Category Archives: Apologies

Accountability, Advice, Apologies, Bible, Choices, Confrontation, Encouragement, Gospel, Influence, Mentoring, Scripture

BAD INFLUENCE

GALATIANS 2:13

“The rest of the Jews joined him in hypocrisy, with the result that even Barnabas was carried away by their hypocrisy.”

It is not a good thing to be a bad influence. God does not look approvingly on that. I have to admit that before I came to Christ, I was not the best influence. I had some bad habits that I shared. I repented of that and have apologized to those I may have harmed back then. Even as a believer we can do that also. Let’s look at what happened in Antioch.

Paul begins to get in more detail why he had to oppose Peter to his face (as he said back in verse11). Because Peter stopped eating with the Gentiles, the rest of the converted Jews and even Barnabas, were influenced by him. The word Paul uses for “carried away” is only used three times in the New Testament. Once it is positive (Romans 12:16) and twice negatively (here and in 2 Peter 3:17). These Jews and Barnabas were led away by Peter’s negative behavior towards the Gentiles.

APPLICATION

Why did Paul jump in and confront Peter? Well, we will see more of the story in the rest of chapter 2. But to make a concise point – Paul had to stop the corruption of the Gospel. Peter and the rest of the men who pulled away were essentially adding to the Gospel. They were implying that you had to eat kosher to be right with the Lord. Thank the Lord that didn’t hold up. I love bacon, lol.

Another story of bad influence was told in the book of Acts when Ananias made the plan with his wife Sapphira to lie to Peter about their land sale. Read Acts 5:1-11 for the full story. This decision to follow her husband in this lie cost Sapphira her life. When we influence people in a negative manner, it may not cost them their physical life, but it could spiritually. If unbelievers don’t see a difference in us because of Jesus, they may be influenced to not listen to the drawing of the Holy Spirit in their own lives, thus costing them eternity with Christ.

Who will you influence today? You have the opportunity to be Jesus to someone. You may influence a neighbor by the way you speak to them on the street. You may influence a fellow believer by sharing a prayer request with them or praying with them. We have a high calling. Be an influencer – only in a positive way.

Lord, give me the opportunity today to influence someone to follow Jesus – not me.

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Affection, Affliction, Altars, Apologies, Bible, Bitterness, Crying, Emotions, Flesh, Forgiveness, God's Will, Grace, Relationships, Scripture

WHAT A SHAME!

MALACHI 2:13

“And this is another thing you do: you cover the altar of the LORD with tears, with weeping and sighing, because He no longer gives attention to the offering or accepts it with favor from your hand.”

Our sinful behavior has effects on others. Sometimes we are not aware of the effect. Other times we are well aware. We see the damage it causes. We hear the anguish in the other person’s voice. The hurt we cause because of our sins weighs heavy on the Lord. He sees their hurt and holds us accountable.

The Pulpit Commentary says this about this verse, “Not only did they marry heathen females, but they divorced their own legitimate wives to facilitate such unholy alliances.” Thus, the tears that are staining the altar come from the priests’ legitimate wives whom they have divorced in order to marry the foreign, idolatrous wives. It was a travesty that Ezra dealt with earlier, but they had lapsed back into.

APPLICATION

Is this you? Have you caused someone else harm by your actions? If so, repent of that. Ask forgiveness of both God and them. There is nothing sweeter than forgiveness when it is offered and received, when two parties are able to mend their broken relationship. God is pleased by such expressions of agape love.

Look back at today’s verse at the last phrase. It says, “because He no longer gives attention to the offering or accepts it with favor from your hand.” Our blindness to unforgiveness and unrepentance leads to this. God will not accept our offerings. God will not hear our cries to Him. Our sin separates us from the very One we need most.

If you have ever experienced such an event, you know how painful it can be. To be unforgiven or to be unrepentant can lead to hardness and callousness. Only God can break through this. Matthew 6:14 says to us, “For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you,” We also read in Colossians 3:13 we read, “Bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.” Be like Jesus this week. Make things right with someone whom you have offended or has offended you. That makes God smile.

Lord, forgiveness is hard, it seems. But You sent Your Son to die to forgive me. Now, that’s hard.

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Admonished, Apologies, Battles, Bible, Confession, Family, Forgiveness, God's Will, Hurts, Love, Power, Reconciled, Restoration, Scripture

SIN IN THE FAMILY

MALACHI 2:10

“Do we not all have one Father? Is it not one God who has created us? Why do we deal treacherously, each against his brother so as to profane the covenant of our fathers?”

