Forgiveness

“Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sins are put out of sight. Yes, what joy for those whose record the Lord has cleared of sin.” Romans 4:7-8 (NLT)

An element of love often overlooked is forgiveness. It gets overlooked because it is perhaps the most difficult element of love to apply, perhaps because the one who did the offense to us, hurt us in a way that scarred us (whether intentional or unintentional). But when we think in the realm of love we grow to understand that selflessness is a characteristic of love that when embraced, should make it easier for us to understand how to forgive.

My favorite example of forgiveness is Jesus' example on the cross. After enduring hours of the harshest punishment anyone could ever imagine for a sin/offense He was unjustly accused. In what amounted to one of his final words He utters, "Father forgive them for they know not what they do." (Luke 23:34) Jesus had every right to unleash His fury upon us yet He chose love over just condemnation. We who have been afforded so much forgiveness should love, embracing completely all aspects of forgiveness ourselves... which... by the way includes forgetting.

Never Forsaken

"I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread." Psalm 37:25 (NIV)

     How profoundly impacted David must have been to write such a statement. To use the world always, and never brings a certain lasting impression to things. And in all his life he never once saw a righteous man forsaken by God.

     For the average person it would have sufficed for David to pick up his pen at that point and say... I've never seen God forsake the righteous. But he didn't. He kept writing, and what he ended up adding to this particular passage tells you something about how he saw God, and how I believe God wants us to see Him.

     In David's day a person who was poor lacked bread. Bread was a sign of provision, and sustenance, and those who had neither were relegated to beg for bread. Jesus said in John 6:35, "I am the bread of life," by making such a declaration Jesus made himself our provision and sustenance for life. That's why David was able to make a prophetic declaration that the righteous will never be forsaken, and their children won't beg for bread, because Jesus was going to fulfill every need for our life. Hold fast to this life changing truth.

Our Friend

"You, LORD, were my friend, and you made me strong as a mighty mountain. But when you hid your face, I was crushed." Psalm 30:7 (CEV)


Ever felt so strong and empowered that nothing could stand in your way? I have. Or, have you ever felt a sensation of incredible joy like there was no news that could ever dampen your spirits? I have. In each of these instances I felt secure, safe in the knowledge that goodness had surrounded me and I was secured by an overwhelming sense of safety. When I think about it, I actually felt quite like this psalmist.

But then something changed. I felt that security dissipate as I relied more on myself and less on the very force that had me protected. Now I'm not saying that's what happened with the psalmist in this passage. But it is quite possible that the reason why he felt this void was that things were going so well he probably reasoned nothing could stop him. Except of course losing the presence of God.

Ask Sampson what it felt like to lose the presence of God. Or even Jesus when He hung on the cross and He wailed because He felt that the face of God was hidden, and it crushed Him to death. I pray we would never feel the weight of losing God's presence. That each day we would relentlessly pursue the face of God... for He is the one who makes us as strong as a mighty mountain.

Give Thanks

"Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever." 1 Chronicles 16:34 (NLT)

       Tomorrow we will spend time with family and friends commemorating thanksgiving. Usually around this time I do a bit of introspection looking inward to understand the extent of the holiday and take an evaluation on the year to date. Each time I do this, I can't help but thank the Lord, for His goodness to me. I think this because when I see how far I've come in life, I can't take any credit whatsoever for anything what I have done. I see it was God who really led me to these places.

        On top of all this, I can't help but burst with gratefulness that God's faithful love will endure forever. Doesn't matter how many times I slip, fall, and mess up (and I mess up quite often). He will never stop loving me or you. I know that for some times are tough out there, but that doesn't change the weather vane of His love for you. Nothing could ever stop His love for you. If that isn't cause enough to be thankful, I really don't know what could be. Have a blessed Thanksgiving!

Unshakable

“I have set the Lord continually before me; because He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.” Psalm 16:8 (Amplified)

      I was listening to a song (“The voice of truth”) once, and as it played I heard about the people in the song who faced incredible circumstances geared to move them (or cause them to stumble). David facing a Giant, Peter facing a sea being tossed and turned about. They could very well see the circumstance and bend to its adversity or… they could hear the voice of truth that says, “do not be afraid.”As many of us know, these men didn’t let their circumstances get the best of them because they set the Lord before them and listened to his voice of truth.

       To truly live an unshakable life in faith and deed we must continually focus on God. Know that He is at your right hand, listen to His voice of truth that says “I am with you always, even to the end of the world.”(Mathew 28:20) I don’t know about you but these words cause me to stand when I want to fall. They fuse me with a power I did not know I had… more importantly they cause me to be resolute when all around me crumbles. That same power and force is available to you as well.

Our Confident Hope

"Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying." Romans 12:12 (NLT)


     It's amazing how sometimes hope can be beaten down and lost the moment trial and adversities are increased. I can't pretend to say that I've never given up hope at times, which qualifies me to say that once hope is gone, despair and despondency set up camp and that is never a recipe for success.


    Patience at times requires us to dig deep, and that's why this passage makes total sense. When the adversities of life come in, it's best for us to just pray. Because prayer essentially enables us to take the focus on our circumstances and communicate effectively with God. 


    Its not like the situation you were presented with surprised Him, He knew all along what you were going through, which means He above all others knows exactly how to get you out of it. Don't forget that it was He that said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." (Joshua 1:5) So since He never lies, when we pray our hope should turn into confidence we need to overcome. Be patient in affliction, because at the right time in the right place, your deliverance will come.

Delivered From Fear

"I sought (inquired of) the Lord and required Him [of necessity and on the authority of His Word], and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears." Psalm 34:4 (Amplified)

       There are many obstacles that confront us from day to day, especially in these very difficult times. Fear is rampant, as people are worried about their homes, their jobs, and how they are going to make it day in and day out. In moments like these hope begins to wane, because the pressures of life continue to mount, and before long you find yourself in a dire situation.

        I've come to find that in the moments where things are most tenuous, God is closest. Suddenly, you begin to get flooded with people who encourage you, and passages in scripture that give you hope. Those things aren't coincidences by any means, they are God's subtle ways of delivering you from all your fears. It's His way of showing you... He's got it all under control. If you find yourself gripped by fear at times. Take hope! For if you pursue Him, He will deliver you from all your fears. It's His promise to us.

And The Crowd Fell Silent

"They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said, “All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!” John 8:7 (NLT)

       I can picture the vindictiveness and hatred in their eyes. They were certainly out for blood and not just the blood of a woman caught in adultery but the blood of a man they eventually would get. Seeking to entrap him ever so subtly they sprung a trap bringing at the feet of Jesus a woman who had just been caught up in adultery... a sin that according to the law required a stoning.

       Bringing her to the feet of Jesus these men figured they had a slam dunk. There were throngs of witnesses who could testify to her guilt and they were armed and ready for the kill, until of course, Jesus changed their plans.

        From the outside looking in you could almost see that Jesus didn't care much for this kangaroo court system and tried not pay it any mind. But eventually "they kept demanding an answer," and set themselves up for something they were wholly unprepared for. In so many words the hatred and vitriol the crowd spewed out morphed into conviction and silence. They cast aside their stones and went back home for they couldn't match wits with the Word of God. His grace and mercy prevailed once again. May we learn not get caught up in the hatred of the crowd, but rise above understanding that we've all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23)

Selfless Living

"Do nothing from factional motives [through contentiousness, strife, selfishness, or for unworthy ends] or prompted by conceit and empty arrogance. Instead, in the true spirit of humility (lowliness of mind) let each regard the others as better than and superior to himself [thinking more highly of one another than you do of yourselves]." Philippians 2:3 (Amplified)

What are your motives behind your actions? Is it to be seen by others? If so, you might as well stay home and do nothing. Is it to gain a monetary reward or fame? People will see right through that. Is it because you love others? There should your aim be.

