There might be more than one way to skin a cat, but there is only one way to deal with Sin… and to trap a skunk.
There was a skunk in my shed. And, beyond even the stink, the skunk reminded me of sin. This, I thought, was a strange skunk. I had kicked and bumped and rattled the corner where he was hiding, and he didn’t react, or reveal himself. I only found him because I was distractedly looking in the corner for some other irrelevant things. I wasn’t even sure he was alive. He just… laid there.
I ran, with panic in my step. We weren’t done pushing the camper out of the shed, and I thought about just leaving the camper there. Permanently. I thought about having one of the folk helping me with the trailer take the ‘inside’ position. And not telling them about the skunk. I thought about just proceeding with the camper removal, and ignoring the skunk. Until he died, got bored, or just left of his own accord. Did I really need that shed?
But I finally just took the steps to get rid of the shed. Animal Control was unwilling to help. A small nuclear device placed discretely in the shed seemed like overkill. And I don’t have a small nuclear device. No, I had to trap it… drag the cage into the field… and dispatch the skunk. (For environmentalists who might be reading, at present Kansas has a plethora of wild skunks. I would have had to transport the cute little sharp-nosed beastie to central Oklahoma to find a region that is presently welcoming skunk immigrants.)
No shortcuts. No skunk.
And getting rid of sin works the same way. I prefer to ignore my sin if it isn’t rabid. I am willing to let the sin survive and place others in danger. I toy with the idea of destructive behavior that is ruinous, but at least gets rid of the sin.
But there is only one way.
Jesus.
His death pays for it, exchanging on the cross my sinfulness with Christ’s perfection. His life fixes my life, with His righteousness being attributed to me. His example motivates me. His grand relationship with His wrathful Father allows me to have the same relationship with Him.
We try lots of other ways. Exerting our will. Convincing ourselves that our sin is someone else’s fault. Ignoring our sin. Hoping our sin will leave on its own. But there is only one way.
Jesus… sin killer.
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This week
Wednesday 6:00 pm Jubiwednesday! Chicken! Nehemiah! Friends!
Saturday 7:00 am Men’s Bible Study and Breakfast
Sunday 10:00 am Pray with us… to our loving King.
11:00 am Worship with us… before our awesome King.
Missionary Aviation Fellowship A representative of the MAF will be attending a Jubiwednesday soon to explain their work in assisting mission transport to isolated areas.
Change for Life Baby Bottle Campaign
The mission of Embrace is to serve individuals and families with the love of Christ empowering them to:
-Choose Life
-Practice sexual integrity
-Experience physical, emotional and spiritual wholeness
We provide pregnancy tests, ultrasounds, counseling, mentorship, social service support, STD testing and treatment, along with relationship and parenting classes at no or low cost to the client.
The baby bottle campaign is easy.
1.) We bring empty baby bottles to your church with a table display; you set them out Mother’s Day.
2.) Your congregation takes one bottle home, fills with spare change and returns on Father’s Day.