Family dynamics are hard. Some families seem to have no troubles at all from the outside. But if you were able to peer into the real family, you would see hurt feelings and squabbles. Why? Why do families, who share the same blood, fight and not get along. It’s simple – it’s called sin. Period! Exclamation mark!

Look at today’s verse. Malachi points out the failure of the people. When he says, “Do we not all have one Father,” he may be thinking about the Shema Israel in Deuteronomy 6:4. “Hear, Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one!” They were in the same family – God’s family. God had called them His people. But they were sinning against each other which was in effect sinning against God.

APPLICATION

Isaiah 6:5 says, “Then I said, ‘Woe to me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of armies.’” That is why we sin against each other. Isaiah saw it. We are all sinful creatures. In our case, as believers, we have the solution to all this sin – Jesus. He has covered our sins. He has given us the power to stop blaming our sins on someone else.

I believe Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 12:26 applies here. “And if one part of the body suffers, all the parts suffer with it; if a part is honored, all the parts rejoice with it.” Just as we all cheer for our family member who gets that award or makes the game-winning score, we also all suffer when one family member is fighting with another. This kind of in-fighting can kill a family.

There is only one solution to this – return to the foot of the cross. Forgive one another. Reconcile the family. When we “deal treacherously” with each other, whether it was intentional or accidental, the wounds are real and must be dealt with. Come together to Jesus. He can heal all wounds because He was wounded for us.

Father, forgive our in-fighting as family. Help us show love and compassion to each other daily.

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Accountability, Apologies, Bible, Confession, Forgiveness, Guilt, Repentance, Scripture

A SECOND WOE

HABAKKUK 2:12

“‘Woe to him who builds a city with bloodshed, and founds a town with violence!’”

Any abuse of others to further your own agenda is frowned upon by God. He not only disapproves of it, but He will punish the wrong doers. Unfortunately, in my 40+ years of ministry, I have seen this take place over and over. I have to trust that God will seek His vengeance when His time is right.

The Lord states His second woe against the Chaldeans and states that because they have built their cities large and strong on the backs of others, they will suffer His wrath at the appropriate time. We do not understand why God tarries in His judgment, but we have to be faithful during the times of testing.

APPLICATION

Are there people in your life you have wronged? Have you done them an injustice and you think you are getting away with it? Take note of today’s verse. You have time now to make amends. You can make things right. You can confess your sins and seek forgiveness.

Too many of us, myself included at times, look right past those we have hurt. We either are not aware of the pain we have caused or we are just calloused to it. Jesus tells us to go and make things right with those we have hurt before we bring our offerings to God.

Will you ask the Lord today if there is someone you need to ask for their forgiveness? Go to them and do that. Perhaps you can’t recall anyone you have harmed. Then pray for all those you know who have been harmed by others. Ask the Lord to convict the wrong doer(s) to make things right.

Father, show me my sins against anyone I have hurt unknowingly so that I can confess that and do what is right.

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Abiding, Accountability, Apologies, Bible, Confession, Forgiveness, God's Will, Godliness, Guilt, Judgment, Redemption, Scripture, Sin

SIN TRAVELS 

MICAH 1:9 

“For her wound is incurable, for it has come to Judah; it has reached the gate of my people, even to Jerusalem.” 

It is unfortunate, but our sin does not just affect us. It has the nasty side effect of infecting other people. I can remember “leaking” my sin on others. Before I came to Christ, my lifestyle was not good. I led others into the same sins I was committing. For that I am forever sorry. I have spoken to most, if not all, of those individuals and asked them to forgive me. 

Israel’s sins made the journey to Judah. They were influenced by their pagan worship. They, in fact, welcomed it. So, now the punishment that was going to fall on Israel would also come upon Judah. Sin is always followed by judgment. It may not happen right away, but it will come. 

APPLICATION 

It just makes sense to not spread your sin. Better yet, just don’t sin. Right? Well, that’s easier said than done, Carl. Oh, how I know. I try every day to avoid sin, but it always seems to find me. It just jumps on me. I am like a sin magnet. My heart is to avoid it and run to God. Most of the time I am successful doing that. But there are times… 

So, when your sin travels down the road and affects someone else, what do you do? One – you ask the Lord to forgive you. Two – you ask the person you affected with your sin to forgive you. Three – you put things into place to help you avoid that situation again. 

