Forgiiveness by Max Lucado

Forgiveness by Max Lucado from You'll Get Through This Revenge builds a lonely house. Space enough for one person. The lives of its tenants are reduced to one goal: make someone miserable. They do. Themselves. No wonder God insists that we “keep a sharp eye out for weeds of bitter discontent. A thistle or two gone to seed can ruin a whole garden in no time” (Hebrews 12:15). His healing includes a move out of the house of spite, a shift away from the cramped world of grudge and toward spacious ways of grace, away from hardness and toward forgiveness. He moves us forward by healing our past. Can He really? This mess? This history of abuse? This raw anger at the father who left my mother? This seething disgust I feel every time I think of the one who treated me like yesterday’s trash? Can God heal this ancient hurt in my heart? Joseph asked these questions. You never outlive the memory of ten brothers giving you the heave-ho. They walked away and never came back. So he gave them a taste of their own medicine. When he saw them in the breadline, he snapped at them. He accused them of treachery and threw them in jail. “Take that, you rascals!” Isn’t it good to know that Joseph was human? The guy was so good it hurt. He endured slavery, succeeded in a foreign land, mastered a new language, and resisted seductions. He was the model prisoner and the perfect counselor to the king. Scratch him, and he bled holy blood. We expect him to see his brothers and declare, “Father, forgive them, for they knew not what they did” (see Luke 23:34). But he didn’t. He didn’t because forgiving jerks is the hardest trick in the bag. We will feed the poor and counsel the king. Why, we’ll memorize the book of Leviticus if God says to do so. But... Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry (Ephesians 4:26)? Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice (Ephesians 4:31)? As Christ forgave you, so you also must do (Colossians 3:13)? Really, God? I have a friend who was six years old when her mother ran off with a salesman, leaving her to be raised by a good-hearted dad who knew nothing about dolls, dresses, or dates. The father and daughter stumbled through life and made the best of it. Recently the mom reappeared, like a brother out of Canaan, requested a coffee date with my friend, and said, “I’m sorry for abandoning you.” The mom wants to reenter her daughter’s world. My friend’s first thought was, That’s it? I’m supposed to forgive you? Seems too easy. Doesn’t the mom need to experience what she gave? A few years wondering if she will see her daughter again. Some pain-filled nights. A bit of justice. How do we reconcile the pain of the daughter with God’s command to forgive? Isn’t some vengeance in order? Of course it is. In fact, God cares about justice more than we do. Paul admonished, Never pay back evil for evil... never avenge yourselves. Leave that to God, for he has said that he will repay those who deserve it (Romans 12:17, Romans 12:19). We fear the evildoer will slip into the night, unknown and unpunished. Escape to Fiji and sip mai tais on the beach. Not to worry. Scripture says, “[God] will repay,” not He “might repay.” God will get through this execute justice on behalf of truth and fairness. Case in point? Prepare yourself for the most surprising turnaround of the Joseph story. After three days Joseph released all but one brother from jail. They returned to Canaan to report to Jacob, their father, a weak shadow of an old man. The brothers told him how Simeon was kept in Egypt as assurance they would return with Benjamin, the youngest brother. Jacob had nothing to say except, “You have bereaved me: Joseph is no more, Simeon is no more, and you want to take Benjamin. All these things are against me” (Genesis 42:36). Such a louse. Jacob played favorites, refused to discipline, had multiple wives, and upon hearing of the imprisonment of his son, had a pity party. What a prima donna. No wonder the family was screwed up. But as we read further, a light breaks through the clouds. Judah, who once wanted to get rid of Joseph, stepped forward. “Send [Benjamin] with me, and we will arise and go, that we may live and not die, both we and you and also our little ones. I myself will be surety for him; from my hand you shall require him. If I do not bring him back to you and set him before you, then let me bear the blame forever” (Genesis 43:8–9). Is this the same Judah? The same man who said, “Let us sell him to the Ishmaelites” (Genesis 37:27)? The same brother who helped negotiate the slave trade? Well, yes... and no. Judah, as it turns out, has had his own descent into the pit. After Joseph’s abduction Judah went on to have three sons. He arranged for the eldest to marry a girl named Tamar. But the son died. Following the proper protocol of his day, Judah arranged for his second son to marry Tamar. The son didn’t manage the situation well and died. Judah assumed Tamar was jinxed. Afraid that his third son would meet the same fate, Judah put the matter on hold, leaving Tamar with no husband. Later Judah’s wife died. Tamar heard that Judah was coming to town. Apparently she hadn’t been able to get Judah to reply to her e-mails, so she got creative. She disguised herself as a prostitute and made him an offer. Judah