WHEN SIN BECOMES YOUR FRIEND - PART 2

Recently, discussing a grievous situation with a close friend, I was reminded of the oft repeated saying, “Sin always takes you further than you ever thought you would go and you end up in places you never thought you would be.”  My friend went on to comment, “I think they have fallen in love with sin and I've seen people do that and when they do, they have no conscience whatsoever.”  The next morning, in a semi-conscious state, I heard these words spoken to my spirit, “When sin becomes your friend.”  The words continued to trouble me during devotions and throughout the day as I began to ponder, “How does the friendship begin?”  “What affect does it have?”  “What are the outward manifestations of such a friendship?”  “Where does the friendship take you and how does it end?”

Genesis 2:16-17 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; ¹⁷ but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”

James 1:1-15 But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. ¹⁵ Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.

Searching the Word of God, we find that the end of sin is death but what happens between the First Embrace and the Final Kiss?

SIN SEPARATES.  Although Adam and Eve were not immediately struck dead because of their disobedience, they experienced immediate separation.  The Bible tells us the first thing they realized is that “they were naked.”  Up to this point they were in constant fellowship and clothed in the Glory of God.  Sin immediately separated them from the Glory and Holiness of God.  No longer would they enjoy the familiar daily fellowship with the Creator; no longer would they stroll through the beautiful garden, tending and enjoying its bounty.  Sin had destroyed the innocence and purity and they were cast out of their home and separated from the intimacy of God’s presence.  Like his parents, Cain also did not immediately die for his transgressions but he, too, faced the consequence of separation.  Genesis 4 tells us that Cain “went out from the presence of the Lord.  He became a fugitive and a vagabond.”  Sin is a jealous friend and demands your full attention. When Sin becomes your friend, it will separate you from close fellowship with God and it will separate you from those who love God and love you.

SIN IS A BETRAYER.  It may begin as a mild flirtation; you pick up the sin, stroke it a few times, then lay it down and move on until you answer its next call.  Soon, however, sin will make its demands and you will become more entangled until you will betray those you love so that sin’s demands can be fulfilled.  King David didn’t set out to sin; it was just a mild flirtation of the eyes; he lingered a little too long and “desire was conceived.”  It was a sin to bring Bathsheba to his bed, knowing that she was another man’s wife.  But the demand of sin was not satisfied with adultery.  When Bathsheba became pregnant, it was a sin to try to cover it up and pass it off as another man’s child.  But the demand of sin was not satisfied with lying.  Sin became a betrayer.  David betrayed a trusted man of valor in his Army, first by lying with his wife, impregnating her and finally having him murdered.  Sin’s final demand was death.  When Sin becomes your friend, it may not demand that you become a murderer, but make no mistake, sin will demand betrayal.  It will cause you to betray those things that are pure and lovely, it may demand a cover-up and it will cause you to betray those who love you the most. Sin will hold your hand as you give the “Kiss of Betrayal” because Sin is a Betrayer.

SIN WILL CHANGE YOU.  Proverbs 6:27 Can a man take fire to his bosom and his clothes not be burned?  Do not fool yourself into believing that you will not be affected by sin. You are not strong enough to take the “fire of sin” into your life and not be burned.   Sin will change you; it will change your behavior, your way of thinking, and even change your way of speaking.  We find Peter, warming himself by the fire, when he is accused of being a follower of Jesus.  This is the same Peter who had walked, talked and dined with Jesus.  He had witnessed the miracles, walked on the water and even followed Him into the garden to pray.  It is the Peter that vowed he would never betray his Lord. Yet, when faced with a trial, a beating and death because of an association, sin changed him into a person he thought he would never become.  After being pointed out as a friend of Jesus, three times, Peter decided to settle the situation once and for all; he changed his speech.  Mark 14:71 Then he began to curse and swear, “I do not know this Man of whom you speak!” Friendship with sin will take you places you never thought you would go and they won’t seem so bad.  Your speech will turn from things that are pure and lovely to those things which are base and gutter-like.   When sin becomes your friend, evil will seem good and good will seem evil because Sin will change you!!

When Sin becomes your friend, the end result is death but the good news is the friendship can be broken.  It does not have to become a “lifelong” partnership.     Romans 5:19  For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous.  God already had a plan in place before the first sin.    The plan was JESUS.  He was the “Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.”  Death does NOT have to be the final sentence; through Jesus Christ we can have eternal life.

Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. You can become a “Friend of God.”

WHEN SIN BECOMES YOUR FRIEND - PART 1

Part 1 of this blog was birthed through many tears and from words God spoke to my spirit early one morning between slumber and awaking.  I have had to pause and weep many times as I write, for the many dear ones who have locked hands with sin and cannot see the ever-tightening chains that surround them.  Part 2 is in the process of being written and will be posted in the next few days.

Genesis 3:8 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate.

Every child who has sat in Sunday School knows the story of Adam, Eve and the “apple.”  They can tell you that God said they were not supposed to eat of the tree, the serpent told Eve it was ok, she wouldn’t really die, Eve ate the fruit, gave it to Adam, he ate and they realized they were naked. But is that really what happened?  Did Eve accidently pass the tree one day, listened to a snake and thought, “Why not?”  I believe there is much more to the “first sin” scenario then most of us think.  Look at your own life.  Have you ever just accidently or impulsively sinned?  Or did it involve a process, over time?  Was sin allowed to become your friend?

James 1:1-15 But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. ¹⁵ Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.

In my mind, the first “sin” scenario went something like this.  Every day, Eve would stroll through the garden, tending to it and admiring God’s handiwork.  When she came to the tree in the middle of the garden, Eve would linger, admiring its perfectly formed leaves, its luscious hanging fruit, and inhaling its enticing aroma. After lingering day after day, the aroma prompted her mind to imagine how sweet just one bite would taste and her body began to desire fulfillment.  You will notice, she hadn’t touched the forbidden yet, because when the serpent tried to twist God’s command, Eve told him, “God said we should not even touch the tree.”  Over months of lingering, desire was conceived,  sin was birthed and Eve reached out her hand.  Sin had become her friend.

Romans 5:12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned.

 Once Adam and Eve “opened the door,” sin entered the world and has affected every person since that time.  For the first family it didn’t take long for friendship with sin to manifest itself in their children.  Genesis 4 speaks of a time when Cain brought a sacrifice to the Lord but instead of the “blood” sacrifice required by the Lord, Cain brought the fruit of his own labors; crops he had tended.  We aren’t given much information as to why Cain refused to bring a blood sacrifice, maybe he didn’t want to deal with the messiness involved in sacrificing a lamb, perhaps the crops he had tended grew especially well and with pride he presented what “he had accomplished” to God or maybe he just didn’t believe it really mattered as long as he gave God something.  We do know, however, that God did not accept this offering from Cain and Cain allowed anger to consume him.  God tells Cain to not be angry but just do the “right” thing.  Then God says something very interesting in Genesis 4:7 If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.” God told him, “Sin desires to be your friend, but if you refuse its friendship, rule over it and offer the sacrifice I desire, I will accept you.” The sad end to this part of the story is that Cain could not see past the "door" and Sin became Cain’s friend.

I was reminded by a dear friend of the old saying, “Sin always takes you further than you ever thought you would go and you end up in places you never thought you would be.”  Sin does not become just a “casual” friend, content to share a cup of coffee every few years, just to “catch up.”  No, Sin will not be satisfied until it is your ONLY friend, consuming your time, your desires and your will.  Sin puts on a beautiful façade, luring and enticing until you embrace and take hold of its hand.  Before long you notice that Sin never leaves your side as you stroll down its wide smooth path.  It continues to surround you, until you become entangled and inseparable; its thoughts become your thoughts, its desires, your desires, its will, your will; Sin has become your friend!

HOW TO MELT AN M&M

Over the years of serving God and ministering to people, one thing I have learned is God always gives you a mixed bowl of “sweet things” to work with.  Some are Jelly Beans; they come in assorted flavors and the flavor on the outside goes all the way through to the center.  What you see is what you get, although sometimes you think the red one is cherry and it turns out to be a spicy cinnamon.  Others are hard, sour lemon drops, or sweet, gooey caramels; still others are just plain “nuts.”  My biggest challenge, however, are the M&Ms.  The M&Ms come in a beautiful array of colors but it is only a shell covering the goodness that lies in the middle.

Making M&Ms involves a step by step process.  First the chocolate center is formed, then it endures a process called “Panning”, in which a sprayed on candy layer is allowed to harden. This process is performed over and over until the chocolate center is completely covered and becomes a hardened shell.  Have you ever put an M&M in your mouth and just let it melt on your tongue?  There is no taste-difference between the colors; just the same bland, sweetness until you reach the chocolate middle.  The shells are all made from the same blend of unflavored sugar and corn syrup with the coloring added to the last shell layer and finally stamped with an ‘M.” To get to the real goodness, you have to melt or crack through the shell.

So many precious people have been through the “Panning” process of life. The rich center of their being has been coated and left to dry, over and over until finally all you see is the bright, hardened façade with a smile permanently imprinted.  They never allow anyone to see the sweet, softness lying beneath the shell because just a little crack may be their undoing.  Bravado keeps the tears at bay; one moment of vulnerability could melt a lifetime of hardened shell.  Deep down, they long for someone’s warmth to melt through to the center but the fear of being devoured keeps the chilled shell of protection intact.  How do you reach these souls, yearning to break free?  You have to melt an M&M, slowly.

So, how do you melt an M&M?  It takes time.  Allow the light of God’s love to slowly melt a layer at a time.  Savor every breakthrough but don’t “bite” down; apply the warmth but not the heat.  Some layers may take longer to melt than others and even re-hardened for a time.  Keep loving, keep finding ways to connect and soon you will notice the smile is no longer just stamped on and a glimpse of sweet goodness is shining through. 

God loves all varieties; the sour Lemon Drops, sticky Caramels, the Nut-filled Nougats and even the hard-shell M&Ms.    So don’t sort through and pick out your favorites, discarding those that are marred, damaged, or discolored.  God may be calling you to be part of the process that melts the shell in a person’s life as He molds them into a sweet, soft morsel fit for His candy bowl.

ARE YOU SPEAKING PROPHETICALLY?

Proverbs 25:11, A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.

WORDS MATTER!  The words you speak are not just empty sounds that fade into the wind, they matter and they have a great responsibility attached to them.  They can speak life and blessing to the hearer or hurt and destruction, but they will have an effect.  The old adage, “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me,” is totally false; words can break hearts, wound spirits and leave eternal scars.  WORDS MATTER!

A lesson I wish I had learned at a younger age is the words you speak over and to your children can have a prophetic affect. Research reveals that a child who is constantly told he/she is “no good, stupid, fat, clumsy or a piece of garbage,” will begin to believe that about themselves and ultimately become those words.  On the other hand, a child that is told they are loved, that their thoughts and opinions matter, encouraged in pursuing their dreams, and affirmed with loving correction will be successful.  True, some have been over-affirmed without the loving correction and we have created egotistical monsters but by using affirmation correctly and choosing your words, carefully, you can prophesy great things into the lives of your children and even your peers.

I will never forget the first time someone told me I was “sweet and nice.”  At first my mind just couldn’t wrap itself around that phrase; they were talking about me!  I couldn’t wait to get home and let Steve know that someone thought I was sweet and nice.  He, of course, looked at me as if I had lost it and said, “Well of course you are, I always thought so.”  My mind was reeling, I didn’t know my husband thought those things about me, no one had ever told me before.  I had wonderful parents who loved me and cared for me, but believed that pointing out negative traits would “shame” me into being a better person.  From the time I began to talk, I had a mouth that needed to be tamed.  I knew I was a “smart alec,” “hateful,” “sharp-tongued,” “intimidating,” and always “had to have the last word,” because I was told so.  I tried to be the soft-spoken, sweet girl that everyone flocked to but deep down I knew I just wasn’t born to be sweet and nice until one day a person, unknowingly spoke a prophetic word over me.  That sparked something in me that longed to hear those words again and again.  I began to find ways to speak loving things to others, to affirm them rather than criticize, to smile rather than retort and to listen rather than speak. A Facebook connection, recently commented that I was so arrogant and needed to tone things down; the old nature threatened to rise up.  I wanted to come back with sharpness and a quick retort but I refuse to let those words prophesy into my life.  I took them seriously and stepped back to do self-examination and asked God for a “heart adjustment,” but I refuse to allow the words to once again define me.

Jeremiah 29:11says, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.”  Allow God’s opinion to define you; allow Him to speak a prophetic word into your life.  He has great thoughts regarding you and He created you to be a beautiful vessel, set apart to accomplish great things.  GOD’S WORDS MATTER; let them be the words you speak to others.

STRONG WINDS & DRIFTING SNOW

I have lived in the northern United States most of my life, so I am no stranger to snow, shoveling, strong winds and subzero temperatures.  Still, it is something that my body has a problem acclimating to every winter.  On the first Sunday of 2014, we awoke to a winter snow storm that would eventually dump 18 inches of snow on our little town of Grand Blanc, MI.  We shoveled the first 6 inches at 11:00 in the morning and Steve went out at least 2 more times that day in a futile effort to clear the driveway.  Monday morning, the driveway was covered with 6-8 more inches and then came the winds.  Not just a little breeze, oh no!!!  These were 25-30 mph Arctic winds carrying the new name of “Arctic Vortex.”  Tuesday morning, the driveway had drifted shut; Wednesday morning, once again, 2 foot snow drifts filled our driveway.  We laughed, so we wouldn’t cry and joked that we were becoming so familiar with this snow we had shoveled over and over that soon we would have to give the piles names.  Finally, the winds died down, the air warmed up and a soft rain tamed the drifting snow and our driveway stayed clear and dry.

How many times have I shoveled the “snow” from my life only to realize that overnight, it has all drifted back and shut down my heart?  There are times the drifts pile up because I have not been diligent to “man the shovel” in seeking God.  Other times it is a fresh storm, which requires a little time and “sweat” to clear, with God lovingly, helping to guide the shovel.  Then, there are the days when it feels as if the “Arctic Vortex” has landed right in the middle of my spirit.  I watch, helplessly as the swirling winds threaten to knock me off my feet.  My spirit chills as the “snow” drifts impede my progress.  Every shovel-full blows back into my face and I want to give up.

KEEP SHOVELING!!!!  The strong winds won’t last forever; they will soon fade to a gentle breeze.  Allow the fire of the Holy Spirit to warm your heart and showers of God’s blessing to tame the drifting snow.  After the winter snow is gone, your spirit will bloom again.

Psalms 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

OLD PHOTOGRAPHS, STORIES AND LIFE

Between “tear breaks” I looked through old pictures; pictures of an 18-year old couple beginning a life together, full of hopes and dreams, yet to be realized.  There were snapshots of 2 kids holding a newborn baby and then 17 months later another baby appears in the scene.  Among the old photos are those of loved ones that we miss so much and long to hold once more.  Jump to 2013 and there is that newborn baby, all grown up, standing proudly with his wife and 3 beautiful children and the other baby with his wife and 4 beautiful children.  When did life happen and where did time go?  I had aspirations and dreams and plans and goals; I want a do over!!!

There is an old country song with the lyrics, “I’d like to be 16 again and know what I know now!”  Have you ever felt that way?  I certainly have!  If I could only go back to 18 years old and Steve and I could start our life all over.  Oh the things I would do differently.  We would certainly be rich because I would have sunk our entire fortune into Microsoft and Wal-Mart, and then sold it all at just the right time.  There are places we would not have moved to and houses we would not have moved from.  I would have saved more, bought less and cut up the credit cards.  More time would have been spent just talking and laughing with those who have reached the finish line first.  I would have sat on the floor and played more, not caring about all the tasks I thought were priorities.  I would have worried less and trusted more because now I know of God’s faithfulness.  I WANT A DO OVER!

As I continue to reminiscence, God takes me on a journey down memory lane.  That life that seems to have just slipped past was really busy and full and He was using every moment to make me into the person He had planned.  That first little house, with the toilet falling through the floor was teaching me to be thankful for every blessing so I would appreciate the brand new house 35 years later.  Balancing the checkbook until payday and returning pop cans for lunch money taught me thrift, the value of coupons, cooking meals instead of fast food, using cloth diapers when everyone else had disposable, helped me learn to be content for future times when the checkbook would balance itself.  I learned that God is truly our provider and will use any means to bless us, even if it means blowing something off of a roof and denting a car, giving us an insurance check to pay a bill.  God was there gently instructing me as I sat in the dark night praying and holding a little boy who’s nose wouldn’t stop bleeding; He is our healer.  Through every storm, I learned that He is the “Master of the Wind,” and only God can speak peace to my situation.

Back to my box of photographs; each one telling another piece of my life’s story.  How many of the precious memories would simply disappear if I was granted a do over?  What if I had always done the “sensible” thing for the moment?  I might have had a great career with loads of money, a grand home and luxury car in the garage but I would have missed those chubby little arms tight around my neck.  We may not have moved to Michigan, Minnesota and Tennessee and I would have avoided the struggles, the loneliness and the heartache and the people we ministered to, the friendships and the adventures.  We could have traveled the world but missed out on Saturday trips to the beach, making a snowman in the front yard and playing Yahtzee at the dining room table.

Suddenly the “Do over” isn’t quite so inviting and this story of my life with all its many pieces is really quite wonderful.  You don’t need a “Do over.”  Allow God to take the scattered pieces, even the ones you don’t think can possibly fit and put the puzzle of your life together.  That event you would change creates a splash of color in the completed picture.  The edge pieces are seemingly unimportant to the overall theme but without them the puzzle remains unfinished.   Your personal puzzle is not quite finished but if you take a moment and look through God’s eyes you will see that life really is quite a wonderful journey.

DECORATED WITH LOVE

I will admit something that all my friends already know; I am ARTISTICALLY-CHALLENGED.   I see a beautiful picture in a magazine and even with all the ingredients, my living room still somehow ends up looking “lived in” instead of elegant.  I have friends that make quilts, decorate cakes, fashion beautiful bows for their granddaughters, live in beautifully “put-together” homes, and decorate elegant, award-winning Christmas trees.  Me?  I even mess up the helpful hints and finally just settle for “good enough.”

Being “artistically-challenged,” is not something that developed over time; Oh no!  I was born with this “handicap.”  In school, I dreaded art almost as much as I dreaded tumbling in gym class.  Let me do arithmetic, social studies or even practice handwriting but, puhleeze don’t make me draw or paint, model clay or do paper mache.  I have many art horror stories, but this one in particular belongs to the Christmas season.

 My second grade teacher, Mrs. Johnson, had the bright idea that the class would make beautiful ornaments to take home.  First we had to draw a shape of something on cardboard, cut it out, take heavy glue-dipped string, outline the shape, and finally paint it with tempera paint.  I drew a star (probably because anyone can draw a star), painstakingly applied the string and painted it a bright yellow.  It was the most horrible, lopsided, ugliest star ever made and what did my mom do when she found it among my things?  Laugh out loud?  Throw it in the trash when I wasn’t looking?  Console me with, “at least you tried?”  No way!!!  That star was given a prominent place on the Christmas tree, that year and for 49 years since (yep, my mom kept it and still brings it out every Christmas.)

Back to the beautiful, professional-looking, magazine-worthy Christmas trees my friends all post on Facebook…I really tried this year.  I could see it in my mind; the lights twinkled, ribbons swirled and streamed from the top, the color-coordinated ornaments were perfectly placed and this year, my tree would receive all the oohs and ahhs.  Then I opened my ornaments and the memories came flooding over me.  Some are hand-made, others have been given to me by dear friends; there are reminders of the anticipation of two little boys choosing just the right ornament for this year’s tree, one says 1982 and another is from a little girl I taught in Sunday School, years ago.  My tree won’t make it on a Christmas Card; the ornaments were hung through happy tears and the only oohs and ahhs I will receive are from my grandbabies that are still young enough to appreciate a tree decorated with love.

Now we come to the true meaning of Christmas in the heart of all Believers.  I’m sure Mary would have loved to have given birth in elegant surroundings or at least a much more sanitary place.  She may have dreamed of swaddling her baby in soft, hand-woven blankets and placing him in the cradle, lovingly crafted by Joseph.  The family would gather and ooh and ahh at the beauty of this special child, showering him with gifts to mark this glorious day.  But reality changed everything.  Luke 2:6-7 describes the scene, ⁶ So it was that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. ⁷ And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.  The smelly stable, rough-hewn manger and animal sounds were not what she had envisioned. Instead of a loving family, Jesus was greeted by shepherds and angels and a special star to light the night.

Your life may seem a little lopsided, the ornaments may not be placed perfectly and you may even have a burned-out strand of lights hidden among the branches, but God thinks you are beautiful.  He oohs and ahhs when He sees you because He doesn’t look for elegance and perfection as a place to dwell.  God searches for the little star that others would toss aside and He hangs it in a prominent place on His Tree of Life because it is decorated with love.