Sin Is a Lot Like Poison Ivy
Father, some things are lying heavy on my heart today that I cannot shirk. I must address them head-on. I pray for wisdom – not mine, Father, but Yours. Your love and wisdom must prevail, or all could be lost. Amen.
2 Corinthians 1:1-2 (<<click here to read the passage)
One winter in high school, I got it in my head to clear off an empty lot behind our home. I was young and relatively ignorant when it came to poison ivy. My thoughts were, no leaves, no problem! WRONG! I had such a bad reaction that I ended up having to get a shot to get it taken care of!
The problem with poison ivy is that the plant’s oil—found in its leaves, stems, roots, fruit, or sap—is like grease. Think of the grease you would use to lubricate a piece of equipment. It’s very hard to get off of your hands. At least you can see grease. Poison ivy oil is clear…you can’t really see it or even feel it!
In recent years, I learned that the only way to get it off is to scrub it with a cloth in warm, soapy water and then rinse it off—not just once but three consecutive times, getting in all the nooks and crannies. Scrub between your fingers, too. It takes a lot of concentrated effort.
Sin is a lot like poison ivy oil. If we come in contact with it, it will impact us – no one is immune. But the thing is…we cannot get rid of it. No matter what we do, in and of ourselves, we are incapable of ridding ourselves of its stain and ultimate penalty…death. Only by acknowledging Jesus’ substitutionary sacrifice, admitting our wrongdoing, and accepting His free gift of salvation can we be made whole. That is the only way out…period.
Given the devastating effects of sin, it’s baffling why we persist in its embrace! Yet, that’s our recurring pattern, a cycle we seem unable to break.
Even the church is not exempt. Today’s text is the beginning of what is, in actuality, the fourth letter (according to theologians) that Paul wrote to the struggling church in Corinth. The Good News of Jesus touched and changed so many lives, but sin was everywhere!
The city [of Corinth] was a flourishing trade center because of its seaport. With the thousands of merchants and sailors who disembarked there each year, it had developed a reputation as one of the most immoral cities in the ancient world.
Paul founded the church in Corinth on his second missionary journey (Acts 18:1ff). After that, he wrote 1 Corinthians to address divisions in the church. When his advice was not taken, and their problems weren’t solved, Paul visited Corinth a second time. That visit was painful both for Paul and for the church (2:1).*
Our world is no different today. We, as individuals and even the church, struggle with keeping ourselves separated from sin. Jesus is eager to help us fight the battles, but for many, it’s just easier to ignore His wisdom and go it alone, with sin rearing its ugly head along the way.
Lord Jesus, may we be diligent in daily giving ourselves over to You and Your control. That is the only path to victory!
*Life Application Bible
Apr 9th, 2024, Tues, 12:37 pm
Good-bye…
Father, thank You for enabling me to be somewhat focused today. I’ve been easily distracted, but there has been work to do. I give You the credit for what I have been able to accomplish.
********
Etymology is the study of the origin of words and how their meanings have changed throughout history. I am not a big student in this field, but I often find it interesting. For example, our closing hymn this Sunday is God Be with You till We Meet Again. I regularly use a wonderful website called Hymntime.com (it used to be called CyberHymnal). It provides lyrics, along with information on the author and composer. It will occasionally give a biographical or historical connection to the hymn itself.
The information on this hymn was taken from a prominent gospel singer and composer, Ira D. Sankey, of the late 19th century. In his book My Life and the Story of the Gospel Hymns, written in 1906, he wrote,
Written…as a Christian good-bye, it was called forth by no person or occasion, but was deliberately composed as a Christian hymn on the basis of the etymology of good-bye, which is God be with you.
I had never heard the etymology of the word good-bye before! Even an old dog can learn something new! The word first appeared in the 1590s and was derived from godbwye (1570s), a contraction of God be with ye (late 14c.) So, good-bye is a shortened form of God be with you!
For me, at least, the origin will pop into my head when I say good-bye to anyone. God be with you!
Written in 1880, God Be with You till We Meet Again, as noted by Sankey, was just a take-off from that simple phrase. Many churches have used it as a closing hymn for ages.
Good-byes are often difficult moments in our lives – family going off into the military, sons and daughters heading off to college or returning to their homes far away from our homes. It is exceptionally difficult when loved ones cross the threshold of death…good-byes seem so final. But God be with you gives us the proper perspective. Good-byes do not have to be eternal for those who have yielded themselves to God’s love. In God’s timing and in His love, we will meet once more.
