“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11
Do not let the shadow of sin continue to shade our future. We can all have the future God has planned for us if we choose to repent and turn to God so that our sins may be wiped out —if we choose to grow and develop a relationship with God, the times of refreshing may come from the Lord.
When the unhelpful past calls, switched it off – delete it. We may need to accept some finite disappointments, but never to lose infinite hope – make it a point to let the disappointments fashion and shape us into a resilient and stronger person for the future; the responsibility for our future is upon each of us and is impacted by our actions going forward, and with the help of God, we will triumph. We do not need the approval of others especially when what they approve of is wrong, and when what we have done is right in the light of the revealed word of God.
Philippians 3:13, “…this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,”
Let’s not be shackled by the past, cut it loose and press forward towards the future!
Forgiveness of sins by God
God is rich in love and mercy. The confessing our sins before God alone and repentance is the key to being forgiven.
It is God’s deep desire to see you turn to Him and receive forgiveness for your sins! “Therefore the LORD longs to be gracious to you, And therefore He waits on high to have compassion on you. For the LORD is a God of justice; How blessed are all those who long for Him.” Isaiah 30:18
Read more of what God said in the passages as quoted from God’s manual for mankind:
“…..Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you.” Jeremiah 31:3
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9
“He who covers his sins will not prosper, But whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy.” Proverbs 28:13
In John 8:3-11, an actual story is narrated where a woman was caught in the very act of adultery and they brought this woman before Jesus. Jesus said unto them in verse 7,
“He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.
In verse 7
So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.”
In verse 9 –verse 11
9 Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. 10 When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, “Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?”
11 She said, “No one, Lord.”
And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.”
“He will again have compassion on us, And will subdue our iniquities. You will cast all our sins Into the depths of the sea.” Micah 7:19
Titus 2:14 “who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.”
Jesus told us a parable to demonstrate how our heavenly Father God wants to love, accept and forgive us when we turn to Him. In the parable, Jesus told of the son who took half his dad’s money and ran away, then returned home bankrupt and his father saw his son and was moved with compassion.
Luke 15:20, tells us how the father received his son, .. “And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. ..”
That is how God, our heavenly Father sees us, welcomes us, forgives us and loves us even after we’ve really messed up, and then turn back to Him! He is moved with compassion and welcomes us with open arms.
“I, even I, am the one who wipes out your transgressions for My own sake, And I will not remember your sins.” Isaiah 43:25
“And their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.” Hebrews 10:17
AGAIN… God is rich in love and mercy. The confessing our sins before God alone and repentance is the key to being forgiven.
For as the heavens are high above the earth,
So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him;
As far as the east is from the west,
So far has He removed our transgressions from us.” Psalm 103:11-12
“But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting
On those who fear Him,
And His righteousness to children’s children,
To such as keep His covenant,
And to those who remember His commandments to do them.” Psalm 103:17-18
“It is a broken spirit you want—remorse and penitence. A broken and a contrite heart, O God, you will not ignore.” Psalm 51:17
East and West will never meet. This is an illustrative portrait of God’s forgiveness – when He forgives our sin, he separates it from us and will not remember it. We need never wallow in the bygones – God has wiped our record clean, when we have a remorseful and repentant heart – putting our trust and faith in Him.
God is the Lawgiver and Judge. God knows our human condition, but our weakness should not be used as a justification for sin. God is merciful, compassionate and is concerned for us. At the Cross of Calvary – when Jesus died for us, God’s mercy and justice met. We need to repent, trust & believe God – His mercy takes everything into account and He will then deal with us compassionately.
……..
“Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom.” James 3:13
Come now, let us settle the matter,”
says the Lord.
“Though your sins are like scarlet,
they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red as crimson,
they shall be like wool.
If you are willing and obedient,
you will eat the good things of the land;
but if you resist and rebel,
you will be devoured by the sword.”
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken. Isaiah 1:18-20
God is the God of the second chance and has condescended to come down to our level and asked us to reason with Him (the all wise God – the Infinite God invited us to reason with Him.) If we are willing and obedient , in other words REPENT, He will forgive our sins, if we continue to sin – resist & rebel we will be destroyed. God has spoken, we MUST take heed.
The vital aspect in life is the vital decisions in life. The most vital decision in your life is the most vital aspect in your life – the eternal choice before you is of utmost importance. ~ Cheong Kok Weng ……DON’T exchange your soul for the world.
As JESUS said -what does it profit a man if he gains the world and loses his soul? Our Creator asked us the most vital question in life for us while we are alive on planet earth.
Jesus accomplished the work of creation. He is Preeminent in all of creation, along with the Father and the Holy Spirit, as the CREATOR.
