More to the Story - Chapte 13
Solomon

It's All Meaningless, a "Chasing After the Wind" 

"I devoted myself to study and to explore by wisdom all that is done under heaven. What a heavy burden God has laid on men! I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind." Ecclesiastes 1:13-14(NIV)

Reflection

When I turned to Christ in my early 30’s one of the first books of the Bible that I read was Ecclesiastes, the authorship of which is attributed to Solomon. It’s contents hit me hard and true. I identified with almost entirely with it’s basic premise, which is that life apart from God is completely meaningless. Solomon uses the word “meaningless” 35 times. At the time I read the book I was at the end of my rope, depressed and hopeless and everything he wrote rang true for me.  

I remember thinking that Ecclesiastes could be a manifesto for the mid twentieth century existentialists (maybe you’ve read some of things that Albert Camus or Franz Kafka wrote about the hopelessness of life).  

However, for me the really big thing was (and I am convinced that this can only come from God) the conviction that meaninglessness cannot be all there is, that there has to be more. And indeed there is. If you read Ecclesiastes’ final 2 verses you may not be overwhelmed by joyful hope. I wasn’t, but I knew that Solomon was telling me that I was right, that meaninglessness is not all there is, not by a long shot. 

Prayer
 
Lord, prevent me from entering 2012 with no new hopes and dreams. Protect me from living out the “same old, same old”. Although Solomon tells us that “there is nothing new under sun”, yet it is also true that what remains undiscovered under the sun is immense and good and available. Lord, please reveal more of yourself and your Grace to me and my family than we can ever deserve. In the name of Jesus whose resurrection makes all things possible. Amen” 

More to the Story - Chapter 13
Solomon, the author of Proverbs

The “Wisdom of Solomon"

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight”. Proverbs 3:5-6

Reflection

Proverbs are pithy wise sayings attributed to Solomon who compiled these teachings for his son.The above is maybe the most widely quoted of them. In fact I recommend reading all of Chapter 3. It’s great and full of practical wisdom (wisdom is the ability to put knowledge into practice).
 
The Proverbs are a terrific time tested way for father and son to spend practical time “doing life” together. (Don’t read 21:9 though)
 
It is also noteworthy that the wisdom of Solomon did not prevent him from slowly drifting into exactly that against which he warned his sons. Knowing the truth is never enough. There is no substitute for the disciplined obedience which holds itself accountable to a third party or two, something Solomon did not have.  Because of that he drifted away from all that he knew to be true and instead opted for the things that perish. And perish they did, as they always do.
 
Prayer

Lord, please help me in 2012 to trust, to actually trust rather than trying to “force fit” life into a mold of my own making. You are the potter and all else, including me and my dreams, are the clay. Shape my life and my world into your great purposes today and throughout 2012. Amen”

THE KING WHO HAD IT ALL

The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for wisdom So God said to him, "Since you have asked for this . . I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be. Moreover, I will give you what you have not asked for--both riches and honor--so that in your lifetime you will have no equal among kings." 1 Kings 3:10-14 (NIV)


AND THEN LOST IT

The Lord had told Solomon not to be lead astray by pride and passion for women. Yet this verse tells it well, “Nevertheless, Solomon held fast to them in love”. 1 Kings 11:2 (NIV)

PRAYER

“He built God’s Temple, was admired from afar, was gifted beyond all his peers. Yet in the end he didn’t finish. Lord, prevent me from being the frog in the kettle. Yank me out of the comfort of the slow and numbing warmth of the complacency that tolerates my sinful indulgences. . . . . .so that I do not incur the fate of this once great man. In Christ’s Name merciful Name, I ask this. Amen”

More to the Story
Christmas in the Old Testament

JESUS’ BIRTH IN REVELATION

As you read the following passage from Revelation you will be reading what the apostle John, “saw” in the heavenly realm. He is seeing glimpses of Genesis 3:15, the actual birth of Jesus to Mary, the pursuit of Jesus by Herod, and perhaps even the killing of the children under two in Bethlehem.
 
