Video Bible Lesson - A Prayer for Forgiving Others By Rick Warren

1/2 Hour of God’s Power with Scott Ralls

6/14/2020

A Prayer for Forgiving Others
By Rick Warren

Romans 6:6 says, “We know that our old life died with Christ on the cross so that our sinful selves would have no power over us” (NCV). What does “our sinful selves would have no power over us” mean? It means our natural inclination is to do the wrong thing.My natural inclination when you hurt me is to hurt you back. My natural inclination when you say something bad against me is say something bad against you and hold on to it and never forgive you. All of the things that I’m naturally inclined to do actually make it worse.But we can break that bondage to bitterness, that bondage to guilt, that bondage to resentment, that bondage to worry. We can keep from becoming slaves to the past and hurtful memories. We can choose to forgive.The cross has the power to free you from grudges and grief and resentment. There is no other way to let go of these emotions that are weighing you down than the cross. Jesus on the cross broke the power of sin and death and bondage in your life.I want you to think of the person you need to forgive, the person whose offense planted a seed of bitterness in you, and I want you to pray this prayer right now:Father, only you understand how much I’ve been hurt by this person. I don’t want to carry the pain for another second. I don’t want to be a bitter person. But I need your grace and the power of the cross to release my hurt and to forgive those who’ve hurt me. This is the turning point. First, I need to experience your forgiveness. You know all the ways I’ve hurt others, and I’m so sorry for my sins. Jesus, thank you for dying for me. I accept your grace and forgiveness, and I need it daily. Today I’m turning to you, and I’m choosing to forgive the way you have forgiven me. Every time the memory comes back, I’ll forgive that person again until the pain is gone. Heal my heart with your grace. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

#Jesus, #Christian, #Bible, #Salvation, #Heaven, #God, #HolySpirit

What Is the Rapture and Is it Biblical?

Ed Jarrett 

What is the rapture? And what does the Bible say about it?  Many are familiar with the term. But all too often their understanding of the rapture is based more on popular writings like the Left Behind series than Scripture itself. The intent of this article is to look at what the Bible has to say about the rapture.

What Is the Rapture?

Rapture is not a word that is found in Scripture. But it is used to describe a very biblical doctrine; the return of Christ and the gathering up of his elect. This doctrine is central to the hope that we have as believers.

There are many scenarios of the end times that have been drawn from Jesus’ Revelation to John. But I do not find that there are any unambiguous references to the rapture contained in Revelation. Much of how one interprets Revelation is based upon their eschatological perspective. So, for that reason, I have chosen not to include anything from Revelation in this discussion. But there are three passages in the New Testament that do provide us with explicit information about this event.

Matthew 24:30-31 is a portion of Jesus’ teaching about his return. In this passage he says that all the peoples of the earth will see him coming in the clouds. And that with a trumpet call, he will send his angels to gather his elect from throughout the earth.

In 1 Corinthians 15 Paul defends the future resurrection of believers. And in verses 50-55 he describes what that will be like. It will happen in a moment, at the last trumpet. When the trumpet sounds, the dead will be raised, and the living believers will be changed.

The third passage is also from Paul and is in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18. In this passage Paul is seeking to encourage the believers in Thessalonica concerning some of their members who had died. He assures them that the Lord will return from heaven, along with a trumpet call. And when that happens, the dead in Christ will be raised, and those still alive will be caught up together with them.

These three passages do not share all the same details. But they do have enough in common to point to a common event. They affirm that Christ will return visibly for all to see and the last trumpet points to this event being at the end. It will involve the resurrection of believers who have died and the transformation of those who are still living at his return.

When Is the Rapture?

When will this second coming of Christ and our being gathered to him occur? The best answer we can give with any certainty is that it will be at the end of this age. In Matthew 24:3 Jesus’ disciples ask about Jesus coming and the end of the age. Jesus’ response to their question culminates with the passage mentioned above with Jesus’ return and our being gathered to him.

But exactly when “the end of the age” will be is a big unknown. In Matthew 24:36, Jesus tells his disciples that no one, other than the Father, knows when that end will occur. Not even the angels in heaven, or even the Son. And, in Acts 1:7, in response to his disciple’s question about the establishment of the kingdom, Jesus says that it is not for them to know the when. The end will come in the Father’s time, and he has not chosen to share that with us.

Another passage that deals with the when of the rapture is 2 Thessalonians 2:1-4. In this passage Paul cautions the Thessalonian believers not to become concerned that the Lord’s return and our being gathered had already occurred. He assured them that it will not come before a great apostasy first takes place and the antichrist is revealed.

But, while we may not know when the rapture will occur, it should not take us by surprise. In Matthew 24:42-51 Jesus tells us to keep prepared for his coming. While we do not know the when of the event, we should expect it at any time. 

In 1 Thessalonians 5:1-8, Paul expresses that the Lord’s return will be like a thief in the night. But we are not in darkness, so that day should not be a surprise to us. So always be ready, living in the light, and wearing the hope of salvation as a helmet.

What Will Happen at the Rapture?

When the rapture does occur, what will happen? In Matthew 24, Jesus simply tells us that we will be gathered by his angels. But Paul’s writing gives us a little more detail. Both 1 Corinthians 15:52 and Thessalonians 4:16-17 tell us that the rapture is not just of those who are living at the time, but that those believers who have already died will be resurrected and together we will meet our Lord.

In 1 Corinthians 15:45-54, Paul gives us some additional information about this rapture. When the Lord returns for us, we will be changed. The bodies we have now are not suitable for an eternal existence in the presence of God. This perishable and mortal body will be changed into one that is imperishable and immortal. Just what it will look like though is unknown. Earlier in this fifteenth chapter of 1 Corinthians, Paul expressed that what is sown often bears little resemblance to what is raised. So it will likely be with our bodies. At the resurrection/rapture our bodies will go through a radical transformation and may or may not resemble what they do now.

There are some who would propose that at the resurrection we will be purely spiritual beings, like God. But Scripture tells us that we will have a body – a body that will be like Christ’s. In 1 Corinthians 15:42-49 Paul contrasts the body we have now with the one that we will have. That coming body will be imperishable, immortal, glorious, powerful, and spiritual. Identifying it as a spiritual body lends support to a resurrection that is spiritual in nature. But note that it is a spiritual body, not a spirit. And we will bear the image of the heavenly man, Christ. What our bodies will be like is unknown. But we can be certain that we will have bodies.

A Difference in Timing

No discussion of the rapture would be complete without pointing out that there is a relatively recent school of thought that separates the rapture and the visible return of Christ by a seven-year tribulational period. As an amillennialist, this is not something I agree with. But apart from that there is agreement among the different eschatological views concerning the rapture; the gathering of believers at the end of the age.

So, as Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15:54, “Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” Because of the hope we have, we should let nothing move us from serving our Lord. Know that our service will not be in vain.

Streams in the Desert

Streams in the Desert

But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. When you have turned back, strengthen your brothers. (Luke 22:32)

Christian, take good care of thy faith, for recollect that faith is the only means whereby thou canst obtain blessings. Prayer cannot draw down answers from God’s throne except it be the earnest prayer of the man who believes.

Faith is the telegraphic wire which links earth to Heaven, on which God’s messages of love fly so fast that before we call He answers, and while we are yet speaking He hears us. But if that telegraphic wire of faith be snapped, how can we obtain the promise?

Am I in trouble? I can obtain help for trouble by faith. Am I beaten about by the enemy? My soul on her dear Refuge leans by faith.

But take faith away, then in vain I call to God. There is no other road betwixt my soul and Heaven. Blockade the road, and how can I communicate with the Great King?

Faith links me with Divinity. Faith clothes me with the power of Jehovah. Faith insures every attribute of God in my defense. It helps me to defy the hosts of hell. It makes me march triumphant over the necks of my enemies. But without faith how can I receive anything from the Lord?

