forgiveness – BradRiley.Org

March 6, 2020

The Latter Rain: Celebrate Lent-Day 9

17 “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ 20 So he got up and went to his father. “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.

Luke 15: 17-20 NIV

In yesterday’s devotion we recognized that no matter what the prodigal son did his Father still loved him. Today, let us recognize another powerful truth from this parable that works alongside our lenten prayer and fasting; we are worthy to be called God’s child!

I know in a great sense we are not worthy of such lavish forgiveness. We have corrupted ourselves and done evil in the sight of the Lord. Romans chapter three reminds us that we have all sinned and fallen short of God’s glory. But we must not listen to the lies of satan that would have us believe we are not worthy at all of God’s love and forgiveness. While it is true we cannot earn our Father’s forgiveness, His love, mercy and grace do flow freely for those who desire it.

The truth is, we are worthy of His love and forgiveness precisely because we are His highest creation. In every human soul resides something of the image of God, and that alone makes us worthy of his love. What the prodigal son realized was that even though he was not worthy of his Father’s forgiveness by his own merits, he was worthy as a part of his Father’s family.

“The truth is, we are worthy of His love and forgiveness precisely because we are His highest creation.”

Each of us is a part of our Heavenly Father’s family because we are his cherished creation. And while the way we live may separate us from the fellowship of His family, it cannot separate us from His love. We must only wake up to the reality of our place in the family.

When we will realize how much our Father loves us, in spite of our sins, we will know that He never closes the door on us. He is continually calling out for us to come home, who have as the prophet Isaiah said, “turned to our own way.” (Isa. 53)

So, as we journey through Lent, may our prayer and fasting bring to us a brightness in our sorrow. In the realization of our sinfulness may we know how loved we are by our Father. Let us stand outside in the latter rain of Christ’s loving sacrifice and feel His love washing over us, drawing us back to into fellowship with Him.

Shalom,

Pastor Brad

Image credit: https://www.freelifechurchva.com/sermons/

March 2, 2020March 2, 2020

The Latter Rain: Celebrate Lent – Day 6

Scripture focus

¹⁶“And when you fast, don’t make it obvious, as the hypocrites do, for they try to look miserable and disheveled so people will admire them for their fasting. I tell you the truth, that is the only reward they will ever get. ¹⁷But when you fast, comb your hair^[a] and wash your face. ¹⁸Then no one will notice that you are fasting, except your Father, who knows what you do in private. And your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.
Matthew 6:16-18 NLT

As the first full week of Lent begins we may already be beginning to doubt our resolve to keep a Lenten fast. I know I am. It seems Satan always try to attack my resolve when I commit to a pathway of spiritual reflection. Christians of various traditions offer up different guidelines for fasting; what and when to eat or not eat. Whatever our tradition, let us resolve this year to do this one thing – fast with joy.

Fasting as joy? The idea of skipping meals and doing without certain of my favorite foods does not sound joyful to me. But when I think of all the good things God wants to work into my life if I will put Him first above all things, (yes, even my appetite…especially my appetite!) then I am excited to take up the spiritual disciplines of Lent; fasting, prayer, and almsgiving (giving or acts of mercy toward others).

Jesus commands His followers to fast with bright faces, so that they may be bright souls shining for Him into a dark and lonely world. If we Christians approach Lent with a sense of dearth and darkness, we will miss out on the great blessings that come from concentrated times of personal worship and reflection, of giving to others from a full heart.

Today, as we begin, let us hear the ancient words of this lenten prayer from the Eastern Christian tradition…

“Let us begin the fast with joy. Let us give ourselves to spiritual efforts. Let us cleanse our souls. Let us cleanse our flesh. let us fast from passions as we fast from foods, taking pleasure in the good works of the Spirit and accomplishing them in love that we may be made worthy to see the passion of Christ our God and His Holy Pascha, rejoicing with spiritual joy.”

Forgiveness Sunday Vespers

I hope you are beginning to hear the real message of the Lenten journey upon which we are embarking. To take up our cross daily, as Jesus commands, is to be a labor of love, a journey of joy. It is not to be viewed as some sort of punishment. Life in our world is filled with hard times. But it can also be filled with joy in the midst of pain and difficulty; it depends on our outlook. Lent is a season of discipline to help amend our outlook. A concentrated time to help fill us up with the Holy Spirit that we may see this life as the beautiful journey for which it is meant.

The latter rain is falling. Can you feel it? God’s rain always brings new life. Step out into the bright light of the Lenten season and live refreshed in the showers of blessing and you will find joy for your journey.

Shalom,

Pastor Brad

March 1, 2020

The Latter Rain: Celebrate Lent – Day 5

¹⁴“If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you.¹⁵But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins. Matthew 6:14-15

Often, we overlook the greatest power of the human spirit. We think our greatest power has something to do with our intellect, our creative genius, and our ability to figure things out. Yet all those things pale in comparison to the greatest power ever granted to humanity – the power to forgive.

The greatest power of the human being is to forgive. With one act of forgiveness, we can wipe away the greatest of afflictions that plagues us. When we hold on to bitterness and grudges against others, we allow them to fester like a cancer in our spirit. Such feelings steal our peace and keep us bound as slaves to our emotions.

“The greatest power of the human being is to forgive.”

Jesus came into our world to bring us the forgiveness of our Heavenly Father. He demonstrated the importance of forgiveness when He offered up the greatest act of forgiving the world has ever seen…from His cross, He forgave those who rejected and crucified Him.

In Matthew’s account of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, we hear Jesus teaching His followers the importance of forgiveness. He links our own forgiveness from God with our willingness to forgive others. This is a most difficult thing to understand. We don’t want to think that God will not forgive us because we don’t forgive others. Instead, we think thoughts like, “After all, we aren’t perfect like Jesus. Right?”

Wrong. It is not about being perfect, it is about being surrendered to the power of His love working in and through us. Alone, we do not have the power to forgive but through His divine Spirit at work within us we can. The truth is that if we do not learn to forgive others, we are placing our souls in jeopardy. You might be thinking, “But, I can’t forgive what they have done to me!” You’re right. On your own you cannot. But we can do ‘all things’ through Christ who gives us strength (Phil. 4:13).

Today is Forgiveness Sunday for our Eastern Christian brothers and sisters. On the final day before they enter the celebration of Great Lent they turn to one another at the end of their worship service to offer forgiveness to each other; it is a powerful image of the love of God being poured out.

If God’s grace is always being poured out, and I believe it is, then His love is always available to us. It is only in and through His love that we can forgive those who have hurt us. Alone, we cannot even love, let alone forgive. But we are never alone. His power is at work within us, teaching us and leading us.

Today, on Forgiveness Sunday, the latter rain is falling. Showers of blessing are being outpoured. We need only step out into the rain. Now, let us turn to one another and offer our forgiveness to all who have hurt us. Let us confess that we too have hurt others and need to be forgiven, not only by God but by those whom we have hurt. And let us live in the power of His love.

Shalom,

Pastor Brad

March 8, 2017

Out of the Mouth of Babes

“I have considered my ways
and turned my feet toward your decrees.
I hasten and do not tarry
to keep your commandments.”

Palm 119:59-60

Read Psalm 119:49-72

Ralphies-soap-600x420 The taste of Life Boy soap in my mouth still lingers when I remember that day. I was sitting on the back steps of our friends’ house in Colorado Springs. My friend was teaching me to play a game. Every time you say a “cuss” word you get slugged in the arm. There were two points to that game; to see how many cuss words you can think of, and to see how tough you were in who could take the most hits.

My friend began hitting me harder and harder in rapid succession. I wondered what was going on. I wasn’t that good at cussing. In fact, he was hitting me way more times than one hit for each word, but I kept trying. There was a reason he was hitting me so much, as I was about to learn.

