Forgiveness…

Mark 11:25…“And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins."

Matthew 6:15…“But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.”

Taken literally, these scriptures would not make much sense. Consider that God is love (1 John 4:16) and God directs us to forgive others….but then if we don’t….he doesn’t forgive us? Does that make sense to you? It sounds hypocritical to me, and I know God is not that. I’m convinced that these scriptures are really talking about fellowshipping with God, communing with God. You see, God doesn’t change (Mal 3:6). In Him is no shadow of turning (James 1:17). He is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8). For us to commune with God, we have to go where He is. You might say that God lives on that narrow road that Jesus speaks about in Matthew 7:14. Indeed, if we fail to forgive, hold grudges and ill will, etc, we cannot stay on that narrow path because it is the path of love, light, and life. Indeed, anytime we allow bitterness, hatred, ill will, anger, vindictiveness to control us, we are tormented (gnashing of teeth), and you might say, cast out into outer darkness. We will stay there until we learn otherwise (pay the last penny).

Personally, I don’t think these scriptures relate to salvation. If you truly have accepted God’s provision…namely Christ....you are saved. That doesn’t mean you will not fail at times. What that does mean, though, is at times you will fall out of true fellowship with God. Hopefully we will notice very quickly, repent, and enter back into fellowship with Him.

Matthew 18:34-35… In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. "This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart."

Matthew 5:25…"Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still with him on the way, or he may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison.”

Matthew 13:34…Jesus spoke all these things to the crowd in parables; he did not say anything to them without using a parable.

Do you need to be loved…

…to love? In other words, can you truly love others, if you, yourself, did not receive that kind of love when you were growing up? Can it be formed in you without having learned it in that way?

Is God mad at you?

Everything going smooth in your life? No? Hmmm. Maybe God is mad at you? Have you been a good little boy or girl? Pretty good you say? Any ideas then why God would be punishing you? Let me think about that. Hmmm. Nothing really stands out, but I know I’m not perfect. I must have done something wrong that God is punishing me for. Ahhh. Maybe it’s not God. Maybe it’s just life? Maybe it’s the corruption of the flesh? Maybe it’s satan? I wonder, would great parents smack you in the face as a discipline but not explain to you what they are disciplining you for? No, you say? Interesting. Then I don’t think God would do that either, do you? I mean, if no one explains to you what you have done wrong, but only punishes you, how do you learn? You guess? You become neurotic? On the other hand, satan would love to confuse you, he would love for you to blame God for all the bad things that happen, wouldn’t he? We don’t need satan to explain his purposes, do we?

On the one hand I hate to give satan any attention whatsoever. On the other hand, he needs to be exposed.

Helping others…

What kind of help do people need the most? For instance, If you know someone that is really unattractive, what might be the best way to help them? Tell them that they need plastic surgery? Point out their flaws? How about loving them, being a true friend to them, just the way they are?

If you know someone that is unhappy, what might be the best way to help them? How about telling them how stupid it is to be unhappy? Try to convince them that being happy is better? Or how about just loving them, being a true friend to them, just the way they are?

If you know someone that is judgmental, what might be the best way to help them? Pointing out the error of their ways? Judging them for being judgmental? Or how about just loving them, being a true friend to them, just the way they are?

What if a person is negative/pessimistic? What might be the best way to help them? Shoot them and put them out of their misery? Call them names? Insult them? Or how about just loving them, being a true friend to them, just the way they are?

In my examples above, I mentioned both physical and behavioral issues. Some might think that they are very different things, but I don’t think so in the context of this writing. If a person is physically challenged, indeed, they did not choose that. On the other hand, if a person was born into a family that exhibited negative behaviors, they would likely inherit those traits as well, and again, neither did they choose that. The behavioral traits of a person may even be more insidious in that they may be completely unaware that they even exhibit those traits. It’s who they are….not who they are trying to be. Therefore, when someone attempts to correct that behavior, they are, in essence, insulting the very person exhibiting the behavior. Make sense?

I’m of the belief that love cures all, and the lack of love is at the root of most human psychological issues. It seems to me that criticism (accurate or not) only makes matters worse and is fodder for the devil. Criticism does nothing to build a person up and that is what we are called to do (Eph 4:29).

As we all know, love in word only, is hypocritical and useless. My Christian Interpretation would be that true love is loving in actions and in truth (1 John 3:18), and a person that is truly loved will find healing without even looking for it. It takes time, though. In many ways, we are the sum of our experiences, and I’m certain that virtually every one of us could use and benefit from a heaping helping of love and acceptance.

