Sonsofthesea.org

"Come follow me and I will make you fishers of men." Matthew 4:19

Category: Forgiveness (Page 3 of 3)

Create in Me A Pure Heart, O God.

December 12, 2020 /
Stephanie Montilla

“Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me” –Psalm 51:10.

The posture of David’s heart in this Psalm, his simple plea before God for a clean heart is a beautiful, Godly example for us all. A humble, bold example to follow when we go before our God, who is full of grace, recognizing our sins.

That said, have you ever felt morally dirty after having sinned? Have you ever felt increasingly burdened by the shame, guilt, the regret sinning creates within you? Have you ever felt entangled, snared by a habitual sin? Have you ever distanced yourself from God because inflicting yourself with a mental flogging just felt safer than confessing your transgressions to your Holy, heavenly Father?

Being the deeply flawed and imperfect beings that we are, our natural man is bound to sin. Each of us was born with a sinful nature; inheriting the sinful fruit of our corrupt human nature from Adam – “When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned” –Romans 5:12. Scripture also states that even seemingly innocent children are born with this same sinful nature: “Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child” –Proverbs 22:15. And David confirms this as well, listen: “Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me” –Psalm 51:5.

In our natural state then, in our flesh, we cannot please God. Hence our desperate need for Him, for His mercy, grace, forgiveness—for His love!

2 Samuel 11:2 tells us, “One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing. The woman was very beautiful.” David’s lust for this woman drove him to send his messenger to go and bring this woman to him. “She came to him, and he slept with her” –2 Samuel 11: 4. David’s lust (a mental and physical sexual appetite for a person) was the initial seed that moved him to sin. Then, after getting the woman pregnant, (11:5), that seed bloomed when David attempted to cover his original sin by ordering the woman’s husband to return from war—all with the hope that he might sleep with his wife. Making it appear then, that her husband, and not David, had gotten her pregnant. Unfortunately, David’s scheme did not work. So, David then proceeded to have the woman’s husband sent into the thick of a raging battle. Then, while standing on the frontlines of said battle, her husband was killed (11:15). What started as a seed of lust, led to the murder of an honest man. All this to cover-up David’s sin of having had an affair with another man’s wife!

And what happened with David, choosing sin over God, continues to this day. Our sinning begins with a thought—the seed. That thought then flourishes, spreading deeper into the appetites of our flesh. And, if not taken captive immediately, we will ultimately give sin a life of its own by operating outside of the fruit of self-control.

Mastery over our flesh requires mastery over our thought life.

“…What comes out of a person is what defiles him. For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness” –Mark 7:20-22. There is a reason the Lord reminds us in His word that the heart is deceitful. Also, that we ought to think on those things which are honorable, pure, lovely, and praiseworthy so that we may gratify the Spirit, and not the desires of our flesh (Paraphrased Philippians 4:8).

Like David, I remember giving into the sin of sexual immorality, and, while feeding the flesh provides temporary satisfaction, that same satisfaction has lasting consequences. We must, therefore, put to death those fleshly desires within us, how we used to live; this is a requirement for the born-again believer.

As we learn later on in David’s story, the Lord forgave Him. Yet, because of what he did, his sin, David lost the child born to that adulterous affair –2 Samuel 12:15. In Galatians 5:16-26, the Lord instructs us to walk by the Spirit, avoiding then, keeping far from, the sins of the flesh: “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions…” –Galatians 5:16-26.

David penned Psalm 51 aware of his rebellion, of the wickedness in his heart. Then, he did what most would consider being counterintuitive – he knelt humbly before God in prayer with a sincere and contrite heart. At one of the lowest points of David’s life, he pleaded with God to renew a right spirit within him—creating in him a clean heart. “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me” –Psalm 51: 10-12. I love that within David’s prayer He asks God for newness, for a clean heart—not just for God forgiveness! In other words, David is saying “change my heart, God! Create in me a clean, pure heart because I do desire to live differently. I want to be made new because I want to change and love as you do, Lord!” David’s approach to flat-out run to the very God who he offended appears incongruous. Our initial human response oftentimes is to disconnect and hide from God, much like Adam and Eve did. We come to Jesus with the barest understanding that his grace is greater than any of our sins—yet with the greatest of hope that His forgiveness is transforming.

The enemy wants to keep you burdened, entangled, entrenched in the shame, guilt, and regret of your sin—in the lie of it, that you may keep your sin to yourself—hiding it, supposedly, from an Omniscient God. When the truth is, you cannot hide anything from God. And, in keeping sin to yourself, the burden of carrying it becomes heavier and heavier, and the root of glorifying self-hatred and the shame of your sin, deeper. While it may appear to make more sense to us to hide our sins from God, ultimate freedom and spiritual rest will only come from running toward God instead. Yes, the very same God who you’ve offended is the very same God you need to run to for freedom, in repentance, for newness. I encourage you – don’t allow your mind to get trapped in the perpetual cycle of guilt and shame. Like David, humbly, and wholeheartedly confess your sins before God. Make running towards God your disciplined, default cycle instead.

Oftentimes, we experience our greatest disconnect from God when our sins are left unconfessed.

A strong relationship with the Lord requires that we repent and confess our sins regularly. As Christians, we are being sanctified, made holy even as He is Holy, daily. So then Christian, don’t let your sins stop you from boldly approaching the Throne of God! When you confess and truly repent of your sins, God will give your weary spirit rest. “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” –Matthew 11:28-30. A “sacrifice of the heart” is precious in the sight of God.

God delights in a surrendered, broken, and contrite heart—one that desires to be pure.

Brothers and sisters, the Lord Jesus Christ wants our hearts! I encourage you to neither wallow nor allow yourself to remain entrenched in your sins. Instead, go before The Throne of God, confess, repent, and ask Him for a pure heart, a renewed spirit. What does our confession do? It humbles us. It reminds us of our need for God’s grace, it sustains and renews our faith. Wherever you are, be honest, talk to God. Open Psalm 51, praying it out loud. Might the Holy Spirit expose the ugliness inside your heart? Yes – but only because God loves you, He wants to work on that area within you. His grace is so beautiful. It forgives, renews, transforms, and, further still, it promises this: “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit” –2 Corinthians 3:12.

Don’t let your sins keep you away from God. Don’t allow them to keep you from knowing or accepting Jesus into your life. The Lord already knows your heart, nothing you’ve ever done—will ever confess can surprise Him. God is, after all, Omniscient; nothing takes Him by surprise. Pray sincerely from your heart then, confess it all, lay it all at his feet. I guarantee you that your Creator will meet there, renewing a right Spirit in you.

Proceed With Caution.

October 3, 2020 /
Kendra Santilli

Let’s face it. We’ve all been there. The coworker that knows exactly how to get under your skin; that kid in your class growing up who knew your weak spots and pulled the rug out from under your feet at just the right time; the family member who seems bent on sticking their nose where it doesn’t belong; and that friend who you thought would be there for you through thick and thin but who left when it mattered most. Disappointments happen to all of us at some point, they just may hit each of us a bit differently. These moments of great hurt often become our greatest teacher. I’m not talking about some single moment where the heavens opened to reveal a profound epiphany that changes the course of the future. I’m talking about the small moments in life that define us. Those moments when, consciously or subconsciously, habits and patterns begin to develop that will help to shape how we respond to life’s hurts and disappointments.

You see, when people hurt you, it’s easy to shut down, shut them out. It’s so easy to say “I forgive them” and yet with our next breath get angry at the mere mention of their name. The difficulty lies in matching actions with words. Time and experience are the teachers of those skills needed for living mindfully, not just reactively. Thankfully, the Word of God has practical guidance for us. So, let’s dig in!

Let’s start with the mind since we know that every action originates from it. In Romans 12:2, the Apostle Paul teaches us, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” The New Living Translation says it this way: “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.” And yes, you read that right. An old dog CAN learn new tricks! God can help us to change the way that we think and process! I don’t know if you can relate, but somewhere along the line, I developed this awful pattern of assuming the worst of people. It wasn’t until I got married and would express to my husband “they said that because…” or “they only did that because…” that he would ask me, “did they really say that? Or are you assuming that?” He helped me to learn a valuable lesson that I believe is a righteous one: thinking the worst of people only leads to anxiety within my own heart. I brought it to God in prayer and asked Him to help me to change this pattern, just like Romans 12 says, and I began catching myself mid-thought, remembering to think the best of people rather than the worst. Over time, I noticed that I no longer thought that way and, in turn, no longer spoke that way either. Maybe my struggle is familiar to you, or maybe yours is something else entirely? Either way, the mind is a powerful command center where you can either nurture life or choose to cultivate destruction. Thought patterns are formed from an early age. As humans, it’s easy to get stuck in the cyclical rut of these old patterns of thought and behaviors; they’re being dug deeper and deeper with every repetitive train of thought driving over them. Their tracks then setting up, and, left unchallenged, can easily misdirect us into believing that we’re always right; never stopping then, to question ourselves, our own thoughts, or motives. However, when we invite God into the equation, He begins to challenge those thoughts and behaviors, eliciting one of two responses from us: prideful stubbornness or humble change. As His creation, we are free to respond either way! God has blessed us with free will. My prayer is that you join me in choosing the humble response, the outcome is far more rewarding!

While Jesus was among us on earth, He set an example for us. An example that is quite contrary to the pattern of this world—often, one that’s self-serving. The culture of this world holds a “what’s in it for me” attitude; often manifesting in complaining and discontentment, arrogance, and greed. And, while these choices and emotions may “feel right” now, their presence in us will never lead to true fulfillment within us, or without. The Bible teaches just the opposite actually. We’re to “do everything without complaining so that you may become blameless and pure children of God” –Phil 2:14. When we live a life void of complaining (be it about things or people), we live a life of purity—one of a clear conscience. When we avoid complaining, we become blameless, no one can ever blame someone for not complaining.

This leads us to my main point… to walk humbly and love all men as Jesus wants us to. We can go through life placing veneers over certain areas of our lives that prohibit us from doing this, disguising the ugly truths laying just behind them but, these veneers are a cover at best; an illusion that only mask the impure thoughts and motives laying just behind their surface. What we cover-up, however, will eventually be revealed, no veneer lasts forever—the rot behind it then, exposed.

Our thoughts and actions must go through a refining process that only God can accomplish. If we think poorly of people and allow those thoughts to make ruts in our minds, we’ll eventually live a life devoid of any genuine expression of love for another. Instead, we must come to understand this: all people are precious to God. We were all valued at the Cross. “For God so loved the world…” –John 3:16. Being made in the image of God Himself, we’ve been afforded the often unplumbed capacity to love people with the love of Christ; the sort of love that carried Jesus all the way to Calvary’s peak; our sins nailed to that Cross that weighed on His shoulder.

There is a life-changing lesson afforded each of us the moment we come to understand that though we possess this unfathomable capacity to love—loves greatest power is often displayed not in how tightly we hold on to love, rather in how loosely we hold those we’ve come to love. Knowing they were a gift at best, and that nothing or no one will remain with us forever—save God. And so, we must learn to graciously release them when their time in our life is through, holding nothing against them in our hearts. It’s powerful when we can love people fully in the moment, all the while being fully aware that they may not be there tomorrow. Forgiving people from a place of understanding, knowing that perhaps they may have been working through their own struggles when they wronged you. In part, this is remaining in peace with all men—living in freedom. In Matthew 7:3, Jesus addressed the way we should view offenses when He said, “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?” So our answer is simple then: before opening your mouth regarding someone else’s wrongs, let’s first take a deep look inward, searching out the offense that lives in us; we may just be surprised by what we find there. Also, by acknowledging our shortcomings, we’ll grow in compassion for others! Through this process of redirection through prayer, you will see that your perspective begins to change; firstly within yourself, then outwardly, towards others. Jesus said in John 13:35, “… by this everyone will know you are my disciples, if you love one another.” He didn’t say everyone would distinguish His followers by their wisdom, or by the way they pray. People would know us by our LOVE. Do you love well? Do you proceed with caution when you engage with people, knowing how precious they are to our creator? Can we stand before God one day and confidently say that we did our best? I pray your answer is, or becomes, a resounding yes! I pray, beginning with your heart and mind, that your perspective towards others continues to reflect more and more of God’s heart towards all men.

Friend, if you don’t know Jesus, I invite you today to ask Him into your heart and into your life. There is no sin too great that He can’t forgive, no life too lost that He can’t restore, no darkness too dark that He can’t illuminate, and no heart too broken that He can’t heal. Let Him lead you into a life of love for all those around you.

Restoration…

June 20, 2020 /
MaryEllen Montville

Then he said, “Throw out your net on the right-hand side of the boat, and you’ll get some!” So they did, and they couldn’t haul in the net because there were so many fish in it”–John 21:6.

A consciousness of our powerlessness should cast us upon Him who has all power. Here then is where a vision and view of God’s sovereignty helps, for it reveals His sufficiency and shows us our insufficiency. Arthur W. Pink

This week, as with last, our focus will be on Jesus and Peter. Their relationship. Will we dig a little deeper into what has happened between them—and within Peter, since Jesus last commanded him to “Follow Me.” –Matthew 4:19.

Peter had met Jesus on the shore once before. His nets chock-full that day too, bursting at the seams. His heart had been pierced through and through—he had been driven to his knees in awe of what Jesus had done. Both divine appointments taking place within three short years. Years that felt like a lifetime ago now. Long before this fitful day filled with angst and anticipation—waiting to see if Jesus would show up. “Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing”. They said to him, “We will go with you”. They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. –John 21:3.

It was the dawn of Peter’s great fall. That night in the garden, the night of Jesus’ arrest. The night Peter, in his rash attempt at stopping the soldiers from arresting Jesus sliced off Malchus’ ear with his sword. Before Peter had ever denied the One, he loved three times, He declared during their last meal together that he would never deny Jesus. “No!” Peter insisted. “Even if I have to die with you, I will never deny you!” And all the other disciples vowed the same”–Matthew 26:35. And yet he did –deny Christ that is. As mentioned above, not just once—but three times. Yet as soon as Peter’s eyes locked onto Jesus’ in those early hours before dawn, after His mock trial before Caiaphas—in one fateful nanosecond, Peter felt the overwhelming weight of his betrayal crush him. Felt everything within him implode under its treacherous weight. “…Then Peter remembered the word that Jesus had spoken: “Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times”. And he went outside and wept bitterly. –Matthew26:75.

His heart torn asunder. His once grandiose ego, shattered. His duplicity had just crushed him. Peter knew in that instant he was not the Rock. Peter knew instead that he was a sinner who desperately needed the Savior he had just denied. Whatever he had mistakenly believed of himself, died this fateful morning. Now He was exactly where he needed to be. Moldable. Pliable. Humbled. Was it all for naught? Was it too late for Peter? Having your destiny shaped by the hand of God can be an agonizing process. Death to self and pride usually are. Self-reliance and ego struggle to surrender their grip on us all. They certainly did in Peter’s case. But in the end, God’s plan for Peter’s life was accomplished through his suffering and submission both. We serve a merciful God! There are times nevertheless, God must strip us down to our very foundation that he might sure-up the cracks that have formed within it. Cracks that will inevitably cause us to topple over under the weight of the calling He has placed on our lives. His firmly establishing us then, to withstand the weight of the calling He has on us, is paramount to our growth. Paramount to our ongoing relationship with Him and for the sake of those, He has called us to serve.

We expect our leaders to be flaw-less. Not so with Jesus. Jesus calls those He has chosen to lead exactly as they are—then, He begins their reshaping. A pulling out and a putting in. Drawing out of their brokenness—humility, and an obedience to Him, trust too. All the while removing self-reliance, pride, and ego—and all their other grainy bits…

Peter had experienced some profound, life-changing events during his three-plus-year walk with Jesus. He had a front-row seat for the Sermon on the Mount. He drank in the Beatitudes. The lesson on being Salt and Light, about the law and anger, adultery, and divorce, about vows and revenge, and loving your enemy. Peter heard about giving to the needy and he learned how to pray. He learned about money and possessions, judging others, and who Jesus considers true disciples to be. Peter was an eyewitness to a man being healed from leprosy and the faith of one Roman soldier that was so great, Christ Himself was amazed. It was his walking on water, his divine revelation of Jesus’ being the Messiah, the Son of the living God, his witnessing Jesus’ transfiguration. It was all these instances, and so much more—the private conversations and corrections we are not privy to—that had been poured into establishing Peter’s foundation. Each of these above lessons can be read in their entirety in Matthew Chapters 5-7;14-17.

Now, after the worst days of his life, John’s Gospel tells us Peter is fishing once again. Doing what is familiar, using his reasoning. That is until he hears a voice tell him to cast his nets to the other side of his boat. Did Peter wonder to himself, “Why does that sound so familiar…?”

Once again, his nets were suddenly bursting at the seams! It appears from Scripture that it was at that moment John recognized the man standing at the shore as Jesus. And as soon as he shared that news with Peter, Peter jumped off the boat and headed straight to Him. This is not the first time that Peter has seen Jesus since His resurrection. In Luke’s Gospel, we hear of Peter’s encountering Jesus soon after His resurrection. Those disciples who had encountered Jesus on the Emmaus road returned to Jerusalem—to where the disciples were staying. And after sharing their story of meeting Jesus and breaking bread with Him, the disciples confirmed for them that Jesus had indeed risen from the dead! “They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together and saying, “It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon”. –Luke 24: 33-34.

Now, the fish cooked, the nets washed and put away, once again Jesus directs the conversation to where Jesus had intended it to go from before the foundation of the world. To Peter’s mission and calling. But first, restoration needed to happen. Jesus could have easily done this when He showed Himself to Peter that first time, and perhaps He did? Scripture is silent on this matter. Perhaps that is where Peter’s restoration started? Perhaps that is why Peter’s feelings are hurt the third time Jesus asks Peter if he loves Him? Or perhaps it is because we need to be here as a witness too. Perhaps we need to witness Godly restoration that we might one day extend it just as Jesus did? When a leader falls publicly, as Peter did, for any to follow him again—for others to be able to trust that God has chosen to use him in ministry once again, He must be publicly restored. This is in part what Jesus is doing here in John’s Gospel. Publicly reinstating Peter as the Rock on which His Church will be built—in front of the very ones who witnessed Peter’s fall. Christ is far more interested in our character being right before Him then He is with our title or position being restored to us. Remember that whole shoring-up Peter’s foundation I spoke about earlier? Jesus is doing that here. Godly correction brings about healing and restoration to our relationship with God—above all else. “Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ” –Galatians 6:1-2.

In closing, listen to what one writer shares with us concerning Peter’s restoration: After they were finished eating, Jesus addressed Peter with a question he would ask him three times in a row, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” (John 21:15, 16, 17). Simon was Peter’s name by birth, Peter (which means “Rocky”) was a nickname Jesus gave him. The first time Jesus asked this question, he asked Peter if he loved him “more than these” (John 21:15). What does Jesus mean by this question? Scholars think Jesus was asking Peter if he loved Jesus more than any of the other disciples loved Jesus. Remember, this is what Peter claimed in Mark 14:29 (and in Matthew 26:33). Before the arrest of Jesus, Peter boldly claimed to love Jesus better than anyone else. Peter’s answer demonstrates that he has been chastened and humbled, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you” (John 21:15). Jesus repeats the question two more times, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” (John 21:16-17). Peter was hurt that Jesus kept asking him the same question. Peter admits that Jesus knows his heart better than he does. Peter answers, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you” (John 21:17). Peter has lost his arrogance. He knows that Jesus knows his true heart. Why did Jesus ask him this question three times? The three questions echo the three denials Peter made of knowing Jesus after his arrest (see John 18:15-18, 25-27). Jesus was reinstating Peter and restoring him to public ministry within view of the other disciples.

Friend, if you are here today and do not know this Jesus who knows you better than you know yourself, who loves you beyond what you could ever imagine possible, then I encourage you, please, ask Him to show Himself real to you now. There is nothing you have done that will prevent His coming. But you not asking Him to come may. “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved” –Acts 4:12.

Three Crosses: The Conclusion. Matthew 6:33

August 12, 2018 /

 “But first and most importantly seek (aim at, strive after) His kingdom and His righteousness [His way of doing and being right—the attitude and character of God], and all these things will be given to you also.”

It has always been and will forever be, all about Jesus…

We preach Christ crucified. This is the focal point of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is a picture of blood flowing from Christ’s veins as He hung on the cross. The message of shed blood is repugnant to many, and they turn from such a gory sight, feeling that their delicate sensibilities have been outraged. Many people will accept Christ’s character, but they reject His crucifixion. –Billy Graham

“It is finished.” The three most powerful Words ever spoken. In them the “amen” to every promise God ever made for those who believe in Him…

Those three Words were sitting inside Jesus’s mouth waiting to be released over a world He had yet to speak into existence. As He said, “Let there be light”, “It is finished” was holding its breath, back straight, ready—waiting its turn. As the Light of the world literally spoke light into existence—a way had been made too for that same Light to pierce the darkness of sin-stained hearts…

… “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit” –John 19:30. The cross of Jesus Christ is elemental to the Christian faith. The cross unveils the character of God. The Cross is where God’s love for sinners and His perfect justice converge. It’s where Jesus said a visible yes to the will of God. “Yes, I’ll lay down my life for them Father.” “Yes, though it means leaving heaven to take on their every sin, I’ll go. Though it means wrapping up the Light of my glory, concealing it in flesh, though it means betrayal and heartbreak and hunger and pain, though it means rejection and ridicule, being momentarily forsaken by You, I’ll go. Though it meant that the One who knew no sin would take into Himself every sin that every person ever created had ever committed—past, present, and future, still, before any one of us had broken through our mother’s womb—drew our first breath in, He had already said yes, “I’ll die for her, for him, for all of them”.

If God had to send His only Son to the cross in order to pay for sin, than sin must be dark indeed in the sight of God.–Billy Graham

In the Cross we see two inseparable Truths:

The greatest proof of Love known to man was ordained before one living-soul stepped foot on the earth. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” “It is rare indeed for anyone to die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God proves His love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” And, besides this evidence of such great a love, we see evidence too of God’s intense hatred of sin. Both attributes are inextricably linked, foundational Truths standing side-by-side, indivisible. “The one who sins is the one who will die. The child will not share the guilt of the parent, nor will the parent share the guilt of the child. The righteousness of the righteous will be credited to them, and the wickedness of the wicked will be charged against them” (John 3:16; Romans 5:7-8; Ezekiel 18:20).

And, though we have His love and can also know His Love; to fully rest in its promises, we must first come to the Cross He stepped down across time and space to lay Himself upon. And we must answer His call of Love. We must first confess our guilt and ask forgiveness for it. We, like Peter, must answer this one question: “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed), the Son of the living God” –Matthew 16:15-16.

In so doing, in answering this one life-changing question, what we’re professing is this:

Jesus I know, I admit, You are God. I know I deserve to be hanging there—not You. I know it should be my blood spilled and not yours. I’m the sinner, not You. I’m sorry, terribly sorry, I repent of my sins and I thank you that You’ve made a place at the foot of Your Cross for me to come and acknowledge openly that You are God and I am not, and that I need you. Thank you for taking my place Jesus. And thank you that I’m now able to serve you, to be with you eternally…

This final teaching on the Cross of Christ may make some a bit uncomfortable. I make no apologies for that. Truth can often makes us squirm a bit. And that’s okay. Rather, I boldly offer you the Truth His Cross offers the world—the Life it affords us all. Instead of offering an apology for the Cross, I’ll ask that you think of—conjure up, the most unimaginable, most vile, hate-filled, perverse, twisted sin you can scarcely image, have ever heard tell of.

Got it? Now, understand this: As much as God hates that sin, hates all sin—He loves us, the sinners, infinitely more…

That same Cross that offends so many, that shed Blood of Jesus Christ—the Sinless Son of God, the One who left heaven for you and me, took that unimaginable sin, no, more, He willingly died, to take upon Himself all the unimaginable sins. And, with them, every other sin ever committed—and to be committed, so that the ones who confess those sins and truly repent of them will not have to die for having committed them. He did that for us—died in our place that is. That is the power, the humility, the forgiveness, and the unfathomable pure Love of our final and greatest Cross. The Cross of Jesus Christ. Sit with that thought for a second…

This Jesus came and in His coming, is the incarnate New Covenant. Covering laws, we could not keep with His Blood, once for all, so that we might be afforded life eternal. “For if that first [covenant] had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second” –Hebrews 8:7.

