Today’s Scrip-Bit   13 March 2024 Matthew 18:35.

13 Mar 2024 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Matthew 18:35.       So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.

‘Sunshine, lollipops and roses…!’ Well, we haven’t really reached the roses part as yet, but we’re certainly having sunshine and lollipops! Ah friends, they’re trying hard to make me believe that spring has actually sprung, and on this 13th day of March with temps already around 15 degrees Celsius, and bright sunshine splays it’s warmth and glorious light all over the neighbourhood, I am getting closer to believing. And yes, during the course of my many years in this climate, I’ve seen strange things happen at strange times, like snow in June, but I’m not quite ready to believe that spring has truly sprung at this early stage of the year. 

In this case, I’m running with the world; I’ll believe it when I see it. (smile) And though I may be able to sit on my porch this afternoon for the first time this year, and watch people pass by, for the walkers will certainly be out today, a stubborn streak of disbelief keeps floating around in me. But I guess them’s the breaks. And I’ll just have to learn to handle it, all the while hoping that climate change proves me wrong (smile) In the meantime let’s see what the Bible has to offer this spring-like Wednesday morning. And it opened unto the parable of the unforgiving servant in the gospel of Matthew. 

Now, unforgiveness is one of the biggest downfalls of our modern society. And in this parable Jesus expands on His teaching in the Sermon on the Mount, after He taught them the Lord’s Prayer, which has this seminal statement smack dab in the middle of it. ‘And forgive us our debts (trespasses), as we forgive our debtors (those who trespass against us.’ (Matt. 6:12) Then Jesus follows that up with these memorable words. ‘For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your heavenly Father forgive your trespasses.’ (Matt. 6:14-15) 

Oh my people, that is so plain and without any subterfuge, that even a fool ought to be able to understand it! If we don’t forgive others their trespasses, the Lord will not forgive us our trespasses. That’s so straightforward, yet so many of us supposed believers still hold unforgiveness, and all that it entails, in our hearts against others, yet go to God and ask for forgiveness of our sins! How foolish and hypocritical is that eh! And in order to reinforce the power and importance of the principle of forgiveness Jesus told the parable of the unforgiving servant. 

This servant, one who handled the Lord’s money, owed him some ten thousand talents, which amounts to millions of dollars in today’s money, and when the Lord called for payment, the servant was unable to pay, so the Lord ordered him and his family and all he had to be sold until payment was made. The Bible tells us then, that ‘The servant therefore fell down and worshipped him (prostrated himself), saying Lord have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him (released him), and forgave him the debt.’ (Matt. 18:26-27) 

Now that’s what you call forgiveness! Forgiving millions of dollars’! Wow! That sure was a big-hearted lord! However, the story continues thus: ‘But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence (approx.10 dollars): and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that (what) thou owest. And his fellowservant fell down at his feet, and besought (begged) him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt.’ (Matt. 18:28-30) 

Now that ought to make us hold our heads and bawl, although it’s exactly what happens in our selfish and unforgiving world today. But before we get further into the story, I want to raise one question of my own, one that has me shaking my head every time I hear about debtor’s prison. To my way of thinking, if you throw the debtor into prison until he pays the debt, how can he pay it locked up in jail, if he couldn’t pay it when he was outside? If you’re locked up you can’t work, there’s no way of making money, at least in the jails they had back then. Wouldn’t it be wiser to leave them out and allow them to work and so earn the money to repay the debt? But that’s just my crazy, eccentric way of thinking. (smile) 

Anyway, when the other servants saw the unforgiving attitude of their fellowman, they went and told it to the Lord. Then the Lord called him and said: ‘O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst (begged) me: Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee? And his lord was wroth (angry), and delivered him to the tormentors (torturers), till he should pay all that was due unto him. So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.’ (Matt. 18:32-35) 

Oh friends, that’s what happens when we are forgiven, and don’t forgive! And the moral of the story? The One to whom the insurmountable debt is owed is our heavenly Father. The debts are the sins of the individual sinner, which none of us can ever repay. But instead of placing us in debtor’s prison, the Lord shows great compassion and forgives or cancels our debts, our sins. And per the scholars: ‘The picture illustrates God’s total forgiveness when dealing with our sins at the point of salvation. The debt has been paid by Christ and we are set free from it forever.’ 

And all God’s people gave a loud and grateful shout of ‘Thank You Jesus! We LOVE and worship Your Holy Name!’ And if that’s really true, then let’s see us be more forgiving than we currently are nuh. Let’s be big of heart like our heavenly Father. For remember, if you don’t forgive, He won’t forgive you either. Now let’s go home declaring (yesss!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our marvelous position in Christ Jesus. 

