FORGIVEN! “Friend, your sins are forgiven.” —Luke 5:20             I read the etymology of the word forgive which is “to give up desire or power to punish.   It is to pardon an offense.”  When Jesus said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven” He was saying that the paralytic would not be punished.  Instead He was pardoned for his offenses, for his sins.             Brother and sister in our Lord Jesus Christ, what joy should fill our hearts in knowing Jesus has forgiven our sins and has pardoned us.  There would be no hope for us if He did not do so.  This is what Passover/Easter is all about—  “If we confess…

PRAY! But he would withdraw to desolate places and pray. —Luke 5:16 One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.” —Luke 11:1 Jesus modeled prayer for us (Matthew 6:9-13; Luke 11:1-4; John 17). That God would work in and through us in such a way that He would glorified. That we desire that others receive eternal life— that they would know our Father and His Son That we would finish the work He has given us and bring glory to His Name That we have a desire to…

FOLLOW OUR LORD WHOLEHEARTEDLY!  I, however, followed the Lord my God wholeheartedly. —Joshua 14:8 Now then, just as the Lord promised, he has kept me alive for forty-five years since the time he said this to Moses, while Israel moved about in the wilderness. So here I am today, eighty-five years old! I am still as strong today as the day Moses sent me out; I’m just as vigorous to go out to battle now as I was then. —Joshua 14:10-11             Now here is the example of a faithful servant of our Lord.  Caleb is a wonderful example of loving obedience.  “I, however, followed the Lord my God wholeheartedly” and our Lord blessed Him with as…

LOVE OBEYS OUR LORD IN ACTION, NOT JUST WORDS Just as the LORD had commanded Moses his servant, so Moses commanded Joshua, and so Joshua did. He left nothing undone of all that the LORD had commanded Moses. —Joshua 11:15             I can say I love my Lord, but those words may only be just words unless there are actions that live out those words.  It is just like I can say I have faith, but if there are no actions to back up what I say then they are just words vainly spoken (James 2:14-26).  Words, speeches whether written or spoken are only just words, speeches at a point…

REPENTANCE BRINGS GOOD FRUIT Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.”  “What should we do then?” the crowd asked.  John answered, “Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none, and anyone who has food should do the same.”  Even tax collectors came to be baptized. “Teacher,” they asked, “what…

SIN HAS CONSEQUENCES! The LORD said to Joshua, “Get up! Why have you fallen on your face? Israel has sinned; they have transgressed my covenant that I commanded them; they have taken some of the devoted things; they have stolen and lied and put them among their own belongings. Therefore the people of Israel cannot stand before their enemies. They turn their backs before their enemies, because they have become devoted for destruction. I will be with you no more, unless you destroy the devoted things from among you. Get up! Consecrate the people and say, ‘Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow; for thus says the LORD, God of Israel, “There are devoted things in…

SAFE AND SECURE! The eternal God is your dwelling place, and underneath are the everlasting arms. —Deuteronomy 34:27             Truly, if God is our dwelling place then we have an eternal dwelling place because He is eternal.  All other dwellings are temporary.  The homes we live in are only temporary.  Even our bodies are only temporary dwelling places— “For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands” (Deuteronomy 34:27).  Yes, we have an eternal dwelling place!             We can take great comfort now in knowing that for those who know…

FEAR NOT!  BE COURAGEOUS! Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you…  The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. —Deuteronomy 31:6, 8 Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”  So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid.  What can mere mortals do to…

LOVINGLY OBEDIENT When such a person hears the words of this oath and they invoke a blessing on themselves, thinking, “I will be safe, even though I persist in going my own way,” they will bring disaster on the watered land as well as the dry. The Lord will never be willing to forgive them; his wrath and zeal will burn against them. All the curses written in this book will fall on them, and the Lord will blot out their names from under heaven. The Lord will single them out from all the tribes of Israel for disaster, according to all the curses of the covenant written in this Book of the Law. —Deuteronomy 29:19-21  No, the…

BENEFITS OF OBEDIENCE, CONSEQUENCES OF DISOBEDIENCE! If you obey the voice of the LORD your God. Blessed shall you be… . But if you will not obey the voice of the LORD your God… —Deuteronomy 28:3, 15             Blessing and cursing is dependent on how a nation’s attitude is toward our Lord.  Obedience will bring blessing, disobedience will bring cursing.  “Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people he chose for his inheritance” (Psalm 33:12).  “Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the people of the world revere him.  For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm” (Psalm 33:8-9).  So nations have…