Tag Archives: forgiveness

What will you do in heaven? (Luke 7:44-50) October 15, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Acts 7-8

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Luke 7:44-50
Jesus: Do you see this woman here? It’s kind of funny. I entered your home, and you didn’t provide a basin of water so I could wash the road dust from My feet. You didn’t give Me a customary kiss of greeting and welcome. You didn’t offer Me the common courtesy of providing oil to brighten My face. But this woman has wet My feet with her own tears and washed them with her own hair. She hasn’t stopped kissing My feet since I came in. And she has applied perfumed oil to My feet. This woman has been forgiven much, and she is showing much love. But the person who has shown little love shows how little forgiveness he has received.
(to the woman) Your sins are forgiven.
Simon and Friends (muttering among themselves): Who does this guy think He is? He has the audacity to claim the authority to forgive sins?
Jesus (to the woman): Your faith has liberated you. Go in peace.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

Have you ever thought about what you will do when you get to heaven and have an eternity to spend with Jesus? What’s the first thing you’ll do when you see Him? What do you think it will be like?

Some have written books about near death experiences and what they have described as glimpses of heaven they were privileged to see. Some have talked about people they’ve met, loved ones who passed on before them and greeted them as they entered the world beyond this physical one in which we reside. Some have tried to describe the incredible music that touched their ears as they listened the celestial choirs singing their praises to the King of Kings. Others have tried to describe the array of colors that make our color palates seem dull.

Writers talk about the conversations they have with those around them and the knowledge they have of everyone. No strangers in heaven. There is a familiarity among everyone because we are all brothers and sisters together in Christ. They talk about the indescribable light that floods the place. Brighter than the noon-day sun, yet they are not blinded by it, but rather they are soothed by its warmth and comfort. Writers try to describe the peace and beauty of the place they glimpse in these near death experiences, their glimpse of heaven, but they all tell us they fall short in their ability to adequately tell us of what heaven is really like.

But have you thought about what you will do when you get to heaven? I don’t remember reading any of those authors talking about meeting Jesus or falling at His feet. I think it’s because they only get a glimpse of heaven, not entry into that place. I don’t think we’ll get to see it in full, in all of its glory until the end of time, but I’ve not read any of those authors talk about falling at Jesus feet for some reason.

But I really think that’s what we will all do when we get there. This woman Jesus describes in Luke chapter 7 recognized what Jesus had done for her. She was an outcast to society. Everyone looked down on her. She was a prostitute. She sold her body to survive in a territory that said she should be stoned for such a debasing action. God holds humans in such high esteem, He think treating His personal temple, our flesh, in such a way deserved the penalty of stoning. Or at least that’s what He told Moses to share with the Israelites, His chosen people.

Jesus recognized the potential in her when her sins were washed away, though. He saw who she could be and when she came to Him in repentance, He forgave. He looked beyond her sin and saw who God made her to be. He saw the beautiful creation God intended and lifted the guilt from her shoulders. What could she do but fall to her feet in gratitude and cry those crocodile tears of joy on His feet?

Simon, who thought himself better than the sinner cleaned by the power of Jesus’ forgiveness, still looked down on the woman because he couldn’t see what Jesus saw. Simon was repulsed by the woman, Jesus loved her as one of God’s children. Simon was disgusted with her presence, Jesus welcomed her. Simon chastised Jesus for letting this prostitute come near Him, Jesus elevated her action into the annals of history. What a difference in the way God sees us and the way others see us! Aren’t you glad God doesn’t pass judgment on us the way the rest of humanity does?

But maybe we should be taking lessons from Jesus, too. Maybe we should take care when we are quick to judge those around us and label them with all sorts of names. Usually those labels are given just so we can justify our own less than honorable actions. We look down on others so we can help ourselves think we are somehow better than those around us. We are not. We still far so short of God’s standard and need His forgiveness.

What will I do when I get to heaven? I think I will probably fall face down at Jesus feet and sob like a baby, thanking Him for His forgiveness for the first few millennia. After that, I might find enough voice to begin singing His praises. 

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

The debt forgiven (Luke 7:40-41) October 14, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Nahum

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Luke 7:40-41
Jesus (knowing what the Pharisee is thinking): Simon, I want to tell you a story.
Simon: Tell me, Teacher.
Jesus: Two men owed a certain lender a lot of money. One owed 100 weeks’ wages, and the other owed 10 weeks’ wages. Both men defaulted on their loans, but the lender forgave them both. Here’s a question for you: which man will love the lender more?

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

Jesus’ story caused me to do a little research. It made me wonder when the first bank opened. The first institution to make a business of securing other people’s money and using it to provide loans to others at interest, then distributing part of the interest to those whose money was used for the loans and part as profit for the business. Banks are interesting institutions. They do wondrous things for the economy. They create money when there really isn’t any. They loan money that really isn’t theirs to loan and even isn’t there in the first place. Just look at the bank runs of 1929 and you’ll see how little money really exists out there. Ten cents on the dollar would be very generous. It’s probably more like one cent on the dollar. The rest of the funds are found in some liquid and not so liquid assets.

Which leads us to the issue of today’s words from Jesus. Have you thought about how much debt Americans hold today? There are a few families that carry absolutely no debt. Houses, cars, credit cards, all paid off. No debt. They pay everything every month with no interest accumulating. But for those with any kind of debt, credit cards, school loans, mortgages, auto loans, etc., the average American household owes over $130,000 and pays $6,600 a year in interest. Pretty scary isn’t it.

The scariest part is that the $12 trillion dollars that we Americans owe to bankers and businesses doesn’t include the $17 trillion we American tax payers owe to other countries because of the debt our Congress has racked up in its gluttonous spending habits. So add that to the family debt and suddenly we each owe twice as much as we thought we did. Sounds great doesn’t it.

Thank you, whoever came up with the borrower and lender scheme way back in the Old Testament days. Shakespeare got it right, “Neither a borrower nor a lender be.” He got that from Paul in Romans 13 when he say, “Don’t owe anyone anything, with the exception of love to one another.” What a different world we would live in if we didn’t have debt hanging over our heads every day, don’t you think? Parents could spend more time with their children instead of feeling like they must get that extra dollar to just make it. Maybe one of them could stay home when the kids are young instead of having a child care center raise them. Maybe we could even learn to stop chasing money to make ends meet and save for the future. That would be something, wouldn’t it?

But back to Jesus’ words. So now each of our families owe an average of $250,000 whether we like it or not. Some owe more, some owe less, but that’s the average, and by the way, if you think you are debt free, remember that tax bill out there. You’re still part of that, so that $150,000 that you co-signed as an American citizen still belongs to you. Maybe you’ll want to think about that when you vote in a couple of weeks for the people that want to spend more of our money! We are the ones that have to pay the bill.

So now that we have some parameters about debt and where we stand on what the future looks like for us financially, what do you think about Jesus’ words? How would you like the government to suddenly tell you that you don’t have to pay your part of that $17 trillion? Of course in government, the problem is that someone else has to pay it or the lender has to tell us the debt is forgiven, neither of which is a good idea or likely to happen. But what if? How would you feel for all debts to be paid? Everything you owe forgiven?

What about the penalty for your sins? I recently read through Leviticus again. That book of the Old Testament is pretty scary. It gives the punishments God laid out for unintentional violations of His commands. God assumed in His dealings with His chosen people that they would follow Him, so the punishments prescribed and the offerings administered were to atone for those wrongs that someone unintentionally committed. If you’ll examine those Old Testament scriptures, you’ll find that those who intentionally violated God’s laws were put to death.

But now Jesus comes on the scene. Forgiveness is available. When we ask in repentance, He forgives. Remember repentance means turning away from the old life and turning toward Him, though. It means living His way, not ours. But when we ask the debt we owe because of our sins goes away. It is paid in full, forgiven by the only One able to do so.

Now how do you feel? If He has forgiven that debt for you, you should feel the joy only He can give. 

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Let others see that you forgive (Luke 5:22-24) September 26, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Numbers 25-28

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Luke 5:22-24
Jesus (responding with His own question): Why are your hearts full of questions? Which is easier to say, “Your sins are forgiven” or “Get up and walk”? Just so you’ll know that the Son of Man is fully authorized to forgive sins on earth (He turned to the paralyzed fellow lying on the pallet), I say, get up, take your mat, and go home.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

Have you discovered yet that it’s easier to say something than it is to live it? If you haven’t learned that truth, you just haven’t lived very long or you don’t talk to anyone or something. Everyone knows it’s easier to talk about something than it is to do it. It just is.

I learned that lesson again recently when I undertook the task of building a pergola on our back porch. I did a lot of research, read a lot of different how-to web sites, looked at a lot of different designs. I drew out a simple blue print and figured out how much material it would take and made sure I had the right tools to do the job. Simple, right?

Then the lumber company delivered the 1,800 pounds of cedar it would take to put that monstrosity in the air. First, there was the fourteen gallons of stain it took to prepare the wood before I made the first cut. I figured it would be a lot easier to stain the wood at waist level before construction than after it was in the air (and a lot easier to clean up any mess I was sure to make in the process, too). By the end of the staining, I thought I had done some work, but that was only the beginning.

Yep, talking about something is significantly easier than doing it. And talking about doing something you can’t see is easier than talking about something you can see. It was much easier to promise to research the building of the pergola than to build it. The research was mostly in my head with just a few notes and drawings on a few pieces of paper. But the physical pergola that you can actually see and touch, that was a lot more difficult to put in the air.

So everyone understands when Jesus asked His question of the Pharisees, “Is it easier to say to this man, ‘Your sins are forgiven or take up your mat and walk?’” Things you can’t see are so much easier to promise than things you can see. Still, Jesus knew what He could do and made His most important promise to the paralytic first. “Your sins are forgiven.”

Those words are easy to say. In fact, it’s easy for us to say the words to someone else. “I forgive you.” It’s easy to put those three words together and project them toward someone who has wronged you. But can you make that promise in a way that is visible to the one to whom you project them? Can you say the words and mean them when the pain for the wrongs done still lingers? Jesus did. He forgave the paralytic his sins knowing he would carry the man’s sins to the cross and die for them.

We can say the words pretty easily, just like I could say I would build a pergola on my porch. But the proof is in the seeing. The paralytic knew what happened right away because he felt the guilt of his sins melt away with the words Jesus spoke. No one else knew the proof right away because they couldn’t see the evidence. It was only as he lived his life and they could see the joy in his face that they could see the evidence of what Jesus had done for him. But just because others couldn’t see the results right away, didn’t mean the work hadn’t been done.

It’s like my pergola. If I hadn’t done the research and planning, I wouldn’t have bought the right amount of wood and hardware and stain. As it turns out, I over estimated by two and a half gallons of stain and four pieces of lumber. That’s enough to touch up all the ends I cut, that I haven’t stained yet, and maybe enough to build a bench attached to the rail at the edge of the porch. You couldn’t see the planning except by way of the end result. Neither could you see Jesus’ forgiveness expect by way of the end result of the paralytic’s joy in his freedom from the guilt of his former sins.

Jesus wanted others to know He never lied and had the power to do what He said He could do, though. So He did something others could see, not just hear about. Like my building the pergola, so others could see it when they sit on the porch instead of me just talking about it, Jesus healed the paralytic so the Pharisees knew He could do what He said He could do. He did what seemed impossible. He healed a man who could not help himself, physically or spiritually.

So, like Jesus, when you forgive, do so in a way that others can experience and know you’ve forgiven. Let them see the truth of what you say and not just hear the words.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Forgiveness, a tall order (Mark 11:22-26) August 30, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – 1 Chronicles 15-19

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Mark 11:22-26
Jesus: Trust in God. If you do, honestly, you can say to this mountain, “Mountain, uproot yourself and throw yourself into the sea.” If you don’t doubt, but trust that what you say will take place, then it will happen. So listen to what I’m saying: Whatever you pray for or ask from God, believe that you’ll receive it and you will. When you pray, if you remember anyone who has wronged you, forgive him so that God above can also forgive you. If you don’t forgive others, don’t expect God’s forgiveness.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

Sometimes Jesus’ words are just hard, aren’t they? Sometimes I just want to overlook the things He says and pretend He really didn’t mean them. Like these last words. “…if you remember anyone who has wronged you, forgive him so that God above can also forgive you. If you don’t forgive others, don’t expect God’s forgiveness.” I would just as soon not hear those words. I would like Jesus to just forget to tell us that and tell us that God will just forgive us and forget the rest.

Unfortunately, He didn’t. He said it. He made it pretty clear. If you don’t forgive others, don’t expect forgiveness from God. He gave us a few illustrations to make it clear. The story of the king that forgave the servant who owed him 500 years wages and then the servant failed to forgive a fellow servant a few day’s wages. Remember what happened to him? He and his family were thrown into jail until he could pay it all back. That meant forever.

Jesus meant what He said. Forgiveness is why He came to earth. That’s why He put on human flesh and spent thirty years walking beside us suffering the same things we suffer. That’s why He worked and toiled and preached and taught. That’s why He took on the Pharisees and the scribes to help us understand what God really wants us to know about having a relationship with Him. That’s why Jesus took all the ridicule from the religious leaders. That’s why He endured the cross. It was all about forgiveness.

He came to teach us about both God’s forgiveness and to forgive each other. The power of forgiveness is incredible. It is a god-like power. It does something for the person that forgives that no other physical or psychological action can do for you. It changes you attitude toward other people.

Does forgiveness mean you act as if nothing ever happened? Sometimes, but not always. There are consequences for someones actions. Those consequences are borne by the person who commits sinful and wicked acts. It would be negligence to put an embezzler in charge of your treasury. But you can still forgive that embezzler for his crimes. He may need to make restitution and even go to jail as a consequence of his crimes. That’s not your fault, it’s his. But you can forgive.

So what’s the difference? Forgiveness doesn’t excuse bad behavior. It doesn’t condone wickedness. It doesn’t let people off the hook. But forgiveness stops the attitude that seeks revenge. It stops the attitude that wants harm to come to the person who wronged you. It stops that, “I’ll get even with her, if it’s the last thing I do, feeling.” You see, all of those characteristics breed bitterness and hatred. And those are not compatible with the kingdom of heaven.

Jesus never condoned bad behavior. But He forgave. He never condoned evil. But He forgave. He didn’t let people off the hook to continue to do as they pleased. But He forgave their past. Jesus never held a grudge. He never sought vengance. He never tried to get even. He never wanted to hurt anyone.

Instead, Jesus forgave. Even when He hung on the cross as an innocent sacrifice for all the sins of all the people who ever lived and would ever live, Jesus forgave.

When we forgive, the anguish of how to get back goes away. When we forgive, the plotting for justice disappears. When we forgive, the bitterness because of circumstances melts from our hearts. We can live in the warmth of God’s love and mercy and grace. We can know He forgives and so we can forgive, too.

And what if we don’t forgive? What if we hang on to that bitterness and seek for revenge or justice or quid pro quo for those who do us wrong? Jesus says we should not expect God to forgive us if we do not forgive others. Elsewhere He said God forgive us in the same measure, to the same degree that we forgive others.

That’s a pretty scary thought if you hold ill will against someone. I don’t want God to bring that up at the judgment one day. I’d like to know that my slate is clean and I’m forgiven. But Jesus tells me that the only way that happens if for me to also forgive. It’s a tall order, but not an impossible one when He help us.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Is it blasphemy? (Mark 2:5-11) July 9, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Luke 19-20

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Mark 2:5-11
5Jesus recognized the faith of these men.
Jesus (to the paralyzed man): Son, your sins are forgiven.
Some scribes were sitting in the crowd, and they didn’t like what they were hearing.
Scribes (reasoning to themselves): What does this Jesus think He is doing? This kind of talk is blasphemy, an offense against the Most High! Only God can forgive sins.
At once Jesus realized what they were thinking. He turned to them.
Jesus: Why do My words trouble you so? Think about this: is it easier to tell this paralyzed man, “Your sins are forgiven,” or to tell him, “Get up, pick up your mat, and walk”? Still, I want to show you that the Son of Man has been given the authority on earth to forgive sins. (to the paralytic) Get up, pick up your mat, and go home.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

The scribes were the authorities on scripture. They not only preserved them by coping them from one scroll to another, but they also spent years learning them. They learned what their forefathers thought about their interpretation and carried those interpretations from generation to generation. The scribes did the research on topics when the priests wanted to know something. They could find whatever subjects someone was looking for, which was a minor miracle in Jesus day. Remember, chapters and verses didn’t appear in scriptures until the Geneva Bible translation in 1599. So these guys were the PhDs of biblical knowledge.

Then Jesus comes on the scene. He’s pulling out information that confounds the scribes. They have to search deeper and find passages He quotes that they haven’t used because they’re not very familiar to them. His teaching doesn’t fit the normal pattern and they have to brush off their books and find what He’s talking about. But it’s there. He’s using scripture, but He’s using it in ways they’ve never heard before.

Now He’s talking to this paralytic who wants help with His disease and instead of healing him, this Man says his sins are forgiven. “Who do you think you are? What do you think you’re doing? No one can forgive sins but God and there’s a ritual you have to go through before that can happen. He has to make an offering in the temple. Payment must be made to the priest so a sacrifice can be made. It’s God’s way to ensure the priests make a living, after all. Why would He think He can side-step the temple and take away the priests’ livelihood? This is blasphemy!”

Now, maybe there’s the rest of the story. But maybe not. These scribes couldn’t see how God could come to earth in the likeness of sinful man. They couldn’t believe that God would wrap Himself in human flesh and live among us. So Jesus could not be the Son of God and so couldn’t forgive sins.

But the words are easy to say. Jesus knew that. The scribes knew that. Everyone in the room knew that. Even the paralytic knew that even though he immediately felt the guilt from his past lift from his heart as the words left Jesus’ lips. But to show Jesus had power over the hearts of men, He show those present He also had power over the physical bodies of men. He told the paralytic to get up, roll up the mat he was lying on and walk out the door. Then Jesus reached out His hand and help the man stand to his feet. I expect Jesus only watched as the man rolled up his mat and danced around the room on his way to the door, shouting praise and thanksgiving to the Lord of lords.

What do we need to learn from this scene?

Some have a hard time believing Jesus can forgive. They recognize Jesus as a good man, even a prophet connected to God and able to use that connection to do good things, even miraculous things for people. But God? Some have a hard time with that and so go through life like the scribes questioning His ability to rid them of the guilt that weighs them down. Some just can’t see past their own intellectual understanding of the universe, as finite as it is, to see that there are so many things that can only be explained by putting faith in God, the creator of all things. Some just can’t believe the Bible is not just a collection of stories, but the record of God’s love for humankind and His plan for our redemption.

Is the Bible accurate? Yes. Every time someone tries to prove something doesn’t fit historic facts, archeologists seem to uncover evidence that the Bible, not the historic facts are true. Is it scientific? No. It’s not meant to be. It’s the story of what God does for us and why, not how. Our finite minds can never wrap around the infinite wisdom of God. Just one simple thought to consider to boggle our finite mind: Scientists tell us everything is made of atoms. And atoms are mostly empty space. So much so that scientist tell us that if all the empty space in the universe could be removed and the solid mass of the universe condensed into a single object, some say it would take up the space of a house and some say as small as a basketball. So why can’t we just walk through walls? I know the quantum physics answer, but it does make you wonder about God’s design in it all, doesn’t it? After all, where did those, electrons and protons come from to repel each other in the first place to form those atoms we’re talking about?

So when the Bible tells us proves to be true, then when it says Jesus is God in the flesh, that must be true, too. And we exercise just a little faith in that truth, scripture opens up to us in incredible ways. Just try it. You’ll find He really can forgive sins. He forgave mine and He can forgive yours, too. 

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

It’s time! (Mark 1:15) July 4, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Leviticus 10-12

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Mark 1:15
Jesus: It’s time! The kingdom of God is near! Seek forgiveness, change your actions, and believe this good news!

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

It’s time! It was true when Jesus first came to earth in the likeness of sinful man to tell us the good news about redemption. It is still true today. It is time! But time for what? That is the question people seem to miss as we go about our busy days.

I saw an article the other day about a new clock developed in a crowd funded firm that will be interesting if it takes root. The premise of the company is that we have changed the way we measure almost everything in our society except time. All our instruments have become more exact, measured in different ways and by different methods, but time is stuck in seconds, minutes, and hours. We watched the hands on the clock spin around every day monotonously the same way for centuries.

This company decided to take a new view of time. The clock has a single hand that takes twenty-four hours to sweep around the dial and that is only for those that must have some link back to the old way of telling time. The real time keeper is a band of yellow light that moves across the face the clock as the face changes from blue during the day to purple at night. Sounds like the sun moving across the sky during the daylight hours and the moon transiting the sky at night, doesn’t it?

The premise of the company is we need to stop being so bound by the ticks the sweep by on the timepiece on our wrist and wall and start enjoying each day. We need to breathe a little and not let time enslave us. It is time we not be slaves to time.

It sounds good, but how do you stop a world driven by calendars and clocks? My last position in the Army certainly required good time management when every day was packed with meeting from 7 am to 6 pm with no breaks in between. Plus social events, inboxes, email, church, and family. The calendar was overflowing every day of the week from before sunup to after sundown. But that pace seems to be more and more common these days for the up and coming, the entrepreneurs, and those struggling to get by. Everyone is busier than they should be.

It’s time! But that’s not what Jesus is talking about, is it? He had a very simple but very important message tied to the clock. It’s time to do three things He says. Seek forgiveness, change your actions, and believe this good news.

The first, seek forgiveness, requires us to first recognize we are sinners, apart from God, in violation of His laws, disobedient and unworthy of His grace. Until we see ourselves in light of His holiness and understand just how sinful we are compared to Him, not someone else, but Him, we will not seek forgiveness. We might be sorry we get caught at something, but we won’t seek real forgiveness. Seeking forgiveness takes more than just saying I’m sorry. It means contrition. It means repentance, which leads to Jesus’ second point.

Change your actions. You can’t remain in God’s favor doing the sinful things you’ve always done. Repentance means turning away from the evil and turning toward God. It means turning your back on the past and turning toward a different future. It means letting go of those things you wanted before and grabbing hold of God and the things He has in store for you. Repentance is so much more than just crying a few tears and saying I’m sorry. It means, as Jesus says, changing your actions.

The third thing Jesus tells us to do is believe this good news. What news is that? The kingdom of God is near. So often we think we must die and move on the the next life before we can experience heaven, the kingdom of God. But we don’t. Jesus tells us the kingdom of heaven is near. In fact, when He came to earth, the kingdom of heaven came to earth. It is where He is. We can enjoy a piece of heaven here, in this place, right now.

How is this possible in the middle of all the evil around us? Where Jesus is, heaven is. If He lives in you, heaven is in you. We can experience the peace and joy of heaven even in the middle of all the evil that takes place around us. We are not dependent on the external circumstance we face for the peace and joy we have in our lives. It comes from within and when Jesus is Lord of our lives, He brings that peace. He gives joy. He makes heaven possible for us now, in this place, when we put our trust in Him.

It is time! The kingdom of heaven is near. Seek forgiveness, change your actions, and believe this good news!

