Everything in life begins with a thought. It all does. Sex, shopping; buying a pug. It all begins with a thought. Adam and Eve thought and then looked at the fruit; seeing it was pretty to the eye. Forgiveness is the same. In order to get to a place of forgiving; you need to prepare your mind to forgive. It begins with the thought.
Let’s face it; forgiveness is not easy. This is why the weak do not do it. They can’t. Why can’t they? Because they cannot get their minds to a place of surrendering. The concern with this though is that as a result of choosing not to forgive; they instead choose death by default. How so? God’s Word says. In Deuteronomy 30:19 it plainly reads, “This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live…” (NIV) So it’s a choice. The choice to get your mind prepared is what must be done if you want victory to the full. So it begs the question: what are you really preparing your mind for? You are preparing your mind to:
1. Let Go. Letting go of pain is not an easy task by any means. I remember in 2006/7 NYE when I had to forgive everyone who hurt me in my past I wasn’t sure how. I also wasn’t sure if I could do it to be honest with you. The amount of pain from my biological mother abandoning me was so painful. The pain of my adoptive parents putting me in a homeless shelter was even worse. It all ran so deep. But here is the thing: if I wanted what I wanted I had to. I wanted the torment to go away. I wanted the ministry God sent me to Dallas to start. I wanted freedom!
I had to get my mind in right alignment with God’s Word in Romans 12:2 where it reads, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is–his good, pleasing and perfect will.” (NIV) Until my mind was renewed; nothing would change or at least nothing that I wanted would change. The same for you. Letting go and letting God was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. It brought my relationship with Him to a different level because it meant I didn’t have to go it alone. I could drop the burden at His feet and He would be there. He is there for you too; it’s just a matter of your mind reconciling that.
2. Be healed. Healing comes through forgiveness. I didn’t get it until I got it. I didn’t know just how much I would be healed from. I had to get myself in order to be healed and believe that I could and would be. It was hard to say the least. In reality; I didn’t really know what it meant. I just knew I needed to forgive. During the time of forgiving all the people who hurt me I started to feel different. Every person and every act that I had to forgive was hard in the beginning; but then as I forgave more the power within grew. Obviously this would make sense because the more of me that was removed; the more of God was there and able to truly operate. I was able to not only forgive; but receive healing spiritually and physically. Some of the healing that took place was the restoration of relationship with my biological mother and other relationships. In the physical; my voice and eye color changed. Imagine what healing you will have when you get your mind in order to forgive in accordance with His Word.
3. Go forward. Preparing your mind to go forward can be a challenge; especially if you have lived a life in unforgiveness! It’s hard to imagine what life without all the internal turmoil would be like that’s for sure. Unforgiveness keeps you stuck. Period. If you are not receiving all of what God has for you; there is a reason. Most likely that reason is not that God is so mean and is picking on you. That mindset is purely one of a victim sissy living in blame of God when in reality my best guess is if you get truly serious and dig deep and ask the Holy Spirit to guide you; you will find there has been deep rooted unforgiveness manifesting along with about 40 symptoms of it that you probably don’t even know about. It is not possible to live a life moving forward focusing on stuff from the past. I tried. Trust me it doesn’t work. Going forward with unforgiveness is like trying to drive a 2-wheel SUV through a Colorado blizzard wondering why you are stuck. You will need something much stronger to get out! When you get your mind right and are ready to go forward leaving the pain of the past behind your life will change in ways beyond imagine!
See; everything starts in the mind. I didn’t get that until long after I dealt with the amount of unforgiveness I had. I sat in a room for 2 days over NYE 2006/7 dealing with all the unforgiveness I had. I had to deal with it once and for all. There was no turning back; and there really isn’t for you either. This of course if you want the real life that God created you for.
Once I grasped that God’s Word is not a joke when it reads, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” in John 10:10 my life changed. I got the revelation that what I continued to allow was the enemy to win. It was a war for my life and it is for yours too. It is time for you today to get the reality that should you claim you are a Believer and confess with your mouth that Jesus is your Lord and Savior you can do all things through Him who gives you strength. This means you have the power within you to get your mind prepared to forgive; and then forgive. Don’t be deceived into thinking you can’t as that too is a lie. Prepare your mind and get ready for the battle; and the victory waiting for you!
