Wednesday, January
3, 2018
Good morning! And
may I just share that today is my mother’s birthday! Happy Birthday, Mom! I
love You and pray a special blessing over you! Friends, I am so excited to
share from Celebration of Discipline today. I pray you are able to also feel
excited about what the Lord has ministered about confession. May your day be
crowned with peace, joy and love as you study His truth and His Word, and pray
for our children together. God bless you today!
Reflections on
Celebration of Discipline by Richard J. Foster
The Discipline of
Confession Part 2: The Authority of the Believer to Forgive
Scripture:
John 20:23
“… If
you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold
forgiveness from any, it is withheld.”
Isaiah 61:6
But you will be called
the priests of the LORD; You will be spoken of as ministers of our God You will
eat the wealth of nations, And in their riches you will boast.
Revelation 1:6
…and He has made us
to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father--to Him be the glory and the
dominion forever and ever. Amen.
1 Peter 2:9
9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy
nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies
of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
Excerpt:
God has given us our
brothers and sisters to stand in Christ’s stead and make God’s presence and
forgiveness real to us.
The followers of
Jesus Christ have been given the authority to receive the confession of sin and
to forgive it in his name. “If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven;
if you retain the sins of any, they are retained” (John 20: 23). What a
wonderful privilege! Why do we shy away from such a life-giving ministry? If
we, not out of merit but sheer grace, have been given the authority to set
others free, how dare we withhold this great gift! Dietrich Bonhoeffer writes,
“Our brother… has been given to us to help us. He hears the confession of our sins
in Christ’s stead and he forgives our sins in Christ’s name. He keeps the
secret of our confession as God keeps it. When I go to my brother to confess, I
am going to God.” Such authority in no way threatens the value or efficacy of
private confession. It is a wonderful truth that the individual can break
through into new life in the cross without the aid of any human mediator.
(Foster, Richard J..
Celebration of Discipline: The Path To Spiritual Growth (p. 147, pp 145-146).
HarperCollins. Kindle Edition.)
Devotional:
Confession is such a
part of my daily life that I don’t believe I anticipated the depth the Lord
would bring through this study. Richard Foster is among the sages of the faith,
and I am so thankful to be reading his words of wisdom inspired by the Holy
Spirit on this topic. I remember when I had completed a year of ministry school
at a church I was intimately involved in for a decade that I was still working
through many past hurts and issues. I sat in the chair of the female counseling
pastor at the church, and she shared with me the truth of the ministry of
believers to receive the confession and offer absolution to one another. As is
perhaps true for many of us, I was at first concerned that this was a reversion
to the form of godliness in the pre-reformation church. However, as she prayed
absolution over me I was converted from that opinion to realizing that the
simple words from my sister in Christ that I was forgiven gave me a full sense
of freedom. Since that time, God has given me a series of Godly mentors who
received my long and verbose rambles of confession. He has gifted me mentors
who have challenged, loved, and extended forgiveness to me for nigh eighteen
years. Each woman has been a pillar in my heart, given by the Lord to represent
His mercy, kindness, forgiveness and love. While not each one has remained an
active part of my life, they are still active in my heart for the beautiful
seeds they have sown and the shining stones God has used them to build into my
foundation. God is faithful! It is so worth it, friends, to seek an older
believer of the same gender to cultivate that place of safety. Ask the Lord to
show you who that person should be. He desires to provide those connections for
us! If it is not an older man or woman, perhaps it is a peer in the same
spiritual place in their walk for whom you can also be a confession support.
This morning, prompted by this time with the Lord studying on this subject, I
yet again shared an intimate time of confession with my dear husband. He prayed
over me and God released me through that sweet space in the Spirit. I’m able to
approach you today from a softer place than before that time of confession. I’m
able to rejoice in that freedom and give God thanks for his legacy of
forgiveness through these priceless connections over the years. God is no
respecter of persons. I am not more “special” or more spiritual than any one of
you. It’s simple obedience, following the path set before us, my friends. As we
pray today, let’s let the Lord open our hearts to trust Him and another
believer with those things that we need to confess. You will not be sorry!
Prayer:
Thanksgiving:
Father, thank You
for Your great love and mercy! Thank You for the men and women who have walked
the path of faith before us so that we can travel the furrows instead of
forging the path ourselves. Thank You for Your desire to make us into Your
image! Thank You for Your faithfulness to provide truth, wisdom, and
encouragement. Bless You today, Lord! This day is yours and I choose to rejoice
and be glad!
Confession:
Galatians 5:19-21
19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery,
fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife,
seditions, heresies,
21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I
tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such
things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
God, I am so
thankful for the privilege of confession. I open my heart to You today and give
to You each sin, wrong attitude, pride, selfishness, works and tendencies of my
flesh, and stubborn arrogance. I release anger, resentment, unforgiveness, and
any works of the flesh that I have not acknowledged as sin. Teach me not to
fear confession. Show me who is in my life or who might come into my life that
can sit in the office of confessor for me. If You provide this through formal
counseling, lead me to the right counselor for me. Teach me to live in a state
of daily confession both before You privately and with another believer. Thank
You so very much for Your Blood, Lord Jesus, that cleanses me. Thank You for
the healing that comes through confession. (Take time to list and journal.
Pastor Foster relates a time he listed his sins and shared them with a trusted
counselor/friend. The time was healing and releasing for him. If this is an
exercise you would benefit from, consider it. This should not be a fearful,
anxious or pressuring situation, though you might experience some trepidation
the first time especially. Press through to the other side for your freedom,
healing and renewal.)
Supplication:
Lord, I lift my
needs and prayers to You today. I ask that You will intervene in these areas.
(Take time to journal needs, requests, and concerns. Make sure to note progress
and victories. You can write as much or as little as the day warrants. I
suggest taking time each day this year as you can. You will probably miss some
or several days. Please do not get overwhelmed by stopping and starting. Just
pick up where you left off even if it’s been weeks or months. Give yourself
(and perhaps your children) the gift of the history of what God has done and is
doing in your life!)
Intercession:
Today, I lift my
children (and my spouse) to Your throne for Your touch and intervention. (Take
time to journal/list needs, concerns, and requests for each person in your
family. Make note of progress and victories.)
Blessing and
Benediction:
2 Corinthians 13:14
May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the
fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
God bless you as you go forth this day!
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