Don't have strife with those you are working with. Instead, work together to achieve the same goal. People who move in the same direction together can form an immovable, unstoppable object. The biggest complaint the world has against Christians is that we all have different voices trying to convey the same distorted message. But if we stand as one then the world wouldn't have that complaint about us. Be selfless and stand together in doing so we effectively promote Christ to this world.

A Harsh Truth

"He (GOD) turned everything over to him so he could give it away—a lavish distribution of gifts. That is why whoever accepts and trusts the Son gets in on everything, life complete and forever! And that is also why the person who avoids and distrusts the Son is in the dark and doesn't see life. All he experiences of God is darkness, and an angry darkness at that." John 3:35b-36 (The Message)

      John the Baptist, the chief articulator of the Christ is speaking to his disciples about Jesus. He's laying it all out for them to understand that this very Jesus is the one who is the game changer. The one the prophets had prophesied... the only son of God.

       In explaining Christ John lays out a clear delineation between those who believe in Jesus and those who don't. Being the one who was destined to pave the way for Christ John is perhaps the one person on earth who is ultimately qualified to break down this divide. It also becomes a harsh truth.
  
       The fact that those who don't believe in Christ as the Savior of the world will be relegated to a life of darkness is a truth that may not sit well with others, but think of it in the simplest of terms. Jesus is the light of the world, apart from light there is only darkness. Correct? So what John says is in fact true. It is a harsh truth indeed but only if you don't believe.

Who are we?

"For each tree is known and identified by its own fruit; for figs are not gathered from thornbushes, nor is a cluster of grapes picked from a bramblebush...Why do you call Me, Lord, Lord, and do not [practice] what I tell you?" Luke 6:44,46

      I was sitting in a group discussion the other day when one of the members there made an excellent point on identification. They said, "We can for the most part tell by looking at someone who they are and what they represent." She went on to use Mormon's as an example, "the way they walk and talk is very distinguishing as well as the way they carry themselves." You can tell who they are by the evidence of the fruits they represent.

      Every one is a figurative tree that produces a certain fruit. Christians are supposed to look like a certain tree but sometimes we fall short of meeting up to the standard... Jesus. Jesus is so perplexed by this that He asks a simple question..."why do you say you're my tree when your fruits prove otherwise?" (paraphrase)

       Point is, our identification in Christ is solely predicated on the fruit we produce IN Him. I did not say FOR Him because we on our own cannot produce fruit FOR Him. In our human condition it is absolutely impossible to do so, because we are born into frailty. Our identification with Jesus is only possible THROUGH Him. Once we assume our position with Him living within us, then our fruit will morph into the form they were intended to take all along.

Veteran Honor

"No one has greater love [no one has shown stronger affection] than to lay down (give up) his own life for his friends." John 15:13(Amplified)
 
Father Dennis Edward O'Brien of the Marine Corps made this quote years ago. It still applies today. 
 
It is the Soldier, not the reporter 
Who has given us freedom of the press.

It is the Soldier, not the poet,
Who has given us freedom of speech.

It is the Soldier, not the campus organizer,
Who has given us the freedom to demonstrate.

It is the Soldier, not the lawyer,
Who has given us the right to a fair trial.

It is the Soldier, who salutes the flag,
Who serves beneath the flag,
And whose coffin is draped by the flag,
Who allows the protestor to burn the flag.

      Today is Veteran's day (or Armistice Day), is a day that in 1918 on the 11th hour, on the 11th day, in the 11th month officially ended World War I. Since that day, we have set this day to honor the Veteran's who have served in the wars of many nations. 

Majesty

"God’s voice is glorious in the thunder. We can’t even imagine the greatness of his power." Job 37:5 (NLT)

       Job is a man that was afflicted beyond anything we really could compare (aside from Jesus). He was an extremely rich and powerful man who had many children. Yet, in an instant all of that was taken away from him. Relegated to pick up the pieces of his life, Job then becomes afflicted with painful boils that rip his skin apart that he becomes almost unrecognizable to his friends and his wife.

