Pensamientos para hoy (afterthought for today)
Ice melt
The ice storm yesterday (12/13/07) has left a hard coat of ice over everything. I went out early this morning to scrap the ice off my minivan, and it took a lot of work to clear the windows and get the doors open. Some people were out chipping ice off of sidewalks and steps. I didn't have to do that because I went out last night after the storm, shoveled the sidewalk, and put down ice melt. Ice melt is fantastic stuff. It melts through the ice making it much easier to clear away. Two of the most common ice melting chemicals are sodium chloride (rock salt) and calcium chloride. Sodium chloride is used more because it is less expensive; however, it does not melt ice in temperatures colder than 20o. Calcium chloride, on the other hand, has become popular because it will melt ice in temperatures as low as minus 25o. Calcium chloride costs more than rock salt, but many home owners prefer it because it works better. The Bible says, "Because lawlessness is increased, most people's love will grow cold (Matthew 24:12)."1 Sin makes our heart grow cold. Sin freezes our heart and as a result we become self-centered and callous. But God has a remedy -- a spiritual ice melt. Just like we use chemicals to melt the ice on sidewalks, so God uses the spiritual "chemical" of forgiveness to melt the ice of sin that freezes our hearts. God's forgiveness is like divine ice melt that melts away the sin that covers and freezes our heart. When we spread the ice melting chemicals sodium chloride (rock salt) and calcium chloride on ice, the chemicals react with moisture and this reaction produces heat that melts the ice. When we confess our sins, God forgives us our sins and cleanses us from all unrighteousness. He clears away the ice of sin by the warmth of his love and forgiveness. The vocal group 'N Sync has a Christmas song titled: "You Don't Have to Be Alone". The refrain of the song says:Outside the winter seems so cold
Your heart is frozen like the snow
And there's no one home, to keep you safe and warm
Your eyes are red because you cry
You fell asleep by the fire side
But there's one thing you should know
On this Christmas baby, you don't have to be alone
This Christmas you don't have to be alone. You don't have to suffer from a heart that is frozen cold with sin. God wants to melt the ice of sin with his forgiveness, and then once he has cleared away the unrighteousness he comes to live with us. The apostle Paul prayed:
Your heart is frozen like the snow
And there's no one home, to keep you safe and warm
Your eyes are red because you cry
You fell asleep by the fire side
But there's one thing you should know
On this Christmas baby, you don't have to be alone
I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge--that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God (Ephesians 3:16-19).2Trying to keep the ice off my heart, Pastor Steve December 14, 2007
Footnotes1 Matthew 24:12, NASB (New American Standard Bible). Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. 2 Ephesians 3:16-19, NASB (New American Standard Bible).
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