis 5:3
“And Adam lived one hundred and thirty years, and begot a son in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth.”

Man, who was created in the image of God, begot children that were created in his fallen image. The story of the Bible is now the story of redemption. God will do whatever is necessary to restore fallen men to relationship with Himself. The final step in His plan included the cross, where salvation was made possible, and sending the Holy Spirit to draw us to God.

Although we all bear the traits of fallen men, we can all be restored to God through simple faith in Christ.

Pastor Jim

 

The Cunning Beast

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Genesis 3:1
“Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, ‘Has God indeed said, “You shall not eat of every tree of the garden?”‘”

/home/wpcom/public_html/wp-content/blogs.dir/b9a/30989304/files/2015/01/img_1286.jpgThe scene in the garden quickly shifts, and we find Eve face to face with great temptation. This text not only explains how sin and death entered the world, but also serves as an illustration of the temptations a believer will face. The first thing to note is how the devil is described, he is called “cunning.” It is important to remember, whenever facing temptation, that every word out of the mouth of the devil is designed to deceive. Jesus called him the father of lies (John 8:44), so we should expect that he will twist the words of God, in order to lead us astray. As their discussion continues, we see three key truths about temptation.

First, we find the devil questioning the goodness of God. He implies that God is keeping something good from Eve. He suggests all the good stuff in the garden has been forbidden, and it is only the leftovers they are allowed to enjoy. In thousands of years, Satan has yet to change his game plan. He is still causing the Christian to doubt the goodness of God. Whenever we are facing temptation to sin, we think sin will bring us life. We forget it is the father of lies who is suggesting that sin will make us happy, while the God of love and grace, warns us that sin leads to death.

Second, notice that Satan calls into question the Word of God. God had promised death as a result of disobedience, while Satan promises life. He is still doing that. Whenever we come face to face with a warning, or even a promise from Scripture, it is not long before our mind is filled with doubt. We wonder if that promise is real, or if it applies to us, or if God is real, or if the Bible really means what it says. Paul explained the reason for our doubt: Satan is shooting fiery darts into the mind of the Christian (Ephesians 6:16). We might call these “darts of doubt,” whereby the devil is seeking to get us to question the promises of God. Once we doubt the validity of the Word, we are one step closer to disobedience. Keep in mind, billions and billions of graves scattered across the planet prove that God tells the truth, and Satan is a liar.

Finally, Satan is cunning and knows just what chord to strike. After questioning the goodness of God, and the Word of God, he goes after Eve’s desires. He promises she will become like God. We read further, that she saw that the tree was good for food, pleasant to the eyes and desirable. The Bible speaks of easily besetting sins. Those are the sins into which you are more prone to fall. James reminds us, when we are tempted, we are drawn away by our own desires (James 1:14). Because there are certain sins we are more prone to fall into than others, we need to be on guard. Eve fell because she was not on guard. We find her near the tree she was told to avoid, having a discussion about fruit that was forbidden, as well as facing it all alone. If we play around with temptation, we will always end up giving in. The key to victory is to build walls that will keep us from falling. Two such walls are confidence in the promises of God, and companionship with the people of God.

Let’s take to heart the failure of Eve, that we might have success as we seek to live for Christ in this New Year.

Pastor Jim

 

I Will Arise

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Micah 7:8
“Do not rejoice over me, my enemy;
When I fall, I will arise;
When I sit in darkness,
The Lord will be a light to me.“

IMG_1229.JPGI have heard a a lot of exercise mantras designed to motivate behavior. They often read a bit like Micah’s declaration,

“Believe you can and you are half way there,”

“I cannot be stopped,”

“Stop saying I can’t and start saying I will.”

The big difference is, Micah does not claim that the strength to succeed is found within. He realizes if he Is going to rise above his current condition, he will need to rely upon the strength provided by the Lord.

The prophet Daniel was a man who faced big challenges and had even bigger successes. We read his journey began with resolve. He determined he would not allow himself to be pulled down by the world he lived in, nor by the compromise of others. Instead, he purposed in his heart not to defile himself (Daniel 1:8). His success began with determination, but it did not stop there. Later, we read of a different spirit that resided in Daniel. That spirit enabled him to overcome obstacles and accomplish great things. In other words, Daniel was filled with the Spirit of God, and given Heaven’s strength to overcome earth’s obstacles.

If we want our walk with the Lord to succeed, if we want to be people who are no long falling prey to constant wiles of the devil, the secret is found in accessing the power of God, made available through the Spirit. Take time today to ask God to fill you with His Spirit and His accompanying strength. When you face an obstacle, do not rely upon yourself, but pray for strength and see if you too, will rise above.

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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Watch Your Step

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Hosea 8:11
“Because Ephraim has made many altars for sin,
They have become for him altars for sinning.”

Growing up, one of my favorite TV shows was Sherlock Holmes. As most of us know, he was a detective from London who used his keen skill of observation to solve crimes. Often, when he would uncover a clue, he would declare, “It’s elementary my dear Watson.” Which was an underhanded way of stating that what he discovered was obvious to anyone who would take the time to look. Hosea makes a statement that Holmes would find elementary, he declares that if a person builds an altar for sin, he will find it leads him into sin.

As obvious as this principle seems, we sometimes lose sight of its simplicity. Often, when we fall spiritually, we look around puzzled as to how that could have happened. If however, we took the time to look back, we would find our fall was inevitable, because of the steps we were taking. We must always remember that if we make a way to sin, we will end up sinning.

The secret to success is to remove the things that make sinning easy. We need to do those things that make sinning more difficult and doing what is right easier. That is what the building blocks of Christian living provide. The Word, prayer, fellowship, worship, and service are designed to help us grow in Christ and make sinning more difficult. We only have so much time, if that time is spent building ourselves up in Christ, we will in turn have less time to be drawn after the things that lead to sin.

Perhaps it would help to ask yourself, what things you can take out of your daily life that will make it more difficult to sin?

Pastor Jim

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