Monday, December 28, 2015

Forgiving Those Who Have Wronged You

Was Job restored when he forgave his friends? Was his restoration tied to his forgiveness of his friends? Yes he was re- established and restored in his ways and was better than ever before. A closer walk with God, more material things than he ever had before. Job was restored when he forgave his friends. We must do the same today. Not only our friends are we to forgive but also our family members who wronged us, enemies who would like us destroyed. Simply put we must turn the other check and forgive seventy times seventy. If you ever want any peace in your life then you must forgive as Christ forgive you. This does not mean that you can strike some kind of deal with God. But it means you must forgive just as He forgives you. Our wiliness to forgive others, as hard as it may be, is a evidence that The Lord has forgiven us. It is bitterness and anger in our hearts why we can not forgive others who have sinned against us or did us wrong. If we can not forgive then God cannot forgive us. It is simple as that. We must learn to forgive. Simply put an unforgiving spirit prevents us from making God’s loving forgiveness our own. When the Lord said to Job, “Pray for your friends and you will be restored.” Job prayed for his friends and by this gave evidence that his heart was no longer filled with resentment, hate, bitterness toward them. The end result was that he could not only forgive his friends but also completely experience the forgiveness and blessings of God for himself. If we want to experience God’s forgiveness then we must forgive and pray for those who have talked bad about us, wronged us in some way or have hurt us.


Saturday, December 26, 2015

Hanging on to Hope

Alexander Solzhenitsyn knew how to hang on to hope. He was a political prisoner in Russia for many years. He was forced to work 12 hour days at hard labor while existing
on a starvation diet. He became gravely ill and the doctor warned that he would die. One afternoon he stopped working even though he knew the guards would beat him severely. He just could not go on any longer.
At that moment, a fellow prisoner who was also a follower of Christ approached him. He had a cane in his hand and with his cane he drew a cross in the sand. Solzhenitsyn, when he saw that cross, he remembered the anguish his Savior (The Lord Jesus Christ) had taken on for him; and he realized that the cross was were the battle was ultimately won. He got up and went back to work, and survived.
When you hang on to true hope, you can overcome the worst adversity. It makes no difference what it is; Finances, health, family, or spiritual needs Jesus Christ has already paid the price for you, me, and whosoever will have faith in him. My faith
 aith my dear friends is in nothing else but what Jesus did for me on the cross at Calvary. All else is sinking sand.



Friday, December 11, 2015

I AM THE WAY




I am a follower of Jesus Christ and I was really troubled and shocked by a recent article in local newspaper letting the people know that a Bishop in the Catholic Church will be opening a holy door, or Porta Sancta, at a local Catholic Church this Sunday. On this 50th anniversary of the closing of Vatican II, Pope Francis has begun a holy year of mercy during which, (for one year only) a plenary indulgence, the remittance of all temporal punishment due to sin, is available to those who pass through one of the holy doors. We are less than two years away from the 500th anniversary of the beginning of the Protestant Reformation and I am reminded of Martin Luther’s attempt to point the church back to the Scriptures. “What does the Scripture say?” should always be our question. Paul tells us, “for by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God.” (Eph. 2:8) “And, there is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” (Rom. 8:1) The author of Hebrews writes, “We have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” (Heb. 10:10) “And where there is forgiveness of (sins and lawless deeds), there is no longer any offering for sin.” (Heb. 10:18) My good neighbors, do not settle for an indulgence from Rome or any where else. No priest, Pope, preacher, overseer or any other official from any church or denomination can save your soul. The Bible tells us there is but one door, through which all may walk and be cleansed from all sin. This door is Jesus The Christ, the one who has already bore all the punishment for everyone who looks to him in faith and asks forgiveness. He paid the price at Calvary and when He said it is finished, it was finished

In Today's Word What Are You Building?

  In a day of violence and God's impending wrath, what should a man of God be Building? Noah built an ark. In Noah's day, the earth ...