Forgiveness changes things. In fact it changes everything. It changes the heart, soul; and life of the forgiver. There is a perception correct that occurs through forgiveness.
When you live in unforgiveness; you are able to see life from the one vantage point that you have- yours. With unforgiveness in and breeding in you ask yourself: how correct do you think the perceptions you have could be with something so negative living in you? Not sure? Well; then let’s add some of unforgiveness cousins for fun and see! How about a little resentment? Bitterness? Anger? Impatience? Are you starting to get the idea now?
I didn’t realize just how incorrect my perception of everything was. My perception of relationships, perception of my biological mother; and most important my relationship with Christ. My life was being lived based upon incorrect perceptions deeply rooted in unforgiveness. It wasn’t until I forgave that it was corrected. It wasn’t until I forgave that I was able to start living.
One of the biggest perception correction I experienced was regarding my biological mother. What I knew before I forgave her was that she told me she was going to get pizza and never returned. What I knew and remembered was that she didn’t show up to the final visit that we were scheduled to have with the social workers. My perception was that she abandoned me, didn’t want me and surely didn’t love me. My perception was that I was not worthy of love and therefore; unloveable. I lived a life based upon this incorrect perception.
How was this incorrect? Well; when you live in unforgiveness you are not able to see any other vantage point than yours. Once I became obedient to Christ and repented for my unforgiveness toward my mother and then forgave her for abandoning me I was able to listen to her. I was able to hear what she had to say and receive it. What did I receive? More than I ever could have imagined!
My biological mother shared with me that she never intended for me to be placed in foster care. She never intended to ‘not’ show up for the final appointment with the social worker! She went on to share with me that she was given an ultimatum by the social worker: sell me to him for 10k or never see me again. He was buying and selling babies on the Canadian Black Market. When she rejected his offer he changed the appointment time and because she didn’t drive; she couldn’t get there. She never saw me again. That was her side of the story.
For all those years I lived with the hate, resentment, fear of abandonment, forgiveness and many others based upon an incorrect perception! I made life decisions based upon all those things not knowing that they were not only incorrect; but were killing me. How about you? What do you think is behind the door of forgiveness that you have yet to open?
Once I listened to all of what my mother had to share; my life changed. I no longer had the resentment and hatred with deep-seeded unforgiveness breeding in me. My heart was changed. I no longer saw my mother as the fat, stupid degenerate that I always believed she was. (Just saying) No. Not any longer. I saw her as God sees her. I saw her as a woman who lost her child; a woman who suffered much. And a woman who against all odds chose life.
Forgiveness forever changed me. It brought me closer to Christ and it will too. It brought healing to every ounce of my being; including a change in my eye color and voice. It brought a change in perception. It brought humbling in ways unimaginable and it will for you too.
There is someone in your life right now waiting for his or her chance to share the truth with you. There is someone who is waiting to see you be free from what you have harbored deep within to this point. Are you ready to receive? Are you ready to forgive? I pray that you are as you are too valuable to waste away in the land of unforgiveness. I pray that you are ready to see with the 20/20 vision that God has been waiting for you to receive!
Unforgiveness is a sin. In the purest of forms it is a sin against God. And sin kills. Unforgiveness as a result too kills because it is sin although in its process damages you along the way. The destruction to your soul and your body are what most don’t take into consideration. This would make sense since unforgiveness is in the way; blocking the very revelation. So how does unforgiveness truly damage you?
Unforgiveness reaches you at the core of who you are; your soul and spirit. It operates internally like a virus scan program; monitoring every thought, every action; every breath. It ensures that operation to the full are consistent with keeping you miserable; keeping you dying. Your soul which is compromised of your mind, will and emotions is what progresses you through life. When living in unforgiveness the pain resides. It breeds bitterness which is poison that rots the bones. It grows into anger, resentment and the myriad of almost 40 symptoms of unforgiveness. None of which are healthy to the soul. Unforgiveness is the silent torment to the soul that keeps people dying in silence. None of the symptoms allow for any true growth in Christ. How seriously could you expect to grow closer to Christ while being separated from Him by the choice to be disobedience through unforgiveness? One cannot grow to the other. It is only until unforgiveness is removed and replaced with His Truth that freedom and growth in Christ to the full can begin. Until that time of choice begins; it is a slow damaging process to death. When the soul is replenished; life is renewed. This is why forgiveness is a process; a renewing process. Acts 3:19 is very clear: ‘Repent, and then seek forgiveness, so that times of refreshing may come.’ (NIV) There is no refreshing until the choice to repent is first. The soul will not be cleansed nor life changed for the better of His Kingdom.
