There is just something about a man that will look you straight in the eye and tell you the truth, even if it isn’t what you want to hear. I’ve always respected that in a person, and for the most part, I try to be that kind of a person. So when I heard about Richard Reid, the so-called “shoe-bomber” pleading guilty for attempting to blow up American Airlines flight 63 on December 22, 2001 with explosives stuffed in his shoe, my immediate response was positive. Reid told Chief U.S. District Judge William Young, “Basically I got on a plane with a bomb. Basically I tried to ignite it [and] basically I intended to damage the plane.”

After going over each count against him, the Judge asked Reid why he was pleading guilty. “Because at the end of the day,” Reid said, “I know that I done the actions.”

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not condoning his actions—no sane person would condone the use of terror and mindless destruction of innocent people to make a political statement. My point is that I’ve got to hand it to the guy for confessing his crime and pleading guilty.

In a world where everything that goes wrong is always somebody else’s fault and hiding behind the system for as long as possible is standard operating procedure, it is nice when someone just stands up, and tells the judge, “Yep, I did it.”

But it is one thing to admit you’ve done something and another thing to disavow yourself from your past and determine to turn over a new leaf. Judge Young warned Reid that he will weigh the government’s claim that he has al Qaeda links when he passes judgment on him. Reid responded, “I’m a disciple of Osama bin Laden. I’m an enemy of your country. I don’t care.”

—http://abcnews.go.com/wire/US/reuters20021004_274.html Illustration by Jim L. Wilson

The sad truth is—his confession wasn’t enough. Not enough to earn my respect or the Judge’s mercy. And neither will it be enough at the Judgment Day to come. On that day, Reid’s only hope—our only hope—will be if we repented of our sins and placed our faith in Jesus before we got there.

Proverbs 28:13 NASB “He who conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will find compassion.”

Every year on the Friday before Easter, Philippine young men volunteer to have their hands and feet nailed to a wooden cross for a brief time to imitate the crucifixion of Jesus. These men known as "kristos" express repentance of their sins by torturing themselves. The yearly reenactment of the Via Crusis (Way of the Cross) features the mock crucifixion of at least ten men and the flagellation of another 500 Filipinos. Local church leaders strongly discourage the practices which begin in the 1950s. Others question the intentions of the kristos, because the annual event now attracts large numbers of tourists and journalists to the small village. Reports persist that participants receive cash from tourists and event sponsors, though locals deny the rumors. The local parish priest says, "They need not inflict pain on their bodies to repent."

The good news is no one needs to be crucified to experience the forgiveness Jesus offers. The agony the kristos experience is only a fraction of the pain Jesus experienced. Then, Jesus went beyond human experience when He experienced the agony of being separated from God completely. Jesus cried out, "My God, My God why have you forsaken me?" When he had endured the full measure of God's judgment against the decrepit actions of the human race, Jesus said, "It is finished." And it was!

1 Corinthians 15:3-4. "For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the scriptures."

In what was described as an extraordinary act of contrition, an apartheid-era cabinet minister took time to seek the forgiveness from a man he allegedly tried to murder by washing the other man's feet. Former law and order minister Adriaan Vlok performed the humbling gesture on the Rev. Frank Chikane, a senior official in the current South African presidency. Chikane who came very close to death when his clothes were dipped in poison in the late 1980s said Vlok came to his office and handed him a Bible with this message on the cover, "I have sinned against the Lord and against you, please forgive me (John 13:15)." To further demonstrate his change of heart, Vlok then washed Chikane's feet.

Rev. Kenneth Meshoe of the African Christian Democratic Party said it took a "real man of courage to say 'I am sorry.'" He also saluted Chikane for allowing Vlok to wash his feet and for accepting the apology. He added, "he showed how those who have been wronged should respond to those who caused them pain. It is not every person who has the guts and humility to ask for forgiveness when they have done wrong."

—http://assatashakur.org/forum/showthread.php?p=107474. Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

2 Corinthians 7:10 (MSG) "Distress that drives us to God does that. It turns us around. It gets us back in the way of salvation. We never regret that kind of pain. But those who let distress drive them away from God are full of regrets, end up on a deathbed of regrets."

A German computer thief returned the laptop computer he had just stolen from a computer store after a salesman stumbled and broke his arm while chasing him.

