Forgiveness - God's answer for the rage of a troubled soul

She came to inquire about getting her children involved in the church. She was concerned about their spiritual care. She had barely opened her mouth when tears filled her eyes. The depth of her emotion startled her. "I didn't think this would happen," she said. For the next 30 minutes, Mary (not her real name) could not stop crying as she told me a story of a priest's abuse of her when she was a child! She told me that she had not been in church for many years, cut off from faith, by the sinful actions of a man who represented God to her. I soon realized that her tears were not flowing from sorrow, but from a rage hidden deep in her heart. I pray that God will allow me to help her to re-discover His love that can secure her soul, and then, hopefully she will be ready to discover the release from her rage and emotional pain that is possible through forgiveness.

During this Holy Season the phrase first announced in the skies over Bethlehem about 'peace on earth' is often heard, and little practiced. In fact, the holiday season often uncovers old wounds, family rivalries, and bitterness that is carefully packed under layers of politeness or denial. The remedy for the pain is found in only one thing -- forgiveness. This is the most costly gift we give to ourselves or offer to another. Forgiveness as an expression of grace. The whole subject stirs up deep emotions, and often not positive ones. Despite the benefits that a person receives when they release another to God with active forgiveness, many people resist taking that step. We love justice (as long as it's for someone else) and usually consider the idea of extending another forgiveness unfair.

People offer all kinds of reasons (and excuses) for not extending forgiveness to someone. I've heard these and many more in the course of offering Pastoral care to my flock.

"But I just can't let her off the hook! She must make things right with me."
"How will he learn the lessons he needs if I forgive him?"
"He hurt me. He must pay!"

The greater truth is that forgiveness is the only thing that breaks the cycle of escalating conflict and ever greater retaliatory measures. The gift of forgiveness is irrational, and yes, unfair by natural reasoning! Grace, by definition is undeserved! God shows us the way in how He treats us. He sent Christ Jesus into the world to bear the burden of justice on our behalf, to take away our sin, so we could be forgiven. The Psalmist sings, "...nor does he deal with us as we deserve. For his unfailing love toward those who fear him is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth. He has removed our rebellious acts as far away from us as the east is from the west." (Psalm 103:9-12, NLT)

When we forgive, we are like God. His love for us shows us the way. It requires great courage to lay down our grudge, to set aside our rights, and to offer another forgiveness. If we will not forgive, we make ourselves slaves to guilt and bitterness. Unforgiveness hands another person the keys to our heart and allows them to keep us locked into the past.

Here in the weeks prior to Christmas when we celebrate the birth of the One who brought us God's gift of forgiveness - it's time to forgive! Lewis Smedes says, "the only person healed is frequently the forgiver." Don't expect your forgiveness to bring about some miraculous transformation in the one who has offended you. They may actually feel vindicated! Don't expect that forgiveness will lead to reconciliation. The other person may wish to continue in hatred.

Forgiveness is YOUR act, YOUR choice, YOUR gift- to the offender and to YOURSELF! Letting the hurt go, releasing that other person from any debt to you by transferring it to God who judges with ultimate justice, will be one of the most difficult choices you make. It is the right choice.The Lord's Prayer, there is this line- which we pray hopefully with sincerity - "forgive us our sins, just as we have forgiven those who have sinned against us." (Matthew 6:12, NLT) Jesus follows that with this warning - “...there is a connection between what God does and what you do. You can’t get forgiveness from God, for instance, without also forgiving others. If you refuse to do your part, you cut yourself off from God’s part." (Matthew 6:14-15, The Message)

Peace on Earth! That is the declaration of the One who came to bring us a message of forgiveness, with all debts paid at His expense.
Let that peace find a way into your heart as you break down every wall, discharge every debt, and forgive those who have trespassed against you. It will make for a Merry Christmas!

"I am the Lord's servant."

With that faithful response, Mary accepted the message of her pending pregnancy from the angel Gabriel. Her entire life was about to be thrown upside down. Her fiancé would question her fidelity. Friends would think she was immoral. Her story would be judged a fantasy by those who heard it. But, this young woman, a girl really, from Nazareth embraced God's plan with humility that reveals her deep faith. “I am the Lord’s servant. May it be to me as you have said.” Then the angel left her." (Luke 1:38, NIV) We are left mainly with our imagination about the events of the next 9 months of her life. We are told she took a trip to see her cousin, Elizabeth, probably to avoid the questions and stares that her expanding womb brought her way in the village of Nazareth. We also know that Joseph took her on a long journey to Bethlehem in the final days of her pregnancy, but mostly her story is left untold. Her faith, however, remained strong! She embraced God's plan and 33 years later was standing near the cross with a broken heart watching her Son die in the plan of God. Two millennia later, we respect this woman for her unique place in our faith and her example of faith inspires us!

