THE SHOUT OF A FORGIVEN MAN

Forgiveness is an emotion that defies description. It is the relief of an enormous burden lifted, of a debt canceled, of a conscience at rest. Guilt is gone and peace is enjoyed. To King David, it meant the forgiveness of his great transgressions that he had tried to hide and the cleansing of his spirit from deceit. David had committed adultery with Bathsheba and plotted the death of her husband Uriah. He steadfastly refused to confess his sins. He tried to sweep it all under the rug.  Maybe he thought that “time would heal” everything. He became a physical wreck. Nothing seemed to work out right for him anymore.

What happened? David’s conscience started to bother him. Physically, mentally and spiritually David was wasting away because of his un-confessed sins. He was under great distress. He finally came to the place in his life where he dealt with his sins. David made a full confession of his sins to God and asked for forgiveness. He came totally clean with the Lord. David opened his heart to God in transparent honesty and held nothing back. He poured out his heart to God and he was forgiven. This was the first step in achieving spiritual contentment.

David wrote Psalm Chapter 32. While David was trying to hide his sins, the worry and fear that he would be found out took a physical toll on his body. He wrote that “God’s hand was heavy” upon him. (Psalm 32:4) NIV This is a reference to God’s chastisement He became like an old man physically. He finally came to the place where he was willing to acknowledge his sins & confess his transgressions to the Lord. (Psalm 32:5) NIV The one who had been so hard and impenitent is now contrite and broken. With deep gratitude he acknowledges that God is his “hiding place.” Whether we like it or not, there is a heavy spiritual and physical price to pay for un-confessed sins in our lives.

David could talk about “joy” in his life by the end of Psalm chapter 32. He had experienced relief after being burdened with the terrible sins in his life. He was able to worship and praise the Lord again. Why? He solved his “sin problem” the right way. He told the truth about his sins and cast them down before the Lord. He got it into the open and God forgave him.

David was a man of faith despite all his weaknesses, fears, doubts and sins. His life illustrates a trust in God and an intense desire to know Him. Because of these qualities, God was able to use David mightily, molding and shaping him into “A man after His own heart.” (Acts 13:22) KJV

Various people have various problems. We all have our own sad problems of pain, heartache, suffering, and trouble. While it is true that we all have burdens, which vary from person to person, there is one common denominator. There is one reality with which we all struggle day by day. We all must deal with “sin.” There are only two ways to deal with sin, man’s way or God’s way. If we deal with sin man’s way, we will try to hide it. When we handle our sins God’s way, then it is handled correctly. It will cease to bring pain and destruction into our lives & we will experience spiritual contentment.

THOUGHTS ON DEATH

Every human has a terminal disease. The disease is death. We fear death and we will do anything and pay anything just to postpone death for a few hours. There are some that will not even talk about death. Denying death does not change the inevitable. Everyone dies. However, death is not the end for Christians. It is only the beginning of our eternal life. Apostle Paul wrote that death is a necessary part of life. “Foolish one, what you sow is not made alive unless it dies.” (1 Corinthians 15:36) NKJV A seed dies when it is planted in the ground. It actually decomposes. It must cease to exist in its original form as a seed before it can come to life in its final form as a plant.

Jesus applied the same analogy to Himself. “I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.” (John 12:24) NIV Jesus had to die before he could bear the fruit of our salvation. The same is true for us. We can’t be raised from the dead until we have died. In a sense we are not really buried or cremated; the reality is that we are “sown” just as a “seed” is sown. From that seed a new life will explode. This view is unique to Christianity all over the world

We received our natural bodies from Adam. Our “natural” bodies are perfectly suited to our earthly environment. This is the only realm in which our “natural” bodies can live. Our “natural” bodies became perishable as the consequence of the Fall of Adam. The body ages, gets sick, deteriorates and dies. No one is immune. We came from the dust and we will go back to the dust. “By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken, for dust you are and to dust you will return.” (Genesis 3:19) NIV

There is hope for every born again Christian. Our glorified bodies that we will possess in heaven will not be subject to sin, sickness, pain or death. Our human experience related to the original Fall of Adam in the Garden of Eden will be gone forever. This is good news! Who wouldn’t want to go to heaven?

SUPPOSE WE COULDN’T DIE

·        The blind would remain blind.

·        The paralyzed would never walk.

·        The mentally disabled would never have a normal mind.

·        Those terminally ill would never terminate.

·        Aching hearts would continue to ache and never be healed.

•  If humans were immortal, eventually there would be no more room or resources left on this planet to sustain immortal beings.

HABITS~NOT~ DIETS

Healthy Suggestions…Always consult with your doctor before going on any weight loss program. Plan on losing weight slowly. The first habit we must learn is to keep track of our daily calorie intake. Too much of anything gets stored as fat. Five small meals, each eaten three hours apart, can speed up our metabolism and allow the body to absorb and utilize more nutrients, stabilize blood sugar and increase our energy levels. Eat off a small plate. Eat only what you need and not what you want. Stop eating when you are full.

Exercise is very important to losing weight and keeping it off. Walk at least 30 minutes a day, three to five times a week. When first starting any exercise program, start out slowly and gradually increase the intensity. It is human nature to look for quick fixes. However, when it comes to fat loss, there are no short cuts. For permanent weight loss we must make a deliberate decision to change our eating habits for life.

Eliminate sugar. A diet with lots of sugars has too many calories and too few nutrients. Sugars include white sugar, brown sugar, corn syrup, honey and molasses. These supply calories and little else nutritionally. Added sugars are in foods like candy, bakery products, ice cream, soft drinks as well as jams, jellies and plus any sugar we add at the table. Choose fresh fruit instead of foods that are loaded in sugar.  Drink plenty of plain water.

Choose a diet moderate in salt and sodium to help reduce the risk of high blood pressure.

Choose a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol to reduce the risk of heart attack and help to maintain a healthy weight. In general, foods that come from animals are naturally higher in fat than foods that come from plants. Choose lean meat, poultry without the skin, fish, dry beans and peas often. They are the choices lowest in fat. Bake, broil or roast these meats. Avoid fried foods.

Read nutrition labels on canned and package foods you eat to find out the calories per serving and the grams of fat per serving.  Decide what changes you can make for a healthier life style and start by making small changes.  Switch to low fat salad dressings or adding an extra serving of vegetables. Choose healthy low fat foods until healthy eating becomes a habit. Avoid fast foods.

Build a rainbow on your plate. In general, the more colorful the food, the more health boosting benefits you will be eating. Load up your plate with different colored vegetables. Indulge yourself once in awhile. If you allow yourself to eat what you want once a week or every ten days, it will not affect your weight loss that much. You will also feel less deprived. The goal is to eat healthy, lose weight and keep it off permanently.

HABITS~NOT~DIETS

Helpful Hints…Always consult with your doctor before going on any weight loss or exercise program. We need to get off the roller coaster of dieting once and for all by developing habits that we will be able to maintain for the rest of our lives. It may take a little more discipline, patience, and hard work this way, but the end results will be worth it all. There is a Five Word Diet Plan…and the only one that works: Eat Less and Move More!

Yo-yo dieting is not healthy. When someone goes on a fad diet and loses a lot of weight they usually gain it back plus several extra pounds when they go off the diet. Why is this? It is because they have not learned the secret of changing their eating habits for life. Fad diets are only a “temporary fix” for a “permanent problem.”

There is not a trendy diet or magic pill that will make us lose weight and keep it off forever. The key is to strike a balance between “calories in and calories out” by eating less calories and exercising more. We can lose weight and keep it off for life if we will just take the time and effort to change our eating habits.

• Avoid processed foods, or at least foods where you can’t pronounce the ingredients. Keep foods as natural as possible.

• Eat a variety of foods to get the energy, protein, vitamins, minerals, and fiber you need for good health.

• Eliminate sugar.

• Eat less fat

• Choose whole grains.

• Eliminate junk foods.

MODERATION IS THE KEY TO A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE

Most Americans eat too much of the wrong foods. You don’t have to make drastic changes in your daily intake of food, just take a few simple steps at a time and let them become a “behavioral change” for the rest of your life.

Plan on losing weight slowly. Everyone wants fast results, but you can’t undo bad eating habits over night. Plan ahead. Teach yourself to like healthy foods and dislike unhealthy ones.

Never give up, even after you have failed a few times. When you fail, start over. 

A CRITICAL SPIRIT

What is a critical spirit? A “critical spirit” is an obsessive attitude of criticism and faultfinding, which seeks to tear down others. The only criticism that is ever constructive is that which is expressed in love to “build up” and not to tear down. It is always expressed face to face and never behind someone’s back. The person with a critical spirit usually dwells on the negative, seeks for flaws rather than good. They are complainers, usually upset, and generally have a problem or a complaint about something. They often have little control over their tongue and temper.

There is something very damaging about a critical spirit. Over time, when left un-checked, it prevents one from seeing and appreciating all that is truly good in the world and all that God is actively doing. A critical spirit is like putting on sunglasses at night. Everything in life begins to take on a dark, drab color. Critical people not only hurt themselves but they are also affecting others as well. Those who have a positive attitude will avoid those who have a critical, negative attitude. People that are critical usually lack self-esteem. They criticize other people because that makes them feel better about themselves.

Having a critical spirit and a reckless judgmental attitude is setting up ourselves as God. A critical spirit discourages others. Rather than looking to others with a critical spirit and judging them, we should rather look to ourselves and judge ourselves. Only by evaluating ourselves will we be able to resist the temptation to evaluate others. God is the ultimate judge of all things. We usually don’t have all the facts and we certainly don’t have the ability to look into someone’s heart. Therefore, as believers we should never engage in the kind of absolute criticism and condemnation that so many people do.

Negative and critical people come with warning signs. They live in a state of perpetual doom and gloom. They begin every sentence with negative statements. They make snide and disrespectful remarks to and about others. They are obnoxious and spread negativity like poison and they are ultimately the people who cause us the most negative stress in our lives. This kind of attitude has no place in the life of a Christian. A critical attitude can hinder our walk with God and suck the joy and energy from our lives. I have learned when I encounter a negative person to never listen to their nonsense.

Discovering and removing the negative influences in our life will help us more than we realize. Studies show that our own thoughts, attitudes and behaviors are a reflection of the people we spend the most time with. Those who are negative and critical often make mountains out of mole hills. Each day, we are faced with a decision and need to say to ourselves, “I can either allow these people to ruin my day and my actions for that day, or I can choose to rise above them, completely remove them from my life, or speak motivating words to them and move on.”

WHAT IS WRONG WITH GOSSIP

What is gossip? Though the word “gossip” does not appear in the Bible, the concept does. Funk and Wagnall’s Dictionary defines gossip as “idle talk or malicious talk about others.” Gossip is second or third hand information that someone dumps on you without your prior consent and without the consent of the person being gossiped about. Gossip is not just a bad habit. Unfortunately, some Christians do not usually consider gossip and its related activity as sin. However, gossip is a seething disease of corruption from the mouth. Gossips use their mouth as a weapon…a weapon that is always aimed at people to fulfill Satan’s desire to “steal, kill and destroy.” (John 10:10) NIV

What is a busybody? A “busybody” is a close relative to gossip…a person who meddles in the affairs of others The Bible places a busybody in the same company as murderers, thieves, and evildoers. “But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evil doer, or as a busybody in other men’s matters.” (1 Peter 4:15) KJV Gossip is an enemy to God and everything holy-----a cancer that spreads a deadly infection to the body of Christ. Gossip always distorts and exaggerates and is never a reliable source of truth.

Slander is a word that has an interesting origin. It comes from the word “devil.” According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, slander means: “malicious talk, to spread damaging information, to defame, and to speak evil of others.” Slander is the work of Satan and those who slander are on his team. The Bible says that Satan is called the “accuser of the brethren.” (Revelation 12:10) KJV The Bible defines slander as accusatory speech that is injurious to a person’s “name” and “reputation”…the act of smearing someone. Gossip and slander color people’s perceptions of an individual unfairly and unjustly without their knowledge or consent.

Gossip is the most deadly poison on earth.  Like bullets fired from a gun, words cannot be taken back. Gossip and slander can ruin reputations, families, break up marriages, separate friends, destroy communities and even divide churches. One of the hallmark qualities of a true friend is someone who refuses to gossip about you behind your back. Talebearers usually avoid speaking directly to the one they are demeaning. Have you ever noticed the speech that “tears down others” travels like a brush fire, but news of repentance and restoration seems to move along at a “snail’s pace?” As believers, we should avoid all association with persons who gossips. Apostle Paul wrote, “Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.” (Ephesians 5:11) NIV

We need to think before we speak. Is it true, is it helpful, is it inspiring, is it necessary, and is it kind? If what we are about to say does not pass these tests, we should keep silent. “Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying that it may minister grace unto the hearers.” (Ephesians 4:29) KJV The root of both gossip and slander is simply this: saying something about someone that ought not to be said.

CULTIVATING SELF-CONTROL

Today’s society is a society characterized by excesses and addictions. We need to realize that we are capable of indulging in these un-healthy behaviors if we do not exercise self-control. A person who has self-control avoids extreme behavior and exercises self-restraint in both actions and speech. Restraint and self-control aren’t always easy because we have our own free will and we must choose to be of good behavior and temperate in our conduct. Our motivation and goal should be to have every area of our lives under control so we can accomplish God’s purposes in our lives.

We all experience times when we simply do not know what to do. We want to do the right thing, but we are stuck in a gray area of not knowing what that might be. The Bible not only has special instructions about what we should or should not do, but it gives us principles about our behavior too. Henry Ward Beecher said, “The Bible is God’s chart for you to steer by, to keep you from the bottom of the sea, and to show you where the harbor is, and how to reach it without running aground on rocks.”

Self-control is one of the greatest abilities we can have. Self-control and self-discipline work together. Sometimes we may entertain improper feelings that urge us to do something that is mentally, physically, or spiritually harmful. Temptation feeds on these feelings and this is where we either win or lose the battle against sinful behaviors that will spiral our lives out of control if they are put into action. It is very important that we exercise self-control of our thoughts, emotions and speech. Our mind is a fertile ground where sinful thoughts begin. Sinful thoughts are like a deadly disease. If we don’t deal with these thoughts in the very beginning they will become actions in the real world and will wreak devastation in our lives. The more we prevent the spread of sinful thoughts, the less we will have to wrestle with them. We can’t let garbage build up in our minds. Too often we know what to do, but we do not do it. Instead, we allow our emotions to over rule our judgment.

The question we must ask ourselves is: “Who or what controls our lives?” We need to constantly discipline our bodies by avoiding any activities that would be harmful to them. We must discipline our thinking by being cautious about what we read, watch or think. We must determine to feed our minds truth and purity. Our spiritual life must be disciplined by developing habits of Bible study and prayer. Without self-control we can easily be led into sin that will hinder us in our spiritual walk. Our goal should be to master those things that will destroy us. Sound judgment is critical to the exercise of self-control. Sound judgment enables us to determine the boundaries of moderation in our appetites, desires, and habits. It helps us regulate our thoughts and keep our emotions under control. Paul gave us some great advice, “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable, if anything is excellent or praiseworthy, think about such things.”(Philippians 4:8) NIV This is the key to help us keep our thoughts pure.