took the bait. He exchanged his necklace and walking stick for sex, unaware that he was sleeping with his daughter-in-law. (Oh, how lust blinds a man!) She conceived. Three months later she reappeared in Judah’s life as Tamar, pregnant Tamar. Judah went high and mighty on her and demanded she be burned. That’s when she produced Judah’s necklace and walking stick, and Judah realized the child was his. He was caught in his own sin, disgraced in front of his own family. Things had come full circle. Judah, who had deceived Jacob, was deceived. Judah, who had trapped Joseph, was trapped. Judah, who had helped humiliate Joseph, was humiliated. God gave Judah his comeuppance, and Judah came to his senses. “She has been more righteous than I,” he confessed (Genesis 38:26). For years I wondered why Judah’s exploits were included in the Joseph narrative. They interrupt everything. We just get started in chapter 37 with the dreams and drama of Joseph when the narrator dedicates chapter 38 to the story of Judah, the hustler, and Tamar, the faux escort. Two dead husbands. One clever widow. An odd, poorly placed story. But now I see how it fits. For anything good to happen to Jacob’s family, someone in the clan had to grow up. If not the father, one of the brothers had to mature to the point where he took responsibility for his actions. God activated the change in Judah. He gave the guy a taste of his own medicine, and the medicine worked! Judah championed the family cause. He spoke sense into his father’s head. He was willing to take responsibility for Benjamin’s safety and bear the blame if he failed. Judah got his wake-up call, and Joseph didn’t have to lift a finger or swing a fist. Vengeance is God’s. He will repay — whether ultimately on the Day of Judgment or intermediately in this life. The point of the story? God handles all Judahs. He can discipline your abusive boss, soften your angry parent. He can bring your ex to his knees or her senses. Forgiveness doesn’t diminish justice; it just entrusts it to God. He guarantees the right retribution. We give too much or too little. But the God of justice has the precise prescription. Unlike us, God never gives up on a person. Never. Long after we have moved on, God is still there, probing the conscience, stirring conviction, always orchestrating redemption. Fix your enemies? That’s God’s job. Forgive your enemies? Ah, that’s where you and I come in. We forgive. “Do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not give the devil an opportunity” (Ephesians 4:26–27). The word translated opportunity is the Greek word topos, the same term from which we get the English noun topography. It means territory or ground. Interesting. Anger gives ground to the devil. Bitterness invites him to occupy a space in your heart, to rent a room. Believe me, he will move in and stink up the place. Gossip, slander, temper — anytime you see these, Satan has claimed a bunk. Evict him. Don’t even give him the time of day. In the name of Jesus tell him to pack his bags and hit the road. Begin the process of forgiveness. Keep no list of wrongs. Pray for your antagonists rather than plot against them. Hate the wrong without hating wrongdoers. Turn your attention away from what they did to you to what Jesus did for you. Outrageous as it may seem, Jesus died for them too. If He thinks they are worth forgiving, they are. Does that make forgiveness easy? No. Quick? Seldom. Painless? It wasn’t for Joseph. The brothers returned to Egypt from Canaan, Benjamin in tow. Joseph invited them to a dinner. He asked about Jacob, spotted Benjamin, and all but came undone. “God be gracious to you, my son,” he blurted before he hurried out of the room to weep (Genesis 43:29). He returned to eat and drink and make merry with the brothers. Joseph sat them according to birth order. He singled out Benjamin for special treatment. Every time the brothers got one helping, Benjamin got five. They noticed this. But said nothing. Joseph loaded their sacks with food and hid his personal cup in the sack of Benjamin. The brothers were barely down the road when Joseph’s steward stopped their caravan, searched their sacks, and found the cup. The brothers tore their clothes (the ancient equivalent of pulling out one’s hair) and soon found themselves back in front of Joseph, fearing for their lives. Joseph couldn’t make up his mind! He welcomed them, wept over them, ate with them, and then played a trick on them. He was at war with himself. These brothers had peeled the scab off his oldest and deepest wound. And he would be hanged before he’d let them do it again. On the other hand, these were his brothers, and he would be hanged before he lost them again. Forgiveness vacillates like this. It has fits and starts, good days and bad. Anger intermingled with love. Irregular mercy. We make progress only to make a wrong turn. Step forward and fall back. But this is okay. When it comes to forgiveness, all of us are beginners. No one owns a secret formula. As long as you are trying to forgive, you are forgiving. It’s when you no longer try that bitterness sets in. Stay the course. You’ll spend less time in the spite house and more in the grace house. And as one who has walked the hallways of both, I can guarantee that you are going to love the space of grace. * * *

