The Very Dumb Wise Man

The book of Proverbs has never made me cry before, until today. This is a book of "wisdom", wise sayings by King Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived. He learned many of these wise things from his daddy, King David, the "man after God's own heart". (Prov. 4:3)

He addressed "my son" many times, so I assume he was a relatively young man when he wrote these bits of wisdom. I read the first four chapters this morning and wished that Solomon had read his own writing when he was old, because it appears he forgot all he knew.

Here are two of his many "wise bits": 

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge;

Fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Proverbs 1:7 nasb

My son, if sinners entice you,

Do not consent.

Proverbs 1:10 nasb

For the upright will live in the land;

And the blameless will remain in it;

But the wicked will be cut off from the land; 

And the treacherous will be uprooted from it.

Proverbs 2:21-22 nasb

As I read those words, I remembered all that happened when Solomon was old. His foreign wives enticed him to idolatry and he consented. (1 Kings 11:1-4) He built shrines for the idols and worshiped at them. He even worshiped Molech (the god to whom child sacrifices were made). 

He forgot his own wisdom.

Sinners enticed him and he followed like a lamb going to slaughter. Solomon became one of the wicked whose descendants were cut off from the land; he became one of the treacherous whose offspring were uprooted.

His sin led to a civil war that split the nation and accelerated Israel's descent into idolatry and eventual captivity by the Assyrians.

Solomon, like the church in Ephesus mentioned in the Revelation, had "lost his first love", and it cost his family and an entire nation a terrible price.

At Bible study Wednesday night, a man mentioned something he did when he was young. "Somehow, along the way, I'd quit doing that." He told of how he'd returned to his initial fervor for Christ. 

I wish that Solomon had regained his fervor. But he didn't. 

He was wiser in his own eyes than he was in God's eyes, and that arrogance came with an awful price.

This morning, I'm sobered by Solomon's experience and praying that I will embrace the wisdom from above, not from this world. Praying that, even when I'm older than I am now, I'll cling to Christ. Hold to my initial fervor. Love Him more than at the start.

Bill Gaither wrote a song that sums up how the Christian life should be. The Longer I Serve Him, the Sweeter He Grows.

Today, let's take a close look at our own lives. Have we lost our fervor? Are we wise in our own eyes or in the eyes of God? Let's turn back to the wisdom of God alone. Take a step closer if we've strayed away.

Let's determine to live for God every day for the rest of our lives. When "sinners entice", let's say no and press on. 

The decisions we make, day by day, determine the direction our lives take, down the road. Let's choose God's path and continue on that path for the rest of our lives.

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In case you missed it, here's the link to yesterday's post: Sam the Snake Handler and the Big Adventure 
( http://leannahollis.blogspot.com/2016/05/sam-snake-handler-and-big-adventure.html)
#wisdom #Solomon #faithlife

The Blessing of Family

I intended to write about David and Absalom today. The topics of true repentance and restoration were on my mind but, when I opened my laptop, all I could think about was what happened last night.

I'm working hard, writing non-stop. I'm doing a lot of caregiving. I'm tired. But a break is 24-hours away. I can make it until then. That's what I've been telling myself for the past two weeks.

Last night, the Wednesday night Bible study, as usual, ended with us dividing into groups to pray for the people on our prayer list and for each other. 

"Pray for each other. If you have a need, share it," Pastor Scooter said.

I was afraid I'd start crying if I tried to share my burden, so I intended to keep silent. I knew I needed prayer, but my pride nearly kept me from speaking up. When no one else was quick to share their burden, I finally said, "I'm going out of town for the weekend and I'm worried about Sam." We've prayed for Sam before, so it was no surprise.

When it was my turn to pray, I got out a few words and what I'd feared the most happened. "I don't know what to do, Lord," was as far as I got. Tears started streaming down my face and I couldn't get them to stop. I cried and cried and cried. I was mortified, but I couldn't help the tears.

Caregiving is the most precious act of love you can give, but it's emotionally exhausting. I know about exhaustion and I know about needing a break, but I couldn't see how to take one. 

I was just holding on.

