prayer warriors (following Jesus Christ, everyone welcome)

[birdsrfun]

One thing I love about this story is that the father saw the son returning "while he was yet a long way off" v 20. He was watching for him! He was not lounging in the living room, watching Days of Our Lives and heard the son knock on the door. No, no! He was up on the roof, shading his eyes toward the horizon. Watching for him every day. So God is watching for us to make that first turn in His direction. He runs toward us, with the robe of Christ's rughteousness, ready to fling it over our sins and filth. Ready to accept and forgive and absolve. Oh, what a God!

What you need to realize also is that men of that time did not run. That was seen as not an honorable thing to do. So, this father was not only looking for and longing to see his younger son, but when he did see him, he ran to him. He didn’t care what others may think, he ran to him. Jesus looks for us, longs to see us return to him, and he runs to us. You’ve got it right @BigBlueHen53.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

What you need to realize also is that men of that time did not run. That was seen as not an honorable thing to do. So, this father was not only looking for and longing to see his younger son, but when he did see him, he ran to him. He didn’t care what others may think, he ran to him. Jesus looks for us, longs to see us return to him, and he runs to us. You’ve got it right @BigBlueHen53.

That's cool, I was not aware of that! Thanks for pointing that out. God's love is amazing!

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Well, I just really want to say, that by God's wonderful, glorious, amazing grace, my family and I are alive and well and apparently healthy, and I am really thankful to have this thread where I can say this. So thank you. And I praise God for all of you as well, and I hope and pray for all your families and loved ones as well.

 

[Cryss]

An important part of this story is that the father, after so many years, saw and RECOGNISED his son from a great distance. No matter how long we are gone, no matter how far away we are, as we return to our Heavenly Father he knows us and runs to meet us. And here is the best and most favorite part of the story. The father grabbed his son and hugged and kissed him BEFORE the son asked for forgiveness!! Son could just as easily been there to demand more money or to kill his father and brother and take everything. It didn’t matter. The father , our Heavenly Father, forgave him, forgave us, before being asked for forgiveness. Forgiveness is the greatest gift from God. But we have to receive it. Who turns their back on a gift? The son still could have rejected his father, pushed him away, but he asked for forgiveness. He received his fathers gift of love. Man I love this story and its perfect picture of our Father! I could expound on it for hours.

One thing I love about this story is that the father saw the son returning "while he was yet a long way off" v 20. He was watching for him! He was not lounging in the living room, watching Days of Our Lives and heard the son knock on the door. No, no! He was up on the roof, shading his eyes toward the horizon. Watching for him every day. So God is watching for us to make that first turn in His direction. He runs toward us, with the robe of Christ's rughteousness, ready to fling it over our sins and filth. Ready to accept and forgive and absolve. Oh, what a God!

 

[BigBlueHen53]

And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

I like that the son actually began his rehearsed apology, but the father interrupted him. He knew his son was sorry, by reason of the fact that he had humbled himself enough to come home in his sorry state and by his opening words. That was enough. His boy was home. Dad couldn't wait to forgive him, to cleanse him, to celebrate, to rejoice. Do we treat repentant sinners this way? Or do we look at them sideways and go, "uh-huh. I give him two weeks before he's back on the bottle." Or, "Just you wait till she sees that cute fella from the other church, then her true colors will be seen." For the father in the parable, it was a done deal. No judgment, no questions. Just joy and acceptance.

Typo

 

[featherhead007]

Sunday: Pray with me....Lord I pray for all my friends, that we all come to a closer relationship with you thru this covid 19 stuff. That our faith is strengthened, and your everlasting love shines bright thru this darkness. I pray for the lost, who have not found you yet, and for the families of those who have passed away. I pray for the health of all our precious animal friends, and the health of ourselves and each other. In your name Jesus I pray, Amen.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Sunday: Pray with me....Lord I pray for all my friends, that we all come to a closer relationship with you thru this covid 19 stuff. That our faith is strengthened, and your everlasting love shines bright thru this darkness. I pray for the lost, who have not found you yet, and for the families of those who have passed away. I pray for the health of all our precious animal friends, and the health of ourselves and each other. In your name Jesus I pray, Amen.

Amen.

 

[birdsrfun]

Today’s message was that no matter how much we sin, no matter how many bad choices we make in life, God does not focus on those, but how He can use that for good. Our Pastor talked about the life of Samson. He made bad choice after bad choice. He couldn’t control his anger or his desires, yet God used Samson’s desire for a Phillistine woman as a way to use Samson to begin to free Israel from the Phillistines. (Judges 13:5) “for behold, you shall conceive and bear a son. No razor shall come upon his head, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb, and shall begin to save Israel from the hand of the Phillistines.”

God didn’t cause Samson’s bad decisions, but He used them for good. Delilah seduced and tricked him, cut off his hair, and he was imprisoned. The Phillistines brought him out in chains and tied him to the pillars. They mocked him. Samson spoke to God one final time to regain his strength, and he pulled down those pillars and brought the roof down on the 5 Phillistine kings.

Talk about a sinner’s life and consequences. This is a pretty drastic example, but when Samson turned back to the LORD, He listened and used Samson for good.

No matter how much we sin or make bad choices, God doesn’t focus on that. If you look at others’ lives and think that they are truly sinful or lost, God can use us all for good. We may seem unimportant, but in the bigger picture we are all important and God loves us all. He can take all that we do and use it for good.

I hope I conveyed my Pastor’s message well.

 

[ShrekDawg]

Today’s message was that no matter how much we sin, no matter how many bad choices we make in life, God does not focus on those, but how He can use that for good. Our Pastor talked about the life of Samson. He made bad choice after bad choice. He couldn’t control his anger or his desires, yet God used Samson’s desire for a Phillistine woman as a way to use Samson to begin to free Israel from the Phillistines. (Judges 13:5) “for behold, you shall conceive and bear a son. No razor shall come upon his head, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb, and shall begin to save Israel from the hand of the Phillistines.”

God didn’t cause Samson’s bad decisions, but He used them for good. Delilah seduced and tricked him, cut off his hair, and he was imprisoned. The Phillistines brought him out in chains and tied him to the pillars. They mocked him. Samson spoke to God one final time to regain his strength, and he pulled down those pillars and brought the roof down on the 5 Phillistine kings.

Talk about a sinner’s life and consequences. This is a pretty drastic example, but when Samson turned back to the LORD, He listened and used Samson for good.

No matter how much we sin or make bad choices, God doesn’t focus on that. If you look at others’ lives and think that they are truly sinful or lost, God can use us all for good. We may seem unimportant, but in the bigger picture we are all important and God loves us all. He can take all that we do and use it for good.

I hope I conveyed my Pastor’s message well.

Love this!

Reminds me of this song too.

 

[birdsrfun]

Love this!

Reminds me of this song too.

Awesome! ✝