Dear readers,
The email version of this weekly blog is called “Lake City News”. There is a reason. I grew up in Rock County and Pony Lake was almost in our back yard. At one point in history, there was a town platted there, and it was called Lake City. In the “Remember When” column in our local newspaper this week from 100 years ago, there was this: “The poverty and wealth dance at Lake City was well attended and a good time was reported.” This would have been 1912. The dance hall, lumber yard, and post office at Lake City have long since disappeared, but it’s fun knowing I lived there.
I spent a day last week trying to remove some pesky beavers at Lake George (our other home by a lake). They have worn out their welcome. Actually, I don’t remember ever welcoming them, they just moved in without asking. I didn’t have any success with that project yet, but I’ll be spending some more time there this week.
Removing unwanted rodents could be compared to rooting out sin in our lives. Some of those things creep in, and one day we realize they are not as innocent as we thought, and it is much harder to kick them out after they become established.
In order to begin working on the beaver problem at our lake, I need to get authorization to use the means necessary to evict them. That came in the form of a permit from Game and Parks. I now have the authority to use physical force to remove the unwanted visitors.
As Christians, we have been authorized to deal with sin, and we also are given the necessary tools to get the job done. Our authority is granted by the Lord, and our helper is the Holy Spirit. In addition, we have the Word of God, which shows us the way to not only deal with present sin, but which also instructs us in the way to keep sin from taking over in our lives. The proper application of His Word is very effective in dealing with sin.
Of equal importance are prayer, confession, repentance and relying on the power of God’s Holy Spirit, not our own: “‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty.” (Zechariah 4:6).
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).
The very best way to enjoy freedom from sin is to never let it take up residence in your life. Here are three commands concerning temptation to sin: Flee from sexual immorality (1 Corinthians 6:18), flee from idolatry (1 Corinthians 10:14), and flee the evil desires of youth (2 Timothy 2:22).
In His Truth,
Pastor Jerry
sandhillspastor 