Showing posts with label forgive. Show all posts
Showing posts with label forgive. Show all posts
Saturday, September 15, 2012
"JUST DO IT!"
REMEMBER THAT FAMOUS NIKE SLOGAN?
I have spent time over the past few weeks enjoying dvds that I just randomly chose from our church library. They were movies about men that I knew little about, so I decided to watch them and learn. As I began to watch these movies one by one, God began to show me that the movies that I had chosen were not just random choices at all. Every movie that I had chosen gave thorough detail of men who had devoted their life to making a difference in the world. Not just part time or on holidays, but literally full time commitment to reaching a lost and hurting world with the truth and hope for a better life.
In the past week as I was talking with my most confident friend, I shared my inner most feelings about the things I had seen in the dvds and how it made me feel. I have to say openly that I felt as though I had done so little for others in comparison. My life has been mostly devoted to the building of my own security and gain up to about two years ago. God got a hold of my heart and allowed me to see how uncaring the world and the church in general could be to those in desperate need. God showed me this by allowing me to experience what life felt like on the other side of the fence where the grass doesn't even grow and the rivers are dried up. Through the valley of disappointing experiences where I shared my need with others and received only a pat on the back or a promise to pray, I began to see what God wanted to reveal to me. Every one of the people who didn't respond to help with my or my families need for food, shelter, medicine, comfort and compassion reminded me of myself! That's right! That is exactly how I acted for many years when anybody else shared their needs with me. When it finally sunk in that what I was experiencing was the same way I had treated others for so long, I got down on my knees and cried out to God for forgiveness.
From that moment forward, whenever I saw other people turn and walk away from a person in need of help or encouragement, my God would emphatically remind me, "DON'T YOU EVER DO THAT!", "DON'T LET THAT PERSON CRY OUT TO ME WHEN I HAVE MADE IT POSSIBLE FOR YOU TO GIVE, ENCOURAGE OR PRAY WITH THEM!".
Since then, I have had the blessing of helping and encouraging others who are going through a crisis or spiritual battle in their personal life, but my actions haven't even scratched the surface of what God can do when I, like those men who surrendered themselves totally to His service in this world, do just that!
God wants me to give all I have to His service on this earth and for His glory on earth as it is in heaven. Our reward is promised in heaven if we don't make our treasure on earth.
God has his own way of showing us the way we should go and the things we should do, but we all have a commission by Jesus to spread the word and care for the hurting. Some will be able to buy the seed, some will plant it, others will water it and a few will go out and harvest it. Jesus knew that the word was already out there when he told his disciples that the fields were ready for harvest. That's why he also said that the world will know his disciples by their love for each other.
What can I say today that would cause my brothers in Christ to show love, except to check your hearts and see if there really is love enough to make a difference. I would exhort you to really seek God to be used to make a difference and God will reveal His will to you. When He does, as Nike urged the world for years, "JUST DO IT!" Here is a short video of a man who has done just that. His movie is available at Redbox called "Machine Gun Preacher". You may not totally agree with all of his ways , but God said, "your ways are not my ways". What will You do?
Thursday, February 24, 2011
"FAITH DOES NOT DOUBT - PART 2
Go in peace, thy faith has made you whole!
None the less, the woman who is not named, enters the room. She has been listening to Jesus teaching and has seen His miracles performed and has come to the realization that this must be who they say He is; the Messiah, sent by God to save His people from their sin.
She stands behind Him now, maybe trying to control herself, but it is impossible! The tears are flowing uncontrollably as she stands at His feet! She wipes her eyes and sees that she has soaked His feet with her tears and kneels to wipe the wet dust from His feet with her most adorned apparel, her hair. She continues to cry as she thinks about her past and how many times she has felt the guilt of her sins; avoiding conversation with those who would dare to mention God or anything related to worship. This would normally have only made her feel worse about herself and the life she had chosen to live long ago. Now though, she was sitting at the feet of this One they called the Messiah, the Savior of His people! At His feet, where typically the servants would stay, she began to clean His feet with her hair and her tears. As she washed them she also began to kiss His feet, which was an act of adoration and respect for Jesus. But she didn't just kiss them once, but over and over again in love for her new found Lord! She felt so blessed to be able to show Him her love and belief in Him in such a way as this.