Emotions and Forgiveness: Instructions for a Confusing Intersection by Brad Hambrick

So what does forgiveness mean you are committing to do with your hurt, fears, other emotions and imagination? The last section covered the interpersonal commitments of forgiveness and explains how forgiveness was designed to restore relationships after moral offenses. But what about the personal well-being and peace of mind of the forgiver, doesn’t forgiveness have benefits for the forgiver as well?

Yes, it does. No, it’s not necessarily selfish to ask. However, if we demand the benefits of forgiveness before we take the risk of forgiveness, we become trapped at the crucial point. In effect, we would be demanding to see the fireworks before we light the fuse. All of that to say, if you want this section to “convince you” to forgive, you will most likely be disappointed. But if you want to understand how forgiveness positively impacts your emotions (even in difficult cases), then you should find encouragement in this section.

In the section below we will trace the seven phase journey of forgiveness that is traveled by the one forgiving.

1. The context of forgiveness is always hurt. Forgiveness never begins as a pleasant experience. The emotions of pre-forgiveness are always raw. We never think this is a “good time” for us to need to forgive. The person we need to forgive is always the person who just sinned against us. We should never minimize the painful context in which forgiveness is granted.

2. Hurt is an experience that does not remove itself. Time does not heal moral offenses. If time heals an offense, then it was likely not one that merited forgiveness. We begin to feel trapped in the emotional bind; either we will forgive (which is “not fair”) or we will continually carry the weight of bitterness and mistrust. It feels like life is taking the side of our offender.

“Bad things tend to happen when you give offenses time to marinate in your heart (p. 158).” Paul Tripp inWhat Did You Expect?

3. Justice does not erase history (or emotion). Neither consequences nor punishment provide the relief that we hope they would. Our offender loses the benefit of his/her offense and may learn valuable lessons, but these do not provide restitution to us. Even if we are rightfully given something as compensation for the offense, its value either seems to trifle the offense or come across as penance. Justice doesn’t satisfy.

4. Repentance does not erase history (some emotion). Repentance is much better than justice at resolving the emotional pain of an offense. It now feels like apples are being traded for apples; prideful, self-centered response of sin for humbled, other-minded response of confession. But there is no sense of guarantee or control that would provide assurance that future pain could be avoided, so some emotional turmoil remains.

5. Forgiveness means something must die. We begin to realize exactly how devastating sin really is. Nothing short of death will stop it. Without being overly dramatic, we clearly see that something will die—love, trust, hope, a dream, dignity, respect… or Christ in their/our place. The only way to escape this maze of moral offense without losing someone or something we love is with a substitute.

6. We chose who/what to send to the cross. We begin to realize that the words “I forgive you” can be translated, “I apply Christ to your account. His death satisfies what your offense deserves in a way nothing else can… even my anger or revenge. I see in our relationship a picture of my attempt to be reconciled to God. My actions created a hopeless situation until Christ took my place so in our relationship I will allow Him to take your place.”

7. We are reminded of peace greater than our pain. In this memory, we find that forgiveness is not an action or a choice, but a dramatization or re-enactment of the gospel. As we experience the gospel in the emotional freshness (bad and good) of this experience, we are reminded of our journey from death to life (Eph. 2:1-10). We get another taste of hopelessness turned to victory and we remember (because life had distracted us) that our ultimate security and emotional safety is in Christ, not circumstances. This fresh realization places the offense back in its appropriate perspective; without minimizing the offense, it is swallowed up in the greatness of the gospel.

At this point in the chapter it should become clear that forgiveness does not add to anything that wisdom would not already advise if such an offer of grace from God were real. Our hesitancy to forgive (when we rightly understand what forgiveness means) is not a resistance to dangerous folly, but a doubt in or minimizing of God’s abundant grace to us.

