The Insidious Nature of Sin

Mildew isn't just ugly, over time it has the power to destroy chalking and grout. The power of mildew has forced me to rip out our shower in our master bath.  Some of you have been in the same boat.

As we bring to a close this first week of Advent and our preparations for Christmas, we address the issue of the insidious nature of sin; sin that acts much like mold. Different heroes of the faith were caught in sin's devious nature.

Abraham pawns his wife off as his sister to save his life.

Samson recklessly exposes the source of his strength.

David lusts after Bathsheba and, not only commits adultery, but murders her husband.

"I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the LORD," and you forgave the iniquity of my sin." Psalm 32:5 English Standard Version 

David found that the best way to deal with the insidious nature of sin was to confess it. He does not cover up the fact that he has sinned or make excuses for it. He acknowledged his sin and received God's gracious gift of forgiveness.

This is the only way for us to deal with sin. The resolution to sin's work in our lives is not found on a therapist's couch but in a nail marked cross.

Like mold infecting grout, if we ignore sin's reality, our lives will crumble, but turning to the cross, to the Person who was crucified for us, we find our sin removed and our lives restored.  

God has dealt with the insidious nature of sin...and defeated it for us.

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Text and Photographs ©Copyright 2012-2013 Douglas P. Brauner.  ARR.

Clinging to Jesus' Knees

Nobody wants to clean the oven by hand. That's why most newer ovens are self-cleaning. Months of pies spilling out of the pan, cheese falling from the nachos and cookies crumbling to the oven bottom makes the task of cleaning the oven difficult and messy.

Add to the difficulty of this task is the fact that most ovens must be cleaned on the knees.

"But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, 'Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.'" Luke 5:8 English Standard Version

Peter, on his knees, grasps the knees of Jesus, at least that is the way I read the story. He asks Jesus to depart from him, yet he holds on to him, and all of this on his knees.

Sin brings us to our knees when we stand in the presence of Jesus. Our good deeds, our righteous acts, are soiled rags compared to Jesus' work, yet it is on our knees that we also hear the words that we are forgiven and loved by this righteous Jesus.

Like Peter we ask Jesus to depart from us while clinging to him with all our might. We know that we are not worthy of his love, yet it is his love that sustains our life.

It is his love that makes it worth getting up in the morning.

It is his love that propels us to deal with our struggling relationships.

It is his love that gives us hope when we contemplate our mortality.

Good things happen on our knees as we cling to Jesus' knees.

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Text and Photographs ©Copyright 2012-2013 Douglas P. Brauner.  ARR.

Scrubbing the Dishes

Most of my growing up years our family didn't own a dishwasher. That was because we had two dish washers in our house: my sisters (with an occasional substitute in my brother and me). I don't know how my sisters survived.  There were six of us in our family and there were plenty of dishes.

Washing the silverware and plates wasn't too bad, but washing the pots and pans was another story. Washing dishes by hand can be difficult, time consuming work.

Confronting a brother or sister in Christ about their sin is probably the most difficult task in the Christian community; one in which we say, "send someone else, Lord!"

This task is difficult because we know our own brokenness, sin and failings.

This task is difficult because we fear that it might lead to alienation in our relationship with that person.

This task is difficult because we don't want to be wrong in our judgment about another person's behavior.

"My dear brothers and sisters, if someone among you wanders away from the truth and is brought back, you can be sure that whoever brings the sinner back will save that person from death and bring about the forgiveness of many sins." James 5:19-20 New Living Translation

James reminds us that there is great value in compassionately dealing with another person's sin and their wandering from the truth: that person is saved from spiritual death and experiences the gift of forgiveness when they recognize their sin and turn to Jesus.

Yes this is hard work, yet it is work that reflects what this baby was born to do for us. Through the hard work of dying on the cross he has washed us clean of our sin and saved us from spiritual death.

This gift of forgiveness is the gift that he wants to give all who have sinned and fallen short of his glory.

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Text and Photographs ©Copyright 2012-2013 Douglas P. Brauner.  ARR.

Who Can Stand?

Cleaning doesn't get much more abrasive than powdered cleanser with bleach. It grinds out the grime in sinks and toilets. This cleanser tackles the tough work around the house.

How ironic it is that the tough cleansing of our lives is tackled by a baby.

"But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner's fire and like fullers' soap." Malachi 3:2 English Standard Version

The one who comes to face our sin, conquer death and captivate Satan comes as a small baby, yet "who can endure the day of his coming and who can stand when he appears?"

All of us fall on our knees before this baby. We are prostrate before him because of his power to redeem, rescue and save us.  

The Bible doesn't tell us whether the shepherds knelt before the baby, but we can imagine that they did. Through Matthew we know that later, when the Magi arrived, they bowed before the child.

And so do we. We cannot remain on our feet before the one who bears our sin, the one who saves our lives.

Stronger than any powdered cleanser is this baby born for us.

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Text and Photographs ©Copyright 2012-2013 Douglas P. Brauner.  ARR.

The Power to See

One of the worst jobs around the house is cleaning the windows, not because it is so difficult, but because there are so many to be cleaned, and they need to be cleaned often. Doesn't it seem to be the case that as soon as you clean the windows it rains?

Yet cleaning windows opens up the world outside the walls of our homes. Cleaning the windows is like removing scales from our eyes.

"Immediately, something like fish scales fell from Saul's eyes, and he could see again."  Act 9:1 God's Word to the Nations

I can't imagine what Saul (whom we know as Paul) felt when he lifted himself off the Damascus' road and couldn't see. We value our eyesight. The one sense that we fear losing more than any other is that of sight. One minute Paul could see and the next he couldn't.

Then God removes the scales, and Saul sees clearly, yet he sees more than the blue sky, green grass and colored garments. He sees Jesus. He sees him with the eyes of faith. So clearly does he see Jesus that he is willing to die for him.

God's Spirit is in the business of cleansing our eyes that we might see Jesus. Today we see him, not with physical eyes but with the eyes of faith.

Seeing Jesus changes life. It changed the course of Saul's life, and it changes the course of our lives.

Because of God's Spirit, we have the power to see Jesus.

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Text and Photographs ©Copyright 2012-2013 Douglas P. Brauner.  ARR.

Polished to Shine

One of the few chores that I remember doing as a child was polishing the furniture. There were two reasons I tolerated polishing. First, I liked the smell of furniture polish, and second, I could see instant results. The furniture glowed after a good polishing.

Sin is the dust that covers our ability to shine with God's love. As we consider cleaning house this Advent we need to see what sin does that inhibits our ability to shine

Sin also kept Israel from shining. Isaiah encouraged the people of Israel to arise and shine. As the chosen people of God that is what they were called to do.

"Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you." Isaiah 60:1 English Standard Version

Israel could shine because it was God who cleansed her of her unrighteous acts.

It is God who wipes away the dust of our sin. His blood is the polish that makes us shine. He delights in revealing what lies under the layer of sin.

The problem is that we've become comfortable with the dust, and as a result, we don't shine, yet God never tires of polishing our lives.

The evidence of God's heart lies in a manger.

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Text and Photographs ©Copyright 2012-2013 Douglas P. Brauner.  ARR.

The Gentle Cleanser

Today is the first Sunday in Advent. Advent is a time of waiting. We wait for Christmas.We wait for Christ's return. We wait for God to come to us today. And so we prepare for Christ's coming like we prepare for Christmas.

This week we'll spend time cleaning house. Isn't that an important part of preparing for Christmas?

Isaiah asked that God would rend the heavens and come down (Isaiah 64:1). He pleads for God to cleanse his people, but how does he come? Throughout this week we'll look at different household cleansers, and use them as a picture of God's loving act of cleansing in our lives.

"Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself." Galatins 6:1 New Living Translation

Murphy's oil soap is a gentle cleanser often used on wood cabinets and other material that can't handle more abrasive cleansers.

We need a gentle cleanser.  

When we ask God to rend the heavens and come down we ask that he do so with gentleness. This gentleness is a mark of the Christian community.

God uses sisters and brothers in Christ to work his cleansing. Why? Because we know our own need for this loving work of cleansing. This cleansing, through the community, is not a point your figure, shape up or get out cleansing, but a restorative balm of healing for those who are straying from the love of Christ.

We're reminded of this gentleness by a baby born in humble means and laid in a manger for us. It is this baby who comes to cleanse us in love.

Join the conversation at Praying With the Eyes on Facebook. http://www.facebook.com/groups/173881749421231/

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Text and Photographs ©Copyright 2012-2013 Douglas P. Brauner.  ARR.