Forgiveness

How important is forgiveness? What happens if we don't forgive others? Is there any sin which God can't forgive?

Scriptures for this week:

Matthew 18:21-22, "Then Peter came to him and asked, “Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?”

22“No, not seven times,” Jesus replied, “but seventy times seven!" (NLT)

I don't believe Jesus is talking about a literal 490 times here. He was referring to as many times as your brother needs to be forgiven. I've heard people comment that maybe Jesus said that because the disciples couldn't do the math to figure out the literal number it equaled...

Matthew 18:23-35, "Therefore, the Kingdom of Heaven can be compared to a king who decided to bring his accounts up to date with servants who had borrowed money from him. 24In the process, one of his debtors was brought in who owed him millions of dollars. 25He couldn’t pay, so his master ordered that he be sold—along with his wife, his children, and everything he owned—to pay the debt.

26“But the man fell down before his master and begged him, ‘Please, be patient with me, and I will pay it all.’ 27Then his master was filled with pity for him, and he released him and forgave his debt.

28“But when the man left the king, he went to a fellow servant who owed him a few thousand dollars. He grabbed him by the throat and demanded instant payment.

29“His fellow servant fell down before him and begged for a little more time. ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it,’ he pleaded. 30But his creditor wouldn’t wait. He had the man arrested and put in prison until the debt could be paid in full.

31“When some of the other servants saw this, they were very upset. They went to the king and told him everything that had happened. 32Then the king called in the man he had forgiven and said, ‘You evil servant! I forgave you that tremendous debt because you pleaded with me. 33Shouldn’t you have mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had mercy on you?’ 34Then the angry king sent the man to prison to be tortured until he had paid his entire debt.

35“That’s what my heavenly Father will do to you if you refuse to forgive your brothers and sisters from your heart.” (NLT)

Okay, let's repeat something here... "That is what my heavenly Father will do to you if you refuse to forgive your brothers and sisters from you heart..." WOW! Pretty strong statement here... Don't you think?

Matthew 6:14-15, "For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins." (NIV)

Do you think you can go to heaven without forgiving someone? You decide...

Mark 11:25, "And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins."

We need to forgive others, bottom line. If you are finding it hard to forgive others, ask God to help you. "If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer." Matthew 21:22 (NIV)

Matthew 12:31-32, “So I tell you, every sin and blasphemy can be forgiven—except blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, which will never be forgiven. 32Anyone who speaks against the Son of Man can be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven, either in this world or in the world to come." (NLT)

Do you think there is an unforgivable sin? Let's repeat, "but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven,... ...or in the world to come." Does that mean you will go to hell if you blaspheme the Holy Spirit?

Mark 3:28-30, “'I tell you the truth, all sin and blasphemy can be forgiven, 29but anyone who blasphemes the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven. This is a sin with eternal consequences.'” 30He told them this because they were saying, “'He’s possessed by an evil spirit.'”

"Eternal consequences." Hmmm... If you read the verses before this in Mark chapter 3, you will see that they were accusing Jesus of casting out demons with Satan's power... What do you think about this? Would someone go to hell if they blasphemed the Holy Spirit?

So what is your viewpoint on forgiveness? Have you ever thought about it before? Do you have some unforgiveness that you still need to take care of? If so, I encourage you to do so. When we follow the Word of God, and do what He says it is amazing how our spirit can be renewed and lifted from its miserable state. Forgive, and do your best to forget about it. Don't hold a grudge. God will then forgive you, and permanently forget your sins!

Blessings!

~ S*

The Last Shall Be First

The last couple times I've worked on the household chore of ironing, I have been reminded of what God says in the Bible about "the first shall be last, and the last shall be first..."

"Ironing??? What does that have to do with that scripture???" When ironing a pair of pants I lay them on the board, lift up the right leg of the pant, and move it out of the way. I iron the inside of the left leg first then pull the right leg back down and iron the outside of it. After that I flip the pants over and do the inside of the right, then the outside of the left... Long story short... The leg I start with is also the leg I end with... "The first shall be last and the last shall be first..."

Scriptures for this week:

Matthew 19:30, "But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first." (NIV)

Matthew 20:16, "'So those who are last now will be first then, and those who are first will be last.'" (NLT) (Read the entire parable vs. 1-16)

Mark 9:35, "Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, 'If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all.'" (NIV)

Mark 10:31, "So Jesus called them together and said, 'You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. 43But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, 44and whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of everyone else. 45For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.'" (NLT)

Luke 13:22-30, "Then Jesus went through the towns and villages, teaching as he made his way to Jerusalem. 23Someone asked him, “Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?”

He said to them, 24“Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. 25Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, ‘Sir, open the door for us.’

“But he will answer, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.’

26“Then you will say, ‘We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.’

27“But he will reply, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers!’

28'There will be weeping there, and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves thrown out. 29People will come from east and west and north and south, and will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God. 30Indeed there are those who are last who will be first, and first who will be last.'"

We all need to learn to be servants and willing vessels to be used by God for His glory. We also should realize that even though we may not be the greatest preacher the world has ever known, or the most eloquent speaker to bring God's Word to life for others, we are still significant. God still loves us and wants to use us. It may not always be in the most exciting ways (like scrubbing toilets and not getting recognized), but it is still important. "Whoever wants to be a leader needs to be a servant." We need to be willing to help and serve others in all things, and even if we are not recognized by the people around us, God notices!

~ S*

What are We Doing?

Being a female, I am still trying to understand the things that a male mind is attracted to and why... What can I do to prevent my brother(s) in Christ from stumbling... This is not always an easy task.

