Category Archives: Forgiveness

Purification by proxy

Posted on January 28, 2015 by vincentsmithauthor

Every twelve years, millions of Hindus flock to Allahabad to bathe in the River Ganges, believing that they will be cleansed from sin. Sadly, scores of pilgrims regularly get injured in the crush as the crowds rush to the water. … Continue reading →

Posted in Forgiveness, New Life, Purification, Salvation | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

‘Man sees the deed, but God sees the intention.’

Posted on January 4, 2015 by vincentsmithauthor

I remember my little daughter once deciding to buy me an ice-cream with her own money. But on the way back from the Mr Whippy van the ice cream started to melt. So she began to lick the sides of … Continue reading →

Posted in Acceptance, Failure, Faith, Forgiveness, God, God's faithfulness, Grace | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

You can’t turn the clock back

Posted on September 24, 2014 by vincentsmithauthor

Police in Idaho a few years ago received a number of calls from residents of a certain neighbourhood about a car that was being driven round their streets in reverse. They went to investigate and found the car just as … Continue reading →

Posted in Forgiveness, Futility, Guilt, Judgement | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Second Chance

Posted on September 24, 2014 by vincentsmithauthor

We talk rather glibly about forgiving and forgetting, but Thomas Edison, having come up with a plan to create the world’s first light bulb, worked for twenty four hours straight with a team of men to get the first one … Continue reading →

Posted in Forgiveness, Generous spirit, God, Grace, Second chance | Tagged | Leave a comment

Not perfect; just forgiven.

Posted on September 24, 2014 by vincentsmithauthor

Watchman Nee, one of the best known leaders of the secret underground church in China during the great persecutions of Mao Tse Tung, told about a new convert who came in deep distress to see him. ‘No matter how much … Continue reading →

Posted in Childlike faith, Children of God, Doubt, Forgiveness, Grace, Heirs of God, Kingdom of God | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Records in sand and stone

Posted on August 30, 2014 by vincentsmithauthor

There’s an old story about two friends travelling through the desert and having an argument. One of them got angry and slapped the other in the face. The second man said nothing, but wrote in the sand, ‘Today my best … Continue reading →

Posted in Anger, Forgiveness, Memorials, Records, Remembrance, Spiritual Insight | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

The ship that shot itself

Posted on July 13, 2014 by vincentsmithauthor

During World War Two the American submarine Tang fired her last eight torpedoes against a Japanese convoy off the coast of China. The first seven were on target, but the eighth suddenly deviated and boomeranged back unseen to strike the … Continue reading →

Posted in Anger, Attitude, Bad Habits, Bitterness, Forgiveness, Hurting ourselves | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

God has no favourites

Posted on June 15, 2014 by vincentsmithauthor

A minister who parked his car in a no-parking zone, hoping that the parking police would take pity on him, attached a note to his windscreen that read, ‘I am a minister of religion and I have an important appointment … Continue reading →

Posted in Faithfulness, Favourites, Forgiveness, God, God's pleasure, Obedience, Temptation | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Measured against a false standard

Posted on June 5, 2014 by vincentsmithauthor

Mark Twain once said that the sections of the Bible that gave him the most trouble were not those he couldn’t understand, but rather the sections he could. That’s the thing about Jesus’ teaching; it challenges the assumptions that so … Continue reading →

Posted in Following the Crowd, Forgiveness, God, Spiritual Insight, Spirituality, Standards, Transformation, Truth, Wisdom | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Change of Identity

Posted on April 17, 2014 by vincentsmithauthor

The French writer, Henri Barbusse, tells of a conversation overheard in a dugout full of wounded men during World War 1. One of them, who knew he had little time left to live, said to another man: “Listen, Dominic. You’ve … Continue reading →

Posted in Death, Easter, Forgiveness, God, Grace, Hope, Inspirational, Jesus, Life's journey, New Life, Resurrection | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment