Diminishing Return

Usually I have something intended for the following week's message about a week ahead of schedule. This week would have been a message I had initially written up for youth group I felt God placing on my heart to speak on the nature of temptation instead. 

The way I intend to do this is over two weeks focusing on two principles relating to temptation though I can't promise anything as I tend to come up with new ideas spontaneously or I will blame William for giving me new sermon ideas. :P And if anyone has any other sermons ideas, don't hesitate to leave a comment or message me. 

I've been thinking about this topic recently and I want to share with you all today this particular principle regarding temptation that I learnt about several years ago and hope that, in turn, you too will benefit.  

We know that Scripture speaks a lot on temptation and one of the first things to point out is that temptation is not a sin. It is possible to be tempted and not give into sin. Christ Himself was tempted in the desert as we know and yet He was without sin throughout His entire life on earth. 

But I think, far too often, we allow the enemy's lies to tell us otherwise leading us to believe that because we have been tempted that we have sinned. Maybe he tells you "If only you were stronger as a Christian, you wouldn't have been tempted in the first place" or "The temptation is too strong, you're too weak, there is no hope". 

Too often we believe these lies. 

But how does temptation like to toy with us? 

This first principle is called diminishing return. Its this idea that when we have something, whatever that thing may be, after a while, we desire more because what we have no longer satisfies us as it once did. Most of us can relate to this. 

This idea can be expressed in a multitude of ways from relationships to possessions and so on but I think a very clear example is with drugs and this happens to a lot of people. First they start off with something small and then they desire more and more and the situation becomes worse and worse until the consequences of their sin have irreversible consequences. 

But the scary thing is is that this can happen with just about anything, whether it be with how we spend our money or how we spend our time. Satan will tell us "Hey, it was fine the first time and you want that 'feel good' feeling again, let's have some more." This is an utter lie. 

Oh how easily fooled we can be and soon enough we become a slave to our greed and though we are made new in Christ and can not be plucked out His hand, as a dog returns to its vomit, so we also return to our sin. 

What can we learn from Scripture though? How can we escape this mindset? Couldn't we say that this desire for satisfaction comes from this idea that if we don't feel as good then we won't be complete... or happy? 

Have we forgotten the God we serve? 

Philippians 4:6 NIV says, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." 

Matthew 7:7 NIV says ,"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you."

Scripture tells us not to worry about what we don't have. To stop focusing on the have-nots because He provides. A beautiful passage in Matthew 6 illustrates this where Christ talks about how God provides for he birds of the air and how much more must He provide for us because of how He values us. 

But here's where I just want to clarify something. Yes, Scripture promises that if we ask, we shall receive, but too often when we pray, WE think we know more about our needs than God does and that's where problems arise. (An amusing YouTube video by the Skit Guys looks at the ways in which we pray). 

I think its time to sit back and let God take care of our needs and learn to be content with whatever God provides. 

Paul figured it out. Philippians 4:11 NIV says "I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances."

And yet the enemy will say, "Paul was a great Christian, you aren't. You have no hope for learning to be content in all circumstances."

And again, God proves otherwise. 

In his book, Love is a verb, Gary Chapman shares the testimony of a married woman who concludes "Expecting less, I am more thankful." This is something we must all learn. This, I believe, is a major key to being able to say the same as Paul. 

Is this easy? No. Did Christ ever say the Christian walk would be easy? If you say yes, I'm not sure what Bible you are reading but one thing we must always remember when this life seems overwhelming and we think we can not overcome is this:

Philippians 4:13 NIV, "I can do everything through Him who gives me strength"

1 Corinthians 10:13 NIV, "No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it."

And these are just empty promises. I have been in situations where temptation has felt overwhelming and the next moment, it disappears. God doesn't always work this way, but He always brings things out for the good of His children so trust Him with how He chooses to provide for you. 

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." Romans 15:13 NIV

Priorities

Hey all, sorry I didn't get this uploaded last night. My internet was down. :(

The following message was one I preached at youth group on John 12 several weeks ago.

Priorities 

Before we dig into anything, I want to take a moment to, most likely, catch you off guard. To some, it may appear as a simple question but truthfully its not.

What are your priorities in life?

In other words, what do you value the most? What do you pursue the most? I know, when put in that context, I say with much confidence but great shame that my highest priority isn't to glorify God and I think that would go for many people. Sure, we can say it, but do we mean it? As you read this, ask yourself, am I really trying to glorify God or am I seeking to do things by my own means and methods?

The first passage I want us to look at is John 12:1-8. In the NIV, it reads, "

Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. ² Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. ³ Then Mary took about a pint^[a] of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.

⁴ But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, ⁵ “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.^[b]” ⁶ He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it.

⁷ “Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. “It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. ⁸ You will always have the poor among you,^[c] but you will not always have me.”

Here, we see a very stark contrast in priorities. Where Mary's priority was to give her best to honour and glorify God, Judas was focused on other means... on earthly matters.

2 Corinthians 4:18 says, "While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal" (NIV). 

And throughout Scripture, we see this contrast between the seen and the unseen and here, in this verse, Paul compares this to focusing on the temporary andon the eternal. 

So, it would seem that while Judas was focused on earthly matters, on poverty, on the issues surrounding us (I am no way trying to demean these issues. They can most definitely glorify God), while Mary was focused on the one eternal goal that should be the goal for us all: the glorification of Christ. But, also importantly, she knew how she was meant to glorify God at that moment. And Mary knew, in that moment, that she had to glorify Him in this manner. 

But couldn't Judas also have realised this? I think John 12:35 can shed some light on this: 

"Then Jesus told them, “You are going to have the light just a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, before darkness overtakes you. Whoever walks in the dark does not know where they are going."

Could we say that, though Judas had the option, he chose not to walk in the light while the others did? I know this brings in a whole other debate, but bear with me here. 

Just before, I said that Mary knew what she needed to do. She was in line with God's will. Judas, on the other hand had chosen darkness, this we know. And what does Christ say?

Whoever walks in the dark does not know where they are going. 

Unless we prioritise God as being first, how can we understand God's will for our lives? Understanding God's will is another topic altogether but we already have a great tool: His Word. His commands are clear. Follow them. 

I think that the topic of surrender has a major role in our following of God's will. The whole idea of surrendering ourselves to God.

To put surrender into perspective so that we can all get a good idea. How do you feel when you feel someone has wronged you (or you believe they have) and you feel compelled to apologise first? Remember, when I talked about this several weeks ago on the message about John 8?

Some of us have experienced this and I quoted Max Lucado on the idea that when we surrender and apologise first, often the other party (whether offending or not) usually gets on their knees too. As a result, there is a great feeling of mutual humility  and reconciliation when that happens. I think we can all agree on that.

But what about when the other party doesn't get on their knees and apologise as well? I'll be the first to admit this hurt's my pride because I approach the situation with expectations. Expecting the other party to follow suit and apologise as well. How prideful...

To suck it up and apologise and serve the other despite their actions... that is surrender.

Next, let's look at John 12:20-28a, "

Now there were some Greeks among those who went up to worship at the festival. ²¹ They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, with a request. “Sir,” they said, “we would like to see Jesus.” ²² Philip went to tell Andrew; Andrew and Philip in turn told Jesus.

²³ Jesus replied, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. ²⁴ Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. ²⁵ Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. ²⁶ Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.

²⁷ “Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. ²⁸ Father, glorify your name!” (NIV) 

Is anyone here seeing what I'm seeing? "Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds." (NIV)

And when Christ speaks of dying, what is He speaking of? Dying to one's self, to one's sinful desires, pleasures and wants.

I think what really sets Christians apart is their surrender. When they surrender their own desires to follow His. And here Christ is essentially saying there are only two options: one will not reap godly results, the other will. No middle ground, no part-way surrender.

Full surrender.

One of my favourite quotes is by Jim Elliot and says, "He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep, to gain what he cannot lose."

