Sins Forgiven

Luke 7:44-50

⁴⁴Then turning toward the woman he said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. ⁴⁵You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet. ⁴⁶You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. ⁴⁷Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.”⁴⁸And he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” ⁴⁹Then those who were at table with him began to say among^[a] themselves, “Who is this, who even forgives sins?” ⁵⁰And he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.” See the source image

The Bible has several references on the subject of Forgiveness. One of them being the above and I suppose one of the most common ones.

As humans for some of us the act of forgiveness is not easy, we can indeed find it very hard to forgive someone how has done wrong by us or upset us in some way.

Jesus speaks of a woman washing his feet with her tears and hair, he also mentions that she anointed his feet with ointment and because of this her sins were forgiven .

Let us learn to be as forgiving as humanly possible throughout the whole year. Forgiveness is not a something that comes easy to some people, these people need to find that inner strength from the Lord.

Outstretched Arms

4 His huge outstretched arms protect you – under them you’re perfectly safe; his arms fend off all harm. 5 Fear nothing – not wild wolves in the night, not flying arrows in the day, 6 Not disease that prowls through the darkness, not disaster that erupts at high noon. 7 Even though others succumb all around, drop like flies right and left, no harm will even graze you. 8 You’ll stand untouched, watch it all from a distance, watch the wicked turn into corpses.

Glorious Joy – 1 Peter 1:8

You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him now, you trust him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy. 1 Peter 1:8 (NLT) Peter writes to encourage early Christians exiled in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, who were facing persecution. His central message is to […]
Glorious Joy – 1 Peter 1:8

Instructions

1 Thessalonians 5 New International Version (NIV)

Final Instructions

¹²Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to acknowledge those who work hard among you, who care for you in the Lord and who admonish you. ¹³Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other. ¹⁴And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone. ¹⁵Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else.

¹⁶Rejoice always, ¹⁷pray continually, ¹⁸give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

¹⁹Do not quench the Spirit. ²⁰Do not treat prophecies with contempt ²¹but test them all; hold on to what is good, ²²reject every kind of evil.

²³May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. ²⁴The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.

²⁵Brothers and sisters, pray for us. ²⁶Greet all God’s people with a holy kiss. ²⁷I charge you before the Lord to have this letter read to all the brothers and sisters.

²⁸The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

Personally I had never heard of this hymn or the tune attached to it. The tiune is a tune called ‘None of Self’

O the bitter shame and sorrow
that a time could ever be,
when I let the Savior’s pity
plead in vain, and proudly answered:
All of self, and none of thee!

Yet he found me: I beheld him
bleeding on the accursèd tree,
heard him pray: Forgive them, Father;
and my wistful heart said faintly:
Some of self and some of thee!

Day by day his tender mercy,
healing, helping, full and free:
sweet and strong, and ah! so patient,
brought me lower, while I whispered:
Less of self and more of thee!

Higher than the highest heaven,
deeper than the deepest sea;
Lord, thy love at last hath conquered;
grant me now my supplication:
None of self and all of thee!

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Wonderful Words

“Wonderful Words of Life” was written in 1874 by Philip P. Bliss, a gifted composer and evangelist whose music shaped the gospel hymn tradition. Bliss was deeply involved in revival meetings across the U.S., often collaborating with evangelists like Dwight L. Moody and Major Daniel Webster Whittle2.

✍️ Origins and Purpose

Bliss composed the hymn for a Sunday School paper called Words of Life, published by Fleming H. Revell in Chicago.
The hymn was designed to be simple, repetitive, and memorable, making it ideal for teaching children and congregations by rote.
Its lyrics emphasize the beauty, hope, and spiritual nourishment found in Scripture—“Sing them over again to me, wonderful words of life.”

🚂 Tragic Turn

Just two years after writing the hymn, Bliss and his wife Lucy tragically died in a train derailment in 1876.
Their legacy was carried on by fellow musicians like James McGranahan, who continued performing Bliss’s hymns at revival meetings.

📚 Musical Legacy

The hymn gained widespread popularity through inclusion in Gospel Hymns No. 3 (1878) and Sacred Songs and Solos No. 2 in Britain.
Its enduring appeal lies in its gentle melody and uplifting message, often used in worship to evoke reflection and joy.

Philip P. Bliss left behind a remarkable legacy of gospel hymns that continue to resonate with congregations and choirs around the world. Here are some of his most beloved and widely sung works:

🎵 Notable Hymns by Philip P. Bliss

Hymn Title	Theme / Message	Year
Almost Persuaded	Urgency of salvation and decision-making	1871
Hold the Fort	Spiritual perseverance and encouragement	1870
Hallelujah, What a Saviour!	Christ’s redemptive sacrifice and triumph	1875
Let the Lower Lights Be Burning	Evangelism and guiding others to safety	1871
Whosoever Will	Invitation to salvation for all	1870s
Jesus Loves Even Me	Personal assurance of Christ’s love	1871
I Will Sing of My Redeemer	Joyful testimony of salvation	1876
Free from the Law, O Happy Condition	Grace over legalism	1870s

Many of these hymns were published in the Gospel Hymns series, co-edited with Ira D. Sankey, and became staples in revival meetings across the U.S. and Britain2.

Disciples

John 13:35New International Version

³⁵By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

SALVATION ARMY CONGREGATIONAL SINGING ‘WITNESSES FOR JESUS’

Fighting the Fight

1 Timothy 6 New International Version

Final Charge to Timothy

¹¹But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. ¹²Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. ¹³In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you ¹⁴to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, ¹⁵which God will bring about in his own time—God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, ¹⁶who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honour and might forever. Amen.

¹⁷Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. ¹⁸Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. ¹⁹In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.

²⁰Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to your care. Turn away from godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge, ²¹which some have professed and in so doing have departed from the faith.

Grace be with you all.