Phil Ressler

I wanted to continue the discussion on forgiveness from last week. I believe this to be an important message. I see way to much bitterness among Christians. Too often we are not willing to forgive others as Jesus has called us to. We don’t readily follow his example.

The biggest hurdle we have to overcome is to recognize our need to forgive another. We live in denial. On the surface we convince others and even ourselves that everything is ok. But deep down the bitterness is there. Eventually, that bitterness comes out and it affects not only our relationship with that one person, but with others as well.

Here is what I would encourage you to do. Right now! Don’t wait. I know if you put it off now, you will not get around to it later. Take out a pen and paper. On that paper write down the name of every person who owes you anything. Then write down what they owe you.

You have a person who gossiped about you and ruined your reputation. They owe your reputation. Write there name down. Then write it down they owe you your reputation.

A drunk driver killed someone you loved. They owe you back the life of your loved one. Write it down.

A parent who was always over-demanding, whose expectations you could never live up to, owes you a word of approval. Write it down.

When you do this, there are probably a couple of things you will recognize. The people who owe you these debts may not even recognize what they owe you. And even if they recognize what it is they owe you, they may very likely not be able to pay you back. Does that sound familiar? The debt of our sin was a debt we could not repay. So God took it upon himself to pay it.

Consider what good it will do to hold a debt against someone that they cannot pay. It will only cost you angst. Forgive the debt! Take a red pen or marker and now cross out the debts you wrote on the paper. Then write paid in full. If that is not enough, take the paper and burn it or bury it in the back yard. Whatever you do, do what you need to do to erase the debt and let the tremendous load you have been carrying come off.

As I said last week, forgiveness is not an option. It is necessary for a right relationship with God and with others. It is not an easy thing to do, but the alternative is even less desirable. Live a life of forgiveness and find the joy God is waiting for you to discover.

Recognize it will cost you to forgive someone else. You will never have that debt repaid back to you. When you forgive you are letting go of your right for retribution. But that is ok, because we have received from Jesus so much more than any other person could ever give us. I have all things in Christ Jesus and I don’t need to hold on anymore to having made right what was wrong, because Jesus has made all things right.

Below is printed an email received from Gene Burton in response to the recent Youth Mission Trip to Colorado. This is a really great read.

Dear Friends,

Thank you for your prayers for the park ministry outreach in Greeley. It was a wonderful week and we saw the Lord working in hearts!

The 24 people who came from Lord of Life Church did an excellent ministry. They were well prepared and were willing to serve in many ways.

It was the hottest week this summer and even set a record, but we heard no complaints from any of them. Two days they went out knocking on doors, inviting people to come to KidsGames 2010. We believe these personal invitations were an important factor in bringing out people.

The actual outreach took place in a park surrounded by a large Hispanic population. The flyers included “Parents Welcome,” and there were mothers who came and sat around while their children participated. That provided an opportunity for some of the adults to talk with them, sharing Christ on a one-to-one basis and offering prayers for them. We also invited them to attend Iglesia Biblica de Greeley (Greeley Bible Church), the church plant that our two missionaries partner with. Anna, a woman who came every day with her four daughters, showed interest in attending. Pray for each of these contacts made. We were impressed with how many of the ministry group were bold in sharing Christ with teens who stood on the outskirts watching what went on.

Mike and Joe are two men around 20 years old who came to the park and were interested in hearing more. They are both high school drop-outs, have no jobs, but are seeking meaning in life. They have gone twice to church with the other two missionaries. They have asked for a Bible study with us. Pray for the Lord to work in their lives.

One night at the park there was some gang activity, making all of us aware of the need for the gospel to change hearts. The Lord protected during this incident through a Hispanic Christian man who was concerned for us and warned us about it.

The ministry group also was willing to help us with manual labor around our house by removing some trees and stumps in preparation for us to put in a yard. They saved us countless hours of labor to free us up for the ministry! During the time the group was here, we also had three our grandchildren here. The group ministered to them in kind ways, including them in the program. They loved the experience! Although life was hectic with so many people in our home, it was so encouraging to us. We loved having them here!

Thanks for your prayers! God answered in wonderful ways!

Working together for Him,

Gene Burton

The Ethnos Commission

    The Church Development Division of

    Better Life Ministries

    P.O. Box 1852

    Arvada, CO 80001

In 2 Chronicles 15:8 King Asa of Judah is commended after hearing the word from the Prophet Azariah he had courage and removed the idols from the land of Judah. What struck me here in this verse was how the verse emphasized the courage of Asa. To respond in obedience to the Word of God was not any easy thing to do. It took courage!

What was the tough thing he had to do? Asa was to remove the idols from the land. In other words he was to purge. There is no doubt these idols were popular. To go about removing these idols would not be a popular decision. Many would respond disapprovingly.

Many times we connect obedience with what we do. But it’s not only about what we do, it is also about what we don’t do. Obedience is often not about adding one more thing to our already busy lives, but purging competing priorities so that we keep the main thing, the main thing.

King Asa and the land of Judah had lost sight of the main thing. It was time to return and get back to the basics. In the book of Revelation, Jesus addresses the Church in Ephesus. He warns them they have forsaken their first love. He urges them to repent and to come back (Revelation 2:4-5).

Jesus doesn’t want to be our first love, he wants to be our only love. Imagine if you told your wife that she was your first love. But that you also loved Sally, Betsy, and Susan. That wouldn’t work very well. She wants to be your only love. In the same way Jesus wants to be your only love. Not to be first in your life, but to be your everything.

There is an epidemic disease that is running rampant in America. It is highly contagious. It is being passed on in families and in churches. It is a disease that cripples and takes the life right out of us. It seems there is no stopping this disease and yet the cure is available to all. This cure is not cheap, but it is readily available to all who will receive it.

I am talking about the disease of bitterness and the cure of forgiveness. Too many Christians are walking around with bitter hearts unable to forgive those whom they have been hurt by. As a people we too often undervalue the power of forgiveness and its ability to make a difference in our lives.

Although we may deny it, too many of us are holding on to hurts and offenses that have come our way. We deny the bitterness that we hold deep within, but we know it is there. A great way to expose the bitterness is to ask yourself if you had the opportunity to get even or get back at someone for the offense they caused you, would you take advantage of it?

Make no doubt about it, forgiveness is not cheap. It cost God the life of his beloved Son. It led the famous theologian, Detrich Bonhoeffer to say, “grace is free, but it is not cheap.” To forgive someone else may cost you your pride, your reputation, and your right to get even. But to not forgive that other person will cost you even more. You will go through life bitter and robbed of the joy God wants you to have. It will tear you apart from those you love and cause you to live in isolation. Worse of all it will work to create separation between you and God. When you fail to fully love others there is an negative impact no only on your relationship with others, but also upon your relationship with God.

Forgiveness is not an option. It is not a suggestion. It is a command. God knows there is no other option. When we forgive it is a choice of obedience. When we fail to forgive it is a choice of disobedience. And we should know he is not asking us to do anything he hasn’t already asked us to do.

That doesn’t mean it is not hard to do. There are many times I have not felt like extending forgiveness. It was not something I wanted to do. But how often has the thing God wanted for me and the thing that was best for me been the opposite of what I wanted to do? When I choose forgiveness I am making a sacrifice. I am sacrificing my will for the Father’s will. I am sacrificing my right for revenge and retribution.

Next week I would like to continue this discussion and talk about some practical ways to extend forgiveness to others and ways to experience full healing from bitterness.

We are three weeks away from the scheduled C-section. Barbara is currently visiting the doctor twice a week to keep tabs on the babies. It is always possible the babies might come sooner rather than later. Maybe today. You never know. We appreciate all the prayers and the support.   

“But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand. 15 We are aliens and strangers in your sight, as were all our forefathers. Our days on earth are like a shadow, without hope. 16 O LORD our God, as for all this abundance that we have provided for building you a temple for your Holy Name, it comes from your hand, and all of it belongs to you. 17 I know, my God, that you test the heart and are pleased with integrity. All these things have I given willingly and with honest intent. And now I have seen with joy how willingly your people who are here have given to you. 18 O LORD, God of our fathers Abraham, Isaac and Israel, keep this desire in the hearts of your people forever, and keep their hearts loyal to you. 1 Chronicles 29:14-18

What a great prayer this is. This is the prayer of David at the end of 1 Chronicles, when he entrusts Solomon with the building of the temple. At the end of his life, David is giving over his possessions to accomplish this great thing. In this short prayer we have so many of the basic principles of Christian stewardship.

David starts out by affirming or place before God. The thing is God does not need us. He doesn’t need our money. He doesn’t need our possessions.   He doesn’t need our knowledge or wisdom. God is God. There is nothing we can offer him that he doesn’t already have. So David humbly acknowledges our place by saying, “who am I and who are my people that we have anything to offer?”

We have nothing to offer God. Yet, in spite of that he gives us the privilege and the opportunity to do his work. How awesome is that! Think about it for a minute. We get to do the work of God! There is no higher calling in life. There is nothing more important we will ever do than the work of God. We get to participate in bringing the Kingdom of Heaven to earth. Wow! How can you not be overwhelmed by this?

The second thing David acknowledges is that nothing we have is ours alone. Everything we have comes from God. God is the creator. God is the owner. There is nothing I can lay claim to. Whatever I possess is simply on loan and I will give an account for it all on the last day.

The problem many of us run into with our possessions is that our possessions take ownership of us. Our possessions start to control our lives and begin to determine how we utilize our time. The more we have, the more time we spend taking care of it and maintaining it. And the less time we have for God’s work.

In verse 15, David acknowledges our time is short. We only have a so many days on this earth. In fact, everything about our life on this earth is limited. We are just passing through. There are two things we can do. We can simply pass through unnoticed or we can pass through and leave a mark behind. Our hope is not to stay here forever as this is not our home. Heaven is our home!

David continues by giving God thanks for the abundance he has provided. Unfortunately, we too often focus on what we don’t have rather than what do have. If you are reading this, God has blessed you in an incredible way. Just the fact that you can read this means that you were given the gift of an education. If you live in America you are rich by the world standards. I once was told that when you pray, focus on God and not your difficulties, because God is so much greater than your difficulties. In the same way there is no comparison between what we have been given versus what we don’t have. We have been given so much more than whatever it is we don’t have.

In verses 17 and 18 David talks about integrity and the joy of giving. When we give to the Lord it is not out of obligation. It is to be done in joy. It is not the amount of our gift that matters to the Lord, but rather intent of our heart. In the New Testament is says that God loves a cheerful giver. Notice what it does not say. It doesn’t say God loves the extravagant gift. He loves the extravagant giver. It is about the condition of our heart. That is what brings God joy and brings us joy as well. Remember, God doesn’t need the gift.

God had certainly blessed David. God has certainly blessed us. He has put many things into our life. Possessions are good things. Money is a good thing. God gives it to us to use to provide for our families and to serve others.

No doubt you have things in your life! David had many things. And like David we need to ask ourselves how we can use these things for God’s purposes, for his glory, and for the sake of his kingdom. God doesn’t give us things to bless ourselves alone, but to bless others. How can you use the things in your life to bless others?

So you say you follow Jesus. Good. That is wonderful. Jesus is the Savior. He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. There is no one who comes to the Father except through him.

However, I want to ask you a question. You say you follow Jesus, but what is one thing you do differently because you follow Jesus. What is the change that he has affected in regards to the way that you live.

I have been reading the book of Romans in my personal devotions and this question keeps coming back to me, “what does it mean to follow Jesus?” In other words, “does the fact that I am a follower of Jesus impact the decisions I make each day?”

How about in regards to the way I spend my time?

How about in regards to what I watch and read?

How about in regards to the way I spend my money?

How about in regards to the way you approach your relationships in life?

How about in regards to the raising your children?

How about in regards to the way you drive?

How about in regards to the your physical health?

So often the thing a feel like doing, is not the thing Jesus would have me do. The way I want to go is not the way he would have me go.

In Romans 12:1 it says to offer your bodies as living sacrifices that are holy, pleasing, and acceptable to God. This is your spiritual act of worship.

It makes me wonder what I have set aside as a sacrifice for Jesus. Have I been willing to give up my desires for his?

So I took the opportunity to upgrade my iPhone 4. Sold my old 3GS for $350 on ebay and bought my new one for $300. That is $50 in my pocket. Not too bad.

The big story in the news with this new iPhone has been antennagate. Steve Jobs held a special press conference on Friday to defend the phone. I sort of laugh about it. When you have over 2 million people buying a product, there is going to be someone who has a problem. Also, when a company like Apple enjoys the success that it has, someone is looking to find the chink in the armor.

As for me, I love this new phone. It is incredible what it can do. I have had absolutely no problems. What I find most amazing is the quality of the camera. The following video was completely shot and edited on the iPhone. The only thing I used the computer for was to upload the video.

Hi everyone! Did you know VBS is just around the corner? It’s now less then two weeks away. Have you registered your family yet? Don’t wait. Do it today! For more information and to register visit www.lolchurch.net/vbs.

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It’s hard to avoid talk about the economy today. It is on the forefront of our minds in many ways. There are so many unknowns. So many of the things that we trusted in as Americans can no longer be trusted. What once gave us a feeling of safety and security no longer does. Jobs that were once thought secure are now on the chopping block. Corporations once the prize of Wall Street are on the verge of bankruptcy. What was once considered a dream home for many has turned into their worst nightmare as they face foreclosure. It is in times like these, we see the treasures of this world for what they are. They don’t last. They are easily lost. And most importantly, we can’t take them with us.

This is why Jesus says, “store up for yourselves treasures in heaven . . .” (Matt. 6:20). Jesus knew knew the uselessness of chasing after worldly wealth. He knew where it leads to and it is not a good place.

Yet, the kingdom of heaven is something we have a hard time putting a value on it. We try to wrap our mind around it and we come up short. It’s a concept that is hard to grasp as it is not something we can put our hands on like cold hard cash. One of the reasons we fail to pursue is because we fail to grasp it’s full value. How do we discover the value of the kingdom? In contrast the wealth of this world is something we can put our hands on. It is something we can touch and we can taste.

So how do we discover the value? The answer is the value of the kingdom is shown by the church in action. The value of the kingdom is when lives are saved and transformed. The value of the kingdom is shown when the hungry are fed, when the lonely are befriended, when the sick person is healed.

True wealth is not measured by the abundance of our possessions, but by the abundance of lives that have been touched through our efforts. It’s not about the house you live in, the car you drive, the gadgets in your drawer, or the size of your retirement fund. None of that stuff will matter in the end.

You can make a difference in someone else’s life today. It is not that hard to do. It could be making a telephone call or writing a note to let them know that someone cares. It might be taking a meal to a family in need. It might be volunteering to serve at a local shelter, food bank, or group home. To many of us are living for ourselves which ultimately means we are living for nothing at all. To live for something means living for something bigger than ourselves. It is living for Jesus and living for others.

We give thanks to Jesus for giving us purpose beyond ourselves!

Last Sunday, we sang this song at Lord of Life. It sort of points to what I am talking about here. Loving others may not get us the job, pay the bills, get the house in Beverly Hills, or fix our lives in 5 easy steps. But it is truly all we need.

Hi everyone! Hope you are all having a wonderful summer. I know I have enjoyed this summer and I am looking forward to what is to come. We have some big things coming up at Lord of Life. Vacation Bible School is just around the corner during the last week of July. If you would like more info about VBS check it out at www.lolchurch.net/vbs. Also, the ONE service is scheduled for Labor Day weekend. On September 5 we will gather as one church with only one worship at 9:15am. So make sure to mark that date on your calendar.

As we approach the second half of the summer, my weekly emails may not be as weekly as they once were. As many of you know, Barbara and I have some twins on the way. We are busily preparing waiting for the big day to arrive. I am planning on the getting these emails out to you on a regular basis, but there may be a week or two that I miss coming up.

There is much to get ready for when these babies come. We need to make sure we have diapers, clothes, cribs, car seats, and all those other fun things that go along with having babies. We know these babies are coming. There is no doubt about that. I know my wife really hopes they come sooner rather than later.

The thing is that we would be foolish if we didn’t get ready for these babies. We make sure to get everything done in advance, because when the time comes there will not be enough time to get all the things done that will need to get done. So we are doing it now.

The Bible emphasizes preparation. In 1 Peter 3:15 “always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.” Jesus tells us to always be prepared because no one know the day or hour of his return (Matthew 25:13, Mark 13:32).

A wise man once told me that failing to plan is planning to fail. If you don’t plan for success God is not going to give you success. He is not going to burden us with more than we can handle. If you don’t have the capacity to receive a miracle, God is not going to give you the miracle.

If you had a test in school that was coming up, the wise thing to do would be to study for that test. It would seem silly to ask God to give you an “A” on that test if you had not prepared for that test.

What are you asking God for these days? If God granted your request, would you be prepared to receive it? Pastors will often pray for the church to be filled on Sunday morning. But is the church adequately prepared to receive that many guests with the love and hospitality of Jesus? You might ask God to multiply your minutes in the day. But if he multiplied those minutes would you be prepared to use those extra minutes for his glory or would they be wasted away with other things.

Jesus says that to those who are faithful with little, God will provide them more. The question is one of stewardship. Are we being good stewards of what we have been given already? If not, there is no reason for God to give us anymore.

The thing is that God knows us better than we even know ourselves. He knows the breathe of our preparation. Lets pray today, God would help us make ready his coming!