The thief apparently saw the clerk trip on the sidewalk and heard him cry out in pain at his broken arm.

The thief seemed to change his mind when the clerk was injured. He went back to the store, returned the computer and apologized, saying, "I'm sorry."

—Reuters, Repentant Thief Returns Laptop After Chaser Falls, September 2, 2004 Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

When this thief realized he had hurt someone, he repented of his crime and returned the computer. Real repentance is more than feeling sorry for hurting someone, it includes a desire to change our ways completely.

Romans 2:4 (NASB) "Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?"

Though three decades have passed, a Utah man wants to make amends for deeds of his younger days. A man who claimed he stole a stop sign 35 years ago from a road in Salt Lake County mailed a $600 cashier’s check to the state Department of Transportation. The signature on the check is not legible, so officials do not know the man’s identity.

Spokesman Nile Easton said a letter signed by “a very foolish youth,” apologizing for taking the sign. The letter said the man wanted to make things right and prayed no one had been injured by his childish and thoughtless act. The letter said the man had contacted the department about making amends, but was told not to worry about it. After that, he decided to send a check. Easton says the money will more than pay for the damages. $600 is enough to cover the cost and installation of three new signs.

--Man won’t stop until he corrects youthful error, http://news. yahoo. com/s/ap/20090707/ap_on_fe_st/us_odd_stop_sign_thief ; July 7, 2009, Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

2 Timothy 2:22 (NKJV) Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

Lori Lightner was aboard Flight 1549 as it descended to the Hudson River after a flock of Canadian Geese knocked out both engines. Today we know the outcome. We know that the skills of pilot Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger helped save every person onboard.. However, sitting in the quiet cabin of the airliner as it headed toward earth the future was still in question.

Lori voiced her concern for her own soul, and perhaps prayed aloud a prayer that others muttered quietly under their breath. “Forgive me for everything I’ve done wrong. I don’t have time to go through it all because I’m going to die.”

How God heard that prayer in heaven is unknown. It does point out the urgency of getting our lives right before God before such an emergency arises. Don’t wait until the last minute to seek forgiveness.
-- USA Today, October 13, 2009, p. 2A Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell

2 Corinthians 6:2 (NASB) “for He says, ‘AT THE ACCEPTABLE TIME I LISTENED TO YOU, AND ON THE DAY OF SALVATION I HELPED YOU.’ Behold, now is ‘THE ACCEPTABLE TIME,’ behold, now is ‘THE DAY OF SALVATION’”

Cleveland police stopped 20-year-old Ricky Flowers for a traffic violation. While the police were writing out the citation, Flowers slipped his car into gear, which triggered a high-speed chase. Flowers jumped out of the car and scaled a fence to evade officers. Unfortunately for Flowers, fortunately for truth, justice, and the law enforcement officers, the fence surrounded the yard of a woman’s prison.

Many times we find ourselves running from God. We want to be left alone to live as we want, to do as we please. When the Spirit of God seeks to arrest us, we run. And while running from God we end up in captivity much worse just as Ricky Flowers did. The correct response to the probing of the Spirit is to repent. Turning toward the one who pursues us for righteousness sake, also known as repentance, is a much better solution than running from it.

Acts 3:19 (NASB77) "Repent therefore and return, that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord;

A family-owned supply store in western Pennsylvania recently received an envelope filled with cash from an anonymous thief who confessed to stealing a hammer a decade ago, and seeking to make restitution. The unsigned letter dated December 6 read,” I knew it was wrong, but I did it anyway. Enclosed in $45 to cover the hammer plus a little extra for interest. I’m sorry I stole it, but have changed my ways.”

Lynne Gramling, who owns Central Contractors Supply Co with her father, says plenty of merchandise has disappeared since the family bought the store 50 years ago, but this is the first time anyone has ever paid for a stolen item. Gramling took the money to a nearby shopping mall, where her father was volunteering as a Salvation Army bell ringer. She said, “I went up and dropped the money in his kettle.” Adding that the money was “really a lot more than a hammer would cost.” When asked about the anonymous thief, Gramling commented, ”He was very generous.”

--Anonymous thief pays for stolen hammer, decades later, http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6BJ51R20101220; December 20, 2010, Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

Colossians 3:8 (HCSB) But now you must also put away all the following: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and filthy language from your mouth.

In Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes are High, Kerry Patterson writes, “Now, an apology isn’t really an apology unless you experience a change in heart. To offer a sincere apology, your motives have to change. You have to give up saving face, being right, or winning in order to focus on what you really want. You have to sacrifice a bit of your ego by admitting your error.“

New research conducted at the University of Oregon shows that people who believe in a loving and merciful God are more prone to cheat than those who believe in a punishing God. Psychologists Azim Shariff and Ara Norenzayan said their research suggests a belief in a forgiving God will not necessarily stop undergraduate students from cheating on exams. To test the theory, the psychologists set up an experiment where they told students during a math test that a software glitch would allow them to see the answer unless they pressed the space bar almost as soon as they saw the question.

Shariff said, overall, the study found no difference in cheating between believers and non-believers, but the main difference was what kind of god a person believed in. He added, “What we found is that those people who see God as a more punitive, angry, vengeful God, they tend to—in a laboratory-based cheating measure –they cheat a lot less, whereas people who believe in God as a comforting, loving agent, forgiving agent seem to cheat more.”

Belief in Angry God Prevents Academic Cheating, http://www.christianpost.com/news/belief-in-angry-god-prevents-academic-cheating-49917 ; April 21, 2011. Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell

Romans 2:4 (CEV) “You surely don't think much of God's wonderful goodness or of his patience and willingness to put up with you. Don't you know that the reason God is good to you is because he wants you to turn to him?”

A prisoner wrote an article in a newspaper, which stirred up controversy among the readers. He wrote that his life in prison was more enjoyable than that of free men outside the prison because he had everything he needed such as food, clothing, and entertainment in the prison.

Some readers commented that this man is optimistic because he is enjoying his life without regrets. Others argue that it is time for repentance and apology.

Those who cannot discern the good from the bad will not think about repentance at all.

--http://abcnews.go.com/US/death-row-inmate-writes-taunting-letter-life-leisure/story?id=15438651 Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Bawm Luk Lagwi

Proverbs 10:32 (NIV) “The lips of the righteous know what finds favor, but the mouth of the wicked only what is perverse.”

A Canadian family woke up to find a bag containing a digital camera, an X-box, along with a note, and $50 cash on their porch. The items had been stolen from them the previous day while the family was out walking their dog. The note was from the thief apologizing and seeking the family’s forgiveness. The person explained how sorry they were, and that breaking into their house had been the worst decision of their life. They said they had experienced hard times lately, but regretted turning to crime. The note said the $50 was to cover damages done to the screen door during the break-in. The family was stunned because they had not noticed the items were missing. Though they were willing to let the incident go, authorities are looking for the suspect. Sergeant Doug Pflug with the Ontario police said he wasn’t sure what would be done if the thief were caught. He explained, “Just when you lose your faith in humanity, instead of ditching the property in the garbage can, or what have you, they returned it.”— Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell

Ontario Thief Has Change of Heart, Returns Stolen Goods and Gives $50, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/05/ontario-thief-has-change-_n_1739902.html?ir=Good+News , Accessed August 6, 2012.

Ephesians 4:28 (HCSB) “The thief must no longer steal. Instead, he must do honest work with his own hands, so that he has something to share with anyone in need.”

The German manufacturer of a drug that caused thousands of babies to be born with defects issued an official apology 50 years after the drug was taken off the market. The chief executive of the company, Harald Stock, said the company wanted to apologize to mothers who took the drug in the 1950s and 60s, and to their children who suffered congenital birth defects as a result. He said the industry had learned a valuable lesson from the incident. As part of their statement, the company unveiled a bronze statue symbolizing a child born without arms or legs due to the effects of the drug Thalidomide. Though many victims are still pursuing legal action against the company, Stock said, "We ask for forgiveness that for nearly 50 years we didn't find a way of reaching out to you from human being to human being." We ask that you regard our long silence as a sign of the shock that your fate caused in us."

