Tag: forgiveness

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Corner Sermon

Last night as I was coming home from the boy’s soccer practice, I exited the interstate and crested the hill to shock.  There in front of me at the intersection ahead where no cars, a red light and a beggar standing on the left hand side of the road.  This is a one way street and I was about to turn left, so I quickly understood that I would be the only one at the intersection and I would be waiting at the light right next to him.

“Oh No, I can’t believe this!”, I said out loud as I slowed my vehicle waiting anxiously for the light to change to green so I could zoom past without a care.  However, that was not my destiny for this day.  As I came to a stop, I was ear to ear with this man.  He was not four feet from me.  I am sure I could have reached out and touched his shoulder from my driving position.

So, there I sat, for what seemed like minutes, but what was really only 20-30 seconds.  I stared awkwardly straight ahead while he stood holding his sign, staring nervously the other direction.   What was his situation?  What where his needs?  I don’t know.  I looked at the empty bags on the floorboard that contained the remnants of my dinner, and thought about the items I had just purchased in my truck bed, but I took no action. I will add here, not to excuse myself but to set up the situation, this corner seems to be a professional corner.  Its one that is usually occupied by the sign holders.  However, this guy was not in the worn patch that is there, he was almost of the road.  But either way, this man has stuck with me all night.  Could I have helped him?  I don’t know.  Would a few loose coins, or a few dollars helped him?  I don’t know.  However, the part that has stuck with me is that whether I could have met his needs or not, he still is a person – made in God’s image, and I ignored him.  Its bothered me more that I judged him and didn’t even acknowledge that a person was standing right outside my car.  Had this been the Chick-fil-a cow and those idiotic Liberty Tax Dancers, or a dude holding a furniture store going out of business sign, I would have waved and watched their antics.  But since I felt this guy needed something from me, or was an inconvenience to me or something like that, I screened him and acted like he was not there.  EPIC FAIL!

42And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward.” Matthew 10:42 NIV

So, my encouragement to you today, is to remember that all of us are made in God’s image and all of us are important and just people with problems.   I am not suggesting that I would have unloaded my wallet on this guy if I was back there again, but I may have at least made eye contact and treated him with respect.  The only way I could imagine that I might be better then him is the blood of Jesus and I did nothing to earn that gift.

27 So God created man in his own image,
in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them.  Genesis 1:27 (New International Version)

Think about how you are looking at the people around you today!

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Short and Sweet

Well, I am out of time this morning.  I spend a lot of my writing time reading about the mine disaster in West Virginia, and then I got caught up in the Governor’s press conference.  So today I don’t have many deep thoughts, but a little encouragement and a Psalm:

1 Blessed is he
whose transgressions are forgiven,
whose sins are covered.

2 Blessed is the man
whose sin the LORD does not count against him
and in whose spirit is no deceit.

3 When I kept silent,
my bones wasted away
through my groaning all day long.

4 For day and night
your hand was heavy upon me;
my strength was sapped
as in the heat of summer.
Selah

5 Then I acknowledged my sin to you
and did not cover up my iniquity.
I said, “I will confess
my transgressions to the LORD “—
and you forgave
the guilt of my sin.
Selah

6 Therefore let everyone who is godly pray to you
while you may be found;
surely when the mighty waters rise,
they will not reach him.

7 You are my hiding place;
you will protect me from trouble
and surround me with songs of deliverance.
Selah

8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will counsel you and watch over you.

9 Do not be like the horse or the mule,
which have no understanding
but must be controlled by bit and bridle
or they will not come to you.

10 Many are the woes of the wicked,
but the LORD’s unfailing love
surrounds the man who trusts in him.

11 Rejoice in the LORD and be glad, you righteous;
sing, all you who are upright in heart! Psalm 32 (NIV)

Enjoy the day, live like you are forgiven and treat others better then you would ever want to be treated yourself!

