To think, that even with God's persistence all the way to the very end of life, we can still elect to sin, hide the sin, say one thing - do another, harbor the pain from sin and regret.... and die...NEVER grasping God's redemption, liberty, and pleasure.
Jacob, in front of Pharaoh at the end of his days, described his life as too short (ie: full of regret with little time to redeem it) and evil. Evil. Not difficult. Not unfair. BUT EVIL. Let that word rest on you for a moment.
He lived his entire life deceiving himself and those around him; lying to those around him - ultimately out of fear and passivity, as James pointed out.
One of the most alarming eye-openers to me was that he had lived in that rut for so long that not even the rape of his daughter was enough to knock him out of his passive avoidance state. How incredibly sad.... and WRONG... is that?!
I'm fairly confident that we all know a "Jacob". Someone who claims to know God.... may even talk regularly with God as Jacob did.... but who equally regularly lies, deceives, and cheats just as Jacob did to both themselves and those around them.
This series lead me to listen to James MacDonald's series "But Now I See." Interestingly enough, in either the first or the second video, he mentions his series "How to Renew Your Mind," questioning which series should have actually come first, but regardless the two most certainly go hand in hand.
If I could, I would make each of you sit and watch BOTH series. I truly would. Not because I want you to feel beat up, but because I realize that in order to move forward... to grow... we have to be brave and face the music, as the expression goes. We, as believers, have got to get better about discerning the difference between condemnation (of the devil) and conviction (of God). Both "feel" similar -- so we tend to avoid both! NOT smart!
It is in love I tell you; I don't wish for any of you to remain Jacobs, but if you tend to tell yourself, "That's not me or that's not for me" - I fear you delude yourself, and you run the likelihood of being as Jacob at the end of your life... full of regret and seeing just how evil you made it..... by your choices and your willfulness.
I have learned so much in these two series, and I have found James MacDonald's forthrightness to be altogether refreshing. Few pastors these days CALL PEOPLE UP AND OUT of their sin-filled life with the VOICE OF CORRECTION anymore. (I am of the strong opinion that we need a lot of James MacDonalds as pastors!)
In his second video, James quotes a secular psychiatrist from the 70s:
"In all of the laments and reproaches made today, one misses any mention of sin. It was a word once on everyone's mind, but now if ever heard. Does that mean that no sin is involved in all our troubles? Is no one any longer guilty of anything? Guilty perhaps of a sin that could be repented of...? Is it only that someone may be stupid or sick or criminal or asleep? Look! Wrong things are being done. We know. But is no one to blame for these things? Is no one answerable for these acts? Is no one responsible? Anxiety and depression and guilt, we all acknowledge. But has no one committed any sins? Where indeed did sin go? What became of it?" (Dr. Karl Menninger)
In a day and age, when it is status quo to deflect responsibility onto everything and everyone else and call our behavior anything but sin, here I am petitioning you .... yet again..... take the time to listen to the "But Now I See" series. There are six videos, and each of them I have found to be wholly sobering.
I take my walk with God very serious, but honestly, my sobriety in Christ has been ratcheted higher through the listening. I hope you will take the time. I keep saying this.... and I'll keep saying this.... this life is fleeting.... and we will all stand before God and give an account. If you make excuses now....if you have become a "pro" at rationalizing, I shutter to think what you'll say in front of God on that day quickly coming. As James says, "It's not a good plan; not a good plan AT ALL!"
Listen, let bravery rise, and take responsibility for where you and your life currently are.
It's the ONLY path that will yield good and get you where you so long to get.....
Godspeed.... truly.
( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uH0xA06L0-Y&t=17s )
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