HAVE YOU EVER BEEN REALLY HATED?

April 5th, 2012 | By admin

by Katt Anderson

Sometimes we think we are hated by someone, but have we ever been hated so much someone wants to kill us? In the Bible David was. He was hated so much by King Saul that King Saul tried for years to kill him. Why would someone hate someone that much?

God chose Saul to be king over Israelite’s. He was a handsome man. The Bible says in 1 Samuel 9:2 that there was not a more handsome person among the children of Israel. That’s saying a lot. He was anointed King and was a successful king for two years, then he offered sinful sacrifices. God was not pleased with Saul and began looking for a new king. (more…)

REAL FORGIVENESS

February 6th, 2012 | By admin

By Kevin Williams

Forgiveness is a biblical doctrine with which we are all familiar. We understand that we need forgiveness when we sin. We know that Jesus is the One Who provided the only means by which we can be forgiven, His blood that was shed on the Cross. And, we are fully aware that we receive full pardon from our sins when we contact His blood in our obedience to Him. What a feeling to be forgiven!

Forgiveness is not only desired from God, but also from those against whom we sin. We will go to great lengths at times to make sure that people know how sorry we are for offending them. We might go great distances, stop what we are presently doing and immediately take action, ask several times for forgiveness, and possibly spend much of the rest of our lives trying to “make up” for what we have done, out of a sense of deep guilt, because we feel so bad about our actions.

Forgiveness is not only desired from God and those whom we offend, it is also to be extended by us to others when they sin against us. Many times this is
where Satan catches us. He tempts us to NOT forgive others because we were so hurt by the offense, or because of our pride, or because we focus on the
betrayal of our trust in them, or for a host of other reasons. What does real forgiveness look like?

♥ Like an action from the heart because we have really forgiven from the heart
♥ Like we are not holding a grudge because we have really decided that we would treat others as if they had never offended us
♥ Like we are sympathetic because we really do understand that each of us
sins and how bad our sin makes us feel
♥ Like we are friends because we really do value our relationship as brothers and sisters in Christ too much to let inappropriate feelings hinder us
♥ Like God’s forgiveness of us because we know that He forgives us out of His great love for us and we really want to be like Him

Now, that’s real forgiveness!

Kevin Williams is the minister of the Walnut Grove Church of Christ in Benton, KY.

ASK AUNT MARY-WHAT CHRISTIANITY MEANS TO ME

August 9th, 2011 | By admin

Several people have asked the administrator to write more about “What Christianity Means to Me” and I am going to tell you what it means to me to be a Christian.

Today Christianity is taken lightly. People go to church maybe twice a year, on Christmas and Easter. Christianity is not to be taken that lightly. It is an everyday process. Something we live all the time, not sit in a pew twice a year.  (more…)