Greater Forgiveness Part II

A couple of weeks ago, Senior Pastor Rich Nathan’s message was called ‘Greater Forgiveness’. The central theme of the message was that God’s forgiveness through Jesus Christ is full and complete. One thing that God has laid on my heart the past several days is the problem of what Rich referred to as ‘moralisim’ that is ‘when we try to straighten other people out’.

Rich stated that this has two aspects to it: ‘those who try to do this are usually caught up in the same sin’ and ‘people don’t like other people condemning them’. The passage that brings this to light is John 8:4-7

“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." “

I have lost many who I considered to be my friends over the past two years. It hurts me that a number of them have chosen to not see the miracle of what God has done in me – taking this completely broken vessel, restoring it, and watching it blossom. And yes I can say blossom in spite of being without a job the past 10 months and other unanswered prayer. But the core of friends that I do have remained strong (including my children) and as God has added the ‘yeast’ I have seen friendships multiply. Many of them know what has transpired and many could care less. They love me and pray for me simply because of who I am – a sinner saved by Jesus Christ.

Some verses God laid on my heart this morning to share:

Psalm 62:7-8 7 My salvation and my honor depend on God;
he is my mighty rock, my refuge.
8 Trust in him at all times, you people;
pour out your hearts to him,
for God is our refuge. “

Psalm 63: 1-8 ‘1 You, God, are my God,
earnestly I seek you;
I thirst for you,
my whole being longs for you,
in a dry and parched land
where there is no water.
2 I have seen you in the sanctuary
and beheld your power and your glory.
3 Because your love is better than life,
my lips will glorify you.
4 I will praise you as long as I live,
and in your name I will lift up my hands.
5 I will be fully satisfied as with the richest of foods;
with singing lips my mouth will praise you.
6 On my bed I remember you;
I think of you through the watches of the night.
7 Because you are my help,
I sing in the shadow of your wings.
8 I cling to you;
your right hand upholds me. “

Colossians 2:13-15 “13 When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, 14 having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. 15 And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.”

John 5:17 “Jesus said to them, "My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working." ‘

God has placed a calling on me to be reconciled with those who have chosen not to see what God has done through me. And this is solely because of what is in my heart towards them – seeking their forgiveness for anything I am harboring against them. I am going to be persistent simply because Christ demands that we be reconciled:

2 Corinthians 5:16-21 “16So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. 17Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! 18All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. 21God made him who had no sin to be sin[a] for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

Let me close with a line from a song:
“Are you free ? I am free !”





“I Am Free” by the Newsboys
“Through you the blind will see
Through you the mute will sing
Through you the dead will rise
Through you our hearts will praise
Through you the darkness flees
Through you my heart screams I am free
I am free

Chorus: (2x’s)
I am free to run
(I am free to run)
I am free to dance
(I am free to dance)
I am free to live for you
(I am free to live for you)
I am free
(I am free)
Yes, I am free
(I am free)

Through you the blind will see
Through you the mute will sing
Through you the dead will rise
Through you our hearts will praise
Through you the darkness flees
Through you my heart screams I am free
I am free
Are you free?
I am free”

"Five MarksOf An Authentic Christian" by James McDonald

I recently listened to a sermon series by Pator James McDonald and he stated that these are the five marks of an authentic Christian:

1. Love deeply

2.Obeying faithfully

3. Living authentically

4. Knowing completely

5. Believing confidently

The following verses sum it up so well:

" 5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. 8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins." 2 Peter 1:5-9

Many thought that I would never get here - that I was too broken, that I simply could not put be back together. But God had other plans and through lots of prayer, love, and true brothers in the Lord I am not only back together but can say with confidence in my Lord Jesus that I am an 'Authentic Christian" as witnessed by family & friends.

The song ‘Complete’ by Kutless really speaks to that end – at the time it came the song help changed my prayer life among other things and ties in the words from James McDonald and 2 Peter 1:5-9 so well. Below are the lyrics.

What are you waiting for ? Get “Complete” in Jesus !

“Complete”
Incomplete it all began
The broken state that I was in
I wished that I was someone else
Cause' I was lost inside myself
I started seeing who I am
The day my life with you began
You clearly solved the mystery
That finding you meant finding me.

God, I've fallen to my knees
I'm bowing at your feet
I give you all of me
In you I am complete
It's all because of love
I'm not who I was
I'm who I meant to be
In you I am complete

God who doesn't need at all
I heard your voice I felt your call
It's echoing I cannot shake you off.
The stars that shine they bear your name
They sing the song that gives you praise
You've captured me
My heart is lifting off

God, I've fallen to my knees
I'm bowing at your feet
I give you all of me
In you I am complete
It's all because of love
I'm not who I was
I'm who I meant to be
In you I am complete

I've got to tell the world about the things you've done
I want to shout it out, I'm gonna live it now
Amazing grace is why I'm singing

God, I've fallen to my knees
I'm bowing at your feet
I give you all of me
In you I am complete
It's all because of love
I'm not who I was
I'm who I meant to be
In you I am complete

"Greater Forgiveness" by Rich Nathan

Senior Pastor Rich Nathan's message this weekend was called 'Greater Forgiveness'.

