Known forgiveness

This past Saturday I sent my Dad an email because I was reading in Luke 22:31-32 and these two verses caught my attention.  Now first of all I want to let you in on part of my story.  When I first started trying to find the church I was going to spend my time at I went to this church that no longer exists.  There was a pastor there who tried to preach a flawed sermon on Mark 5:24-35 about the woman healed from the issuance of blood by touching Jesus garment.  This man tried to claim when Jesus asked "Who touched me?" It was Because he didn't know.  I stopped going to that church the night I heard that.  Jesus was both fully God and fully man and he knew exactly who touched him.  I was not going to sit under a pastor who denied Jesus's deity and God's sovereignty.  Before his death on the cross Jesus predicts his betrayal and denial.  There's a conversation that takes place in the upper room I want you to look at.  This is Jesus speaking and also further proof he knew all that was about to happen.  "Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift each of you like wheat.  But I have pleaded in prayer for you Simon, that your faith should not fail.  So when you have repented, and turned to me again, strengthen your brothers."  Three times Peter denies Christ.  But Jesus knows he will do so.  But catch the phrasing in the verses because when I read this and remembered his conversation with Jesus after the resurrection that he and Peter have on the beach it takes on a much deeper meaning.  In John 21 Jesus asks Peter 3 times "Simon, son of John do you love me?"  After Peter says yes Jesus tells him feed my sheep.  Peter becomes a man who helps turn the world upside down for Christ.  Jesus predicted his betrayal and his return and lovingly welcomes Peter back and gives him a task to strengthen his brothers.  The man denied Christ three times and he's welcomed back and forgiven.  That's forgiveness and love only God can give. See in Romans 5:8 Paul explains it about as clearly as it can get.  "But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners."  It's a love and forgiveness that Peter didn't deserve or could never earn. Jesus knew he was going to betray him and knew he would turn back and he welcomed him back with love.  We don't deserve it either.  

"Love keeps no record of being wronged."  1 Corinthians 13:5

"Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will never count against him."  Romans 4:8

"I stand amazed in the presence of Jesus the Nazarene and wonder how he could love me a a sinner condemned unclean."  

I Stand Amazed (How Marvelous) - Chris Tomlin - Passion 2014

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Amanda Cook - Broken Vessels (Bethel Music Worship)

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'Your Grace Still Amazes Me'(Lyrics) Phillips, Craig & Dean

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I need to let you in on something that happened a little over a week ago.  I have an employee I sign in multiple times a week named Bruce and he has a tendency to show up at work with what I caught after a bit to be sermons playing in his car.  Well on a Sunday he showed up and i heard this voice singing and it was Your Great Name by Natalie Grant.  like Bruce told me it's always a good time to praise God.

Your Great Name by Natalie Grant (Live Performance)

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Reminder of stability

If you're a believer in Christ I want to give you a reminder of what your faith is built on.  I go to a big church and sometimes it's incredibly easy to get lost in the shuffle and busyness of all a big church entails.  It's easy to get the feeling of not belonging or fitting in anywhere.  The busyness of the church is not always the problem either.  But sometimes you need to get your eyes off the hustle and bustle and get them back on your foundation.  Ephesians 2:19-22 is a good reminder of that.  "So now you Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners.  You are citizens along with all of God's holy people.  You are members of God's family.  Together, we are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself.  We are carefully joined together in him, becoming a holy temple for the Lord.  Through him you Gentiles are also being made part of this dwelling where God lives by his Spirit."  Next time you start feeling unconnected in a big or small church remember you and those people around you are part of the body of Christ and he is shaping you and those around you to be his bride the church.  Step out of your comfort zone and say hi to some of them.  Two weeks ago I met a man named Ruben who recently signed up for the blog and we sat and talked for about a good ten minutes.  One of the hardest things for me personally doing this blog is connecting faces to the readers because this is for busy people and put online where I don't always know who reads it.  God does because his word does not go out without accomplishing his purpose. So connect with someone and keep your eyes on Jesus Christ the foundation for your faith.  

Two Sets of Jones' - Official Music Video

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As you listen to the song Ever Be I hope you pay attention to the lyrics about God will have his bride pure.  

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The Least

This hadn't happened in a while but I had this whole week's blog typed up and I get to church on Sunday and Micah basically preached my whole blog with different verses on the same topic.  It's happened before in the past and it always struck me as God is really trying to say something to us.  

There's a conversation in the movie Under Siege that is going to help me out here.  See God doesn't want us thinking too highly of ourselves because pride can be dangerous.

"So who are you?  Are you- You, like, some special forces guy or something?"  "Nah, I'm just a cook."  "A cook?"  "Just a lowly, lowly cook."

In Luke 9:46-48 Jesus uses a visual aid to teach his disciples.  We need this as much as they do because we live in a Me oriented world.  We want what we want so much we have two day delivery from Amazon now.

"Then his disciples began arguing about which of them was the greatest."  Bragging rights that's all this was.  Bragging rights to some is so important to some there's a WWE wrestling pay per view with the same name.  I'm better than you.  Now here comes the visual aid.  "But Jesus knew their thoughts, so he brought a little child to his side."  See Jesus is a master of using people and things to get our attention.  He's directing their eyes off of themselves and onto him.  "Then he said to them,  "Anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me also welcomes my Father who sent me.  Whoever is the least among you is the greatest."
Where I work the security guards have assigned parking.  A few months back we had so many employees on site I was not really able to park there.  The Safety Engineer asked me to park somewhere else to make more room.  Sometimes you have to stop making it about your right to park somewhere and let others be more important.  I can tell you as a husband you have to quickly learn to not be the greatest and not always be right because your wife will want to kick your butt.  You have to learn to treat your spouse as better than yourself and not be a selfish brat and I speak from experience.  What I'm trying to get across to you is to be humble be a lowly cook.  God used the lowliest of people in the disciples to change the world.  Get your eyes off of you and back on him.

"A handful of people in a leaky boat are going to save the world."

If you don't believe God uses the humble study the lives of the people of Israel they were slaves in Egypt before Moses humbled himself from palace life to be their leader.  Gideon was hiding threshing wheat when God called him to save his people.  King David started out as a lowly shepherd boy.  When you read the Bible people fall to their knees or face when approached by God.  That's where he needs you to be to make you ready for use.  See you can try to be the greatest and it will be fun for a short time or you can be like King David.  Psalm 3:3-4 "But you , O Lord, are a shield around me; you are my glory, the one who holds my head high.  I cried out to the Lord, and he answered me from his holy mountain."  The disciples wanted to know who the greatest was and Jesus told them to be the least.  David was a shepherd who called God the lifter of his head because he knew the glory belonged to God and not him.  Imagine being humble and submitted to God and he lifts your face and fixes your eyes on himself.  You and I aren't the greatest but God is.

Humble Yourself

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