Do I dress in a way that is provocative? Am I flirtatious (even if its not purposeful)? Do I say one thing and do another? Am I trustworthy? What things can I do to not only benefit myself, but to be a good example to the hundreds of people I encounter every week? How can I make an impact? How can I show God's love and be a light in the darkness around me?

The things that I do impact others. Sometimes in a small way; or sometimes in a huge way that I may not even find out about.

Our Scriptures for this week:

Luke 6:31, "Do to others as you would like them to do to you." (NLT)

I wouldn't want a guy or girl to dress or act in a way that was going to make it hard for me to remain pure in my thinking and actions, so why would I want to do or wear (or act like) something that would make it difficult for them?

1 Timothy 4:12, "Don't let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity." (NLT)

Just because we are young, it doesn't give us an excuse to pretend we don't know what is going on around us. We should be examples to others in everything that we say and do, but it shouldn't be limited to when we are around others. We should be obedient and follow what God's Word says even when nobody is watching.

Titus 2:7, "And you yourself must be an example to them by doing good works of every kind. Let everything you do reflect the integrity and seriousness of your teaching." (NLT)

Practice what you preach. Don't just say, "Oh, that top is too tight on her... Look at how short that girl's dress is." But then buy a low cut shirt with tight jeans yourself. Don't be a hypocrite...

Romans 12, "Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

3For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. 4Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 6We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. 7If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; 8if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.

9Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 10Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. 11Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. 12Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 13Share with God’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

14Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. 16Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.

17Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. 18If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. 20On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”

21Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." (NIV)

(Vs. 1-2) Don't do what the world does. Think outside the box. What does God say in the Bible about your situation? What would Jesus do?

(vs. 3)You are not all that... Sometimes we might think we have the best plan or the greatest intentions when we really don't. (Proverbs 21:2)

(vs. 4-8) Yes, I am an individual, but I have tons of brothers and sisters in Christ. We are each a part of God's family, so we should do everything we can to help and serve one another.

(vs. 9-10) Love one another! The two greatest commandments were to LOVE. (Luke 10:27, "He answered: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'")

(vs. 11-16) Be thankful in every circumstance. God is in control, so we don't have to worry about things. Just trust Him. Meanwhile rejoice and be joyful in everything that God has blessed you with! Be hospitable, kind, and unselfish. Serve others, and treat them the way you want to be treated!

(vs. 17-21) There is a time and a season for everything. God will take care of you, and handle anyone who does you wrong... Good always out weights evil.

We need to overcome the world's point of view and the world's way of life. Just because they wear tight clothing, curse every other word, or go to X rated movies doesn't mean we have to. We should set our standards higher than the world's.

What are some of your standards? What are some things that set you apart from the world, or outwardly show you are a child of God?

As always, I would love to hear your thoughts! Comment or e-mail me (girlbiblestudy@hotmail.com)!

~ S*

Even the Greatest Men Fell

In light of my last two posts I wanted to take this opportunity to say that even the greatest people are not perfect. I was chatting with a friend a few weeks ago, and we began to discuss how even the greatest men in the Bible fell. Not only did they fall, but a lot of those who fell were involved in some form of sexual sin.

Scriptures for this week's study:

Abraham: Genesis 16:1-16; Psalm 83:5-6

Samson: Judges 16

King David: 2 Samuel 11; 12; 16:15-23

Solomon: 1 Kings 11:1-13 (Ecclesiastes)

Abraham was credited with righteousness (Gen. 15:6); however, he was not perfect. God promised to give him descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky (Gen. 15) Abraham believed Him, but still tried to take matters in his own hands by lying with Hagar. Hagar gave birth to Ishmael, and the Israelites always had trouble with the Ishmael's descendants (to this day).

Samson was a great judge during the time of Israel's continual cycle of sin, repentance, redemption, etc... He was Israel's redeemer/leader at the time. But after multiple instances with women, Samson ended up with Delilah. Even though Samson family warned him, he still didn't listen. This not only cost him his life, but probably shortened Israel's redemption period by decades...

King David the "man after God's own heart" and one of the greatest (if not the greatest) kings of Israel. He served God well, but a couple wrong moves (lust, adultery, murder) and he not only lost a son(2 Samuel 12:18), but also suffered great humiliation toward the end of his reign(2 Samuel 16:22).

King Solomon had more wisdom than any other man before or after him, but even that didn't keep him from falling. Solomon had 700 wives and 300 concubines... (Wow... I can't even begin to fathom that... He could have gone 2.7 years without sleeping with the same woman if he'd have wanted to... Anyways....) And the number of wives wasn't really the issue at this time in history. The problem was where the women were from and what they believed. In his old age Solomon was led to follow other gods because of his many wives... This may have been what started Israel's fall until Jesus came...

One mistake can cost you a lot, but that does not mean it is the end of the world. Jesus Redeemed us by dieing on the cross for our sins. We are forgiven of all of them. We are no longer under the old covenant, but are under the new!

John 8:1-11, "Jesus returned to the Mount of Olives, 2but early the next morning he was back again at the Temple. A crowd soon gathered, and he sat down and taught them. 3As he was speaking, the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. They put her in front of the crowd. 4“Teacher,” they said to Jesus, “this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?” 6They were trying to trap him into saying something they could use against him, but Jesus stooped down and wrote in the dust with his finger. 7They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said, “All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!” 8Then he stooped down again and wrote in the dust. 9When the accusers heard this, they slipped away one by one, beginning with the oldest, until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman. 10Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?”

11“No, Lord,” she said.

And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.”"

You are forgiven, but don't keep practicing the sin. And remember God truly does forgive and forget.

~ S*