Forgiveness

The Longest Journey – Part 2

/ pastorpete51 / Leave a comment

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.  John 3:16 NKJV

After the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem, the wise men returned to their country, the shepherds to their fields and Mary and Joseph to Nazareth. But the journey of Jesus was only half completed on that night. The first leg of His journey brought Jesus to our world. But from His first cry in the manger to His last breath on Calvary’s cross Jesus traveled the second mile to take away our sins.

Bethlehem’s story is only half told if we leave the side of the manger with soft warm feelings. If we are simply amazed at how God could have allowed Himself be born as a fragile baby boy we only know the half of Jesus’ journey.

 

The path from Bethlehem’s stable to Golgotha’s hill was farther even than from heaven to earth. Jesus had no one for comfortKIMG2589 but the Holy Spirit, no one to understand but His Father in heaven and no one to suffer with Him but two thieves crucified by His side. Yet in the garden He prayed for us, from the cross He forgave us, prayed for us and by His final breath, gave His life for our sins. In thankful astonishment let’s remember His long journey then fall in step behind our Lord to see what journey He has chosen for us this Christmas.

Three Not Easy Steps to Forgiving

/ pastorpete51 / Leave a comment

Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them. “And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses Mark 11:24-25

Have you noticed that most of the teaching on believing in advance to receiving is usually focused on getting something? My healing, my financial miracle, or career all crowd into my thoughts quite easily while forgiving someone who has hurt me remains far away. But Jesus time after time links faith, prayer and forgiveness. While God alone is in control of supplying our needs, we are the ones in control of those whom we forgive. This morning why not begin with three not so easy steps to forgiveness?

alaska foto 6

I don’t know about you but when I have allowed someone to get close to me and then discovered that I have been betrayed or used by that person, it is very hard to let go of their offense. God taught me a valuable lesson on this forgiveness a few years ago when I did some work for a man who didn’t pay his bill. Fall passed into winter and I hoped by Christmas that he would pay. After New Years had passed I thought that maybe with he would pay by spring. April came with still no check but in May I received a phone call from him apologizing and promising to pay. I was so happy that I also agreed to return to do another small job. P1030396After finishing that job and even another later on it began to be clear that I would probably never get paid. As time passed I complained to my family, then to my friends and then one day God showed me that I needed to forgive him. I was so ashamed as I realized that I had who had preached forgiveness had practiced forgiveness only in theory. In reality when I was the one who held the bill I was expecting payment in full. Slowly I began a process of forgiving which has led me to freedom and joy worth far more than the unpaid bill. Continue reading →