We may not be able to avoid all sin, but we can sure do our part to put barriers in front of it. I truly believe we can live lives that honor our Lord without the guilt of sin. If we are seeking Him with all our hearts and spending time with Him each day, the Holy Spirit will lead us in godly living, not sinful behavior. What barriers do you need to build today to protect yourself from that? 

O Lord, I praise You that Your Holy Spirit convicts and guides me. Help me to listen quickly. 

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Abiding, Accused, Apologies, Bible, Blessing, Consequences, Forgiveness, God's Will, Scripture, Thoughts, Truth, Understanding

MISUNDERSTANDINGS

JONAH 4:6

“So the LORD God designated a plant, and it grew up over Jonah to be a shade over his head, to relieve him of his discomfort. And Jonah was overjoyed about the plant.”

Don’t you hate it when you have a misunderstanding with someone? They did something, but you took it wrong. Words are exchanged before the real motive is revealed. Then when it is, you feel embarrassed that you overreacted. This happens all the time.

Well…Jonah had a misunderstanding with God about this plant. He was “overjoyed” that God had provided this miraculous, fast-growing plant to give him shade. He mistakenly took that to mean God was favoring him and his actions. God was favoring him, but not for the reason Jonah thought. God wanted Jonah to sit right there and watch Him work according to His plan, not Jonah’s wishes.

APPLICATION

Perhaps you have had a misunderstanding with God. You may think you are God’s gift to mankind. You think He has favored you above everyone else. You would not be wise to think that. God does show us favor, but it is usually not because we have done anything to deserve it. He just loves us.

Or perhaps you think God does not love you because He has not blessed you. Your understanding of God depends on God giving you stuff. God will bless us according to His will. But once again, it is not because of anything we have done.

We all need to have a correct understanding of God. That begins with understanding that without Jesus as our Savior, we are all doomed to eternal destruction. But once we make that all important decision to follow Jesus, we are in God’s family. He will protect and defend us. He will bring us through the hard times. And yes, He will bless us. Aren’t you ready to follow Him today?

I love You, Lord, and I lift my voice to worship You. O my soul rejoice.

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Alone, Apologies, Bible, Calling, Choices, Commitment, Confidence, Discipline, Modeling, Scripture, Testimony

EVEN THE LOST

JONAH 1:6

“So the captain approached him and said, ‘How is it that you are sleeping? Get up, call on your god! Perhaps your god will be concerned about us so that we will not perish.’”

Testifying about what Christ has done in your life is more than just words. Your actions speak loudly. If your lifestyle doesn’t match what you are saying, nonbelievers will mock you and reject your message. We all mess up and do stupid things, but if you are outwardly showing a different message, this can be confusing.

The captain of the ship must have known Jonah believed in something. Most people back then had some god they worshipped. The sailors had been calling on their gods without any result. Perhaps Jonah’s god (notice I put a little “g” there) could help. I don’t believe the captain knew just who Jonah worshipped.

APPLICATION

Our testimony is huge. Who do we think we are? We can’t live one way and testify to the other. I have messed up in the past. I have said and done things in the presence of nonbelievers that did not honor my Savior. I have asked God for forgiveness of that and have tried my best, through the power of the Holy Spirit, not to do it again.

We can’t ignore our impact on the world around us. Christians are  watched so closely. We have to live like Jesus. We have to strive to be sinless. I know, that’s not possible. But we should be trying to live that way instead of choosing sin. Right?

As I said, I have blown it in the past. I wish I could take it all back, but I can’t. All I can do is live better, live holier. Through Christ we all can. 1 Corinthians 10:13 says, “No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man, but God is faithful. He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. And when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.”

O Father, let me stand tall and alert to represent You at all times. When I fail, forgive me. Help me trust Your strength.

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Affection, Apologies, Betrayal, Bible, Bitterness, Confrontation, Deceit, Enemies, Family, Forgiveness, God's Will, Love, Modeling, Relationships

HOW DARE YOU

OBADIAH 11

“‘On the day that you stood aloof, on the day that strangers carried off his wealth, and foreigners entered his gate and cast lots for Jerusalem—You too were as one of them.’”

I recently heard about the arrest and prosecution of a church secretary who had embezzled hundreds of thousands of dollars over a two decade period. She had literally stolen from her church family. Someone they thought could be trusted was lured to the other side and was enticed to sin against her church family and God.

Edom had done the same, but even worse. Instead of coming to the defense of their family (Jacob), they actually took part in the ransacking of that nation. They turned their backs on family for the lure of riches. Now God was judging them for this. How dare they do this!

APPLICATION

We must stay connected with family, whether that be our earthly, biological families or our spiritual family. Family is important. Those bonds are special. There’s a Greek word that is used only once in Romans 12:10. It’s translated as “be devoted” but it is really an adjective. It comes from two Greek words for love – philos and storges. It is a brotherly love to family.

Philos is the brotherly love word. Philadelphia gets its name from the same root word. Storges is the word for family. Are you practicing this family love today? Is there a rift in your family bonds? We both know the cause of that – sin. It may be on your part or someone else’s. Either way, it is a sin which needs to be dealt with.

May I encourage you today to rectify any issues in your families – earthly or spiritual? Time is short, beloved. We need to treat each day as if it is our last. Don’t waste time on petty arguments and dissensions. Lay them all at His feet today.

You are the Master Peace Maker. Use Your Holy Spirit to repair any relationships in my life today.

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Accountability, Advice, Agreement, Apologies, Bible, Consequences, Devout, Discipline, Examples, God's Will, Judgment, Modeling, Promises, Testimony

PROMISES MADE, PROMISES KEPT

AMOS 9:8

“‘Behold, the eyes of the Lord GOD are on the sinful kingdom, and I will eliminate it from the face of the earth; nevertheless, I will not totally eliminate the house of Jacob,’ declares the LORD.”

Are you a good promise keeper? We have all broken promises at some point in our lives. It may have been a small, minor promise, but it was still a promise. I try not to make promises I can’t keep. I don’t want to set myself up for failure.

Failure was and never will be an option for our God. He had made a promise to Abraham, the grandfather of Jacob. He promised him a land, a son and a nation. Now, as the nation of Israel was deserting Him and facing judgment, God reminds them of that promise. Jacob (also known as Israel) would be remembered and not totally destroyed.

APPLICATION

Let me encourage you today to keep your promises. Maybe you only promised your child an ice cream cone. Go get it. Maybe you promised your spouse a weekend away. Go! Maybe your promise is more serious like your wedding vows. Those must be kept.

Whatever promise you made, keep it. A vow made should be a vow kept. After all, as a believer, you are representing your Savior. How you keep promises reflects on Him. I think if we understood that fully, there would be fewer promises broken.

Aren’t you glad God keeps His promises? One of my newest, favorite verses is found in Joshua. Joshua 21:45 says, “Not one of the good promises which the Lord had made to the house of Israel failed; all came to pass.” You can take God’s promises to the bank. They are for sure.

Lord God, I am so thankful Your promises are true and faithful. I rest knowing I can count on You.

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Abuse, Apologies, Bible, Conceit, Condemnation, Guilt, Judgment

FLIP FLOPS

AMOS 8:6

“So as to buy the helpless for money, and the needy for a pair of sandals, and that we may sell the refuse of the wheat?”

I remember getting my first pair of flip flops. You know those shoes that just have a place that fits between your big toe and your second toe and is usually made of rubber. I loved those flip flops. I loved the way they sounded when you walked in them. That distinctive flip flop, flip flop could be heard all around. One thing about those shoes, though. The cheap rubber ones didn’t last very long. They weren’t worth very much.

I don’t know why, but that’s the image I got when I read this verse today. The rich and powerful people in Israel were treating the poor and needy like a cheap pair of flip flops. Use them and them throw them away. They looked down on them and really abused them. This was another reason God was judging them.

APPLICATION

I pray you would never treat someone like a cheap pair of flip flops. It’s demeaning and cruel. But people do it all the time. Even people in the church can be guilty of this. People in positions of power can take advantage of those who serve under them. Instead of shepherding them, they abuse them.

We need to see everyone through God’s eyes. He sent His Son to die for every single person we encounter. There is not a soul on planet earth who wasn’t the object of God’s love when Jesus came to save us. If God values them that much, shouldn’t we do the same.

The older I get the more I see the sins of my life. I have been guilty of looking down on others. It may be in jest to begin with, but it can rapidly become a serious thing. I have asked the Lord to forgive me for those actions in the past. Will you do the same? Ask Him to reveal your sins to you. He will and then make them right.

O Lord, my God! I beg Your forgiveness for every belittling one of Your creations. Help me see others as You see them.

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