February 17 FBC Milan, Tennessee - Revival Day
February 23 Belmore Baptist, Belmore, Al. - Men's Conference
March 5 New Life Recovery, Decatur, Al. - Preach
March 7-9 Trinity BC, Trinity, Al. - Adult Retreat Pigeon Forge, Tn.
March 28 Harmony Baptist, Moulton, Al. - Easter Revival
April 7-10 Eastside Baptist, Jasper, Al. - Revival
April 23 Marion Baptist Association, Hamilton, Al. - Ordained Men's Evening
April 27 FBC Holly Pond, Holly Pond, Al. - Senior Adult Revival
May 5-8 Wilsonville Baptist, Wilsonville, Al. - Revival
June 21 Alabama Deacons Retreat, Shocco Springs, Al. - Preach
October 28 Morgan Baptist Assoc., Morgan County, Al. - Preach Assoc. Mtg.
Monday, February 25, 2013
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
The Ugly Truth About Forgiveness
John 3:16
Somewhere along the way we’ve been misinformed, deceived, and confused about the message of forgiveness. The cross has become a piece of jewelry – Forgiveness has become something we get if we do the right things. We’ve memorized the words of John 3:16 but we’ve missed the message. God so loved the world that He gave. He gave… He gave His Son. He Gave to Save. He gave so that we could be Forgiven – Forever.
The ugly truth of the cross includes bloodshed, an angry mob, lies, hatred, and a long list of all that happens when God is ignored and hatred rules. …But before we get too far into the message of the cross and God’s forgivness for us – Let’s think about us forgiving others. And the ugliness behind that.
.....FORGIVING may be the most difficult thing you’ll ever do in this life. It is more difficult than any manual labor you can imagine. More difficult than facing a terminal disease... more difficult than confessing your faults, admitting wrongs, and repenting of sins. Truly forgiving someone for the wrong they have done to you or your family...is the most difficult thing a person will ever do.
Have you ever been so hurt – so disappointed… that you found it almost impossible to forgive? Has someone ever hurt your child or your wife or husband or friend in such a way that you simply couldn't forgive? Have you ever been so hurt in church and by church people that you felt like quitting and never going back? A country song says, “Forgiving you was easy but forgetting seems to take the longest time…” While that makes for a good country song I am afraid the reason most of us don't forgive is simply because - Trulyforgiving someone is the most difficult thing a person will ever do. NOBODY ever said this was easy.
What does forgiveness look like anyway? When Jesus taught His disciples to pray He taught them to pray like this… “Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us…” Did you read that...did you read what Jesus said? He said, “As we forgive…” “As we forgive those who sin against us…” Wow. Personally, I have found it easy to say “I forgive you” but difficult to actually forgive. But my fellowship with God hinges on my forgiveness toward others.
.....If someone asks for your forgiveness and you withhold it, you are as guilty as the one asking for forgiveness.
.....Just because you forgive someone doesn’t mean you forget what they said or did. That’s why Paul said, “I die daily.”
.....Jesus mentioned forgiving someone 7X70 times. That’s 490 times. My pastor, when I was a child, preached about this one time. He said, “If a person needs forgiveness 490 times, for the same sin, he’s got bigger problems.” Which I took to mean there are other issues at work in their life which we know nothing about.
.....Forgiveness is more difficult for you than the person you are forgiving. It’s never wrong to do the right thing – but it’s usually more difficult.
.....Satan won’t let you forget what they said or did. He’ll remind us of what they did to us and how they “got away with it” and how “it’s not fair.”
.....Not forgiving stalls the effectiveness of your prayer life. (Mark 11:25) That means your prayers don’t get answered. That means you can’t experience the full benefits of God’s forgiveness if you are not forgiving others. That means God puts your blessings on hold and waits until you take care of that unfinished business.
.....Not forgiving steals your joy. (John 10:10) When you don’t forgive, it brings up a barrier to the joy God has for you. No one is ever truly happy if they have unforgiveness in their heart.
.....Not forgiving swings open the door for the enemy to work in your life. We have to forgive “lest Satan should take advantage of us” (2 Corinthians 2:11). We invite the enemy in if we harbor unforgiveness. And when you treat others as if they are enemies — you align yourselves with your true enemy and his plans for your future.
.....Not forgiving stagnates your soul. The Bible says, “Does a spring send forth fresh water and bitter from the same opening?” (James 3:11). If you have unforgiveness, the water in your soul becomes bitter.
.....Not forgiving means seeing the failures of others, but not your own. “Why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye?” (Matthew 7:3-5). Not forgiving means you are walking in darkness. “He who hates his brother is in darkness and walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes“(1 John 2:11).
This is bigger than forgiving the guy who just cut you off in traffic on the way to church... This is bigger than forgiving the girl who broke line at the all you can eat buffet... This is bigger than forgiving the kid at school who pushed your little boy down on the playground... This is bigger than forgiving your neighbor for borrowing your rake and never bringing it back...This is bigger than forgiving the gossip who felt led to share her opinion about your new hairstyle.
This is more than putting on a smile and being nice even when we want to take matters into our own hands. This is forgiving - doing only what we can do with the help of God. And if we don’t, we sever our fellowship with God and ruin our relationships with others.
God so loved the world He gave... "Gave" says it all. If I am going to forgive those who have offended me I will need to "give" also. I need to give it up, quit digging it up, forgive and get on with my life - and let them get on with theirs. Life's too short to live in perpetual unforgiveness - and life's too long to carry around bitterness. Forgive and ...well, just forgive. How bout it?
Somewhere along the way we’ve been misinformed, deceived, and confused about the message of forgiveness. The cross has become a piece of jewelry – Forgiveness has become something we get if we do the right things. We’ve memorized the words of John 3:16 but we’ve missed the message. God so loved the world that He gave. He gave… He gave His Son. He Gave to Save. He gave so that we could be Forgiven – Forever.
The ugly truth of the cross includes bloodshed, an angry mob, lies, hatred, and a long list of all that happens when God is ignored and hatred rules. …But before we get too far into the message of the cross and God’s forgivness for us – Let’s think about us forgiving others. And the ugliness behind that.
.....FORGIVING may be the most difficult thing you’ll ever do in this life. It is more difficult than any manual labor you can imagine. More difficult than facing a terminal disease... more difficult than confessing your faults, admitting wrongs, and repenting of sins. Truly forgiving someone for the wrong they have done to you or your family...is the most difficult thing a person will ever do.
Have you ever been so hurt – so disappointed… that you found it almost impossible to forgive? Has someone ever hurt your child or your wife or husband or friend in such a way that you simply couldn't forgive? Have you ever been so hurt in church and by church people that you felt like quitting and never going back? A country song says, “Forgiving you was easy but forgetting seems to take the longest time…” While that makes for a good country song I am afraid the reason most of us don't forgive is simply because - Trulyforgiving someone is the most difficult thing a person will ever do. NOBODY ever said this was easy.
What does forgiveness look like anyway? When Jesus taught His disciples to pray He taught them to pray like this… “Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us…” Did you read that...did you read what Jesus said? He said, “As we forgive…” “As we forgive those who sin against us…” Wow. Personally, I have found it easy to say “I forgive you” but difficult to actually forgive. But my fellowship with God hinges on my forgiveness toward others.
.....If someone asks for your forgiveness and you withhold it, you are as guilty as the one asking for forgiveness.
.....Just because you forgive someone doesn’t mean you forget what they said or did. That’s why Paul said, “I die daily.”
.....Jesus mentioned forgiving someone 7X70 times. That’s 490 times. My pastor, when I was a child, preached about this one time. He said, “If a person needs forgiveness 490 times, for the same sin, he’s got bigger problems.” Which I took to mean there are other issues at work in their life which we know nothing about.
.....Forgiveness is more difficult for you than the person you are forgiving. It’s never wrong to do the right thing – but it’s usually more difficult.
.....Satan won’t let you forget what they said or did. He’ll remind us of what they did to us and how they “got away with it” and how “it’s not fair.”
.....Not forgiving stalls the effectiveness of your prayer life. (Mark 11:25) That means your prayers don’t get answered. That means you can’t experience the full benefits of God’s forgiveness if you are not forgiving others. That means God puts your blessings on hold and waits until you take care of that unfinished business.
.....Not forgiving steals your joy. (John 10:10) When you don’t forgive, it brings up a barrier to the joy God has for you. No one is ever truly happy if they have unforgiveness in their heart.
.....Not forgiving swings open the door for the enemy to work in your life. We have to forgive “lest Satan should take advantage of us” (2 Corinthians 2:11). We invite the enemy in if we harbor unforgiveness. And when you treat others as if they are enemies — you align yourselves with your true enemy and his plans for your future.
.....Not forgiving stagnates your soul. The Bible says, “Does a spring send forth fresh water and bitter from the same opening?” (James 3:11). If you have unforgiveness, the water in your soul becomes bitter.
.....Not forgiving means seeing the failures of others, but not your own. “Why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye?” (Matthew 7:3-5). Not forgiving means you are walking in darkness. “He who hates his brother is in darkness and walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes“(1 John 2:11).
This is bigger than forgiving the guy who just cut you off in traffic on the way to church... This is bigger than forgiving the girl who broke line at the all you can eat buffet... This is bigger than forgiving the kid at school who pushed your little boy down on the playground... This is bigger than forgiving your neighbor for borrowing your rake and never bringing it back...This is bigger than forgiving the gossip who felt led to share her opinion about your new hairstyle.
This is more than putting on a smile and being nice even when we want to take matters into our own hands. This is forgiving - doing only what we can do with the help of God. And if we don’t, we sever our fellowship with God and ruin our relationships with others.
God so loved the world He gave... "Gave" says it all. If I am going to forgive those who have offended me I will need to "give" also. I need to give it up, quit digging it up, forgive and get on with my life - and let them get on with theirs. Life's too short to live in perpetual unforgiveness - and life's too long to carry around bitterness. Forgive and ...well, just forgive. How bout it?
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