I’ve included the lyrics here of a few of its eight stanzas and also attached a link of a group called Gentri that I specifically enjoy. Read and listen if you would like. (You may read all the stanzas by clicking on the hymn title.)
God be with you till we meet again;
By His counsels guide, uphold you,
With His sheep securely fold you;
God be with you till we meet again.
God be with you till we meet again;
When life’s perils thick confound you;
Put His arms unfailing round you;
God be with you till we meet again.
Refrain
Till we meet, till we meet,
Till we meet at Jesus’ feet;
Till we meet, till we meet,
God be with you till we meet again.
God be with you till we meet again;
Keep love’s banner floating o’er you,
Strike death’s threatening wave before you;
God be with you till we meet again.
Refrain
Apr 4th, 2024, Thurs, 12:31 pm
How to Handle Problems
Thank You for a good night’s sleep and safety through the night, Father. Align my heart with Yours so that I might be in the center of Your will. Amen.
1 Corinthians 16:15-24 (<<click here to read the passage)
Amid everything this weekend, Karen and I used one of our gift cards at the Cracker Barrell near us. They weren’t very busy, and things were pretty quiet…at least at first.
We hadn’t been there awfully long when a family with two young children came in and were seated several tables away from us. The younger one, a boy, immediately started fussing about something. He was not school-age but was old enough to know better. It began with fussing, and then there was some bawling. Eventually, Mom set his tablet on the table. It was turned up loud enough for us to hear, and he would periodically yell loudly when the character on whatever he was watching yelled. The peaceful atmosphere was peaceful no more.
Karen and I are both pretty well-acclimated to children—rowdy children included—and we have dealt with our fair share of them. Plain and simple, this child did not understand the word “no.” It seemed to be a foreign concept to him because he pretty much did whatever he wanted, and Mom and Dad just let him do whatever and, for the most part, ignored anything that might have disturbed anyone else’s peace.
As we wrap up the Apostle Paul’s first letter to the church in Corinth, he sends his greetings and gives a few more directives, but at the very end, he says, “My love to all of you in Christ Jesus.” v24 NLT
Throughout his letter, he didn’t take them for a whoopin’ behind the woodshed or make them pick out their own switch for disciplinary purposes (like my grandmother used to do). I’m no worse the wear for my upbringing, but words accomplished what Paul needed them to in disciplining the Corinthian church. He did not shy from saying no but instead expounded upon it. My Life Application Study Bible states,
The church at Corinth was a church in trouble. Paul lovingly and forcefully confronted them and pointed them back to Christ. He dealt with divisions and conflicts, selfishness, inconsiderate use of freedom, disorder in worship, misuse of spiritual gifts, and wrong attitudes about the resurrection.
That last verse again reads, “My love to all of you in Christ Jesus.” v24 NLT It wasn’t easy, but they had to learn what “no” meant, and he diligently followed Christ’s example and did so in love.
The study notes close things up nicely.
In every church, there are problems that create tensions and divisions. We should not ignore or gloss over problems in our churches or in our life. Instead, like Paul, we should deal with problems head-on as they arise. The lesson for us in 1 Corinthians is that unity and love in a church are far more important than leaders and labels.
Lord Jesus, may unity and love prevail. Amen.
Apr 3rd, 2024, Wed, 12:35 pm
Wrestling
An uneasy beginning to this day, Father, with the darkness and the rain and with the potential of more storms heading our way, it is unsettling. I trust You, Creator God, to sustain us through these troubling times.
1 Corinthians 16:10-14 (<<click here to read the passage)
Recently, I’ve been wrestling with how we respond to the world around us. And as God does regularly, He is tying my work here with something else I am working on: my sermon.
This coming Sunday, I will speak about prayer, specifically the Lord’s Prayer. In examining “Thy Kingdom come…” Matthew 6:10a KJV as followers of Christ, we should have a burning desire to expand His Kingdom. But do we care that people are dying all over the world with no knowledge of our great God? Some children have never heard of Jesus. They cannot tell you a single Bible story. They’ve never heard a hymn sung or Scripture read. They have no idea that God loves them. So, yes, we are to pray for them, but more than that, we are to go to them. We need to be there to tell them. Our hearts should long for people to know and experience the God we know.
That’s one thing – to go – but what if they come instead? Are we prepared for that?