In the physical body unforgiveness spreads. Anything that occurs in the spiritual aspect manifests itself in the physical. The same is true with forgiveness and unforgiveness alike. When a person lives in forgiveness there is peace; just as much so as when living in unforgiveness there is no peace. When there is no peace the body feels it. When there is stress, anger or any other negative emotion it is felt. Dr. Caroline Leaf has examined the brain related to renewing the mind Biblically and in her research has found that as people change their thoughts then it reacts in the body. When a person is bitter it rots the bones. Unforgiveness has also been known to have such additional physical symptoms of arthritis, hypertension and many others. The human body was not created to withstand the rigors of hate and evil; and sin against God. The torment caused to the body has people dying at a faster rate than necessary. I encourage you today to stop damaging your body and forgive so that you can live; and live the life you were created to live.
It is written best in 3 John 1:2 where it reads the message clear: “Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well.” (NIV) How can you have good health and all well in your soul when living against God? You cannot be for Him and against Him at the same time. It would like going against Israel and expecting God to like it! God’s Word is clear that you are to enjoy good health and that ‘all’ may go well with you; not just some. You can get all simply by forgiving. You really can! There is peace in forgiveness to be in your soul and body. It is there waiting so you don’t have to any longer do damage to yourself. It is simply up to you to recognize that you are worth it, God commands it; and that you can do it.
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Living in sin kills. Period. There is no freedom anywhere found in sin. And it doesn’t matter what the sin is; it kills. Forgiveness and choosing to live in perpetual sin is very dangerous because God’s Word does not change; and there is no mercy for the sins. And until that revelation is grasped in its purest form; people perish. And many more than you think are perishing right before your very eyes yet they know it not. And you too may be perishing and know it not.
Psalms 32 is very clear when it reads, “Blessed is he who transgressions are forgiven, who sins are covered.”
Now in order to have those transgressions forgiven and covered it means one not only has to acknowledge them but also repent according to Acts 3:19 where it reads to“Repent and seek forgiveness, so that times of refreshing may come.”
If you are not blessed; perhaps seeking forgiveness of sins may be the first place to start.
It continues on in verse 2 of Psalm 32, “Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit.” Now; the reward is evident that man will be blessed is that no sin will count against him but also pay close attention to the second part: ‘Whose spirit is no deceit.’ This caveat is very clear that if there is deceit there is a problem. Not only this in James 1:8 it is clearly written that a double-minded man is unstable in all his ways. Trying to hide deception is a sin in and of itself! And God is the one who knows the motives of the heart so if you think you can live in the sin and hide you are kidding yourself! Bottom line is that seeking forgiveness and living a righteous life requires confession of rebellious ways; and it doesn’t matter what you are rebelling from. Rebellion to God in sin is still rebellion to God in sin. It doesn’t matter if you are sexually immoral, bitter or a murderer. Not confessing your sin will kill you.
Psalm 32 verse 5 shares “Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord”-and you forgave the guilt of my sin.” What is wonderful about this particular verse is how many things occur in it. 1) first the person (David the Psalmist) acknowledge the sin, 2)confession to the Lord for the sin took place, 3) God forgave and forgave the guilt of the sin. Notice that nothing occurred until the sin was acknowledged. Nothing except the continued living in the sin and the guilt that comes with it. So I ask today: what sin are you ready to be delivered from? What do you truly need to repent of? Should you say you are without out sin I kindly ask you to seek the Lord and let Him reveal to you the truth of that. Being so deceived will only kill you as God will not be mocked nor will God uphold your sinful ways because you have chosen to deceive yourself. God is pure and just and people and sin are not.
In Psalm 32 verse 6 it reads, “Therefore let everyone who is godly pray to you while you be found; surely when the mighty waters rise, they will not reach him.” It is very clear ‘everyone who is godly’ which would make sense as how can you be delivered from sin when you refuse to acknowledge the One who can free you of it? God is not the father of all as that too is clear that no one get to the Father but through Jesus. Notice too the scripture is clear ‘while you may be found’ which is clear that time is of the essence. Should you choose your perpetual sin as a lifestyle you may not experience the joy of the Lord as He does not change to cower down to your sinful ways. And what a shame that would be to choose to have satan as your master who creates bondage rather than the Jesus who came to set the captives free! So again the question for the day is: what sin do you want delivered from? It doesn’t matter if it is pornography addiction, extra-marital affairs, sexual deviancy or anything else. Anything not of God is not of God and God will never change His pure mind on that. It is us that must get that and soon before it’s too late. Romans 12:2 tells us to not conform to the ways of the world but to be renewed my the transforming our minds. And that my dear reader; is a command.
Psalm 32:8 provides us with what God will do for us should we stop our nonsense and recognize the truth of His Word. It reads, “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you.” God’s entire Word and all the words in it are instructions for life; and life in abundance according to His Word. It is not a book written for people to pick and choose what and when they want which parts that are fitting to the sin they want to keep. It is all for today as it was yesterday and will still be the law of the land tomorrow and forever. It is simply a matter of what it will take for people to get it. When people remove themselves in all their ignorance and glory to believe they know better than the One who created them; they create more bondage to live in. What must be understood is written carefully in Psalm 12: 6-8:
And the words of the Lord are flawless,
like silver purified in a crucible,
like gold refined seven times.
7 You, Lord, will keep the needy safe
and will protect us forever from the wicked,
8 who freely strut about
when what is vile is honored by the human race.
When there is no repentance of sin there are consequences.Upholding sin is still sin as you are either for God or against Him. You cannot claim His Word and live against it and Him at the same time. Until forgiveness for sin is sought from the Lord; no times of refreshing may come. Deu 30:19 tells us, “This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live.” Make today the day that you bow before God Almighty and seek forgiveness for your sins; all of them. And for your children so they may live. Do it before it’s too late.
If I were to ask you how your relationship is with your pastor what would you say? How about your relationship with your church? How about Jesus? God? The Holy Spirit? The church in America is and has been in trouble for quite some time and forgiveness must reign when or should a church you are in splits. Jesus should and must always be the center of everything for His Word is clear that you shall have no other Gods before Him; and yes that would mean the god of pastor worship and religion.
You see; when people get so caught up into their church that should it split; it’s much more challenging to overcome. it’s the devastation to those who didn’t see it coming. It’s the pain of loss of trust and the reality of the truth; nothing will ever be as it once was. Now it’s not to say that it isn’t difficult for everyone involved but if your focus is in a place of people focus and not God focus; you may be blindsided. You may be blindsided to the fact that your pastor is not God- and that is not a good place to be.
Recognizing that a church is made of imperfect people should it splits forgiveness must reign. You see; pastors are people. As with anything some are honest and most are. They are men and women who love the Lord and serve honestly their congregations. Some pastors also prove to be liars and very very good at it. They probably have no clue that it’s their lies and deceit that causes their congregations to fall. And even in the midst of this; each person is still accountable to God for his or her actions therein. Forgiveness must be in the hearts of all involved in any church split.
So how does one forgive or even get to a place of forgiveness? Where does one even start?
1. Forgive the pastor for his faults. Pastors are men and women and not perfect. “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” so it reads in Romans 3:23. Should you choose to harbor unforgiveness and judgment toward that pastor it will be what is in your heart; and that would not be of God. Now of course it isn’t to say that the pastor should not be held accountable; however, God is the one who will judge. Let me remind you that it was ‘God’ who used a hailstorm to annihilate the enemies and they all fell dead. So you don’t have to do anything but stay focused on forgiveness and let God do what God does!
2. Forgive yourself for any involvement. Now you may say you weren’t involved in the church split; although perhaps by being there you were. Perhaps you actually knew something at some point and did nothing. Doing nothing in silence is still doing something. You may also want to seek God for what caused you to not only be there, but stay there too. There is a reason why and maybe the Holy Spirit revealed to you long before it was time to go; and yet you didn’t. Remember that obedience is worth more than sacrifice. You want to ensure that you are on the right track with God so just clear the path with forgiveness between you and He.
3. Forgive the church for the pain it caused. Church splits cause much pain. They destroy relationships, they destroy congregations, they destroy the unity in the body of Christ; and they even cause people to simply walk away from Jesus. What must always be recognized is that Jesus is not a church building only open Sundays from 10am-2pm. This is why a relationship with Jesus must be the center of everything! Pastors and churches are two separate things; although may people just combine them as one. The pastor has a role and the church has a role. Make sure you that you are living in forgiveness of both the pastor and the church for pure freedom in Christ!
4. Be thankful. This obviously is a challenge to be thankful for such an experience that can devastate many lives; however, God’s Word is clear: “give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thes 5:18)(NIV) God isn’t unaware of what has occurred. He is aware of your level of thankfulness and your forgiveness- and where your heart is. Thank God that you are moving forward in a new direction. Thank God that there is freedom in the truth! John 8:32 says it straight: “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” Sure it may be a strange way to get set free; but at least you would be free.
Churches and people everywhere; including you need forgiveness. None are immune. None are perfect. What is most important is that whatever happens in life; your level of forgiveness is your responsibility and you are accountable for what you do. It doesn’t matter what anyone else does but what you do that is of importance. Should a church you are part of split; forgive. And then live. And forgive and live in thanks.
When you live your life a certain way you get accustomed to it. When you live life in unforgiveness you grow accustomed to it. You know what it’s like; it’s predictable. Those who know you know how you will respond; the flareups and all. How life is after unforgiveness is different and in many ways. I didn’t realize just how different my life would be once I forgave and saw that I was an overcomer. That in and of itself was true victory! Amazing that a simple revelation is more life changing that moving to a new home or getting a promotion; but for me yes it was and still is.
When you forgive you change. You are never the same praise God! But sure you can recognize that but what does it mean? I have blogged about how life is not the same, your relationships are not the same and pretty much nothing is as it was in the past. But what about it is different? Let me share.
When you recognize as a Believer the authority you carry with the name of Jesus you have more power than you can imagine. When you live in unforgiveness this is simply not possible. Why? Because you are living defeated! Unforgiveness is one of the greatest ploys of the enemy to ruin lives and it works. My prayer for you today in the name of Jesus is that you see it; and that you break free in His name!
When I forgave all those people on NYE 2005/6 I felt different. My eye color changed and my voice changed. What else changed was the power in how I spoke. No longer was it the snippy, cold, attack but a soft boldness of power. The pain that was behind it was no longer. The power of love in Christ was instead in its place.
Once I understood the depths of forgiveness according to God’s Word; I started seeing life different. My life and ways of old were of no more. My heart for people changed. I felt an inner compassion like that of Christ that I never felt before; in ways that I couldn’t ever feel being unforgiving. What I wanted to do for people changed. And the biggest change was how I saw my mother. Before forgiveness I hated her. I really did. She was this disgusting person who made choices that wrecked my life. And I hated her. But once I forgave her I saw her as a precious child of God. My heart sang songs of love and lilies in the midst of a sunshiny Sunday. Life is precious. God became and still becomes more amazing with each passing day- because His love and the love of His Son is ever present. He will never leave us or forsake us and because His Word ‘never’ returns void that means it was true for me- and for you too.
And so life after overcoming unforgiveness bred a buffet of goodness that I never experienced before. Now don’t get me wrong; forgiving my biological mother was one thing but there were others that did even much much more damage to me than she did; and much deeper. The best news is that I thank God that I learned how to forgive so that I could continue to stay on the God path of forgiveness. I had to. I still have to. And so do you if you want the fullness of Him. It’s a command in God’s Word.
Through it all it’s what I see that has changed the most. People are people; and I am no different. I accept them more in more Christlike ways.I accept myself too. Now does it mean I live in tolerance of all things not of Christ. Nope. I stand on God’s Word and all of it; although it’s the love for people that I have in my heart that I didn’t before. I couldn’t. Unforgiveness doesn’t allow it.
The direction of my life changed entirely. The purpose and call on my life became more clear; and it will for you too. Unforgiveness is a blessing blocker. It blocks you from seeing, your heart from loving; your soul from receiving.
Life after unforgiveness is different in that its open. Open to more of He who created ‘you’ special for your special assignment. It brought purpose in ways that I never could have imagined; and bigger too. For the first time ever in my life after overcoming unforgiveness I was able to dream; and believe. For the first time I was able to see and fully a life filled with hope and amazement.
Through it all I can share this and much much more with you. I know what life is like in living in full unforgiveness; and living in full forgiveness. I know all of what comes with both and while forgiveness is a process, or journey some will say; it’s one that you want to go through. I don’t need to look back. And neither do you. You simply need to go through it. You simply need to to get to the other side. You need to experience life in a different way. And that is a life of forgiveness.
Forgiveness is a weapon of spiritual warfare; no doubt about this. The question is: how does on live victoriously in forgiveness? Simple. By defeating the enemy through and even with forgiveness.
We all know the enemy comes to kill, steal and destroy but what most don’t recognize is ‘how’. The enemy is so sly and most are dying yet seeing it not. The enemy wants your life. What is included in your life? Your health, your soul, your finances, your transportation; your mind- and everything else that comes with you as a being.
In order to defeat the enemy you must change your thinking. Period. There is no way to beat any enemy without a change in the mind. Ask anyone in special ops and they will attest to that. Everything begins in the mind. Heck; even Hitler knew that! Change the mind- change the people. Then change every single thing else that one could dream right? Steve Jobs grasped that concept too. And now most of the population have an ‘I-life’ with the exception of those who live the ‘A-life’ but you get the point.
When you see a mind changed you can see what you can do to overcome the enemy. You can forgive. How do I know for certain? God’s Word says so! In Philippians 4:13 it reads, ‘ I can do all this through him who gives me strength.’ (NIV) This means you ‘can’ forgive. You can do anything with His strength! When you live in forgiveness you are defeating your enemy! You are stopping him dead right in tracks.
You see; unforgiveness kills. It is from the enemy. It steals your life and everything else. It steals your joy, your family and other relationships, your time, your level of productivity, your health, finances and more. Unforgiveness is not of God! It can’t be! It was His Son who died on the cross and while doing so asked ‘Forgive them Father for they know not what they do’ so it’s pretty clear that Jesus didn’t die for you to live in unforgiveness and defeatedness of the enemy. And if you are know there is a better way and that you don’t have to be defeated nor live like it.
Forgiveness is a strategic way to defeat the enemy because it keeps you on the offense. It keeps you aware that while the enemy may try to infiltrate your family through pettiness; your level of forgiveness sees through the charade. When unforgiveness tries to destroy work relationships and you forgive; you win. When unforgiveness tries to keep you hating yourself and you forgive; not only are you free but you are whooping the enemy at the same time!
If you truly want to defeat the enemy it’s time to stand up and take what is rightfully yours. It’s sad to see in a society where more people are willing to stand and die for their religion while others sit silent in sickness and lack for theirs; especially when they don’t have to. The war is raging and when you recognize that forgiveness is one of the best weapons of spiritual warfare the enemy will not be able to stand. How do I know? Because the enemy wanted me dead. It’s ok he wants you dead too; and it doesn’t even mean not alive as it can be walking dead. The deader you are alive the more of an impact you have for him. Everything dead about you spreads like a disease and that is what he wants. He is not for life!
For me; I hated my biological mother which meant I was living in unforgiveness and not honoring my mother or father. Two wammies against me. That alone caused much havoc on my life to the destruction of many other relationships and self-hatred. It’s a twisted cycle of terribleness which is not of God. Once I grasped that and started making changes by forgiving; my life changed. Yours will too. You will be able in the strength of the Almighty to defeat any enemy. You have it within you! You are an overcomer- you just to see it. When you forgive not only will your life change; but those around you will change. And what better way to defeat an enemy than through life? What better way to defeat the enemy than staying married? What better to defeat the enemy than to forgive yourself? What better way to defeat the enemy than to simply live in forgiveness?
In case you aren’t aware; the enemy comes to kill, steal and destroy. Like a thief in the night you can lose your life- and without even knowing it. The enemy is so vast in his strategies but once you know them; you can defeat him and live in victory. How do I know? God’s Word reads so! And guess what? Regardless of what your mind may want to argue; God’s Word ‘never’ returns void. So what does this have to do with forgiveness? Forgiveness is an awesome spiritual weapon because it not only changes your life and adds years to it; it does the same for others. And what better way to defeat the enemy?
Apostle Paul made it clear in the book of Ephesians, ‘For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.’ (Ephesians 6:12) (NIV) So a couple of things are clear: 1) there is a battle, 2) it’s not an earthly battle. Ok great right? Now you are informed that there is a battle and that it’s not just picking up a knife or firearm and aiming it. Nope. It’s something much more.
