God knows every person who has ever lived. We are not just faceless members in the thousands of years of humanity. To God, we are each special, we are each unique, and Jesus knows His people by name. “To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.” John 10:3
GOD’S POWER IS GREAT FOR US AND IN US! In Christ, you have a God-ordained strength living inside of you. And, in the power of His Holy Spirit, He is able to do exceedingly so much more than you could ever ask or think. DON’T LIMIT WHAT GOD CAN DO!
“And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power.” Ephesians 1:19
If God saw you before you were ever born, then take courage, dear friends, that He sees you today. And, as your days were laid out then, He’s holding your day today.
“Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, The days fashioned for me, When as yet there were none of them.”
– Psalms 139:16, NKJV
“Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven,”
Matthew 18:22
Gulp! Yes, forgiveness in any form can be a hard pill to swallow. But, let me ask you this. How many times has God ever said no to us whenever we sought healing and restoration for the wrongs we have done? Exactly, He hasn’t!
Forgiveness, much like love, is nothing to be played with. It is not a lip service to please others rather, it is a heart service to the Lord. It is, in a sense, showing to others the same grace and mercy that God showed toward us.
Immediately following this verse, so that there were no misconceptions about the seriousness of this point that He was making, Jesus sealed it with a story of one who showed mercy and offered forgiveness and one who didn’t:
“Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants.
And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents.
But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made.
The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.
Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt.
But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest.
And his fellowservant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.
And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt.
So when his fellowservants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done.
Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me:
Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee?
And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him.
So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.” – Matthew 18:23-25
The seriousness of it all really comes to light when Jesus opens up the parable and comparing it to the kingdom of heaven. Now, why did He go and do that? Because the story He is about to tell so resembles what occurs in the spiritual realm that it would be easy for the people to relate to.
What would happen if today God sat down and “took account” of all the wrongs we have done? What would it be like if we stood before Him unable to pay what we owe? We were there! Jesus knew the predicament that humanity was in. He knew that man could never get himself out of the debt of sin, so here He stresses grace, mercy and compassion on those who don’t deserve it.
How often have we withheld those three precious gifts from another because our feelings were hurt? Believe it or not, it’s the same thing. We may not have choked out a man, demanding retribution, but if we are withholding the same mercies that God showed us then we are choking that man or woman spiritually and emotionally.
“But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses,” (Matthew 6:15). God will not allow us to act like that unjust servant. Love has compelled Him to shower us with love, at all cost to save us, just so that He could forgive us and restore us. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life,” (John 3:16).
It was an act of love. An act of love that we now have the responsibility to pay it forward to another. No, people may not deserve it. But, then again, neither did we. It was only through the eyes of a merciful God that we are given another chance.
Tell me, who in your life deserves that second or third or whatever the number may be, chance today? Forgiveness IS NOT EASY! But, it is an “Act of Love.”
490, of course, is not a definite number. It’s a symbol that we are to be unlimited in our willingness to forgive the offence of others against us. It is the same love; the same “Act of Love” that God showed us. We have been loved to the point of forgiveness and we called to love in the same way.
The Bible tells us, “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us,” (Romans 5:8, KJV). I guarantee, if we were to look at ourselves, we could not fathom how many times our accounts would have gone unpaid had it not been for the blood of Christ. More than 490 times? But, thank God, He acted in love to save to us!
“Beloved think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you,” 1 Peter 4:12
“Confirming the souls of the disciples and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we may through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God,” Acts 14:22
One of the best things about being an avid reader is the happy ending that appears at the end of almost every book I read. When you first dive into a new book you begin to get familiar with the characters and their life. Each turn of the page takes us along on their journey, revealing to us their joys and sadness, hardships and pain. By the time we reach those last few pages, everything has worked itself out. There’s almost always a reason for celebration and the typical “aww” moment, especially if you’re into romance novels.
That’s the great thing about books. They allow your imagination to soar, taking you into worlds you may not otherwise get a chance to explore. Your mind’s eye gets hooked up with the writer’s vision for the book and soon a vivid story begins to unfold before you. Though there are no pictures, illustrations begin to form revealing all that is written therein. Television has its place – oh, but to read a book!
Whether it be a movie, television program or a book the stories we hear and see transport us, giving us a reprieve from reality. But, when the last page is read or the screen goes blank, it’s back to reality. And, reality isn’t always as picturesque as the stories we left behind. Sometimes love does not find its way. Sometimes the bad guy does get away. Sometimes the hero doesn’t make it home. Sometimes the disease doesn’t get healed. Sometimes the child does not find their way home. Sometimes the friend does not stick closer than a brother, and so on.
Sometimes life is just plain ole not fun! I think more so than ever that we have not heard enough about the reality of life. Instead, we are raising up a generation of rose-colored glasses wearers. Even from the pulpit of most American churches, the messages of peace, prosperity and wealth has taken over the reality of life. Jesus Christ, Himself clearly stated that in the world you will have tribulation, John 16:33. Peace and blessings will come. Promises will be fulfilled. But our physical being is planted in the world right now, and while we are here we have to face the reality that everything, every day is not going to be easy.
This philosophy breeds a culture of disillusionment. Romanticizing life leaves one totally off guard and taken aback when troubling times occur. A hard life is a hard life no matter which way you look at it and when one is not ready in the least for it, the residual effects can be devastating. “We may through much tribulation enter the kingdom of God.” It is going to be hard sometimes.
“Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you,” 1 Peter 4:12. In other words, the test is going to be hard sometimes. Tests are not passed with a fly by the night attitude. Tests are passed when people are prepared for them. But, the wearer of the rose-colored glasses will have a harder time because the tests seem like a “strange thing” that has happened unto them.
Listen, prepared or not, some things in life will just come out of the blue and whip your world around causing you to say, “What the what?” It’s inevitable. The idea behind not romanticizing life is to expect the unexpected. We don’t want to lose out on those promises God has for us because we have the false illusion that nothing will ever happen to us.
The promises are coming, that’s a given. In John 16:33, after Jesus warned, “In the world ye shall have tribulation,” He also gave us cause to celebrate. He said, “But be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” And, after Peter wrote of the “strange thing,” he exhorted his readers with verses 13-14a. He said, “But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you . . .”
Oh yes, thank God for the promises. Every word that speaks of them is true. But, don’t be surprised when we have to go through some stuff today before we reach those promises.
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The WORD OF OUR GOD shall stand forever! People can’t explain it away or act like it’s not there. It is, and it’s real, and it’s the truth! There will come a time when even the heavens and the earth, and everything else one puts their trust in shall pass away, but Jesus said, “My words shall not pass away,” Matthew 24:35. Believe the Word!
We are safe in the presence of God. Stay with Him and He will be your refuge and your fortress.
In the areas of social media, you have an opportunity to let people know more about you. You can attach personal details of who you are and who you are associated with to your profile. One of the ways to do this is by clicking the status button customizing it to your current life situation. If you are single, married, just got engaged or divorced . . . Whatever your status, you can let the world know.
A lot of those statuses come by way of change. Particularly, the change of entering into a new relationship or leaving an old one. Because of what Jesus did, and because of those who made that decision that they needed Christ as their Savior and accepted Him as their own, now their status in this world has changed.
How awesome is that!
In our spirit, when we accept Him as our Savior, we clicked the status button and changed who we are or are not associated with. We let the everyone know that we have left our old relationship with the world and entered into a new one with Jesus. We put on it blast that the life people used to see in us no longer exists. We blow up the spiritual timelines with the transformation that has taken place deep down in our souls.
Now there is a special, heavenly bond between God and us. No longer are we just mere men and women. Now our status says that through Jesus Christ we have been changed and our position in the world is known as being His child (John 1:12; Galatians 3:26). Now our profiles read that the condemnation that once hung over our lives has been lifted (Romans 8:1). Now, we are now free in Him to experience life anew (John 8:36). Now, we are able to cry out to Him, “Abba, Father” (Galatians 4:6). Now, we are carriers of His Spirit and He lives in us (1 John 4:13).
In our new relationship with God, our focus is no longer on what has been, but now it is on the promise of what will be. Our future now looks brighter than our yesterday. Our outlook on this life is now based on our new status in heaven. Our hope for a better tomorrow is completely bound up in Him whom I am connected with today!
“The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God,” (Romans 8:16) and our status has been changed!
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Father God, When I am in Your hands, I am in the safest place there is. “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.” Isaiah 41:10
No matter who you are. No matter what your position is in your home, work, or local church. No matter what call is placed on your life. If you, or anyone of us, are going to successfully make it through this Christian journey we need support. We need encouragement from one another. We need assistance through hard times and struggles. In the midst of our personal and spiritual battles, we need a helping hand; someone who will be there as our advocate and friend to help us carry the load. We all need someone whom we can garner strength from in our times of weakness.
There was a time in the Bible when Moses sent Joshua out to battle against the Amalekites. During this battle, Moses stood atop a hill with the rod of God in his hand. As long as his hands were raised the battle would turn in their favor, giving them victory against their adversary. But, the longer the battle ensued the more cumbersome it became for Moses to hold that victory stance. For every time his hands became weak and he lowered his arms, the enemy would start prevailing against his people. Upon seeing the heavy hands of Moses, Aaron and Hur came to his aid. They offered him support. They sat Moses down on a rock and they held his heavy hands; they came alongside him during the fight to help keep his hands steady (read Exodus 17:8-13).
The Bible tells us, “Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow. . . And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken,” (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12). There is strength in togetherness. There is value in being there for one another. When someone’s hands are getting too heavy to deal with the things in life, we as a people of God should come alongside them as the boys did for Moses, and help them through the battle. Then, we are unified as one in the struggle, offering the strength that cannot be easily torn away.
Do you or someone you know need assistance? Do you know someone who is having a hard time right now? It might be nothing big, but just the daily ins and outs of life are wearing on you or a friend. Can you offer encouragement to that one? If you are the one in a struggle and need help, I encourage you to not try to fight alone. Find someone who will come alongside you to champion your cause with you. If you know someone who is struggling, can you be the one that helps strengthen the heavy hands? What greater way to show the love of Christ in you than to be there for each other?
Bible Verses for Supporting Others:
Galatians 6:2 “Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.”
Romans 15:1 “We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves.”
Philippians 2:4 “Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.”
John 15:12 “This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.”
Copyright © Word For Life Says.com (Sharing any posts or lessons can only be done through the share buttons provided on this site from the original posts, lessons, and articles only. You can reblog from the original posts only using the reblog button provided, or share using the share buttons provided from these social media platforms: Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest, etc., and they must be shared from the original posts only. All other repostings are prohibited. Posts and other items of interest found on this site MAY NOT BE COPIED AND PASTED, downloaded, uploaded, etc to another website or entity not listed (physical or electronic). See COPYRIGHT PAGE for more details.
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