Our Incredible God Deserves Incredible Worship

Since God can be nothing less than incredible, the worship He deserves and requires can be nothing less than incredible. We are going to skim through the story of Nehemiah, park at chapter 9, and see how our incredible God showed up during then, the incredible worship the Israelites responded with, and how all this relates to us now.

Background of Nehemiah chs. 1-8

• The Israelites are in captivity to the Persians during this time in history (around 445BC).
  
• Nehemiah was the king’s cupbearer, but he wanted to see God’s remaining people go back to their homeland because he was burdened about the walls being rebuilt.
  
• Nehemiah’s plan to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem was met with opposition from some of his own people, but he and those with him pressed on.
  
• Nehemiah was later appointed governor of Judah and the walls were rebuilt while still facing opposition from some of their own people.
  
• In addition, it is said that rebuilding walls of a conquered city was seen as a flagrant threat to Persian rule. And yet, Nehemiah put his faith, his desire, his effort, and his voice in the hands of his great God and God did something exceptional with it. Jerusalem went from a forsaken land, in shambles, with no walls or gates, and the people of Israel scattered and in shame, to a city rebuilt, it’s people returned, shame removed, order established, a hometown governor appointed (who was just months earlier a cup-bearer for the king), and the law of God reinstituted, proclaimed, and understood again. Is this not incredible? And that’s just chapters 1-8!
  

Nehemiah 9
So, after all this in chapters 1-8, worship begin breaking out. Chapter 9 is all worship. It’s a declaration, from their past to their present, of the greatness of the most incredible God. Notice also how their declaration of God’s incredible greatness is true in our past to present.

“You are the Lord, you alone. You have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them; and you preserve all of them; and the host of heaven worships you.” (v6)

The Lord (YWHW) alone is God, the Creator of all things, and He preserves all His Creation (lit. He keeps all His Creation in existence). Our incredible God deserves nothing less than incredible worship.

“You are the Lord, the God who chose Abram and brought him out of Ur of the Chaldeans and gave him the name Abraham. You found his heart faithful before you, and made with him the covenant to give to his offspring the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Jebusite, and the Girgashite. And you have kept your promise, for you are righteous.” (vv7-8)

As God did to Abraham, He has done so to you! God chose you. He changed your name from ‘Child of Wrath’ and from ‘Wicked One’, to ‘Child of God’ and ‘Beloved’. He made a covenant with you through the death and resurrection of Jesus. Our incredible God deserves nothing less than incredible worship.

“And you saw the affliction of our fathers in Egypt and heard their cry at the Red Sea, and performed signs and wonders against Pharaoh and all his servants and all the people of his land, for you knew that they acted arrogantly against our fathers. And you made a name for yourself, as it is to this day. And you divided the sea before them, so that they went through the midst of the sea on dry land, and you cast their pursuers into the depths, as a stone into mighty waters. By a pillar of cloud you led them in the day, and by a pillar of fire in the night to light for them the way in which they should go.” (vv9-12)

God has seen your afflictions and has heard your cries and He has and will continue to deliver you from them. He wants to declare the fame of His name through your life. What a privilege! What greater sign and wonder is there other than your transformation? Our incredible God deserves nothing less than incredible worship.

“You came down on Mount Sinai and spoke with them from heaven and gave them right rules and true laws, good statutes and commandments, and you made known to them your holy Sabbath and commanded them commandments and statutes and a law by Moses your servant. You gave them bread from heaven for their hunger and brought water for them out of the rock for their thirst, and you told them to go in to possess the land that you had sworn to give them.” (vv13-15)

In the same way God has provided you with food and water to eat and drink, He has given you His perfect, His true, and His holy Word, which is your heavenly food, to feast on and obey (cf. Deut. 8:3). Our incredible God deserves nothing less than incredible worship.

