Forgiven and Forgiving 3-18-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Here in my heart, I step in to the closet of prayer and close the door to everything else in these moments I give to You. ... "My friends, if anyone is detected in a transgression, you who have received the Spirit should restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness. Take care that you yourselves are not tempted. Bear one another's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. For if those who are nothing think they are something, they deceive themselves" (Galatians 6.1-3). As it is said, "There, but for the grace of God, go I." How humbled we should be by Your steadfast love and Your amazing grace. You forgive us of every sin by Your mercy and our repentance, then You cast them "as far as the east is from the west" (Psalm 103.12). You humble our pride and slay our self-righteousness further by calling us to restore one another when they have fallen, even coming along side them to bear their burdens to the foot of Your cross. This is part of Your grace of taking away the shame but not the memory of the sins of our past. You remember them no more, but is Your grace to allow us to remember, for he who has been forgiven much, loves much (Luke 7.47). You allow the joy of forgiveness rather than the shame of failure to rise up within us when we remember, when we need to, so that we will be humble enough to be Your hands of restoration to one another, not being too prideful to bear one another's burdens. "For anyone who lacks these things is short-sighted and blind, and is forgetful of the cleansing of past sins (2 Peter 1.9). Thank You for the blessing of forgiving and cleansing us of much, and thank You for the blessing of restoring and loving one another with much. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, I'll be leading a prayer ministry retreat this weekend in a series of meetings in Princeton, KY with the churches of the Madisonville District of the Methodist Church. Please keep us in your prayers, and I pray the Lord will be equipping you to fulfill your calling as His body wherever you are. To subscribe/unsubscribe/reply please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- "preparing the way of the Lord" -- MessiahMin@aol.com Our mailing address: 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502. God bless you!