"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT HOW GOD DEALS WITH OUR SINS"

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT HOW GOD DEALS WITH OUR SINS"

Psalm 103: 10 He has not punished us for all our sins, nor does he deal with us as we deserve.
Psalm 103: 11 For his unfailing love toward those who fear him is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth.
Psalm 103: 12 He has removed our rebellious acts as far away from us as the east is from the west.
Psalm 103: 13 The LORD is like a father to his children, tender and compassionate to those who fear him.

Some Explanatory thoughts/Application/Question, and a Prayer:

The Scriptures above are taken from the from the New Living Translation. And, this particular Psalm, is a magnificent hymn of praises, ( believed to be written by King David ) in which he speaks of God's personal, and national blessing, and about His forgiving love, and His eternal love.

1. God has not given us what we deserve.

Psalm 103: 10 He has not punished us for all our sins, nor does he deal with us as we deserve.
The Lord not giving us what we deserve, is also called mercy. Justice is getting what we deserve for our sins.
Mercy is not getting what we deserve for our sins. God has been, and is merciful towards us.
And, His mercies are new every morning, and they are everlasting.

2. God loves us with an unfailing love. Psalm 103: 11a For his unfailing love toward those who fear him'

How wonderful, that His love is unfailing. God is love, and, He never fails to love us. He cannot but love us, because God is love. And, nothing can separate us from His love. See Rom 8

4. God's love for those who fear Him is great as the height of the heavens above the earth.

Psalm 103: 11b as great as the height of the heavens above the earth.
This helps us to somewhat understand the greatness of His loves. It's as great as the height of the heavens above the earth. Today, just take a look up during the day time, and then when it turns night. It will help you to see this verse in action. What you will see is a measurement of how great His love is for you.

5. God has removed our sins and rebellious acts as far away from us as the east is from the west.

Psalm 103: 12 He has removed our rebellious acts as far away from us as the east is from the west.
How beautiful is the word removed. It means, to become far, distant, go far away. To send away, to be gone far away. To put far away. And, how far is the east from the west? We can't measure it. It's limitless.
That's how far our sins have been removed, they are gone.

6. God is father, treats us as His children with tender and compassionate to those who fear him.

Psalm 103: 13 The LORD is like a father to his children, tender and compassionate to those who fear him.
Our God is also our Father. He has adopted us into His family. And, though some may not have had good fathers here on earth, please be comforted in knowing that Your heavenly Father treats you with tender compassion.
He knows we are weak, and He treats us accordingly.

A question or two:

1. Would you take a moment to reflect on God's forgiveness and thank Him for it today?

2. Do you still think about the sins you have committed, but, please try and realize that God has removed them, and as far as He is concerned they are gone, gone, gone. Forever, and ever.

3. Do you need something right now in your life? Would you please ask God for it today. He is Your father, and He knows Your needs, and wants to minister to those needs.

A prayer:

Father, these scriptures bring our hearts such comfort, and the elicit great praise to You. Thank You for who You are, and for what You have done for us. Please help us to see ourselves as You see us, and to share the good news of what You will do with a persons sins who would come to Christ in faith. In Jesus name. Amen.

Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS"

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS"

John 1:29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!

Some explanatory thoughts/application, and a prayer:

This verse is right out of the first part of the Gospel of John. And, it deals with the very most important problem we have in this world, SIN. And, it deals with how God has dealt with this problem of SIN.

1. God can and will use you ( Just make yourself available to Him ) just like He used John the Baptist to point others to Christ, so that He can help them with their sin.
John 1:29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!

2. God takes away our sins through Jesus Christ's death on the cross.
John 1:29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!

3. Our sins have been placed upon Jesus Christ, and He died in our place, paying the full payment for our sins, which is physical and spiritual death, or separation from God. God has provided the answer to our sins, it's called forgiveness. Please notice what it says Jesus does. "Who takes away the sin of the world"
John 1:29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!

