"Everything is permissible, but not everything is beneficial."

Hi, Pastor Bob here! Welcome back, listeners, to the Men of Valor podcast. The reading today is from 1 Corinthians chapter 6 verse 12 and it states “Everything is permissible for me, but not everything is beneficial. Everything is permissible for me, but I will not be mastered by anything”. Recently, I noticed some of our popcorn-style ceiling was laying on our upstairs couch and floor. And I thought, ‘ah man, our 12 year old roof was leaking?’ I know we had some strong winds and rain recently, but the roof was supposed to be good for 30 years! I had a roofer come out and when he saw there were old shingles under the ones that were installed only 12 years ago, he said ‘There's your problem!’ He explained to me by not ripping the old ones off before covering them with the new ones the old ones created a barrier and the roof couldn't breathe like it was designed to do. He said the new shingles dried out before their time because you kept the old ones on. The new ones were hindered from doing what they were made to do, which is protect your house for 30 years. To quote the roofer, he actually said “What you did was permissible back then. We just found out that over the last 10 years that it's not beneficial. You should always remove the old ones.”

"Jesus called the Pharisees ‘whitewashed tombs’ because they look good on the outside, but their inside was dry."

Immediately, the Holy Spirit brought the, “Everything is permissible, but not everything is beneficial” verse to my mind. During time of reflection and repentance, I know the Holy Spirit has revealed so many things to so many of us. He showed me how I just often covered up my sins instead of ripping them out of me and getting a completely new covering and infilling of the Holy Spirit - New wine in new wineskins, as Jesus said! Jesus called the Pharisees ‘whitewashed tombs’ because they look good on the outside, but their inside was dry. The 12 year old shingles also looked good, but they couldn't breathe properly and they were dry. And I thought - how much of my life was I so dry that the status quo or apathy was fine with me and I still looked pretty good? The Holy Spirit showed me that it is when we carry our sin in ourselves that we haven't repented for, eventually we will suffocate because the sin prevents the breath of the Holy Spirit to continually fill us up. We can look good on the outside and in our own eyes, yet the spirit can't breathe in us and it hinders our walk in getting to know who the Lord is.

"He showed me how I just often covered up my sins instead of ripping them out of me and getting a completely new covering and infilling of the Holy Spirit - New wine in new wineskins"

I see more and more how deeply I need His breath, His word, and His power to do His will every minute of every day. It is truly time to arise! It's time to move! It's time to be unified in His army and be totally kingdom minded! Seeing Him and thanking Him for every Holy Spirit breath He gives us. Just as the old roof is being torn off, we need to make sure every day that whatever the Holy Spirit shows us what needs to be removed, we don't just cover it up, we need to tear it out and fill that vacant spot with the Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. Then the only water that will ever enter our houses is the water of the Holy Spirit.

Lord, thank you for revealing yourself and ourself to each of us every day. We thank you for the gift of repentance that tears out the sin and replaces it with more and more of you every day. What an amazing God we serve! God bless you.