When the amen came, I was still wiping tears. I apologized profusely and the young man who led our group said, "We're family here. It's okay. I'm going to pray for you and your Sam. When are you leaving and when are you coming back?" I told him and he made a note. When he said he'd pray, he wasn't kidding.

A young woman in our group handed me a slip of paper. "My husband's aunt loves to help in this kind of situation. Her husband died of Alzheimer's. Here's her number." 

A friend in the group gave me a hug. She had tears in her eyes, too. "I always cry with people."

No one was over-solicitous. They accepted my pain and did what they could to help. They spoke hope into my situation. They cared.

The circumstances didn't change, but my heart did.

I left church last night strengthened and empowered to go a little further. To love a little more. To hope a little longer.

It would be nice to have a bucket of strength, but I received exactly as much as I needed. The strength for one more day.

I'm probably not the only one who's walking a hard road. I'm not the only one who's teetered on the edge of exhaustion. If you're on this road, don't let pride hold you back from the help and support the family of God longs to offer.

If you're not on this road, look for the ones who are loving so hard, and offer an encouraging word, a bit of help, but most important of all, don't forget to pray them through.

We're family, and that's what family is for. Last night, I was reminded of that all over again. 

I experienced the body of Christ in action, and it was a beautiful sight to behold.

"Bear one another's burdens and thereby fulfill the law of Christ." 

Galatians 6:2 nasb

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I'll schedule the guest blogs later today, but I won't be blogging myself again until Monday. (Be sure to read what our guests have written) God has given me the beautiful gift of a weekend off. For the first time since 9/23/2015. It's long overdue.

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I'm the featured guest on Whispers in Purple today. Check it out! (http://wp.me/p5BLdw-SE)

If you missed yesterday's blogs, here are the links:

Delayed Consequences and the Price of Sin (http://leannahollis.blogspot.com/delayed-consequences-and-price-of-sin.html)

How Will We Respond to God? Fear or Faith? (http://ow.ly/ZoHTe)

#bodyofChrist #burdenbearer #Christian

Pleasing Jesus with A Scandalous Act of Love

The week before the cross was hard for Jesus. 

Jesus knew He was headed toward crucifixion and death, and His heart was heavy, which is a major understatement. 

He prepared the best way He knew how. He ministered all day, then went to Olivet to pray. He agonized every night. All night. 

Have you ever dreaded something so much that it made you physically sick? Kept you awake night and day? Ate at you non-stop? That's how Jesus felt.

In the midst of that horrible week, a woman who understood the depth of her sin and her need for a savior, demonstrated her love for Jesus in a scandalously beautiful way. It must have been balm for His soul.

When Jesus decided to stop in Bethany, the betrayal of Judas had already been committed. The plans for his death were well underway. 

He was in the home of Simon the leper when this uninvited (and unwanted) woman arrived with an alabaster vial of expensive perfume. Jesus was seated on the floor with his feet behind him. She approached from behind, intent on a beautiful act of love and worship. 

The woman wept so much that her tears wet his feet. She used her hair to dry his feet, then anointed them with the costly perfume. 

The lovely fragrance of the perfume filled the room.

People grumbled. 

Judas complained because the perfume could have been sold for money, which he could have stolen. 

Simon complained because she wasn't a "nice" woman, as if Jesus didn't know. 

"If this man were a prophet, He would know who and what sort of person this woman is who is touching Him, that she is a sinner." Luke 7:39 nasb

Jesus knew everything about the woman and her sin. He also knew about Simon and His sin, about all of us and our sin. 

If I'd been Jesus, I wouldn't have been as kind to Simon. I'd have been exasperated, especially since I was about to die for an arrogant, judgmental man who still didn't get it. 

Not Jesus. He loved Simon, too. 

Jesus told him a story about two debtors. One owed a huge debt. One owed a small debt. The lender forgave both debts. "Who will love him more?" Jesus asked Simon.

"I suppose the one whom he forgave more."

"Do you see this woman, Simon?" Jesus asked him. 

Of course Simon saw her. How could he miss her? In his eyes, she was a scandalous sinner woman making a spectacle of herself.

In Jesus' eyes, she was a forgiven sinner who had been washed clean. She had squandered her love and her life, but all that was past. She humbled herself and gave Jesus the very best she had.

"Her lovely gift will be told everywhere the gospel is shared," Jesus told the people there that night, and it has been. All four gospel writers included it. Preachers have shared her story thousands of times since that night so long ago. 

Most people thought she was scum of the earth, but not Jesus. 

He didn't just see her sin, He saw what she could become when she was freed of her sin. He loved her right out of her old life and into the new life He gave her. 

She spent the rest of her days lavishing her love on Christ.

That's exactly what Jesus did for me. He saw me in my sin and loved me anyway. I hope I never get over it. 

I'd like to be the woman who poured out all she had at the feet of Jesus. I'd like to be the woman whom loved Jesus most.

Of course, I'm not. 

I sin. I fail. I do what I don't want to do, and don't do what I want to do.Despite my many failures, I hope I never lose sight of all Christ did for me, one of the worst of sinners.

Today, let's spend some time remembering our life before Christ, recalling the sin for which He has forgiven us, the freedom for which He set us free. 

We'll be walking the road to the cross this week, but it won't mean as much if we don't understand why we needed Him to do this for us. 

Do you remember the great relief of being forgiven?

Can you recall loving Jesus like this woman did?

Are you overwhelmed with gratitude for His cleansing? His peace? 

I'd love to hear your story, so feel free to share it.

"and they overcame him (the accuser of the brethren) because of the blood of the Lamb 
and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life 
even when faced with death." 

Revelation 12:11 nab

(If you're reading this on the mobile version, scroll down and click on "view web version". At the bottom of that page is a place for comments. You can leave your "word of testimony" there.)

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Want more? I've written about this woman's gift of love several times before. You can read a few of them here: (Click on the links)
The Double Portion, Welcoming Sinners, Approaching from Behind, The Intimacy of Her Hair, See-Through Alabaster, Translucent versus Transparent, Go in Peace

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In case you missed yesterday's post, here's the link: When the Church Decides There's No Place for Grumbling and Complaining Here

#holyweek #scandalousactoflove #alabastervial #faithlife #linesfromleanna 

Blessing or Curse: We Can Choose

My reading this morning was in the last few chapters of Deuteronomy, where Moses sets a choice before the people. That same choice is available for us today.

Moses told the people they could have either blessings or curses. The choice was  theirs, but it would not be made with the words of their mouths. Their choice would be made with the actions of their lives and the attitudes of their hearts.

"Now it shall be, if you will diligently obey the Lord your God, 

being careful to do all His commandments which I command you today, 

the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth. 

And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you..." 

Deuteronomy 28:1-2 nasb

I love the idea of being overtaken by blessings. Imagine blessings you can't outrun. Blessings you don't pursue, but that pursue you. I want to be that blessed, don't you? 

Overtaking blessings can be ours, if we are willing to carefully obey the Lord. 

Every area of our lives, children, business, home, weather, peace, even our battles can be blessed. Moses said the blessings would be so evident that our enemies would be afraid to attack us.

Obedience brings blessings. It's that simple. 

"But it shall come about, if you will not obey the Lord your God, to observe to do all His commandments and His statutes with which I charge you today, that all these curses shall come upon you and overtake you." 

Deuteronomy 28:15 nasb

Curses can also be ours, if we so choose. 

Who would choose curses? You would think no one would, but that's not the case. When we choose to go our own way, to disobey God's commandments and statutes, we, in effect, choose His curses. 

Moses wanted to be sure the people understood, so he listed all the areas of their lives on which the curse would rest. Home. Children. Business. Battles. Weather. Pestilence. Health. Mind. Relationships.

God would smite them with "madness, blindness, and bewilderment of heart." The diseases they feared in Egypt would come on them.

Overtaking curses will be ours if we choose the way of willful disobedience. 

Disobedience does not bring blessings. It's that simple.

If we want the blessings of God, we can have them. All we have to do is obey God. 

