Category: Forgiveness

forgiveness of sins–ours and others

From Manger to Cross to Empty Grave

1 John 4:9,10           From Manger to Cross to Empty Grave

“God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him.  This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his son as a sacrifice to take away our sins” (NLT).

 

“What Child Is This?” was written by an insurance salesman.  Well, by the time he wrote this soul-searching Christmas hymn, William Dix was the manager of an insurance company, and a successful one at that.  But Mr. Dix had an avocation; he was a writer whose favorite form of writing was poetry.  Most of his poetry was kept at home in his writing desk.  After a serious illness and a prolonged recovery period, Mr. Dix penned the one piece of poetry that he felt should be shared.  That one piece of poetry was “What Child Is This?”  When paired with the classic melody, “Greensleeves,” it eventually became a Christmas classic.

In twenty-four lines, the hymn takes us from the birth of Jesus through His crucifixion to His resurrection.

In verse one we find Jesus asleep on Mary’s lap, while angels and shepherds guard, sing, and praise Him.  In the second verse Jesus’ meager earthly beginnings lead to God’s silent, for the moment, Word, the Christ Child, pleading for the souls of men.  The horrific torment that this little babe, grown into Jesus, our Savior, endured for me and for you is made manifest.  In verse three we are brought to the knowledge that this little Babe has become the King of kings, who brought salvation for us, and for this, we, today sing praises to Him for He has brought us great joy.  And, finally, we are reminded that this King of kings, the savior of all mankind, left the glories of heaven to come to earth as a human babe in order to bring us all to eternal life with Him.

Perhaps reading silently and thoughtfully through this poem written by William Dix brings the meaning of the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus closest to our hearts.

 

Our Manners–Kindness and Forgiveness

Ephesians 4:30-32         Our Manners–Kindness and Forgiveness

“And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.  Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.  Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another as God in Christ forgave you” (ESV).

 

This is part five of a five-part series about the Christian lifestyle inspired by Dr. Davd Jeremiah’s book,  Belief That Behaves.  This part is entitled, Our Manners—Kindness and Forgiveness.

Sounds like a big job to put away all those negative things:  bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, slander, and malice.  We are not just to put them away, we are to replace them with good characteristics or actions:  kindness, tenderheartedness, and forgiveness.  I find it interesting that six nasty things can be replaced by three good things and then life will be incredibly better.  Maybe that demonstrates that the traits we get from God are twice as powerful as those we get from satan.  I know that my Savior, Jesus, defeated satan and humiliated him in front of his followers, so certainly his gifts are more powerful than the traits we get from satan.

Unfortunately those negative traits are often used against the ones we love the most, our family members.  “Oh, he or she will understand.”  Maybe he or she won’t understand and relationships can be broken or at least damaged for a time.  Sometimes we think we need to use good manners with strangers but not with those we love.  The word “love” implies that we will treat those we love with special care just because we love them, and that includes good manners.

Dr Jeremiah states in His book, Belief That Behaves, “Verse 32 (of Ephesians, chapter four) modifies the Golden Rule.  It doesn’t say ‘Treat others as you would like them to treat you.’  It says, ‘Treat others as God has treated you.’”  That’s a significant difference.  The last part of that quote could be paraphrased as, “Forgive others as God has forgiven you.”  God has not only forgiven our sins, He has forgotten them.  He holds no grudges, and He expects us to do the same.  If we are to live a Christian lifestyle, we need to forgive and to hold no grudges.  That sounds like grace to me.

We all think of helping an older person across the street as kindness, but there are myriad ways we can show kindness every day.  To do so, we need to do as the Lord ask us to do, think of others needs before our own.  Often kindness given will result in kindness received, and at least in our immediate neighborhood, life will be more peaceful and enjoyable.  It is not always easy to be forgiving, kind, and tenderhearted.  Some people we encounter will be confrontive, rude, or even mean and hateful.  That’s when we need to depend upon the help of the Holy Spirit to help us to respond to their attacks with kindness and forgiveness.  This is when Jesus’ words in Matthew 5:39 come into play: “But I say to you. Do not resist the one who is evil.  But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.”  Jesus didn’t say it was easy; He just said that that is what we should do.

