If you have messed up, there's still hope- series

[jeremiah7]

IF YOU HAVE MESSED UP, THERE'S STILL HOPE- 1- MOSES

One day, after Moses had grown up, he went out to where his own people were and watched them at their hard labor. He saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his own people. Glancing this way and that and seeing no one, he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. The next day he went out and saw two Hebrews fighting. He asked the one in the wrong, "Why are you hitting your fellow Hebrew?" The man said, "Who made you ruler and judge over us? Are you thinking of killing me as you killed the Egyptian?" Then Moses was afraid and thought, "What I did must have become known."
When Pharaoh heard of this, he tried to kill Moses, but Moses fled from Pharaoh and went to live in Midian, where he sat down by a well. Now a priest of Midian had seven daughters, and they came to draw water and fill the troughs to water their father's flock. Some shepherds came along and drove them away, but Moses got up and came to their rescue and watered their flock. When the girls returned to Reuel their father, he asked them, "Why have you returned so early today?" They answered, "An Egyptian rescued us from the shepherds. He even drew water for us and watered the flock." "And where is he?" he asked his daughters. "Why did you leave him? Invite him to have something to eat." Moses agreed to stay with the man, who gave his daughter Zipporah to Moses in marriage. Zipporah gave birth to a son, and Moses named him Gershom, saying, "I have become an alien in a foreign land." (Exodus 2:11-22)(NIV)

Overconfidence, youthful zeal, crazy adventuring...call it whatever you will, but Moses lost much because of it. The comforts of the Egyptian palace, the honor and glory that came with being Pharaoh's daughter's son and much more. Was it a mistake or was that the path in which God wanted to mould him into being his servant? It could have happened differently, but God chose to use Moses' indiscretion to change his personality. No doubt there were blessings, like getting married and having children, but life in Midian must have been lack-luster compared to the royalty of Egypt. For the next 40 years Moses was in God's school of preparation for a ministry that would last another 40 years. And what a ministry that turned out to be.
SO IF YOU HAVE MESSED UP THERE'S STILL HOPE. REMEMBER, GOD CAN TURN YOUR FAILURES INTO SUCCESS.

 

[Boanerges]

IF YOU HAVE MESSED UP, THERE'S STILL HOPE

Indeed!!! Thanks for the good word my friend!

 

[jeremiah7]

Indeed!!! Thanks for the good word my friend!

Thanks Boanerges. Nice to hear from you again.

 

[jeremiah7]

IF YOU HAVE MESSED UP, THERE'S STILL HOPE- 2- JACOB

Then Rebekah took the best clothes of Esau her older son, which she had in the house, and put them on her younger son Jacob. She also covered his hands and the smooth part of his neck with the goatskins. Then she handed to her son Jacob the tasty food and the bread she had made. He went to his father and said, "My father." "Yes, my son," he answered. "Who is it?" Jacob said to his father, "I am Esau your firstborn. I have done as you told me. Please sit up and eat some of my game so that you may give me your blessing." (Genesis 27:15-19)

This true story is that of mother and younger son team deceiving the father and elder son. (If you are not familiar with the whole story read Genesis Ch.27). Jacob got blessed by his father by deceiving him following his mother's instructions. She was determined to fulfill God's plans her own way and finally had to send her son away from home because the elder son Esau sought to kill Jacob for stealing his blessings. Jacob landed up in his uncle's house where he stayed for the next 20 years. He fell into the hands of Laban, his uncle who was a bigger deceiver than himself. 20 years later, on God's directing him, he returned to his home land and had an encounter with God, wrestling with God's angel and God changed his name from Jacob to Israel. He fulfilled his vows and was blessed by God abundantly. If you deceive others and do not repent, the deception will come back to you in some way or the other; that's for sure. But there's always hope because the God who changed Jacob to Israel still lives. SO IF YOU HAVE MESSED UP THERE'S STILL HOPE. REMEMBER, GOD CAN TURN YOUR FAILURES INTO SUCCESS.

 

[jeremiah7]

