Jesus emphasised the need to forgive. In Matthew 18 the first servant was desperate and released of his debt. This forgiven servant then failed to release the same forgiveness.
The debt that we owe is more expensive than we could ever hope to pay. Through guilt of past events and shame, many live with a sadness and a cloud hanging over them. Psalm 130 verse 3 says... "if He marked our iniquity who would stand" - but many don’t stand. They are bent over with secret guilt... this makes them a target. A target for the 'accuser'.
The greatest prize in this life is complete forgiveness, but we must guard our heart and cleanse it. Peter asked Jesus how much we should forgive and was told that it had no limit. Jonah cried out when desparate in the belly of the whale, but was still full of anger when he went to Ninevah and saw that God had shown mercy to a people that didn’t deserve it.
The weight of generational guilt for sin, overshadows the life that we now live. We do not have to be subject to it.
In the story of Gideon it says that the people of Israel hid in caves because they were oppressed by the enemy; but it says that they had done evil in the eyes of the Lord. As so often was the case, during this time, the people would return to God and then forget Him; in which case, an oppressing enemy would come. The landscape is too often shaped by the sin of the past.
But Gideon was asked very simply, to believe God. Not to look intensly at every sin and unforgiveness. However, he was asked to wipe their mark off the land. An altar had been erected to Baal when the enemy had gained access.
There is complete forgiveness available, we don’t have to live with the cloud of the past overshadowing us or indeed the access of the 'enemy'.
Forgiveness takes the 'legal right to condemn', from the enemy; but to believe God when He comes to us and offers forgiveness, is so powerful.
In the story in Matthew Chapter 18, the servant was thrown into prison because he withheld grace, where he should have forgiven. We can’t pay what we owe and the enemy had laid a claim, but God has made it clear what the final word is: we can forgive and be forgiven and then God might say "now go and wipe the enemy’s blot on the landscape". He often seemed to say this. But we have no real strength to do this, only if He gives us permission.
So do not just go to and fro with your sin, in a pattern of forgiveness and guilt, but stand in the light of His LEGAL word. We are forgiven through the blood of Jesus and His blood washes through generations like a river running through the coridors of time and sweaping ALL debris with it.
Daniel Chuter
Saturday, 24 November 2012
Sunday, 14 October 2012
the future is bright
John 9 talks of the man that was born blind. He had always known blindness and never seen or sensed so much of the colour and wonder of life.
Many of us have always thought that there was more to life than we have experienced. We have a limited perception of God and His ways and we have formed a whole lifestyle and doctrine. We have camped in this limited revelation.
It has always been Winter. A time of grief and limited colour and warmth. The book of Song of Solomon speaks of a romance, an invitation to Spring.But who can tell you what Spring is like when you have only known Winter.
Jesus approached this man in John 9 who had been sitting on the streets, probably begging, as a blind man.
Jesus encouraged Him to go forward and wash and in the process of this he was healed.
It takes a determination to do this.
The time has come to go forward even if we don’t feel like it. Tell yourself...I will praise and follow Him.
Daniel Chuter
Many of us have always thought that there was more to life than we have experienced. We have a limited perception of God and His ways and we have formed a whole lifestyle and doctrine. We have camped in this limited revelation.
It has always been Winter. A time of grief and limited colour and warmth. The book of Song of Solomon speaks of a romance, an invitation to Spring.But who can tell you what Spring is like when you have only known Winter.
Jesus approached this man in John 9 who had been sitting on the streets, probably begging, as a blind man.
Jesus encouraged Him to go forward and wash and in the process of this he was healed.
It takes a determination to do this.
The time has come to go forward even if we don’t feel like it. Tell yourself...I will praise and follow Him.
