As Christians, we are aware that we need to be forgiven to have Jesus come into our hearts. It’s a simple process. You ask Jesus to forgive your sins and ask Him into your heart. That’s it. Simple. Well, not that simple but it is not a complicated process by any means. God made it simple so that we can understand the whole plan. Jesus died on the cross for our sins. He took our place. We ask Him to forgive us and we are then forgiven. Step by step, we are able to go from sin to clean.
But what about something that we are holding against someone else? What happens then? The process needs to be just as simple. Someone hurts us and we must forgive them. Again, a simple thing. But is it? Not really. There are some things that are easy to forgive. Others are not that easy. Some things are just blown off. Others, I have agonized over for days or weeks at a time. But there is a bottom line.
(Mark 11:2526) And when you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive it so that also your Father in Heaven may forgive you your trespasses. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in Heaven forgive your trespasses.
Did you catch that? If you WILL NOT forgive someone, then God WILL NOT forgive you. That’s a huge problem. I want to hold something against someone but I do not want to live in unforgiveness. Therefore, I must let go of the unforgiveness toward that other person so that I can live in the freedom of forgiveness myself. Sometimes, that’s a problem, I admit.
Don’t you just want to hang onto that unforgiveness just a little longer? Sort of let them hang there in the breeze for everyone to see their sins? Yes, that sounds like a good idea…until God gets a hold of that idea. Then it isn’t so hot since God says that only HE has the right to repay with vengeance.
(Romans 12:1819) If it is possible, as far as is in you, being in peace with all men, not avenging yourselves, beloved, but giving place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”
Oh oh. This is a problem. I am not going to be forgiven if I keep wanting to hold something against someone else. Not only that but it’s God’s job to deal with vengeance, not mine. The answer is that I have to forgive that person who did something to me or my loved one. I do have a choice but that choice will lead to my walk with the Lord being damaged. I will not risk that!!!
I do have one question here. If you hold onto the unforgiveness, does that hurt that other person or you? Actually, it does nothing to that other person spiritually at all. You cannot control their standing with the Lord Jesus. That is between them and Jesus and has nothing at all to do with you regardless of your feelings about it.
What does hurt is your unforgiveness. It hurts YOU! Your standing with God is damaged until you deal with it for yourself. Is that thing they did SO UNFORGIVABLE that you cannot let go of it? Then God cannot forgive you until you deal with it. Now, is your spiritual wholeness or lack of it worth that to you? Because if you can live in the lack of forgiveness, fine. If you cannot, then you must change how you think about it and deal with it quickly.
So, if you have anything against anyone, please consider that it is actually damaging your time with the Lord, not the other person’s standing with Him. All it takes is going to Jesus and tell Him what you have done. He already knows but it is vital that you confess this sin to Him and ask forgiveness that He will be glad to give. That was the reason for Him dying on the cross..for You!! See, Jesus would have died there just for you even if you were the only sinner on the planet. Now, I find that to be awesome!!! Seek God today. Oh yes, go to the one you have something against and forgive them. Is forgiveness an option? Absolutely NOT!
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Silly question, right? No, not at all. I have had that question run through my mind at times. The reason that particular one keeps coming back to me is that there were times when I thought that God is too busy to answer such trivial questions…like how many packages of beans do I buy this time? I always thought that God did not need to answer things like that. He did not have to be in that part of my life because it was so trivial. Just a tiny little thing.
Our God is an awesome God. Thing is, He wants to be in ALL parts of our lives, even the tiny things that we do not think twice about. But is it important that He be part of my grocery buying? Yes! Why? Because if He is not in the little parts of your life, you will not trust Him for the big things in your life. Do you see this?
(James 1:5-6) But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and with no reproach, and it shall be given to him. But let him ask in faith, doubting nothing. For he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, driven by the wind and tossed.
God is not that Sugar Daddy person who is only there when you snap your fingers. He is not on vacation until you need some catastrophe to be fixed. And then, He is not just there for the small things either. His interest is in virtually all areas of your life, not to take over but to be invited to teach you how to live for Him. If your eyes are on the Lord, they are not on the problems. But you will never completely trust Him if you will not allow Him into the small things in your life.
(1Peter 5:6-7) Therefore be humbled under the mighty hand of God, so that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your anxiety onto Him, for He cares for you.
I discovered that it was an amazing thing to bring the Lord to the grocery store. Now that sounds goofy and crazy but it is absolutely true. There was a time when each penny was needed. I had no wiggle room with the grocery list and budget. It was totally necessary to watch every penny and dime going out because I never knew when the prices might go up and I would have to put something else back. Too many times, I ended up at the checkout having the cashier take off items until it registered only the amount of money I had after taxes, of course. It was embarrassing, to say the least.
Then God stepped into the small things in my life. What a difference that made. I actually got guidance on how to shop, when and for how much. My grocery bills never went past the amount of money I had. I got more for the money I had on me. And I wasn’t embarrassed anymore. What happened? God. I asked questions. I wanted to trust Him for the guidance to buy sensibly and responsibly. It did work. It worked because I trusted Him.
How about you? Do you trust God for the big things, the little things or only those things that you just have to have Him in? Is He part of those small things? If not, please consider allowing Him into that part of your life. I have to admit that, at first, I felt a tad foolish asking God for help in a decision about canned soup. And it was really bad when someone caught me talking “to myself” in the store. But after a while, I no longer cared about appearances and worked on getting the help I needed. What a blessing. Try it and see what happens.
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Ξ October 26th, 2007 | → Comments Off | ∇ Music, Video|
This song has been a favorite of mine for many years. I heard about it from a guy who used to be in ministry with me. He was one of the “old guard” who believed that the old standards were the songs that meant more than any other. I happen to believe that all songs that are sung to the Lord and for the Lord have meaning. It is with a great deal of pleasure that I give you Sandi Patty singing His Eye Is On The Sparrow!
Thank you so much for being here. My readers are valuable to me. I have been having a bit of problem getting online in the last few days. So, please bear with me. I will be back with devotionals soon. God bless you richly!!
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Ξ October 25th, 2007 | → Comments Off | ∇ Music, Video|
My wife, who is normally the one writing on this blog, didn’t want the day to go by without something being posted here and so I’m sharing this great tune by Mark Lowry. It’s been a favorite of both of us since the first time we heard it. We hope that you love it as much as we do.
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On another blog that I own, I am talking about the problem in our schools and what it is doing to our children who are not getting the education that they should get. We need to get together on our webpages, our blogs and talk about this subject until people sit up and take notice. It is an absolute horror that our children are being DUMBED DOWN. If you do not believe it, ask your children what they learned in school. If they tell you anything, it will not be much because most school districts are now more interested in the dollars they get from the federal government to care about what our children are not learning. They are teaching how to take the tests that will show the school districts in a better light thereby getting more funding from the federal government. It’s all about dollars, not our children’s education. There is very little actual education going on in the U.S.
Christians, those of you who homeschool, please pray for those who cannot homeschool. Some are not qualified to do so or are unable to do so. Please help us.
Do you know that a lot of the kids do not even know who the vice President is? Do you know that when asked about the war in the middle east, most do not even know where that is? Do you know that even the adults have no idea IF we fought in the Vietnam war not when? Do you know that if you ask a person on the street about our own country that most will not have the faintest idea what you’re talking about?
YOU need to start praying about this subject. We all need to pray for the future of our children and our country because it is already being given away. When the Dumbing Down of America is at an end, none of the people of age will be able to run this country intellegently sort of like it’s going now…only MUCH worse. MUCH worse.
Christians, please pray about this. When you are finished praying, please do something about it.
Blog about it, put it up on your website. Get into action groups that address this subject. Have a VOICE in this. We all need a VOICE about this horrific subject. ACT NOW!!!
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In these days of anticipating the Lord’s return, I have noticed how much worse the world is today than what it was when I was growing up. While I know that I did not notice much of what went on around me, I now know that things were much simpler, much more free than it is today. For instance, I was allowed to walk to school many blocks by myself to go to kindergarten. Now, it would be foolish to let a child that age out alone like that. Those days were so much more relaxed and safe than now.
People used to help others. I remember my Dad stopping to help someone with a flat tire on several occasions. I was taught that it’s the right thing to do to help someone in need. Too often these days, people are afraid to help someone for fear of getting involved, ending up with lawsuits and so on. That should not be so.
(1Thess. 5:14) Now we exhort you, brothers, warn those who are unruly, comfort the faint-hearted, support the weak, be patient toward all.
Perhaps now more than ever, we need to learn to “comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak, be patient to all”. When someone has a problem and God is urging you to help, don’t ignore it..help them. You say God isn’t telling you to help? What about that feeling that you should help them? What do you think that is? God is trying to get your attention.
With all that’s going on in the world, there are so many people who are fainthearted and weak who need comforting and uplifting right now. Then there’s that nasty little word that no one wants to hear—Patience!!! Be patient with those closest to you, especially your family. They can have hurt feelings from your impatience with them.
Road rage is a huge problem now. People are in a rush. They cannot wait for a moment or two more. Everyone is in a hurry. Everyone has pressure from somewhere. Out of that rushing to get somewhere, the pressure of a job or just the traffic and those other things in their lives, road rage is born. It’s as simple as this–lack of patience. So many will not take responsibility for their actions and just simply be patient.
If we will just take some time to notice that a family member or coworker needs an encouraging word, their day could be a lot brighter. If we were to talk to someone and gently, lovingly let them know that their behavior is not acceptable, maybe they would learn something and change. If we would give comfort to a person who looks like they just lost their best friend, maybe that person would decide that someone really does care about them after all and not attempt suicide. If we could just help someone who is not yet able to do the things that others can do becuse they are weak in that area, maybe that person’s hope would be restored. Maybe if we are patient with someone, they will not go out and kill someone else with road rage.
