Sunday, February 22, 2015

Letting It Go...



Throughout the school year, Mrs. Harrison had held her tongue every time Mr. Dubois made a sarcastic, cutting remark to other teachers-including her.  More than one teacher had lost their temper with him, but he simply shrugged off their complaints by accusing them of not having any semblance of a sense of humor.  What made the situation worse was that Mr. Dubois was a high-profile Christian in the community, frequently in the news for spearheading short-term mission trips to Guatemala, recruiting volunteers to work with him in his church’s soup kitchen, and serving as a lay chaplain at the local hospital. 

One afternoon, the perfect opportunity arose to talk to him about the way he treated other people and the poor reflection his behavior was on Christ.  She and Mr. Dubois were the only two teachers in faculty lounge at the time, and she knew she had to speak up.  Phrasing her comments as tactfully and graciously as she knew how, she emphasized that she knew he was just kidding around, suggesting that perhaps he did not realize how his remarks came across to others.  Mr. Dubois looked at her intently and thoughtfully the whole time she spoke, nodding in agreement.  When she finished, he opened his mouth as if to speak-and burst into laughter.  “You’ve got to be kidding me!  You’re telling me how to act? I don’t think so,” he said.  At that moment, another teacher entered the room, and Mr. Dubois began recounting-as dramatically as possible-what Mrs. Harrison ha just said to him.  Humiliated, she left the room, part of her feeling hurt but most of her feeling vengeful. 

What she did not know was that Miss Scott, the teacher who had to listen to Mr. Dubois’s tirade, fully supported Mrs. Harrison and her rightfulness in confronting him about his sarcasm.  He had hurt and angered a lot of people, she said, and many teachers were avoiding the faculty lounge for that very reason.  It was time he knew, and she was glad her colleague had spoken up.

When classes resumed after spring break several weeks later, Mr. Dubois found Mrs. Harrison alone in her classroom.  Clearly repentant, he acknowledged his ongoing inappropriate behavior as well as his rudeness and unkind treatment of her when she had tried to reason with him.  “There was so much talk about forgiveness at over Easter that I couldn’t help but hear what God was saying to me, “he said.  “I was wrong and I’ve been wrong for a long time. Will you forgive me?”

Mrs. Harrison hesitated.  She momentarily wondered if this was another one of his ruses.  Would he burst out laughing in ridicule if she extended forgiveness?  But she knew what she had to do: Regardless of his response, her responsibility as a follower of Christ was to make the decision to forgive him and extend that forgiveness out loud.  “I forgive you,” she said, Mr. Dubois thanked her-and asked her to hold him accountable for his words.  “Don’t wait till I’ve crossed the line,” he said. “I want you to tell me right away, even if I’ve moved just an inch closer to the line” with that, he left the room, resolved to close out the school year on a more positive note.

Forgiveness, both seeking it and extending it, is a powerful force in transforming a person’s life.  The greatest transformation, of course, comes when you ask God’s forgiveness, accept it, and begin to live out your life as a new creation. (2Corinthians 5:17, Matthew 18:21-35).  It’s also transforming when you realize you have wronged another person and seek his forgiveness.  He or she may forgive your or he or she may not.  The only aspect of that interaction that you have any control over is your own, and you’ve done what you could by asking forgiveness (and making restitution, if appropriate).  If he or she refuses to forgive you, you need to move on and not dwell on his or her response.

Sunday, February 15, 2015

Touch of Jesus' Love



The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand.  He that believeth on the son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him. John 3:35-36

Because God loved Jesus, He gave us to Him, and He gave Him to us.  In that act, we became inextricably bound to the love of the Godhead.  We can't fathom how God did it or why.  Why us and not others?  If we're honest, we know we didn't have anything that made us so special that we deserved eternity.  So why did God choose you and maybe not he coworker next to you?  He alone knows.  Be glad that He loves you.  But don't let it end there.  Share the love of Jesus with others around you.  Maybe you're not good at preaching, but you can show what God is like by being honest.  You can show His caring by lending an ear to a coworker who's going through a personal crisis.  You can offer your condo-dwelling coworker some tomatoes from your garden when you have a bumper crop.  You may never hear that person pray to receive Him, but your coworker may just have felt the first touch of Jesus' love.

Use me, Lord, wherever You want to.  Show me how to share Your love today.


Sunday, February 8, 2015

What Is Sin?

 
What Is Sin?
 
No one can read the Bible very much without realizing that a great deal of attention is given to the subject of sin, its cause and cure.  We often think of sin in connection with crime and murder.  But sin in the Bible refers to anything short of God's perfection.  In Romans 3:23 we read, "all have sinned and come short of the glory of God."  The "glory of God" includes the thought of absolute perfection.  Sin is therefore falling short of the mark. All men are guilty of this.  Sin is also spoken of in the Bible in the following ways:
  1. Breaking the law of God.  Romans 5:13 
  2. Rebellion against God, or lawlessness. I John 3:4
  3. Moral Impurity Psalm 32:5
  4. Evil thoughts are sinful, as well as evil deeds Matthews 5:23
Sin is what keeps us away from God, but thank God for Jesus Christ who died for our sins and transgressions.  Who made away for us to come back to God and have a relationship with Him.
 
 
 
 
Source: What Christians Believe

Sunday, February 1, 2015

Why Do We Pray?



Why do we pray?

1. God has always wanted to be close to us but because we are as filthy rags and our sins have separated us from being close to God. Through Jesus Christ dying on the cross for our sins and transgressions He allowed us to get closer to God through Jesus Christ.

2. To glorify God in thanks for God's greatest gift Jesus Christ "I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son" (John 14:13)

3. For comfort in a time of need when Jesus was in His greatest time of need He turned to prayer.

4. To feel God's presences to know God directly through our lives as Christians.

5. To experience God's forgiveness that God might know our willingness to do better. If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. (2 Chronicles 7:14)