It seems that there is way in which what happens on earth mirrors what is happening unseen by most of us in the spiritual realm. And it also seems that Christianity, as opposed the Greeks and their mythologies, affirm that what happens on earth has an impact on what happens in the realm of the “heavens”.
 
When the dragon saw that he had been hurled to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. The woman was given the two wings of a great eagle, so that she might fly to the place prepared for her in the desert, where she would be taken care of for a time, times and half a time, out of the serpent's reach. Then from his mouth the serpent spewed water like a river, to overtake the woman and sweep her away with the torrent. But the earth helped the woman by opening its mouth and swallowing the river that the dragon had spewed out of his mouth. Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to make war against the rest of her offspring--those who obey God's commandments and hold to the testimony of Jesus.
Revelation 12:13-17(NIV)

More to the Story
Christmas in the Old Testament

JESUS’ BIRTH IN LUKE

The Birth Stories in Luke are full of singing! This passage is called the “Magnificat” Latin for the first Greek words of the song. You may have heard it sung in church services at Christmas.
 
As you read, notice two things: First Mary is really, really happy. She builds what she says on Hanna’s song, which she must have know very well. She feels loved, cared for, blessed and she wants others to know they can feel this way too.
 
Second what she sings is revolutionary. She predicts the overturning of everything this world is about. The rich will be humbled and the humble will be lifted up. The world will be turned upside down. There is a new world coming and those who inherit it will not be those who exploit this one.
 
Mary said: With all my heart I praise the Lord,
and I am glad because of God my Savior.
He cares for me, his humble servant. From now on, all people will say God has blessed me.
God All-Powerful has done great things for me, and his name is holy.
He always shows mercy to everyone who worships him.
The Lord has used his powerful arm to scatter those who are proud.
He drags strong rulers from their thrones and puts humble people in places of power.
God gives the hungry good things to eat, and sends the rich away with nothing.
He helps his servant Israel and is always merciful to his people.
The Lord made this promise to our ancestors, to Abraham and his family forever!   Luke 1:46-55(CEV)

More to the Story
Christmas in the Old Testament

JESUS’ BIRTH IN MATTHEW - CHAPTER ONE

Matthew records God’s “upper story” of setting the world to rights by providing a family tree of “lower story” people. Matthew “truncates the tree” organizing it neatly into three groups, as if to say “God brings orders out the chaos of ordinary life." Take note of the names and the stories behind them. You, too, have a name that God knows, the best of the story behind it is “Immanuel”, God having been at work in your life.  

“The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. 

Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, and Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, and Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Ram, and Ram the father of Amminadab, and Amminadab the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon the father of Salmon, and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of David the king.
And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah, and Solomon the father of Rehoboam, and Rehoboam the father  . . . . Josiah, and Josiah the father of Jechoniah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon.
And after the deportation to Babylon: Jechoniah was  . . . . the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ. . . . . . 

Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: 

“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and they shall call his name Immanuel”

which means, God with us). When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus."

More to the Story
Christmas in the Old Testament


JESUS’ BIRTH IN ISAIAH (again!) 

"For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.

And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." Isaiah 9:6(NIV)

This is Isaiah’s most direct prediction of the coming Messiah. Verse one of this chapter indicates he will come from Galilee (Nazareth is in Galilee). In the New Testament the Holy Spirit sent by Jesus is called a counselor in John 14. Jesus refers to God as Father, as does Paul, a designation personal and profound, one not given to deities of other religions. And he is one who defeats the powers of darkness destruction and despair. He is the Prince of peace. It is through Him that the Lion will befriend the lamb (Isaiah 11:6).

