The rainbow

Genesis 9:12 (ESV)

And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations:

The rainbow is one of the most beautiful meteorological phenomena we can enjoy. Reflected in airborne water droplets, the sun’s rays create an optical miracle.

Growing up I remember seeing a rainbow after a rain shower made me feel happy. I was mostly excited about the fact that the weather was finally getting better and I could do outdoor activities. I still remember after reading the Bible I discovered that the arc of the rainbow signifies much more than simply the end of a spell of bad weather.

The rainbow has to do with the everlasting covenant, or agreement, that God made with all of Noah’s descendants and every living creature on earth after the flood. “Never again will all life be destroyed by the waters of a flood.” That was God’s unconditional promise, and the rainbow is God’s beautiful and powerful sign of that promise.

In the Bible we find descriptions of various covenants. All of them foreshadow the ultimate and most important one called the new covenant. Just like the covenant with Noah, the new covenant is an unconditional divine promise. Our Lord Jesus instituted this covenant by his death on the cross. It is a saving covenant of God’s grace, sealing the forgiveness of our sins and God’s special relationship with us.

Dear Lord, thank You for Your new covenant! We trust in Jesus Christ alone for righteousness and the forgiveness of sins. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Forgiveness

Hebrews 12:15 (ESV)

See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled.

Many of us have heard people say things like, “Our inability to forgive only hurts ourselves,” or “God won’t forgive us unless we forgive others.” I don’t refute the accuracy of these statements; however, they leave me feeling incredibly guilty about my inability, and unfortunately, in some cases my unwillingness, to forgive those who have betrayed me. Often times, we become so overwhelmed with this guilt that we profess forgiveness with my lips, only to have the lack of forgiveness tighten a death grip around our heart.

I believe in fairness and justice, and frankly, some things just seem unforgivable. For many of us, we’ve tried to forgive those who have hurt us, but it’s easier said than done. In some of my most challenging seasons of life, the Lord has gently pressed upon my heart that my unwillingness to forgive needs to be placed on the altar. Sometimes we need to lay it at His feet every day for weeks, months, years or maybe longer. If not, we become consumed by bitterness and resentment, and if it goes unchecked, it will divide our churches, end our friendships, and spilt up our families. This never brings glory to our Savior.

Like so much of our faith, forgiveness is a journey requiring trust in Jesus. We must trust He sees the bigger picture. We must trust He works all things, even the most painful, for our good. We must trust that every betrayal, every shattered heart, every broken promise serves a greater purpose. We must trust that all things, no matter how horrible, can be redeemed through the blood of Jesus. It is a promise unlike any other.

If the thought of forgiveness still seems incredibly distant, place before Jesus a heart willing to be open and receptive to the unbelievable possibility. I have seen hearts mended, friendships restored, and wounds healed by the act of forgiveness, covered completely by the grace of God.

Dear Lord, we pray that we would have hearts of forgiveness. Help us to forgive no matter how long it takes. In the Name of Jesus,  Amen.

Forgiveness of Sins

Matthew 26:28 (ESV)

For this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.

“I have forgiven the killers and have no bitterness...”

These were the famous words of Mrs. Gladys Staines, the widow of an Australian missionary, Graham Staines as recorded on the front page of the country’s top newspapers. On January 22, 1999, Graham Staines and his two sons were burnt alive while they were sleeping in a van at Manoharpur, Odisha.

How could she forgive the people who mercilessly killed her family?

“God in Christ has forgiven me and expects His followers to do the same.” Was her reply.

Matthew 26:28 – “...for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.”

The blood of Jesus was literally poured out on the Cross so that our sins might be forgiven. The Bible says that without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins (Hebrew 9:22). In the Old Testament Law, animals were sacrificed to cover sins. Jesus is the perfect Lamb of God, who does not cover our sins but takes them away. (John 1:29)

Micah 7:18-19 (GNB) – “There is no other God like you, O Lord, you forgive the sins of your people who have survived. You do not stay angry forever, but you take pleasure in showing us your constant love. You will be merciful to us once again. You will trample our sins underfoot and send them to the bottom of the sea!”.

