Forgiveness

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The Next Shemittah – 5

This is my conclusion on the meaning of the shemittah.

The Law demanded the release of debt every seven years.

Deut 15:1 At the end of every seven years you shall grant a release of debts.

The one indebt did not have to ask or beg for this release. It was given to the indebted at the end of the seven years by Law.

Likewise, we as Christians should be releasing those that are in debt to us. To say it better – Christians should be forgiving those that have sinned against us. It should be given without waiting for the offending party to ask.

Like the shemittah it should be automatically given.

Once the loan holder released the loan through the shemittah, he no longer had to worry about the debt owed to him. He did not have to worry about foreclosing on someone and ruining their life.
What a blessing it was to release someone’s debt.

And when you release someone through forgiveness, you no longer have to sit around ponder and grumble about it. You know longer have to feel wounded. You can be freed by releasing forgiveness.

How many times should you do this?

Matt 18:22 Seventy times seven.

Abba, I have been offended and I have forgiven. I have offended and pray I am forgiven. I do this release and receive this release in the name of Jesus. YES&AMEN

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The Next Shemittah – 4

Peter inquired about forgiving others involving the number seven, which is the number of years to forgive debt in the year of release – the shemittah.

Jesus replied and also involved the number seven.

Matt 18:22 Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.

Then Jesus tells a story about a certain king

…who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. Matt 18:23

Why would someone want to settle the accounts?
It could be because a shemittah year was at hand and he was looking to recover the loan before he was required by law to release the debt.

In the story it says the king

…was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt. Matt 18:27

Released him, loosed him, forgave him the debt certainly sounds like shemittah.

You are in debt to sin. It has demanded a high price for you – death!

Jesus is the Shemittah! He is the One that can release you, loose you, and forgive you of that debt.

I do not know what will happen at the end of the next shemittah, which is September 13, 2015.

But I do know that putting your trust in Jesus will give you the peace and hope through any problems.

Abba, I am blessed that I have been released from sin’s debt. I will trust You to care for me no matter what happens. In Jesus name, YES&AMEN

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The Next Shemittah-3

As I mentioned in an earlier devotion, for me the spiritual meaning of a shemittah release is rooted in forgiveness.

With this thought in mind it will totally change the meaning of what Jesus taught Peter about forgiveness?

Matt 18:21-22 “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?”
Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.

It has been said that the Rabbi’s taught that forgiving someone three times was sufficient. I have found where a Rabbi Yosi may have taught this in the Talmud using the example of Joseph and his brothers as the backdrop.

But what I find interesting is that seven and multiples of it are used.

Seven is one shemittah. Seventy is ten shemittah. And seventy times seven is 490 or seventy shemittah.

What if Peter was not just talking about forgiving someone seven times but seven years!
A shemittah!

Then the response of Jesus is not to forgive someone 490 times but seventy shemittah’s or 490 years. That would mean your whole life!

Forgiveness is not an option – it is a lifelong lifestyle!

Matt 6:15 If you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Abba, my forgiveness from You will become my forgiveness for others. I release them and free myself from any grudges. In Jesus name, YES&AMEN

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The Next Shemittah – 2

A study of the shemittah will reveal that it contains three releases.

First the release of debt.

Deut 15:1 At the end of every seven years you shall grant a release of debts.

Second is the release or rest of the land.

Lev 25:2-4 “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘When you come into the land which I give you, then the land shall keep a sabbath to the Lord. Six years you shall sow your field, and six years you shall prune your vineyard, and gather its fruit; but in the seventh year there shall be a sabbath of solemn rest for the land, a sabbath to the Lord. You shall neither sow your field nor prune your vineyard.

And third is a release of your faith and dependence on God.

Lev 25:20-22 ‘And if you say, “What shall we eat in the seventh year, since we shall not sow nor gather in our produce?” Then I will command My blessing on you in the sixth year, and it will bring forth produce enough for three years. And you shall sow in the eighth year, and eat old produce until the ninth year; until its produce comes in, you shall eat of the old harvest.

Can the U. S. possibly fall under the curse of God because we have not held to this principle?

More likely, I believe the U. S. falls under the judgment of God because we have not upheld the principles of Christ and the truth’s of which this nation was founded on.

To me, the spiritual implication of a shemittah is in forgiveness. There is no real forgiveness outside of Christ. Even those that call themselves Christian’s often struggle with truly forgiving someone.

I constantly hear things like “I’ll forgive but I’m not going to forget!”
That is not a release! That is clinging and holding onto the trespass.

Jesus said in the model prayer,

And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. Matt 6:12

As for the U. S., our problem is not a government problem. It is a people problem. If Christians would have risen up in 1963 with fasting and prayer and stood their ground – then prayer may have remained in schools. It has been downhill ever since with one thing after another, including the government sanctioned right to kill the innocent unborn.

A release of forgiveness is not bound by law but is given by the heart that has been changed by the release and forgiveness of sin through the blood of Jesus.

Abba, I pray that I can shemitah anyone in debt to me, especially those that need my forgiveness. In Jesus name, YES&AMEN

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Know the Future

Sometimes it would be nice to know the future.

Abraham and Sarah had that knowledge.

Gen 17:19 God said: “No, Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac;

Gen 18:10 And He said, “I will certainly return to you according to the time of life, and behold, Sarah your wife shall have a son.”

Abraham and Sarah are told they will have a son. They will call him Isaac. And they even knew the time he would be born.

Often the desire for futuristic knowledge isn’t about having a baby. More likely it’s for next weeks $250 million lotto numbers, the final score for the next Superbowl, or penny stocks that will increase in value 500%!

Such knowledge is selfish, greedy, and temporary.

There is one future you can know.

God has said;

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. Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you, says the Lord; Jer 29:11-14

God’s future for you is one full of hope and promises. It’s full of love, forgiveness, and grace. It’s also eternal.

The future belongs to God. Join in.

Abba, my future is in You. I trust you with it. In Jesus name, YES&AMEN

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Mistake – #4

Today’s devo comes to you from Daniel Springs church camp in Gary, Texas.

When something goes wrong and you get the blame, don’t you feel like running away or crawling into a hole and pulling the dirt over the top of you?

There are many times I’d like to run away and hide.

Gen 16:6 And when Sarai dealt harshly with her, she fled from her presence.

Perhaps Sarai thought this would get rid of her mistake if she caused Hagar to run away. So she was very mean to her.

Hagar ran away, taking Ishmael with her. Now Sarai doesn’t have to look at them. The boy is not around for Abram to be a father to, and the problem is solved.

But God found Hagar and sent her back!

You cannot run away and hide from your problems or from God. You cannot run away from sin.

In Eden, Adam ate from the forbidden tree. He then tried to hide from God. It didn’t work.
Confession is the only remedy for sin.

1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Abba, I have made many mistakes in my life. You sent Your Son to pay for my mistakes. I confess them and You have cleansed and forgiven me, in Jesus name, YES&AMEN

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Here is your reward!

You walk into a business and see a notice taped to the window. There’s a picture of the cure little dog and the words “lost” and “reward”.

As you leave the store and drive home you are surprised to see a dog running loose that amazingly favors the one you saw on the window.

You stop and gently speak to the little dog. It wags his tail and slowly comes to you. You pick up the dog and place him in your lap. He licks you and happily settles down while you drive home.

You call the number you saw on the poster in the window. The owner meets you, thanks you over and over and wants to give you $50 for finding the dog.

You hesitate to take it but the owner insists! It is your reward.

Heb 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

Abram was definitely a man of faith. But even people of faith can have those moments of doubt. God assurance to Abram –

Gen 15:1 “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.”

God, Himself, is your reward.

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

He rewards with salvation. Rom 10:9-1o if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

He rewards with eternal life. 1 John 2:25 And this is the promise that He has promised us — eternal life.

Abba, I found You and I am rewarded. YES&AMEN

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Complete Forgiveness

complete forgivenessMatt 18:21-22 Then Peter came to him and asked, “Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?”
“No, not seven times,” Jesus replied, “but seventy times seven!”

Seven is the number that indicates completion. Peter’s offer of forgiveness is more than generous. Continue reading →