APRIL 13 "CATCH ME IF YOU CAN!"

     I'm not so sure if "catch me if you can" is the best policy to follow in life.  There is a mindset that says, "it's a win win situation", if they catch me me oh well, what will they do and of course if they don't, I get away with it, so why confess?".  I'm sure Achan is thinking, "man, I almost got away with it, this is embarrassing, oh well, the risk was worth it".  Achan says, "yeah, it's in my tent, you found me out, go get it" (paraphrased by me of course).  Imagine his surprise  when Joshua says, "take him outside the camp and stone him TO DEATH, and his wife & sons too".  Now the RAMIFICATIONS of CATCH ME IF YOU CAN have been amped up. Now it's no longer a game of cat and mouse chase.  God cannot stand the "catch me if you can" mindset.  If we confess before we are caught, there will always be Grace and most of the time there will always be leniency with those you confessed to.  That being said, there are very few decisions in life, that I can think of, that are harder than turning oneself in.  I've been there and I'm sure so have you too.  There are times I have conjured up enough guts to turn myself in and other times where it was going to be a "catch me if you can". I can tell you EVERY TIME I have turned myself in, there has been Grace and EVERY TIME I have not, there has been severe ramifications. Probably the best deterrent for this is to think before you commit the deed, "would I have the guts to turn myself in, later on, if I do this" and if the answer to that question is "no way, I would never be able to admit to this" then you'd better run for your life!!!  Ted Haggard many years ago committed some heinous sexual sins that he knew, he would never be able to admit to anyone. Even when rumors started to come out and he was confronted, he lied and lied and lied. There was no way he would admit to what he was involved in, it was the truest case of "catch me if you can, I will never admit to this!"   Long story short, he was caught and the ramifications were great and our still playing out in his life 'till this day and as with Achan, his wife and sons have suffered with him. There is nothing in the world that is harder than turning your own self in, but you must; otherwise you will get caught, but when you do, there will be little Grace if any and the ramification will be far greater than you ever imagined. I doubt that Achan ever imagined that his family would be killed because of his "catch me if you can" game.  King David also lost his son playing this game with God.  POINT: If not for your own sake, then for those you love, if you are involved in a game of "catch me if you can", turn yourself in today and you will greatly decrease the damage and ramifications of your sin AND you will find GRACE with God.  If not, you will eventually get caught and others will suffer beyond your imagination because of your unwillingness to confess.

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