One of the most beautiful things about God’s nature is the way He forgives. He does it so completely and in full. Every wrong thing that we have ever done, everything that could make us feel guilty, every accusation that the enemy could ever bring against us – God hurls it into the depths of the sea!

As people who have received his lavish forgiveness, God expects us to give the same away.

  

Dear Lord, thanks You for loving us. Show us today if we are carrying any offense or hurts towards others. Help us to forgive people as You have forgiven us. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

It Starts With Me Apologizing First

Ephesians 4:25-27 (ESV)

25 Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. 26 Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, 27 and give no opportunity to the devil.

As Christians, we are called to live in unity and in peace. However, this is not always an easy task. Your best friend will talk about you behind your back, he may steal that girl that you were talking to, and your friends may not invite you to that party. Instead of turning on our friends and holding grudges against the people that anger us the most, we are actually told to love and forgive these people.

Matthew 5:22 says that in God's eyes being angry with someone in our hearts is the same as murdering them. By remaining angry towards someone, we give Satan a way to creep into our lives. Anger can steal our joy, take away our fun and steal our opportunities.

How can we fight to not be angry towards others? By apologizing first. Take the first step in experiencing more joy by being the first to apologize. When that one person is still causing you to be angry, you are just as much in the wrong if you continue to go to bed angry with them. No matter what they have done to you, they deserve your apology for staying mad at them.

Take a minute and think is there anyone in your life that you need to apologize to?

Dear Lord, just as we did nothing to deserve Your forgiveness help us to forgive our friends. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

It Starts With Me Handing It Over

Hebrews 10:17 (ESV)

Then he adds,“I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.”

When someone hurts us, we like to hold on and harbor resentment, bitterness and unforgiveness in our heart towards them. If we want to experience freedom and healing from these feelings, then it starts with us handing all of that over to Jesus.

By holding on to something that has happened in the past we feel as though we have control over it and ammunition to use against the other person (or people) involved. True freedom can come for you (and for them) when you choose to hand it over to Jesus. He is the ultimate judge and will bring justice for everyone either at the cross or in eternity.

If you are in Christ, then Jesus has forgiven you of your sins – past, present, and future – and He no longer holds them against you (Hebrews 10:17). As followers and imitators of Christ, we should give people the same grace when they sin against us. This does not mean that we pretend like it didn’t happen. We should use wisdom and discernment, and not provide people an opportunity to repetitively sin against us.

Holding a grudge against someone will only end up hurting and hindering you more. Surrendering your pain and hurt to Jesus will allow you to walk in the freedom that forgiving others makes possible!

Think of someone who you are harboring unforgiveness toward.

Dear Lord, help us to hand our unforgiveness over to You.  Help us to not hold on to it! Hep us to trust You to bring justice to the situations, as well as bring peace and healing to our heart. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Taking out the garbage

2 Corinthians 7:1 (ESV)

Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God.

Thursday night is the night we take out garbage down to the street for the pick up on Friday.  Well, I don’t know about you-- but this is not one of my favorite tasks. Every Thursday as I collect the garbage from around the house I think to myself “didn’t I just empty these garbage cans?  It’s like I turn around and they are full again!

It amazes me how much garbage we make. It got me to thinking about spiritual garbage. Let’s face it. We live in a world running rampant with spiritual trash. It’s everywhere -- and though we as believers try and avoid it, we step out our front doors and there it is to greet us. We don’t even have to step out our doors anymore! The trash has inundated our television, our music, our computers. It’s in our schools and even in our congregations! We’re probably so chock full of trash by now, we’re overflowing! I think it’s time we empty our spiritual trash cans.

We have a responsibility to make sure we empty our spiritual trash – and empty it often. Let’s ask the Lord to help us take out the mess and clean us up from head to toe -- that we might be able to do greater things for Him!