IF YOU HAVE MESSED UP, THERE'S STILL HOPE-3-DAVID

In the spring, at the time when kings go off to war, David sent Joab out with the king's men and the whole Israelite army. They destroyed the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained in Jerusalem. One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing. The woman was very beautiful, and David sent someone to find out about her. The man said, "Isn't this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite?" Then David sent messengers to get her. She came to him, and he slept with her. (She had purified herself from her uncleanness.) Then she went back home. The woman conceived and sent word to David, saying, "I am pregnant." So David sent this word to Joab: "Send me Uriah the Hittite." And Joab sent him to David. When Uriah came to him, David asked him how Joab was, how the soldiers were and how the war was going. Then David said to Uriah, "Go down to your house and wash your feet." So Uriah left the palace, and a gift from the king was sent after him. But Uriah slept at the entrance to the palace with all his master's servants and did not go down to his house. When David was told, "Uriah did not go home," he asked him, "Haven't you just come from a distance? Why didn't you go home?" Uriah said to David, "The ark and Israel and Judah are staying in tents, and my master Joab and my lord's men are camped in the open fields. How could I go to my house to eat and drink and lie with my wife? As surely as you live, I will not do such a thing!" Then David said to him, "Stay here one more day, and tomorrow I will send you back." So Uriah remained in Jerusalem that day and the next. At David's invitation, he ate and drank with him, and David made him drunk. But in the evening Uriah went out to sleep on his mat among his master's servants; he did not go home. In the morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it with Uriah. In it he wrote, "Put Uriah in the front line where the fighting is fiercest. Then withdraw from him so he will be struck down and die." So while Joab had the city under siege, he put Uriah at a place where he knew the strongest defenders were. When the men of the city came out and fought against Joab, some of the men in David's army fell; moreover, Uriah the Hittite died. (2 Samuel 11:1-17)

The sins that King David had committed and the punishment for the same were announced to him by the prophet Nathan. He said, " You struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and took his wife to be your own. You killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. Now, therefore, the sword will never depart from your house, because you despised me and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own.' "This is what the LORD says: 'Out of your own household I am going to bring calamity upon you. Before your very eyes I will take your wives and give them to one who is close to you, and he will lie with your wives in broad daylight. You did it in secret, but I will do this thing in broad daylight before all Israel.' " Then David said to Nathan, "I have sinned against the LORD." Nathan replied, "The LORD has taken away your sin. You are not going to die. But because by doing this you have made the enemies of the LORD show utter contempt, the son born to you will die.

The punishment was quite severe and David's son, born of Bathsheba died though David fasted for the child for 7 days. Later his own son Absalom turned against him. David repented of his sins and the Lord forgave him. Psalm 51 sung by David speaks of his repentant self. David cried to the Lord...
Have mercy on me....Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin....Cleanse me.....Create in me a pure heart....Restore to me the joy of your salvation...
Adultery, Murder & Despising The Lord. David learned from his mistakes and was blessed by the Lord later on.

Yes, there's hope for you and me, because we have a loving Father in heaven and a wonderful Savior.
SO IF YOU HAVE MESSED UP THERE'S STILL HOPE. REMEMBER, GOD CAN TURN YOUR FAILURES INTO SUCCESS.

 

[jeremiah7]

IF YOU HAVE MESSED UP, THERE'S STILL HOPE- 4 - PETER


Then Jesus told them, "This very night you will all fall away on account of me, for it is written: " 'I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.'But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee." Peter replied, "Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will." "I tell you the truth," Jesus answered, "this very night, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times."
But Peter declared, "Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you." And all the other disciples said the same. (Matthew 26:31-35)
Later.....
Now Peter was sitting out in the courtyard, and a servant girl came to him. "You also were with Jesus of Galilee," she said. But he denied it before them all. "I don't know what you're talking about," he said. Then he went out to the gateway, where another girl saw him and said to the people there, "This fellow was with Jesus of Nazareth." He denied it again, with an oath: "I don't know the man!" After a little while, those standing there went up to Peter and said, "Surely you are one of them, for your accent gives you away." Then he began to call down curses on himself and he swore to them, "I don't know the man!" Immediately a rooster crowed. Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken: "Before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times." And he went outside and wept bitterly. (Matthew 26:69-75)

Jesus' disciple Peter was a failure, though before others he put up a front that he was a success. Jesus knew that Peter's heart was not truly yielded to him, though he did many things to please him (Jesus). Peter finally denied and disowned Jesus as Jesus had prophesied. Jesus knew that he would have to deal with Peter and he did so after he rose from the dead.

It happened like this....After providing a miraculous catch of fish to the disciples and after giving them breakfast....
Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?" "Yes, LORD," he said, "you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Feed my lambs." Again Jesus said, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me?" He answered, "Yes, LORD, you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Take care of my sheep." The third time he said to him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?" Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, "Do you love me?" He said, "LORD, you know all things; you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Feed my sheep. (John 21:15-17)

After this encounter and the experience at Pentecost, Peter was a changed man. Peter who was immature, impulsive & fearful earlier became mature, Holy Spirit controlled and bold. He led a life full of faith, had greater discerning and was God’s kingdom oriented.
What about you? Do you identify yourself with Peter? immature, impulsive & fearful...If you do, there's hope for you because the Lord Jesus who brought about a change in Peter's life still lives.

IF YOU HAVE MESSED UP, THERE'S STILL HOPE. REMEMBER, GOD CAN TURN YOUR FAILURES INTO SUCCESS.

