How Failure Succeeds
“Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines” Song of Solomon 2:15
Some of the most destructive things are tiny. You don’t see germs, but they can kill you. Termites are not dangerous themselves, but what they do is catastrophic.
With general perceptions, it is the big things that get our attention, while the little things are considered insignificant and maybe overlooked or dismissed. Likewise, there is usually a sufficient response in countering a big problem, while something that appears little will go unchecked.
I am sure this kind of perception played a major role in the fall of mankind in the Garden of Eden. After all, they could have concluded that just eating a piece of forbidden fruit was such a small, insignificant matter. While it was perceived by man to be only a minor variance, it was the gravest mistake they could ever have made, being a transgression of God’s Word.
Remember James 2:10? “For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.” All it takes is one indiscretion to turn success into failure. Consider that the game of baseball posts errors on the same scorecard as they do runs scored. WHY? Because just as one run can decide who wins the game, one error can determine who loses.
Luke 16:8 “…for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light.” When it comes to the business of this world, people are wise to the fact that they cannot afford to allow themselves to fail to do what they should, even once, as this may change their success into failure. But often when it comes to spiritual things, some expect even their repeated “no shows” to be completely overlooked, and are offended if their irregularities are even questioned.
These thoughts are dealing with personal responsibility, rather than being negative minded towards others. For the most part, failure does not stem from where we have diligently tried to do what is right, but rather where we have chosen to look the other way where indiscretions are concerned.
SHARING
Banging On Lot’s Door
Genesis 19:4-11
v4 “the men of the city…compassed the house round”
v9 “now will we deal worse with thee” “they…came near to break the door”
v11 “they wearied themselves to find the door”
Sodom was a society with complete liberty for one’s lifestyle, regardless how wicked or perverse. Both young and old men supported this. Today, people are being deceived to think that by legalizing sinful lifestyles, it is just granting liberty and justice for all. But what went on in Sodom, those free to live their sinful lifestyle, sought to impose their lifestyle on others. Rather than respect Lot’s home and family, they came banging on his door demanding that he yield to them.
If you grant liberty to a godly man, he will use his liberty to live godly. Whereas, if you declare wickedness to be legal, wickedness will wickedly advance wickedness.
Satan is the god of this world (2 Corinthians 4:4), the prince of the power of the air (Ephesians 2:2) and as such he is the author and power of sin, which does not respect the righteous, but rather as a roaring lion seeks whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8) (a lion’s use of liberty).
Satan used liberty to swallow up Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Satan used liberty to send waves of opposition against Christ and His followers.
Satan and sin are not seeking to co-exist with and respect Christians. He is constantly seeking to gain leverage against Christianity. According to Revelation 12:10, Satan is making accusations against Christians day and night. Christ said that God’s people living amongst those serving sin would be like sheep in the midst of wolves (Matthew 10:17-18). The more liberty you grant wolves, the more they will use it to stalk and kill the sheep.
Sin doesn’t just confine itself to the lives of those who choose it. Sin ignites the sinners to overthrow the lives of others: “For they sleep not, except they have done mischief; and their sleep is taken away, unless they cause some to fall.” Proverbs 4:16
Make no mistake about it: once something is granted legal status, then that which opposes it is considered to be illegal.
This is how it becomes legal for the wicked to come banging on the doors of Christianity.
SHARINGIndependence Day
–By Scott Yates
Typically we will celebrate the Fourth of July, Independence Day, with fireworks, good home-cooked barbecue, and a national holiday. Because of the sacrifice of 225 years of patriots, we can gather here and worship God, we can gripe about our high taxes, and go to the polls and vote the scoundrels out of office, and live to tell about it. Our freedom is a rarity in the world.
In China, Christianity can be a death sentence–or more likely, it means a trip to a reeducation camp. In Sudan, Christians are sold as slaves. Please never forget that Christians are an endangered species in much of the world.
But as we celebrate the Fourth of July, say a prayer for those of our brothers and sisters throughout the world who do not have the freedoms we do, and who must worship in secrecy, and live in fear.
Regardless of their color or language or cultural heritage, they are as truly our brothers and sisters as our own flesh and blood. When it is said that blood is thicker than water, the blood we’re concerned with is the blood of Jesus Christ. It washes us all cleaner than snow, makes us perfect in the sight of God, and whether we’re black or white or brown or red, we are all His flock, and await the Master to come and gather us together and lead us beside the still waters of His sweet salvation.
On the day that each one of us bent our knees and bowed our heads to the One who is Faithful and True, for us, that was our true Independence Day. Our bodies may be broken by the lash, or nailed to the cross, but in Him we are supremely free.
Happy Independence Day!
SHARINGOne Another
–Adapted from Ferd Oshner
The Bible includes many “one another” instructions for the body of Christ.
We are to:
We must not:
It is only as we care for and serve one another that our worship services will be scriptural.
SHARINGA Day Of Mindfulness
“And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.” 2 Corinthians 5:15
Memorial Day: “a day designated in the United States for honoring dead members of the armed forces.”
For those who have served and witnessed their fellow soldiers die for their country, Memorial Day is a very solemn occasion for remembrance. For others unfamiliar with a war zone, Memorial Day may only be a holiday for self-fulfillment.
Enjoying the freedoms and pleasures of our society, it would be remiss to fail to consider those who have made the ultimate sacrifice so that we might have this life. Just making it a talking point is not the same as the personal experience of those involved with such service and sacrifice. But we must help ourselves to not forget or be indifferent towards those to whom we owe so much. It is by appreciating how we were afforded our privileges that we are able to respect, value, and use them well. To fail to be mindful of these things leaves one in an aimless, self-gratifying mode only.
Christianity is appreciated, not through selfish gratification, but through intelligence. It is by being mindful of what Christ has done for us, that one has reason and motive to live for Him. To appreciate His selfless sacrifice for us, is what inspires self-denial unto living for Him. No person who is connecting with what Christ has done for them will find the matters of Christ, His church, or His will to be dis-interesting or without meaning.
“According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death.” Philippians 1:20
SHARING
