Joy of Forgiveness

Psalm 32:1-11 Contemporary English Version (CEV) (A special psalm by David.) The Joy of Forgiveness

32 Our God, you bless everyone
    whose sins you forgive and wipe away.

2 You bless them by saying,     “You told me your sins,
without trying to hide them, and now I forgive you.”

3 Before I confessed my sins, my bones felt limp,
    and I groaned all day long.

4 Night and day your hand weighed heavily on me,
    and my strength was gone as in the summer heat.

5 So I confessed my sins and told them all to you.
    I said, “I’ll tell the Lord each one of my sins.”
Then you forgave me and took away my guilt.

6 We worship you, Lord, and we should always pray
whenever we find out that we have sinned.
    Then we won’t be swept away by a raging flood.

7 You are my hiding place! You protect me from trouble,
and you put songs in my heart  because you have saved me.

8 You said to me, “I will point out the road that you should follow.
I will be your teacher and watch over you.

9 Don’t be stupid like horses and mules
    that must be led with ropes to make them obey.”

10 All kinds of troubles will strike the wicked,
    but your kindness shields those who trust you, Lord.

11 And so your good people should celebrate and shout.

Imagine David, known as “a man after God's Own Heart”, crying out for forgiveness to a God whom he was certain loved him.

We must know in our own hearts the wonder of the love of God. It is in this knowledge that we have faith in our salvation and we have faith in His unmatchable capacity for love.

We teach our children to pray “Our Father, which art in heaven”. It is important for them to see in us the knowledge that God is truly supreme father of us all. It is important for them to witness our dependence on his grace and mercy.

Like any father, he wants the best for us and the best from us. Like any father he is often disappointed in our behavior. Like any father, he stands ready to forgive us when we come to our senses.

Our teacher and Moderator reminds us that repetition, repetition, repetition helps us to hold on to the promises.

We repeat here Micah's reminder of God's Covenant promise...

Micah 7:18-19 New International Version (NIV)

18 Who is a God like you,
    who pardons sin and forgives the transgression
    of the remnant of his inheritance?
You do not stay angry forever
    but delight to show mercy.
19 You will again have compassion on us;
    you will tread our sins underfoot
    and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea.

Remember that God “delights to show mercy”. Remember that he left his Word as the road that we should follow.

I choose, like David, t go quickly to God and confess my sins. I am grateful to be a child of a living God who loves me and delights to show mercy. I thank him for being my shield who hides me from the troubles of this world.

I pray that you, too, know the Joy of Forgiveness.

May God Forever Be a Blessing in Your Life!!!

Trying to Hear

Trying to Hear

Mark 8:21 New King James Version (NKJV)

21 So He said to them, “How is it you do not understand?”

Sometimes we just “don't get it”. Sometimes we just plain forget the many times He has manifested Himself in our lives. Here comes a time of trouble and, once again, we are struggling as if we need to solve our problems all by ourselves.

These men walked with God, Himself. They saw first hand the miracles He performed. They were taught from the lips of God. Yet, they worried about their next meal.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 New International Version (NIV)

16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching,  rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,  17 so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Sometimes we may wonder why God bothered to give us so many reminders of the many times his people, in both the old and new testaments, just seemed to forget.



Yet, throughout the scriptures, we are reminded of His eternal love and His great patience with them. This is our hope and promise, that He loves us and is patient with us as we struggle to grow and understand.

We return to the scriptures over and over so that we may be taught, chastised when needed, and corrected so that we can get on with the business of doing Our Father's work and spend less time fretting over nothing. “Give us this day, our daily bread”, and I chose to trust that You will.

May God Forever Be a Blessing in Your Life!!!

A God of Covenant Promises

((Covenant - the conditional promises made to humanity by God, as revealed in Scripture.) Micah was the prophet to whom God revealed the city of the coming Messiah; (Micah 5: 2-4) but the writings of Micah hold many more lessons for us today. Micah had the painful job of prophesying at a time when, not only kings and rulers, but the prophets and priests themselves were leading the people astray.

Micah 3:5-6 New International Version (NIV) 5 This is what the Lord says: “As for the prophets who lead my people astray, they proclaim ‘peace’ if they have something to eat, but prepare to wage war against anyone who refuses to feed them. 6 Therefore night will come over you, without visions, and darkness, without divination. The sun will set for the prophets, and the day will go dark for them.

We are God's chosen people and we do have His Covenant Promises. But we quickly forget that all Covenants begin with a commitment to follow as God leads. Abraham was promised to be the father of many nations and a blessing to many but he had to be willing to leave his country, his people and his father's household to go to a strange land. (Genesis 12) The chosen who were led from Egypt by Moses were promised “a land flowing with milk and honey”, but they had to commit to following only the One True God. (Exodus 3:8) We are promised life eternal but we must believe and be baptized. (Mark 16:16) God has promised that all things work together for good to those who love and serve Him faithfully (Romans 8:28). We have an obligation to study so that we are not easily led astray.

Micah 2:11 New International Version (NIV) 11 If a liar and deceiver comes and says, ‘I will prophesy for you plenty of wine and beer,’ that would be just the prophet for this people!

We study to know that we have a loving and forgiving Father who delights in the joy of His children. We study so that we are not easily led astray by the prophets and leaders of today who seek only to “tickle our ears”. (2 Timothy 4:3-4) or put forth their own agenda. We study to be ready and worthy of the Covenant Promises of Jehovah Jireh, our Lord Who Provides.

Micah 7:18-20 New International Version (NIV) 18 Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance? You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy. 19 You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea. 20 You will be faithful to Jacob, and show love to Abraham, as you pledged on oath to our ancestors in days long ago.

We study to have a true appreciation of the coming of our Lord and Savior; His miraculous birth and life; His sacrifice on the cross and His gift of salvation. May God Forever Be a Blessing in Your Life!!!

Joy of Praise and Thanksgiving

Our Senior Teacher spoke on the joys of a grateful heart during our Thanksgiving Celebration. Her scripture focus was:

Luke 17:12-17 12 As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance  13 and called out in a loud voice, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!” 14 When he saw them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed. 15 One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. 16 He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan. 17 Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine?

When we were accepted into the family of God we became spiritual brothers and sisters of Christ Himself; but how many of us behave like spoiled children who are ever demanding and seldom taking time to give a sincere “thank You”? Our Heavenly Father, Yahweh Jireh, Our God Who Provides, gave us in His Son a perfect example to follow.

Matthew 14:19-20 New International Version (NIV) 19 And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people.  20 They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.

Matthew 15:36 New International Version (NIV) 36 Then he took the seven loaves and the fish, and when he had given thanks, he broke them and gave them to the disciples, and they in turn to the people.

Mark 14:22-23 New International Version (NIV) 22 While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take it; this is my body.” 23 Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, and they all drank from it.

Two of the greatest of the many gifts given to us by the father are His Word and the Holy Spirit, the comforter. We need look no further for examples and help in offering to God our gifts of praise and thanksgiving. The Psalms provide exceptional examples of the joys of praise and thanksgiving and today's scripture is one wonderful illustration! May God Forever Be a Blessing in Your Life!!!

Philippians 4:4-8; Looking before the THEN

Philippians 4:4-8 Contemporary English Version (CEV) 4 Always be glad because of the Lord! I will say it again: Be glad. 5 Always be gentle with others. The Lord will soon be here. 6 Don’t worry about anything, but pray about everything. With thankful hearts offer up your prayers and requests to God. 7 Then, because you belong to Christ Jesus, God will bless you with peace that no one can completely understand. And this peace will control the way you think and feel. 8 Finally, my friends, keep your minds on whatever is true, pure, right, holy, friendly, and proper. Don’t ever stop thinking about what is truly worthwhile and worthy of praise.

I found a wonderful posting from Biblical Foundations For Freedom which I wish to share because it so touched my heart. I don't think there can be too many ways possible for believers to stumble onto these words. The posting included a picture of steps leading to the promise of God's peace and encouragement to read Philippians 4:1-7 which leads to the promise.

Looking before the THEN So many of the promises of God start with words like THEN or THEREFORE. This implies that there are some steps before the promise. It is always a good practice, when studying the Word, to look a few verses or sometimes a few chapters ahead to make sure we are studying in context. This is especially true when our study includes words like THEN! Today's study includes an awesome promise....A promise of peace beyond understanding! We must not neglect to study what comes before this THEN!

Step 1: Living in Harmony 2 Euodia and Syntyche, you belong to the Lord, so I beg you to stop arguing with each other. Step 2: Helping Co-workers 3 And, my true partner, I ask you to help them. These women have worked together with me and with Clement and with the others in spreading the good news. Their names are now written in the book of life. Step 3: Rejoicing in The Lord Always 4 Always be glad because of the Lord! I will say it again: Be glad. Step 4: Living Graciously 5 Always be gentle with others. The Lord will soon be here. Step 5: Praying Out Our Anxieties 6 Don’t worry about anything, but pray about everything. With thankful hearts offer up your prayers and requests to God. THEN 7 Then, because you belong to Christ Jesus, God will bless you with peace that no one can completely understand. And this peace will control the way you think and feel.

May God Forever Be a Blessing in Your Life!!!

"Where is the Anchor?”

Acts 27:14-24 New King James Version (NKJV) 14 But not long after, a tempestuous head wind arose, called Euroclydon. 15 So when the ship was caught, and could not head into the wind, we let her drive.  16 And running under the shelter of an island called Clauda, we secured the skiff with difficulty. 17 When they had taken it on board, they used cables to undergird the ship; and fearing lest they should run aground on the Syrtis Sands, they struck sail and so were driven.  18 And because we were exceedingly tempest-tossed, the next day they lightened the ship.  19 On the third day we threw the ship’s tackle overboard with our own hands.  20 Now when neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small tempest beat on us, all hope that we would be saved was finally given up. 21 But after long abstinence from food, then Paul stood in the midst of them and said, “Men, you should have listened to me, and not have sailed from Crete and incurred this disaster and loss.  22 And now I urge you to take heart, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship.  23 For there stood by me this night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve,  24 saying, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must be brought before Caesar; and indeed God has granted you all those who sail with you.’

Euroclydon [jʊˈrɒklɪˌdɒn] (Free Online Dictionary) n 1. (Christian Religious Writings / Bible) a stormy wind from the north or northeast that occurs in the Levant, which caused the ship in which St Paul was traveling to be wrecked (Acts 27:14) 2. (Earth Sciences / Physical Geography) any stormy wind Before we set out on any phase of this journey called life we need to know where our anchor lies. No captain would dare start out on a trip without checking the entire ship for safety. All of the sails need to be repaired; caulking must be done; ships store must be secured and that all important anchor must be in place. How many times do we set out on a life journey without consulting our anchor, God himself! Paul knew that this was a dangerous trip. This trip was taken after the Great Day of Forgiveness, a time when all seafaring folks knew the seas were dangerous. Paul had traveled enough to know that this was not a good time to be on the sea. Perhaps the captain needed the income from just one more trip to meet his needs for the year. Perhaps he just wanted to spend the winter in a more promising place. Whatever his motive, he didn't honor Paul's suggestion and perhaps his own better judgment. What do we do when we are not in control of a situation yet know that the best course is not being followed? During the worst of the storm Paul received counsel from an Angel of the Lord. Jesus left us a Comforter, a guide, a shelter in times of storm in the person of the Holy Spirit. Do we avail ourselves of this critical anchor on all of our journeys of life? Dear Jesus, I ask that you give us the wisdom to search your Word and our hearts and to always seek the counsel of the Holy Spirit at every juncture of this journey called life. May God Forever Be a Blessing in Your Life!!!

Not Ready, but Prepared

Man's days are determined; you have decreed the number of his months and have set limits he cannot exceed.  (Job 14:5) 

Our church Moderator often reminds us of the need to be prepared for the coming of our Lord. She admits that she is not in a hurry to die, but that she remains prepared every day. As seniors we have a responsibility to help the next generations understand that aging and death is as much a part of life as birth. There is no need to be creepy about this, it just is so. But the most important part of this life transition is helping our children and grandchildren to understand what is necessary to be prepared. Talk about your walk with God. Help them understand that the road to salvation is not rocket science and just requires an humble acceptance of a gift freely given. Share scriptures about salvation when appropriate. Answer questions about your belief. Say “I don't know” when you don't, but try to find answers in the Word.

I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.  (1 Corinthians 15:50

It is my prayer that each of us, although perhaps not ready, are prepared.

May God Forever Be a Blessing in Your Life!!!