1,000,000 PIECES

This is a message that was sent to me after Sunday's Sermon. I clearly speaks to what is at risk when we do not repent. It is used by permission. 


Well I’ve thought about this all day and I just cannot hold it in anymore. I wanted to stand up and scream this yesterday at church. Yesterday morning when you stood at the altar and said what if, what if you took the blood and body of Jesus as if you were pure and repentant, but you were still living in sin. What if you exploded into a million pieces as soon as you took it? That’s exactly what happened to me. God will only take so much. God will not be openly disobeyed. My God is a forgiving God and he will give you a chance to repent. He will put people in your life to help you out to try guide you back to him. But if you do not repent, he will turn away and he will replace you. 

Just like in 1st Kings 11:9 
9And the LORD was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the LORD God of Israel, which had appeared unto him twice, 10And had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods: but he kept not that which the LORD commanded. 11Wherefore the LORD said unto Solomon, Forasmuch as this is done of thee, and thou hast not kept my covenant and my statutes, which I have commanded thee, I will surely rend the kingdom from thee, and will give it to thy servant.

It’s like you explode into a thousand little pieces and all those little pieces stick into the people that you have hurt. Family, friends, acquaintances and the church body. Then the pieces of you just fester and grow and make the people around you angry at you, angry at God, angry at the whole situation. But the people that are strong slowly realize that it’s not you. It’s the sin that totally controls you. 

But it’s also like with Job. And I am in no way saying that I am any type of Godly man. But God lets Satan take everything away, house, cars, family, friends, children, every worldly possession that you have. And when you are down in that hole that you have dug for yourself, you look up and see there is know where to go but up. That’s where I am right now. I will not be defeated. I will not lie down and just give up and say poor pitiful me. God has brought me so far in the past two years and the next few years are going to be some of the hardest. But I am back on my feet and I will not let Satan win again. 

I appreciate everything that you and the Harvest Church family have done for me and my family. You will never know how much it means to me.


All I can say is, "Will, we repent?"

WHY REPENT?

Yesterday I was in a conversation about the whole forgiveness issue. It is my opinion that we have cheapened forgiveness. When I pray or ask for forgiveness, I am asking someone to forgive something I have done. Now, there might be some kind of understanding that I also mean that I will not do it again, but that goes unsaid. I think forgiveness is mostly focusing on the past mistakes with little to no focus on the future. I think that is why we are instructed to repent. The Bible does not say to ask for forgiveness. It says, repent. The word repent is both past and future focused. I desire forgiveness for my past action and I do not plan on committing the sin again. I plan to turn. Merriam-Webster defines repent as "to turn from sin and dedicate oneself to the amendment of one’s life". We need to be dedicated to amend our lives. Sin is serious and it affects every aspect of our lives. Let each of us Repent and Amend.

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

Side Effects

2 Corinthians 7:8-11

Have you ever listened to a commercial about a medication when they start taking about side effects? The possible side effects are sometimes very concerning. Some of the side effects bring a since of laughter while others bring great alarm. I heard one last night that was temporary blindness. Now that is something to think about as you take medication. We think of side effects in regard to medicines but most of the decisions we make in life have side effects. Side effects are effects other than the desired effect.

Godly repentance has so many side effects. Godly repentance is done to right a relationship with God, but look at the side effects.

The Message puts it like this in verse 11, “you’re more alive, more concerned, more sensitive, more reverent, more human, more passionate, more responsible”. Wow, now that is some side effect list.

I want to encourage you to take time to repent as you become aware of sin in your life and enjoy the benefits.