The FORGIVEN!

“I’ll never forgive him!” “I can’t forgive!” How often I have heard other people make these statements. They have been through some horrendous pain that has left a gaping wound and multiple scars in their everyday life. They somehow feel that refusing to forgive, refusing to put the pain into the hands of the only One who can really help them heal, will somehow justify their statement. We have all experienced some kind of pain in our lives. Some have experienced abandonment, while others have experienced abuse of the worst kind. Others have been bullied, and intimidated until their spirits were crushed. They want the pain to cease. They want the person who wounded them so badly to change. They stand alone, hoping, wishing, dying on the inside. But nothing ever seems to change. Even God seems not to notice. What’s a Christian to do?


CHANGE

One of the most valuable lessons I have learned in life is that I cannot change anyone. Only God can change someone’s heart, and He can only do that if they allow Him to do it. As much a I might want to change the behavior, the thought patterns, or even the future relationship—nothing that I can do will guarantee their change—except prayer. Even then, prayer has a way of changing us rather than others. Sometimes we want God to change. But God never changes. He is ever the same. His very nature is marked by His unchangeable character—His immutability. Malachi 3:6 tells us “For I, the LORD, do not change…” He is the One who will continue to be faithful, even if all mankind is faithless. He will continue to love, even when we feel unlovable. When we allow bitterness and anger to build in our hearts, He continues to love us anyhow. He does not love the sin in which we often choose to wallow. But He does love His child. Though God never changes, there is one person that can change—YOU. You can choose to change your attitude about those who hurt you, about the God who seemed to abandon you. Your attitude colors the whole world around you. Those with a wound often carry a boulder on their shoulders. It weighs them down, hinders everything they do. It influences everyone in their lives. That boulder is like a bag of rattlesnakes. They wonder where they can leave it, yet they continue to carry it into every day of their lives. Change must come. It begins with putting Christ in full charge of all of your life. We say we have given Him our heart, but we often don’t give him our mind, or our bodies. We hang on to just the parts we want to control. He tells us to give it all to Him, and we grip that bag of rattlesnakes a little tighter. We know that God wants to control all the uncontrollable things in our lives, yet we tend to hang on to the things we think we can change, as if we deserve the credit. We want to be right. We tell ourselves, “We deserve it!” But the tighter we hang on to our unforgiving attitudes, the more we deserve all the pain we get. God cannot and will not violate our strong and sometimes childishly stubborn wills. He is like the prodigal’s father, who knew the mistakes his son was making by taking his share and leaving home before he should. He knew that a hard lessons would be learned. But he stood there, gave the boy the money, and watched him go down the road while his own heart must have been breaking. He waited, and waited and watched and watched….and one day his faith was rewarded. He longed for his child, and that desire caused him to look longingly down the road, watching for the return of the wayward child. God is like that father. He did not scold the son...he did not lecture him. He did not demand repayment of the money squandered. He ran to him with open arms. He took his coat and put it around his shoulders, put his own ring in his finger and he called him “Son” again. Earthly parents who are at odds with their children do not always behave that way. They want to continue to parent them. They want to show the wayward one they were wrong. It’s silly how we do that. When we make mistakes and learn from them, we know we made the mistake. Forgiveness looks beyond the sins of the past, and accepts the individual just as they are. God does that for us. We don’t deserve forgiveness. We often can’t forgive ourselves. We tend to be hardest on “me.” But there are lessons to be learned, and the prodigal son while still in a far country, had a sudden revelation. Why starve to death, when you can go and work for the finest employer in the land...Father—not as a son, but just as a hired hand.

HUMILITY!

It is the beginning of forgiving yourself. It is the awakening to reality. Yet how often we want God to do the humbling. He can’t do it. We must humble ourselves. “Humble yourself in the sight of the Lord and He will lift you up.” (James 4:10) How do we do this? By sincere repentance. Real humility comes when we choose to do the very thing that we hate to do—submit. Submission to God means total yielding of every area of our lives—our past, our present and our future. We fight submitting because it means that we are no longer in control...God is. But what better place to be—in His hands. He knows the future. He knows the pain. He knows all about our relationships. He knows the deepest hidden secrets in our hearts that we have never told another soul. He knows how to fix everything that is broken and make it like new. He is the one who totally forgives, and acts like it never ever happened. But family—well, that’s another thing. The prodigal’s younger brother who now owned all the rights to his Father’s remaining wealth, was shocked by the forgiving Father. He was jealous of his brother. Family may not respond like God does to us. But how should we respond to them? How did Jesus respond to those who hurt Him? “Father, Forgive them, for they know not what they do….” (Luke 23:34) Jesus knew the wicked hearts of those who crucified Him. He was not like many of us who as children were sometimes forced to say “I’m sorry,” when in our hearts we knew we were not sorry one little bit. We were play acting to appease our parents. Sometimes we carry forward into our adult lives those little pantomimes, and we say we forgive on the outside, but inside we are just waiting for the right moment to seek revenge. Jesus never pretended. Jesus, from His wounded heart, chose to deliberately forgive. Why? He knew the consequences of unforgiveness—sin, separation and death. He would have failed in His divine mission. He did not fail—He forgave!

