Bible League: Living His Word Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?" Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times."— Matthew 18:21-22 NIV Every individual who calls himself a Christian must face the fact that we cannot walk with God and be a little unforgiving or a little offended. If we are going to walk with God, we must allow His love to wash away every trace of unforgiveness. I often hear believers say, "But you, pastor, don't know how badly they treated me!" Has God forgiven your sin? "Yes." Then you also forgive them. This is the end of this discussion. Put aside crying and whining about how hurt you are. Maybe you were The reason I can speak so directly to you about this is because God has already taught me these things about myself. I remember one day when I was complaining to God about some past hurts and mistreatments, I muttered in self-pity. Just then, God spoke to my heart and urged me to get over these. We should understand that God is the one who cares whether you hurt or not. Your pains mean everything to Him. He carries our burdens for us, so we don't have to carry them—we have to leave them at the feet of Christ. As a Church, we must learn this today. We need to stop paying so much attention to our hurts and leave them to God. We should take a lesson from the pioneers of faith. People like Peter and John and those old Pentecostals years ago would go into the "jaws of hell." They would go through persecutions that make the things we face look like child's play. They didn't come out crying about how they were hurt. They came out saying, "Praise God! We have an opportunity to suffer for His name. What a privilege!" When you have that attitude, it is not difficult to forgive, because your focus is not on yourself. But it is about God and His purposes, God and His love. If you want to discover the secret of true forgiveness, your focus must be on God. We are instructed to forgive others in the same way, or on the same basis, as God has forgiven us. By Pastor Sabri Kasemi, Bible League International partner, Albania Bible in a Year Old Testament ReadingPsalm 70, 71, 72 Psalm 70 -- Hurry, God, to deliver me. Come quickly to help me, O Lord. NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Psalm 71 -- In you, O Lord, I take refuge. Never let me be disappointed. NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Psalm 72 -- God, give the king your justice; your righteousness to the royal son. NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB New Testament Reading Romans 4 Romans 4 -- Abraham's Faith Credited as Righteousness NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Reading Plan Courtesy of Christian Classics Etherial Library. Tyndale Life Application Daily Devotion God created everything through him,and nothing was created except through him. The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it. Insight Do you ever feel that your life is too complex for God to understand? Challenge Remember, God created the entire universe, and nothing is too difficult for him. God created you; he is alive today, and his love is bigger than any problem you may face. Morning and Evening by Spurgeon Luke 8:42 But as he went.Jesus is passing through the throng to the house of Jairus, to raise the ruler's dead daughter; but he is so profuse in goodness that he works another miracle while upon the road. While yet this rod of Aaron bears the blossom of an unaccomplished wonder, it yields the ripe almonds of a perfect work of mercy. It is enough for us, if we have some one purpose, straightway to go and accomplish it; it were imprudent to expend our energies by the way. Hastening to the rescue of a drowning friend, we cannot afford to exhaust our strength upon another in like danger. It is enough for a tree to yield one sort of fruit, and for a man to fulfil his own peculiar calling. But our Master knows no limit of power or boundary of mission. He is so prolific of grace, that like the sun which shines as it rolls onward in its orbit, his path is radiant with lovingkindness. He is a swift arrow of love, which not only reaches its ordained target, but perfumes the air through which it flies. Virtue is evermore going out of Jesus, as sweet odours exhale from flowers; and it always will be emanating from him, as water from a sparkling fountain. What delightful encouragement this truth affords us! If our Lord is so ready to heal the sick and bless the needy, then, my soul, be not thou slow to put thyself in his way, that he may smile on thee. Be not slack in asking, if he be so abundant in bestowing. Give earnest heed to his word now, and at all times, that Jesus may speak through it to thy heart. Where he is to be found there make thy resort, that thou mayst obtain his blessing. When he is present to heal, may he not heal thee? But surely he is present even now, for he always comes to hearts which need him. And dost not thou need him? Ah, he knows how much! Thou Son of David, turn thine eye and look upon the distress which is now before thee, and make thy suppliant whole. Daily Light on the Daily Path 1 Samuel 2:30 "Therefore the LORD God of Israel declares, 'I did indeed say that your house and the house of your father should walk before Me forever'; but now the LORD declares, 'Far be it from Me-- for those who honor Me I will honor, and those who despise Me will be lightly esteemed.Matthew 10:32 "Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven. Matthew 10:37-39 "He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. • "And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. • "He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake will find it. James 1:12 Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. Revelation 2:10 'Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, so that you will be tested, and you will have tribulation for ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life. 2 Corinthians 4:17 For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, 1 Peter 1:7 so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ; New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org. |
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