All are welcomed at Jesus’ Cross. It doesn’t matter who you are, Jew or gentile, black, white, brown, tan or “other”. It doesn’t matter what you’ve done, or who you’ve done it with. It doesn’t matter who you identify as—not even that “scarcely unimaginable sin” you’d heard of earlier is any match for the Love God has for you. For the Power of Jesus’ shed Blood to scrub it so white, only you will ever know it was ever there. “And love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins” –1 John 4:10.

So, to recap: At our first cross, the Law, we saw God lay down an exacting, yet life-giving path that leads us towards the knowledge of who He is—of His standards. At our second Cross, we witnessed Jesus teaching us—transitioning us, readying us for a more intimate, a more “Parent-child” relationship with Himself. Teaching us the “how to’s” of presenting ourselves, our prayers and petitions, before Him. How to carry on a conversation with our Father. And here, now, at our third and final Cross—The Cross of Christ, we witness the price God our Father was willing to pay that we might be restored into relationship with Him. A relationship destroyed by sin. A relationship only the Cross of Christ; faith in Truth of His life, death, and resurrection could afford us… “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us” –2 Corinthians 5:21.

The cross of Christ is not only the basis of our peace and hope–but it is the means of our eternal salvation. The goal of the cross is not only a full and free pardon, but a changed life lived in fellowship with God. No wonder Paul said 2,000 years ago, “We preach Christ crucified.” The world needs this message today. This is the message of hope, peace, and brotherhood. This is what the world calls “foolishness” but what God has been pleased to call “wisdom.” What do you call it? –Billy Graham

Friend, if you haven’t yet come to His Cross, I implore you to come today. Christ died for you. Confess your sins to Him, ask Him into your life, and let your life truly begin anew… “Therefore if anyone is in Christ [that is, grafted in, joined to Him by faith in Him as Savior], he is a new creature [reborn and renewed by the Holy Spirit]; the old things [the previous moral and spiritual condition] have passed away. Behold, new things have come [because spiritual awakening brings a new life]” –2 Corinthians 5:17.

God’s Work. Philippians 2:13

July 22, 2018 /

 “For it is [not your strength, but it is] God who is effectively at work in you, both to will and to work [that is, strengthening, energizing, and creating in you the longing and the ability to fulfill your purpose] for His good pleasure.”

God. The beginning of every good thing.

He who has always been—having no beginning and no end. Sovereign. Nothing of any eternal value can happen outside of Him. And, anything—any thing that happens in our lives does so with a grand design in place to bring about that “things” best possible outcome…

Today I’d like to talk with those, all those, who have been deeply wounded.

Those, who, though saved—having a relationship with Christ, those possessing faith—even deep faith, still face areas in your life where the wounds of the past are the fetters of your present. Those who sit famished, Bible open, soaking up all that God has to say—wanting it the way a starving man uses his last crust of bread to lap up the bits of food stuck to his plate. I’m talking to those who show up early to church on Sunday, not wanting to miss one Word. Those who worship from their toes, their depths, who have felt the weigh, both of their sins and their forgiveness —those who give their tithes lovingly, serve because their heart demands that they do.

I’m talking today to me, first. And, if this fits, I’m talking to you too…

I’m talking to those whose midnight howl has been—is, “Jesus please!”

That belly howl, that sobbing, I need Thee, oh I need Thee, cry. If you’ve ever cried this cry I need not say more.

You love Him and trust Him. You’ve witnessed His miracles in your life time and again. Perhaps, like myself, death came for you—but Jesus stood blocking its icy hand from dragging you into an early grave? Perhaps drugs or sex or drinking had a grip on you? Maybe abuse, molestation, being given up as a child—abandoned as an adult, abused at the hands of someone so hurt themselves, they couldn’t see how tender the trusting soul they were bruising was? Has any of the above left you frozen—locked into a place and a time that Jesus died to set you free from?

Here me, more, here God: “It was not your fault”—if you were raped, molested, beaten, abandoned—it was not your fault!

In that moment a choice wasn’t afford you—you were robbed. Robbed of your voice, your identity, your innocence; just as surely as if a thief were to break into your house tonight and rob you! Would that be your fault too? Of course not! You were robbed! Stop blaming yourself!

Thank God however, for today…

For this new day—and the choices that are now yours—mine,  to make. Today, we have this new choice, this ability to never be robbed again—to choose freedom! And no, I’m not saying that nothing bad will ever happen again. Any more than I’m saying that what has happened was your fault. But, what I am saying—what the Lord has shared with me—is that everything you need to move past yesterdays residue, past those clinging, cloying lies that accuse you and rob you of self-esteem and true freedom, past those “things” inflicted upon you—and perhaps because of them, those things you inflicted upon yourself, is already inside of you—if, Jesus is your Lord.

God has spoken to me about forgiveness… again.

If you’re a student of Scripture, then surely you know when God sees fit to repeat something to us we are wise to pay special attention to it. What do I mean by that? He has put this message of forgiveness squarely in front of me as of late. The unconditional, unrelenting necessity of it. No matter where I’ve turned—this “theme” of forgiveness has been a thread God has used to connect one day, and its lesson, to the next. Weaving together this tapestry, this picture of what must happen in a life, our life—yours and mine, so that we might step out not only in complete freedom, but more still, to walk together with that freedom, forever forward, in the power and authority God has given us in Christ Jesus!

Unforgiveness is the fodder that fertilizes our seeds of bitterness, resentment, and hatred. And, when watered with our fears, shame, and guilt, they produce the fruits of our self-destruction. The roots of which must be pulled out—least they stay, spreading out, mocking us, just below the surface of our praises…

So important is forgiveness—so paramount, that Jesus, while looking down from His Cross at the very men whose hands were stained by His Blood, saw the need to teach us, one last time, about its law—its seed and harvest principle. He had done it earlier via the model prayer He gave us to follow and expand upon, but, how much more powerful impactful now with His last breaths? Jesus chose for us to hear about forgiveness with His dying Words: “Father forgive them for they know not what they do.” If Jesus, the sinless Son of God thought forgiveness so needed to be modeled in His final hour, how much more should we, the guilty, model it in our daily lives…? “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.”

Plainly said, we will be forgiven according to the measure we forgive…

I am speaking today—rather, hear the heart of God for your life today. Please, listen, those who have been deeply wounded—robbed. In fact, we all are in need of this one lesson. Scripture informs us, and the Spirit within us will confirm, we serve a High Priest who is familiar with our every pain—our every sin, who knows us better than we will ever know ourselves, better than our parents, spouse, or best friend. He created us. Knit us together inside of our mother. He did not intend for us to carry unforgiveness.

We are, after all, made in His image, and there is no darkness in Him…

God knew—knows, how very toxic unforgiveness is. What a thief it is—what a liar. Dare I say a false idol? When we choose not to forgive, when God has brought to our attention an area in our lives, a person or situation that He is telling us we must forgive, and we chose instead to say; I know you told me that I will only be forgiven as much as I am willing to forgive, but I’m going to go with my feelings here over your Truth. Not only are we being directly disobedient we  are also blocking our own forgiveness, along with some of the blessings God is trying to get into our hands. Forgiveness is the authoritative, life-changing, galvanizing, stain-fighting, clog-busting, past eradicating, cathartic command that teaches us the true meaning of the, “free indeed” Jesus both spoke of and died for.

He wants so much more for you than your salvation alone…

And yet, a reminder here, a plea really: You must remember that even this desire to forgive and your ability to submit to it—is possible only through a relationship with God. Why? Because it’s not something we can do on our own. We’re not capable. It is only through His power—by His Holy Spirit at work in us, as our verse today so aptly describes, both willing us to forgive and, enabling us, through His power, the same power Jesus used on His Cross, to forgive.

Outside of Him we simply do not have it in us to forgive…

And, more, if we need further proofs of the power of forgiveness—the power love has over hate, over bitterness, self-pity, animosity, and revenge—on the third day, by this same power, He rose from the dead, putting an end to the powers of sin and death in our lives. Forgiveness defeated the fetters death tried to use to rob Him of His Life. God sent me here to share with you the Good News that this same freedom is within you—if, you are a child of God. I know you’ve been asking and praying and trusting. And God has heard and has answered.

Believe, choose to forgive, and let the cathartic process of moment-by moment forgiveness begin…

And friend, if You have read through this but don’t yet know Jesus as your Lord and Savior, don’t think this wasn’t meant for you. It was. It is. You’re not here by accident. God brought you here first, that you might ask Him into your heart, and then, from that, that you two might begin the work of forgiveness that needs to happen in your own life…

“Because if you acknowledge and confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord [recognizing His power, authority, and majesty as God], and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart a person believes [in Christ as Savior] resulting in his justification [that is, being made righteous—being freed of the guilt of sin and made acceptable to God]; and with the mouth he acknowledges and confesses [his faith openly], resulting in and confirming [his] salvation.” –Romans 10:9-10

 

 

It Was, And Is, A “We” Thing…Luke 23:34

January 21, 2018 /

 “Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.”

So, here’s the question: Which them was Jesus referring to when He asked the Father to forgive them?

I wasn’t standing among the crowd that day, but that fact didn’t limit Jesus’s knowing that on a particular day and time, some two thousand plus years later, I would need His prayer—His forgiveness. And so, would you. It wasn’t necessary for us to be standing there as witnesses.

Love knows no limits…

There is no such thing as time and distance where love is concerned. Ask any parent—they’ll tell you the same. When it comes to reaching the child they love, nothing can stop them.

How much more God?

