Category: forgiveness

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You are just being pig-headed!

Listen to wise counselors

1Chron 21 Has anyone ever called you those words? David was genuinely being pig-headed as he sought, in pride, to take a census to determine how many soldiers he had. Wisely, General Joab came to remind him that this was a foolish decision and would be costly and time-consuming. But, David was determined, and he was, as we say, being pig-headed, that is being stupidly obstinate! Nevertheless, as the king, it was his decision, and Joab had better comply. So he did, but with much misgivings. End of story, David finally comes to his senses when God sent Gad, the prophet, to tell him God was most displeased. It was what we call a lightbulb moment in David’s life.

What he did, and we often do not as well, is realize the full impact of sin. God gave him three choices due to his sin: a plague, falling into the hands of his enemies, or three years of famine. He chose the plague, and 70,000 men died just because of one man’s sin. Sin exacts a heavy price.

God has the Joab’s in our life to guide us from making big mistakes. Also, not always does God reveal the consequences of our sin, but when He does, He also lovingly provides us a way to seek His face and forgiveness.

The Apostle John wrote the words of Jesus: he who has ears had better listen and that applies to us today.

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Forgive us Father.

Forgive us Father

Deut 26-28, Matt 10:33 If you deny Me, I will deny you

Across our world, we are seeing men flagrantly disobeying God’s commands. They are rattling their swords with words of what will be done in retaliation if you stand in their way. All of this is happening because the people of God have forsaken Him and His clear commands. God clearly and succinctly told His children what to do to be blessed and what will happen if they “stick a finger in his eye.” And as it happened before so it may just happen again. God sent them into captivity in Babylon to the Holocaust to now when the Jews are scattered everywhere.

But that doesn’t leave us innocent just because we are Gentiles. We, too, are held to the same standard. If we want God to bless our nation, we must obey His Word. But, we are guilty before Him. When a man stands in the oval office and blatantly hires a man who dresses like a woman and blatantly acts contrary to God’s Word for purity and righteousness, the nation will suffer because we have turned a blind eye to sin. This is a reminder of Gal 6:7 God will not be mocked; what you sow, you will also reap.

Oh Father, raise up men of God to speak! May we humble ourselves and beg your forgiveness.

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God’s Ways are not our ways.

God's Ways are not ours

Gen. 43-46 and Num. 32:23 How often is it that we sin and we think that God does not see? But, as Moses stated in Numbers to the Israelites: “you can be sure your sin will find you out.”  [Num. 32:23] Translated it means that God will use whatever he has in his arsenal to reveal where we have sinned or another has sinned against us.  And so God releases a plague of monumental proportions in a deadly famine to open the doors to connect the sons of Jacob with Joseph so that they come to confession and repentance. 

Joseph told his brothers when he revealed himself to them: “God sent me before you to preserve life. [Gen 45:5] and again to reassure them: “it was not you who sent me here, but God;” [Gen 45:8] The brothers needed this cleansing just as we do when we sin or another sins against us.  God will move mountains so that we do just that. All those years in prison have shaped Joseph so he is ready to forgive the travesty that has occurred. Sometimes even in our innocence, we must walk the valley of despond so we are ready to meet our adversaries and seek reconciliation.

 Are you harboring resentment regarding a sin that has been foisted upon you even though you were/are innocent? Take a lesson from Joseph and allow God to use this so you are ready to meet your “enemy” with grace.

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The Simplicity of the Gospel

The Gospel Message is simple

Acts 15 and 16 Is Circumcision required for salvation?

The Jews, specifically the believing Pharisees, contended that for the Gentiles to be saved, they needed to be circumcised. Not so said Peter with his testimony about the salvation of Cornelius and his household. Paul agreed with him and expounded on it and will later write the book of Romans to justify why salvation is as Peter said: Circumcision is an outward ritual, and Paul explained that it must be Circumcision of the heart!

Further, Peter asked why do we want to add a burden that even the Jews have never been successful in keeping! So the dialog raged on until James stood up and proclaimed the truth from the OT. God said He would call the Gentiles to Himself for salvation, and it consisted of nothing more than repenting and believing in the name of Jesus.

James wrote a letter to the Gentile believers in Antioch, and the truth remains today: there is no outward ritual that one must keep. Just repent and believe, and you will be saved. That same message is still true today. Later, as Paul and Silas proclaimed that message to the residents of Philippi, the jailer came to believe it as well.

Today stop and praise God for the simplicity of the gospel message.

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Acts 7 “The Door of Opportunity”

God has the key to unlock the door

As a history teacher and anointed with the Holy Spirit, Stephen relayed to the High Priest and the religious council the account of Israel. He reminded them that their ancestors hardened their hearts, and now they are in danger of doing the same thing!

Stephen’s life is an example of what Jesus said would be true. The Holy Spirit will anoint you and provide the right words to say even when tried. [Matt 10:19]. When you speak, it will be the Holy Spirit who will be pricking their hearts. Would they believe, or would they choose to ignore the Truth of the Messiah? Jesus reminded the religious leaders that they were the masters of the scriptures, which spoke of the Messiah; yet they refused to believe the man behind the scriptures standing before them. Now they were also rejecting God’s messenger. God was closing their last door of opportunity.

God lovingly prepared Stephen both as he spoke and looked up to heaven. It was then that he saw Jesus waiting for him. Then, as he drew his last breath he sought forgiveness for those who would hurl their stones of death upon him; just as Jesus has done. [Luke 23:34]

You are God’s servant, just like Stephen. Trust that God will provide the right words at just the right moment. When God opens the door of salvation, do not ignore the door of opportunity.

