Tag Archives: forgiveness

Unfinished Business

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Life is full of unfinished business.  Get used to it.  That won’t change.

A man and woman have an argument.  The argument never gets resolved, because the causes don’t go away.  Neither does the memory.  But what happens is worthy of mention.

Purposeful forgetfulness sets in.  By sheer will, we make a choice to forget the argument.  Then we focus hard on obliterating the causes.  By applying a sincere lack of selflessness we divorce hatred, violence, envy, greed, and every other wicked obsession.

By forgiveness alive, we mend what cannot be mended.  Not only that, we look forward to the promised moment when all that is self is absorbed into eternal joy.  As we live in that promise, we become.  As we live in that promise, as a people destined to receive, we become those who have already received enough strength to over come all that destroys.

 

No Beast at All

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The imagination of man is a most hideous place to live.  In that realm, a man envisions his fellow man as an enemy of ghastly proportions.  Such an enemy is able to decapitate him with a Q-tip.  How much fear does that generate?

In the night, while sitting under a tree, a man hears a small noise.  Fear whelms up and fires the furnace of imagination.  Seared by an unholy fire, the man perceives that the falling of a twig is the presence of some horrible beast with glowing eyes, 12 inch razor claws, and frothing jaws.  And this beast does not wander aimlessly!  It has the very man in his perfect sight!

What we don’t know can certainly destroy us.  Not because it is.  But simply because we cannot perceive it with our senses.  How tiny are we who live in the land of the dead?

Even when we encounter the Gospel, we often turn to imagination to explain what we don’t understand.  Isn’t this the reason for idolatry of various kinds?  We strive to make “something” out of what we perceive to be from “nothing”.

With the imagination, we hate our brother out of unfounded fear.  With the imagination, we turn the Glory of heaven into the ravaging chaos of hell.  With the imagination, we dispel the hope of Truth by employing an endless volume of lies.  And all this resides firmly within every man.

We fear what we don’t understand.  We grasp with iron fist, the things of death.  For that is the only reality man has ever known.  “Certainly, if I listen to the Gospel, I will find a God who takes glee at my destruction.  For I am a wicked man who loves wicked things.  And the man who comes to me to speak the holy words of God, only desires to decapitate me with a Q-tip!”

My fellow brother of flesh.  I do bring you the Gospel.  But strive with whatever strength you can, to understand the meaning of that word.  “Gospel” means “Good News”.

I know your heart, for I have the same wicked things in me.  It is not a monster that calls to your soul.  It is the vibrant Love of the Living God that calls to you.  He has proved His Holy Love in the Holy Body of His Beautiful, Faithful, Strong, and Righteous Son.

He wants to ease your fears.  He wants to quench the flames of your unholy imagination.  He wants to replace lies with Eternal Truth.  He wants to relieve you of the drunkenness of fear, to be replaced by the sobriety of peace.

By His Holy Wisdom, He has left free will alone.  You must make the choice to accept His willingness to heal you.

As foolish as it may seem, laying down our lies is a very painful process.  But lies are death.  Truth is Eternal Life.  You don’t have the latter.  Will you endure the former?

The noise you hear, as I speak these things, is no hideous monster.  It is the foot steps of the One who has already proved that He loves you.  Will you find the strength to love Him back enough to be devoured by His Holy Promise of Love?

Two Lions

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The forgiveness of Christ is the ultimate power for life.  If a man’s sins are forgiven, his conscience is cleaned.  Where then is regret?
Where then is fear? 
Where then is strength to live? 
What kind of joy should this one own? 
What kind of man should he be able to become?

Are you willing to dissect this truth with me?  Are you willing to be free of regret?
Are you willing to become fearless?
Are you willing to become endlessly strong?
Are you willing to be full of joy?
Are you willing to become a child of the Living God?

It may be that you have said yes to all these.  But if these are not a part of your life, have you asked why?  And if you asked, were you able to endure the answer?

These things are true for the one who is forgiven.  Why then are they not true for you?

I don’t mean to attack you or to judge.  I simply asked the question that everyone in Christ is asking.  “If the forgiveness of Christ is real, then why do I struggle so?”

You believe the things of the gospel.  But the problem is application to you.  At your best moment, and full of generosity, you perceive that forgiveness is available to every man.  But in your personal practice, that application comes and goes.  It gives you strength and leaves.  Why does it leave?  If it leaves, have you pondered why it even comes at all?

If Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever, why not you?  Why can’t you have that familiar strength all the time?

The answer, whether we like it or not, is diligence.  When we are strong in Christ, by His forgiveness, it is because we have taken time to assess our situation.  It is because we fail to sit quietly and make assessment, that we falter and lose our strength.  Isn’t this so?

Then it takes a strong man to receive the things of Christ.  It takes one who is dedicated purely to living the truth.  As a man is lazy in the things of Christ, so his faith will lack.  We could call such a soul, a sluggard.  Couldn’t we?

