September 2-3

"There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the roofs." (Luke 12:2)

Back in the 1980s Barbara Lardinais recalls, and writes about, a Sunday school class studying the book of Ephesians. She still has notes from that class in the margin of the Bible she was using at that time, and remembers how remarkable and insightful that teaching was and the young man who taught the class. A gifted teacher who went go to ordination and an apparent earnestness about serving God. He started an inner city church from scratch which grew and prospered. Eventually he moved out of the district into other ministry, but his original church still, today, is vibrant and effective.

Tragically however, that same man today, sits in a prison cell, sentenced for the cold blooded murder of his wife. His teenage children are now basically orphaned, his wife is dead and his life is destroyed. What happened between that Sunday school class and now? How did he cover up her disappearance from the family's life and his ministry? The first thought is that at some point he must have ditched the ministry and gone the way of the world to have 'a good time'. But that is not the case. Up until the time of the murder, he and his wife were operating as the children's pastors in their church. Church members recall that they seemed an ideal couple with a successful ministry.

Either conscience caught up with him, or someone eventually reported his wife was missing, because he finally admitted the murder he has never expressed sorrow for.. Over the intervening years he had lived a double life undetected, with the appearance of someone who had it all together - but his heart was far from God. Was he a fraud from the very beginning? Was he arrogant enough to think he was fooling even God? Psalm 10:11 says; "He has said in his heart, 'God has forgotten; he hides His face; he will never see.'"

We can't hide from God. He created us....He knows our thought before we think them. What is hidden in the heart of a man will eventually come out into the open. This young minister is clear proof of that.

We need to check our hearts continually, search for any seeds of deception operating. Accept nothing unless it can stand up to the test of the Bible. We must live transparent lives before God and men. Otherwise we will experience what Jesus said; "There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the roofs." (Luke 12:2)

“I Can't Make it Lord Without You” - the Isaacs -today's music choice.