You Can't Forgive Yourself! by Myra Boozer

I have heard people say to a new Christian, “God has forgiven you, now you need to forgive yourself! That sounds easy enough. Have you ever tried it? I don't see myself having that ability to rid myself of the guilt. You will go around and around in circles with a sense of maybe I did and maybe I didn't forgive myself, with no real relief.

Truth is, "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit," Romans 8:1. When you allow God to forgive you and you receive His peace and His acceptance, the weight of sin and its guilt is lifted off your life. You should feel a release from the "forgive yourself" statement. If not, keep praying, allow God to do His complete work in you.

With many situations in our life, we may see that we come up short in what the Word says about right living. We can either go to the Lord in repentance or we can carry guilt and listen to that nagging voice of condemnation. Our confession and His forgiveness lifts our burden of guilt! Sometimes it's not necessarily a "sin" but a feeling of failure, error, mistake, or neglect. When we don't go to the Lord, sometimes Satan uses these BIG and little "boo boo's" to DESTROY us, filling us with guilt and giving us no way out.

As the guilt grows it becomes a weight and a hindrance to our testimony, all the while some may feel, "now I need to forgive myself." There are no walls, no barriers, or barricades to keep us from the cross on any given day. We are free to fall before the Lord and tell him all our feelings, allowing Him to deal with us, correct us and cleanse the guilt that tries to destroy us. This is the remedy for condemnation.

God gives a fresh new start with Hope and a clean slate with no guilt which Satan has used so viciously against us. The fact that we must somehow "forgive ourselves" is not possible. Satan is a liar and the truth is not in him. When God forgives us, He cast all our sins, guilt, and shame as far as the east is from the west. Only the Lord can take the Guilt away. We don't have that ability...

"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away; behold all things become new."  2 Corinthians 5:17 

The Power Of The Gospel Is Truth!

Paul proclaimed in Romans 1:16, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. 17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith:..” Paul declared boldly that the Gospel is the power of God to bring men unto salvation. The power of the Gospel is that TRUTH. That is the pure, undefiled TRUTH. It is that pure message that will set every man free who believes God’s promise and places their faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ.

Any deviation from the Truth of God’s Word will annul its power to accomplish its intended purpose in us and whoever we might affect. The only way to walk in the power of His Spirit is to embrace His TRUTH without amendment. Jesus declared to John in His Revelation 22:18, “For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: 19 And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.” It says what it says and means what it means. We must embrace His TRUTH if we are to hear Him say, “...Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord,” Matt. 25:21.

Jude is pleading in Jude 1:3, “...that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.” The Holy Spirit, speaking through the writer of this passage is calling for the Church to return to the Truth of the Gospel. Jude was writing some 40 to 50 years after the death of Jesus. The Faith which Jesus taught was being diluted (not containing very much of the original message). The TRUTH which Christ had preached and modeled was missing. It was upon this TRUTH that He established His Church and the gates of hell will not prevail against His Church, Matt. 16. It is upon the understanding of who Jesus is that He has built His Church! He is the everlasting Son of God, Savior of every believer, and soon coming King for all those that have made ready!

That is the message of the Gospel! That is the TRUTH! The power of the Gospel message is the TRUTH. Jude pleaded with the first century Church and the Holy Ghost is pleading with the present-day Church. He is saying repent and return to the Truth of the Gospel which Jesus taught and modeled. “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth;” 

Jesus Is Always Near! by Myra Boozer

“When I walk by the wayside, He is along with me...Amid all my forgetfulness of Him, He never forgets me.” Thomas Chalmers

Oh the days that I look for Him, the days I think, where are you Lord? I cry out to him, please come and fill my longings and let me know you are here. I wish I could remember that He is always near and never leaves me, but trouble overtakes me and my heart begins to break. Just for a moment, my forgetfulness rises up and I too despair as Peter did over the stormy weather. Peter was walking on the water to Jesus! Wow, but the winds were overwhelming to his mind. He must have actually forgotten the miracle that was happening right under his feet.

Matthew 14:28-31, "And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. And he said, Come and when Peter was come down out of the ship he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. BUT when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying Lord, save me."

How many times is God making a way when there seems to be no way? But one puff of wind from the evil one blows us right off track. We must be like Peter and CRY out in our desperation, "LORD save me." We must never forget that He is ever near when the enemy starts howling and putting up a fight. We must have our minds centered on Jesus and remember that he never changes. Jesus Is Always Near! "For he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." Hebrews 13:5 

Lord, Keep Us Safe Til The Storm Passes By!

Daniel 6:10, “Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime.”

The prophet Daniel was not so different from you and me. He lived in a time of displacement and captivity for his people. He struggled to remain at peace with his captors and remain true to the Lord God Jehovah. But, when he was forced to make a choice, he always chose God.

When Daniel knew that the decree was signed forbidding anyone to pray to any other god except King Darius, Daniel made an open show of his allegiance to God (Daniel 6:10). Daniel prayed as before! His prayer life was the foundation for his existence both present and future. When the enemy tested his love and loyalty to God, Daniel continued doing what he did every day. The die was cast and the pattern established. Therefore, Daniel held to his faith in God and God delivered him.