Essentially, someone who is not a fool gives up their own life which passes in the wind once they die and gains eternal life which never falters.

Put in that context, it sounds awfully foolish to hold onto our lives... and yet too often we try to... what fools we are.

And we know from Galatians 5:22-23 some of the fruits of surrender such as kindness, gentleness, patience, self-control.

But why do we falter so often? Well truly this varies from person to person but perhaps something we forget far too often is that surrender isn't a one-time choice, its a daily choice. Each day when we wake up, we have a decision. Will we choose to lay down our goals, desires and plans to follow His today, even if we don't like them? Remember, the Christian walk is a process and the Father is continually pruning and molding  us His purpose for His plan and glorification... not ours.

Which brings us to the final point: glorification.

I think in the previous passage mentioned, Christ paints an awesome picture of glorification and surrender. Let's look again at some of the verses, "

“Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. ²⁸ Father, glorify your name!” (John 12:27-28a NIV) 

First we must remember, Christ was human. He suffered and was tempted just as we are and the Scriptures tell us this. Yet, Christ, though He is troubled and distressed sets an example for us. Does He choose to run and call upon the Father to save Him? No. Why? Because He knew the will of God and He prioritised the glorification of God in His life. 

Earlier on in the chapter, we have the triumphant entry where Christ rides into Jerusalem on a donkey. Now, ideally, it would seem more fit for the King of kings to ride in on at least a horse, surely.

It seems as though Christ was less concerned with Himself in His human state, and more concerned with fulfilling the prophecy in Zechariah... he was more concerned with the will of God. 

Zechariah 9:9 says, "Do not be afraid, Daughter Zion;
                                                                     see, your king is coming,
                                                                     seated on a donkey’s colt."

Isn't that awesome? Now, we don't have centuries of prophecy behind us that we must fulfill, but we do have the will of God for each of our lives in how God intends to use us. But, on the other hand, one thing we know for certain is that is isn't easy. Not at all. 

Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 NIV plants a clear picture for us just how difficult it can be, "

or because of these surpassingly great revelations. Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. ⁸ Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. ⁹ But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. ¹⁰ That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong." (NIV) 

Here, Paul was suffering, he was oppressed by this thorn that had been placed in his life that was torturing him. Yet, God doesn't fail to provide and like most always, He provides in an unexpected, awesome way. 

Firstly, He says, "My grace is sufficient, for my power is made perfect in weakness." 

In other words, when you are weak, that is when He is strong. Isn't that awesome news for such fragile beings as ourselves? Even when we've run the race, we've done all we can and we say 'God, I can't do this anymore', He replies 'My child, my power is made perfect in your weakness, I am sufficient". 

And it doesn't stop there. No. Not only is His power made known, but according to verse 10 above, is is made known through us. Paul proclaims, "For when I am weak, then I am strong." Where does this strength come from? From God. 

Now that sounds like some awesome news. 

Before I finish, I want to make one final point.

You are not confined by your age any other constraint in your life. God can use you anywhere, wherever you may be. Christ was only 12 when God began to use Him when He remained in the Temple with God the Father because He knew who He is Father was.

All it needs to start with is a simple calling. 

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:13 NIV) 

The Power of Testimony

This week, I want to tap into what I like to coin 'the power of testimony'. Right before I started writing this, I had gotten a fair way through writing on a different topic but found myself getting off track, not going where I felt I was being led because I feel, for this week at least, this is more important to share.

Before I get into Scripture, I want to pose a question to you. I know for those of who go to the youth group, my spontaneous questions at the beginning can be a little startling but hopefully, since this is a blog post, it won't be.

How often have we opened a book written by a Christian author on topics such as sexual temptation, peer pressure or overcoming addiction and felt empowered by the testimony given by the author and how they overcame by the power of God?

I have.

Think about that for a moment.

How many of us would like to, one day, look back on our lives, turn to the younger ones around us and say "This is how I overcame."

