Category Archives: Repentance

2019, Forgiveness, Psalms, Repentance, Salvation

Today

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11 God is a righteous judge,
And a God who is indignant every day.

And we often think He pays no mind; that He overlooks the rampant, unending evil done one against another every day.  

12 If a man does not repent, God will sharpen His sword;
He has strung and bent His [mighty] bow and made it ready.
13 He has also prepared [other] deadly weapons for Himself;
He makes His arrows fiery shafts [aimed at the unrepentant].

This is not the GOD we like to present these days. We present a GOD that is grandfatherly; one that closes His eyes and says oh that’s okay, no repentance is necessary, everyone is welcome.  
Everyone is welcome, welcome to repent and live. 

14 Behold, the [wicked and irreverent] man is pregnant with sin,
And he conceives mischief and gives birth to lies.

Commentary will be limited here – look around. See. 

15 He has dug a pit and hollowed it out,
And has fallen into the [very] pit which he made [as a trap].
16 His mischief will return on his own head,
And his violence will come down on the top of his head [like loose dirt].

This is inevitable for those who do not repent. It’s not what GOD wants but unbending, unrepentant, obstinate mankind leaves Him no choice but to allow sin to complete its work. 

17 I will give thanks to the Lord according to His righteousness and justice,
And I will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High.   source

But the saved. We have every reason to give thanks and rejoice, even while we pray for others. We rejoice not at their destination or destiny but we are certainly grateful for our own in JESUS THE CHRIST. 

2018, Gospel of John, Repentance, Salvation

That’s It

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Good Sunday Morning!

Here is the most important fact you will ever believe; that is if you believe it personally:

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him.   source

For God so loved  (fill in your name) that He gave His one and only Son, that (fill in your name) believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. GOD did not send the Son into the world to condemn (fill in your name), but in order that (fill in your name) might be saved through Him.

First and the most important thing we need to know this Sunday Morning and every day: GOD Loves Us!  Second. JESUS did not come here to condemn us; we were condemned and damned before He arrived ( in His GOD-MAN body) — He came to rescue us! There is a condition though. We have to say YES! Yes to admitting our condemnation,  damnation  and yes to His offer of salvation. So, if by His Grace you are hearing His offer being offered to you today . . . say Yes!

That’s it.

2018, Forgiveness, Gospel of Matthew, Repentance

Dust Shaking

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"Jesus knows how powerless rejection 
makes a person feel." 
Beth Moore. The Quest. Page 119.

So what do we do when we are rejected?

Matthew 10: (HCSB) 14 If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that house or town.  source

How do we do that? Perhaps each of us would seek the LORD, asking Him what He meant when He spoke these words.

I have a start for me.

He said shake the dust off your feet. If you will, picture with me a prisoner of old. What does he have attached to his ankles? Chains. What do chains do? They shackle us. They impede our walk.

Could JESUS be saying pick up your feet, shake off that chain of rejection and keep on walking with ME? Could He be saying to us: Let it go. Let them off the hook. Break that chain of torment; release them from the shackle of you owe me and pray for them. Pray they come see that JESUS takes such rejection personally. Pray they receive the gracious gift of repentance and forgiveness before time escapes. 

We don’t have to be shackled to unforgiveness. We can kick up some dust and shake it off! We can pray for mercy. We can hold our peace, pray and wait for the HOLY ONE to work a miracle on that house and on that town.

2018, Forgiveness, Gospel of Luke, Repentance

Standing on the Porch

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Approximate reading time: 3 minutes

11 Then Yeshua said, “A certain man had two sons, 12 and the younger of them said to the father, ‘Father, give me the share of the property that comes to me.’ So he divided his wealth between them.

This is a relationship strain that none of us ever want to experience. What the son is really saying is You are dead to me. That must have wounded the Father more than words can tell. 

13 “Not many days later, the younger son gathered everything and traveled to a far country, and there he squandered his inheritance on wild living. 14 Now when he had spent everything, a severe famine came against that country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and joined himself to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. 16 And he was longing to fill up on the carob pods the pigs were eating, but no one was giving him any.

And so the son goes to a far country. He separated himself from home and hearth; from Daddy and Daddy’s world.  And lived life his way. And in time he found himself where no self-respecting Jewish boy would ever be – slopping hogs. Very unclean! 

17 “But when he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired workers have food overflowing, but here I am dying of hunger! 18 I’ll get up and go to my father, and I’ll say to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your presence. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired workers.

This my beloved friends is repentance – coming to one’s senses. Coming to the place we agree WITH GOD. Repentance doesn’t mean, necessarily, we come to an agreement horizontally but it is absolutely necessary to AGREE WITH GOD, which enables us to make peace horizontally. 

20 “And he got up and went to his own father. But while he was still far away, his father saw him and felt compassion. He ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. 21 Then the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your presence. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

And so repentance took legs. He got up and went. He acknowledged his sin, and he was willing to bear whatever consequences. No more blaming others. He owned his sins. 

Do you know what I highly admire about this Father?
His love for his son restrained him from chasing after his son, but he consistently stood on that front porch, looking down the road, waiting for that far-off glimpse of his son coming home. 

22 “But the father said to his slaves, ‘Quick! Bring out the best robe and put it on him! Put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. 23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it! Let’s celebrate with a feast! 24 For this son of mine was dead and has come back to life—he was lost and is found!’ Then they began to celebrate.  source 

Forgiveness was full and the celebrating was grand!

Selah ~ ~ ~