The Reality of God's Forgiveness

James Newton shared, a story about Thomas A. Edison: They were working on a crazy contraption called a "light bulb" and it took a whole team of men 24 straight hours to put just one together. The story goes that when Edison was finished with one light bulb, he gave it to a young boy helper, who nervously carried it up the stairs. Step by step he cautiously watched his hands, obviously frightened of dropping such a priceless piece of work. You've probably guessed what happened by now; the poor young fellow dropped the bulb at the top of the stairs. It took the entire team of men twenty-four more hours to make another bulb. Finally, tired and ready for a break, Edison was ready to have his bulb carried up the stairs. He gave it to the same young boy who dropped the first one. That's true

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forgiveness.

Luke recorded an excellent illustration of the depth and breadth of God’s forgiveness. He recorded, “Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner.” And Jesus answering said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” And he answered, “Say it, Teacher.” “A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more?” Simon answered, “The one, I suppose, for whom he cancelled the larger debt.” And he said to him, “You have judged rightly” (Luke 7:39-50, NIV).

The focus of the narrative was about a religious leader’s prejudice against a woman he called a “sinner.” With his remark, Jesus shared a parable to demonstrate the right attitude towards others. Moreover, it would expose the value and reality of God’s basis for forgiveness. Afterward, Jesus asked him a question and having understood the simple mathematical logic presented, his reply was affirmed. As Luke alluded,  “The debtor who loved the most was the one to whom most had been forgiven” (Luke 7:42). It was through this simple yet powerful story that hammered a sharp lesson for us to remember. It is because of God’s great love for us that we become "kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another."

Our imperfections must keep us anchored on God’s mercy and grace towards us as John Chervokas illustrated this truth this way: “Opaquing fluid is the magical liquid that covers over your errors, your typos, your unfortunate slip-ups. You brush on the liquid and start all over again--hopefully this time with no unfortunate slip-ups. Opaquing fluid is forgiveness, an obliteration of a goof with no telltale traces that the goof happened at all.” From this beautiful gadget, it exemplified the reality of God's forgiveness for humanity to learn. We need to be reminded that Jesus did it on the cross of Calvary when He asked God to forgive those that crucified Him. Would there be a worst situation than what Jesus went through? He died for our sins and forgave others so that we can do the same to those that offended us. Thus, through His forgiveness, our hearts will be flooded to forgive others as well. Roy Smith emphasized, “The art of forgiving is a spiritual grace every Christian should develop and because Jesus forgives, we must also forgive others.”

What are we waiting for? God’s forgiveness can become a powerful weapon in a vindictive-filled world. Furthermore, it is what would heal hearts chained and imprisoned by the anguish of lack of forgiveness. Unfortunately, our stubbornness and pride becomes a hindrance to release any level of forgiveness. However, when we seek God’s help, He is more than willing to flood us with the ability to do so. When we surrender to Him, He will set us free to release others and set us free in the process. Life is too short to carry any baggage filled with unforgiveness. Jesus said it best, “ “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Matthew 11:28-29).

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What is the Gospel Message?

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The Gospel message contains the most important message that everyone must hear and the apostle Paul provided the nucleus in 1 Corinthians 15:3, “Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures.” It is an essential message to be heard and proclaimed because “the strongest argument for the Gospel of Christ is the personal testimony of someone whose life has been changed by it” (Source Unknown). Proclaiming the Gospel is “to tell the good news, to tell thoroughly all the truth of the gospel, holding back nothing, but declaring 'the whole counsel of God” (Alfred Gibbs).

Also, there are four Greek words used in the New Testament to translate the word `preach' that Alfred Gibbs shared:

·      Kerusso—to proclaim, to herald. This is used of the public proclamation of the Gospel. (Matt. 11. 1; Mark 1. 4; 3. 14; 16. 20; Rom. 10. 15, etc.)

·      Euaggelizo—to tell good news. From this word are derived our terms—'evangel', 'evangelist', 'evangelize'. (Matt. 11. 5; Luke 4. 18; 7. 22; 1 Cor. 1. 17; Gal. 1. 8; Heb. 4. 2, etc.)

·      Kataggello—to tell thoroughly. (Acts 4. 2; 13. 38; 15. 36; Col. 1. 28)

·      Laleo—to talk. (Mark 2. 2; Acts 11. 19; 14. 25, etc.)

The common idea boils down to intentionally engaging people to seek an audience. Thus, it is essential that preachers must focus its message on the centrality of Christ and no one else. Somebody shared that when St. Bernard preached on one Sabbath, all the scholars came forward to praise him. The next Sabbath he preached Christ and all the sinners came up to thank him. In this example, every preacher must remember a simple motto and that is, “to be worthy of the thanks of sinners, not the praise of men, is the ambition of the true minister.”

Proclaiming the Gospel message is contained in this powerful statement: “Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures.” Looking at it closely, it begins by acknowledging that, “Christ died.” Ed Stetzer explained, “Jesus took the wrath of God for me, and he died. His body was placed in a tomb, and on the third day he came back from the dead, never to die again.” Before Jesus breathed His last, He shouted, “It is finished” to signify a new beginning (John 19:30). Next, it spoke of the reason for His death: “Christ died for our sins.” It is where Jesus became “the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world” (1 John 2:2). Ed Stetzer provided an incisive description: “The substitutionary atonement is at the heart of the gospel. This is where we see and understand the great love that God has for us, that the Son would allow the Father to place our sins on him and punish him in our place.”

Finally, it revealed the basis of His death: “Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures.” The Gospel message was woven from the tapestry of Old Testament promises and fulfilled in the New Testament to the last letter as Jesus said, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished” (Matthew 5:17-18).

When we share this statement of great importance, we open the door of opportunity for people to discover God’s love. Paul told Timothy, “Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel” (2 Timothy 1:10). It is our task to tell people about what Christ did and then let God do His work in their lives through the Holy Spirit’s power. Remember that our objective as servants of Christ in reaching people is to proclaim, “by this gospel you are saved.” In doing so, we align ourselves to what Paul told the Corinthian church, “We are therefore Christ's ambassadors” (2 Corinthians 5:2). Therefore, in putting everything in perspective, let’s consider what Oswald J. Smith highlighted, “The world does not need sermons; it needs a message.” God’s message must be proclaimed faithfully “in season and out of season” (2 Timothy 4:2).

Let’s talk again!

Sources:

Preaching Sermon Illustrations. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://moreillustrations.com/Illustrations/preaching%202.html

Preaching Sermon Illustrations. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://moreillustrations.com/Illustrations/preaching%201.html

Stetzer, E. (2015). What is the Gospel? A Look at 1 Corinthians 15:3-4. Christianity Today. Retrieved from http://www.christianitytoday.com/edstetzer/2015/june/what-is-gospel.html

The Unexpected Hour of His Coming

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Pastor Doug Batchelor shared, “If we’re living lives of consistent surrender and obedience and looking for opportunities to share our faith, we won’t need to worry about the date on the calendar because we’ll be ready every day for the Lord’s coming!”

What’s the significance of the Lord’s coming for Christians and humanity? It is called the “Blessed Hope” of all believers in Jesus. It is the day that His promise to return fulfilled more than 2,000 years ago. Jesus provided specific admonition for all who looks forward to His return:

Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect (Matthew 24:42-44 ESV).

What does it mean to stay awake? Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary explained, “Our Lord's coming will be happy to those that shall be found ready, but very dreadful to those that are not.” Simply, an anticipation of something big is about to happen that cause oneself to become mindful at all times. Paul exhorted the Corinthian church in this manner, “Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong” (1 Corinthians 16:13). Peter added, “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8).

Another attitude to adopt is to stay in constant readiness. Specifically, it is a reminder for believers of Jesus to be ready as Luke stressed, "Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning” (Luke 12:35).

Houses constructed of sun-dried bricks, mud, or loose stones, could be easily pierced and entered without forcing shuttered window or barred door. The significance of the parable is easy to see. The householder is the disciple of Christ, the thief is Christ himself, who comes on the unwatchful when and where they expect him not. ~Pulpit Commentary

Jim Bramlett posed an excellent question, “Does God gives clue?[1] Then, he enumerated the answers to this nagging issue:

·      He gave Noah advance notice of when the flood would be in Genesis 6 & 7.

·      He told Abraham how long the Israelites would be in Egypt in Genesis 15:13.

·      He revealed to many people the very day of Elijah's rapture in 2 Kings 2.

·      He told Jeremiah how long the Babylonian exile would be in Jeremiah 29:10.

·      He told Daniel exactly when Messiah would come the first time in Daniel 9:25-26.

So, what should be done while waiting for Jesus? Allow me to provide some recommendations for everyone to implement as we wait patiently and enthusiastically for Jesus’ coming anytime. First, recognize that God is always in control. Often when it seems nothing is happening is when things happen behind the scenes. Habakkuk emphasized, “Look around at the nations; look and be amazed! For I am doing something in your own day, something you wouldn’t believe even if someone told you about it” (1:5 NLT). Next, renew your faith in God’s constant provision. Waiting is not incidental to faith. Waiting is the DNA of faith as the Psalmist’s exhorted, “Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!” (Psalm 27:14, ESV). Finally, redeem your time while waiting for Jesus. Times of uncertainty and doubt are useful periods in which we can draw into God, hone our skills and prepare for the time when that big day comes as James stressed, “let patience have her perfect work” (1:4).

At night as Dr. Horatius Bonar retired to rest, his last action ere he laid down to sleep was to draw aside the curtain and looking up into the starry heavens, say: "Perhaps tonight, Lord?" In the morning, as he arose, his first movement was to raise the blind, and looking out upon the gray dawn, remark: "Perhaps today, Lord?"—The Dawn.

Let’s talk again!

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[1] Jim Bramlett Retrieved from http://www1.cbn.com/biblestudy/signs-of-jesus%27-return

The Rainbow and God's Faithfulness

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After the great flood that destroyed every living thing, the ark of Noah rested on Mt. Ararat and God directed Noah to look at the horizon. God spoke to Noah and said, “When the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.” God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant that I have established between me and all flesh that is on the earth” (Genesis 9:16-17, ESV). Here, in a nutshell, the covenant of God using the rainbow as the visual evidence of God’s covenant and promise to every living creatures represented by Noah and his family.

How does a rainbow form? Discovery kids.com explained:

Rainbows happen when sunlight and rain combine in a very specific way. The beams of sunlight separate into the colors we see in the rainbow as they enter a raindrop. Sunlight is actually made up of different colors that we don’t usually see. When a beam of sunlight comes down to Earth, the light is white. But, if the light beam happens to hit raindrops on the way down at a certain angle, the different colors that make up the beam separate so that we can see them — in the form of a rainbow. The angle for each color of a rainbow is different, because the colors slow down at different speeds when they enter the raindrop. The light exits the raindrop in one color, depending on the angle it came in, so we see only one color coming from each raindrop. Light at different angles coming through many raindrops form the rainbow that we see, in stripes of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet.

Throughout Scripture, the rainbow symbolizes God’s glory — the radiance of his beauty, holiness, and perfection. Dieudonne Tamfu described, “None of us have beheld God’s glory with our eyes. The rainbow gives us a picture of the beauty believers will see when God comes again to live on the earth and to fill it with his glory.”  First, the rainbow was a sign from God. Next, the rainbow was a resolution. Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary emphasized, “As God looks upon the bow, that he may remember the covenant, so should we, that we may be mindful of the covenant with faith and thankfulness.” Lastly, the rainbow was a reminder. Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible expounded, “whenever they see the bow in the cloud, that God is not unmindful of the covenant he has made with all creatures, and which is to continue to the end of the world. GK Chesterton provided an excellent picture, “And when it rains on your parade, look up rather than down. Without the rain, there would be no rainbow.”

Whenever we see a rainbow, we need to remember that God’s glory is revealed. Also, God’s faithfulness is renewed whenever a rainbow is seen and most importantly, God’s integrity is reinforced whenever a rainbow is seen as Matthew 24:35 asserted, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away” (ESV).

On the other hand, the rainbow reminds us the effects of sinfulness, disobedience, and its destructive consequences when we choose our way outside of God’s will. Also, the rainbow provides an excellent reminder of what God did but seeing a rainbow gives comfort, knowing that even after a terrible storm, God can and will be with us. Lastly, the rainbow reminds us of the salvation that God offered to Noah and everyone who believes in His Word and His Son. God always give enough time to reconsider our ways and to return to Him, “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance” (2 Peter 3:9, ESV).

After all is said and done keep looking up because after each rain or storm that passes, God wants us to look up into the rainbow as it appears being a symbol of hope that God stands behind His covenant for all eternity.

Let’s talk again!

Remembering my Dad

Eugenio "Jun" Navo Jr. (01/8/1940 – 02/28/2016)

He is a husband of a loving wife, a father of five wonderful children, a grandfather to cheerful kids, a brother to his siblings, a friend to many and a God’s child. It is an overview of who he was to many people in his lives in the past until his last breath.