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Sin -> Shame -> Restoration

Take care of the flock

Matthew 26, Mark 14, Luke 22, John 21

We cannot read the shameful behavior of Peter without it resonating in our souls. How many times do we say “I won’t deny,” but then we do? We deny by our words, our mannerisms, and our choices. Jesus warned Peter that he would deny, but just like us, he vehemently said, “I won’t.” But the proof is in the pudding, he did deny, and we do as well.

It is in the next step that we want to focus on. Judas betrayed but did not exhibit shame like Peter. How often do we hide behind our shame like Judas? How often do we exhibit shame in our tears as Peter did? What caused the difference? Judas never saw the eyes of Jesus, but Peter did. The eyes tell us the heart of the individual, and as Jesus looked at Peter, the soul of Peter crashed. It was in that moment that his bravado turned to his bitterness of shame, and he wept.

But then the grace of our Lord sought to restore Peter on that day in Galilee by the seashore. As he denied Jesus three times, Jesus would restore him with three questions: Do you love me, Peter? With each question, Peter had to determine his love quotient. In his shame, he had to walk through those questions, and we do as well. Do we love Jesus? Then Jesus tells us to feed his lambs, shepherd his sheep, feed his sheep and follow Him.

Where are you today?

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Guilt –>Repentance –>Forgiveness

Seek Repentance early

Matt 26 and Mark 14 If you are a believer of the Word of God, you have come face to face with guilt, whether it is presumed or actual. Jesus had a sure-fire way of getting reactions to his statements, and these chapters prove that point. He stated that “I tell you the truth; one of you eating with me will betray me.” Immediately the guilt signals arise in the minds of the disciples. One by one, they asked, Surely not I?” When we hear the words of Jesus, we too often ask, could it be me? It makes us squirm because we know Jesus knows all things. 

When Judas also asks that same question, Jesus responds: “You have said it yourself.” If that were you, how would you have responded? Judas’ response was to continue on the road to betray Jesus, and only after the dastardly deed did he repent. Too little, too late. But was it true repentance? Listen to his words: “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” [Matt 27:4] He said that before the religious leaders who cared little for his words. There is no scripture saying he ever repented before the Lord or the Father.

What about us? Why is repentance so very difficult? Why do we not admit our sin and seek forgiveness? One writer noted ten reasons, and the top three included: it confronts us with our sin, we are scared God won’t forgive, and we want law, not grace. If that is you, today do not delay; seek God’s forgiveness as 1John 1:9 says. God is waiting to hear your prayer. 

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Questions about the afterlife

No matter what time it occurs, will you be ready to meet Jesus

Luke 12 Are you prepared to meet Jesus?

Some came to Jesus to inquire about those, the Galileans, who died by the hand of Pilate. Were they at the wrong place at the wrong time or the right place because it was “their time?” As Jesus listened, he noted that they had the wrong question. The right question is not whether it is the wrong place or the right place; or the wrong time or the right time. Instead, one should ask, were they, and are you prepared to meet Jesus? The Hebrews author reminds us that “ALL people are appointed to die once and then face judgment.” [Heb 9:27] Only God knows our “end date.” We should not be concerned about that but concerned whether or not one has accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior.

Know this promise: “neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor heavenly rulers, nor things that are present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in creation will be able to separate us [that is you] from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” [Rom 8:38] if you know Him as Savior. So the real question today is, have you accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior?

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You Can’t Go Back,

you can't go back

2Samuel 11-12, 1 Chron 20 but you can move forward

The Apostle John wrote much about the price of sin and the cost Jesus paid for our forgiveness. While John writes to help us, the accuser of the brethren, Satan, waits for us to sin, and then he begins his dastardly work. First, he watches, and then he enters God’s throne room to accuse us of what we have done. And, like King David, we are slow to learn that there is no returning to our former state of bliss once we have sinned. Just as Nathan rehearsed God’s Words in David’s hearing, we too come to realize that we “have shown contempt for the Lord’s decrees.” [2Sam 12:9] It is then that the Spirit begins his work to “convict [us] concerning sin and righteousness and judgment” [Jn 16:8] so that we might repent.

Yet, Satan will rehearse our sin because he wants us to think we are unworthy to be called a child of God. But remember this truth, Jesus was revealed to take away our sin and remove our guilt and remove the Scarlet Letter over our heart.  [1Jn 3] And just as Nathan said to David, the Spirit reminds us that “the Lord has forgiven your sin.” [2Sam 12:13]

Know this truth: God’s grace is greater than the accusations of Satan and our sin. Although we cannot go back, we can move forward and tell the accuser: I am forgiven because of God’s great mercy.  

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Jesus Paid It All…

Jesus paid it all

Lev 5 “It is all about holiness before a holy God.”

One phrase is repeated in this chapter about sin: “even if he did not realize it…” This is not talking about intentional rebellion, but those sins that we unintentionally commit and then realize. When sin brings guilt we have a choice: we can ignore it OR confess it to God seeking His forgiveness and cleansing.

These Leviticus chapters were written to the Israelites to demonstrate the love and mercy of God upon these unintentional sins and how men were able to seek God’s forgiveness. Then people had to do it over and over and over. Jesus paid it all on the cross once and for all. Both then and now all must seek God’s mercy gift. God wanted us to realize that sin is not just against a fellow citizen, but God Himself. God is right to condemn our sin because He is holy, and He calls us to be holy. Without the sacrifice we stand guilty before God in need of atonement.

Today we have the indwelling Holy Spirit to speak to our heart. We must confess our sin; seek God’s forgiveness; trust that He is faithful and righteous and will cleanse us from all unrighteousness. [1John 1:9 paraphrase]

Do you need this today? Do not delay but listen to the prompting of the Holy Spirit.

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