 

[jeremiah7]

IF YOU HAVE MESSED UP, THERE'S STILL HOPE- 5- MANASSEH

Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-five years. He did evil in the eyes of the LORD. He rebuilt the high places his father Hezekiah had demolished; he also erected altars to the Baals and made Asherah poles. He bowed down to all the starry hosts and worshiped them. He built altars in the temple of the LORD. In both courts of the temple of the LORD, he built altars to all the starry hosts. He sacrificed his sons in the fire in the Valley of Ben Hinnom, practiced sorcery, divination and witchcraft, and consulted mediums and spiritists. He did much evil in the eyes of the LORD, provoking him to anger. Manasseh led Judah and the people of Jerusalem astray, so that they did more evil than the nations the LORD had destroyed before the Israelites.

Manasseh was paralleled by few kings in his wickedness. He was one of the worst, if one reads of all his sinfulness. Can such a man ever find redemption? Probably not...but read on....

The LORD spoke to Manasseh and his people, but they paid no attention. So the LORD brought against them the army commanders of the king of Assyria, who took Manasseh prisoner, put a hook in his nose, bound him with bronze shackles and took him to Babylon. In his distress he sought the favor of the LORD his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers. And when he prayed to him, the LORD was moved by his entreaty and listened to his plea; so he brought him back to Jerusalem and to his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the LORD is God. He got rid of the foreign gods and removed the image from the temple of the LORD, as well as all the altars he had built on the temple hill and in Jerusalem; and he threw them out of the city. Then he restored the altar of the LORD and sacrificed fellowship offerings and thank offerings on it, and told Judah to serve the LORD, the God of Israel.

Manasseh's story shows that there's redemption even for the worst, if they repent of their sins and wickedness and turn to the Lord and do what is just and right in his sight.
SO IF YOU HAVE MESSED UP, THERE'S STILL HOPE. REMEMBER, GOD CAN TURN YOUR FAILURES INTO SUCCESS.

 

[jeremiah7]

IF YOU HAVE MESSED UP, THERE'S STILL HOPE- 6- ZACCHAEUS

Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. He wanted to see who Jesus was, but being a short man he could not, because of the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way. When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, "Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today." So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.
All the people saw this and began to mutter, "He has gone to be the guest of a 'sinner.'" But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, "Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount." Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. (Luke 19:1-9)

Not right with God, not right with men, is how one could describe Zacchaeus. People called him a sinner. He was into cheating and had hoarded wealth and was unpopular with the local folk. Righteous "Chief Tax Collectors" were hard to find in his times and he was no exception.

There were things he couldn't redeem with his wealth and his height was one of them. The heights of richness in his life could not increase his stature. Wonder what spurred him to climb that sycamore-fig tree? Was it just curiosity to see the miracle man or was he prompted by God to be at the right place at the right time for a dramatic change to come into his life. His being there, Jesus looking up and telling him, "Zacchaeus, come down immediately, I must stay at your house today" seems to have been divinely arranged. Zacchaeus was a changed man, once Jesus came into his life. His transformation was remarkable and his statements,"Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount" speaks about his radical transformation from a "bad guy" to a "good guy". Jesus knew the change was genuine and so he remarked, " "Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham."

John the Baptist preached, "Produce fruit in keeping with repentance." and Zacchaeus' decision to effect change in his life immediately is a fine example of that.

IF YOU HAVE MESSED UP, THERE'S STILL HOPE. REMEMBER, GOD CAN CHANGE YOUR FAILURES INTO SUCCESS.

 

[stephen]

Good words of exhortation dear friend and brother in Jesus.

The woman in John 8 came to mind. The crowd wanted to stone her.

Jesus said "Let him that is without sin cast the first stone" She was in the midst....then no one stood around her, and she stood alone. No one was able to throw a stone.

Jesus said "Neither do I condemn thee"

This act of forgiveness....as with the many times Jesus said "your sins are forgiven" during His earthly journey......all this would be funded by His substitutionary death on the cross.

To the disciples Jesus said. "Let not your hearts be troubled........" "In my Fathers house are many mansions" Hallelujah...What a wonderful future.

To all those messed up with sin....Jesus offers hope, mercy, real joy, and grace. "Neither do I condemn thee" Where-ever folks are today in this life.....There is an answer in Jesus.

Blessed be His Name.

 

[jeremiah7]

Good words of exhortation dear friend and brother in Jesus.

The woman in John 8 came to mind. The crowd wanted to stone her.

Jesus said "Let him that is without sin cast the first stone" She was in the midst....then no one stood around her, and she stood alone. No one was able to throw a stone.

Jesus said "Neither do I condemn thee"

This act of forgiveness....as with the many times Jesus said "your sins are forgiven" during His earthly journey......all this would be funded by His substitutionary death on the cross.

To the disciples Jesus said. "Let not your hearts be troubled........" "In my Fathers house are many mansions" Hallelujah...What a wonderful future.

To all those messed up with sin....Jesus offers hope, mercy, real joy, and grace. "Neither do I condemn thee" Where-ever folks are today in this life.....There is an answer in Jesus.

Blessed be His Name.

Thanks Stephen for your comments & input. God bless.