SIN

     Sin is a part of my weakness. I am so glad and praise God for being a forgiving God. 

     I remembered Peter this morning in his denial. Jesus had already predicted that Peter would deny him three time before the cock crows. It suddenly dawned on me that Jesus knows my sin before I even sin, yet He loves me still- before, during, and after.

   S ees

   I t 

   N ow, before, and after 

That’s what God does!

Sin

There is a reason the Son of God, Jesus, came to earth. It was because of the sin of man. Scripture tells us there is a sin that leads to death and there is a sin that does not lead to death. It is found in 1 John 5. We must believe in Jesus to overcome death for “all have sinned and all short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23) 

 

Sin

 

It didn’t matter the plagues, the parted sea, or the pillar of fire-

Sin climber higher-

In the show was the hot, hot furnace and the lion’s den-

But it really didn’t change the hearts of men.

There was the belly of the whale;

It brought obedience but stubbornness was still there to tell.

The flood wiped all away when it came,

But sinful ways were reclaimed.

Defeat was in battle’s play

When men turned away and didn’t pray.

That was all in the Old Testament’s day,

And still here today and in play.

Sin just climbs higher

‘cause man’s hearts don’t listen to what came prior.

It just continues to transpire.

 

Mary Crisp Jameson 6/10/2026

The Blood of the Lamb

     My Bible study pointed out a few thoughts about the blood of the Lamb:

1. It told of how God covered the nakedness of Adam and Eve by pointing to the shedding of blood, and how the Savior would die for the sin of the world. 

2. It gave the example of how the children of Israel selected a perfect lamb, without blemish, to place on top of their door frames. 

3. It gave the example of Christ being born in a stable, "a perfect place for the birth of a lamb". 

     After reading all this I went back to the first one and tried to find what animal God used as clothing for Adam and Eve. Could it have been a lamb? 

     I read several scripture versions. I only found, "animal skins, "coats of skins", "leather clothing", and "tunics of skin." One commentary even said it could have been the bark of a tree that God used. I finally deducted it did not matter what animal God used. The significance was that God covered Adam and Eve's sin, just as Jesus, the Lamb, covered my sin with His blood.  

     From that I wrote the following: 

The Blood of The Lamb

 

Down through the ages,

In the Old Testament pages,

From the beginning of sinning,

There has been the significance of the blood of the Lamb.

Adam and Eve were given an animal skin

To cover their sin.

The Israelites used the blood of a perfect lamb

Above their door jamb-

Thus, saving their firstborn,

With only the Egyptians left to mourn.

Into the New Testament

And the Book never out-of-print,

The Lamb without blemish, without spot,

Came to fulfill God’s saving plot.

The Lamb without blemish, born in a stable,

Came to save, ‘cause He was able.

I cling

To the blood that washes clean.

There’s no other way to be saved

Other than the path God paved. 

I’m saved by the blood of the Lamb,

Gifted by the great, I Am!

 

Mary Crisp Jameson 10/18/2025 

 

“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 1:29

 

 

 

 

A Sinner

I wish I could say that I am not a sinner, but that would be a lie. I hate my sinful ways because I love my Lord and want to live better to show His glory. However, because I am a sinner, I am so much more thankful to God for His forgiveness. 

O Lord, 

I am a sinner, but I am comforted. 

I am consoled 

   because of the forgiveness You do not withhold.

You did not scold the woman caught in adultery. 

You simply said, “Go, and sin no more,”

   though she had the Pharisees in an uproar.

You did not reject the man on the cross. 

You said, “Today, you will be with me in paradise,” 

   though you were the one paying the price. 

You did not destroy Nineveh for their wicked ways;

   for, with compassion, you lengthened their days. 

You did not admonish Jonah when he wished he was dead;

   You sent a shade to cover his head.

Then you sent a worm to cut it down;

   And, in love, explained about the town;

   of how, with compassion and pity, 

   You wanted to save that sinful city. 

O Lord, 

Your forgiveness and love are my comforting hope

   when I view my sin through a microscope.

Your mercy and grace are my comfort, warmth, and peace.

   as I dwell on my sin that seems to never cease. 

 

                        Mary Crisp Jameson 9/11/2025 

 

“But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in My name, He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.” John 14:26 KJV

 

 

 

The Enemy

I remember that old saying, “You are your own worse enemy.” This is so true! My enemy lives in me and promises to pop out any given moment unless I keep a deep, on-going relationship with my Father. He is the only One who can banish the enemy. It is so important to follow God’s word and remember the words of Paul as he was in prison when he said, “In whatever state I am in, I have learned to be content.” 

 

The Enemy

 

The enemy lives within,

And it is my sin.

