Month: February 2025 (Page 1 of 3)

I was reading yesterday from Luke 15 of what Jesus tells the crowd, including those who were thought sinful and tried to intently listen. Jesus lets them know that they are being sought after for the shepherd will leave 99 sheep just to find one little lost one. That would certainly let them know that no one is unimportant but much loved. He also gives the story of a lost coin that was found, and great celebration takes place with the neighbors. In case, the listeners doubt they can come to be a follower of Jesus, He tells the story of the prodigal son who took his inheritance and went far away from his father to engage in sinful living. When he comes to his senses, he is willing to go home and take the role of a servant. The Father was all the while looking for him and watching for his return. He meets him before he is even close to home and embraces him, kisses him and calls for a celebration. His son is found! He is restored to the father, dressed in new clothes, and great partying began.

 There is great celebration when we repent and come back to the Lord. It says in verse 7 of Luke 15 that ”There’s more joy in heaven over one sinner’s rescued life than over ninety-nine good people in no need of rescue.”  God’s forgiveness is always available to each of us. No, we don’t deserve it, but He paid the price that will set us free, and our part is to repent and ask forgiveness. He does even more for He actually forgets we ever did the sin! Isn’t that awesome?! We may not forget what we have done when the enemy brings up an old sin; but rather than feel guilty again we can start thanking the Lord that He has forgiven us and remember there is partying going on in heaven over us!

I read Pastor Larry Christian’s book, Back to Square One and he says there are 3 ways to live the Christian life: you can choose the right way, the wrong way, or the gospel way. We all know what it is like to choose the wrong way but what is wrong with choosing the right way of following all the rules and trying to live a good life? Well, it is dependent on us, and what we can do or ought to do. We soon find we are falling into legalism and that is a dead-end street for we look to the law rather than the Lord. But the gospel way is all about what God is doing in us, and we are energized and dependent on Him. Much different when our expectancy is on the Lord, and we know we can’t do it on our own for it is all about grace and not our own effort. In fact, God takes the initiative and creates good works for us to do and prepares us to do them. All the while the Spirit works in us to become more like Jesus. Sometimes we are surprised at how many of the old temptations have fallen away and our negative reactions are not as frequent as they use to be and we find we are being changed. All the glory goes to the Lord, for He is transforming us as we are doing the things He has prepared for us to do.

No, we don’t become loving and holy overnight but we are on our way, just like my sister when she was learning how to play the violin. She wasn’t a concert violinist starting out and I had to cover my ears, but she was on the way and now a beautiful violinist. God’s way is also slow, and patient and puts before us each day what He knows we can handle as we are slowly changing to be like Him.

Recently I read an email by author and teacher, Alane Haynes, who wrote an article that it was Time to Trim our Wicks, and it caught my attention. We probably all remember the parable of the ten virgins who were waiting for the bridegroom to come and what did they do? They put their lamps in order and trimmed their wicks and added oil and lit them. (Matt. 25:7) Haynes went on to stress the importance of trimming our wicks for if we fail to do that, we will simply produce a lot of smoke that hinders our vision and may lead us in the wrong direction. But when the fire of the Holy Spirit burns brightly in our lives it will reveal the pure light of the Lord and cause others to sense His presence. If the wick is long and not trimmed it burns high and hot and burns the oil faster, so we have to refill it often. It is a reminder to stay in step with the Holy Spirit, so we don’t overreact and burn out. Also, an untrimmed wick will be a hazard for the flame gets too high just like our ego and pride.

Haynes also writes of the charred end of the wick being like the dead things in our lives that need to be removed. That means accepting correction and not being prideful or worldly and complacent. Just like the wick trimmers and trays the priests used in the tabernacle in the Old Testament times were made of pure gold, so when the priest had to correct it would be in gentleness and in love. We are also to be humble and loving with others and when ministering to them being careful not to share with anyone else what God has removed from them. It is their story if they wish to tell.  All of us need to be trimmed that God’s light may shine more brightly through our vessels.

Psychologist, Bob Enright, pioneered a study on forgiveness and wrote, “true forgiveness goes a step further, offering something positive -empathy, compassion, understanding-toward the person who hurt you. That element makes forgiveness both a virtue and a powerful construct in positive psychology.” As Christians we are to “be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave us” (Eph. 4:32) We are to want the best for others, even those that have hurt us, and not to keep track of wrongs done to us, for the Lord wipes out our record of all wrongs. As I read this I was convicted of someone I had forgiven long ago but I had to admit, I didn’t wish her well or prayed for the Lord to bless her life. So I had to stop in the writing of this and pray and just do that.

Forgiveness process starts by uncovering our negative feelings about the offense done to us, and then we have to decide to forgive. But we need to go on towards understanding the offending person and have empathy and compassion for him or her. We begin to see the other person as someone wounded. Forgiveness won’t necessarily bring them into close relationship with us in every instance and may not always be wise. But we are to walk in love and forgiveness

Challenge for today: If the Holy Spirit convicts you of someone you need to forgive, pray:

As an ambassador, our aim is not to serve ourselves but to represent the one who is Love. We are meant to be a light to help show the way. In our world today, we see so many people who are lost and lonely and may not even be sure of what they are looking for. We all have that empty place that is within us that only the Lord can fill. Until we receive the Lord, that hollow feeling will persist and we find ourselves searching and incomplete. But then one day an ambassador comes along, could be a friend, a pastor or even a stranger, who shares that we can know the Lord personally and all we have to do confess our sins and open our hearts to receive Him. Once we take that step, we are never the same again, for now we live life together with the Lord who not only loves us but directs our lives and gives us purpose.

We might say for now we live in a foreign land and how can we expect our world to understand if they do not know Him. Let us live as His ambassadors and become like the One we represent. Ambassadors should be peacemakers and respectful, bringing a message of love and peace even in dangerous places. We are not to be self-seeking but serve Him who sent us. May we stand firm and represent the Lord everywhere we go!

I was reading a book by Joyce Meyers, and she writes about how Terah was going with his son Abram and his daughter-in-law Sarah and his grandson lot to the land of Canaan. But it says in Gen. 11:31 that when they got to Haran, they settled there. I always wondered why they didn’t go all the way. Why did they settle and miss the blessings the Lord had. When Terah died Abram and family finally moved on to Canaan, the land flowing with milk and honey but why did they wait so long.