No Ifs, Ands, or Buts

We live in a society of non-responsible people that lack accountability.  I suppose it is the nature of the beast to blame everyone else for their station in life if they feel less than adequate where success is concerned.  Or they consider it God’s fault for their lack of not measuring up to the general self-sufficiency of others.

Responsibility, since Adam and Eve, is the hardest lesson to learn, because it is easier to play the blame game than submit to accountability, which takes effort and a dedicated mindset to accomplish something good in life.

In the beginning, God warned Adam to not eat the fruit that the “tree of knowledge of good and evil” produced in the Garden of Eden.  God was abundantly clear and concise as He instructed Adam that if he were to disobey Him, he would surely die.  It was a nonnegotiable commandment; no room for compromise.  God meant what He said—no ifs, ands, or buts.

When Adam and Eve ate the fruit, they dishonored themselves and God, causing their sin nature to extend to all humanity.  And because it was visited upon each individual, it is the base reason for deceitfulness to rule a person’s life.  People try to get by with things without being discovered; not wanting to pay the penalty for their actions.

I believe carnal (fleshly) Christians (fence riders between right and wrong) justify their lack of obedience to God, because of the scripture in (1 John 1:9).  They think it is an escape clause to excuse them from accountability in the present.  I also believe that they use it as an excuse to exempt themselves from towing the line regarding the 10 Commandments and obeying them.

(1 John 1:9), “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Every time a Christian sins, they are acting carnally.  Do I believe that true Christians remain in a carnal state?  No.  Until we are delivered from our sinful flesh either by way of the rapture (Christ’s second coming) or through death, there will be outbreaks of carnality.

Christians who become carnal in their behavior can expect God to lovingly discipline them, because He does not want anyone to perish in hell, but to come unto repentance and learn to abstain from sin.  It is a learning process of how to put off the old nature and take on the new character, temperament, and attributes of Christ.

Does God truly forgive sin, and should He forgive the violist of sinners?  Who am I to ask such questions?  I, like Paul in the Bible, was chief of sinners.  I was on a fast track to hell with a one-way ticket.  Were it not for God’s amazing grace, there go I, perhaps the violist of sinners. 

I was lost and without a Savior; sinking in the mire of sin, but God reached forth His hand of mercy.  Grasping my soiled hand He pulled me to safety, because of His great love for me.  He loves you with this same kind of love—Agape Love. 

Though lost, I am now found, because of Jesus Christ, God’s Son, who set me free from the bondage of sin.  I was redeemed and cleansed from the filth of unrighteousness when I cried out to Him in desperation.  He forgave me of my sins and set me on a new path of righteousness. 

Does God forgive sin?  Does He truly forgive?  Yes, I trust God’s Word.  I know what my disposition was like before the transformation, compared to the joy that I now possess, because of the “born again” experience.  

Do I battle sin?  Yes.  But greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world.  I have found the way.  Jesus is the way, the truth and the life.

(Ephesians 2:8-10), “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,” vs.9 “not of works, lest anyone should boast.”  vs.10 “For we are His workmanship; created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”

God would rather a person be hot or cold and not lukewarm; otherwise, the Bible says that He will spew them out of His mouth.  I am convinced that when people sin, they have the idea that when they ask God to forgive them later, He will do so.  They believe that everything will be kosher and hunky-dory with the Lord at that time, because of all the other times they sinned and then repented. 

Personally, I believe that they are walking on thin ice with God.  Like Adam and Eve, people that willfully sin are being deceived and seduced by Satan; beguiled by the devil to commit sin.  Justifying their actions, after the fact, only leads to heartache and a hardening of the heart.

I truly believe that God forgives sin, but when a person knowingly sins, they will most likely have to reap what they sow.  No ifs, ands, or buts, means just that—sin is sin—there is no getting around it.  There are no in-between levels that give latitude to justify the act of willful sinning; having the idea of asking God to forgive them later after they have (tasted the fruit).

