Looking back: forbidden

The university basketball championship (NCAA) in USA ended in the year 1990 with victory for Nevada University.

Many of the players had a poor academic history. The spectators would holler at LARRY JOHNSON "Where is my bike?" (Larry stole bikes when he was a kid).

To BUTLER they would shout: "Your shirt has your final grade." Butler wore the number 00. In this manner, the opponents "encouraged" the players on that team, so that they would be embarrassed.

Many people are ashamed when looking back in their lives. They think they have gone too far, and that there is no hope for them. Many live in anguish and are depressed because they think that the word "forgiveness" will never exist in their lives.

Many think that God will not hear them, because they have sinned against him, by word and action. Many regret each moment of their lives and think they do not have any possibility to start afresh.

Whoever thinks he does not deserve God's forgiveness does not know his character. Nobody deserves his forgiveness, but he gives it to everyone by his love!

Yes, you are reading it right, God's heart is moved when he thinks about you; all the compassion God has lights up when he sees you. God does not care about your past, if you are willing to come to him.

There are many examples throughout history: assassins, adulterers, prostitutes, gangs, alcoholics, drug addicts, all kinds of robbers, liars, witches and mediums... it does not matter what you add to the list, or the situation you are in: God loves you and can forgive you.

The Bible says that God can change anyone's life, that your past does not matter. If you have any doubt, maybe it would be useful for you to know about some of the people that were most useful to the Lord.

Paul was a persecutor of Christians, Moses was a murderer, Jacob a deceiver, Peter was unsteady, Rahab was a prostitute, David became an adulterer who also murdered.

But God changed all these people's lives and forbade them to look back at their past. God forgave them and he can forgive you too. The Bible says that he casts our sins in the bottom of the sea. And then he sets up a sign, "No fishing".

How can this be? It's because of Christ's work on the cross. God is favouring us; that is, he sees us with pleasure through Jesus, because he carried and paid for all our sins on the cross.

We need to come back to God and believe in him. And if we believe that he can give us a new life, God can do it in you this very day.