Oh, then, Christian, watch well thy faith. “If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.”
—C. H. Spurgeon

We boast of being so practical a people that we want to have a surer thing than faith. But did not Paul say that the promise was, by FAITH that it might be SURE? (Romans 4:16)
—Dan Crawford.

Faith honors God; God honors faith.

Romans 8:28 Does Not Mean Giving Thanks with a Plastic Smile

Romans 8:28 Does Not Mean Giving Thanks with a Plastic Smile
by Alex Crain

And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28).

Catastrophes like earthquakes, hurricanes, and even terrorist attacks remind us that, indeed, we live in a sin-cursed world. Not only do tragedies like these cause many to lose their lives, they often leave countless others in their wake---roiling in doubt and disbelief. The horrors of human suffering can stain our minds and souls and often obscure our vision of the God who is there. How are we supposed to respond?

Closer to home, we experience the curse of sin in personal ways through losses or disappointments that grieve the heart. We may wonder in all honesty at such times what verses like Romans 8:28 mean. Does Christ call His followers to simply put on a plastic smile and somehow grin and bear it?

Hardly.

Francis Schaeffer offers a helpful explanation to this dilemma in the first chapter of his classic book, True Spirituality. In fact, he says that a proper grasp of Romans 8:28 is crucial to understanding the world.

First of all, he takes care to point out that the Bible's view of life in the world is clear-eyed and realistic: At the Fall of man, everything became abnormal. The whole world is not what God made it to be. Therefore, Scripture verses like Romans 8:28 cannot be calling us to think…

"…that in some magical way everything is really fine when it isn't. Rather, we are to say "thank You Lord" knowing that God will somehow bring good ultimately, though we may not know how all the pieces fit together. 

"It is not that Christians are to give thanks with a plastic smile, saying things are wonderful when they are hard. It is knowing that the hard things are really hard things, a result of the abnormality of the Fall, yet not revolting against God when the hard things come." 

"We do honor to God and the finished work of Christ as we throw the words ‘all things' in Romans 8:28 like a circle around all things..." 

"…we are contented before God… yet not complacent about the suffering of the world." 

In other words, Christ neither calls us to be indifferent nor to put on a plastic smile. Rather, we are to face the facts of hard reality and then sink our roots more deeply in who He is.

What a privilege that we who are naturally God's enemies can even have a relationship of trusting Him—this faithful, sovereign, covenant keeping God who is incapable of failure. He makes and keeps great promises not only for His glory but for the ultimate good of those who are His.  

Intersecting Faith & Life: In what situations are you tempted to be shaken from trusting God? Clearly, this is a sin-cursed world.  Still, do you sometimes catch yourself expecting a rosy path? Why? What do we really deserve? (Read Romans 3:10)

3 Lessons Gideon Teaches Us about Prayer

3 Lessons Gideon Teaches Us about Prayer
by Janelle Alberts

“And the angel of the LORD appeared to him and said to him, “The LORD is with you, O mighty man of valor.” - Judges 6:12

Our questions of faith often remain unanswered or confusing. Like our questions about prayer.

Prayer is somewhat a mystery, but there are still plenty of things we can know for sure about prayer. I’m especially grateful for what the story of Gideon (found in Judges) is currently teaching me about prayer.

1. Prayer Engages Someone Who is Already with You.

We know what it feels like when someone is with us, and a lot of the time God’s involvement in our lives can feel…unpredictable. But prayer reminds us that God is already always with us.

Gideon hit the Bible scene after the Israelites had been freed from Egypt (with the help of God), survived a stiff-necked wandering in the desert (with the help of God), dispossessed the bad guys and finally scored the Promised Land (with the help of God), and enjoyed years of peace, glorious peace (thanks to God)!

Then they blew off God.

Of course, their world came crashing in, and it was during that crushingly oppressive and lonely time that God visited Gideon. We read in Judges that an angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon and said to him, “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior” (Judges 6).

