This song seemed to go right along with our studies this week:
It's the hardest thing to give away
And the last thing on your mind today
It always goes to those that don't deserve
It's the opposite of how you feel
When the pain they caused is just to real
It takes everything you have just to say the word...
Forgiveness
It flies in the face of all your pride
It moves away the mad inside
It's always anger's own worst enemy
Even when the jury and the judge
Say you gotta right to hold a grudge
It's the whisper in your ear saying "Set It Free"
Forgiveness
Show me how to love the unlovable
Show me how to reach the unreachable
Help me now to do the impossible
Forgiveness, Forgiveness
Help me now to do the impossible
Forgiveness
It'll clear the bitterness away
It can even set a prisoner free
There is no end to what it's power can do
So, let it go and be amazed
By what you see through eyes of grace
The prisoner that it really frees is you
Showing posts with label forgiveness. Show all posts
Showing posts with label forgiveness. Show all posts
Friday, December 8, 2017
Thursday, April 18, 2013
Proverbs 30:11-14 Cleanser needed, Part II
11
"There are those who curse their fathers
and do not bless their mothers;
12 those who are pure in their own eyes and yet are not cleansed of their filth;
13 those whose eyes are ever so haughty, whose glances are so disdainful;
14 those whose teeth are swords and whose jaws are set with knives to devour the poor from the earth, the needy from among mankind.
Yesterday we studied the need for being cleansed, the person Who could cleanse us, and the process by which we could experience cleansing.
Today we'll look at these four things that Agur mentions, that are stains on us, like spots on a counter top.
First, not showing respect for our parents. This doesn't just cover the outward things, like talking back and being disrespectful. It covers the sneaky, insidious things, too. The disrespectful thoughts, or (God forbid) the cheating of elderly and incapacitated parents. Many today think nothing of that, and while I don't think any of our study friends would do that, it may be that our thought lives are not as kind or gracious as they should be. And granted, as our parents age, it may be difficult to have grace in the situations that are presented to us, but the Word does tell us in the Old Testament it was serious business:
Verse 13 talks about being "high and mighty" as my grandma would have said. Pride and arrogance are contrary to our walk; if we follow Christ's example and strive to be godly, these need to be rooted out.
Lastly, verse 14 speaks of cruelty, specifically the cruelty meted out by our mouths -- it mentions teeth and jaws . . . ever heard the phrase, "chewed him (or her) up and spit 'em out"? Rather graphic, but it denotes a severe and harsh treatment; it speaks of a cruelty that should not be part of our lives.
12 those who are pure in their own eyes and yet are not cleansed of their filth;
13 those whose eyes are ever so haughty, whose glances are so disdainful;
14 those whose teeth are swords and whose jaws are set with knives to devour the poor from the earth, the needy from among mankind.
Yesterday we studied the need for being cleansed, the person Who could cleanse us, and the process by which we could experience cleansing.
Today we'll look at these four things that Agur mentions, that are stains on us, like spots on a counter top.
First, not showing respect for our parents. This doesn't just cover the outward things, like talking back and being disrespectful. It covers the sneaky, insidious things, too. The disrespectful thoughts, or (God forbid) the cheating of elderly and incapacitated parents. Many today think nothing of that, and while I don't think any of our study friends would do that, it may be that our thought lives are not as kind or gracious as they should be. And granted, as our parents age, it may be difficult to have grace in the situations that are presented to us, but the Word does tell us in the Old Testament it was serious business:
“Whoever curses his father or his mother shall be put to death. Exodus 21:17
Hear, my son, your father's instruction, and forsake not your mother's teaching, Proverbs 1:8And in the New Testament:
Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.” Ephesians 6:1-3Next we are warned not to have a wrong attitude about sin. "Pure in their own eyes" is the way it's put in verse 12. We covered this pretty well yesterday -- all of us have sinned and come short of the glory of our Father.
Verse 13 talks about being "high and mighty" as my grandma would have said. Pride and arrogance are contrary to our walk; if we follow Christ's example and strive to be godly, these need to be rooted out.
