Do you know what real Biblical forgiveness looks like? Philemon

Philemon 1:21

Having confidence in your obedience, I write to you, since I know that you will do even more than what I say.

Imgagine the scene that is taking place in this letter's composition, delivery and subsequent affect.  Onesimus was a run-a-way slave, who was imprisoned with Paul.  If you are imprisoned with Paul you WILL hear the gospel.  Onesimus did hear it and received it and because a believer and, therefore, a son in the faith to Paul.   The issue here is that Onesimus had run-a-way from Philemon and, apparently, stolen something during his exodus.   Paul is sending Onesimus back to Philemon and Paul is asking Philemon to not only forgive Onesimus, but to also put anything Onesimus owes him onto Paul's account.   PLUS, according to the above verse, Paul is implying that he expects Paul to do MORE than just forgive and transfer the financial debt to Paul.  Imagine!!   Philemon would have received this letter at the hands of Onesimus, himself.   In that moment he would have had all three of these items thrown at him.   He would have had to deal with this with his emotions being what they would be for anyone in those situations.  His forgiveness of Onesimus, in Paul's eyes, isn't even a consideration.  Paul is not worried about that; he knows Philemon's character.   Paul is worried about the "extra" stuff that Philemon might forget.  Imagine if someone had wronged us and stolen from us.  Imagine that man walks up to our home with only a letter in his hand.  We all probably would have been dialing 911 to report the thief they were looking for was standing right in front us.   We would have dialed that BEFORE we would have read any letter he was bearing.   This forgiveness that God requires of us, that is demonstrated in this story, is simply amazing.   God, knowing full well, our emotions and flesh, still requires that because of our faith in Christ to forgive as we have been forgiven.   Despite the emotion and fleshly responses, God expects us to treat other believers (even new believers) with the same forgiveness and restoration we have in Christ.   Philemon would have wanted to carry a grudge.   Philemon would have wanted to respond to his emotions.   Philemon would have wanted to make Onesimus pay for this wrong.   But, he can't ... Christ already paid for the wrong.   When we are wrong we want justice for the wrong done.   Philemon would be RIGHT to want that justice.  Paul tells him he is right to want Onesimus to pay for the crime he committed.  That is why Paul says, lay Onesimus' wrong "onto my" account.    It is not that Onesimus is simply forgiven.   It is that Onesimus CAN be forgiven because his crime HAS been paid for.   Therefore Philemon is now free to do even more than forgive.  The restoration process is going to start now.    The forgiveness process was already dealt with.   Philemon has to allow his emotions to follow his beliefs.   Paul confidence that Philemon would not only forgive this slave but do more and restore him.   Instead of calling 911 Philemon would reach of his credit card and take Onesimus to the nearby department store to clothe him.  That is Biblical forgiveness and restoration.  

Do you go fishing instead of waiting and worshiping? John 19-21

John 20:30 - 21:3

Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.

Jesus Appears at the Sea of Galilee

​ After these things Jesus manifested Himself again to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias, and He manifested Himself in this way. Simon Peter, and Thomas called Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two others of His disciples were together. Simon Peter *said to them, “I am going fishing.” They *said to him, “We will also come with you.” They went out and got into the boat; and that night they caught nothing.

When we read passages like this we have to stop back and wonder, "Why would Peter and the others be so dense and not recognize what we all see ... the glory of Christ in the resurrection?"   What would drive them, after seeing so many signs and wonders, to go FISHING, instead of worshiping and being excited for God's plan?    We can ask that, but we should also ask, "What would I do if I was there?"   We would like to think that we would be different.  We would like to think that we would wait at the feet of Jesus; or, that we would sit and worship, humbly, until He comes/returns.    We think that the Israelites, after seeing all the miracles in Egypt and in the desert, were so foolish when they questioned God and rejected God's plan.   Yet, what do we do each day?  Do we humbly worship Him every moment, now?  Do we wait for Him and look for Him, now?  Do we ever complain about His plan, now?   Do we ever think he left us in the desert and refuses to give us meat, water and peace, now?   We might think that we are super, special, spiritual people, but we aren't.  We are not much like the Israelites of old or Peter.  We are give in to our flesh and go Fishing.  Our fishing might not be with nets in a boat, but we all go fishing for something, instead of worshipping and waiting for Christ.  Even though we all have the privilege to see the same miracles through His Word, we all find a way to given in to the flesh and go fishing.    Peter went fishing.  What do I do? 

What is your calling in the big plan of God and how do you measure your success? Amos 5-9

Amos 7:14-15

Then Amos replied to Amaziah, “I am not a prophet, nor am I the son of a prophet; for I am a herdsman and a grower of sycamore figs. But the Lord took me from following the flock and the Lord said to me, ‘Go prophesy to My people Israel.’

We are so results oriented in our society.  If we don't win we are losers.   If we don't have a large bank account we are not successful.  If we don't have a popular FaceBook following or Twitter account we are not relevant.   To be "mighty" in this world we have to have had to conquer something or someone.    Amos is a great example of the guy who doesn't have a long resume and who doesn't have all the qualifications of a man who would be hired by most Fortune 500 business, or many church brands in our society.   Amos was just a guy.  He was a sheep herder.   He simply was tending his sheep one day and God said, "Amos, go preach to the king."   He was a maverick.   Yet, God told him to preach and he would have no converts.   The same is true of Obadiah.  The same is true of Micah.   The same is true of almost all the minor prophets.  They had no real converts.  The nation of Israel rejected them, just like they would reject the Savior Amos prophesied about years before.   Our society wants results.  The big church is a picture of God's amazing grace and blessing.  The small church is a struggle to pay the pastor and a failing work that people wonder about.   Amos is a traveling sole who is on a mission for God and only God and he know about the mission.  He had no support.  He had no visible results.   Yet, his measurement was not the count but the act of preaching.   He would not be promoted in any big box church today.   The reason?  He is too small and too unsuccessful.   Yet, in God's eyes he was faithful and he was true to HIS calling.   Peter, hundreds of years later, would preach his first message and 5,000 souls would come to Christ.   Paul would strike out across Europe and hundreds of churches would be planted.  Amos would preach message after message and not one soul is known to turn to God in repentance and praise of Amos' ministry.  He was just a shepherd and he was sent to do his job in the small part of God's plan.   And, yet, God allowed me to read about his message this morning.    A simple man who is faithful to an amazing God will be mighty in the midst of his mission ... no matter what it is.  

Do your leaders tell you what to do, or do they search for the truth on what to do? Proverbs 25

Proverbs 25:2

It is the glory of God to conceal a matter; To search out a matter is the glory of kings. 

This proverb gives us insight on how important it is for someone in charge (a leader; parent; teacher) to search out what is going on before making decisions. Leadership has, as one of its goals, the need to solve problems. The person who knows the problem exists isn’t necessarily a leader. The person who knows it exists, knows the solution and knows the resources needed to make the solution happen is the better leader. This proverb gives us insight into that process. It is a contrasting proverb: Meaning the second line contrasts the first. God can “hide” things and doesn't need the counsel of others, because He is God. But, it is the humble leader that will go to others to get wisdom and counsel over problems. Poor leaders think they know it all and therefore don’t have to “seek” out more truth. Only God has that privilege. Good parents, business leaders and community leaders seek out truth through others.

Did you know that keeping God's Word brings us blessing? Psalm 111-113

Psalms 112:1

​ Praise the Lord!

How blessed is the man who fears the Lord,

Who greatly delights in His commandments.

Trusting God, based solely on His Word should be the easiest thing a believer does.   God is a perfect God and holy and just in all He does.  He never lies and ALWAYS fulfills His Word.   Therefore, to trust His Word in the midst of darkness and despair should not be a difficult thing to accomplish.   But, it is!!   We question whether He will come through.  Our flesh doubts His veracity.  Our flesh wants what it wants and the principles and details of God's Word sometimes gets in the way.   But, in the above passage we read the great thing that will happen when we totally trust in God's Word ... We are blessed and our children after us.   When we fear The Lord and delight ourselves in His commandments, we are blessed by God.  That is a God's promise to us.  That blessing doesn't mean that God will keep all harm away, prevent persecution, or cause us to be "happy" all the days of our lives.   Daniel, Jeremiah, and Paul would all point to the many tough times in their lives to show us otherwise.  God's Word also tells us that we will have tribulation, persecution and trails.   All of these are planned by God and He guides us through them.   He sustains us in the them.   He sets the limits for them.   We can rejoice in God's Word that it is always okay.   Let's remember His blessing as a result of trusting His perfect fulfillment of all His Word.   "How blessed ..." is the mantra we are given to believe and hold on to for  hope. 