And Gideon, in one of the most under-excited-to-see-God moments in Bible history, wondered aloud: God? Where have you been?

2. Prayer is All about Honesty – Not Just Saying What We Think God Wants to Hear

Gideon takes some hits in church circles for this seemingly whiny response. I mean, God’s here! Buck up and be glad! Who wouldn’t respond that way?

Um, God.

God did not treat Gideon that way at all. Here was a man who had heard stories about God’s benevolent leadership and love, but where had God been all this time when Gideon needed him?

Seemingly absent. Gideon was wrong, of course, but God didn’t hold that against him.

If you have read the backstory, you know it was not that God left the Israelites, but the Israelites who had left God. After all, God had done to build a relationship with his children, they still had turned away from God. God said, “You have not listened to me” (Judges 6:10).

God could have justifiably gotten smoking mad at Gideon with an accusing “You’re not listening to me!”

However, it’s one thing to be obstinate, but another thing altogether to be unsure.

This is a God who cares about that difference.

Gideon was hearing God say great things, but Gideon did not know if God would actually do the greatest thing of all.

3. Prayer Teaches Us to Have Eyes that See God

God has a much greater mission than demonstrating his greatness. His mission is to demonstrate his love. His greatest challenge was getting his people to receive that from him.

“Don’t go away…” Gideon said to God. “And the Lord said, ‘I will stay here until you return’” (Judges 6:18).
So commenced a bit of fire that lit up a little meat and unleavened bread. There was later a bit of fleece and then later a big barley loaf in the middle of someone else’s dream.

Over and over, God reinforced how much he loved and cared about Gideon and the Israelites.

If the Israelites hadn’t listened before, Gideon was listening now. Intently. What transpired was a monumentally triumphant turn of events for Gideon and his people. And Gideon came to believe that the hiding place of God’s word was a place he could trust.

Expect that God is already waiting for you to spend time with Him. Be honest. He has told us from page one to page 700 plus in the Bible not to fear for one reason. He tells his children over and over, I am with you.

A Prayer for When You Feel Invisible

A Prayer for When You Feel InvisibleBy Keneesha Saunders-Liddie

And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account. – Hebrews 4:13

I was the last one standing yet again. When it came to sports, I was usually the last one chosen. At those particular times in my childhood, I felt invisible. Even though I knew I wasn’t good at sports, it was still a surprise every time I walked toward the last team by default, because I was the only one not picked.

There are many reasons why we can feel invisible in life. Maybe you feel invisible at your church, job or in your family. There is good news. God sees you. God knows who you are and he can see the longing of your heart to be seen and known.

He wants you to know that you are not invisible to him. He wants you to know that he has always seen you and will always see you. He isn’t looking at you as one would look at an outsider. He takes special interest in you and your concerns.

He has said in his Word that no creature is hidden from his sight. There is no place you can go that he won’t be with you. This is both wonderful news and terrifying news. One day we have to give him an account for everything we do here on earth, and he is watching you.

Everything is naked and open to him; that includes your heart, thoughts and emotions as you feel the burden of being left out and isolated. God your Father has chosen this time to observe you. Even if you haven’t voice how you feel, God knows and he cares. So the next time you feel invisible, pray and thank God for watching over you.

Let’s pray now:

Heavenly Father,

Thank you for never growing weary or getting tired. Thank you for watching over me each and every day. Help me to remember that you are always there whenever I feel invisible. I’m so grateful that I don’t have to look to man for validation; all I need is given to me by you. You have promised in your Word that you will never leave or forsake me, and I will hold you at your Word. I turn my heart to you and chose to trust in your Word and your steadfast protection and provision. Help me to find comfort in the fact that no creature is hidden from you, but that I am naked and open before you as you allow the Holy Spirit to lead me in sanctification. Knowing I am seen by God causes me to release fear and to simply trust you will be there. During this time of uncertainty, help me to see others and let them know that I see them.

In Jesus’ Name, Amen.