Thy Sins Forgiven

Luke: 7:48,50 And He said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven…Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace.

“By faith are you saved, not of works lest anyone should boast” Paul, the Apostle would later pen as he wrote his letter to the Romans. Our sins whether they be few or many, small or big all separate us from having a right relationship with God. Everyone born into this world is in need of forgiveness. The Pharisee who works diligently to live righteous by following all the rules given by God and conjured by man is still a sinner in need of forgiveness. The good moral person who seeks to please others by doing deeds and works worthy of praise needs forgiveness. For all have sinned, and have come short of God’s approval. “There is none righteous, no not one” (Roman.3:10) We all owe a debt we cannot pay by any works we can do. Christ came to pay the debt, He did not owe, we needed someone to take our sins away. Jesus, the Son of God has the power to say, “Thy sins are forgiven” for He is God and He paid the price that we may have the peace of God.

The God of Host

Amos 4:13  For, lo, he that forms the mountains, and creates the wind, and declares unto man what is his thought, that makes the morning darkness, and treads upon the high places of the earth, The Lord, The God of hosts, is his name.

Have any mountains to climb or tunnel through? Need someone to calm the winds at sea? Someone who can turn darkness into light? Do you ever wonder if God sees you among the billions who live on this plant? Not only does He see all that we are facing, but knows our every thought and desires to dwell with us and in us. He is the God of host, Jesus is His name. What a beautiful name, a Name above every name. Life is a mixture of good and bad. Sin is to blame for most of the tragedy that happen in life. The difficult things we face everyday happen for a reason. Sin may be to blame, or God may be allowing us to be tested. Whatever the reason, if we turn to Him, He will take these things in our lives and turn them into something good. He is able to do the impossible, we just have to let go and let Him have His way.

Do What is Right

2 Kings 22:2 And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, and walked in all the way of David his father, and turned not aside to the right hand or to the left.

When presented to do what is right, Josiah did what he felt was right. He followed his conscience in a day when God’s word was put on the shelf. True that our conscience can be misplaced by erroneous teaching, but left allow, God puts within each one of us a desire to seek the truth and do what is right. Sin has tainted the nature of our desires, and the carnal nature that we are born with seeks to gratify self in the face of doing what is good and acceptable to God. Paul speaks of this dual battle in the hearts and mind of people. The battle of doing what is right, when the desire to please self is present. As the Word of God came to Josiah in his day, so does the Holy Spirit come to us to lead us into all truth. We can choose to do what is right and take a stand against sin in our own life. Through Christ, we no longer have to live in condemnation, Through His blood we can have full salvation from sin and victory over sin in our lives. The nature of sin can be crucified with Christ and we can live each day with a pure conscience knowing the power of sin no longer has dominion over us, walking in the light of God.  

Beautiful Creation

Ecc 3:11  He hath made every thing beautiful in his time:…

It’s a beautiful morning, the sun shining through the morning brisk air heating up the surface of the land. In His time, He chose this morning to allow the beauty of creation to shine into my life. Not every morning is this way, but in His time everything in life is planned and created for His glory. We were all made beautiful and in the image of God. Made to love and desire Him. We seek beauty in this world and a measure of beauty can be found through relationships and His creations, but true beauty is found when we seek Him with all of our hearts. How beautiful it is to walk with God to live in His presence. We live not for the beauty of this world, but for the world to come.

Give Thanks

1 Thess 5:18  In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

On this Thanksgiving day we take time off from our daily work activities and give thanks for the bountiful blessings that God has provided. It is a season of giving thanks not only to our Creator, but to all who have impacted our lives and made a difference. We have so much to be grateful. It is easy to give thanks for the material things in our lives that are all around us. We give thanks for the roof He provides over our head, the bread we eat each day, and for the many extra things that are beyond necessities. But life is more than the things that He provides, but also for the people He brings into our lives. Paul says, “giving thanks to God always for you”. Close relationship are truly one of the greatest blessings that God gives us. As we celebrate this season of Thanksgiving, let us pause to give thanks for family, friends, and for those around us that put a smile in our lives.