Dear Lord, we pray that You would take the mess out of our life so that we can be clean from head to toe. Help us to not let the trash of our life built up and destroy our witness for You. In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

Are you carrying potatoes?

Mark 11:25 (ESV)

And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.

I read a powerful anecdote and we wanted to share it.

"One of my teachers had each one of us bring a clear plastic bag and a sack of potatoes. For every person we'd refuse to forgive in our life, we were told to choose a potato, write on it the name and date, and put it in the plastic bag. Some of our bags, as you can imagine, were quite heavy.

We were then told to carry this bag with us everywhere for one week putting it beside our bed at night, on the car seat when driving, next to our desk at work.

Naturally, the condition of the potatoes deteriorated to a mushy nasty slime. The hassle of lugging this stinking thing around with us made it clear what a foul and heavy weight we were carrying spiritually."

When we won't forgive others, we're really only hurting ourselves. Let's let go of all our unforgiveness and release all our "potatoes" to the Lord. We need to get free so that we are able to do great things for Him!

Dear Lord, help us have an attitude of forgiveness. Help us not carry a grudge against those around us. In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

Insulin and the blood of Christ

Hebrews 9:22 (ESV)

Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.

I have a friend who has diabetes. He told about how he had to be trained to give himself insulin, and how it was explained to him that the insulin is the key that unlocks the body's cells so they are able to absorb necessary sugar to promote body energy.

As I thought about the definition of insulin's job, I found myself thinking how this was so like the blood of Christ in regards to it being the key which unlocks the way to restoration between God and man through forgiveness. And with forgiveness comes abundance of life eternally.

Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sin. And without forgiveness of sin there is no relationship with God. And without relationship with God there is no eternal life.

Just like insulin however, forgiveness must be chosen. If a patient with diabetes refuses to inject their insulin their cells remained locked. Sugar is denied to the body and they eventually go into diabetic shock which leads to death. Adjusting to taking a daily shot, especially for a child is difficult, but in order to be healthy they must come to the acceptance of this fact.

Many people do not want to accept the fact that they are sinners and need God's forgiveness. And yet this too is a fact. God states:

"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus." Romans 3:23.

Forgiveness of sin is a free gift offered to all by God through faith in Christ Jesus. To obtain his gift however one must accept the truth that everyone has thought or done things displeasing to God leaving a breach in their relationship with Him. This breach can only be restored as a person acknowledges their sin, repents of it and turns by faith to the work of Jesus Christ on the cross: a work which unlocks the healing power of forgiveness between God and man, allowing man to be born again from spiritual death unto the abundance of eternal life now and forever more.

Dear Lord, we thank you for the provision which you have made for all people to have eternal life in You. We pray today that many will come to the realization of their sin and humbly repent and turn from it as they accept by faith the gift You give because of what You did on the cross.  In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

Forgiveness

1 Thessalonians 5:10-12 (ESV)

10 who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him. 11 Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing. 12 We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you.

A few years ago a tragic accident happened on the back roads of a little town. A Christian man, a humble servant of the Lord, a sweet husband to his devoted wife, and a terrific dad to a couple of dynamic tweens, was hit head-on by a drunk driver. He died on impact.

The drunk survived the ordeal and was facing heavy criminal charges. Public opinion was that this guy should rot in prison. No mercy for such an offence!

The mourning family, however, was not a normal, every-day typically common kind of family. They were close to one another through an invincible bound called divine love. They got together and pondered out loud: What would Jesus do in our circumstances?

One thing they knew for certain was that their Master would not linger in self-pity and unforgiveness. They were convinced they had to reach out somehow to the guilty drunkard. Early one morning, the son and daughter of the victimized dad went down to the prison to visit the drunk. To the utter amazement of the guards, although both son and daughter were deep in grief, they hugged the man and forgave him for his actions.

The surprised criminal couldn't stop his emotions from overcoming him. He crumbled to his knees and started to cry. Instead of a fist in his face, which is what he expected and knew he deserved, he received mercy. He received love instead of utter contempt. He received divine grace instead of condemnation.

Surprisingly, both the son and daughter visited that prisoner regularly. They had truly forgiven the one who had killed their dad.

One of God's greatest desires is that we show mercy towards one another. Although important, sacrifices, offerings and going to church are inconsequential if mercy is not part of our lives.

How would I react if this true episode had happened to me? How would I face the one who murdered my mom, my wife or my son? Who would I glorify?

Dear Lord, we pray that our reaction to things would be in line with what You would have for us. Help our actions bring honor to You. In The Name of Jesus, Amen. 

Can you please forgive me?

Matthew 18:22 (ESV)

Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times.

Two ten-year-olds were pouting in the corner of their classroom. It was clear that they were quite upset. The teacher approached and asked what the matter was. The smallest of the two turned around, her lips quivering. It was not yet clear whether this was from anger or from hurt:

"She…she hurt me bad!" She snapped. Then she proceeded to share her side of the story with much passion.

When the other girl was given the opportunity to reply, all she said was "I am so sorry! Can you please forgive me?"

"No way! You hurt me too bad!" The hurt girl replied.

The teacher was surprised at both responses. Never before had he heard someone, when accused, not try to defend herself. And since there had been such a beautiful apology, why hadn't the other girl accepted it?

"Why not?" He asked.

The reply of the smaller girl was curt and to the point: "I already forgave her once, and look where it brought me!"

He simply replied with a question:

"Have you ever hurt your mom or dad through your actions?"

The girl turned red and answered with hesitation: "Yes..."

"Have they ever not forgiven you?"

"Not really."

"Isn't it worth it to give your best friend another chance by forgiving her?"

"I suppose."

They did make up, and they are still best friends. Had she not forgiven, however, this simple problem could potentially have undermined everything; and all because of unforgiveness!

The apostle Peter also had a problem with the notion of forgiveness. This is why he asked Jesus, in Matt 18:21: "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?"

"Jesus answered, 'I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.'" (Matt 18:22 NIV)

There is peace and real living among those who can forgive through Christ.

Dear Lord, help us have a heart of forgiveness. You have forgiven us and continue even after we keep sinning. Please help us to forgive today. In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

Jesus our scapegoat

Isaiah 53:4 (ESV)

Surely he has borne our griefs

    and carried our sorrows;

yet we esteemed him stricken,

    smitten by God, and afflicted.

Christ, the scapegoat, bearing our curse is well illustrated by a story I read on line called What It Will Take to Change the World by S. D. Gordon. The following is a paraphrase of the story about a couple who discovered that their 14-year-old son had lied to them. The young boy, whom we'll refer to as Steven, had skipped school three consecutive days. He was found out when his teacher called his parents to inquire about his well-being.

The parents were more upset by Steven's lies than his missing school. After praying with him about what he had done, they decided on a very unusual and severe form of punishment. Their conversation with him went something like this:

"Steven, do you know how important it is that we be able to trust one another?"

"Yes."

"How can we ever trust each other if we don't always tell the truth? That's why lying is such a terrible thing. Not only is it sin, but it also destroys our ability to trust one another. Do you understand that?"

"Yes, sir."

"Your mother and I must make you understand the seriousness, not so much of skipping school, but of the lies you told. Your discipline will be that for the next three days, one for each day of your sin, you must go to the attic and stay there by yourself. You will even eat and sleep there."

So young Steven headed off to the attic and the bed prepared for him there. It was a long evening for Steven and perhaps longer for Mom and Dad. Neither could eat, and for some reason when dad tried to read the paper the words seemed foggy. Mom tried to sew, but couldn't see to thread the needle. Finally it was bedtime. About midnight as the father lay in bed thinking about how lonely and afraid Steven must be, he finally spoke to his wife, "Are you awake?"

"Yes. I can't sleep for thinking about Steven." "Neither can I," answered Dad.

