The Seed of Hope

Before the Cross

Forgive: To pardon someone for an offense, or to cease feeling resentment against an offender.

Forgiveness: The act of forgiving.

Funny thing about forgiveness…

If someone has wronged or offended us, and offers an apology for their wrongdoing, we aren’t always so quick to forgive them. What they did may have hurt us, embarrassed us, or caused suffering, so sometimes we’re just not ready to let go of our anger, or perhaps the desire to “get even.” “I’m sorry” just doesn’t seem to cover it. As far as we’re concerned, there should be a greater price to pay.

On the other hand, when we seek forgiveness from someone else, we expect to be forgiven immediately. After all, we humbled ourselves in offering an apology and that in and of itself should be enough, right? Besides, we didn’t do it on purpose; it was just an accident (even if our actions were premeditated and blatantly purposeful)! So why can’t we just forget the past, and let bygones be bygones?

We often seem to view situations from the perspective that best defends our position, rather than that of the other party. Perhaps we’re afraid that if we looked through a different set of eyes, we might see things differently.

Have you ever stopped to think about what a relationship with God looked like before Jesus was crucified? Before the cross? Before he paid for our forgiveness with his blood? Before he gained God’s Grace for us with his selfless submission to the misguided fears and hatred that other men had for him? Before he gave his life for us so that we may eternal life with his Father?

God’s forgiveness, which is so readily available for us today, was anything but that before Jesus died. At that time, man had to pay for forgiveness, in some form or fashion, and it was spelled out by God. For example:

God spoke to Moses: "Tell the People of Israel, When a man or woman commits any sin, the person has broken trust with God, is guilty, and must confess the sin. Full compensation plus twenty percent must be made to whoever was wronged. If the wronged person has no close relative who can receive the compensation, the compensation belongs to God and must be given to the priest, along with the ram by which atonement is made. All the sacred offerings that the People of Israel bring to a priest belong to the priest. Each person's sacred offerings are his own, but what one gives to the priest stays with the priest." Numbers 5:5-10 The Message

Notice that God didn’t single out what we consider to be serious offenses, such as murder, adultery, or theft. He says “any sin.” And what was the atonement for that sin? Confession, full compensation plus 20 percent, and a ram (livestock was extremely valuable in those times). Burnt offerings and blood sacrifices to please God were a part of everyday life; that is, if you wanted to stay in His good graces. The point here is that before Jesus’ death, God’s forgiveness wasn’t a given thing; you had to earn it.

And today? If you stand before God with remorse in your heart for your actions, you’re forgiven. Just like that. Done. And get this: God doesn’t want to condemn us. In fact, He sent His only Son to die for us so that forgiveness could be ours!

Jesus paid the price with his blood sacrifice so that every sin that you have committed in the past, and every one that you will commit in the future, has and will be forgiven.  No burnt offerings or blood sacrifices are necessary; just sorrow in your heart and asking God to forgive you.

Right now…

On this day, Good Friday, I’m challenging you to do something for me.  Better yet, I’m asking you to do this, and it’s not for me, but for you and your relationship with Jesus…

Find a quiet place in your home or office. Spend a few moments prayer, separating yourself from the world and all that’s in it. Ask God to open your eyes, your mind, and your heart so that you may fully receive, experience, and feel what you’re about to do.

In your “mind’s eye,” put yourself in Jesus’ place on that hill at Calvary. I want you to look through the eyes of Jesus as your arms are brutally stretched to the point of being dislocated, and watch in terror as the Roman soldiers prepare to drive those huge nails into your hands and feet. Feel the unbelievably excruciating pain as each is driven in with the swing of the mallet. You can close your eyes because the pain is so unbearable that you can’t bear to watch, but stay in the moment for a bit longer. Be Jesus. Imagine the sensation of being lifted on the cross and then your full weight tugging on the nails in your hands as the cross slams into the hole that has been dug into the ground…

When you reach the point to where you just can’t bear either the pain, the vision, the anguish, or the sorrow, and you have to open your eyes because you just can’t take it anymore and you’re getting sick at your stomach…

Be still. Thank him for what he did.

Look, I’m not trying to be sick or perverse. It’s just that I want you to feel, perhaps in a way that you’ve never done before, what Jesus endured for us. I remember the impact that it had then, and still has today, on my life.

It’s my prayer that you’ll never take his sacrifice, or the forgiveness that he gained for you, for granted. I know that I don’t.

May you have a Happy, Joyous, Jesus-filled Easter, celebrating our Risen King!

Power and Unfailing Love

What comes to mind when you think of power?

Strength? Control? Dominance? Authority? Command? Reign?

How would you define unfailing love?

A love that knows no limits? A love that withstands the tests of time? A love that’s as solid as a rock? A love that only grows stronger? A love that has no weaknesses? A love that never ceases?

How do you “see” God? Who is He? What is He? What are some of His attributes? Do you know Him?

There are times when we need to be reminded of what David knew about God because, well, because sometimes we forget…

One thing God has spoken,

   Two things I have heard:

“Power belongs to you, God,

   and with you Lord, is unfailing love”;

and, “You reward everyone

   according to what they have done.” Psalm 62:11-12

God is powerful.

Have you ever stopped long enough to really consider the scope of God’s power? He has authority over everything. He reigns over all things living, all creatures great and small. He controls the universe; the earth the moon, and the planets dance around the sun because of Him. Trees grow, flowers bloom, and clouds bring rain because He bids them to. Satan trembles at His voice. Yes, God is powerful indeed.

God’s love is unfailing.

Can you imagine loving someone as hard as you can, regardless of how many times they may have hurt your feelings or let you down time and time again? Would you still love that individual if the only time that you heard from him was when he needed something? Better yet, can you entertain the notion of loving someone who doesn’t even know you at all? Yes, God’s love is unfailing.

God rewards us according to what we’ve done.

Perhaps the “reward” to which David was referring had nothing to do with our salvation, or going to heaven. It could be that David is reminding us that God shows favor to those who love Him and serve Him while we’re here on earth. These “rewards” may not be tangible, as in money and possessions, but in intangible ones, such as happiness, love, joy, contentment, and peace.

It all comes down to this. Our God is a powerful God who loves us without question, and is always ready to shower His affections on us. Always.

Never underestimate His awesome power. Never forget His unfailing love. Never think that the things that you do for Him and His Kingdom go unnoticed. Never take your eyes off of Him; He never takes His eyes off of you. Never.

Remembering

Can you imagine forgetting your family’s traditions during the holidays, like Christmas, Thanksgiving, or July Fourth? How about if you remembered them, except that you couldn’t remember what you did to celebrate them? What if you forgot them altogether?

Let’s take this “forgetfulness” a step further. What if you forgot?

·         How to do pretty much everything that deals with daily life?

·         Moral standards.

·         Guidelines for relationships.

·         What to eat and how to prepare it.

·         How you should dress.

·         How to practice basic hygiene, including bathing regularly.

No, I’m not talking about Alzheimer’s disease, at least not in the traditional context….

Okay, before I continue I have a couple of things to share with you.

Three years ago my wife Jackie and I began reading the One Year Bible, which isn’t really a Bible so much as it is an on-line guideline for reading the entire Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, in one year. There are actually two different versions available. The first is The One Year Chronological Bible, which lists biblical events in the order in which they occurred. The other version, the one that Jackie and I follow, is The One Year Bible, which offers a daily reading from passages in the Old Testament, New Testament, Psalms, and Proverbs. Again, the ultimate goal of both is to offer a reading plan to cover the entire Bible in one year. Another feature that appeals to me is the ability to easily switch from one version of the Bible to the other. For instance, my preferred version is the NIV Bible, because I don’t have to spend my entire morning trying to discern its meaning. If I am having a hard time with a particular passage, I’ll switch to The Message, which quite frankly is more akin to a friend offering advice to another friend during a conversation, and much easier to understand.

All that being said, if you’ve had it in your heart to read the entire Bible from cover to cover but found it to be a little overwhelming because of the seeming enormity of the task, you might want to check the site out at www.oneyearbibleonline.com.

The other thing that I wanted to share with you is to admit that I don’t really enjoy reading enjoy reading the Old Testament. I’ve always found a lot of it to be boring. There are lists upon lists of names that are hard for me to pronounce, events that I’m sure were important in the development of God’s Kingdom, and so many instructions on the most minute of details that just didn’t make sense to me. Still, I figured that if it was in the Bible, it was there for a reason. And you know, each time I read through it I see something new. Oh the words are still the same, to be sure, but I’ve changed. I see them with a new set of eyes, because my walk with God has changed, and so has my perspective.

Why?

Have you ever wondered why God gave so many instructions to the Israelites when they fled from Egypt? For the longest time I did. The Old Testament is filled with God’s instructions for atonement, sacrifice, and even building a temple. Oh yeah. He also gave them Ten Commandments.

But God wasn’t done there; He included instructions for all of the “forgots” that I listed above, and more. So why do you think that He went so far as to instruct the Israelites on even the smallest of things?

They forgot how to be Israelites.

Okay, you can stop chuckling now. They really forgot how to be Israelites!

Let’s take a closer look at this. By varying accounts, the Israelites were slaves to the Egyptians for somewhere between four hundred and four hundred and thirty years!  Many historians and students of scripture have estimated the average lifespan of an Israeli slave to be around fifty years. If you’re doing the math, you realize that the Israelites were held in captivity for a minimum of seven generations, and quite possibly more than that!

For arguments sake, let’s say that the memories of living a life of freedom survived the first three or four generations of Israelites. Beyond that, any life other than that of being an Egyptian slave was long forgotten. There were no books, no photos, and no recordings to draw on as a remembrance. There was just a life of slavery; day after day, year after year, and generation after generation.

I’m asking you to take a few minutes to reflect on what the Israelites endured. Of course, the greatest injustice was their loss of freedom. Factor in the loss of knowing how to do the simplest things in life and the tragedy becomes even greater. I’ve been giving this a lot of thought, and reflecting on my family’s traditions at Christmas and Easter and the Fourth of July when I was a child. Through the years ours traditions may have changed a bit because technological advances have changed our world, but many of those traditions are still in place. Those traditions, past and present, are a part of me, and I can’t imagine losing either the memories of those that have passed or my expectations for those yet to come.

From scratch…

God had to teach the Israelites how to be, well, how to be Israelites, starting from scratch. Everything, including the smallest of things, had to be “remembered.” Everything, including His love for His chosen people and their love for Him.

Can you even imagine?