If I didn’t believe that God forgives sin, I might as well throw in the towel of defeat and go on my sinful way; surrendering to Satan, because all hope of eternal life in heaven would be missing in my soul.  But I do believe, because of grace! 

Humanity is in the dispensation of grace, not under Old Testament law that God gave to Moses on Mount Sinai.  Jesus paid the price for sin when He willingly died on the cross for you and me.  And because of His death, grace was born.

It is to our benefit that we not sin, both spiritually and physically, because of the dreadful things that lurk in the devils playground of wrongdoing.  If a man or woman slips and commits sin, God’s grace is sufficient to forgive them of their transgression and cleanse them from all unrighteousness; however, the domino effect of sinning may remain, perhaps infecting the body with irreversible diseases.

Premeditated sin with the opposite sex, whether an act of fornication or adultery, and then asking for forgiveness later will no doubt be forgiven, but individuals that practice this reprehensible behavior may have to endure the consequences of their actions.  They run the risk of contracting Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) or Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), which is a late stage of HIV.  Other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are also possibilities of immoral activities.

The consequences of getting hooked on pornography and other filth that is found on computer websites can ruin family relationships and lead to divorce.  Disobedience to God will take its toll one way or the other.

Committing crimes of passion, or yielding to a raging temper and then hurting someone because of it, can land a person in jail; the price they must pay for disregarding the law.  The reason God forgives sin is that the penalty for a person’s sinful actions was paid for, in full, at the cross where Jesus shed His blood for the sins of mankind.

Does God forgive sin?  Absolutely, but Adam and Eve were expelled from the garden after sinning and suffered the effects of breaking the rules of a (no ifs, ands, or buts) God that expects compliance to His rules.  Any person that thinks they can sidestep God and continue to sin, without facing repercussions, is only fooling themselves.

Children of God; true Believers and members of God’s family; reject sin in any form.  They strive to abide in truth.  And if they should fall, while serving God in their daily walk with Him, it is essential to immediately ask for forgiveness and pray for strength to overcome temptations the next time they come around.

Christians who lean on the Holy Spirit for strength to face trials of life, and allow Him to make them perfect in the sight of God, will walk victorious with their head held high, because they know all is well with their maker.

God sees the heart of each individual that serves Him and knows when that person is tiptoeing around sin or running from it; taking the escape route that God provides with every temptation.  He knows when we stumble and commit wrong doings in fits of anger, or when we have bouts with vanity and pride, or fail to forgive others of their trespasses against us.  And He sees our pettiness, yet forgives us when we ask Him to do so, because He is patient and long-suffering.

God desires that we abide in truth and not partake of unnecessary obsessions that harm the body; like alcoholism, which can cause cirrhosis of the liver; tobacco usage that has been proven to cause lung cancer and other types of cancer; and drug abuse that destroys brain cells.

When habits are overcome, and they can be with the help of the Holy Spirit, abstaining from such things enable abundant living to thrive.  When we give God a “no ifs, ands, or buts” kind of obedience, it provides the Father-son / Father-daughter relationship to flourish.  God opens the floodgates of heaven and pours out blessings that cannot be contained.

(Luke 6:38), “Give, and it will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom.  For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.”

When we draw nigh to God, He draws nigh to us.  Our obedience to His commandments allows us to live in health, both physically and spiritually. 

Though our Heavenly Father is a “no ifs, ands, or buts” God, He loved us so much that He died a cruel death on the cross after being incarnated into Jesus as a babe in the manger.  There was no other way to restore son-ship with lost man except the death of His Son at the age of 33.  Jesus was God-Man; God in flesh.

Written by,

Papa Boyd

Miracle on Lonely Street

For years I wandered down a path of indecisiveness; having questions about the unfairness that life presented.  It seemed that everything I tried ended in disappointment or frustration, which created more questions regarding what was missing in my immediate surroundings and deep within my inner consciousness.

Happiness was always slipping through my fingers like sand; never sticking around to give me lasting solace and gratification.  It was here one moment and then gone before I knew what happened; producing loneliness, which was no stranger.

Experiences were okay in the moment, but the reality of a meaningful encounter took flight faster than a frightened bird from its predator.  The only difference between the bird and me was its comfort zone in flight, opposed to the comfort level that was lacking in my world of alarm when I allowed sin to infiltrate my life.  Peace of mind diminished quickly.

Sin has its moments of pleasure, but like a person stranded in the desert-of-life, one sip of water does not completely satisfy the thirst that is manifested from the scorching, unbearable heat that the act of sinning produces, whether with friends or solo encounters.

Though I was in the midst of several buddies at get-togethers, jamborees, or beach parties, my world of loneliness was that of my own making; emotionally bleak in a crowd, because of the warfare going on inside me.  It was a spiritual battle between right and wrong; good and evil.

The training I received in my youth from Christian parents conflicted with the lifestyle that I was living as an adult.  I knew the choices being made did not line up with God’s expectations, yet I pursued my desires anyway.

I wanted to be happy, but was not willing to go the way of the cross to find it.  Satan’s counterfeit for happiness quickly faded.  That which I perceived would bring contentment, always failed to do so; nothing lasting. 

Though I had money, a new car, and the freedom to do as I pleased, the reality of Easy Street living was always reduced to Lonely Street drudgery each time the high of the moment wore off.  At the end of the day I was left alone with only my conflicting thoughts to keep me company and a desire for more ventures to try and satisfy my longings, which I hoped would soon materialize.

I knew that God was peace and that through Him I could have fellowship with His family as a born-again Believer, but I spurned God’s love; not wanting to compromise my standard of living to bow to His authority or give Him power over me.

I wanted my way, not God’s way.  And so it went.  My choices left me thirsting for more, because I was headed down the path of least resistance.  Giving into temptations was easier than taking a stand against them, which produced negative results the more I refused God’s clemency.

Newton’s Third Law of Physics was certainly at work in me.  “For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction force.”  The more I involved myself with sin; the consequences of my actions slapped me in the face; showing little mercy.

After a long period of time running from God, I finally came to the realization that sin did not pay.  I could not find contentment through my inadequate efforts.  The ongoing rebellion against the principles of God produced much loneliness.  I was falling deeper in debt, spiritually bankrupt, with no solution of how to break the firm hold that sin had on me.  I needed a Savior to calm the angry waves in my life.

In desperation I prayed for help and asked God to forgive me of my sins.  A miracle took place on Lonely Street that night.  I was set free from the bondage that sin had caused.  I began to fly in a safer, more favorable environment where peace and serenity abide.  Like an eagle soaring high above the dangers of congestion and woes that Lonely Street presented, I experienced the New Birth through Jesus Christ.

I drank of the living water that flows from God’s throne.  It quenched my thirst as my parching tongue tasted of its splendor and undeniable purity, which satisfies forever.  No longer do I find myself wishing for more, unsatisfying ventures, because God gave me His Son, Jesus, so that I may have life, and have it more abundantly.

God is no respecter of person whatever your status in life may be.  That which He did for me He will do for you when you make up your mind to accept Him as Lord and Savior of your soul.  He is standing at your heart’s door knocking.  All you need to do is turn the knob and open the door; Jesus will come in.  It’s that simple.

(John 10:10), “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy.  I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” 

(Jeremiah 29:11), “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.”

(Romans 12:2), “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”

Written by,

Papa Boyd

Muddy Water

The muddy water that I am referring to in the title is not a cocktail drink called, Muddy Water that is made with Italian liqueur; mixed with orange and lemon juices, nor is it the thirst quenching iced tea—Betty Crocker’s Muddy Water; tea mixed with water, lemonade concentrate, and orange juice concentrate.  Muddy water that I am writing about is just that, water that is unfit for human consumption.

Not far from my parents’ house was a large marsh that was nestled amongst cattails; reeds of which were tall, slender grasses with plume-like inflorescences that grew along the water’s edge; quite dense in some areas around the perimeter.

When I was a youngster in preadolescence, tween as it is now called, I would walk or ride my bicycle the three miles to play there; my favorite spot to hang out with my friends.  Like most kids my age, I was naïve and somewhat mischievous; tempting fate at times without really knowing it.

The body of water had no outlet.  It was without motion or current, and foul from lack of movement, which produced stagnation.  There was no aeration system that would shoot streams of water high into the air through fountains; keeping the water oxygenated like ponds around office buildings that were incorporated with beautifully, landscaped surroundings. 

The muddy water of the marsh in this story was a breeding ground for mosquitoes, amoeba, and a host of other parasitic protozoa that lived in the quagmire.  It was a dumping place for all types of contaminants and, no doubt, feces from septic tanks of older houses that overlooked the swamp on the Southeast ridge.

My parents would have had a conniption if they were privy to what I was doing, because of the unsanitary conditions of the bog.  Places such as this encourage the acute viral disease of polio, which is manifested by means of contaminated feces.  Polio can produce temporary or permanent paralysis and even death, and enters the body through the mouth. 

Little did I know I was in harms way when I played pirates with my buddies as we floated on a makeshift raft that we commandeered from a couple of other boys.  We maneuvered the raft around the marsh by pushing long sticks into the mucky sediment, which stirred up the dregs; producing a higher intensity of muddy water.

It is a miracle that we didn’t step on broken glass or other unseen hazards when we pushed the raft away from shore to deeper water that would accommodate the weight of all us boys.  We were oblivious to potential danger as we sunk deep into the mire, feeling it squish between our toes as we waded knee deep in filth.  This was part of the excitement and adventure of having fun.

The saying, “Kids will be kids” can apply to adults as well.  How many times has God protected us from unseen perils and pitfalls that Satan placed in our pathway, which were meant for our demise as we unknowingly trekked through the devil’s cesspool of danger? 

In ignorance, we sometimes act like kids having fun; failing to notice the muddy water that we are playing in; totally unaware of the dangers that lurk within our environment, because Satan blinds us with desire and the thrill of having fun.  I believe that we would be shocked to know of the things surrounding us that God does not permit to touch our lives.  We should thank Him daily for His protection.

(1 Corinthians 10:13), “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to ma; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.”

When a person fails to examine the substandard conditions that they are amidst; trying to satisfy their curiosity, or quench their thirst for fulfillment, excitement, and adventure, and perhaps searching out reasons for living, they can easily ingest muddy water, which contains a multitude of impurities that, like polio, not only affects their ability to walk a Spirit filled life, but can kill them physically and spiritually as well.

Death lurks in the filth of muddy water, whereas, life resides in the purity of the springs of living water that flow from God’s throne.  This unpolluted water is health to body and spirit; rich and most vital to our well-being.

When I was living in sin, my immediate surroundings were that of muddy water; full of unclean things.  I was sinking deeper into sin; over my head in waste; going down for the third time as pollutants filled my mouth and inner being.  In desperation I thrust my hand upward, and to my surprise someone grabbed it and pulled me to safety.  It was Jesus, the Son of God.

He revived me by doing CPR (Christ Paid Redemption) on me.  Jesus removed the contaminates from my body that were killing me, which was sin, as I lay prostrate before Him.  He put His loving arms around me and said, “I give you life, because I gave mine for you on the cross.”  No longer would I muck my way through life in the fecal sediment of muddy water.

Jesus Christ cleansed me of the filth that worldly living produced.  My soul was set free from the muddy water of sin.  No longer need I wallow in the quagmire of unclean living as a child of darkness; a place where my vision was blinded by Satan.  I now reside in the light and health of forgiveness and the purity of God’s love, through Jesus.  I am washed clean by God’s fountain of grace.

Written by,

Papa Boyd