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October 5th, 2009
Recently I discovered ( with the help of the amazing Tim Golden leader of our IT team) that I have some sort of Super Terminator Virus, attacking my computer! And I quote “Oh look its disguising itself as something else…. that’s not good”. I was dumb founded as I watched Tim unload his arsenal of virus killing weapons (W.M.V.D.’s).
On one level it was pretty cool to see Tim unravel the devious mystery behind the destructive binary megalith. On the other hand I can’t get past the images that the language produces…. Trojan?… (s.t.d.’s)? …. Worms? … as in yuck! Infected with worms (I had those once as a kid, not cool!) Virus?...as in in need of an antibiotic? You know Virus’s. We recognize them by their symptoms. Take the common cold. We treat symptoms rather than attacking the source, which often masks itself as remain ever illusive!
I was thinking that this is just like SIN! We as Christian’s (I’m certainly no exception) often treat the symptoms. “I’ll Stop doing ____________ ( you fill in the blank, unless of course you find your life devoid of sin). ” I’ll Start doing ____________” (I know ill just will my sin away with the power of my great strength of mind). Just like a virus some time we need more that what we posses to deal with the root of our sin.
Yet how often do we go to the great physician and ask ” Lord show me the hidden source of my sin, Jesus change my heart, heal me from my history, from which this sin flows” I certainly see this in my life as well as students lives all the time. We get into behavior modification, and on the out side look like pretty little Christians. Most of us know better.
When we look in the mirror there is no hiding. The person looking back at us reveals the truth. People we live with, and who know us, they see it too. There is no running from sin. We fool ourselves into thinking that we can hide it….. but it always comes to light! One of my favorite sayings is from our beloved DR. Wiswell. (be sure to comment on his blog by the way) “Why do we wait till life is all over the road in bits and pieces before we change?” Our sin always finds us out!
” Jesus be my vaccine, shine your revealing light into the cracks of my life. show me the depths of my depravity. Heal my heart and sanctify me from the inside out as I wrestle with you over my past. Help me not to put on the pretty Christian exterior, while inside I’m kidding myself and running from you and the soul work that you have called me to.“
Rebecca Rubeor said:
Amen. The great revealer, the great confronter, the great restorer, the great comforter, the great forgiver, the great healer. Jesus is awesome!
Tim Golden said:
great insight Tom … WMVD’s.. HA!!… us geeks have some great terminology! spyware.. rootkits, crimeware, Malicious behavior, Hacking tool..just to name a few.. and thanks for the kudos.. but I truly believe they are GOD given skills he’s taught me so to HIM be the glory….anyhow…
but what is a virus:
“a software program capable of reproducing itself and usually capable of causing great harm ”
Ok i get it.. reproduction of something.. like my sin.. falling over and over again..
“…causing great harm…” YEA…. sin does that.. whether we like it or not… sin does cause great harm..
———
let’s take it a bit further.. Computer viruses do not arise spontaneously; they are made, intentionally by people and then turned loose on computer users via the internet/shared networks and THUMB drive (cough cough)..
so can SIN be created intentionally?..
Matt 18:7 (International Standard Version)
How terrible it will be for the world due to its temptations to sin! Temptations to sin are bound to happen, but how terrible it will be for that person who causes someone to sin!
can it be imposed/turned loose on others..?..
Matt 5:28 tells us.. But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery WITH HER in his heart…
can sin spread?
Rom 5:12
Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned—
————
ok so this isn’t looking good for us!!!! Now how about them WMVD’s..
if I was as good at combating SIN as I am at computer infections this section of my thoughts would be a breeze but let me try to apply the same troubleshooting
Step 1: Detection.. do I really have sin in my life..? where is it?
Well we can do like Job did and just ask…or keep digging…
Job 13:23 (NIV) How many wrongs and sins have I committed? Show me my offense and my sin.
1 john 1:8 If we say we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and refusing to accept the truth.
Step 2: OK I got sins.. then what types of sins? We know the 7 “deadly ones” but what about the rest.. sins of the flesh, spirit, against neighbors..
Psalm 79:4 We are objects of reproach to our neighbors, of scorn and derision to those around us.
1 John 1:10 If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts
Step 3: Confession.. well yeah! i know I got them so let’s get the out in the open
James 5:16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.
daniel-9: 4-5 4 I prayed to the LORD my God and confessed: “O Lord, you are a great and awesome God! You always fulfill your promises of unfailing love to those who love you and keep your commands. 5 But we have sinned and done wrong. We have rebelled against you and scorned your commands and regulations.
Step 4: eradication.. (virus removal)
1 John 3:9 No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God.
John 5:14 Later Jesus found him at the temple and said to him, “See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you.”
1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
Step 5.. protection..like a good antivirus program
1 Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it…
John 1:29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
John 17:15 My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one.
2 Thessalonians 3:3
But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen and protect you from the evil one.
So there are many ways we can find the virus (sin) in our life.. and God shows us there are ways to protect us from them… in all Jesus is the ultimate ANTI-Virus.. for our sins….
tom.froning said:
right on… i guess some times i feel that we as Christians under spirutualize? Is as though its all in our head and there is no Supernatural God who heals, comforts convicts and speaks to his people…. just a thought…
Are you infected? H1N1 swine flu? Trojan, worms, backdoors ewww | Golden ~Eye~ said:
[...] Are you infected? H1N1 swine flu? Trojan, worms, backdoors ewww Posted in October 6th, 2009 by Tim Golden in church, technology Hi welcome to Tim Golden’s website, If you are new here, you might want to subscribe to the RSS feed for updates on this topic.Powered by WP Greet BoxAre you infected? swine flu (H1N1 ), Trojan, worms, backdoors all awful words to describe the the various infections… but really.. my pastor Tom talked his latest infection on his blog [...]