The blessing of God does not mean we will be incredibly wealthy and everything we do will turn our perfectly. If you don't believe it, take a look at Job. Sometimes we have circumstances that teach us lessons we need to learn. That does not mean there's no blessing in our circumstances. It means there will be enough, even in hard times.

God is the ruler of the Universe. He is the Generous Giver, and we can (and will) be His Ready Recipients. We decide, by our actions, which kind of Ready Recipient we will be.

As for me, I want to be a Blessing Recipient, so I choose to do what must be done to receive those blessings. I choose to obey.

No matter what we say, the way we live our lives will reveal our choice. 

Blessings or curses. Which will you choose?

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Be sure to check the updated Prayer List 

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In case you missed one of the past week's posts, here are the links: How Will We Respond to God: Fear or Faith?, The Infinite Pi and the One Who Created It, What God Requires, Casting Stones, Forgiving, and Forgetting, Being Altogether Joyful, Choosing Molech and Sacrificing Children, The Aftermath: Louisville Tornado 2014

 #blessingorcurse #decisiontime #faithlife #linesfromleanna #leannahollis

The Aftermath: Louisville Tornado 2014

"This is where Sam and I saw the dead man's body." When he said those words yesterday, I thought I'd heard my brother-in-law wrong. He repeated them. No. I'd heard right. 

Those weren't the words of a terrific hook line in the opening of a book (although I plan to use them for that very thing). My brother-in-law was remembering his experience as a first responder. 

After the F-4 tornado roared through Louisville, MS, population 6,463, on April 28, 2014, life changed dramatically for their citizens. At least ten people were killed. Many more were injured. Homes weren't just damaged. They were completely leveled. People were picked up by the tornado and literally tossed through the air to land not just a few feet away, but a few streets away.

My family volunteered in Louisville after the tornado. My sister picked up debris in what was left of the yards of homes that were completely destroyed. My niece and her daughters helped sort the mountain of supplies that were donated. 

I sat inside a tent and dispatched volunteers. I helped fray the frazzled nerves of volunteers who'd had too little sleep and too much junk food since their arrival. I hugged those who'd come for help. I politely bossed people around.

My nephew and my brother-in-law were there as first responders. They expected to cut trees and clear roads. They did that, but first they helped those who were injured. A triage team had gone through to locate the bodies of the dead and near-dead and identify those wounded who needed emergency care. 

They carried the ones most in need of medical care (by hand) on backboards to the first clear road. Vehicles waited to transport them the rest of the way, either to the morgue or to treatment in a make-shift medical relief area. They had a tent soon, but at the first, emergency care was done in the open air.

We drove past a row of school buses in Louisville yesterday and Joe, my brother-in-law, said, "All the windows were blown out. Glass was everywhere. People with eyes gouged out. People with broken arms. Bloody heads." 

At first, I thought he meant people had taken refuge in the bus and had been hit by the tornado. He didn't. 

There were too many injured for individual ambulance transport and the hospital had been destroyed. (I write this and realize that the ambulances may have been destroyed, too.) The roads were blocked by trees and debris, and emergency vehicles couldn't get into the area. 

A damaged school bus was used to transport the wounded because it was all they had.

It was horrifying at the time. When we toured the damaged areas yesterday, I realized it's still horrifying. 

This town of 6,900 people has done a fabulous job of recovery. A new hospital is almost finished. The local pulpwood industry is being rebuilt. Many homes have been repaired, restored, rebuilt. They still have community gatherings, honor their veterans, teach their children.

However, there were many empty slabs where homes once stood. There are still piles of debris on now-empty lots. Debris still dangles from a few trees. Broken tree stumps still stand as silent reminders of the utter devastation that can happen in a matter of minutes and take decades to overcome.

On April 30, 2014, there was so much devastation that I couldn't take it in. I saw the big picture, but, for the most part, I missed the one-person-at-a-time devastation the storm had left behind. 

Yesterday, I finally got it.

One family after another was completely missing from their neighborhood because they had not been able to rebuild. 

A dead man was found here. A severely injured woman was found there. The man with a broken arm was transported here. 

I saw the storm through my brother-in-law's eyes and it chilled me to the bone. Lives will never be the same. Never.