How much further reaching is the one that fashioned us in our mother’s womb—knows our every thought, and the number of each hair on our heads? The One who knows not only the moment He predestined us to be born—to live, but knows also, the exact millisecond He will ask for our breath to be returned to Him…

So, as Jesus hung dying on His Cross, just who was He asking the Father to forgive?

Was it for Pilot’s succumbing to the blood-lust of Caiaphas the high priest and his followers? —John 18:12-28. Maybe it was for the thief hanging beside him—the one chiding Him to, “Come down off your cross?”— Luke 23:39. Or, maybe He was asking the Father to forgive those underhanded religious leaders who had Jesus dragged, in the middle of the night, in front of some of the scheming and self-serving Sanhedrin. As if the cover of darkness could hide the darkness within them! —Mark 14:53-65. Or, is it possible that Jesus asked this forgiveness for the amped-up many who stood crying out to Pilot for His Blood? “Crucify Him! Crucify Him!”, can you hear their malevolent cries…? —Luke 23:21. Was He asking forgiveness for the soldiers whose hands were still wet with His Blood? —John 19:18. Or, perhaps it was for those who’d been hunched over at the foot of His Cross, throwing dice for His clothes? —John 19:23-24.

More, Scripture tells us that this same Jesus that prayed this prayer as He hung dying, is the same yesterday, today, and forever. —Hebrews 13:8.

Thus, inferring that His desires, His intentions, remain the same also. Those being, in this instance, intercession and forgiveness. So, with that in mind, I would posit, and Scripture points towards, Jesus—in addition to each of those souls listed above, was praying in fulfillment of Scripture for you and me too. “…Because He [willingly] poured out His life to death, And was counted among the transgressors; Yet He Himself bore and took away the sin of many, And interceded [with the Father] for the transgressors.” Isaiah 53:11-12; emphasis my own. He was praying for the whole of humanity who—as with those above, had no clue—didn’t fully understand, the import, the weight of their sin. Nor did they understand what was being accomplished on that Cross…

Neither do any today who deny Jesus…

They’ve no understanding the far-reaching implications of their choice. If anyone in that blood-thirsty crowd, on that fateful day, had any idea that their words, spoken in frenzied mob speak, would bring about the death of the very Messiah they had prayed for—one must wonder if they wouldn’t have run around just as feverishly; physically covering up the mouths of any one shouting, “Crucify Him!” Who in their right mind would want to put to death the very person they had prayed would come and save them? That would be the equivalent of a drowning man refusing the life-saving buoy thrown to him…

“Mercy here!” but the drowning man gulping, says “Thanks, I’m good, I can swim!”

Yet, many that day did exactly that. Why? Because their help didn’t come the way they anticipated it would. Didn’t say, speak, look like, what they thought it would. So, they reject it. No, they made sure this “impostor”, this false Messiah, this blasphemer,  would never come back to tell His imprecate tales. And, for those in authority who were threatened by Him, afraid that if He succeeded they would fail—lose out. His being sent away wasn’t an option. They needed an end to Him and all He stood for. “Crucify Him! Crucify Him!”

All the while Mercy was praying—extending to “all who would”, the opportunity to be forgiven…

“Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.”—Hebrews 10:17 (Also see: Hebrews 8:12; Isaiah 43:25; 1 John 1:9; 2 Corinthians 5:19; Psalm 103:11-12).

The good news is some, that fateful day, heard Jesus’s prayer—and said yes to His unfathomable offer of mercy and forgiveness of their sins. And, as I said at the start, I believe though you and I weren’t standing among those in the crowd that day—Jesus saw us.

We were included in His offer of forgiveness…

Cornelius, the Roman centurion at the foot of His Cross heard it—more, he received it. Listen: “Surely this man was the Son of God!”—Matthew 27:54. And the thief, the other one, not the one who chided Jesus, he too accepted Mercys offer of forgiveness, listen to his dying words: “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”—Luke 23:42. So long as there is breath, there is hope. And, there was Nicodemus too, a member of the Sanhedrin. He said yes to mercy—along with his friend, Joseph of Arimathea—a secret disciple of Jesus. —John 19:38-40. Lastly, there were some three thousand who were gathered in Jerusalem. Whether any of them heard Jesus’s offer of forgiveness at His Cross is unknown—but they heard it nonetheless!Mercy reach is limitless. “So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.”—Acts 2:41.

And don’t forget me! I was sitting in a church pew in 2008 when suddenly Mercy said, You are mine. You’re forgiven, Now, come, follow me… And, by His grace, I’ve never looked back!

Friend, Jesus’s prayer to the Father for forgiveness is for you too…

There was a  piece of ground at the foot of His Cross with your name written on it. It’s purpose? To traverse across time and space that it might reach you today. If you’d just stand still and look up, right where you are, you’d be looking into the eyes of the One who is offering you forgiveness. More, an opportunity to go where He is and spend eternity with Him.

But, first, you must say yes to Mercy’s invitation…

Won’t you please say yes, now? Mercy has been praying for you. “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”

“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace.”—Ephesians 1:7

Newer posts »

© 2024 Sonsofthesea.org

Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