​January 29, 2016                                                       NO  SHORTCUTS
Proverbs 8:17: “I love those who love Me; And those who diligently seek Me will find Me.”
In a general sense, God has revealed Himself through history in various ways, making Himself known to His creation. Nature itself declares the greatness of God. Even though God has revealed Himself, He nonetheless  “hides” Himself-this is not a contradiction, but a mystery. There has been so much written and so much said about “finding” God, one could conclude that finding God is a complicated task. God has only one requirement when it comes to finding Him, and that is that the one who wants to find Him, must seek Him. The seemingly simplicity of having one thing to do in order to find God may cause some to overlook this one requirement. There is one thing that precedes seeking, and that is a hunger or desire to find or know God. We seek after what we desire. For example; if someone loves model trains, he will find himself reading about model trains, going to model train shows, joining model train clubs, and buying a model train.  Some may ask the valid question of how one is to seek God. As just stated, the first and foremost issue is whether or not there is a longing in our heart to find-to know God. I don’t know of any five easy steps to finding God, but there are some basic things that put us on the right track of finding Him. As a good starting point, we must know that God desires that we find Him, and He will even tell us when we are getting “hot” or getting “cold”. We should view the written word as a book in which God reveals Himself to us, and if we have been born again, we have been given the Holy Spirit to help us understand the word. It is certainly helpful to spend time meditating on what is said in the scriptures and to apply what is said to us-make it personal-“God so loved (me), that He gave His only begotten Son.” Realize that our minds need to be renewed; let us start speaking the truth of the scriptures to ourselves-build our thoughts on what God says in His word. Engage in worship-worship is simply telling God how great and wonderful He is. Commit to obeying the plain teachings of scripture and the promptings of the Holy Spirit. God loves an obedient heart, and as we obey, He reveals more of Himself to us. Don’t think that what has been said or suggested is a list of things to do-but see these things as what happens when we have a desire to find Him. God could make Himself illusive, but He has not done so; rather, He desires that we find Him. It is another mystery, but we can find Him, and yet we can spend a lifetime finding and discovering more and more about the God that calls us to Himself.  So for us, let us examine ourselves to determine if it is our heart’s desire to find Him. There is no greater treasure greater than the treasure of treasures-Jesus Himself.  If we find that in all honesty, it is not our hearts desire to find Him, let us ask God to help us change our heart so that it may become our desire to find Him. There is a key word in the verse above that we must not overlook; those who “diligently” seek Him, will find Him.
Psalms 27:8: “When you said, ‘Seek My face,’ my heart said to You, ‘Your face, O Lord, I shall seek.”
Hebrews 11:6: “And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that He exist and that He rewards those who seek Him.”
Blessings,
Buddy
 

​January 29, 2016                                                       NO  SHORTCUTS
Proverbs 8:17: “I love those who love Me; And those who diligently seek Me will find Me.”
In a general sense, God has revealed Himself through history in various ways, making Himself known to His creation. Nature itself declares the greatness of God. Even though God has revealed Himself, He nonetheless  “hides” Himself-this is not a contradiction, but a mystery. There has been so much written and so much said about “finding” God, one could conclude that finding God is a complicated task. God has only one requirement when it comes to finding Him, and that is that the one who wants to find Him, must seek Him. The seemingly simplicity of having one thing to do in order to find God may cause some to overlook this one requirement. There is one thing that precedes seeking, and that is a hunger or desire to find or know God. We seek after what we desire. For example; if someone loves model trains, he will find himself reading about model trains, going to model train shows, joining model train clubs, and buying a model train.  Some may ask the valid question of how one is to seek God. As just stated, the first and foremost issue is whether or not there is a longing in our heart to find-to know God. I don’t know of any five easy steps to finding God, but there are some basic things that put us on the right track of finding Him. As a good starting point, we must know that God desires that we find Him, and He will even tell us when we are getting “hot” or getting “cold”. We should view the written word as a book in which God reveals Himself to us, and if we have been born again, we have been given the Holy Spirit to help us understand the word. It is certainly helpful to spend time meditating on what is said in the scriptures and to apply what is said to us-make it personal-“God so loved (me), that He gave His only begotten Son.” Realize that our minds need to be renewed; let us start speaking the truth of the scriptures to ourselves-build our thoughts on what God says in His word. Engage in worship-worship is simply telling God how great and wonderful He is. Commit to obeying the plain teachings of scripture and the promptings of the Holy Spirit. God loves an obedient heart, and as we obey, He reveals more of Himself to us. Don’t think that what has been said or suggested is a list of things to do-but see these things as what happens when we have a desire to find Him. God could make Himself illusive, but He has not done so; rather, He desires that we find Him. It is another mystery, but we can find Him, and yet we can spend a lifetime finding and discovering more and more about the God that calls us to Himself.  So for us, let us examine ourselves to determine if it is our heart’s desire to find Him. There is no greater treasure greater than the treasure of treasures-Jesus Himself.  If we find that in all honesty, it is not our hearts desire to find Him, let us ask God to help us change our heart so that it may become our desire to find Him. There is a key word in the verse above that we must not overlook; those who “diligently” seek Him, will find Him.
Psalms 27:8: “When you said, ‘Seek My face,’ my heart said to You, ‘Your face, O Lord, I shall seek.”
Hebrews 11:6: “And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that He exist and that He rewards those who seek Him.”
Blessings,
Buddy
 
