Discipleship

 Forgiveness Is Freedom Ever had an experience where you gave trust and love with abandon, but you were “burned” in the end? You know. Went out of your way for someone, but not only did you not get a bit of recognition, you were criticized for it. Transgressions, or abuses, against us are very difficult to ignore or let go of. Often, we say to ourselves that we’ll forgive the person, but we know we won’t forget. Speaking of transgressions, when inspecting my life, I see that my transgressions against God are enormous. Yet God has forgiven me. Unbelievably, He has moved my sins away from Him, as far as the East is from the West. God forgives me, but commands that I forgive others in the same way. He tells me in Matthew 6:14-15, “For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your Heavenly Father will also forgive you. But, if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.” (NASB95) Also, and here is the tough part, Philippians 2:3 says, “Do no...

  The melancholy and shame left him slumping in his chair like a spineless, cast-aside stuffed doll. He had failed again. How many times must he go through this? He wants to live a godly life, a God-honoring life, but this habit controls him like meth to a junkie. He had read in the Bible that the Apostle Paul had a weakness, and he wanted God’s help with it. But God told Paul He wouldn’t fix Paul’s weakness, but He would strengthen Paul for his work. Well, God knows he is weak and needs God’s strength, and he is wondering why God hasn’t helped him. Ever feel this way? Facing the sin in your life has several avenues. Some think the constant recognition of sin is a means to appreciate God’s forgiveness and grace rather than a source of debilitating shame. Then there is the view that calling oneself a “sinner” after salvation is wrong and believers should identify with their new nature in Christ rather than their old sinful nature. They should concentrate on Romans 12:2, “…...

 Why Pray? When you pray, do you ever feel like God is not listening? That God doesn’t care? That God is punishing you by remaining quiet? Me, too. I mean, how many times have we asked for the same thing over and over, only to hear or see nothing concerning it? Even when it isn’t anything huge—like moving a mountain or world peace, it still doesn’t seem to get addressed by God. In Matthew 7:7-8, Jesus says, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.” (NASB95) In David Guzik’s commentary on Matthew 7, he says, there is “A threefold description of prayer, ask, seek, and knock. Progressively more intense. Persistent prayer glorifies God, expresses dependance upon Him, and aligns our heart more with His.” I don’t know about you, but when I revisit my prayer’s, I rarely glorify God or express my dependency on Him. I just want what I...