Forgiveness

 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye—Colossians 3:11

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What is true love if not to forgive the one who you feel has done you great harm? What is a true manifestation of the Lord’s Spirit if not to love your enemies, to do good to them that do you harm, to turn the other cheek? This is love. This is mercy. This is humility. This is Jesus. Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for another—even your brother or sister who has harmed you.

By reaching up for the grace to forgive him or her, you’re reaching up to the Lord, and He’ll make you a better person because of it. It is a great thing when you, through God’s grace, become a person who has forgiven another, who has passed over that hump and stumbling block, and whose heart has been enlarged to take being wronged and yet to forgive.

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For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you but if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.—Matthew 6:14–15

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It is impossible to go as high as you’re capable of going if you’re carrying the burden of hate, revenge, and bitterness. Those are heavy loads to carry, and the chances of you realizing your full potential are non-existent with those three burdens on your back.

And even if you were successful in your profession, how happy would you be as an individual? How many friends have you seen an angry or bitter person acquire? How many of them have good relationships with their families and are optimistic, upbeat and enthusiastic about the future?

Forgiveness is the key, and if you’re incapable of forgiving on your own—and many people are—I encourage you to seek counselling to guide you through the maze so that you can finally reach the point where you can forgive.

The day you do is the day you become a happier, healthier, more secure person.—Zig Ziglar

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Somebody hurt you, maybe yesterday, maybe a lifetime ago, and you cannot forget it. The hurt went deep, and it keeps on hurting you now.

You are not alone. We all muddle our way through a world where even well-meaning people hurt each other. When we invest ourselves in deep personal relationships, we often open ourselves to hurt.

Forgiveness is God’s invention for coming to terms with a world in which, despite their best intentions, people are unfair to each other and hurt each other deeply. He began by forgiving us. And He invites us all to forgive each other.—Lewis B. Smedes

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You never so touch the ocean of God’s love as when you forgive and love your enemies.—Corrie tenBoom

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Winter's Over, Spring is Here!

It's a pity to live in unhappiness, when just around the corner, your life can be thrilling and filling and wonderful beyond all expectations.

Beyond the blue horizon,

waits a beautiful day!

Goodbye to things that bore me,

Joy is wating for me!

Beyond the blue horizon,

Waits a rising sun!"

For all of you who've found the Lord, that certainly is true--He came that we might have life, and have it more abundantly. (John10:10) Not just 'pie in the sky' and 'heaven hereafter', but an hundredfold in this life, and in the world to come life eternal. (Mat. 10:30)

It's like the end of a cold, hard Winter and the beginning of a beautiful new Spring, like awakening of the Spirit of Life. We can have a Heaven on Earth in our hearts, in the peaceful sunny beauty of God's bright Spring sunshine.

Psa. 89:15 Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound: they shall walk, O Lord, in the light of Thy countenance.

PSA.144:15 Happy is that people, that is in such a case: yea, happy is that people, whose God is the Lord.

ISA.12:3 Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of Salvation.

Isa. 55:12 For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.

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Spiritual Disciplines--Reading God's Word

Setting aside time daily to read the Bible provides the opportunity to connect with God each day. It opens us up to letting Him speak to us through what we read, to His instruction and guidance, to His help through life’s problems and difficulties. Regular reading of God’s revelation to us reminds us of the moral code which we are meant to fashion our lives around, and provides us with guidance when we are faced with decisions. As we begin to absorb the truth contained within these pages, as we ponder and pray about those truths, and as we apply them to our daily living, we begin to anchor both our inner and outer lives on the foundation of Christlikeness, on godliness, and on the truth of God.

Each day we are flooded with a barrage of input from a wide variety of delivery systems which influences us in one way or another. Taking time daily to read what God has said to us provides a way to navigate through the maelstrom of information and input that we are faced with. It enhances our spiritual ability to discern truth and falsehood. It makes it easier to keep our hearts centered on those things which are important to living lives of true happiness, inner peace, and alignment with God and His will. It helps us to survive and overcome all that life brings our way. As Jesus said:

" Everyone then who hears these words of Mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock."

Abiding in God’s Word brings us in regular contact with His Spirit. "The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life."

Part of having that contact with the Lord, of having that promised peace, is spending time reading His Word. Take the time to commune deeply with God daily through His Word. It will change your life.

John 14:23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.

John 15:7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.

 Luke 11:28  But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.

