PRIVACY IS NOW JUST A WORD OF THE PAST

What does "privacy" really mean? I see signs that say private
property, and we hear about people that have their own private yacht
or private aircraft. We refer to some people as being very private.

Unpublished and unlisted telephone numbers send the message out that
these people want their privacy. Who doesn't appreciate some private
time with families, friends and ourselves?

Decorated U.S. Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps learned the hard way,
and a very costly way, that with cell phone cameras, the Internet,
YouTube and social networking sites, the word (and world of) privacy
is dead. That word will soon to be taken from our dictionaries and
placed in a museum. A study reported in the Journal of Neural
Engineering by Canadian researchers say they can glean simple
preferences from a person's brain by shining near-infrared light into
their noggin. We soon will not even be able to think privately.

The Olympic hero, that in an earlier article I referred to as half
human and half speed boat, has been suspended from competitive
swimming for three months. Kellogg's, one of his sponsors, announced
it would not renew his contract after a photo surfaced of him smoking
from a bong. This isn't his first brush with the law. In 2004, Phelps
was arrested on charges of driving under the influence in Salisbury,
Maryland. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 18 months probation.
He issued an apology after that incident too.

To his credit, the 23-year-old has accepted full responsibility, and I
have not read where he has blamed anyone else. However, Phelps was one
of 12 Olympic athletes who pledged to "My Victory," an initiative
launched last year by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency aimed at keeping
competitive sports clean. You hear people asking, "What was he
thinking?" and "Who snapped that costly shot?" At this point, the
answer to either doesn't really matter.

The Bible has already told us in Luke 8:17, "For nothing is secret,
that shall not be made manifest; neither any thing hid, that shall not
be known and come abroad." Further on in Luke we learn, "Therefore
whatsoever ye have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light; and
that which ye have spoken in the ear in closets shall be proclaimed
upon the housetops."

Las Vegas prides itself in saying 'your sin stays here.' No it
doesn't. It will be home on your front door steps before you, waiting
for your arrival. The picture of Phelps as he pressed that bong to his
lips was in the UK tabloids before he knew someone had actually
snapped the picture. It has been shown the world around. The
collateral damage of lost endorsements is inestimable.

When Adam sinned against God, only God was there to see it. The
forbidden fruit had no sooner touched his lips, than his privacy was
immediately lost. He felt exposed and went about to make fig leaves to
hide himself. Adam didn't have to repeat this act. Once was enough.
From that day until this moment, just think of the damage.

Phelps can not blame his illegal activity on Adam. Although his
shameful action finds itself in Adam's sin. He has no one to blame but
himself.

Neither writer or reader would like what we have done or what we have
thought in private moments to be published to the world by print or
picture. Phelps has taken responsibility for his actions and admitted
his guilt. Who wouldn't want to forgive him. We are less likely to
forgive the star athlete who will stand before the United States
Congress under oath and declare their absolute innocence, and later it
be proven they were blatantly lying.

Maybe you haven't smoked marijuana or taken forbidden drugs, but we
all must withdraw the pointing finger from Michael's chest and put it
to our own. We have all sinned before God. He has taken the picture
and says he will set them before our eyes. In a coming day of
judgment, God has spoken and said in Psalms 50:21, "These things hast
thou done, and I kept silence; thou thoughtest that I was altogether
such an one as thyself: but I will reprove thee, and set them in order
before thine eyes."

The good news is that for all who repent of their sin and trust the
Savior for forgiveness, the record can be wiped clear and clean. The
apostle Peter says in 1 Peter 2:24, "Who His own self bear our sins in
His own body on the tree."