Category Archives: Christian Life

CAN I FORGIVE MYSELF?

Christian Life, ,

CAN I FORGIVE MYSELF?

How often I hear this this statement, “I just can’t forgive myself!” after a massive blunder that rocks a life.

I have to ask the question, “What is forgiveness?” Can I forgive myself or is this a fallacy that holds me and many other people in the grip of guilt that is… well… Illegitimate. Yes, this lie has its roots in a belief spawned by the devil to keep people in bondage.

Jesus told a story recorded in Matthew 18 that clearly illustrates the core issue of forgiveness. A king called his servants to account for the money they owed him. One servant’s debt was so great that he could never repay the king.

The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant
21 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?”
22 Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.
23 “Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24 As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold was brought to him. 25 Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.
26 “At this the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ 27 The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.
28 “But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins. He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded.
29 “His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.’
30 “But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. 31 When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened.
32 “Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I cancelled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. 33 Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ 34 In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.
35 “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.” Matthew 18:21-35

The king had two options; jail him until he paid his debt or cancel the debt and release him from all obligation to repay. The king chose the latter option out of compassion for the servant and his family.

The core issue is simple. All sin is an unpayable debt of one person incurred against another. What can a person do to undo the harm he has caused to another? Nothing can be done to repay his debt. The debtor must either be held in bondage to his victim, or the debt be cancelled and the debtor released from all obligation to repay.

Forgiveness is a legal transaction, the offended releasing the offender of his debt on the truth that Jesus has already paid the debt of all the sin of all people for all time by His death on the cross.

“For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them….”

2 Corinthians 5:19 NLT

Orgiving ourse;ves

How, then, is it possible for me to release myself from the debt I owe me? Can you see that this is an illogical and ridiculous notion? How do I make amends for something I did to myself? I need God’s forgiveness, not mine, for the sin I have committed.

“But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.”

1 John 1:9 NLT

Confess means that I agree with God that He is right about my sin. I own it, take responsibility for it and receive God’s forgiveness through the blood of Jesus. He wipes my slate clean. My guilt has gone, and I can continue in unhindered fellowship with God, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Since it impossible for me to owe myself anything, I cannot be held in bondage to myself as both creditor and debtor. Therefore, I have no obligation to forgive myself. What I think holds me in bondage is nothing but an illusion.

We must not confuse forgiving ourselves with the regret we feel for what we have said or done. The issue is not about forgiving ourselves, but letting go of the useless regret which serves no useful purpose except to be a platform for Satan’s accusations. Letting go means choosing to forget just as God has chosen to forget our sin because He has forgiven us.

ARE YOU CRAZY?

Christian Life, ,

ARE YOU CRAZY?

“Blessed are you who are poor,
for yours is the kingdom of God.
21 Blessed are you who hunger now,
for you will be satisfied.
Blessed are you who weep now,
for you will laugh.
22 Blessed are you when people hate you,
when they exclude you and insult you
and reject your name as evil,
because of the Son of Man.
23 “Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their ancestors treated the prophets. Luke 6:20-23

What is He talking about? He almost sounds like some sort of killjoy; only happy when everything goes wrong; glad to be miserable!

This would sound crazy if it came from anyone’s lips but Jesus’. What is He getting at? You cannot go very far into the gospels before you realise that Jesus lived in the environment of God’s kingdom. Don’t get me wrong — He was a very down-to-earth person, in touch with reality, especially the need of the people around Him, aware of their suffering and full of compassion for them.

However, He also knew that there was no permanent solution for them in the present world system. He could heal them now, but they would be sick again. He could raise the dead, but they were destined to die again. As long as the world system they were in prevailed, there would always be sorrow, sickness and suffering, because it is an imperfect fallen world and will remain that way unless God intervened.

The good news is that the present world system, with all its sin and imperfection, is temporary. He came from the Father to get rid of the obstacle to restoration and reconciliation, the huge debt of man’s sin. God had set the course for restoring everything that was broken, distorted and out of joint and it culminated in Him. What God started in Genesis 1 and 2, He would complete according to Revelation 21 and 22.

Through Jesus, God provided the forgiveness that restored the broken relationship between Him and His estranged sons and daughters, but there was also the matter of choice. Would they want to come back to the Father’s house? How did the lost son in the far country come to his senses? He looked at his circumstances, starving and looking after pigs, and realised that he had been much better off at home.

Jesus said that it is very difficult for rich people to enter the kingdom of God. Why? Is it because they have money? No. It’s because they use their money to satisfy their own need. Money is a good servant but a bad master. Wealth is good if it is used to serve others but bad if it feeds greed and selfishness.

Therefore, according to Jesus, loss and hunger and persecution are not blessings in themselves but they are if they create an awareness that life is much more than what we eat, what we drink and what we wear. Life is transient, like mist that is here in the morning but gone by midday. It is foolishness to place our faith in and live for what is passing away.

