Friday’s Favorite

Recently, the Lord is impressing upon me the need to truly forgive others as He has forgiven us.  I know, we all know this.  Or do we?   I had “head knowledge” of it and now by God’s grace that message is reaching my heart through the Holy Spirit’s gentleness and the power of the Word!  In my personal life there are several people I have been angry at for a long time because they have deeply harmed  someone I love.  But yesterday during my time in prayer I heard myself asking the Lord to help to forgive these two people by name.  WOW!!  Amazing how the Holy Spirit intercedes in our prayers.

Anyway, this morning when I was thinking of what I wanted to share today, I was lead to Matthew 18: 21-25

Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?”  Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven.  “Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants.  When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. (* about 1/4 million dollars) And since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made.  So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’  And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt.  But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii (about $15), and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe.’  So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’  He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt.  When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their master all that had taken place.  Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me.  And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’  And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers,until he should pay all his debt.  So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.”

I also remember that after Jesus gave the disciples the Lord’s prayer as a model in Matthew 6 He repeated part of that “example prayer” with these words

“For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” (vs 14-15)

In every media source available to us, whether it be written word, television or internet I am watching and seeing some very angry, unkind and down right hate filled messages regarding our political candidates.  And these messages are not just coming from those outside of the Body of Christ.  In Paul’s epistle to the Ephesians 4 he told them to put on the new man and what that meant.  He also told them what NOT to do.  In vs. 29-32 he says

” Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.  And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.  Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.  Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”

My video for today is meant to further the meaning of these words of Scripture, along with an earnest desire that anyone who reads this takes some time and be still before the Lord and ask themselves the question… am I a TRUE example of God’s grace and forgiving as He has forgiven me?   (ps:  this video I have not seen until just now–a few moments after writing the above intro and all I can say is WOW OUR GOD IS AMAZING!!!!)