This year, as you meet with family and friends during the holidays, take a moment in the privacy of your home and kneel before the God who chose to forgive you. Then choose to forgive those who have hurt you. It demands obedient hearts. He will walk with you into the most painful moments and put peace in your heart. If there has been a wall dividing hearts, take the adult step of offering your repentance and saying those two little words “I’m sorry” and “Forgive me”. If you want to truly experience God in your life, forgive. You can chase revivals, seek out the prophets and evangelists, have others lay hands on you, but if you do not forgive, God can’t forgive you. Unforgiveness causes all kinds of grief, including sickness, unanswered prayer, and broken relationships with God and man. “Don’t grieve God. Don’t break His heart. The Holy Spirit moving and breathing in you is the most intimate part of your life, making you fit for Himself. Don’t take such a gift for granted. Make a clean break with all cutting, back biting, profane talk. Be gentle with one another, sensitive. Forgive one another as quickly and thoroughly as God in Christ forgave you.” (Ephesians 4:30-32 TMB) J. Johnson

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Praise reports and prayer requests…..

Pray for revival! Pray for those who are struggling with forgiveness.

Pray for the Johnsons as they seek a new place of full time ministry...a church that needs strong leadership. Pray for grieving families who have lost loved ones.... Pray for Pastors, Evangelists, Missionaries, and Teachers. Pray for US Army Chaplain Steve Maglio

Pray for those needing a healing touch in their bodies: H Johnson (having back surgery Nov 1 recovering nicely) T Johnson (still having pain from her heart problems) J Deike (cancer) D Barth (cancer), J Brandon, (cancer) D Sherwin (cancer), L. Gardner (cancer). Pray for those dealing with chaos, anger, abuse, temptations and carnal sinful habits. Pray for the nation, for the President, for our service men and women, for Israel, for the unsaved, and don’t forget to Praise and thank the Lord!

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Dear friends,


We have enjoyed a ministry opportunities in October in southern IL. Had a wonderful time in the presence of the Lord. Please pray that more doors of ministry will open for us in the days ahead. Please continue to pray for us as we seek God’s placement of our ministry. We are so thankful and so appreciate each of you who take the time to pray and write. God bless you all! God is faithful and we anticipate great things in the future… …Serving the Master

Dave & Joyce

Victim or Victor?

As a child, I could have easily become a victim of abuse. One day while riding my bike home alone from swimming lessons, I was approached on the side of the road by a man in a car who asked me about swimming in the nearby lake down the street from my house. I noticed he was sitting in his car naked. I quickly answered his question then rode my bike home in the opposite direction. I never did tell my parents until I was an adult.



Statistics have shown us all that sexual abuse is a major problem in our sin filled culture. One out of every 4 women have at some time been sexually abused, often as children. Sexual abuse has increased 350% since 1980. When we speak of sexual abuse, sometimes the church tends to stick its head in the sand in hope that the problem will go away and we won’t have to deal with it. But my experiences in ministry has taught me that as believers, we need to not only be aware of this sin problem that is so prevalent—we also need to be prepared to help those who have been victims of it. Men have also been sexually abused. The rapid rise of homosexuality in the last century in this country is often the result of sexual abuse.


All too often, there have been myths that have developed about this subject. If we as a church are going to help this hurting group of people in our churches we need to look at some of the myths, as well as how we as a church can help them through the resulting pain. I tend to see them all, abused and abusers as victims. They have all fallen prey to Satan’s attack. We know the Bible teaches us that our enemy, Satan, is like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. His goal is to kill, steal and destroy. The result of abuse causes people to be angry at God, because they think He allowed an abuser to steal their sacred sexuality and destroy their self-worth, their relationships, their sexual identities, and their very relationship to God. In many ways, you can see how Satan loves this area. It has devastated not only the Catholic church, but spiritual people across all denominational lines. I believe there are frustrated victims of sexual abuse who suffer in silence from post traumatic stress disorder, sexual identity confusion, and who spend time on the internet, involved in pornography, chat-rooms, and other questionable activities. If the church does not raise the standard from the pulpit, and learn to deal with all this in appropriate ways to help with prevention, we will all stand before God one day to give an accounting. So lets begin by debunking some of the myths many believe.


Myth #1. Normal appearing, well-educated, middle class people don’t abuse children. The Bible tells me that all have sinned and come short of God’s glory. Because we are all sinners, the potential to sin and be tempted by the enemy is in every human being, no matter how nice or educated they are. It is all the more important that we as transformed believers become protectors of the innocent, educators of the ignorant, and healers to the wounded.


Myth # 2 Children cannot be believed. Most stories are ‘planted’ by another adult with a motive of revenge or the child is just seeking attention. Most child victims of sexual abuse have little or no knowledge of what sexual abuse is or how it will affect them. It is extremely rare for children to invent such stories. Sometimes when children ‘recant’ their stories, it is out of pure fear, fearing they will loose those they love, or because the pain of their confession begins to cause so much hurt in their family. They fear abandonment, further abuse, rage of siblings, and they fear being blamed as the cause rather than accepted as the victim. Remember Jesus came to heal the broken hearted and set the captives free.


Myth #3 Good parents can always protect their children from abuse through education. In reality, even though we teach our children carefully, they can still be victims. Too often we trust those who are closest to us...our friends, our extended family members. Abusers take advantage of that trust. They are excellent manipulators. It’s important to teach our children the difference between good touches and bad ones. It’s important they learn to say “No!” and run or scream if they feel threatened in any way. Abusers will seek occasions when they are alone with their victim and have control over them. Keeping your kids in groups helps prevent this kind of abuse. But even though we teach them, they are still children, pushing the boundaries, discovering, and learning. They will learn some things they never wanted to learn—the hard way. Even when they make mistakes, Christ is always there with open arms to love and forgive them, and will heal the broken heart.