 

January 26, 2016                                             WHATEVER  YOU  DO

Colossians 3:23: “Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men; knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve.”

There is a tendency for us to classify the things we do as either “spiritual” or “non-spiritual.” Attending church, visiting the sick, reading the bible, etc., is seen as “spiritual”; while playing golf, shopping, watching the super bowl, etc., is seen as “non-spiritual.” As believers, we have no doubt bought into the idea of some activities being secular and some being spiritual. There is great liberty and freedom when we come to realize that everything we do can and should be done “as unto the Lord.” We have been transferred, born into the kingdom of God, and now all that we do is to flow out of being the sons and daughters of God. Those who are in the kingdom of God have different and greater reasons and a different motivation for doing the things they do. For one who does not know God, his influence and impact is limited to the here and now, whereas the believer has the opportunity to go beyond the natural and the temporal. There could be no greater opposites than that of one believing that when one dies, that’s the end; and one believing that life on earth is temporary and death is the doorway to an eternity in heaven. Believers have already been joined to the Father and we are now eternal beings who are living on planet earth, and now, all that we do can be done as unto the Lord. Our thoughts, our actions, our character, and our attitude should all be reflecting the new person that God us made us to be. It’s a giant step forward for us when see that what we do is done not for men, but as unto the Lord. When we do what we do as unto the Lord, we are reflecting the character of God-and that is the awesome part of this verse. Quality, thourghiness, beauty, perseverance, order, and originality are all a part of Gods’ character and these traits are to be expressed in what we do. Once we understand and apply this truth, life will not be mundane. Even what we may call a medial task such as  washing dishes, building a bird house, or whatever, takes on new meaning when we do it as unto the Lord. A life-changer is to realize that we are God’s representatives 24-7; where we live, where we work, where we “play”, and where we worship. Let us not overlook the word “heartily” in this verse. Whatever we do, let us do with whole-heartedness, with vigor, with diligence, and with perseverance. And let us not forget that we are to do what we do as unto the Lord so that the world will see that our God is wonderful, loving, all-powerful, and that He alone gives purpose to life. So, whatever you do today, do it as unto the Lord—and by the way, you will be rewarded!

Psalms 100:2: “Serve the Lord with gladness: come before His presence with singing.”

Romans 14:8: “For he who in this way serves Christ, is acceptable to God and approved by men.”

Romans 12:11: “not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord.”

