Lord Jesus, Think on Me

 A hymn that doesn't get old! Ever! This was written in AD 410.

Lord Jesus, think on me and purge away my sin;

     from earthborn passions set me free and make me pure within.

Lord Jesus, think on me, with care and woe oppressed; 

     let me thy loving servant be and gain thy promised rest.

Lord Jesus, think on me nor let me go astray;

     through darkness and perplexity point thou the heavenly way.

Lord Jesus, think on me, that when the flood is past,

     I may th'eternal brightness see and share thy joy at last.

Written by Synesius of Cyrene, North Africa, (today situated on or near Benghazi, Libya)

Set to the tune Damon.

Please Pray for Jennifer Lau, General Secretary of CBM

It is not a surprise that charitable organizations are feeling the pinch these days. Covid-19 has affected everyone and hit every church hard. Ministries that major in overseas relationships, ministries, projects, scholarships, and outreach such as Canadian Baptist Ministries, CBM, find this a challenging time.

Our local church is meeting its financial needs, thanks to the generosity of its membership. We will be up to date with our giving to CBM by the end of the year. Still, I am sure many churches across our nation have significant challenges. Some will find it difficult to contribute to CBM’s wide-spread ministries.

We are privileged to be believers in Canada. All Christians are to be committed to the Lord’s call: make disciples of all nations. CBM enables us to achieve the prayer of Jesus in John 17.

Therefore, I hope you will uphold Jennifer Lau in your family prayers and your church worship.  Jennifer spoke at our church, and she is a great communicator. The CBM Board saw in her the qualities they wanted for the next General Secretary.  She has a very demanding job, giving leadership for a church constituency composed of 1,200 congregations across ten provinces and two territories. 

May the Lord give Jennifer courage, patience, and much love for God’s people in our land.

“Lord, I lift up Jennifer Lau and her family to you. Give her wisdom as she and the CBM staff continue to partner with other Christians around the world. Thank you for the leadership gifts you gave to her through the Holy Spirit. The opportunities to proclaim Jesus Christ are so numerous! May she know how much time to spend in the office and how much time to be on the road. Give her joy in her role as General Secretary. May she have enough time with her family. May she spread the hope of the Gospel to many. May she stay faithful to the truths of the Scriptures, and may she be led every day by your Holy Spirit.”

Overcomers of - Pride

Thank goodness! Seven days cleaning out this cupboard has taken long enough. What a lot of junk was stored on each shelf. I bend down to the bottom shelf and there's a sparkling wrapper with the single word, "I" written on it. It's almost magic. Anything this wrapper, (is it made out of something modern like plastic, or something old like linen?) touches, it makes the object take on dazzling colors. 

I walk around the house and place the wrapper over my graduation diploma. A thousand memories come back, all of them proving I was the best in my class, even though in my heart I know I wasn't the best. But pride feels good. It covers over the time I cheated on a test or told a lie about being so busy that I couldn't finish an assignment on time. 

Oh, it's such a beautiful thing. I put the wrapper over my shoulders and then look in the mirror. Who's the most intelligent? the best looking? the wisest? Pride, the wrapper I've kept hidden all these years, tells me "I am." In my heart, I know I'm not, but look how pride changes my perception of EVERYTHING! I wear it over my nightclothes and the next day, I'm even proud of my pride!

Walking back to the living room, I stumble and fall. Beside me is an open Bible and I read, "I wisdom, dwell together with prudence. I possess knowledge and discretion. To fear the Lord is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior, and perverse speech." Proverbs 8:12,13

I wonder why I fell, why I lost my balance so easily, and read, "Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall." Proverbs 16:18

I flip the pages once more and come across the longest fall any mortal ever experienced. King Nebuchadnezzar wrote after losing his mind, and living like an animal eating grass for seven years, "Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of Heaven, because everything he does is right and all his ways are just. And those who walk in pride he is able to humble." Daniel 4:37

I take comfort in the following verses, to which I have referred each day this week. (One day on each of the Seven Deadly Sins.) 

"No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. If Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness." I Corinthians 10:13; Romans 8:8-10 

 "Thank you, Loving Father, for such clear guidance in your Word. I don't want to grieve the Holy Spirit of God. I want you to control my tendency to prideful thoughts. I thank you that in you, there is fullness of joy. In you, I am seated with Jesus Christ in the heavenly places, and that is enough for me." 

Overcomers of - Envy

Finding the tiny box at the back of the sixth shelf in the cupboard, nearly at the bottom, is something I do reluctantly. I have to bend down on my knees to see the box. I pull it out and see the most amazing item ever produced with human hands. I turn on a TV that comes up on my cell phone. 

It only takes a second, and once again I have the TV turned on. Whatever channel I select, there's a numbing repetition. Ten minutes of programming is followed by ads. I turn off the sound and begin counting. Nine, ten, eleven. Eleven ads, one after the other! I can't even remember the various articles being advertised. The products are all a jumble But then, I realize something significant. The joint impact of movies, shows, carefully dolled-up women, and handsome men pulls at me. Ah, that emotion!

