Bandaids on the Bathroom Mirror
The drunk husband snuck up the stairs quietly. He looked in the bathroom mirror and bandaged the bumps and bruises he’d received in a fight earlier that night. He then proceeded to climb into bed, smiling at the thought that he’d pulled one over on his wife. When morning came, he opened his eyes and there stood his wife. “You were drunk last night weren’t you!” “No, honey.” “Well, if you weren’t, then who put all the band-aids on the bathroom mirror?”2 Sam. 12:14 “Because you treated the Lord with such contempt in this matter, the son born to you will die.”David treated the Lord with contempt(despised) by:
Seeking to satisfy his own desires.
“If this was not enough, I would have given you more.” 12:8. When we are not willing to deny ourselves, we are despising the Lord. God is a giving God. “Ask and you shall receive. Knock and it will be open. Seek and you shall find.” Luke 6:38- “give and it will be given to you; a good measure- pressed down, shaken together, and running over- will be poured into your lap.
”Deceiving his friends, family, and community.
It was ok to deceive people even when God knew the truth. If he hid it from people, he would be all right.Then he had to go to extremes to keep it covered. He killed Uriah. But he also killed other men. “Some of the men from David’s soldiers fell in battle (11:17); David continued the deception by saying, “encourage him.”At last the final deception. After the mourning period David appeared to do the honorable thing. Which was to marry Bathsheba because her husband died in battle. By now, do you think word was out? Even if it wasn’t- “The Lord considered what David had done to be evil.” (11:27)
Denying the truth. (9)
He acted as if everything was alright. Don’t you hate it when people act as if they are perfect? Don’t you hate hypocrites? Then make sure you are not one.
Giving God’s enemies a foothold on which to stand.
“If we claim we have not sinned, we make Him out to be a liar and His word has no place in our lives.” 1 John 1:10
How should we respond? Ps. 51.
David went down in history as a man after God’s own heart. Have you made major mistakes before? Is there something that you would like to have a “do-over” on? God promises to wash our slate clean if we will respond accordingly.
· David confessed he was a sinner. (1-3) He admitted he was wrong.
Walking Across the Bog
After dying, three friends, XX, YY and ZZ wake up outside of heaven. St Peter says that before any can enter, they have to pass through a bog. All those who pass through sink in proportion to the amount of unconfessed sins they had when they died. XX launches out and immediately begins to sink. He struggles onward, and finally pushed to the opposite side, just as the mud reaches his neck. He looks back, and sees his friend YY walking across, his shoes barely sinking in the mire. XX says, “I can’t believe it. I never would have thought you were so holy!” YY replies, “Oh, I’m just standing on ZZ’s shoulders.” If we confess our sins, then we walk on Jesus’ shoulders.
· David believed only God could cleanse him.
No one or nothing else would do.
Only God could cleanse David. The Bible says “If we confess our sins and He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and will purify us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9
· David addressed his issue. (10)
He had a heart problem.
Effects of Sin
How does a worm get inside an apple? Perhaps you think the worm burrows in from the outside. No, scientists have discovered that the worm comes from inside. But how does he get in there? Simple! An insect lays an egg in the apple blossom. Sometime later, the worm hatches in the heart of the apple, then eats his way out. Sin, like the worn, begins in the heart and works out through a person’s thoughts, words, and actions.
“If My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”
Do you have a dry desert in your life? A place where there should be fruit but instead it is desert sand? A place where you long to experience life and freedom? This place consumes you. This place suppresses you? Overpowers you? Dominates your thought life? Then you need a word from God and I believe this might help.
In math, an “if, then” statement….
I believe God is telling us through His written word, If you do your part, then I will do mine. Become “My people”. Simple, believe in Jesus. Do not put your faith in anything else. (Money, education, technology, job)
“Called by My name”- live for Me. People around should know that we are Christians by how we live, words we say, actions we take. We should not assume anything.
“humble ourselves”
“pray”- the one thing we don’t do. (fast)
“Seek My face”-
Then God will do what only He can do. Notice that sin isn’t plural. It reminds me that it only takes one.
“land” We depend on our land to produce crops to eat. We depend on our land to provide safety. (What are we made of? Our land.) We need OUR land to be healthy. Asbestos
In its natural state, asbestos is a soft rock consisting of compressed fibers. Because of its fire-resistant qualities, it has had thousands of uses in home and industry over the years. Almost 30 million tons of the material have been used in the United states for insulation since 1900.I remember being impressed as a child with that amazing kind of cloth that doesn’t burn. But even though it has served a beneficial purpose, recent findings show it to be a severe health hazard. According to a Harvard Medical School report, more than 500,000 Americans will die from exposure to the air-borne particles of asbestos. It stated that just because there doesn’t appear to be an immediate problem, the public must not be fooled. Asbestos disease becomes a medical problem when it’s too late to cure it. The symptoms may not show up for 30 years or more.
