Tag: sin

Posted in Life Inspiration, Life's Failures

Deserving of Mercy?

Written by talk2shari Published Discussion Leave a Comment on Deserving of Mercy?

mercy-grace-21585658

Who deserves it? Certainly not I. This is something that is a daily struggle in my walk with Christ. So much so that it is often detrimental to my service because I’m always feeling lower than a snail’s belly. Maybe it’s not so with you, but for the record I’m a wretched sinner. No, I’m not going to confess it to you, you’re not God. Just trust me, okay. And although confession is good for the soul I’ve seen too many people’s lives turn into an episode of Jerry Springer and he’s not in the building. James 5:16 does say “Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” But it doesn’t say for you to air your dirty laundry or somebody else’s on Facebook and Twitter. A close friend will do nicely. Whew! That was tangent of a commercial break. Now back to the message.

So who does deserve mercy?

Psalm 103:17-18

17 But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children’s children;

18 To such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments to do them.

God’s Property for God’s People

Mercy is “of the Lord.” It’s entirely up to Him and His righteousness on who He chooses to dole it out upon. I know one thing for certain, I’ve been extended an abundance of mercy. But that’s okay, because there’s an endless supply. His word said it was “everlasting to everlasting.” That’s a really long time. For those that fear him. That’s the child of God. He or she who has made a confession of faith that Jesus Christ is Lord, crucified for our personal sin, risen again the third day, proving He alone has the power over death, Hell and the grave and now is our intercessor at the throne of God providing forgiveness for our sins, and yes, mercy. It’s one of the awesome benefits of a child of God that we take for granted, until we need it. And then we’re begging for it. It’s there for not only us but for our “children’s children.” My Grandbabies! I am the Mama of Mercy when it comes to them, I extend it far above what I should or so my children say. I consider it a privilege of grand parenting to have that right. That’s probably not actually biblical, but to say that God has the right to extend mercy to the undeserving is true.

God’s Promise to God’s People

If you’re disobedient you have no promise of God’s mercy, you may receive it, but you’ll not have peace in the process. But the Word says “To such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments to do them.”  To them mercy is promised. Those who believe in the New Covenant, which is Jesus Christ, but not forsaking the law. Yes, Christ died because man couldn’t keep the law, but that didn’t make the law of no effect. We will sin, but we’re to turn from it and repent to God in sincerity. You cannot live in blatant sin and expect the mercy to continue to rain down upon you. But, to the child of God who sincerely tries to live in the ways of Christ, they have a promise!

I must confess again, I’m not the keeper of the faith. I fail God so often it’s ridiculous. Please live better than me. I’m trying to live closer to the foot of the cross, I want that promise and the peace.

May God’s mercy be with us all…

Posted in Life Inspiration

Sin Runs That Deep

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rootsEphesians 2:3

King James Version (KJV)

Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

The roots of sin run deep. I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one who has issues in life. Whose old nature pulls back so hard at times I think my arm is going to disconnect from my body. Nothing would make Satan happier than to see me back slide in a very public way. There’s more bang for his buck if the unsaved can see a saint fall and then with glee straight from the pits of Hell say, “I knew it wasn’t real.” You don’t even have to fall far. Say the wrong thing, be in the wrong place at the wrong time, or get caught in a weakened condition and have someone rub you the wrong way and watch the old nature of man rear its ugly head.

When I seen this tree picture this morning on the web my first thought was “that’s sin, those roots grow deep.” Somehow or another we’ll find ourselves staring the old nature in the face, Satan will make sure of it… or so he does with me. Maybe you’ve moved past that point.

So what’s the answer?

Romans 6:19

I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness

This is why I’m crazy about Christ. This is why I talk about Him all the time. Why I awake in the morning desiring a day of fellowship with Him. Because as deep as the roots of sin ran in my life before salvation, I have to run the new roots of salvation even deeper into the things of God, else the old nature will take over.

It was the nature of that tree to seek out dirt beneath the surface, but above the ground it reaches toward God and grows strong in the sun and rain. It’s metaphorical for certain, but we all know there’s truth in it. Beneath the surface there’s that sin nature that could go back to looking for dirt in a heartbeat. It’s important to be very conscious that it’s there, else you get caught off guard.

I don’t want to give Satan anything to cheer about…

Posted in Easter, Life Inspiration

The Truth About Friday

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good friday

John 18:38-40

Pilate saith unto him, What is truth? And when he had said this, he went out again unto the Jews, and saith unto them, I find in him no fault at all. But ye have a custom, that I should release unto you one at the passover: will ye therefore that I release unto you the King of the Jews? Then cried they all again, saying, Not this man, but Barabbas. Now Barabbas was a robber.

