BBD 08.27.13 Shame (Classic)
Posted by: theburningbushdevotional <theburningbushdevotional@...>
Visit the
Burning Bush websites:
The
Burning Bush websites have received visits from more than 170 countries.
Celebrating 15 years online since January 31, 1998. Since June 8, 1998 the Burning
Bush Devotional has been spreading the truth of God's Word to more than 14,000
subscribers across the world.
You can
leave comments/feedback about the devotionals at http://www.theburningbush.net.
There is
a translation tool on theburningbush.net website in the top left hand corner of
all of the pages.
The Burning Bush Devotional
14,000 Subscribers
to the Email Devotional
Classic from 2006
08.27.13
Shame
The LORD is righteous in her midst, He will do no unrighteousness. Every
morning He brings His justice to light; He never fails, but the unjust knows no
shame. - Zephaniah 3:5.
The more they increased, the more they sinned against Me; I will change
their glory into shame. - Hosea 4:7.
The news reports have been streaming in today about the
smokers at the University of Colorado at Boulder. There is an annual protest or
party about the use of marijuana. The University has become more imaginative
each year in efforts to discourage this event. Last year, they turned on the
in-ground sprinkler system; however, the students just stepped on the
sprinklers. This year, they posted warnings that participants would be
photographed and that, "Trespassers
may be summoned or referred to the office of judicial affairs." The warnings were not a hoax and there are many photos
that are now posted online of the participants with a reward being offered for
identification. The University webpage is located at http://www.colorado.edu/police/420_Photo_Album/index.htm
(The webpage is no longer available when I checked 08.27.13) and the title is "Farrand
Field 4-20-2006” with the following statements just prior to many photos, "The University is offering a reward for the identification of any of
the individuals pictured below."
Listening to the statements from some of those attending
the event, I heard outrage, anger, and threats of retaliation through the ACLU.
One student claimed he was not actually smoking pot but just a cigarette. The
situation reminded me somewhat of when I was fourteen years old and was
publicly identified as being one of three students who had been smoking
cigarettes. It was after a marching band event at another city on a Saturday
where we were allowed to attend a collegiate football game. We did smoke at the
football game and unknown to us the superintendent of our school was watching
us smoke with his binoculars. We had a school assembly on Monday morning and
the entire school was told about our smoking. It was not against school policy,
and at that time it was also not illegal, and our fathers were all smokers.
Personally, I had not thought there was anything wrong with it until that
moment at the assembly. The emotion I felt at the time I still remember very
clearly. That emotion was shame.
The students involved in the event at the University of
Colorado may face serious consequences for their actions. They could be expelled
from college, arrested for trespassing, arrested for violation of law, and
prevented from being able to receive any governmental grants or loans. For most
of those involved, it was probably a fun thing to do and they gave little
thought to any possible consequences. Possibly because there had been very few
consequences in the past. However, just because judgment has not yet come does
not mean that it is not coming and at some point, it will arrive. If judgment
comes upon them would they at that point experience shame? Or, through
the remainder of their lives, will they just be angry at being caught, angry
at having their actions exposed?
When you sin, are you ashamed? When you are confronted
with our sin, are you just angry at being caught and at the person exposing
you? When you sin, and if you
experience the emotion of shame it means that your conscience is very much
alive and well. You should immediately turn away from that sin and turn to God
through the mercies of your Lord by confessing that what you have done was
wrong (1 John 1:9). However, if you can sin and never experience the
emotion of shame it may be because one of two possibilities.
One possibility of
not experiencing the emotion of shame when you sin is that you have never
received Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and been born again. And, you have
rejected Jesus as your Savior again, and again, and again until your heart has
become so cold and calloused that you feel nothing when you sin; because you
can no longer sense or feel the Holy Spirit drawing you to Jesus. If you do not
know Jesus as your personal Savior then, the Holy Spirit is not residing within
you and you do not have the new nature that comes through salvation (2 Corinthians 5:17). The second
possibility is that you may at one point have made a decision for Christ
but began to sin again, again, and again - until your heart has become so cold,
and calloused that you feel nothing when you sin. The solution for both
conditions is to turn to God through Christ asking for His mercy and
forgiveness while turning away from your sin.
Copyright © 2006-2013. Ed
Wrather. The Burning Bush website has been online since January 31, 1998. On
June 8, 1998 the email version of the Burning Bush Devotional was first sent.
Ed Wrather began writing devotionals in the early 1990s. The distribution of
these first devotionals was primarily through the Burning Bush Newsletter sent
to prison facilities throughout the United States and Canada.
Ed Wrather has retired from
pastoring full-time and has more time to pursue other ministry opportunities.
No matter what the size your church, Ed will come on a love offering basis for
a revival or to share his testimony in the continental United States. You can
make contact at edwrather@yahoo.com or WratherEd@gmail.com
View LinkedIn profile with endorsements at
http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=92988105
Prayer Requests: Many prayer
needs are posted at the Burning Bush website on the Prayer Request page. You
can also post your prayer requests there (Of course, I am always in need of
prayer - please pray for me.).
Please join the Burning Bush Prayer Group.
The group began in 1998 and is made up of over 300 prayer warriors. Send prayer requests and receive prayer
requests. To join send an email to: bbpg-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
If you enjoy the devotional please recommend it to your friends. They may
subscribe by sending a blank email to burningbushdevo-join@welovegod.org
There is a complete devotional
archive at the old Burning Bush website. Here is the URL: http://www.theburningbush.org/33.html.
You can unsubscribe to the burningbushdevo
devotional group by sending a blank email to
burningbushdevo-leave@welovegod.org and then respond to the confirmation email.
You may
subscribe to the html text group (Because of time constraints the devotional is
only being sent now in html format) by sending a blank email to
burningbushhtml-join@welovegod.org and you may unsubscribe by sending a blank
email to burningbushhtml-leave@welovegod.org and then respond to the
confirmation email. If the link does not work, copy and paste the link.
--
To unsubscribe, send ANY message to: burningbushdevo-leave@welovegod.org