Sat, Dec 29th - 12:12PM

Sin Crouches At The Door Of Your Life

The two sons of Adam and Eve are both shown in Genesis 4:1-12 as having brought an offering before God. Cain’s offering came from the ground as he was a farmer, a tiller of the soil. The substance for his offering came as a result of his cultivating the ground which produced a crop.

On the other hand, Abel, who was a shepherd, brought as an offering, some of his flock’s first born. God accepted Abel’s offering but refused the offering of Cain.

This rejection caused the countenance of Cain to fall. His face revealed his disappointment and he was angry with his brother Able because his offering was accepted by God. In verse 8 we discover Cain inviting his brother Able out to the field. It was there in that field that Cain became the first recorded murderer when he killed Able his brother in the field. Cain soon discovered that the blood of his brother cried out from the ground. His evil deed was known by God.

Look with me at the phrase which God spoke to Cain in verse 7. ". . . if you do not do right, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must master it".

"Terrible Cain" we might shout!. But before passing judgement, pause and give some thought to the story under consideration It has a tremendous lesson to teach us all. It’s a lesson in our dealing with temptation to do or say evil things.

The picture which the Holy Word paints is a vivid picture of an enemy that is ready to strike. In this case, the enemy is Satan depicted as sin. The word sin refers to one missing the bull’s-eye on a target. That is precisely what Satan wishes for all of us . . . to miss the mark of God’s will for our lives.

In my mind, I see the picture of Satan stooped in a crouched position, waiting for the door of opportunity in one’s life to open. When it does, he springs into action, pulling individuals into a life of destructive action and thought.

Sin crouches at the doorway of each life. There are no exceptions. The preacher is just as vulnerable as are all other individuals. Satan, that old liar, wants to destroy the testimony of each child of God. So sin waits for an open door. It might be in a moment of passion, in a moment of anger, by a word dropped to the wrong person or at the wrong time. When that moment occurs, the Devil leaps into one’s life to spur them on into a deeper act of sinfulness.

But someone might claim that God brought about the temptation to do wrong by putting them in that vulnerable position. No, God’s Word warns us that as sin’s "desire is for you" (v. 7), "you must master it". James, the writer of his New Testament letter by the same name, writes "For God is not tempted by evil, and He Himself doesn’t tempt anyone. But each person is tempted when he is drawn away and enticed by his own evil desires"(1:13-14).

So, Flip Wilson’s old standby statement of "the devil made me do it" is no excuse for any of us to use when we do wrong. It is our fault. We put ourselves in compromising positions, we listen to the natural desires within each of us, we put our minds and mouths in gear and are responsible for not allowing the Holy Spirit to defend us. James goes on to encourage believers by reminding us that when we "resist the Devil, . . . he will flee from" . . . us(4:7).

So, let’s get things squared away with God in our lives. He will forgive us our sins and bring us back into fellowship with Himself. The world will never be able to understand, either by willful ignorance or from impossible understanding of the love of God. But our final judgement won’t come from a sin cursed, fallen world, it will come as we stand before our loving Heavenly Father.

God the Father accepts our offering when it is brought to the altar according to His will. The scripture is silent concerning the teaching of their boys by Adam and Eve. I’m confident that God didn’t keep secret from them His desire for the gift to be a sacrificial offering as a covering for their sins. In my mind, I see the concept of that method being instituted even that far back because it was from these two parents that sin entered into the world. It wasn’t, therefore, so much God refusing the gift of Cain as it was the motive behind the offering. If the concept of a blood sacrifice had been instituted or taught to this first family, then Cain’s offering would amount to anyone of us saying we will do it our way and not God’s way.

Wonder how often a church accepts a gift "laid on the altar" which is refused by God? Just one illustration can explain what is meant. Say a person gambles away the family’s lively hood. Then one day he hits the jackpot and wins a million dollars. Thinking this must have been God’s will, a tithe of that million is laid in the local church coffers. Does God accept the gift? Seems to me the money has been sinfully obtained and therefore isn’t accepted as an offering to God.

On the human level, someone might proclaim "great", "wonderful". But on the spiritual level, the Lord of glory wants only that which is honestly gained and willingly offered as a love offering to the Lord. Just remember, ". . . if you do not do right, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must master it."

Mon, Dec 24th - 1:46AM

2008 - Full of Hopes And Dreams

Well, it’s time to wish everyone a Happy New Year! 2007 is all but a historical moment in the eternity of time. The new year is only hours away. Millions of people are awaiting its arrival with bated breath. With its arrival, comes the hopes and dreams of folk looking for a better year than the one just ripped from the calendar.

For many folk, it’s a time for New Years resolutions. This, for the most part is a useless waste of time. They are generally broken before the day’s end. But that doesn’t keep wishful thinkers from contemplating some hopeful changes in their lives.

But the resolutions are too often made without a foundation to hold them in place. When a resolution is made without a foundation upon which it can rest, it is nothing more than wishful thinking. That is precisely the reason why they are so often quickly broken.

Long years ago I ceased this waste of time. Since then I’ve considered real commitments, based upon my faith in God. Without a foundation, it’s like building a bridge across a chasm with no supporting beams reaching to the ground, a bridge without footings to keep it strong. A bridge without that foundation, held together with a few metal rods welded to each other, will fail when put to a weighted test.

So it is with resolutions without a foundation! At the first moment of testing, one lapses back into old habits, going to the same old damaging places, with so called friends whose only desire is to live a self-indulging life contrary to the old life a person wants to abandon. And the "resolutions bridge" falls to the ground in failure.

The one sure foundation which needs to be placed beneath one’s commitments or resolutions, is faith in God. You see, when this kind of promise is made to yourself, it is being made for the advancement of the Lord in one’s life or in the lives of those touched. It is a vow of improvement, for accomplishments, for one’s own spiritual growth. The preacher in Ecclesiastes wrote, "When you make a vow to God, do not delay to pay it; For He has no pleasure in fools. Pay what you have vowed— Better not to vow than to vow and not pay" (5:4-5).

A vow is a solemn promise made first to God that certain things are going to be sought for or obtained in the future. It means that the one making the promise or vow is going to do all that’s possible to fulfill the vow. When made sincerely to God, it is a faith based vow. That means it is made with a prayerful heart, with a deep commitment toward accomplishment, and with a determination combined with human and spiritual power.

When you sit down to consider your resolutions, don’t forget the foundation of faith in God and faithfulness to God. Strive, with His help, to accomplish the commitment you make to Him. Notice I’ve changed from resolution to commitment. That’s not irresponsible writing, it’s the transition from what most do to what all should do. A resolution is in fact wishful thinking. Like a person who says "I’m going to loose 25 pounds this year" and then continues to eat as before without adding exercise is wishing he or she could lose the weight.

A Christian commitment, on the other hand, is made on the basis of one’s faith in God. That commitment carries the idea of surrender. The sincere believer then makes a surrender to one’s desires for the betterment of his or her lifestyle.

The most important thing you can wish for and strive toward in 2008, is to be united with God through Jesus Christ in your life. It would be the best thing in the world if Jesus Christ became the absolute Lord of your living, of your home, of your relationship with your mate, of faithfulness to a local church where the Bible is taught and preached. Then faithfully support that ministry with your whole being.

Thus, sit down with an inventory of your past year. Note the full pages and what you have written upon the pages of your life. Then look forward to the calendar about ready to be delivered to your life. Each day is clean, uncluttered with your schedules and activities. Now, begin to contemplate and see each day as an opportunity to serve the Lord. It is time for you to make your commitment!

Go ahead now, take out that brand new clean calendar and begin to consider all the things you can do in the Kingdom of God’s behalf. Think of the helpless you can help. Don’t forget the mission projects through the year. Look around and see if there are places where you can volunteer in your church, your community, your school! And don’t be afraid to make your vow of surrendering your spiritual gifts with the entire body of Christ. Just look at the satisfaction you will accomplish when 2008 runs its course. Happy New Years everybody. Let’s get ready to support the local church throughout this new year.

Sun, Dec 16th - 10:57PM

Three Gifts For Which I’m Grateful

The shepherds were caring for their sheep. Night came and the sheep were resting from a day of grazing in the fields. The men lay sleeping with the open sky above them. Down in Bethlehem, in a loaned stable, Mary was giving birth to her first born son. She and Joseph named him Jesus.

Suddenly, without warning, an angel appeared before the sleeping shepherds, awaking them from their sleep. They saw the angelic appearance before them and were terribly afraid.

But, they were calmed by the angel who delivered to them a wonderful message. That message was about a gift which was given to the whole world. God’s gift of His Son, mankind’s Savior, had been born.

And that gift is what Christmas is all about. We might debate whether Christmas is a secular holiday or a Christian celebration. Some might claim there is too much pagan emphasis associated with the celebration. But for all Christians, there is the choice of remembering and giving thanks to God for His gift of hope to a world lost in sin.

There is, to be certain, too much emphasis placed upon spending excessive amounts of money accounting to great sums of indebtedness. But that is an individual decision. It’s not something in which one has to participate. Instead, Christians can focus upon "the gift of God" aspect of this wonderful season of the year.

In today’s devotional, I want to focus upon three gifts which are very precious to me personally. Through these years, I’ve been blessed with the gift of a healthy family, of a loving family, of good friends, and personal gifts. But there are three gifts which I want to share with you.

First, I’m grateful for the gift of the new birth. That is the central purpose of Christmas. The Bible is very clear that Jesus came to seek out the lost people in the world and to save them from their sin. But the Bible is equally clear that, even though God’s gift was for everyone, His gift isn’t automatically applied to every single human being upon the earth. The Bible is also clear that everyone is a sinner, that no one can claim right to Heaven based upon their good works.

Therefore, the gift which God has given to the world has to be received in order to be claimed and possessed. I’m grateful that God gave to me the opportunity to hear the gospel preached and that I claimed His promise — that if I would call upon Him He would save me. Since that night, when I was seventeen, I’ve been His child. Always a perfect son? The certain answer is "No". But just as my earthly father didn’t disown me and kick me out of the Jackson family whenever I did something wrong, neither has my Heavenly Father disowned me when I sinned against His will.

The new birth happens in an individual’s life when Jesus is received by faith as the Savior of their soul. It is a new birth because one split second before repenting of sin, the individual doesn’t spiritually exist. Then, the moment faith is applied in repenting of sin and receiving Jesus as the Savior and Lord of one’s life, that person is spiritually born! I’m grateful for the gift of the new birth in Christ Jesus.

The second gift for which I’m grateful is the gift of pastoral ministry. I really didn’t know what was ahead when I said yes to the call of the Holy Spirit to preach the gospel. I knew I wasn’t qualified. I had no idea how I would ever prepare myself with schooling and for leadership. I disliked both — school and leading other folk. But I couldn’t deny that the Lord was calling me into the preaching ministry. After these 48 years, I’m thankful He did!

The third gift for which I’m grateful is the gift of the open door for writing this devotional each week. You don’t know the gratitude I have in my heart for all of you who have written, emailed, phoned, or spoken to me in person sharing your thanks for the articles. Your comments have indeed been overwhelming. It is a phase of ministry I never dreamed I’d be involved with but by God’s grace, the Enterprise-Journal and the Southern Herald have made it possible. I am humbled and appreciative of their open door to this ministry.

I’m sure that you also have some special gifts for which you are especially thankful. But let’s not forget that the birth of Jesus is the real reason for the season. So, here is wishing for you and yours a very merry Christmas, from the Jackson home to your home. When we remember that we are celebrating the real reason for Christmas, our Lord will help overcome any and all other disappointments.

Sun, Dec 9th - 11:19PM

Christmas Is About God’s Gift Of Salvation To The World

I have to make a confession. I’m a law breaker! I’ve stood in front of a local judge, in his living room, and confessed to breaking the law. It happened when I was a teenager. While driving with some friends in a neighboring town, we were unaware that the local police had pulled in behind us. Back in those days, in our small towns, local law enforcement persons drove their own vehicles and unless one was paying close attention they could slip upon folk unsuspectingly. That happened to me as a teenage driver and I was ticketed for exceeding the speed limit by 15 miles an hour.

Thus, I had to stand before the judge a couple of days later and admit that I was indeed speeding. The legal limit for driving down that particular street was exceeded and I was caught. I don’t recall the amount of the fine but it was paid and I went on with my life.

Since the law was broken by my speeding, I have to admit that I am a law breaker. Regardless of how many times I’ve tried to stick to the proper limit for driving in these succeeding years, I’ve never been able to wipe that one ticket off the record of my life (not that it’s the only ticket I’ve received). The one thing about breaking a law is that it forever makes the guilty a law breaker. Even though no one was hurt, and perhaps the stop was conducted because we weren’t resident teenagers in that town, I’m still a law breaker — nothing can change that fact!

The Bible tells us about God’s Law. The Old Testament is all about that law which was spoken by God and given to Moses in those long ago years. They are precise, they are the rules of conduct which are in obedience to His will, and they condemn failures to adhere to them in one’s life. That makes each person a law breaker because everyone has broken at least one of His laws. And all the good works that individuals can do, that broken law in one’s life can’t be wiped away.

So, that leaves us with the big question for our lives! What can one do in order to get restitution for having broken God’s law? If that question is truly on one’s mind, then the answer is actually "nothing". Be as clean as humanly possible and you come up short. The New Testament teaches us that there is only one hope for the human race of law breakers. And that answer is bound up in the real reason for the Christmas season.

Paul gave the answer in his letter to the Galatians when he wrote, "Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree’). . ."(3:13 NKJV). Crucifixion was a death penalty for the guilty person. Paul is telling us that One Who wasn’t guilty died in the place of the guilty. That death was for all of us spiritual law breakers who lived before and after the day Jesus died upon the Cross of Calvary.

Christmas is the message of hope. As convicted spiritual law breakers we should be paying throughout eternity for our sins. Yet, God’s love has reached to the lowest depths of man’s sinfulness to offer the possibility of a new life. He took the curse of the law for us. It is in Christ that we can become the sons and daughters of God. He has redeemed the believer from the curse of the law.

So, during these days of Christmas celebration, please don’t forget that your salvation, your hope for eternity with God, is wrapped in a small gift found in a manager by shepherds 2,000 years ago. Because of that gift of hope, I won’t stand condemned before God’s judgement seat.

The Law of God is His perfect guide for entrance into Heaven with Him. But His law can’t be kept since Adam has passed on to us all a nature already blighted with imperfection. Paul the apostle reminds us of this fact in his letter to the Romans. His words penetrate to our souls when we read, "Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, thus death spread to all me because all sinned—Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life"(5:12,18).

The man through whom condemnation came is Adam. The One through whom justification is offered is Jesus Christ.

We don’t have to make up for all the bad things we’ve done in order to recover favor with God. We can’t do enough good deeds to wipe our spiritually criminal record clean. But we can find forgiveness at the cross of Jesus Christ. Christmas offer hope, not more debt. It offers peace, not confusion. It offers salvation, not condemnation as does the law. Cling to the cross and find this Christmas the best Christmas yet!

Sun, Dec 2nd - 11:48PM

The Progression of Envy

Envy is a progressive evil which attaches itself to the spirit in many individuals. It is the open door to jealousy which leads to harmful results. These results can be character assassination with the tongue, the creation of dissension between friends by way of false information, or even murder. Its process needs to be recognized and cut off at the stump or in the bud, not allowing it to develop into its ultimate destructive conclusion.

Webster’s dictionary gives the following meaning for envy. It is "discontented or resentful longing aroused by another’s possessions, qualities, or luck". For folk with their focus upon the material things in the world, this is a possible feeling. They see the new home and try to compare it with their home of several years. Or they see someone driving a new automobile and their three year old auto looks outdated. Perhaps it’s a talent which an individual desires to possess but can’t measure up with their lack of abilities. Thus, this observing person begins the process of envy.

While listening to Brother Stacy McCollum, pastor of the Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church, at a recent minister’s fellowship, as he was teaching about the story of Joseph and his coat of many colors, the danger of envy was refreshed in my memory. As he observed, Joseph’s coat was more then a covering of the body. It represented Jacob’s partiality for the son given to the wife he really loved. The coat wasn’t a workman’s grab, it was more designed for royalty. This displeased Joseph’s brothers and through a series of events, their dislike for him resulted in his being sold to a caravan of travelers. Jacob, his father, was led to believe that he had been attacked by a wild animal and killed.

Jacob was grieved through the next few years. It wasn’t until they arrived in Egypt that he discovered his son was still alive. This, it is true, was all in the plan of God, yet on the human level, their father spent all those years in grief because of the envy the brothers had toward Joseph.

It is important for us to recognize the process of envy in our lives so we can deal with it in its infancy. It begins with desire. In Webster’s definition, discontentment and resentfulness starts when we desire what other individuals have received, acquired, or with which they have been gifted. Instead of being grateful for their success, desire rears its ugly head and wants to know why they can’t have it, go there, possess those, or be able to do that!

If not dealt with at that point, envy moves to the next stage which is begrudging the individual and that individual’s success. This is a dangerous position because the poison of jealousy is beginning to run through one’s spirit.

The distance from begrudging to the next progressive step is short. From begrudging one will move to dislike. Proverbs 14:30 reminds us that envy is rottenness. That in itself is a process of dying. Something vital stops functioning. Dislike is driving a peg between individuals.

When dislike isn’t dealt with but is allowed to progress along, it turns into hatred. Paul teaches in 1^st Corinthians 13:4 that love is the opposite of dislike and hatred. A person can’t love someone and hate them at the same time. Either they will be loved and embraced, or hatred and destroyed.

There is even the possibility that envy will proceed all the way through desire, begrudging, dislike, hatred, and end up destroying an individual either in character or by bodily harm.

There can be no place in the believer’s life for envy to roost. Paul wrote to the Philippians some very important words which all believers should seek to ingest into the soul. He wrote, ". . . I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am." Not easy you say? You’re correct, yet that should be our goal. Because when we begin looking around us as what others possess, envy is lurking at the doorway. Nip it in the bud! Be content! The Lord knows who you are, where you are, and what are your needs. Simply serve Him, trust Him, and watch Him take care of your needs!

Perhaps now is a good time for you to take an inventory of your desires or wants. Do they arise from seeing possessions owned by some other folk? If so, I warn you, envy is lurking at the doorway to your life. I encourage you to nip it now and not allow it to grow into the process which shall harden your very soul and may in the end, destroy your own life with unhappiness and discontent. Envy, in the scriptures, is on par with hatred, murder, and strife.

One last warning! In the end, envy can lead to moral disaster. Paul wrote that ultimately, God will deliver them over in their own cravings. Envy is deadly — be careful!