Pilate saith unto him, What is truth? I stopped when I read those words this morning. What is truth? Truth is what Pilate had standing before him; the only truth I’ve ever known. Even Pilate came to his defense ….I find in him no fault at all…. And yet they continued to insist He be crucified and a robber released. There has to be times in every Christian’s life where you say to yourself, ‘how does this make sense? Could there have been no other way?’ I think of what a great friend Jesus has been to me, how His Spirit has ministered to me in countless ways. He has been my Comforter in the days of sorrow, my Conviction in the days of sin, my Comedic relief when life got too serious, yes, He make me laugh. Again I asked and answered my own question.

The truth about Friday is none of that could have been, had Jesus not fulfilled the plan of God. He went willingly as an innocent lamb to slaughter so that we could have the hope of eternity through His resurrection and experience the Holy Spirit living within us. The truth about Friday is Jesus knew about Sunday. He’d told His disciples about Sunday, but in their fear, sorrow and loss they forgot. I’m not pointing any fingers, sometimes I don’t get it either. Like when I ask “Why?” and then I remember, “Oh yeah, He did that for me.” Pilate saith unto him, What is truth?

The truth about Friday is I wish it did not have to be, but I know in my heart there was no other way for me to have forgiveness, there was no other sacrifice worthy except the Lamb of God that would restore the relationship between God and man. Man messed it up with sin, God had to fix it.

The truth about Friday is, I’m responsible for it (and you); our sin caused that whole chain of events to be deemed necessary by God and yet it is good. It is good for us that Jesus was willing to pay the cost so that we don’t have to. It is good that for us Jesus won victory over the grave so that we don’t have to fear it. It is good that regardless of what life hands us, Jesus’ hands let us know that God is ultimately in control of everything and it is good.

Romans 8:28

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

The truth about Friday is it had a purpose… and that purpose was you.

Posted in Uncategorized

No Where to Hide

Written by talk2shari Published Discussion Leave a Comment on No Where to Hide

jailbird

During my earlier years of working in the courts I was always a little surprised when people would hire bail bondsmen. It was most often the case, providing the crime wasn’t too bad, that a defendant could post 10% of the bail and be released, or they could hire a bail bondsman who usually charged 5%. The difference was, the court gave you the entire 10% back when all was said and done; the bail bondsman used the 5% as profit and you kissed that money goodbye. Seems like a no brainer, but there are many wealthy bail bondsmen (or women) to prove that’s not the case. And a few television shows that thrive on people stupid enough to think it’s a good idea to skip out on court. Today, because of the times we live in, the 10% option isn’t always on the table, too many people would view that as a cheap escape.

But the bondsmen? They’re still in business because they have something the court doesn’t have. Ownership. Literal ownership of the defendant. Apex Bail Bonds in Danville offers fast, affordable professional, and confidential bail bond services. The court is highly limited today with all of our “rights” to do anything to a defendant. But a bail bondsmen has a little more leeway. In the 1990’s one of the court approved bondsmen went a fella’s bond who decided it was a good idea to jump bail and head to Texas. The bondman got wind of it and headed to Texas to find him and bring him back to West Virginia. When he located the defendant he handcuffed him to the roll bar on the back of his pickup truck and made him ride there all the way home, or so the story went. And I believe him because that bail bondsman was as much an idiot as the defendants he bonded out. He was just on the other side of the law.

God and bail bondsmen have a few things in common, but God trumps them for certain!

God, like bail bondsmen often only get calls when someone’s in trouble

They don’t want to talk to either when times are good. But let them get in trouble and the phones ringing off the hook. The difference is, you may or may not get an answer from the bondsman, but God is always on the line and he ALWAYS answers. He has three, yes, no, or wait. And all three are the right answer for you.

God, like the bail bondsmen, has a fee

The difference is, God waved His. As a matter of fact, He paid it for you with His own blood on the cross of Calvary. You owe Him nothing because He gave everything. If you’ve trusted in Him as your Savior; if you believe He died in your place, and rose again the third day to prove we too can have victory over death, Hell and the grave, and that He now awaits you in Heaven where He intercedes on your behalf then your debt is paid in full. Whatever it is that caused you to call on God, is under His blood.

God trumps the bail bondsmen. He not only owns you, He controls your fate

The AllPro Bail Bonds professional can deliver you back to the court in whatever manner he decides, but he cannot control the verdict. God does. Under the blood you are NOT GUILTY. If you’re not saved, it’s GUILTY.

There’s coming a day. And my heart tells me it’s soon that God’s going to hold court.

Revelation 6:15-17 ~ And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?

There’s no place to hide. Please know that you know Jesus. If not, follow this link https://thejesuschick.com/the-road-to-salvation/