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Nothing is impossible (Matthew 19:26) May 5, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Job 35-36

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Matthew 19:26
Jesus: People cannot save themselves. But with God, all things are possible.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

We sure try to save ourselves, though, don’t we? We try to buy our way into heaven by giving tokens of material goods. We think if we give enough to a church and get our name on a pew or the wing of church or maybe on the wing of a hospital it will earn us that spot in the kingdom. It’s kind of foolish to think that way, though. Take a look around. How much would it cost to buy the ocean and everything in it? That belongs to God, so does your wing of the hospital impress Him?

Do you know how much gold has been dug out of the earth? If you’ve never thought about it, it’s not quite enough to fill an Olympic swimming pool. That’s all. Men have been pulling gold out of the ground for centuries and that’s all they’ve found. So how much of that Olympic swimming pool sized lump of gold do you own? Do you think that impresses God? I guess not. So buying your way, just can’t save you, can it. There’s nothing you can give God in material goods that could impress Him.

So how about something you could do. Is it some good deed you could do that could get you into heaven? What could it be? What act could you perform that could impress God enough to win your salvation? The answer is nothing. He has seen it all and people have tried everything to try to assauge the guilt of sin they carry with them from their youth. No one has found the cure in good works. Every prophet, every preacher, every priest has talked about it. When you compare what we can do with what God can do, what can we do that would impress Him? Again, the answer is nothing.

We try hard. We do all kinds of things to make up for our past, to atone for our sins, but those actions just don’t do enough. You see, nothing we do can clean up the darkness in our heart. We can’t create light in the darkness. Oh, we can strike a match, but that ’s a chemical reaction, it doesn’t actual create something. We can’t create something out of nothing. Only God can do that. We always start with basic ingredients.

So Jesus starts with this basic premise, this indisputable fact that we try to dispute, people cannot save themselves. We have tried throughout the centuries to prove Him wrong, but no one has, because we can’t. We are not God. We are far from it. We wouldn’t know where to begin to make ourselves pure enough to be in God’s holy presence, but we try…unsuccessfully.

God abhors sin. It sometimes amazes me that He pays any attention to us at all in our sinful state. We separate ourselves so far from His holy, perfect, pure state in our sin, yet He wants to bring us back into His presence. In fact, He puts in place an impossible plan. A God-sized plan to bring us back. He takes all His mighty energy and smashed Himself into the form of a tiny human baby, the likeness of sinful man, and lived among us for thirty years to become the perfect sacrifice for our sins.

He did what we could not do for ourselves. He acted in a way none of us could because we are sinners. He paid what we could not pay. He did the impossible. Because He is the God of the impossible, He can save us. Because He can speak and create light out of darkness, He can save us from ourselves. Because God can speak and spark life from death, He can bring life to us and grant us eternal life even though we don’t deserve it. Because God has creative power, He can do the impossible. Even bringing us, sinful man, into His holy presence.

How does God do it? I don’t understand it. I only know that He gave His Son, Himself wrapped in flesh, as the sacrifice for the atonement for our sins. I only know that when we exercise our faith in Him as that sacrifice and ask for His forgiveness, He grants it because of His infinite grace and mercy. I only know that because of His love for us He does God-sized things when He forgives us of our sins and makes us right with Him so we can come into His presence covered by the blood of His sacrifice on the cross. How does it work? It’s impossible for my finite mind to grasp the wonder of it all, I’m just glad it does.

I’m just glad that when I cannot save myself, nothing is impossible for God and He shows it by rescuing me from a life of sin. He’ll do the same for you if you ask Him. 

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Am I still safe? (Matthew 12:31-32) March 17, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Job 21-22

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Matthew 12:31-32
It is one thing for you to speak ill of the Son of Man. People will be forgiven for every sin they commit and blasphemy they utter. But those who call the work of God the work of Satan utterly remove themselves from God, and those who blaspheme God’s Spirit will not be forgiven, neither in this world nor in the world to come.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

People worry a lot about this saying of Jesus. What does it mean to blaspheme God’s Spirit? What is the unpardonable sin? Have I committed it? Am I beyond God’s grace for what I have done?

Satan tkes these words of Jesus and causes many to bail out. To think they are so far down the path of sin that God can’t forgive them. Satan makes them feel so bad about themselves that they just know God must feel the same way and would never let them into His kingdom. So they give up. They stay at the bottom of the pit and feel utterly hopeless. But that is just another lie of Satan. Remember, Satan is the father of lies. He will do anything he can to keep you from giving yourself to God.

So what is this unpardonable sin about? I think to understand it, we need to understand a little about God and His plan for humankind. God wants us to live with Him forever, but as a holy God, He cannot live in the presence of sin. So to live with Him, our sins must be forgiven. The penalty must be paid. But Paul tells us the wages of sin is death. Jesus, God’s Son, paid that price for us. His death made our forgiveness possible. It is a gift He gives us, but we must accept the gift. We must come to Him in repentance and accept His gift of forgiveness.