From a 21st century AD standpoint Christians believe that Messiah has come. Already. He has already brought peace and defeated evil through his death and resurrection. Already but not yet. Believers live in both realms. We know salvation has come to the world, but we have only glimpses, forshadowings, hints. Yet those hints and tastes of the coming salvation are so powerful that Christians can rejoice in the already and enjoy ahead of time the day when God’s salvation coming into its fullness. As Christmas eve approaches is it not true that the anticipation is the best part? Yet, and this is so awesome, Christianity claims that the reality of the new creation will exceed by light years the joy of our anticipation of it.

More to the Story
Christmas in the Old Testament


JESUS’ BIRTH IN GENESIS
 
“I will put enmity between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and hers;
he will crush your head,
and you will strike his heel." Genesis 3:15(NIV)
 
This one little verse tucked away in the account of how things went wrong in the universe, is a hint, a prophecy, an explanation of the future, a prediction, and a hope.
 
“You” refers to the satan, the adversarial power that is at work in the universe to destroy the things of God. “The woman” refers to Eve. “Your offspring” refers to those who inadvertently or intentionally align themselves with the purposes of the satan. “Hers” refers to the single offspring of Eve who will triumph over the enemies of God. Her single offspring will deliver a fatal and final blow to satan and those who have aligned themselves with him. However, before his demise, satan will deliver a painful but in-the-end-not-lethal blow to the woman’s single offspring (Jesus, who was crucified, died, but then rose from the dead).
 
You can read the birth story of Jesus, which elaborates on Genesis 3:15, in Revelation 12:13-17. 

The word “hers” is the prediction that one day a human descendant of Eve would be born who would set the world aright. And He, Jesus, has done exactly that – already but not yet. It is now the job of each believer to live into that reality.
 
PRAYER

Thank You, Thank You, Thank You, Lord, that right in the middle of everything going wrong, you have informed us in writing that everything will made right. I choose this day to live in that certain hope. I believe. Amen”

More to The Story
Christmas in The Old Testament

JESUS’ BIRTH IN 2 SAMUEL 

“'The LORD declares to you that the LORD himself will establish a house for you (King David): When your days are over and you rest with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, who will come from your own body, and I will establish his kingdom. He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be his father, and he will be my son. When he does wrong, I will punish him with the rod of men, with floggings inflicted by men. But my love will never be taken away from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you. Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever.'" 2 Samuel 7:11-16(NIV) 

This is another of the “double prophecies” found in the Old Testament. It prophecies that David’s son, Solomon, will build the Temple and also that a descendent of King David will rule over God’s People forever, referring to Jesus.
 
In 586 BC Israel’s sovereignty was lost when it was destroyed and taken captive by Babylon. Israel did not regain its sovereignty until 1948 AD. And even so there is not a descendent of David on “Israel’s throne”. Christians believe, however, that the descendent of David did come to rule over God’s people 2,000 years ago, that he now sits at the right hand of God (Psalm 110:1) and that he not only rules God’s people, Israel, and rules not only God’s people Gentile believers, but that he also rules the world.
 
“in Him all things hold together” Colossians 1:17

PRAYER

“Lord, I believe that You as Jesus and Jesus as Your Son, the fully human descendant of David, crucified but risen from the dead, are currently ruling the universe. I believe. I trust your leadership this day and thereafter. In my home, in my car, when alone, when with others, when at work, in hardship or comfort, I will bend my will to your will. Amen”

More to The Story
Christmas in the Old Testament

JESUS’ BIRTH IN ISAIAH 

“Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel”. Isaiah 7:14(NIV)
 
There is much debate as to whether the correct translation is “virgin” or “young woman”. Actually the latter is probably more correct, yet those who translated the Hebrew Bible into in the 2nd century BC choose a Greek word that specifically means virgin. Following is a helpful note from the Life Application Bible:

"Virgin" is translated from a Hebrew word used for an unmarried woman who is old enough to be married, one who is sexually mature.  Some have compared this young woman to Isaiah's young wife and newborn son (8:1-4). This is not likely because she had a child, Shear-jashub, and her second child was not named Immanuel. Some believe that Isaiah's first wife may have died, and so this is his second wife. It is more likely that this prophecy had a double fulfillment. (1) A young woman from the house of Ahaz who was not married would marry and have a son. Before three years passed (one year for pregnancy and two for the child to be old enough to talk), the two invading kings would be destroyed. (2) Matthew 1:23 quotes Isaiah 7:14 to show a further fulfillment of this prophecy in that a virgin named Mary conceived and bore a son, Immanuel, the Christ.

Many Old Testament prophecies have both an immediately applicable understanding applying to the time of their writing and one that points to Christ. This is one of them.

There is always the pull to remain purely objective so that one can get the facts as accurately as possible and then base one’s beliefs on what is objectively true. Those who think this way choose “young woman”. Yet, the Bible itself doesn’t allow anyone to get to perfect objectivity in a pure and perfect sense. What the Bible gives us is lots of evidence (as opposed to irrefutable truth in a scientific or historical sense).

In short, following Christ will always require belief and faith . I find it ironic that those who bet their lives on science apart from God often say to those who ask what they do with what science cannot explain say something like, “one day science will find out”, which is kind of a “science of the gaps” faith. In other words, Christians and non theistic evolutionists stand on the same ground, that of faith.

More to the Story
Christmas in the Old Testament

JESUS' BIRTH IN MICAH

"But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
though you are small among the clans of Judah,
out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel,
whose origins are from of old, from ancient times." Micah 5:2(NIV)
 
This verse and the verses surrounding it come from the prophet Micah who lived as early as the 8th century BC. Amazing, isn’t it? How could this be? The biblical record of God’s healing a broken world contains so many ahead-of-time hints, prophecies and predictions.
 
This one is exacting beyond belief. All the Jewish leaders at the time of Jesus knew of this prophecy and expected that this is where the Messiah would come from. Even more interesting, to me at least, is that God used Caesar, the most powerful man on planet earth, as a pawn, causing him to call a census which got Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem just in time for Jesus to born there.
 
God is the Grand Weaver, who finds nothing, absolutely nothing in the all of creation, to be beyond his control or redemption. 

PRAYER

Lord, I believe. I believe that you are the Grand Weaver. I believe that right now you are working out every detail of the universe, including every detail of my little world, for good. Though I may not see it now, yet I believe. Amen.”

More to the Story
Christmas in the Old Testament


JESUS' BIRTH IN THE BOOK OF NUMBERS

"I see him, but not now;
I behold him, but not near.
A star will come out of Jacob;
a scepter will rise out of Israel." Numbers 24:17(NIV)

Balaam, a prophet of the nation of Moab, enemies of Israel and very fearful of them, was commissioned by his king to prophesy evil over Israel. Balaam just couldn’t do it though. The Spirit of the God of Israel compelled him to prophesy good about Israel. Among the many things said in his five pro Israel oracles was the above verse. He spoke of a star and a scepter coming out of Jacob (Jacob = Israel and scepter=dominant power affirming Genesis 49:10.) He also spoke of a star.  

Could it be that this 1400 year old prophecy made it into Mesopotamian folklore, and was retold often enough that it made its way down to a few Persian astrologers who were seeking truth in its purest form? Could it be that to these “students of truth” (the wise men of the Christmas story) was revealed some kind of a light that guided them west, and along with study of the Hebrew scriptures, led them on a very, very long journey to Herod and ultimately Bethlehem? 

It seems to me that God works every angle to reach every person with knowledge of Himself and of Jesus, the one hope of the world. How have you seen God “working the angles” to reach you?
 
PRAYER 

Lord, I do not deserve your tireless pursuit of me. Yet I believe you find me worth it even when I don’t. Your Grace and Love are incomprehensible. I believe. I love you Lord. Amen”

More to The Story - Chapter 12

WHAT DOES A PERSON WHO IS ACCEPTED BY GOD LOOK LIKE?

PSALM 51

A Psalm of David. When the prophet Nathan came to him after David had committed adultery with Bathsheba.

This prayer, when sincerely prayed.....this attitude, when sincerely embraced, is what opens the floodgates of Heaven.

"Have mercy on me,
O God, according to your unfailing love;
according to your great compassion
blot out my transgressions.
Wash away all my iniquity
and cleanse me from my sin.
For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is always before me.
Against you, you only, have I sinned
and done what is evil in your sight,
so that you are proved right when you speak
and justified when you judge.
Surely I was sinful at birth,
sinful from the time my mother conceived me.
Surely you desire truth in the inner parts;
you teach me wisdom in the inmost place.
Cleanse me with hyssop,
and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
Let me hear joy and gladness;
let the bones you have crushed rejoice.
Hide your face from my sins
and blot out all my iniquity.
Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me from your presence
or take your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation
and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me......
You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it;
you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise."

More to The Story - Chapter 12

YOUR GREATEST HEALTH RISK

"When I kept silent,
my bones wasted away
through my groaning all day long.

For day and night
your hand was heavy upon me;
my strength was sapped
as in the heat of summer.

Selah”    Psalm 32:3-4(NIV)

DAVID AND BATHSHEBA

When did David write these words?
 
I am certain it was after having been confronted by Nathan about his having slept with Bathsheba and then having her husband killed. At that point his sin overwhelmed him and he could no longer live with himself. 

However this has me wondering. Was his sin eating him up only after being confronted? Or is it possible that he was being destroyed from the inside out even while he thought he was getting away with adultery and murder?
 
My guess is that a believer gets away with nothing. Even before being found out, God’s Spirit is at odds with your spirit and that conflict plays itself out in physically in the body – even causing serious disease. My guess is that this is true even when the believer feels he’s “gotten away with murder”. 

Are you carrying around unconfessed sin? Is it possible that it is taking an emotional and physical toll on you even though you are feeling no guilt?
 
Have you tried Biblical healing?

“Then I acknowledged my sin to you
and did not cover up my iniquity.
I said, "I will confess
my transgressions to the LORD"—
and you forgave
the guilt of my sin.

Selah" Psalm 32:5 (NIV)

More to The Story - Chapter 11 - 1st & 2nd Samuel

YOU CAN'T BE SOMEONE ELSE

“I cannot go in these." (1 Samuel 17:39)


5 SMOOTH STONES

I have been a Christian for 32 years. I have tried to pray as the great “prayer warriors” have prayed. I have tried to preach as the great preachers have preached. I have tried to behave and talk and live as the “greats” in the Christian world. Every attempt at trying to be someone else has been a wreck. Even when it “worked”, it didn’t work because it wasn’t me.  

You and I need to be you and I, not someone else. God wants you to grow into the you that God intends, and that may look nothing like the “great” Christians you admire. 

David volunteered to take on Goliath one on one, mano e mano. Winner take all. King Saul, impressed with David’s bravado, gave David his armor to put on. It didn’t fit. It was awkward, It got in the way. It was Saul’s battle suit, not his. David was a shepherd who could handle himself against predators. David took off the armor, went to the stream, found five smooth stones, put them in his pouch, relied on what he knew, and had practiced a million times.  

Had David tried to be Saul, we would not be reading about David 3,000 years later.
 
Your children, your parents, your spouse, your church, your friends, your community, the world, need you, not someone else. God growing in and through who you were created to be is a person who is is loveable and who will be seen by someone, probably many someones, as a person in whom Christ lives and that will be a compelling life, a joyful life and an eternal life. Go to the stream and find your smooth stones.