It can be my doubt

When going through a lingering drought.

It can be deceit

I offer up in anger at someone’s feet.

It can be my lust-

Desiring earthly possessions until I nearly bust.

It can be my rebellion rising

With satan’s disguising.

The enemy seeks to knock me off my feet,

Keeping me from being complete.

The root of all my evil ways,

Is hidden deep within,

And it stays.

It awakes and rises in my dismay

To toy, play, and prey to make me stray.

The enemy lives within

And I can only win with Him-

My Christ, who paid the price.

 

Mary Crisp Jameson 2/26/2025

 

“Thy right hand, O Lord, is become glorious in power: thy right hand, O Lord, hath dashed in pieces the enemy.” Exodus 15:6 KJV

 

 

What's Not Funny?

 I read something this morning that gave me pause about what I might sometimes laugh about.

"Sin is not funny. Sin put Jesus on the cross." 

Second Chances

As I was reading about my God being a God of second chances, my thoughts took me back to a mental review over my life. I can truly say I have been given many, many second chances. I won’t list the details because they are too personal and often too sinful on my part but I have been given second chances in: 

 

Marriage

Friendships

Desires

Finances

Jobs

Family situations

Daily choices

 

Many mistakes have been made, much forgiveness has been handed to me, and still God walks with me. I envision myself as the woman the men brought to Jesus to be stoned. Jesus said, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone.” At that, those who heard began to go away. Jesus straightened and asked the woman, “Where are the ones who condemned you? She answered, “No one.”At that Jesus said, “Neither do I, but go and leave your life of sin.” 

 

 

The Eviction

As God's children, He is always there for us in our troubles, even the ones we create by allowing Satan's tricks of deception into our lives. As humans with fleshly desires it seems we create a cycle. We call on God and He rescues. We are thankful, yet we turn right around and choose to sin once more. Then once again call on God. 

     He is continually forgiving me. His love is so great my desire is to please Him at all times although I struggle with sin on a daily basis. Remembering the peace of God's love helps me resist the devil and his ways. 

The Eviction 

 

Satan roamed 

Close to my home.

He snuck in when I opened the door,

Bringing treats from his deceitful store.

His bag of tricks

Was meant to prick.

I nibbled at the enticing bait, 

Never considering my fate.

I looked!

I was hooked!

His wares were toxic waste,

Leaving me shame-faced.

I had heard

How he loved to leave people in shambles and groans,

How he liked to create shattered homes, 

How he enjoyed leading the weak to stray,

How he desired to come and stay.

So I was a sap 

To fall into his trap.

To get out of this trouble I had fallen for

I had to open the door,

Destroy Satan’s clout

And kick him out.

But, I needed help with this affliction.

I needed help to perform the eviction.

I didn’t want Satan to stay,

So I began to pray.

I couldn’t do the eviction alone.

I cried out to the Lord with a mighty groan. 

I admitted the fool I’d been, 

 And asked God to come in

And forgive my sin.

In doing so

I felt His love within me flow.

It was God ‘s ways I wanted to know. 

 

Mary Crisp Jameson 7/17/2023 

 

“And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.” Revelation 12:9 KJV 

 

                                           

Dead to Sin Prayer

My prayer is to be dead, today, from sin
  which threatens from within.
May I walk with Christ
  and not, by sin, be enticed.
May my actions, today, please you my Christ.
  Because of me, you were sacrificed.
I was saved and made dead to sin;
  from the old life I lived in.
Now Christ lives within.
May I please you my Christ
  whose love for me should be sufficed.
Because of me you were sacrificed.
  May my sins not make your death cheaply priced.
                                     Amen

Joy of Christmas

     Christmas is about Jesus and being joyful, but to have joy we need to let go of sin.
     Sin as defined is "an immoral act considered to be a transgression against divine law."  And, that divine law is the very Word of God.  Scripture tells us how to act, how to love, how to forgive, how to share, and how to control our speech.  Scripture further tells us much about the results of sin in our lives.
     Yet, have we ever considered what really causes us to sin?  The cause of my sin is "me."  In order to control my sin I have to lend my thoughts away from "me" and toward those things which don't wrap around the "me factor."  Proverbs 30:15 talks about the leech who had two daughters, "Give! Give! they cry."  In other words "Gimme! and Gimme more!"  The "me" factor is the very reason we see greed, cruelty, hatefulness, envy, murder, and unforgiveness in our land. 
     When I live in such a way that life is not about me and dwell on life being about God, my Father, Jesus, His Son and my Savior, and the Holy Ghost who dwells within, then, and only then, do I find contentment, peace, and joy.