Wouldn't that be awesome? For those of you who may be thinking 'What can I say about my life? Sure I've resisted temptation and overcame, but that's meaningless.' Let me share a personal story that may change your mind.

For a while I struggled with partying and smoking weed. I was a born-again Christian and I knew it was wrong but it was difficult to resist the desire to fit into the social groups. During this time, I was meeting with my friend's father who I had been catching up with every now and then to talk about how things were going and I mentioned to him what I was struggling with.

After listening, he shared with me how he resisted temptation one time by getting out of the car when the weed was being handed around and walked 10 miles home. That really astounded me. I was impressed at the measures he had taken

Since then, the Scripture in Matthew 18:9 resonates where Christ said, "And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell" (NIV). 

Here, as I understand, Christ is not being literal but He is emphisising the drastic measures one must take in order to avoid sin if need be. In my friend's father's case, it meant walking 10 miles to get home.

Now, here's the point I want to get at: not long after that, when my friends asked me if I wanted to go out, I said "No", traveled with them to where they were going because it meant getting closer to home, then got out of the van and walked away. I was prepared to walk the 2-3 km to get home from the drop-off point if a tuk-tuk (taxi) hadn't have shown up, which was truly a blessing from God.

The testimony I was given was the one I followed. This is what I want to convey. The testimony that others share are the ones that can influence, inspire and revolutionise our spiritual lives one step at a time.

Don't get me wrong at this point. The testimony that reigns over all is Christ's, but sometimes, God uses those around us to share how God has led them, and that God-led testimony may be exactly what God wants us to hear.

Even more so, in the gospels, Jesus confirmed His testimony by the authority of the Father. Now, if we as Christians have the Holy Spirit, the very power of God within us. Does not our testimony hold more than simply human words, but hold the very power of God?

Our testimony can hold much more power than Satan will have us believe.

So who are you listening to? Scripture says, "Do not be misled: bad company corrupts good character" (1 Corinthians 15:33 NIV).

You see, in order to have a good testimony to follow, we must be listening to the right people. How do we know we are doing just that?

In Acts 17:11, Luke says, "Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true." 

The Bereans had the right idea. Measure a person's words and testimony according to what Scripture says, not what the world says. 

I think too often, we will take people at their word by what they say, but we must always be careful to make sure what they say matches up with Scripture and if it does, then their testimony is valid. If it isn't, then it is false leading.

That's how simple it is.

There is incredible power in a testimony. Think about Stephen in Acts 7 who testified about the Gospel. What was the result? His face was that of an angel's.

It may not be the same for you as it was for Stephen, but one thing is certain: your testimony will lead you to stand out amongst the crowd and people will see the power of God reigning in your life.

Live the faith and one day, God will use you as a blessing for those you will one day witness to.

Choose your examples carefully. Choose today. Maybe its an elder brother or sister in Christ in your church, maybe a leader  at youth group or even one of your parents. Regardless, if they are mature in Christ, their wisdom and testimony is priceless and can save us many struggles that are not worth the pain.

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit" (Romans 15:13 NIV). 

Fully Present

Fully Present

A couple of years ago I was in New Zealand for the school break and remember one of the guys from the youth group recommending a sermon titled "Everything is spiritual". At the time I had never heard of the preacher and a lot of the things he spoke about in the message were really profound but there was one thing that not only remained lodged in my mind, but the idea grew.

I think a lot of the time, we can easily confess that we spend far too much time daydreaming. I'm sure there are some out there who are able to stay focused without letting  their minds wander too much, but for many, our minds can have a tendency to wander.  

Does this ever concern us? I mean, God is trying to speak to us and all we have is this moment, this very moment to hear His voice and, sometimes, we are too caught up in worrying about other matters when He desires our undivided attention.

This is the issue I want to talk about today and the verse I want to base the message on today comes from Exodus 24:12. Normally I use the NIV when quoting Scripture but, here, I feel the KJV really captures the idea that Rob shared and the one I want to develop on. 

