Hidden Sin! ~ Paul Chappell and Linda K. Milam

I wanted to share this older devotion of Paul Chappell's,  which touched my heart when I first read it and did again today.  It certainly caused me to examine myself carefully. Won't you read it with an open heart and a desire to follow Him? Please? 

Don't allow the devil to trick you into believing you can continue hiding Sin in your life. What is done in the dark or "in the closet", will eventually be known by many and God will not continue to give grace and mercy, as Jesus said in Scripture below. Find some place today that you can get alone with God and let Him help you get things right in His sight and with those around you who are hurting because of your rebellion against God. He loves you, even now! LKMilam

Hidden Sin!
~Paul Chappell

Sunday, May 15, 2016

“In the mean time, when there were gathered together an innumerable multitude of people, insomuch that they trode one upon another, he began to say unto his disciples first of all, Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known. Therefore whatsoever ye have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light; and that which ye have spoken in the ear in closets shall be proclaimed upon the housetops.” Luke 12:1–3

Charles Lindbergh was one of the most famous and admired men in the world. Following his solo flight across the Atlantic in 1927, he gained world renown. His fame only increased after the tragic kidnapping and death of his oldest child. People looked up to Lindbergh and admired him as a man of virtue and character. What they did not know—what was not revealed until nearly thirty years after his death—was that Lindbergh had seven illegitimate children scattered across Europe. With great shock Lindbergh’s youngest daughter from his marriage wrote, “This story reflects absolutely Byzantine layers of deception on the part of our shared father.”

The temptation to hide and cover our sin rather than dealing with it goes all the way back to the fig leaves Adam and Eve wore as they hid from God in the Garden of Eden. We will try almost anything to avoid having to admit that we have done wrong. And there are times when it seems like we are succeeding at getting away with sin. But that is merely an illusion. God does not always immediately bring to light what we have done and punish us as we deserve. Sometimes He gives us grace and forbearance to see if we will return to Him on our own. However, if we insist on allowing our sin to remain, it will eventually become known. ~PChappell

No matter what you may believe, eventually the "sin" you may be hiding will show its ugly head and nothing you can do will hide it. It is not worth the pain and sadness and all that will come with it.  Repentance is still the answer, and God has a big forgiving heart.  Repent (turn away) from the sin that besets you and when you do you will be turning toward HIM.  I do pray this has been a help and again, please know we are always available to pray with you, and to help you in any way we can, and just be there for you. ~LKMilam

Have a blessed day!

Linda K. Milam
Missionary to America

"It's okay to cry! ~ LKMilam

Hebrews 13:5B  “. . . and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” 

What a comforting verse in a time of trouble or in good times.  We are people and people have trouble – hurts and trials each day.  Some days are better than others and if you are like me no matter what comes you must keep on going.  But do we stand on the “rock” or do we do all this in our “own” power?  I’ll just have to be honest with you, I have no power to overcome many of the trials in my life and I must turn to the One who has the ability to stand firm as a rock and “Never Changes”. My God. 

A few years ago, I attended a Ladies Conference at Central Baptist Church in West Palm Beach FL – I am very blessed to meet and know many sweet Christian ladies all over America as we travel around this great land. However, this meeting is one of the high lights of my year of travels.  Maybe it is because one of the speakers is my dearest and sweetest friend, Connie Booher.  She has been there for me and with me through over 30 years of my Christian life, listened to me when I was on the mountaintop and when I was in the valley.  She has shared the joys and the sorrows of my walk with the Lord and has been a true friend through it all.  I love hearing her speak and share from her heart what the Lord would have us know.

“What Never Changes” – the theme! Jesus – the Rock!  We know that don’t we.  We really do!  However, when that trouble is right on top of you, the devil is hitting you from every side, you are weakened by the blows, you have cried, and had your heart nearly torn out of your body from the sufferings – you might begin to wonder.  I felt like that this morning.  I told my dear husband, I feel so bad taking the same thing to God OVER AND OVER AND OVER and seemingly no answer is ever given. It is like, I am not praying hard enough, crying long enough, begging hard enough – what more must I do to get God to take action and help in this time of trouble?  I felt guilty, like I wasn’t trusting God that I had to continually petition Him for the same thing over and over.  That is when Tom reminded me of the widow that prayed continually, and the Lord heard her and blessed her because of her perseverance and Daniel who prayed for Israel for twenty-one days and questioned God – but God did not get discouraged or distracted and wasn’t surprised at the situations they faced. 

And he isn’t surprised about what we are going through in our lives or the lives of those we love and the dear ones around us.  His plan is perfect. A dear friend of mine shared with me something she read and I want to share it with you.  It has helped her, and it helped me and I hope it helps you.  She paraphrased and so shall I. 

