FORGIVE OUR SINS

Therefore do not let your good be spoken of as evil;" (Romans 14:16, NKJV)

A man hastily wrote out a note and left it on his car window under the wiper, “Dear Officer, I have been circling this block for the past 30 minutes unable to find parking. I am late for an important interview. If I miss it I will lose my job. Forgive us our trespasses”.

He returned later to find a traffic citation and a note back to him, “Dear Sir, I too have been circling this block for the past 30 minutes. If I do not give you this citation I may lose my job, lead us not into temptation.”

Our actions have consequences. What we do affects not only our lives but the lives of others. Let be careful that our good actions don’t cause others to stumble.

From DAY LIGHTERS by Nico Bougas. Available from amazon.com

Grace and Forgiveness

Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you.(Matthew 7:12, NLT)

Charles Spurgeon and Joseph Parker both had churches in London in the nineteenth century. On one occasion, Parker commented on the poor condition of children admitted to Spurgeon's orphanage. It was reported to Spurgeon however that Parker had criticized the orphanage itself. Spurgeon blasted Parker the next week from the pulpit. The attack was printed in the newspapers and became the talk of the town.

People flocked to Parker's church the next Sunday to hear his rebuttal. "I understand Dr. Spurgeon is not in his pulpit today, and this is the Sunday they use to take an offering for the orphanage. I suggest we take a love offering here instead." The crowd was delighted. The ushers had to empty the collection plates three times.

Later that week there was a knock at Parker's study. It was Spurgeon. "You know Parker, you have practiced grace on me. You have given me not what I deserved, you have given me what I needed."

Ask yourself what you want people to do for you, then go ahead and do it for them.

DAY LIGHTERS by Nico Bougas. Available from Amazon.com

Forgiveness

During the Korean conflict, the young Kim Joon-gon had seen 2000 out of 20 000 people on Chunnam Island murdered by the Communists. They dragged his family to a spot where 160 people from two villages had gathered to beat the Christians. There Kim's father and wife were beaten to death and Kim was left for dead. When he revived and sought safety at an acquaintance's house, he was turned over to the Communists. Only the sudden appearance of an American ship off the island coast saved him this time, for the communist soldiers hurried away to battle.

He hid out in the countryside until the South Korean army captured the island. The Communists who had killed his wife and father were arrested. Because it was wartime, the police chief had authority to execute without trial. But as they prepared to kill the men, Kim pleaded, "Spare them. They were forced to kill."

The police chief showed great surprise. "It was your family they killed. Why do you now ask for their lives?"

Kim replied quietly, "Because the Lord whom I serve and whose I am would have me show mercy to them".

The communists were spared execution because of Kim's plea. News of his action spread amongst other communist supporters in the area. When Kim later ascended a mountain to preach to Communists hiding out, he was not killed. Many of the communists became Christians and when Kim finally left the island, a flourishing church of 108 members was actively witnessing for Christ.

In 1957, Kim Joon-gon came to Fuller Theological Seminary in California on a scholarship. There, he was contacted by Dr Bill Bright, director of Campus Crusade for Christ. He returned to be Campus Crusade director of Korea and has been greatly used of God subsequently.

You have heard that it was said, “Love your neighbour and hate your enemy.”.  But I tell you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in Heaven.  Matt 5. 43-45 (NIV)