Thanks for reading this five-part series on the Christian lifetstyle.  Please return tomorrow for a conclusion to this series.

Our Mouths–Encourage not Discourage

Ephesians 4:29         Our Mouths–Encourage, Not Discourage

“Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear” (ESV).

 

This is part four of a five-part series on the Christian lifestyle.  This series was inspired by Dr David Jeremiah’s book, Belief That Behaves.  The five parts of the series are entitled, Our Morality, Our Moods, Our Money, Our Mouths, and Our Manners.

The Word tells us what a powerful and dangerous weapon the mouth is.  I believe that the mouth is like a grenade  Once a hand grenade has exploded, it is impossible to put all the pieces back inside the grenade.  All the small pieces of metal inside the grenade have been released with such a force that they tear through any flesh they encounter, making the grenade and grenade launcher the most lethal of the close contact weapons.  Mayhem and chaos are the results of the explosion of a hand grenade.  The same can be said of the mouth and the words it emits.  Once they have been sent forth, they explode upon anyone and everyone who hears them.  Hateful words can wound the one they are aimed at, but they are such that they also explode upon anyone near the intended target and can cause unease, concern, or even pain in them.  Often the one who speaks the words is sorrowful for what he or she said, and has remorse, but it’s too late now.  The words are out there for anyone to hear, and they cannot be stuffed back into the mouth; their effects are felt by all those who hear them.

Let me turn that last paragraph around by suggesting that words of praise, thankfulness, and blessing can also be spoken from the same mouth.  Again, everyone who hears them, the one spoken to, bystanders, and the one speaking them is affected by the words.  Words of blessing, thankfulness, and approval bring peace and joy to the hearers and the speakers.  And when we speak words of praise and worship to our Lord, we include Him in the list of those blessed.  So I suggest that we watch our words and do our best to send out grenades of blessing when we speak.

Two other important Scriptures come to mind: Proverbs 18:20,21; “From the fruit of a man’s mouth his stomach is satisfied; he is satisfied by the yield of his lips.  Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit” (ESV), and Romans 10:9; “…because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (ESV).  The first verse reminds us that we need to speak of God’s blessing, claim them, and the second verse focuses on the best thing ever to result from the words we speak, salvation.  We have to speak the words of asking for forgiveness of sin, and we have to acknowledge that Jesus, the Son of God raised from the dead, is Lord in order to receive salvation.  That’s the great eternal result of the words we speak, eternity in heaven with our Lord.

Be sure to come back tomorrow for the last in the five-part series, Our Manners

Peace

John 14:27                                                                          Peace

“Peace I leave with you, My [perfect] peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you.  Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be afraid.  [Let My perfect peace calm you in every circumstance and give you courage and strength for every challenge]” (AMP).

 

 

Jesus was speaking with His disciples at the last supper.  By this time, He had told them that one of them would betray Him, and Judas had left to commit the betrayal.  His disciples certainly sensed that something serious was about to happen, although they did not know how serious.  He had also told them the Father would be sending them the Holy Spirit, who would remind them of all the things that Jesus had said to them.  It wasn’t long until they needed this peace, for when they left, they went to the Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus was betrayed.  They scattered, and Peter was soon to deny that he even knew Jesus.  The crucifixion was just a few days away.  The disciples had good reason to be afraid, for their leader had been arrested and crucified.  They could be next.  A reading of the Scriptures leads me to believe that Jesus’ disciples did not have the peace He had left them until after they saw Him after His resurrection.  Some might say, “But they should have had peace because they had been with Jesus for three years, had seen Him perform many miracles, and had heard Him preach the Gospel.”  If I had witnessed, what they had witnessed at Calvary, would I have had peace?  Would you have had peace?

But I wasn’t in their situation.  I know that He arose.  I should have the peace that Jesus has given us. Right?  Sometimes it takes us a while to receive the peace that Jesus has given.  Sometimes I have to reread this passage before I truly have peace.  And when I reread it and contemplate it and remember that Jesus said it and remember that Jesus never told a lie, then I receive His peace.  Then His peace calms me as I thank Him and praise Him.  Thank you, Jesus, for giving us your peace, and thank you, Father God, for sending Jesus and for sending the Holy Spirit.

God Created (2)

Genesis 1:1         God Created (2)

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (NKJV).

 

He created the heavens and the earth with great beauty for our enjoyment and benefit and as a means to draw us to Him.  Enjoy a few examples of His creativity.

 

     

                 

   

 

We hope you have enjoyed these few examples of God’s creativity.

Norma and I are taking the month of June for much needed rest, for spiritual rejuvenation, and to celebrate our 60th wedding anniversary.

I’ll be back on July 1!

 

The Word Waters My Soul

Matthew 4:4                                             The Word Waters My Soul

“Jesus answered, ‘It is written : “Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God”’” (NIV).

 

These words were spoken to satan by Jesus when He was being tempted, and they ring true today.  We have an entire book that contains sixty six specific messages penned by numerous writers over many, many years.  This Holy collection provides us with God’s Words to humankind.  I believe they were written over so many years by so many people so that we can see God’s love and care for us from many different perspectives of man.  But God has only one perspective, and it can be stated simply as, “I created you, and I love you!”

I was watering our flowers this morning, and I had a thought that this watering can be compared to the food we get when we read the Word of God.  While I am watering the flowers, they are receiving their refreshment directly from the faucet or watering can, and they can drink all they need to satisfy their immediate thirst.  But some water is not immediately absorbed, but it goes into the soil so it can be drawn upon later when the flow of water is not present.

When I read the Word, I am immediately refreshed by the Word of God, and I rejoice in knowing that I am reading the very thoughts of God.  He meant these words for me today, just as He meant them for all who read them whenever they read them.  The words that the prophets and Jesus spoke were immediately absorbed by those who heard them, and they have been alive for thousands of years because they are relevant to everyone born of man.

Beyond the immediate blessing while reading the Word is the continued blessing we receive as we think about those words over the next few days or even weeks sometimes.  Frequently I receive a revelation about the Scripture that I read several days later.  It has been demonstrated to me many times that the Holy Scriptures have more layers of meaning that I can possibly absorb at one sitting.  I need to stretch my roots deeper in order to glean the refreshing that has sunk deeper in my mind waiting for me to consider it.  That’s also one way in which my Bible reading reminds me of a certain class of animals, the ruminates. I need to do as they do, bring back the nourishment that I haven’t yet fully digested and ruminate on it.

The thoughts I received as I was watering my plants this morning have served to remind me to look beyond the immediate blessing I get when I read His Word.  There are always additional blessings waiting to be harvested.

Justice from the Heart of God

Luke 18:6-8                                          Justice from the Heart of God

“Then the Master said, ‘Do you hear what that judge, corrupt as he is, is saying?  So what makes you think that God won’t step in and work justice for his chosen people?  Won’t he stick up for them?  I assure you, he will.  He will not drag his feet.  But how much of that kind of persistent faith will the Son of Man find on the earth when he returns?’”

 

The corrupt judge in the earlier part of this parable gave in to the persistent widow who kept badgering him with her plea for justice.  Jesus assures His listeners that the Father will step in and gain justice for His people, particularly for those who are persistent in their prayers, asking Him for His help in granting justice.  This is definitely an encouragement to keep on praying even when we haven’t yet been granted what we ask.  There is a key word in this parable, and that word is “justice.”  I don’t believe that we can use this parable as encouragement to continue to pray for just anything we may want or desire.  It is specific to the quest for justice, for His help when we have been wronged.  God is not the spendthrift gift-giver who gives gifts haphazardly.  He always has purpose in His giving of gifts.  He knows the difference between good gifts and bad gifts that may eventually bring harm.  He, the omniscient God, certainly knows what is good for us and what is harmful to us.  When we have been wronged and deserve justice, He will see that we get justice.

God’s ultimate judgment comes about when we die.  If we have any sin listed in our account we will not be permitted in heaven.  Wait a minute!  I have sinned, and I don’t know anyone who hasn’t.  You mean that I have no chance to get into heaven?  No, that’s not quite true.  What is true is that we have all sinned, and what is also true is that Jesus died on Calvary for our sins and arose three days later with victory for us because He had paid the debt for all our sins, and they are no longer listed in our accounts.  So, I can spend eternity in heaven even if I have sinned?  That’s right, as long as we have asked Jesus to forgive us for our sins and have accepted His sacrifice on our behalf and call Him Lord.  So, God gives us more that the justice we deserve; He also gives us grace in the forgiveness of our sins.  He provides justice for us here on earth and grace for eternity.

Hidden? Found!

Deuteronomy29:29                          Hidden?  Found!

“The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law” (NIV).

 

If God has truly hidden something, we will not in any way see it.  Some of the things that seem to be hidden can be seen and experienced.  It just takes some effort.  I believe that God expects us to search His Word to find blessings in order to help us grow.  The waterfall shown above is in Grand Teton National Park, and it is called Hidden Falls.  As can be seen, it is beautiful waterfall, and it is worth the effort it takes to view it.  The search for Hidden Falls begins with a boat ride followed by a walk through the woods alongside a rushing roaring river.  The trail narrows and steepens, and still no waterfalls even though it can be heard.  Finally, a bend in the trail takes the hiker around a group of trees and Hidden Fall is no longer hidden.  Its beauty is there for all to see, all that is who are willing to take the boat, the walk, and the hike.

Of those things that God reveals, some are easily seen, and others are revealed only after the seeker commits to a test set by God.  The test is not set to keep us from  seeing some deep deep secret.  The test is designed to help us grow in our walk with Him.  Salvation does not depend upon our submittance to a test or trial.  It is available simply by request and an acknowledgement of Jesus as Lord.  We can stop there and experience a perfectly wonderful eternity with Him in heaven.  If we are willing to undergo trials, willing to strive to grow, and willing to accept the daily guidance of the Holy Spirit, we will reap great rewards in heaven.  All of us are equally loved, but the reward of completing a task given by God is certainly to be desired.

God’s Story for Everyman

Jeremiah 29:11                                            God’s Story for Everyman

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (NIV).

 

Please read this as a personal devotional.  The pronouns “I, me, my, and myself” refer to you as well as to me if you have accepted Jesus Christ as Lord.

 

God has a plan.  God always had a plan.  I AM PART OF THAT PLAN.  WHAT A JOY!!  Since I have accepted Jesus Christ as my savior, God has me for an inheritance.  I’ve never thought of myself as an inheritance – particularly not one worth enough that someone would sacrifice His Son to gain.

When Christ returns, all things will come under His rule and control.  It will all work together as God intended it to from the beginning.  What a joy it will be to see how all science, art, business, philosophy, psychology, medicine, education, and administration will work together under God’s plan and Jesus’ rule.  I have a part in that.  There is a particular job to do, a job chosen for me by God – one that He has prepared for me specifically.  It is exciting to know that I am a vital cog in the work of the Lord.

Lord, give me wisdom and strength to learn those things I need to learn to be an important part of your plan.  Help me to put aside those things that hinder my development toward the person you want and need me to be.  My need to be the person of your plan and purpose is paramount, and without your guidance and help I will not (cannot) fulfill the promise given to me.  Lord, at this point I don’t know what you are preparing me for, but I yield to your wisdom and ask you to move my feet where I need to go, focus my mind on what I need to study, hold my heart to the journey, and give joy to my spirit as I walk with you.  Thank you most of all for Jesus Christ who took my sins upon himself and paid my sin debt in full.  He left my sins in a place I cannot go, so keep me from remembering them and returning to them.  I have been cleansed and set free.  Lord, I thank you for choosing me, for giving me purpose, and for preparing me for the work ahead.  Praise, glory, and honor to the name of Jesus.  Lord, speak to me whenever and wherever; interrupt me if need be; get my attention; and speak deeply into my heart so that I can understand your Word.  I pray this in the name of Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior.  Amen.