AUGUST 19, 2009 WEDNESDAY SCRIPTURE MATTHEW 22
TEXT http://net.bible.org/bible.php?book=Mat&chapter=22
MESSAGE
“The Story of Choosing”
Jesus continued his teaching with another story what the kingdom of heaven could be compared to. In the story, a king in putting on a wedding banquet for his son sends his servants to tell those who had been invited that the time had come to celebrate, but none of them came, even though he sent his servants out a second time, all of those who had been invited made up excuses for why they wouldn’t be coming to wedding banquet – some were more interested in making money than attending a celebration and the evil ones were so upset they had been bothered by the king about the celebration in the first place that they killed his servants who came to remind them the second time. This made the king so angry that he sent his soldiers out to kill those who had killed his servants and to destroy their city. After this he told his remaining servants that the invited guests had not been worthy of attending the celebration and that they were to go out and find anyone that would come whether they were good or bad to fill the banquet hall. However, when the king arrived at the celebration he spotted a man who was not wearing the clothes for celebrating the wedding he had his servants distribute to those who accepted his invitation to come. And, so he asked him how he had made it into the celebration without wedding clothes, but the man had no response. The king then told his attendants to tie the man up as tight as they could and do to him what had been done to the other evil men who had murdered his servants because he had been an invited guest who had twice refused to come, while those in the wedding clothes of celebration had chosen to come.
“Stunned”
After hearing this story, the Pharisees and supporters of Herod Antipas tried to set Jesus up and trap him with a question that no matter which way he answered it, he would be in trouble. Deceitfully asking him whether it was right to pay taxes to Caesar, Jesus, called them hypocrites and asked them to show him a coin. He went on to ask whose image and words were on the front and back of the coin and they told him they were Caesar’s. He then told them to give to Caesar what is due to him and to God what is due to him, which startled them so much they went away.
“Oh, Brother!”
Later that day, the Sadducees (who don’t even believe in the resurrection in the first place) asked Jesus about a portion of Mosaic law called levirate (or brother-in-law) marriage, wherein the brother-in-law steps in for his brother as a husband to his dead brother’s wife if he dies without children, so that his name can continue and so that his wife will have children to take care of her in her old age and won’t end up a beggar. Their preposterous question was that if a man died without children and all seven of his brothers successively took their place as called for by law but died before any children were born, whose wife would the women be in the resurrection (that they didn’t even believe in!)? Jesus answered by telling them how deceived they were because they didn’t know the scriptures or the power of God because in the resurrection, people, like angels do not marry. He went on to tell them that if they understood what God was really saying (as recorded in Exodus 3:6) when he said “I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob,” they would know that “I am” doesn’t mean “I was” the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and they are dead and gone, but instead that “I am” means that God is the God of the Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob who are alive and with him in heaven. Hearing this the crowds were simply amazed.
“Not Who, But What’s the Greatest”
Despite having been stunned by Jesus themselves, after hearing Jesus had now made the Sadducees speechless, the Pharisees had one of their religious law experts try to test his knowledge and comprehension of the entirety of Scripture by asking him which commandment in the law was the greatest. Quoting from Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18, Jesus responded by saying the first and greatest commandment is, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. And, the second is like it, “Love your neighbor ass yourself.” He told them that these two commandments form the basis for everything else in Scripture.
“Son & Lord”
While still there, Jesus asked the Pharisees a question about whose son the Christ (or Messiah) was and they responded by saying he was the son of David. Jesus then asked them if the Christ was the son of David, how David speaking under the guidance of the Holy Spirit in the Psalms (110:1) would call his own son, “Lord?” He then quoted David’s words from the Psalm to them saying, “God said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feet.” When he asked them if David called his son Lord, how it was possible for him to be his son, no one said a word and after this they lost their courage to challenge and provoke him.
