Theme: Repentance: Can We Say That?

Unto Our Blessing

Repentance is one of those words that sometimes falls into the same category as words like surgery, taxes and root canal.  It’s not a word that gives us warm fuzzies.

In fact we tend to treat it as a heavy theological word.  But it’s really an everyday word.  When you peel away its outer layers, you discover a word that is loaded with blessing.  In fact it’s all about blessing! 

Start talking about repentance with anybody and somewhere in the conversation somebody will make reference to the famous parable known as the Prodigal Son (See Luke 15).  Most people read the story and identify with the prodigal son, but the story is really about the prodigal’s Father.  You see, Jesus wanted the religious critics of his day to see his ministry as a reflection of his Father’s heart for man. The Pharisees had a problem with Jesus’ social habits, namely, he conversed with sinners about the kingdom.  (It’s interesting that the people who knew the most about God and talked the most about Him couldn’t recognize Him when he made a personal visit.  Scary to say the least.)

The son in the story is headstrong.  He lives by base instinct.  “You want to do it…do it!…And sweat the details later.”  He runs away and blows everything.  His relationships revolve around a base lifestyle and his ability to throw good parties.  When the resources dry up, so do his “friendships”.  Disoriented by what life has become, he falls in with pigs…literally. His hunger is so great he actually has an appetite for the food the hogs eat.

I don’t know what day of the week it happened on.  The text doesn’t say.  Perhaps he saw something written on a billboard or was moved by something he overheard in a conversation between two people or got tired of people laughing at him.  Maybe his heart finally broke. Who knows.  What we do know is that one day, in the middle of his “bottom” he “came to his senses” and had the first healthy self-talk he had experienced in months – perhaps years.  And, he started thinking about…home. 

It was in that moment that he denied Satan the power to do what he does best.  It was THE fork in the middle of his spiritual road.  It was the moment when every evil thought and malicious power that Satan could muster was hurled into his mind and massaged into his heart.  “Where you sit, where you are right now is where you belong.  You earned this.  Deal with.  Don’t think about your alternatives.   What alternatives?!  Your past and where you sit right now are value statements.  You have the right to nothing else.  Grab a husk and chew!” 

But he “got up.”  The first 10 steps out of the pen were long spiritual miles.  When he topped a hill a little ways from home, he saw firsthand what repentance was.  It was a banana-wide grin on his father’s face.  It was a hug and a kiss.  It was clothes and security.  It was sonship.  After all, that’s what he was...a son.  A son who had lost his way.  A son who came to his senses.  A son who found his way back into blessing.

I think that’s what repentance is.  Jesus gave us that picture…on purpose.  Sounds pretty good doesn’t it?  And, it’s ours from our Father unto our blessing.  We just have to remember it.  We just have to do it.  

Father, thank you for pursuing us.  Thank you for offering us acceptance and renewal based on your faithfulness.  Save us from every dark thought that the Evil One would put into our minds when we are “down and out” spiritually that would keep us from running to you.  Help us to know that we can always run to you and know that you will clean us up, dress us and claim us as your sons and daughters.  Thank you for Jesus who makes all things new.

Randy Daugherty

Stephenville, Texas

Theme: Repentance: Can We Say That?

I have no problem admitting it: I am a guy that reads the directions.

But there are a lot of people that don’t – especially men.  I know it. You know it. It’s the truth.  But on occasion, I like to see if I can put something together on my own.

Two weekends ago I was replacing a ceiling fan in my in-laws house, and I thought I remembered how to install the fan.  After all, my father-in-law and I had done three or four already over the last year or so when we visited their home.  So, I didn’t bother reading the directions.  I thought I knew best.  After a while though, I figured out I had to go step by step as was written in the book because I had skipped an important step that would keep the fan hanging correctly and securely.  And I am not sure about you, but I don’t necessarily want the ceiling fan waking me up in the middle of the night after it has fallen on my legs and feet.

I should have read the directions and followed them to the “T”, but I thought I knew how to do it – of course, it would have saved me time had I just started with the booklet from the beginning.

In 2 Kings 5 we read of a man who also had problems with directions.  Naaman was a commander of the army of the king of Aram, and his king regarded him as a great man. 

The problem was, Naaman suffered from leprosy.  Leprosy is a horrible disease that attacks the nerves in the hand, feet and face.  It horribly disfigures its victims and the resulting nerve damage causes loss of sensation in the extremities, eyes and eyelids.  In fact, injuries to those extremities cannot be felt and often result in the loss of the fingers, toes, etc. because of infection.  It also keeps the eyelids from blinking and the eyes dry out, leading to dust in the eye and/or infection, both resulting in loss of sight.  Sounds pleasant right?