4. Seven truths about the Forgiveness of your sins as a believer in Jesus Christ. 

(1) God forgives you of your sins.
Ps 130:4 But there is forgiveness with You, That You may be feared.

(2) Forgiveness belongs to God.
Daniel 9:9 “To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, though we have rebelled against Him.

(3) God gives repentance and forgiveness of sins.
Acts 5:31 “Him God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.

(4) God wants you to know about His forgiveness of your sins.
Acts 13:38 “Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through this Man is preached to you the forgiveness of sins;

(5) God wants you to by faith receive the forgiveness of your sins.
Acts 26:18 ‘to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.’

(6) We have forgiveness of our sins through Christ's blood being shed for us.
Ephesians 1:7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace

(7) We also have been redeemed or purchased by God through the blood of Christ shed on the cross.
Colossians 1:14 in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.

A prayer:

Father, thank You for sending Jesus Christ into this world to die on the cross for our sins. What a price You payed for our sins. We thank You now, and will thank You forever and forever. Someday, we will see You Father, and You Jesus face to face. We will at that time be able to tell you both in person, how much we appreciate the true fact, that our sins have been forgiven. We do not have to suffer the consequences of our sins. You have suffered in our place. Thank you. In Jesus name, amen.

Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia.

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT WHAT GOD HAS DONE FOR THOSE WHO BELIEVE"

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT WHAT GOD HAS DONE FOR THOSE WHO BELIEVE"

John 1:12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:

John 1:13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

Some explanatory thoughts/application, and a prayer:

The apostle John is giving us a brief, but very comprehensive understanding of what God has done in the lives of those who have responded to His love and grace in Jesus Christ. Let's look at these blessings in detail.

1. "But as many"John 1:12a But as many as received Him.  Please notice, that we are told that "as many" this would include each and every person who has come to faith. It includes you if you have come to faith. You are one of the many.

2. "But as many as received Him." John 12:12b. This is another way of saying "repent and believe in Jesus Christ"
The word received, means, to take, to have, to catch. To take to oneself. To receive what is offered. So, received means, to have believed in, and to have accepted Jesus Christ.

3. "To them He gave the right to become children of God." John 1:12c For each and every person who has believed in, and accepted Jesus Christ, God has then given them the right, or He has entrusted You to become one of His own children. You are now a child of God. Just as much as any other believer in Jesus Christ.

4. "Who were born etc" John 1:13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. This means that you have been reborn, or born again, born anew, born afresh, spiritually reborn. And, please notice that this new birth you have has nothing to do with what any human being has done, but rather, your rebirth comes directly from God. How wonderful. All praise and honor belongs to and goes to God Himself for what He has given to those who believe.

5. In summary. God has sent His Son to save those who would believe in Him. And, for those who have believed in Him, God has made them His children. They are born again, and this new birth not a physical birth caused by man, but rather, it's a spiritual rebirth caused by God alone.

A prayer:

Father, and indeed how appropriate to call You Father. For You have made us who have believed Your children.
We are now in Your family. And, You have made us heirs of God. Joint heirs with Jesus Christ. This life here, this physical temporary life, is just that, temporary. But, You have united us with Yourself, and we will dwell with You forever, and forever. What a glorious future we have as Your children. Thank You for Your mercy and Your grace towards us Lord. In Jesus name. Amen.

Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE FOR THOSE NEEDING ENCOURAGEMENT"

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE FOR THOSE NEEDING ENCOURAGEMENT"

Psalm 100:3 Know that the LORD, He is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.

Psalm 100:4 Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.

Psalm 100:5 For the LORD is good; His mercy is everlasting, And His truth endures to all generations.

Some explanatory thoughts/application and a prayer:

In this Psalm, much is said about our LORD. May these truths be a real encouragement to you today. Please take a moment to prayerfully reflect on what is said here about God, and may they minister greatly to your soul.

1. God is the LORD (meaning the existing one) He made you, and you belong to Him, and you are the sheep of His pasture.

Psalm 100:3 Know that the LORD, He is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.