Daniel Chuter
Sunday, 23 September 2012
Dealing with grudges
This week God has been dealing with me regarding holding grudges. Now, I didn’t think I was holding any grudges. I thought I was walking in forgiveness. My heart, especially these past 2 years, has been to as quickly forgive as I can, with Gods help. To keep short accounts. To not let any root of bitterness grow up. I would even have gone so far as to have said I never hold grudges! How wrong I was! How self deceived! Thank God He chose to show me in answer to my prayers to be purified
It started this week when I was faced with 3 people in one day who said things that made me think to myself “how sad they are really missing out with that attitude.” Later that night God showed me that it was to with a grudge they had. He also made me realise that in their holding of that grudge they were stopping themselves from receiving truth, receiving from the people / types of people they had a grudge against, and so were blocking a flow of Gods love/ Gods provision for their own lives because there was an avenue they were closed off to.
The next day I was driving to work and started to pray for them and in doing so I asked God to show me if I had any grudges in my heart. I didn’t want anything to block His flow in my life. Straight away I had peoples faces in my mind. Not just one or two but about 10 people! I was shocked, but immediately repented and then forgave and released those people into the freedom of my forgiveness all over again. I had chosen to forgive them a long time ago.
I continued to ask God if there was anyone else I had ever had any grudges against, and during the 45 minute journey he showed me many people over the course of my life, even people I had long forgotten.
I also forgave and released any and all those who had ever had a grudge against me, whether I knew of it or not. God knows.
It was like God was taking out all the little hooks the enemy had embedded in my life.
In fact I found myself praying just that. That every hook the enemy had in my life be unhooked. That God would show me any areas in my life where I had enabled the enemy to embed hooks in my life, so I could repent, forgive and be set free. I even had to repent of holding a grudge about myself! Go figure that! I didn’t know it was possible to hold a grudge against yourself.
God took me on a whole journey of repentance and forgiveness. It was so liberating! And all because I had seen something in someone else! I am so glad I asked God to show me if I had the same in me. I would never have realised or thought about me holding grudges, and so I encourage you to ask God if you have any grudges against anyone so you and He can deal with those things together.
Be blessed and enjoy the journey.
Julie Groves
It started this week when I was faced with 3 people in one day who said things that made me think to myself “how sad they are really missing out with that attitude.” Later that night God showed me that it was to with a grudge they had. He also made me realise that in their holding of that grudge they were stopping themselves from receiving truth, receiving from the people / types of people they had a grudge against, and so were blocking a flow of Gods love/ Gods provision for their own lives because there was an avenue they were closed off to.
The next day I was driving to work and started to pray for them and in doing so I asked God to show me if I had any grudges in my heart. I didn’t want anything to block His flow in my life. Straight away I had peoples faces in my mind. Not just one or two but about 10 people! I was shocked, but immediately repented and then forgave and released those people into the freedom of my forgiveness all over again. I had chosen to forgive them a long time ago.
I continued to ask God if there was anyone else I had ever had any grudges against, and during the 45 minute journey he showed me many people over the course of my life, even people I had long forgotten.
I also forgave and released any and all those who had ever had a grudge against me, whether I knew of it or not. God knows.
It was like God was taking out all the little hooks the enemy had embedded in my life.
In fact I found myself praying just that. That every hook the enemy had in my life be unhooked. That God would show me any areas in my life where I had enabled the enemy to embed hooks in my life, so I could repent, forgive and be set free. I even had to repent of holding a grudge about myself! Go figure that! I didn’t know it was possible to hold a grudge against yourself.
God took me on a whole journey of repentance and forgiveness. It was so liberating! And all because I had seen something in someone else! I am so glad I asked God to show me if I had the same in me. I would never have realised or thought about me holding grudges, and so I encourage you to ask God if you have any grudges against anyone so you and He can deal with those things together.
Be blessed and enjoy the journey.
Julie Groves
Saturday, 8 September 2012
God in a Box
Do you ever say, "God always" or "God never"? There are things which never change, the cross, the blood; God would not say you can come to me outside of Jesus, or "you do not need the blood to cleanse you" but there are many things where we have to allow God to be God. I have heard people say that they almost left a conference of a well respected ministry because the worship was too loud and not to their "taste", inferring that it was not godly.
There are scriptures which say God's voice is like the sound of many waters - if you have been to Niagara falls you will know that the ground shakes with the noise. Heaven is shown as a noisy place, in fact Rev 8.1 mentions silence in heaven as something unusual. We are told that there are voices constantly worshipping, - maybe something isn't how we like it or think it should be but we have to hold our opinions lightly, acknowledging that we do not know everything about God and that we do see through a veil darkly.
Can we, maturely, see one another's failings, damage, areas for growth with humility and respect, being aware that we too have this in our lives. We are on a journey and some may be further down the road but that does not make you superior; in fact anything you believe you know, you have learnt through grace to be used to serve others not look down on them. Remember, all you actions, words, thoughts, heart intentions will be revealed in the end.
Do you get frustrated that others just "don't get it"? Would you look at your frustration? It speaks more of control than a servant heart. If you truly have something from God then He will bring it to pass - sometimes it is our attitude that holds things up. Do we try to impose it on others or humbly ask God how to pray? Do you get discouraged because God hasn't done something you think He should have - healing, supply, change circumstances? God loves you so much that he suffered in a way none of us will ever comprehend to enable us know Him. He wants the best for us at all times and his knowledge and wisdom are far above ours. Look at Him and think about His nature.
This journey is a balance of knowing and trusting God for who He is and also using the authority He has given us as He directs. If we are focusing on “the thing” then we can get deceived, discouraged. We should focus on Him, always praying (turning your head towards the one who can bear the burden), throughout the day having that internal conversation with your friend. Don’t try to put God in a box - He’s too big.
Moya Boardman
There are scriptures which say God's voice is like the sound of many waters - if you have been to Niagara falls you will know that the ground shakes with the noise. Heaven is shown as a noisy place, in fact Rev 8.1 mentions silence in heaven as something unusual. We are told that there are voices constantly worshipping, - maybe something isn't how we like it or think it should be but we have to hold our opinions lightly, acknowledging that we do not know everything about God and that we do see through a veil darkly.
Can we, maturely, see one another's failings, damage, areas for growth with humility and respect, being aware that we too have this in our lives. We are on a journey and some may be further down the road but that does not make you superior; in fact anything you believe you know, you have learnt through grace to be used to serve others not look down on them. Remember, all you actions, words, thoughts, heart intentions will be revealed in the end.
Do you get frustrated that others just "don't get it"? Would you look at your frustration? It speaks more of control than a servant heart. If you truly have something from God then He will bring it to pass - sometimes it is our attitude that holds things up. Do we try to impose it on others or humbly ask God how to pray? Do you get discouraged because God hasn't done something you think He should have - healing, supply, change circumstances? God loves you so much that he suffered in a way none of us will ever comprehend to enable us know Him. He wants the best for us at all times and his knowledge and wisdom are far above ours. Look at Him and think about His nature.
This journey is a balance of knowing and trusting God for who He is and also using the authority He has given us as He directs. If we are focusing on “the thing” then we can get deceived, discouraged. We should focus on Him, always praying (turning your head towards the one who can bear the burden), throughout the day having that internal conversation with your friend. Don’t try to put God in a box - He’s too big.
Moya Boardman
Friday, 7 September 2012
Addicts
We hear this word and think of the homeless person hooked on drink and drugs sitting on the street and begging. For these people a trauma or tragic past event has led to them being ‘frozen’ deep in their emotions. A broken heart. Trapped inside an adult body there is often a child who has been broken and abused.
Can we change....”can a leopard change it’s spots (Jeremiah 13:23). Who will deliver us.
Man cannot raise himself in his despair..........even the Apostle Paul struggled with his desires, see Romans 7. When Jesus first came on the scene He claimed that He was annointed to ...‘free the captives’ and to’bind up the broken hearted’. This is true. Only Jesus can truely restore a man that has been so broken by sin and rejection.
An addict is someone who can’t break a habit or pattern of behaviour. A christian can be full of addictions and do all they can to break them, but only Jesus can truely sever the root of problems deep in the heart, that have gone unchecked for years. The church needs the radical heart change that only truely coming to Jesus, can provide. The Pharisees knew God’s word and tradition and were part of the chosen people of God, yet they failed to find and appreciate the very presence of God Himself.
What an army we would be in this nation if we truely cried out and turned to the very heart of God shown in Jesus.
Daniel Chuter
Monday, 3 September 2012
God alone will get the glory.
In the story of Gideon, Judges chapter 6 and 7. The situation, as often is the case, is that Gideon found himself crying out for help in an occupied land that was tormented by the enemy, in this case the Midianites. This really is a character that we can relate to; fearful and deeply insecure. Very often God choses the most rejected and unlikely people.
In terms of the situation in many cities today, God's people are hiding fearfully from the oppression of the enemy. Within this story Gideon is called in the face of his fear and purely through obedience to God, he overcomes the oppression of the Midianites in the land of Israel.
As if the job didn't require enough, God made sure that He alone would be proved to have won a great victory. If you look at the story you will see how Gideon's army was 'sifted' at the river until the odds in the battle were almost impossible.
Do not rest on your own understanding but trust in the Lord. Jesus alone beat the enemy at the cross. But we are proud. Sometimes we rely more on our own understanding. If God speaks about a way in which to deal with a problem, there will be a reason and purpose.
In this story Gideon approached the Midianites in the valley and was told to break jars and blow trumpets. God will get the glory. Jesus alone won at the cross. This is God's wisdom. Don't look around and listen to everyone else. What was once a way and method of overcoming, isn't necessarily the case now. In this land God is raising up the most unlikely army and will win against all odds.
Daniel Chuter
In terms of the situation in many cities today, God's people are hiding fearfully from the oppression of the enemy. Within this story Gideon is called in the face of his fear and purely through obedience to God, he overcomes the oppression of the Midianites in the land of Israel.
As if the job didn't require enough, God made sure that He alone would be proved to have won a great victory. If you look at the story you will see how Gideon's army was 'sifted' at the river until the odds in the battle were almost impossible.
Do not rest on your own understanding but trust in the Lord. Jesus alone beat the enemy at the cross. But we are proud. Sometimes we rely more on our own understanding. If God speaks about a way in which to deal with a problem, there will be a reason and purpose.
In this story Gideon approached the Midianites in the valley and was told to break jars and blow trumpets. God will get the glory. Jesus alone won at the cross. This is God's wisdom. Don't look around and listen to everyone else. What was once a way and method of overcoming, isn't necessarily the case now. In this land God is raising up the most unlikely army and will win against all odds.
Daniel Chuter
Tuesday, 28 August 2012
Hazy + Lazy = Whoops a Daisy!
The Book of Acts 8 : 9-24 shares when Simon Magus (known as Simon the magician) sees that the power of the Holy Spirit was given through the laying on of hands by the apostles, he offers the apostles money, desiring to be given the ability to give the power of the Holy Spirit by the laying on of hands. Peter immediately rebukes Simon for believing that he could purchase the gift of God with money. Such motives are truly "wicked".
The apostle Peter makes the critical point to Simon, that his heart is not right with God (verse 21).
Peter forthrightly goes on to say to Simon, that he is poisoned by bitterness and bound by iniquity.
Peter tells Simon that HE needs to repent of this wickedness and that HE pray to the Lord for forgiveness of this sin. (so much for the tradition of a "priest" absolving another's sins)
However, contrary to what the apostle clearly stated, Simon asks Peter to pray to the Lord on his behalf, so that "nothing Peter said would come upon him". (verse 24)
Human pride has no problem with receiving healing but it has a big problem with admitting sinfulness, lack of merit before God, and the need for the cross. It is sometimes common for people to "ask for prayer", when a consequence from rebellion or unkindness comes upon them. This is not only a lazy thing to do, but an unrepentant delusion.
Like Simon the Magician, it is easy to "ask for prayer" from someone else, when what we really need to do is repent to the Lord DIRECTLY through Jesus Christ, asking forgiveness for OUR sin. By all means pray WITH somebody else, but be honest. This is responsibility before the all knowing Lord and means we do not insult Him with any whimsical denials.
Scripture says that God is faithful to forgive, IF we confess our sins. (1 John 1:9)
It is The Lord's kindness that, His word and The Holy Spirit convict us of OUR sin.
Jesus said of The Holy Spirit that "HE will lead you in all truth". (John 16:13)
Regarding truth, Jesus also said "Father sanctify them through the truth, your Word is truth". (John 17:17)
Our loving heavenly Father, waits for us to admit where we're at, so we can receive His loving grace.
God's "judgement" on a matter, if we are truly sorry and come to The Father IN Jesus Christ, is "Mercy".
Do not be afraid to get your heart right with Him. Ultimately, no one else can do that for you!
David Robinson
The apostle Peter makes the critical point to Simon, that his heart is not right with God (verse 21).
Peter forthrightly goes on to say to Simon, that he is poisoned by bitterness and bound by iniquity.
Peter tells Simon that HE needs to repent of this wickedness and that HE pray to the Lord for forgiveness of this sin. (so much for the tradition of a "priest" absolving another's sins)
However, contrary to what the apostle clearly stated, Simon asks Peter to pray to the Lord on his behalf, so that "nothing Peter said would come upon him". (verse 24)
Human pride has no problem with receiving healing but it has a big problem with admitting sinfulness, lack of merit before God, and the need for the cross. It is sometimes common for people to "ask for prayer", when a consequence from rebellion or unkindness comes upon them. This is not only a lazy thing to do, but an unrepentant delusion.
Like Simon the Magician, it is easy to "ask for prayer" from someone else, when what we really need to do is repent to the Lord DIRECTLY through Jesus Christ, asking forgiveness for OUR sin. By all means pray WITH somebody else, but be honest. This is responsibility before the all knowing Lord and means we do not insult Him with any whimsical denials.
Scripture says that God is faithful to forgive, IF we confess our sins. (1 John 1:9)
It is The Lord's kindness that, His word and The Holy Spirit convict us of OUR sin.
Jesus said of The Holy Spirit that "HE will lead you in all truth". (John 16:13)
Regarding truth, Jesus also said "Father sanctify them through the truth, your Word is truth". (John 17:17)
Our loving heavenly Father, waits for us to admit where we're at, so we can receive His loving grace.
God's "judgement" on a matter, if we are truly sorry and come to The Father IN Jesus Christ, is "Mercy".
Do not be afraid to get your heart right with Him. Ultimately, no one else can do that for you!
David Robinson
Friday, 24 August 2012
You can lead a horse to water... etc, etc
To train people to 'inquire of The Lord', is a life saver.
A 'fear of The Lord is the beginning of wisdom'. When He speaks... those after His heart will instantly desire to listen (and do!). If they are humble and listening for His voice, they will also recognise Godly advice and instruction from leadership, as from The Lord.
The expectation, then, is that they will respect it, chew it over, with a 'love of the truth' (like the Bereans in the book of acts) and then appropriate it into their lives.
...Love always Hopes !
David Robinson
A 'fear of The Lord is the beginning of wisdom'. When He speaks... those after His heart will instantly desire to listen (and do!). If they are humble and listening for His voice, they will also recognise Godly advice and instruction from leadership, as from The Lord.
The expectation, then, is that they will respect it, chew it over, with a 'love of the truth' (like the Bereans in the book of acts) and then appropriate it into their lives.
...Love always Hopes !
David Robinson
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