Sing Unto The Lord

Psalm 98:1b, 4 O sing unto the Lord a new song; for he hath done marvellous things:…Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all the earth: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise.

Worshiping God is demonstrated in many ways. We enter into the house of God expecting Him to meet with us. We express our love and faith by giving Him praise. He is worthy of worship and it is only right that we make a joyful noise, rejoicing by singing praises to Him. True worship of God is more of an attitude of spirit than a physical demonstration of emotions. We can sing with gusto and lift our hands toward heaven all we want, but if our heart is in rebellion against God, then we worship in vain. For to obey is better than sacrifice, or giving lip service by speaking words of praise. God is pleased when we recognize His holiness, His majesty, His greatness, but coming to Him with a song that has been places there by Jesus Christ is what He desires. Let us enter into His gates with thanksgiving in our heart, and worship Him for who He is and what He has done in our lives. 

Love Life

John 12:25 He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.

Most people love life. We don’t relish the day that our bodies fail us and death’s door knocks. Death is our enemy and we go to any means to preserve life on earth. So, the words of Christ appear to go contrary to human nature. Surely Christ did not imply that we should hate living and pray for death to take us. Christ was not speaking of our physical body, but our eternal soul. The spiritual life that God instills in each one of us. What really matters in this life? If we live for this world and the material gain, we will lose what really matters. Seek first the Kingdom on God, and God will take care of all our material needs in this life. We must be willing to die to the temporal life of the pleasure of sin and the want of material gain. Dying to self goes contrary to how the world lives. Everyone is out to make sure number 1 is taking care of first. If we are to know real life, we must die to our selfish desires to please ourselves, and allow Christ to give us new life, eternal life, life that sets it’s affections on things above and not on things of this world. Let us love life. Life in Christ. “For me to live is Christ, to die is gain”

Trouble Times

John 14:27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

We all go through trouble times. We face things in life that bring uncertainty. We become anxious, and our hearts become fearful of the “What if’s” of life. Our minds are filled with “If only” we would had done it differently. Then there is the trouble of the soul when God seems to be afar off and it appears we are all alone facing life’s unwanted circumstances. Where is peace? Will trouble never cease? In times like this we need Jesus, we need a comforter that will calm life’s trouble waters. In the eye of the storm, the Holy Spirit is there, sent by the Father to bring peace and assurance that He will never leave us or forsake us. His promise is for those who love Him and keep His commandments. He knows our heart and knows our desire to live for Him. He said, He will not leave us comfortless. He will come, and where Jesus is, there is peace.

The Eyes of God

Ezk 8:12 …for they say, the Lord seeth us not; the Lord hath forsaken the earth.

The heart is desperately wicked that it is blinded to fact that those that sin against God cannot hide from Him The things done in secret are open to God. He sees us even when we think we are all alone. There is nothing done in secret. The eyes of the Lord pierce beyond the walls and mask we hide behind. He sees beyond the outer shell of what others see, He knows the thoughts and indents of our heart. He is a jealous God and will not accept partial obediences. We cannot serve Satan and do the works of evil doers and still claim to serve the One true God and call ourselves Christians. He is a God of love and mercy, but He will not tolerate sin in our lives. If we sin, we must repent and return unto Him. He will not turn away a heart who seeks Him with all their heart. Like the Father of the prodigal son, He welcomes us with open arm and delights in our return. But we must leave behind the life's sinful pleasure and selfish gratification if we hope to see the grace and mercy of God extended.  

The Sinless Life

1 John3:6 Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him.

The teaching of John Wesley concerning the life of holiness is that Christians do not sin if they are living and abiding in Christ. The doctrine taught by Wesley is founded on Biblical teaching given to us by the Apostle John. Sin, a known transgression against the known will of God, a refusal to do what is right and a total disregard to the commandments of God. The desire or temptation to sin is not  a transgression. Humanity with all of its short comings will fail in judgement and may not always rise to occasion or expectations of others. The flesh is subject to illness, which weakens the body and mind to not always act and think correctly. The sinless life is made possible when one totaling yields themselves in full surrender, allowing the Holy Spirit to take full control of their heart and life. John Wesley called this Christian perfection, or the work of sanctification. The sinless life is for us all today, if we trust and truly pray for the fullness of His blessing to fill our hearts.