As a Husband

 

It was a front-row seat for me to witness the loving relationship between my Dad and Mom. Although they were nine years apart, they were deeply in love. It was not a perfect marriage but they were perfect for each other. Nonetheless, theirs was a marriage made for them by the Lord until death separated them after 47 years.

 As a Father

Having five children with four girls and an only boy, my Dad preferred to have boys, and if not for Mom’s losing her ovary, there was a huge possibility that twelve children may have been our number instead of five. My Dad wasted no time, they were married January 1969 and in November, I was born, Evelyn came next on December the following year, then Joan on January the next year. It was with Arlene and Eliza that a break came but both were born two years apart in the same month. His style was strict not just to us but to his nieces and nephews as well. He wanted the best for his children and extended family and being strict was his way of showing care. I didn’t understand it then but appreciated them altogether. He is a man of few words but a man determined to express his feelings in a straightforward manner without any pretense whatsoever. He was proud of us and made sure that he shared about it to many of his friends.

As a Provider

I remembered tagging along as a little kid during his PLDT days as an installer-repairman and seeing his work first-hand was one of our bonding times until he left for overseas in the early 80’s and became an OFW for most of my elementary and high school days. In leaving for Libya and Saudi Arabia to provide for the needs of his family, he missed a lot of important events in our lives growing up but it was a sacrifice he needed to endure for his family’s welfare. We heard his personal messages through audiotapes, overseas telephone conversation, and letters. He sent whatever he can to ensure that his family was cared for and whatever request we have, he would try to send it as well. He loved his family so much and gave up many years in doing so.

 

As a Grandfather

My Dad was blessed to have grandchildren that he needed to converse in English. He may not be fluent in speaking it but his grandchildren understood him nevertheless. Whenever a favor was asked of him about any of his grandchildren regarding pick-up from school, babysitting hours and other things, he would never say no but always on the go. Mcdonald’s would be one their hangouts and he would bring them as his treat. His grandchildren recognized his strictness but in a different way for how he showed to us and it was more of playful strictness and my Dad enjoyed them a lot.

As a Brother to his Siblings

 

My Dad cared for his siblings and his relationship with them was solid. He made them laugh whenever they meet in Balagtas, Bulacan during his visits to them. It was one of those days that my Dad constantly brings me along with him. He loved them and cared for them also. My Dad was good-humored whenever he sees them and saw how they cared for him as well. Whenever he asked them a favor or any request from him, they dotingly accommodated him.

As a Friend to Many

My Dad was not an extrovert but he loves telling stories to people that would like to engage discussion. It wasn’t a huge number of people but it was enough for him to be in a company of friends that he liked to keep. When meeting with new people, he would ask many questions as his way of inquiring about them. It was his way of making people comfortable using this style. People would be uncomfortable at first but before they separate they would tell me they liked my Dad and his way of engaging people. He has his way and people that knew him remembered it explicitly.

As a Child of God

My Dad’s journey in his relationship with God was an uphill battle; he was not religious and curses a lot as part of his vocabulary. However, whenever possible, he would be in a church to attend important events. The turning point in his life was during one of his illness and through hearing the gospel message, received the Lord as his Savior and Lord. It was a significant event for him and for myself, as a Pastor because God used another person to lead him and secure his spot in God’s family.

Goodnight Dad

Remembering him in this manner allowed me to deeply appreciate my Dad’s life and journey until the end. His life may be ordinary compared to others, but he made extraordinary efforts that made a huge impression to many people until his death. It was clear that my Dad’s life was a colorful one and filled with many adventures. 

His illness was a long battle filled with pain that he tolerated silently. We were fully aware of his pain and greatly admired him for being strong. He was stubborn yet he knew what was at stake. At the end, even in the midst of pain, I believed that the Lord Jesus was conversing with him as he reflected many days before his passing. I saw the peace of God on the day that I was in the hospital, we were alone and prayed for him, said my goodnight, and kissed him on the forehead. Deep inside, I was made aware that it was not that long. Later that day, he passed away witnessed by my siblings. When I visited and saw him lying on his bed without life, I saw a man’s body fully rested and free from pain but the soul and spirit of Eugenio “Jun” Navo Jr. went on his eternal journey to heaven and to be with the Lord forever. To this, we say, cheers to you Dad until we see you again!