I hate to admit this, but I'd forgotten about Louisville. I'd forgotten about their losses. I'd forgotten about their sorrow. I'd forgotten about their needs.

I remember now.

We never know when tragedy may hit our own lives. What matters most is to be prepared for eternity. Having our possessions safe will not matter a bit if we meet our Maker without our eternal destination secured. 

Following Jesus is not a Sunday Social Club. Following Jesus is a 24-7-365 walk that can carry us through anything that comes our way.

The aftermath of life's storms (not just tornadoes) can last for decades. It's up to those of us on the outside of the storms to offer whatever help we can. For as long as it's needed. 

Despite the devastation, hope reigned in the little town of Louisville. Their downtown is bustling. There is a sense of optimism that is obvious from the moment you drive into their town. 

Their website explains why. Mayor Hill writes that they are "abundantly blessed" and "Louisville is the place where people make the difference." 

He's right. Tin, and wood, and stone will pass away, but the hearts of their people will last for eternity. And that's what matters most.

"Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed... Death is swallowed up in victory..." 

1 Corinthians 15: 51-52, 54 nasb

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Be sure to check the updated Prayer List 

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In case you missed one of the past week's posts, here are the links:    The Angel-Talk: Fear Not, How Will We Respond to God: Fear or Faith?, The Infinite Pi and the One Who Created It, What God Requires, Casting Stones, Forgiving, and Forgetting, Being Altogether Joyful, Choosing Molech and Sacrificing Children.

 #louisvillemstornado2014 #recovery #whatmattersmost #faithlife #linesfromleanna #leannahollis

Choosing Molech and Sacrificing Children

A passage in Deuteronomy 18 caught my eye today. Following its trail led me to an unexpected lesson. 

Deuteronomy 18:9-14 prohibits the practice of witchcraft and idolatry. It specifically prohibits the practice of "making his son or daughter pass through the fire." Every time I read that, I think, "What parent would put their children in the fire?" 

Historically, many parents have done that very terrible thing, and they have done it for a kind of personal gain. Molech was an Ammonite god to whom child sacrifices were made. Some sources say the large idol was built with outstretched arms. A fire was kindled inside the idol so that the arms became red hot. The child was placed into the heated arms of the idol as a living sacrifice to the god of fire. When the child was sacrificed, the parents believed they would receive some sort of "blessing" in return.

The idea that doing evil will somehow result in good is utter foolishness.

"Whoever does this is detestable to God... because of these detestable things the Lord your God will drive them out before you..." Deuteronomy 18:12 nasb

Several verses were dedicated to the banning of child sacrifice and I wondered about how much Moses had written. Was this a problem for people in the desert? Weren't they far from Molech and people who worshipped Molech? 

Amos 5 gives us the answer. Yes. It was a problem. No. The children of Israel were not far from the worship of Molech at all, because they carried the idols with them on their journey from slavery. 

Even after the miraculous deliverance from Egypt, even during the years of miraculous provision in the wilderness, the people kept their idols close at hand and worshipped them. It may not have been public worship, but scripture makes it clear that they sacrificed to the idols.

"Did you present Me with sacrifices and grain offerings in the wilderness for forty years, O house of Israel? You also carried along Sikkuth (Moloch) and Kiyyun, your images, the star of your gods which you made for yourselves. Therefore, I will make you go into exile beyond Damascus," says the Lord, whose name is the God of hosts." Amos 5:25-27 nasb

God warned the people not to associate with those who worshipped these pagan gods, yet they would not obey. They would not remove these tools of idolatry from their midst. Eventually, their foolish rebellion led them to sacrifice their own children.

Lest you think this was the foolishness of slaves, it was not. King Solomon became involved in the worship of Moloch (also spelled Molek) after he married foreign wives who drew his heart away from God. Both King Manassah (2 Kings 21:6) and King Ahaz (2 Chronicles 28:1-4) sacrificed their own sons to Moloch. 

Jeremiah tells us that this sacrifice of children was one of the reasons for the captivity in Babylon.

