Grace

Not talking about what you say at supper.  Not talking about the old lady across the street.  God’s Grace is what I am talking about.  Think I might do a couple of gigs on this.  Might be what I have been looking for too.

This concept has been working on me for years as I struggle to understand it better…..but really understand what the finished work of Jesus on the cross means.   Well, truthfully, to try to come to grips with my sin and junk and figure out what God thinks about all this.  Which is partially the total forgiveness for what we have, are and are going to do as it relates to sin and our penalty for sin.  Stuff I can’t pay for on my own.

Romans 6:14 says this in a neat way.  It says sin can’t have dominion over us any longer.  I mean, I have struggled with sin….worried about how it effected my relationship with God.  Shoot, I have even been pretty darn judgemental about others’ sin….Christians I know.  Then I began to realize more and more that what Jesus did on the cross has dominion over everything else….especially sin. 

The sacrafice of Jesus, grace given to us, has dominion.  And this dominion is paid for……one time.   Will do a couple more on this.  Don’t want to go too far and get out of breath.

Good to be back.  louie

 

Raw Sin Exposed

It happens even at 5 years old.  Raw Sin Exposed… 

It was a little late at night, my son is 5 and was tired….I was tired….my wife was tired…  When he did not get what he wanted….he began to become sarcastic with my wife…  We knew he was tired…we are experienced parents with a lot of kids, a lot of years, a lot of patience….but it was over the top the way he was acting.  I just pulled him aside….looked at him and told him, “I will not let you talk to your mother that way….it is wrong”. 

He began to cry.  I did not spank him, I did not grab him hard, I did not yell or scream at him.  I just exposed his sin.  It was even evident to  him…a 5  year old that his wrongs…his sin…raw sin was exposed. 

In the Garden of Eden,….they knew they had messed up.  They knew it was wrong.  They knew it was out-of-order.  Sin exposed…raw sin just made them feel naked….and they were.

My wife and I talked about Tyler after the incident and I could not help but reflect on how I feel when my raw sin is exposed,… my willful disobedience, my absolute disregard for God…..I feel naked, I  feel exposed….  I will sometimes get in my place of prayer and just cry to God to please understand, please don’t hold it against me….. He doesn’t. 

You see, our raw sin…we try to cover it up, like Adam and Eve in the Garden.  But what we do is insufficient.  God Himself covers us.  That is complete.  I am so glad He has it covered.  Because I don’t.  God has a lot of kids, a lot of years, a lot of patience.  When our raw sin is exposed….He loves us.  I am so glad. 

louie

 

The Tide…It Is A Changing

I was at a children’s church play tonight with my friend George.  A guy that loves God and our country.  We lamented about how our country seems to be turning from God.  Just like the people of Israel did over and over.  Congress, politicians, right, left, black, white….it does not matter.  The tide is a changing. 

I get home tonight and see the article about a boy who drew a crucifix and got in trouble.  It is like when my young son took his plastic cowboy gun and holster, cowboy hat, boots, the whole 9….it was dress up day at preschool and he wanted to be a cowboy.  Clinical nurse there thought his parents must be violent and twisted.  Guess we are…..both pastors and my wife runs the school…  the tide is a changing.

So this boy gets in trouble and has to be evaluated because of such a heinous drawing.  Look. This is real.  We have got to pray for each other.  For our country.  For our leaders.  We are not doing so well.  OK, if the kid took a kitchen butcher knife or a 44 mag,…. ok…put him in the pad room and be careful.  But a drawing of Jesus on the cross at Christmas time?  God help us. 

this is the link if you want to read the story. 

louie

 

Just Like Tiger!!

So, he is human too! 

I remember Jimmy Swaggard, John Edwards, Bill Clinton, Ted Haggard, New York Governor, Carolina Senators, Kobe, David Letterman the list goes on and on…and on and on….and on an on.  Just when it is someone like Tiger Woods, or anyone with celebrity status….it interests us….. 

Now, I am not a Tiger fan, I don’t play golf and I am not trying to reduce what occurred.  But it is hard to rank mistakes that another guy makes against my own mistakes (nice word for my sin). 

Jesus says this in Matthew 5:27-28, “You have heard it said of them of old time…(he means the 10 commandments), that thou shall not commit adultery.  But I say unto you,  whoever looks on another woman to lust after her has committed adultery with her already in her heart.” 

Bingo.  Guilty today.  Me.  She was a beautiful woman that walked by and then into my office complex.  I caught myself desiring.  I did not follow up on any of it but it was a sharp reminder to me to be careful how I am amused at another man’s missteps when…..I am just as culpable.  I was watching the unfolding of Tiger’s on line confession…..then this young woman comes in.

Don’t make it right.  Don’t make it acceptable.  Sin is sin.  Tiger is a celeb but this whole sin stuff is between us, singly…and God.  Jesus died for this sin.  Bible says He is faithful and just to forgive……..all unrighteousness, all sin.

 I am pretty glad for that….because I seem to have a bunch of it.  Just like Tiger!

louie

 

The Process of Sin

 

My Friday Musings…There is nothing like a mother….and I have a good one. 

My mother, Wanda Mercer, would teach me and tell me the first part of Psalm 1:1.  It says this:  “Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of the sinners or sit in the seat of the mockers.”

She would tell me about this and say to look at the process involved here.  A process of sin getting into our lives.…..Walking, standing and sitting.  She would teach me that if I walked in the direction or advice of the wicked…..that I would eventually stand or linger in the way of the sinners and then…I would eventually sit in the seat, or take residence or a place in the way of those that mocked the way of the Lord.  She told me that if I did this…I would not be blessed. 

My Pastor tells me that there is another process:  First we abhor, then we endure then we embrace.  Another sin process.

These three ways (actually 6 ways) are really how sin creeps into my life and how it has over the years.  I dabble in it, I linger in it..then I just enjoy it.  I hate it, I endure it,….then I just embrace it.

This Friday, before the weekend, I examine myself and my actions and compare them to what my mother’s words reflected in Psalm 1:1.

My mom is just a darn good mom.

louie

 

36 Killed – Robber Also Killed

Headlines seem to fit today.  However this was a few thousand years ago. 

Joshua had just routed the biggest city of the new world, Jericho.  (this is long but really cool..read it when you are curious about this stuff)  The Lord told Joshua and his army to burn everything and take the valuables into the treasury of the nation of Israel.  But there was this one guy, Achan, that took some of the plunder and hid it under his tent.   Not bad,..one guy out of a few thousand was crooked.   He disobeyed his leader, Joshua, disobeyed the Lord and as a result, according to the Lord, this would bring destruction onto the people.  Achan did this in secret……just like me …..  and probably you when we do our disobedient, sinful things.

Now Joshua was against a smaller army of Ai.  As his men battled this weaker foe, 36 of them were killed.  The Lord said to Joshua that someone had disobeyed…..and Joshua found that it was Achan.  Achan and all he had were then killed,…sort of a self policing of the group. 

This all sounds barbaric and non-God like, very Old Testament, Old Covenant, Not New Covenant stuff, but …… well, there are results of actions, there is a cause and effect.  God’s son, Jesus died for our sins but Jesus was not on the scene  yet. (Old Covenant)   That does not mean that just because there is Jesus now that we can, well, just do what we want and not be concerned with circumstances.  Even in the New Testament, the scriptures say that the wages of sin is death. 

Achan caused some problems for the country and ultimately himself and his family.  Sound familiar America?  New Testament America??  That is what sin and disobedience still does today…..just watch the headlines.

louie

 

3:16

This scripture still amazes me…..and somehow, I just do not seem to get the total meaning of it.  God giving his son for us.  I compare that act to, …well, sometimes how I act, how I think, how I believe and the things that I say……and it seems somehow way out of comparison.

I was teaching on Experiencing God last night and after the teaching, a woman came to me and was talking about how, she knew that God provided healing but sometimes just felt like maybe it was “not for her.”  I know how she felt.  Sometimes, I just can’t square with the fact that God gave his son…..for me. 

I have a 4 year old son (and 3 daughters) and I can not imagine giving him up for anything.  That is why we are not God….because we would not do it.  But he did it for us. 

Don’t put God in a box today.  Think about the fact that he gave his son for us.  Hey, and if you have not come to terms with this yet, if you have always wondered about this sin thing and how to be free, if you have thought, well, some guy wanting to tell me about Jesus….and you want to know more…maybe take advantage of the offer God made,…then email my personal email. 