When I was a teenager, the Lord spoke to my heart concerning giving my life to His service. My response, unlike that of Mary, was not immediately positive. I wrestled and waffled and resisted. My immaturity, both emotional and spiritual, led me to believe that I would be happier doing something other than Christian ministry with the gift of my life, but God was patient and merciful. He drew me to Himself. The decades of experiencing His faithfulness and provision, have brought me to a place where I find myself saying "I am the Lord's servant," more readily. I embrace His plans with greater enthusiasm, too. 'Bout time, wouldn't you say? I join Jeremiah in praising God, borrowing his prose - "The unfailing love of the Lord never ends! By his mercies we have been kept from complete destruction. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each day. I say to myself, “The Lord is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!” The Lord is wonderfully good to those who wait for him and seek him. So it is good to wait quietly for salvation from the Lord." (Lamentations 3:22-26, NLT) Amen and amen! Because of His promise, I know my home is ultimately in the Presence of God, in a place of unimaginable beauty called Heaven. The road between today and eternity is hidden in His mind, but by His grace I will say "I am the Lord's servant" at each turn, at each new challenge.

God has a plan for you, just as He did for Mary and for me. Don't be misled by those who say that His plan will always lead you along sunny pathways, strewn with flowers of sweet fragrance! Praise God, there are moments on the mountaintop. And, some days, even the most faithful are led through deep valleys. Some of us He leads to greatness, others to obscurity. In the great faith-walk chapter, we read of those who saw God's promises unfold in glorious ways; and we read of those who died in persecution holding onto their faith. The Word assures us that "All of these people we have mentioned received God’s approval because of their faith, yet none of them received all that God had promised.
For God had far better things in mind for us that would also benefit them, for they can’t receive the prize at the end of the race until we finish the race.
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily hinders our progress. And let us run with endurance the race that God has set before us." (Hebrews 11:39-12:1, NLT)

Are you ready to trust Him with your life, friend? Yes, that is rather grand, isn't it?
Better we ask ourselves, "will I trust Him with this day?" and leave tomorrow's faith until then.

Let the faith of Mary instruct you today. As she was willing to let God use her for His purposes, may you, too, respond to Him with a simple faith, without pre-qualification, saying, “I am the Lord’s servant. May it be to me as you have said.”
_________________________

I am weak but Thou art strong;
Jesus, keep me from all wrong;
I'll be satisfied as long
As I walk, let me walk, Close to Thee.

Through this world of toil and snares,
If I falter, Lord, who cares?
Who with me my burden shares?
None but Thee, dear Lord, None but Thee.

Just A Closer Walk With TheeCopyright: Public Domain

Walk with the wise

In the course of my life I've made some really dumb mistakes! Up until I was around 30, I could pass them off to youth and/or ignorance. I do not have that luxury now. After a half century of living, it's a lot more difficult to say, "I did not know...." convincingly to myself or others. With the gray hair in my beard comes the expectation that I should have accumulated a measure of wisdom. Without intending to sound arrogant, let me say that the shortage of true wisdom in our world never ceases to amaze me. How can people make some of the choices they make is beyond my comprehension. Last week's flap over the proposed book and TV program by O.J. Simpson entitled, "If I Did It, Here's How It Happened," is one of those moments. In case you're out of touch, he had collaborated on a book that "hypothetically described" how he would have committed the murders of his wife and a friend who were killed in 1994 in a terrible and bloody way. Dumb, dumb, dumb! When the public reacted to this bit of idiocy, the publishers and producers cancelled the release. I'm sure you have a situation in mind that makes you question human intelligence, too.

Truthfully, often what appears to be obviously without merit to some, seems quite logical to another. That is why we need a reference point outside of ourselves, an external source of Wisdom, if we desire to live judiciously. The Bible holds out this promise: "Cry out for insight and understanding. Search for them as you would for lost money or hidden treasure. Then you will understand what it means to fear the Lord, and you will gain knowledge of God. For the Lord grants wisdom! From his mouth come knowledge and understanding. He grants a treasure of good sense to the godly. He is their shield, protecting those who walk with integrity. He guards the paths of justice and protects those who are faithful to him. Then you will understand what is right, just, and fair, and you will know how to find the right course of action every time. For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will fill you with joy. Wise planning will watch over you. Understanding will keep you safe. Wisdom will save you from evil people, from those whose speech is corrupt." (Proverbs 2:3-12, NLT)

Knowing my natural propensity to make short-sighted, ill advised, and/or self-serving decisions, one of my daily prayers is for the wisdom of the Spirit to guard and to guide me. I pray for the ability to understand how the Scripture's principles apply to my life and the internal discipline to say 'no' to those impulses that would bring short term satisfaction but long term regrets! I ask the Lord to help me to keep in mind that the choices I make today have consequences I will live with for years. That is not all bad! The principle applies for good, too. We can harvest a rich crop of blessings if we sow wisdom consistently in our daily decisions. The Psalmist sings: "Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers." (Psalm 1:1-3, NIV) What a promise! The wise person who loves God will enjoy continual refreshment and become a source of blessings to those around him. Now, that's what I really desire, how about you?

Want to enjoy the benefits of true wisdom? Fear God! Turn to Him and let Christ change you from the inside out. Seek advice from godly people. Gather friends from those who love God. Don't admire those who are flip, arrogant, and smug! Love the Word. The result will be insight that preserves you in a world full of folly.

Here is a word from the Word. Meditate on it today. "Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones." (Proverbs 3:5-8, NIV)
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Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart;
Nought be all else to me, Save that Thou art
Thou my best thought, By day or by night,
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.

Be Thou my Wisdom And Thou my true Word;
I ever with Thee And Thou with me, Lord;
Thou my great Father, I Thy true son;
Thou in me dwelling, And I with Thee one.

High King of heaven, My victory won,
May I reach heaven's joys, O bright heaven's Sun!
Heart of my own heart, Whatever befall,
Still be my Vision, O Ruler of all.

Be Thou My Vision - Hull, Eleanor / Byrne, Mary E.
Copyright: Public Domain

Advent's reasons - simply amazing

While shaking my head over a story of yet another egregious moral failure that appeared in our newspaper yesterday - this time a grandmother and local mayor caught stealing $9000 from a church where she volunteered to work in the office - I had another grace awakening! Once again I came to understand that God's love story for us, which we celebrate anew this Advent season, is so amazing precisely because it is told to a dark world in desperate need of the Light. God looks over a world where people hate each with murderous intent in His Name! He sees cruelty on a scale that is beyond my imagination. He hears the secret conversations we have inside our own heads- where we lust, covet, and hate in secret. He sees the mass murderers in action and the little child learning to sin - and loves this world anyway.

You and I become impatient with someone after just a few failures. We are ready to dismiss a person from our life for a sin or two. When I look at all the evil around me and feel the storms of temptation that blow over my own heart, the story of Noah makes a lot more sense to me than the story of Jesus. I can understand God's anger and the solution He proposed! "God saw that human evil was out of control. People thought evil, imagined evil—evil, evil, evil from morning to night. God was sorry that he had made the human race in the first place; it broke his heart. God said, “I’ll get rid of my ruined creation, make a clean sweep: people, animals, snakes and bugs, birds—the works. I’m sorry I made them.”" (Genesis 6:5-7, The Message) That makes sense, doesn't it? Just destroy it and start over!

But, the New Covenant is different. God acts from an amazing grace, a love that defies my understanding. God steps into the darkness and reveals the Light. He intervenes, not to destroy but to restore. Advent is summed up in this passage which says - "When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. Now, no one is likely to die for a good person, though someone might be willing to die for a person who is especially good. But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners." (Romans 5:6-8, NLT)
Our brokenness becomes the place for the display of God's beauty! Our sinfulness provides the canvas on which He paints His picture of forgiveness.
The darkness makes His Light shine brilliantly.
We must not make the faulty leap in reasoning that would then say, "well, then let us sin all the more!" The Word reminds us that His desire is transformation and that when His love touches us, we are changed. "Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?" (Romans 6:1-2, NIV)

Today, I am filled with a new sense of hope - for myself, for the world that I live in. It is not a hope that springs from any human self-improvement program or some personal victory. This hope comes from the promise of Jesus Christ to love us despite our sin. Advent sings with joyful celebration -"He comes to make His blessings flow far as the curse is found!" My prayer today is that His grace will teach me to be 'grace-full.' Instead of seeking to dismiss or destroy those who sin - against God or even against me with some small offense - I pray that I will be full of love that looks for a way to restore.

