LEAVES OF 3, LEAVE IT BE!!!!!

     Here are some pictures of me taken last week while I was suffering with Poison Ivy.  I am very allergic, so whenever I get it, it is really bad!  This time my face swelled up and I couldn't see out of right my eye.  Besides my face, I had it all over my stomach and back and arms and between my fingers. 

     I got the poison ivy while I was pulling weeds.  I won't be doing that anymore!  **Eli reminded me, LEAVES OF 3, LEAVE IT BE**

My Dad took me to the doctor and they gave me a shot in my hip.   The doctor also gave me a prescription for Prednisone to take for a week.  The first day I had to take 6 pills!!!!!  About 5 hours after the shot my face started to look better.  It's been a week now and I'm back to normal. 

My mom and I were just talking about how touching this plant causes this to happen to my skin and I was thinking about sin, and how we can be affected by sin in the same way.  When I got into the weeds and touched the leaves of the poisonous plant my body became afflicted with itchy, painful, rash.  In the same way if we get into sin, like drinking alcohol, or gossiping, or anger, or lying, those sins can be like poison spreading through our body.  Just as the poison ivy spread all over my body, sin can too.  The poison ivy affected the way I felt and sin affects the way we feel also.  Our walk with the Lord is affected by sin just like my skin was affected by the plant.  I need to avoid contact with poison ivy and more importantly I need to avoid sin.  It is not possible to avoid sin on my own but with God's help I will try.  It is a smart choice to avoid touching poison ivy.  It is also a smart choice to avoid things that lead to sin.  On days that we don't read the Bible or talk to God we are more likely to struggle with sin.  Touching only a small amount of poison ivy can be dangerous to me.  It's the same with sin.  Gossiping a "little", or telling a "little" lie can be dangerous.  It only takes a little plant to make me break out terribly and it only takes a little sin to hurt my relationship with God.  I am thankful that God loves me and He is so gracious and merciful and forgives me when I sin.   1John 1:5-10 says, THIS IS THE MESSAGE WE HAVE HEARD FROM HIM AND PROCLAIM TO YOU, THAT GOD IS LIGHT, AND IN HIM IS NO DARKNESS AT ALL.  IF WE SAY WE HAVE FELLOWSHIP WITH HIM WHILE WE WALK IN DARKNESS, WE LIE AND DO NOT PRACTICE THE TRUTH.  BUT IF WE WALK IN THE LIGHT, AS HE IS IN THE LIGHT, WE HAVE FELLOWSHIP WITH ONE ANOTHER AND THE BLOOD OF JESUS HIS SON CLEANSES US FROM ALL SIN.  IF WE SAY WE HAVE NO SIN, WE DECEIVE OURSELVES, AND THE TRUTH IS NOT IN US.  IF WE CONFESS OUR SINS, HE IS FAITHFUL AND JUST TO FORGIVE US OUR SINS AND TO CLEANSE US FROM ALL UNRIGHTEOUSNESS.  IF WE SAY WE HAVE NOT SINNED, WE MAKE HIM A LIAR AND HIS WORD IS NOT IN US. 

The medicine cleansed me from the poisonous ivy and God cleanses us from sin.  The first step to getting the medicine was going to the doctor.  The first step with God is admitting to Him that I'm a sinner and need His forgiveness.  The second step with the poison ivy was to take the prescription I had been given.  Likewise we must take God's prescription.  God's prescription for sin is Jesus.  What can wash away my sin?  Nothing but the blood of Jesus.  If I had chosen not to take the predisone I would have been turning down the very thing that could make me better.  If we refuse to believe that we need a savior and that Jesus is that savior we are turning down the very Person who can save our souls from hell.   Once we have committed our lives to God it is still possible to turn Him down by not obeying him or ignoring him or choosing our own way.  We must take God's medicine!   We won't be completely rid of sin until we get to heaven but with Jesus we don't have to be "itchy" while we are here on earth.  Life is a lot better now that I have taken the Prednisone and life is WAY better if we take Jesus' offer of salvation.  God's prescription is free,  no co-pay or insurance needed.  Quit scratching and itching and take God's medicine today!

 If you want to talk to me about accepting God's offer you can email me at colin1230@comcast.net.