PRAYER

"Lord, forgive me for trying be that which I am not intended to be. Lead me to become the best me, the one you chose to create before the beginning of time. Amen"

More to The Story - Chapter 11 - 1st & 2nd Samuel

THE KIND OF PERSON WHO LIKES GOD AND WILL LIKE HEAVEN

“The LORD said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height . . . .The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." (1 Samuel 16:7)

GOD JUDGES THE HEART

Legalistically “following the rules” is not the path to God, God’s Kingdom or Heaven. Trying to be good enough almost always turns a person into something bad or disappointing. The apostle Paul tried the “being good” route and he jettisoned it in favor of casting his fate on trusting and following Jesus.
 
Relying on good works leads to bad things like spiritual pride (absolutely the worst kind of Christian), or to giving up on the project of trying to make it as a Christian and then dropping out and then even disliking Christianity because of all the hypocrisy they feel they see. Or it can lead to living a double life, being one thing in church and another outside of it. Being good and trying harder is all too often a dead end street. 

King David is the one person in the entire Bible who is described as a “man after God’s own heart”. He was not good.   But he loved God. Ezekiel 36:26 applied to him. Today’s scripture is written about him. Psalm 51 describes how David, a murder and adulterer, can have a heart that loves God, receives God’s love, and will be at home with God in heaven. Please read these passages. What is in them that applies to David and all those who spend eternity with God? Can you see the forgiveness of Jesus on the cross working backwards to move David to be a “man after God’s own heart?”

PRAYER

"Lord, I want so much to just love you and love people. I have so much trouble with what this means. Loving you must be and is so different from everything 21st century America says love is. Lord, give me your heart, one that leads into a Christian faith that brings me joy and peace and confidence and leads me to deep breaths of the freedom from all of that which stands between me and You. I love you Lord.”

Pastor's Reflection - December 2, 2011

More to The Story - Chapter 12 - David

WHAT TO DO WITH YOUR "THIRD WEEK OF MARCH"

When Pope John Paul died, a man named Rogers Cadenhead quickly registered the web address www.BenedictXVI.com, thinking this might be the name chosen by the new pope. When Cardinal Ratzinger was elected Pope, he did choose the name Pope Benedict XVI, causing some to question what the Vatican would do to get the rights to that domain name.

Cadenhead didn't ask the Vatican for money. Instead, in a humorous manner on his blog he suggested a few things he would trade for:
1. Three days, two nights at the Vatican hotel.
2. One of those hats (referring to the bishop's hat).
3. Complete absolution, no questions asked, for the third week of March 1987.

Wonder what Rogers did the third week of March in 1987? Me too, but does it really matter? Most of us have at least a week for which we'd love to have total forgiveness.

We discover in The Story that David did. One day when the army is at war, David, who is the commander of the nation's military, neglects his duties and stays behind. He sees Bathsheba, seduces her, gets her pregnant, murders her husband, and tries to cover up his actions by deceiving his general and soldiers. Then he marries Bathsheba and she bears their child.

It looks as if David will get away with all of this. But he doesn't. God sends his prophet Nathan to confront David by telling him a story about a poor man with one lamb. David knows something about sheep and shepherds, so he listens. Nathan says that the poor man has a rich neighbor who needs to slaughter a lamb to feed a guest, but instead of taking one of his many sheep he steals the poor man's one lamb.

David is incensed and says that man should be put to death. Nathan then declares, "You are the man!" At that moment David must have wished he had bought a domain name that he could swap for absolution. He may have wanted to make excuses. Explain things away. Blame it on Bathsheba for taking a bath in broad daylight where he could see. But instead of making excuses, David confesses, "I have sinned against the Lord." (2 Samuel 12:13)

And God did with David's sin what he will do with yours and mine. He put it away (Psalm 103:12-13).

You can do what David did. Whatever your "third week of March" might be, sit down with it, yourself and God. Confess your sin. And then let another shepherd from Bethlehem forgive it. That's better than any domain name you might secure.

You can follow Pastor Jeff on Twitter @jefflampl