Colossians 1:16 says of Jesus – For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.” “All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.”
God the Father as saying to His Son, [God the Son is of the same essence as God the Father and God the Holy Spirit. God the Father and God the Son in the TRINITY shows us the relational dimension within the Godhead.] in Hebrews 1:8-10
But to the Son He says:
“Your throne, O God, is forever and ever;
A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom.
You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness;
Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You
With the oil of gladness more than Your companions.”
And:
“You, Lord, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth,
And the heavens are the work of Your hands.
“You, LORD, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth,
And the heavens are the work of Your hands”.
.. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.” Mark 8:36-38 #Jesus asked and
said.
NASA images
“..Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end. “Ecclesiastes 3:10-12
God made us to live eternally, but we can choose WHERE we want to spend eternity – heaven or hell (and it is NOT a joke). Heaven is real and so is hell – God says so and it is so.
All has free will while alive on earth or in outer space (as astronauts or ‘space travelers’) – to choose God’s offer of salvation or reject it – with the consequences to follow. Therefore your eternity destiny is your choice.
“..Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” 2 Corinthians 6:2
“And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment,” Hebrews 9:27
Our ALL powerful Creator gave us the great functionality of choice – use it wisely as we are answerable for it. ~Cheong Kok Weng
God is the omnipotent – the all-powerful God and that power is made manifest throughout all creation. We will be fully held responsible for the choices we made. Likewise if we reject His overtures of reconciliation through the Cross of Calvary we will be held fully accountable and we have therefore consented to be out of His Kingdom in heaven.
The gospel of Christ is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes.
For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written,“The just shall live by faith.” 18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19 because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them.20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, 21 because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23 and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things.24 Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, 25 who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.26 For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. 27 Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due.28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; 29 being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, 30 backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 31 undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; 32 who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them. Romans 1:17-32
28 Now after the Sabbath, as the first day of the week began to dawn, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb. 2 And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door,and sat on it. 3 His countenance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow. 4 And the guards shook for fear of him, and became like dead men.5 But the angel answered and said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified.6 He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. 7 And go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead, and indeed He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him. Behold, I have told you.”8 So they went out quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to bring His disciples word.The Women Worship the Risen Lord9 And as they went to tell His disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, “Rejoice!” So they came and held Him by the feet and worshiped Him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell My brethren to go to Galilee, and there they will see Me.” Matthew 28:1-10
13 Now behold, two of them were traveling that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was seven miles from Jerusalem. 14 And they talked together of all these things which had happened. 15 So it was, while they conversed and reasoned, that Jesus Himself drew near and went with them. 16 But their eyes were restrained, so that they did not know Him.
17 And He said to them, “What kind of conversation is this that you have with one another as you walk and are sad?”
18 Then the one whose name was Cleopas answered and said to Him, “Are You the only stranger in Jerusalem, and have You not known the things which happened there in these days?”
19 And He said to them, “What things?”
So they said to Him, “The things concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a Prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, 20 and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered Him to be condemned to death, and crucified Him. 21 But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel. Indeed, besides all this, today is the third day since these things happened. 22 Yes, and certain women of our company, who arrived at the tomb early, astonished us. 23 When they did not find His body, they came saying that they had also seen a vision of angels who said He was alive. 24 And certain of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said; but Him they did not see.”
25 Then He said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?” 27 And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.
28 Then they drew near to the village where they were going, and He indicated that He would have gone farther. 29 But they constrained Him, saying, “Abide with us, for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent.” And He went in to stay with them.
30 Now it came to pass, as He sat at the table with them, that He took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him; and He vanished from their sight.
32 And they said to one another, “Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?” 33 So they rose up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together,
44 Now it was about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. 45 Then the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was torn in two. 46 And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, “Father, ‘into Your hands I commit My spirit.’” Having said this, He breathed His last.
47 So when the centurion saw what had happened, he glorified God, saying, “Certainly this was a righteous Man!”
48 And the whole crowd who came together to that sight, seeing what had been done, beat their breasts and returned.49 But all His acquaintances, and the women who followed Him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things.
50 Now behold, there was a man named Joseph, a council member, a good and just man. 51 He had not consented to their decision and deed. He was from Arimathea, a city of the Jews, who himself was also waiting for the kingdom of God. 52 This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. 53 Then he took it down, wrapped it in linen, and laid it in a tomb that was hewn out of the rock, where no one had ever lain before. 54 That day was the Preparation, and the Sabbath drew near.
55 And the women who had come with Him from Galilee followed after, and they observed the tomb and how His body was laid. 56 Then they returned and prepared spices and fragrant oils. And they rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment.