Hidden (Krypto) Treasures

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Tag: Wages of sin

The Cross, My Ballast

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On January 26, 2012

In Christian

Medical missionary from Pittsburg to Africa, Dr. Thomas Alexander Lambie (1885- 14 April 1954), is noted for being one of the pioneering American missionaries to Ethiopia. In his missionary journeys, Dr. Lambie, had to cross several swift streams and he learned from the natives the best way to cross over hazardous waters. The danger in crossing a stream lies in being swept off one’s feet and carried downstream to deep water or being hurled to death against hidden rocks. A man can avoid this by finding a large stone – the heavier the better – lifting it to his shoulder, and carrying it across the stream, using the stone as a ballast. The extra weight of what was being carried kept the feet solid and gave the much needed stability to survive and tide over dangers that could cause death.

In our missionary journey on earth, we ought to carry the Cross and follow Christ, so that we are not swept off our feet and hurled into the danger of death (which is the wages of sin – and all have sinned (Romans 6:23; Romans 3:23)). As long as we carry the Rock of our Salvation (Psalm 95:1), Christ Jesus will be ballast and keep our feet from slipping (Psalm 121:3).

Matthew 16:24-27 (KJV)
24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
25 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.
26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
27 For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works. 

Blessed “Be” attitudes :: Be a mourner

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On June 2, 2011

In Be attitudes, Christian

Matthew 5:3-12 lists eight Beatitudes that were spoken of by Jesus. Jesus said, “Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.” (Matthew 5:4)

To be blessed, one must have an attitude to be a mourner when our lives grieve the heart of God. Sin grieves God’s heart; God repented that he had made men when he saw their wickedness and his heart was grieved (Genesis 6:5-6). The wages of sin is death and death brings sorrow, but godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation (2 Corinthians 7:10). In other words, godly mourning upon the realization of our sin worketh a belief, which leads to comfort and a peace of God that passeth all understanding (Philippians 4:7). Furthermore, we must also mourn for all who are captive (Jeremiah 13:17) in the bondage of death, because they have not yet believed or have refused and rejected the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ. We must be like the Psalmist who said, “Horror hath taken hold upon me because of the wicked that forsake thy law”(Psalm 119:53). Our hearts must grieve and we must be a mourner, when we see those around us, perishing , because they blatantly refuse Jesus Christ and forsake His offer of life.

Only Jesus can take a day of your sorrow and turn it into a day of Joy. Only Jesus can turn a mourner into one being comforted.

Matthew 5:4 (KJV)
4 Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
2 corinthians 7:10 (KJV)
10 For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.
Psalm 119:53
53 Horror hath taken hold upon me because of the wicked that forsake thy law.
Jeremiah 13:17 (KJV)
17 But if ye will not hear it, my soul shall weep in secret places for your pride; and mine eye shall weep sore, and run down with tears, because the LORD’s flock is carried away captive.

Dispelling shadows

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On October 30, 2009

In Become a Child, Christian, Reuben

Recently, I noticed our darling son, Reuben, who is three month shy of turning four, try to stamp out his shadow and when I asked him what he was doing, he said, that he did not like his shadow and did not want it to follow him. I explained to him that there was nothing he could do about it, until it dawned on me that the only way that he could get rid of the shadow was to be the source of light himself. As long as light shines on him, his shadow will follow, but when light shines from him, his shadows that follow him will be dispelled.

In our walk with Christ, it is no different. In our very lives, we have many shadows that follow. The shadow of self (personal desires over God’s), the shadow of sin, and the shadow of death (sin’s wages) are lingering shadows that become evident when the light of the world, Jesus Christ, shines on us, giving us the knowledge of the glory of God (2 Corinthians 4:6). And when we accept Him, He comes into our life, and His radiance dispels self, sin and death. How? We become a new creation (dispelling self; 2 Corinthians 5:17); We are imputed righteousness (dispelling sin; Romans 3:22); We have eternal life (dispelling death; John 3:16).

When Jesus Christ shines on our lives, we can observe the shadows around us, but when Jesus shines from within us, all shadows are gone. The only way that we can get rid of the shadows is to hold within ourselves the very source of light, Jesus Christ. Christ in us, is the hope of glory (Colossians 1:27).

2 Corinthians 4:6 (KJV)
6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
Colossians 1:27 (KJV)
27 To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:

The Ant and the Grasshopper – Gospel

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On September 22, 2009

In Christian

I have shared this story given below several times in my preaching and teaching engagements. The original Author remains unknown. I am not sure if this is a true account or not, but each time I read or hear this story, it warms my heart and evokes a response to love God even more with all my heart, my soul, my strength and my mind. I pray that it is the same response that you are led to as well …

A mother of a 9 year old boy, Mark, received a phone call in the middle of the afternoon. It was the teacher from her son’s school.
“Mrs. Smith, something unusual happened today in your son’s third grade class. Your son did something that surprised me so much that I thought you should know about it immediately.”
Mother’s seldom want to hear from their child’s teacher in the middle of the day. The mother was uneasy and nervous by such a beginning to a phone call. “What now?” the mother wondered.
The teacher continued, “I have been teaching for many years and nothing like this has happened until now. This morning I was teaching a lesson on creative writing. And as I always do, I tell the story of the ant and the grasshopper. The ant works hard all summer and stores up plenty of food. But the grasshopper plays all summer and does no work.
Then winter comes. The grasshopper begins to starve because he has no food. So he hops to the ants house and begins to beg. ‘Please Mr. Ant, you have much food please let me eat, too.’ Now boys and girls your job is to write the ending to the story.
Your son, Mark, raised his hand. “Teacher, may I draw a picture?”
“Well, yes, Mark, if you like, you may draw a picture. But first you must write the ending to the story.”
The papers came in. As in all the years past, most of the students said that the ant shared his food through the winter and both the ant and the grasshopper lived.
As always, a few children said, ‘The ant said, “No, Mr. Grasshopper. You should have worked in the summer and not played. Now, I have just enough food for myself.” So the ant lived and the grasshopper died.
But your son ended the story in a way different from any other child, ever. He wrote, “So the ant gave all of his food to the grasshopper; the grasshopper lived through the winter. But the ant died.
“And the picture?
At the bottom of the page, Mark had drawn three crosses. “Jesus gave up his life so that we might live eternally”

Matthew 20:28 (KJV)
28 Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.

For a related image, see God’s sacrifice, our substitute (Check out where I and U are placed in relation to the crosses)

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