Blessings,

Buddy

January 23, 2016                                                   NOT  IN  VAIN

1 Corinthians 15:58: “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.”

What a tragedy for one to get to the end of his or her life and then realize that all that they did their entire life was in vain. There is nothing as empty and as shallow as living life with the belief that life is all about me, and when I die, that’s the end. Many do spend a life time in the pursuit of things and pleasure, or fame and fortune, only to discover in the end that their pursuits were in vain.  Only those who have placed their trust and hope in Jesus, the Son of God, as their Savior, have the opportunity to live a life that is not in vain. We must beware of the fact that it is possible for a believer to choose not to be “steadfast” or “immovable” or not to “abound in the work of the Lord.” Because of this possibility, Paul is admonishing the people of God to be “steadfast, immovable, and always abounding in the work of the Lord” so that their life will not be in vain. If and when a believers’ work is not “in the Lord”, then whatever he/she is doing is in vain. Paul was not addressing preachers or minsters, but was admonishing all believers-you and I. Some do perceive that the “work of the Lord” is referring to those who are in “full time ministry.” The work of the Lord is not limited to preaching, teaching, visiting the sick, performing weddings and funerals, etc., but actually refers to everything we do. If we are walking in fellowship with the Lord,  if we are hearing and obeying what He says to us, if it is our desire to please Him in all we do, then all that we do is “in the Lord.” Paul uses the word “toil” which indicates that some time the work of the Lord can be difficult and laborious, either physically, mentality, or spiritually, or all three. Because what we do, and how we live our life on earth has ramifications in the here and now, as well as in the life to come, we would be wise to take to heart the instructions that Paul gives in the above verse. Let us examine ourselves to see if what we do, what we say and what we think, flows out of our relationship with the Lord and let us determine whether or not we are indeed “steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord.”  “Abounding” is a great word which means or implies: “very plentiful, abundant, to be present in large numbers.” We can be continually abounding in the work of the Lord because His Spirit  lives in us, always guiding and directing us in the things of the Lord-all we have to do is obey the promptings of His Spirit. Being “steadfast, immovable, and always abounding in the work of the Lord” is the supreme life, the greatest life that one can live on planet earth. Any other life lived, will prove to be in vain.

John 6:28-29: “They said therefore to Him, ‘What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?’ Jesus answered and said to them, ‘This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent.”

Colossians 3:23-24: “Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord, rather than for men; knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve.”

Blessings,

Buddy

January 19, 2016                                                   A  GREATER  PURPOSE

Ephesians 2:19-22: “So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household, having been built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together is growing into a holy temple in the Lord; in whom you are also being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.”

We tend to get near-sighted and focused on the here and now and we lose sight of the big picture of what God is doing. How true it is true that the “tyranny of the urgent” can rob us, causing us to miss the big picture. A vision of what’s bigger and greater than what we presently see, serves as a motivating force in the here and now. For example, because Thomas Edison could “see” the great benefit of having an electric light bulb, he spent countless hours in his quest to invent the light bulb-he was not distracted or deterred by present circumstances. As believers, we above all people, have the opportunity to not only see what God is doing, but we also have the priviledge of participating in what He is doing-we are part of what He is doing. In the scriptures above, we see that we are no longer strangers who have no identity or purpose, but we, along with others have been placed in God’s household. God is in the process-right now-of fitting us together for a purpose. God is constructing a temple that defies description-a place where He will dwell among His people. We must not see ourselves as “loners”, because God does not see us that way-he sees us as family. We also need to see that there is not a dis-connect between the present and the future.  Today, God is already busy building this temple, and part of the building process is Him getting us ready, transforming us, so that we fit perfectly into His temple-His dwelling place. The commands that God gives us are not given only to benefit us here and now, but His commands are given to prepare us and get us ready for that great and coming day when He calls us to be with Him in heaven. This is a mystery, but we must know that while we are being prepared, being fitted together for God’s plans in the future, we are already a part of His household and God already dwells among His people in the Spirit. We, the church, are the bride of Christ, and as the bride, we are to be making ourselves ready for His return. The present is to be spent making our selves ready-this truth gives us an entirely new view of life. In Revelation 19:7 we read: “Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage supper of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready.”  The fact that there is rejoicing in heaven because the bride has made herself ready, should be reason enough for us to have as a priority that of making ourselves ready. I believe that God, and all of heaven are anxiously awaiting the “marriage supper of the Lamb,” and the timing of this awesome event is somehow tied to the bride making herself ready. Is there anything greater, more exciting, more motivating than that of making ourselves ready for this incredible marriage supper of the Lamb? Making ourselves ready is a daily affair, and it may not seem like a big deal at the time, but as we express or exercise our new nature, as we carry out the commands that God has given to us, we are indeed making our selves ready. Let us not take lightly being placed in God’s household and let us be in the process of making ourselves ready by expressing who we are in Christ and obeying all that our Lord has said. For those who know the Lord, there is a fantastic event coming-the marriage supper of the Lamb-we can only try to imagine how awesome this event will be! Because we are already in His household, let us make sure that we are making ourselves ready by working with the Lord as He is in the process of transforming us.

Colossians 3:1-3: “If you then have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on the earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.”

Blessings,

Buddy

JANUARY 16, 2016                                        PARTICIPATION  TROPHIES

1 Corinthians 9:24-25: “Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. And everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.”