Drug manufacturer offers apology to victims – --Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell
Thalidomide maker ends 50 year silence with apology to victims, http://www.ctvnews.ca/health/thalidomide-maker-ends-50-year-silence-with-apology-to-victims-1.938979, Accessed September 1, 2012

Acts 17:30-31 (HCSB) (30) “Therefore, having overlooked the times of ignorance, God now commands all people everywhere to repent, (31) because He has set a day when He is going to judge the world in righteousness by the Man He has appointed. He has provided proof of this to everyone by raising Him from the dead.”

A Portland area man feels very fortunate because he got his stolen bicycle back after only a few hours. Paul Gilmour said his bike was taken and the thief brought it back, along with an apology and some money to pay for the lock he broke. Gilmour said in the letter, the man admitted to taking the bike, being out of work, and struggling with an addiction. He said he was stunned, both because the bike had been taken, and because it was returned so quickly. He plans to use the money to buy a better lock. Gilmour said, “I had an amazing roller coaster ride of emotion today going from freaking out to wondering what happened to by bicycle that I don’t have the means to replace, being a student, too grateful and just in shock that I actually got my stolen bicycle back.”— Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell

Thief returns stolen bike, leaves apology letter, http://www.kptv.com/story/19779857/thief-returns-stolen-bike-apologizes, Accessed October 10, 2012.

1 Peter 3:10-11 (HCSB) (10) For the one who wants to love life and to see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit, (11) and he must turn away from evil and do what is good. He must seek peace and pursue it,

In 2005, Doug Wead, a former special assistant to President George W. Bush, issued a letter of apology for writing a book containing material from discussions that had been tape-recorded without the president’s knowledge.” It began innocently; he was simply attempting to carry out what the President wanted. He was trying not to make mistakes. “I was foolish and wrong to tape-record Mr. Bush without his permission. I was wrong to play any part of the tapes for my publisher, regardless of the circumstances. I was wrong to play any part of them for a journalist. I apologized to the president before the story appeared and again afterward. He has been typically patient, in spite of the personal hurt. Today, the work of reparation has begun.”

Doug Wead knew what it meant to repent. He turned away from his sin, and began working on repairing the relationship and trust that was destroyed. --Jim L. Wilson and: Mike Napier

--Covey, Stephen M.R.; Merrill, Rebecca R. (2006-10-17). The SPEED of Trust (p. 161). Simon & Schuster, Inc.. Kindle Edition.

Jeremiah 31:19 (ESV) For after I had turned away, I relented, and after I was instructed, I struck my thigh; I was ashamed, and I was confounded, because I bore the disgrace of my youth.’

In 1998 Margot Riphagen hosted a party at her parents’ home in Portland, OR. After the party four rings were discovered missing. They included her mother’s wedding ring and her grandparents’ wedding bands.

Fifteen years later the rings showed up in the mail along with an anonymous apology from the contrite thief. The explanation, “As an adult I realize how sentimental items like this can be.”

It is never too late to apologize and try to make things right. --Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell

Acts 3:19 (CEV) (19) So turn to God! Give up your sins, and you will be forgiven.

Workers at the Champaign County Library were just a little surprised when a book entitled, “The Real Book About Snakes” was returned anonymously. According to library officials the book was due back on July 17, 1972, but had been missing for the last 41 years. Along with the book, the library received an anonymous note along with a full payment of the overdue fines due. The note apologized for keeping the book for so long, stating that the person was a slow reader. They enclosed a fine of $299.30, which amounted to 2 cents a day for the 41 years. The library says the fine was paid in cash, and a spokesman used the occasion to remind others with books they need to return, “It’s never too late to return those overdue items.”
Book overdue for 41 years is finally returned—Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

Book 41 years overdue returned; fees paid, http://www.whiotv.com/news/news/book-41-years-overdue-returned-fees-paid/nYtfL, Accessed July 18, 2013.

Zechariah 1:3 (NASB) "Therefore say to them, 'Thus says the LORD of hosts, "Return to Me," declares the LORD of hosts, "that I may return to you," says the LORD of hosts.

Kermit Goswell is the late-term abortionist who was convicted of murder and is in prison in Pennsylvania. He was convicted of killing babies who were born alive after an attempted abortion. Far from repentance, Goswell is writing abortion-inspired poems. When asked about his crimes he responds, “I feel comfortable with the things I did and the decisions I made.”