“But they and our fathers acted presumptuously and stiffened their neck and did not obey your commandments. They refused to obey and were not mindful of the wonders that you performed among them, but they stiffened their neck and appointed a leader to return to their slavery in Egypt. But you are a God ready to forgive, gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and did not forsake them. Even when they had made for themselves a golden calf and said, ‘This is your God who brought you up out of Egypt,’ and had committed great blasphemies, you in your great mercies did not forsake them in the wilderness. The pillar of cloud to lead them in the way did not depart from them by day, nor the pillar of fire by night to light for them the way by which they should go. You gave your good Spirit to instruct them and did not withhold your manna from their mouth and gave them water for their thirst.” (vv16-20)

Guess what? Even when you disobey, or your wonderment/awe of God becomes dull, or you return to a former bondage He delivered you from, there is always a “but God” in the life of a believer. God is ready to forgive, He is gracious, and merciful, slow to anger, overflowing with kindness, does not forsake those He has redeemed and continues to sustain them. Our incredible God deserves nothing less than incredible worship.

“Forty years you sustained them in the wilderness, and they lacked nothing. Their clothes did not wear out and their feet did not swell.” (v21)

God has sustained you in all of your wildernesses. You have remained and still remain because of God. Our incredible God deserves nothing less than incredible worship.

“And you gave them kingdoms and peoples and allotted to them every corner. So they took possession of the land of Sihon king of Heshbon and the land of Og king of Bashan. You multiplied their children as the stars of heaven, and you brought them into the land that you had told their fathers to enter and possess. So the descendants went in and possessed the land, and you subdued before them the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, and gave them into their hand, with their kings and the peoples of the land, that they might do with them as they would. And they captured fortified cities and a rich land, and took possession of houses full of all good things, cisterns already hewn, vineyards, olive orchards and fruit trees in abundance. So they ate and were filled and became fat and delighted themselves in your great goodness.” (vv22-25)

God goes before His people and prepares their days to delight (take pleasure) in His great goodness. What an incredible expectation we have as born-again believers! Our incredible God deserves nothing less than incredible worship.

“Nevertheless, they were disobedient and rebelled against you and cast your law behind their back and killed your prophets, who had warned them in order to turn them back to you, and they committed great blasphemies. Therefore you gave them into the hand of their enemies, who made them suffer. And in the time of their suffering they cried out to you and you heard them from heaven, and according to your great mercies you gave them saviors who saved them from the hand of their enemies. But after they had rest they did evil again before you, and you abandoned them to the hand of their enemies, so that they had dominion over them. Yet when they turned and cried to you, you heard from heaven, and many times you delivered them according to your mercies. And you warned them in order to turn them back to your law. Yet they acted presumptuously and did not obey your commandments, but sinned against your rules, which if a person does them, he shall live by them, and they turned a stubborn shoulder and stiffened their neck and would not obey. Many years you bore with them and warned them by your Spirit through your prophets. Yet they would not give ear. Therefore you gave them into the hand of the peoples of the lands. Nevertheless, in your great mercies you did not make an end of them or forsake them, for you are a gracious and merciful God.” (vv26-31)

God loves us enough to give us chance after chance, warning after warning, and correction after correction (Heb. 12:5-6). God does not give up on us even when time after time we may give up on Him. Our incredible God deserves nothing less than incredible worship.

“Now, therefore, our God, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who keeps covenant and steadfast love, let not all the hardship seem little to you that has come upon us, upon our kings, our princes, our priests, our prophets, our fathers, and all your people, since the time of the kings of Assyria until this day. Yet you have been righteous in all that has come upon us, for you have dealt faithfully and we have acted wickedly. Our kings, our princes, our priests, and our fathers have not kept your law or paid attention to your commandments and your warnings that you gave them. Even in their own kingdom, and amid your great goodness that you gave them, and in the large and rich land that you set before them, they did not serve you or turn from their wicked works. Behold, we are slaves this day; in the land that you gave to our fathers to enjoy its fruit and its good gifts, behold, we are slaves. And its rich yield goes to the kings whom you have set over us because of our sins. They rule over our bodies and over our livestock as they please, and we are in great distress. Because of all this we make a firm covenant in writing; on the sealed document are the names of our princes, our Levites, and our priests.” (vv32-38)

God is just/righteous in what He allows to happen in our life and He only deals with us according to His faithfulness (2Tim. 2:13). Our incredible God deserves nothing less than incredible worship.

Conclusion
You'll notice, I did not start chapter 9 at verse 1. I started at verse 6. I saved the first 5 verses until now. I want to conclude with highlighting how the people of God during that time chose to demonstrate some incredible worship unto their incredible God.

• In verse 1, (i)they fasted in humility. They knew what they were deserving of (which was judgment) and they fasted in humility recognizing they were unworthy of any of the favor they received from God.
  
• In verses 2-3, (ii)they separated themselves from whatever would corrupt their relationship with God (i.e. lineage). (iii)They confessed their own sins and the generational baggage passed down from their family. (iv)They made reading the Word, confession, and reverencing God the top priority of their life.
  
• In verse 4, (v)they prayed to God with no restrictions.
  
• In verse 5, (vi)they proudly praised God.
  

This incredible kind of worship was their response to the incredibleness of God in their lives. Our worship unto our incredible God should be no less than theirs. He has rescued us like He did them. He has showered His favor in our life like He did theirs. He has delivered us like He did them. He has protected us like He did them. He has sustained us like He did them. He has helped us overcome our opposition like He did them. He has given us His Word like He gave them.

And He has gone further for us under the new covenant. For He has given us the Holy Spirit as a seal, never to leave us, and He has secured our eternity. Our God is truly incredible and has done many incredible things in our lives! Is He not worthy and deserving of the sacrifice necessary to give Him incredible worship in response to all He is and has done for us?

Some of you need to repent today because you’ve been giving God leftover and moldy worship, not incredible worship. Some of you need to tighten up, there are some things you need to separate from, some sins you need to confess. Don’t read this today without responding to God about how He has convicted or challenged you through this writing. God gave us the most incredible salvation! How dare we give Him anything less than incredible worship as our response? We have the Holy Spirit within us to help us do so. We are truly without excuse.

2/14/15

Hey Christian, YOU ARE Ray Rice...

By now I shouldn't be surprised when I check my social media or turn on the TV and someone new is in the news for some screw up they've done that many of my fellow “Christians“ are going to share their compassionless thoughts and opinions. And the fact that I shouldn't be surprised bothers me greatly, because we as believers should expect better from us as believers in this area. This blog article is not about the Ray Rice incident. This is about a heart issue that we must address.

How would YOU like it if YOUR sin/mistakes were broadcasted for almost everyone to see? Would you not seek and ask for grace, mercy, forgiveness? Does not God grant this to even murderers who repent (see Moses & David)? Self-righteousness is one of the most glaring deformities of Christians. You’re not perfect. Your life smells like boo-boo at times. Your actions, conversations, and thoughts are at times foul. But because the world doesn’t see it you think you can front like your life is always pristine. We have to stop being scared and fronting like we got it all together and learn to wear our brokenness as a badge of honor unto God’s grace (2Cor. 12:7-10)!

Guess what Christian? YOU ARE Ray Rice...and Darren Wilson, and Chris Brown, and any other person we’re ready to lynch via the media/social-media because of their sins/mistakes. YOU at times sin with a smile and hope no one caught you on camera. But God sees all and it’s by His grace and mercy that He doesn’t blast YOUR sin/mistakes for everyone to see. So be gracious and merciful to others in return, whether they deserve it or not, because let’s not forget we received God’s grace and mercy and we don’t deserve it. Remember, YOUR “righteousness” is filthy rags apart from Jesus; YOUR “goodness” is nothing and means nothing apart from Jesus. Thus, you have no righteousness or goodness in yourself to boast in anyway. We are to boast of and in Jesus’ righteousness and goodness manifested in our broken lives. Self-righteousness is but pride and idolatry of self camouflaged as selfies of our good actions and good character; it’s a glaring deformity that we choose to not see because we’re too focused on looking at and highlighting only or primarily the “nice parts” of ourselves.

This is why I try to boast of my weaknesses and brokenness more so or as much as my good, because any good you see or think you see in my life or from my life is all from God and for His glory. I am completely aware that if Jesus is not in my equation, if He is not my center, if He is not who I am daily surrendered to, I am a vile dude, point blank period. And guess what, so are you. So before you vent or share your opinions about other people’s sins/mistakes on social media or in your offline circles, think of YOUR sins/mistakes being put on blast by God for all to see…and remind yourself that He doesn’t. Then be merciful like your Heavenly Father is merciful (Lk. 6:36) and don’t comment like the Pharisee, comment like the tax collector (Lk. 18:9-14).

We who have received such great compassion should be the first to extend such great compassion to others (e.g. Matt. 18:21-33). Let’s pray for those (and their families) whose mistakes are put on blast by the media and lynched via social media. May they come to the loving embrace of Christ and be transformed by His grace and Spirit!

Jesus said, ““Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do.” Then He added, “Now go and learn the meaning of this Scripture: ‘I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices.’ For I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.”” (Matt. 9:12-13, NLT, emphasis added)

9/2014

Our Motivation for Worship - The Gospel

Here is a 20 minute version, with background music, of a passionate message on our motivation to worship God. A powerfully packed presentation of the Gospel from Exodus, Ezekiel, and Ephesians.

G.I.A. - Grace In Action

I just ended a phone conversation with a fellow believer. We had a good convo. It was edifying. However, some of what we talk about left me thinking about how some believers don't understand grace in action and that saddens me and makes my stomach hurt. Every believer, myself included, is pharisaic in some way and at some time. But in our pride we don't see it (and some times don't want to see it) and operating in grace in those areas becomes inactive.

Grace is the key!
The Grace of God is what saved us and Grace is what transforms us (Tit. 2:11-14; 3:4-7), and Grace is what will save and transform others. Grace is what breaks down the walls of traditionalism, legalism, self-righteous..ism, dogmatism, culturalism, post-modernism, and any other harmful "ism". Grace doesn't let us stay the way we are. It disrupts our pride and self-centeredness. That's why we don't operate in grace from time to time. Grace is a disruption to how we think things should be, because it centers the point of concern or contention on faith in God's character and purposes and not ours.

Grace isn't afraid to get dirty!
Grace isn't afraid to love like Christ, and give people room to make mistakes, and forgive, and grieve, and move on, and be humble, and be patient, and be a peacemaker, and be an agent of restoration, and be an ambassador of reconciliation, and anything else contrary to our pride and selfishness. Notice I didn't list correction. Giving correction is hard and it can get dirty some times, but giving correction is not unnatural to our sinful nature. That's why it's more "second nature" to finger-point at others (e.g. Gen. 3:12). Receiving correction, on the other hand, is dirty and unnatural to our sinful nature. Grace isn't afraid to give correction graciously as well as receive blows that hurt. Grace isn't afraid of becoming like Christ, but our flesh is (cf. Rom. 6).

Grace is powerful!
It is because of grace that Creation exist. It is because of grace that Adam and Eve weren't destroyed on the spot because of their sin, instead they were forgiven and their shame was covered by the skin of an innocent animal killed on their behalf. It's because of grace that the Ark was built when God judged the earth. It is grace that brought God to earth to be Incarnate (God-Man) and give His life as a ransom for His enemies. It's because of grace that the wrath of God has not yet come and those alive still have time to repent (2Pet. 3:7-9).

This grace is immeasurable! It is inexhaustible! And I believe if we as believers spent more time focusing on growing and operating in this grace we'd see a transformation take place in ourselves and some of the recipients of this grace in action.

Let's not let this grace be M.I.A in how we think, speak, and do. Let's go in His grace and grow in His grace (2Pet. 3:18).

11/26/12

The Help of the Word when Facing Life Issues

“What are one or two scripture verses that have helped you face issues in your own life?”
There are far too many scripture verses that have helped me face life issues. Plus, it depends on the issue I'm facing. Romans 8:26-39 is probably my most universal passage for facing most of my life issues. It covers how the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. During the moments when I cannot pray or don't what exactly to say, to know that the Holy Spirit intercedes for me according to the will of the Father is comforting. It covers our hopeful outcome. To know that regardless to what happens in my life, my God has already worked it out so that it benefits my good in someway is encouraging. It covers how God has predestined us to be conformed to the image of Christ. How awesome is it to know that God will continue to conform us from regeneration through sanctification unto glorification! And then Paul ends this chapter with a nine verse run on God's love for us. Knowing that nothing shall separate me from God's love is the greatest remedy to any hurt, or loss, or trial, or depression, or disappointment, and so on I may be experiencing.

As for how God has used the Word to bring me through times that may have been unbearable without it, He did that the morning my grandmother died in November of last year. My aunt called me at close to 1 a.m. on that morning. She told me that my beloved grandmother had passed away. To explain how much my grandmother means to me and my family could fill volumes. Let's just say she was like our Moses. Rather than crying initially, and after making a few more phone calls, I had a craving for God's Word. I was led first to read about Lazarus in John 11. From there my mind and spirit took me all throughout the New Testament. I meditated upon verses like 2Thessalonians 3:16, 2Corinthians 5:1-8, Philippians 1:21, and 2Timothy 4:6-8. The Scriptures comforted me with the truths and promises of God. And this has been my resting place.

All of my life experiences help me to be a well-balanced counselor, teacher, pastor, husband, friend, brother, and disciple. One who can empathize with loss, deep hurt, sadness, pain, anger, disappointments, failures, resentment, injustices, consequences, etc. One who can counsel from the Gospel in the same manner Christ has counseled me with His wondrous Gospel of Grace, Life, Restoration, Peace, and Love! One who can encourage others to lean and trust in the sovereignty of God and pull strength and power from the indwelling Holy Spirit. One who can assist others in anchoring themselves in the truths and promises of Scripture so that they are not tossed to and fro by their emotions and circumstances.

The Word is the roadmap for our life as well as the life boat when we find ourselves in troubled waters. Follow it and hold on to it daily, but even more so when facing life issues.

11/2/2011

Power in Weakness

I heard a pastor talk on this passage on the radio the other day. It made me pull over, open up my Bible and do Bible study in a Travelodge parking lot. Here are some notes I jotted down. I love it when the Holy Spirit ministers to me, because He knows right what I need to hear and when I need to hear it.

2Cor. 12:8-10:

“I begged the Lord three times to take this problem away from me.” (NCV) “But He said to me, My grace (My favor and loving-kindness and mercy) is enough for you [sufficient against any danger and enables you to bear the trouble manfully]; for My strength and power are made perfect (fulfilled and completed) and show themselves most effective in [your] weakness. Therefore, I will all the more gladly glory in my weaknesses and infirmities, that the strength and power of Christ (the Messiah) may rest (yes, may pitch a tent over and dwell) upon me! So for the sake of Christ, I am well pleased and take pleasure in infirmities, insults, hardships, persecutions, perplexities and distresses; for when I am weak [in human strength], then I am [truly] strong (able, powerful in divine strength).” (AMP)

God said “His strength/power” is shown perfect in weakness. It is then in our weaknesses—not sin, but the reality of our powerlessness—that the power of Christ is presently active for us and in us. When we accept and admit that we are weak is when we are strong, because that is when God’s power/strength is displayed and most effective (made perfect) in us.

The Apostle Paul uses some positive radical phrases to describe a reality that we typically see as a negative or as something unwanted. He says, “most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities” (v. 9, NKJV) and “I take pleasure in infirmities... reproaches... needs... persecutions... distresses, for Christ sake” (v. 10, NKJV). If we want God’s power manifested in our life, then we must consistently remember and admit our weaknesses (powerlessness); for it’s only when we do this that in the bosom of our being we genuinely recognize that we need to call out for God’s power/strength in all areas of our life, and thus our weaknesses become the main avenue for our strength from Him.

“...for when I am weak [in human strength], then I am [truly] strong (able, powerful in divine strength).”

