Tag Archives: Forgiveness

2015 Day 95 – Happy Easter!

05 Sunday Apr 2015

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When we say “Happy Easter”, we should be over-joyed by what this day represents. The picture below was taken this morning from my backyard. Every time I see a sunrise I want to be reminded of what Jesus did for me and that He is alive; He rose from the dead for me and now I have eternal life because of Him. Jesus endured a tremendous amount of suffering for each of us so we could experience eternal life. Earlier this week we talked about the beginning of Luke 24:6 where the angel of the Lord says to the women who went to Jesus’ tomb, “He is not here; He is risen!” Imagine the emotions of going from “all is lost” to “He is alive!!”.

HeIsRisen

 

If you ever come across anything you’d like me to post on this blog, please feel free to contact me at dino.evangelista@gmail.com.

 

 

2015 Day 52 – Luke 15

21 Saturday Feb 2015

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In the parable of the Prodigal Son, we tend to focus on the son who takes his inheritance and squanders it, and we pay very little attention to the older son who stayed with the father. At the end of the parable, the older son becomes upset because of all the attention the younger son receives from the father. The father addresses the older son in Luke 15:31-32, 31 ” ‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 32 But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ “ Jesus was referring to the Pharisees in reference to the older son because they were against giving the inheritance of the Jews to the gentiles. But this is why Jesus came in the first place. He came to save all people who believe in Him, not just the Jews. The privilege of the Jews is because the Messiah came through Jewish lineage, not that salvation came exclusively for them.

The same thing applies to us in the modern “church”. Salvation is not exclusive to those who live righteous lives. Nowhere does Jesus say we must be righteous before we become saved. A righteous life does not exist without salvation from Jesus and the Holy Spirit living in our lives. Let us not confuse the sin in someone’s life with God’s ability to cleanse us from all unrighteousness as John wrote in 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.

2015 Day 41 – Matthew 18

10 Tuesday Feb 2015

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Forgiveness is almost always a difficult thing. But Jesus calls us to forgive just as He has forgiven us. In Matthew 18:21-22 Peter and Jesus have the following dialog, 21 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?” 22 Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.” Whatever many times we think is sufficient to forgive someone, it will always pale in comparison to the number of times Jesus has forgiven us of our sins. We are called to show mercy and grace just as Jesus has shown mercy and grace to us.

2015 Day 40 – Mark 9

09 Monday Feb 2015

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In Jesus’ eyes we are all equal. No sin is great than the other and no amount of grace received is in more abundance than any other. The same is true when it comes to our salvation; none of us is greater than any other. Mark 9:35, Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all.” Ultimately, none of us is greater than any other. We all deserve death, which should give us a sense of overwhelming gratitude for the level of forgiveness we have all received.

2015 Day 17 – Matthew 6

17 Saturday Jan 2015

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It is so easy to compare ourselves to others in the game of “Who’s Sin Is Worse”. However, Jesus never asked us to be the judge over anyone’s sin (including our own). Matthew 6:1-2 quotes Jesus saying, 1 “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” God is the only one qualified to look at a person’s life and judge their actions. In the same way, God is the only one qualified to forgive sin through the sacrifice of His Son Jesus Christ. When we waste our time looking at others through our own eyes and not through the eyes of Jesus, we fail to see the perfection brought to them and us through Jesus.

2015 Day 1 – Matthew 3

01 Thursday Jan 2015

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John the Baptist was definitely an interesting character. One of the things I love about him is he speaks his mind and never worries about what others may say about him. John was completely single minded in his purpose on earth. There was no doubt why he was here and he devoted his entire life to announcing the coming of the Messiah and fulfilling prophesy. In Matthew 3:3, John shows through scripture what the prophet Isaiah had to say, This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: “A voice of one calling in the desert, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.’ “ John’s purpose was also to teach how the message of repentance is good news to those who listen and seek forgiveness through the power of God’s healing love. John’s message is no different today than it was over 2,000 years ago.

2014 Day 262 – Luke 5

19 Friday Sep 2014

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In today’s reading there is a lot of great information. The big thing that always stand out to me in Luke 5 is verses 31 and 32, 31 Jesus answered them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 32 I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” The Pharisees, like many modern day Christian elite, thought the Messiah was coming for them only. God sent Jesus for people who recognize how broken they really are. No one, no matter how long you walk with Jesus, is perfect. We all need God’s grace and forgiveness for our sinful nature on a constant basis. I saw a sign the other day on social media that said, “God does not remember the sin in our lives we cannot forget.” Praise Him for that!

2014 Day 250 – Alice Cooper

07 Sunday Sep 2014

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I grew up listening to hard rock and Alice Cooper was always a guilty pleasure. While I enjoyed his music, it always felt weird to listen to him because it seemed so far from the influences I should allow in my life. A few years ago I heard Alice Cooper was a believer and my first though was, “what? How?”. But then it became clear to me that God can change anyone. Turns out that Alice Cooper grew up in a Christian home and is a great example of the “prodigal son”. I hope you enjoy this video for our reflection day.

 

If you ever come across anything you’d like me to post on this blog, please feel free to contact me at dino.evangelista@gmail.com.

2014 Day 162 – 1 John 1

11 Wednesday Jun 2014

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Confession of sin is meant to free us to enjoy fellowship with Christ. It is meant to clear our conscience and lighten our heart. But sometimes it is difficult to let go of guilt associated with sin and the affects it has on us. 1 John 1:9 says, If we confess out sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. When we ask for forgiveness we must also learn to let go of the affects it has on our lives. We must learn and use the experience to remind us to never go back to the sin, but it should no longer have control over us to paralyze us through a guilty conscience.

2014 Day 113 – Ephesians 4

23 Wednesday Apr 2014

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Forgiveness is one of the hardest things for us to do. When we feel wronged or hurt, it is difficult to forgive. Ephesians 4:31-32 31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. God forgave us of more than we could ever possibly need to forgive others. If we are to follow Christ’s example, then we are commanded to forgive for the wrong others have done in our lives. This does not mean trust is restored. Our trust should always be in God above all else. He is the only one who ever deserves our complete trust and He is the only one who is guaranteed to never let us down even when we don’t understand His will. His plan is perfect.