I recently heard a message dealing with the idea of “participation trophies”, and I will use this as a backdrop for todays’ blog. In our society, we are coming, or have come to the place where do not expect to win. We are at the place where just by “showing up”, one should get a trophy. This truth was brought home to me recently when I attended a gymnastics meet where it took almost as long to pass out all the trophies as it took for the competition part of the event. There has been a report out recently that stated: “it’s an error to think that it will harm a child not to get a trophy.” The danger is that we are presenting the message that just by participating, you get a trophy, or that we can expect something for nothing. Kids grow up and they discover the harsh truth in life that everyone does not get a trophy just for participating. Some of the fall-out of this “participation trophy” mindset in Christian circles is that instead of exercising spiritual muscles and fighting the good fight, one just waits----for whatever. The Apostle Paul understood the need for spiritual exercise, for training, for fighting the good fight. In this passage of scripture, Paul said that he did not run without aim and that he boxed in such a way as not beating the air. Paul also said that he “buffeted his body” making it his slave that he might not be disqualified. How about you and I? Are we swinging and running aimlessly, or are we running with purpose? We need to ask ourselves why we do what we do. Paul made an amazing statement when he said that he buffeted his body making it his slave! Do we let our body tell us what and how much to eat-how long to sleep-and how much entertainment to seek? Are we hoping and expecting to get a trophy by just showing up at church-at life-at work? Even though we are new creations and children of God, we must choose to walk in our newness and we are to pursue spiritual maturity. If we do not think that we are in a battle in life in general, we are deceived. If you don’t see the battle, then just take a look at what’s taking place in our society and you will see casualties and the ravages of war all around. God has equipped us in such a way that we can win the battles, but we must fight and engage the enemy. Fathers-you must fight for your family; Moms- you must fight to be the Mom you are called to be; Young people, you must fight to stay pure and be a testimony of the power of God; Churches, you must fight to represent and propagate the gospel. Tomorrow, next month, next year, we will realize the fruit of the choices we make today. Now here is the good news: we fight and we run from a position of power, of being overcomers, because we have the Holy Spirit living in us. We are called to put on the armor; to resist the enemy; and to take back the ground that the enemy has stolen. We are called to press on the maturity in the faith, becoming more and more like Christ. We recently looked at the book of Revelations and found that those who overcome, will be blessed. When the Lord returns, all believers will not receive a reward-only those who have made themselves ready, who have been “overcomers” in life, who have lived according to the gospel, will be rewarded. As we live our life out day by day, let us remember that we will not get a reward (trophy) just for living-but we get a reward for running the race well-running, expecting to win.

1 Corinthians 9:26-27: “Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim, and I box in such a way, as not beating the air; but I buffet my body and make it my slave, lest possibly, after I have preached to others, I myself should be disqualified.”

Revelation 22:12: “Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done.”

Blessings,

Buddy

January 13, 2016                                              LOVE  NEVER  FAILS

I Corinthians 13:1: “If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.”

The thirteenth chapter of 1 Corinthians is known as the “love chapter”, and as we read this chapter, we are challenged to compare our love with the love we see depicted in this section of scripture. What the world calls “love” is a selfish love, whereas the love that flows from God is a pure and unselfish love. A selfish love is based on how the object, or person of our love makes us feel. Many friendships and marriages have ended because one or both of the parties involved “felt” that the other one did not make them happy. The love that is of God is concerned with the well-being of others. The love pictured and defined in this love chapter may seem lofty and unattainable; however, it is possible to both experience and express the love as seen in this chapter. Only the person who has received the love of God and who walks in His love can express genuine, unselfish love to others. In Romans 5:5 we find that “the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit.”  Genuine love, according to this chapter, is patient; is kind, is not jealous, does not brag, does not seek its own, is not provoked, hopes all things, and endures all things (read chapter for other descriptions of love). One of the most awesome descriptions of love is that it “does not take into account a wrong suffered.” Wow! We live in a time where the prevalent attitude is that when one suffers a wrong-someone will have to pay-what a contrast! The one who is experiencing the love of God is patient, is kind, is not provoked, does not seek their own, bears all things, does not act unbecomingly, and does not take into account a wrong suffered, etc. Love is at the very heart of God-love is what it’s all about. For God so loved the world-that He gave. 1 Peter 4:8 tells us that “love covers a multitude of sins.” In John 13:35 Jesus said “all men will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another.” In 1 John 3:14 tells us that “we know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren.” Romans 13:10 states that “love is therefore the fulfillment of the law.” May we not be guilty of loving as the world loves, but let us be found being conduits of the love that comes from God. God is love. We don’t have to “work” at loving others; love is a by-product of knowing God.

