Saturday, May 23, 2009

God is good

But you O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness. Psalm 86:15

You are forgiving and good, O Lord, abounding in love to all who call to you. (vs. 5)

I am reminded today of how good God is. No matter what circumstances we find ourselves in, he has paved the way and He never abandons us. Even in sin, He provides a way of escape - but He leaves that choice to us.

For you were once in darkness, but now you are light in the Lord...have nothing to do with fruitless deeds of dakness, but rather expose them...it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. But everything exposed by the light becomes visible...be careful how youlive-not as unwise, but as wise... Ephesians 5:8-15. (Also read Eph. 4:18-19)

We also have the chance to forgive, we learn from Paul that "what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel..." Phil. 1:12) His suffering and imprisonment were a huge trial for him, but he saw it as an opportunity. He forgave his captors and rejoiced even in suffering. Phil. 4:4

7 comments:

Tiffany Thigpen Croft said...

I could have gone on and on with this message, but was trying to keep it simple, so I will add here in the comments:
I do want to say and make clear that you have to ask for forgiveness and repent, it is not automatic.
God does require that you ask, that you come before Him with a humble heart. And you must first be saved.
Confessing your sins to him and acknowleging your need for a Savior. Which is only available through Jesus, there is only one God and salvation was a gift for all. You can accept this gift of salvation, it is a free gift - you only have to acknowledge that the wages of sin is death, no one is worthy of this gift by deeds or actions - no one.
A Pastor is not automatically saved, a "good" person is not - no one is righteous. We all need a Savior (given by God through His son Jesus) and once we receive this gift of salvation, it changes us from the inside, we no longer want to serve ourselves - but sin can still come in and take hold. We can choose to live in sin, though the Holy Spirit will call to you and there will be a way for you to turn from this sin, but God allows our free will - just as He allows us to choose or deny His free gift of salvation - if we choose sin (though we are saved) God will let us, He only intervenes through the Holy Spirit, and He wants us to turn. He will wait for us to turn back, He is always there - but He will let us go, He will allow consequences, even a humbling fall, we can seperate our peace (a restless heart and spirit) with God by our choices but we are never seperated from HIs love. (Romans 8:7-38)

So, we have choices - but God is good, He is sovereign, His timing is perfect, His word stands and we are told to stand firm on His word.
Not all things that happen to us are a consequence of our own sin -it may be anothers sin that has affected you. Such as the case with Gilyard, if you were abused by Him, God was not "allowing" this sin to happen to you to hurt you or punish you, Darrell chose this and Darrell is now finally facing his earthly consequences for this. BUT, God can still use you, He can use your pain (by the victory over it), He can use a mother extending grace to her daughters' abuser, He can use darkness to be exposed in order to show His light. He could rescue you, and for some He has, but He may have a plan for you that will come out of this great trial and tragedy - He may not have been able to accomplish it any other way, your story may be needed.
Again, you are more than conquerors! Do not let this label you, do not hide in shame and defeat - rise up and cry out to your deliverer, He wants to carry your burdens. This is a message of hope and healing, not condemnation and sorrow.
I pray for you, though I do not know your names - God knows.

Ramesh said...

My Utmost For His Highest - May 23rd.

CAREFUL INFIDELITY

"Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body what ye shall put on." Matthew 6:25

Jesus sums up common-sense carefulness in a disciple as infidelity. If we have received the Spirit of God, He will press through and say - Now where does God come in in this relationship, in this mapped out holiday, in these new books? He always presses the point until we learn to make Him our first consideration. Whenever we put other things first, there is confusion.

"Take no thought . . ." don't take the pressure of forethought upon yourself. It is not only wrong to worry, it is infidelity, because worrying means that we do not think that God can look after the practical details of our lives, and it is never any thing else that worries us. Have you ever noticed what Jesus said would choke the word He puts in? The devil? No, the cares of this world. It is the little worries always. I will not trust where I cannot see, that is where infidelity begins. The only cure for infidelity is obedience to the Spirit.

The great word of Jesus to His disciples is abandon.

Ramesh said...

The Hiding Place
(Psalms 32)
by: John Michael Talbot

1.You are my hiding place, O Lord
You saved me in my distress
You are my hid-ing place
You save me from distress
Y-o-u surround my soul
With cries of deliverance

2.Let every good man pray to you
In his hour of need
Flood wa-ters may reach high
But him they shall not reach
Let every good man pray
In his hour of need

CH: You are my hiding place, O Lord
You gaze into the se-crets of my soul

3.A hidden secret wastes my frame
I groan through the night and cry
Through the day
I will confess my sin
My guilt I will not hide
I will confess my pride
And God will forgive

CH: You are my hiding place, O Lord
You gaze into the se-crets of my soul

fin: You are my Hiding place, O Lord
.

YouTube > John Michael Talbot - You Are My Hiding Place.
(0:35 - 4:00)

Anonymous said...

Thank You, Tiffany. I was moved by your words.

I have been thinking so much about what the mother of one of the teenage victims said about her daughter. According to the jacksonville.com article, she said that her daughter now has a hard time accepting God as a loving
Father. She also said, "I'm not sure that my daughter will ever want to set foot in another church".

Tiffany, you said in your article:

"Such as the case with Gilyard, if you were abused by Him, God was not "allowing" this sin to happen to you to hurt you or punish you, Darrell chose this and Darrell is now finally facing his earthly consequences for this".

You are right. Darrell CHOSE this by his own free will. God did not tempt Darrell to do it, because the bible said he doesn't tempt any man. It is solely Darrell's fault.

God grieves over these things. Genesis 6:5-6 says: Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart.

I have sometimes needed to refer back to that passage when I ask some of the "why" questions.

In this case, what Darrell did and the pain he caused to this young believer "grieves" God. I also believe he is grieving because he is missing a healthy relationship with this child that has been damaged by this man.

The way this child is feeling about God and the Church is perfectly natural. This man was a so called "ambassader" for the Lord. He twisted the scriptures for his own gratification and molested her!

I ask that we pray for this child, that the Lord would draw her to a place of peace and to a place where she will see Him as the loving Father He is.

Thanks again Tiffay, for all you have done and the help you are providing!

Ms. J

Tiffany Thigpen Croft said...

Ms. J
Thank you for your words and concern, most of all thank you for your prayers!
Thank God alone. God is working and only He, through His strength, could use me in any of this, I am weak. I am amazed at how He works and how He allows things to happen and then works through people. We serve an awesome God!

-blessed holy socks, the non-perishable-zealot said...

As I tell all on this crazy, PC age, 'the world is whorizontal.' God bless you. Be at peace, y'heer? This, too, shall pass; we only have 88ish years VS. the sand of? in? the universe is how long eternity is. Be at peace. This, too, shall pass. Christ will wipe-out all bad memories when we git to the Great Beyond. I love you. See ya soon.

Anonymous said...

If Darrell Lewis Gilyard starts a new church... it should be named "The Blind Leading the Blind."