Observations:
I asked myself what Jesus is telling those around Him after asking them 2 questions?

1. For whatever is hidden is meant to be disclosed.
2. Whatever is concealed is meant to be brought out into the open.
3. If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.

Interpretations:
I asked myself what is so significant about Jesus saying, "For whatever is hidden is meant to be disclosed and whatever is concealed is meant to be brought out into the open?"

Reading these words became very powerful to me because it brought to my mind the concept of sin. Earlier, Jesus had told those around Him to be a lamp. A lamp gives light to those around them. It does no good hidden under a bowl or bed. When it comes to sin, we cannot hide in our sin for long because our sin will be exposed.

When it comes to God, there are no secret sins. When people do things secretively it is not like no one knows because God is carefully watching everything we do. This can be a blessing because when we are keen to the concept of God watching over us and we have given our life over to God, we will be conscious not to do things that displease Him. Even when we do them, our conscious will prick us!

Jesus is giving a promise that no matter what we do it will one day come out into the open. That can be really scary especially if people engage in sins that others may see as shameful. But, it can also be a blessing in disguise because we can be conscious of God watching over us and knowing what we do will one day come out into the open. Jesus does not say may or could come out into the open but will come out. There is a definite promise here.

If anyone who is willing to hear, Jesus wants them to take His Word very seriously.

Implications:
I asked myself what are the implications for my own life here?
I can never think to myself whatever sin I commit, it can be hidden or concealed for long. The Lord promises that every sin will come out into the open one day. I need to live my life in such a way that I need not be ashamed of my living or dying when the comes. I need to also remember that there are consequences for our actions especially when there is deception involved. Jesus wants me to live as a lamp to give light to those around me instead of my life becoming darkness and shame to those around me.

I ask you now dear friend, what happens to a sin you C.O.N.C.E.A.L in life?
Dear friend, whatever sin you conceal from others, that sin will eventually be disclosed and cannot be hidden anymore. What is scarier is that those sins will come out into the open. It may not be in a day, in a month, in a year, in a decade, etc but it will come out into the open. God's Word does not lie but brings out the Truth even 2000 years later. We need look no further than the Penn State Sex Abuse Scandal.

In 1998, it was brought to the attention of the late Joe Paterno that his staff member was involved in the sexual abuse and molestation of children but Paterno and the administration decided to conceal that from becoming public because they wanted to keep their image of the Penn State school and program. Life went on for the program without any sanctions until 14 years later when the sin of covering up the abuse and molestation was more than a decade later. 

Just as Jesus promised, it could not be hidden or concealed anymore.  As the years went by, good things happened too. Paterno was given a statue to honor him with the words Coach, Educator, and Humanitarian. Yet, in one day all that came crashing down on Monday, July 24, 2012 when the NCAA gave the toughest penalties for not only the sin but for the cover up it entailed.

Friend, we cannot play with God's Word and expect not get burned for when the burning happens figuratively the damage becomes really worse. I don't want that to happen to us for the consequences could be severe. Penn State took down the statue of the coach, the NCAA vacated 111 wins of Paterno, they lost 10 scholarships each year, were banned from post season play for 4 years, and has to pay 60 million dollars in fines. These penalties are like the death penalty in football. 

What is more devastating and sad is that sin leaves its mark and scars not only on the person/s who commit it but to those all around them when that sin comes to light. Because of the administration's actions, the students, players, parents, etc of Penn State have to suffer the  the consequences of the sin. This is very biblical too.

When Achan sinned and hid his sin, it had devastating consequences not only to him but to those around him. Those around him were dying of a plague but no one understood why until Achan's sin was exposed and his family eradicated. (Joshua)

When King David committed adultery with Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah and had Uriah killed when he found out that Bathsheba was pregnant, it came to the light of day when God sent the prophet Nathan to confront King David. King David suffered terrible consequences throughout his reign as king after that but because of his actions. There was so much shame involved in his life after that.

There is so much shame involved now for Penn State and it's name has been marred all because they did not want to shame their institution by exposing the truth 14 years before. But it did not have to come to shame if the right people exposed it instead of keeping it a secret for selfish reasons.

No matter what sin we have done, when we expose it, it comes out into the light and cannot be hidden in darkness anymore. For complete restoration and redemption we need to expose our sins so Satan does not have a hold on us. Help us Lord Jesus.

Our Lord is a faithful God and gives us opportunities to repent and confess our sin. When we do that there still maybe consequences but there is also restoration and redemption.  Thank you Lord Jesus!

"He who conceals his sin does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy." (Proverbs 28:13, NIV)

Friend, confession and renouncing are the key to a shameless life especially confessing it to the Lord and one another. Don't try to hide something forever especially if you know it could hurt others or affect others negatively. The Penn State Sex Abuse Scandal is an example.

Don't ever think what you do in the secret of your home or in the secret of darkness will not someday be exposed for it will. Then the shame will be unlike anything you have experienced. But when you confess and repent of what you have done secretly whatever sin you are doing secretly or have done secretly, there is hope and Light in the Lord for Jesus Christ is the Light of the World. If you follow Him, you wont be stumbling in the darkness but living light will flood your path.