An hour later he queried again, "Are you asleep yet?" "No," answered Mom, "I just can't sleep for thinking about Steven all alone up in the attic."

"Me neither."

Another hour passed. It was now 2:00 A.M. "I can't stand this any longer!" Murmured Dad as he climbed out of bed grabbing his pillow and a blanket. "I'm going to the attic."

He found Steven much as he expected: wide awake with tears in his eyes.

"Steven," said his father, "I can't take away the punishment for your lies because you must know the seriousness of what you have done. You must realize that sin, especially lying, has severe consequences. But your mother and I can't bear the thought of you being all alone here in the attic so I'm going to share your punishment with you."

The father lay down next to his son and the two put their arms around each other's necks. The tears on their cheeks mingled as they shared the same pillow and the same punishment ...for three nights.

Dear Lord, thank You for bearing our sins on You. Thank You for being the scapegoat. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Its All About Jesus

Daniel 9:4-6 (NIV) 

4“Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments, 5 we have sinned and done wrong. We have been wicked and have rebelled; we have turned away from your commands and laws. 6 We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes and our ancestors, and to all the people of the land.

O Lord, your sacrificial love surpasses any human affections. Your unfathomable grace exceeds any of our pitiful goodness. Your thoughts are higher than our twisted self-concerned deliberations. Your promises are as certain as the flowers that bloom in every determined season. You are far above all of our best intentions.

Please forgive of us who:

- Play church without really knowing You.

- Condemn others without even trying to walk in their shoes.

- Consider eternity as utterly boring, as an unending church service, without contemplating your promises uttered in your love letters addressed to us.

- Prioritize our to-do lists without considering time to draw close to you.

- Value our leisure more than the needs of the oppressed.

- Consume the riches of our planet without admiring the beauty of your creation.

- Neglect our marriages without assuming our responsibilities.

- Ignore the plight of our own children as if our passions are of more value.

- Are consumed with fear of the unknown, without even considering that trusting You will grant us inner peace.

- Make a nothing of eternity and an eternity of nothing.

- Are absorbed with thoughts of self instead of reaching out towards the unlovable.

- Are more concerned about our upcoming bills than sharing Your love with the hopeless.

I wonder where love is in those of us who profess to be Your followers. Have we drifted so far away that we cannot discern the footsteps left by You? Have we become so complacent with the fulfilling attractive promises of this world that the word "love" has become extinct among us? Have we forgotten the cost of Your supreme sacrifice?

Will you be the one that stands firm to the end?

Dear Lord, help us to become more loveable. Help us to have Your love become our foundation and guide. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Do You Need A Mulligan?

Ephesians 1:7-8 (NIV)

7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace 8 that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding.

Have you ever wondered what would happen if certain Bible characters sent letters of application for ministry positions in a church? Would the Thursday night search committee meeting sound something like this?

"Let's talk about this Adam."

"Well, he seems like a good man, but he takes bad directions from his wife. And you don't even want to know what he wears in the woods."

"How about Noah?"

"He's prone to taking on huge building projects without a permit. He's a pessimist too."

"What about Joseph?"

"Brags too much. Has a prison record. He's even been accused of adultery."

"And Moses?"

"Are you kidding? He's a lousy communicator. He stutters and stammers. He has a bad temper and has been known to hit things with a stick."

"So he's a golfer then?"

"That's another of his shortcomings."

"What do you know about Job?"

"Well, he's loaded, so he won't need a salary. But he's pretty gloomy. He complains too much."

"David looks like he has promise."

"Yes, but his kids are out of control, and his wives are a handful. To make matters worse, he's a strong proponent of instrumental music in worship."

"Tell me about Solomon."

"Well, he has a good head on his shoulders, but he's got problems when it comes to building projects. It took him seven years to complete the temple and thirteen years to build his palace. I guess he was trying to please all those wives."

"What about Elijah?"

"No way. Prone to depression. Collapses under pressure. Spends too much time by himself in the wilderness."

"And Samson?"

"Hair's too long."

