Forgiveness

This is a tough subject, and it’s tough because it is a bi-directional subject that is not any easier in either direction!

The Lord expects us to be forgiving people, and we ourselves need to be forgiven!

Our human nature really fights us on this one.  Isn’t your first gut reaction to a hurtful action, to get mad, to want to get even, and then don’t we often hold a grudge against whoever did this to us? Not exactly what the Lord is expecting of us is it?

But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.  Matthew 5:39

 “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Luke 6:37

The odd thing about forgiving is that it really frees the forgivor as much as the one they are forgiving.  By not forgiving someone we generally hold all that anger and bad feelings within us.  It then continues to grow and fester and eat at our happiness, while having little to no effect on the person it is directed at!

For years, I was very good at not being forgiving.  I could harbor a grudge for years, let alone a day or week!  Now I can look back at that and see how destructive that was!  It would take away from my happiness, I would be miserable to be around when I was reminded of the grudge I was holding.  And to make it worse, the person who it was directed against many times moved past it and was fine.  This would just make me worse!

Now, I find I’m much more willing to forgive someone.  I’ve seen the release that true forgiveness brings.  I can say I understand the message Jesus was bringing us.  Not being forgiving really puts chains on us and our ability to live the life Christ wants for us.

I’ve had many situations in my life where there were hard feelings, disappointments, anger, hurt, you name it between myself and someone else.  I’ve found that when I take the road of forgiveness and make the first move to forgive, many times the Lord will then work the rest!  I always, always try and start the forgiving process by asking for forgiveness myself.  I’ve found that many times the hurt goes both ways.  I may not have realized it at the time, but no matter what it was I owned equally in the blame.  I believe that in asking for forgiveness, that I was showing that I was also truly sorry for the situation and wanted to make things right again.

I also believe this is some of what Jesus was meaning when he said “Forgive and you will be forgiven”

For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.  Matthew 6:14-15

Let me give you an example of forgiveness that really changed my heart and showed me what it truly meant to forgive.

The setting:  October 2,2006; in a small Amish Community in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.  A man entered a small one room Amish school and when all the events transpired, 5 young girls were dead, 5 seriously injured and the shooter was dead.  The entire world watched, both saddened and angry.  The events that transpired over the next days not only made an everlasting impact on my being but also that of much of the world.  This small extremely close Amish community truly lived out their belief and the teachings of the Lord.  They banded together, they mourned and we mourned with them.  Many of us got angry, and showed and voiced our anger at the man that did this and his family, we placed blame.  What was truly amazing was what this community did.  They immediately forgave this man, and they went to his family and told them that they forgave for what happened.  They then mourned together, they mourned with the family of this man that just killed their children and even attended his funeral!

Now, not many of us have had to survive a tragedy such as this, but I put this out there for you to ponder.  This is what came to my mind when I saw this… If these people, who just had someone come in and kill their children, could come out and openly forgive this man in front of the entire world, how can I not forgive?  The things that I wasn’t willing to forgive someone for were so trite, so small, how could I not forgive?  These people truly believed what the Lord was telling us about forgiveness!  They were not going to sell out their beliefs, they had such a strong faith that they knew in their heart, mind and soul that what was needed was true forgiveness.

I’m sure all of you know someone or some situation in which two parties are not talking to each other because of some very old wrong.  The situation is so bad that one or the other or both parties no longer even talk. Everyone knows the situation and feels bad, but no one takes the step to try and make this situation better.

Let’s take this upcoming Christmas season to make the effort to bring each other to the peace and joy that is found in forgiving and being forgiven.  Let us help each other to the peace that He has waiting for us if we follow his plan.

I want to take this time to wish all of you a blessed Thanksgiving.  Thank you all for allowing me to share my thoughts with you, you all are in my thoughts and prayers.  May you all enjoy the blessings the Lord has bestowed on each and every one of us and may we never forget to thank Him each and every day for all he has given us.

Wandering . . .

I have to admit that this week’s blog has been a tough one.  Usually I get a very strong “influence” from
the Holy Spirit on the topic I use for the week.  This week He’s using a much more subtle approach.  There was no wakeup call at 4 a.m. as I’ve had in the past, no major revelation while in the shower. All in all a rather quiet week!

But, maybe that’s the message being sent this week.  Maybe he’s telling me to be still, slow down, and listen to my subtle, quiet prodding.  So many times, life gets so hectic, so overwhelming, that we just lose focus.  Our “reception” to his signal is so filled with static and interference that the messages that were once so “loud and clear” are no longer distinguishable!  I’m afraid that that is how my last few weeks had been.  I once again got caught up in my routines, that I began to lose touch a bit.

I spent a good deal of time over the last two weeks preparing for this past Sunday’s worship, and there was a lot going on both at work and personally, that started pulling me in many directions.  On top of the time involved came the added stress levels too.

This past Sunday I had the privilege of leading worship and giving the message in church.  I look forward to these opportunities as it is such an invigorating feeling when the Holy Spirit uses us to convey His message.  It is interesting to note that each time I’ve given the message, I get done and there is always something that I look at in awe as I know it did not come from me!

Anyway, I digress and am beginning to ramble, sorry.

As I said at the onset of my journey with this blog (see the Hello world! page), I am going to write about the observations as well as the enlightening moments on this journey, well this week is definitely more of observation!

I’ve noticed on this journey that it does go a lot like a roller coaster at times, some days, weeks; it is the adrenaline rush of that first big downhill with all the speed and excitement that comes with it.  Other times it can be like that very long, slow climb up the hill.  A long, slow journey waiting in anticipation and hope for the big thrill of the drop. It also comes with its many curves and bumps along the way, very seldom a smooth straight ride!

This week, I think I just came off the thrill of the big downhill after the preparation and thrill of Sunday’s worship, I’m kind of on that second hill climb, a little slowed down, I can still see the goal at the top of the climb, but a little “wind blown” and exhausted from the energy spent.

I am presently reading in the book of Romans, which is a great book to be reading at this time.  It gives many messages that can rejuvenate the soul for working in service to the Lord. Look at the following verses, great messages contained in all of them!

Romans 1:16, “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes, first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.”

Romans 3:9-11, “What shall we conclude then? Are we any better? Not at all! We have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under sin. As it is written: ‘There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God.’”

Romans 3:21, “But now a righteousness from God apart from the law, has been made known, to which the Law and Prophets testify.”

Romans 3:23: “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

Romans 5:8, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Romans 8:9, “You however, are controlled not by the sinful nature, but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of  God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.”

Romans 8:28: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

Romans 8:37-39, “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Romans 10:9-10, “That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.”

Romans 12:1, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God, this is your spiritual act of worship.”

Romans 12:19, “Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the Lord.”

Romans 16:17, “I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them.”

Amazing testimony by the Apostle Paul and it always is amazing to me how the Lord puts you right where you need to be with the words of encouragement and strength to empower you for the task he has for you.  All we need to do is be still enough to listen to him.

May his peace guide you on your “roller coaster” ride with Him!

Until next week, God Bless you all!

Spring forward, fall back …

As we head into the fall of the year and especially this weekend when we are reminded by this phrase to set our clocks back 1 hour (fall back), it made me look at this phrase in a little different way.

In the fall as the days grow shorter, the leaves turn all the different colors, the flowers fade and the long winter days are soon upon us, I think it can also represent the cycle of our spiritual lives sometimes.  I’m asking you to look at this short little catch phrase in a different perspective today.

Spring forward, fall back…

I’ll reverse it for my illustration.

Fall, we have our seasons where we “fall back” to our old ways; we start to wither and fade a little, just like the leaves on the trees and the flowers in our gardens.  We may not be walking the path that He wants for us or being the examples of Jesus that we are called to be.  Not only is this leading us to a cold winter time in our spiritual journey, but there is also another “fall back” time here.  It is a time when we really need to “fall back” to Jesus!  When we have these challenging times, when we realize that we are slipping in our walk with the Lord, this is when we need to “fall back” on Him!  He tells us that he will never leave us or abandon us.  No matter what we do or how bad we think we’ve been.  If in our hearts we turn back to Him, and ask our heartfelt forgiveness, He is there to take us back.  He will carry us through our Fall and long, cold Winter, and will lead us to that glorious Spring!

Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation… 2 Peter 3:15

For the LORD your God is a merciful God; he will not abandon or destroy you or forget the covenant with your forefathers, which he confirmed to them by oath. Deuteronomy 4:31

Spring, life is renewed, the leaves are turning green, the flowers are starting to grow, the days are getting longer and warmer, the snow is melting, it’s exciting and rejuvenating for us.  It reminds me of the Easter season!

He’s Alive! He has risen!  Our Lord and Savior has conquered death and redeemed us with His blood.  We have emerged from the dark, cold “winter” of Satan’s power over us and our sins to be re-born, washed clean by the blood of Jesus!  What a wonderful “spring”.  We are excited, and we “spring forward” to spread the Good News and to fulfill His  plans for us!

