Please don't interrupt now Lord - I'm praying

What an amazing verse is Hebrews 8:12 "For I will forgive their wickedness and remember their sins no more"

That is a pretty awesome statement.

To think that God is willing and able to forgive our sins - no matter where we have been or what we have done!

Of course we have to come to the place in our lives where we are willing to ask God's forgiveness, claim the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross as a full pardon for our sins and ask Him to take over the control of our lives.

An amazing sense of freedom will come into our lives at that moment as the Holy Spirit of God works the age old miracle of transformation and justification in our lives and we are forever changed!

There can be a problem through!

Sometimes we feel we have lived such a rotten and unholy life that we can't possibly ask God or anyone else for that matter to even think of forgiving let alone forgiving and then forgetting.

God promised that He will "remember our sins no more". That simply means  forgiven and FORGOTTEN - Forgotten - that's right - no memory of them at all.

Are you in a situation where you can't possibly think that God can forgive you? - or maybe handing your already-forgiven sins over to God again and again? Maybe you just simply can't forgive yourself.

Gods love, grace, faithfulness and promises are boundless and free - God has smashed your past sins - don't cart them around your neck like some putrid old carcase.

Claim God's promises that He remembers your sins no more! They may kick, squeal, bite and struggle but ultimately they are doomed - they have no real hold over you any more.

So yes! claim those promises that your sins are forgiven - don't keep dredging them up all the time.

Every brand new day is a special gift and a blessing from God. We are forgiven. The chains of sin are broken. Don't continue to go stumbling around lost in the darkness of guilt.

Dry your tears, don't continue to be embarrassed by your weaknesses, feeling abandoned in this on-going fight against already forgotten sins.

Boldly come to the Father, He is also a friend who is eager to hear and willing to help you.

Every time you cry, every time you hide your face, every time you run away, every time you turn your back on God, He is saying "I'm still here - I've always been here - I love you - I remember your sins no more."

Accept His offer of forgiveness - keep breathing - keep believing - hang on tight to His promises that the chains of your sins are broken.

Listen to what Jesus says - Listen to His promises - don't rush around praying over and over for forgiveness that has already been given - It's like saying to God "Please Lord, don't interrupt me now I'm praying."

You know gazing into the face of Jesus is gazing into wondrous love and grace - what He says He will do - He will certainly do - you can bank on it - rest in Him.

Satan is the one who says can't while God says can - Satan says won't while God says will - Satan says GUILTY while God says INNOCENT.

Don't listen to Satan - the king of liars.

Listen to the one who can set you free - free from the on-going guilt of dragging around already forgotten sins.

We will all keep on sinning while we live in this world - unfortunately that is the price we pay - It is the on-going work of the Holy Spirit to convict us of these sins so that we can bring them to God. BUT...

Forget the past sins - Jesus died so that we can live  - He nailed them to His cross. Claim God's promise and start to really trust Him.

I won't sing that!

How are you at compromise?

In the world in which we live, we are taught from an early age that compromise is good.

We learn from a very early age that we can't always have what we want or when we want it.

When, we as children, argued with our siblings maybe over toys or whatever, generally we had pointed out to us the need to compromise, maybe take turns - you have it today and whoever has it tomorrow - so that placates our desire to be the No 1 and we learnt to share, to give in, to compromise.

So we live our lives - well most of us anyway - prepared to compromise - prepared to share - prepared to give in when appropriate - and in that way life can go along pretty smoothly.

There is one area in our lives though that demands there is, never will be and never should be compromise!

We can never compromise our Lord and Saviour - Jesus said I am the Way the Truth and the Life - no one comes to the Father except through me - no compromise here!

There is no other way to get to God - not by doing good or being 'holy'.

Jesus also said - we are in the world BUT we are not of this world - amazing - we can live in this world but basically we are not part of the world out there - we are set apart - set apart to live for Jesus.

So in effect Jesus is telling us - actually commanding us not to compromise - no compromising Him, His Word or our Christian faith.

Pretty big call when all through our lives we are taught to compromise and in life that is what it is all about.

Being a Christian isn't easy - God said it wouldn't be - we have to stand up for what we believe and not compromise our faith by bending to the world's wishes or standards.

This was brought home to me just last week when I again learnt a lesson from my family - I have shared recently how my daughter in law shared a book with me by John Bevere. The book changed my life and made me realise how much we need God and how we can make our life count today and forever.

Well this time it was Elyssa my 9 year old Granddaughter  (or Grandblessings as I now refer to my Grandchildren).

She was at her singing lessons - she loves singing, dancing and all things musical - and auditioning for musical theatre when musical lyrics for a certain number were being performed.

The lyrics and music were great and she was enjoying singing when suddenly words on the page jumped out at her - they were just "not right" and belittled and downgraded the name of God.

Afterwards she went to her coach and quietly but determinately advised her that "I can't sing those words".

Elyssa - making a stand

I was amazed as was her teacher, who phoned Elyssa's Mum to talk about it. As far as Elyssa is concerned - there is NO compromise - amazingly she is prepared to forgo her chance at singing that part because she knows that it is "just not right."

We may have to compromise throughout our lives here on earth BUT God says where He is involved there is absolutely no room for compromise - If we don't give God 100% then we haven't given Him anything.

When we make Jesus king in our lives - then He MUST be King over EVERY aspect of our lives - not just a little bit.

We can't hold back some little part and say to God 'You can have this part but not that - I want to keep that and keep saying this" - No doesn't work like that.

Make Jesus king over everything.

If we try to compromise Him an any way then that makes us open to His wrath. Why? because then He isn't really Lord of our life at all and God demands everything.

So how are you at compromise? - Is there anything you are holding back?

Once again my family have shown me amazing truths - God is never through with us no matter how old and crotchety we get.

Nine year old Elyssa, by her courage and determination not to 'put God down' has been a huge lesson to me. That lesson has enabled me to say with all certainty - "Father take ALL of my life - I don't want to compromise you any more."

Father I thank you for my family - thank you for the lessons you have shown us through them - I praise you Lord for your faithfulness. Give us the courage of our convictions and help us to give you 100% of our lives.

So again the question is asked - how are you at compromise - the decision and action is yours - the grace and assistance is Gods.

Who am I?

Who am I that the Lord of creation should bleed and die for me?

This was brought home to me recently and made me think very carefully - Who indeed am I? - Certainly never ever worthy of such grace and love as this!

That the son of God the most high Lord went to the cross for me is almost beyond the realms of possibility that He could leave His home above, take on the form of a man, come to earth to save me blows me away.

When you think of it - the King of the Universe - A King!! THE King - bleeding and dying to take my punishment and why?

Romans 5:7&8  says (NLT) Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good, but God showed his love for us that while we were still sinners Christ died for us.

Hard to believe! - that Jesus died to take away the sins of the whole world - He didn't die just for the holy and 'good' people of the world - He died for the sin laden the world - Jesus died for me - the worst of sinners.

Now matter where you are - no matter how dark the place is where you are - no matter where you have been or who you have been with - no matter that your sins are forever before you - no matter that you are weighed down with the guilt of your sins............

JESUS loves YOU - yep - loves you with the deepest of love - a love that drove him to Calvary and beyond - a powerful all consuming love - a love so powerful that it broke the chains of death and the grave couldn't hold Him any more.

A love that burst through the very portals of death and confirmed the promise that we too can be victorious over death, sin and all sorts of temptations in fact anything that Satan can throw up at us.

Satan can have no hold over us - Yes it's that simple.

All we need to do is accept and believe that Christ died us and be willing to give Him our entire lives and no longer live for ourselves.

We are not and never will be saved by our good deeds. Good deeds will never earn us a place in Heaven.

If that was true then Jesus died for nothing - He died in vain - We are only saved by His grace. A free gift that no one can earn. All we have to do is to accept that gift, renounce living for ourselves and commit our lives to Him as Master and Lord.

So who am I that the Lord of Creation should bleed and die for me?

I am a child of God - bought by His sacrifice and blood spilled on Calvary - The King of creation and Lord of the universe.

I was bought by His blood - I live by His promise - I have conquered death by His resurrection

Two mules and a heap of dirt

I was reading in 2 Kings chapter 5 recently and was blown away (again) by the story of Naaman and the little Israeli girl held captive by old Naaman and his wife.

This little girl was obviously far away from home - taken as a slave to Syria and made to work hard for Naamans wife.

I expect that life wasn't easy for her - she must have missed her Mum and her home and it doesn't really bear thinking about what atrocities she witnessed as her family was separated and her whole way of life changed.

God was using this little girl to change in a most miraculous way the entire household in which she found herself.

God can use anyone and anything at any time for His holy purpose - He can even use you and me! The thing is we may not realise what is happening at the time. God's big picture is seldom seen by those he is using.

For example - You may be working hard to win others for Christ and seeing no results whatever - or you may be completely in the dark not even realising that God is using you.

Remember that sharing with others is a Holy Spirit Job - Their response to you is the Holy Spirit's responsibility - Your job is to do the sharing bit. In one way you become the Holy Spirit's mouthpiece.

So ...... getting back to the story - poor old Naaman, that big strong Syrian soldier - the Commander of the army to King Aram - the one everyone looked up to - the ever valiant Naaman - hero of the nation - had leprosy!

Yes - the old dreaded skin disease - killer of that time - and still a scourge today - had struck down the mighty, courageous and looked-up-to Naaman and he was devastated!

The little slave girl plucked up enough courage to go to her mistress and suggest that Naaman go to her home country and visit Elisha the prophet - not only that but she was emphatic that if Naaman should go then Elisha would definitely cure him of his leprosy - What faith was that!!

Can you imagine what would have happened to her if Elisha wouldn't have helped?

What faith was that??? How is our faith? - I have been convicted only this week of how little faith I have - I look at friends who have given up family, jobs and security to go to another land without all the mod cons - to raise their young family in squalid conditions and why? because they know deep in their hearts that God will look after them.

They trust God with their future - not even considering the 'big picture' just trusting God and having faith to follow through with the conviction that God has placed in their hearts.

Oh Lord - please give us the faith to follow you more closely - to trust you more and to hand everything over to you.

......Back to the story - so anyway Naaman's wife told him about the young slave girl and old Naaman went to the king and asked him leave to travel to see Elisha the prophet from Israel -  The king agreed - but instead of going to Elisha - the king of Syria sent a letter to the king of Israel introducing Naaman and more or less demanded that HE cure him of his leprosy!

It is interesting to note that the little slave girl disappears from the picture - I wonder whatever happened to her? - God used her to get Naaman to Israel - she did an amazing job - Was she ever rewarded? I doubt it.

We, may never know what we have sown in this life - whether good or bad - Have we encouraged or convicted others of their need for Christ? - have we maybe put others off the very thought of becoming Christians? - a sobering thought! Like the little slave girl we may never know.

Well you can imagine the King of Israel's surprise - fortunately Elisha heard of the commotion and had Naaman brought to him. Elisha knew that God was going to work a miracle in the man's life.

Well whatever old Naaman thought was going to happen - didn't! He figured he would be treated with respect - that Elisha would maybe bow and scrape - tug at his forelock, fall down at Naaman's feet and generally be subserviant like everyone else.

Instead Elisha send his servants out to tell Naaman to go wash in the Jordan river and dip himself down seven times and he would be free of leprosy.

Naaman was disgusted - not only didn't Elisha show respect, but he told him to go wash in the dirty Israeli river - He had much better and cleaner rivers back home - so off he flounced?

How do we go when God tells us to do something? - or when we are convicted about something or someone - do we obey straight away? or are we like old Naaman - flounce off and ignore God!

Anyway, once again a servant spoke up (luckily for him he had these amazing servants) and convinced him to turn around, dry his tears, toughen up and go throw himself in the river Jordan seven times.

Well, to cut a long story short - the miraculous happened and he was cured - what a shock!!

When God answers our prayers like we thought - do we get a huge shock!! Again our faith is questioned! Faith in God is believing what he says in His word over anything we may see, hear or experience.

Good old Naaman all cured, pink and fluffy went back to Elisha and wanted to pay the prophet heaps of cash to say thank you - But Elisha would have none of it. The more Naaman insisted the more adamant Elisha got - He would not accept payment for something that God alone had done.

Like Naaman from way way back how often do we try to buy our way into heaven? - maybe not so much with money and wealth but even thinking that there is more we have to do to somehow secure a place.

Jesus did it all - there is absolutely nothing we can do - God cannot love us more and He cannot love us less - He paid the price for our salvation on the cross.

Because of His great sacrifice God sees us as spotless and blameless - Our sins have been buried in the deepest sea and God has planted a sign over them saying 'No fishing' - in other words no dredging up your sins once they have been buried.

God forgives our sins and then forgets them.

Anyway, old Naaman finally got the message - God and Elisha finally got through to him -  I guess he looked at his new pink skin and praised the God of Elisha and Israel and this is where the mules and dirt come in....

Being an over-the-top kind of guy, he asked Elisha for as much earth as a pair of mules could carry so he could build an alter to God in his own homeland - He still didn't realize that God can be worshipped anywhere at any time - nevertheless that what he wanted.

How are we at worshipping God? Do we worship Him at all? We should and can worship God in everything we do - Glorifying Him in everything - mundane or important.

Give God the glory in everything and he will give us the assistance to make things happen and/or get through any trials or tribulations.

So old Naaman finally got going back to his own country - with his glowing new skin - and his new found faith in God. It was a worry though that before he left he asked that God would forgive him for those times when he must accompany his king in the temples of Rimmon (their idol god) .

God accepts no rivals in our lives - He will not have anyone or anything ahead of Him. Naaman didn't understand that - makes me wonder if he ever did!

God wants all of our lives - He won't play 2nd fiddle to anyone or anything.

It's absolutely no good by handing over your vessel to God and saying 'here fill it up Lord' when He can't because it's already crammed full of all sorts of stuff.

Let's get rid of the 'stuff' in our lives then ask God to re-fill our lives with Him - True freedom only comes by complete surrender to God's will.