The enemy will destroy you in every way possible if you are not careful. You must take every step to ensure that you choose life. In the end forgiveness is an awesome spiritual weapon for a few reasons:
1- You are choosing life. When you choose life you choose to live. Deuteronomy 30:19-20 doesn’t mince words: ‘This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live (20)and that you may love the LORD your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the LORD is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. (NIV) When you make the choice to forgive you are choosing life; and there is nothing more that the enemy hates than those who choose life. I never knew just how many choices I made in my life that aligned with death. I truly didn’t. This was until I started reading the Bible on days other than Sunday. This wasn’t until I grasped the reality of what it means to choose life. This wasn’t until I truly understood that there is a war for my life. And guess what? There is one for yours too! You are that precious which is why the enemy wants to take you out. Choose life today!
2- You are being obedient to God’s Word. In Mark 11:26 we need to look no further to grasp the truth about what is written about forgiveness for it tells us: ‘But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.’ (KJB) While your level of obedience and forgiveness is your choice; when you choose to be obedient it goes against everything the enemy hopes for. See; so long as the enemy keeps you trapped in unforgiveness you are dead man walking. Look around and you will see just how many victims there are- and some probably right next to you!
3- You are free from bondage. The days we live in are not what they once were. There is no doubt about this. Times in America have changed and if you look closely you will see the destruction of Biblical marriage, the downfall of the economy, there is hate instead of love; and people’s hearts in pain. God’s Word; however, provides instruction in Ephesians 5:15-17, ‘Be very careful, then, how you live–not as unwise but as wise,making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.’ (NIV) When you live in forgiveness you are not trapped. You are free from the bondage that the enemy wants you to live in. You my dear friend are victorious!
This is just the start of how forgiveness is an awesome spiritual weapon. There are many other ways of course but this is just the beginning. To win the war means you are actively standing your ground and taking what is rightfully yours. You are making the choice to forgive with the knowing that so long as you are forgiving you are choosing life; and what better way than to defeat the enemy than that?
People are people. And people in the church are no different. Life changes when you get this revelation; at least it did for me. It’s a sad day when the truth is revealed. So then how do you handle it when you truly see the devastation caused by those in church leadership? How do you go forward when what you thought to be really wasn’t ever anything at all? How do you decipher truth from fiction? You forgive. Is it hard? Absolutely. But for your sanity, freedom and future you must forgive.
If you have ever attended a church and or been part of a church split you know the difficulty of it. If you have ever been spiritually abused you too know how hard it is to forgive. Those in leadership probably did things that you don’t even want to talk about. They probably stole years from your life and deceived you right there while praising the Lord Almighty singing and dancing. They probably did much more damage than you are even aware of. While it may take years to overcome you must forgive. Your life is too precious to live in the bondage of other people’s deception. When you put your trust in those in leadership roles and they fail you; things change. You must change too. What must you forgive?
1) You must forgive yourself putting more faith in man than God. It’s a weird thing to me how many people talk more about how wonderful their pastor is compared to what Jesus has done for them. ‘Oh my pastor says this, says that’ and on and on- but what does Jesus say? If you are relying more on man’s word than God it’s an issue. Ask yourself if you put your pastor or leader above God in the idolizing and then repent and seek forgiveness according to Acts 3:19. The Word is clear that you shall have no other gods. That includes the god of pastor.
2) You must forgive yourself for allowing their poison to put you in bondage. The bondage that others are allowed to put you in is by your doing. They will continue to pour into your life all things terrible so long as you allow them to. It doesn’t matter what they have done; your level of forgiveness is what is required and between you and the Lord. From personal experience; it was the leaders that taught me so much and then turned on me it hurt. I never imagined that they were just so hateful. Never. The worse thing about it was that they didn’t even hide it. Nope. I’m not sure if that is good or bad but it surely was out there without a doubt. It personally changed every single thing in my life and my prayer is that regardless of what they have done you no longer accept them to have that control. Those who like and thrive on control will continue to use it as a breeding ground. And their behavior is not a reflection of God. And your unforgiveness toward yourself or them won’t be either.
3) You must forgive them for their wicked, evil and vile ways. The wolf in sheep’s clothing is moving to and fro- do you see it? If you are not paying attention you won’t. If you are not careful to forgive and do it quick; they win. Their wickedness can destroy you if you are not careful. If they choose to live like Jezebel; let them. It’s not how you want to live! And in case you don’t know- Jezebel was mauled by dogs. Best to get them out of your system and move on toward more important things; like giving God the praise and glory that you are no longer being under that leadership and authority!