Are you in despair this morning? Are you discouraged - by your own sins, by the failures of a friend or family member, by the darkness of the world?
Fall on your knees and look up to the Cross where the broken Savior built a bridge that connects us to our Father. Take renewed hope and rejoice in the amazing grace that can transform the most desperate sin or situation into a thing of beauty.
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Joy to the world, the Lord is come!
Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare Him room,
And Heaven and nature sing,
And Heaven and nature sing,
And Heaven, and Heaven, and nature sing.

Joy to the earth, the Savior reigns!
Let men their songs employ;
While fields and floods,
rocks, hills and plains
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat, repeat, the sounding joy.

No more let sins and sorrows grow,
Nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make His blessings flow
Far as the curse is found,
Far as the curse is found,
Far as, far as, the curse is found.

He rules the world with truth and grace,
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders, wonders, of His love. - Isaac Watts

My fickle heart

Yesterday around 7 AM I was praying in the sanctuary before the church services as I customarily do. Music was playing in the background and I became aware of the lyrics of the song which spoke of loving Jesus whole-heartedly because there was nothing in life that compared to knowing Him. The song said that "all I have in You is more than enough!" Nice song, but is it true for me? That's what I asked the Lord as I prayed. "Jesus, am I really content with knowing You? If I found myself going through a Job-like experience, where my family, my home, my reputation, my stuff - were stripped away from me, would I still sing, all I have in You is more than enough?" It was a difficult prayer to pray. The growing realization that there is often a gap between my expression of love and experience of devotion was not all that pleasant, either.

The Holy Spirit made me face the fact that I have a fickle heart that sings of loving Jesus, but that is also captivated by the Circuit City ad for an HD TV. I don't mean to set up an either/or situation for those of us who are followers of Christ. We don't necessarily have to choose between an HD TV set or Jesus! Sincere Christians can have nice homes, cars, and goods. We are not all called to vows of poverty or monastic lives. But we must all wrestle with the question that Jesus put to Peter there on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. As He gestured toward the fishing boats, the familiar surroundings of Peter's life, He asked - "Do you love me more than these?" (John 21:15)

The rich young man who came to Jesus asking about gaining eternal life was told - "Go and sell all that you have, then, come follow me!" The man left Jesus sad because, "he had great wealth." He loved his stuff and his status. In the moment of testing, what he loved most became evident as he choose his stuff over Jesus! The rest of the passage grips me, for I, too, am a rich man comparatively speaking. "Then Jesus said to his disciples, “I tell you the truth, it is very hard for a rich person to get into the Kingdom of Heaven. I say it again—it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God!” The disciples were astounded. “Then who in the world can be saved?” they asked. Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God everything is possible.”" (Matthew 19:23-26, NLT)

I cling to that final phrase as my hope as I deal with my fickle heart -'with God all things are possible.' I cannot save myself, nor can you. We cannot do enough to prove to ourselves the depth of our love and devotion. We can only pray that He will keep us faithful, day by day. We can only respond to the leading of the Holy Spirit in this moment, and rest in the fact that we have obeyed today. He will save us from ourselves tomorrow. Yes, I do love Him. How much? Truthfully, only God knows!

Let me encourage you to think and pray about your love for Jesus and the things of God today. I believe He is asking us - "Do you love me more than these?" Watch out! Don't compare yourself to others. God does not ask you or me, "Do you love Me more than Sam or Sally loves Me?" Each of us must examine our own heart, then we present ourselves to Him. He asks different sacrifice from each one - according to His will. And He rewards our faithful obedience to Him, not to the rules and expectations of others.
___________________________

Spirit of God
Descend upon my heart,
wean it from earth,
through all its pulses move.
Stoop to my weakness
mighty as Thou art,
and make me love Thee
as I ought to love.

Hast Thou not bid us
love Thee, God and King?
All, all Thine own --
soul, heart, and strength and mind.
I see Thy cross --
there teach my heart to cling,
O let me seek Thee
and O let me find.

Teach me to love Thee
as Thine angels love,
Only holy passion
filling all my frame.
The baptism of the
heave'n descended Dove,
My heart an altar,
and Thy love - the flame.

Title: Spirit of God, Descend Upon My Heart
Author: George Croly
Copyright: Public Domain