I've Got Jesus!

     I've Got JESUS!

     When singing, "I've got Jesus! How could I want more?"  this morning, I thought about some of the actions in my youth and even now - those terrible actions which did not represent the character of God.  My guilt and shame would be a burden to bear if I did not Jesus.  Knowing that I am "wonderfully" created by God, even created in His own image, I am ashamed of my past deeds.  However, because I have Jesus, those sinful and embarrassing actions have been laid at the very feet of Jesus.
     My question to myself is what will prevent me from further sinful acts because of my weak human desires?  It will only be by the grace of God and a daily walk with Him.
     Let me shout it to the world, "I've got Jesus!  How could I want more?"

Psalm 86:5  For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee.

Whet The Appetite

     I was surprised this morning when I opened my back door to see several deer still feeding on corn which had been sprinkled on the the ground.  Usually any small noise or sound of the squeaky door hinges will cause the deer to spring into action and jump quickly out of sight.   But not this morning.  They were too concerned with whetting their appetites to worry about anyone watching.
     I paused to consider how concerned I am when I am feeding my sin appetite to stop and think about who may be watching and what effect that may have on them.

Luke 17:1  "Things that cause people to stumble are bound to come, but woe to anyone through whom they come. "

Achilles' heel

     Ever since Adam and Eve, there have been flaws and weaknesses in the human race.  So easily, we succumb to our own personal ones.  I often have to stop and talk with God to ask Him, "Please forgive my thoughts and change my heart and my mind."  I so want to keep the clutter and litter away from A Friendly Shade and out of my life.   
     Thinking through the Bible characters, I see Samson, who was blessed from birth, but his Achilles' heel was his uncontrolled lust which led to his destruction.  Joseph's brothers had a problem with jealously, which lead to a life of guilt and shame over what they had done to Joseph and their father.  Not only in scripture but in life today, there are so many who do not strive to overcome their weaknesses and self-destruct.
    I pray that I will stop and talk with God more often.  The choice is mine to seek strength to overcome the sin which infiltrates my life; sin which will destroy my blessings and my walk with God.   I pray that I seek strength to overcome my Achilles' heel.  The choice is mine!
          
    
    

Sin Fascinates And Then Assassinates

A sign at a nearby church read, “Sin fascinates. Then it assassinates.”

     As I look back over the events in the lives of the people in the Bible and the choices I have made in my own life I realize that when we know what is right but choose to do the opposite in our lives we pay the price. 

     I imagine when Adam and Eve looked at the fruit of the tree in the midst of the Garden of Eden they saw a ripe, mouth-watering fruit; one that, if eaten, would be so much better than all those other selections which had been given to them.  They were told not to eat of it, but they chose it anyway.  When they took of that fruit, they allowed “sin to fascinate.” In the end, "it assassinated."  The Garden of Eden was not only closed to them forever, but henceforth, man was required to labor.
    When David feasted upon Bathsheba and desired to have her for his own, he had her husband killed.  David knew his lust for another man’s wife was wrong, but he devised a plan to have her anyway.  Because of this, God was angry with David, and their first child died.   “Sin fascinated.  Then it assassinated.” 
     Judas, one of Jesus’ own disciples, betrayed Jesus for thirty pieces of gold.  That money enticed Judas; it worked on his self-greed.  He must have thought it would buy him wealth.  In the end he could not live with his guilt, and he went out and hanged himself.  “Sin fascinated.  Then it assassinated.”     
      How many times in our lives have we looked at what appears to be “greener pastures” and made choices that did not follow along with what we knew to be the right thing to do?  How many times have we taken the easy route rather than work on the right thing to do?  How many times have we let instant gratification overcome the fear of the certainty we knew could result?  In the end, did we find that “sin fascinated, and then it assassinated?”   What price have we paid for our decisions? 
     The price could be anything: The loss of a family, the loss of respect, the burden of unnecessary  bills, addictions, job loss, physical injury, guilt, loss of financial success; just to name a few, all because we failed to weigh the outcome. 
     Yet God gives us hope.  For those of us who have "paid the price" because we chose sin, and it caused a great loss in our lives, we may have to live with the results, but we can persevere, although it does not come easy.  To make a correction we can no longer take the easy road.  We must learn from our experience, and not allow sin to continue to assassinate our lives. 
     I am so glad I have a God who loves me enough to allow "assassination" to happen in my life in order to keep me on the right track.  I am so glad I have a God who was willing to pay the price for my human weakness; a God who will forgive me even when others won't; One who will give me hope; One who will help me overcome  my failures; One who chose to pay the price for my salvation. 

Romans 5:3-5 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also; knowing that tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.