In many cities church is business. I remember moving to Dallas and everyone asking me ‘what church do you go to’ as though it was a status to say this one or that. It made me miss my old church in Denver that much more. I don’t follow church; I follow Jesus. It’s that simple. You see; it isn’t about being followers of leaders of churches to the point of elevating and worshiping them. It simply isn’t. It isn’t even about church if you get to the core of it. It’s about an intimate relationship with Christ and when you get away from that; things happen. And when they do; the damage is more than most can handle. When you walk straight with Christ and your brother in leadership falls; it’s forgiveness that is easier to fill your heart. Does it mean it’s easy? No just easier because you will have the Rock to stand on. When you are with Jesus you can rest in peace knowing that He will never leave you or forsake you. What better leader to have than that?
Abortion is something in society that isn’t talked about in full. It’s something that is done in part for the preservation of a woman’s future; but talking about what women experience after the fact are things not truly explored.
Abortion has impact. It has impact on society, the men involved if they are aware, future generations and of course the woman who has the abortion. What is crazy is that 37% of women obtaining abortions identify themselves as Protestant, and 28% identify themselves as Catholic (AGI)! In 2011, women who had not aborted in the past accounted for 53.7% of all abortions; women with one or two prior abortions accounted for 37.1%, and women with three or more prior abortions accounted for 9.3% (CDC). And so we see abortion effects many. It has impacts that are longer lasting than what people recognize so it begs the question: is there forgiveness for abortion?
I listened to an interview with singer songwriter Toni Braxton and what captured me wasn’t so much about the fame or her career; but rather the abortion she regretted.
Toni spoke about her family and the tough financial trials and the bankruptcy she went through. It was during that time that she got pregnant and couldn’t see herself raising a child when she was in the midst of financial fall. She talked about how much she regretted having an abortion and how selfish she now sees her choice. Her selfishness is what caused her to swipe the existence and future from that baby’s life.
What captured me was 1) she knew it was selfish, 2) her regret. Those two things speak volumes without a doubt. She continued that she later become pregnant and her child was born with autism. She believed the autism was punishment from God and that yes; she deserved it. Now this is where forgiveness comes in to play. When there is forgiveness the slate is wiped clean! Let’s say that your children apologize for making a mistake or being selfish; do you forgive them and the punish them? Of course not!
As I listened to Toni I heard her clearly. She is not unlike many women who have made the choice to abort but here is the thing: there is forgiveness. There is freedom for and from abortion. Jesus died on the cross so that we could be forgiven of our sins. And forgiveness knows no bounds. If you are like Toni; there is forgiveness for you. When there is forgiveness there is no need to live in self-condemnation. There is no need to continue to dwell on the past! The past is time gone by! When we cling to it we live in it and there is no freedom in shame of the past.
There is forgiveness for your selfish ways. All you have to do is ask. Acts 3:19 is clear for us all to follow: Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord,’. The times of refreshing are there. They are waiting just for you. Do not be deceived into thinking that your choice to have an abortion isn’t forgivable. That my dear friend; is a lie. God’s Word says so.
I encourage you today to seek forgiveness because it will change your life. It will set you free. It will remove the chains of bondage. Let it all go! Let go of the shame, guilt, condemnation, self-loathing, regret; and all of rest of the cousins attached. There is no need to continue like Toni and live in shame as she said for the sins that she committed that she repented of. God is a loving God and not one who simply hates and isn’t forgiving. It would be a lie to think that. It’s a trap! Yes we all make mistakes there is no doubt although this sin is just as forgivable as all of the rest of them.
There is a future for your life regardless of whether or not you believe it just yet. There is hope too. You don’t have to live without it. You don’t have to continue to suffer in silence. You are valued. You are loved. You are forgiven. It’s just up to you to get it.
For more about forgiveness watch “Living in Forgiveness” on Saturdays in Dallas channels 27 & 47.2. NY & NY new channel 49.1 Stream live atwww.uanetwork.tvand watch previous episodes here: http://uanetwork.tv/uanon-demand/living-forgiveness-julie-blair/
**Starting May 5th Living in Forgiveness will air Tuesdays at 9:30pm**