It's called Envy. I would like to have that beautiful house. That's a wonderful job, redoing that bathroom. And, I'm not really satisfied with my car. Hey! Here's another vehicle. It's just a little bit more expensive than what I have, perhaps, but if I budget things a bit better, and if I get rid of all emergencies in my life, then I'll be able to afford that new self-parking vehicle! Oh, I want it all! 

Unfortunately, envy doesn't make us wealthier. Instead, this sin has a devastating effect on the human body. "A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones." Proverbs 14:30

We are to enjoy life, but not envy things that make us feel wealthier! ""These are the decrees the Lord God directed me to teach you to observe in the land, so that you, your children, and their children after them, may fear the Lord ... and so that you may enjoy long life." Deuteronomy 6:1,2

So much on TV is about love! Love affairs. Loving pets. Loving holidays. Love is one of the predominant themes. Envy is often the core motive behind the endless murder-detective shows. How about this contrast between Love and Envy? "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud." I Corinthians 13:4. 

We take comfort in these wonderful verses, which I am referring to each day this week. (One day on each of the Seven Deadly Sins.) 

"No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. If Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness." I Corinthians 10:13; Romans 8:8-10 

 "Thank you, Loving Father, for such clear guidance in your Word. I don't want to grieve the Holy Spirit of God. I want you to control my tendency to envy. I thank you that in you, there is fullness of joy. In you, I am seated with Jesus Christ in the heavenly places, and that is enough for me." 

Overcomers of - Wrath

This is a day when we regretfully open the cupboard that hides our secrets. We glance at the shelves near the floor and sigh gratefully. After today, only two more secret sins, the kind we keep so close to our chests that sometimes we even refuse to admit them. 

The fifth shelf is almost empty, well then, we bend down. Stuffed against the wall at the back, there's this tiny object. It's like a kid's toy. You touch it, and it expands quickly, then touch it again, and it goes back to this small size. On the bottom, you look for where it's made. We read "Wrath - Made in Everywhere." 

Oh. It's so unfortunate that a word, a gesture, a letter through the mail, a phone call, or a social tweet can set off this emotion. Wrath colors the eyes red and makes the lungs work twice the normal rate with half the oxygen. Wrath even turns our affection for someone we love into a target of an insult, or worse yet, some kind of violence. 

Jesus spoke of anger and murder in the same breath. I'm reminded of Cain and Able, and the angry words exchanged before the first murder took place. So many of the brutal killings in the Old Testament can be traced back to raging emotions. Intense emotions are stirred when we perceive that our human rights have been trampled upon. Perceived provocations usually don't invite dialogue and a path to reconciliation. 

I love the instructions in Ephesians 4:31, 32 "Get rid of all bitterness, rage, and anger, brawling, and slander, along with every kind of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ, God forgave you." Wow! What a different kind of world God's Word presents!

We take comfort in these wonderful verses, which I am referring to each day this week. (One day on each of the Seven Deadly Sins.) 

"No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. If Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness." I Corinthians 10:13; Romans 8:8-10 

 "Thank you, Loving Father, for such clear guidance in your Word. I don't want to grieve the Holy Spirit of God. I want you to control my emotions, and I thank you that in you, there is fullness of joy. In you, I am seated with Jesus Christ in the heavenly places, and that is enough for me." 

 

Overcomers of - Sloth

Today, we feel tired and hesitant before going to the cupboard where secret sins are stored away, out of view. On the fourth shelf is a tiny box. We open it and see tiny slips of paper. We look at the name on the outside and shove it back into the cupboard. "Sloth" is written in tiny, sloppy letters as if someone was too lazy to even label the container correctly. 

Slothfulness and sloth - two words hardly ever used today! And certainly not in polite company. When was the last time you heard that word, and not talking about an animal? We value people whose schedules are so full that it's a privilege to get even a bit of their time. Still, there is a temptation to let things go, to stay away from hard and honest work. Procrastination sometimes gets the better of us. (Hint: I think this is a temptation that targets males, not women. Most of the verses in the Bible about sloth fit the male personality!)

"Laziness brings on deep sleep, and the shiftless man goes hungry." Proverbs 19:15

"The sluggard buries his hand in the dish; he will not even bring it back to his mouth!" Proverbs 19:24

"A sluggard does not plow in season, so at harvest time he looks but finds nothing." Proverbs 20:4

"The sluggard's craving will be the death of him because his hands refuse to work." Proverbs 21:25

"The sluggard says, 'There is a lion outside!' or, 'I will be murdered in the streets.'" Proverbs 22:13

Jesus told the story of a man who received one talent, and he hid it. That is a picture of slothfulness.

Paul told lazy people in Thessalonica that they should get to work. "For while we were with you, we gave you this rule, 'If a man will not work, he shall not eat.'" 2 Thessalonians 3:10

We take comfort in these wonderful verses, which I am referring to each day this week. (One day on each of the Seven Deadly Sins.) 

"No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. If Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness." I Corinthians 10:13; Romans 8:8-10 

 "Thank you, Loving Father, for enough for today, for home, family, friends, and my community. I praise you for opportunities, work, and motivation to get up each day knowing you are leading me forward. I need to learn new skills, new vocabulary, new ways of doing things, and for these, I trust your grace. I thank you that in you, I find our sufficiency. In you, there is fullness of joy. In you, I am seated with Jesus Christ in the heavenly places, and that is enough for me." 