9/23/11 

Genesis Contemplations II

GENESIS CONTEMPLATIONS II

Curse of Cain, son of Adam:
Most of us are familiar with the story of Cain and Abel. Cain’s offering to the Lord was rejected while his brother Abel’s was accepted. I can go off and get into why that was the case, but I’m not. Cain goes on to draw his brother Abel out into the field and then kill him. This is where I want to meditate. Cain kills his brother. God confronts him about it. Cain denies even knowing what God is talking about. God then curses Cain, “So now you are cursed from the earth… When you till the ground, it shall no longer yield its strength to you. A fugitive and a vagabond you shall be on the earth.” That’s it. God hit Cain right where it hurt the most, Cain’s gifting. The Bible says Cain was a tiller of the ground (Gen. 4:2). God said your gift will be useless now, the thing you love to do (or the thing you are great at doing) will no longer yield to you, and you shall continually wander among the earth. That’s it from God. His said His peace, He rendered His punishment.
     Cain, on the other hand, feeling the brunt of the punishment for what he did, says to God, “My punishment is greater than I can bear!” (Gen. 4:13-14). Separated from his family, soon to be separated from the presence of God (Gen. 4:16), living with the guilt of what he did to his younger brother, and in his mind a useless existence because the thing that identified him will no longer do so. Outcasted by the consequence of his action, just like his father Adam was, Cain in a depressed, guilt-ridden state of mind goes on to add on to God’s curse and curse himself, “…it will happen that anyone who finds me will kill me.” (Gen. 4:14). Cain no longer wants to live. But God, demonstrating yet again—like He did with Cain’s father—what Paul says in Romans 5:8, adds a curse onto Cain’s curse, ““Therefore whoever kills Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold.” And the Lord set a mark on Cain, lest anyone finding him should kill him.” (Gen. 4:15).
     How wonderful is our God, that even when Cain cursed himself for the pain and affliction he caused his parents and himself by way of his selfish acts, God sovereignly intervened and saves him, not from the consequences, but from the added curse he put on himself. Not only did God do this for Cain, but for Cain’s grandson Lamech as well. Like his grandfather Lamech killed a man and possibly internally cursed himself (Gen. 4:17-19, 23). God perceiving something in regards to this put a curse on anyone who attempted or did kill Lamech for what he did (Gen. 4:24).

The takeaway
What can we take away from Cain son of Adam? One is to be honest before God and with God. Another is to know that we are our brother and sister’s keeper and God will hold us accountable accordingly. Also our life is not identified by our gift(s), careers, accomplishments, and so on, but rather our lives are to be identified with the Creator and Giver of all good things. It should affect and penetrate us more to know we can lose fellowship (not relationship) with our God because of our sin more than we are affected or penetrated by the loss of anything else. And finally there are times in our life where we curse ourselves for the pain and affliction our selfish acts have caused others and/or ourselves. What we need to know is our God sees and knows what the just consequence is for our actions (and will allow such), and in His mercy He intervenes and “sets a mark” on us to keep us from our own curses.

Curse of Ham, son of Noah:
The Bible says from Noah’s three sons the whole earth was populated (Gen. 9:19). Noah’s son Ham has a very interesting story and lineage, which had major implications on history.
     In Genesis 9:22 the Bible records Ham seeing his father’s nakedness and then telling his two brothers. Ham’s brothers Shem and Japheth covered their father without looking at his nakedness (Gen. 9:23). Because of what Ham did God cursed Ham’s son Canaan (Gen. 9:25-27). But back to Ham, we’ll get to Canaan later. Ham’s decision to look upon his father and not cover him caused lingering internal problems for his lineage. Ham begot Cush (Gen. 10:6). Cush is the father of Nimrod (Gen. 10:8). The infamous Nimrod built a kingdom from Babel (which is Babylon- Gen. 11:9) to Assyria (Gen. 10:8-12). In Assyria Nimrod built Nineveh, whom we know from the story of Jonah. Nimrod was the founder of the lands and nations that were future enemies to the Israelites. Ham begot Mizraim (Gen. 10:6). Mizraim begot the father of the Philistines (Gen. 10:13-14), a consistent enemy of Israel during the Old Testament. Ham begot Canaan (Gen. 10:6). Canaan begot majority of the “ites” the Israelites warred with in the Old Testament (Gen. 10:15-18). And that is because Canaan was cursed to be a servant to the lineage of which the Israelites came through, Noah’s son Shem (Gen. 9:26; 11:10-26). The border of the Canaanites stretched from Sidon to as far as Gaza to as far as Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen. 10:19). We know Sodom and Gomorrah as the most sexually vile city among the world at one point (Gen. 13:13; 18:20-21; 19:1-13). They were a straight descendant of the first person to look upon the nakedness of the same sex--his father at that. Should we be shocked by Sodom and Gomorrah seeing the lineage in which they descend from? I think not. Canaan is also the land promised by God to the descendants of Abraham (Gen. 12:4-7; 15:12-21).
     More can be expounded on, but for the point I’m trying to make this is enough.

