The other day, I found some "chocolate coated candy." You know the kind. It is the one that uses only one letter but uses it twice.
So I picked up a couple of these candies and I was going to save them for later. Their slogan has always been ".....melts in your mouth, not in your hand." My mouth was watering waiting to pop them in my mouth. I only had three so I wanted to hold on to them and savor the moment.
Unfortunately, I waited too long. I got caught up talking to a neighbor in the yard. When I came back in, I opened my hand to discover that the candy that "melts in your mouth not in your hand" had melted all over. It was covering my entire hand and was now seeping through my fingers.
I went to the sink to wash the sweet stuff off my hand and realized that sin works in much the same way. Instead of coming to Christ for immediate confession and repentance, we hold on.
We hold on to sin so long that it can stain us. Like the candy, we are fully aware of the consequences for holding on too long. We know that it can stain us, we know that heat can intensify the sin and cause a stain and yet we continue to hold on.
The good news is that just like I washed the melted chocolate off my hand, God can wash sin out of our lives. Regardless of what the sin it, how long it has been in your life, or what anyone has told you, God can and will forgive!!
So let go of that sin and remember, the one that holds on to you, can help you let go!
Come let us reason together says the Lord. "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be as red as crimson, they shall be like wool." Isaiah 1:18
Sunday, September 15, 2013
Sunday, September 8, 2013
I wish I had known
I ran into a friend after the worship service today. After the alter call, our pastor called for all the Bible Study teachers to come to the front and be recognized. I saw my friend standing there.
Afterwards, I saw her walking down the aisle and I said "I didn't know you were teaching." She then told me that she wished she had known that they were recognizing teachers. She said "I wish I had known they were going to do that, I would have dressed up."
My friend was not dressed badly but we often set a standard for ourselves. Sometimes, we just don't feel like meeting that standard and we come to church comfortably. I told my friend that she looked just fine and we moved on.
As I thought about it, I realized that God's Word is clear that no one knows the day or time when Christ shall come. We can not wake up one day and say "I think I'll be ready today because Jesus is coming."
We will not get an advance notice, there will not be a color coded flag -yellow for caution or red for
"He's here ." When Christ comes to take his people home, He will simply appear. God's Word is very clear that we are to keep watch and treat every day as if it was that day.
So don't let down your guard. Walk wisely and clothe yourself as if today were the day. Don't get caught saying "I wish I had known!"
No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father...Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.
Matthew 24:36, 42
Afterwards, I saw her walking down the aisle and I said "I didn't know you were teaching." She then told me that she wished she had known that they were recognizing teachers. She said "I wish I had known they were going to do that, I would have dressed up."
My friend was not dressed badly but we often set a standard for ourselves. Sometimes, we just don't feel like meeting that standard and we come to church comfortably. I told my friend that she looked just fine and we moved on.
As I thought about it, I realized that God's Word is clear that no one knows the day or time when Christ shall come. We can not wake up one day and say "I think I'll be ready today because Jesus is coming."
We will not get an advance notice, there will not be a color coded flag -yellow for caution or red for
"He's here ." When Christ comes to take his people home, He will simply appear. God's Word is very clear that we are to keep watch and treat every day as if it was that day.
So don't let down your guard. Walk wisely and clothe yourself as if today were the day. Don't get caught saying "I wish I had known!"
No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father...Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.
Matthew 24:36, 42
Tuesday, September 3, 2013
You just missed it...
This week I was desperately trying to complete my training hours to keep my peace officers license. The deadline was August 31, 2013. Oh did I mention that I had TWO years to do it?
I was really undecided as to whether or not I wanted to keep my license since I had retired two years ago. My question was "What's the point?" Alas the voice of wisdom when my husband gave me the pros and cons of keeping the license active. Alright already!
I decided that I needed to meet the requirements and began taking classes. I needed to complete 40 hours of training and when I pulled up my records, I had completed 8! I got to work and pulled up some of the online classes. I began August 26th. Needless to say, I had to work fast.
I could choose any classes I wanted and only one was mandatory a 2 hour law update class. I figured that would be the piece of cake. I looked at my choice of classes and almost puked (sorry). All the classes had to do with some type of abuse. Spousal abuse, child abuse, not my favorite topics but I plowed through.
My husband and I had a long awaited get away planned and we were leaving early August 31 so that day was shot for training. On August 30, I had completed the required 40 hours-- yippee celebration time. I just needed this two hour online class and I got right to it. I went to the website and I told my husband that it looked like I could only order the books, the test would have to be mailed in and if that was the case, I would miss the deadline. Being ever optimistic, he said "do it- order the books and we can show your intentions were good in making an attempt to complete it." so I did.
We knew it was a holiday weekend and since I ordered the books late on Aug 30th, we would have to wait until September 3 after the holiday to call and plead my case. I did not give it too much thought during my get away however this morning I was on pins and needles waiting for 8:00 when they opened.
When I called about my status, the lady "kindly and sweetly" said "Oh it looks like you did complete your 40 hours.....unfortunately, you did not complete the law mandate and your license has been inactivated." What a blow! I was crushed! At first I did not want it and now after my frantic attempt, I had failed. So close and yet I missed the mark. I wanted to tell them that I had devoted 30 years to this career, tell them how much I had contributed, tell them how much my family had sacrificed. All those nightshifts, lost holidays, long hours, all because I love this department and today, all that meant nothing-but that was MY doing.
In my sadnessI thought "I just lost my license" but how many people know that in order to have eternal life, they must confess their sin and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and yet they put it off. They are given all the time in the world to make that decision yet their inability to make that choice can cost them.
You can't wait til the last minute, you can't cram, you can't talk your way in. Hell is full of people with good intentions, people who relied on works, and people who made huge contributions, people who gave up families in order to succeed, but heaven is full of "those who believe in Jesus Christ and his saving power!"
Don't lose your life because you can't decide. It was horrible to hold the phone and hear the words "unfortunately, you did not...." my heart sank and all I lost was a license.
I have to say however; there was good news for me - because of my status I can reactivate, it through additional training and other requirements. I am thankful that I got this second chance. Many will not!
I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life. John 5:24
I was really undecided as to whether or not I wanted to keep my license since I had retired two years ago. My question was "What's the point?" Alas the voice of wisdom when my husband gave me the pros and cons of keeping the license active. Alright already!
I decided that I needed to meet the requirements and began taking classes. I needed to complete 40 hours of training and when I pulled up my records, I had completed 8! I got to work and pulled up some of the online classes. I began August 26th. Needless to say, I had to work fast.
I could choose any classes I wanted and only one was mandatory a 2 hour law update class. I figured that would be the piece of cake. I looked at my choice of classes and almost puked (sorry). All the classes had to do with some type of abuse. Spousal abuse, child abuse, not my favorite topics but I plowed through.
My husband and I had a long awaited get away planned and we were leaving early August 31 so that day was shot for training. On August 30, I had completed the required 40 hours-- yippee celebration time. I just needed this two hour online class and I got right to it. I went to the website and I told my husband that it looked like I could only order the books, the test would have to be mailed in and if that was the case, I would miss the deadline. Being ever optimistic, he said "do it- order the books and we can show your intentions were good in making an attempt to complete it." so I did.
We knew it was a holiday weekend and since I ordered the books late on Aug 30th, we would have to wait until September 3 after the holiday to call and plead my case. I did not give it too much thought during my get away however this morning I was on pins and needles waiting for 8:00 when they opened.
When I called about my status, the lady "kindly and sweetly" said "Oh it looks like you did complete your 40 hours.....unfortunately, you did not complete the law mandate and your license has been inactivated." What a blow! I was crushed! At first I did not want it and now after my frantic attempt, I had failed. So close and yet I missed the mark. I wanted to tell them that I had devoted 30 years to this career, tell them how much I had contributed, tell them how much my family had sacrificed. All those nightshifts, lost holidays, long hours, all because I love this department and today, all that meant nothing-but that was MY doing.
In my sadnessI thought "I just lost my license" but how many people know that in order to have eternal life, they must confess their sin and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and yet they put it off. They are given all the time in the world to make that decision yet their inability to make that choice can cost them.
You can't wait til the last minute, you can't cram, you can't talk your way in. Hell is full of people with good intentions, people who relied on works, and people who made huge contributions, people who gave up families in order to succeed, but heaven is full of "those who believe in Jesus Christ and his saving power!"
Don't lose your life because you can't decide. It was horrible to hold the phone and hear the words "unfortunately, you did not...." my heart sank and all I lost was a license.
I have to say however; there was good news for me - because of my status I can reactivate, it through additional training and other requirements. I am thankful that I got this second chance. Many will not!
I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life. John 5:24
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