This passage in 1 Corinthians got me thinking. Here, Paul is sending his young protégé, Timothy, to the church in Corinth. I find it interesting that in the very first sentence, he says,
“…see to it that [you put him at ease, so that] he has nothing to fear in regard to you, for he is [devotedly] doing the Lord’s work, just as I am. So allow no one to treat him with disdain [as if he were inconsequential]. But send him off [cordially, and speed him on his way] in peace vs10-11 AMP
I don’t think Paul would have mentioned it if there was not some trepidation that they would make Timothy uneasy, treating him with disdain and as if he were inconsequential. After all, he was young and impressionable. He was not as “seasoned” as Paul.
Verses 13-14 set the parameters for the realm in which they should act. As you read them, ask yourself, “Are these my parameters?”
Be on guard; stand firm in your faith [in God, respecting His precepts and keeping your doctrine sound]. Act like [mature] men and be courageous; be strong. Let everything you do be done in love [motivated and inspired by God’s love for us]. AMP
And here is what I have been wrestling with: What if they come knowing nothing or, at the very most, very little about Jesus and the “workings” of the church – where to sit, how to act, when to be quiet, how to talk. In most of our experience we know, but many of them may not. What should our response be?
Let everything you do be done in love [motivated and inspired by God’s love for us].
If we are to reach the world – to expand Christ’s Kingdom – forcing them into molds of our own making will be counterproductive at best and disenfranchising at worst.
May we take Colossians 3:14-15a to heart.
Beyond all these things put on and wrap yourselves in [unselfish] love, which is the perfect bond of unity [for everything is bound together in agreement when each one seeks the best for others]. Let the peace of Christ [the inner calm of one who walks daily with Him] be the controlling factor in your hearts [deciding and settling questions that arise].
Amen.
Apr 2nd, 2024, Tues, 12:52 pm
Pull in the Reins
It has been a full day, Father. Though I struggled with it, I know what kept us occupied most of the day was of utmost importance. Thank You for the love that drove it all, and may that love continue to burn brightly. Amen.
1 Corinthians 16:1-9 (<<click here to read the passage)
The Apostle Paul frequently refers to the fact that he is open to the Lord’s discretion of how his time is used. This is exemplified in today’s passage. He is wrapping up this letter, which speaks of his involvement in his “missionary” journey and his desire to visit with them there in Corinth. He says in verse 7,
This time I don’t want to make just a short visit and then go right on. I want to come and stay awhile, if the Lord will let me. NLT
For Paul, it is a state of mind. He has plans. He has wishes for things he’d like to do and places he’d like to go, but as a devout follower of Christ, he is 100% open to doing and going wherever Christ leads him.
I need to be honest here. I alluded to it in my opening prayer, but most of today was spent with Karen’s mother. As some know, her mom is dealing with advancing dementia. Over the weekend, she fell and broke her nose. They sent her to the E.R. to ensure there were no other issues. We spent several hours with her yesterday after the hospital sent her home, confirming that there were no other issues.
Through the course of events, she was given medication to deal with pain and the combative nature that had arisen from everything. Long story short, it put her to sleep…like a hard, cannot-wake-you kind of sleep.
She’s never been a napper and still doesn’t sleep long at night, but she was out! We left yesterday, never really talking with her because of it. After hearing she was up this morning and had eaten breakfast, we stopped to see her, and upon our arrival, we found her once more sound asleep in her room. We could not wake her.
Mid-afternoon, we grabbed some lunch and headed back to see how she was doing. She finally woke up enough that we got her to dinner and returned to her room, with plans to connect her with Karen’s brother out of state. I thought we were heading home at that point…well we didn’t. Over an hour later, we headed home. After a long and wearying weekend, I was not a happy camper. I didn’t start writing until almost 8:00, and I try to be in bed by 9:00.
When I started to write, the Lord called me out. What was most important? My schedule…or Karen’s mom, and for that matter Karen, too.
He showed me that I needed Paul’s mindset. I wished for something (selfishly), and God pulled the reins in on me and accomplished what His love wanted to accomplish. I know Karen feels much better about the whole situation and will sleep better tonight, having done what she did.
Lord Jesus, I am still a work in progress after all these years. Continue to pull the reins as needed. Refine my mindset to continuously be, “…if the Lord will let me.”
Apr 1st, 2024, Mon, 7:50 pm