Proverbs 26 addresses this very clearly.
13. A sluggard says, “There’s a lion in the road,
a fierce lion roaming the streets!”

Yes there’s a lion roaming the streets.  And for this the sluggard keeps his door shut.

But hear this truth!  There is also a lion in your own house.

The Lion of Judah roams the streets seeking earnest hearts.  While the lion who devours, lives among your things.  The One is fearsome and free.  The other is domesticated and emaciated.

As you can understand, let me say this:  Get off your couch, open the door, and walk in the streets.  If you have faith, prove it to yourself.  Become diligent.

The domesticated one will not go with you, he will remain emaciated and sleeping on the couch. 

But you!  Go out into the street and call for Him.  The Lion of Judah is free and full of fire.  Yet you know you do not fear him.  You fear your own weakness.

You know he can take away your weakness and give you strength.  You know he can decimate your regret.  You know he can make you fearless.  You know he can give you the fullness of life.

Then the choice is yours.  Remain with your pet domesticated and emaciated lion,  or go out in the street and live.

If I say to you, “I live in the street”, I would be a liar.  For I wake in my house just like you.  But he teaches me to walk past the couch and go outside.  As honestly as I can, I tell you, this takes great strength.

But my brothers and sisters, it is so sincerely worth it!  In my past, laziness has destroyed me.  But as I listen to him, I retain diligence.  This truth he teaches me, is the same for all men.

By His Grace

Respite not Despite

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I have a dear friend who has gone on a cruise today.  She gets tan while I get cold.  But I am very happy for her.

She carries a lot of weight on her shoulders, in her normal routine.  There seems to be no respite from the burden.  But she carries on despite the great troubles.

But when she is offered this few days of respite from the war, she comes back an entirely different person.

In Christ, when we are offered forgiveness, is it sure, and given by the one who is able to give.  He gives this forgiveness of sins for the sake of comfort and increased faith. 

Before it comes (This powerful expression of his love) we hold to our faith, but we are in the midst of a war.  When it comes there is joy.

But here the forgiveness of sins is like the cruise to my friend.  If she went on the cruise and did not enjoy herself, rather worried about the time when she returns, her respite from trouble would be worthless.

Is the forgiveness of Christ worthless in our trouble?

It is meant to build us up and to give us health and joy.  But many, including myself, have reserved their joy for heaven.  They have carried on serving Christ Jesus despite their gloom.  This is not the intent of our Lord.

When you get a warm day in winter, rejoice.  When you get a cool day in summer, likewise rejoice.  When forgiveness comes, with power, rejoice!

Among men it is truly better to give than to receive.  Before Christ we are the receivers only.  Humility breeds joy.

By His Grace

The Perfection of Holy Forgiveness

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It’s amazing how some things dawn on us ever so slowly.  We think we understand but we do not know as we should. Many people would call humans rather intelligent.  I am forced to think otherwise.

The comparison men use to grade themselves on intelligence, is born in the sea of men (the sum of which could be compared to a jellyfish).  But compare our intelligence to the Most High God and His holy son Jesus, and we fall so far short we are not even worthy of mention in his righteous court.

We all make mistakes on a daily basis.  Many of those mistakes can be referred to as sin; for we knew better but chose that way anyhow.  Can God forgive our sins?  The answer is “absolutely”.

It just dawned on me today how that can be so.  Duh.

The Lord has allowed me to be with and love an absolutely wonderful woman.  She knows my faults but chooses to overlook them.  She is full of discretion and does not speak of them to others.  She makes no excuse for me, but she buffers me against what could be an enemy.

If she is such a wonderous human being and yet falls so far short on the intelligence level, (As do we all.)   How much greater and more discreet is the sweet love of the Son of God?

Certainly something to ponder when doubt overshadows our forehead.

By His Grace

Come Dine With God

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Spilled out, without reserve, is the Holy Blood of Christ.

Dressed in Holy will; clothed with endless Mercy.

Gentle, meek, humble of heart and full of Holy intent to save.

 

What sin have you, which forces itself into your sweetest of dreams?

It can be covered by His Holy Love.

What desire do you have that can’t be mended?

 

Come from far, wide, and near.

Come and dine with the Holy One.

Rise up on your shaky legs and stagger t’ward home.

 

He made you.  He knows you.  He loves you, as if from afar.

Yet your guilty days are spent within His Holy Body.

For, “In Him we live and move and have our being”.

 

He has seen you.

Can you see Him?

Look with faith to the things past; those horrible things done, on that day, to the Holy Son of God.

 

He endured without fault.

For your sake He performed the Holy will of His Father.

“It is finished!”

 

Come, sit at the table to receive.

Come dine with the Holy One of God.

He will wash you by the Holy Blood of His covenant of promise.

 

You need not suffer any longer.

No sin is too great; His Holy love is greater.

Come taste and see that the Lord is Good.