The enemy of our souls comes to steal, kill, and destroy. When we snuggle with the things of darkness, when we cling to bits of the world, our choices will extract a steep price and we should not be surprised.

God did not warn His people against worshipping evil because He was harsh or unkind. His warning was designed to protect us and our children from the toll that must be paid to the evil one when we bow down to him.

We have a choice. Will we cling to God alone or try to divide our heart between the worship of God yet still hold to a bit of darkness? The children of Israel found that a divided heart would cost them a terrible price in the end. It always does.

We live in a dark and desperate world. There is much evil here, but the people of God must turn from the darkness and embrace His light. We are the light of the world, but choosing darkness will make our light indistinguishable to people in need of Christ. 

"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; 

I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly." 

John 10:10 nasb

Our choices affect our children for generations to come. If we believe what we say we believe, let us shed our hidden idolatry and allow God to purify our hearts. 

Is there anything of the world in us? Let us join with David, who prayed, "Create in me a clean heart, O, God, and renew a right spirit within me." (Psalm 51:10)

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Be sure to check the updated Prayer List 

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In case you missed one of the past week's posts, here are the links:   God Uses Everything, Even Manwich, The Angel-Talk: Fear Not, How Will We Respond to God: Fear or Faith?, The Infinite Pi and the One Who Created It, What God Requires, Casting Stones, Forgiving, and Forgetting, and Being Altogether Joyful

 #molech #childsacrifice #faithlife #linesfromleanna #leannahollis

Being Altogether Joyful

In the midst of Deuteronomy's chapters about the law and punishment for disobedience is a chapter about feasts and parties. The Jewish year began and ended with feasts and celebrations before the Lord.

The first month, known as Abib (the Canaanite name) or Nisan (the Jewish name) is in early Spring. (March/April). In the month of Abib/Nisan, they were to celebrate the Passover. For the Christian, this is a reminder of Christ's sacrifice on the cross for our sins. 

For seven days, they were to eat only Unleavened Bread. All leaven was to be purged from their houses. This was a symbolic purging of sin and represents the importance of not just repenting of our sin but turning from it. It was to be celebrated with a solemn assembly. (A worship service and time of both individual and corporate repentance)

I fear that, as believers, we are often a little like Scarlett O'Hara; not terribly sorry we sinned, but very sorry we were "caught" and have consequences for that sin.

Repentance involves not just saying sorry, but allowing God to remove our sin from us, so that we stop doing the sin of which we have repented.

The Feast of Booths was celebrated at the end of Tishri, after the autumn harvest. The week-long celebration was a reminder of the years of living in tents in the wilderness on the journey from Egypt. I love how this feast is described.

"Seven days you shall celebrate a feast to the Lord your God... 

because the Lord your God will bless you in all your produce 

and in all the works of your hands, so that you shall be altogether joyful." 

Deuteronomy 16:15 nasb

Over the course of the year, the people would have several feasts that reminded them of their slavery in Egypt, the deliverance of God, and His abundant provision. They would symbolically remember the price of sin and celebrate removing that sin from their lives.

At the end of the year, they would celebrate the deliverance of God and His ongoing provision. 

Remembering the past was done to bring rejoicing for the future. Celebrating the removal of sin prepared the way to rejoice over the purity only God could provide.

They were to plan, in advance, for a celebration of the abundant provision of God because it would be given. They didn't have to worry or be afraid. God promised to bless them in their produce and in every work they did with their hands. 

The blessings of God were not simply to give them enough to eat. The blessings of God were to result in complete and total joy.

Jesus began His ministry on earth at a wedding celebration (a party) and His last time with his disciples before His crucifixion was spent celebrating Passover (another feast/party). 

We serve a God who delights in celebration. In rejoicing. In total joy.

We, as followers of Christ, should be the most joyful of people, for we have much to celebrate. 

Christ has come. Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ is coming again.

Let us live as those who have been redeemed, so that the world can see the joy only God can give. Rejoice today, for our God is a Holy, Mighty, Good God and He is able to deliver and provide. 