“It is okay to cry when hurtful things come into our lives.  Whether from hurt, grief, troubles, or loss, weeping is like a pressure valve.  After the tears, God’s Spirit refreshes.  Kind of like a renewal after a rainstorm and the grass gets greener and the flowers bloom brighter… the earth is refreshed.  Sometimes I feel like doubting God’s faithfulness when I give into the tears and hurt.  But, it’s not that at all… it’s just a releasing of the pain to Him."  What an amazing revelation and a help to me this was.

I am, again, so thankful for the Godly people in my life and I am truly blessed with the Word of God!  God proves Himself to me every time I read it! I am especially thankful to know that; “. . . for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” 

Dear Lord,

Please know I love you so.  Thank you for first loving me! Amen

Be Blessed,

Linda Milam

Missionary to America

Consider the Pastor ~ Used with Permission!

Consider the Pastor ~ Used with Permission!

For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;                                                      Colossians 1:9  

Someone shared the following with  me and I felt the Holy Spirit tug on my heart for the men of God. My husband was a pastor and assistant pastor for years before God called him into Evangelism.  He has shared some "war torn" stories with me that break my heart, because many of those stories have been repeated over and over again in the lives of our Men of God - Pastor's doing what they KNOW God has called them to do, yet meeting opposition within their own ranks inside the church walls he leads. 

My husband says, "Today is the best day in the world to be a Christian." He is right. And yet we know that all around us are oppositions that attack us on a daily basis.  Maybe I am wrong on this observation, but I believe the Pastor, his wife, his children ~ are far and above the largest targets for attack.  If the devil can break them, he has the church.  My soul, because of opposition! (and it could be me or you doing the opposing) The devil is making headway in many areas of our churches.  It is often that we hear of a Pastor "quitting" ~ throwing his hands up in the air, literally, and telling God, "I just cannot do it anymore.  Your people are the ones fighting against the leadership the most.  They fight and argue amongst themselves, they hold their tithe because something isn't going right with the finances, they are at the point of suggesting to the pastor what he should preach so that so and so will get right."  Really?  I believe we lose our total focus on God's work when the pastor or his family are attacked. 

Let's join together as Christians, and determine in our hearts that we will support, pray for, love, and be kind to the one that God has put in the place of "Pastor" at our churches worldwide. Just think on the Pastor!! Consider his position.  We will never know the entire burden of our pastor.  Confidences and prayer with different folks, make it his responsibility to keep you spiritually safe, uplifted, and filled.  When he mounts the pulpit next, and if you have an attitude you don't want to give up, do it for the Lord, anyway. Close your eyes as the Word is preached, allow God the Holy Spirit to enter in and soothe that angry soul.  It will do you more good than you will ever know.  I know that personally.  I have such a heart for the Preacher of the Gospel.  They are men of God who have taken the challenge as God impressed on them to preach.  If nothing else, let us honor God for making that choice for us. 

I don't want to offend anyone, especially you the reader.  I write this to myself just as well.  How do we honor our pastors? With love and respect? Or disdain and dishonor. 

"Consider the Pastor"

1. Think about what it is like to be in the pastor’s shoes.
2. Think about his waking moment in the dark morning hours, when in the silent air he calls out a name in prayer. Who will pray for him?
3. Consider the pastor and the many hours he spends in the Word, reading, searching, asking, and receiving. Think about how he searches to understand what God has called him to do. Who will try to  understand him?
4. Consider the pastor who places his issues  after those of others. Think about this man who listens time and time again to every little detail of the problems of other people.  Who will listen to him?
5. Consider the pastor who is there for the  most  beautiful moments of life and the most heartbreaking. Weddings, births, celebrations, sickness and death enter into his life every day. Who will be there for his moments?
6. Think about the Man of God that stands up every week and proclaims what God has put in him. Consider the tears on his face and joy in his heart each time he stands. Who will be there when he stands?
7. In all that he does, in all that he says, in all that he thinks, he has the people God put before him in his heart. He has respect for what he has been called to do and would not change any part of it. He would not change a thing.
8. Consider the pastor. Pray for him. Try and understand  what he is going through. Listen to him.  Be there for him.  Consider his heart. Stand up with him.

Stand up with your pastor, lift his arms as faithful servants to the Lord.  Pray for him and his family by name, one by one.  Believe me, when you do, God will bless and the Pastor you have in that pulpit and that meets with you during the loss of a loved one, or for any other need, will be a Spirit filled Pastor!  God knows our every need, just turn it over to him.

I pray this helps someone today.  I know it has helped me.  Thank you for listening in on my heart today and the heart of the one that wrote "Consider the Pastor".  This person is a Pastor's wife. Who else better to see the great load your pastor carries, willingly, lovingly, and honored by God for doing it. Yes, there is hurt, pain, heartbreak, but for God the Pastor is obedient.  And I would also add, great JOY in knowing when you are in the center of God's will.

Pray for the author of "Consider the Pastor" and her Preacher Husband!  Then pray for your Pastor as you will for hers.

By the way, please feel free to share this blog, I know it will be a blessing or an eye opener for others.

Be blessed today!

Tom & Linda Milam
Missionaries to America
Phil. 2:16