OFFENSES THAT WAS DONE AGAINST US.
ONCE GOD HAS BEGUN THE HEALING PROCESS, WE WILL NO LONGER HAVE THE FEELINGS WE HAD BEFORE WE WENT TO HIM. WE CAN BEGIN TO ASK GOD TO TEACH US HOW TO FORGIVE THE WAY HE FORGIVES US. WE KEEP ASKING AND BEFORE WE KNOW IT, WE WILL FORGIVE THE WAY HE FORGIVES US. WE WILL NOT HAVE THE FEELINGS WE ONCE HAD, WE WILL HAVE GOD’S FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT FLOWING THROUGH EVERY VEIN AND EVERY BREATH WE TAKE AND EVERY THOUGHT WE POSSESS.
I AM NOT SAYING IT IS GOING TO BE EASY, CAUSE, LORD KNOWS, IT IS NOT ALWAYS GOING TO BE EASY. THERE WILL BE TIMES WHEN WE WILL HAVE TO GO HAVE A TALK WITH JESUS. THERE WILL BE TIMES WE WILL HAVE TO LAY IT ALL DOWN AT HIS FEET, SO THAT HE CAN BLESS US WITH THE PEACE AND COMFORT WE NEED, IN ORDER TO FORGIVE AND THERE WILL BE TIMES WHEN WE WILL HAVE TO TAKE A NAP, SO THAT GOD CAN MINISTER TO US, SO THAT WE CAN FORGIVE THAT PERSON. AND THERE WILL BE TIMES WHEN WE WONT BE ABLE TO BE IN THAT PERSON’S PRESENCE UNTIL WE HAVE FULLY FORGIVEN THEM
AS WE LEARN TO FORGIVE OTHERS FOR THAT SITUATION, THOSE WORDS THAT WERE SPOKEN AND THAT INCIDENT THAT TOOK PLACE, WE MUST NOT SIT AND TRY TO FIGURE OUT WHY IT HAPPENED. WE MUST ACCEPT THAT IT HAPPENED. BECAUSE UNTIL WE DO, WE WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO MOVE ON WITH OUR LIVES AND WE BEGIN TO LOSE THAT BATTLE , THAT WILL TO LIVE, THAT DESIRE TO DO THE THINGS OF GOD AND SATAN HAS WON IN HIS ATTEMPTS TO STOP US.
IT IS ALL A PROCESS.
AND THEN WE HAVE TO PRAY FOR THAT PERSON. WE HAVE TO PRAY THAT GOD FORGIVES THEM FOR WHAT THEY DID TO US; WE MUST PRAY THAT GOD OPENS THE EYES OF THOSE THAT SATAN IS USING TO HURT, HARM OR KILL US PHYSICALLY, MENTALLY OR SPIRITUALLY.
WE GO TO GOD AND ASK HIM TO REMOVE THAT “THING” IN THAT PERSON, THAT IS CAUSING THEM TO BE USED BY SATAN. BECAUSE ONCE THAT “THING” IS REMOVED, THEY WILL NO LONGER BE WILLING PARTICIPANTS TO THE THINGS SATAN IS HAVING THEM DO. IT WILL CAUSE THEM TO CRY OUT, LORD, FORGIVE ME.
IN II CORINTHIANS 2:7-11, PAUL TELLS US, “SO THAT, ON THE CONTRARY, YOU OUGHT RATHER TO FORGIVE AND COMFORT HIM, LEST PERHAPS SUCH A ONE BE SWALLOWED UP WITH TOO MUCH SORROW. THEREFORE I URGE YOU TO REAFFIRM YOUR LOVE TO HIM. FOR TO THIS END I ALSO WROTE THAT
I MIGHT PUT YOU TO THE TEST, WHETHER YOU ARE OBEDIENT IN ALL THINGS.
NOW WHOM YOU FORGIVE ANYTHING, I ALSO FORGIVE. FOR IF INDEED I HAVE FORGIVEN ANYTHING, I HAVE FORGIVEN THAT ONE FOR YOUR SAKES IN THE PRESENCE OF CHRIST, LEST SATAN SHOULD TAKE ADVANTAGE OF US; FOR WE ARE NOT IGNORANT OF HIS DEVICES.
PAUL IS SPEAKING UNDER THE UNCTION OF THE HOLY SPIRIT AND IS TELLING EACH OF US THAT WE ARE TO FORGIVE. HE GOES SO FAR AS TO TELL US THAT NOT ONLY ARE TO FORGIVE, WE ARE TO COMFORT THE PERSON WE HAVE FORGIVEN, LESS THEY GO INTO A DEPRESSION THAT IS SO COMMON TODAY. HE LETS US KNOW THAT WE ARE BEING TESTED EACH TIME WE FORGIVE AND COMFORT AND HOW IT SHOWS OUR LOVE FOR THAT INDIVIDUAL. THE LOVE THAT GOD POURS INTO US WHEN WE ARE IN HIS PRESENCE, IS THE SAME LOVE, WE ARE TO POUR INTO THOSE WE FORGIVE. TO COMFORT AND TO LOVE. TO LOVE AND TO COMFORT IS A TALL ORDER TO FILL.
WE ARE TO DO FORGIVE, TO KEEP THE “TRASH”, THE FEELINGS AND THE THOUGHTS FROM BUILDING UP IN OUR MINDS. THESE SEEDS OF UNFORGIVENESS, THE SEEDS OF DISCORD CAN MANIFEST IF LEFT UNTREATED AND NOT FORGIVEN. HEALTH PROBLEMS ARISE, FROM UNFORGIVENESS. BLESSINGS ARE FORFEITED, DUE TO UNFORGIVENESS. THERE IS GOING TO COME A TIME IN A BELIEVER’S HEART, IN A BELIEVER’S MIND, WHERE WE WILL NO LONGER FORFEIT ANYTHING GOD HAS FOR US DUE TO UNFORGIVENESS.
LET ME SHARE SOMETHING THAT HAPPENED LAST YEAR. YOU KNOW, I CAN’T EVEN BRING MYSELF TO GIVE YOU THIS EXAMPLE I HAD, EVEN THOUGH IT RELATES TO THE SCRIPTURE AND TO THE ACT OF FORGIVENESS.
THIS WEEK I HAD TO GO THROUGH SOMETHING THAT CAUSED ME TO STOP AND PAUSE. FOR TWO DAYS, I WRESTLED WITH THIS MATTER. TWO DAYS. THERE ARE RULES AND LAWS SET UP BY THOSE WHO ARE MEAN, HURTFUL AND HATEFUL, THAT THEY WILL IMPOSE WHEN THEY GET INTO THIS MIND FRAME. I BROKE ONE OF THOSE RULES AND MY PUNISHMENT WAS HARSH AND I SUFFERED A PENALTY AND LOSS THAT HAD ME AT MY BREAKING POINT.
A POINT WHERE I HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO GO HAVE A LIL TALK WITH JESUS, ASKING HIM TO FORGIVE ME AND HELP ME TO FORGIVE THOSE, EVEN THOUGH I UNDERSTOOD WHY THEY HAVE THAT RULE AND WHY THEY DID WHAT THEY DID. I ASKED HIM TO REMOVE ALL THE FEELINGS, THE TRASH, I ALLOWED SATAN TO PLACE IN MY HEART AND TO FILL ME WITH HIS LOVE, HIS PEACE AND HIS JOY.
I TOLD JESUS THAT HE SAID, IF WE ASK IN HIS NAME AND BELIEVE THAT IT SHALL BE DONE. I TOLD HIM HOW TIRED I WAS AND ASKED HIM TO STAND AND SAY ENOUGH IS ENOUGH AND TO DELIVER ME OUT OF THIS SITUATION.
SOMETIMES, SOMETIMES, WE HAVE TO GO TO JABBOK AND WRESTLE WITH THE LORD FOR THAT BLESSING. FOR THAT DELIVERANCE. FOR THAT STRENGTH TO GO ON ANOTHER MOMENT. SOMETIMES, WE HAVE TO CRY OUT, HELP ME HOLY SPIRIT, LORD, TAKE THIS CUP, BUT NOT MY WILL, BUT YOUR WILL BE DONE, THE SAME WAY JESUS CRIED OUT, WHEN HE WAS IN THE GARDEN OF GETHSEMANE. SOMETIMES WE NEED THE HOLY SPIRIT TO COME AND STRENGTHEN US TO GO ON IN HIS NAME. THAT IS WHAT I HAD TO DO AND THAT IS WHAT I DID.
I ASKED HIM TO COMFORT ME, TO LOVE ON ME, AS I FORGAVE THEM IT WAS THEN I REALIZED I STILL HAD SOME ILL FEELINGS FOR SOME OTHER THINGS I HAD NOT FULLY LET GO OF AND I LET THEM GO, SO I COULD WALK FULLY IN THE FORGIVENESS GOD WANTED ME TO WALK IN. AS I WAS ASKING GOD TO FORGIVE ME, A MESSAGE CAME ON MY PHONE, A POST ON TWITTER, FROM MAX LUCADO. IT SAID, “THE PERSON WHO HURTS YOU NEEDS FORGIVENESS. TURN YOUR GLANCE FROM THE ONE WHO HURT U & TOWARD THE ONE WHO SAVED YOU.” I THANKED GOD FOR THAT CONFIRMATION AND I THANKED HIM FOR BLESSING ME WITH THE ABILITY TO FORGIVE. I PRAY THIS IS HELPING SOMEONE.
WE MUST BEGIN TO FORGIVE, IF WE ARE TO ADVANCE TO WHERE GOD WANTS US TO BE. I WANT TO LEAVE YOU WITH THESE SCRIPTURES. ONE OF THE LAST THINGS JESUS SAID WHILE HE WAS ON THE CROSS WAS, “FATHER, FORGIVE THEM, FOR THEY DO NOT KNOW WHAT THEY DO.” AND, IN JOHN 20, JESUS TELLS US ABOUT THE POWER WE HAVE. HE SAID, ““RECEIVE THE HOLY SPIRIT. IF YOU FORGIVE THE SINS OF ANY, THEY ARE FORGIVEN THEM; IF YOU RETAIN THE SINS OF ANY, THEY ARE RETAINED.” LET US PRAY.