Be sure to check the updated Prayer List 

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In case you missed one of the past week's posts, here are the links:   Faith and Hope: We Do Not Wait Alone, God Uses Everything, Even Manwich, The Angel-Talk: Fear Not, How Will We Respond to God: Fear or Faith?, The Infinite Pi and the One Who Created It, What God Requires, Casting Stones, Forgiving, and Forgetting

 #celebrate #altogetherjoyful #feast #faithlife #linesfromleanna #leannahollis

Casting Stones, Forgiving, and Forgetting

Today's topic is one about which my mama would say, "You've gone to meddling now." My reading this morning was in Deuteronomy 13, and the topic is casting stones.

Moses gave clear instructions about stoning a false prophet who tried to lead the people to serve false gods. Everyone was to take part so that they would understand the penalty for idolatry and leading others astray. Seeing and participating in the execution was to serve as a deterrent to the sin.

Deuteronomy 13:9 gives the instructions about stoning the false prophet, but there's a verse before it that's easily overlooked. Deuteronomy 13:4 comes before verse 9 for a reason. 

"You shall follow the Lord your God and fear Him; and you shall keep His commandments, listen to His voice, serve Him, and cling to Him." Deuteronomy 13:4 nasb 

Before we attempt to deal with sin in others and purge sin from our midst, we are to be certain we are following, fearing, obeying, listening, serving, and clinging to God as we ought. 

We are to address our own sin first, before we attempt to address the sin of another.

In Jesus' day, a group of men wanted to stone a woman for her sin of adultery. Jesus looked at the group of people holding stones and at the woman who waited for them. She had committed adultery with a married man. There was no question about her guilt. She deserved the punishment that was about to be given. 

Jesus stopped the execution in its tracks with a few simple words.

"He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." 

                                                            John 8:7 nasb

We read about all the countries that still use stoning as a form of execution, and are shocked, but we have our own form of slow death by torture. It's know as gossip. When we malign another's reputation by spreading gossip, even in the guise of a prayer request, we are participating in a form of "stone casting". 

As the body of Christ, it's our job to act like Jesus. Praise God, He doesn't spread our sin around for all to examine, and neither should we. 

Perhaps equally as harmful to those who have sinned is holding to their sin for years. "I can forgive but I can't forget," is our justification, but we aren't fooling God with that attitude. 

(I am not speaking of "forgetting" about the one who continually wounds, but about the one who has repented and turned from the sin.)

Forgiving does not remove consequences, but it should change how we treat the one who has sinned against us.

Jesus doesn't hold on to our sin, or the sin of others, once we've repented and been forgiven, and neither should we. 

Unfortunately, it is commonly said of the church, "They are the only army in the world that shoots their own wounded." This should not be. 

I recently spoke to someone who surprised me with the way they held to someone else's sin. The sin of another person was recounted with as much fervor as if it had happened yesterday. It had occurred more than half a century before. 

Why not forgive that sin and let go of it? If we expect God to forgive us, we must forgive. Even if the sin of another left tremendous destruction in its wake. 

Why? Because God, in his mercy, offered us forgiveness for our own heinous sin. 

When Jesus walked the earth, He was maligned by the religious leaders because he ate and drank with sinners. And He did. People just like you and me. 

He spent time with them because He loved them. He offered them a new way of life and, to everyone's surprise, they responded to His love, accepted the offer of forgiveness and change, and spread His love all around the world.

That's what Jesus did for me. He loved me in my sin and, to everyone's surprise, He loved me right out of it. 

I am not the same woman I was when He saved me. Perhaps we would find more great sinners serving our great God with the love of Mary Magdalene and the fervor of Peter if we treated them the way Christ did.

He loved and forgave. Even to death on the cross and beyond. We should, too.

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Be sure to check the updated Prayer List 

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In case you missed one of the past week's posts, here are the links:   The Broken Wing That Was Not: The Killdeer and Jesus, Faith and Hope: We Do Not Wait Alone, God Uses Everything, Even Manwich, The Angel-Talk: Fear Not, How Will We Respond to God: Fear or Faith?, The Infinite Pi and the One Who Created It, What God Requires

 #forgiveandforget #faithlife #linesfromleanna #leannahollis