"Jonah?"

"Good runner, but he makes up big fish tales. Has been disobedient to God."

"Matthew?"

"Not a chance. Works for the IRS."

"What about this John the Baptist?"

"He sure doesn't dress like a Baptist. Strange diet. Makes the Pharisees mad."

"And Peter?"

"Bad temper. Curses sometimes. Claims to have visions."

"Paul?"

"Powerful preacher and a good leader. But he's short on tact and has been known to preach all night. Puts people to sleep. Controversial on women's issues. He's single too."

"What about these others on the list?"

"Lazarus is dead."

"Zacchaeus is too short."

"Timothy is way too young."

"Methusaleh is too old."

"Sarah laughed too much."

"What about Judas?"

"Well, let's talk about him. He comes with good character references. Good connections. He's conservative, so he won't rock the boat. Handles money well. Maybe he's the one."

Aren't you glad God in His mercy chose to use the likes of these? They literally shaped the course of human history. And He will do it again through you.

All of us have sinned. But we don't have to live with the guilt. When we truly repent, God forgives and restores us to favor.

Dear Lord, we thank You for being a forgiving God.  We love to see how even though the people in the Bible failed You forgave them and used them. We ask You today to forgive us and to use us. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

The Power of Forgivness.

Hosea 6:6  (NIV)

For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings.

A few years ago a tragic accident happened on the back roads. A Christian man, a humble servant of the Lord, a sweet husband to his devoted wife, and a terrific dad to a couple of dynamic tweens, was hit head-on by a drunk driver. He died on impact.

The drunk survived the ordeal and was facing heavy criminal charges. Public opinion was that this guy should rot in prison. No mercy for such an offence!

The mourning family, however, was not a normal, every-day typically common kind of family. They were close to one another through an invincible bound called divine love. They got together and pondered out loud: What would Jesus do in our circumstances?

One thing they knew for certain was that their Master would not linger in self-pity and unforgiveness. They were convinced they had to reach out somehow to the guilty drunkard. Early one morning, the son and daughter of the victimized dad went down to the prison to visit the drunk. To the utter amazement of the guards, although both son and daughter were deep in grief, they hugged the man and forgave him for his actions.

The surprised criminal couldn't stop his emotions from overcoming him. He crumbled to his knees and started to cry. Instead of a fist in his face, which is what he expected and knew he deserved, he received mercy. He received love instead of utter contempt. He received divine grace instead of condemnation.

Surprisingly, both the son and daughter visited that prisoner regularly. They had truly forgiven the one who had killed their dad.

"For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings." Hosea 6:6

One of God's greatest desires is that we show mercy towards one another. Although important, sacrifices, offerings and going to church are inconsequential if mercy is not part of our lives.

How would I react if this true episode had happened to me? How would I face the one who murdered my mom, my wife or my son?

Dear Lord, we pray that we would have the heart of forgiveness. Help our hearts be filled with Your love and forgiveness so that we can show it to others. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Handling Mistakes

Proverbs 28:13 (NIV)

Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper,

    but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy.

An grizzled old sea captain was often spotted by his crew opening a small, locked box on the bridge, peeking inside at its contents, and shutting the lid before anyone might glimpse inside. The crew's curiosity grew and, on the day he retired, they rushed to the bridge, cut the lock and looked inside the box. There they found a sheet of paper that read, "Left -- port. Right -- starboard."

Are you afraid to make a mistake? Some people feel as if no one is listening until they make a mistake! If you goofed in a big way recently, maybe you need to hear about Roy Riegels.

The story is told about Roy and the 1929 Rose Bowl championship football game between Georgia Tech and the University of California. Shortly before half-time, a man named Roy Riegels made a huge mistake. He got the ball for California and somehow became confused and started running in the wrong direction! One of his team mates outdistanced him and tackled him after he had run 65 yards just before he would have scored for the opposing team. Of course, Georgia Tech gained a distinct advantage through the error.

