Word of the Week

When the Lord told us to forgive, it was a command not a suggestion. The act of forgiveness is not merely between us and the person we should forgive. It also includes the Lord, as if He stepped between us and the person and says to us, "forgive him--forgive her." To forgive is a choice and sometimes it is a very difficult choice. Let's imagine that your hand has a wound on it with inflammation (pus) underneath the skin. In order for healing to begin, the inflammation must be removed and the wound cleaned. The act of squeezing out the pus represents the idea of forgiveness. It's an act of releasing something to receive something better.   Let me give you an example the Lord gave me awhile back. I was on a corridor when a gentleman passed me with a chair in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other. Due to the narrowness of the corridor, the gentleman turned sideways to prevent hitting me with the chair, but in doing so the coffee spilled. He apologized and promise...

The choice of good over bad is not difficult, especially those who have developed their lives on a foundation of righteousness. It is not difficult for some people to choose whether to steal or not to steal. Yet it can be difficult to choose between what is good and what is better; it can become difficult to prioritize among tasks that are beneficial. Recently, I coined this statement:   "What is most important must be prioritized over what is important." And while reading Luke 10:38-42, the topic of prioritizing consumed me, because at that time I had placed an important issue in my life on the back burner while focusing on other good issues. The Martha and Mary story restored my priority decision-making principles.   When Jesus arrived at that village where the sisters lived, Martha received him in her house. This was an expression of her hospitality. While inside the house, Martha busily prepared the day's meal and probably other services for her guests. However, M...

At times, uncomfortable topics are raised by people Jesus encountered during his ministry. Yet the lessons provided back then are still applicable to us today. One such discussion transpired between Jesus and a lawyer in Luke 10:25-37. The lawyer approached Jesus and asked: "Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” In response, Jesus asked him, "what is written in the law? how do you read it? . The lawyer said, “Love the Lord your God with all of your heart and soul and strength, and your neighbour as yourself". Then Jesus said, "you have answered right, do this and you shall live (Luke 10:28). The lawyer, wanting to justify himself, then said to Jesus: “And who is my neighbour?” In response, Jesus told him a story about a man who was attacked, robbed and left for dead while on his way to Jerusalem from Jericho. The story identified three individuals and their actions concerning the victim. This is the story of the Good Samaritan. The first person that p...

Christian believers are called “Ambassadors of Christ”. Now, when we understand the responsibilities of an Ambassador, we will take our duties more seriously. An Ambassador does not execute his or her duties in his country of citizenship. Their office is located in a foreign country that has diplomatic ties with their country. For example, an Ambassador of France, Spain, United States, Ireland, Scotland, Great Britain, Canada, India, South Africa, Israel, Jamaica, you name it, will not represent his or her country on that country's soil. Rather, such ambassador would be delegated to a foreign country as a representative of his or her country. In today’s Scripture from Luke, Jesus chose seventy-two believers and sent them out two by two to minister to unbelievers, the sick, and needy. They were sent out like doctors in a sick world. I like to call believers “Heaven's Paramedics”. We have the word of truth; we are the light of the world, the salt of the earth, and are connected...