Rewind

This morning, my husband told me about a radio station he found that played 80s music.  He thought I would like it.  So on my way to work, I dialed it in.  The first song I heard was Madonna's Like A Prayer.  Ah, that takes me back.  Remember how controversial the media made the video of the song because in the end the statue of the saint came to life and kissed her?  I think a lot of people thought the statue was of Jesus because it was in a church setting.  The song itself is one of my favorite songs by her.  But I digress.

The name of the radio station is called REWIND.  To rewind is to go back and revisit.  I love the rewind button on my tv remote.  If I don't understand what is being said or what is going on, I can go back endlessly and listen and watch again.  But that is just for fun and fantasy.  You can't really go back.  You can't go back and relive those moments.  In real life, you have to keep moving forward.  God doesn't want you to live in the past.  He does however, want you to remember.  Remember what you were and learn from the mistakes you made.  He doesn't want you to remember the bad things in a sense that you can't deal with your life.  He just wants to gently tell you that though you are a sinner and have done horrible wrongs, there is still time to repent.  Just ask and he will forgive you.  Then you can live in the joy of His light!

Hebrews 8:12
" FOR I WILL BE MERCIFUL TO THEIR INIQUITIES, AND I WILL REMEMBER THEIR SINS NO MORE."

Psalm 103:12
As far as the east is from the west,So far has He removed our transgressions from us.

So go ahead and do a little rewinding today.  Meditate on where you once were and where you are now.  the key is to know what your goal is.  You know, where you are heading.  Lord willing, that is heaven!

Can You Forgive Me?

Forgiveness is a big word. It is even a bigger action. When someone does something that goes against what you believe, what you told them you wanted, or what is acceptable, you are upset. You want to tear them apart, cry, scream, just somehow make it so the other person is miserable and understands how upset you are. It is okay to feel hurt. But to tear them down just to make yourself feel better is not really good. Do we not realize that though we are hurting, so are they?

They came to you and confessed their wrong-doing. They feel the shame and the hurt they put on you. It is so hard for anyone to admit they did something against someone else. None of us want to hear confessions like that. Non of us want to confess our sins. But that is what we have to do. We have to tell our secret and not-so-secret sins to someone. Why not start with God? He is the keeper of our hearts and knows when we are grieved and sorrowful.

The upside to all of this is when you forgive, (and I mean really forgive) and when you are forgiven, your attitude and outlook on the whole situation changes. Your heart is freer and you feel loved. God wants that from you. He wants you to confess what is in your heart and he wants you to forgive. He wants you to be forgiven most of all. Will you confess today what is keeping you from feeling joyful?

Psalm 32:5 Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the LORD "— and you forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah

Romans 14:11 It is written: " 'As surely as I live,' says the Lord, 'every knee will bow before me; every tongue will confess to God.' "

James 5:16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.

1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.