Myth # 4 The majority of children are abused by strangers. We hear of pedophiles and sexual deviants on the prowl in the community, but we should be even more cautious about friends and family. It is people the children and parents know and trust (80%) who often do the majority of all abuse. If a child tells you of abuse, listen carefully to them. If you have any doubts, trust your child first before you believe the adult. Teach your child that any area covered by a bathing suit is out of bounds for others to touch.


Myth #5 It is not abuse unless rape occurs. Wrong! We know the Bible teaches that it is even sinful to look upon a woman and lust. So touching in any inappropriate way is far beyond just looking. It damages the child. Sometimes they suffer from unresolved guilt feelings, post traumatic stress, eating disorders, flash-backs and feelings that cripple relationships with others. Jesus said in Matthew 8:16 But if you give them a hard time, bullying them or taking advantage of their simple trust, you’ll soon wish you hadn’t. You’d be better off dropped in the middle of the lake, with a millstone around your neck. Doom to the world for giving these God-believing children a hard time. Hard times are inevitable, but you don’t have to make it worse. Dooms day for you! (The Message Bible)


Myth #6 They wanted or asked for it. The abuser often subdues his guilt with this thought. Sexual abuse is about power. We must always remember that children are children, not understanding the power of adults or of sexuality. It is always the responsibility of an adult to say “no” to his own temptations...never the child’s. Children who appear seductive may already have been abused. If you are now an adult, and you failed to say “NO” as a child, you may feel like it is your fault. It is not your fault. You were a victim of the abuser and of Satan.


Myth #7 Children can stop the abuse by just saying “no.” We must remember—these are children and there is a huge difference in this power ratio. Abusers will often fail to listen to or obey the ‘NO” of a child. They often pick on a child that is weak and vulnerable. They use fear and intimidation tactics to control their victim. Maintain a healthy relationship with your kids so they can tell you anything without feeling rejection!


Myth # 8 The abused will always become abusers as well. No! There is One who wants to break the chains of sin and violence. His name is Jesus. He heals the broken in both abused and abusers. He is in the business of life transformation. He conquered sin, Satan, death, disease and fear when he rose from the dead. He desires to make all things new again. Oh, there may be scars. Even Jesus has scars. But those scars will be testimonies of the healing power of God. They will help Satan’s victims discover hope as they see you victorious in Christ Jesus. He makes victims into victors!


Solutions:


The real solution to the problem of sin is the blood of Jesus Christ. His blood cleanses us from all sin. Because of the cleansing power, we can become new creations...made just as if we had never sinned. When we fall into the trap of abuse, we often tend to feel all alone. We feel confused and traumatized.


The apostle Paul knew all about abuse. What was his solution to the pain? As he traveled the world telling about Jesus, he tells us We've been surrounded and battered by troubles, but we're not demoralized; we're not sure what to do, but we know that God knows what to do; we've been spiritually terrorized, but God hasn't left our side; we've been thrown down, but we haven't broken. What they did to Jesus, they do to us—trial and torture, mockery and murder; what Jesus did among them, he does in us—he lives! 2 Corinthians 4:8-10 The Message Bible) Persecution was the daily norm for early church saints. Paul never denied the pain. He just refused to be defined by the pain. He was more than ‘persecuted’—-he was God’s masterpiece! “10 For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” Eph 2:10 (NLV) When you know Christ and his forgiving power, you become His temple (2 Cor 6:16) and you become part of His family—sons and daughters (2 Cor 6:18). So just think of it, no matter what you have done, no matter what others have done to you, you are still His ‘masterpiece’ His ‘temple’, his ‘sons and daughters’. Let His identity define who you are! If you have repented of your sin, you are not damaged goods, but you are a blessed Child of the Almighty God, a masterpiece of His grace— a victor—that’s who you are!          J. Johnson

