Forgive Thy Self

The Key to Forgetting, Forgiving

How could God POSSIBLY love me? Seriously. You have NO IDEA of the things I have done. You know that song, "Saved a wretch like me?" Well, there has been no wretchier wretch than I. I have hurt people. Some on purpose, some not but just because I am a disgusting human being. No. I do not think you get it. I've lied, cheated, stole. I have done all kinds of horrible things. I checked. I even broke some of those Ten big ones that everyone talks about. There is NO WAY that God loves me.

"For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." {Romans 5:6-8}

Yeah, yeah, yeah. But you do not understand!!!

“I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; and I will not remember your sins." (Isaiah 43:25)

How could God possibly forgive me for what I have done?

Well, I have a question. Have you met Paul? Yeah. That Paul. The one that wrote a lot of the New Testament? His name used to be called Saul. He was not a nice person. Picture Hitler or a Jihadist of today. His sole reason for existence was to hunt down and abuse and kill God's chosen people. He did it well. He received great power and praise by Man and Religion for doing such a great Job. He Stole, Beat, Abused and Murdered people just because they believed in Jesus as Christ.

As a matter of fact, he was on the road to Damascus to do even more of that, when Jesus appeared to him and asked "Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting me?" Saul recounts this event and continues on to say this.

"And I answered, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And he said to me, ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting.’ Now those who were with me saw the light but did not understand the voice of the one who was speaking to me. And I said, ‘What shall I do, Lord?’ And the Lord said to me, ‘Rise, and go into Damascus, and there you will be told all that is appointed for you to do.’ " {Acts 22:8-10}

You know the rest of the Story. Saul became Paul and wrote a lot of what we now call the New Testament, in the Bible today. From Chief Sinner to one of the greatest Saints to ever walk the Earth. Tell me again, what have you done?

One of the hardest things for us to do is to, even harder than forgiving others for hurting us, is to indeed forgive ourselves. Too many times we stay in the past. We relive the things we did over and over again. This is one of the reasons Jesus said this in Luke 9:62.

"Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”

This works both ways by the way. People that haunt themselves with Grief, Regret, and Unforgiveness, and those that try to live in Past Glories. The Past is the Past because it has passed and is no more. All the good, bad, and yes, even the ugly is gone. Done. Finished. God does not want you looking back all the time at the jeopardy of Today. He doesn't even really like us spending to much time looking ahead. There is enough to deal with in what we call today.

However, forgiveness of Sins is WHY Jesus came here in the first place.

"For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified. And the Holy Spirit also bears witness to us; for after saying, “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws on their hearts, and write them on their minds,”then he adds, "I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.” Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin." { Hebrews 10:14–18 }

You see, Jesus came once for a final act of FORGIVENESS of all Sin. That would include ANY Sin that you have ever even thought about committing. Once you accept God's Plan of Salvation, which is what? That's right, Salvation comes by Faith through the Grace of God. All you have to do is accept the Gift. Accept Jesus's final Sacrifice for you and your Life. Allow His Blood to be a substitute for your Blood, His Death as a substitute for your Death.

"If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." {Romans 10:9}

That's it. You do not need to worry about anything else. You don't have to be concerned at all. Remember, The Devil knows what you have done. He NEVER wants you to forget the bad things you have done. Why? Satan not only takes great pleasure in your failures, he can even keep you from coming to God in the first place. He also can use this tactic to block true, honest Christians from becoming Witnesses. We are Saints. Yes, we are. Look it up. We are Ambassadors of Christ. Hard to do any of that if you have been shamed into silence.

Paul himself wrote this to the Churches in the Philippians.

"Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead," {Philippians 3:13}

Imagine all the things that Paul HAD to forget. To leave behind. Stephen to name just one.

"And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people."

Then we see that the Jews lead by whom? Yup, Saul, Stoned Stephen to death.

"Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord, And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul. And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep."

Trust me, even if you have to forgive yourself for taking a life, you could not compare to the things that Paul had to forgive himself for. He had to forgive himself for being a totally different and Evil Person. Forgive yourself, God has already. He has forgiven and forgotten. Your turn.

Do you know Jesus as your Savior? Have you been adopted into the Family of God? If not, say this Prayer. Right now. Wherever you may be. Say it in your own words, and do not doubt in your heart. God will hear you. He will send the Spirit of Life to you. Let us Pray..

"Oh heavenly Father, Lord God. I am a sinner. I know this. I know there is nothing I can do to change that. But I know you can. I accept Jesus's sacrifice for me. I repent my sins. Please send the Spirit of Adoption into my life. Help me to get to know the real you. Save me. Please. In the name of Jesus, Amen!"

That's it. It really is that simple. Now go tell someone what you have just done. "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." {Romans 10:9} You need to find a Church that God leads you to, and be Baptized the way Jesus said to be. You are now a Child of God. A new Creature. You "have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him." {Colossians 3:10}

If you want to tell me, or comment, question, give testimonials, or just say "Hi," the Email is opntalk@gmail.com

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen. {2 Corinthians 13}

Until next time, be blessed, be a blessing, and Jesus is Lord!!

Psalm 40

Psalm 40

1 I waited patiently for the Lord; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.

2 He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.

3 And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the Lord.

4 Blessed is that man that maketh the Lord his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.

5 Many, O Lord my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered.

6 Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required.

7 Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me,

8 I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.

9 I have preached righteousness in the great congregation: lo, I have not refrained my lips, O Lord, thou knowest.

10 I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart; I have declared thy faithfulness and thy salvation: I have not concealed thy lovingkindness and thy truth from the great congregation.

11 Withhold not thou thy tender mercies from me, O Lord: let thy lovingkindness and thy truth continually preserve me.

12 For innumerable evils have compassed me about: mine iniquities have taken hold upon me, so that I am not able to look up; they are more than the hairs of mine head: therefore my heart faileth me.

13 Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver me: O Lord, make haste to help me.

14 Let them be ashamed and confounded together that seek after my soul to destroy it; let them be driven backward and put to shame that wish me evil.

15 Let them be desolate for a reward of their shame that say unto me, Aha, aha.

16 Let all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee: let such as love thy salvation say continually, The Lord be magnified.

17 But I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinketh upon me: thou art my help and my deliverer; make no tarrying, O my God.

Righteous Conduct. Work

So we are Righteous. Right?

Well, we have talked about accepting God's Plan for Salvation, true Repentance, and God's plan for our Earthly Family. So we do all this, and we are now conducting ourselves in a Righteous Way. Right? Yes and No. What do you do on Monday?

Huh? Oh, you went to Church. You sang songs like "Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so." You shared good news, and heard others. You worshiped God and heard a great Message from the Pastor. You hugged and were hugged by people you hardly know. Then the time came, you went home.

The sad truth is this, for many, this is when some stop living Righteously. This is when the Bible is put down and the Bottle is picked up. When Heaven is turned off, and the Game is turned on. But let's say you are still able to conduct yourself Righteously. You CAN watch the Game, you CAN hangout with friends, you CAN do Earthly Things without losing your Righteousness. Jesus did it all the time. Amen?

After all, the Word does tell us this in Philippians 2:14-16

"Do all things without murmurings and disputings: That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world; Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain."

The Word declares we should do ALL THINGS. That is ALL THINGS without what? Complaining, or arguing. We are to be an example, in whatsoever we do. Jesus said this.

"And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it. For what is a man advantaged, if he gains the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away? For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father's, and of the holy angels." {Luke 9:23-26}

So what happens when Monday arrives. What happens when you head off to Work? But you do not understand. I do not Work for the Church. I do not have a Holy Calling Job. I am just a.... It doesn't matter what you do.

Colossians 3:23-24 declares...

"And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ."

Now talking about Pay, Tithes, Offering, ETC, and relying on God to meet your Daily Needs are totally other Messages, however, can we all agree that EVERYTHING belongs to God. EVERYTHING. God is on the Job with you. He is our Daddy. He is our Boss. He is the only one that we should be concerned with making happy.

But I'm just a Housekeeper. Clean like God is going to come and inspect it. I'm just a Garbage Man. Treat that Trash like it is God's Trash. I'm just a Cop. Serve and Protect like you are serving and protecting God Himself. Remember what Jesus said? Matthew 25:37-40

"Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me."

Doctor? Nurse? Firefighter? Janitor? Painter? Customer Service?

"With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men:" {Ephesians 6:7}

It should not matter to you what your Earthly Boss thinks. Think about this. If your Job is done in such a way, that GOD would be Proud of you, your Earthly Boss should be blown away. Right? After all, the Word tells us over and over again, that we are no longer part of this World. We are Adopted into the Family of God. We are called out of this World. We become Ambassadors of Heaven to this dark and evil World.

Do you know Jesus as your Savior? Have you been adopted into the Family of God? If not, say this Prayer. Right now. Wherever you may be. Say it in your own words, and do not doubt in your heart. God will hear you. He will send the Spirit of Life to you. Let us Pray..

"Oh heavenly Father, Lord God. I am a sinner. I know this. I know there is nothing I can do to change that. But I know you can. I accept Jesus's sacrifice for me. I repent my sins. Please send the Spirit of Adoption into my life. Help me to get to know the real you. Save me. Please. In the name of Jesus, Amen!"

That's it. It really is that simple. Now go tell someone what you have just done. "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." {Romans 10:9} You need to find a Church that God leads you to, and be Baptized the way Jesus said to be. You are now a Child of God. A new Creature. You "have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him." {Colossians 3:10}

I will leave you with this. Titus 2

"But as for you, teach what accords with sound doctrine. Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness. Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled. Likewise, urge the younger men to be self-controlled. Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us. Bondservants are to be submissive to their own masters in everything; they are to be well-pleasing, not argumentative, not pilfering, but showing all good faith, so that in everything they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior.

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.

Declare these things; exhort and rebuke with all authority. Let no one disregard you."

If you want to tell me, or comment, question, give testimonials, or just say "Hi," the Email is opntalk@gmail.com

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen. {2 Corinthians 13}

Psalm 39

Psalm 39

1 I said, I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue: I will keep my mouth with a bridle, while the wicked is before me.

2 I was dumb with silence, I held my peace, even from good; and my sorrow was stirred.

3 My heart was hot within me, while I was musing the fire burned: then spake I with my tongue,

4 Lord, make me to know mine end, and the measure of my days, what it is: that I may know how frail I am.

5 Behold, thou hast made my days as an handbreadth; and mine age is as nothing before thee: verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity. Selah.

6 Surely every man walketh in a vain shew: surely they are disquieted in vain: he heapeth up riches, and knoweth not who shall gather them.

7 And now, Lord, what wait I for? my hope is in thee.

8 Deliver me from all my transgressions: make me not the reproach of the foolish.

9 I was dumb, I opened not my mouth; because thou didst it.

10 Remove thy stroke away from me: I am consumed by the blow of thine hand.

11 When thou with rebukes dost correct man for iniquity, thou makest his beauty to consume away like a moth: surely every man is vanity. Selah.

12 Hear my prayer, O Lord, and give ear unto my cry; hold not thy peace at my tears: for I am a stranger with thee, and a sojourner, as all my fathers were.

13 O spare me, that I may recover strength, before I go hence, and be no more.

Righteous Conduct. Family

God's Family Plan

We have been talking about Righteous Conduct. How do others see you? How are you conducting yourself? The Word declare that we should conduct ourselves Righteously. That people are watching us, and as with our own Children, people will learn to accept more of what they see, than anything that they hear someone tell them.

We have talked about Salvation and Adoption into the Family of God. Obviously, you cannot live a Righteous Life, nor conduct yourself above Worldly Standards, if you are still living according to the World.

We just got done discussing what True Repentance actually means. You can be Saved, and not changed? I really do not think so. However, you MUST be Changed if you are going to even have a hope of Righteous Conduct.

Today, we are going to talk about Family. Yes. There is a right way, and a wrong way, to do Family. There is the World's Family Plan, and then there is God's Family Plan. Let's start by saying, Family? It is pretty important to God. WE can start back in Genesis. Back at the very Creation of Man.

"And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him." {Genesis 2:18}

Then in Genesis 2:24

"Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh."

God Created Man, then Woman, then Marriage. All back in the beginning. Leaving aside the whole Fall of Man thing for a second, we see that Family is the most important Non-God related thing on Earth. Then again, Family is not actually suppose to be non-God related. A Righteous Living Family, is all about God. It is so important that it is the fifth Commandment, and the first with Promise..

Exodus 20:12

"Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee."