"Do not keep talking so proudly or let your mouth speak such arrogance, for the LORD is a God who knows, and by him deeds are weighed. I Samuel 2:3Are our eyes "haughty" or our glances "disdainful"? Or do we humble ourselves and ask God how we can serve others?
Lastly, verse 14 speaks of cruelty, specifically the cruelty meted out by our mouths -- it mentions teeth and jaws . . . ever heard the phrase, "chewed him (or her) up and spit 'em out"? Rather graphic, but it denotes a severe and harsh treatment; it speaks of a cruelty that should not be part of our lives.
Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. Ephesians 4:29The last two days' study have caused some of us to get out the bandaids, haven't they? God's Word truly is "for reproof, for correction, and for training . . ."
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
Proverbs 30:11-14 Cleanser needed, Part I
11
"There are those who curse their fathers
and do not bless their mothers;
12 those who are pure in their own eyes and yet are not cleansed of their filth;
13 those whose eyes are ever so haughty, whose glances are so disdainful;
14 those whose teeth are swords and whose jaws are set with knives to devour the poor from the earth, the needy from among mankind.
When I began to study these verses the second part of verse 12 really stood out -- "not cleansed of their filth." It was apparent to me that all four of these verses were noting things that we do need to be cleansed of; these are sins that we need to ask forgiveness for, and turn away from.
When these are in our lives we need a cleanser, like a kitchen counter top that needs to be cleaned and left spotless and shining. God wants to use us in service, but He can’t effectively use us until we are cleansed from sin and filled with His Spirit. Many people don’t even recognize themselves as sinners. They may think they occasionally do something wrong -- but they don’t see it as a sin against God. Of course, if a person doesn’t believe in God, then they definitely don’t think they have sinned. They may think they have made a mistake but they have certainly don't think they've sinned against anyone.
The Bible has something to say about that, though. Let's look at Romans 3:9-12:
No matter how we have sinned, He loves us and will cleanse us!
We also know the process of cleansing. Initially, we are cleansed from our sins when we confess Christ and surrender to Him in faith and obedience. But what if we sin after we confess Christ and start that new life? What can we do then?
Why all this talk about cleansing? Why is cleansing necessary? Hmmm, I think Paul tells us, or actually we can listen in to his words to Timothy long ago:
Do we long to be used of God? To do a work for His kingdom? Then we need to be certain that we are cleansed and ready for the Holy Spirit to guide us . . . then we can be holy, and useful to the Master!
12 those who are pure in their own eyes and yet are not cleansed of their filth;
13 those whose eyes are ever so haughty, whose glances are so disdainful;
14 those whose teeth are swords and whose jaws are set with knives to devour the poor from the earth, the needy from among mankind.
When I began to study these verses the second part of verse 12 really stood out -- "not cleansed of their filth." It was apparent to me that all four of these verses were noting things that we do need to be cleansed of; these are sins that we need to ask forgiveness for, and turn away from.
When these are in our lives we need a cleanser, like a kitchen counter top that needs to be cleaned and left spotless and shining. God wants to use us in service, but He can’t effectively use us until we are cleansed from sin and filled with His Spirit. Many people don’t even recognize themselves as sinners. They may think they occasionally do something wrong -- but they don’t see it as a sin against God. Of course, if a person doesn’t believe in God, then they definitely don’t think they have sinned. They may think they have made a mistake but they have certainly don't think they've sinned against anyone.
The Bible has something to say about that, though. Let's look at Romans 3:9-12:
What shall we conclude then? Do we have any advantage? Not at all! For we have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under the power of sin. As it is written:As Christians, we know the Person who can help us with this cleansing. Not only do we know Him, but we know that He is willing to help us:
“There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands;
there is no one who seeks God.All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.”
“When he came down from the mountainside, large crowds followed him. A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” Immediately he was cured of his leprosy.” Matthew 8:1-3Just as He healed the leper of his disease, He is willing and able to heal us and cleanse us of our sin.