God created You, and then He bought you through the precious blood of Christ, and He has placed you as one of His own sheep in His pasture, i.e His family, in the kingdom of God, His church.

2. God can be approached by you. You can enter into His courts (His presence) with praise. You can be thankful to Him, and you can bless His name.

Psalm 100:4 Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.

What a joy to know that we have this great privilege and access to our God. You can approach Him this very moment. And, You can give Him praise, ( just think about all the blessings He has brought into your life ) and, you can be thankful to Him, ( for all of those blessings )

3. Here are three more wonderful truths about our God.

(1) The LORD is good. This word "good" means, better, goodness, precious, beautiful. And, it carries the idea of benefit and prosperity, of being right, and pleasant. He is all of that, and so much more. The LORD is good.

(2) His mercy is everlasting. Or to put it another way, His kindness, his goodness, His favor, His faithfulness, and His love are unfailing. How wonderful He is, and He never changes. He is merciful this very day, and His mercy is towards you personally. His unfailing love is towards you this day also.

(3) His truth endures to all generations. Truth here, has the idea of faithfulness. God is faithful, stable, dependable, truthful. He is firm, loyal, steadfast, and just plain steady. He is all of these things each and every day, to every generation, including the one we live in. And, you as an individual, are the beneficiary of His truth this very day.

A prayer:

Father, You are our God, and we are Your people. You have made us to be Yours. You have placed us as Your children, and as the sheep of Your pasture. There is not better shepherd than You Lord. Thank You for who You are, and thank You for helping us to understand You, and to enjoy You, and to be encouraged by You.
We pray for ourselves, and any we know that are this very day in need of encouragement, ( and surely there are many ), that You would flood them with that encouragement and comfort. Father if you want us to contact someone today, and just tell them hello, we love them, we are thinking of them, we are praying for them, would You put them on our hearts. Thank You Lord. In Jesus name, amen.

Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT GOD RULING OVER YOUR LIFE"

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT GOD RULING OVER YOUR LIFE"

Judges 8:22 Then the men of Israel said to Gideon, “Rule over us, both you and your son, and your grandson also; for you have delivered us from the hand of Midian.”

Judges 8:23 But Gideon said to them, “I will not rule over you, nor shall my son rule over you; the LORD shall rule over you.”

Some explanatory thoughts/application and a prayer:

Gideon was a man the Lord raised up to deliver Israel out of it's troubles, and he did. The people wanted him to rule over them, but he would not. He knew better. He directed them towards God's leadership.

1. We need leadership in our lives, but can often look for it in the wrong places, specifically to man, and not to God. Judges

8:22 Then the men of Israel said to Gideon, “Rule over us, both you and your son, and your grandson also; for you have delivered us from the hand of Midian.”

2. In this passage, Gideon knew better than to take the place that truly belonged to God, and thus he refused the request of the people, and directed them towards the Lord.

Judges 8:23 But Gideon said to them, “I will not rule over you, nor shall my son rule over you; the LORD shall rule over you.”

3. We as people have a tendency to be just like the people in Gideon's day. We will look to man to rule over us, when in fact, we ought to look to the Lord to perform that great need in our lives.

Isa 42:16* I will lead blind Israel down a new path, guiding them along an unfamiliar way. I will make the darkness bright before them and smooth out the road ahead of them. Yes, I will indeed do these things; I will not forsake them.

4. God is more than willing to rule over you, and your life. In fact, there is no one better than God to do this, and He alone rightly deserves that place of leadership in your life.

Col 2:10 and you are complete through your union with Christ. He is the Lord over every ruler and authority in the universe.

5. God will most gladly lead you, but you must sincerely give yourself to Him, and then You will find yourself in the middle of His most wonderful will. It's the only logical thing to do, in light of what He has done for you in dying on the cross for your sins, and rising from the dead, that You might have eternal life by grace through faith.

Rom 12:1 And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice--the kind he will accept. When you think of what he has done for you, is this too much to ask?

Rom 12:2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will know what God wants you to do, and you will know how good and pleasing and perfect his will really is.

A prayer:

Father, left to our own wisdom we do not do well. You want to provide for us what we cannot find or produce on our own. We thank You that You desire to not only save us, but to be our Lord and our Master. Please keep us from seeking that leadership from other sources, and direct our hearts day by day away from our own wisdom, and lead us to be led by You, and Your wisdom. We want to this day, submit ourselves to You, and to follow You with all of our hearts in Jesus name, amen.

Pastor Bob Grenier.
Calvary Chapel Visalia.

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE FOR THOSE NEEDING TO COME BACK TO GOD"

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE FOR THOSE NEEDING TO COME BACK TO GOD" 

Judges 6:18b And He said, “I will wait until you come back.”

Some explanatory thoughts/application, and a prayer:

The above verse is a portion of Scripture where the Lord was speaking to Gideon, who was going to prepare an offering for the Lord. And, the Lord told him, "I will wait until you come back" 

In this case Gideon was not spiritually away from the Lord, but momentarily he was physically away. He was actually in the process of doing something for the Lord. And the Lord was waiting for him. 

But, there is a Biblical principle here in this statement.  “I will wait until you come back.” This principle does indeed apply to God's children who have gone away from Him, and the Lord is waiting till they come back to Him.
He wants them to come back to Him. If You are away from the Lord, He wants you to come back to Him.
Here are a few thoughts and verses of Scripture that I pray will be an encouragement to you, or someone you know who has gone away from the Lord. But, the Lord is waiting for them to come back. 

1. God is a very patient and loving God. 

1Jo 4:16* And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.

2. God sincerely desires that His people come back to Him.

Zec 1:3* “Therefore say to them, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts: “Return to Me,” says the LORD of hosts, “and I will return to you,” says the LORD of hosts.

3. Anyone, without question who wants to, can come back to God.

Matt11: 28 “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

4. God is faithful forgive and restore those who have gone away from Him. 

Eph 1:7* In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace

5. Please know, it's never too late to come back to God.

Lu 23:43* And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.”
( Jesus said this to the thief on the cross who was about to die.) 

6. God gives the gift of repentance to bring someone back to Himself.

Jas 1:17* Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.
( That would include the gift of repentance )

7. A person can by repentance make their way back to God in an instant. 

Ac 13:38* “Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through this Man is preached to you the forgiveness of sins;

8. What a returning person will find, is a loving God waiting for them, and wanting to bless them, just as the father did with his prodigal son. 

Lu 15:22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet.

9. Peter had left the Lord so to speak, through his denials. And the Lord restored him, and then used him mightily.

Acts 1:15 And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples (altogether the number of names was about a hundred and twenty), and said,

Acts 1:16“Men and brethren, this Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke before by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus;

(The above is when Peter who had denied the Lord was chosen by God to be the first preacher in the NT)

10. If you are away from the Lord at this time,  He is waiting for you to come back to Him.

Luke 15:20 “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.

(The prodigals father had been waiting for him to come home)

11. It's the goodness of the Lord that leads a person to repentance. He may be leading you at this very moment.

Ro 2:4* Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and long-suffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?

12. God waits that He may be gracious and merciful to you. This is His nature, and He wants to show you grace and mercy. And, God promises to bless those who wait for Him. 

Isa 30:18* Therefore the LORD will wait, that He may be gracious to you; And therefore He will be exalted, that He may have mercy on you. For the LORD is a God of justice; Blessed are all those who wait for Him.

A Prayer:

Father, what a wonderful and gracious Father You are. Thank You for never turning us away, and thank You for being so patient, and so kind, and so forgiving. You truly are indescribable from this side of heaven. But, one day, we will see You face to face. We pray for ourselves, and or anyone we know that may need to come back to You.
Would You please pour Your goodness out towards them, and draw them to Yourself. Give the gift of repentance to them, and draw them by Your kindness and goodness. In Jesus name, Amen

Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia.