“As God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the LORD has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.” Colossians 3:12-13
Paul offers a strategy to help us live for God day by day (1) imitate Christ’s compassionate, forgiving attitude; (2) let love guide your life; (3) let the peace of Christ rule in your heart; (4) always be thankful; (5) always keep God’s Word in you; and (6) live as Jesus Christ representative.
The key to forgiving others is remembering how much God has forgiven you. Is it difficult for you to forgive someone who has wronged you a little when God has forgiven you so much? Realizing God’s infinite love and forgiveness can help you love and forgive others.
THE LOVE OF GOD … IN OUR HEARTS. Christians experience the love of God in their hearts through the Holy Spirit, especially in times of affliction. The verb “shed abroad” is a present perfect tense, signifying that the Spirit continues to flood our hearts with love.
It is this ever-present experience of God’s love that sustains us in tribulation and assures us that our hope for future glory is not illusory.
No matter what we may go through in this life, know that God is our present hope on every hand. Although at times it is easier said than done, we must continue to place our hope in the One that can and will deliver us.
Justification through faith brings the believer various results: peace with God, grace, hope, assurance, tribulations, the love of God, the Holy Spirit, salvation from wrath, reconciliation to God, salvation by the life and presence of Jesus, and joy in God.
“Grab … hope with both hands and never let go!” Whenever your situation looks impossible, remember what the scripture says in the book of Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future”.
This reading encourages one to hold on and trust in God. We do not know the plans that He has laid for us, however, if we believe in His Word He has said that He will never leave us nor forsake us. When things might look as if they will not come to pass, take a look at Matthew 19:26, where Jesus said “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible”.
I know that life has a way sometimes to take the little hope that we have and dash it against the nearest wall; however, if we just hold on a little while and trust Him. As God has never lost a battle, grab hold of your hope with both hands and never, ever let go!
The Bible is clear that God pardons sins by His grace based on Christ’s work on the cross alone, not on man’s actions. The apostle Paul reminds us that we should have buried our old selves — and our old sins — symbolically through baptism (Romans 6:3; Colossians 2:12). God desires to forget our transgressions as though they had not happened in the first place. Jeremiah 31:34 says, “I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.”
Forgiveness of sins and the resulting reconciliation with God are foundational in the new covenant; they are based on the atoning sacrifice of Christ on the cross (cf. Is. 53:4—6; Mat. 26:27—28; Luke 22:20).
Wounded for our transgressions (Is. 53:5). Christ was crucified because we have sinned and are guilty before God. As our substitute, He took the punishment due us and paid the penalty for our sins — the penalty of death (Rom. 6:23). Therefore, we can be forgiven and have peace with God (cf. Rom. 5:1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our LORD Jesus Christ.) Justification through faith brings the believer various results: peace with God, grace, hope, assurance, tribulations, the love of God, the Holy Spirit, salvation from wrath, reconciliation to God, salvation by the life and presence of Jesus, and joy in God.
The best description for today’s message is this: If we go to God seeking with a pure heart in repentance of our sins, He is just to forgive.
“The act of changing one’s mind.” This is what the scripture says about repentance. True biblical repentance goes beyond remorse, regret, or feeling bad about one’s sin. It means turning and walking away never to repeat the sin.
When we admit our sins and seek God’s forgiveness, He forgives and forgets those things. Our LORD God chooses to forget all the bad stuff that we once were entangled with. We are given a clean slate, basically a do-over!
Look at the story told in the Book of Luke 15:17—24, in regard to the Prodigal Son.
“17 “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ 20 So he got up and went to his father.
“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
21 “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. 24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.”
Just as the earthly father forgave his son, so will your Heavenly Father forgive you when you seek His forgiveness.
Remember God loves you — all of you and your imperfections. Only He can wash us and cleanse us from the past errors of our ways.
“The act of changing one’s mind.” This is what the scripture says about repentance. True biblical repentance goes beyond remorse, regret, or feeling bad about one’s sin. It means turning away, walking away and prayerfully the sin is never repeated.
When we seek God with a true heart and seek forgiveness through prayer, it means a change of attitude and action in our walk of life. To repent means to make an about-face, heart-directed turn away from self to God, from the past to a future ruled by God’s commands, acknowledging that the Lord reigns supreme over one’s existence. Now, once God accepts our sincere heart, those past things are washed away, gone, forgotten. I was told those sins are cast into the lake of forgetfulness. Once Jesus canceled the record of those past charges against us, they are done. Only man loves to go fishing.
Isaiah 35 1-2 glad. Isaiah 35 stands in contrast to Isaiah 34. This chapter opens with a lilt of joy. The desert plain shall blossom and break into bloom. Centuries before, Moses had warned of a day when the rain of this land would become “dust and powder” (Dt. 28:24). That day came because Israel was disobedient to God. But, at the second coming of Christ (Rev. 20:1-6), Israel will be restored spiritually, and with spiritual restoration comes physical blessing. When judgment is removed, great blessing follows. Restoration follows repentance, and restoration is accompanied by joy.
This is one of the greatest chapters in the Bible, a poem of rare and superb beauty. It presents a picture of the last times, when the redeemed, after long suffering, finally shine forth in all the radiance of their heavenly glory. Returning exiles traveling along the highway (vv. 8—10) offer a marvelous image of the redeemd traveling home to God.
James 5:11 We give great honor to those who endure suffering. Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful.
You weren’t there, as a matter fact, you weren’t even in the same state, you actually were on location elsewhere, yet your name somehow was singled out.
But so-and-so said it was you that said what was said, when it was said! You try to justify yourself, yet even your friends questioned you.
“You know (Mary/John), maybe you said something or did something, and it just slipped your mind. You must have offended him/her in some kind of way.”
See, many people have heard about Brother Job and his trials; but not many people understood or even now understand what those trials were all about and what God was trying to accomplish.
Recall the scripture that I read: 1 Peter 1:7 CEV Your faith will be like gold that has been tested in a fire.
Sometimes our faith is tested. Sometimes we find ourselves standing in front and center of the furnace.
See there maybe conversations going on, even now, in the heavens that may concern you and you have no idea about such things or what the outcome of those conversations might be. Right now, here we are, sitting in church listening to the Word that was given to the preacher to present to you.
Oblivious, to a conversation that could possibly change your life forever.
If you just allow me a few minutes, I would like to take a look at a particular man’s life. This man from the 18th book of the Old Testament, The Book of Job.
Recall I just said, even now, in the heavens there may be a conversation that may concern you and you here on earth are completely clueless to it.
Here are a few of the events that took place in the life of Job.
They could not see into the future to realize that Job suffered as he did, so that God’s people today, might learn from Job’s experiences of yesterday, how to be patient in suffering and endure to the end.
23rd chapter, verse10 But He knows the way that I take when He has tested me, I will come forth as gold. 11 My feet have closely followed His steps; I have kept to His way without turning aside. 12 I have not departed from the commands of His lips; I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my daily bread.
As I said to those in Bible Study, Job did not speak these words about himself, Job did not have to pay a source such as ‘Resume.Com’ to have someone write out his CV.
(See man can stand and tell the world just how loyal you are to something, church, family, job. And it’s good to have a name of being a loyal person. If you do these things well, remember it’s just your expected service while here on earth. Because when it’s all said and done, it’s what you do for Christ that is going to last.)
Regarding Job, in a human sense, God was boasting about this man named Job.
Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side?
Thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.
But if put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face.
Now this is where I want you to play close attention to… And the LORD said to Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand.
I want you to understand that God is always in control of everything and everyone, even Satan. The limit of his power is in the hands of God. This is why God said, in the first command, “Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. And in the second time; God said, Behold, he is in thine hand; but save his life.
Neither time did Job do as Satan had expected. Job never cursed God to His face, nor sin with his lips as he said he would.
Because Satan comes to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10), God places a hedge of protection around His people to shield them from Satan’s attacks.
The “hedge” is like a spiritual “wall of fire” surrounding God’s faithful so that Satan cannot harm them.
“5 And I myself will be a wall of fire around it,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will be its glory within.’ Zech. 2:5
All believers who are faithfully endeavoring to love God and follow the leading of the Holy Spirit have a right to ask and expect God to place this wall of protection around them and their families.
Poor Job, he did not know of this conversation.
This is what my Bible has to say…
Job’s Character and Wealth
Satan Allowed to Test Job
Job Loses His Health
Job’s three friends Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar, came and sat with him. Seven days and seven nights, they just sat with him. No one said a mumbling word.
After the time had passed (the seven days) each had their say in conversation about their thoughts on what, when and why such things happened to Job.
Sometimes, it is best to say nothing at all instead of speculating your thoughts. In all this back and forth, had Job call them, miserable comforters and that they were.
Then came along a young lad that thought he had it all solved…
His possessions, prosperity, happiness, children, all gone. Now his health is so bad that he asks to be hidden in the grave.
All loss in the fires.
But understand this. Through it all Job never stop believing in his God.
He testified, “I know my redeemer lives”!
Through it all Job stayed faithful.
Then God speaks!
Gold fears no fire. Whatever we had that was burned up in the furnace wasn’t worth having anyway.
Where in the Bible does it say, we are tested like gold?
And these trials will prove that your faith is worth much more than gold that can be destroyed. They will show that you will be given praise and honor and glory when Jesus Christ returns.
Only God can restore, whatever was loss in the furnace.
What fire, are you speaking about Elder?
The fires that show up sporadically in your lives.
Not just sickness, health, disease, these of the most serious ones, yet not the only fires…what about loss of job, loss of home, loss of financial stability, loss of marriage, loss of life, etc., etc. Loss of loss!
Whatever you thought your loss in the fire, remember that God can restore.
Nothing is final, unless God says it is final.
Restore – bring back – reinstate – put back – reinstitute – reimpose – refurbish – rehabilitate – rebuild – repair, refresh, rejuvenate, renew, and renovate. While all these words mean “to make like new,” restore implies a return to an original state after depletion or loss.
God can!
God is in control — He directs, preserves, and maintains His created order. Although we can’t see it, God is divinely governing the moral and political affairs of people as well. By spending time observing the majestic and intricate parts of God’s creation, we can be reminded of His power in every aspect of our lives.
Prayer refers to the multifaceted communication of believers with the LORD God. In addition to such words as “prayer” and “praying,” this activity is described as calling upon God.
Mark 11:24Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.
For a very short while this morning, I would like to speak to you in regard to the following words and their importance in prayer.
Determination — Perseverance — Persistence
James 1:2 “Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love Him.”
Determination — is the act of deciding definitely and firmly. also : the result of such an act of decision. A firm or fixed intention to achieve a desired end.
Abraham is an example of determination because he was willing to leave his home and follow God’s instructions, even when it meant going to a land in which he was unfamiliar with (Genesis 12:1-4). He obeyed God, and became the father of many nations, as God had promised.
Jesus was determined to do God’s Will no matter what surrounded Him. He was determined to live outside of the confinement of status and the opinions of other people. He was determined to seek and save the children of God who had lost their way.
When one walks with the determination to succeed: they trust within their heart the Word in scripture that says: “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:3
Perseverance— a continued effort to do or achieve something despite difficulties, failure, or opposition. It is the action or condition or an instance of persevering : steadfastness. One must be persistent despite the difficulties or delays we face.
The Bible teaches us to persevere in our faith, trusting God to fulfill His promises. When we face difficulties, we can trust that God understands our situation and sees our distress. Through perseverance, we build character, patience, gratitude, respect, and appreciation. Spiritual leaders with character have hope. Not hope in themselves but hope and faith that God will never be defeated.
Jeremiah was blessed by God and tasked with preaching God’s word to His people. He is an example of perseverance by continually preaching and teaching God’s word, despite all that was done to him. The tragedy of Jeremiah’s life was this: he preached to deaf ears and reaped only hate in return for his love to his fellow countrymen. But that did not stop him, Jeremiah was nevertheless one of the boldest and bravest of all the prophets. Despite great opposition, he faithfully carried out his call as a prophet to warn his fellow citizens that God’s judgement was at hand.
How did Jesus demonstrate perseverance? He persevered through agony on the cross, gave His life for a sinner like me, and offered the most perfect example of endurance as He finished the race of life perfectly. Jesus Christ is the ultimate example of perseverance in the Bible!