True motives?

First off, let me just say that I’m not a republican and I’m not a democrat.  I’m just an American.

As you probably know by now, we lost our bid to host the 2016 Olympic games here in the USA. You may also know that, President Obama, got personally involved in an attempt to secure those games. Why? The Fox News channel, of course, is spinning the negative and saying that the president did so for all the wrong reasons…selfish and vain reasons. Of course, they are not quoting the president, just telling us what they ‘think’. I also have a thought. Maybe the President went out of his way to try to bring business here? Maybe he was willing to humble himself and make a plea to the IOC for the games for the benefit of Americans? After all, we all know that hosting the games creates jobs and increases tourism which helps our economy. Right?

The power of thought…

How much real power is there in thought? For instance, if people around you are coming down with a cold or the flu and the thought crosses your mind that you, too, may be in jeopardy of that same fate, does that actually improve your chances of catching that same sickness? Have you opened the door? Have you given sickness permission just by considering the possibility? Or is it more about whether or not your body has built up a resistance to whatever germ is infecting people at that time? Does it have more to do with whether you have been taking good care of your body by feeding it properly, getting enough rest, fluids, etc. Could it relate to genetics and how well you manage stress? How about good hygiene? Could it be about a combination of any or all of the above? Some people seem to think that if you get a cold it’s because your faith is weak. If you get cancer, it’s because your faith is weak. For me, that begs the question. Why did Paul have the affliction he had? Did Paul try to just believe it away? Nope, he sure didn’t. He did pray, though…he did ask. What answer did he receive? Why did Epaphroditus almost die for the work of Christ (Philippians 2:27)? Was Paul and Epaphroditus’ faith too weak? What about Timothy?  Paul speaks of his frequent illnesses (1 Timothy 5:23).  Was his faith weak? My Christian Interpretation would be that I don’t think so. Illness and affliction are a part of life on planet earth. Notice that children get sick far more often than adults. Why is that? Weak faith, or they haven’t built up any resistance yet? Building up resistance is part of life, too. In Matthew 5:36 Jesus informs us that we cannot make even one hair on our head white or black. Try it. Find a hair on your head, close your eyes and imagine (until you are blue in the face) it a different color (no cheating). Now open your eyes. Any luck? If it’s all about your thoughts…here is a better test. Stop the aging process. Do you want to get old and decrepit? Just don’t buy into it then.

In Jesus’ name…

It’s no magic formula. Just tacking on ‘in Jesus’ name’ to the end of a prayer does not insure anything. There’s more to it than that.  Some of the scriptures below not only include the origins of the catch phrase, but an explanation of what’s required of us as well. Notice the conditions for receiving what you ask for: Faith in Him. Asking in His Name. Obeying His commands. Remaining in Him and His words remaining in you.  Doing what pleases Him. Loving one another.  But don’t be fooled!  Though your faithfulness testifies to your love for, faith in, and commitment to Christ, you still have no power.  The reason that you ask ‘in His Name’, is because He is the one doing the miracle!  When someone is healed in Jesus’ Name, it’s a confirmation, it’s a sign to the witnesses, that Jesus is who GOD said He was.  After all, there is salvation in no other name under heaven.  It’s pretty important that people know that. 

John 14:12-15…I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it. If you love me, you will obey what I command.

John 15:7-10…If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love.

1 John 3:21-24…Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask, because we obey his commands and do what pleases him. And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. Those who obey his commands live in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us.

James 4:3…When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.

Acts 3:1-16…One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer—at three in the afternoon.  Now a man crippled from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts.  When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money.  Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, "Look at us!"  So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them.  Then Peter said, "Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk."  Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong.  He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God.  When all the people saw him walking and praising God, they recognised him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.  While the beggar held on to Peter and John, all the people were astonished and came running to them in the place called Solomon’s Colonnade.  When Peter saw this, he said to them: "Men of Israel, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk?  The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus. You handed him over to be killed, and you disowned him before Pilate, though he had decided to let him go.  You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you.  You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this.  By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through him that has given this complete healing to him, as you can all see.

Acts 9:32-35…As Peter travelled about the country, he went to visit the saints in Lydda.  There he found a man named Aeneas, a paralytic who had been bedridden for eight years.  "Aeneas," Peter said to him, "Jesus Christ heals you. Get up and tidy up your mat." Immediately Aeneas got up.  All those who lived in Lydda and Sharon saw him and turned to the Lord.