Thought For the Week

Dear Friends, Today’s “thought” is about forgiveness. Not the forgiveness we receive as a gift of grace through faith in the redeeming work of Jesus on the cross, but the forgiveness we are called to offer to others for the wrongs they have done to us. It's the forgiveness spoken of by Jesus when he says, “If you do not forgive men their sins, the Father will not forgive your sins” (Matthew 6:15). A forgiveness which can (for many) be the hardest type of forgiveness. This helpful selection comes to you from Martin Copenhaver, in his devotional book entitled, “The Gospel in Miniature.” Enjoy. Forgiving and Forgetting “In my experience when someone says, “I will forgive, but I will not forget,” I always wonder if they are truly ready to forgive. Forgiveness requires something that is not forgetfulness in the strictest sense, but is akin to forgetfulness. In his masterpiece ‘City of God,’ Saint Augustine says that… in the world to come, we will still remember ...

Dear Friends, Today's selection is by Greg Koukl, and is entitled, "The Irony of Intolerance." In this excerpt he shares his thoughts regarding "tolerance" and "civility" in a culture where civil dialogue has all but disappeared from the public forum. A culture where simply disagreeing with someone (even if respectfully) can be met with accusations of "bigotry" "hate" and "intolerance." If you've noticed that, and are wondering why, and would hope to help bring change, you may find his insights helpful. Enjoy. "In today's world, one word is invoked as the No. 1 rule of civil behavior in conversation: "tolerance." And while most people think they understand what it means, a recent discussion I had with high school students exposed some fuzzy thinking on the subject. I began by writing two sentences on the board. The first, "All views are equally valid," expressed a popular un...

Dear Friends, Today I’d like to share a selection of quotes on a variety of topics from both well-known and not so well-known people. I share them because I agree with them. They ring true to me. They challenge me, convict me, make me look at something in a way I had not before, or put words to things I’ve known but could never have phrased as well as they do. They may resonate with your soul too, or maybe not! Yet if they get you to think, they have accomplished their purpose! I offer you twenty. May you find at least one that strikes home. Enjoy. “If you believe in the Gospel only what you like, and reject what you don’t like, it is not the Gospel you believe, but yourself.” St. Augustine “If I were called upon to identify the principal trait of the entire twentieth century, I would be unable to find anything more precise than to repeat once again, “Men have forgotten God.” Alexander Solzhenitsyn “He does not believ...

Dear Friends, Today's "thought" is a bit more practical than the last two I sent out dealing with Peter and Paul's theological preferences. But practical doesn't always mean easy - especially when carrying out the advice given means we must fight our natural inclinations! This particular thought comes from Bob Goff. It's found in his book, "Live in Grace, Walk in Love." It speaks of doing our acts of love, and keeping our acts of love - secret. Enjoy! "Jesus sent him away at once with a strong warning: 'See that you don't tell this to anyone." Mark 1:43-44 "'Go and tell no one.' That's what Jesus said to people after He restored their health or ev...

Dear Friends, Last week I sent out a “thought” from William Barclay’s book, “Many Witnesses, One Lord.” It focused almost entirely on the apostle Peter, after initially mentioning one of the slight differences of emphasis between him and Paul. A friend from England then wrote back asking if I might send out a similar post giving a summary of Barclay’s comments on Paul. I told him I would - today! It's another example of one Lord, one faith, one Gospel, but differences in each author’s emphasis. This is Paul’s. Enjoy. “When Paul speaks of God ‘justifying’ the ungodly, quite simply he means that God treats the sinner as if he was a good man. In his amazing love God treats the hell-deserving sinner as a beloved son. The perfect example of ‘justification by faith’ is the parable of the prodigal son. The son planned to come back and to ask to be received as a hired servant. He never got the chance to make the request; he is welcomed as a son ...

Dear Friends, A while back I purchased a book entitled, “Many Witnesses, One Lord” by William Barclay. In it he speaks of how each apostle has a slightly different emphasis when speaking of salvation and our relationship with Jesus. In today’s thought he compares Paul with Peter. Just as all the Gospel’s reflect a slightly different emphasis on the life of Jesus (especially in John’s Gospel), so also with the epistles. In today’s thought he considers what Peter chooses to focus on. It’s a good reminder of things we must never forget and foundational truths we must never let go of. Enjoy. “For Peter faith is a combination of unshakable loyalty and equally unshakable hope. It is not for Peter, as it was for Paul, a kind of inner union with Jesus Christ; it is rather deathless loyalty responding to deathless love in immortal hope. Salvation for Peter is something which is at the end of the road, rather than it is for Paul a present experience [of course, in reality it i...

Dear Friends, Today I offer you fifteen short "thoughts" from a book I grabbed off my shelf that was published in 1958. It's entitled, "Treasury of Inspiration" by Herbert V. Prochnow. I do enjoy going through books of quotes to see if I can find any thoughts or ideas that strike a chord with me, and might (I hope) express a truth that could be useful for others to ponder. I offer you 15 below and would be interested in hearing your thoughts regarding any of them. Agree? Disagree? Helpful? Unhelpful? Outdated? Still relevant? If you have a minute, let me know.   "The greatest mistake is to do nothing out of the fear of making one." Anonymous "Only a comparative few recognize opportunity, because it often comes disguised as hard work." Anonymous "Do your duty, that is best; leave unto the Lord the rest." ...