Blessings From Forgiving

Chuckle: A little boy was asked, "What is a lie?" The boy replied, "It is an abomination unto the Lord and a very present help in the time of need!!"

Quote: "There is so much for us all to forgive that we shall never get it done without putting in a lot of practice." --J. Neville Ward

BLESSINGS FROM FORGIVING

"Then came Peter to Him, and said, 'Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?' 'No,' Jesus replied. 'seventy times seven!'" (Matthew 18:21-22 NLT).

Jesus taught that if we remain in him and he remains in us, we can pray and receive what ever we ask (John 15:7). He also taught us that we should pray and believe by faith. Then He states that if you have anything against anyone when you pray, forgive that person. If you hold a grudge, and refuse to let it go, the flow of blessings that God wants to give you will be interrupted. As long as such resentment and grudges are allowed to continue, God's forgiveness for you will be withheld as well.

Jesus said: "Listen to me! You can pray for anything, and if you believe, you will have it. But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too" (Mark 11:24-26 NLT). Jesus spoke again on unwillingness to forgive and offensiveness when He taught the disciples how to be reconciled with a brother who had offended them. Peter thought he was being generous when he suggested we forgive someone seven times, but Jesus not only taught us how many times to forgive, but how to forgive -- he modeled it for us.

Forgiveness is the act of pardoning an offender in spite of the offender's shortcomings and errors. It's the last thing Jesus did on the cross! When With His life almost at an end and His body in total agony, he asked the Father to forgive His tormenters. "Jesus said, 'Father, forgive these people, because they don't know what they are doing" (Luke 23:34 NLT). When we exercise genuine forgiveness, we are freed from the most powerful bondage that the enemy can impose on us.
"You must make allowance for each other's faults and forgive the person who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. And the most important piece of clothing you must wear is love. Love is what binds us all together in perfect harmony" (Colossians 3:13-14 NLT).

Jesus didn't say we are to forgive when we feel like it. He said it is a duty and no limits can be set on the extent of forgiveness. It must be granted without reservation, by faith and not feelings. Regardless of the hurt, we are to forgive as God does, without limits. You and I can never be free and happy if we harbor grudges, so put them away. Get rid of them. Collect postage stamps, or collect coins, if you wish -- but don't collect grudges. Such ability to forgive will result in an outflow of blessings -- peace, joy, and contentment.

Love, Jerry & Dotse