The most important thing in life is not that we live without sins or mistake; humans make mistakes, and all have sinned. The most important thing is that we learn to consider how harmful our sins and mistakes are, and pursue Christ’s forgiveness and cleansing.

In Lent, I find joy in examining my conscience to become more aware of any sin I’ve let creep into my life. While we should examine ourselves all year long, I’m thankful the Church calls us to a special season of cleansing and preparation. We can be cleansed of our sin whenever we confess, but we need to be reminded to prepare our hearts for the miracle of our faith; that we too have been raised from the dead!

The Psalmist speaks of the good that came from his afflictions, because through them he learned God’s more excellent way of living (Psalm 119:67,71). It’s true. We learn best from our hard times. What hard times are you going through right now? I promise you God has some valuable lessons for you to learn – if you look for them; I know I have. And, I continue to look for new truth from the Lord in all my tough times.

My friend hitting me so hard over and over was nothing compared to what happened after that. It was a tough time I will never forget. He wasn’t trying to hit me for each word I said, he was trying to warn me my Mother was right behind me listening at the door. As he motioned his head towards the door with a look of horror, I turned to see my Mother. Fear leapt in my heart. As a parent myself, I now know how sorrow filled hers, although at the time it I thought it more like rage.

As I recall, and I may be exaggerating a little, she grabbed me by the ear and pulled me into the bathroom. I can’t recall all that she said, but it had something to do with Christians don’t use that kind of language. Then she washed my mouth out with soap. The taste still lingers when I recall that moment. I learned my lesson. I wasn’t accustomed to cussing anyway, but I sure didn’t after that. But, most of all, as I grew, I learned to appreciate how much it hurt my Mother to hear those words coming out of her boys mouth.

When we sin, we hurt the Father’s heart. He made us for blessing and not for cursing (James 3:10). Our Father isn’t mad at us for sinning, but He is disappointed. He made us for so much more. This Lenten season, let us learn to live holier lives. Let us, as the writer of Hebrews said:

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”

Shalom,

Pastor Brad

My daily Lenten prayer – “Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
and sustain in me a willing spirit. ” NRSV

Image credit:

September 15, 2016

Shame! Shame! Shame!

In thee, O LORD, do I seek refuge; let me never be put to shame; in thy righteousness deliver me!

2 Incline thy ear to me, rescue me speedily! Be thou a rock of refuge for me, a strong fortress to save me!

Psalm 31:1,2

As a boy, I often heard my father say, “Son, there’s no shame in being poor.” I’m not sure why he felt the need to tell me that so often. I never really felt poor growing up. I guess by American middle class standards we were at the low end of the spectrum, but I never felt any shame for not having what others had. When we feel shame it’s because we sense we don’t measure up to the standard around us. Though I didn’t feel shame for being ‘poor’ as a boy like my dad warned me not to, there came a time I did feel shame as an adult. Until then, shame was just a funny word that made me think of Gomer Pyle, the laughable US Marine of TV sitcom fame and his inimitable phrase, “Shame! Shame! Shame!”

What about you? Do you feel any shame for who you are, or what you’ve done in this life? It’s important for us to note that Jesus, in His humanity, never wanted to feel the pain of shame. In verse 1 we hear Him asking the Father to deliver Him from ever feeling shame. Psalm 31 is best understood when we hear it as Jesus’ final prayer from the cross. In fact, the words of verse 5 are the last words of Jesus on the cross, as St. Luke records them…

“Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” And having said this he breathed his last.” (Luke 23:46 ESV)

Sometimes we feel shame because we compare ourselves to others and mistakenly perceive them as right or better than us. That sort of shame is unhealthy as it causes us to see ourselves as less than the beautiful child of God we are. However, shame does have a proper role to play in our lives. When we know we’ve sinned, we should feel shame, and it’s that shame that helps turn us toward the One who knew no sin and shame.

When you read Psalm 31, make it your prayer, even as David prophetically prayed in the Spirit of Christ. It is a prayer for deliverance from your enemies (verse 8), and it’s a prayer of lament for your sufferings (verses 9-13). But as you pray through the Psalm, be sure and hear a prayer of assurance also…

“3 Yea, thou art my rock and my fortress; for thy name’s sake lead me and guide me,” (Psalm 31:3)

Our only hope in this world is that in our relationship with Jesus Christ, God hears us. To be in Christ is to have a strong tower to run into in times of trouble. The 16^th Century Reformer, Martin Luther, in the midst of suffering and persecution found strength in Jesus as his strong tower. He penned these words in his great hymn of faith, ‘A Mighty Fortress’…

A mighty fortress is our God,
a bulwark never failing;
our helper he amid the flood
of mortal ills prevailing.

Jesus is not only our pattern for holy living, He is also our pattern for enduring suffering. If you’re a Christian, you can be certain of suffering at some point in life. St. Paul taught Timothy assurance of such suffering when he said, “Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,” (2 Timothy 3:12). Yet, the goal of our suffering in Christ should be as Jesus prayed in verse 1, “let me never be put to shame” (Psalm 31:1)

While shame can be a false guilt if it’s from thinking we’re less than what God created us to be, it can also be the result of knowing we’ve sinned, or done wrong; the latter of the two is good. It means we have a conscience and feel the conviction of God’s Spirit for our sin or wrong doing. When we feel that kind of shame we have a refuge we can seek that never fails, a mighty fortress we can run to, a God who loves us and doesn’t condemn us. Our Father is always willing to forgive our sins and cleanse us from all guilt and shame.

As a child and a teenager, I believed in Jesus because of what my parents taught me. But, as an adult there came a day I realized my shame for my sins. I looked in the mirror one day and didn’t see what I’d seen previously. I saw a guilty man who could no longer lean on the confession of what his parents had taught him. I was guilty of sin…many sins. Shame was no longer a funny phrase to me. It was in that shame that I saw the One who hung on a cross for me. I saw how Jesus endured such public shame and humiliation as none other had, and I realized He did it all for me…and for you too, if you’ll receive Him.

Shalom,

Pastor Brad

image credit: https://memegenerator.net/instance/69480653

August 8, 2016

Tears On Your Pillow?

O LORD, rebuke me not in thy anger, nor chasten me in thy wrath.

2 Be gracious to me, O LORD, for I am languishing; O LORD, heal me, for my bones are troubled.

Psalm 6:1-2

Have you ever hurt so bad in your spirit that your whole being ached? It is one thing to hurt because of our own sinfulness as we endure the ugly consequences of our disobedience to God. But, it is another to hurt at the hands of others. To feel oppressed and terrorized is indeed a most fearful state, and to feel as such is common to all humanity at some time or other in life. However, it is precisely then the people of God have a refuge unlike any other in the world. Proverbs 18 says, “The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe.”

In Psalm 6, David cries out to God with the oldest prayer of God’s people – “Lord have mercy”. It seems his soul is burdened, though we are not sure just why. Perhaps because of his own sinfulness, yet he doesn’t confess his sin in this particular Psalm. However, he does confess to the Lord his weariness. His soul aches from all his troubles to the point where he can feel it in his bones (v 2,3). This Psalm is numbered among the so called, 7 Penitential Psalms (6,32,38,51,102,130,143) which offer contrition and lamentation along with a remembrance of God’s mercy and faithfulness, and a plea for forgiveness.

Are you hurting so bad you can’t even find the words for you pain? Or perhaps you’ve hurt so long, that you are now numb to the pain. Staying humble before God and crying out to him in the night is critical to not getting lost in despair. God’s people must never despair of hope. Though there may be darkness all around us, we must remind ourselves that “joy comes in the morning” (Ps 30). There is always hope for God’s people.

Even as David lamented to God of his pain, so too we can hear the cries of Jesus to the Father in the Garden of Gethsemane. They both knew the Lord heard their prayers (v 8,9). They both knew He would give them them strength to face another day. You can too. If your life is filled with tears on your pillow, lift your eyes to the Lord. His mercy is from everlasting to everlasting.

Shalom,

Pastor Brad

image credit: https://whisper.sh/whisper/0512b755a064d14433457457049c9b91b1f078/I-can-hear-your-heart-crying-out-for-me

May 31, 2016

To Forgive Is Human?

For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.

Matthew 6:14

Why is forgiveness so important? Apparently, it’s very important according to St. Matthew. In Jesus’ teachings from the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew tells us that Jesus taught our forgiving others is directly tied to our own forgiveness by our Father. At first this may not sound fair, after all, we’re not divine. We can’t be expected to be as forgiving as Jesus – or can we?

Christ forgives us through His great mercy. He gives us that which we can in no way deserve. Think about it. Do you deserve to be forgiven for ALL you’ve done wrong? I know I don’t; no one does. But in His great mercy, flowing from His heart of love, grace comes to everyone who repents.

If such mercy has been shown to you, by what reason do you withhold such mercy from others? “Because I’m human”, you say; sorry, not good enough. You see, we don’t forgive others out of our humanity, we do it out of the grace He pours into our lives. It’s in His strength that we show such love that forgives others’ sins against us.

Do you really want to let something someone else did to you be the cause of you’re not being forgiven? Jesus knows we can never be the person He died for us to be, if we hold on to such feelings; they will eat at our soul, and make us bitter. We are the conduit of His waves of mercy in this world. His mercy will flow where ever we let it. All that stands between us and the life Jesus wants for our world is our own feelings eating away at us from inside. We can make this world a better place.

Go ahead, pray these words like you mean them… “and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.”

Grace and Peace,

+Pastor Brad

Prayer

O Lord Jesus Christ, son of the Living God, have mercy on me, a sinner, and teach me to have mercy on others. Amen.

Image credit: http://readlean.org/2013/09/the-power-of-forgiveness/

May 23, 2016

Unblock the Dams

Who is a God like you,
who pardons sin and forgives the transgression
of the remnant of his inheritance?
You do not stay angry forever
but delight to show mercy.

Micah 7:18

True love doesn’t stay mad for long. Think about the last time you got mad at something someone in your family did. Your anger was based in your feelings of hurt. Something they did wasn’t what you expected. You couldn’t believe they would do that. But then, after a little while, you look at them and realize they’re your family, you’re flesh and blood, and while your hurt may remain a while, you forgive them because you love them. The truth is we are all God’s family, and we should have love and mercy for everyone.

If we humans can find the mercy to forgive and go on loving, think about how eternal God’s love must be for His children. As our Father, He hurts when we sin against him or each other. Yet even in our sin, His waves of mercy never stop flowing. He doesn’t cut us off from our eternal inheritance of life in Him. In fact, He doesn’t give His forgiveness begrudgingly, or hesitantly, but delights to show us His mercy. It flows from Heaven in waves.

God’s mercy is from everlasting to everlasting and nothing or no one can stop its flow to us, but we can stop it from flowing through us to others. God will always find a way to show His mercy to others, but when we build a dam in our emotions not giving His mercy to others we lose a blessing. As you remember His mercy toward you today, won’t you remember that same mercy toward those who have hurt or disappointed you too. Our lives are channels through which the mercy of God flows out to our hurting world. Don’t build a dam in your feelings – let the waves of mercy flow.

Grace and Peace,

+Pastor Brad

Prayer

Merciful Father, thank you for delighting in your unfailing mercy towards me. Help me to unblock any unforgiving feelings, and make me a channel of your mercy to others Amen.

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February 27, 2016

Raised from the Ashes: Lent – Day 17

“For he himself knows whereof we are made; he remembers that we are but dust.”

Psalm 103:14

Read Psalm 103

Lent 2016 Daily Devotions-4

He Remembers

Some people live as though they think they will live forever, as though they are indestructible. They never seem to live with eternity in mind. Their present lives are all that matters and they indulge in any and all behavior with no thought of consequence. Oh, how easily we forget that we are but dust.

We need times that remind us of our mortality. We are now sixteen days into Lent, a season given to us by the church to do just that, remember that we are but dust. But, there is someone who always remembers how fragile we are. Verse 14 tells us our Father always remembers that we are but dust. He created us from the dust of the earth, and knows that we will all one-day return to that dust.

The Purpose of Repentance

Remembering our mortality is easier when we live lives of repentance. In repentance we humble ourselves before our maker, so that He can raise us up to immortality. When we repent of our sins and failures, we experience the mercy and compassion of our God who does not deal with us as we deserve. And, in His forgiveness, He draws us near in His embrace to life in Christ.

The psalmist reminds us that our Father does not reward us according to our wickedness (Vs. 10), nor deal with us according to our sins. He always treats those who love Him with mercy and compassion. When we confess our sins, He is not only faithful and just to forgive us (1 John), but He also removes our sins, “as far as the east is from the west” (Vs 12).

Why We Need Lent

In the season of Lent, I’m reminded of my sinfulness not to make myself feel bad, but that I may know the love and compassion of my Lord. I love that. Lent is about remembering. We need to remember that we are dust. We need to remember that God forgets our sins in the sea of his forgetfulness, as the prophet Micah reminds us, “He will again have compassion on us; he will tread our iniquities underfoot. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea.” (Mic. 7:19) And, we need to remember that if He remembers we are but dust…we also can trust He will remember to raise us from the ashes.

Grace & Peace for a Holy Lent,

Pastor Brad

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.”

Matthew 5:6

February 13, 2016

Raised from the Ashes: The Perfect Hiding Place

First Saturday: My Secret Hiding Places

“You are my hiding-place; you preserve me from trouble; *you surround me with shouts of deliverance.”

Psalm 32:8

Read Psalm 32

Lent 2016 Daily Devotions-4

Kids love hiding places. Hide and seek is one of every kids’ favorite games. They’re so good at it because they’re small and fit in lots of unseen places. I remember as a boy, I had a several secret hiding places-places to hide from my mom or my big sister if I was in trouble. The problem was I eventually had to come out in the open and face my trouble; never mind I was usually innocent (sarcasm intended).

As grown ups we still like hiding places, don’t we? Whether it’s needing a break from the kids and family, or a break from work, sometimes we just need to get alone and hide. Of course we can’t really hide from our problems. That’s part of being an adult, right? Or, maybe we can hide from our problems.

The Perfect Hiding Place

The psalmist saw in God the perfect hiding place. No matter what was happening in his world, whether chased by enemies or whether pursued by his own guilty conscience, God was his true hiding place. The Psalms are filled with songs of praise to God for his protection and deliverance from all enemies. Psalm 32 is one of those songs.

The psalmist sings of the joy of being forgiven and released from guilt. He admonishes the reader to not be stubborn like a mule, but trust God – He is our hiding place. But, He becomes our hiding place only when we confess our sins. When we are open and honest with God, His arms are open wide to receive us in mercy, not in condemnation and punishment.

Everyone is Welcome

The psalmist saw into the future a day when all people would be welcomed into God’s arms, not just the Jews. Jesus Christ opened wide the arms of God as He hung on the cross so that, no matter the sin, no matter the enemy, no matter the trouble all may find the perfect hiding place. At the cross of Christ there is perfect love, and acceptance. No one who comes in repentance is denied refuge.

As you enter the first weekend of your Lenten journey, I hope you will find peace and safety in the cross today. It is in God’s hiding place we are raised from the ashes.

Grace & Peace for a Holy Lent

Pastor Brad

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.”

Matthew 5:6