A PRAYER FOR FORGIVENESS AND MERCY

Today's promise: God forgives all sins, no matter how big

A prayer for forgiveness and mercy

Nothing can ever separate us from His love…

Romans 8:38 NLT

For the honor of your name, O Lord, forgive my many, many sins… Turn to me and have mercy on me, for I am alone and in deep distress. My problems go from bad to worse. O, save me from them all! Feel my pain and see my trouble. Forgive all my sins.

Psalm 25:11, 16-18 NLT

Like dominoes…

Have you ever felt as though the problems in your life were like a series of dominoes? One domino falls down, and it sets off a chain reaction that knocks down the rest of the dominoes. David felt that his problems were going from bad to worse — his enemies had surrounded him, waiting for his ultimate demise. David could see no way out. But even in his despair, he knew there was one whom he could always trust to help him. He turned to God, confessed his sins, asked for forgiveness, and pleaded for mercy.

When we are separated from God because of our sins, we need to repent and ask for forgiveness. Then, with a clean heart, we can come before him and ask for help. He will hear and answer us "for the honor of his name."

A prayer for today:

Dear God, for the honor of your name, please forgive my many, many sins and have mercy on me…

from The One Year Book of Bible Prayers Bruce Barton, general editor (Tyndale) entry for October 10

Content is derived from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation and other publications of Tyndale Publishing House

WHY SHOULD GOD WANT TO FORGIVE?

Today's promise: God forgives all sins, no matter how big

Why would God want to forgive?

"I will cause wonders in the heavens and on the earth — blood and fire and pillars of smoke. The sun will be turned into darkness, and the moon will turn blood red before that great and terrible day of the Lord arrives. And anyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. There will be people on Mount Zion in Jerusalem who escape, just as the Lord has said. These will be among the survivors whom the Lord has called."

Joel 2:30-32 NLT

If we say we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and refusing to accept the truth. But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from every wrong.

1 John 1:8-9 NLT

Bound by His Word

"Why would God want to forgive people who have spent a lifetime denying him and hurting him? Why doesn't he just zap them? In our humanity we say that certain people don't deserve forgiveness. In his sovereignty and perfect love. God says, "I love and forgive those who, to others, appear unsalvageable." This is just one of the ways in which God's thoughts are beyond our own. His mercy is so overwhelming that it can seem unreasonable to us. Are you willing to let God's mercy do as it wishes — with anyone?¹

If His conditions are met, God is bound by His Word to forgive any man or any woman of any sin because of Christ.

Billy Graham²

¹from the TouchPoint Bible with commentaries by Ron Beers and Gilbert Beers (Tyndale) p 760

²quoted in Wise Words & Quotes by Vernon McLellan (Tyndale) p 102

Content is derived from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation and other publications of Tyndale Publishing House

GOD'S FORGIVENESS IS COMPLETE

Today's promise: God forgives all sins, no matter how big

God's forgiveness is complete

"I — yes, I alone — am the one who blots out your sins for my own sake and will never think of them again."

Isaiah 43:25 NLT

If we say we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and refusing to accept the truth. But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from every wrong. If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts.

1 John 1:8-10 NLT

The inexcusable bit

"If you had a perfect excuse you would not need forgiveness; if the whole of your action needs forgiveness then there was no excuse for it. But the trouble is that what we call "asking God's forgiveness" very often really consists in asking God to accept our excuses. What leads us into this mistake is the fact that there usually is some amount of excuse, some "extenuating circumstances." We are so very anxious to point these out to God (and to ourselves) that we are apt to forget the really important thing; that is, the bit left over, the bit which the excuses don't cover, the bit which is inexcusable but not, thank God, unforgivable.

…What we have got to take to him is the inexcusable bit, the sin. We are only wasting time by talking about all the parts which can (we think) be excused. When you go to a doctor you show him the bit that is wrong — say, a broken arm. It would be a mere waste of time to keep on explaining that your legs and eyes and throat are all right. You may be mistaken in thinking so; and anyway, if they are really all right, the doctor will know that."

C. S. Lewis, The Weight of Glory, "On Forgiveness" (1947), quoted in The Quotable Lewis by Jerry Root and Wayne Martindale (Tyndale) p 220

Content is derived from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation and other publications of Tyndale Publishing House

MY EXPERIENCE OF 911 - TWIN TOWERS

MY EXPERIENCE OF 911 - TWIN TOWERS

September 11, 2001 - World Trade Center Disaster

I remember that day as plain and as crystal clear as a glass of ice cold water.  I just came out of the 14th Street, 6th Avenue train station at the back of the station that puts me at 16th Street, 6th Avenue.  I work on 19th Street.  As I got to the top of the steps, I saw people looking to my left and upward as though they were mesmerized with blank eyes of disbelief.  As I slowly turned my head, I knew what their stare was all about  I too wondered what caused such a tremendous fire.  It was breath taken and I started to pray as I walked to work.  After arriving at my job, I found out what had happened.  My co-worker’s mother worked in one of those towers.  She was a basket case.  As I continued to pray attempting to do my work, another plane went into the second tower.  More prayed went up before the Father.  Tower one imploded and with time the second tower imploded.  Death was everywhere. Peace.