King David experienced restoration when he confessed and repented of his sin and that restoration can be read in Psalm 51 and Psalm 32. Praise the Lord. This is available for us too but especially what Jesus Christ has done for us and what He wants to do in our lives is available for us. Thank you Jesus!

Most sins that I have heard that people keep secretive fall under the sexual category. Once Satan has you in his grip in those areas whether it is pornography, premarital sex, adultery, etc he will direct you into darkness and secretiveness making you a prisoner to what captivates you. Jesus knows about that and is giving a way out.

Working with students and giving them Scriptural principles to apply, I have learned that one of the best ways to defeat Satan in these areas is to share the sin and struggle with someone close to you and ask them for prayer and accountability. It is however very important you do not share with just anybody. As long as Satan can make you do things in secret and not be ashamed unless it comes out into the open, he will have a grip on you that you cannot escape. Oh how strong that grip will be filled with deception such as what the Penn State administration has experienced.

There are times when the Lord supernaturally takes away particular sins in our lives when we confess, repent, and share them with others for accountability but most of the time it involves a struggle that the Lord wants us to work through with His help. The Lord tells us His grace is sufficient for us. He provides help through counseling, through close friends, accountability which all need to fall under the Word of God for our hope, help, and healing.

Sexual sins are not the only sins that can be exposed but any sin. It is better to have a clear conscience and on the side of the Lord than following the enemy.

Whatever you are struggling through and know it is a sin, do not give up on the Lord. When you mess up, go to the Lord in prayer asking for forgiveness and His help. Do not let Satan condemn you to the point that you cannot go to the Lord anymore for you always can go to the Lord.

When you feel that you cannot go is when Satan will have you in its grasp and you will start losing your conscience and become desensitized to the sin that overtakes you.

Friend, Jesus said it is the sick that need the doctor and not the healthy. Jesus wants us to come to Him in our sickness of sin and not stay away.

There are those that believe everything needs to be alright between you and the Lord for you to come before Jesus. That is far from the truth. Jesus wants us to come to Him in our weaknesses so He can work in us and through us, making His strength and power enable us to do His will, bringing Him honor and glory! Thank you Jesus!

God tells us in His Word, "sin is crouching at the door and if you do not master it, it will master you." (Book of Genesis)

I do not want that for you friend nor do I want it for myself. I want to be following the Master than be mastered by the enemy’s way. I want that for you too friend.

Whatever you plan to do no matter what rationalization you get from Satan ask yourself these questions:

1. What if what I am doing is videotaped on hidden camera and displayed to the world to see, will I be ashamed and will it spoil my reputation?
    

2. What if what I am doing is shown in a dream to someone the Lord chooses to bring correction in my life, will I be ashamed when confronted?
   
   Remember, the Lord has shown the sins of people to other people in their dreams/visions to correct them. An example is the sin of David revealed to Nathan. 

3. What if my secret sin causes the loss of a loved one?
   
   In the Bible we see that Achan’s secret sin cost the lives of those around him. He did not think anyone would know.

I have heard people say it is better to die than living in a sin. I tell you that suicide is not the answer but Jesus Christ! Satan would not love anything more than you committing suicide. That is not the way of the Lord and is cowardly.

Most of all whatever action you want to engage in no matter what the withdrawal or pull of temptation, ask yourself:

1. Is this action going to bring honor and glory to the Lord?

2. Is this an action Jesus wants a follower of Him to engage in?

3. Is this action a result of focusing on the Lord or on the self?

Secretive sins whether they are sexual, back hand business deals, etc will cause destruction in our lives and those around us if we become desensitized to them.

The answer  to overcome the desire to conceal sin can be found in Jesus Christ. For He alone can help us fight sin. Without Jesus in our lives, we will hate the light and continue in evil. I don't want that for you or me.

"Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God." (John 3:20-21, NIV)

Friend, you nor I will be captivated to concealment without the Lord's intervention in our lives. You and I need the Lord Jesus to deal with our sin so we need not live in shame and captivity. If we need to be captive to anyone, it should be Jesus Christ because when He captures us, our life will never be the same again. It will be a life of abundant living with His pardon, purpose, power, and peace.

"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full!" (John 10:10, NIV)

I am reminded of a kidney transplant patient. After a patient gets a kidney transplant, they have a kidney again but are forever captive to medication. Otherwise, without taking the medication, their kidney will reject itself and they could die without another transplant & medication. If they decide, they do not want medicine anymore but want to live the way they used to live, it will not work for them.

In the same way, each of us are dying as the virus known as sin has taken over us. We will continue to die on the inside and on the outside until we get a transplant but the transplant comes with daily instructions to follow.

What am I talking about?

I am talking about a heart transplant where our sinful heart is transplanted with the heart of Jesus. This can happen because Jesus promises the Holy Spirit to come and reside with us when we turn to Him. When that happens He will transplant Himself in our lives. Now our sinful heart and the blood that flows is transplanted by the Holy Spirit and now we are covered by the cleansing Blood of Jesus Christ that flows in us and is pumped in us.

Just as a person needs to sacrifice their kidney to give someone else life, Jesus sacrificed Himself on the cross to give us His heart of love and became our Donor. Now, we need to accept what the Donor wants to give us and let Him surgically remove the sin in our life and fill it with His presence and Holy Spirit so we can be restored from our dying bodies on the inside and outside.

But this alone is not enough because we have to follow the instructions Jesus gives us so He can work in our lives. Just as a kidney transplant patient has to take daily medication forever so his kidney does not fail, we have to take the daily medication Jesus offers us forever without skipping it. His medication is the Word of God that is medicine to our soul. We need to not only take it but let it work in our lives daily so Jesus does the work in us and through us through His Spirit and His Word.

A kidney transplant patient takes medication through his mouth. We need to take the Word of God through our ears and eyes, digesting it daily, putting into practice what we have received.

Otherwise, when we go our own way, we open ourselves up to the enemy! Instead when we focus our mind, heart, soul, and strength always on Jesus through His Word, prayer, and community of believers, we can live a victorious life. I truly with  believe that there is hope and deliverance for all in Jesus Christ!

The Word of God says, “Walk in the Spirit and you will not fulfill the lust of the flesh.”

Being a follower of Christ is not one day saying the sinner’s prayer and going our own way. Satan will not make it easy for us but we have Jesus to lean on and do everything He tells us by taking the best medication He offers from His Word. This means following His Word and principles as you seek the Lord in prayer. This could mean getting counseling, accountability, etc which are all biblical concepts that the Lord will reveal to help you as you are in prayer.

No matter what you are going through do not give up and do not conceal your sin but bring it out into the open. Our God is a merciful Lord and desires to help you. Yes, He does! Even when we feel we are being punished, it does not mean the Lord has left us. Do not take it as punishment but take it as our Heavenly Fathers’ loving discipline to help us go the right path.

May we rest in the Lord Jesus always and know His love for us realizing He does forgive time after time as we seek Him in repentance. May you make Romans 7 and 8 your prayer when struggling through sin!

“Concealing Offenses Now Can Explode Always Later!” (C.O.N.C.E.A.L)/”What happens to a sin you C.O.N.C.E.A.L in life?”

Prayer:
Dear Lord Jesus, your Word is so powerful that it makes me tremble at times because of the power of it. Thank you so much for how much you teach us. You Oh Lord know the secret sins of our lives. You know what we hide and the masks we wear. We are so sorry for our sin and ask you to please forgive us and heal us. We cannot do it on our own but need your supernatural help no matter what the sin is. When you talked about hidden things, sexual sin came to mind because of hearing tons of stories about sexual sin and its devastating effect on people’s lives. We need to look no further than the Penn State Sexual Abuse scandal. Most pastors/priest's lives that have been destructive occurred because of sexual sin. Even King David's life and kingdom was forever affected by sexual sin. We even see the affect of sexual sin in some of the nations' leaders lives. We know Oh Lord, it is not just limited to sexual sin but any sin we commit and conceal. Forgive us and help us with accountability. Thank you so much Jesus! You can deliver us from any sin no matter what it is. Help us to take the help you provide in humility and grace. Thank you so much Jesus. Jesus, we need the transplant you offer us so we come to you and ask you for it. Please cover us in your precious blood flowing through our heart for we believe what you did on the cross and need your help to cleanse us of our sin and make us new. Thank you so much Jesus! Help us Oh Lord for the glory of your Name delivering us and setting us free. Thank you so much with the medication you give us and our willingness to take it, Satan cannot take over. Thank you Jesus for paying the price for us and becoming our Donor. We love you Lord and ask you to come into our heart and make our heart your home. Live in us please Jesus and we will live for you and serve you the rest of the days of our lives as you help us. Thank you so much Jesus! We acknowledge you as our Lord and Personal Savior! Please be our Lord and Personal Savior and transform our lives. We take the medication you provide for us daily. Your Word has become our medication to live for you and serve you. Help us not to forget to take our medication for when we do forget we give the enemy a footstool. Thank you so much Jesus for your help. Thank you for being our Lord and Personal Savior! Thank you that you have heard us and answered our prayer. Thank you whatever we ask in your Name it will be done. In Your Name I Pray Jesus! Amen!

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, You are my all in all. You are my Prince of Peace, Rock, Savior, and Friend. You are my Holy Father guiding me through to live a life of righteousness, Holy righteousness. Oh God, I need you more than ever. I need to feel your hands around me holding me tight. I need your love to surround me so that you can glow in my life. Help me please Jesus. I desire in your presence. Thank you for guiding me to live a life of righteousness. Oh God you love me more than ever. You hear my voice when I cry out to you. When I seek your face, you fill me up. You are my all in all. Thank you Jesus so much for your help no matter what I face, your grace is available and you take my case. Thank you for hearing us and answering us. In Your Name I Pray Jesus! AMEN! (Most of the prayer is from a vineyard song called “All in All”)