The Silent Killer

The Silent Killer

We listen to the advise of experts to protect our home and families from things that can harm them, even kill them. One of those deadly silent killers is radon while another is carbon monoxide. Radon, an invisible radioactive gas that seeps into homes through foundation cracks, causes 100 times more deaths than carbon monoxide poisoning, says the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. We learn that there are ways to deal with these two deadly problems. We place detectors in our homes that will alert us to the impending danger. Those detectors have saved many lives while homes without them, have sometimes had fatal consequences. As families have slept, the gases have filled the homes gradually eliminating healthy life giving oxygen with deadly odorless gases, causing the human body to begin to shut down, go into coma and sometimes die from lack of good clean air.
There is a silent killer lurking in many homes and churches across America. Daily it does its task of destroying the plans and purposes of God in the lives of God’s people. Like the deadly gases, radon and carbon monoxide, it seeps into our lives when we least expect it, and begins gradually doing its deadly work. This silent killer begins with a casual remark, a careless word, an undeserved jab or even a thoughtless deed. It results in cracks in our clay vessels that cause our love to leak out and the painful killer to seep in. What is it? Unforgiveness! You may lightly say…”Oh, but that’s not my problem!” Unfortunately, it’s everyone’s problem. In our own personal lives, it colors our view of life. In the church, it affects everyone with whom we rub shoulders. It has been known to destroy marriages and families, as well as dividing churches and ruining ministries. Most pastors have at one time or another heard someone say, “I’ll NEVER forgiven them!” They say they are Christians, but the pain of the deadly silent killer has already tainted their soul. They forget everything they ever learned from the Bible and make the pain of the past more relevant, more significant. They unconsciously choose to never forget, and in doing so, they also never put it behind them.
How To Clear the Air.
Forgiveness clears the air in our spiritual lives. Refusing to forgive invites poison that pollutes our souls. But how can we forgive those who have hurt us in such awful ways. How does a child forgive the incest? How does a woman forgive the date-rape? How does a mother forgive an abusive husband who damages not only her but her children? How does a wounded Christian forgive abuse of another Christian? It is not impossible. Just as you choose to love and trust, you can choose to forgive.
1. Recognize that the anger and frustration you feel comes from a moment of hurt that needs attention. Sometimes we tend to sweep it under the rug and ignore it, hoping it will just all go away in time. Yet the wound continues to fester.
2. Remember that others who may have hurt you are also vulnerable to hurts and may have been hurt in the past. Abusers often were abused themselves. When you see them as victims, it creates compassion rather than hate.
3. Forgive yourself. Perhaps you did something for which you blame yourself, resulting in the problem. We all make choices, some good and some bad. We learn from our mistakes. A baby learns to walk by falling down and getting up again and again.
4. When you can, restore relationships. Some have a habit of ‘snipping’ others out of their lives. Each person who wounds them in any way gets ‘snipped’ from their list. A story was told of a woman who did this all of her life. She began with many friends, but on the day she died, her family expected a large crowd at her funeral, only to be surprised when only the immediate family came to pay their respects. All the old friends of the past knew they had been snipped out of her favor years before. How sad! When we ostracize family and friends, we are expressing our lack of forgiveness. How sad it is to see families where parents and children no longer speak to each other, or churches where whole groups leave because of a lack of forgiveness. Practice reconciliation.
5. Take the Initiative. Be the bigger person and look beyond the faults of others. Don’t let the past keep you in the past. See the future God sees. Let your forgiveness build a bridge over troubled waters. Launch your lifeboat and watch what God will do. Tell your abuser sincerely… “I forgive you….” and watch them bend over backwards to make things right. Guilt will do that. Use your experience to help others be free from the past and the pain.
6. Remember what the Bible teaches! Forgiveness is Biblical. Jesus always practiced forgiveness instead of condemnation. He told the adulteress, “Go and sin no more.” He told the Father “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” One key verse we must lock onto is found in Matthew 6:14-15 14For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. According to this verse, we cannot expect God to forgive us if we fail to forgive others who sin against us. Our eternal destiny depends on our willingness to forgive. Even Paul taught the principal of forgiveness. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. (Col 3:13) Jesus sets the example for us all. Just imagine how many of us would not make heaven our eternal home if we failed to forgive.
I love the Message Bible version of Psalm 130:3 If you, God, kept records on wrongdoings, who would stand a chance? As it turns out, forgiveness is your habit, and that's why you're worshiped. Our God chooses deliberately to forgive...and forget. Unlike God, it is difficult for us to forget. While me may not forget, we CAN forgive!
7. Forgive with eternity in view. Life here is not all there is. We are planted on this small blue planet for just a few brief years. In those years, we are given opportunities and choices. We can become better or bitter. We can cut and snip, or glue and paste. We can give Satan a foothold or allow Christ to be the center of it all. Ask yourself these questions: “In eternity, when I stand before the Lord, what will matter the most? Will it be my anger or my forgiveness? How will it affect my eternity?” One person who learned to forgive put it this way: When you haven't forgiven those who've hurt you, you turn your back against your future. When you do forgive, you start walking forward. (T. Perry) Have you stopped in your tracks, paralyzed by the past? Your attitude will affect everything around you. It will cause you to be angry….and your children will be just like you. But the moment you forgive, you break the chains that bind you to the past, and set your steps moving forward again into freedom. God cannot use your potential when it is bound in unforgiveness.
Joseph in the Egyptian jail had every right humanly speaking to be a hateful bitter man. His own brothers had sold him into slavery and deceived his father into thinking he was dead. His employer had him thrown in jail on false charges of rape. His own cell mates forgot all about him after he had helped them. But GOD...had a plan bigger than anything Joseph could have imagined! God’s plan was based in Josephs attitude. He never allowed bitterness to take root. He let God take the lead and God used Joseph for the saving of his family and the nation.
8. Forgive with a Helper. There are many things that the Christian often discovers he cannot do on his own. He needs help. Jesus sent us a Helper. It is the Holy Spirit. He comes along side to speak into our lives, to guide us, to give us boldness, to make us more like Christ. He comes into our lives at salvation, and the moment we receive God’s forgiveness, He is there to help us forgive others. He is the ‘wind’ that blows away the poisonous gases in our spiritual lives. He fills us with His Presence. He points out to us all of our failures so we can let Him help us each day. He convicts us of our sin so we can see His forgiveness. He prods us to reconciliation with God and others. He is the potter who mends our broken vessels, then fills us to overflowing with Himself.. He lifts us above the circumstance, above the past, and gives us a hope and a future. (Jer 29:11)
What about you? Have you forgiven? Are you forgiven? Will you choose to forgive? I can do everything through him who gives me strength. Phil 4:13: . Remember these words...Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! 2 Cor 5:17 Put the old ways of unforgiveness and vengeance behind you. God wants to give you a new day. Let it begin right now. Let the Holy Spirit be your ‘unforgiveness detector’. When His warning sounds, take immediate action. Forgive completely and immediately. Make forgiveness your habit and change your world! Let the wind of the Spirit blow away the silent killer of unforgiveness in your life today. J. Johnson

Taming the Tiger

It’s fascinating to see a new tiger kitten—so small and cute and harmless. They sometimes appear on TV news shows and late night comedy shows. Guests can pick them up and cuddle them in their arms….but in just a few months, they can become deadly. Some have tried to take them home and make them pets, trying to tame the wild nature of an animal whose nature was designed to kill. Sometimes believers play the same kind of game with Satan and his temptations. They take home the ‘tiger’ of temptation and stroke it and feed it and play with it until it grows into a deadly killer.

Selfishness
There are all kinds of ‘tigers’ in our culture today. There is the ‘tiger’ of selfishness that often results in a broken marriage and shattered family, destroyed when the spouses focus on themselves and their needs, instead of on the needs of each other and the children. Humanism has taught a generation that ‘my’ needs come first. They tell themselves “What about me? I deserve something!” What they have failed to recognize is the Biblical principle taught in Luke 6:38 “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." When we are tempted to be selfish, we risk the gradual development of a wild tiger in our homes. To destroy this tiger once and for all there is only one sure remedy...giving! Giving is the exact opposite of selfishness.
But most folks don’t want to give when they have been trained to be takers. Takers spend lots of time developing the fine art of seeking out the best of everything around them, and filling their lives with things that make them feel good and give them comfort . They inadvertently teach their children to do the same. They model for them a ‘taker’ mentality. Christianity teaches a giving mentality, yet some believers continue to respond to their carnal nature and continue taking, thinking that they are doing what is right and proper. But Jesus in Luke 6 chose his 12 disciples and one of the first things He taught them was the principle of giving. The unselfish giving of Jesus originated in love. Jesus also taught them to love their enemies. "But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.” Luke 6: 27-28
But how often do Christian couples today divorce on the terms of incompatibility, when they have refused to follow the teachings of Jesus… The apostle Paul taught that husbands are to love their wives and wives are to be submissive to their husbands, and Jesus taught that we are all to love our enemies. When the ‘enemy’ lives in our own household, we are to continue to love. Loving does not mean becoming a doormat to abusive physical behavior, substance abuse or any behavior that would endanger a life, but it does demand that we treat each other with respect and maturity. It means learning to discuss problems and work through them to a resolution.
The situation can change when each person involved begins to start giving. They must begin acting like Jesus. And they must start treating the “enemy” like you would treat Jesus. If Jesus lived in your house, how would you treat Him? Knowing what Jesus did for you...giving His life for your sin, motivates most believers to be willing to give Him whatever He wants….serving Him with absolute unconditional love, just as He loved us as gave Himself for us.
All sin begins in selfishness. It demands its own way. It seeks it’s needs met without considering the needs of others. But love is the opposite. Just read the familiar 1 Corinthians 13 passage: “4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 8Love never fails.” Yet how often in a heated situation do Christians allow their emotions to be aroused to the point of rudeness, rage and rebellion. They begin to tally up a list of grievances—wrongs, unmet expectations, and the moment selfishness shows it’s ugly face, trust is destroyed again and again until the relationship crumbles into oblivion. I often wonder if just one person had begun to act like Jesus, had chosen to love when the other was unkind, or had chosen to be patient when the other lost patience, or chose to be humble when one became arrogant and pride filled—could it have changed the dynamics of the confrontation? The love chapter teaches us that genuine love looks beyond the sin and protects...reaching beyond what it sees to what it believes God will make through the power of love. He promises us that love NEVER fails.
Some have the worldly notion that love is an emotion one feels on the inside, and when they don’t ‘feel’ loved...that love is gone. But this is a lie from the enemy. Love is not a feeling! Love is a choice. It is not an adjective, but a verb. Love is something you do. Love is not that tingly feeling you have when you first meet a person of the opposite sex to whom you are attracted. Love chooses to love regardless of what it sees, hears, thinks or feels. That is how you can tame a savage tiger. With the love that God gives us, modeled by Jesus Himself, genuine love transforms the tiger into a kitten. How? Well, in Christ Jesus, when we yield ourselves to Him, He makes us new creations. He kills the old vile nature and makes it into something altogether different. It chooses to love, seeing the possibility of change in others who also need to become ‘new creations’.

Unforgiveness
“I’ll never forgive what they did to me!” How often have you heard that phrase? Somehow we think if we don’t forgive, it will punish our ‘victim’. But the reality is it hurts you far more than your victim. It places in you, that seed of bitterness that grows and sours your life. Forgiveness tames the ‘tiger’ in you and places the weight of responsibility on the perpetrator. When you choose to forgive, a load lifts, freeing you from a lifetime of hurt and pain. But where do we begin? It starts to change when we do what Jesus did.

Self Denial
Jesus practiced love and unselfishness to show us how to do it right. He began with self-denial. “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me…. (Matt. 16:24) We begin doing this when we look at others with humility and see them as God’s very own blessing in our life. God placed them there to teach us something we lack. Humility is a must. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for “ God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.” (1 Peter 5:5) and Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. ( Phil. 2:3) Humility is something only you can do. No one can do it for you. You must choose it, and know it will make you a better person.

