Christianity Oasis Forum

[cimi]

August 14
Friday


THE DEADLIEST
DISEASE

READ:
Joshua 7:1,19-26
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Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) was identified in 2003 in Vietnam. By the time it was brought under control, SARS had spread globally and killed nearly 800 people. One reason for the high mortality rate was that the virus was not recognized initially. But once recognized and understood, SARS was contained.

An even more dangerous disease is on the loose in our world__sin. It to is difficult to bring under control because many people do not recognize its deadliness. And many dispute the Bible's diagnosis of sin.

In Joshua 7, we read the tragic story of Achan. We may recoil at the extreme way God dealt with him. Against God's command, he had taken some of the spoils from Jericho and hid them in his tent (v.21). He and his entire family paid with their lives (v.25).

Thankfully, God does not deal with us in that way. If he did, none of us would remain alive. Yet we must never underestimate sins' deadliness. It sent Christ to the cross for us.

Like SARS, the first step to deal with sin is to recognize it for what it is. Receive with gratitude the gift of eternal life. Then "put to death your members which are on the earth"__ the selfish things that displease God (Col. 3:5). That's the way to deal with our deadliest disease. __C. P. Hia
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`````````````````````````THE REMEDY FOR SIN``````````````````

````````````````Have you received Christ's gift of salvation?`````````
``````````He died for your sins and rose from the dead. He offers`````
``````````````forgiveness to all who believe in Him (Rom. 10:9).`````
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Sin is a heart disease that can be cured
only by the Great Physician.

*************Today's Bible Reading __ Joshua 7:1, 19_26**********

1 But the children of Israel
committed a trespass
regarding the accursed
things, for Achan...took of
the accursed things; so the
anger of the LORD burned
against the children of
Israel....

19 Now Joshua said to
Achan, "My son, I beg you,
give glory to the LORD God
of Israel, and make
confession to Him, and tell
me now what you have done;
do not hide it from me."

20 And Achan answered
Joshua and said, "Indeed I
have sinned against the LORD
God of Israel, and this is
what I have done: 23 When I
saw among the spoils a
beautiful Babylonian
garment, two hundred
shekels of silver, and a
wedge of gold weighing fifty
shekels, I coveted them and
took them. And there they
are, hidden in the earth in the
midst of my tent, with the
silver under it."

22 So Joshua sent
messengers, and they ran to
the tent; and there it was,
hidden in his tent, with the
silver under it. 23 And they
took them from the midst of
the tent, brought them to
Joshua and to all the children
of Israel, and laid them out
before the LORD.... 25 And
Joshua said, "Why have you
troubled us? The LORD will
trouble you this day." So all
Israel stoned him with
stones; and they burned them
with fire after they had
stoned them with stones.

26 Then they raised over
him a great heap of
stones.... So the LORD
turned from the fierceness of
His anger.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>INSIGHT<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

Achan's behavior illustrates the path of yielding to temptation. Eve
took the same tragic steps in the Garden of Eden (Gen. 3:6), as did
David with Bathseba (2 Sam. 11:2-4). In each case, the person saw,
coveted, took, and sinned. __DENNIS FISHER

[lizzie]

Amen, and this disease bears eternal consequence.

If not for the blood of the Lamb

Thank You Lord