Thy Word:

Parable of the Hidden Treasure and the Pearl:

The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure that a man discovered hidden in a field. In his excitement, he hid it again and sold everything he owned to get enough money to buy the field.

Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant on the lookout for choice pearls. When he discovered a pearl of great value, he sold everything he owned and bought it! “

Parable of the Fishing Net:

Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a fishing net that was thrown into the water and caught fish of every kind. When the net was full, they dragged it up onto the shore, sat down, and sorted the good fish into crates, but threw the bad ones away. That is the way it will be at the end of the world. The angels will come and separate the wicked people from the righteous, throwing the wicked into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Do you understand all these things?”

“Yes,” they said, “we do.”

Then he added, “Every teacher of religious law who becomes a disciple in the Kingdom of Heaven is like a homeowner who brings from his storeroom new gems of truth as well as old.”

Jesus Rejected at Nazareth:

When Jesus had finished telling these stories and illustrations, he left that part of the country. He returned to Nazareth, his hometown. When he taught there in the synagogue, everyone was amazed and said, “Where does he get this wisdom and the power to do miracles?” Then they scoffed, “He’s just the carpenter’s son, and we know Mary, his mother, and his brothers—James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas. All his sisters live right here among us. Where did he learn all these things?” And they were deeply offended and refused to believe in him.

Then Jesus told them, “A prophet is honored everywhere except in his own hometown and among his own family.” And so he did only a few miracles there because of their unbelief.”

Matthew 13:44-58 NLT

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My Thoughts: Isn’t it magnificent to think that heaven is worth so much we will willingly sell everything we own to gain it? Yet, I know so many people who will not part with their past, let alone their belongings, to gain such a treasure!

I’ve seen several people pass away and they all had one thing in common: not one single earthly treasure left with them. The body may have been wrapped in the richest garments and jewels, a resting place might have been in the finest, ornate tomb, but it only houses an empty shell (our body) because the soul takes nothing when it leaves.

“For when they die, they take nothing with them. Their wealth will not follow them into the grave.” Psalms 49:17 NLT

“After all, we brought nothing with us when we came into the world, and we can’t take anything with us when we leave it.” 1 Timothy 6:7 NLT

Jesus warned: “Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.” Matthew 6:19-21 NLT

This last verse is more personal than I normally like to discuss. You see, I come from a family of hoarders. If asked they would deny they are hoarders because they consider themselves to be ‘bargain treasure seekers.’ Unfortunately many of their bargains hang in their closets with the tags still attached, or stay hidden in drawers never to be used until they rot or turn yellow from age. Worse, often those purchases stay in their original sacks on the floor alongside many more sacks.

When I realized the Lord wanted me to share a story about my Mother it made me incredibly sad. It’s honestly not how I remember her and I hope I can honor her in such a way it’s not the only thing you remember either.

My Mother (God rest her soul), became a terrible hoarder in the last ten years of her life. She and her husband (my step-father) had rooms that were inaccessible, hallways lined with filled boxes and bins, as well as cabinets and drawers that were overflowing. Their kitchen cabinets and the floor around their dining table were filled with every appliance a cook would ever want to try, and there was more food than either of them could ever eat. In fact, many of their food items were expired.

As a reminder, my Mother wasn’t always a hoarder…., but during what I would consider some of the best years of her life, her health took a terrible decline and she became mostly housebound. The claustrophobia and depression that followed increased her ‘desire to acquire’ and decreased her sense of logic. Yes, she was seeing a doctor but that is another nightmare story we won’t address in this blog.

After she passed away, we (her five children) and her late husband had to address the mess of the earthly treasures she left behind. They robbed us all from having a normal grieving process.

Sadly, every single thing she treasured either sold in garage sales for a fraction of the original cost, or were donated to charity. Our only consolation was that we knew Mother was in heaven where she no longer had to suffer from the physical pain and mental illness that brought on these unhealthy habits.

My Mother was the bravest woman I ever knew. She came from an abusive alcoholic family, and unfortunately she married an abusive, alcoholic who was also mentally ill (my father) and had five children. When my baby sister was less than a year old we escaped from him and Mother single handedly raised all five of us. She worked three jobs to make ends meet, and can I tell you the ends never met. When my older sister was 14 and I was 13, we lied about our age and went to work to help pay the bills. Two years later, my brother (at 13) did the same and he also helped with the rising cost of feeding and caring for a family of six. Life was hard, but the memories we all have are the sacrifices she made so we could have a better life, not those last crazy years where she fell into the trap of acquiring earthly treasures.

I suspect many more than just my family suffers from ‘storing up treasures’ in this world. Who among us have garages filled to the max with no room for their cars? Closets filled with clothing and shoes we never wear? Perhaps we have food in our pantries or food that will expire before it can be eaten? I bet there are many reading this blog who have also sought the wrong treasures.

It is time for us to let go of the things that clutter our home, our heart, and our mind, and consider the choice pearls we should be seeking:

• Memories
• Relationships
• Extending compassion for others
• Spending time instead of money

Jesus says “wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.” What do the treasures in your life say about the status of your heart?

This brings us right into the next parable of the fishing net. Jesus tells us we also need to take inventory and sort through our own fishing nets (the relationships we treasure in our lives). Are we keeping company with the good ‘fish’ and throwing out the bad? Are these relationships helping us to grow and become better people or leading us into a path of destruction?

Jesus says clearly: the angels will come and separate the wicked people from the righteous, throwing the wicked into the fiery furnace.

Every relationship we have should bring opportunities to grow in righteousness, and likewise, as followers of Christ, we are to be a man or woman who also teach and train in righteousness.

Our last parable seems unrelated, but it is one final warning from Jesus: as followers of Christ we will face rejection. More often than not, the harshest rejection can be from our own family or hometown, the very people who know us and love us.

If you read my testimony, I didn’t become a believer until I was in my 40’s and my children were grown and gone from home. How shocked do you think they and other family members were (and still are!) when I went from being a strong willed, fearful, bitter woman, to a woman who struggles to look and act more like Christ daily because He has called me to be different? It can sometimes be a lonely existence because many no longer feel comfortable around me.

I am not ashamed of my calling, I am not ashamed of the gospel, and I am not ashamed that I am a follower of Jesus. I wish I were a perfect example of what it looks like to be all of those things, but people, I’m still trying to get it right every day and it’s not always easy or painless. But, I will always choose Jesus first, and if I mess up, I get up, I ask for His forgiveness, and I try again. Amen.

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Closing Prayer:  

Father God, thank you for the reminder that we are to be very selective about the treasures we gather in our lives and hearts. I thank You for treasuring me and for providing me and my siblings with an absolutely amazing Mother. She showed us over and over how much she loved and treasured us next to You. I look forward to seeing her again one day in Heaven with You. Father, help us to know what relationships You want us to keep in our lives so we can remain focused on growing in our relationship and witness of and for You. Guide us and comfort us when we encounter opposition and rejection, especially from those we love the most. We love you, Father and pray this in the name of Jesus. Amen.

 

Thy Word:

Parable of the Wheat and Weeds

“Here is another story Jesus told: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a farmer who planted good seed in his field. But that night as the workers slept, his enemy came and planted weeds among the wheat, then slipped away. When the crop began to grow and produce grain, the weeds also grew.

“The farmer’s workers went to him and said, ‘Sir, the field where you planted that good seed is full of weeds! Where did they come from?’

“‘An enemy has done this!’ the farmer exclaimed.

“‘Should we pull out the weeds?’ they asked.

“‘No,’ he replied, ‘you’ll uproot the wheat if you do. Let both grow together until the harvest. Then I will tell the harvesters to sort out the weeds, tie them into bundles, and burn them, and to put the wheat in the barn.’” Matthew 13:24-30 NLT

Parable of the Mustard Seed

“Here is another illustration Jesus used: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a mustard seed planted in a field. It is the smallest of all seeds, but it becomes the largest of garden plants; it grows into a tree, and birds come and make nests in its branches.” Matthew 13:31-32 NLT

Parable of the Yeast

“Jesus also used this illustration: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like the yeast a woman used in making bread. Even though she put only a little yeast in three measures of flour, it permeated every part of the dough.”

Jesus always used stories and illustrations like these when speaking to the crowds. In fact, he never spoke to them without using such parables. This fulfilled what God had spoken through the prophet:

“I will speak to you in parables. I will explain things hidden since the creation of the world.” Matthew 13:33-35 NLT

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My Thoughts: Parable of the Wheat and Weeds: I love this parable because it represents believers (wheat) and unbelievers (weeds), and God is the farmer. When the farmer plants the seeds for his wheat and it first begins to grow, it can easily be mistaken for a weed. This can also be said about new believers. Why? It takes time before the growth and change in their relationship with Jesus to look anything like him. In other words, just because you become a believer today, doesn’t mean that your life will drastically change tomorrow.

It normally takes time and effort to change or stop our worldly habits and sins. Is God able to change us immediately? He absolutely can and still does today. But normally our change (to look more like Jesus) is a process which not only helps us learn and grow it eventually becomes a testimony for us to share with others.

The saddest part of this parable is when the time comes for the farmer (God) to pass judgment by separating the wheat from the weeds. When that happens, the weeds will be destroyed. As a believer, if our faith is sincere, we have nothing to worry about, however, it’s the weeds we should be sharing our seeds with in the hope that they too will become wheat! God himself doesn’t want anyone to perish:

The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent. But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief. Then the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and the very elements themselves will disappear in fire, and the earth and everything on it will be found to deserve judgment. 2 Peter 3:9-10

Parable of the Mustard Seed: The mustard seed is the smallest seed a farmer will sow. Jesus uses this parable to show that the kingdom has small beginnings, but will grow and produce great results. We are to never underestimate the size of our shared testimony or how we reflect Jesus. It can be a simple act of kindness, a smile at just the right time, or to simply ask ‘how can I pray for you today,’ that can grow into something very large for the Kingdom! Let’s commit to take the time!

Parable of the Yeast:  In this parable yeast is a positive symbol for growth. It may be a minor ingredient, but it permeates the entire mixture, and in time it will grow in size. The reality is good ingredients and bad ingredients have the potential to make something great or something rotten. The question is, what seeds are we planting into others today?

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Closing Prayer: Father God, I pray that I bury all of these stories in my heart and rejoice that when the day of harvest comes, I will go to the Kingdom of Heaven. However, I also understand that once I accepted you as my Lord and Savior, I also took on the role of farmer and it is my responsibility to share the seeds (Jesus Christ) while you take care of crop production (wheat or weeds) and what is going to be harvested. Father I pray today for boldness and opportunities to be Your hands and feet while I am on this earth. I pray this in the name of Jesus. Amen.

 

 

 

Thy Word:

Later that same day Jesus left the house and sat beside the lake. A large crowd soon gathered around him, so he got into a boat. Then he sat there and taught as the people stood on the shore. He told many stories in the form of parables, such as this one:

“Listen! A farmer went out to plant some seeds. As he scattered them across his field, some seeds fell on a footpath, and the birds came and ate them. Other seeds fell on shallow soil with underlying rock. The seeds sprouted quickly because the soil was shallow. But the plants soon wilted under the hot sun, and since they didn’t have deep roots, they died. Other seeds fell among thorns that grew up and choked out the tender plants. Still other seeds fell on fertile soil, and they produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as had been planted! Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.”

His disciples came and asked him, “Why do you use parables when you talk to the people?”

He replied, “You are permitted to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven, but others are not. To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given, and they will have an abundance of knowledge. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them. That is why I use these parables,

For they look, but they don’t really see. They hear, but they don’t really listen or understand.

This fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah that says,

‘When you hear what I say, you will not understand. When you see what I do, you will not comprehend. For the hearts of these people are hardened, and their ears cannot hear, and they have closed their eyes— so their eyes cannot see, and their ears cannot hear, and their hearts cannot understand, and they cannot turn to me and let me heal them.’

“But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear. I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, but they didn’t see it. And they longed to hear what you hear, but they didn’t hear it.

“Now listen to the explanation of the parable about the farmer planting seeds: The seed that fell on the footpath represents those who hear the message about the Kingdom and don’t understand it. Then the evil one comes and snatches away the seed that was planted in their hearts. The seed on the rocky soil represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy. But since they don’t have deep roots, they don’t last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God’s word. The seed that fell among the thorns represents those who hear God’s word, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life and the lure of wealth, so no fruit is produced. The seed that fell on good soil represents those who truly hear and understand God’s word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!” Matthew 13:1-23 NLT

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My Thoughts: Let’s begin by looking at the definition of a parable.

Parable: usually a short fictitious story that illustrates a moral attitude or a religious principle.

Our verses today are the parable of seeds told by Jesus which ends with a clear explanation of the story’s meaning for his disciples.

We all learn differently and Jesus knew a large part of his listening audience would be captivated by the stories and consequently be able to understand and apply them to their own lives. I believe the same truth applies today, don’t you? If someone tries to impart knowledge to me in a monotonous voice with boring details, my mind wanders or the temptation to yawn becomes overwhelming. On the contrary if the story begins with a situation that is interesting, I am hooked and it helps me apply what I learn to my own life.

However, what I find to be the most interesting portion of our verses are these words:

He replied, “You are permitted to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven, but others are not. To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given, and they will have an abundance of knowledge. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them. That is why I use these parables, for they look, but they don’t really see. They hear, but they don’t really listen or understand.” Matthew 13:11-13 NLT

“You are permitted to understand…” Isn’t that an unusual choice of words? Have you ever considered that God actually allows us to understand his words…, or not?

I remember an incident in my life when someone challenged me to read God’s word. I was not a believer and I decided to take the challenge but my heart was not sincere. I picked up an old Bible given to me by my grandmother and attempted to read from the beginning.

I made two mistakes: first the Bible was a King James Version which is not in a ‘voice’ that we speak today so it was difficult for me to follow and understand. Next I read while I was lying down in bed. Within an hour I was sound asleep and when I eventually awoke, I didn’t understand or remember a thing I read.

These two things aside, I also believe I had no understanding because the Lord did not permit me to understand and took what I read away from me. Why? My heart was hard against God and my intentions for reading the Bible were not honorable (I’m not proud of this, just being truthful).

If you recall my testimony (“The Power of Words,” a two part blog from July 2018), I refused to have a relationship with God because of an alcoholic and abusive father. It wasn’t that I didn’t believe in God, I was just very mad at him!

What was the most interesting to me is how Jesus explains the parable of the seeds and how much that definition mirrored my own walk with the Lord. Let me show you:

1. Seeds on the footpath-I first heard the message of Jesus when I was seven years old but I misunderstood the message and became hurt and angry. I believed that Jesus didn’t love me or my family. Therefore, I purposefully walked away from Jesus without going deeper and asking questions or attempting to learn more about him. I intentionally hardened my heart to Jesus.
2. Seeds in shallow soil-I had a mature, but young mom share the gospel with me when I about nineteen years old and also a very young mom. She couldn’t change my heart for Christ through his grace, so she attempted to lure me with the fear of the Lord by sharing stories about the Rapture from the book of Revelation. I misunderstood the entire message she was trying to communicate to me and only saw it as God taking my baby through the rapture because he was ‘innocent’ and I would be left behind. I loved my child, so I went through the motions of getting saved and baptized but it was nothing more than checking an item off of a list of things to do. I thought it was my ticket out of hell. Once I was baptized, I walked away from God and the church. I didn’t understand I needed to go deeper with God so my heart remained hard.
3. Seeds in thorns-There was a time I really did consider turning to God. My first marriage ended in a divorce and after intentionally spending time with just myself and my two children for a few years, I met the man of my dreams (he still is by the way!). It was in the late 1980’s and he was also divorced with two children. Being a man of faith, he talked about starting our blended marriage together in church. Naturally, I didn’t share my past baggage with him (people, don’t do this! It’s truly a miracle our marriage survived the many secrets I kept from him!). For the first time I knew my heart was beginning to soften towards having a relationship with Jesus. Even I recognized that in order for our blended marriage to be successful it was going to require we have the LORD on our side. We visited multiple churches and instead of being embraced by the church, we were shunned because we had a blended family. (I’m not making this up!) The ‘thorns’ we encountered from church and the difficulties we faced in our blended marriage were too much for this broken woman to handle. I hardened my heart again, but not just against God, against the church.
4. Seeds in fertile ground-In late 1998 through a series of events we found ourselves in church and my husband broke down and cried saying “this is what is missing in our lives.” I was clueless that anything was missing but I trusted my husband. Because of our past difficulties, my husband’s brother directed us to a contemporary church. We were not only accepted in spite of being a blended family, the pastor taught life applicable lessons, very much like parables. As someone who had never read the Bible his lessons helped me apply the Word of God in my own life and that created a hunger for learning more about the Word of God. In March of 2000, I really surrendered my heart and life to Jesus, and was baptized again. Now I am not just a Christian I am a follower of Jesus, and my daily goal is to mirror and share Jesus in my life. Sometimes I succeed, but sometimes I fail miserably. But I get up, dust myself off, and keep trying again and again. In addition to my goal of mirroring Jesus in my life, I have served Jesus in many ways, but I currently serve through my writing and in these blogs.

I am so grateful that my eyes have been opened to Jesus Christ and the gospel, but wow, do I regret the years I chose to have a hardened heart. My choices have caused a lot of pain and strife in my life and in the lives of our children.

Maybe you have a similar story? If so, please reach out to me today and let’s talk. I’d love to help you understand why choosing Jesus is the best decision I have ever made, and I believe it will change your life for the better too!

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Closing Prayer: Father God, I thank you for this very important parable that teaches how important our words are when we share the gospel of Jesus Christ. My seeds may have been scattered, rocky, and thorny in the beginning, but I am so blessed they are fertile for You now. May I continue to keep my garden fertile by sowing first in Your Word so my heart and mind are prepared before any word ever leaves my lips. Lord, if there is someone reading this blog and they need eyes to see, ears to hear, and a heart to know you, I pray they surrender right now. If they need more information, I pray that they contact me or go to a Bible believing church to get their questions answered so they too can be a part of your Kingdom. I pray this in the name of Jesus. Amen

Thy Word:

The Sign of Jonah

One day some teachers of religious law and Pharisees came to Jesus and said, “Teacher, we want you to show us a miraculous sign to prove your authority.”

But Jesus replied, “Only an evil, adulterous generation would demand a miraculous sign; but the only sign I will give them is the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was in the belly of the great fish for three days and three nights, so will the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights.

“The people of Nineveh will stand up against this generation on judgment day and condemn it, for they repented of their sins at the preaching of Jonah. Now someone greater than Jonah is here—but you refuse to repent. The queen of Sheba will also stand up against this generation on judgment day and condemn it, for she came from a distant land to hear the wisdom of Solomon. Now someone greater than Solomon is here—but you refuse to listen.

“When an evil spirit leaves a person, it goes into the desert, seeking rest but finding none. Then it says, ‘I will return to the person I came from.’ So it returns and finds its former home empty, swept, and in order. Then the spirit finds seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they all enter the person and live there. And so that person is worse off than before. That will be the experience of this evil generation.”

The True Family of Jesus

As Jesus was speaking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside, asking to speak to him. Someone told Jesus, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, and they want to speak to you.”

Jesus asked, “Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?” Then he pointed to his disciples and said, “Look, these are my mother and brothers. Anyone who does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother!”
Matthew 12:38-50 NLT

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My Thoughts:

Today we see the Pharisees asking Jesus to perform another miraculous sign as further proof Jesus is the Messiah. It was nothing more than a tactic to get Jesus to surrender to them, it was certainly not because they intended to change their hearts. These men have been following Jesus since the beginning and they had heard enough and seen enough miracles to prove he was more than just a miraculous healer yet they still would not change their hardened hearts.

Uh-oh…, as I typed these words above, I can’t help but ask myself: How many times have you, Cecilia, asked Jesus for proof when asking for a specific outcome in your prayers? Was my underlying desire for Jesus to perform a miracle or show me his majesty by doing as I asked? This certainly is a convicting moment for me and it may be for you as well!

Of course Jesus can do anything to prove he is who he says he is, but what we must also remember is Jesus is not our magic genie to perform as we want! Yes, it is absolutely okay for us to ask for a specific outcome but we must be prepared to surrender our will to his will. Jesus gives us a perfect example of this when he is struggling with fulfilling the will of God hours before he is captured and crucified:

“Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.” Luke 22:42

I love it when Jesus displays his human side so we can relate to him rather than believe he is so far above us he can’t possibly understand what troubles we encounter.

Instead of performing another miracle, Jesus reminds the teachers and Pharisees about the story of Jonah, a story that would have been told to them as children. (If you haven’t read this story, you can read it in the book of Jonah in the Old Testament of the Bible.)

Jonah was a prophet sent by God to the Assyrian city of Nineveh. Because they were a cruel people, Jonah tried to run from his assignment and ended up spending three days in the belly of a huge fish. When Jonah was belched out of the fish he grudgingly went to Nineveh, preached God’s message, and the entire city repented. By contract when Jesus came to his people (the Jews), many refused to repent.

The reference to the Queen of the South (Queen of Sheba) is from 1 Kings 10:1-10. She visited King Solomon, king of Israel, to learn about his great wisdom. As Gentiles they recognized the truth about God when it was presented to them. Jesus points out that he, is greater than Solomon yet the religious leaders ignored this truth.

Although Jesus was describing the attitude of the nation of Israel and the religious leaders, it begs a question that might make us feel uncomfortable. How have we responded to the truth and evidence of Jesus Christ? Do we believe like the Ninevites and the Queen of Sheba, or are we more like the religious leaders always looking for another miracle or refusing to believe Jesus is who he say he is? Worse, have we actually gotten comfortable with our sinful way of life, or to put it another way, gotten comfortable with our demons? Jesus expands on that in the next set of verses:

“When an evil spirit leaves a person, it goes into the desert, seeking rest but finding none. Then it says, ‘I will return to the person I came from.’ So it returns and finds its former home empty, swept, and in order. Then the spirit finds seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they all enter the person and live there. And so that person is worse off than before. That will be the experience of this evil generation.”  Matthew 12:43-45

Jesus cautions us just cleaning up one’s life without filling it with God leaves plenty of room for Satan to come back in. The first step is absolutely ridding our lives of sin, but being “good” isn’t enough to keep us out of the hands of torment from Satan. We must fill our lives with God’s Word, the Bible, to act as a shield of protection (Ephesians 6:10-19). Unfilled or complacent people are easy targets for Satan.

Jesus ends his lesson with a description of who belongs in the true family of God. He was not denying his earthly family, he was just showing that when we surrender our lives to Jesus we become a new creation and we are adopted into the family of God. He was showing that our spiritual relationships are just as binding and important as our earthly relationships. For a woman who was raised without a loving father, this gives me pure joy to know that God himself is my Abba Father! I praise God for that!

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Closing Prayer: Father God, what a joy it was the day I realized I was never a child with no father, because you Abba, were always with me. It gave me pure joy to say, my Father is the King above all kings! With this exciting revelation comes the reminder that as your daughter I have big responsibilities. Father I pray I do not shirk my duty but stay close to you in the Word and in my prayers, so that I may accomplish all that you have set aside for me to do. There are also some hard reminders today to be on my guard again the evil one who would love to take me down by reminding of me of my sins. However (the word we love!), when Jesus forgave me for my sins, he also redeemed me and reminded me that my sins are fully forgiven! Hallelujah! I thank you Lord for these words that teach me to beware of the evil one’s attempts to keep me imprisoned in my past mistakes, but because of Jesus, I am free from that nonsense! Thank you Jesus! Amen!!