GOD SPEAKS

If you have a chance to get apologized, do not ignore it. Admit your mistakes and do not ignore the golden opportunity. Things like that can turn your life around. How much courage is used to make a mistake why don’t you use the same courage to admit your mistakes?

Now when evening came, Jesus was reclining at the table with the twelve disciples. ²¹ As they were eating, He said, “Truly I say to you that one of you will betray Me.” ²² Being deeply grieved, they each one began to say to Him, “Surely not I, Lord?” ²³ And He answered, “He who dipped his hand with Me in the bowl is the one who will betray Me. ²⁴ The Son of Man is to go, just as it is written of Him; but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good for that man if he had not been born.” ²⁵ And Judas, who was betraying Him, said, “Surely it is not I, Rabbi?” Jesus *said to him, “You have said it yourself.” Matthew 36:20-25[ NASB].

Judas Iscariot had a great opportunity to admit his wrong. But he preferred to make a mistake himself instead of admitting his mistake. Would he have survived without committing suicide if he had admitted his attempt to deliver Jesus in advance! Even in our lives we ignore the warnings from the Lord that come to us before we make mistakes.

This is our old Adamic nature. Let us read this verse: And He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” ¹² The man said, “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me from the tree, and I ate.” ¹³ Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” And the woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate. Genesis 3:11-13. Look at the answer they gave when God questioned them. Adam showed his wife the reason for his mistake. Similarly, Eve showed Serpent the reason for her disobedience. They were trying to blame others for not answering their questions. They like to blame other for mistake but they are not willing to admit their mistakes. What is that objects them to confess their sin? We do the same in our lives.

We know Sapphira, wife of Ananias, also died on the same day on which Ananias died. Why that happened? She also died unwilling to admit her mistake before Peter, even before the Lord. She was also given a chance, like Judas Iscariot.  Read this verse: Now there elapsed an interval of about three hours, and his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. ⁸ And Peter responded to her, “Tell me whether you sold the land for such and such a price?” And she said, “Yes, that was the price.” Acts 5:7[ NASB].

God is always trying to convince us of our sins. In fact, it is Holy Spirit’s work. Read this verse: And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment; Jon 16:8. If you do not admit by then, you might not be in the possession of God. God is looking to convince you, if you are not ready for it then who are you in control of? What prevents you from admitting your mistakes and sins before God? Your sins or mistakes are not known to God? Do you think so? It is written in the word: You have placed our iniquities before You,  Our secret sins in the light of Your presence. Psalms 90:8. All your iniquities are placed before God. Can you say –No? Can you wipe your sins from the presence of God?

What happened to Judas Iscariot? What happened to Sapphira? What is the benefit to them of hiding their mistakes or sins? Both lost their lives. But admitting your sins or mistakes will see a great change in your life. Read this passage: Thus says the Lord, ‘Behold, I will raise up evil against you from your own household; I will even take your wives before your eyes and give them to your companion, and he will lie with your wives in ^[f]broad daylight. ¹² Indeed you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel, and ^[g]under the sun.’” ¹³ Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” And Nathan said to David, “The Lord also has ^[h]taken away your sin; you shall not die. ¹⁴ However, because by this deed you have given occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme, the child also that is born to you shall surely die.” 2 Samuel 12: 11-15 [NASB]. When David was warned by the Lord, David said to Nathan that he had sinned against the Lord. He acknowledged his sin. He confessed it. He saved his life by confessing his sin.

Look at the difference. David escaped punishment because he confessed his sin but others not. The rest had to experience the result of sin. Therefore, don’t give up if you get any chance to confess your sins or mistakes before your Lord. How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered! Psalms 32:1[NASB]

He said to His disciples, “It is inevitable that stumbling blocks come, but woe to him through whom they come! ² It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea, than that he would cause one of these little ones to stumble. ³ Be on your guard! If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. Luke 17:1-4 [NASB].

There will always be those around us who bother us. It is not possible to keep away from such people. As such we cannot hate them though they hurt us, because we are children of God. We should show the love of Christ before all. But those who cause us trouble will have to face serious hardships. Such people may come to the conclusion that death is better than these difficulties. That is why Jesus said this: It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea, than that he would cause one of these little ones to stumble.  Just imagine if they wanting death rather than labor mean how great those hardships are.

Some people do not even have the conscience that we are objecting to others. Some people deliberately create objections while others are creating objections unknowingly. But neither of the two can escape the onslaught.

 Let’s look at some examples from the Bible: Then this Daniel began distinguishing himself among the commissioners and satraps because he possessed an extraordinary spirit, and the king planned to appoint him over the entire kingdom. ⁴ Then the commissioners and satraps began trying to find a ground of accusation against Daniel in regard to government affairs; but they could find no ground of accusation or evidence of corruption, inasmuch as he was faithful, and no negligence or corruption was to be found in him. Daniel 6:3-4. [NSAB]. Why did they try to find fault in Daniel? Did he misbehave towards them anyway? No. They could not bear to see his superior status. They did not like or want the king to exalt Daniel. They envied Daniel. Apart from that, they wanted to embarrass Daniel. They deliberately objected Daniel. Here, stumbling blocks came through them to Daniel. According to king’s injunction, no one should make a petition to any god or man besides king for thirty days. Here they are dealing with God’s people. But God keeps doing his work himself. Woe to him through whom they come! Daniel was brought in and cast into the lions’ den. God sent His angel and shut the lions’ mouths and they had not harmed Daniel.

But here we can see how the situation has been manipulated. The idea that they should cause a stumbling block to Daniel has wrapped up many people. Read this verse: The king then gave orders, and they brought those men who had maliciously accused Daniel, and they cast them, their children and their wives into the lions’ den; and they had not reached the bottom of the den before the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones Daniel 6:24 [NASB]. Many lives had to be lost instead of one. Unrelated family members of commissioners and satraps are torn in this situation. That’s why woe to them through whom stumbling blocks comes!

Let’s see another example from the Bible. Now there was a famine in the land; so Abram went down to Egypt to sojourn there, for the famine was severe in the land. ¹¹ It came about when he came near to Egypt, that he said to Sarai his wife, “See now, I know that you are a beautiful woman; ¹² and when the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife’; and they will kill me, but they will let you live. ¹³ Please say that you are my sister so that it may go well with me because of you, and that I may live on account of you.” ¹⁴ It came about when Abram came into Egypt, the Egyptians saw that the woman was very beautiful. ¹⁵ Pharaoh’s officials saw her and praised her to Pharaoh; and the woman was taken into Pharaoh’s house. GENESIS 12:10-15.

When famine came, Abraham went to Egypt. Pharaoh’s servants took Abraham’s wife into Pharaoh’s house. Abraham did not do anything for that. Even he did not clash with the king. This may really be an objection. He remained silent.  He put his faith in God. He did not blaspheme. The king and his servants did this without their knowledge. But we can see what happened there. The hardships started in the king’s house. But the Lord struck Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram’s wife Genesis 6:17[NASB]. We can see great plagues. They are plural in number. Does not that mean they have experienced those hardships for a long time? Did not God punishing them even though they did not know it? WOE TO HIM THROUGH WHOM THEY COME! What matters here is not whether it is done knowingly or unknowingly.

But God is always on the side of His people. God did not allow Pharaoh to touch the wife of Abraham. We have seen how God delivered Abraham and his wife Sarai. Then Pharaoh called Abram and said, “What is this you have done to me? Why did you not tell me that she was your wife? ¹⁹ Why did you say, ‘She is my sister,’ so that I took her for my wife? Now then, here is your wife, take her and go.” Genesis 6:18 [NASB]

Therefore, if any objects or causes stumbling blocks to those who believe in Christ may have to suffer hardships in their life. They even may come to the conclusion that death is better than these difficulties. Woe to him through whom such stumbling blocks come, whether there are created deliberately or unknowingly.