No matter how we have sinned, He loves us and will cleanse us!
We also know the process of cleansing. Initially, we are cleansed from our sins when we confess Christ and surrender to Him in faith and obedience. But what if we sin after we confess Christ and start that new life? What can we do then?
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” I John 1:9You see, if we needed to go through the whole process again, some of us (me included) would be constantly needing to confess faith and be baptized, and I guess for me it would seem like there was a pool party every day -- I have to ask Him to forgive me for so many things! But all we have to do whenever we recognize that we've sinned, is bow our heads and confess to Him; we must repent (turn away) from the sin, and move forward from there. Satan has an impressive toolkit, you know, and one of his tools is to get us to think that we are not forgiven, not worthy to be a child of the King. So it's important not to wallow in it -- but to accept that He can forgive us and purify us, like in the verse above!
Why all this talk about cleansing? Why is cleansing necessary? Hmmm, I think Paul tells us, or actually we can listen in to his words to Timothy long ago:
In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for noble purposes and some for ignoble. If a man cleanses himself from the latter, he will be an instrument for noble purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work. II Timothy 2:20-21
Do we long to be used of God? To do a work for His kingdom? Then we need to be certain that we are cleansed and ready for the Holy Spirit to guide us . . . then we can be holy, and useful to the Master!
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
Proverbs 28:17 Really? Yes, really.
17 A man that doeth violence to the blood of any person shall flee to the pit; let no man stay him.
Anyone tormented by the guilt of murder
will seek refuge in the grave;
let no one hold them back.
The history of how murder was treated in the Bible is an interesting study. In Genesis chapter nine, as Noah and his family leave the ark, God gives instructions on how to handle a man who sheds the blood of another.
In Numbers 35:33, it is stated that the shed blood of an innocent person actually pollutes the land:
Psalm 30:3 O LORD, thou hast brought up my soul from the grave: thou hast kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit.
Psalm 55:23 But thou, O God, shalt bring them down into the pit of destruction: bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their days; but I will trust in thee.
So, then, the pit is another word for hell -- the place prepared for Lucifer and his angels. Here's what Isaiah had to say:
What should our thinking be now?
Well, we are not under the Law any longer. And under the grace of our Lord Jesus, even a murderer can obtain forgiveness if he calls on the name of the Lord. Every murderer in every prison in the land should have the opportunity to hear of Christ's mercy and forgiveness.
As much as it may rattle us, and we may say, "Really?" Christ can save that murderer. It might not be our way; it might not seem "right" to us . . . but it is definitely God's way to forgive, if in sincerity and remorse the person asks for forgiveness. (After all, He forgave us, right?!)
Let's look back into the book of Isaiah, in the 55th chapter:
6 Seek the Lord while he may be found;
call on him while he is near.
7 Let the wicked forsake their ways
and the unrighteous their thoughts.
Let them turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on them,
and to our God, for he will freely pardon.
Yes, really!
Anyone tormented by the guilt of murder
will seek refuge in the grave;
let no one hold them back.
In Numbers 35:33, it is stated that the shed blood of an innocent person actually pollutes the land:
So ye shall not pollute the land wherein ye are: for blood it defiles the land: and the land cannot be cleansed of the blood that is shed therein, but by the blood of him that shed it.Exodus 20:13 tells us "Thou shalt not kill" and then in Matthew, Jesus tells us:
Matthew 19:17b ……but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments. 18 He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness...Solomon surely must have been thinking of the Psalms of his father, which say:
Psalm 30:3 O LORD, thou hast brought up my soul from the grave: thou hast kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit.
Psalm 55:23 But thou, O God, shalt bring them down into the pit of destruction: bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their days; but I will trust in thee.
So, then, the pit is another word for hell -- the place prepared for Lucifer and his angels. Here's what Isaiah had to say:
Isaiah 14:12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! 13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. 15 Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.I believe what Solomon is saying here is that the unrepentant murderer should be allowed to flee to his own destruction, to the pit. That, however, is under the Law of Moses. The assumption here is that he is unrepentant and flees without accepting the free gift of forgiveness offered by Christ.
What should our thinking be now?
Well, we are not under the Law any longer. And under the grace of our Lord Jesus, even a murderer can obtain forgiveness if he calls on the name of the Lord. Every murderer in every prison in the land should have the opportunity to hear of Christ's mercy and forgiveness.
As much as it may rattle us, and we may say, "Really?" Christ can save that murderer. It might not be our way; it might not seem "right" to us . . . but it is definitely God's way to forgive, if in sincerity and remorse the person asks for forgiveness. (After all, He forgave us, right?!)
Let's look back into the book of Isaiah, in the 55th chapter:
6 Seek the Lord while he may be found;
call on him while he is near.
7 Let the wicked forsake their ways
and the unrighteous their thoughts.
Let them turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on them,
and to our God, for he will freely pardon.
Yes, really!
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
Proverbs 28:13 The best resolution
Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper,
but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy.
Anyone who does not believe in divine intervention needs to pay attention to this verse --- I can't think of a more appropriate verse with which to start our studies for 2013, than this one!!
What a privilege we have, to come to our Father and ask His forgiveness for our sins. Did you notice that there are two things that we must do, in order to "find mercy"?
We must confess our sins:
1John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
And then we must renounce our sins: repent and turn away from them --- do a 180!! Even though the desire to do that sin may haunt us for a very long time, we must turn our back on it. It might be something that we have to turn our back on several times a day --- but we must!
And here is His promise to us:
Psalm 103:11 For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him. 12 As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.
God's precious promise to us in this new year, is that if we will confess our sins, and turn away from them, He will remove that burden from us. I can't think of a better way to start 2013, can you?
but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy.
Anyone who does not believe in divine intervention needs to pay attention to this verse --- I can't think of a more appropriate verse with which to start our studies for 2013, than this one!!
What a privilege we have, to come to our Father and ask His forgiveness for our sins. Did you notice that there are two things that we must do, in order to "find mercy"?
We must confess our sins:
1John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
And then we must renounce our sins: repent and turn away from them --- do a 180!! Even though the desire to do that sin may haunt us for a very long time, we must turn our back on it. It might be something that we have to turn our back on several times a day --- but we must!
And here is His promise to us:
Psalm 103:11 For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him. 12 As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.
God's precious promise to us in this new year, is that if we will confess our sins, and turn away from them, He will remove that burden from us. I can't think of a better way to start 2013, can you?
Friday, April 20, 2012
Proverbs 20 : 9 A Clean Heart
Pro 20:9 Who can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin?
Ah, Solomon . . . he knew just how to get to the heart of the matter, didn't he? Can any of us say that we have made our own heart clean, or that we are pure from our sin?
We must daily seek forgiveness and cleansing, for we cannot accomplish it ourselves. But oh, the joy of knowing that He will hear, and forgive!
"Wonderful grace of Jesus, Greater than all my sin;
How shall my tongue describe it, Where shall its praise begin?
Taking away my burden, Setting my spirit free;
For the wonderful grace of Jesus reaches me.
Wonderful grace of Jesus, Reaching to all the lost;
By it I have been pardoned, Saved to the uttermost,
Chains have been torn asunder, Giving me liberty;
For the wonderful grace of Jesus reaches me.
Wonderful grace of Jesus, Reaching the most defiled,
By its transforming power, Making him God's dear child,
Purchasing peace and heaven, For all eternity;
And the wonderful grace of Jesus reaches me.
Wonderful the matchless grace of Jesus, Deeper than the mighty rolling sea,
Higher than the mountain, sparkling like a fountain, All sufficient grace for even me, Broader than the scope of my transgressions, Greater far than all my sin and shame,
O magnify the precious name of Jesus,
Praise His name!"
And just in case you would like to hear it, here is that gospel song, sung by one of my fav quartets -- the Cathedrals:
Have a wonderful weekend, and a blessed Sunday!