In The Beginning

Gen 1:1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

His words says it, therefore I believe it! God created the universe, all of space and time. Science explains this creation as a “Big Bang” The master of all creation put into motion space and time, and hurled out the galaxies with all its stars. The universe declares the glory of God and His handy work. We serve a powerful God, who not only holds the world in its hand, but desires a personal relationship with man. He desires to walk and talk with us. In the vastness of His universe, He condensed to come to earth and give His life for you and me. How great is our God, how great is His name. From the beginning of creation, He had me on His mind. Who am I that He should watch over me and care for my needs. In the beginning God loved you and me. 

Heaven is Real

Rev. 22:4  And they shall see his face…

Is heaven real? Heaven is not only a physically place made ready by God for those who have loved and served Him, but it is also a state of mind, and spiritual experience. We all strive to be ready at the end of life to spend eternity in heaven with our creator. “Entering into the gates for the first time, O what glory that will be.” To see Jesus face to face and be with Him forever and ever is what heaven is all about. No tears of sorrow will be shed and death will not exist. The curse of sin will be gone and we will have bodies made new and perfect. Heaven is real and it is the desire of all believers to some day see Jesus in all of His glory. Until then, the kingdom of heaven can dwell in our hearts by faith in the One who preparing a place for us there. 

The Doors of My Lips

Psalm 141:3  Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips

We are often tempted to speak our mind, not realizing that the words we say can be cutting or hurtful. Speaking harshly and vehemently in anger is not consistent with one who is filled with the Holy Spirit and manifesting the fruits of the Spirit. We are creatures of emotion and there are things that strike a cord in our hearts that may cause us to demonstrate indignation. The classic example is the words Jesus spoke when He saw that the House of God was turned into a den of thieves and a place to sell merchandise for profit. His words were filled with emotion and passion as He turned over the merchants tables. I become indignant when someone lies to my face and the temptation is to lash out with ridicule and disapproval in a manner that is self servicing and unkind. Yes, such behavior needs to be dealt with in a way that results in a positive outcome, but often many are outranged because they have lost control of the situation. Dealing with our reactions and saying words that we would regret later can be done when we allow the Holy Spirit to put a guard on our lips. Seeking wisdom from above before we speak or react to a situation that hits us the wrong way. Human emotions are real, but so is God, and He is able to set a watch before our mouth, and speak only those words that would please Him.

My Song Brings a Smile

Psalm 28:7 The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him.

I’m not a very good singer, but my heart sings for joy when I think of the goodness of God. We don’t always feel like singing, but the song He puts in our heart propels us to continue on regardless of the circumstances that we may face. As the song writer writes, “I have a song that Jesus gave me, It was sent from heaven above. There never was a sweeter melody, Tis a melody of love” It is a song that puts a smile on our face. We don’t always feel like smiling and life has a way of wiping the smiles off our face. But we don’t trust the world to bring us happiness, but we trust in Him, the one that causes us to rejoice and to sing unto we smile again. 

Who is This?

Mark 4:39,41  And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm…What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?

They knew Him as a teacher and friend, but there was something very special about this Jesus. Being in His presences, they would sense that this was not any ordinary man. The words He spoke would slice deep into the heart’s of man, they would bring comfort to the suffering, healing to the hurting, and peace to the trouble heart. What manner of man was this that He also controls the elements of the world. Who among men can speak the words and all of nature listens and obeys. It is Jesus! He is the One! He calms the raging sea within our hearts, He brings peace when we are tossed and driven in life’s stormy sea. It is Jesus, who came to this world not only to teach and guide us into all truth, but to give His life that we may experience the peace of God that passes all understanding. Who is this man? He is God, He is my Savior, lover of my soul.