HOPELESSNESS

HOPELESSNESS

by Keith Bellamy

You’ve been there haven’t you? That feeling of hopelessness when your whole world seems to fall apart is what I’m talking about.

You have this friend who worked miracles. You saw the blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who had leprosy cured, the deaf were able to hear, the dead were raised, and the good news was preached to the poor (Matthew 11:5).

Now this friend was murdered. He is dead and you even went to the cemetery where they buried Him to meditate, to soak it all in as to what really happened. There are questions as to why this all took place in the first place.

Remember Jesus’ words to Martha after her brother died? Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die” (John 11:25, 26). Do you believe this?

When we have those feelings of hopelessness then we ask those questions like they did when Jesus died. Much of what He said to His disciples still didn’t make much sense and they had seen real miracles. Yet, they still needed to be encouraged. So, we notice that He makes at least ten post-resurrection appearances to various disciples; one time to more than five-hundred (1 Corinthians 15). Many of those who didn’t believe became Christians because their hopelessness became hope in a risen Savior!

I have assisted in well over a thousand funerals. I have returned to those cemeteries to visit the graves of loved ones and friends. I can still hear their voices and see their smiles. Those who suffered so much pain no longer hurt. As much as I miss my parents I would not want to see them in their time of distress again. I choose to see them happy again and living. And one of these days I will get to see them again.

Just as Jesus was raised from the dead, so shall we be. For Christians there will be great joy and celebration. As the song by Bill Gaither says, “Because He lives, I can face tomorrow.”

When life seems hopeless, there is HOPE!

I FORGIVE YOU…

I FORGIVE YOU…

by preacherpollard

Neal Pollard

...But I won't ever treat you the same ...But I will make sure you never forget it ...But I don't think you should serve any more ...But I will keep my distance from you ...But I will tell others about your sin ...But I will make you feel like a pariah

The very word "forgive" means to dismiss or release something from one's presence, to let go and send away and to release from moral obligation or consequence (BDAG, 156). That sounds very different from some of the substitute offerings mentioned above. Have we ever considered all the Lord has to say about our forgiving one another?

· But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions (Mt. 6:15).

· If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother (Mt. 18:15).

· The moral of the parable of the man forgiven much who refused to forgive the one who owed him little: " And his lord, moved with anger, handed him over to the torturers until he should repay all that was owed him. My heavenly Father will also do the same to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart” (Mt. 18:34-35).

· Be on your guard! If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. And if he sins against you seven times a day, and returns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ forgive him (Luke 17:3-4).

· Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you (Eph. 4:32).

· Bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you (Col. 3:13).

Perhaps in our zeal (or defensiveness) to remind the offender that their sin has consequences, we add to those consequences through choices we make in response to their repentance. A penitent sinner is already struggling with guilt and accepting God's forgiveness. The last thing we should do is make it harder for them to overcome. When they do try to put their spiritual lives back together again, we should rejoice for them and help them any way we can. Whether their sin is known to only a few or to everyone, we must handle it the way the Lord teaches us to. Jesus teaches that we can be guilty of sin ourselves by mishandling the challenging discipline of forgiving. May He help us as we strive to do it.

RUSH TO JUDGMENT

No matter what the case is, people have a tendency, to rush to judgment.

Someone is indicted and that person is considered guilty. Many have rushed to judgment without knowing all of the facts.

And if you watch the media frenzy during and after on a particular trial, you may wonder what really happened. Naturally the major news media has (expert) lawyers and former (expert) judges giving their opinions, and it is all about how to spin this news of a terrible event.

I can’t afford to rush to judgment. After dealing with the incarcerated for more than 30 years, I know that we don’t always have all of the facts. I hear all kinds of comments made about prisoners, and this usually comes from someone who has never worked with offenders or ex-offenders. Critics usually haven’t anything else to do but offer criticism.

My concern is that we have become a nation that is so media-driven that many will believe anything that is reported. The late Paul Harvey on one occasion made a profound statement on his daily broadcast. He said, “We haven’t always told you the truth.” Paul Harvey was an honest man.

As one of my dear friends often says, “We live in a crazy old world.”

So what are Christian people to do?

We should remember the trial of Jesus. Talk about fake news and made-up testimony! Those very religious people were bent on killing Him no matter what. And they did! Never mind that the Romans carried out the execution—the religious leaders were the ones calling the shots.

Consider what Jesus said in Matthew 7:1, 2 "Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” (NIV)

And then consider John 7:24 when Jesus said, “Stop judging by mere appearances, and make a right judgment." (NIV)