In it he outlined thet 'we need to receive the fullness of Jesus forgiveness. Nowhere in the Bible does it say "All your sins are forgiven except________" ' Rich also mentioned that 'there are so many excuses DNA, genes, parents, environment, etc. but I am still a sinner.' He gave the example of an interview with Bill Clinton about Monica Lewisnky and that Bill Clinton said he could have used the 'excuses' reason but he said he did it for the the worst reason of all - "I wanted to'. We have all been there but a God has laid this on my heart and I have assumed full responsibility for my sin that has caused so much anguish - and I have already received many blessings in return.

Rich also pointed out that 'Our worst sin is the failure to believe the word of God when it comes to forgiveness'.

"Surely it was for my benefit that I suffered such anguish. In your love you kept me
from the pit of destruction; you have put all my sins behind your back." Isaiah 38:17

"I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more." Isaiah 43:25

"as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us." Psalm 103:12

"You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfootand hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea." Micah 7:19

He stated the the evidence of forgiveness is twofold" 'Your focus is on Jesus', and 'You devote everything to Jesus'.

I close with this.

""Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?" The expert in the law replied, "The one who had mercy on him."
Jesus told him, "Go and do likewise."" Luke 10:36-37 NIV

Go and do likewise.




"Ocean Floor" by Audio Adrenaline


"The Mistakes I've made
That cause pain
I could have done without
All my selfish thought
All my pride
The things I hide
You have forgot about


Chorus

They’re all behind you
They’ll never find you
There on the ocean floor
You sins are forgotten
They’re on the bottom
Of the ocean floor


My misdeeds
All my greed
All the things that haunt me now
They’re not a pretty sight to see
But they're wiped away
By a mighty, mighty wave
A mighty, mighty wave


Your sins are erased
And they are no more
They’re out on the ocean floor

Take them away
To return no more
Take them away
To the ocean floor
To the ocean floor
To the ocean floor|
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Your sins are erased
There are no more
They’re out on the ocean floor"

"God's Rich Love" Ephesians 3:16-25

"16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord's people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. 20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen" Ephesians 3:16-20

I attend a morning chapel service at Vineyard Columbus at 7 AM Monday through Friday. Today's New Testament reading was Ephesians 3 and God laid these verses to share with everyone today. The message is simply this - that God's love cannot be measured - we simply cannot grasp how much God loves us and how much he wants to do for us !




As I draw closer and closer to God every day, the sweeter and deeper and richer his love for me becomes. I value my relationship with Jesus above all others.

I can say this even on a cold, wet rainy day - with no job prospects in sight and with lots of uncertainty in my life. I know that my God will come through and bless my prayers and all who are praying for me - his word says it and I claim and believe it. Do the same !

Be blessed !

“Impossible is not a word It’s just a reason for someone not to try" from "What Faith Can Do by Kutless






"What Faith Can Do" by Kutless

"Everybody falls sometimes
Gotta find the strength to rise
From the ashes and make a new beginning
Anyone can feel the ache
You think it’s more than you can take
But you are stronger, stronger than you know
Don’t you give up now
The sun will soon be shining
You gotta face the clouds
To find the silver lining

I’ve seen dreams that move the mountains
Hope that doesn’t ever end
Even when the sky is falling
And I’ve seen miracles just happen
Silent prayers get answered
Broken hearts become brand new
That’s what faith can do

It doesn’t matter what you’ve heard
Impossible is not a word
It’s just a reason for someone not to try
Everybody’s scared to death
When they decide to take that step
Out on the water
It’ll be alright
Life is so much more
Than what your eyes are seeing
You will find your way
If you keep believing

I’ve seen dreams that move the mountains
Hope that doesn’t ever end
Even when the sky is falling
And I’ve seen miracles just happen
Silent prayers get answered
Broken hearts become brand new
That’s what faith can do

Overcome the odds
You do have a chance
(That’s what faith can do)
When the world says you can’t
It’ll tell you that you can!

I’ve seen dreams that move the mountains
Hope that doesn’t ever end
Even when the sky is falling
And I’ve seen miracles just happen
Silent prayers get answered
Broken hearts become brand new
That’s what faith can do
That's what faith can do!
Even if you fall sometimes
You will have the strength to rise"