Putting Spin On It

 

Putting Spin On It

Romans 1: ¹⁸ God's anger is revealed from heaven against all the sin and evil of the people whose evil ways prevent the truth from being known.

 

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Knowing the system had problems, we sat in a room trying to think of ways to convince every owner operator spend lots of money on something that would not fix the problem. I was up for a promotion so I worked on the benefits of the system. I presented the benefits all around the nation. I got promoted.

 

• There were times when I hid the truth.
• There were times when I put “spin” on the problem to make it seem like it was not a problem.
• There were times when I was part of the coverup.

 

Paul explains that GOD is furious at anything that explains away HIS power and love. Any lie or made up story that confuses people about JESUS being GOD, dying for all sins and being raised from the dead; brings on GOD’s anger. The truth needs to be known.

 

• GOD wants me to know the truth, namely JESUS.
• GOD wants me to explain the truth, that JESUS became a human to suffer for my sins.
• GOD wants me to uncover my sins so people can see the power of HIS forgiveness.

 

Covering up the truth is easy to do. Insecurity or desiring power or fulfilling life’s lusts, make me cover up the truth to get my way. BUT GOD wants me to see that path is a dangerous and deadly one.

 

GOD sees my heart and knows every hidden thing in it. HE is available to forgive me of all my sin and clean my heart of all unrighteousness. I am grateful GOD uncovers sin to make the truth of JESUS known to me and countless others.

 

• Are you participating in a coverup that prevents someone from getting to know JESUS?
• Do you believe in an innocent story that points to humans as the answer to problems?
• Will you be bold enough to speak the truth about JESUS today?

Getting Away with It

Ecclesiastes 8: ¹² Although a wicked person who commits a hundred crimes may live a long time, I know that it will go better with those who fear God, who are reverent before him. ¹³ Yet because the wicked do not fear God, it will not go well with them, and their days will not lengthen like a shadow.

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Scared to even cuss, I tiptoed around doing “bad” stuff. I went to another school and met more people. They had some great ideas about doing stuff that seemed like “fun.”  Leaving the house without permission was my first test. I had never done that before and it felt great until I got home, late, to worried parents.

I then started trying other stuff. Lying felt pretty good and so did cursing. After a while I asked myself, why was I worried about being “bad?” This stuff did not feel “bad” and besides, I hadn’t killed anyone!

• There were times when I tried sin and it never felt “bad.”
• There were times when I dabbled in sin and the crowd was pleased with my actions.
• There were times when I tested my “sin boundaries” to see what I could get away with.

Little did I know that I was headed in the wrong direction. I was chipping away at my character a little at a time. I did not know I would be out on my own someday with fractures in my character here and there. When I went to my next place in life I faced some difficult times that sin could not fix. What was I to do?

• GOD said to me “Come unto ME all you who are heavy laden and I will give you rest.”
• GOD said to me “Return back to me and I will wipe away your tears.”
• GOD said to me “I sent you the COMFORTER who will be with you always.”

Forgiven was the feeling I missed when I was engulfed in sin. I could not do things right and it seemed like my road was getting harder and harder. BUT GOD rescued me and put me back on HIS path. HE said to me “I have a plan for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” I believed and HE blessed me thoroughly!

• Do you feel you “got away with it?”
• Are you on the wrong path?
• Can you stop with your plans and start following GOD?
• Will you start looking at GOD as the solution instead of thinking HE is the problem?

Sneaky and apathy don’t mix

Genesis 25: ²⁹ Once when Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau came in from the open country, famished. ³⁰ He said to Jacob, “Quick, let me have some of that red stew! I’m famished!” (That is why he was also called Edom.)

³¹ Jacob replied, “First sell me your birthright.”

³² “Look, I am about to die,” Esau said. “What good is the birthright to me?”

³³ But Jacob said, “Swear to me first.” So he swore an oath to him, selling his birthright to Jacob.

³⁴ Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and some lentil stew. He ate and drank, and then got up and left.

So Esau despised his birthright.

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We walked around the store mindlessly browsing and I ran into one of the neighborhood thugs. He was changing clothes in the middle of the store. He looked at me and placed a finger over his lips with a shushing motion. He stuffed his old clothes behind the rack and walked out of the store. I thought to myself, this store deserves to be robbed.  I mean, just last week the manager yelled at us for something we didn’t do.

• When I become apathetic I don’t care about right or wrong.
• When I lose my caring I overlook being involved with people.
• When I overlook people I tend to focus on my problems.

Wait a minute, Esau sold his entire inheritance for a meal from a sneaky brother so what does that have to do with me? Well, instead of helping the guy or talking to him I just let him do what he was going to do.  Also, my apathy towards the store manager was based on not enough information to understand or respect his position. Sometimes just standing there is a problem.

• GOD wants me to treat people with enough respect to try to bring them to CHRIST.
• GOD wants me to understand where people are so I can explain the great gift CHRIST gave me.
• GOD wants me to forget self-preservation for a moment so I can be used as a messenger for HIM.

Whether I’m the sneaky one or the apathetic one or the bystander, I have a role in pointing people to GOD.

• Where are you?
• Are you standing on the sidelines letting things fall apart or are you helping?
• Won’t you allow GOD to speak through you even though it may be uncomfortable?

What kind of wisdom do I have?

James 3: ¹⁷ But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. ¹⁸ Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.

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Conflict seemed to be the center of discussion between our departments. There was no love lost between our group so when one of my employees complained about what “they” were doing I immediately sprang into action hoping I could flex a little muscle to get the issue resolved.

Little did I know “they” had already brought in the big guns and had swayed senior management toward their posture. The fight was over before it had started.

• My warring wisdom reaps a crop of conflict.
• My combative wisdom reaps a harvest of struggles.
• My confrontational wisdom reaps a defensive stance from that person rather than promoting unity.

“I’m right” and “they” are wrong leaves me seeking a much smaller group who wants to follow “my” thinking. Unfortunately I usually end up with a group of people with the same flawed thinking and we don’t go anywhere. I stand around looking at “them” blaming “them” for all the problems “I” am facing. Is my thinking too low?

• GOD says “ask ME for wisdom and I will give more than you can handle.”
• GOD says “MY wisdom seeks peace rather than being right all the time.”
• GOD says “MY wisdom seeks what the other person wants rather than blindly serving self.”
• GOD says “MY wisdom is full of mercy, submissive and good fruit rather than judgment and depletion.”
• GOD says “MY wisdom is impartial and sincere rather than thinking one group is better than another.”

GODLY wisdom says mankind is not changing rather it has always been in a fallen state and desperately needs a savior. Communities and neighborhoods do not “change” rather a new face that needs GOD appears and I must serve them the way GOD wants me to serve them, with GODLY wisdom.

• Do you think your country or neighborhood is “changing?”
• Do you see a big problem or a large opportunity to harvest more people?
• Have you looked at yourself to see if your heart needs to change toward other people?
• When have you actively sought to understand “that” person to win them over rather than trying to get them to conform to your ways?

Just say “No!”

Titus 2: ¹¹ For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. ¹² It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age,

¹³ while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, ¹⁴ who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.

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Rain delayed the busses and everyone, including me, piled on the first bus that appeared. Standing room only forced us to be pushed to the seedier area of the bus where “that” guy felt compelled to light up his “homegrown” cigarette at six O’clock in the morning. He peered at me with a grin and asked “Want some?” That was an easy “NO!”

Later that day some of my friends said they were going to a party that night. I said I probably wouldn’t be allowed to go and they suggested that I sneak out. “Hmm, that’s not a bad idea” I thought to myself. The problem was I couldn’t come up with a good lie, our house was too small and my parents seemed to be awake at crazy hours. “How are you getting out of your house?” I asked.

• The world will always offer me something that seems “better” than GOD.
• The world will always want me to jump in on activities that are against GOD.
• The world will always invite me to join in activities that don’t please GOD but since “everyone” else is doing it maybe HE won’t mind.

The HOLY SPIRIT was place inside anyone who believes that JESUS (GOD) voluntarily allowed HIMSELF to be murdered by HIS own creation and is now living. The HOLY SPIRIT teaches me to say “NO” to the temptations of the world and HE comforts me “when” I decide to fall.

Little by little HE teaches me to take baby steps toward HIM and every time I fall, HE is right there to pick me up. CHRIST did the heavy lifting by removing eternal death from me. All I have to do is accept HIS gift and be purified. I can now take my baby steps toward HIM.

• Are you tempted to do something you know is wrong?
• Are you avoiding GOD so you can keep doing what you are doing?
• Can you turn toward HIM just a little today?
• Won’t you say “No” to that temptation and know that if you fall HE is there to pick you up?

GOD saw that too?

John 3: ¹⁶ For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁷ For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. ¹⁸ Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.

¹⁹ This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. ²⁰ Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. ²¹ But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.

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My boss’s boss sent an e-mail to a group of us one day.  It was a humorous “R” rated clip that showed the reaction of a man seeing a nude woman in a strange place. Wow! I thought to myself. Here I am a follower of GOD receiving this tempting video.

Then another thought said “watch it again.” I guess after watching it eight or ten more times I finally got offended. But how cool was it to be in the “in crowd” Huh?

• Every sin that I do alone is done in the middle of a large audience.
• Every sneaky thing I do will be broadcast to everyone.
• Every time I think I am “getting away” with something only makes sin easier to do.
• Every action I do is seen by GOD.

JESUS knew every sin I would ever do and HE died for me anyway. HE saw me watch the video “then” and HE sees my fear and doubt and disbelief in HIM “now.” There is nothing I can do or think that is hidden from HIM.

• Coming into the light means I can openly admit to GOD and humans that I am a sinner.
• Coming into the light means I actually try to understand what GOD wants instead of telling HIM what I think I need.
• Coming into the light means I am truly sorry for the sins I do.

Can you imagine how embarrassing it is to have every secret thing that I have done put on the news? GOD’s grace is amazing so HE doesn’t broadcast my baggage, for now. I do know it’s coming one day though, so I try to get practice broadcasting my sins as much as I can.  I guess my statement is changing from “they are sinners” to “I am a sinner.”

• What sin are you trying to hide?
• Are you on the wrong path right now?
• Can you forgive yourself because GOD has forgiven you for “all” your sins?
• Won’t you tell someone about how GOD has forgiven you for “that” sin?

Can I be trusted?

Luke 16:  ¹⁰ “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. ¹¹ So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? ¹² And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own?

   ¹³ “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”

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Sunrise was beautiful as it glistened off the lake near my job, at least it was when I could pay attention to it. Unfortunately its beauty went unnoticed most days as I trudged into work half asleep.

My job was menial and repetitive to me so I would take frequent breaks and sometimes doze off in the washroom. I mean who should get up at this hour and why didn’t they give me more to do?

• I should not be trusted if I am so focused with my life that I cannot see what’s going on with others.
• I should not be trusted if I justify taking even a paperclip from work.
• I should not be trusted if I think “they are rich they won’t miss it.”

Being trusted with little is harder than it looks.  Most would believe it’s all about money but it is really all about “attitude” with GOD. Selfishness can permeate every fragment of my soul which causes me to be blind to GOD’s plan. I can’t hear HIM nor can I see HIM do HIS thing when I am selfish so I wind up doing untrustworthy things.

• GOD wants me to treat “every” dollar of my employer as if it were mine.
• GOD wants me to view my job as a privilege not as if it were owed to me.
• GOD wants me to give my wealth away not hoard it for myself.

GODLY wealth is bestowed on those who are willing to share in a graceful, mercy filled way. Satanic wealth is granted to those who lie, back-stab, cheat, and steal. Whether I am stealing time or materials from my employer to do personal things it’s wrong in GOD’s eyes and HE won’t trust me with HIS wealth on this earth or in heaven.

HE does get excited when I “entrust” all my money to HIM and bless others as much as I can.

• Are you sneaky?
• Do you steal personal time or material from your employer?
• Are you working for a human or GOD?
• Can you ask GOD to help you be trustworthy in all aspects of your life?

My exposed secrets

Luke 8: ¹⁷ For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open.

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“Tipping” was slang for “Tip-Toeing” or quietly exiting a place that you didn’t want the population to know “where” you were and more importantly “who” you were with. Fortunately for me I wasn’t very good at it.

My car was extremely noticeable with its missing grill, torn up hood and mustard yellow color it was a distinct give away to my local. The next day people would come up to me and ask “who were you “tipping” with? I saw your car.”

• I can fool some of the people all of the time but I can never fool GOD.
• I can try to hide what I am doing but GOD will broadcast it to everyone one day.
• I can attempt to take secrets to the grave but GOD will awkwardly bring them out “now” before I had a chance to explain them to my loved ones.

Secrets tend to hold me back from fully proclaiming GOD’s great news. I think to myself, “my reputation is at stake, what will they think of me if they?” BUT GOD says something different.

• GOD wants me to tell the liar I have lied and I am forgiven by JESUS.
• GOD wants me to tell the lust filled husband I have been filled with lust too and I am forgiven by JESUS.
• GOD wants me to tell the blamer I have blamed others trying to make myself look good and I am forgiven by JESUS.

By confession my sins no longer have power over me. Yes some sins make my words ineffective, BUT GOD can use them to bring sinners like me back to HIM. HE wants me to proclaim forgiveness is just a confession away and my eternal life is solidified because of CHRIST.

• Do you have a secret?
• Are you attempting to take that secret to the grave?
• Do you realize your secret is making your relationship weaker not stronger?
• Won’t you come clean and confess so GOD can use your life?