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Work, Couches and a Guest

Wow, its one of those weeks were my mind is so occupied by big design sessions at work that my creativity is zapped.  This morning while still in the comfort of my covers, I found myself- due the the glorious wonders of technology- corresponding with my co worker who was already hard at work in an country where the sun rises much earlier.  Even last night I feel asleep on our Bush Couch ( the couch we purchased by GW’s first money hand out years ago) while thinking about how to solve a “serious software design problem”.  Anyway enough of that. ( but something has to fill this space right?)

Sometimes its better to have a guest blogger and today its David.  That’s right King David and his blog/song we refer to as Psalm 32 about the joys of forgiveness.

Psalm 32 (New International Version)

Psalm 32

Of David. A maskil.

1 Blessed is he
whose transgressions are forgiven,
whose sins are covered.

2 Blessed is the man
whose sin the LORD does not count against him
and in whose spirit is no deceit.

3 When I kept silent,
my bones wasted away
through my groaning all day long.

4 For day and night
your hand was heavy upon me;
my strength was sapped
as in the heat of summer.
Selah

5 Then I acknowledged my sin to you
and did not cover up my iniquity.
I said, “I will confess
my transgressions to the LORD “—
and you forgave
the guilt of my sin.
Selah

6 Therefore let everyone who is godly pray to you
while you may be found;
surely when the mighty waters rise,
they will not reach him.

7 You are my hiding place;
you will protect me from trouble
and surround me with songs of deliverance.
Selah

8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will counsel you and watch over you.

9 Do not be like the horse or the mule,
which have no understanding
but must be controlled by bit and bridle
or they will not come to you.

10 Many are the woes of the wicked,
but the LORD’s unfailing love
surrounds the man who trusts in him.

11 Rejoice in the LORD and be glad, you righteous;
sing, all you who are upright in heart!
Rejoice, your forgiven, that always good stuff.

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Ashes, Weight, and Forgiveness

Its Ash Wednesday, a day that starts the traditional period of fasting called Lent that leads up to one of my favorites days  – Easter Sunday.  ( its not just Sunday, on which we remember Christ, but its the actual time of the year – around Passover that the event took place – bonus).

Anyway, I am not a big fan of some of these more traditional “Christian” observances, as to me it can complicate the true simplicity of the message.  However, this day has to do with repentance, and repentance leads to transformation and change – which I am a BIG fan of.

So, today as you “buffet your spiritual body”, maybe its time to repent, or to be broken by some of your deeds or thoughts, and then use today as a marker day to move forward, a new.  All of this things can be forgiven and you can be made new – the power of the sacrifice of Christ.

I love the song Forgiven by Sanctus Real,  in it says

I don’t have to carry the weight of who I’ve been, ’cause I’m forgiven.

Maybe today is that day for you.  The day to let go of the weight that holds you back, that holds you down, repent and move forward.  Its amazing how much better it is.

Remember, O man, that you are dust, and unto dust you shall return.
—Genesis 3:19
Turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel.
—Mark 1:15
Repent, and hear the good news.
—Mark 1:15
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Always Something

As you know I have teenager.  Its always something.  Help with Algebra, help with his computer, where are my shoes, I need money.  Its always something! This morning it was “Where is my wallet?”.

ARGH.

Man, I wanted to react like this:

Matthew 17:17 (New American Standard Bible)

17And Jesus answered and said, “You unbelieving and perverted generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring him here to Me.”

But knowing that what I am doing as a father is showing him his heavenly father, I had to look past that.  Yes, there are times to overturn tables with a teenager.  And Jesus took the approach with those who held him in complete contempt.  But most of the time his approach is more like this:

Matthew 7:7-11 (New International Version)

7“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.

9“Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!

Yes, God is patient with us.  He is OK with us asking.  He is ok with us bringing it again and again and again and again and again and again and again etc etc.  Just ask he says.

Man, if I could just be that kind of father, and friend.