The men filed off the field and went into the dressing room. All but Riegels sat down on the benches and on the floor. He wrapped his blanket around his shoulders, sat in a corner, put his face in his hands and wept.

Coach Nibbs Price struggled with what to do with Roy. He finally looked at the team and said simply, "Men, the same team that played the first half, will start the second."

All the players except Roy trotted out to the field. He didn't budge. Though the coach looked back and called to him again, he remained huddled in the corner. Coach Price went to him and said,

"Roy, didn't you hear me?"

"Coach," he said, "I can't do it. I've ruined you; I've ruined UCLA; I've ruined myself. I couldn't face that crowd in the stadium to save my life."

But Coach Price put his hand on Riegels' shoulder and said, "Roy, get up and go on back; the game is only half over."

Roy Riegels went back and those Tech men will tell you that they have never seen a man play football as Roy Riegels played that second half.

The next time you make a mistake, it might be good to remember the A-B-C method of handling mistakes.

A - Acknowledge your error and accept responsibility for it. Don't try to fix the blame on other people or circumstances. When you fix the blame, you never fix the problem.

B - Be gentle with yourself. The game is only half over. This is not the first mistake you ever made, nor will it be the last. You are still a good and caring person. Besides, later you may laugh at the blunder, so try to lighten up a bit now.

C - Correct it and move on. "Those who are wise don't consider it a blessing to make no mistakes," says Wang Yang-Ming. "They believe instead that the great virtue is the ability to correct mistakes and to continually reinvent oneself."

Now, go make your mistakes. And though some may be no less than spectacular, if you practice the A-B-C method, you'll live to tell about all of them and laugh about most of them.

Dear Lord, we thank You for the forgiveness that You freely give to each of us. Help us when we fail to acknowledge our error, be gentle with our self and correct it and move on. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

The Truth Will Set You Free

John 8:32 (NIV)

Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.

There once was a boy named Billy. His grandfather had a sling shot. One day he asked his grandfather if he would teach him how to shoot the sling shot.

His grandfather took into the back woods and began to teach the boy. The grandfather told Billy to go and practice for a while. Billy was in the woods , alone, and kept missing everything he shot at.

Billy, on his way back to the house, saw his grandfather's duck and decided to try his aim with the sling shot once more. Billy took aim and shot at the duck and hit his mark!! The duck fell over dead!

Billy took the duck, buried it in the ground. As he looked up he saw his sister, sally standing there watching him attempting to hide his deeds. Sally and Billy went back into their grandparents house. As they did so, Billy told Sally not to say anything. Sally said, sure, no problem. The kids grandfather told Sally to go into the kitchen and help her grandmother wash the dishes. Sally said, "Billy is the best dish washer in the family, he would love to wash the dishes. Remember the duck?' Billy washed the dishes that night.

The next day Billy's grandfather said, "Billy lets go fishing today. Sally, your grandmother needs your help around the house, so stay here and help her out."

Sally responded," Billy hates fishing but loves house work. Isn't that right Billy?"

Billy thought for a minute and decided to confess. Much to his surprise, his grandfather said, "I know you killed the duck. I saw you through the window. I also saw your sister standing there watching you. I just wanted to know how long you would let yourself be your sister’s slave."

How long will you let yourself be Satan's slave because of unconfessed sin?? Confess your sin to God, He already knows, He simply wants you to confess it to Him and ask for His help.

He will help you rid yourself of Satan's grip on your life. Just ask Him.

Dear Lord, thank You that You area forgiving God. Help us not hold our sins inside, but instead ask Your forgiveness for them so that we can be free of them. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Everything We Do, Say, and Think

Job 1:20-22 (NIV)

20 At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship 21 and said:

“Naked I came from my mother’s womb,

    and naked I will depart.

The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away;

    may the name of the Lord be praised.”

22 In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing.

For every action, there is a reaction. Everything we do in life has consequences, some positive, some catastrophic. The Klondike Gold Rush was no different.

Although some of the prospective miners were driven by a sense of adventure and by the desire to explore and see new things, many were driven by greed and were ruthless in their methods of obtaining gold.

Primitive mining methods, such as digging sediments by hand from stream banks and underground tunnels, seemed harmless enough; but these left extensive damage to the stream and river beds. When the larger mines were established, hillsides and entire mountains were plundered and silt and mud filled the waterways. Forests were completely stripped in order to supply timber for building boats and for feeding the fires needed to melt the sediments.

As the twentieth century rolled around, the richest and most easily accessed gold deposits had already been depleted, and harsher, more destructive machinery, designed to reach the deeper deposits and process the sediment faster, was brought in. High-pressure hoses completely knocked down hills in the ruthless search, and huge dredges reworked entire waterways. The destruction was colossal.

This total loss of natural habitat resulted in annihilation of both land and aquatic wildlife. In addition, an overabundance of mercury, which was used to process the gold, can still be found in the Yukon. It has made its way up the food chain and still accumulates in fish and other wildlife in alarming concentrations, resulting in health risks among humans and animals alike.

The ones who suffered the most from extensive destruction were the first nation's people, including the Tagish, the Tutchone, and the Tlingit. Because of its massive mountain ranges, ice fields, harsh terrain, and wild rivers, the Yukon had always been extremely hard to access; and before the gold rush, these First Nations groups had been quite isolated from the outside world. No wonder the Yukon was considered the last unexplored and unmapped region in North America!

With the influx of white man seeking gold, all of this changed. Miners brought diseases that the first peoples had no immunity to, and in many areas, entire tribes were wiped out. Hunting and fishing grounds were destroyed, making food sources scarce, and what wildlife remained was laced with high concentrations of mercury. Some of the natives worked as packers or as suppliers of wood for steamboats. They were unaccustomed to cash however, and few ever profited. Their traditional lifestyle was lost forever.

Everything we do, everything we say, and even everything we think can have dire consequences. In fact, I have never met anyone who could assure me that all of his or her actions have always had positive consequences.

Except one.

The one who lovingly died on the cross to bring salvation to this world.

He encouraged us with the following words: "Your eye is a lamp, lighting up your whole body. If you live wide-eyed in wonder and belief, your body fills up with light. If you live squinty-eyed in greed and distrust, your body is a dank cellar. Keep your eyes open, your lamp burning, so you don't get musty and murky. Keep your life as well-lighted as your best-lighted room." (Luke 11:34-36 The Message)

The problem is, none of us have ever been able to keep a "well-lighted" life all of the time! Our actions speak much more loudly than our words, and past memories are often contemplated with regret: "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." (Rom 3:23 NIV) Some of us anticipate with terror the end of our earthly life: "Everyone has to die once, then face the consequences." (Heb 9:27 The Message)

The Good News is that the consequences don't have to be dire. The One who lived an exemplary life has provided salvation for you. All you have to do is accept His offer: "Christ's death was also a one-time event, but it was a sacrifice that took care of sins forever. And so, when he next appears, the outcome for those eager to greet him is, precisely, salvation." (Heb 9:28 The Message)

"Since we've compiled this long and sorry record as sinners (both us and them) and proved that we are utterly incapable of living the glorious lives God wills for us, God did it for us. Out of sheer generosity he put us in right standing with himself. A pure gift. He got us out of the mess we're in and restored us to where he always wanted us to be. And he did it by means of Jesus Christ. God sacrificed Jesus on the altar of the world to clear that world of sin. Having faith in him sets us in the clear. God decided on this course of action in full view of the public - to set the world in the clear with himself through the sacrifice of Jesus, finally taking care of the sins he had so patiently endured. This is not only clear, but it's now - this is current history! God sets things right. He also makes it possible for us to live in his rightness." (Rom 3:23-26 The Message)

Dear Lord, we thank You that even though we have sinned YOU have made a way for us to be forgiven. We pray today that we would have a positive influence on those around us. I Jesus’ Name, Amen.