Hello, I'm Shelley Quinn.
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Did you know that
repentance is a gift from God?
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Join us today on
Pressing into His Presence
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as we consider
this glorious truth.
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Welcome to
Pressing into His Presence.
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On this series
dedicated to prayer,
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we are working our way
through a companion book
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that is also titled
"Pressing into His Presence."
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And if you're
following along, today
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we're beginning on page 73.
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On our last
program, we talked about
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receiving the gift
of God's forgiveness
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and today we're going to be
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focusing on receiving
God's gift of repentance.
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But first, I want to revisit
the idea of forgiving others.
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I kind of left you hanging
last time with Christ's words
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from Mark 11:26 where He said
that if we don't forgive others
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neither will our
heavenly Father forgive us.
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You know, in Matthew 18
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Jesus told the parable
of the unforgiving servant.
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This man owed a
debt of 10,000 talents.
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I've heard some say
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that's about $10
million in our economy.
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He owed this to his
master and he begged for mercy
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and the master took pity
on him and canceled his debt.
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But did the servant remember
the forgiveness extended him
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and do likewise?
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No, the miserable wretch
soon found another fellow
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who only owed him a 100
dinare, that's about $20.
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And grabbing the
destitute man by the throat,
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he demanded immediate payment.
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He ignored please for pity
and he jostled him off to jail
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because the poor so
couldn't meet his obligation.
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Other servants
took note and reported
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the lack of merciful
exchange to the master
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and the master
took that ungrateful man
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and he handed him
over to the jailers
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until his debt could be repaid.
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The formerly forgiven but
unforgiving person found--
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he received a dose of his
own medicine, if you will.
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And Jesus concluded his
parable with this warning.
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He said, "So my Heavenly Father
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also will do to
you to each of you,
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if you do not
forgive from your heart,
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your brother, his trespassers."
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Does this parable
imply as some people think
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that we only have to forgive
those who ask to be forgiven?
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Let me share a story that
we shed a little light on this.
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It's a little bit embarrassing,
but my husband and I
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once entered into a partnership
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with a globetrotting businessman
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from a Middle Eastern country.
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He was connected with royalty
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and his lavish lifestyle
exemplified prosperity.
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Our corporate
attorney investigated him.
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There were no red
flags, international bankers
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and reputable businessmen
stood as his references
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giving glowing
reports about the prince.
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And we were young and
filled with robust naivety
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but our dreams were soon dashed.
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This charlatan was operating
an extremely sophisticated
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international scam.
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So following a
hunch, I traveled to Europe
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and I spent eight weeks
unraveling the web of deceit
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that he had
weaved over many years.
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And as it turned out
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those who sung his
praises were equally deceived
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and they were
still hoping to recoup
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some of their associated losses.
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So while sitting in a hotel
in Luxembourg I received word
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that the prince had put
out a hit contract on my life
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because I had exposed him.
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For weeks, I flew
from country to country
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unraveling his
unsuspecting support network,
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nervously
watching over my shoulder.
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And when I
returned to United States,
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I was still filled with anxiety.
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But within months, I
sensed that his threat
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was more bluster than reality,
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still before my
fears were subdued,
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something sinister
happened in my heart.
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I had never hated
anyone before until now.
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J.D. and I were newly weds
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and our short
association with this man
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had saddled us
with $250,000 in debt.
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I loathed this deceitful person
who had threatened my life
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and plunged us into
deep financial problems.
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And my heart
broke for his victims.
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Government officials one
who actually took his life,
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businessmen and innocents
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whose lives had
been turned upside down.
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This man, our ex-partner,
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was in my mind
the devil personified.
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And one night
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while I was praying
for forgiveness of my sins,
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the Lord impressed
this thought on my mind.
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He said, "Forgive the
prince and I will forgive you."
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What?
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I was incredulous and I replied.
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I said, "Lord, you
can't really mean that.
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How can you
expect me to forgive him?
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He hasn't expressed
regret or repentance?"
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And another
thought entered in my mind.
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"Even as I have forgiven
you, you must also forgive him."
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And I said, "How, Lord,
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I don't know
how to forgive him."
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Then these
words came to my mind.
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"Pray for his salvation child."
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What? No, no, no.
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I said, "I don't want
him to be saved, Lord.
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Let him rot in--"
well, you know where.
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Now my dear husband
wanted me to omit this remark
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because it is so
unlovely and unlike me.
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Today the harshness
in my words shocks me
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but I was at that
time, decades ago,
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an immature
Christian in emotional turmoil
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and the remark
stands as evidence
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of my dissipated state of mind.
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God impressed his
thought on my mind again.
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He said, "Pray
for his salvation,
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forgive him and I will
forgive you yet again."
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Reluctantly, I
said, "Okay, Lord,
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I will pray for his salvation
but you know I don't mean it."
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Now I wasn't being
respectful, just honest.
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God already knew how I felt
so I might as well admit it.
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Now I don't know
how long I prayed.
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A few weeks
perhaps before God worked
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an amazing
transformation in my heart.
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I saw my enemy finally
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as the lost in
suffering so that he really was
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and I no longer regarded him
from a worldly point of view.
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Now I saw him
from God's view point
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and rather than just merely
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mouthing a prayer for his
salvation I pleaded for it
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and I actually
meant what I prayed.
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God had opened my
heart and poured His love
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and compassion into my
heart for this pitiful creature.
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I no longer hated this man.
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Somewhere in the process
of praying for his salvation
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God had worked out
forgiveness in my heart.
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Let me ask.
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Do you think for one moment
that it made any difference
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to this callous con
artist that I had forgiven him?
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Nah.
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He could have cared
less but how about me.
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Did my life
change for the better?
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You know it did the bitterness
and resentment was gone
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and now I could ask for
forgiveness of my sins from God
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with full assurance
and He restored my peace.
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I could consider the experience
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without my
blood pressure rising.
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My heart was again
filled with goodwill
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toward all mankind.
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God had instructed me to forgive
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not for the benefit of
this man but for my own benefit
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so that I could
become like Christ.
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Jesus said in Matthew 5:44, 45
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He said, "Love your enemies
bless those who curse you,
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do good to those who
hate you and pray for those
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who spitefully use
you and persecutes you."
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Why?
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Well, that you maybe
sons of your Father in heaven.
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You know, some of
Christ's teachings
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are difficult for
human hearts to grasp
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without the understanding
given by the Holy Spirit.
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We have a tendency to
whitewash Christ requirements.
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I am convinced beyond measure
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that God does everything
for our eternal benefit
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as well as to provide us
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with an abundant
life here on earth.
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It would be wise for us to quit
questioning and simply obey.
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I ask the Lord
for an illustration
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that would help me teach
the dynamics of forgiving other
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and how it increases
our personal wellbeing
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and here it is,
listen carefully.
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Imagine a mountain stream
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that is flowing
freely down a lush hillside
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and across the meadow
and the babbling brook is,
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let's say 12 inches deep
and about 2 feet in width.
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Now picture yourself,
stretching a tiny wire
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across the stream
anchoring it on both sides,
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someone upstream tosses their
brown lunch bags into the water
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which flow down and
they catch on your wire.
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Soon another
person happens along
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and dumps more trash upstream
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which makes its
way down to your wire
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and collects with
the other deposits.
00:10:40.68\00:10:43.34
Several more
litter bugs eventually
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make their
contributions of trash
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and over time the trash
that is tossed into the stream
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begins to
accumulate and mount up.
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What happens to
the flowing water?
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Just like a beaver builds a
dam stick by stick the debris
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that was dumped into the
stream collects around your wire
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and it dams up
the water's movement.
00:11:08.47\00:11:11.67
Now let's unpack
that illustration
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that tiny wire represents
unforgiveness in your hearts.
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The litterbugs are people
who pass through your life
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and they throw
their trashy hurtful words
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and actions in your direction.
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One piece of trash
begins to pile on top of another
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and as it accumulates around
that tiny wire of unforgiveness
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securely anchored in your heart.
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One day you finally wake
up and realize that bitterness
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and resentment
has dammed your heart,
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dammed it up like a
beaver would dam it up
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and that the living
water of the Holy Spirit
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no longer flows through you.
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You have become unforgiving
and unforgiven as well.
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In Matthew 6:14, 15 Jesus said,
00:12:05.76\00:12:13.03
"For if you forgive
men their trespasses,
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your heavenly Father
will also forgive you.
00:12:16.68\00:12:21.14
But if you do not
forgive men their trespasses,
00:12:21.17\00:12:24.97
neither will your Father
forgive your trespasses."
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And in 1 John 16-- excuse me,
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1 John 4:16, 17
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Jesus says "We have come"
00:12:37.56\00:12:42.38
I should say John
says, we'll get this right.
00:12:42.41\00:12:45.09
John says "We have come to know
00:12:45.12\00:12:47.25
and have believed the
love which God has for us.
00:12:47.28\00:12:50.15
God is love, and the
one who abides in love
00:12:50.18\00:12:53.95
abides in God,
and God abides in him.
00:12:53.98\00:12:57.25
By this, love is
perfected with us,
00:12:57.28\00:13:00.44
so that we may have confidence
on the day of judgment,
00:13:00.47\00:13:04.60
because as He is, so
also are we in this world."
00:13:04.63\00:13:11.89
You know, hanging on
a cross Jesus prayed,
00:13:11.92\00:13:17.18
Father, forgive him for
they know not what they do.
00:13:17.21\00:13:21.40
How that plea must have echoed
00:13:21.43\00:13:24.35
through the hearts
of those at Calvary.
00:13:24.38\00:13:27.14
What manner of man is this?
00:13:27.17\00:13:30.18
Love cannot
flow through a bitter
00:13:30.21\00:13:34.11
and resentful unforgiving heart.
00:13:34.14\00:13:37.59
Christ wanted His heart
00:13:37.62\00:13:39.70
to remain an
open channel of love.
00:13:39.73\00:13:42.77
God is love, that's
His perfect essence.
00:13:42.80\00:13:45.67
And to stand as the perfect
expression of God's character,
00:13:45.70\00:13:50.42
Christ had to
maintain perfect love.
00:13:50.45\00:13:53.36
He forgave those who
nailed Him to the cross.
00:13:53.39\00:13:58.12
Our destiny is to
become like Jesus,
00:13:58.15\00:14:02.07
as He is so must
we be in this world.
00:14:02.10\00:14:06.11
And our journey
begins with a heart
00:14:06.14\00:14:08.40
filled with His
love, a heart that knows
00:14:08.43\00:14:11.53
how to forgive and be forgiven.
00:14:11.56\00:14:15.18
Let's recap how far we've come
in this process of repentance.
00:14:15.21\00:14:20.50
This is combining the
lessons of the previous programs
00:14:20.53\00:14:24.93
and this one.
00:14:24.96\00:14:26.28
Thus far we have considered
00:14:26.31\00:14:29.11
how important it is for
us to recognize our sin.
00:14:29.14\00:14:34.23
We know that godly
sorrow is a good thing
00:14:34.26\00:14:38.56
because it causes
us to regret our sin
00:14:38.59\00:14:42.46
and our attitudes
about sin have been altered,
00:14:42.49\00:14:45.95
we've confessed our
sin asking for forgiveness.
00:14:45.98\00:14:50.21
And we are able also to
extend forgiveness to others
00:14:50.24\00:14:55.69
when we understand God's plan.
00:14:55.72\00:14:58.20
And then we have learned about
00:14:58.23\00:15:02.19
our need to
receive God's forgiveness
00:15:02.22\00:15:04.92
applying His healing
balm to our wounded souls,
00:15:04.95\00:15:08.52
so that we can
forgive ourselves.
00:15:08.55\00:15:11.30
And it's important
to forgive ourselves.
00:15:11.33\00:15:13.75
And at the conclusion of
these four steps of repentance
00:15:13.78\00:15:16.98
the verdict has been rendered,
00:15:17.01\00:15:18.93
we have a bloodbath
parting that is ours.
00:15:18.96\00:15:22.56
We stand acquitted of
guilt justify by the imputed
00:15:22.59\00:15:26.38
righteousness of Jesus
Christ credited to our account.
00:15:26.41\00:15:30.47
We are made righteous by faith
and what Christ has done for us
00:15:30.50\00:15:35.88
and what He has done
on our behalf is un--
00:15:35.91\00:15:38.86
He's given us undeserved mercy.
00:15:38.89\00:15:41.79
Now we must
continue to the final point
00:15:41.82\00:15:45.82
in the repentance process
because without this step
00:15:45.85\00:15:49.72
we would be consigned to hobble
along with our habits of sin.
00:15:49.75\00:15:56.31
Our future
progress would be hindered.
00:15:56.34\00:15:59.23
This fifth and final
part is where transformation
00:15:59.26\00:16:02.59
and triumph are forged
00:16:02.62\00:16:04.54
because step five is
where God empowers us
00:16:04.57\00:16:08.26
to change our
conduct and make a U-turn
00:16:08.29\00:16:11.35
in the right
direction straight towards Him.
00:16:11.38\00:16:14.46
This step in the
repentance process
00:16:14.49\00:16:16.75
represents sanctification
through the imparted
00:16:16.78\00:16:20.05
righteousness of Jesus
Christ who works within us
00:16:20.08\00:16:25.50
and as the
process of sanctification
00:16:25.53\00:16:28.14
blossoms in our soul,
the seduction of sin withers.
00:16:28.17\00:16:32.47
With absolutely confidence
in Christ abilities to save,
00:16:32.50\00:16:37.01
we develop an
unwavering commitment to Him
00:16:37.04\00:16:40.32
which permits no room for
compromise with the world.
00:16:40.35\00:16:44.35
The process of
repentance is incomplete
00:16:44.38\00:16:47.61
unless we turn from self to God.
00:16:47.64\00:16:51.24
Genuine repentance results
00:16:51.27\00:16:54.45
in the rejection
of sin in our lives
00:16:54.48\00:16:56.99
and the return of
our devotion to God.
00:16:57.02\00:16:59.51
This is not an act we
can do by our own power.
00:16:59.54\00:17:02.83
Repentance is a gift from God
00:17:02.86\00:17:05.30
and we should
receive it with joy.
00:17:05.33\00:17:07.92
I want you to
consider three scriptures.
00:17:07.95\00:17:10.85
Let's look at these.
00:17:10.88\00:17:12.88
2 Corinthians 7:10 tells us,
00:17:12.91\00:17:15.99
"Godly sorrow produces
repentance to salvation."
00:17:16.02\00:17:20.94
We should thank
God for godly sorrow.
00:17:20.97\00:17:23.39
And then Paul
writes in Romans 2:4
00:17:23.42\00:17:26.09
"Do you despise the
riches of His goodness,
00:17:26.12\00:17:29.27
forbearance, and
longsuffering, not knowing
00:17:29.30\00:17:31.94
that the goodness of
God lead you to repentance?"
00:17:31.97\00:17:35.80
We should thank God for
His patience and goodness.
00:17:35.83\00:17:39.05
And then Acts 5:31 says this.
00:17:39.08\00:17:42.93
"Him, Jesus, God has
exalted to His right hand
00:17:42.96\00:17:48.48
to be Prince and Savior,
00:17:48.51\00:17:50.95
to give repentance to
Israel and forgiveness of sins."
00:17:50.98\00:17:57.14
We should thank God
for the gift of repentance.
00:17:57.17\00:18:02.53
You know, King David was
fully aware of his absolute
00:18:02.56\00:18:07.64
dependence upon God to
give him the gift of repentance
00:18:07.67\00:18:11.07
that would turn him back to God.
00:18:11.10\00:18:13.35
In Psalm 51:10 he prayed
"Create in me a clean heart,
00:18:13.38\00:18:18.10
O God, and renew a
steadfast spirit within me."
00:18:18.13\00:18:22.87
I praise God for leading
me to Psalm 51 as my model
00:18:22.90\00:18:26.79
to learn how to press into
His presence with repentance.
00:18:26.82\00:18:33.08
He taught me to
ask for repentance
00:18:33.11\00:18:36.65
just as I ask for forgiveness.
00:18:36.68\00:18:39.77
When you ask God
to forgive your sins,
00:18:39.80\00:18:42.42
do you also ask Him
to grant you repentance?
00:18:42.45\00:18:45.90
If not, I hope you
will from this day forward
00:18:45.93\00:18:48.82
because you cannot
turn around by yourself
00:18:48.85\00:18:51.82
for repentance is the gift,
His gift to bestow upon you
00:18:51.85\00:18:56.26
when you
acknowledge your need of it.
00:18:56.29\00:18:58.69
You know, Peter's boastful--
00:18:58.72\00:19:02.19
Peter make this
boastful claim in Matthew 26:33.
00:19:02.22\00:19:07.11
He told Jesus,
00:19:07.14\00:19:08.78
and this is toward the
end of Jesus' ministry,
00:19:08.81\00:19:10.54
right at the end there He said,
00:19:10.57\00:19:12.25
"O Lord, even if all are
made to stumble because of you,
00:19:12.28\00:19:16.80
I will never be
made to stumble."
00:19:16.83\00:19:19.89
Jesus responded assuredly
I tell you that this night
00:19:19.92\00:19:25.29
before the rooster crows
you will deny me three times.
00:19:25.32\00:19:31.73
Oh, how much I was like Peter
00:19:31.76\00:19:34.62
before I learn
to depend upon God
00:19:34.65\00:19:37.14
for the gift of turning
me around away from my sin.
00:19:37.17\00:19:41.68
I prayed and
pleaded for forgiveness
00:19:41.71\00:19:43.91
concluding with the
sincere promise to do better
00:19:43.94\00:19:47.07
and by sheer willpower
00:19:47.10\00:19:49.20
I determine to overcome sin
only to hear that old rooster
00:19:49.23\00:19:52.65
scratchy voice crowing over my
stumbles by the end of the day
00:19:52.68\00:19:56.74
and against my
heart felt determination,
00:19:56.77\00:20:00.14
I felt like I
had been like Peter,
00:20:00.17\00:20:04.46
I had denied
Christ through sin again.
00:20:04.49\00:20:07.53
You know, all sin
is a denial of Christ.
00:20:07.56\00:20:11.54
Peter's actions
were no worse than ours.
00:20:11.57\00:20:14.26
In fact, Peter
proved to be more responsive
00:20:14.29\00:20:17.14
than most Christians.
00:20:17.17\00:20:18.37
Just one glimpse from Jesus'
eyes of infinite love disarmed
00:20:18.40\00:20:23.75
this defiant disciple resulting
in heart seized repentance.
00:20:23.78\00:20:29.67
Peter wept
bitterly over his sin.
00:20:29.70\00:20:33.42
Do we?
00:20:33.45\00:20:35.68
Before his boastful
promise not to deny the Lord,
00:20:35.71\00:20:40.36
Peter was a man of bravado.
00:20:40.39\00:20:42.51
He paid no attention to
the Lord's preceding warning
00:20:42.54\00:20:46.75
which is found in Luke
21-- 22, Luke 22:31, 32.
00:20:46.78\00:20:54.27
Jesus said here, "Simon, Simon,
indeed Satan has asked for you
00:20:54.30\00:21:00.51
that he may sift you as wheat.
00:21:00.54\00:21:02.87
But I have prayed for you,
00:21:02.90\00:21:05.06
that your faith should not fail.
00:21:05.09\00:21:07.00
And when you have return to
me, strengthen your brethren."
00:21:07.03\00:21:11.92
Christ predicted Peter
would turn away from Him
00:21:11.95\00:21:15.64
and have need of repentance
but He also assured Peter
00:21:15.67\00:21:19.47
of His help in returning to Him.
00:21:19.50\00:21:22.33
What did Peter learned in
this process of repentance?
00:21:22.36\00:21:25.79
He came to appreciate the need
00:21:25.82\00:21:28.61
for absolute to surrender to God
00:21:28.64\00:21:31.46
and total dependence on Him.
00:21:31.49\00:21:35.19
You know, the secret to success
in our daily walk with Christ
00:21:35.22\00:21:39.33
is to recognize that apart
from Him we can do nothing.
00:21:39.36\00:21:45.14
Doesn't the Bible warn us
00:21:45.17\00:21:46.73
that we cannot
change ourselves anymore
00:21:46.76\00:21:49.56
than an Ethiopian can change
skin or a leopard his spots?
00:21:49.59\00:21:53.69
Why do we fail to change
after confession of our sin?
00:21:53.72\00:21:57.81
There is only one reason.
00:21:57.84\00:21:59.50
We attempt to
change by our own power.
00:21:59.53\00:22:02.40
But please notice that it
takes a cooperative effort
00:22:02.43\00:22:07.24
to put to death the misdeeds
of our sin, of our flesh.
00:22:07.27\00:22:11.24
Look at Romans
8:13, 14 which says
00:22:11.27\00:22:16.16
"For if you live according
to the flesh you will die,
00:22:16.19\00:22:20.33
but if by the
Spirit you put to death..."
00:22:20.36\00:22:25.40
Notice there.
00:22:25.43\00:22:26.52
"By the Spirit you put to death
00:22:26.55\00:22:29.75
the deeds of the
body, you will live.
00:22:29.78\00:22:32.24
For as many as are
led by the Spirit of God,
00:22:32.27\00:22:35.74
these are the sons of God."
00:22:35.77\00:22:37.74
So it takes the Spirit,
His power and our cooperation,
00:22:37.77\00:22:43.44
it's by the Spirit
that we must work together
00:22:43.47\00:22:48.15
with the Holy Spirit
to accomplish this change.
00:22:48.18\00:22:51.94
It's His power
that makes it possible.
00:22:51.97\00:22:55.45
Listen to what Paul
wrote in Philippians 2:12, 13
00:22:55.48\00:23:01.33
which underscores this.
00:23:01.36\00:23:03.18
I'm gonna read it
from the amplified.
00:23:03.21\00:23:05.56
It says "Work out
your own salvation
00:23:05.59\00:23:09.64
with reverence
and awe and trembling.
00:23:09.67\00:23:13.08
Not in your own
strength for it is God
00:23:13.11\00:23:17.26
Who is all the while
effectually at work in you
00:23:17.29\00:23:20.41
energizing and creating
in you the power and desire,
00:23:20.44\00:23:24.15
both to will and to
work for His good pleasure."
00:23:24.18\00:23:29.70
Genuine repentance
results in being joint to Christ
00:23:29.73\00:23:34.51
and feel afresh with His spirit,
00:23:34.54\00:23:36.95
then He completes the good work
00:23:36.98\00:23:39.23
He began in us as He
leads us by His spirit.
00:23:39.26\00:23:43.39
Halleluiah, when we surrender
control of our lives to Him,
00:23:43.42\00:23:48.11
God causes us to be
all that He calls us to be.
00:23:48.14\00:23:52.99
Matthew 12:20 is a
beautiful Bible promise.
00:23:53.02\00:23:58.37
It says "A bruised
reed he will not break,
00:23:58.40\00:24:03.07
and smoking flax
he will not quench."
00:24:03.10\00:24:06.83
Do you feel battered and
bruised by your mistakes?
00:24:06.86\00:24:10.77
Come to Christ,
He will heal you.
00:24:10.80\00:24:13.37
Has your first love
passion for Christ dissipated?
00:24:13.40\00:24:17.42
Is the wick of
your spiritual lamp
00:24:17.45\00:24:20.58
flickering, smoking
and about to go out?
00:24:20.61\00:24:23.72
Come to Christ, He will
add the oil of joy to your life
00:24:23.75\00:24:28.32
and your lamp
will burn brightly.
00:24:28.35\00:24:31.05
Acts 3:19 says this "Repent
therefore and be converted,
00:24:31.08\00:24:35.97
that your sins may
be blotted out, so that
00:24:36.00\00:24:39.85
times of refreshing may come
from the presence of the Lord."
00:24:39.88\00:24:44.84
Repentance is a
glorious gift from God,
00:24:44.87\00:24:47.68
it brings times of refreshing
that speeds our recovery
00:24:47.71\00:24:51.36
from the sting of sin
and revives us spiritually.
00:24:51.39\00:24:54.62
Repentance gives us
confidence before the Lord
00:24:54.65\00:24:57.39
and assures us of
His power to save.
00:24:57.42\00:25:00.29
Repentance brings
rest to our weary souls
00:25:00.32\00:25:03.42
and as we press into his
presence through repentance,
00:25:03.45\00:25:06.48
the sin barrier is
shattered and we are confident
00:25:06.51\00:25:10.54
that our prayers
will not be hindered.
00:25:10.57\00:25:12.88
God quiets our
fears with His love.
00:25:12.91\00:25:16.34
He invites us to come boldly
before His throne of grace
00:25:16.37\00:25:20.36
to find mercy and grace to
help us in our time of need.
00:25:20.39\00:25:25.76
Zephaniah 3:17 says
this. I love this scripture.
00:25:25.79\00:25:30.45
It says, "Our Father the
mighty one is in our midst
00:25:30.48\00:25:36.42
and He will save us,
00:25:36.45\00:25:37.61
He rejoices over
us with singing."
00:25:37.64\00:25:41.51
Do you see God this way?
00:25:41.54\00:25:44.24
Do you see a
mighty and loving savior
00:25:44.27\00:25:47.40
who rejoices
over you with singing?
00:25:47.43\00:25:51.37
Ah, glory to His holy name.
00:25:51.40\00:25:54.48
In previous programs
00:25:54.51\00:25:56.44
we visited the New Testament
altar of Calvary's cross
00:25:56.47\00:26:00.45
and we applied the
blood of Jesus to our sins.
00:26:00.48\00:26:05.04
And now in the spirit
of the purification rite
00:26:05.07\00:26:09.17
practice by the ancient priests,
00:26:09.20\00:26:11.79
we have
symbolically washed our hands
00:26:11.82\00:26:15.34
and feet at the
laver in the outer court.
00:26:15.37\00:26:18.61
Cleansed through the process
of confession and repentance,
00:26:18.64\00:26:23.42
we are now
prepared to go forward.
00:26:23.45\00:26:27.53
Now we are ready to
press into His presence further
00:26:27.56\00:26:32.08
and enter the holy place
00:26:32.11\00:26:34.63
and our prayer is that next time
00:26:34.66\00:26:37.96
you will join us for this
exciting journey in prayer.
00:26:37.99\00:26:43.61
Now what I would like to do
for you right now and for me is
00:26:43.64\00:26:48.68
let's have a prayer together.
00:26:48.71\00:26:51.07
Let's just go before the Lord
00:26:51.10\00:26:53.20
and ask Him to
grant us repentance.
00:26:53.23\00:26:56.72
Our most loving and
precious heavenly Father,
00:26:56.75\00:27:00.45
how we thank you, how
we thank you again, Father,
00:27:00.48\00:27:04.32
for your gifts of grace,
for Jesus Christ our Savior,
00:27:04.35\00:27:08.81
for Your Holy
Spirit in Your word
00:27:08.84\00:27:10.39
and how we thank you, Father,
that you have revealed to us
00:27:10.42\00:27:14.52
the five steps
of true repentance.
00:27:14.55\00:27:16.71
O Lord, we praise you because
we know you are all powerful
00:27:16.74\00:27:20.79
and that you will work in us
00:27:20.82\00:27:22.80
to willing to do
your good pleasure.
00:27:22.83\00:27:25.28
Father, we come before you today
00:27:25.31\00:27:27.30
not only to confess
our sins but we come asking
00:27:27.33\00:27:30.99
that you would grant
us the gift of repentance.
00:27:31.02\00:27:34.06
Help us, Lord, to
develop a sensitive spirit,
00:27:34.09\00:27:37.52
a sensitive heart to you.
00:27:37.55\00:27:39.64
And, Lord, help us day by day
to press in to Your presence,
00:27:39.67\00:27:45.20
to come before
You with repentance,
00:27:45.23\00:27:47.99
with clean
hands and a pure heart
00:27:48.02\00:27:50.15
that You give us when we
do, in Jesus' name, amen.
00:27:50.18\00:27:54.68
Well, as always our
thought toward you this day
00:27:54.71\00:27:59.76
is that the grace of our
Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,
00:27:59.79\00:28:03.67
the love of the Father
00:28:03.70\00:28:05.30
and the
fellowship of the Holy Spirit
00:28:05.33\00:28:07.59
will be with you
today and always.
00:28:07.62\00:28:10.52