Self Control
To bring healing and closure to any heated situation requires that believers learn to exercise self-control. Unfortunately they all too often spend time trying to control each other. Self-control begins when we recognize that the only one who has control of anything is God. We can never control other adults, only ourselves. As obedient children we must subject ourselves to Him, allowing His Spirit to control our uncontrolled lives. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control….24 And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” (Gal 5:22-24) So it is not getting our own way that matters, but yielding to His, killing our selfish desires. The person who exercises Godly self-control is one who brings every thought and action into conformity with the will of God. What is His will? His will is found in His Word. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. (Romans 12:2)and that will includes refraining from fornication….  For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication: 4That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honor; (1 Thess. 2:3,4) Self control will keep you from falling into sin’s traps made by the enemy. Every person who falls in sin, failed in the area of self-control.

Self Sacrifice
Jesus gave the ultimate self sacrifice. He died. He chose to lay down his life for those He loved—us. He expects us to do the same.  I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. (Rom. 12:1) Self sacrifice means doing what your carnal flesh tells you not to do...to yield to God, to yield to the Holy Spirit, to listen to His voice and obey what He tells you to do. We are to place our lives on the altar of God and yield to His control….come what may. It means not getting ruffled when others criticize or fail to appreciate. It means patiently dealing with repeated annoyances and walking in humility when others rise in arrogance…. knowing that God is working a higher good. Paul recommended that husbands love their wives this way...as Christ loved the church.
Each of these ‘tigers’ requires you...yourself...to respond. Others cannot do it for you. You must choose as Jesus would choose. Spiritual maturity must rise up within us. You are called to a role others may never attain. Yield your life to Him and let Him help you tame your tiger….by transforming you.
J. Johnson
 

Return...!

One of the strongest messages of the Old Testament prophets was the declaration, the command of God through these men of God which stated, “Return to me” Last month we determined that God is not a God who changes. Unfortunately, we as frail sinful humans do, and we tend to stray further and further away from God. Israel had that same problem. God told Israel through Jeremiah “you have played the harlot with many lovers; yet return to Me,'' says the Lord.”(3:1) God continues to call us back to Himself, not through the prophets as in the books of Jeremiah and Nehemiah and Malachi, but through the tug of the Holy Spirit in our hearts. He is pleading with the ‘church’, the bride of Christ, to come back…to return to our first love.
Return to your First Love
The church in Ephesus had strayed from the message that had first been preached to them… and in Revelations 2: 4,5 John related this message to the church: "Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. "Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place unless you repent.” Sometimes we get so caught up in our daily routines, our times of pleasure and our programs that we fail to notice we are slowly drifting further and further away from our moorings. Soon there is distance, and the intimacy is gone. Communication becomes shallow and even sarcastic. I have seen it in people, in churches, in ministries and in America. God is speaking a warning message to all: Remember where you have fallen from… and repent! In other words, we are to recognize that drifting has occurred, and we need to turn around, change, go back, return to our first love. Thinking about it is not enough. Reading about it is insufficient. Praying about it is not enough either. It calls for change—-action—-sacrifice—determination—dedication—commitment! These are words our society does not like. They fail the grade when it comes to making lasting commitments. A slight breeze just pushes them in whatever direction the wind is blowing. “Whatever is convenient—just do it…. Don’t ask me to make sacrifices.” We do not like to hear the truth. We put our feet into the pews where the pastor will make us feel good, tell us it’s all OK. Pastors balk at calling sin by it’s real name because sin offends. We gather folks around us who think just like everyone else. We don’t get into the Word and read the truth where the Holy Spirit might convict us of our wandering souls. Yet the Word has always laid the message out strong and clear for all to read. Return—or be removed…
How do we Return?
Remember when you first realized you were a sinner? You came to Jesus and He cleansed you from your sin and in that moment you fell deeply in love. You wanted to tell everyone! In your childish exuberance, you were not ashamed or embarrassed about the new love in your life. You were bold. You were excited—-and you were forgiven and free!
It’s springtime, and love is in the air once again. It’s amusing to watch young couples who have just fallen in love. You see them standing together, looking longingly into each others eyes, holding hands, touching, kissing, not caring who sees. He brings her flowers for no reason. She bakes him brownies and splashes on cologne. They can hardly wait to get off work, out of school, or for a moment when the two of them can get alone, just to talk, or even hear the sound of their first love—breathing on the phone. Remember? Perhaps it seems too long ago for you to remember when you first fell in love with Jesus. But if you want to return… you have to go back to doing those same things you did when you first fell in love. It means spending lots of time with your lover. It means intimacy without distractions. It means setting aside all other ‘stuff’ just to be with Him. Have you sent Him ‘flowers’ of praise lately? Are you really ‘in love’??? Make it your business to please the One you love! Make the time and take the time! But you may discover that the closer you get to the Holy Lover of your soul, the more unholy you feel. Sin has crept in, to hide in places you did not notice.
There is need for Repentance
When I turned 40, I noticed some changes in my life. My joints started to ache in places they had never ached before. My Bible seemed blurry when I tried to read it. I just could not read that tiny print on the vitamin bottles anymore. I found I needed reading glasses. But when I took those reading glasses off, I was no longer seeing some things that I used to see. The dust sometimes piled up, and the floors sometimes needed cleaning. But because I could not see the dust or the dirt, I never knew it was there. I learned that I needed to be diligent about doing some things, even if at first glance it appeared all was well. Our hearts are sometimes like that. Sin creeps in and sits there unnoticed. Soon, if left unattended, it invites more sludge to join in...until soon the ‘house’ is so filled with junk and dirt that we don’t know how to manage. It’s hard to admit we are wrong. We don’t like to say “I’m sorry. Forgive me” We don’t like the work it takes to clean up the mess we allowed. So we hide it in a closet or under a rug. We think no one will notice….’til our Love comes in the door… “repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place unless you repent” To repent means to change our direction 180o, to return the way we came and not go back again to the old ways. We need to see through the ‘eyes’ of the Spirit—to see our hearts and lives as He sees them. When we do, we will see the accumulated filth and be appalled that we allowed that to happen in our lives.
An Extreme Makeover
A remodel job just won’t do. Our spiritual houses are falling down rotten. Termites and mold have invaded where we failed to maintain our spiritual standards. If our children are wandering from God, perhaps we need to look in the mirror of God’s Word and see the hypocrisy He sees in our hidden foundations. It’s time to do a knockdown demolition of all the stuff satan has slyly pulled into the ‘house.’ We may like the comfort of the old ‘house,’ or the memories that came with all the time spent there, but it will not compare to the fresh new construction that the Holy Spirit wants to do in our lives. It will be beyond our expectations and imaginations. It will exceed our wildest dreams. You see He still loves us just the way He always did. He did not change. He has the very best waiting for us. If He could ship us out of town while He took over the old premises, He too would call in the heaven’s wrecking ball, the contractors and those who know how to change things. The Carpenter would start with a new foundation and build it up all over again to meet today’s needs. He wants to give us ‘new’ when we are satisfied with the ‘old.’ He wants to fill us to overflowing with new wine, new oil, new Life, new joy, and a new mind. He wants to make us a new creation. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” (2 Cor 5:17) The old just won’t do! I like the way The Message bible paraphrases Ephesians 4:24-32 Since, then, we do not have the excuse of ignorance, everything—and I do mean everything—connected with that old way of life has to go. It's rotten through and through. Get rid of it! And then take on an entirely new way of life—a God-fashioned life, a life renewed from the inside and working itself into your conduct as God accurately reproduces his character in you.25 What this adds up to, then, is this: no more lies, no more pretense. Tell your neighbor the truth. In Christ's body we're all connected to each other, after all. When you lie to others, you end up lying to yourself.26-27 Go ahead and be angry. You do well to be angry—but don't use your anger as fuel for revenge. And don't stay angry. Don't go to bed angry. Don't give the Devil that kind of foothold in your life.28Did you use to make ends meet by stealing? Well, no more! Get an honest job so that you can help others who can't work.29 Watch the way you talk. Let nothing foul or dirty come out of your mouth. Say only what helps, each word a gift.30 Don't grieve God. Don't break his heart. His Holy Spirit, moving and breathing in you, is the most intimate part of your life, making you fit for himself. Don't take such a gift for granted.31-32 Make a clean break with all cutting, backbiting, profane talk. Be gentle with one another, sensitive. Forgive one another as quickly and thoroughly as God in Christ forgave you. So what now…? The choice is up to you. Will you return? Will you come back to the One who loves you? Will you be willing to yield everything into His hands? Will you give Him the key? Will you return? He is standing waiting for you to come. His arms are open wide and there is no sermon—no rejection—-no qualifications….just come. Come as you are. Come with the rags of your past, the problems of your present, and your hope for change. He will not disappoint you! You long for renewed intimacy. You long to feel His touch once again. You long to hear Him whisper in your ear. “I love you—and I forgive you.”
Return and Revive...
Genuine revival begins with one repentant heart that returns to the Lord. You can begin that revival! Just return! You may need to return to the call God placed on your hearts as a young person. It may mean you need to return to the closet of prayer or return to the ‘tent of meeting’ where you first saw God for who He really was. Revival means bringing back to life something that has died. As we return to the One who has Life… death and complacency will have to go. Pray from your heart….
"Lord, I return to you, I repent of my sin and complacency. I choose to love You again with my whole heart. Refresh that first love again. Thank you for filling me with Your Holy Spirit. I yield all that I am to you. Do what you want with my spiritual house. Amen” J. Johnson

Blessed and Highly Favored!

As the world around us spins down into more and more of a self-centered way of thinking about life, it becomes more and more of a struggle for the believer to keep a Biblical focus on eternity. Many are tempted to fall in line with the practices of those around them. Instead of holding a high standard, established for the believer in the Word of God, they lower themselves into sin and worldly standards. They loose sight of their purpose and significance in this world. Yet God has designed a special purpose for every one of His children, and you are no exception. Each person chooses how they respond to life’s challenges. While some see a glass of water as nearly empty...others see it as half full.
A story is told of a shoe salesman who was sent to the West Indies to a small island. When he arrived he noticed that all the natives were barefoot. Discouraged that no one wore shoes here, he came home with no sales. Another salesman was sent to the same place. He too noticed the barefoot natives. He sent an emergency telegraph home…: "Send lots of shoes...all sizes...as everyone here needs shoes!” Our perspective on life can determine our influence on others and how we impact the world for Christ.

God needs to change our perspective!

When we see life from His point of view, everything changes. When we see grumbling sinners, He sees lost children who need a Savior. When we see crime, violence and abuse….He sees victims of Satan’s curse. When we see life’s inconveniences, He sees life’s opportunities. We sometimes need an ‘eye transplant.’ We need to see the world around us with His eyes.
The world continues to spiral down into the valley of despair. The more they try to turn it all around with education, money, and programs to meet desperate needs, the bigger and more hopeless the problems seem to become. As we look at the political world, we see wars, destruction, corruption, and promises of hope with no real lasting solutions. When we look at the religious world, we see spiritual leaders grasping for ways to change the world. When we look at the material world, we see people trying to fill the emptiness inside with ’stuff’ on the outside...homes, cars, furniture, jewelry, and the best that money can buy. Yet we soon discover that all the ’stuff’ just gives us more to care for without satisfying the inner need for lasting happiness.

I have found the lasting solution to all of these dilemmas.

I discovered that all my hopes and dreams could find fulfillment and satisfaction when placed in eternal values...in Jesus Christ. He provides me with purpose and significance. He gives me faith and hope for life now and in eternity. He resets my values from ‘stuff’ to Himself. I learned to value Him more than ‘stuff’. In Him is every political solution, every educational answer, and a way out of every dilemma.

How do we get to that point of view?

The first step is to recognize the need for change. The Bible tells me that in myself there is nothing good found. That is because I am a sinner, in need of a solution to my problem—sin. Jesus came as the solution! The moment I realize I need more than I have, and that Jesus has what I need—this is the first step. Then I can call on Him to meet my need and be my solution. The world in sin is bound by a curse. That curse came in the Garden of Eden when mankind fell into Satan’s snare. From that day onward, man became needy. He continued to live, but the spirit within him died. By faith, all the Old Testament people looked forward to the day when Christ, the Messiah, would come and restore life to the spirit of man. Jesus fills the void within. Man struggles on his own to fill that void with carnal pleasures, material goods, entertainment, drugs and alcohol, but nothing satisfies. Nothing lasts. Earth’s solutions are just temporary. But Jesus provided a lasting solution that goes beyond life into eternity. He came to provide Life...eternal Life! The Life He gives fills the emptiness and overflows into joy and happiness and satisfaction and a new sense of values with an eternal purpose. While the world feels cursed and inferior, I feel blessed and highly favored. He lifts my vision beyond what I can see with the natural eye to see with eternal eyes. I no longer see the pain and suffering around me as a dilemma, but as an opportunity for God to display His glory and power. He is the God who loves to change lives, and circumstances, heal sick bodies, and deliver from bondages of depression and destructive habits. If you have been abused….He brings peace and forgiveness and healing. If you were the abuser, He changes the heart, the mind and the life. He forgives you even when you cannot forgive yourself. We may still suffer some of the results of the scars from the past. They serve to remind us not to go back and do that again! I may never have all the wealth of the world in my bank account….but I have the wealth of the One who created the world in my heart and for all eternity. I may not know all the answers to life’s questions, but I know the One who has all the answers, all the solutions, who has all knowledge, all power, all truth. He is no longer a distant acquaintance, but an intimate friend. When life comes crashing down around me, I know with confidence I can turn to Him and find comfort, peace, confidence and healing. He promised his followers that He would never leave them nor forsake them. Yes, I am blessed and highly favored.
Believer, next time someone asks you how you are doing… don’t just say the politically correct phrase…. “I’m fine thanks.” Tell them “I’m blessed and highly favored!”...and see what kind of response you get! Be ready to tell them why you are so blessed...and the Holy Spirit will give you the words to say at that moment. Tell them they can be blessed and highly favored too.

We need a new radical abandonment to Jesus Christ.

Believers need to become Spirit-dependent, Christ-centered, spiritually dynamic, mutually-ministering to each other and the world around them. You may sometimes feel like you are totally insignificant, but in the eyes of God, each tiny mustard seed in His kingdom has potential to grow and change the world around it.

What kind of blessings can we expect from God?

We can expect the kind of blessings that are lasting and eternal. There is no great blessing in filling up your bank book. But there is great blessing in filling heaven with souls won to Jesus. Jesus told Peter He would make him a fisher of men. He never promised him big earthly rewards. No... He told him that those who would be the greatest in heaven needed to be the servants of all. God’s viewpoint of blessing is so very different from man’s viewpoint. I want His blessings in my life. Do you? I cannot take my retirement funds with me to heaven, but I can take people. It’s funny how when it comes right down to what we really value in life… we hear it only at funerals. We don’t talk about what the person possessed, but about who they were and the impact that they had on our lives.

I am blessed and highly favored!

I know the One who has pulled my feet from the pit of sin, who has given me a hope and a future, who has provided me with significance and purpose. His name is Jesus. He is the Rock of my salvation, the Door of protection, the Shepherd who takes care of me, the Bread that feeds me when I am hungry, the Lamp for my feet and the Light on my pathway. He is the King who made me part of his family. He is the Priest who made a way for me to enter into the most holy place. He is the Way when there seems to be no way, and the Truth when all around me is confusion and chaos. He is Life when my body feels more dead than alive. He is the Cornerstone and chief Architect of my building. He is the Bright Morning Star that shines in the darkest night. He is the Lily of the Valley and the Rose of Sharon who fills this stagnant world with the aroma of His loveliness. He is the Living Water that satisfies. He is the Vine that helps me grow and produce good fruit. He is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending of all I am and ever hope to be. Yes, I am blessed and highly favored. There is nothing that He and I together cannot face.
But who is He to you? He can be all of those things and more in your life if you invite Him into your heart and let Him take control of it all. Then you too will be blessed and highly favored.
J. Johnson