Here is God's plan for the Family. We are born, learn and grow, leave our Father and Mother, come together and Marry, becoming one. God's plan for us is that as Parents, you take care of your children, raising them in the ways they should go, and then later in life, if needed, your children should be able, and willing, to care for you.

However, this is one of those teachings that have been twisted, manipulated, and even forsaken, by some Churches. It is also not necessarily Politically Correct. That doesn't change the fact that God has a very clear plan for our Earthly Family. In Ephesians 5:20-24

"Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ: Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God. Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything."

Now here is the first bone of contention by some. They say that this means that Women should be subservient. That if her Husband was to become Abusive. Tough. If her Husband cheats on her. Too bad. That she must be barefoot and pregnant in the Kitchen, hanging on every command from her Husband.

That is simply not the case. First, as I heard it recently put, nowhere in the Word does it tell anyone to follow anyone into Sin. Second they fail to continue on reading. Ephesians 5:25-33

"Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.

For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church. Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband."

First, let's leave aside the fact that God says we become one flesh. Which means we are equal. God tells us that Man ought to love their Wives as Jesus loved the Church and died for it. Jesus would do anything He was able to do for the Church. As we, {Speaking to the men} should towards our own Wives.

What God also says about men is that WE are responsible for the Family. We are responsible for going before God, and seeking His Will and His Way for us. Then going back and teaching the Family what God teaches us. We are responsible for meeting the needs of our Family. We are responsible for all things. Being a Husband and Father is not something that should be taken lightly. It is an Honor and great responsibility.

Continuing in. Ephesians 6:1-4

"Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise;That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth."

Does this mean that children must allow themselves to be abused? God forbid. Does it mean that Parents can abuse their children? Of course not. However, Parents should be raising their children in the Ways of the Lord.

"And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord."

The Word tells us plainly, that we need to teach our Children the Word of God. We need to teach them the Ten Commandments as an example.

"And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up." {Deuteronomy 6:7}

"And ye shall teach them your children, speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, when thou liest down, and when thou risest up." {Deuteronomy 11:19 }

In reference to the ways of God...

"Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the LORD." {Psalm 34:1}

Psalm 132:12

"If thy children will keep my covenant and my testimony that I shall teach them, their children shall also sit upon thy throne for evermore."

God calls for Parents to correct them when needed. Yes, that includes Corporal punishment. Proverbs 22:15

"Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him."

Proverbs 23:13

"Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die."

Proverbs 29:15

"The rod and reproof give wisdom: but a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame."

You see, true education should always be from the home. Parents, you are raising your children. They will go out into the world and learn things of the world. They must have a strong foundation, so that they are not lead astray. So that they will not be lead into sins.

Proverbs 22:6

"Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it."

Again, this is not saying that it is OK to beat your child. It is not saying that it is OK for Husbands to abuse their Wives. God IS Love. God wants us to Love our families the way God loves us. Remember 1 Corinthians 13:4-8

"Love suffereth long, and is kind; Love envieth not; Love vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Love never faileth:"

Jesus told us we can sum up all the Commandments of God in two. "Have no other God before God, and love they neighbor as thyself."

In an ideal world, the Man, Husband, should be the one going out into the world and providing for the Family. The Wife, should be staying home, caring for the house and raising the Children. The Children should be allowed to be Children. Growing, playing, learning.

I understand we do not live in a perfect, nor ideal world. Today, most of the time, both Parents need to go out and work. This puts a strain on the Family unit. We have turned over the education of our Children to others. Then, on top of that, we have even removed God out of the entire system. We have created dumping grounds for our old, and forsaken God's plan for our Family. Then we wonder why our Divorce Rate is rising. We wonder why our single Family homes are increasing in numbers as well. We wonder why Youth Crime is rising, and why our teen suicide rate is skyrocketing.

As with all things, if we would only follow God's plan, we would be so much happier. Our lives would be so much easier. We would have so much more peace. Learn what it means to have a Righteous Family. Conduct yourself in that manor.

Live for God. Seek first the Kingdom of God. Both in your Earthly Family, and in the world. Be a living example of the Love of God which is shown through Christ Jesus, our Lord. Keep in mind, our Children learn far more from us, by watching us what we do, than hearing us, what we say. Be the Family God wants us to be. Both Earthly and in Spirit. We ARE the Family of God.

Do you know Jesus as your Savior? Have you been adopted into the Family of God? If not, say this Prayer. Right now. Wherever you may be. Say it in your own words, and do not doubt in your heart. God will hear you. He will send the Spirit of Life to you. Let us Pray..

"Oh heavenly Father, Lord God. I am a sinner. I know this. I know there is nothing I can do to change that. But I know you can. I accept Jesus's sacrifice for me. I repent my sins. Please send the Spirit of Adoption into my life. Help me to get to know the real you. Save me. Please. In the name of Jesus, Amen!"

That's it. It really is that simple. Now go tell someone what you have just done. "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." {Romans 10:9} You need to find a Church that God leads you to, and be Baptized the way Jesus said to be. You are now a Child of God. A new Creature. You "have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him." {Colossians 3:10}

If you want to tell me, or comment, question, give testimonials, or just say "Hi," the Email is opntalk@gmail.com

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen. {2 Corinthians 13}

Until next time, be Blessed, be a Blessing, and Jesus is Lord!

Psalm 38

Psalm 38

1 Lord, rebuke me not in thy wrath: neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure.

2 For thine arrows stick fast in me, and thy hand presseth me sore.

3 There is no soundness in my flesh because of thine anger; neither is there any rest in my bones because of my sin.

4 For mine iniquities are gone over mine head: as an heavy burden they are too heavy for me.

5 My wounds stink and are corrupt because of my foolishness.

6 I am troubled; I am bowed down greatly; I go mourning all the day long.

7 For my loins are filled with a loathsome disease: and there is no soundness in my flesh.

8 I am feeble and sore broken: I have roared by reason of the disquietness of my heart.

9 Lord, all my desire is before thee; and my groaning is not hid from thee.

10 My heart panteth, my strength faileth me: as for the light of mine eyes, it also is gone from me.

11 My lovers and my friends stand aloof from my sore; and my kinsmen stand afar off.

12 They also that seek after my life lay snares for me: and they that seek my hurt speak mischievous things, and imagine deceits all the day long.

13 But I, as a deaf man, heard not; and I was as a dumb man that openeth not his mouth.

14 Thus I was as a man that heareth not, and in whose mouth are no reproofs.

15 For in thee, O Lord, do I hope: thou wilt hear, O Lord my God.

16 For I said, Hear me, lest otherwise they should rejoice over me: when my foot slippeth, they magnify themselves against me.

17 For I am ready to halt, and my sorrow is continually before me.

18 For I will declare mine iniquity; I will be sorry for my sin.

19 But mine enemies are lively, and they are strong: and they that hate me wrongfully are multiplied.

20 They also that render evil for good are mine adversaries; because I follow the thing that good is.

21 Forsake me not, O Lord: O my God, be not far from me.

22 Make haste to help me, O Lord my salvation.

Righteous Conduct, Repentance

What does Repent Actually Mean?

Say sorry and move on?

God says in Haggai 1:7

“Thus says the Lord of hosts: Consider your ways."

What does this mean? It pretty much means what it says. "Consider your ways." What is it you do on a daily basis? What Sin is in your life that you are battling with? What Sin was in your life when you were adopted into the Family of God? What is it that leads you away from God? Have you repented?

"Of course I have. I asked God into my life and heart. I asked forgiveness. I said the Prayer you taught me. you know? This one."

"Oh heavenly Father, Lord God. I am a sinner. I know this. I know there is nothing I can do to change that. But I know you can. I accept Jesus's sacrifice for me. I repent my sins. Please send the Spirit of Adoption into my life. Help me to get to know the real you. Save me. Please. In the name of Jesus, Amen!"

"So I'm good right?"

Well? Actually, it depends. When you say "I repented my Sins" what do you mean? Do you mean that you said "Sorry" and went right back to the bottle, drugs, porn, and living the same Sinful life style you were living before? Or have you actually repented?

"What does it mean to repent your Sins, if not, to asked forgiveness for them?"

The Bible says in Romans 3:23

"For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God."

"So that means you Sin too. Why are you being so judgmental?"

I'm really not. It's true that "all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." I do Sin daily. As do all of us. Remember what John said in 1 John 1:8-10?

"If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us."

He was talking to Children of God. The Saved. The early "Christians" if you will. He was telling the truth. But he never meant for this to be translated, say sorry and do as you will. We all Sin because we are still in the flesh. We are to strive to be perfect. Strive to be more like our greatest example of how to live. That would be Jesus. But we are not Jesus. We are not perfect. We will Sin.

However, to repent is not to merely say "Sorry" and do as you will. It means to turn away from.

2 Chronicles 7:14

"If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land."

And in Proverbs 28:13

"He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy."

Again, to repent is to turn away from. To "forsake" the Sin. To stop doing what you were doing before you repented. Remember the story of the Woman caught in the middle of adultery?

"They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou? This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not.

So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground. And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.

Then Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more." {John 8:4-11}

"Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more." Jesus said that her Sin was forgiven. But He commanded her to truly repent. "go, and sin no more." He was not telling her, "I love you. I forgive you. Now, go and do as you will." No. He said to her to repent, to turn away from. To not do it again.

In Ezekiel 18:21-28

"But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die. All his transgressions that he hath committed, they shall not be mentioned unto him: in his righteousness that he hath done he shall live.

Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith the Lord God: and not that he should return from his ways, and live? But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and doeth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doeth, shall he live? All his righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned: in his trespass that he hath trespassed, and in his sin that he hath sinned, in them shall he die.

Yet ye say, The way of the Lord is not equal. Hear now, O house of Israel; Is not my way equal? are not your ways unequal? When a righteous man turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and dieth in them; for his iniquity that he hath done shall he die.

Again, when the wicked man turneth away from his wickedness that he hath committed, and doeth that which is lawful and right, he shall save his soul alive. Because he considereth, and turneth away from all his transgressions that he hath committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die."

Now there is a wealth of information in this little passage. We need to spend some time here. First,

"But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die. All his transgressions that he hath committed, they shall not be mentioned unto him: in his righteousness that he hath done he shall live."

Pretty simple to understand. Right? Go and Sin no more. Once you are converted, adopted, and become a new creature, God wants you to learn Him, His Word, His ways. He wants you to seek out the Kingdom of His and follow the Gospel. He does not want you to simply walk out of His presence and go back to doing what you did before. You "have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him." {Colossians 3:10}

It's like this. You commit a crime. You get arrested. You go to jail. Someone lets you out. You walk out of the cell, go and do the same thing that got you there to begin with. You will end up right back there. For a longer period of time at that. You only get one freebie. One time to have the slate wiped clean. One new beginning. Read the next part VERY carefully. He who has ears to hear, hear. Understand this truth....

"But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and doeth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doeth, shall he live? All his righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned: in his trespass that he hath trespassed, and in his sin that he hath sinned, in them shall he die."

Remember, according to the Word, and contrary to some popular teachings, you CAN lose your Salvation. God makes it pretty clear. "But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and doeth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doeth, shall he live?" This is talking about a conscious choice. You CHOSE to turn away from God and His will and His ways. You CHOSE to Sin. God tells us we will end up just like the Sinner. The Lost. The Unsaved. "All his righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned: in his trespass that he hath trespassed, and in his sin that he hath sinned, in them shall he die."

Now God is not talking about a stumble here or there. If you repent your Sin and do good for a time and then give in, and Sin, ask for forgiveness and attempt to move on. God know's your heart and if you are sincere. He will forgive you. This is not what we are talking about. So do not fear. Your Father, just like you love our kids, loves you.

However, if you think that being "saved" is a ticket to Sin. You got another thing coming. Do NOT Sin, go ask forgiveness and go Sin the same thing over and over again thinking, It's OK. It's fine. All I have to do is ask forgiveness and I can do whatever I want. No. You really can't.

"When a righteous man turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and dieth in them; for his iniquity that he hath done shall he die. Again, when the wicked man turneth away from his wickedness that he hath committed, and doeth that which is lawful and right, he shall save his soul alive. Because he considereth, and turneth away from all his transgressions that he hath committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die."

So you see, to repent is not to merely say sorry, and live as you chose. God can't and will not help you if you do this. You risk falling into the same condemnation and the end result as the lost. It is by your own hand that you do these things. Your own mind that you control. More importantly, your own heart. God will not be mocked.

Again, God is not talking about stumbling, or slipping here and there. He sees you trying. He understands we are weak and in the flesh. He understands we will Sin daily. But He will not be mocked. He will not be used. He will not forgive you if you CHOSE to go and Sin. You CHOSE to walk out of His presence and knowingly and willingly commit that of which you know is Sin and think, "It's OK. All I have to do is ask forgiveness and all will be fine. I'm going to have fun first." That is not how it works..

Acts 3:19

"Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord."

Do you know Jesus as your Savior? Have you been adopted into the Family of God? If not, say this Prayer. Right now. Wherever you may be. Say it in your own words, and do not doubt in your heart. God will hear you. He will send the Spirit of Life to you. Let us Pray..

"Oh heavenly Father, Lord God. I am a sinner. I know this. I know there is nothing I can do to change that. But I know you can. I accept Jesus's sacrifice for me. I repent my sins. Please send the Spirit of Adoption into my life. Help me to get to know the real you. Save me. Please. In the name of Jesus, Amen!"

That's it. It really is that simple. Now go tell someone what you have just done. "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." {Romans 10:9} You need to find a Church that God leads you to, and be Baptized the way Jesus said to be. You are now a Child of God. A new Creature. You "have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him." {Colossians 3:10}

If you want to tell me, or comment, question, give testimonials, or just say "Hi," the Email is opntalk@gmail.com

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen. {2 Corinthians 13}

Until next time, be blessed, be a blessing, and Jesus IS Lord of all!

Psalm 37

Psalm 37

1 Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.

2 For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.

3 Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.

4 Delight thyself also in the Lord: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.

5 Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.

6 And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.

7 Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.

8 Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.

9 For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth.

10 For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be.

11 But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.

12 The wicked plotteth against the just, and gnasheth upon him with his teeth.

13 The Lord shall laugh at him: for he seeth that his day is coming.

14 The wicked have drawn out the sword, and have bent their bow, to cast down the poor and needy, and to slay such as be of upright conversation.

15 Their sword shall enter into their own heart, and their bows shall be broken.

16 A little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked.

17 For the arms of the wicked shall be broken: but the Lord upholdeth the righteous.

18 The Lord knoweth the days of the upright: and their inheritance shall be for ever.

19 They shall not be ashamed in the evil time: and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied.

20 But the wicked shall perish, and the enemies of the Lord shall be as the fat of lambs: they shall consume; into smoke shall they consume away.

21 The wicked borroweth, and payeth not again: but the righteous sheweth mercy, and giveth.

22 For such as be blessed of him shall inherit the earth; and they that be cursed of him shall be cut off.

23 The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way.

24 Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand.

25 I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.

26 He is ever merciful, and lendeth; and his seed is blessed.

27 Depart from evil, and do good; and dwell for evermore.

28 For the Lord loveth judgment, and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off.

29 The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein for ever.

30 The mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom, and his tongue talketh of judgment.

31 The law of his God is in his heart; none of his steps shall slide.

32 The wicked watcheth the righteous, and seeketh to slay him.

33 The Lord will not leave him in his hand, nor condemn him when he is judged.

34 Wait on the Lord, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land: when the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it.

35 I have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a green bay tree.

36 Yet he passed away, and, lo, he was not: yea, I sought him, but he could not be found.

37 Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace.

38 But the transgressors shall be destroyed together: the end of the wicked shall be cut off.

39 But the salvation of the righteous is of the Lord: he is their strength in the time of trouble.

40 And the Lord shall help them, and deliver them: he shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him.

Righteous Conduct, Life

You Must Believe 

The Word tells us, that we should live Righteously. We should act Righteously. We should appear to others as Righteous. We are Children of God after all. But what does that mean? What is Righteous Conduct? Before you have any possibility of living a Righteous Life, you must first be Saved. Obviously. Right?

You must believe that He is God

"But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him." {Hebrews 11:6}

Makes sense. Does it not? In order to come to and Worship God even, you have to first believe that there IS a God to begin with. If you are ever going to hope to be Saved, you must first understand that you NEED to be Saved. You need to understand that there is something to be Saved from. You must believe that there is a God that Created you and loves you. You must believe that this God is able to, and willing to, Save you.

In Romans 8, Paul is talking to Saved people. However, he makes this statement.

"For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God."

If this is true, and it is, of Christians that forget to have the Right Mind, more on that next time, then how much more is it true for those who do not believe in God at all.

You have heard the Jokes. The actual true Stories. The sometimes funny. Sometimes sad, stories of people getting pulled over by Police for speeding. "Officer? I had no Idea that the Speed limit was 40. I would have never been going 70 if I had known."

What does the Cop say? "Ignorance of the Law is no excuse." You get the Ticket. You may even go to Court and tell the Judge the Same thing. "I had no Idea that the Speed limit was 40. I would have never been going 70 if I had known." The Judge will say? "Ignorance of the Law is no excuse."

What are you going to do? Seriously. When people asked me questions like, "How do you know you are Right? How do you go through life thinking that YOUR God is the only true God, or that there is ANY God at all? What if you are wrong?"

My response? "I would rather believe in God and come to nothing, then believe in nothing and come to God." Think about that for a second. If there is nothing, when we die, we die. We just cease to exist. OK. SO we just poof? We know nothing. WE are gone. There is no Heaven or Hell. Nothing. SO?

I spend my life trying to be a better person. I try to serve others. I tell people that there is a God that Created and Loves them so much that He laid down His own Godhood and came to Earth just to be abused, tortured, and killed, by those He came to Save. I die, I come to nothing? What do I loose?

Now think about this. I reject God. I reject Jesus. I tell you there is no Devil, No reason for a Savoir. No God. The Bible is nothing but a really old, Contradiction filled Book, the means nothing today. I die, and I find myself standing before God. Now what? Too late. Too late.

You see, you cannot serve a God you do not believe exists. Look at the Wording in one of the most famous Verses in the whole Bible. John 3:16-18

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved."

Now pay close attention to the wording of this next verse. Verse 18

"He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God."

God is a serious GOD! He is a Jealous God. He COMMANDS you what you can and what you BETTER NOT DO! He is watching. Watching and waiting for you to mess up. DO it. I dare ya. Mess up. Sin just one time and He will cast you into everlasting torment. Cast you into a Lake of Fire that never ceases, God loves you.

Nope. Just simply not true. What must you do to be cast into Condemnation? "But he that believe not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." Read that again. "But he that believe not is condemned already," Simply put. If you do not believe, you are Condemned already. There is nothing more that you need to do. Nothing more you need to believe or not believe. Why? The Sole Answer is "because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God."

Again, the reason is no more complicated than this. You cannot accept something you do not believe in. Jesus coming to Earth, Dying, more importantly, Raising from the Dead, is the ONLY KEY to Heaven. The ONLY WAY. There is no other way. No Religion can Save you. No Tradition can Save you. No amount of Compassion minus Jesus, can Save you.

"That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." {Romans 10:9}

Again, look at the Wording. "and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead," Notice the Word "AND" Believe in Jesus coming and is Lord, GREAT, but I'm not sure about that whole Rising from the Dead thing. Sorry, "AND" Also. Along with. See the whole dying and Rising from the Dead thing is kinda important. He came here to Die to pay the Price for us all.

Before you have any possibility of living a Righteous Life, you must first be Saved. Obviously. Right?

"Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God." {1 John 5:5}

Again? There is no other way.

Now, following this most important step, BELIEF, you can now start to learn how to have Righteous Conduct. Now that you have accepted the ONLY WAY, Jesus, you can now work on the Right Mind. Galatians 2:20 declares

"I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."

Do you know Jesus as your Savior? Have you been adopted into the Family of God? If not, say this Prayer. Right now. Wherever you may be. Say it in your own words, and do not doubt in your heart. God will hear you. He will send the Spirit of Life to you. Let us Pray..

"Oh heavenly Father, Lord God. I am a sinner. I know this. I know there is nothing I can do to change that. But I know you can. I accept Jesus's sacrifice for me. I repent my sins. Please send the Spirit of Adoption into my life. Help me to get to know the real you. Save me. Please. In the name of Jesus, Amen!"

That's it. It really is that simple. Now go tell someone what you have just done. "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." {Romans 10:9} You need to find a Church that God leads you to, and be Baptized the way Jesus said to be. You are now a Child of God. A new Creature. You "have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him." {Colossians 3:10}

If you want to tell me, or comment, question, give testimonials, or just say "Hi," the Email is opntalk@gmail.com

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen. {2 Corinthians 13}

Until next time, be Blessed, be a Blessing, and Jesus IS Lord!