Persistence — is the quality that allows someone to continue doing something or trying to do something even though it is difficult or opposed by other people.
What does the Bible say about persistence? “And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.”
“As for you, my sisters and brothers, don’t grow weary in doing good, don’t be so quick to throw in the towel.” “For the one who endures to the end will be saved.” Prayers of persistence bring abundant blessings. When we pray with persistence, God blesses us in ways we could never have imagined. He pours out His goodness on us and provides for all our needs. We should never give up praying because we know that God is faithful to answer our prayers and bless us abundantly.
Persistence is a virtue well worth cultivating; it’s when we hang in there and keep going no matter how tough our circumstances seem to be. It’s during the times of trials and tribulations that we build strength and endurance. Let’s recall that the race is not given to the swift, nor the victory to the strong, but to him that endures to the end.
These three words, determination, perseverance, and persistence is the roots to the definition of how one prays when they are calling upon God. We must be constant, ever pressing forward in prayer. Just as we must persist, by never stopping. In doing so, the value of persistence will bring answers to our prayers.
Jesus, promised that His followers would receive the Holy Spirit if they persisted in asking, seeking, and knocking at the door of their Heavenly Father (Luke 11:5-13).
Thus, after Jesus’ ascension, His followers continually devoted themselves to prayer in the upper room until with power the Holy Spirit was poured out on the day of Pentecost. (Acts 2).
The Word says: When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. The promised fulfillment of asking, seeking, and knocking!
Determination, perseverance, and persistence in prayer is found in the story of the widow that functions as a model for discipleship with respect to persistence in prayer.
The Bible says: Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. 2 He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. 3 And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’ 4 “For some time he refused. But finally, he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think, 5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, lest by her continual coming she weary me!’” 6 And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. 7 And will not God bring about justice for His chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will He keep putting them off? 8 I tell you; He will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?”
The Widow had determination, and she was faithful to what she believed in. She was persistent in her pursuit of justice.
Do you have the determination, and persistence to pray even when it looks as if your answer will never come. Do you lack the persistence to stay there in prayer inspite of what it looks like today?
Remember, the story in the Book of Daniel 10th chapter where it was said that Daniel had prayed but it seemed his prayers were seemingly unanswered. However, the scripture goes on to relay that, from the moment he humbled himself and received understanding, his prayer was heard, and the answer was sent. But it was waylaid by the angel-prince of the kingdom of Persia. But then Michael, one of the chief angels, intervened to help the answer to come and to be on its way.
Blessings delayed or not always blessings denied. Stay there and continue in your prayers. Seek, ask, and knock. I heard a Pastor’s message that said, “If it’s healing you are praying for, know this, if the LORD does not heal you on this side, you will be healed on the other. For there is a tree where the leaves or for the healing of the nations of all manner of illnesses. The final answer to all of our prayers is from the LORD God.”
As I conclude this sermon, my prayer for you is that the LORD will provide you with the answer in which you seek. God is able and He can do what no other power can do. Therefore, until that time, I will continue to press my way.
Readings from the Book of Matthew 12th chapter. The Pharisees were asking for another miraculous sign, but they were not sincerely seeking to know Jesus. Jesus knew they had already seen enough miraculous proof to convince them that He was the Messiah if they would just open their hearts. But they had already decided not to believe in Him, and more miracles would not change that.
Many people have said, “If I could just see a real miracle, then I could really believe in God.” But Jesus’ response to the Pharisees applies to us. We have plenty of evidence—Jesus’ birth, death, resurrection, and ascension, and centuries of His work in believers around the world. Instead of looking for additional evidence of miracles, except what God has already given and moved forward. He may use your life as evidence to reach another person.
Jonah was a prophet sent to the Assyrian city of Nineveh. Because Assyria was such a cruel and warlike nation, Jonah tried to run from his assignment and ended up spending three days in the belly of a huge fish. When Jonah got out, he grudgingly went to Nineveh, preached God’s message, and saw the city repent. By contrast, when Jesus came to His people, they refused to repent. Here Jesus is clearly saying that His resurrection will prove He is the Messiah. Three days after His death Jesus will come back to life, just as Jonah was given a new chance at life after three days in the fish.
The Church Within You! 