Cats Do Cat Things

We got Fluffy as a kitten, the sole offspring of her mother. As soon as she was weaned we brought her home. During her years with us, she remained in the house, and never saw another cat except through the window. Yet she acted exactly like a cat.

She sat in the bedroom window watching birds, and if one came near the window she’d try to catch it. When she saw another cat through the window, she’d arch her back, hiss, and run about the room. At certain times of the year she would pick up a sock in her mouth, cry deeply, and carry it through the house as if it was a newborn kitten. Despite not having contact with other cats, she acted like every other cat. Why? Because she was a cat. Being a cat was her nature.

We cherish the idea that our own children are angels, but have you considered that no child has to be taught to lie, be greedy, insist on his own way, defy and resist his parents, steal, manipulate others, or cheat? Even if the child doesn’t actively engage in all these things because he knows the consequences, he thinks about doing them. Why? Because these are inherent in the human condition. It’s our nature to speak, think, act, and be motivated by evil. It’s what we call original sin.

Original sin is the natural condition of everyone born of parents. It’s our nature inherited from our first parents, Adam and Eve. Through their disobedience to God, their sin has been passed down to all of their offspring, infecting every aspect of mankind’s nature. This original sin puts child of Adam at odds with God so that we all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). Our sin is the cause of every evil in the world that we inflict on one another and which brings about our suffering, death, and alienation from our Creator.

The solution to man’s corrupted sin nature is receiving God’s gift of salvation. His gift is much more than being saved from sin and death, it is forgiveness and fellowship with God the Father. His gift of salvation is much more than an idea, it’s a Person, it’s Jesus. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:23).  

Feeling the Burn

Twin brothers Matthew and Mark strolled down the main avenue through Mayview. The sun greeted them with a promise of a warm spring day. From the cafe ahead on the left stepped a curmudgeonly old man who headed directly toward the brothers.

Matthew and Mark had every reason to be angry with Bernard. He’d taken a cow from their younger brother Luke, butchered it, and then redistributed the meat equally around town. Luke felt the anger burn within him. He’d planned to enter the cow in the state fair and use the prize money to send his son John to college.

When Bernard and the twins met on the sidewalk, both brothers reached out their hands and greeted the old man.

Matthew held no malice toward Bernard. He thought the man’s motive of helping the less fortunate was well intended and a step toward equality. Luke had another cow anyway.

Mark held no malice toward Bernard either. He believed that no matter how well intended, the man’s action was theft, and testified so in court; Mark forgave the man his trespass.

Jesus said, “Do not steal.” (Mark 10:19).

Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! (Isaiah 5:20).

Treasures in Heaven

Death, for the Christian, is not a thief come to cheat you out of life and steal all you have worked for; death is the gate that opens to you the vast treasures of eternity that you are storing up, and closes forever behind you all the sin, pain, sorrows, and trials of this world.

Lay up for yourselves treasures in Heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also (Matthew 9:20-21).

Face to Face

For the first time, I noticed the fearsome beast was not alone. The beast was not its own master.  It had a rider. The rider was even more powerful than the beast it rode. The rider was not only wicked, but was the Wicked One. The father of all lies. The serpent, the great dragon. He was controlling the beast.

Satan opened his mouth wide and roared.  Leaves blew from the trees.  The ground shook.  Stars fell from the sky.  But I knew what he hid.  This one who roared as a lion in the Serengeti Plain was fierce, but he was also defeated by the precious blood of Christ Jesus.

“The Lord Jesus reigns!” I yelled out, my voice overpowering the roar of the enemy.  “Though the mystery of lawlessness is great, the Lord God Almighty, Maker of Heaven and Earth is greater still!  The Lord, strong and mighty, is the Lord of Hosts!”

I raised the Word of God in my hand into the air and it became as a flaming sword.  The Heavens parted and I heard a voice as of many waters speak: “Preach the Word! For My Word is more powerful than any two-edged sword and it accomplishes the purpose for which I sent it.”

The rider’s face twisted as he eyed me from head to foot.  “I know you.  Yes, I do,” he whispered as a snake.  “You are a thief, a cheat, a liar and adulterer.  You’ve wounded many with your gossip and murdered even more with the hate of your heart.  You’ve stolen what belongs to others, been angry without a cause, dishonored your parents, and betrayed your God.  From your youth you have failed Him with your sins.”

** return tomorrow for part 4 of this story.