This is the one post I hope everyone will read to the end. Happy New Year! Mark 11:21 “If you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive your sins.” ……. Perhaps you consider yourself a forgiving person, but now you are facing someone you can’t forgive? Forgiveness means “To give up all claims to punish or exact a penalty for an offence.” No strings or conditions can be attached. Jesus says clearly above, “Forgive him so you’re your Father in heaven can forgive YOU!” Whenever you struggle to forgive, you need to ask yourself, “What was I like when God first forgave me?” While you were still rejecting God, Christ died for you. This being so, how can you refuse to forgive those who sin against you? Forgiveness isnt a spiritual gift, a skill, or an inherited trait. Forgiveness is a choice. Jesus looked down on those who ruthlessly nailed Him to the cross while mocking Him, yet He cried out: “Father forgive them, for they do not know what they do.” How then, can we refuse to forgive those who have committed offences against us? Jesus said the measure in which we are forgiving is the same standard God will use in forgiving us. Every area of our life is affected when we refuse to extend to others the pardon Christ so generously extended to us! Are you treating those you need to forgive, as you would never want the Lord to treat you? Although the pain and injustice of an offence can break our heart or damage our sense of self-worth, a refusal to forgive denies God the opportunity to redeem the hurt. We want Him to change the offender and make him sorry for what he has done, but the Lord wants to TRANSFORM YOU. God’s forgiveness is not based on standards we determine, but on standards He established in His Word. Please hear this: God accepts NO EXCEPTIONS WHEN IT COMES TO FORGIVENESS! As we truly understand God’s gracious forgiveness in our own lives, we will naturally want to express this same forgiveness to others. Before you ask God for His forgiveness, examine the condition of your relationships. Would you want God to forgive you the same way you are forgiving others? Forgiveness is about freedom. Forgiveness doesnt mean you say it was right for who did that harmful thing to you. It is about setting a prisoner free, and that prisoner is you! The one who chooses to put on love and offer forgiveness, is ready to receive the peace of Christ. Let God’s Word help you release hurt and anger into His caring hands—then watch as vengeful thoughts are transformed into praise and gratitude to the Lord. Thankfully, the gift of pardon is not something we have to manufacture in ourselves. This present is wrapped in the love of God, and tied with the red ribbon of Christ’s sacrifice. It is freely given to us by the Savior, and your job is simple. Pass it on to others. Forgiveness is the best form of love. It takes a strong person to say sorry, and an even stronger person to forgive. You see, not forgiving someone is like you swallowing rat poison every day expecting the other person to die. Maybe you need to print this prayer: Father, I come humbly before you today. I release those who have hurt me. I choose forgiveness so I can be free to move forward in my life You have for me. Teach me Lord, to be as patient with others as you have been with me. Change our hearts to say, “Do I want You, to forgive me Lord, the same way I am forgiving others?” Teach me to forgive men when they sin against me, so that you will forgive me of my sins. Teach me to lean on, and ask you for guidance when it comes to forgiveness. Even while You were left dying, bleeding, beaten and dangling on that cross, you asked the Father to forgive them. Nothing we are NOT forgiving someone for, could be as great as you shedding your blood on the cross for me! Amen. I pray the Lord will richly bless your New Year my friends, and I pray this message will touch the heart of the one person that needed to hear this today~♥ Please feel free to share this on your page if you feel led to do so.
Posted on: Thu, 01 Jan 2015 23:03:20 +0000
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