Words of Forgiveness

            Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. Luke 23:34.

                The first word of Jesus from the cross is “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.” Jesus teaches us about forgiveness in the Lord's prayer. Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us - Matthew 6:12. When asked by Peter, how many times should we forgive someone, Jesus answered seventy times seven - Matthew 18:21-22. If we forgive people when they sin against us, our heavenly Father will also forgive us. - Matthew 6:12, 13.

              He forgives all our sins and remembers no more. For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more - Jeremiah 31:34. Bless the Lord, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases - Psalm 103:1-3. In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace - Ephesians 1:7.

             Let us forgive others just as Christ had forgiven us. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you - Ephesians 4:31-32. But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you - Mathew 5:44.

                                                            

PRAYER: Dear Lord, Help us to forgive others just as You have forgiven us. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Exchange At The Cross

 For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified - Hebrews 10:14.   

Jesus was punished that we might be forgiven

Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted - Isaiah 53:4, 5.

Jesus was wounded that we might be healed

But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed - Matthew 8:16, 17.

Jesus was made sin for us to be made righteous

For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him - 2 Corinthians 5:21.

Jesus died for us that we might share His life

But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone - Hebrews 2:9.

Jesus was made a curse that we might receive blessing

Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us - Galatians 3:13.

Jesus endured poverty for us to share His abundance

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich - 2 Corinthians 8:9.

Jesus endured our shame that we might share His glory

For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings - Matthew 27:35, 36.

                                               

PRAYER: Dear Lord, We thank You for giving Your life for us. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

The Fall And Restoration of Peter

 And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had said to him, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times” - Luke 22:61.

              Jesus predicted that Peter will deny Him three times. And the Lord said, “Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.” But he said to Him, “Lord, I am ready to go with You, both to prison and to death.” Then He said, “I tell you, Peter, the rooster shall not crow this day before you will deny three times that you know Me” - Luke 22:31-34.

             Peter denied Jesus three times despite knowing Him from the start of His earthly ministry. Then he began to curse and swear, "I do not know this Man of whom you speak!" - Mark 14:71. And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had said to him, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” So Peter went out and wept bitterly - Luke 22:61,62. Peter went out and wept bitterly. And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had said to him, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” So Peter went out and wept bitterly - Luke 22:61,62.

              Later Peter was mightily used by God. When he preached, about three thousand people were baptized and added to the church - Acts 2:41. He healed a lame man and preached boldly. They brought the sick out into the streets and laid them on beds and couches, that at least the shadow of Peter passing by might fall on some of them - Acts 5:14. Peter also strengthened the other disciples and became the pillar of the early church in Jerusalem.

                                                  

PRAYER: Dear Lord, Let us rise and shine for Your glory. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

He Prayed More Earnestly

 And being in an agony He prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground - Luke 22:44.

               Jesus went to the garden of Gethsemane with His disciples to pray. Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to the disciples, “Sit here while I go and pray over there.” And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and He began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed. Then He said to them, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me - Matthew 26:36-38.

              Jesus prayed and submitted to the will of the Father. He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will" - Matthew 26:39. He found His disciples sleeping and told them to watch and pray. Then He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “What! Could you not watch with Me one hour?  Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak" - Matthew 26:40. 41. Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful - Colossians 4:2.

           Let us not be anxious for anything instead but instead bring everything to God in prayer. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus - Philippians 4:6-7. Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you - 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18.

                                                 

PRAYER: Dear Lord, Help us to watch and pray. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Great Things He Had Done

               The Lord has done great things for us and we are glad - Psalm 126:3.

                    Let us praise and give glory to the Lord who had done great things for us by giving His son and yielding His life as an atonement for our sins. In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him - 1 John 4:9. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world - 1 John 2:2.

Sins were forgiven

For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him - 2 Corinthians 5:21.

Formerly His enemies, now at peace with God

And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight - Colossians 1:21,22.

Redeemed through His blood

In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace - Ephesians 1:7.

Saved by His grace

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast - Ephesians 2:8,9.

Entered into God's family

Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God - Ephesians 2:18,19.

Everlasting life

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life - John 3:16.      

                                                  

PRAYER: Dear, Lord, We give You all the glory. We thank You for all the great things You have done to save us. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.         

The Blood That Is shed For Us

He sweated drops of blood. And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground - Luke 22:44.                         

Precious blood

But with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ - 1 Peter 1:19.

The blood that cleanses us

How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? - Hebrews 9:14.

Purchased

Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.

Justified

Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him - Romans 5:9.

Redeemed

In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace - Ephesians 1:7.

Cleansed

But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin - I John 1:7.

Sanctified

 Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered outside the gate - Hebrews 13:12.

Peace

By Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross - Colossians 1:20.

Access

Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus - Hebrews 10:19.

Brought near to God

But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ - Ephesians 2:13.

Eternal Life

He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day - John 6:54.    

Triumph

They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony -Revelation 12:11.

Blood of the new covenant

For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins - Matthew 26:28.

                                                

PRAYER: Dear Lord, We thank You for shedding Your blood for us. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Restoration In Abundance

 Return to your stronghold, O prisoners of hope; today I declare that I will restore to you double - Zechariah 9:12

                The death and resurrection of Jesus had restored our relationship to God. And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight - Colossians 1:21,22. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, And uphold me by Your generous Spirit - Psalm 51:12. He restores my soul - Psalm 23:3.

              The Lord not only restored Job's fortunes but restored them in abundance. The Lord blessed the latter part of Job's life more than the first. He had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen and a thousand donkeys - Job 42:12. I will build you up again, and you, Virgin Israel, will be rebuilt. Again you will take up your timbrels and go out to dance with the joyful. Again you will plant vineyards on the hills of Samaria; the farmers will plant them and enjoy their fruit - Jeremiah 31:4,5.

             God will restore all we have lost and whatever the enemy had taken away from us in abundance. He will repay the years the locusts have eaten. So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, The crawling locust, The consuming locust, And the chewing locust, My great army which I sent among you - Joel 2:25. For I will restore health to you and heal you of your wounds, says the Lord - Jeremiah 30:17.

                                                       

PRAYER: Dear Lord, We thank You for restoring us everything in abundance. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.