Overcomers of - Greed

I don't want to open the cupboard today and take a look in the box pushed to the back of the third shelf. I close my eyes before reading the name on the carefully wrapped box. The top of the box comes off without any effort. It's as though it wants to throw everything inside at me. And there are endless magazines, each one with more beautiful photos than the other.

Taking the magazines out, amazing photography indicates splendor, glory, and a sense of well-being. Larger homes, fancier cars, better technology, more imaginative ways of getting money back on credit cards: it's all there in amazing detail. Oh, the credit cards! Thousands of them! Endless articles on how to retire with enough to live a comfortable life.

Luxurious hotel rooms on the Pacific islands can't quite match the tours promoted in European travel magazines. Beautifully decorated rooms, gorgeous women, and handsome men, all without a blemish, promise happiness. The more I pull out the magazines, the more seem to appear in this box. It seems bottomless! And it is! Then it hits me...all these images feed the greed that lies within my heart. 

Jesus said to them, 'Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist of the abundance of his possessions. Then he told them this parable." There was a rich man who wanted bigger barns... Luke 12:14,15.

"Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. They have become filled with every kind of ... greed..." Romans 1:28,29

"Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived...the greedy... will not inherit the kingdom of God, And that is what some of you were, but you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God." I Corinthians 6:9-11

We take comfort in these wonderful verses, which I am referring to each day this week. (One day on each of the Seven Deadly Sins.) 

"No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. If Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness." I Corinthians 10:13; Romans 8:8-10 

 "Thank you, Loving Father, for enough for today, for home, family, friends, and my community. I praise you for the skills I have, my memories, and the imagination of how to earn a living honestly. We thank you that in you, we find our sufficiency. In you, there is fullness of joy. In you, I am seated with Jesus Christ in the heavenly places, and that is enough for me." 

Overcomers of - Gluttony

Ouch! When we are talking with one another we don't like to admit any of the sins that lie hidden away. But up there, on the second shelf in the unseen cupboard, there's a box full of secret desires. On the outside of the box with a word written on it in large letters: "Gluttony." Inside are three tightly wrapped parcels.

The first package has a bright, shiny label: "Not satisfied with how much is on my plate." This parcel is lifted down and re-wrapped several times a year. Usually, it happens on family occasions. The table is piled high with food when suddenly, a quiet sigh hides the emotions. A sly glance notes how much others got.

The second parcel has a very old sticker. "I want more and more." Solomon, who gave hundreds of banquets in his palace, wrote it after observing a guest. "When you sit to dine with a ruler, note well what is before you and put a knife to your throat if you are given to gluttony." Proverbs 23:1 I don't think that person got invited to another one of his feasts.

Written in tiny letters on the third package are these words: "Worried that I won't have enough tomorrow." Jesus addressed this head-on in his sermons: "Therefore, I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?'" Matthew 6:25-27,31

We take comfort in these wonderful verses, which I am referring to each day this week. (One day on each of the Seven Deadly Sins.) 

"No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. If Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness." I Corinthians 10:13; Romans 8:8-10 

 "Thank you, Loving Father, for the joy of eating, of living with plenty, and loving life. We thank you that in you we find our sufficiency. In you, there is fullness of joy. In you, I am seated with Jesus Christ in the heavenly places, and that is enough for me." 

Overcomers of ... Lust

No one likes to talk about sins, especially those that are hidden. We were created in such a way as to be able to hide our innermost thoughts from others! A nine-year-old child can keep her intentions secret from her mother. A husband, young or old, can remain outwardly faithful to his wife yet keep lustful thoughts close to the surface of his consciousness. 

Lust is the first of the Seven Deadly Sins. This is the first of my seven blog posts on these hidden sins, those we cram into a closed room in the house we call our consciousness. The "deadly sins" are those that no one else knows about. Lust is hidden away in a box on the top of seven shelves.

Many hundreds of years ago, theologians determined that some sins are "deadly." They realized these thoughts serve as the motivations for our actions. These sins cause our conscience to become numb towards spiritual matters, and the end result is this: We block the moving of God's Holy Spirit to work in our minds and hearts. 

Jesus confronted the seven deadly sins head-on. Every man is challenged by his words: "You have heard it said, 'Do not commit adultery.' But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart." Matthew5:27-28

King Solomon, certainly a man who knew something about lust, wrote, "Do not lust in your heart after (the immoral woman) or let her captivate you with her eyes." He knew the power of the 'second look.' A wandering eye, an immoral TV program, a soap opera, or binge-watching are a few of the gates through which Proverbs 6:25 can activate lust in our hearts.

Believers 2000 years ago in the historic city of Colossae, about a day's walk from Laodicea, or the same distance from Hierapolis, were instructed to, "Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry..." Colossians 3:5

We take comfort in these wonderful verses, which I will refer to each day for the next week. (One day on each of the Seven Deadly Sins.) 

"No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it...Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. If Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness." I Corinthians 10:13; Romans 8:8-10