Tag Archives: Forgiveness

All Fall Down

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I spent a lot of time in college listen to goofy, fun, Christian music. In the 1990s, Christian music, the kind of music you hear on K-LOVE or other Christian stations was really just getting starting. And back then, there was a song I used to love called “All Fall Down.” And the reason why I loved this song was because it basically said something that I believe, that I’ve preached my entire ministry.

We are all going to fall down. We are all going to make mistakes. No one is perfect. All fall down.

What happens then?

Listen to what happens today in John 13: 36-38:

Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, where are you going?” Jesus answered him, “Where I am going you cannot follow me now, but you will follow afterward.” Peter said to him, “Lord, why can I not follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.” Jesus answered, “Will you lay down your life for me? Truly, truly, I say to you, the rooster will not crow till you have denied me three times.

Today’s passage made me think of that old song. Listen to what Jesus tells Peter today.

You will deny. By the end of the night, you will have denied me three times. Now, this is Peter we are talking about. He’s kind of a big deal. The head of the apostles. The one that preached Pentecost. The one that walked on water, if just for a moment.

He’s Peter.

And he fell down. He made a mistake. He denied. He messed up.

All fall down.

He got back up though. He repented and He stood up through grace. And was faithful. His mistake didn’t end His walk with God. It was merely a bump in the road.

All fall down.

We will each make mistakes. That’s part of the human experience. That’s what happens. What then?

What next? We will all fall down. What will we do after fall down?

May we stand up, and may we stand on grace. We aren’t saved by what we have done, we are saved by what He has done. We are loved because we are made in Him image. We are loved because He has redeemed us.

We are loved because we are His.

Today, we will fall. May we stand. May we stand on grace. Today, when you fall, dust yourself off, get up, keep going.

All fall down. Though His grace may we get up and keep going!

Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones.

Comfort

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God desires good things for us all. For every one of us. Good things. Life. Peace. Joy. Comfort. God wants us to know life as it was intended to be.

We see in the very beginning of the Bible that God’s desire for His people is for good things. He walks with them in the cool of the evening. He wants to know them, and them to know Him. He desires that relationship.

We also see soon thereafter, through the choices of Adam and Eve, that sin enters in. They choose to disobey God, and instead of the comfort God wanted them to have, instead of the relationship God wanted them to have, toil and trouble began.

That wasn’t God’s perfect will for them, nor is it His perfect will for us. Comfort. Peace. Relationship. That’s what God wants for us. That’s what God wants to give to us.

Listen to what God says today in Isaiah 40:1-5:

Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins. A voice cries: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

Comfort. That’s what happens at Christmas. Through Jesus’ birth God walked among us, talked among us, dwelt among us. So that we could be saved. Healed. Forgiven. Be made whole.

Receive comfort.

Today, in your pain, in your hurt, in your loss, in your sin, God’s desire for you is comfort. Comfort for my people is what the word says.

Today, no matter where you are in your walk with Him, may each of us turn to Him and find that comfort. And in that comfort, may we find the life and peace that we were created for.

How Do You React?

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There are lots of good Bible Songs we learned as children. I love seeing kids today, my kids in particular, learn the old songs that I learned when I was a kid.

Formost among them is Zacchaeus. You remember him, right? He was a wee little man and a wee little man was he? Most all of us know that song pretty well, and my deepest hope is that after reading the first line from the song just now, you’ll have the song stuck in your head the rest of the day 🙂

But I bet most of us remember more about the song than we do the actual story in the Bible. When we look at the story, there’s lots of things to notice.

Zacchaeus was tax collector, which means in this day he was despised by all, because he worked collecting taxes for the hated Roman government. It also mean that because of his power, he was a thief, he was able to rob from others under the cloak of tax collecting.

He was not a well-liked person.

Listen to the story, as found in Luke 19: 5-10:

And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today. “So he hurried and came down and received him joyfully. And when they saw it, they all grumbled, “He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner. “And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold.” And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

And, so, it was very surprising when Jesus not only told Zacchaeus to come down, but told him that He would be coming to Zacchaeus’ home. Which is always a big deal. But in that day, it was more than a meal. Jesus is saying, but coming to his home, that he was worthy. He was loved. Jesus love him. Jesus saw his worth. In spite of all the rotten things Zacchaeus had done, Jesus still loved him.

That’s powerful. That’s awesome. Jesus loved Zacchaeus more than He disapproved of the things that he had done.

And then, we see the reaction of the people. They grumbled. They said why? Why would Jesus go there? Don’t they know that Zacchaeus is a bad guy? Not worth much? A liar and a cheat?

And Jesus responds that He has come to save the lost.

He came to forgive the ones in need for forgiveness. He came to save the lost.

How do we react to that? In our own lives? Are we willing to receive His grace? Admit our need? Find His love? It isn’t until we admit we need Him that we can find Him.

And in the lives of others? That person you don’t like? How do you feel when they receive God’s grace? The people grumped when Jesus showed Zacchaeus love. How do we react to grace?

Today, may we seek after grace in our own lives. And may we give grace to others.

Second Chances

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I am teaching an Old Testament Disciple Bible Study at Asbury on Sunday nights. It’s a lot of fun to dig into the Bible, really read what it says and deal with the truths of the Old Testament for today’s world.

I always love teaching these in depth studies, because I feel like I learn more than the folks in the class. I feel like when I have to study like I do for the class, and then sit together with folks for a couple of hours, I learn so much.

I learn from their experiences. From their beliefs. From their feelings. I learn so very much from the people that I’m studying with.

And someone in our class said something that has really resonated with me in this study. We can sometimes get the impression that the Old Testament is only about Law, and the New Testament is only about grace.

But that is not the case. The Old Testament is full of God’s grace and mercy. Over and over again, God was within His rights to not forgive the people of their sins. He was within His rights to start over. He was totally within line of just blowing it all up and beginning again. He threatened to do so with Moses after the people worshipped the Golden Cafe.

But He didn’t. He have them undeserved second chances. He loved them. His love for them was greater than their sin.  Listen to what is says in 2 Chronicles 7:14:

If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land

We are told today that when they turned from their sin, He heard it. And He forgave them. He loved them that much.

As He does us today. When we turn, when we ask forgiveness, when we want to start over, He lets us.

Today, God is a God of second chances. And third, fourth, fifth, sixth and so on and so chances.

Today, if we turn to Him and ask forgiveness, He will forgive. He is, and has always been, a God of grace!

We Remember. Then Forget

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If you’ve read my thoughts for any time at all, you’ll know that I just love the Psalms. I think they are my favorite parts of scripture.  They are full of worship of God,they are full of emotion, they are full of all the things that we go through and we experience.

They describe our success,they describe our failure.

They describe how we are faithful, the describe how we go wrong.

They, in short, lay out for us the whole of the human experience. Everything we know, everything we can do, we can find there in the Psalms.

Today, listen to the words of Psalm 106.  It’s a little bit longer passage of scripture than I normally reference, but it lays this out for you:

Like our ancestors, we have sinned.
We have done wrong! We have acted wickedly!
Our ancestors in Egypt
were not impressed by the Lord’s miraculous deeds.
They soon forgot his many acts of kindness to them.
Instead, they rebelled against him at the Red Sea.
Even so, he saved them—
to defend the honor of his name
and to demonstrate his mighty power.
He commanded the Red Sea to dry up.
He led Israel across the sea as if it were a desert.
So he rescued them from their enemies
and redeemed them from their foes.
Then the water returned and covered their enemies;
not one of them survived.
Then his people believed his promises.
Then they sang his praise.
Yet how quickly they forgot what he had done!
They wouldn’t wait for his counsel!
In the wilderness their desires ran wild

This describes the history of the people of Israel. The people forget what God has done. They forget His faithfulness. They forget His saving hand.

And, in spite of that, He saves them anyway.  He restores them anyway.  He stands for them anyway.

In spite of what they’ve done wrong. In spite of their sin. In spite of their failing. God loves them. And He acts out of His great love for His people.

And all is right, for a little while. The people obey. The people listen. The people follow. For a little.

Then, they forget.  They forget what God has done, and then they fall back into sin.

And it happens again, and again, and again.

They remember, and then they forget.

And in spite of it, God loves.

Today, don’t forget what God has done for you. Don’t forget what God is doing for you. Don’t forget how God has saved you, loved you, forgiven you.

Don’t forget.

Because when we forget, we get ourselves in trouble. We fall into sin. We make the mistake. We are wrong. We make that wrong step.

Remember. Remember what God has done, remember how God loves, remember who is His.  Never forget.

And cling to His love for you, even in the tough times. Don’t forget.

He loves you.  Don’t take it for granted. Don’t forget.

God is Not Out to Get You

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As a pastor, one of the things that most breaks my heart, is when broken people, people who are truly hurting don’t want to turn to God for relief, support, love, and life.

I hate seeing people struggle and hurt over things in their lives, over pain they feel, and even over pain they may have caused.  And I have found, perhaps my just in my experience, the reason folks don’t want to turn to God in that moment is that they think God is mad at them.

God is out to get them.

Perhaps God is even the one causing their pain to get them back for whatever they may have done wrong in the past.

They feel like God wants to get them, punish them, destroy them.

Maybe this morning, that may even be you.  Maybe you feel that way right now. Maybe you think God is out to get you, destroy you, punish you.

If so, listen to what God says through Ezekiel this morning:

“Do you think that I like to see wicked people die? says the Sovereign Lord. Of course not! I want them to turn from their wicked ways and live.”

God is not out to get you. God loves you. God wants you to live. God wants you to know life. God wants you to know mercy and joy and peace and hope and life.  God wants you to know and experience the depth of His love and mercy.

He loves you.

He wants to know you.

And, He wants to forgive you and bring you home today.

He wants you to know the power of hope, life, and forgiveness.  God wants what’s best for you today. And, you can trust Him.

Let me say it again.  You can trust Him.  No matter what you’ve done, what you’re doing, what you’re going to do. He loves you.

God is not out to get you. He wants you to know life. Today, no matter where you are in your walk with God, and other people, know this.

God loves you.

 

Not Just Judas

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One of the things we forget about the night of the crucifixion of Jesus was that Judas wasn’t the only one that betrayed Jesus.

He wasn’t the only one that denied Him and turned his back upon Jesus.

Peter did too.

That Peter?  Yes. That Peter.

Read what happens in Luke 22

61 The Lord turned and looked at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said to him, ‘Before the cock crows today, you will deny me three times.’ 62 And he went out and wept bitterly.

As Jesus stood before trial, three times Peter was asked if he knew Jesus and three times he denied Jesus.

Three times he had the chance to stand for Jesus, to stand with Jesus, to show his loyalty to Jesus, and three times he denied Jesus.

It wasn’t just Judas that betrayed Jesus. Peter did too.

And yet, Jesus still used Peter for amazing things, while Judas ended his life soon after.

Why?

What made the difference.

Now, as I tell my people all the time, this is my opinion and my opinion and a $1.50 will get you a cup of coffee.  But, perhaps what separated Judas from Peter wasn’t the forgiveness of Jesus. It was this.  Peter could forgive himself.  Judas couldn’t.

Today, you can forgive yourself.  God has forgiven you.  You can forgive yourself.

Peter, in spite of his denial, was able to forgive himself and be used by God in amazing ways.

The same is true for you.

Today, you can forgive yourself.  God has forgiven you.  You can forgive yourself.

Today, may we each know the power of forgiveness.

Today You are Forgiven

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Sometimes we think we’ve gone too far.

That the deeds we have done are too great.

That there is no way God can forgive us.

After all, look at the terrible thing we’ve done. Look at the secret shame we bear. Look at the guilt we carry.  Look at the hurt that we’ve caused others.

There’s no way God can forgive. We’ve gone too far.

Or, maybe it’s not that. It’s not the we’ve done some “awful” sin.

It’s that we keep doing the same thing, over and over again.

Everyday, we wake up, intending to do better. To live right. To live for God.

This will be the day!

And before we even leave the house, we’ve blown it. We’ll never get it right. We’ll never get it straight. It will never happen.

Listen to the words of Isaiah this morning:

18 “Come now, let’s settle this,”
says the Lord.
“Though your sins are like scarlet,
I will make them as white as snow.
Though they are red like crimson,
I will make them as white as wool.

God is a God that longs to forgive you. That longs to give you grace and mercy and hope.

That longs to have you start fresh today.

That’s God’s plan for you. That’s God’s will for you. That’s what God wants.  God wants to forgive you.

And God wants you to know that you are forgiven.

Sometimes, the hardest person to forgive is yourself.

Today, through the power of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven.

Go out and live.  You are forgiven. Go and live in that assurance.

Another Chance

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One of the readings that I’ve been going through the past few days has been Joel.

Joel is one of the Old Testament prophets.  They would bring a message of repentance to the people.  The would come forth and say, you have not been living as the Lord wants.

You have forgotten His way.

You have broken His law.

And because of your sin – judgement is coming.

When we read through the prophets, we can become keenly aware of our sin and the consequences  of our sin for ourselves, and for those that we love.

But in Joel, and every prophet, we see a moment like this in the text.  The Lord has condemned the people and condemned their sin.

And today, we read this:

12 Yet even now, says the LORD, return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; 13rend your hearts and not your clothing. Return to the LORD, your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and relents from punishing.

Yes, our sin has consequences.  Yes, it brings great harm to us, and to others.  Yes it separates us from God.

And yes, today, God is willing to forgive.

God is willing to give us another chance.

If we will return to God, He will give us forgiveness.  If we will return to God, He will give us a fresh start.

With God, today, we find that this is a new day.

Each new day, God wants us to have another chance.

Each new day, God gives us the chance to start over.

Even today. Today is a new day.  May we return to God.  May we find that God gives us another chance. And may we find the life He offers.

Grace for us, Judgement for them

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One of the things that we see in the book of Jonah, that Jonah didn’t like, was that he knew God was a merciful and forgiving God.

He knew that God would forgive those that turned from their sin and turned to God.

He knew that was God’s character and God’s desire.

Which, sounds like a good thing. Until Jonah through about it.  We read in chapter 3:

O LORD! Is not this what I said while I was still in my own country? That is why I fled to Tarshish at the beginning; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and ready to relent from punishing.

He knew God would forgive the people of Nineveh.  He knew that.  But here was the problem in that.

Jonah really, really, really, really, really, didn’t like those people.

They were his enemies. They were the enemies of his people. They had harmed Israel time after time.

Jonah didn’t like them. He didn’t want God to save them.  He didn’t want God to forgive them. He didn’t want them saved.

He wanted God to judge them.

He didn’t want God to show them mercy.

He wanted God to show them judgment.

Who, in our lives, do we not want God to forgive?  Who do we want God to judge?

Sometimes in our lives, we want Grace for us and Judgement for them.

We want God to forgive us our sins, but judge them (whoever they are) for their sins.

Grace for us, Judgement for them.

That’s what Jonah wanted. That’s what he wanted God to do.

Is that what we want as well?

God is a God of grace.  He gives us grace, after grace, after grace.

We want that for ourselves. We don’t want judgment for ourselves.

Just like God shows us grace, He will show it to others.  May we understand that.  And, may we show grace to others, just as God has.

And may we see to love, forgive, and give grace.  In the same manner it has been shown us.