…and the
name of the Lord Jesus was held in high honor.
Many of those who believed now came and openly confessed their evil
deeds. A number who had practiced
sorcery brought their scrolls together and burned them publicly. When they calculated the value of the scrolls
the total came to fifty thousand drachmas.
In this way the word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power.
Acts 19:17-20
Wow! The
value of 50,000 drachmas today is $13 million. Now, that is a ton of money in drachmas or dollars.
What “precious sin” am I holding onto that is
preventing me from being effective in my influence for the cause of
Christ? Is it the books I read that are
labeled “best sellers,” but are really pornography? Is it that horoscope I use to guide my
day? How about that prescription
medicine for pain that I really don’t need anymore? That movie? That TV show? That
flirtation? That website? That grudge? That gossip? That credit card
debt?
If I refuse to deal as ruthlessly with my
“precious secret sins” as those believers in Ephesus, how can I expect to be
used by Christ to influence others for His Kingdom? Confession is hard. But, I don’t want Jesus to just be the Cosmic
Custodian that stays busy cleaning up the messes I make in my life. I want Him to be the Cosmic Conductor that
leads my life.
Strike the match to the bonfire that will
consume my “precious sins”!!!!!!
Some of Matt Maher’s lyrics in “Lord, I Need
You” speak to me.
Lord,
I come, I confess. Bowing here I find my
rest. Without You I fall apart. You’re the One that guides my heart. Lord, I need You, oh, I need You. Every hour
I need You. My one Defense, my
Righteousness. Oh God, how I need You. Where sin runs deep Your grace is more. Where Grace is found is where You are. And where You are, Lord, I am free. Holiness is Christ in me. Teach my song to rise to You when temptation
comes my way, and when I cannot stand I’ll fall on You. Jesus, You’re my hope and stay.
Lord, I need You every hour.
Amen and amen.
Claudia Jackson
No comments:
Post a Comment