The takeaway
We can see from one man’s act, a whole lineage was internally cursed (also displayed in Cain with Lamech). This may be the case in your life. Your parents (or their parents, and so on) passed on their lineage of dysfunction to you in someway—depression, promiscuity, alcoholism, drug abuse, status seeking, people pleasing, bad decision making, etc. Praise God for making a way for us to born from the Seed of promise and not from the seed of shame! Praise God for Jesus who can break our generational dysfunctionality from being passed on to our children (ref. Acts 16:31-34) as long as we follow His prescription on life (Rom. 6:10-23).* (Let me clarify something. I didn't say nor was I implying that all of our problems, struggles, or the affects/influence of sin in our lives will go away because we are saved. Paul prayed three times that God would remove the thorn from his flesh, but He didn't. There are "thorn(s)" God allows to stay in our lives so that we, like Paul, don't get to elated and we always have a reminder of our constant need for Jesus- 2Cor. 12:7-10).

Conclusion
To conclude on both, how great is our God! For while we were still sinners He sent His Son Jesus Christ to die for us and redeem us from the curse of the law (and the curse of ourselves) and bring us into grace! This grace is available for us in every area of our lives and in every situation we come upon. Take away from these two whatever you can. I hope my contemplations have helped you in someway.

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* Just because Jesus can break any generational curse/dysfunction from being passed on by us to our children that doesn’t mean that our children won’t have any dysfunction or cause and pass on any dysfunction of their own (Jer. 31:29-30, Hos. 10:12-13, Gal. 6:7-8).

2009

Evidences of True Forgiveness

I had a trial over the weekend. So, I grabbed my resources (Bible, certain Christian books that touch on what I was going through, and my spiritual journal), took a ride and talked to Jesus about what I was going through and how to deal with it. At the end of my time with Jesus I asked Him about forgiveness. I said, “Am I truly forgiving a person if I just say I forgive them, or are there signs that accompany true forgiveness?” He responded with bringing some Bible verses to my mind and then dropped into my spirit how He forgives us. From this, I came to understand what biblical forgiveness/true forgiveness really is.

Biblical forgiveness/True forgiveness means:

1. not holding the fault/offense of the person to them (Ps. 103:10, 12) 
2. not having any animosity (ill will, hatred, resentment, hostility) toward the person still (Rom. 5:8-11) 
3. being able to leave the fault/offense right where it is (the past) and move on (Rom. 6:5-6ff)

These three are based off of how Jesus forgives us. 

1. When Jesus forgives us He no longer holds our sins against Him to us. The Bible says, “He doesn’t treat us as our sins deserve, nor pay us back in full for our wrongs… And as far as sunrise is from sunset, he has separated us from our sins.” (Ps. 103:10-12, MSG). 
2. When Jesus forgives us He doesn’t have any animosity toward us. The Bible says, “But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation. For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son. So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God.” (Rom. 5:8-11, NLT). 
3. When Jesus forgives us He leaves our sins right where they are, with our old man, and He moves on to our new man. The Bible says, “If we shared in Jesus’ death by being baptized, we will be raised to life with him. We know that the persons we used to be were nailed to the cross with Jesus. This was done, so that our sinful bodies would no longer be the slaves of sin.” (Rom. 6:5-6, CEV).

Jesus confirmed in a parable that we are to forgive just as we have been forgiven, “Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’” (Matt. 18:32-33, NIV). Thus, if our forgiveness of a person does not possess the three characteristics of how Jesus forgave us, then we have not completely forgiven that person and we need to be honest about it so to do something about it.

Hopefully what I learned during my trial has been helpful to you.

6/2009