1 John 4:7-9: “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love. By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him.”

Blessings,

Buddy

January 9, 2016                                         UNBIND  HIM,  AND  LET  HIM  GO

John 11:44 “He who had died came forth, bound hand and foot with wrappings; and his face was wrapped around with a cloth. Jesus said to them, ‘Unbind him, and let him go.’”

Lazarus, the brother of Mary and Martha, and the friend of Jesus, had been dead for four days when Jesus raised him from the dead. What a sight to see-Lazarus walking out of the tomb, totally wrapped in cloth from head to foot! Jesus ordered them to “Unbind him, and let him go.” As said before in previous blogs; the natural precedes the spiritual and the natural has spiritual applications. All who do not know God as savior, are bound and are spiritually dead even though they live physically; and it is also possible for believers to be bound and in need of being “unbound and let go.” There are many causes and reasons that can lead a believer into bondage. For example, if a believer does not know his or her true identity in the Lord-that he is a new creation-then they are bound by who they use to be. Also, if the believer is focused on the world and all it has to offer, then certainly they are in bondage. When a believer does not have a heart to seek God, to learn of God, and to obey God, the result is spiritual bondage. Another doorway to bondage for a believer involves the issue of forgiveness. A sure way to become bound is not to forgive others and not to receive the forgiveness of God for our own sins. It is God’s desire, and His plan for us to live in freedom-free from sin, from the old self, from the world system, from guilt and condemnation, and from fear. Jesus came that we “might have life, and might have it abundantly” (John 10:10), and in John 8:36 we read: “If therefore the Son shall make you free, you shall be free indeed.”  Inside of each person, there is a need that can only be fulfilled by having a healthy relationship with God. The good news for us is that it is our Father who created us, who designed us, and He not only knows the yearnings of our heart, He has made provisions for the satisfying of our heart, soul and spirit. Jesus is still speaking those powerful, liberating words that were spoken for Lazarus benefit: “Unbind him, and let him go.” We are unbound and free when we know in our spirit that God is our Father, that Jesus is our brother, that He has made us new, that He remembers our sin no more, that we have been given new hearts and minds, and that we have been transferred from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light. The freedom that God gives means that we are free to love, free to give, free to bless, free to be who God designed us to be, free to be at peace, and free to be loved by our Father.

Galatians 5:1: “It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.”

Romans 8:1-2: “Therefore there is now condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death.”

Blessings,

Buddy

January 6, 2016                                                    THE  WATER  OF  LIFE

Revelation 21:5-7 “And he who sits on the throne said, ‘Behold, I am making all things new.’ And He said, ‘Write, for these words are faithful and true.’ And He said to me, ‘It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give to the one who thirst from the spring of the water of life without cost. He who overcomes shall inherit these things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son.”

In the book of Revelation, we find the “revelation” that God gave to John concerning the end times-“the things which must shortly take place.” Some have said that this book is difficult to understand, but whether that is true or not, the one who reads and hears what is said in the book of Revelation is blessed according to verse 1:3 where we read: “Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the things which are written in it; for the time is near.” Either what is said in Revelation is true, or it is not; and we may either believe what we read in Revelation, or we may not believe it. Certainly the word of God is true and the fact is that we must come face to face with what is revealed in the book of Revelation-some sobering truth for sure. In Revelation, we read about angles; a sealed book; living creatures; a star falling to earth; a bottomless pit; and much, much more-a fantastic book of things to come. I’m sure that what John saw was so great and so awesome that words could not express what he saw taking place, and that is why God used images and events, as well as words to give the revelation to John. Even though Revelation is primarily about future events, it also has an urgent message for those alive on planet earth today. There is an over-riding theme in Revelation, and that is that God is well pleased with His Son Jesus, and those who love God and have put their faith and trust in Jesus for their salvation, will not be disappointed, but will be blessed beyond words when they meet God face to face! However, the book of Revelation does have a warning or admonition that demands our full attention. God makes it clear that the ones who will be blessed are those who “overcome”, and those who have made themselves ready for the great marriage supper of the Lamb. Many times throughout the book, we see the phrase: “to him who overcomes.” It is clear, not only in Revelation, but in all of scripture, that God is displeased with luke-warmnness and a life of spiritual mediocrity. If we view the salvation of God merely as a ticket to heaven, then we will suffer loss. God’s plan of salvation begins with being born again, but then God begins the process of transforming us into His image. It is critical that we understand that this transformation process that God has begun, calls for us to work with Him in the process. It is possible for us to resist His work in us, but we do so to our own hurt and loss. Working with God is key to being the overcomer that Revelation talks about so often. To work with God indicates that He is our focus in life; it means that we are seeking Him; that we are obeying Him; that we are finding life in His written word; and that we are taking off the old man and putting on the new man. There is continual celebration in heaven and it is centered on Jesus, the Lamb of God, who gave Himself for the salvation of God’s people. From heavens’ perspective, all preparations are complete, and now heaven is waiting for that great day when God calls for the bride to be in His presence. There is a great family reunion in the making; Jesus is now seated at the right hand of the Father; Satan days or numbered; and we will hear the trumpet sound any time now! So, yes, while we live in this temporary world, we are called to overcome this worlds system. The motivation for being an overcomer is found as we get a view of what’s taking place in heaven-an utterly fantastic place. Instead of us thinking that the book of Revelation is difficult to understand, let us take a fresh look at it and be greatly blessed and encouraged by what we do understand in this fantastic view into our future.

Revelation 19:7: “Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready.”

Revelation 22:12: “Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done.”

Revelation 2:7: “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches: ‘To him who overcomes, I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.’”

Blessings,  Buddy

January 3, 2016                                                     LOVE  AND  FORGIVENESS

Luke: 7:47 “For this reason I say to you, her sins which are many, have been forgiven, for she loved much; but he who is forgive little, loves little.”

We would do well to begin 2016 with the truth of this verse in the forefront of our hearts and minds. In this verse we find that there is a connection, or relationship, between love and forgiveness; and quite often this relationship is overlooked. The forgiveness that God has extended us is based on His perfect love for us and His forgiveness is not conditional. In Hebrews 8:12 God declares that He will remember our sins no more, and in Psalms 103:12 we are told that God has removed our sins as far as the east is from the west. The verse above explains how love and forgiveness are related. Until we realize how great our sin was and how much God has forgiven us, we will not be able to extend forgiveness that is based on love. When we become aware of our own need for forgiveness, we are not so quick to judge others when they sin-after all, who am I not to forgive someone else when I have been guilty of sin myself?  When we are forgiven, our heart is softened and we find that, contrary to what many say, extending forgiveness is not difficult. Actually, having a forgiving spirit is part of our new nature, just as God is a God who forgives. And we need to note that the sins of the woman in this verse was guilty of “many” sins; so we must extend forgiveness regardless of how many times someone may have sinned against us. If we do not forgive others, we become imprisoned. Forgiveness is important, as it is part of the reconciliation process, because when we forgive, we are expressing the heart of God and demonstrating His love even in the face of sin. Forgiveness is light overcoming darkness. Somehow, in so much of the church in our culture, there is little said about sin and the need for forgiveness. It seems that we have come to a place where we ignore, or put the issue of sin on the back burner. Thank God that we have been forgiven and born again, but that does not mean that we will never sin again and never be in need forgiveness again-it is possible for us as believers to sin and be in need of cleansing and forgiveness from God and from others. I believe that when we ignore, or choose not to obey what God has said through the scriptures, it is sin on our part. If we are not desiring to live according to the word of God, our hearts should be broken and we should find room for repentance. It is true that we are new creations with new hearts and minds and it is not our nature to sin, but we still have to put on the new person that we are; if not, we walk according to the flesh where sin finds its opportunity. Colossians 3:5: “Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.”  Let us begin 2016 by reflecting on the fact that we were once sinners who were bound for hell, but God extended forgiveness to us when we did not deserve it. Realizing our own need for forgiveness will do away with our judging others and will cause us to “love much.”  The giving and the receiving of forgiveness is a doorway that leads to the very heart of God. Finally, if we allow ourselves to sin against God or another person, let us be quick to confess our sin and turn form it. May 2016 be a year when we see God moving amongst His people: purifying and preparing us for the advancement of His kingdom-and may “His will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”

Mathew 6:14: “For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.”

James 5:16: “Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.”

Blessings,

Buddy