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Faith Now and Forever

The way Jesus works in our lives and the way He chooses to do things is often past our comprehension. It's mysterious and usually takes faith and patience, because His timetable is often different from ours. Living the Christian life requires faith and trust, because we're not the ones in control—Jesus is. We have to remind ourselves constantly that He knows best, that He does all things well, and that His priorities are often different and much more long-term and "big picture" than ours.

Even with all of His awesome promises—promises like, "Whatever you ask the Father in My name He [will] give you.”. John 15:16 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you,” Matthew 7:7 and "If you have faith, nothing will be impossible for you" Matthew 17:20—we have to remember that we can do our part, but we're not the ones calling the shots. We're not the ones with the bird's-eye view of the past, present, future, and master plan for eternity. We can put Jesus on the spot and we can harness all the spiritual power He has put at our fingertips, but ultimately it is His will that must be done. Jesus is in control, and He knows best.

It's so important to keep an attitude of simple trust in Him, as otherwise we can struggle with so many questions when things don't turn out the way we were hoping or the way we prayed they would.

Relax in the comfort of knowing that Jesus has everything in His hands

If you don't strengthen your faith, life can seem pretty hard for no good reason. When that happens, you can start to feel that it's your fault, that you must be doing something wrong, that Jesus must be displeased with you because He isn't answering your every prayer as you want Him to, or that maybe the promises He's given don't actually work "as advertised."

The devil is always trying to tear down your faith. His job is to try to get you to doubt God's Word. I'd say that's his number-one mission—and it started way back with Adam and Eve in the Garden, when he asked them, "Has God indeed said?" He wanted to get them to doubt God, and in that case his charms and half-truths worked. Genesis 3:1

In addition to the devil's constant attempts to hurt your faith, you've also got human nature working against your faith, because faith defies logic by requiring you to believe in something that is unseen, for which you have no tangible proof at the time.

In time you will find many wonderful promises and explanations that answer age-old questions such as why it seems like God doesn't always answer prayer. But the fact is that life, with all the difficulties and trials and times when prayers seemingly go unanswered, will continue to be a test of faith. It will always be so until we get to heaven.

Whenever things are rough, whenever you feel that they're not turning out the way you'd hoped, when you feel your prayers aren't being answered, when the trials of life are a little too much to bear, when the battle seems too long, when your faith is under attack, when you're feeling weary and aren't sure if you can take much more, climb up onto the rock-solid foundation God has provided for your faith through His many promises and encouraging words, and rest in that safe haven.

The answer is the same today as it has ever been—trust in God and His wonderful ways. You can't figure it all out. Instead, encourage yourself in the Word and relax in the comfort of knowing that Jesus has everything in His hands. Rest in Jesus' arms, let Him shield you and support you, and in God's time the storm will pass.

PSA.37:3-5 Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. Delight thyself also in the Lord; and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in Him; and He shall bring it to pass.
JER.17:7 Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is.
ROM.8:24,25 For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.
HEB.10:23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for He is faithful that promised;).
PSA.119:92 Unless thy law had been my delights, I should then have perished in mine affliction.
MAR.7:37 He hath done all things well.

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The Darkest Times of All

God's purposes aren't always immediately clear, but you can always rest assured that you're in His care, and that things will work together for good in the end-someway, somehow.

When you're going through trying times, in spite of the battles, in spite of the loss, in spite of the confusion, in spite of the heartbreak, you must hold on to the knowledge that the Lord loves you. His love is unchanging, unfailing and unending. No matter what happens, no matter how bleak the outlook, no matter how difficult the battle, no matter how long and dark the tunnel, no matter how severe the suffering, He loves you! He doesn't give His love stingily. He doesn't mete out a little here or a little there as you earn it. He always pours forth His love freely and abundantly!

Jesus has promised you, “I am with you always, even unto the end of the world” (Matthew 28:20 KJV). He also promises, “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5). Even through the darkest and most trying times, the Lord is always “a Friend who sticks closer than a brother” (Proverbs 18:24). “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me” (Psalm 23:4). He is there in the darkness. He is there in the trial. He is there in the test. He is there in the confusion. He is there in the depths. He is there because He loves you. He is there to help you through.
Jesus doesn't like to see you suffer and be unhappy, but He knows you have to go through these things in order to become the man or woman He wants you to be and to fulfill your part in God's great plan-even as He had to go through the agony of dying on the cross for the sins of the world.