Do you see how your actions could change someone else’s life? Don’t we need to see what our actions actually do to others? If we are sad or angry around others, doesn’t that influence them too? If that’s the case, then if we are happy and cheerful, doesn’t that also influence others?
Why not take the time to give an encouraging word to someone. Why not tell someone you care about their problems. Why not give someone a chance to do a better job, explain something more fully and carefully. Above all, why not be more patient in all you do and say. Be cheerful. Enjoy life just a little more. Be blessed in the Lord!! Because: (Psalms 118:24) This is the day which Jehovah has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.
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Ξ October 22nd, 2007 | → Comments Off | ∇ Music, Video|
As you might be able to tell, I am a huge Gaither Vocal Band fan. I have seen some personnel changes over the years but the quality of sound and content has not changed at all. This would be because of the capable leading of Bill Gaither. This particular song is a favorite of mine. So, I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. The Gaither Vocal Band singing I’ll Tell It Wherever I Go”.
Once again, if you have a favorite that you cannot find or that you simply want me to place here, please feel free to ask for it in the comments section of this post. God bless you richly!
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As Christians, we are supposed to be aware that we are of the day or of the Light. Jesus is that Light. He is the Light of the world. John wrote in chapter 1 of the book of John that Jesus is the Light but that the world did not know or receive Him. It’s much the same today. Most people, sadly, do not see that Jesus is the Light that they need in their lives. When He comes in, all darkness must flee.
(John 1:4) In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.
When we walk into a dark room, there is no way to tell what’s actually in the room. You may think you know because it’s your room, you’ve lived there a while. However, if someone moved something into a walking path or moved it somewhere else, the darkness would keep you from knowing that fact. If you then walked into the room without that knowing, you could stumble and fall over the piece of furniture that was left in the way.
(John 1:5) And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overtake it.
You turn on the light. Suddenly, everything in the room is revealed. Anything out of place is glaringly obvious. Notice here that the darkness has gone. (I realize this is extremely simple but, in my case, it took really simple for me to get this point so please indulge me here.) The darkness cannot stay when the light is on. Maybe that just never occurred to you before. Nobody ever thinks about it that much. No matter how many lights are turned on, darkness goes away when the light comes on. Also, take note of the fact that darkness cannot be “turned on”.
The same is true with Jesus Who is the Light. When He enters into your life, His is Light in your life. The darkness must leave and all things are revealed and new. When you ask forgiveness for your sins and Jesus grants that to you, all the darkness and the sins vanish. A Light then shines inside you. That’s how God sees you. What we do with that Light after that is another thing and another devotional.
(1Thess 5:4) But you, brothers, are not in darkness, that the Day should overtake you like a thief.
Since we are children of the Light, we need to spend time in study and prayer so that the Light grows inside us. As our faith, understanding and closeness to God occurs, we become more “enlightened” to God. Isn’t that great!!! We learn more about Who He is, how He thinks and what our path is in His plan for us. Take the time to be with God. Talk to Him like He is your Father because He is just that!!
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I have been battling weight and food problems for most of my adult years. At times, I gave in to the temptations because it just seemed to be too much of a struggle. You know how. I ate that piece of cake or the snacks that I knew were bad for me but…”just this once won’t hurt.” For years, I lived by that standard. Just once won’t hurt. Do you have any idea how many “just onces” there are in the world? Too many.
Of course, there were those times that I was totally into the battle and won victories. The problem was much like a war though. The armies gather in their places. They plot to find the way to victory by working on strategies for the battles. Sometimes they met on the battlefield and the good army won! They pushed back the bad guys with victory after victory taking hills and towns back.
At other times, while the good guys rested, the bad guys would take over places that weren’t watched. The difficulty is that battles can be won and still lose the war. The war isn’t over for those with weight and food problems until they have died. So, the battles continue to rage. You cannot afford, nor can I, to allow the bad guys the advantage. I do allow that and that’s not good.
God gives us the promise that if we endure the temptations, we will be rewarded. That reward can seem pretty far away sometimes but it is worth the effort.
(James 1:12) Blessed is the man who endures temptation, because having been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.
So today, I am going to push the temptations aside and deal with my weight, food and temptation problems through my Lord Who strengthens me!!! With God in front of me, behind me, beside me and, more importantly, inside me, I can do this one day at a time!
Thank You, Lord!
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I have to admit that many of you may already be familiar with GodTube but I was not until today. And I was not familiar with it until I went to a person’s blog who is very good at posting for the Lord. This video impacted, it hit me very hard. You must watch all of it to see the story
but it is done all in mime with music. Very impressive. No that does not say it at all. Do you want to understand forgiveness and salvation? This is for you.
I have not explored GodTube as yet so I cannot say what might be there but if you are aware of what is there and would like to see it here, please let me know and I will get it for you.
Thank you and God bless you richly.
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