Jesus came to live among us for just that purpose. To live and die and rise again to pay the penalty for us, then to demonstrate His power to forgive through His resurrection. He promised when He ascended into heaven He would send His Spirt, the Spirit of God to live not with us, but in us. And He said God’s Spirit would convince and convict us of our sin, guide us to righteousness, and empower us to live the way He wants us to live.

So here’s the issue. When Christ ascended into heaven and God’s Spirit came at Pentecost, His Spirit became the link between us and God. Before Christ’s sacrifice, we had a need for sacrifices in the temple to atone for our sins. But no more. Jesus paid that price as the ultimate sacrifice. His Spirit now convinces and convicts us of our sins. His Spirit leads us back to Him and lets us know we desparately need His forgiveness, His righteousness. His Spirit brings us to the point of asking for the help we need from God.

God’s Spirit in us then empowers us to do the work God has us to do. He keeps us on the narrow path Jesus talked about. He helps us understand God’s word. He gives us the words we need when we tell others about Him. He shares His heart with us and shows us when we get off track. God’s Spirit makes it possible for us to live the life we were created to live.

But if I cut off that link. If I refuse to listen to God’s Spirit. If I continually push His voice into the background until I can no longer hear even the smallest whisper, I run the risk of not hearing His convincing of my sin. I run the risk of not being convicted of my wrong doing. When I cut God off in my life, how can I get back? How can I hear Him and let Him reach me? If I absolutely cut all ties with God’s Spirit, then how will He communicate with me so I understand my condition? If I don’t understand my sinful condition before God, how can I ask for His forgiveness? If I don’t ask Him for forgiveness and accept His righteousness as my own by letting Him be Lord of my life, I don’t live with Him in eternity. And there is only one other option. Not one I want to choose for myself.

Are you in danger of blaspheming the God’s Spirit? My opinion, if you’re worried about it, you are probably being prompted by His Spirit to get right with Him. I’m amazed at God’s patience, but His word also tells us His Spirit will not always be with us. There will come a day when He will quit calling. Don’t let that day come for you. Don’t think you have plenty of time. You don’t know what will happen tomorrow or even today. Again, His word tells us today is the day of salvation. There’s a reason for that. We don’t know what day will be our last. Make the right choice while you have the opportunity. Today is a good day to make Him Lord.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Forgive and be forgiven (Matthew 6:14-15) January 21, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Job 5-6

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Matthew 6:14-15
Jesus: If you forgive people when they sin against you, then your Father will forgive you when you sin against Him and when you sin against your neighbor. But if you do not forgive your neighbors’ sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

I do not want to hear those words from Jesus! How dare He set the condition of my forgiveness on my forgiveness! Ouch! From the time God created Adam and Eve and the world began to populate, that small community that began with two and grew from their family always depended upon their existence as a community. Our very survival depends on our living in community with others. We cannot survive alone. We might watch the “reality” TV shows that pit man against nature, but remember that so called lone survivor is surrounded by TV crews, modern technologies if he gets in trouble, respites between shows. Few people across our globe could survive long on their own. We were created to live in community, interdependent on each other.

God really does want us to live in community and the only way to do that is for us to get along with each other. The only way we can really get along with each other is to forgive each other. If we hold grudges, always seek revenge, always think poorly about those who wrong us in some way, the community crumbles. God is serious about our relationships with our neighbors. He gave us the parable of the Good Samaritan to tell us just how much that relationship means. He said love your enemies. He said do to others what you want them to do to you. He said forgive.

When we think about what He forgives against Him in my life and yours, it’s a lot easier to forgive others. When I think about my disobedience in the face of the One who knows everything about me, how can I not forgive those who wronged me? My disobedience crucified the Son of God. How does that equate to the inconvenience my brother might have caused me? How can I not forgive in the face of that comparison?

Jesus says, “If I forgive those who sin against me, the Father will forgive my sins against Him and my neighbors.” The implication is the negative is also true. If I do not forgive those who sin against me, the Father will not forgive my sins against Him and my neighbors. So the logic is clear. If I want to experience freedom from sin. If I want the guilt and stain of sin removed from my life by the forgiveness of my Father in heaven, I must forgive those who sin against me. In these words, it seems clear there is no other path to that freedom.

If I don’t forgive, I won’t be forgiven. But I also find it’s easier to forgive because I’m forgiven. If God can forgive me, I can forgive others. I can share the same grace I’ve received. I can remember the mercy God has shown me and when I do, I can extend that grace to those around me. I can show God’s love to those around me, not because of who I am or what I’ve done, but because of who He is and what He has done for me.

Is it always easy to forgive? I’ll have to admit, it is not. But it is getting easier with God’s help. In fact, often wrongs against me turn to pity instead of anger because I know the root of the action. Satan does his best to blind us while we live in these frail bodies to the truth. He tries his best to put barriers between us and make us focus on unimportant things to break our relationship with each other.

