Forgiveness Is God's Business

I wrote this as a note in facebook because of some posts I had seen that were negative about other people but I decided to write it in my blog because the Lord nudged me :)  I hope it speaks to your heart as you read.  I also hope its one of those times you can say amen and not oh me!  God bless.

If you have something against someone or something to say to someone, say it to their face, not their facebook.

And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.

Mark 11:25

For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;  Romans 3:23

In these last days satan knows he must step up his plan to destroy our lives, he is pulling out all the stops and using every means he can because he knows he is losing, he knows his days are numbered and prophecy is soon going to be fulfilled.  The Bible says son will turn against father and daughter against mother, division is coming.  Choose you this day whom you will serve.  Do you serve a master that feeds you lies and deceit or one that offers the promise of a life everlasting.  If you buy into satan's lies and deceptions no matter how small they might be you have made a choice.  

If you say to yourself or to anyone, I cannot forgive or I will not forgive that person for what they have done, you are putting yourself in the position of God and very close to blasphemy.  Forgiveness is God's right, forgiveness is God's business.  If we cannot forgive others, how is our Father in Heaven going to forgive us.  Remember the parable of the master and servant, the master forgave the debt his servant owed but then that servant went right out and had another jailed for money he owed him.   

I'm not perfect and don't claim to be but I know that someday I will have to stand before God and answer for every deed and every word, even idle ones.  Every night when I ask for forgiveness I also ask God to forgive those who have hurt or wronged me because I do not want anyone to suffer for things they have done and especially not to me.

So in this note to whoever reads it, if I have wronged you or even if you "think" I have wronged you, I am asking you to forgive me and I want it known that I do not hold anything against anyone.  For anyone in my life that has ever wronged me or that I "thought" did, I forgive them.  I would hate to go to my final resting place in the twinkling of an eye and think I had left any unfinished business.  Life is to short to hold grudges.  God intends for us to know joy and peace, it was never His intention for anyone to be lost.  We can't be perfect but we can strive daily to live as God instructs us in His word.  Jesus with His last few breaths said, "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do"...  (Luke 23:34)  If Jesus can forgive us for the sin we have committed that sent Him to that old rugged cross to die, who are we to withhold forgiveness from anyone.  Have we given our lives for their sins?  

Pray with me...

Father, I love you today, I want to do what is right in Your eyes.  Forgive me for my sins whether known or unknown, help me to start again to try and serve You and do what is pleasing to You.  If anyone holds anything against me today, whether real or a misunderstanding, Lord help them to find it in their heart to forgive me.  Father if there is anyone that I am holding animosity or unforgiveness towards, help me today to let it go, to cleanse my heart so that I may be healed.  Forgive those who have wronged me, sinned against me, and those I believe have wronged me.  I do not want anyone to stand before Your judgement seat for something they have done to me.  I want my mind and my heart to be clear when I myself stand before you.  I ask this in your Son's precious and Holy name.  Amen

Lord help My Unbelief

We need to live by God's promises just as Abraham did.  Have you ever thought  truly how much faith Abraham had in God?  Many believe Abraham was distraught when God asked him to sacrifice his son, Isaac.  My Bible tells me something different!

Genesis 17:19  And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him.

Abraham already had God's promise that he would multiply him through Isaac.  How could that be if he were dead?  Abraham knew God could not lie and that He had a purpose.  He went willingly, read what he told Isaac:

Genesis 22:8  And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.

Some say he didn't want to tell Isaac the truth about what he was doing but he actually was telling him the truth!  He knew what God promised him, all that was required of Abraham was to be obedient.  In Genesis 22:4, he goes on to tell the men that were with them to stay back while he and Isaac went ahead and worshipped and "come again to you".  He knew.   How did he know?  Because he had faith in God's promises.  God's will will not take you where His grace cannot keep you!

"O ye of little faith".  How many times do we miss God's blessings because we are not obedient?  How many times do we miss the answer to our prayers because we give up to soon?  How many times do we not listen to what the Lord is saying because we are afraid?  The Bible tells us Abraham was a man of great faith and you can see by this one account that he was.  God did not break any of His promises to Abraham.  He will not break His promises to us.  We don't even have to have the faith of Abraham, He said if we had the faith of a grain of mustard seed.  

Matthew 17:20  And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.

What are God's promises to us?  Read what Jesus said in Mark 11:22-24

22“Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. 23“I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. 24Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

John 15:7  If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.

Phillipians 4:19   But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

The list goes on and on and every promise God will keep but more importantly than providing our needs, He also made these promises.
Hebrews 13:5  Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
John 14:3  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
Titus 1:2  In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;
1 John 5:11  And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
If you belong to God through faith in Jesus Christ, then you are a beloved child of God.  You are His heir forever entitled to all His riches and therefore ALL God's promises are for you, (me), all of us.
All it takes is faith the size of a grain of mustard seed.  Lord, help my unbelief.
His servant,
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem 

Early Morning Talk With God

Early in the morning before the sun comes up
I sit out on my front porch, hot coffee in my cup,
I visit with the Lord and ask Him to make me strong,
I ask Him to help me so that I will do no wrong.

I ask for His forgiveness, for things I might have done,
I thank Him for His love for me and the giving of His Son,
I thank Him for forgiveness and for His love once again,
For giving me a second chance and wiping out my sin.

I thank Him for my family and blessings on each one,
to protect them and to draw them so they too can be won,
and share a home in Heaven as family up there,
to let them know each day all their burdens He will bare.

I thank Him for the many friends He's brought into my life,
and ask Him to give them each a day with no worry and no strife.
And then before our talk is done there's one more thing I ask,
That He will grant me one more day in His light and love to bask.
One more day that He can let His light shine through me,
So when I leave this world below I join Him in Eternity.