        Yet in all this Job did not sin. Often a mystery that defies logic, how could this guy keep himself from sinning? How could he brave the torrent enough to understand that, "naked he emerged from his mothers womb and naked he shall also leave this life, the Lord gave me what I have and the Lord has taken it away. Praise the name of the Lord!" (Job 1:21). Praise the name of the Lord??? Could we really utter those words when we're put through the hottest crucible of life? Job did. But why?

        Job was well aware of something we often lose sight of. The Majesty of God. It's the very thing that we see when we see the sky open with thunder and then a rainbow follows close by. It's what we see when a newborn child emerges from it's mother's womb and life is evidenced by the scream of the child.

        Job was eminintely aware of this majesty and though he hated his circumstance, he understood that in the end God controls it all, and if it pleases Him we have what we get, and that's enough. Incidentally, Job was was right when he said we cannot imagine the greatness of the power of God, for how could he ever have imagined that God would restore double for all He lost. It just proves that His majesty exceeds our own reasoning.

The Savior

“He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted.”- Isaiah 53:3-4(NIV)

         We are well acquainted with the story of the only son of God coming down to earth to bridge the gap between man and God (started in the Garden of Eden). It is an amazing story, but something often gets overlooked on this story, something very subtle. What is it? The fact that Jesus was human.

          Too often we make excuses for our humanity and reason to ourselves that Jesus really doesn't understand (why we sin). I mean how could He right? He never endured what we endure, He never felt like we felt? We deify Him so much that we don't read the moments in which He was hungry. The moments He and His band of misfits didn't have much money to do what they wanted. I'm also pretty sure He was attracted to a few ladies of His day, but some may consider it a sacrilege to think that. If the bible proclaims that He was a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering wouldn't it lead you to believe that He felt like we do?

           "Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him and afflicted." This powerful prophecy proves to everyone that Jesus understands us. I don't know what your particular situation is, but I do know that Jesus understands. He felt our every sickness with a lashing on his soft skin, He felt the weight of sin for all mankind on an old rugged cross. If there's anything in life we need to really grasp is that Jesus was every bit as human as we are. The difference between us was that He was willing to die for everyone, even those He knew would never appreciate it. That's love!

The Greatest Love of All

"This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life." John 3:16 (The Message)

         The bible expounds on God's ultimate act of love. John 15:13 states, "No one has greater love [no one has shown stronger affection] than to lay down (give up) his own life for his friends." While Romans 5:7-8 says, "Now it is an extraordinary thing for one to give his life even for an upright man, though perhaps for a noble and lovable and generous benefactor someone might even dare to die. But God shows and clearly proves His [own] love for us by the fact that while we were still sinners, Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One) died for us."

         Lucifer (Satan) was once the light of heaven, and felt this love daily as he was the principal worshiper of heaven. Yet his own pride cast him out of the presence of this divine love and into eternal damnation. Why do you think he hates us so much? He can never let the light of that love reflect upon his soul any longer, and its tearing him apart.

         Friends I am convinced that this is the greatest love story ever told. How one man could leave the comforts and riches of heaven to save a world destined to die? Its really hard for me to fathom. It is true many of us would die for people who love us and we love in return, but God didn't place a limitation or requisite to love He wanted ALL to experience the depth of His love.

         I pray that all of us would rejoice more than ever in the wonderful sacrifice made for us, so much so that we make a concerted effort to share it with those who don't know it. God didn't want us to hoard His love all to ourselves by keeping it a secret. He wanted us spread this amazing story to others so that they can grasp the true depth of His love for ALL. 

He never fails

"I trust in God at all times. I pour out my heart before Him; God is a refuge for me." Psalm 62:8 (Amplified)

      Ever been backed into a corner, and really felt like you couldn't make a definitive step forward? I know I have. It's as if I felt so entrapped that I almost couldn't breathe. It's a horrible feeling because you have the deep sinking sensation that things have gone horribly awry and there is no way out.

       In the midst of that trouble... God came near. Just when I felt like I couldn't go any further or see a way out, a light radiated in the midst of darkness and delivered me from that trying situation, in ways that were wholly unexpected yet completely welcome.