Forgiveness and spiritual cleansing only begins when one first realizes his sin. --Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell

Acts 3:19 (HCSB)Therefore repent and turn back, so that your sins may be wiped out, that seasons of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord,

The courts convicted Cornealious Anderson of armed robbery and sentenced him to thirteen years in prison in 2000. The day he was sentenced, Anderson was told to wait for instructions on when and where to report to prison. When those instructions never came, Anderson went on with life and actually turned things around. He paid his taxes and traffic tickets, renewed his driver’s license and even registered businesses. He thought his case had been forgotten or even forgiven until a SWAT team showed up at his house while he was getting breakfast for his daughter. Anderson is now serving time in prison, while his lawyer is working to have him released. Peter Joy of the Criminal Justice Clinic at Washington University School of Law in St. Louis says it isn’t unusual for cases to fall through the cracks, but it is unusual for a case to be forgotten for so long. Joy added, “The real tragedy here is that one aspect of prison life is the idea of rehabilitation. Here we have somebody who has led a perfect life for 13 years. He did everything right. So he doesn’t need rehabilitation.”—--Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell

Armed Robber Was Never Told to Report to Prison, By Jim Salter,
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_PRISON_NO_SHOW?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Accessed April 16, 2014.

Ephesians 4:28 (HCSB) (28) The thief must no longer steal. Instead, he must do honest work with his own hands, so that he has something to share with anyone in need.

The Pope has a message for the Mafia. “Men and women of the Mafia, please change your lives,” he said. This was a warning to the mobsters that they could not take their “bloody money and blood power” to the afterlife.

It is a good reminder to each of us as well that we cannot expect to see the afterlife apart from repentance. --Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell

Acts 3:19 (HCSB) (19) Therefore repent and turn back, so that your sins may be wiped out, that seasons of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord,

A fresh start begins with repentance. Cyle Abbott held up a gas station so he could use the cash to get a “fresh start” in another town. A few hours later, he returned to the gas station and returned the cash he hadn’t already spent and apologized for robbing the store.—Jim L. Wilson

http://abcnews.go.com/Weird/wireStory/police-regretful-california-robber-returns-cash-26469705 (accessed 10-27-14)

Abbott’s fresh start did not happen in a new town; it began when he returned the stolen goods and surrendered to police. For it to be complete, he needs to turn to God.

Acts 3:19 (HCSB) Therefore repent and turn back, so that your sins may be wiped out, that seasons of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord,

Police in Northern California say a man robbed a local gas station and then returned a few hours later to return the money he had taken. Authorities say 23-year-old Cyle Abbott Jr. told officers that he took the money because he wanted to leave town and make a fresh start. Later, when he thought about it, he decided stealing the money was a mistake, so he took it back. They say Abbott entered the gas station demanding cash waving what the clerk thought was a semi-automatic handgun. The clerk gave Abbott cash and he left, only to come back three hours later to give back most of the money and say he was sorry. The weapon turned out to be a BB gun, but police say Abbott has still been booked into jail on $50,000 bond.—Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell

Police: Regretful California robber returns cash,http://news.yahoo.com/police-regretful-california-robber-returns-cash-220222449.html , Accessed October 26, 2014.

Ephesians 4:28 (NKJV) “Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need.”

While America was celebrating its bicentennial in 1976, someone stole a special American flag from the Weston Observatory in Manchester, New Hampshire. The flag was hanging while the observatory was undergoing repairs, and an unknown person climbed up some scaffolding and took it. Many local citizens were incensed, but the thief was never identified nor punished. No one knew what happened to the flag until it mysteriously showed up in a package postmarked from Nevada. Authorities say the flag has yellowed a bit, but otherwise is in good condition and they are happy to have it back. In an enclosed note, the thief seemed to be remorseful. Calling himself “a flawed son of Manchester,” the person wrote, “I regretted having done this for many years and apologize for my selfishness. I have taken care to preserve the flag until I could return it so that it may assume its place as part of Manchester’s heritage.”—Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell

Stolen bicentennial flag returned to NH, http://www.wcvb.com/news/stolen-bicentennial-flag-returned-to-nh/30095314, Accessed December 6, 2014

Luke 15:17 (NLT) “When he finally came to his senses, he said to himself, ‘At home even the hired servants have food enough to spare, and here I am dying of hunger!

A Pennsylvania man has been sentenced to serve a year’s probation for crimes his defense attorney says he doesn’t remember. His attorney says 23-year-old Christian Eshenbaugh suffered a brain injury in a car accident and has become a “completely different person.” Eshenbaugh pleaded guilty to charges of stealing aluminum tire rims from a salvage yard. According to the criminal complaint, Eshenbaugh sold the rims to buy drugs to support his habit. The judge took Eshenbaugh’s words into consideration when he heard that the young man was struggling to regain his memory and motor skills, but no longer had a penchant for petty crimes fueled by drug use. His attorney said Eshenbaugh had “Turned his life 180 degrees.”—Jim L. Wilson & Jim Sandell

Lawyer: Man sentence for crime he can't recall after wreck,
http://news.yahoo.com/lawyer-man-sentence-crime-cant-recall-wreck-183143592.html, Accessed January 25, 2015

2 Corinthians 7:10 (NKJV) For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death.

Joel Sweeney of River Falls, Wisconsin had a drinking problem. He has eight drunk-driving infractions. He was in near death accidents three times. After spending three years in jail he decided to get sober. Since 2013 he has been the town’s designated driver. He gives free rides to people as they leave bars. He has four SUV’s and hires other drivers when he is too busy.

Sweeney says, “I was an awful person. I was looking for a purpose and this is my way of saying to my community, ‘I’m sorry.’”

This is a man who was going one way and has done an about face and is going the other. That is repentance. For the Christian, repentance is walking opposed to God then turning and walking with God. —Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell.

Proverbs 28:13 (NASB) “He who conceals his transgressions will not prosper, But he who confesses and forsakes them will find compassion.”

The Greyhound Express bus from Cleveland to New York City left the station three hours late. Passengers awoke seven hours later to find themselves in Toledo, 114 miles from Cleveland, the opposite direction from New York. The bus had some mechanical problems and dispatch told the driver to return to Cleveland. The driver made a wrong turn and ended up in Toledo. When he discovered the problem, he promptly returned the bus to Cleveland for a new start.

When we discover we have been living on the wrong road we should do the same thing. Repentance is God’s way to get on the right path. Admit we are going the wrong way and make a U-turn. —Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell.

http://www.foxnews.com/travel/2018/04/20/greyhound-bus-bound-for-new-york-city-forced-to-turn-around-takes-unexpected-detour.html

In November 2018, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau released a formal apology for his country’s actions in WWII. A ship carrying German Jews sought safe haven in Canada but was rejected. It had no other choice but to return to Europe resulting in the death of over 250 of those passengers. Expressing sorrow is always the right thing to do. —Jim L. Wilson and Lindsay Robertson

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/canada-formally-apologizes-for-rejecting-jewish-refugees-fleeing-nazi-germany_us_5be4540ae4b0dbe871a82c05

Matthew 6:14–15 (CSB)“For if you forgive others their offenses, your heavenly Father will forgive you as well. But if you don’t forgive others, your Father will not forgive your offenses.”

Danny Holmes is guilty of robbery, kidnapping, murder, and a few other crimes. He has been in jail for a while now; he committed the crimes in 2016. One day recently he looked at a notebook on which he’d written the lyrics to the song “Redeemed” by Big Daddy Weave. The words were, “Then you look at this prisoner and say to me, ‘Son, stop fighting a fight that’s already been won.” Holmes said he felt convicted to confess after seeing those words and has now confessed them in court. Sentenced to life in prison, Holmes said he deserved his sentence and was prepared to spread the gospel in prison. He also had a message for his mother. “Momma, I promise you, your baby boy, he’s going to serve the Lord forever.”

This is the perfect example of repentance. Conviction of sin and the commitment to turn your life around, no matter the circumstances. —Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell.

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Archeological thieves are having changes of heart. An anonymous woman mailed a piece of marble back to Rome’s National Roman Museum. She apologized for being an ugly American and taking it from an ancient site in the city. Thieves also returned archeological items to the Egyptian embassy in Berlin, to the Antiquities Authority in Israel, and to the Archaeological Park of Pompeii. It looks like a wave of repentance for past mis deeds.

When the New Testament talks about repentance, this is an example. You change the direction you are going and return to the right way of living. —Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell