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Nothing Stays Hidden

1/20/2013

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Today's Old Testament reading involved some envy and turbulence between siblings. Joseph, the favorite son of Jacob, made himself the center of attention by sharing his dreams and telling on his brothers when they did wrong. 

Side note:  A fool uttereth all his mind: but a wise man keepeth it in till afterwards.  (Proverbs 29:11)

Anyway, a day of opportunity came at a time when hatred toward Joseph was at a boiling point. Ten of the dreamer's brothers conspired to kill him. Ruben, the eldest, warned the angry mob to not kill him, but to throw him in a pit. He planned to come back for Joseph later. But then another option presented itself to the enterprising young men while Ruben was away...

And they sat down to eat bread: and they lifted up their eyes and looked, and, behold, a company of Ishmeelites came from Gilead with their camels bearing spicery and balm and myrrh, going to carry it down to Egypt. And Judah said unto his brethren, What profit is it if we slay our brother, and conceal his blood? Come, and let us sell him to the Ishmeelites, and let not our hand be upon him; for he is our brother and our flesh. And his brethren were content.  
(Genesis 37:25-27)

Joseph was long gone when Ruben returned. He was distressed at the news, but instead of going on a search and rescue mission, he helped to craft a story to sell to their father...

And they took Joseph's coat, and killed a kid of the goats, and dipped the coat in the blood; And they sent the coat of many colours, and they brought it to their father; and said, This have we found: know now whether it be thy son's coat or no. And he knew it, and said, It is my son's coat; an evil beast hath devoured him; Joseph is without doubt rent in pieces. And Jacob rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his loins, and mourned for his son many days. (Genesis 37:31-34)

Wow! Talk about a soap opera. “Like sands through the hourglass, so are the Days of Our Lives.”

Here's what struck me about this unbelievable family event:

  • The amount of anger and hatred these brothers had toward Joseph.
  • The fact that all ten brothers involved kept their mouth shut for decades. No one said a peep even when they saw the ongoing anguish and grief of their father.
  • How far God will allow things to go to bring about his will – and still be in control.
  • And the key point: Nothing stays hidden. Nothing just goes away.

God had great purpose for Joseph going to Egypt, but eventually the ten brothers would have to come clean for their cruel actions toward Joseph and their equally cruel deception toward their father. Imagine having to tell a frail, aging parent that the whole bloody coat story of years ago was a complete lie and the truth is you sold your brother, his favorite son, like a piece of property to some travelers. What a warm and cozy family chat that must have been. More wine, please!
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I'll bet Lance Armstrong would agree that nothing stays hidden. Bill Clinton might nod his head at that too. Cain, Achan, King David, me, all of us, regardless of position, social status, financial reserves, good looks or connections, if we haven't realized it yet, we will eventually; Nothing stays hidden forever. Cover ups today are headlines tomorrow.

For there is nothing hid, which shall not be manifested; neither was any thing kept secret, but that it should come abroad. (
Mark 4:22)

Our God is a righteous God and won't allow wrongdoing to just get sweep under the rug. The rug will never be big enough. The best way to live is to first love God, then to love our neighbor as ourselves. If we do, we won't do anything to hurt our neighbor. However, if we fall short of that, then we need to make things right; first to God, then to any and all wronged parties. That's the right thing to do.

Hidden sin will make its way to the surface of our lives eventually. Sometimes in the weirdest, most unexpected, most uncomfortable, most ill-timed ways imaginable. It's a absolute guarantee...

But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against the LORD: and be sure your sin will find you out.  
(Numbers 32:23)

The heaven shall reveal his iniquity; and the earth shall rise up against him. (Job 20:27)

May I make a suggestion? Let's make things right with those we've wronged as quickly as possible. Don't argue, don't scheme, don't put it off. Just do it. In my experience, God offers brief windows of opportunity for us to take advantage of His mercy and find peaceful and often times private resolve. If we humble ourselves and obey, we'll be right with both God and man – to the extent that we can be. If we don't, that window of mercy may close and the exposure later may be far more painful and much more public.

He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.  (Proverbs 28:13)

God had big plans for Joseph and could have brought about those plans in a hundred different ways. His brothers didn't have to sell him like a slave of deceive Jacob. The fact that God can bring good out of any situation is a tribute to his greatness – not a justification for sin or a cover up. Remember, nothing stays hidden. Nothing.

Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.  (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14)


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How Do I Know The Bible Is True?

1/17/2013

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Have you ever doubted the Bible? Ever questioned whether all this God and heaven or hell stuff is really true? Isn't it really just a book?

All of have doubted the Bible at one time or another. Like when a friend stumps us with a Bible question. Or when we happen upon an apparent discrepancy in the scriptures. Jesus was doubted even after his resurrection. Why not His Word?

The Word of God has been under attack since the garden of Eden. Doubt is an effective tool the enemy uses against believers. But if we can grasp the power and perfection of the scriptures by reading and studying it for ourselves, then doubt won't bother stopping by our house. We'll know for sure the Bible is true and can help others overcome their doubts as well. I say this not as some brainwashing technique; but because the Word of God is alive, powerful, and miraculously life changing – to those who allow it into their hearts and minds. 

Perspective of the scriptures.

How do you view the Bible? Is it a nice book of stories to you or is it The Word of God? Do you believe some of it or all of it? Do you wonder if the Bible has errors? Do you welcome questions about the Bible and your faith, or does that terrify you?

To me, the Bible is so much more than leather bound ink on paper. It is the Word of God! It doesn't just contain truth; it is truth! But please don't take my word for it; open your Bible and read it for yourself. Catch a glimpse of God's perspective of His Word...

Psalms 119:142   Thy righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and thy law is the truth.

God's Word is perfect and doesn't need an update, revision or addition...

Proverbs 30:5-6    Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.

God's Word is accurate and forever protected by God himself...

Psalms 12:6-7  The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever. 

The Word of God will save us...

1 Timothy 4:16   Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee. 

His Word will outlast everything...

Matthew 24:35  Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

How's that for perspective? The Bible is much more than coffee table decoration. It is the powerful Word of God! It is truth regardless of what modern science decrees, how Hollywood acts out, or what TV news anchors broadcast. They, along with the rest of the world will pass away while the Word of God remains.

Truth isn't necessarily popular or flashy, but it's still truth. And truth, as Jesus declared, will make us free. More often than not, truth is simple. While some "sophisticated" souls will resist this simplistic view of the scriptures, God will be revealing deep and hidden truths to those with more of a child like heart...

Matthew 11:25   At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes.  

When I've encountered doubts or scriptural conflicts, I've stopped and reset my faith on the foundational premise found in John 17:17: Thy Word Is Truth. From there I've sought God to help me understand what I'm missing. It may have taken me a while to hear, but He has always answered. The "conflict" was resolved and the Bible remained truth. Even if they don't like where it points, hikers don't usually argue with a compass.

Confidence that disspells doubts can be found when we get into the Word and the Word gets into us! It's how I know the Bible is true!

The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether.
More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward.  
(Psalms 19:7-11)

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Direction for 2013 - Which Way Is Your Tent Pointed?

1/6/2013

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Nearly every year since I've been married, I read the Bible through using The One Year Bible. Since January 1st, the heavens and the earth were created, Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord shortly before the world was flooded, Abram and his gorgeous wife Sarai are still without child, and Abram and his nephew Lot just parted company because their herds were too great for them to dwell together peacefully. Talk about a busy start 2013! 

Here's what caught my attention from this morning's reading in Genesis 13:

Abram dwelled in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain, and pitched his tent toward Sodom. But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the LORD exceedingly.

Nothing in the Bible is just thrown in there. The scriptures were written purposefully and every word is in its place for a reason, for our instruction and admonition. Lot was drawn to Sodom. Something so fascinated him that he even pitched his tent toward the ancient city.

But the Lord described the men of Sodom as exceedingly wicked sinners. In fact, God singled out Sodom, along with its neighbor Gomorrha, and marked them as a perpetually stinging reminder of His fiery judgment. I haven't found a single positive reference to Sodom in the scriptures anywhere – and there are many references!

Ezekiel 16:49  Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy.

2 Peter 2:6  And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly;

Jude 1:7  Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.

For whatever reason, Lot chose to pitch his tent toward Sodom. Sodom was the first thing he saw in the morning and perhaps the last thing on his mind at night. Whatever the attraction was for Lot, God Almighty had an entirely different view Sodom.

Fast forward to 2013, and it's very obvious that the sinfulness of Sodom didn't die with Sodom, nor have we advanced beyond the weaknesses of Lot. The Lot family is a twisted story of woe and today's reading gives a clue as to why: Lot didn't resist Sodom as Abram did. He lived toward it, tolerated it, later moved into it, and was nearly destroyed because of it. And it began with how he situated his life - toward Sodom.

And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly; And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;) (2 Peter 2:6-8)

I wonder how many attractions might hold my attention today that God sees as vile? How much of my heart is pitched toward the bright lights of sin and worldly pleasures that may vex today, and doom tomorrow? How many “little things” to me are big deals to God? That should be a sobering question to all of us since "little things" have a way of becoming much bigger things later.

May we all consider our ways and remember that the Lord is coming soon.

Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
(Psalms 139:23-24)

Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever. (1 John 2:15-17) 

Want to be more spiritually minded than Lot? Read about How To Get The Mind of Christ!

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    Patrick Sipperly

    Patrick Sipperly

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