“For I will declare mine iniquity; I will be sorry for my sin” (Psalm 38:18).

David took everything to the Lord. If he was joyful he sang praises to the Lord. If his enemies attacked, he took it to the Lord and found his strength in Him. If he did something wrong he humbly went to the Lord in repentance. The psalm cited above is a cry from David’s heart. He had done wrong in the sight of the Lord and he was truly sorry.

Whatever sin David had committed had caused sickness in him and he was suffering physically and in his soul. He doesn’t say what he had done wrong, but the point is, he was truly repentant. God, our Father, is always willing to forgive. He loves us even more than our earthly fathers and wants us to come to Him in all things…even when we need forgiveness.

“If thou, LORD, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared” (Psalm 130:3-4).

David was a man after God’s own heart, but he was just a man. Like all of us, he was a sinner. But he was deeply sorry when he committed sin. He knew that if God kept a tally sheet of sins nobody could stand before Him. Even one “little” sin is enough to put an insurmountable gulf between us and our Lord. David understood that God forgives sin and this forgiveness isn’t to be taken lightly. God forgives, but we need to humbly ask for His forgiveness.

We don’t have to learn to sin, it is in our nature. Even children have to be taught right from wrong. If they see a toy they like they take it even if another child is playing with it. When our children do wrong we expect them to say, “I’m sorry.” But that doesn’t mean the child feels remorse. He or she may just say the words because dad or mom insist on it. Saying, “I’m sorry” and meaning it—are two different things

True sorrow over a wrong comes from learning what is wrong behavior and having a desire to do right. Asking for forgiveness humbles the one who has done wrong, it eases the hurt of the one who has been wronged, and helps the wrong-doer to think twice before doing that same wrongful act again. When we accept Christ as our Savior it should become of the utmost importance to learn God’s ways.

When we fail Him, we need to go to Him and ask forgiveness. A child does not lose the love of his or her parents when they do wrong, but over time and through many apologies—the child will learn not to take the toy. In the same way God teaches us repentance, and even more than our earthly parents, He forgives us. He loves us more than we can imagine and when we sin we need to go to God with a repentant heart and ask Him to forgive us.

Like children, Christians need to learn God’s view of right and wrong. Christianity isn’t a list of rules and regulations, but it is faith and a way of life. When we accept Christ, our sins—past, present, and future are forgiven and our salvation is secure.

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).

Yes, we continue to sin, but now we are covered by the blood of Christ. As we grow closer to Him we learn His ways and our desire should change from pleasing ourselves and living a humanistic life, to a strong desire to please God.

“If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us” (1 John 1:10).

Prayerful study of our Bible will teach us how we should live and to recognize sin in our lives. When we sin we need to feel remorse and ask God to forgive us. Our human understanding may allow us to justify telling a lie, but to God a lie is sin. To human understanding anger toward another person may be justified, but to God it is a sin. When we sin we don’t need to confess to a priest or any other man, only to God.

“For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 2:5).

It is important to go to the one who we may have wronged and tell them we are sorry, but only true forgiveness comes from God. If someone has wronged us we need to forgive him. It isn’t always easy to forgive someone, especially if the hurt is deep, but every Christian needs to learn to forgive others. Forgiving others helps both parties to find peace with God. If we withhold forgiveness our anger and hurt will fester and become a stumbling block for us.

We like to think that God is required to forgive us an unlimited number of times, but that we mortals are only required to forgive once or twice and only if we feel like it. Jesus says otherwise:

“Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven” (Matthew 18:21-22).

That doesn’t mean that we keep count and when we have forgiven a person 490 times we can stop. No, “seventy times seven” is a way of saying there’s no limit on the number of times we are to forgive others. It isn’t always easy but it is always necessary.

It is important to remember that when we have done wrong, either against God or against our fellow man, that we should not to do it again. We need to learn from our mistakes. The Pharisees were always trying to trap Jesus in order to condemn Him. One day they brought an adulterer before Him and wanted Him to condemn her.

Yes, adultery is a sin and was punishable by death according to Jewish Law. Both parties, male and female, were to be stoned to death. The Pharisees only brought the woman to Jesus and seemingly overlooked the man’s part in the sin. Jesus would not condemn her but made the Pharisees acknowledge that they were not without sin and they quietly walked away.

The Pharisees had only condemnation in their hearts, but Jesus had compassion. Like all sin, her sin was against God and only God can truly forgive. Jesus could have condemned her because she had sinned, but instead He chose forgiveness. The Pharisees all left the scene and the woman alone stood before Jesus, and He asked who was there to accuse her.

“She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more” (John 8:11).

Jesus forgives us our sins, but we mustn’t forget His admonition to “…go, and sin no more.” We like the forgiveness part, but it is harder to stop sinning. The apostle Paul addressed this issue in his letter to the Christians in Rome.

“What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?” (Romans 6:1-2).

Remember Jesus’ words “…go, and sin no more.”

It is human nature to hold a grudge and wish evil on anyone who hurts us. The question is, what does Jesus tell us to do?

“But I say unto you, ‘Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you’” (Matthew 5:44).

These words were spoken by God Himself. We are told to forgive our enemies. Jesus is our example and even while He hung on the cross He asked that those who had abused Him and crucified Him be forgiven.

“Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots” (Luke 23:34).

What wondrous love He has for us. You see, He looked down upon the Romans who pounded the stakes into His hands and feet. He also looked down upon the Jews who falsely accused Him. This was the very reason He had entered His creation. His sacrifice on the cross…His shed blood…is where all sinners, both Jew and Gentile, find forgiveness.

It was my sin and yours that held Him on the cross and His words of forgiveness are for us, too. When we sin we need to humbly go to Him and ask Him to forgive us. Then, we need to forgive ourselves. Sometimes that is very difficult, especially if we think that the sin we have committed is so horrible in the sight of God that we can never be forgiven.

“Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little” (Luke 7:47).

When we have truly accepted Him as our Savior the Holy Spirit is sealed in us. Even though we fail Him on many occasions, He is always willing to forgive us. Even though our sin is huge we need to learn from our failures and “…go and sin no more.” Forgive yourself, don’t repeat the sin, and serve Him.

Christians are people who have recognized that we are sinners and we can do nothing on our own to obtain salvation. Faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ is what allows God to forgive your sins and mine. When we truly repent of our sins and accept His sacrifice on our behalf we are sealed with the Holy Spirit and our salvation is secure. We have to mean it, though.

We cannot be like the child who takes a toy and only says, “I’m sorry” in order to please his parents. If you reject His forgiveness or didn’t mean it when you said you accepted it, then you have chosen to spend eternity separated from Him. It is your choice.

I’m so thankful for Him and His love for me. Jesus, please forgive me when I fail You.

God bless you all,

Nathele Graham

How often have we made the statement, “Nothing lasts forever?” Shoes wear out, a car rusts away, a house deteriorates, and so on. Even this old world will one day pass away. “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away” (Matthew 24:35). Although everything as we know it will one day pass away, we can be assured that God is eternal and His Word will live forever.

The Greek phrase “ou mē” is translated “not” and it is emphatic. It means “never, certainly not, not at all, by no means.” Too often Man wants to change or disregard God’s Word, but nothing can diminish God’s words…they are eternal. God not only established His Word as eternal but also His children are eternal. We, who are born-again believers in Christ, are eternally established in His Kingdom. Praise God!

It is hard to get our minds around the fact that one day the heavens and earth will be completely destroyed, yet the Creator of the universe has declared it so. Our peace comes from knowing that no matter what else passes away, His words will not… nor shall we—His children. In his second letter, Peter also states that heaven and earth will be destroyed.

“But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up…looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?” (2 Peter 3:10, 12).

If everything that we now observe as physical is dissolved with fervent heat then how will God’s Word be preserved? As the children of God, we should have His Word embedded in our hearts and in our minds; many of us fall short in this regard. Peter tells of heaven and earth being destroyed, but he also tells us what to do with God’s Word.

“But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear” (1 Peter 3:15).

God’s Word has endured since the beginning of time and is recorded in both the Old and New Testaments. Have you studied the Bible so that it lives in you? Sanctify His word in your heart and always be ready to give a God-inspired answer to anyone who asks about your faith.

Jesus is God. Born-again believers know this is a fact and are not ashamed to proclaim that truth. Jesus knew that His words would be preserved throughout all eternity within His redeemed. Many people believe that there will always be the written word of God available to mankind, but this is not necessarily the case. Today there are many websites that give great insight into God’s Word, but what if the Internet goes down?

When that happens, and it will, a good resource to gain Bible knowledge will be lost. What then? You need to have at least one Bible near you at all times. A good concordance is also important in order to look up the English words in Hebrew and Greek because there is a deeper meaning to God’s Word when understood in the original languages. It is important to have a sound knowledge of God’s Word. Study and learn, then share with others. Sanctify God in your hearts as Peter encouraged, and even if the Internet isn’t there or you don’t have a Bible with you, you will still be able to answer any question that is put to you regarding Jesus.

“Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD: And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the LORD, and shall not find it” (Amos 8:11-12).

God will send a famine in the land that will result in people seeking His truth but not finding it. How is that possible? Every Christian home surely must have multiple copies of God’s Word lying around. Some of those Bibles do little more than collect dust, but nonetheless they are there.

Remember what happened in Nazi Germany in regard to the Word of God? Bibles were confiscated and burned. God’s Word will never pass away, and burning our Bibles or not having the Internet will not negate or destroy God’s Word. God’s Word will endure for eternity.

“In that day shall the fair virgins and young men faint for thirst” (Amos 8:13).

Today we see young people, and even older people, at a loss to find meaning in life. So many people today turn to drugs, alcohol, homosexuality or witchcraft in search for a meaning to life. Are we in the days when there is a famine for hearing the words of the LORD? Everywhere we look God’s Word is being altered in order to make it more “user friendly.”

If God’s Word is diminished by Man then it ceases to be the truth and will not satisfy. The fair virgins and young men will seek to have their thirst for the truth quenched, but their thirst will not be quenched.

[Jesus said] “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled” (Matthew 5:6).

People are searching for something more than the shallowness of sin, but are Christians offering the Living Water and the Bread of Life? Are we withholding God’s Word from the lost souls of this world and thus allowing them to die of thirst? God’s Word will never pass away but it needs to be shared in order to give life to those who are searching.

As His children we have a responsibility to learn all we can about God and His Word. We must memorize it, understand it and share it.  If our Bibles were confiscated today, how many of us could still preach the gospel to all nations using actual Scripture verses? How many of us can explain the gospel to someone who asks us about the hope within us?

There must come a time in every Christian’s life when all the outside worldly distractions are laid aside, and God and His Word become the paramount influence in our lives. This is especially imperative now that we are so close to Rapture. Life will become more dangerous for Christians and we can already see governments and radical religious groups trying to destroy God’s Word.

It is illegal in many countries to have a Bible and even in America, Satan is making an all out attack on it, and so-called Christians are allowing it to happen. I suggest we all begin to memorize God’s Word so we can share it from our hearts. God’s Word will never pass away and we must do our part to tell the lost of God’s love.

Considering that God says there will be a famine of His Word in the last days, how can we ignore the fact that this famine has already started? God’s inerrant truth is being openly attacked. When God gives us His prophetic Word that says His words will go missing in the last days, He’s not kidding.

We can already see the corruption of His Word by means of false teaching and various Scriptures being re-interpreted in order to condone sin, but that won’t stop the forward motion of prophecy. These days it seems that everything has an agenda of malevolent intent designed to lead people away from God and away from His word.

Television, music, our education system, etc. all promote ideas and themes that are against God and His Word. This all is leading people away from adhering to God’s truth. What we see happening is an attack on the true Word of God. We must understand that the true Word of God ultimately resides in the minds and hearts of His redeemed.

When the Rapture occurs where will God’s Word be then? We will take it with us into eternity and there will be an even more devastating famine of God’s Word in this world. A world which will soon face the wrath of God. Yet God always preserves a remnant to preach His Word.

God has given us prophecy in His Word and allows those prophecies to be fulfilled. Everything today is falling precisely into place just as God said it would. We are being programmed to accept abnormal behavior as normal; we are being desensitized to what is against God’s laws as described in His Word. This is more evidence that the Rapture is very near, and then comes tribulation like nothing that has ever been seen on earth before:

“For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be” (Matthew 24:21).

The very near future is focused on re-inventing man; humans being changed into hybrids that will no longer be fully human. This is not a conspiracy theory. With very little research you can find information about this. Through it all God will preserve His Word. God will seal 144,000 Jews who will be sealed prior to going into the Tribulation period:

“And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel” (Revelation 7:4).

There will also be two witnesses:

“And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth”(Revelation 11:3).

They will prophesy speaking God’s words. Yes, God’s words are eternal.Study the Bible while you still can.

“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15).

God’s Word is eternal. Eternity isn’t just having a lot of time, but it is the absence of time. After we leave this life we will be in His presence and our faith will become sight. Until that time we need to study His Word in order to keep it pure. We don’t “edit” out the parts that are hard to live by, but we take all of it and apply it to our daily living.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the word was God” (John 1:1).

The “Word” is Jesus Christ…God incarnate. He existed before time began and will exist after time is no more. When a Christian dies he or she enters eternity—a timeless place forever in the presence of The Word. God’s Word shall not pass away.

God bless you all,

Ron & Nathele Graham