As White as Snow

“Come now, let us settle the matter,”
says the LORD.
“Though your sins are like scarlet,
they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red as crimson,
they shall be like wool.Isaiah 1: 18

There is one terminal disease that everyone is born with. There are no exceptions. It's been a part of humanity since the day that Adam and Eve were removed from the Garden of Eden. It is a three letter word that people don't like to talk about much. It is SIN.

Just the word causes you to squirm doesn't it? The Bible says that "all have sinned and come short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). Think about it for a minute. Don't you find it easier to do wrong sometimes, than to do right? That's because sin is not so much an action, as it is our very nature. We don't do wrong so we can sin, we sin because at our very nature we are sinners. Ouch!

Why do we sin? What actually is sin? Sin is rebellion. We sin when we rebel against God , His Word, and His Lordship over our lives. In essence, sin is like us shaking our fist in the face of God and declaring that we want to do life our own way. Why do we do that? Because at the root of our rebellion is PRIDE. We want it our way and we don't want anyone telling us we are wrong. You may be feeling that even as you are reading this, right? Come on, be honest!

The Bible tells us some startling facts about what sin does for us. First, sin separates us from God. Just read Isaiah Isaiah 59:1-2. God will not fill a dirty vessel with His precious Holy Spirit. Nothing breaks the heart of God more than the separation He feels from us when we are acting out in sin.

But friend, this is where the bad news gets good. You see, the bad news is that we are all sinners and that our sins separate us from God, but the good news is that God has a solution for the sin problem. The solution is Jesus Christ!

One of the most popular verses in the Bible is John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life."Romans 10: 13 says, "For whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved." Saved from what? Saved from separation from God! When we turn to Jesus Christ by faith and ask Him to forgive our sin and to become Lord of our lives, God cleanses us from all sin! This is the good news of Jesus Christ. Romans 5:8-9 says, "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him." Praise the Lord!

I love the promise recorded in Isaiah 1:18. God promises to take us, cleanse us from our sin when we turn to Him. In fact, He paints a beautiful picture for us. God not only forgives us, but He takes our blackened, sin-stained soul and makes it white as freshly fallen snow! Wow! No wonder we can sing, "Hallelujah What a Savior!"

You Never Know When...

"And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind and it filled the whol house where they were sitting."
Acts 2:2 NKJV

I'm sure you have heard his story by now. The homeless man who became an overnight internet sensation. A true, "Rags to Riches" story. Ted Williams, an out of work, ex-radio personality is now the most wanted voice in radio and television. Sadly, in the past few days he has admitted going back to alcohol abuse and is now off to rehab. When you watch the videos of Ted, you can't help but pull for him. His, is a wonderful story of grace and second chances. We should each pray for him to be delievered from the demon of alcohol.

Although, Ted is getting all the media attention, this story would not have been possible had it not been for the Website designer from the Columbus Dispatch who placed the initial video of Ted on Youtube. As the story goes, the web designer was with his family on their way to Church when they saw Ted asking for money on the side of the road. He stopped his vehicle and handed him $20.00. One week later, he came back and videoed Ted and the rest is history. What a great story! A man, on his way to church, surrenders to the leading of the Holy Spirit to reach out to someone in need and God gives a man a second chance!

When you read Acts chapter 2, you find the account of when God poured out His Spirit upon His followers. I love the beginning of verse 2, "...and suddenly..." That's how the Holy Spirit comes upon us some times, "suddenly." You and I don't know what God has in store for us each morning as we roll out of bed, but if we will surrender our lives to the power of the Holy Spirit, He may just come upon us "suddenly" and use us to make a difference in someone's life! Who knows, you may be the one to touch the life of the next "Ted Williams."

Will you surrender to the leading of the Holy Spirit and let God use you to Impact someones life today!

New Year...New Beginnings!

Goodbye 2010, and “Hello” 2011. If you are like most of us, you felt a little strange writing 1/1/11 on Saturday. Just think, that won’t happen for another hundred years. But with every new year, comes change. Some of the changes will be good, some not so good, but you can be sure, there will be change. It’s been said that “change” is as sure as death and taxes.

As I write this, my family and I are experiencing some of those changes. At last year’s New Year’s celebration, I had three daughters still living at home, this year I have two at home and a new Son-in-law ( a wonderful young man I love like my own son…Thank you God!). Various family members begin this new year with precious additions. Let me take this opportunity to welcome to their first New Year celebration, Grayson Christopher and William Kevin. You have been blessed to be given to wonderful parents.

Last year, I began the new year with a Kentucky address and this year I begin the year with a Missouri address. And after eight wonderful years with the great folks at Cool Springs Church in Morgantown, KY, my family and I made our debut on January 2nd, as the new pastor and family at the exciting Jackson First General Baptist in Jackson, MO.

Change is inevitable. But there is one truth that never changes, the truth that our God Never Changes! Just think about it. With all that changes in our world, we can take comfort knowing that God never will. The psalmist said, “I will say of the LORD, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust’” (Psalm 91:2 NKJV). God said, “For I am the LORD, I change not…” (Malachi 3:6). The writer of the book of Hebrews says in chapter 13:6, “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever.”

Not only is God a strong foundation on which we can stand, but His Love will Never Change either. 1 John 4:16 says that, “…God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God and God in him.” If you ever need to be reminded of how much God loves you, just go back and read John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

God never changes, His love for us never changes, and His Purpose for you Never Changes! God told the prophet Jeremiah, “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.” God has a plan for your life and when you surrender to His plan for your life, He receives the glory. Think about it, you can put your trust in God because He never changes. You can rest in His love, because His love never changes. And you can rejoice that His purpose in your life never changes. And when you live out His plan for your life, you have the honor of putting a smile on the face of God!