Within the Gospels we read of Jesus being whipped, beaten, and then nailed to a cross. As He hung there, waiting to die, some of His last words were “Father, forgive them.”2 Forgiveness was His response to an unjust trial, being lashed by a whip which had strands weighted with bone or metal and which lacerated the skin with unimaginable pain, the hammering of spikes through His hands and feet, and being left to die in agony. While on the one hand this is a very surprising reaction, it also makes perfect sense when we read what Jesus taught about forgiveness all throughout His ministry. He not only taught it, He embodied it, both in His life and in His death. He practiced what He preached.
God’s Forgiveness Jesus’ forgiveness reflected His Father’s forgiveness. In the Old Testament, when God revealed Himself to Moses, He said of Himself, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin.” God was saying that forgiveness is one of His divine attributes, that it is rooted in His character. This point is made again and again throughout the Old Testament.
God, by nature, is forgiving. And true to His nature, He made a way for us to be forgiven through the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus. In a sense we can say that Jesus’ sacrificial death was the embodiment of God’s forgiveness. Thus, if we wish to emulate Jesus, we need to forgive. Jesus made it abundantly clear in His teachings that we are to forgive others.
Jesus also made the point that there is a correlation between our willingness to forgive others with God forgiving us.
In the parable of the unforgiving servant, Jesus told of a servant who had been forgiven an astronomical debt by his master, and after being forgiven his debt, refused to forgive another man who owed him a small amount of money. The master then told the unforgiving servant, You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you? And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt. Jesus then said to all who were listening: So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart. When we forgive others for things they have done to us, this reflects our understanding of divine forgiveness. We are to forgive others because we have been forgiven. Jesus died so that our sins could be forgiven, and we are called to forgive others when they sin against us or wrong us. That’s showing Christ likeness.
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By Erica and Terry, Philippines
Our Christmas program for 2019 consisted of the following events: — Waters, a local distributor of water filters, invited 11 talented children to their company’s Christmas party. The children sang and danced for them and then enjoyed lunch. Afterwards, the company donated a water purifier, a portable table, and 12 stool-chairs to be used at our center for our charity program. — In coordination with a local business, the Monterrey Meat Shop, we celebrated their company’s Christmas party at Jollibee restaurant at Las Piñas City, with 105 children from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. The children were able to enjoy games and giveaways. They were delighted, and this was the first time for some to eat at a restaurant. — A young lady friend who has cancer wanted to do something special for her birthday, so together with her friends and classmates, she was able to celebrate it and bring joy and happiness to 20 children at our mission center. They had prepared games with prizes, as well as school supplies, extra gifts for all the children, and a delicious lunch that the children really enjoyed! — Together with a local business, Chooks-2Go, we were able to have a Christmas party at our subdivision, Phil-Am Life Village; 131 children were able to attend from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. The children were entertained by the Chooks-2Go mascot and other presentations. They also received gifts, prizes, and a delicious chicken meal. The children also participated in a song-and-dance number. — The Bucket Challenge was completed. One hundred families received the long-awaited grocery pails worth 1,000 Php, along with lunch, cake, and gifts. This event was held at our mission center at Phil-Am Life Village, Las Piñas City, Philippines, from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Reaching out and having an influence for good in the lives of these children and their families is always very fulfilling. Every year we reward the children who have faithfully attended our weekly charity program by giving their families grocery items. Besides our ongoing work at Sunshine Ville, Carbaguio Nursery, Mangahan-Pedrosa, during 2019 our charity efforts expanded to cover nearby areas by the riverside. We also included children from Batikan and families living under a bridge at Zapote area, a place between city limits that is unsupported and neglected. Every week we personally pick up the children and bring them back after the weekly program and feeding, as they live a bit far from our location. Being around these children is an extraordinary experience! When we first met them, they were throwing rocks the size of fists at each other, and we were in the middle, until the police chased them away from each other. Besides being naughty, noisy, playful, and not listening, they are like any other kids. After they have attended our weekly educational and feeding program for some time, now I can see a change in them. They’re very needy; they always want a hug and to be acknowledged, and they seek acceptance and approval in any way. It feels great to be able to help make a difference in their lives; feeding them physically and spiritually is helping them be in better health and build better moral character. Thank you, our dear friends, for your support, with your help our projects have been very successful. With God’s help, nothing is impossible even through the many difficulties, such as last-minute pick-ups and getting stuck in the Manila traffic, and right up to the last minute we were still literally repacking and distributing the groceries into the pails, with the kids already waiting outside our mission doors. With the economic situation in the Philippines, we have faced many financial challenges and difficulties, and discouragement seems to lurk at the door. I’m sure a lot of you are going through this as well, but the key is DON’T GIVE UP! Do your best and trust that He will take care of the rest. Our motivation is knowing that these children need our help and are counting on us, and it’s within our power to help them with God’s help. We strongly believe that He shall supply all our needs. It’s already ours by faith! All we have to do is thank Him and do what we can, and He never fails! Dear Friends,
I recently watched a YouTube video called “AIDS Expert & Trauma Surgeon Talks Corona Virus” by The Bus Life. The speaker is Dr. Lorene Day. It was very inspiring. She is a real fighter. She talked about a quite few topics: healing, about the COVID, how we are losing our freedoms, about her faith in God. Here is the link https://youtu.be/R7kzVbP1kRg if you want to watch the whole video which I think is very worthwhile. One of the “take aways” I got from the video was the need for forgiveness to stay healthy.
She also gives her testimony about forgiveness and how it helped heal her of cancer.
If you are serious and want to put forgiveness into action in your life I have lots of post on my site under archives on forgiveness with lots of tips to help you put it into action. I know they work as I had to forgive my best friend for something she had done that she wasn’t even aware of. It was only hurting me. This was one of those things I had to “practice what I preached.” It took quite a long while to actually be free from the grudge and every time it would come up in my mind I had to take a stand and say I have forgiven her already, I choose to no longer hold on to that. Forgiveness is such an important lesson that I have dedicated most of the posts for Feb. on the very subject. If you are interested in reviewing what I have already posted you can find compilations on forgiveness as well as quotes. Forgiveness is at the heart of Christianity. Jesus was crucified and died on the cross so that we could be forgiven for our sins. Scripture teaches that as believers we are to reflect Jesus’ sacrifice by forgiving those who have hurt us. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. (See Eph. 4:32.) We are called to both forgive others who have wronged us and to ask forgiveness of those we have harmed or wronged. Here are some quotes that might help you.
Vicki was awake in bed at 2 a.m., suffering from an asthma attack, and had got out of bed to open the window to try a change of air. Her ground-floor bedroom looks out onto the back garden, and she immediately noticed a young man on the lawn. At first she thought he was the intruder who had been attacking women in the area and, not being a nervous sort, she decided to confront him to frighten him off.
As she opened the window to call to him, she saw that what she had thought was a short fair youth was actually a tall angel, kneeling as if in prayer. Vicki says, “He was half turned away from me, with wings, looking as if he had stepped off an ornate tomb! My first reaction was utter amazement; my second was feeling like an intruder myself, seeing something totally private. I watched him silently for a while, then closed the window as quietly as I could and got back into bed.” Vicki relates the surprising sequel: “I lay there thinking, Some people have gnomes in their gardens, I’ve got an angel in mine! I felt a weird mixture of pleasure and This is ridiculous. Have I lost my marbles? Then the angel spoke to me. I was aware of his message as an emerging consciousness. He told me not to be judgmental of people, even when I was sure they were wrong, that only God may judge. Not to hate people for what they do, but to understand. That life on Earth is only a tiny droplet in the ocean of eternity and my concern should be to try to become as close to God as I could, since God is composed of love and light. “Really, I don’t have words to describe his message. I can only say I was filled with an incredible sense of love and knew I was feeling Heaven. Written down, the message sounds simplistic, yet it was full of subtlety; he spoke to my understanding. I fell asleep filled with enlightenment. “It took several weeks to realize the full effect. The angel had taken my anger and left me with self-knowledge and illumination. Those who know me well comment on a change; I am a richer, more committed and gentler person as a result.” -- (Excerpts from the book Angels —True Stories of How They Touch Our Lives by Hope Price.) Verse of the day:
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. -- Ephesians 2:10 Think about it: For me, one of the most important and freeing aspects of spiritual growth is learning to live in my identity in Christ. There are several places in the scriptures which clearly describe who we, as the body of Christ, are in Him. Romans 8:37 says “We are more than conquerors.” First John 3:1 says that we are “the sons [and daughters] of God.” Ephesians 2:6 says that God “raised us up with [Christ] and seated us with Him in the heavenly places....” I think it’s safe to say that the more we choose to believe these scriptures, claiming them as personal promises directly from God to us, the more content we will be, with greater freedom to pursue our callings. I think one thing that hinders many of us from truly knowing and living in our identity in Christ is the tendency to compare ourselves with others and sometimes trying hard to be like them rather than simply being who we are. We figure that if we could just look, act, or sing like so-and-so, or walk in their spiritual anointing, we’d somehow be happier. Of course, there is a time and place for following others’ examples, especially when they motivate us to be more loving, Christ like, health-conscious, etc. The problematic tendency I’m addressing, which I am admittedly not above, is that of wishing or seeking to be like others out of discontentment over the way we really are. It’s almost like spiritual identity theft. We get so caught up in taking on the characteristics and abilities of others, instead of being content to walk in our own. This in turn robs us of the joy, happiness, and freedom we are meant to live in. This unhealthy tendency can be traced all the way back to the beginning of mankind. Adam and Eve fell prey to the serpent’s temptation in the garden when he promised them that if they ate the forbidden fruit, they would be like God. When they heard this, they were no longer content to live just as they were—happily and blissfully, in a simple, beautiful, untainted world. They wanted to know all that God knows instead of knowing and walking in intimacy with Him. So they chose to embrace the serpent’s reasoning, and creation was forever altered—never to be the same again. It took me quite some time to realize how much I was trying to be like others—namely in my singing and songwriting. For a while, whenever I’d hear a certain artist or singer for the first time and liked what I heard, I would try to pattern my own songs after their style. People noticed this and would tell me, “Just be yourself. Sing with your voice and play in your own unique way, without always imitating other people.” When I took this advice, I experienced a freedom which I’m still tasting today. Sure, I learn useful things from other singers and musicians, but I’m continuing to discover and work out the unique voice and style Jesus gave me. I went through the same thing in my efforts to lead people to Christ: emulating those who mentored me in evangelization. I must add that I respect all of them, and I am grateful for the impact they had on my life. But after a personal encounter with the Holy Spirit, I became more sensitive to His voice and received a more personalized anointing for telling others about Jesus, so that it was no longer necessary to try to walk in the anointing of others. While the input and ideas of others still benefit me, the Holy Spirit is now my main mentor and guide, and I experience unfathomable liberty in following where the Spirit leads. God has not called us to a life of comparing, let alone imitating. As long as we are walking after the Spirit instead of the flesh, we can feel free to be ourselves since we are created in God’s image. Each of us is “fearfully and wonderfully made.” Regardless of our varying characteristics, gifts, callings, etc., Ephesians 2:10 clearly tells us who we are in Christ: “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. -- By Steve Hearts Praise of the day:
Even though this miracle happened a long time ago the principle of God’s help still applies. Hearing about what God has done for others in their time of need often helps us to have faith that He will take care of us as well.
Think about it: Along time ago in England, there lived a famous Christian named George Mueller who had a great big house called an "orphanage". In that house were lots and lots of children. Mr. Mueller had told the children that he didn't have much money, but believed that Jesus would provide their needs. One night after the children had supper, Mr. Mueller told the children that there was no money to buy more food. "Children," he said, "all of our money is gone, and the cook tells me that there is not enough food left for our breakfast tomorrow morning. But Jesus will take care of us. We don't need to worry. Let's pray now that Jesus will send us the food we need." The children all got down on their knees and Mr. Mueller led them in the prayer: "Lord Jesus, You have always taken care of us and we thank You for being so kind and good to us. Now we need food for breakfast in the morning, and we ask You to send it to us. We pray in Jesus' name. Amen." The next morning when the children awoke they ran downstairs to the breakfast table to see what Jesus had brought for them. There was nothing on their plates yet, but they sat down and waited for the cook to bring their breakfast from the kitchen. Then Mr. Mueller came in and said, "Children, our breakfast hasn't come yet. The Lord has not sent it yet. Let's pray again." So the children got down on their knees again, and Mr. Mueller prayed that the Lord would send them the food that they needed. Then Mr. Mueller said to the children, "Okay, children, you may run out and play. It may be that the Lord does not want us to have breakfast this morning, but He will surely provide our needs as He always has." But just as the children were getting ready to leave the table there was a knock at the front door. Mr. Mueller told one of the children to go and see who was there and what they want." The young girl ran to the door and opened it, and who do you think was there? Nobody! Someone had been there, but had gone. There beside the door sat a great big bag of rice. She ran into the house. "Oh," she cried, "there is a bag, a great big bag of rice for our breakfast, waiting on the porch!" "Where is the man who brought it to us?" asked Mr. Mueller. "We must thank him." "There was no one there," she said "I think perhaps an angel brought it." "That might easily be," said Mr. Mueller. "Or perhaps someone ran away after leaving it, so we wouldn't know who it was. But it was the Lord Who sent it. Let's all thank the Lord for His miracle and sending us breakfast." Many times after that the children learned how Jesus always took care of them. And Jesus is the same the World over. He is ready to answer your prayers today. Nothing is too hard for Him, or too unimportant to talk to Him about. Two hours, five minutes, and ten seconds: the time it took Kenya’s Samuel Wanjiru to finish first in the 26.2-mile (42 km 195 m) London Marathon in April 2009.
Thirteen days: The time it took Major Phil Packer, a British soldier who became a paraplegic following a spinal injury, to complete the same marathon, finishing last out of 36,000 competitors. This feat of perseverance raised over £600,000 (about US$1 million) for charity. Wanjiru made the headlines for his speed. Packer made headlines not for speed, but for his courage and determination. A thousand-strong crowd gathered to welcome him at the end of a race that he had defied odds to enter, let alone complete. Following his injury a year earlier, he had been told he would never walk again. In fact, he only relearned to walk with crutches a month before the marathon. While both men are respected for their accomplishments, there was something special about Packer’s triumph. He was never alone during the exhausting and painful six hours it took him to walk two miles each day. Well-wishers—both friends and strangers—accompanied him on the course, walking beside him and cheering him on, from the starting gate to the finishing line. Congratulatory messages on his website include a message of admiration from Prince Charles. The road of life is not always easy, and sometimes we face what appear to be impossible obstacles. But we don’t walk it alone. We also have well-wishers—our family and friends—encouraging us along the way. And we too have a Prince supporting us—not one from this realm, but Jesus, the Prince of Peace, who promises to help us rise above circumstances, persist against the odds, and triumph over difficulty: “My grace is sufficient for you,” He tells us, “for My strength is made perfect in [your] weakness.”1 So “let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.”—By Marge Banks By Valdir Jose Pires, Brazil
We are so glad to report the success of our Christmas 2019 activity program. Our first event took place on December 8. In total, we visited 11 communities, and nearly 600 families were reached with tangible love and compassion. I researched the best prices at supermarkets and then purchased the products we needed. (This research cut the cost of the materials by 15%.) Together with friends, we then did the big job of packing more than 400 food bags with 14 items each. The results of our collective efforts were so beautiful and fulfilling. It takes a lot of work, but when we see the smiles on the kids’ faces, holding their toys, and when we hear those words of gratitude from the parents for the food packs and for choosing their community to visit, we know it’s worth it all. We visited two communities, Utinga-açu and Furo de São Benedito, in partnership with the Bible Society of Brazil, which is supporting the project “Luz na Amazônia.” Following is the list of communities we visited and the number of families who benefited: Costa do Arapari (110), Tracuateua (35), Igarapé Genipauba (85), Ilha de Arapiranga (70), Ilha das Onças (50), Utinga-açu (40), Furo de São Benedito (40), Jibóa Branca (35), Comunidades rurais de Curuçá (80), Comunidade Terapêutica Gente Livre (20) e Aterro Sanitário de Salinópolis (20). We gave more than 1,000 toys to the children. We also distributed clothes, sandals, hygiene products, and school kits. At all of the events, we provided snacks and drinks. The benefit of this program for the people who live by the riverside is great. This time of the year they lack their major source of income, which is the fruit of a palm tree named “acai.” It is also the beginning of rainy season. It rains for about six months, so they can’t do much during that time. The impact of our ministry is also seen in the children. Most of them know us from our visits twice a year, at Easter and in October, when we give them hygiene kits. We continue our follow-up throughout the year, mainly with three of the communities we visited: Arapari Coast (110 families), Igarapé Cabresto (Tracuateua) and Igarapé Genipauba. By Filoiann M. Wiedenhoff
“Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”—Philippians 3:13–14 NIV The new year is upon us, which brings some stress and time for reflection. We should start this year with a new way of thinking about what new adventures and plans God has in store for us. As Christmas comes to an end, we anxiously await the words “Happy New Year!” My best friend and I have this tradition we’ve done every year for the last five years, usually around the end of December. We go to our favorite beach spot, where we talk and pray about the past year and look ahead to the New Year. We ponder and discuss all the interesting occurrences that happened the past year; the good times, the bad times, the frustrating times, and the fun times. We share what valuable lessons we learned from our experiences, what God showed us and how He was faithful through all of it We do this as a closure to one year and then an opening to the next. After we have laughed a while and then cried, we begin to look forward with great excitement, wondering what God has for us this coming new year. What new experiences will we go through and what new lessons will we learn. It’s all fresh and new, and that is exciting. In doing this, I believe it helps us to view each year as a season, understanding that God is sovereign and has new seasons of experiences and growth to make us more like Christ. I can testify there were times we went through seasons of grief and there were also times we experienced seasons of joy. It helps me to remember that God is in total control and that we are constantly growing as His children and that He knows the plans He has for us. Plans of new wisdom, insight and understanding that He wants to impart to us, if we will allow Him to. It also gives us a fresh new outlook on the coming year and enables us to leave the past where it belongs; not that we forget the past, but learn from it and move forward into our present and future with open hearts and minds to receive whatever God has for us. With that said, I put together eight ways in which we can view the New Year and every year. Make [this coming year] a year of: New beginnings: Start the New Year with a fresh point of view to new experiences, memories, and blessings. Having an open mind and heart to wherever the Lord may take you, with full assurance and confidence that He is with you. (Matthew 28:19-20) New possibilities: There’s no limit to what God can do in your life, and nothing is impossible with God. God opens doors that no man can shut and also closes doors that no man can open. The possibilities are endless with God; that is, according to His will. (Philippians 4:13) New plans: Every year is a new season. Be prayerful of what God has planned for you and be willing to walk by faith in obedience as you follow His leading. Remember that His plans are always for good and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. (Jeremiah 29:11-13) New purpose: As you forge ahead, God always has a plan and a purpose for what you will go through and experience. Remember that God always has a reason for what He allows in your life, and through it you can trust Him completely. (Proverbs 1:3-5) New provisions: The Bible says to not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow has enough worries of its own. Trust in your heavenly Father who knows everything you need, who is your God and your provider. He is faithful and He will do it. (Matthew 6:1-33) New growth: When we are willing to let go and let God work in us and through us, He will always stretch us and grow us. It is an important part of the growth process. Continue to grow in your relationship with Him and in His Word. Pray for God to mold you and make you pliable in the potter’s hand, and then watch the master craftsman work on His masterpiece; which is you! New wisdom: With new experiences and new lessons come new wisdom and insight. Always make it a priority to seek out wisdom as hidden treasure or fine gold. In Proverbs, it says that it will be like a garland of grace around your neck and honor you and present you with a crown of splendor. (Proverbs 4:7-9) Renewed peace: As you go through new experiences and new adventures, whether they are good or bad, my encouragement is to keep your eyes fixed on Christ and He will give you rest and peace, because He is our peace and loves you and cares for you deeply. (John 16:33) Keep in mind that if even the wicked give good gifts to their children, how much more will your heavenly Father give to those that ask Him? (Matthew 7:7-11) Let us give thanks to the Lord for getting us through another year as we look forward to what He has for us up ahead and praise Him that He is faithful and worthy to be |
AuthorThe goal of the blog is to provide interesting, motivational, soul feeding material. All to help remind us that God loves us all and wants a personal relationship with each of us and will take care of us in times of trouble. I aspire to be a force for good by providing you with positive input. I encourage you to share the blog with others. Archives
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