In the KJV, Exodus 24:12 says, "And the LORD said unto Moses, Come up to me into the mount, and be there: and I will give thee tables of stone, and a law, and commandments which I have written; that thou mayest teach them." 

Just to put this context. God had commanded Moses, Aaron, Nadab and Abihu and seventy of the elders to come up onto mount Sinai and they were to worship at a distance. But then in verse 12, God specifically commands Moses to go further, to enter further into the presence of God. For some today, this may not seem like a big deal but for Moses, to enter the presence of living God was a terrifyingly great occurrence that was, in no way, meant to be taken lightly.

 What's interesting about this verse is what God says after He tells Moses to come up. Let's look again.

God says "Come up to me into the mount, and be there." When this was preached on, the speaker put it this way: the reason why God commanded Moses to not only come, but to be, was because as soon as Moses got up onto the top of the mountain, what's one of the first things he would have started to worry about? How on earth he was going to get down the mountain! And in the midst of this, he would have missed exactly what God wanted to show him.

Aren't we like that all too often? We come to church or go to Bible study and we outwardly worship God... but our minds are lost elsewhere. Maybe we're thinking about a situation that needs to be resolved, or a meeting that is coming up the following week. Maybe we're pondering on something someone had said or trying to figure out how we're going to pay the bills the next day or hand in our homework.

Whatever it is, we find ourselves no longer focusing on Him... we find ourselves no longer fully present in His presence... no longer simply being with Him.

But isn't Scripture clear on this?

Matthew 6:34 says, "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." (NIV) 

2 Corinthians 10:5 says, "We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." (NIV) 

James 4:13-14, 16 say, " ¹³ Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” ¹⁴ Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes... ¹⁶ As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil." (NIV) 

Here, Scripture not only explains why we shouldn't let ourselves get lost in thoughts about what is to come but it tells us the arrogance behind it and I think this is a concept we really need to grasp. 

Truthfully, we have little control over our lives. For all I know, tomorrow could be my last day. I can't predetermine everything that will happen and how the actions of others will impact me... but too often, I think we act like we do have that control and we act as though we know exactly what is going to happen... and, as a result, we end up setting ourselves up for failure, for disappointment and for pain. 

But I think the worst thing of all is when we no longer hear His voice because all our other worries are clouding out His. 

We all know the story of Samuel and God, right? Samuel is asleep and two times God calls Samuel. Samuel wakes up thinking it is his teacher calling him until after the second time, his teacher realises the Lord is calling Samuel so tells Samuel to respond accordingly when God calls again. So then God calls Samuel a third time and he responds, "Speak, for your servant is listening." 

Christ said His sheep know His voice. Isn't it a morbid thought when we are His sheep... and we no longer listen and we become like the Pharisees, always hearing but never actually listening.  

But there's a different point to look at. The blessings that come with focusing on the present. There is quote I remember from the book titled The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis where Lewis talks about the concepts of the present and eternity. In the quote he says, " He[God] therefore, I believe, wants them to attend chiefly to two things, to eternity itself, and to that point of time, which they call the Present. For the Present is the point at which time touches eternity."

Isn't that a beautiful thought? The very idea that the past has already gone, the future is yet to come, but this moment, right now, is where the eternal can touch the present. 

Then in Scripture:

James 2:15 says, "Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” (NIV)

Isn't t that even more awesome? Not only should we keep our eyes focused on the present, on Christ, but we can take confidence in that everything will happen according to His purpose and His will. All we need to do is pray, trust and hope in Him. Now, that sounds pretty awesome. 

There is more I could talk about on this, but I want to leave you with this thought: 

Instead of asking God, 

Where do You want me go next? 

 What do You want me to do next?

Instead, try asking Him,

What do You want me to do here? 

What do You want me to do now?  

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 5:3-5 NIV) 

Forgiveness

For those of who who don't know, the fellowship I attend has been focusing on the book of John for the past 12 weeks. The following message is from the guy's Bible study from the 1st August, 2012 focusing on John 8.