So when a young Israelite captive and slave felt compassion toward Naaman and his wife, the little girl told Naaman about a prophet in Samaria that could help him recover from his disease.

With the blessing of his king, Naaman took money and clothing and headed to the land of Samaria.  Eventually, Elisha got word of a man looking for healing and sent for him.  When Naaman and his entourage arrived at Elisha’s door, a servant came and told him to go dip seven times in the Jordan River.

This was not what Naaman expected.  He was upset and said “aren’t the Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? May I not wash in them, and be clean? So he turned and went away in a rage.” (5:11,12)

He was probably expecting something a little more grandiose. At least the prophet would come lay his hands upon him, or bless him in person or maybe even something bigger. But to dip in a dirty river seven times – he probably thought “surely I can find something better than that cure.”

Then Namaan’s servants, who were concerned about him, pushed him to do what he was told.  “…If the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it?  How much more, then, when he tells you, ‘Wash and be cleansed!’” (v. 13)

So Namaan went and did as told, he followed the directions – and low and behold – he was cured of his leprosy. 

We can learn a few lessons from this story.  First of all, the young captive Israeli girl could have spite toward Naaman and his family, but she had love for them.  That is a great example of unconditional love.  She was a slave in a strange land, yet she had compassion toward her “lord” because she knew the way of THE Lord. 

Jesus teaches us that we are not just to love those that love us, but to love those that hate us or despise us or talk down to us, etc.  (Matthew 5:43-48).

We can also learn a lesson of obedience from this story.  We should learn to follow the directions from the beginning and not just try to figure it out on our own.  Naaman did that, and his presumptions almost cost him the cure.  If we try to do it on our own, won’t our fate be the same?  We must be more sincere in what we think, feel, and believe if we want God’s salvation.  Namaan’s pride got in the way – does yours?

Naaman was a man of importance to his king, but he still had a dreaded disease.  Like leprosy, there is no man-made cure for sins.  Sins themselves can cause us to lose feeling, though maybe not in our bodies, but we become numb to our beliefs, our heart, self-blindness etc.  Both leprosy and sin are awful things to deal with that can cause death.

There are those that believe in man-made cures for sin.  Many turn to priests, preachers, friends, etc.., to cure their sins, but the cure does not lie within man’s power.

We know that the cure lies solely in God’s hands.  It is by his power and grace we can be cured and saved. 

We know both disease and sin destroys the body, but do we have unconditional love for our friends, loved ones – and even our enemies – as that of the slave girl?  To watch someone die of a disease is horrible and disheartening.  Much more, why do we stand back and watch someone’s life waste away full of sin?  We all do it. We all know people who would benefit from the cleansing power of the blood of Christ, but yet we sit still, or maybe we don’t push quite as hard as Namaan’s servants did. 

We must overcome sin and self to obey God.  Namaan did, and through his change in heart, he was saved from a horrible disease.  Through my repentant heart, I died to myself and was saved by being cleansed on a July evening many years ago at church camp as my sins were washed away in the mountains of New Mexico.  The water was cold, but the feeling was warm because I knew that my spiritual leprosy had been taken away from me.

A ceiling fan has two main purposes: it provides light and air.  We are told in Matthew 5:14 to be the light of the world.  A light provides a break in darkness, and are we not to do just that: help those around us through the darkness of sin and to learn and experience the salvation that is offered? If only we would do that with true and humble hearts, forgetting our own iniquities and  reservations we could provide that breath of fresh air God provides when he takes away our disease.

Perhaps the lesson here is not just about our initial obedience or renewing our relationship with the Creator by stepping away from a sin habit.  Perhaps it is also about us learning to help refocus those we know and love – and even those we don’t – so they, too, may benefit from a good dipping in the Jordan River.

Father,

May we be reminded daily that the salvation you offer is open for all, and that we need to step away from ourselves and into the hands of the Healer and Creator – for you alone can cure us of our faults.  May we also help those around us to know and understand what it means to be Your child. Give us the strength and words to help someone come to know you more and take the steps needed to experience you

r power, grace and salvation. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Joey Roberts

Stephenville

Theme: Repentance: Can We Say That?

Those Beautiful Examples

God’s beautiful blessings and life lessons come to us in all shapes and sizes:
One truth, He gently and faithfully teaches me through the humility and heart of our daughter-Really, His daughter.  Her example teaches me many things about God and life.  Thank You, Father, for people and parables that teach us Your truth in living color.

Few minutes pass after a trespass, before a tender, broken heart emerges from her room to confess sinful behavior.  Even when the recipient of her anger is her dear pet Schnauzer…  

Sometimes when patience is thin and stress is high, this young teen expresses anger and frustration through unkind words or tone.  Then she retreats to be alone.   Faithfully, she returns to apologize and confess.  Oh, how I long for the humility and tender heart she possesses-the heart and faith of a child.

I wonder what is happening in that aloneness time…is this when the Holy Spirit speaks words of truth to her stressed-out heart and mind?  Does He gently remind her of all God’s love and mercy and grace, calling her back to the road less traveled – the narrow path of His way, so foreign to our “flesh” that is proud, arrogant and stubborn?  I don’t know for sure, but I’m so thankful for this living example of confession and humility.  (She gave me permission to use this example).

Another example I’ve witnessed of “confession to one another” is through Celebrate Recovery meetings.  How blessed are those who attend!  First, we meet together to enjoy food and fellowship, followed by a time of worship and instruction from God’s Word.  We then split into smaller groups and end the evening  celebrating the things that we are thankful to God for.  Each person takes a turn voluntarily sharing “what I celebrate today is…”  The second round is a discussion of “what I have struggled with today.”  This celebration and confession time lightens the load and binds us together as fellow sojourners in life.  Admitting our struggles and faults to one another reinforces the fact that we are not alone in our habits, hurts and hang-ups.  Praying that night and into the week for individuals with whom we have shared a personal struggle, strengthens us and, empowers us through His Spirit at work in us. 

Acts gives us another example of confession:

“Many also of those who had believed kept coming, confessing and disclosing their practices.  

And many of those who practiced magic brought their books together and beg.”  Acts 19:18-20

an burning them in the sight of all, and they counted up the price of them and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver.  So the Word of the LORD was growing mightily and prevailing

Confession to one another is powerful, but requires transparency and risk.  God instructs us to confess to one another (James 5:16 ).  Because of His boundless love for us,  we can trust Him in this practice.  It will benefit us, bind us together and bolster our accountability.  In recent years, much buzz has circulated about “accountability groups.”  Sharing our weakness with another person can be scary, but it strengthens our faith journey.  Have you noticed how God’s Word leads us into so many “one another” activities.
  Love one another (John 13:34)  Honor one another (Romans 12:10)
  Encourage one another (2 Cor. 13:11)
  Serve one another (Gal. 5:13)
  Bear one another’s burdens (Eph. 4:2) 

Many instructions about ministering to one another are scattered throughout Scripture. It is clear He doesn’t desire we “go it alone.”  Just as the example in Acts 19, God’s Word grows mightily and prevails.  His Word empowers us to do as He commands. His Word continues to spread through the obedience of His followers. 

Let us:

Be part of His confessing army.

Submit the costly “magic” books to burn (whatever form they take in this life).

Rely on Him.

And share the journey with one another

Most Holy Father and Giver of all good things,Bring us humbly to confess to You and one to another the sin that entangles our hearts and mind. May Your Word be our light, shining on the dark corners of our heart.  Bring unrealized sin to our recognition.  May we repent and confess in humility and sorrow of all sin.  Thank You for the precious people You have placed in our lives to walk beside us, encourage us, and hear our “sins” confessed.  Seal our lips and hearts against gossip or judgment when we are entrusted with the confession of another.  Let us pray for one another.  May we live to bring honor and glory to your name.
In Jesus precious holy name, amen. 

Mischelle Oliver

Stephenville, Texas

Theme: Repentace: Can We Say That?

Why is repentance hard?

Repentance can be hard, even for Christians who are committed to walking in the light. I sometimes rationalize my actions and therefore I don’t recognize my sins.  If I don’t recognize sin, I most certainly will not repent. I am not talking about sins that I would immediately recognize and feel guilt. Let me share a personal story with you, although the names in the story have been changed. 

The other day I was speaking with a friend, Beth, about our mutual friend, Amy.  Amy had taken a new job at the same place in which Beth works. In our conversation I asked, “How is Amy doing in her new job?” Beth didn’t answer that question and went on to talk about something else. I had a feeling Amy might not be meeting the job expectations. A few minutes later I reminded Beth that she never told me how Amy was doing.  Beth replied, “If you push me to say something, I will have to say something that is not good and I don’t want to do that.”  Wow, that set me back for a minute. What a rarity to find someone who truly will not slander another, even if what she says may be the truth.  A true Christ-like quality and one that I need to work on! Her light shined for Jesus in that moment when she stood up and would not speak an unkind word.  It was only one sentence, but it spoke to me and now I am sharing it, hoping it will touch you.  

God put me in that situation to convict me of my sin. If I had been Beth, I likely would have shared one or two of Amy’s shortcomings and rationalized it as true concern for Amy.   I would have been wrong.  In Titus 3:2, My God asks me to “slander no one”. That means NO ONE.

Never!  

Now it is my choice to repent and turn from slander of any kind.  Why is this so difficult?  It is HARD to break an old habit. For many years I have rationalized conversation in this way. It is especially difficult  when sharing stories with your friends not to participate when the conversation turns to slander.  But, there are no excuses. I repent.   “Repent and turn to God and prove your repentance by your deeds” (Acts 26:20).

Prayer: Holy Father, please examine my heart and convict me of my sin.  Place within me a desire to repent and turn away from those things that don’t reflect you. I want to be a bright and shining light of your goodness. Help me to have “backbone”; help me to be different; help me to be righteous.  In Jesus name, Amen. 

Terry Smith

Stephenville, Texas

Theme: Repentance: Can We Say That?

Repent, Judgement Day is Coming

God commands all people everywhere to repent.

For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed.  He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead.

Acts 17:30-31

Have you ever noticed changes in human behavior in response to matters of urgency?  Situations arise in our lives that spur us on to immediate action.  This motivation to prepare for future events can be beneficial, even life saving.  For example, if we know a storm is forming in the Atlantic Ocean, we will inquire when and where the “eye” will make landfall and make plans to evacuate.  Or, due to the fragile nature of life, we may purchase insurance to provide financial security for our family in the event of a tragedy.

In a faith context, we should also feel a sense of urgency.  The Spirit reminds us to live in such a way that we are prepared for the Day of the Lord (1 Thessalonians 5:1-11; 2 Peter 3:8-14).  We should live holy and godly lives, pleasing to the Lord.  We don’t know when that day will come; hence we look forward to the Day and desire it to come soon.

Some might feel the sense of urgency to be “religious” in order to meet expectations of a community or family or job or self.  Unfortunately, this need may be met in misguided ways.  One example is found in Acts 17 when the people of Athens had acted in ignorance as they tried to satisfy their religious desires.  Luke records that Paul was in the city of Athens (Acts 17:16-34) and became greatly distressed because the city was full of idols.  Paul proactively reasoned with those that would listen, bringing life to the “unknown god” inscribed on one of the manmade altars.  The idea that the Living God cares and desires a relationship with his “offspring” caused some to respond contemptuously, while others wanted to hear more on the subject.  A few even became believers.

I fear that some today, like the Athenians, may have felt the pressure to conform to their religious surroundings.  Idols are conveniently erected in hopes of avoiding the negative consequences of possible future events; all the while, the true motive is to satisfy selfish thoughts and desires.  Is it possible the faith demonstrated in a living sacrifice as God requested has been replaced with a cold, lifeless ritual?  Have we begun thinking of our faith as some type of insurance policy protecting us against the unknown?  If so, it is time to repent!  Judgement day is coming.

Prayer

Dear Heavenly Father, we appreciate your merciful patience allowing us to respond in repentance.  We marvel at your power and realize you don’t need our service.  Yet, you care about us and ask us to seek you.  As we turn from sinful ignorance, we believe you and trust you.  We look forward to the Day when you will raise us as you have raised your son.  We pray in the precious name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Amen.

Carl Smith

Stephenville, Texas

Theme: Repentance: Can We Say That?

Repentance Is Not a Dirty Word

Her name was Candace.  I met her at the Taylor County Jail; not that where we met makes a difference. Over the months her story began to unfold.  She was born to a loving mom and dad and had a good home life, even attending church until her dad died when she was 7.  Her mother didn’t deal with her father’s death well and turned to bad men and bad living.  Because of the company her mother kept, Candace endured

unspeakable acts of physical, mental, and emotional abuse until the age of 13 when she left home.  She lived with friends from school and on the streets until she dropped out of high school after her 16th birthday.  At that time she had a fake I.D., and tried to “do the grown up thing”, as she put it and landed a job as a cocktail waitress.  It was during this time she was introduced to meth and other substances that would change her life.

When I met Candace she was 25, a mother of two kids that were in foster care and she had been in the correctional system for over a year.  She had been clean for 11 months and was completing her time for writing bad checks.  During the months we studied together, she was baptized and began to learn how much God loved her.  When it came time for Candace’s release, she was accepted into a job training program, became reacquainted with her grandparents, and was looking forward to being part of a church family.  For the first 90 days she lived with her grandparents and then was allowed to get an apartment by herself.  The church where my husband and I attended assisted her in finding a place to live, furnishing that apartment, and stocking her in groceries.  We provided her with rides to services or to other places in town, checked on her a few times each week, and had her over for dinner once in a while.  She did well and even graduated from the job training program and found a job at a retail store.  This period of success lasted for nearly a year…until the bottom fell out.

It all started with a thoughtless comment made to her by a member of the church regarding her choice of boyfriend.  Later that week she made a bad choice, became drunk and went to work hung over.  She called me the next morning, confessing her shame and asking for help.   When I came to her apartment she was a mess and through angry tears said, “I can’t do this.  I can’t be perfect like you people.  None of you  do nothin’ wrong and I just can’t be what you want me to be.”    I tried hard to convince her that Christians weren’t perfect, only Christ was…but to no avail.  We watched as she spiraled further out of control and eventually lost contact with her.

The church in Corinth was full of people with stories like Candace’s.  When you read through 1 Corinthians, Paul does not mince words.  He plainly confronts his brothers and sisters with their sins, but he does so with love and humility.  Look at the way Paul addresses their sin:  He exposes it, shares with them that he too is not perfect, and then points them toward the cross and to the one who died to set them free from sin. Apparently Paul’s letter was well received, as we read 2 Corinthians 7:7-10.

“and not only by his coming but also by the comfort you had given him.  He told us about your longing for me, your deep sorrow, your ardent concern for me, so that my joy was greater than ever.  Even if I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it.  Though I did regret it – I see that my letter hurt you, but only for a little while – yet now I am happy, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance.  For you became sorrowful as God intended and so were not harmed in any way by us.  Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldy sorrow brings death.”

What can we learn from this passage and from Candace’s story?  Two things:

Take off the spiritual makeup, be real, and love deeply.  Not that we need to go around spewing all of our dirty laundry to whoever will listen, but what we need most in the church is honesty with ourselves and our brothers and sisters.  We desperately need God’s help.  We are people in process and we are constantly in the process of becoming more like Jesus.  Repentance is not meant to be done in a vacuum.  We need to share with each other out of love and humility; this is for our benefit and for the benefit of others.  We gain accountability, honest relationships, and we aid in creating church fellowship that fosters real growth.

Repentance is not just turning away from sin, but turning toward God.  When we repent, God promises, “times of refreshing” (Acts 3:19) along with “no regrets”.  That doesn’t mean it will be easy.  

Our failures do not surprise our God, He knows we need Him.  What surprises Him the most is when we fail to ask Him for help, especially after all He has done.

Dana Jaworski
Anchor Point, AK

Theme: Repentance: Can We Say That?

Repent or Perish!?

Luke 13:1-5 may be a text referenced by the fire and brimstone preachers from the early 1900s.  Apparently Jesus was the first fire and brimstone preacher! Jesus is telling his listeners to repent or they will

perish.  Some passages of scripture are extremely straightforward and are not as comforting as other passages. I much prefer reading about the fruits of the Spirit rather than rebellious people being destroyed, and similar judgment falling on ME. We are all guilty of sin and making bad choices.  Jesus illustrated the value of repentant hearts in verses 6-9 of the same chapter with a parable about a fig tree that bore no fruit. (Fruitless fig trees did not fare well around Jesus Mark 11:12-14, Matthew 21:18-20).

 “A man had a fig tree growing in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it but did not find any.  So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, ‘For three years now I’ve been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any.  Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?’

     “’Sir,’ the man replied, ’leave it alone for one more year, and I’ll dig around it and fertilize

     it.  If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.’”

This parable was originally directed at the Jews who enjoyed Jesus presence among them for the three years of his ministry.  The vineyard is God’s kingdom and the Jews were the fig trees. Jesus Christ was the intercessor for God while he was on Earth. He provided care, reprieve and grooming for the kingdom, in hope that the Jews would repent, honor God and reflect his gospel of love and light. When Jesus left the earth, his disciples stayed with the Jews a while longer to continue to increase the yield of God’s kingdom.  Trees/plants that do not bear fruit are regularly removed from vineyards because they use the food and room that would otherwise be available for producing trees. Jerusalem was a disappointment to God and was physically destroyed as had been predicted by John the Baptist and by Jesus.

God’s kingdom and His mercy is extended to all of us, but a penitent heart is referenced in Jesus’ message of verse 5 “But unless you repent, you too will all perish.”  Jesus made a personal request for our repentance; that makes it important.

Dear God, Help me to have a penitent heart that blossoms and bears fruit in the Kingdom of God.

Sherilyn Svien

Stephenville, Texas