Bitterness is a form of meditation, but on hurt instead of the gospel. When we allow the hurts of our spouse to walk us through the journey of processing the emotions associated with forgiveness, then “the meditations of our hearts” (Psalm 19:14) center on the gospel and point us to hope instead of doubt or dissatisfaction.

Idolatry and Sports by David Platt

This is from August, 2013 message "Idolatry and Sports" David Platt preached in his own pulpit at The Church of Brook Hills in Birmingham, AL.  It is only six minutes long.

Sunday Sermon, February 23, 2014 Ruth 1: 1-5

I began a new series of messages this past Sunday from the book of Ruth.  The series "Destiny: Getting to Where God Intends You to Be" began with this message "Believer, Don't Go There" from Ruth 1: 1-5.

Sermon notes may be found here.

Here is the audio:

Hello, My Name is Church

Hello my name is Church:

I’m sure you’ve heard a lot about me.
I have no shortage of critics.

Perhaps you have heard that I am

Boring
Shallow
Cheap
A waste of time

You’ve heard that I am full of

Hypocrites
Clowns
Greedy people
The self- righteous

Maybe you have visited me before and discovered

Horrible music
Passionless singing
Dry preaching
Rude congregants

Maybe you needed me and I was

Too busy
Too “righteous”
Too broke
Too blind

Maybe you joined me and found I was

Distant
Demanding
Dull
Preoccupied

Maybe you tried to serve in me but were caught off guard by

Business meetings
Committees
Teams
Bureaucracy

Maybe you left and were surprised that nobody

Called
Cared
Noticed
Invited you back

Perhaps your experience has driven you to

Speak negatively of me
Swear to never come back to me
Proclaim that no one needs me
Believe you’re better off without me

If this is true, I have something to say to you

I’m sorry
I was wrong
I blew it
I made a huge mistake

But remember, I never said my name was

Perfect
Flawless
Complete
Arrived

My name is Church. I welcome the

Hypocrite
Dry
Self-righteous
Shallow

I welcome the

Sincere
Passionate
Forgiving
Selfless

I cannot shut my doors to the people who make you

Angry
Uncomfortable
Impatient
Self-conscious

But I would remind you that we couldn’t always worship in the same room.

In the Old Testament there was a division between the

Gentile
Jew
Man
Woman

In order for us to all worship in the same room Christ was

Shamed
Beaten
Killed
Resurrected

Which is far worse than being

Bored
Uncomfortable
Embarrassed
Ignored

So why not come back to church and let all of these messed up people

Challenge you
Sharpen you
Strengthen you
Humble you

I can’t promise you that the people will be great

This is church
It’s not

Heaven
Paradise
Beulah Land
The Celestial city

Come back

God wants you here
The body needs you here
The world needs your witness here
You belong here

Hello, my name is Church

I miss you
I love you
I’m sorry
Can’t wait to see you

================

This poem is copyrighted by “Unappreciated Pastor.” All rights reserved.
For reprint permission/requirements, email sbctoday@gmail.com

The Next Great Move of God by Ronnie Floyd

I have a growing conviction that we are on the brink of the next great move of God in America. I do not proclaim to have any special insight on this, but I just sense in my heart that God is preparing His people to do something special.

Seasons and Moments

I do believe we have had seasons and moments when God was up to something big, but we walked away from it. Hundreds of thousands of people who are my age came to Christ during one of these great seasons called, The Jesus Movement. Countless thousands of us were called into ministry and missions due to this great move of God. Since the church did not embrace it fully, in time, the movement seemed to subside. Yet, many of the results of that great move of God have been long lasting and eternal for, perhaps, millions of people.

It appears to me, some twenty years later, there was another great surge of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Matters like prayer, fasting, and holiness seemed to emerge in the ranks of Christianity. Great men like Bill Bright began to lead conferences on prayer and fasting, and at the same time, a men’s movement called Promise Keepers seemed to be rising greatly. The status in the nation, along with this rising tide of the Spirit of God, seemed to move us to the brink of entering the land of that next great move of God.

I Will Never Forget

Due to God’s movement in my own life in a profound manner, I found myself, on October 4, 1997, preaching to 1.3 million men in the Washington D. C. Mall at a Promise Keepers national gathering for men called, “Stand in the Gap.” As I left Washington D.C. that evening, I thought we were about to cross over into the unknown territory of the next great move of God.

Yet, for some reason, it seemed it just did not happen. Some would say they know why, and perhaps they do. I will leave that up to historians to decide. Yet, one cannot deny the powerful movement of God that led up to that day in Washington. It was something far bigger than conferences on prayer and fasting, or Promise Keepers. But for some reason, by the year 2000, this rising tide seemed to go back out to the sea, yet to return.

God Is Preparing His People

My life was changed by the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ in the first movement I described, and I was involved actively in the second great movement. For the past ten to fifteen years, it seemed the tide would not roll in again. While the nation continues to fall into deeper depravity, the church seems to be losing ground greatly.

However, I am very hopeful! I sense God is rolling in the tide of the Holy Spirit in a fresh way. Yes, sin abounds in our nation; but grace abounds much more! While many churches seem powerless and others are dying, God is doing some mighty things in many churches across the land. While some may be closing their doors, others are entering into moments never before seen in the American church. 

Yes, I believe God is preparing His people.

Why I am Hopeful we are on the Brink of the Next Great Move of God

I choose to believe by faith that we are on the brink of the next great move of God for these reasons:

1. Desperation is growing. People are convicted, now more than I have seen in many years, God is our only hope. While desperation is growing, God is getting us ready! I believe all generations are desperate for God to do something great in our day.

2. Prayer is on the rise. I am hearing and sensing that prayer is on the rise in the church. People are beginning to cry out to God again. God always answers when His people cry out to Him in their desperation for Him to move. Extraordinary prayer always precedes the manifest presence of God. As desperation is growing, prayers are rising up from the people of God.

3. Leaders are ready. Everywhere I go and every spiritual leader I talk to is aware the need for a move of God is greater today than ever before in our generation. They know, with growing conviction, God is our only hope! Leaders appear to be more ready for this next great move of God than I have seen in years.

4. Church is the key. We hear continually that denominations and conventions are losing their meaningful influence they held in the past. Whether this is true or not, without question, even those in denominational or conventional gospel work, are aware the landscape has changed from even a decade ago. This places the church at center stage, just the way Jesus intended.

I believe this next great movement of God will fall upon a church that is experiencing:

• A return to the gospel. Not just receiving the gospel, but living out the gospel.
• A rising commitment to planting gospel churches nationally and globally.
• A revitalization and rebirth of vision and mission.
• A renewal towards compassion for the poor, the needy, the orphan, the widow, the broken, and the hurting; whether it has come from a person’s past, misfortune, or even a disaster, a renewal towards compassion is occurring.
• A release of people, dreams, and resources to the finishing of the task of making disciples of all the nations.

This is why I am hopeful we are on the brink of the next great move of God in our nation. The church is as ripe as I have ever seen it. If indeed the great outpouring of the Spirit happens in our generation, He will be poured out upon a church that is as ready as possible, and prayerfully desperate. When the church is prepared and prayerfully desperate, I believe we will cross on over into the land of that next great move of God and ultimately finish the task of making disciples of all the nations.

Yours for the Great Commission,

Ronnie W. Floyd

       

Surviving Our Present Culture by Charles Stanley

Surviving Our Present Culture Read | Hebrews 5:12-14 If we desire to survive our present culture, then the inspired, infallible Word of God must have a central place in our daily life. Through the Bible, God speaks to us about His truths and the world’s lies. To know if we have fallen victim to falsehood, we need to take an honest look at whether we are committed Christ-followers or worldly believers. Worldly Christians may have strong convictions about following the Lord but often find themselves compromising those principles. A weak understanding of God’s character and instructions will result in self-focused lives and susceptibility to the culture’s influences (Eph. 4:14). Worldliness is revealed in long-term inconsistency with regard to the Christian walk and in a focus on things that give pleasure or comfort. Minimal involvement in the local church also prevents growth in spiritual maturity. Do you recognize yourself in any part of this description? If so, be encouraged. Scripture stands as a beacon to guide us safely through cultural perils so we can become committed Christ-followers. The Bible and the Holy Spirit’s work will increasingly cause our lives to reflect God’s standard. Applying Scripture to our attitudes and actions will result in a growing passion for the Lord and greater obedience to Him. Then, as trust and dependence on Jesus Christ continue to increase, our whole life will take on a new perspective because we have aligned ourselves with His Word. What place does Scripture have in your decision making?