Forgiveness

Since I was asked several weeks ago at our last study to have memorised the first eleven verses of the story of the adulteress and Jesus, I felt it to be more appropriate to focus my sermon on this passage of Scripture and I felt God could use me with this.

The passage reads in the NIV:

¹ but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.
² At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around Him, and he sat down to teach them. ³ The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group ⁴ and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. ⁵ In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” ⁶ They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.
But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. ⁷ When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” ⁸ Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.
⁹ At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. ¹⁰ Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”
¹¹ “No one, sir,” she said.
“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”

 I think its necessary to point out that Jesus forgave the woman after she had done the worst thing she could do, not her best. Often times, we have the tendency to think that if we are good and have somehow cleaned up our own sins, then perhaps we will be worthy of Christ's forgiveness. 

Or maybe we tend to go to the other end of the curb and think that, after every time we stuff up, we've gone too far and there's no way He could forgive us after we did what we did and we think, "Surely He can't, not after that."

One of my favourite quotes on grace is by Jerry Bridges in the book, The Discipline of Grace, "Your worst days are never so bad that you are beyond the reach of grace." In other words, there is nothing that you can do that is too beyond God's forgiveness if you sincerely seek it. Then the quote takes a different turn and Bridges says, "And your best days are never so good that you are beyond the need of God's grace." 

Regardless of how we feel, whether it is good or bad, we are wholly dependent on the grace of God and the great thing about the forgiveness of Christ is that He not only takes just the past, present or future sins, but He takes all of them and nails them to the cross. Not only does He know all of them, but He forgives all of them. 

There was a video I saw recently which talked about our baggage in life. The things that happen to us, maybe they're small things, maybe big, but they get to us and instead of letting go of it, we hold onto it and it weighs us down. And other time, this builds up and hurts us but when we come to Christ with all this baggage, this hurt, this pain, He doesn't condemn us. He gently says , "Let me take that for you." 

And it is clear throughout Scripture that we no longer have a reason to fear but can now abide in Christ.

Matthew 11:28, 30 says , "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest... For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." (NIV) 
Romans 8:1 says, "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." (NIV) 
1 Peter 5:7 says, "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you." (NIV) 

 So we have these promises that He cares for us and that He brings rest for us when we seek it and once we have found this rest, we have peace... but we don't stop there. Not only has Christ forgiven us but He has commanded us to forgive others.

Matthew 6:14 says, "For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you." (NIV)
Ephesians 4:32 says, " Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you."

And its great that the Bible is filled with such practical commands as these so we can follow Christ... but they're not easy commands, and we often find it hard to forgive those who we feel have wronged us. However, according to Galatians 2:20, we already have the mind of Christ, we already have the power to forgive what seems to us to be unforgivable.

Though we may not be able to forgive, He can. Though we may be weak, He isn't. Though we may have pride, He doesn't. As Christians, we have the mind of Christ and through His power can we forgive as He forgives and has forgiven us. 

In the book, Just Like Jesus, Max Lucado wrote, "Relationships do not thrive because the guilty are punished, but because the innocent are merciful."

Isn't that so true? If a relationship is to grow, it must be based on forgiveness. We are all human, we all make mistakes, its inevitable. We will be disappointed and will disappoint others. Without forgiveness, relationships cannot thrive. Isn't it amazing that that is exactly what He has done for us? That He has chosen to hold back the punishment so that mercy may come forth in abundance andso that we may have a relationship with Him. 

In the same book, Lucado goes on to talk about our pride and how, too often, we believe we are the offended party and that we deserve an apology. Though... don't we all believe we are right and the other person is wrong? Don't we all hold that pride? We may not always do, but sometimes we do... and even if we are innocent, should we not show mercy and humility? 

The thing is, which is truly amazing, is that, often when we say sorry and get on our knees, regardless of whether we are right or not, the offending party does too and the peace of Christ is restored in the relationship. 

So, I leave you with this question: do you take the time to stop and think about the offenses you store in your heart that pull you down and keep you in bondage, not only with your mistakes but with those you feel have been done against you? 

Take that time.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:13 NIV)