Ah, Solomon . . . he knew just how to get to the heart of the matter, didn't he? Can any of us say that we have made our own heart clean, or that we are pure from our sin?
We must daily seek forgiveness and cleansing, for we cannot accomplish it ourselves. But oh, the joy of knowing that He will hear, and forgive!
Jer 31:34b . . . for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.Here are the words of a sweet old hymn that I love. I hope it is meaningful for you, too.
"Wonderful grace of Jesus, Greater than all my sin;
How shall my tongue describe it, Where shall its praise begin?
Taking away my burden, Setting my spirit free;
For the wonderful grace of Jesus reaches me.
Wonderful grace of Jesus, Reaching to all the lost;
By it I have been pardoned, Saved to the uttermost,
Chains have been torn asunder, Giving me liberty;
For the wonderful grace of Jesus reaches me.
Wonderful grace of Jesus, Reaching the most defiled,
By its transforming power, Making him God's dear child,
Purchasing peace and heaven, For all eternity;
And the wonderful grace of Jesus reaches me.
Wonderful the matchless grace of Jesus, Deeper than the mighty rolling sea,
Higher than the mountain, sparkling like a fountain, All sufficient grace for even me, Broader than the scope of my transgressions, Greater far than all my sin and shame,
O magnify the precious name of Jesus,
Praise His name!"
And just in case you would like to hear it, here is that gospel song, sung by one of my fav quartets -- the Cathedrals:
Have a wonderful weekend, and a blessed Sunday!
Monday, August 29, 2011
Proverbs 11:15
When I first thought about doing this blog; I knew there were several things I would like to accomplish. Besides helping each of us get into God's Word daily, and soaking up His truths, one of the things that I knew I really wanted to discuss is HOW to study God's Word. Now that we have been studying for a while...it is time to learn to dig a bit deeper. Don't worry; I won't ask anything hard of you. And I won't throw too much at you at once.
So, what if you are reading along, and you come across something that you just don't understand? Many people have study Bibles to help them...and that is great. If you don't have one and would like to get one someday, I would highly recommend a John MacArthur study Bible.
There are many Bible study tools that we will discuss as time moves along but today I'd like to talk about a Bible Commentary. What is a Bible Commentary? Well, it is as it says. It 'comments on' or explains the text. If you come to something in the Bible and you just don't quite understand...then perhaps a commentary will help you. It is really nice if you can have your commentary open and read it side by side with your Bible. Just please make sure the commentary is a well-known reputable one!
Our at home library contains many theological commentaries, books, tools, etc but I am going to be honest with you-- My husband's collection almost scares me! I am going to show you the commentary I use. Just Click HERE to go to the commentary at Bible Study Tools. com.
(for those of you following by email, here is the same link...I know at least one of you sometimes has trouble going to links.I'll explain step by step. If you cannot click above Just highlight this
http://www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/matthew-henry-complete/proverbs/11.html?p=4
then right click; hit copy; then open another tab and paste the link you copied. Hope this helps!)
We are going to have a little fun today...just to teach you that commentaries are not scary and so helpful! Using the link above to Matthew Henry's commentary, here are some questions for you to answer directly from verse 15 of the commentary. You may answer them in your journal but don't post them here so that others will be encouraged to look them up.
- We may not use our _____________________ as we will. (Meaning we cannot just do whatever we want with our possessions....from Tonya's commentary)
- ____________________begins at home.
- The commentary references another verse that you need to click on and look up to answer this. What comes to him who is generous and lends freely?
- Every man must be _________ to his family, else he is not true to his ________________.
- Back to the commentary...We must not enter rashly into suretiship because we might bring ourselves and our families into trouble by it......and we could perhaps become _____________________.
- Our Lord Jesus was surety for us when were ______________, nay ______________and He smarted for it.
"He smarted for it". That is putting it mildly to say the least! (Tonya's commentary again.) Jesus did not have to become surety for our debt. He had thousands of angels to call upon that could have saved Him. Would you die for someone that owes you? How often do we say, "You owe me!"
How humbling!
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