THE LIFE OF A TERRORIST

THE LIFE OF A TERRORIST

The Spiritual Litmus Test - How Do You Fight Terrorism?

The seed of terrorism is planted in a terrorist’s upbringing and theological trend.  It starts when they are very young.  It is a form of brainwashing  The terrorist feels that the best way they can serve their cause is by hating their enemy.  Their conviction to destroy their enemy becomes their obsession and life’s purpose.  Their whole life becomes a celebration of the culture of death.  To them the victory is won when their enemy dies.  

The Apostle Paul was a terrorist.  His upbringing influenced him to terrorism.  He felt that he could serve God best by killing his enemy.  The Apostle Paul felt that he could serve God best by hating God’s people.  He found out that the love of God was the greatest battle to end terrorism.  The option for a terrorist’s life/heart is a change of life and only God’s love and truth can change that life/heart.  The Apostle Paul was a man of hate and he changed to a man of love.  His hope was in the grace of God that changed him, (1 Timothy 1:12-17).

Ask yourself this question today, Is God’s love setting you free so you can love other people?  The only option for terrorism is the spiritual option, God’s intervention in the terrorist’s life.  Peace.

NINE ELEVEN TWIN TOWERS

NINE ELEVEN TWIN TOWERS

N-New York/Washington-Three hijacked planes crashed.

I-Into major U.S. landmarks these planes flew.

N-News of this disaster broadcasted everywhere.

E-Even America’s pastime could not escape this disaster.

E-Entertainment was interrupted in America.

L-Loss of life was expected to be catastrophic.

E-Ensuring the functioning of the government was threatened.

V-View of this disaster will never be forgotten.

E-Early speculation of attack source, Osama Bin-Laden.

N-National tragedy of terrorism will not be tolerated here.

T-Twin Towers totally destroyed by hijacked plane crash.

W-World leaders expressed shock and horror.

I-Into flames both towers burned fiercely.

N-No one above the plane crashes could survive, some jumped

T-This day of horror continued as the buildings collapsed.

O-Osama Bin-Laden, What have you done to America?

W-War.  Is that what you want from the American people?

E-Explosions and fires left gaping holes in the Twin Towers.

R-“Revenge is Mine, I will repay” say the Lord (Romans 12:19).

S-Sirens were heard as terrified people rushed seeking safety.

PEACE

IN THE GARDEN

IN THE GARDEN

READ:  Matthew 26:36-42

My Father,…may your will

be done.  (Matthew 26:42)

My forefathers were pioneers in Michigan.  They cleared the land, planted crops, and cultivated gardens to raise food for their families.  This agrarian bent has been passed down through the generations.  My dad grew up on a Michigan farm and loved gardening, which may explain why I love gardening and the smell of fertile soil.  Cultivating plants that bear beautiful flowers and tending roses that fragrantly grace our years with beauty are enjoyable pastimes for me.  If it weren’t for the weeds it would be wonderful!

When I have to wrestle with the weeds, I am reminded of the garden of Eden; it was a perfect garden until Adam and Eve disobeyed God and thorns and thistles became a reality for them and every gardener since then (Genesis 3:17-18).

The Bible also mentions another garden - the garden of Gethsemane where Christ, in deep distress, pleaded with His Father to find another way to reverse sin’s consequences that were born in Eden.  In Gethsemane, Jesus surrendered to His Father by uttering words of full obedience in the face of great pain:  “Your will be done” (Matthews 26:42).

Because Jesus surrendered in that garden, we now harvest the benefits of His amazing grace.  May this lead us to surrender to His weeding of sin from our lives.   JOE STOWELL

Lord, thank You for the amazing price You paid to free me from sin.  May the reality of the victory You won encourage me to reject the sin that entangles my ability to be fruitful for You.

Spiritual growth occurs when faith is cultivated.

INSIGHT

While Gethsemane is usually referred to as a “garden,” it was in reality more like an orchard of olive trees.  A portion of that orchard still remains today at the foot of the Mount of Olives, just across the Brook Kidron from the old city of Jerusalem and the temple mount.  From Gethsemane, you have a clear view of the Eastern Gate where it is believed the Messiah will enter Jerusalem when He returns to earth at His second coming.  Imagine:  In the shadow of the place where Jesus will be greatly honored as the arriving King is the garden where His sufferings began.  BILL CROWDER

Have a blessed day and weekend.

God Our Creator’s Love Always.

Unity & Peace