Preaching with a purpose

Jesus taught his disciples to forgive many times. Not just the seven times that Peter thought was very generous. Jesus said seventy times seven and that in one day. However forgivenes does not mean continually putting up with someone's bad behaviour. That is not even good for them. Jesus taught that we should go to a brother who has wronged us and talk it over. If he does not put things right, to go again with two witnesses. If this still did not bring the desired result the whole church should be called on to intercede, and if the wrong doer still did not repent he should be ignored. Forgiveness is there to bring reconciliation, not there for the toleration of wrong doing. But the example of forgiveness given is that of God in Christ forgiving us. We had treated him so badly and yet he gave himself in Christ for our salvation. Never mind your fellow believer, are you treating God as he should be treated with love trust and obedience? How often we all fall short of his love...

We are told in the Bible that we can only receive forgiveness if we also give it. In the Lord's prayer we read."forgive us our trespasses (sins) as we forgive them who trespass(sin) against us." The very important word in this sentence is "as." It may be a very little word but it shows what the condition is for receiving forgiveness. If we don't forgive we shut ourselves off from receiving forgiveness. Forgiving is not easy. It doesn't give you a glowing feeling inside. It is hard work and is an act of will. Once you have decided to forgive you will still feel uncomfortable. You don't need to feel you have forgiven, you just need to do it and to proove you have done it your behaviour, towards the one you are forgiving, will be shown in your attitude and actions toward them. It will take time to feel the benefits yourself, but at least you will know now that you too can be forgiven.

This is Woolly Doughnut and he has been in our family ever since my now 38 year-old son was three and received him as a Christmas present from an aunt. Woolly spent many years in retirement and then I took him on some adventures as you can see in the link below. Imagination is a wonderful thing, but it can get you into trouble. You can imagine that everthing is alright between you and God, but unless you have asked Jesus for the forgiveness you need you are in danger of God's wrath. He is a God of love and he offers you life through Jesus, but He makes the rules and this is the only way to be right with Him. If you accept his way you are going to receive a life where you know his forgiveness and faithfulness for ever. Woolly Doughnut on an adventure

Sometimes if you make friends easily you lose them just as easily. A good friendship needs working at, something like a good marriage. If you come to Jesus he will be your best friend ever. He already knows the worst about you and yet he is willing and able to forgive you. If you ask for his forgiveness he will blot out the past and turn your life around. Instead of pleasing yourself you will want to please God and amazingly you will also find fulfillment in that. Throw away you desire to rebel against God and turn to him. In Jesus he will accept all who come to him. For more help read this page. Justification by Faith Also for help finding friends. Making Friends and Keeping Them

You'll be getting sick of me popping up again like this!! Well I want to be around here and make my little contribution to all this information and opinion that's flying around. After all I must have something to offer. I've been around for 64 years. You don't survive that long without learning a thing or two. What I've learnt most is that God is faithful. He never leaves me and brings me through every situation. So now I've learnt to trust him more and more, but being human, I do still fret and worry, but I think the worrying and fear are lessening. Now God isn't a push over. He doesn't accept any old behaviour. In fact he won't accept even our best behaviour. No, we are flawed by sin and he can only accept us if we come to Jesus first for forgiveness. Why? Because that is the way he has provided, no other will do. We don't like it. We want to do something. The only thing that works is to accept God's free gift of forgiveness p...

So what is a trainee local preacher doing writing poems about love and passion. Well we preachers are just ordinary folk like everyone else trying to make sense of their feelings and emotions. God would not have said,"Do not commit adultery" if we were never going to feel like doing that. Trouble is, say,"Do not walk on the grass " to a person and what do they want to do? It's the same with wet paint. We are all in this together, we human beings. All struggling to do the right thing and not always getting it right. So what did God do about our predicament? He sent Jesus to gain forgiveness for us. God knows you are going to get it wrong. He loves you. Come to him for forgiveness. My poems of love and passion

My first husband and I are about to celebrate that forty years have past since we married. It doesn't bother us that there has been a divorce in between. We are celebrating a friendship which has weathered the storm. We will be going out for a meal with our children to celebrate. There is no way we would want to live together. My husband has always been a loner and I have discovered the delights of living on my own. We are content to share an occasional meal together and to go out grocery shopping together. How blest we are to have found forgiveness and understanding.