July 22 Forgive, Period! Mark 11:25
Good morning from Pastor Glen Brock, Baptist Tabernacle Church, Wendell, North Carolina… “Whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him.” (Mark 11:25)
Jesus told His Disciples if they truly wanted to access God through their prayers, then they must forgive those that had hurt and abused them. Jesus pointed out that if they were unwilling to forgive their fellowmen, hoe could they expect to be forgiven by God? Every one of the commands of our God are for our benefit and one of the most important commands is to FORGIVE! Folks, I fully understand the extreme difficulty in forgiving those who have caused hurt and misery for our lives, however, I, also, recognize the liberating effects of forgiveness. I have held grudges and have languished in my “hurt” and every moment that I held on to the offense, I was causing great harm to my own relationship with my Jesus. Again, how can I expect my Lord to forgive me of my sins, when I am unwilling to forgive my offenders? Forgiveness has been one of the most difficult parts of my personal walk with Christ. Listen, when we forgive others, we are laying down the heavy burden of resentment, anger, and broken relationships. In order, for us to grow in Jesus, we must tear down the barriers between us and God. When we forgive, we remove any obstacles for our own forgiveness! We live in a fractured and sinful world. You can count on being hurt and offended by the sinful and un-repented non-believers, and you can count on being hurt by professing believers, along this road of life! By that same logic, we will offend and hurt others, as well! So, WE MUST FORGIVE! FORGIVENESS IS ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL FOR OUR GROWTH AND IS ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL FOR OUR FORGIVENESS! To access our God, through prayer, requires our complete forgiveness of others…No If’s, No And’s, No But’s…Just Forgive!! Forgive those who have hurt you and you will see the freeing results of God’s Love, as it is exercised in your behaviors and your attitudes! Let Go of The Hurt and Embrace the Healing that is Found in God’s Example of Forgiving Love: JESUS CHRIST!! Stay Strong, Stay Focused…THE BEST IS YET TO BE!