       Now this may not be the experience many have encountered, but quite often I've been asked by others why I believe and the simplest answer I can give is this, "He's never failed me." When things in my life have gone wrong, never have I been left alone and abandoned, and in all truth, that's really all I need.

Faith

"By having the eyes of your heart flooded with light, so that you can know and understand the hope to which He has called you, and how rich is His glorious inheritance in the saints (His set-apart ones)" Ephesians 1:18 (Amplified)

How do we have the eyes of our heart flooded with light? The simple answer is found in Hebrews 12:2 "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." Jesus is the light of the world. Apart from him there is only darkness. We have light because we are His children and readily profess that He is the Son of God through our faith.

It's amazing how faith operates. We weren't there when he turned the water into wine. We weren't there when He raised Lazarus from the dead. Yet we believe. Jesus told Peter after asking the disciples who they thought He was, "..blessed are you Peter because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you" (that Jesus was the son of God). You see God immeasurably blesses the faith that operates within you. You just have to continually operate in it, not let the enemy steal your faith, and above all share this faith with others, for that is the purpose to which He called us to.

Trust

"As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the Lord is tried. He is a Shield to me because I trust and take refuge in Him. For who is God but the Lord? And who is a Rock except our God? God is my strong Fortress; He guides the blameless in His way and sets me free." 2 Samuel 22:31-33

     David writes this song after enduring 14 hard years in the wilderness. 14 years of a nomadic lifestyle not necessarily knowing where he would lay his head the next day or the day after that. His life had become relegated to trusting God in ways he probably would never have signed up for had he known this was the path to the throne.

       Yet if there was one thing that David was sure of it was God. He knew that God is not a man that He should lie, and he knew that though he couldn't figure things out on his own he took comfort in the fact that he really didn't have to. He trusted God through those 14 arduous years of bloodshed and defections. He endured because he held on to God's promise and that was enough for him.

         God saw this persistence in David and was impressed with how His servant never relented in trusting Him. After all, David has two specific occassions to take matters into his own hands and assume the throne his way, but he wouldn't take the bait and waited on God. That's trust.

         I wonder what is God asking us to trust Him for today? I wonder if we are truly devoting ourselves to trusting Him and not taking matters into our own hands even when we have an opportunity to do so. David proves to us that we can hold on to God's word, because He's never slack in delivering on His promises.

Remember God

"Remember the Lord your God. He is the one who gives you the power to be successful, in order to fulfill the covenant he confirmed to your ancestors with an oath." Deuteronomy 8:18

        I would like for you to recall a time in your life or in the life of someone you know where God did not come through with a promise. You'd probably wrack your brain for a while for that time never has, nor ever will exist. After all His word does say, "God is not a man, so He does not lie." (Numbers 23:19) This is the very reason why His promises are yes and amen.

        This is of extreme importance because it gives us reason to trust His promises in the bible. The promise given in Deuteronomy 8:18 is to encourage us to believe that regardless of the circumstances surrounding us, if we remember the Lord, we will have the power to be successful in life. The bible also says in Psalm 37:25, "Once I was young, but now I am old. Yet I have never seen the godly abandoned or their children begging for bread."

         This means is that we must continually remind ourselves that God is on our side, and He's empowered us to live a life of success and favor. The true key to this power and successful lifestyle is remembering who it is who gives you the power to be that way. So when times get tough don't rely on your own power and strength, for it is His power and strength that has overcome the world. (John 16:33)

Rejoice

"Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice!" Philippians 4:4 (NLT)

       I was praying this morning and I said to God, "I'm so thankful for the cause to praise you." Then I began to think about it and I totally understood that there is always a cause to praise God. To be happy in Him. I am full of breath. I am able to go to work. I have health, and on and on. Complaining should not be a part of my vocabulary, but praise and joy should always be a part of our expression.

       Resist the temptation to be unhappy, think about God's goodness to you and to others. That's more than enough cause to praise Him. For those who are unhappy will show it through their outer expression, while those who are continually rejoicing live their lives appreciative of what they have and the God they serve. Let that be you today!