TEACHING
Jesus says the kingdom of heaven is like a wedding banquet celebration hosted by a king for his son, but some of the invited guests are too busy making money so they don’t go or and the rest of the invited guests don’t want to be bothered with a wedding celebration in honor of the king’s son so they murder the kings servants the second time he sends them out to let them know everything is ready and they are waiting for them to arrive. Angered by this, the king sends his soldiers to destroy both the murders and the town they live in and sends out more servants, this time to find more worthy guests who will come to the celebration because they want to, regardless of whether they’ve been good or bad. Despite this, when the king entered the celebration he noticed someone in attendance who had originally been invited but who had twice failed to come when his servants announced that everything was in order for the wedding celebration in honor of his son to begin. Knowing what had happened to the invited guests who hadn’t responded to the king’s invitation and had murdered the king’s servants, he had come only out of fear of what the king might do to him if he didn’t show; he hadn’t come because he genuinely wanted to pay honor to the him and his son. He was there for selfish reasons. Realizing this, the king had his guards tie him up tightly so they could remove him from the celebration and destroy him like they had those who had murdered his servants, because like them, he had not chosen to come to the celebration of his son when asked like all of the others in attendance.
Hearing this story describing them as the invited guests, who by refusing to Honor God’s Son as the Christ, will be left out of the Kingdom of Heaven, The Pharisees and supporters of King Herod try to deceived Jesus with a question where they can get him into trouble by the either/or answer he has to give. They ask Jesus whether it is lawful for Jews to pay taxes to Rome who occupies and controls their country – thinking they will either discredit him with the Jewish people if he supports paying the tax or they will turn him for rebellion if supports tax evasion. Jesus asks them for a Roman coin with the image of Caesar on one side and the words son of the divine Augustus on the other side and tells them to give to Caesar what is due to him and to God what is due to him – not only a both/and answer but one in which he contrasts the image of Caesar, with the image of God and Caesar as the son of the divine Augustus, with Himself as the Son of God. His answer shocked the Pharisees so much that they went left.
Later the Sadducees took a turn at questioning Jesus, but showed their ignorance and how they had run out of questions to ask when even though it was well known they didn’t believe in the resurrection from the dead, they asked Jesus an outlandish question about who would be a husband to a woman in the resurrection after she died, when she technically had eight husbands during her lifetime because her original husband and all seven of his brothers who stood in for him as a husband under the levirate (brother-in-law) marriage law died before any children were born to them. [The levirate marriage law was to help continue the husband’s name if he died without children and to help protect his wife so that she would have children to care and look after her in old age so she would not need to beg.] Jesus responded by telling the Sadducees that not only didn’t they know Scripture, they had no idea of how powerful God was because if they did, they would know nothing is impossible for God including raising people from the dead. He went on to describe that in the resurrection people are like angels with respect to relationship, in their resurrected state people are psychospiritually whole at that point such that the “one flesh” union of marriage is no longer an issue and their relationships are like that of the angels. Furthermore, he quoted from Exodus where it records God as saying “I am” the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, making the distinction for them that he does not say that he “was” their God, meaning that they no longer exist, that they have died and are no more. Hearing Jesus explain what God was really saying about the resurrection in Exodus like this amazed the people gathered around him.
Not willing to say die, despite being stunned by Jesus’ answer about paying taxes to Caesar and despite the Sadducees being left speechless by Jesus’ interpretation of the what God said with respect to the resurrection in Exodus, the Pharisees put their best religious law expert up to testing Jesus’ knowledge and understanding of everything in Scripture by asking him what the greatest commandment was. He told them that everything is God’s Word is based on and held together by two commandments which are really one and the same. First, he quoted from the Book of Deuteronomy (6:5) that first and greatest commandment is, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.” Then he quoted from Leviticus (19:18) that the second was “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
And, the way they were really the same is that if you aren’t able to love your neighbor as yourself, then you aren’t loving God with all of who you are. In fact, the man in Jesus story who was thrown out of the wedding banquet celebration, was thrown out because instead of loving God with all of his being, he feared God with all of his being because of how selfish he was – he only thought of himself, not the king, the king’s son, not the king’s servants and not all of those who had prepared the celebration for him to come to. And the reason for his fear showed.
Jesus then took the opportunity to ask the Pharisees a question about whose son the Messiah was and when they answered him that the Messiah was the son of David he asked them a further question about how it was possible for this to be the case since in the Psalms, David speaks under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and refers to his son as “my Lord.” In questioning the Pharisees in this way, Jesus was really making a statement to them that he, as the Messiah, was both God and man. In response, no one said a word. This statement by Jesus put an end to the Pharisees and Sadducees challenges against him.
HEALING
Our Father, Your Kingdom has come, Your Son was here and gave his life as a ransom, and we have been invited to accept Him as the Christ, the Son of the Living God – the God who continues to be the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of the Resurrected.
Our Father, Forgive us when we don’t respond with the praise, glory and honor that
You as Father, Your Son, and the Holy Spirit are due. Forgive us when we get preoccupied with our fields and our business and our busyness and spend more of our time with our coins, then in celebration with You for who You are and for what You have done in creating us in Your image and for the Your Word that has Liberated us from Sin through Your Son.
Our Father, Transform our hearts, minds, and souls from our selfish ways to that of love. Help us to accept and grow in Your Love by spending time in celebration with You, so that we are able to love others as selfishly as we seem to love ourselves, and are able to celebrate with them too.
Our Father, We too come away stunned, startled, and silenced by Your powerful Word. Your Word created, Your Word became flesh, Your Word resurrects, Your Word transform us.
You are amazing God!
In Jesus Name, Amen
SONG 'Your Love Oh Lord' by Acquire the Fire @imeem http://x.imeem.com/wyGMC3taME
Showing posts with label Love. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Love. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Friday, August 14, 2009
SHEPHERDS
AUGUST 14, 2009 FRIDAY SCRIPTURE MATTHEW 18
TEXT http://net.bible.org/bible.php?book=Mat&chapter=18#n34
MESSAGE
“Greatest”
Asked who the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven is, Jesus calls a child to stand among the disciples as an example of a humble and trusting believer of His and tells them not only does it require humility and faith to enter the Kingdom of Heaven but that this is the basis of greatness in the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus goes on to tell his disciples that being kind to one of his humble trusting believers is the same as being kind to Him. He also tells them that if anyone causes one of his humble trusting believers to sin, that person would have been better off having died a horrible death before doing this given what’s at stake for them after they’ve done it. Given the eternal risk to their soul, Jesus tells his disciples a person like this would be better off cutting off one of their hands or feet or tearing out one of their eyes if it would have prevented them from causing a humble trusting believer of His to sin.
“The Lost Sheep”
Furthermore, Jesus tells his disciples that in addition to not being led into sin, his humble trusting believers are not to be looked down on or shown disrespect by others because they are being protected by angels who have such a close relationship with His Father in Heaven they see His face and therefore are under the personal protection of His Father. Jesus goes on to tell his disciples that because of this, if even one of His humble trusting believers is led astray, He will leave all of His other believers until the one who was led astray and became lost has been found at which point both He and His Father will rejoice more over the one who has been found than all of those who never became lost.
“Restoring Christian Relationships”
Jesus then outlines for His disciples steps in the community of believers for one to take if someone has sinned against them. He told them to begin with go privately to the person and tell them what they have done wrong and if they acknowledge the wrong and accept responsibility for it the relationship has been restored. However, if this does not happen, he tells them they are to make a second attempt at doing this but this time by bringing one or two people with to provide accountability and serve as witnesses. If the person continues to deny wrong doing, he tells them to bring the matter in front of the church and if the person refuses to listen to the church he is to be treated like an outsider until he acknowledges what he has done wrong and accepts responsibility for it so that the relationship in the community can be restored.
Jesus tells the disciples that in the same way that their confession of Him as the Christ, the Son of the Living God determines who enters the Kingdom of Heaven or not, their following this process of reconciliation to the point a person acknowledges their wrong doing and takes responsibility for it determines whether they remain in the community of fellowship or not.
When asked by Peter how many times he must forgive someone who sins against him Jesus told him there is no numerical limit, that he should forgive someone as many times as it is necessary to maintain relationship with them in the community.
“Unmerciful, Unforgiving”
Jesus then tells the disciples a story about the Kingdom of Heaven to further respond to Peter’s question about forgiveness. In the story, there was a man who owed a king, who was calling due his accounts, a huge sum of money. Since he was unable to repay it he, along with his wife, children and his possessions were being ordered to be sold to collect at least partial payment against the debt. But when the man cried out for mercy, the king had compassion on him and forgave him the entire debt. However, despite this, he found a man who owed him a relatively small amount of money and demanded that he immediately pay him. When he was unable to he began beating on him at which point the man begged for mercy, telling him if he was patient he would eventually pay him back. But he would have nothing of this and had the man placed in jail until he could repay him. Word of what he did got back to the king who was very upset, called him back, and because he hadn’t shown the mercy he had been given was thrown in prison to be tortured until his unpayable debt was repaid. Jesus concluded by telling his disciples that this is what his Father will do to them if they do not forgive from their heart.
TEACHING
“Greatest”
Concerned about who the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven is, the disciples were likely surprised when Jesus called a child over as the prime example of greatness because they were modest, trusting believers of His. He told them this was not only the basis of greatness but that it was required to even enter the Kingdom.
The disciples may have been even more surprised when Jesus went on to describe the importance of treating children and modest, trusting believers properly. He told them that by being kind to them they were being kind to Him. He also told them that if someone caused a child or a modest, trusting believer to sin, that person would have been better off dying a horrible death prior to this situation developing because of the consequences they’ll face. He said their eternal soul is at such risk that they would have been better off disabling them self in a way that would have prevented this from ever happening.
“The Lost Sheep”
Jesus also tells his disciples that proper treatment of children and modest, trusting believers includes their not being looked down on or being disrespected by others, unless they want to deal with God about this as well, because of the protection he provides them through angels who are remain in close contact with Him in Heaven.
Jesus ends his answer to the disciples about who the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven is by telling them a story about a lost sheep (a child or one of His modest, trusting believers who has been led astray) and how the shepherd (Jesus) leaves all the other sheep (all the believers who have not been led astray) to search for the lost sheep until it is found at which point the shepherd (Jesus) and God rejoice more over finding the lost sheep (child or modest, trusting believer led astray) than over all the other believers who hadn’t been.
“Restoring Christian Relationships”
Sin occurs everywhere including within the community of believers and Jesus goes on to outline a process for his disciples and believers to take if someone in the community (church) has sinned against them. He tells them the first thing is to go directly to the person who has wronged you, keeping the issue just between the two of you and address it with them, but if they deny any wrong doing, the next step is to approach them again with one or two people who can provide accountability and witnesses the encounter so that there won't be two versions of what happens during the second meeting. If the person continues to deny any wrong doing, He tells them the third and final step is to address the issues in front of the entire community, such that the issue has now moved from being an entirely private matter to a totally public matter, and if the person continues to deny any wrong doing, the person is to then be treated as an outsider to the community (excommunicated) until they stop denying their wrong doing and accept responsibility for what they have done so that relationship in the community can be restored.
Jesus tells the disciples that their following this process determines whether someone remains in fellowship in the community (church) with others or not, is a special case of what he earlier told them about their confession of Him as the Christ, the Son of the Living God determining who has fellowship in the Kingdom of Heaven and who doesn’t. However, one has eternal fellowship consequences while one doesn’t.
When Peter tries to quantify or put a number on how many times he is required to forgive someone, Jesus informs him forgiveness is without limit, that he is to forgive as many times as it takes to maintain relationship in the community (church) and by implication the community at large as well.
“Unmerciful, Unforgiving”
The Kingdom of Heaven story Jesus tells in further response to Peter’s forgiveness question gets at the heart of the matter. God as the King in the story forgives the debt of sin that we would never be able to repay no matter how hard we tried. When we cry out to Him like the man with the impossible financial situation, because of our impossible sin situation, He is merciful and forgives us without condition.
However, after having been forgiven an unimaginable debt of sin, and then to be unmerciful and unforgiving of someone who has wronged us, when whatever wrong we have suffered is imperceptible in comparison to the wrong we have been shown mercy and forgiveness for, reveals a heart that has not been transformed by the mercy and forgiveness God has freely given. And a heart that has not been transformed by this Great Gift hasn’t really accepted the Gift and continues to owe the huge debt of sin it has been collecting and will suffer accordingly-what Jesus told the disciples will happen if their hearts are not transformed so that their forgiveness of others is based on Love like His Father’s forgiveness is.
HEALING
Our Father in Heaven, Thy Kingdom come on earth as it is in Heaven. Forgive us today for our pride which we hide behind, which we use to make ourselves feel great and look great in this world. Give us today the humility of those who are the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven, the modesty and trusting nature of children who believe in Your Son. We ask for healing of the wounds we carry that have led to the building of our pride and thinking that we need to protect who we are by building ourselves up in a false and unhealthy way instead of trusting that our value and worth come from You and You alone; that our circumstances, what has happened to us, what we have, how we are treated by others, or what we have or do does not determine our value in any way.
Our Father, we ask that we would be welcoming and show kindness to the humble and we ask that You protect us so that we do not lead anyone astray, into sin, making them a lost sheep, by anything we say or do. We pray that you would help us to consider what we say and do ahead of time because of the effects it may have on others and in this way help us to disable ourselves and prevent us from leading children, believers and nonbelievers down a destructive path.
Our Father, we ask that You Holy Spirit will empower and give us the courage necessary to address with love the conflicts that develop in our relationships that need to be resolved whether in the community of the church or other communities. Give us the wisdom and strength to approach these conflicts in the manner in which Your Son prescribed, keeping in mind they have to do with maintaining relationships in a community, not maintaining relationship with all who have wronged us such as those who have committed acts of physical, emotional, or sexual abuse where continued community is no longer safe or community never existed. Give us comfort that when we follow this process that not only are You with us but there are the protections of witnesses built in as well. When restoration of relationship is not possible, give us the Love in our heart to forgive those who have hurt us in spite of our pain - releasing this pain in the process.
Our Father, heal and transform our hearts by the forgiveness we have received because of the sacrifice Your Son made on the Cross so that we will live lives reflecting Your mercy, forgiveness and love to others and by doing so not only be agents of healing in this world, but shepherds as well.
In Jesus Name, Amen
SONG 'The Good Shepherd' by Dennis Sphatt @imeem http://x.imeem.com/4NPHiRGiMq
TEXT http://net.bible.org/bible.php?book=Mat&chapter=18#n34
MESSAGE
“Greatest”
Asked who the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven is, Jesus calls a child to stand among the disciples as an example of a humble and trusting believer of His and tells them not only does it require humility and faith to enter the Kingdom of Heaven but that this is the basis of greatness in the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus goes on to tell his disciples that being kind to one of his humble trusting believers is the same as being kind to Him. He also tells them that if anyone causes one of his humble trusting believers to sin, that person would have been better off having died a horrible death before doing this given what’s at stake for them after they’ve done it. Given the eternal risk to their soul, Jesus tells his disciples a person like this would be better off cutting off one of their hands or feet or tearing out one of their eyes if it would have prevented them from causing a humble trusting believer of His to sin.
“The Lost Sheep”
Furthermore, Jesus tells his disciples that in addition to not being led into sin, his humble trusting believers are not to be looked down on or shown disrespect by others because they are being protected by angels who have such a close relationship with His Father in Heaven they see His face and therefore are under the personal protection of His Father. Jesus goes on to tell his disciples that because of this, if even one of His humble trusting believers is led astray, He will leave all of His other believers until the one who was led astray and became lost has been found at which point both He and His Father will rejoice more over the one who has been found than all of those who never became lost.
“Restoring Christian Relationships”
Jesus then outlines for His disciples steps in the community of believers for one to take if someone has sinned against them. He told them to begin with go privately to the person and tell them what they have done wrong and if they acknowledge the wrong and accept responsibility for it the relationship has been restored. However, if this does not happen, he tells them they are to make a second attempt at doing this but this time by bringing one or two people with to provide accountability and serve as witnesses. If the person continues to deny wrong doing, he tells them to bring the matter in front of the church and if the person refuses to listen to the church he is to be treated like an outsider until he acknowledges what he has done wrong and accepts responsibility for it so that the relationship in the community can be restored.
Jesus tells the disciples that in the same way that their confession of Him as the Christ, the Son of the Living God determines who enters the Kingdom of Heaven or not, their following this process of reconciliation to the point a person acknowledges their wrong doing and takes responsibility for it determines whether they remain in the community of fellowship or not.
When asked by Peter how many times he must forgive someone who sins against him Jesus told him there is no numerical limit, that he should forgive someone as many times as it is necessary to maintain relationship with them in the community.
“Unmerciful, Unforgiving”
Jesus then tells the disciples a story about the Kingdom of Heaven to further respond to Peter’s question about forgiveness. In the story, there was a man who owed a king, who was calling due his accounts, a huge sum of money. Since he was unable to repay it he, along with his wife, children and his possessions were being ordered to be sold to collect at least partial payment against the debt. But when the man cried out for mercy, the king had compassion on him and forgave him the entire debt. However, despite this, he found a man who owed him a relatively small amount of money and demanded that he immediately pay him. When he was unable to he began beating on him at which point the man begged for mercy, telling him if he was patient he would eventually pay him back. But he would have nothing of this and had the man placed in jail until he could repay him. Word of what he did got back to the king who was very upset, called him back, and because he hadn’t shown the mercy he had been given was thrown in prison to be tortured until his unpayable debt was repaid. Jesus concluded by telling his disciples that this is what his Father will do to them if they do not forgive from their heart.
TEACHING
“Greatest”
Concerned about who the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven is, the disciples were likely surprised when Jesus called a child over as the prime example of greatness because they were modest, trusting believers of His. He told them this was not only the basis of greatness but that it was required to even enter the Kingdom.
The disciples may have been even more surprised when Jesus went on to describe the importance of treating children and modest, trusting believers properly. He told them that by being kind to them they were being kind to Him. He also told them that if someone caused a child or a modest, trusting believer to sin, that person would have been better off dying a horrible death prior to this situation developing because of the consequences they’ll face. He said their eternal soul is at such risk that they would have been better off disabling them self in a way that would have prevented this from ever happening.
“The Lost Sheep”
Jesus also tells his disciples that proper treatment of children and modest, trusting believers includes their not being looked down on or being disrespected by others, unless they want to deal with God about this as well, because of the protection he provides them through angels who are remain in close contact with Him in Heaven.
Jesus ends his answer to the disciples about who the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven is by telling them a story about a lost sheep (a child or one of His modest, trusting believers who has been led astray) and how the shepherd (Jesus) leaves all the other sheep (all the believers who have not been led astray) to search for the lost sheep until it is found at which point the shepherd (Jesus) and God rejoice more over finding the lost sheep (child or modest, trusting believer led astray) than over all the other believers who hadn’t been.
“Restoring Christian Relationships”
Sin occurs everywhere including within the community of believers and Jesus goes on to outline a process for his disciples and believers to take if someone in the community (church) has sinned against them. He tells them the first thing is to go directly to the person who has wronged you, keeping the issue just between the two of you and address it with them, but if they deny any wrong doing, the next step is to approach them again with one or two people who can provide accountability and witnesses the encounter so that there won't be two versions of what happens during the second meeting. If the person continues to deny any wrong doing, He tells them the third and final step is to address the issues in front of the entire community, such that the issue has now moved from being an entirely private matter to a totally public matter, and if the person continues to deny any wrong doing, the person is to then be treated as an outsider to the community (excommunicated) until they stop denying their wrong doing and accept responsibility for what they have done so that relationship in the community can be restored.
Jesus tells the disciples that their following this process determines whether someone remains in fellowship in the community (church) with others or not, is a special case of what he earlier told them about their confession of Him as the Christ, the Son of the Living God determining who has fellowship in the Kingdom of Heaven and who doesn’t. However, one has eternal fellowship consequences while one doesn’t.
When Peter tries to quantify or put a number on how many times he is required to forgive someone, Jesus informs him forgiveness is without limit, that he is to forgive as many times as it takes to maintain relationship in the community (church) and by implication the community at large as well.
“Unmerciful, Unforgiving”
The Kingdom of Heaven story Jesus tells in further response to Peter’s forgiveness question gets at the heart of the matter. God as the King in the story forgives the debt of sin that we would never be able to repay no matter how hard we tried. When we cry out to Him like the man with the impossible financial situation, because of our impossible sin situation, He is merciful and forgives us without condition.
However, after having been forgiven an unimaginable debt of sin, and then to be unmerciful and unforgiving of someone who has wronged us, when whatever wrong we have suffered is imperceptible in comparison to the wrong we have been shown mercy and forgiveness for, reveals a heart that has not been transformed by the mercy and forgiveness God has freely given. And a heart that has not been transformed by this Great Gift hasn’t really accepted the Gift and continues to owe the huge debt of sin it has been collecting and will suffer accordingly-what Jesus told the disciples will happen if their hearts are not transformed so that their forgiveness of others is based on Love like His Father’s forgiveness is.
HEALING
Our Father in Heaven, Thy Kingdom come on earth as it is in Heaven. Forgive us today for our pride which we hide behind, which we use to make ourselves feel great and look great in this world. Give us today the humility of those who are the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven, the modesty and trusting nature of children who believe in Your Son. We ask for healing of the wounds we carry that have led to the building of our pride and thinking that we need to protect who we are by building ourselves up in a false and unhealthy way instead of trusting that our value and worth come from You and You alone; that our circumstances, what has happened to us, what we have, how we are treated by others, or what we have or do does not determine our value in any way.
Our Father, we ask that we would be welcoming and show kindness to the humble and we ask that You protect us so that we do not lead anyone astray, into sin, making them a lost sheep, by anything we say or do. We pray that you would help us to consider what we say and do ahead of time because of the effects it may have on others and in this way help us to disable ourselves and prevent us from leading children, believers and nonbelievers down a destructive path.
Our Father, we ask that You Holy Spirit will empower and give us the courage necessary to address with love the conflicts that develop in our relationships that need to be resolved whether in the community of the church or other communities. Give us the wisdom and strength to approach these conflicts in the manner in which Your Son prescribed, keeping in mind they have to do with maintaining relationships in a community, not maintaining relationship with all who have wronged us such as those who have committed acts of physical, emotional, or sexual abuse where continued community is no longer safe or community never existed. Give us comfort that when we follow this process that not only are You with us but there are the protections of witnesses built in as well. When restoration of relationship is not possible, give us the Love in our heart to forgive those who have hurt us in spite of our pain - releasing this pain in the process.
Our Father, heal and transform our hearts by the forgiveness we have received because of the sacrifice Your Son made on the Cross so that we will live lives reflecting Your mercy, forgiveness and love to others and by doing so not only be agents of healing in this world, but shepherds as well.
In Jesus Name, Amen
SONG 'The Good Shepherd' by Dennis Sphatt @imeem http://x.imeem.com/4NPHiRGiMq
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