God allows these kind of circumstances into our lives to draw our attention to a kingdom that is permanent and eternal; a way of life that echoes the eternal character and values of the Father. Greed and selfishness belong to this transient, imperfect world and will eventaully go out with the trash. We might be ridiculed and sidelined if we side with Jesus now. His way may seem puny to those who believe in control and force and power, but in the end, He won then and He will win again.

If you open up to Him, He will change you heart and set you on a course of generosity and unselfish service that will bring you joy and the realisation of who you really are, a son or daughter of God, created in His image to be like Him.

A WORD OR A MIRACLE?

Christian Life, ,

A WORD OR A MIRACLE?

“Jesus saw the huge crowd as he stepped from the boat, and he had compassion on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things…. After they had crossed the lake, they landed at Gennesaret, and they brought the boat to shore and climbed out. The people recognized Jesus at once, They ran throughout the whole area, carrying sick people on mats to wherever they heard he was. Wherever he went—in villages, cities, or the countryside—they brought the sick out to the marketplaces. They begged him to let the sick touch at least the fringe of his robe, and all who touched him were healed.

Mark 6:34, 55-56 NLT

O, how we love miracles! Crowds flock to “healing campaigns” at the invitation, “Come and get your miracle.” When things go wrong in our lives, we plead with God for a miracle. We crave lives that are uninterruptedly smooth and blessed, kept calm and peaceful by God’s intervening miracles.

We whine, “Why me?” when obstacles and struggles confront us. We want God to restore order and calm in our lives so that we can jog along on our comfortable, trouble-free journey.

So, we beg for a miracle!

The people were so excited about being miraculously fed that they ran after Jesus for more.  However, He had something to say to those who treated Him like a miracle-dispensing machine.

“So, when the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into the boats and went across to Capernaum to look for him. They found him on the other side of the lake and asked, “Rabbi, when did you get here?” Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, you want to be with me because I fed you, not because you understood the miraculous signs. But don’t be so concerned about perishable things like food. Spend your energy seeking the eternal life that the Son of Man can give you. For God the Father has given me the seal of his approval.”

John 6:24-27 NLT

The crowd wanted more bread while Jesus came to give them the bread of life.

“Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.”

John 6:35 NLT

How like the crowds we are. We crave bread to keep us alive. Jesus offers us “the Bread of Life” so that we will live forever.

“During that time the devil came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become loaves of bread.” But Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say, ‘People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

Matthew 4:3-4 NLT

How do we receive God’s intervention in time of need? Don’t ask for a miracle. Ask for a word. A miracle is open-ended. It may or may not happen. God’s Word is infallible. What He promises, He will do, no matter how long it takes. Miracles may solve a temporary crisis but God’s Word wil live in our hearts forever.

PRAYER

Father God, forgive me for seeking your hand for miracles more than for seeking your face for fellowship. You desire worshippers who worship you in spirit and in truth, not parasites who cling to you for blessings.

Help me, Lord Jesus, to gaze on your face, to contemplate the beauty of your life on earth. I see the Father in you. The more I think about you and your perfection, the less I think about myself and my imperfection.

You are everything I need and want to transform my life and take me to the Father. Teach me, Lord, to live by your word because your word feeds my hungry soul and lights my way to the Father.

A FEW THOUGHTS ON DISAPPOINTMENT

Christian Life, ,

A FEW THOUGHTS ON DISAPPOINTMENT

We all experience disappointments, big or small, on our journey through life. What is disappointment? Why are we disappointed?

Disappointment is a feeling of being let down or betrayed when our expectations are not met. We continually place expectations on God, people, or circumstances, many of which are unreasonable or of which the other person has no knowledge or is incapable of fulfilling for whatever reason.

The expectations we have of God are usually based on ignorance, or misunderstanding of who He is, or on what His will and purposes are for us. We pray for things we want, or for God to change the circumstances which make us uncomfortable or unhappy. We make demands of Him based on our own will or wishes instead of submitting to His greater wisdom and purposes.

When nothing happens, we are disappointed, and we hold God accountable for not answering us as we expected. We sometimes even lose faith and walk away because He didn’t do anything for us.

On the other hand, when we fail in our walk with the Lord, we are disappointed with ourselves and we impose our disappointment on God as though He doesn’t know us better than we know ourselves. We beat ourselves up for our failure and fall into depression instead of viewing ourselves as God see us.

“13 The Lord is like a father to his children, tender and compassionate to those who fear him. 14 For he knows how weak we are; he remembers we are only dust.”

Psalms 103:13-14 NLT

God sees the bigger picture. He is writing our small story into His big story. Where what we want and demand now is determined by our short-sighted selfishness, God is working in all things for our good.

“23 Because of the miraculous signs Jesus did in Jerusalem at the Passover celebration, many began to trust in him. 24 But Jesus didn’t trust them, because he knew all about people. 25 No one needed to tell him about human nature, for he knew what was in each person’s heart.”

John 2:23-25 NLT

How reassuring to know that Jesus does not place any unrealistic expectations on us because He knows us! He is never surprised by our failures or disappointed by our sin. All He asks of us is that we are humble enough to acknowledge and take responsibility for our wrongdoing instead of blaming someone or something other than our own sinful hearts.

“8 If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. 9 But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.”

1 John 1:8-9 NLT

What about our disappointment with people? We often place unreasonable expectations on a friend or family member, based on our standards, that they are not aware of or incapable of fulfilling. We judge him/her when he/she doesn’t come up to scratch. We feel let down. We might even cut off our association with that person or become depressed because he/she has failed us.

Doesn’t our attitude often arise from the deep-seated, inborn feeling that we are better than the other person? Of course, we would never do to him/her what he/she has done to us!

We fail to recognise or acknowledge that we are just as capable of sin as the other person, given the circumstances. Only by God’s grace can we resist our fleshly temptations in favour of doing the right thing, no matter the cost.

When we humbly recognise our own frailty, we will be more willing to give the one who “failed” us the benefit of the doubt. Our disappointment will give way to understanding and the willingness to forgive rather than to judge.

Sometimes, our circumstances are so stressful that we cry out to the Lord in despair, expecting an instant response, only to wait in vain for deliverance. We weep and wail in anguish, but God seems silent and inactive. Like Job, we plead for answers but no answer comes.

Something happened in the lives of Martha and Mary, Jesus’ dear friends, that illustrate Jesus’ seeming indifference and the disappointment they felt that led to unnecessary pain and grief.

Let‘s look at the background to the story. Martha, Mary and Lazarus lived together in Bethany, a village near Jerusalem. Jesus often seemed to use their home as a place of refuge. They were His good friends and when Lazarus fell ill, it was only natural that the sisters would call Him.

I often wonder where Lazarus fitted into this friendship. On Jesus’ earlier visits to the sisters’ home, he is never mentioned. Did he have reservations about Jesus? Did he resist Jesus’ teaching and side with the religious leaders?

John records that Jesus loved Lazarus. Was it one-sided? Of course, Jesus loved him regardless of his response. Was he not part of a family very special to the Lord?

It seems that Jesus directed this whole incident towards revealing Himself to all three members of this family that would secure their faith in Him once and for all. Why did He deliberately ignore their cry for help when Lazarus lay dying?

To have gone running back to heal Lazarus would have been a notable miracle for them but not any different or bigger than the many miracles He had done for sick people.

When Jesus and His disciples finally reached Bethany, it was too late. By this time, Lazarus’ body was already decomposing in the tomb. The sisters reacted differently to this disastrous disappointment in Jesus.

“20 When Martha got word that Jesus was coming, she went to meet him. But Mary stayed in the house.”

John 11:20

Martha, the practical one, met Jesus on His way in and reproached Him for His tardiness. She was not yet ready to trust Him enough to see the bigger picture beyond the present circumstances.

“21 Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died.”

John 11:20-21 NLT

Martha’s confidence in Jesus was limited to what she knew of Him rather than in what He was in His fullness as the Son of God.

Jesus was quick to rebuke her for questioning His action. He hinted at His desire to reveal to this family a far greater truth about both the Father and Himself than they could ever imagine.

“4 But when Jesus heard about it he said, “Lazarus’s sickness will not end in death. No, it happened for the glory of God so that the Son of God will receive glory from this.”

John 11:4 NLT

I think Martha, at this point, was repeating her belief in a theological fact included in her religious system, but not in a powerful conviction, written on her heart, that gave her hope.

“23 Jesus told her, “Your brother will rise again.” 24 “Yes,” Martha said, “he will rise when everyone else rises, at the last day.”

John 11:23-24 NLT

Jesus, always alert to opportunities to reveal who He was – the Son of God, used this situation to drive home the glory of the Father, revealed in the Son, who had power over death itself. His own resurrection, foretold before it happened, would guarantee the resurrection of all those who believe in Him.

Jesus’ declaration, “I am the resurrection and the life,” brought from Martha the confession,

27 “Yes, Lord,” she told him. “I have always believed you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who has come into the world from God.”

John 11:27 NLT

… but did she really know what she was saying?

What about Mary?

Jesus was fully aware that Mary was avoiding Him. She refused to go out to meet Him until He called her. Her grief and disillusionment were so deep that she didn’t want to see Him.

Her words to Him, though exactly the same as Martha’s rebuke, were heavy with anger and anguish. Her faith in Him had been shattered and her hope destroyed. She lashed out at Jesus with all the emotion she could muster. Everything she thought she knew about Him was gone, wrecked by His seeming indifference.

Jesus wept, not at Lazarus’ death, but because of Mary’s failure to trust Him. Didn’t she understand that He had something far greater to reveal than His power to heal the sick? He came to make the true Father known, not the rigid, disciplinarian God Israel believed in.

The Father Jesus came to reveal would never ignore the cry of His child. However, if He seemed indifferent, it was His plan to do something far greater than His child expected.

Finally, when Mary saw the whole picture, her anger and bitterness turned to worship. In the next chapter, we see Mary at Jesus’ feet and Lazarus in Jesus’ company, reclining at the banquet table with Him.

Did Lazarus’ death experience at last convince him that Jesus was who He said He was, the Son of God? Gone were his reservations, gone his antagonism and opposition. What had his experience with death taught him? Did he have a glimpse of hell, or perhaps feel the hot breath of the flames?

Did Lazarus need an experience as extreme as death to convince him that Jesus spoke the truth about Himself and His Father?

Had Mary only realised that Jesus had a much bigger and better plan than she could ever imagine, she would not have wasted her emotional energy on grief and disappointment. If she had trusted Him and waited until He came, and seen what He could do, she would have brought Him joy instead of tears.

What lessons can we draw from this story about the way to handle our disappointments?

1. Disappointment will always be a part of life. However, our perspective will either produce emotional distress or grow a greater trust in the love of the Father.

If we consider God’s failure to meet our expectations when and how we demand, we will question His love for us, or even back down on our commitment to Him as Lord.

If we are convinced that God is in charge of our circumstances, we will be willing to submit to His timing and agenda. When bad things happen, we will wait for the final outcome instead of losing faith in Him.

“14 So he will do to me whatever he has planned. He controls my destiny.”

Job 23:14 NLT

2. If we think that people who let us down are the cause of our disappointment, we will always be at the mercy of fallible human beings.

If we recognise that we are as capable of failing them as they failed us, instead of judging, we will forgive out of compassion and understanding.

3. Disappointment can be a great test of the measure of our faith in God. Are we trusting Him only for what He can do for us, or is our faith in who He is, regardless of the outcome of our prayers.

If we are willing to wait for the outcome of our trial instead of insisting on an instant resolution, based on our conviction that God is working in all things for our good, we will save ourselves from a great deal of unnecessary emotional pain. Our confidence in God will lift us above the turmoil of circumstances into the pure atmosphere of peace no matter what we encounter on our journey through life.

“6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”

Philippians 4:6-7 NLT

REMAIN IN HIM

Christian Life, ,

REMAIN IN HIM

 “When they crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret and anchored there. As soon as they got out of the boat, the people recognized Jesus. They ran throughout the whole region and carried the sick on mats to wherever they heard He was. And wherever He went – into villages, towns, or countryside – they placed the sick in the marketplaces. They begged Him to let them touch even the edge of His cloak, and all who touched Him were healed.” Mark 6:53-56 (NIV).

How did Jesus manage to keep up a schedule like His? Interrupted by a huge crowd when He was trying to get some “me time”, He put aside His own needs and taught the people all day. After feeding them and sending them away, He prayed all night, and then walked a distance on the water to catch up with His disciples. Then He was met by another crowd clamouring for attention, and many for healing. It seems that He moved around in that area from village to village and town to town, healing and preaching day after day.

There is another reference to His “talith” (His garment) in this passage. “They begged Him to let them even touch the hem of His cloak (the tassels of His talith) and all who touched Him were healed” (Vs 56). What was the significance of this? Malachi 4:2 – “But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will with healing in its wings.” Were the people aware of the powerful imagery of Messiah in this prophecy? The tassels on His talith symbolised God’s name, God’s nature, God’s word, and God’s presence.

The “kanaph” – the corners of the talith – are translated as the “wings” which held the tassels. To touch the “hem of his garment” implied that their faith rested in everything the tassels represented. The faith of each person touching Him opened them up to the healing power of the Spirit flowing through Jesus.

In all this frantic activity around Him, how did He experience rest and replenish His strength? He maintained a constant awareness of the Father’s presence and tapped into God by remaining in the Father. And that is what He counsels us to do during demands, busyness, interruptions and responsibilities. To remain in Him keeps us connected to the source of strength and rest. We become channels that are constantly being replenished, not reservoirs that can run dry with no permanent inlet from God.

In John 15, Jesus used the picture of a vine and its branches to teach His disciples about remaining in Him. A branch does not have to try to stay connected to the vine. It just does unless the gardener cuts it off if it bears no fruit. We are like the branches on a vine. We are in the vine and will remain there if we do not allow anything to separate us from Jesus. He said that obedience to Him keeps us connected to the vine.