When you come to the end of life's road and look back at all that happened to you, you'll see just how much the Lord loved you and how faithfully He cared for you all along the way, especially when the going got rough. It will be clear then that the rocks in your path were not placed there to cause you to stumble, but they were meant to be steppingstones to glory-the glory of utter dependence upon the Lord, the glory of His Spirit working through the humble spirit, the trusting soul, the yielded mind, the loving heart.

So no matter what hard turns your road may take, remember that Jesus is with you. He cares, and He will eventually cause even the “worst” situations to work together for your good. He has promised to.

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New Year Commitments

The door of the New Year has just opened, and while you are thinking about the resolutions or commitments you will make for the year, you will of course want to put some thought and prayer into your commitments to your relationship with Jesus, your participation in the Christian mission of sharing his love with others, your prayer life, your service, your financial giving. These most likely won’t be the only commitments you’ll make, but they may be the most important ones. The tasks of supporting ourselves and our families, raising and educating our children, taking care of our daily needs, are all vital responsibilities and are part of what builds a better future in this life and world; yet we are reminded of what Jesus told His followers: But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

Making commitments to our relationship with God, to the mission, to living our  values based on His teachings, can and will make a difference in our daily lives throughout our lifetime and in the hereafter as well. The result of such commitments will make us more Christ-like in our interactions with others and a greater blessing to our families, friends, and loved ones—better individuals, more godly human beings. That’s worth committing to!

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Merry Christmas

A Christmas Message

“Once again, in churches, schools and village halls, we have enjoyed the annual nativity. Shepherds, wise men and angels all enacting the story; preparing to greet the new born king.

“I love watching the excited shepherds in their tea towel headgear and little angels with tinsel haloes at a jaunty angle. I love the majesty of the wise men, clutching their gifts and I love the simple picture of Mary with Joseph standing by protectively.

“It’s the story many of us know almost word for word and Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without it. A number of years ago in my congregation in Renfrew we tried to retell the story in a modern idiom and everyone asked, ‘But where are the shepherds and the wise men?’

“However, when I want to reflect on the meaning of Christmas and on its significance for the world and for my life, I turn to John’s gospel. There are no shepherds, no wise men or angels; not even Mary and Joseph.

“John’s was the last gospel to be written and it begins not with a story but with a pronouncement.

“In the beginning was the Word,

 And the Word was God In him was life,

and the life was the light of all people.

The light shines in the darkness and The darkness did not overcome it.”  

Then the staggering, incredible pronouncement;

“The Word became flesh and dwelt among us”

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“I love hearing it – I love reading it - but more importantly I am overwhelmed and humbled by the message these words proclaim.

“It’s the story beneath the story- the staggering assertion that in this child, this vulnerable baby, God came to be with us.  He came to be as vulnerable and weak as any of us.  He came to earth to share and bond with our humanness, in our joys, our sorrows, our hurt and our brokenness.

“He is a God who comes down to us –into the slime and grime of human life. He shares and holds us close to Himself, bringing healing and hope.

“That is the amazing claim of the Christmas tale, that this child in coming among us pierces the darkness of today’s world with the dazzling light of God’s love. Then you almost whisper John’s words, ‘The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it, has not been able to put it out’.

“Every one of us, I suspect, has known darkness of one kind or another; and for some that darkness is very deep. 

“It can be the loss of someone dear to us; illness; anxiety about our families, our future; the darkness of addiction; the darkness when we are bereft of hope. There are many kinds of darkness.

“The message of Christmas is that we are not alone in the darkness, not hemmed in by darkness, whatever it is, because light has come. Often flickering and fragile, like the light of a candle but still burning and still dispelling the darkness.

“In a world of so much uncertainty and longing for hope, we so desperately want this story to be real.  We want it to offer us the comfort and assurance of a God who has not abandoned us but who cares deeply about us and our world.

“So I would urge you to go back to John’s gospel, to read that first chapter, to let the words themselves speak to you and I would urge you to grasp hold of the truth that is being lovingly held out to you. 

“The invitation of Christmas is to live out our lives in that light, to trust that God came in that baby and continues to come into life, the life of this world.  When we live in that love, that light, no darkness will ever overcome it.

“We who believe that story must live in the light of its truth. Long ago,  In the dark night, in a stable behind a crowded inn, a child was born. In him was life— And the life was the light of all people.

“A blessed and peaceful Christmas to you all.”

From the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, the Right Reverend Lorna Hood.

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