The substance of our life in Christ must be established before the storm comes. We must know that the foundation of our life is built upon Jesus Christ and all other ground is sinking sand. Therefore, when the trials of life test us, we continue doing what we have always done. We pray and trust God and He will deliver us once again!

God reveals Himself and our future in Him during these times of intense trial. It is during those times that we seek guidance and rely so heavily upon Him. He uses our faith and our dependence on Him to lead us into our future with Him! Lord, Keep Us Safe Till The Storm Passes By!”

Something To Think About! by Myra Boozer

If there were no God and no Bible filled with prophecy about the last days, what intelligent person would think that this world could last very long with all that is going on? When Nations are about to fall because of their economy and collapse because of debt...moral decline has hit BOTTOM...the earth is coming apart at the seams because of earthquakes and volcanoes...people are killing the innocent at an increasingly alarming rate...evil men have grown more and more corrupt in their deeds, hating and killing all over the world...disease and sickness are out of control.

What kind of future do you see? It is horrible, beyond horrible if time goes on! But for those who love God and have chosen to follow Him, He has made a way of ESCAPE. He is coming to take us out of this horrible and depraved atmosphere that has been created by ungodly men and women.

People have pushed God aside and want to create a new world with NO rules or standards of Godliness. It seems every day you hear more plans to confuse and turn our children and grands from the truth that God designed for us to follow and be as He created us to be. Every day sin is getting stronger in the hearts and minds of sinful man. Even if there were no God and no Bible...(WHICH THERE IS) this world could not go on the way it is going. Sin is like a cancer! It destroys!

The great news is that God spared not His only begotten Son but sent Him to earth to take the punishment for the sin of mankind. The ball is now in your court. You can choose to allow Him to forgive your sins and choose to follow Him or remain as you are and suffer the punishment of sin throughout eternity.

2 Corinthians 13:5, "Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?" Something To Think About!

I Need You, Lord Jesus!

My Lord Jesus, show forth Your Mercy! When I survey my world, I am troubled and distracted by all the events and conditions surrounding me! I need You to help me to focus on Your will for today. I need You to guide my thoughts, my prayers, my speech, and my steps. It is only through You that I can press through the darkness which surrounds me, darkness and evil so intrusive and pervasive that its goal is to take away Your very Life in me.

I struggle within this fleshly house, and I know that it is Your strength that will prevail. Rise up, Oh Holy Spirit, and exert Your ownership in me. Push back the darkness and evil that takes my very breath away. Breathe on me the eternal, sovereign, deliverance that only You can bring. Trouble may endure for a night but Your Joy will come in the morning. The darkness will be forced to retreat and dissipate as the Son of Righteousness arises with healing in His wings. Healing for the soul, mind, and body.

Oh God! Take me there, where no sadness or sorrow can exist. Lift me up above the shadows of this world and set my feet upon the mountain top, high above the battle for my eternal soul. Release me from the chains of this mortal existence and cause me to walk in the everlasting life of Your Eternal Promise. I long to walk by the still waters and rest in Your Divine Presence.

Oh, how I desire to escape this intruder sent to buffet me. He comes upon me suddenly and abruptly. He is not welcome here and I will resist with every ounce of strength until You come. And You will come to release me from the bonds of this flesh.

Bring the rain of Your sweet Deliverance upon my thirsty soul. Fill my mind, my heart, and my soul with Your Word of Promise. Cause the aroma of Your Presence to envelope me. Push back the evil and darkness. Direct me to walk in the light of Your Path and surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life! All I Need Is You, Lord Jesus!

Not A Death Sentence! by Myra Boozer

Psalm 16:11, "Thou wilt shew me the path of life; in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore."

Being on the wrong road does not have to be a "death sentence." It is sometimes difficult to admit, "I have made a wrong turn." The sooner one stops and checks the road map, the sooner one can get back on the right road headed in the right direction.

The same is true in our spiritual life. One must admit, I have taken the wrong exit, or sometimes just kept on going on the same road that was taking them further and further from the intended destination. Actually now is a good time to talk to the Lord and confess one's disobedience or whatever the distraction that caused the error. This is not an easy task but it is the only one that works.

People call it different things such as indifference, stubbornness, hardheadedness, to name a few. The Bible uses some words like rebellious, stiff-necked, blind, unaware, dreamers, complainers, those who have gone in the way of Cain. I think the bottom line is that those who have gotten on the wrong road just don't have the strength or the desire to stop and evaluate where they are headed. They go deeper and deeper into depression, loneliness, confusion, and heartache which can lead to spiritual death. All because they were not willing to check with the Word of God (The Spiritual road map). They move further and further from understanding what the Will of God is for their life. They can no longer reason out what to do and are overtaken by guilt from their failure in following the wrong road.

Being on the wrong road does not have to be a "death sentence." The Lord knows the way you should go. Cry out to Him in your despair and listen to His voice. When He speaks and gives you direction, follow His directions, the sooner the better. He can lead you out of your dilemma and set you on a straight path. A path that leads to a much better ride with a clear and determined destination of Eternal Life at the end of the way.