Is your "worship" service so regimented God can't break through and join? 2 Chronicles 1-5

2 Chronicles 5:14

... so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled the house of God.

Imagine being in a worship setting that is so close to glorifying God and having His presence that that presence prevents the worship leaders from furthering leading the worship.   That is the scene we have in the above passage after Solomon dedicates the new Temple he built for God.   David, his father, had wanted to build the Temple.  But, God told him, no.    He was disqualified based upon his life prior to that desire (things we do in our lives can limit our chances for missions for God later in life).   But, David did not go into a shell, he gather all the material, plans and bodies that his son Solomon would need to do the work.  And, Solomon did not disappoint his dad, or his God.   Solomon builds the Temple after years of preparation. Imagine all the anticipation for the even spoken of in the above text.    These peoples, priests and leaders had waited and worked for years to see this day.    In the same manner they prepared and executed the construction of the Temple, they prepared and executed the worship of God about the Temple.    This was not a last minute, "Hey, let's toss a worship service together," moment.   This worship service had sacrifices, priests, worshippers, singers, a full band, and much more.    The theme was, "God is good and holy and loving for eternity."    The results of the pure worship and praise for God was His presence, in the form of a cloud, filling the new Temple.    He filled the Temple so much that the priests could no longer finish their tasks of leading worship.    You know worship is really honoring to God when He honors you with His presence in such a way you can no longer worship.   That should be our measurement: God's presence moving in us and around us in such a way it prevents us from finishing our "play set."    Imagine the members of the band had practiced for months to just play that one song and God, so present, interrupts the "set lists" so that they can't go on.   Do we so have to have our "sets" and "stage choreographic plans" conducted that we miss the point of worship:  The invoking of God's presence in our midst?    Let's not get so uniform in our worship and so tasks oriented that we miss out on the scene in the above text.  That is true worship: God's presence.  

Do you compromise with sin? What happens? Numbers 21-24

Numbers 23:1

​ Then Balaam said to Balak, “Build seven altars for me here, and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me here.”

Balaam was a prophet of God who lived in the land that Israel was traveling through during the time of the Exodus of Israel.   Balak was a king of the Moabites at the time.  Balak feared Israel because they were so vast in number.  He assumed they would consume his country and people, and, more importantly, his power.    Yet, he knew he did not have the army big enough to defeat Israel.   Knowing of the prophet Balaam he as asked Balaam to come to him and curse the nation of Israel.   After Balaam is told by God to NOT go with him, Balaam continues to ask for permission and eventually goes to Balak.   In this going, despite God telling him no, Balaam tells Balak to set up a worship center experience.   Seven alters on which to offer seven bulls are to be constructed.    Balaam knew he was not supposed to be working for Balak, but he still went.   While their, Balaam made it look like it was a spiritual place with not one place of worship, but seven.  We like to camouflage our disobedience and make it look like spiritual worship, when in reality it is just feeding our own unrighteousness.  Notice what Peter says about Ballam in  2 Peter 2:15-16

... forsaking the right way, they have gone astray, having followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness; but he received a rebuke for his own transgression, for a mute donkey, speaking with a voice of a man, restrained the madness of the prophet.

When pursuing God's will we ought to be careful that we spiritualize something to clean up so that WE feel comfortable in the setting or with the decision, rather than follow God's will to begin with.  When God is in it we don't have to clean it up.   Balak entices Balaam to curse Israel three times.  In this first attempt Balak actually took him to the site of one of Balak's worship centers ... where they offered sacrifice to the Baals (false gods of the Moabites).   Balaam had lost his sensitivity to God the farther he got into this issue with Balak.   He was desensitized each step along the way.   God initially said no.   But, sin is like that.   We compromise a little and then, before we know it, we are consumed.