“I’ll never forgive him–ever!” Her words hung in the air as I prayed what to say. Would she ever hear any words of caution if I said them? I doubted she was aware of the scripture warning in Matthew 18: 21-35 that ends with, “My heavenly Father will do the same to you, if each of you does not forgive your brother from his heart.” You see, the slave owed his master 10,000 talents which the slave could not ever…
With apologies swarming around like a thick cloud of gnats these days, we need to examine the difference. To apologize, according to Dictionary.com, is “to offer an excuse for some fault, insult, failure, or injury. To make a formal defense in speech or writing.” An apology is “an expression of one’s regret, remorse, or sorrow for having insulted, failed, injured, or wronged another.” You can regret wronging another and still not change. You’re still not forgiven. It’s a pretend…
In Matthew chapter 18:21-35, Jesus speaks of the necessity of forgiveness. In essence, He says if we don’t forgive those who have wronged us, we will be handed over to the torturers (verse 34) in the New American Standard Version. In the King James Version, they used the word jailers instead of torturers. In the Greek according to BlueLetterBible.org that word means: “one who elicits the truth by the use of the rack, an inquisitor, torturer also used of a jailer doubtless…
Romans 8:33 Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies; We who belong to Christ, need not fear the day we stand before God to give an accounting. God Himself has declared all those who have received Christ and trust Him for salvation, “Not guilty.” God Himself is the one whom we have offended. He also is the judge, jury, and executioner. When we chose to choose Jesus as our Savior, God declared…
Micah 7:19 He will again have compassion on us; He will tread our iniquities underfoot. Yes, Thou wilt cast all their (our) sins into the depths of the sea. Our God is a God of compassion, of mercy. He loves us deeply with a love that never lets us go. This scripture tells us that He is going to bring our bondages, our perversity, depravity, and guilt under His foot. In other words, He captures the things that put us…
Joel 2:13 (The Lord says) “And rend your heart and not your garments. Now return to the Lord your God, for He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in lovingkindness, and relenting of evil.” God is telling us here to do a 180 degree turn. To examine our will, heart, soul, knowledge, thinking, reflection, memory, conscience, and heart to obtain moral character. This is internal where only God sees; not external where people see. He urges us to…
Micah 7:19 He will again have compassion on us; He will tread our iniquities underfoot. Yes, Thou wilt cast all their (our) sins into the depths of the sea. Our God is a God of compassion, of mercy. He loves us deeply with a love that never lets us go. This scripture tells us that He is going to bring our bondages, our perversity, depravity, and guilt under His foot. In other words, He captures the things that put us…
With Ebola banging on our door it might be a wise thing to search God’s word, the Bible, for His prescription for our healing. He has a prescription for all our needs whether it be physical, mental, or emotional healing. Here is a page from my new book Looking Deeper. Exodus 15:26 And He said, “If you will give earnest heed to the voice of the Lord your God, and do what is right in His sight, and give ear…
Mark 11:25 And whenever you stand praying, forgive in you have anything against anyone; so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your transgressions. This scripture is not a nice suggestion. It’s a command. A biding principle. The next scripture after this one tells you why. It reads, “But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father who is in heaven forgive your transgressions (Mark 11:26). So we have a choice. Forgive others and receive…
Leviticus 17:11 For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood by reason of the life that makes atonement. In order for God to forgive sin, He required a life of an animal to be lost in substitution for the person asking forgiveness. This allowed the repentant person to be in unity and harmony with God. In the…