As one strong and sincere voice: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’ 

Then there’s this proviso, the promise that if we endure right down to the very end with Jesus, that future will be even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine. So let’s plan to be there at the very end nuh! Much LOVE!

…forgiveness breeds forgiveness…

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Today’s Scrip-Bit 28 November 2015 Psalm 130:4

28 Nov 2015 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Psalm 130:4.  But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared (reverenced with awe).

Well Friends, it’s Saturday, and sad to say the ole fella’s shoulder is still a mess. Ah Lord eh! I really don’t know what’s the problem nuh, but it definitely shouldn’t be hurting as much as it is after all this time – from Tuesday afternoon to now. Chuh! 

I do believe that a part of it has to do with the computer, because yesterday evening I felt a sort of break through, but then foolishly I went and played a set of games that made my forefinger ache and throb, and the shoulder pain increased. And I am still having some pain reaching up for the mouse. 

However, today I’m just writing the Bit then staying away from the computer, no games or anything. Let’s see what will happen. 

Now here is a quote from my ‘P.S. I LOVE YOU’ poster that caught my eye this morning. ‘It says: ‘Carrying a grudge is like a run in a stocking – it can only get worse. Forgiveness is the answer.’ 

And isn’t that the gospel truth my people! Carrying grudges just makes a body more resentful and bitter every day the grudges are held. The only way to successfully get rid of them, and thus the negativity they foster, is to forgive those against whom you hold the grudges. 

Oh my fellow believers, forgiveness is probably the most important Christian characteristic after LOVE! Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ made that very clear. 

He first mentions it in what we consider the Lord’s Prayer, when He taught the disciples to pray. ‘And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.’ (Matt.6:12) It states quite plainly that our forgiveness depends on how much we personally forgive. 

Then Jesus spells it out in spades a couple of verses later. ‘For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.’ (Matt.6:14-15) 

Oh friends, it couldn’t get any clearer than that! If we forgive, we will be forgiven. If we don’t forgive, then we won’t be forgiven. Yet still so many of us cry out to God for forgiveness while still bearing serious grudges in our souls, and refusing to forgive those who have trespassed against us. Now how sensible is that eh my people? Not very! 

It all boils down to the basic law of God’s great universe: what you sow, the same you shall reap. So if you sow unforgiveness, then obviously it’s unforgiveness you will reap. As the old people would say, you can’t plant peas and expect to reap corn. 

And the truth of it all my brethren, is that the forgiveness is not really for the forgiven but for the forgiver! Ofttimes the person we forgive doesn’t know or doesn’t care, but we feel a great weight lifted from our spirits when we forgive. 

Please remember that forgiveness is mainly for our benefit and do your best to forgive as soon as possible. Oh, I do know that it’s not always easy to forgive some wrongs and hurts, but again, holding the bitterness inside doesn’t do anything productive for us either. 

Remember Jesus’ answer to Simon Peter on forgiveness. ‘Then came Peter to him (Jesus), and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but Until seventy times seven.’ (Matt.18:21-22) 

Yes Friends, seven times is not enough for us to forgive, but seventy times seven. As the scholars say: ‘in other words, unlimited forgiveness must characterize the true disciple.’ That’s just the way it is in God’s kingdom. So you either wisely accept it, or foolishly leave it. 

And Jesus then went on to tell them of the parable of the rich man whose servant owed him a lot of money, but couldn’t pay, and subsequently cried out for mercy, which the master compassionately granted him. 

However, a short while later that same forgiven servant found one of his brethren who owed him a minuscule amount, but refused to have mercy on him when he cried out for it, and instead threw him into debtor’s prison. 

Well you can just imagine what happened; the other servants went back and told the master what the forgiven servant had done and the master lambasted him. ‘O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst (begged) me: Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellow servant, even as I had pity on thee. 

And his lord was wroth (angry), and delivered him to the tormentors (torturers), till he should pay all that was due to him. So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.’ (Matt.18:32-35) 

Somehow or other though friends, all of that doesn’t seem to seep into the souls of many Christians, for too many of us still walk around bearing grudges, full of bitterness, resentment and a whole host of negative emotions which only ruin our lives. I don’t know what else it will take for us to stop the nonsense nuh! 

And we’ll end with a couple verses from Psalm 130, including our Bit, which says it very clearly and straightforwardly. ‘If thou, Lord, shouldest mark (take note of) iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared (reverenced with awe).’ (Ps.130:3-4) 

Yes precious people, if our God were to take note of all our sins, who would be left standing eh? Not a single, solitary one of us! But through His LOVING-kindness, we can find forgiveness…but only if we forgive others. 

So please let’s get our acts together today nuh; let’s smarten up and forgive, so that we may be forgiven, for that is indeed the wisdom of heaven! Much LOVE!

…if our world was a more forgiving place…then it would also be a much more LOVING and godly place…