Author: imikemedia

Sometimes we mistakenly think of the magnitude of sins in a wrong way. We talk of “little” sins as being those which really do not “count” because they seem so innocent when compared to major blunders which only the most ungodly do. The Catholic Church even has the same view of sins which are characterized as venial and mortal sins.

Do little sins count?

When one has this mindset, he struggles to figure out how eating fruit from a tree in the Garden of Eden could be so wrong. How could such an “innocent” act be compared to the sin mentioned in in the next chapter where a brother kills his own brother? Surely, murder must be a greater sin than eating fruit.

The same mindset struggles to deal with the “little” sin Saul committed in First Samuel chapter thirteen. Saul had been king for only one year when he was confronted by the Philistine army which had 30,000 chariots and 6,000 horsemen. Saul’s army had only 3,000 soldiers. The prophet Samuel told the king that he would come to the battlefront and make sacrifices to God to seek His blessing in the conflict. For some unknown reason, Samuel was delayed, and Saul’s army was about to flee even before the battle was begun. He knew he could never defeat the Philistines without the Lord’s help and, though he was not a priest, he went ahead and offered the sacrifice. How could such be wrong? If it was a sin, it had to be a “little” one. Yet God did not see it this way. Saul’s “little” sin caused the kingdom to be taken from the lineage of Saul.  Our view of “little” and “big” sins is often so wrong.

While the Bible does not use these words to describe sin, it does speak of “full grown” sins (Jas. 1:15). This verse describes the enticement of sin and the entrance into sin as the birth of sin. However, sin does not remain a “baby” sin. If it is not dealt with, it grows and grows in our lives. We often fail to realize that any sin can become an addiction. Peter described this process when he talked about Christians escaping the pollution of sin through following Christ but then are again “…entangled therein and overcome” (2 Pet. 2:20). Sin has remarkable power, and when we have waited until it grows we sometimes leave the Lord.

Joseph was enticed by Potiphar’s wife. He ran! Had he stayed he might have fallen into the bondage of sin. David was tempted and did not run! Look at the ruin such brought to his life and family.

“Little” sins may seem rather innocent when we are first enticed by them, but yielding to “little sins” from a heart set on ignoring God opens the door to the bondage of sin. When you sin, repent. Do not let it become full grown! Dan Jenkins

“GOD LOVES YOU AND I LOVE YOU AND THAT’S THE WAY IT’S GONNA BE!” – Mike

Everybody knows that their heart is on the left side of the body, for when the National Anthem is heard, our hand is placed over the heart as a sign of devotion to this land. It is likely that few have heard of dextrocardia situs inversus, but about one person in 10,000 suffers from this medical situation where the heart is located in the right side of the body. It is not often fatal to have the heart located in the wrong place, but there is another fatal condition called spiritualitus cardia situs inversus. Having the spiritual heart in the wrong place is always fatal.

The Bible uses the word “heart” 837 times and almost never uses it to refer to the muscle which pumps our blood. It uses the word to refer to our inner being, our souls and our emotions. Who has not heard of the greatest commandment, to love the Lord with all our heart?  Our love is tied to our hearts.

Jesus indicated this when He said, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matt. 6:21). The context in which He said this is preceded by two commands:
(1)  Do NOT lay up treasures for yourself on earth.
(2)  Do lay up treasures for yourself in heaven.

Notice how vividly the Lord described the two options where our treasures, and therefore, our hearts, will be focused. Far too many are so focused on physical matters that their hearts are not heaven centered. There is no middle ground, for the verses that follow show that it is impossible for one to serve God and riches (mammon).

Now all of this is tied to the heart. Those in the world, and sadly many Christians, have their hearts located in the wrong place. There is no way anyone can live focused on the physical pleasures which money enables and stay focused on spiritual matters. Why? Because “…where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Dan Jenkins

“GOD LOVES YOU AND I LOVE YOU AND THAT’S THE WAY IT’S GONNA BE!” – MIKE