CONFESSIONS OF A MURDERER

Thanks for visiting with me again my most wonderful friend. Well, I don't know if we would make friends or not but one thing is for sure (with God's continued help) and that is I love you. With that said we better pray before I run you off. Wonderful Jesus, hallowed be thy most beautiful name. The Name which one day all will bow to and confess You as Lord over all. Please help us to bow now. Please Holy Spirit, continue to help us say no to our flesh. We hate that ole stinky thing with all it's pride, selfishness and rebellion. Come along side of us, wonderful Gift from God, and help us be faithful to the very end. All Hail King Jesus and in Your Name we say...AMEN.

Have you ever thought to yourself that if you were the only person on the planet then you would be OK, just you and nature? Sometimes I think if there were no people then I wouldn't have so many problems. Don't get me wrong, these are just passing thoughts and of course I know that in God's infinite wisdom, people are the best way to bring out our flesh. And that is a GOOD THING ! Can I bring out another crazy thing that I think about once in awhile? Bear with me now dear ones, this is going somewhere I promise. Have you ever wondered why sometimes your response to some dog hit by a car versus a person in need of medical attention is greater. Or is it just me? No, I would imagine that all of us have some abi-normal responses from time to time.

Have you ever wished you could be like super Christian so and so? Why is it that when some people come to the Lord it seems as if they are like Jesus over-night? Well, of course we know that behind the scenes many are struggling just as we, but there are actual friends of mine who did come out of the baptismal waters a new person. Ones who just seem to love everyone when before they were the meanest people you have ever met. As for the majority of us, well, I believe that we are in the cocoon being changed a little at a time, from glory to glory.

Can I make the playing field a little closer? Have you ever had someone hurt you (whether intentional or not) and you had feelings of resentment? Maybe your heart felt some bitterness and even anger. Did you ever put a wall up between you and someone else (even for a short season) because of the wound. I believe that most all wars and murders are a cause of resentment. Please read "The Bait of Satan," by John Bevere. But did you know that even we who are sealed by the Holy Spirit and whose names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life can be murderers and never lift a finger against someone?

Let's read what Jesus Himself said about this subject. Well, actually most of the Word of God deals with this hideous poison called pride. Yes, every sin we encounter in our flesh boils down to this trap which satan himself fell into so many thousands of years ago. And this pride is the root of all we call sin. Pride (which is so devilishly hidden in all of us) says that we know better, are better and are above someone else. Think about it, even a person who commits adultery is actually making a decision to say their way is better then God's way. Whoops, sorry....got myself on quite a bunny trail on that one. Now back to what Jesus says about resentment. In Matthew 5:21-22 (KJV) we read, "Ye have heard that it was by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment." Let's break this down a little further shall we? First of all the Greek word for kill in the original language was murder. Furthermore, many manuscripts do not include the phrase "without a cause."

What are we left with? Remember that Jesus came to fulfill the law. He is fulfilling it here just like He did when He said that whomever looks at a woman with lust in his heart already commits adultery. From reading the passage in Matthew we can surmise that the angry, resentful intent of a person's heart towards another is the same as the word murder in the Old Testament law found in Exodus 20:13. With all this in mind have we brought almost everybody down to the same playing field? Not Yet? Well then, let's work a little harder at that shall we? One more thing, Oh merciful God, please forgive me for the anger, resentment and murder I have had in my heart for others. Oh merciful God...please forgive me !!

OK, the next two verses should bring all of us from the least of saints to the greatest onto a level playing field. Romans 14:23b says "that everything that does not come from faith is sin." James 4:17 says, "Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins." Why have I brought all of us (temporally) to this miry pit which declares that we are all sinners and our righteousness is as filthy rags? We won't stay here in this quicksand of humility and thirst for mercy very long. Bear with me.

Do you remember how joyfully Moses, Miriam and the Israelites danced and sang after they crossed the red sea and celebrated God's wrath on their enemies. Oh the tambourines really rang out that day as the Israelites thanked God for delivering them. In fact, many of the Jewish feasts have to do with remembering God's divine deliverance. Consider the feast of Passover. Here we all remember how the death angel skipped the homes of God's chosen ones. The ones who had applied the blood over their doors. David wrote much about how thankful he was unto God for bringing him out from the snares of his enemies to a place of refreshing from the Lord of Host. It seemed fitting and proper for many in the Old Testament to remember often the old life in Egypt. Remembering God's great mercy and how He brought them into a place of salvation.

In the New Testament we also see how many times the apostles (inspired by the Holy Ghost) reflected on the sinners they once were, strangers to God, and how they now were saved into a better place by grace. Paul always remembered where God had brought him from as he declared, "For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle because I persecute the church of God." (I Corinthians 15:9)

Why am I bringing all this up? I believe that it is healthy for us all to remember where God brought us from. Sure we are now called saints, kings and priests of our God, but should we ever forget the dark days when we were strangers to the covenants of promise? HEAVENS NO !! Please beware of becoming over balanced in following whole religions built around how special you are, how extraordinary and what a glorious purpose you have. These things are ALL true, but please always remember that without Christ we are nothing and our righteousness is as filthy rags. Stay on your knees often embracing the beautiful mercy seat of our Jesus. Walk upright as the king and priest you are. Wielding the sword of the Spirit and casting out demons. But stay humble. This posture of humility and remembrance will go a long way with the precious unbelievers (and believers) we have to deal with on a daily basis.

I love you dear ones. With you I proclaim that I am so, thankful for the past, present and future mercy of our Lord and Savior. We are all in this thing together. Resist the pride. Resist the resentment. God thinks we are all something superfantastical. Jesus died for us all. OH HOW WONDERFUL IT IS TO BE FORGIVEN !!