Scripture of the day

Proverbs 26:11 Like a dog that returns to his vomit is a fool who repeats his folly.
If you are wondering why I chose this verse, it's because Sophie our new puppy is living proof of it. She had up-chucked a day ago or something like that and every time we take her out to go potty we have to keep her from eating her puke. (Don't worry Jake cleaned it. :D) This little puppy is proving this verse true. Do you find yourself returning to your sin like the dog returning to his puke? I know I do. We all have our particular sin struggles. Mine is anger. Mind you that's just one of my struggles. I find myself having to bite down on this anger. I'm no better the Sohpie going back to her vomit and eating it. YUCK. It's disgusting right? It's the same idea with sin. God HATES IT. It's DISGUSTING IN HIS EYES.

Today I had a wake up call on not underestimating sin. Although I was angry inside there was that little voice inside me challenging me to examine myself, "Do I really under estimate sin? Do I take sin lightly?" I found the answer pretty quick and you can imagine it was a yes. I do find myself under estimating sin. Every where you can find Christians who under estimate sin. We as Christians tend to think we're "safe" because Jesus will forgive us right? We tend to use Jesus as our medical insurance. When we have a problem or an issue, or we want/need something we go to Jesus the doctor. What are we doing!? We are being like the Jews who considered themselves "Safe" because they are "God's people" and they're "circumcised". "Look at those gentiles. They aren't even circumcised." That's how we act. We are too busy sitting in our self righteousness when there are people in Romania sitting in shackles being tortured for their faith. There are people in China, and the middle east who's souls are craving for food.

Let me ask you something. How many Bibles do you have in your house? No, seriously how many Bibles do you have in your house? I've got about eleven or so Bibles. PLUS a bonus of the Internet. Sometimes if I can't find my Bible instead of just picking up one of the many Bibles I've got lying around the house I'll go online and look up "Esv online" and I can read the Word there. We have access to more then one Bible within our own homes!

I've been reading this book for quite some time called Tortured for Christ by Pastor Richard Wurmbrand. It's an amazing book. I just finished it today. I cried through the book. Those of you who know me know that I hardly ever cry. I only cry unless I'm really angry. It takes a lot to make me cry. I wasn't even "Teary-eyed" no, tears were flowing out of my eyes. This book is about our brothers and sisters in Christ dying for their faith in restricted countries. The courage and the strength of the "Underground Church" is jaw-dropping. We Americans are swimming in Bibles yet when was the last time you actually read your Bible? We Americans are swimming in the liberty of being able to do open street preaching without having to worry about getting in trouble with the authorities. We have the freedom to preach and teach these atheists living right in our own country. Yet we do nothing. We sit on our thrones of self-righteousness looking down up on the non-believers. Looking down at our next door neighbors who are so stupid because they don't go to church on Sundays.

Who the HECK ARE WE? ARE WE CHRISTIANS, OR ARE WE PHARISEES? Who did Jesus associate with? It sure as heck wasn't the Pharisees, know he preached to the Samaritans, the blind and cripple, the poor and needy, the adulteress, the little children. Who are we to look down at the non-believing? Who are we to think we are any better then them? Who are we to think we are any where near perfect? We are so imperfect our God came down as nothing as a piece of dirt, lived the perfect life and died for his enemies! WE MOCKED, SPIT, WHIPPED, LAUGHED, AND KILLED OUR LORD. Yet, He died for us. He could have right then and there said YOU ARE WORTHLESS! I AM GOING TO THROW YOU ALL IN THE LAKE OF FIRE! What did He say as He was humiliated before the public? FATHER, FORGIVE THEM FOR THEY KNOW NOT WHAT THEY DO.

So who am I to sit on my throne of "fireproof" self-righteousness, and say "I'm ok. I'm a good person. God'll forgive me for my little sins." So many times I have to remind myself that there is no little and big sins. How many times do we forget that? How many times do we look at ourselves and say "We're not as bad as the murder."? "We're not as bad as the thief". If you call your brother a fool you have murdered him in your heart. WOW! Then I am a bloody, disgusting murder. I have the blood of so many on my hands.

Get this.....every time you sin you are rebelling against God and saying I HATE YOU. Now you tell me, are you just as bad as the thief who converted to Christ on his last day?

Before I go I want to leave you with a challenge. Read your Bible every day and experience the peace He plants in your heart along with it. Here's where the challenge comes in, go and tell others about the good news. Do you have a noisy neighbor? Bake a batch of cookies and go give it to your noisy neighbor, don't for get to slip a Bible track or a verse at the bottom of the cookie plate. Invite them over for tea or something. Offer your service in baby sitting for them. Part of Christianity is being uncomfortable in dying to yourself. We can do so much for these hungry souls if we'd only reach out to them. The best part is being a missionary for Christ doesn't mean you have to leave your home and raise a bunch of money to go to other countries. We have our own country to take care of. America is falling away from Christ within each day that the laws of God are violated. Such as having gay rights allowed, no praying in school, abortion rights, etc. THE WEST SLEEPS!! There is one body of Christ. Part of the body is in those countries where God is "illegal". We need to do something for these our brethren who need the tools to reach out to their country, to their government. We can get involved in ministries that help smuggle Bibles to restricted areas. Here's a piece of Tortured for Christ (the last bit). "Our brethren there, alone and without help, are waging the greatest, most courageous battle of the twentieth century, equal to the heroism, courage, and dedication of the Early Church. And the free Church sleeps on, oblivious of their struggle and agony, just as Peter, James, and John slept in the moment of their Savior's agony. Will you also sleep while your brethren in Christ suffer and fight for the gospel? Will you hear our message: "Remember us, help us"? "Don't abandon us!" Now I have delivered the message from the faithful, martyred Church-from your brothers and sisters suffering in the bonds of atheistic communism, and under attack across the world from Indonesia to Africa. Don't abandon them."~Pastor Richard Wurmbrand on Tortured for Christ

I leave you with this, do you love Christ enough to lay down your will and your comforts and tell others about your Savior?

~Lissie Darcy