I learned a lesson several years ago that helped me forgive. I used to call it my 80% rule. As I’ve grown older and wiser (I think), I’ve revised it to the 95% rule. It goes like this: 95% of everything that happens to you today just doesn’t matter. No one will remember it tomorrow. In terms of eternity it is statistically insignificant. So there is no need to worry about it, get angry about it, or fret about it. Just let today go. But get the 5% right. And what is the 5%? Usually, normally, most of the time, it’s about your relationships – those between you and God, and between you and your fellowman.

What does the 95% rule mean? It means I can forgive the wrongs done to me, because in the long run, they just don’t matter. They go in the “so what” pile. No one will remember them tomorrow, so why should I? It’s better to just forgive my brother and forget about it. Go on with life and enjoy the grace God gives me and extend that mercy and grace to others. Living with that philosophy is what Jesus tells us to do in these verses. I can tell you, it will change the way you look at life and certainly brightens your day and your disposition as you deal with others.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Reconcile your relationships (Matthew 5/23-24) January 12, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Joshua 6-10

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Matthew 5:23-26
Jesus: Therefore, if you are bringing an offering to God and you remember that your brother is angry at you or holds a grudge against you, then leave your gift before the altar, go to your brother, repent and forgive one another, be reconciled, and then return to the altar to offer your gift to God.
If someone sues you, settle things with him quickly. Talk to him as you are walking to court; otherwise, he may turn matters over to the judge, and the judge may turn you over to an officer, and you may land in jail. I tell you this: you will not emerge from prison until you have paid your last penny.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

Ouch! It’s one thing for Jesus to tell me to stop begin angry at someone else for something they have done against me, but man, is it hard to go ask forgiveness from someone that’s angry with me. Especially, if I think I’m right. I mean, really? What is Jesus thinking? Why do I need to make things right when the other guy is the one with the anger issue? Why should I put myself in a situation where he might boil over and test my faith with that turn the other cheek rule?

And Jesus says to do that before I bring my offering to God. Here I am about to do something good for God, about to give Him my best, and He wants me to go make it right with someone who is angry with me first. Why?

God is a God of love. In fact, He is love. We learn to love because He plants the seed of love in our hearts before we know Him. He puts it there and shows us an imperfect kind of love through the relationships we have with others. So when there is something between one of our fellowman and us, how can we have a loving relationship with God?

Paul reminds us that we cannot love God who we cannot see if we don’t love our brothers and sister who we see. The early teachers of Christ’s message understood clearly that our relationship with our fellow humankind reflects our relationship with our heavenly father. If that reflection is marred by anger or envy or name the other negative emotions that might pop up, then our message to our brothers and sisters is marred and we cannot go to God with a pure heart and a clean offering.

Jesus will later tell the Pharisees, it’s not what people see on the outside that makes a person clean, but what’s on the inside. He called them white-washed tombstones. They looked good on the outside, but their hearts lacked love for their fellow man. They knew others held something against them, but their pride kept them from getting out of what they thought were positions of authority and making their relationships right before they came to the altar.

Have you ever thought about how much easier it would be to come to God if you knew nothing stood between you and your neighbor? If those ills were forgiven by your earthly neighbor, if your relationships here stood on solid ground with nothing between you and another person, don’t you think it would be easier to lift a prayer of repentance to God? Don’t you think it would be easier to come into His presence if you know nothing needs forgiveness between you and your brothers and sisters when you enter His presence?

This might be a poor example, but think about going to the bank for a loan. If you owe fifteen people money, the bank will think hard before extending more credit to you. But if you have paid your bills on time, owe nothing to your creditors, have a steady income, and go to those same lenders, they willingly extend credit to you. But until those smaller debts are paid, the bank is unwilling to give you a large loan. Should I expect God to accept my offering when I’m out of sorts with others? I’m like that guy trying to borrow money with lots of debt out there. I need to get those debts paid off before I come to God.

That’s a really poor analogy, but I hope you get the point. God wants us to keep our relationships up to date. He wants us to make every effort to ask forgiveness from those who have something against us – whether we’re right or wrong in the dispute. You see, relationships are not about right and wrong. It’s about loving people. Jesus loved the woman at the well. He did not agree with her behavior, though. He loved the rich young ruler, but He saw through the young man’s love of money and the young man went away filled with sorrow.

So, we’re back to Jesus’ words. “…if you are bringing an offering to God and you remember that your brother is angry at you or holds a grudge against you, then leave your gift before the altar, go to your brother, repent and forgive one another, be reconciled, and then return to the altar to offer your gift to God.”
When you come back and offer your gift, you’ll be surprised at the difference in your disposition and the blessings God will pour out on you when you do.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.