Then she took out the alabaster container of ointment, a bottle of perfume; a perfume that some theologians believe she had used to attract the attention of others and most likely her most treasured possession. Ointment was a very expensive product in this day and was used much like our cologne and deodorant today. You see, the Greek translation for the word that describes her as a sinner means one living in sin or a whore. Now how do we feel about this whole picture? What would we have been thinking if we had been sitting in that room, knowing that she had this reputation?
Wait! Let's bring it up to our day and time! Ok? What if she was a woman who was known as a Playboy centerfold and stripper who had been on public TV and the latest Yahoo News sites all over the world? Now, how does that make us feel? Maybe we can understand a little better about what happens next!
The Pharisee, whose name was Simon, was thinking within himself,"If this man was a prophet, he would have know what kind of woman was touching Him and that she was a sinner (whore)". That's when Jesus shared something with Simon. Jesus asked him,"If one man owed $50 and another man owed $500 and they didn't have anything to pay and the creditor told them that he wasn't going to make them pay. Which one of the men would love him more?". Simon answered and said that he supposed that the one that owed the creditor more money. Then Jesus said that he judged right!
Jesus told Simon to look at the woman, but Jesus also looked at her, according to this passage. Jesus had no problem giving her His attention because he saw her through different eyes; His eyes didn't judge her. Jesus told Simon, "See thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gave me no water for my feet: but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head. Thou gave me no kiss: but this woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss my feet. My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment. Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little."
In Simon's eyes, he had few sins, so he had little love for the Lord. Do you think that if we feel this way about ourselves, it will also have an impact on how much we love our Savior. If Jesus walked into the room right now, how would you honestly react? Would you drop to your knees? Would you just stare at Him in amazement and wait forHim to recognize YOU? Do we think that we are going to be His focus when we get to heaven? Are we really that great in our own eyes? I hear this dangerous doctrine taught all across America today and it is teaching people to love God less, just as we see in the attitude of the Pharisee with Jesus!"How are we to feel the love that this woman had for Jesus?", you may ask, just as I did when I first read this passage.
We must look long and hard at what we believe! This passage has brought me to realize two very important things. I took the time to search my heart and see how I saw myself and what I felt about my past and what God had truly done for me. This brought me to a deeper appreciation of what Jesus meant to me. He was the one who forgave us all as He hung on the cross. He forgave us even before this, just as He had forgiven the woman that day so long ago. He forgave her for all of her past sins and her choice of lifestyles that had given her such a bad reputation. Let's look at what Jesus says to her next,
And he said unto her, "Thy sins are forgiven." ~ Luke 7:48
But why do you think Jesus make mention of this that day? I believe that He was making a point to each of those sitting at the table that day; also to each of us reading this passage today. Jesus knew that the question would come up in their hearts, "Who is this that forgives sins also?". This has become the question of the century by many a Muslim and other religions across the world and many of them deny it! They can't believe that a man named Jesus can pardon the sins of wicked men!
I believe what Jesus says next will help us to realize the awesome power of Jesus as the Messiah when we believe! And he said to the woman, "Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace." ~ Luke 7:50
It was the sincere belief in God and the message of the Messiah Jesus that caused this woman to change. Her faith was made alive and that seed of faith which had been dead began to grow in her heart, her mind and then became evident in her body. She changed the way she felt; she changed the way she thought and she changed the way she loved! She went from doubting, bondage and oppression to having faith, pardoned and peace.
Finally, let's take a look at the word "peace" in the Greek translation and what it means to those who have faith!
In the Greek the word "peace" is eirēnē
It is pronounced i-rah'-nay (go ahead, try to pronounce it one time)
Peace (used literally or figuratively); by implication prosperity: - one, peace, quietness, rest, + set at one again.
Let's take a few minutes to kneel at Jesus feet and adore Him as we grasp the fact that He has forgiven ALL of our sins! Let's love Him more and more each day and remember the words of Jesus, "Thy faith has saved you; go in peace."
Then she took out the alabaster container of ointment, a bottle of perfume; a perfume that some theologians believe she had used to attract the attention of others and most likely her most treasured possession. Ointment was a very expensive product in this day and was used much like our cologne and deodorant today. You see, the Greek translation for the word that describes her as a sinner means one living in sin or a whore. Now how do we feel about this whole picture? What would we have been thinking if we had been sitting in that room, knowing that she had this reputation?
Wait! Let's bring it up to our day and time! Ok? What if she was a woman who was known as a Playboy centerfold and stripper who had been on public TV and the latest Yahoo News sites all over the world? Now, how does that make us feel? Maybe we can understand a little better about what happens next!
The Pharisee, whose name was Simon, was thinking within himself,"If this man was a prophet, he would have know what kind of woman was touching Him and that she was a sinner (whore)". That's when Jesus shared something with Simon. Jesus asked him,"If one man owed $50 and another man owed $500 and they didn't have anything to pay and the creditor told them that he wasn't going to make them pay. Which one of the men would love him more?". Simon answered and said that he supposed that the one that owed the creditor more money. Then Jesus said that he judged right!
Jesus told Simon to look at the woman, but Jesus also looked at her, according to this passage. Jesus had no problem giving her His attention because he saw her through different eyes; His eyes didn't judge her. Jesus told Simon, "See thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gave me no water for my feet: but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head. Thou gave me no kiss: but this woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss my feet. My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment. Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little."
In Simon's eyes, he had few sins, so he had little love for the Lord. Do you think that if we feel this way about ourselves, it will also have an impact on how much we love our Savior. If Jesus walked into the room right now, how would you honestly react? Would you drop to your knees? Would you just stare at Him in amazement and wait forHim to recognize YOU? Do we think that we are going to be His focus when we get to heaven? Are we really that great in our own eyes? I hear this dangerous doctrine taught all across America today and it is teaching people to love God less, just as we see in the attitude of the Pharisee with Jesus!"How are we to feel the love that this woman had for Jesus?", you may ask, just as I did when I first read this passage.
We must look long and hard at what we believe! This passage has brought me to realize two very important things. I took the time to search my heart and see how I saw myself and what I felt about my past and what God had truly done for me. This brought me to a deeper appreciation of what Jesus meant to me. He was the one who forgave us all as He hung on the cross. He forgave us even before this, just as He had forgiven the woman that day so long ago. He forgave her for all of her past sins and her choice of lifestyles that had given her such a bad reputation. Let's look at what Jesus says to her next,
And he said unto her, "Thy sins are forgiven." ~ Luke 7:48
But why do you think Jesus make mention of this that day? I believe that He was making a point to each of those sitting at the table that day; also to each of us reading this passage today. Jesus knew that the question would come up in their hearts, "Who is this that forgives sins also?". This has become the question of the century by many a Muslim and other religions across the world and many of them deny it! They can't believe that a man named Jesus can pardon the sins of wicked men!
I believe what Jesus says next will help us to realize the awesome power of Jesus as the Messiah when we believe! And he said to the woman, "Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace." ~ Luke 7:50
It was the sincere belief in God and the message of the Messiah Jesus that caused this woman to change. Her faith was made alive and that seed of faith which had been dead began to grow in her heart, her mind and then became evident in her body. She changed the way she felt; she changed the way she thought and she changed the way she loved! She went from doubting, bondage and oppression to having faith, pardoned and peace.
Finally, let's take a look at the word "peace" in the Greek translation and what it means to those who have faith!
In the Greek the word "peace" is eirēnē
It is pronounced i-rah'-nay (go ahead, try to pronounce it one time)
Peace (used literally or figuratively); by implication prosperity: - one, peace, quietness, rest, + set at one again.
Let's take a few minutes to kneel at Jesus feet and adore Him as we grasp the fact that He has forgiven ALL of our sins! Let's love Him more and more each day and remember the words of Jesus, "Thy faith has saved you; go in peace."
Saturday, February 12, 2011
LETTING GO
Posted on Feb. 11,2011 @ focusontheheart.org
(hope for the heart page)
And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. ~ Romans 12:2
It is when we realize that our behavior comes from only two intentions that we understand why we ourselves, as well as others, do what we do each moment of the day. To leave behind our past programing to protect and move ahead with the intent to learn can be quite a challenge, even though we know it is for the better. If you read the verse posted at the beginning of this page, we realize that we have been conformed to the ways of this world and that means to defend ourselves at all costs, but the teachings of our LORD didn't teach us this was the way to live, did they? The words of Paul in this verse echos the teaching of Jesus when he says to "be ye transformed" and how does he tell us this is done? Well, we all know that Paul's being well taught in the temple is often emphasized, but it is the teaching of God following his conversion that convinces me of his wisdom when he says, "be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God".
Paul knew, just as we do today that until we change the way we think about others and ourselves, our actions will not change and we will most likely continue to act based on our self pride and preservation. What is so impressive to me is that he is teaching us that we can become transformed as a matter of fact! I saw no doubt in the way that Paul worded this passage, did you? So we have to ask ourselves,"Am I ready to be transformed by the renewing of my mind or is my intent to remain conformed to this world and it's influence?".
My friend, if you haven't noticed a change in your decisions, the way that you treat others, the things that you think about, your anger management or your conscience sensitivity; according to the Word of God your mind has not been transformed. You are still living a life conformed to the world, but the next passage gives us all hope as Paul explains how he was transformed. Remember as we read this that our goal is "to learn" from every moment of our lives, rather than protect, so keep your mind open! You may get upset at this message and begin to defend yourself, but that is really just between you and God today. No one else will know, except you! There's no reason to defend yourself! Be true to you. Be honest with yourself! Paul has given us the way that he found a transforming by the renewing of his mind.
"For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith." ~Romans 12:3
How do we stop protecting ourselves and begin learning from our life experiences? Well, first of all, Paul had to have the grace that was given by God and is also available to every single one of us today! Secondly, Paul began to think with less pride and more understanding. Thirdly, Paul said he thought soberly; as in not under the influence. That can be the influence of drugs, alcohol, prescriptions, anger, lust, revenge, temptations, commercialism or even peer pressure! We can apply this to anything that will affect the way we think and causes us to compromise our core values. That's the way we live before we become a child of God and are transformed by the renewing of our minds. Let's take time to recognize the pride that we had when we are conformed by the world view, so that we can become in tune with what God has planned for us by the renewing of our minds, that we may prove what is good and acceptable. Yes, we will prove the will of God in our lives as we LET GO OF THE PAST and receive the grace of God that transforms!
(hope for the heart page)
And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. ~ Romans 12:2
It is when we realize that our behavior comes from only two intentions that we understand why we ourselves, as well as others, do what we do each moment of the day. To leave behind our past programing to protect and move ahead with the intent to learn can be quite a challenge, even though we know it is for the better. If you read the verse posted at the beginning of this page, we realize that we have been conformed to the ways of this world and that means to defend ourselves at all costs, but the teachings of our LORD didn't teach us this was the way to live, did they? The words of Paul in this verse echos the teaching of Jesus when he says to "be ye transformed" and how does he tell us this is done? Well, we all know that Paul's being well taught in the temple is often emphasized, but it is the teaching of God following his conversion that convinces me of his wisdom when he says, "be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God".
Paul knew, just as we do today that until we change the way we think about others and ourselves, our actions will not change and we will most likely continue to act based on our self pride and preservation. What is so impressive to me is that he is teaching us that we can become transformed as a matter of fact! I saw no doubt in the way that Paul worded this passage, did you? So we have to ask ourselves,"Am I ready to be transformed by the renewing of my mind or is my intent to remain conformed to this world and it's influence?".
My friend, if you haven't noticed a change in your decisions, the way that you treat others, the things that you think about, your anger management or your conscience sensitivity; according to the Word of God your mind has not been transformed. You are still living a life conformed to the world, but the next passage gives us all hope as Paul explains how he was transformed. Remember as we read this that our goal is "to learn" from every moment of our lives, rather than protect, so keep your mind open! You may get upset at this message and begin to defend yourself, but that is really just between you and God today. No one else will know, except you! There's no reason to defend yourself! Be true to you. Be honest with yourself! Paul has given us the way that he found a transforming by the renewing of his mind.
"For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith." ~Romans 12:3
How do we stop protecting ourselves and begin learning from our life experiences? Well, first of all, Paul had to have the grace that was given by God and is also available to every single one of us today! Secondly, Paul began to think with less pride and more understanding. Thirdly, Paul said he thought soberly; as in not under the influence. That can be the influence of drugs, alcohol, prescriptions, anger, lust, revenge, temptations, commercialism or even peer pressure! We can apply this to anything that will affect the way we think and causes us to compromise our core values. That's the way we live before we become a child of God and are transformed by the renewing of our minds. Let's take time to recognize the pride that we had when we are conformed by the world view, so that we can become in tune with what God has planned for us by the renewing of our minds, that we may prove what is good and acceptable. Yes, we will prove the will of God in our lives as we LET GO OF THE PAST and receive the grace of God that transforms!
Monday, February 7, 2011
FOCUS ON FORGIVING
Posted on January 24, 2011 @ focusontheheart.org
You may be asking yourself, "How can I forgive?"
Paul said, "Ye ought rather to forgive him and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one should be swallowed up with too much sorrow. For this reason I beseech you that you would confirm your love toward him." ~2Corinthians 2:7-8
We all need mercy, because we all stumble and fall and require help getting back on track. We need to offer mercy to each other and be willing to receive it from each other. You can’t have fellowship without forgiveness because bitterness and resentment always destroy fellowship. Sometimes we hurt each other intentionally and sometimes unintentionally, but either way, it takes massive amounts of mercy and grace to create and maintain fellowship.
Again in the book of Colossians, the apostle Paul says, “Forbearing one another and forgiving one another, if any man has a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so should you do”. ~Colossians 3:13
The mercy God shows to us the motivation for us to show mercy to others. Whenever you’re hurt by someone, you have a choice to make: Will I use my energy and emotions for retaliation or for resolution? You can’t do both. Many people are reluctant to show mercy because they don’t understand the difference between trust and forgiveness. Forgiveness is letting go of the past. Trust has to do with future behavior. Forgiveness must be immediate, whether or not a person asks for it. Trust must be rebuilt over time. Trust requires a track record. If someone hurts you repeatedly, you are commanded by God to forgive them instantly, but you are not expected to trust them immediately, and you are not expected to continue allowing them to hurt you. They must prove they have changed over time.
The best place to restore trust is within the supportive context of a small group that offers both encouragement and accountability. Find a church or support group in your area and invite the person you are forgiving to go along. Selah.
"Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer every man." Colossians 4:6
You may be asking yourself, "How can I forgive?"
Paul said, "Ye ought rather to forgive him and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one should be swallowed up with too much sorrow. For this reason I beseech you that you would confirm your love toward him." ~2Corinthians 2:7-8
We all need mercy, because we all stumble and fall and require help getting back on track. We need to offer mercy to each other and be willing to receive it from each other. You can’t have fellowship without forgiveness because bitterness and resentment always destroy fellowship. Sometimes we hurt each other intentionally and sometimes unintentionally, but either way, it takes massive amounts of mercy and grace to create and maintain fellowship.
Again in the book of Colossians, the apostle Paul says, “Forbearing one another and forgiving one another, if any man has a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so should you do”. ~Colossians 3:13
The mercy God shows to us the motivation for us to show mercy to others. Whenever you’re hurt by someone, you have a choice to make: Will I use my energy and emotions for retaliation or for resolution? You can’t do both. Many people are reluctant to show mercy because they don’t understand the difference between trust and forgiveness. Forgiveness is letting go of the past. Trust has to do with future behavior. Forgiveness must be immediate, whether or not a person asks for it. Trust must be rebuilt over time. Trust requires a track record. If someone hurts you repeatedly, you are commanded by God to forgive them instantly, but you are not expected to trust them immediately, and you are not expected to continue allowing them to hurt you. They must prove they have changed over time.
The best place to restore trust is within the supportive context of a small group that offers both encouragement and accountability. Find a church or support group in your area and invite the person you are forgiving to go along. Selah.
"Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer every man." Colossians 4:6
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