3:16…just unreal.

louie @ lmercer6@cfl.rr.com

 

It is Finished

“It is finished” John 19:30.  What is finished?

So, just what does this mean?   In context, Jesus was on the cross, between two thieves.  It was just a few seconds before the end of Jesus’ life.  John 19:28-30 says that “Jesus, after knowing all things were accomplished, …Jesus said  it is finished” 

Just what was “accomplished or finished?”   Different words in English (accomplished/finished) but not in Greek.   It is the word Teleo.   This word in Greek basically means that a debt is retired.  Let me tell you what was teleod, (accomplished or finished)…what debt was retired.

Our sin……….Past……Present……..Future.  

I don’t know about you, but I need that.  The only thing we need to do  to get our sin Teleoed is to accept Jesus Christ……..and if you have already done that then you are half way there…   You now only have to accept the fact that, well, it is finished….done,…debt paid.  This concept seems to be the harder part for us.  Satan wants us to think that we need to  go back again and again and again and again….(get the point)…(like the sacrifice of offering the sacrifice again and again and again,  over and over and over) to obtain forgiveness. 

We do not.  Jesus paid the debt once and for all.  Debt paid.  It is finished.  Dead end. However you want to shake it out.  Do not wallow in guilt about just how messed up you are…Jesus died for that and you are forgiven…You are forgiven…you are forgiven.

louie @ lmercer6@cfl.rr.com

 

Naked?

Naked Mole Rats

I know I risk some odd hits on web searches on the title but, oh well.  Adam and Eve were having a pretty good time in the Garden.  Flora and fauna all over the place and they were just enjoying it.  They had it made.  God wanted them to take care of the place.  And in that last verse of Genesis 2 it says that they were naked and they felt no shame. Wonder what that is like?  Just about the only place that I do not feel ashamed when I am naked is in the shower.  Then sometimes that is a toss up.  But Adam and Eve were naked and not ashamed.  That was until the serpent showed up.

 

The serpent represented sin.  Sin entered their lives and our lives at that point, when the serpent convinced Adam and Eve that disobedience is not such a bad thing.  The scriptures then say in Genesis 3 that Adam and Eve heard the voice of the Lord and hid because they were …..naked.  From unashamed to ashamed.  Naked in sin.

 

See, God sees all the sin in our lives whether we are naked or not.  That is why He sent his son, Jesus who was telling a story in Matthew 25 about someone who was naked and they were given clothes.  Jesus said that when someone is naked and you give them clothes, you are actually doing it to Him.  Jesus took our shame……whether we are naked or not, and bore it on the cross.  He clothed Himself in blood to cover our nakedness.  That is so awesome.  God loves us, skin and all.

Pastor Louie

 

Backpacking Sin

The last week of October I am going on a week long backpacking/hiking trip through the Smokey Mountain back country along the Appalachian Trail.  I have been training for this for some time now as the first day is a 4000 foot change in elevation…upward.  I walk all the time and can knock off 5 to 8 miles pretty easily.  However, I have recently been adding my pack to my walks, just like it will be on the trip.  About 35+ pounds with all the stuff I will need for a week in the mountains.  Much heavier than the gig I would do on the Florida Trail.  Food, water, extra first aid stuff, lots of water, water filter, jet boil, extra clothes,..stuff like that. 

It was heavy the first day, but as I continued training, it was much more manageable.  I added weight and would walk farther.  Each day of carrying this, it would seem to get easier.  I would walk really early in the morning so my neighbors would not think I was crazier than I really am and so that other folks would not call the cops on me.  I would take the pack off each day….put it back on the next morning.  As I added distance and weight, I would also adapt to the new distance and weight.  Then God sort of whacked me in the forehead.

I have sin in my life that I pick up and carry around, when I want to.  Sometimes it is in a pack where no one can see it.  Sometimes it is heavy but the longer that I carry it, the easier it seems to get.  Also, the longer I carry it, the more I am able to sort of adapt it to my life.  I just train harder and then it just becomes easier…more a part of me. 

So what is it that makes us dabble in these things that are not really good for us?  Proverbs 26:11 says that as a dog returns to it vomit, so a fool repeats his folly.  Yuck.  Backpacking Sin…wonder what God will show me on the actual trip?  Can’t  wait. 

Pastor Louie