LightGrams
September 13, 2018
Volume 22, Number 33
The following story could gross you out. But that’s what officials in Macomb County, Michigan are hoping.
The sewers in this suburban Detroit county were running slower than they should. When workers inserted a camera into one of the lines they discovered a 100-foot-long “fatberg”. The name is borrowed from “iceberg”, a massive chunk of ice floating in the water. In this case it’s not ice, but a massive chunk of fat. It’s an accumulation of thousands of residents washing fats, oils, and grease down their drains.
This is not unlike what happens inside the bodies of many people. We’ve heard the warnings about eating foods loaded with fats and cholesterols, and how such foods can clog our arteries. When the accumulation reaches a critical point, symptoms develop that produce chest pain or shortness of breath. Heart attacks are more likely in those situations. Medicines have been developed to remove the buildup from arteries.
“To put it simply, this fatberg is gross,” said Public Works Commissioner Candice Miller. She thinks it provides the opportunity, however, to educate Macomb County residents on what not to flush into the sewer system.
The Bible also seeks to educate us about the things we “flush” into our souls. Do we realize the effects our everyday actions have on our spiritual hearts?
Jesus gave this warning in Matthew 6:22,23: “The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!” Have we reflected on Jesus’ meaning, and become more cautious about what we allow into our souls?
There needs to be a change of what we receive into our hearts. James 1:21 makes this point clearly: “Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.”
The word “overflow” in that verse is translated “rampant” in the English Standard Version. It points to the fact that sin is cumulative in nature. Like one addicted to drugs, the need grows for the harmful chemical. Can that happen with sin? “But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived” (2 Timothy 3:13).
What we need is less intake of that which is worldly, and more intake of God’s word. Those who fail to make the change should expect a “sinberg” to develop in their heart.
Come to the light God offers! Study His word, the Bible. Worship Him in spirit and truth (John 4:24). Get in touch with us if you’d like to discuss these ideas further.
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Copyright, 2018, Timothy D. Hall. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise noted, are from the New King James Version (Copyright, 1990, Thomas Nelson, Inc.).
“LightGrams” is produced by the Central Church of Christ, 2722 Oakland Avenue, Johnson City, Tennessee, 37601, and is written by Tim Hall, minister. It is sent free of charge every Thursday to all who request it. To subscribe or to receive more information, write to “Tim@GraceMine.org” (our E-mail address), to the U.S. mail address above, or call (423) 282-1571.
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