And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith–and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God–not by works, so that no one can boast.  For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:6-10

And any writing in regard to seasons would be remiss to leave out this passage:

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build,  a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance,  a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain,  a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away,  a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak,  a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.  What does the worker gain from his toil? I have seen the burden God has laid on men. He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the
hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end. I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live.  That everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his toil–this is the gift of God. I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that men will revere him. Whatever is has already been, and what will be has been before; and God will call the past to account. And I saw something else under the sun: In the place of judgment–wickedness was there, in the place of justice–wickedness was there.  I thought in my heart, “God will bring to judgment both the righteous and the wicked, for there will be a time for every activity, a time for every deed.” I also thought, “As for men, God tests them so that they may see that they are like the animals.
Man’s fate is like that of the animals; the same fate awaits them both: As one dies, so dies the other. All have the same breath; man has no advantage over the animal. Everything is meaningless.  All go to the same place; all come from dust, and to dust all return. Who knows if the spirit of man rises upward and if the spirit of the animal goes down into the earth?”  So I saw that there is nothing better for a man than to enjoy his work, because that is his lot. For who can bring him to see what will happen after him?  Ecclesiastes 3

So, next Spring, when you once again hear the phrase “Spring forward, Fall back”, I hope this little message gives you another meaning than just resetting your clock. I hope it reminds you of the joy we all can have if we Spring forward with the joy of a personal relationship with Jesus Christ that fills you with a renewed purpose in your Christian walk, and may it also remind you that no matter what, you can always “Fall back” on Jesus, He’s waiting with open arms to take you in!

May God bless you with a very blessed week, filled with all the peace and joy of a life in Christ!

Finish the race …

This past weekend we had the honor of going to Washington, D.C. to watch the Marine Corp. Marathon.  My son, Brandon was running the marathon for a second time, first time was with the Navy, but this time was for the Susan Komen Marathon for the Cure, in honor of his mother, JoAnn who lost her battle with breast cancer in 2005.

I say honor because it is an honor to watch these runners undertake the grueling distance of 26.2 miles. All with different motives and reasons; some run for purely personal reasons, some to make a statement and some run to support a cause.

All of our military branches are represented along with many charities like the Susan Komen Race for the Cure, the Run for Life and many others.

Then there are those courageous folks that are not about to let a disability stop them for participating, there were the bikes for the paraplegics, there were blind runners running with a partner, what an inspiring sight!  God had to look down on these people and say I’m well pleased with you!

This leads me into my post for this week, finish the race….

I would expand that a little… keep your eyes on the Lord and finish the race!

Let’s look at a few scripture verses.  The first from Acts 20:24

However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me–the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace.

Isn’t that the true goal for all of us in this race?  Truly, if our life is to have a meaningful purpose we must strive to finish the tasks that the Lord has set about for us.  If we are spending time in conversation with Him, He will give us the wisdom to see our purpose and He will also provide us the tools to be successful.  I’ve heard it said from many close friends, “He doesn’t make junk!” He wants us to be successful, He wants us to be satisfied and fulfilled, BUT, it will only happen if we keep our eyes fixed on Him and we run the race until we have expended every last effort, just as I saw over and over again as these runners made their way to the finish line.

Some appeared to be in very good shape coming to the finish, tired but looking pretty good.  Others were battered, holding their sides from side stitches, limping because of sore feet and legs, or cramping up, some barely walking or hand peddling their bikes, but none of them, not even one, had an inkling of giving up now.  They had their eyes on the prize, they were going to finish.

This is what the Lord wants for us also.  Keep our eyes on the prize and go on.  I’ll reference another song here, I think it’s a great one, called “Eyes on the Prize” Sara Grove – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BmrTvDoqvMM

My next reference is from Hebrews 12: 11-13

No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. “Make level paths for your feet,” so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.

As with all of the participants in the marathon, they needed discipline to prepare for the race.  It by no means was a pleasant undertaking to run all those prep miles, in all kinds of weather and with all kinds of aches and pains trying to deter them from preparing.  But as the scripture states, it produces the reward of a job well done.

Our preparation can be much the same.  The Lord requires us to prepare, and we see many examples in the Bible of times when the Israelites did not prepare as He instructed.  The results were, to put it mildly, not to the liking of the Israelites!  But to those who bore the pain and hardship of preparing for the Lord as He instructed, they were rewarded.

In our human state, isn’t it so easy to find excuses to “put off” our training and preparation for what the Lord is asking us to do?  How easy do we find it to say, I’ll pray a little longer tomorrow, or I’ll read an extra chapter in the Bible tomorrow and get caught up.  I do it myself, not proud of it, but it’s the truth!  Is this the honest way to prepare for the task He has planned for us?  Thank you Lord for your grace and forgiveness, without it I’m not even in the race!

We need to be willing to make the sacrifice, and prepare so that we can run the race and have the “harvest of righteousness and peace”.

Another verse that reflects the preparation involved is in Romans 5:3-5

Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

Let me leave you with one final verse:  1 Corinthians 9:24-26

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

Brothers and Sisters let us all “run the race” to get the crown that will last forever – everlasting life with Jesus in Heaven – don’t cut yourself short; don’t do anything to be “disqualified for the prize”.  Let us all do our very best to prepare and finish the race, while always keeping our eyes on the Lord!

May the Love and Peace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you all during the coming week.

God Bless!