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.
00:10:40.57\00:10:43.24
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.
00:10:52.38\00:10:55.68
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.
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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,
00:12:05.65\00:12:12.93
"For if you forgive
men their trespasses,
00:12:12.96\00:12:16.53
your heavenly Father
will also forgive you.
00:12:16.56\00:12:21.04
But if you do not
forgive men their trespasses,
00:12:21.07\00:12:24.87
neither will your Father
forgive your trespasses."
00:12:24.91\00:12:28.51
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"
00:12:37.45\00:12:42.29
I should say John
says, we'll get this right.
00:12:42.32\00:12:44.99
John says "We have come to know
00:12:45.03\00:12:47.13
and have believed the
love which God has for us.
00:12:47.20\00:12:50.03
God is love, and the
one who abides in love
00:12:50.07\00:12:53.84
abides in God,
and God abides in him.
00:12:53.87\00:12:57.14
By this, love is
perfected with us,
00:12:57.17\00:13:00.34
so that we may have confidence
on the day of judgment,
00:13:00.38\00:13:04.48
because as He is, so
also are we in this world."
00:13:04.51\00:13:11.79
You know, hanging on
a cross Jesus prayed,
00:13:11.82\00:13:17.09
Father, forgive him for
they know not what they do.
00:13:17.13\00:13:21.26
How that plea must have echoed
00:13:21.30\00:13:24.23
through the hearts
of those at Calvary.
00:13:24.27\00:13:27.04
What manner of man is this?
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Love cannot
flow through a bitter
00:13:30.11\00:13:34.01
and resentful unforgiving heart.
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Christ wanted His heart
00:13:37.51\00:13:39.58
to remain an
open channel of love.
00:13:39.61\00:13:42.68
God is love, that's
His perfect essence.
00:13:42.72\00:13:45.59
And to stand as the perfect
expression of God's character,
00:13:45.62\00:13:50.33
Christ had to
maintain perfect love.
00:13:50.36\00:13:53.26
He forgave those who
nailed Him to the cross.
00:13:53.29\00:13:58.00
Our destiny is to
become like Jesus,
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as He is so must
we be in this world.
00:14:02.00\00:14:06.01
And our journey
begins with a heart
00:14:06.04\00:14:08.28
filled with His
love, a heart that knows
00:14:08.31\00:14:11.41
how to forgive and be forgiven.
00:14:11.45\00:14:15.08
Let's recap how far we've come
in this process of repentance.
00:14:15.12\00:14:20.39
This is combining the
lessons of the previous programs
00:14:20.42\00:14:24.83
and this one.
00:14:24.86\00:14:26.19
Thus far we have considered
00:14:26.23\00:14:29.00
how important it is for
us to recognize our sin.
00:14:29.03\00:14:34.10
We know that godly
sorrow is a good thing
00:14:34.14\00:14:38.44
because it causes
us to regret our sin
00:14:38.47\00:14:42.34
and our attitudes
about sin have been altered,
00:14:42.38\00:14:45.85
we've confessed our
sin asking for forgiveness.
00:14:45.88\00:14:50.12
And we are able also to
extend forgiveness to others
00:14:50.15\00:14:55.59
when we understand God's plan.
00:14:55.62\00:14:58.09
And then we have learned about
00:14:58.13\00:15:02.06
our need to
receive God's forgiveness
00:15:02.10\00:15:04.80
applying His healing
balm to our wounded souls,
00:15:04.83\00:15:08.40
so that we can
forgive ourselves.
00:15:08.44\00:15:11.17
And it's important
to forgive ourselves.
00:15:11.21\00:15:13.64
And at the conclusion of
these four steps of repentance
00:15:13.68\00:15:16.88
the verdict has been rendered,
00:15:16.91\00:15:18.81
we have a bloodbath
parting that is ours.
00:15:18.85\00:15:22.45
We stand acquitted of
guilt justify by the imputed
00:15:22.48\00:15:26.29
righteousness of Jesus
Christ credited to our account.
00:15:26.32\00:15:30.39
We are made righteous by faith
and what Christ has done for us
00:15:30.43\00:15:35.76
and what He has done
on our behalf is un--
00:15:35.80\00:15:38.73
He's given us undeserved mercy.
00:15:38.77\00:15:41.67
Now we must
continue to the final point
00:15:41.70\00:15:45.71
in the repentance process
because without this step
00:15:45.74\00:15:49.61
we would be consigned to hobble
along with our habits of sin.
00:15:49.64\00:15:56.22
Our future
progress would be hindered.
00:15:56.25\00:15:59.12
This fifth and final
part is where transformation
00:15:59.15\00:16:02.49
and triumph are forged
00:16:02.52\00:16:04.46
because step five is
where God empowers us
00:16:04.49\00:16:08.13
to change our
conduct and make a U-turn
00:16:08.16\00:16:11.23
in the right
direction straight towards Him.
00:16:11.27\00:16:14.34
This step in the
repentance process
00:16:14.37\00:16:16.64
represents sanctification
through the imparted
00:16:16.67\00:16:19.94
righteousness of Jesus
Christ who works within us
00:16:19.97\00:16:25.38
and as the
process of sanctification
00:16:25.41\00:16:28.05
blossoms in our soul,
the seduction of sin withers.
00:16:28.08\00:16:32.39
With absolutely confidence
in Christ abilities to save,
00:16:32.42\00:16:36.93
we develop an
unwavering commitment to Him
00:16:36.96\00:16:40.23
which permits no room for
compromise with the world.
00:16:40.26\00:16:44.23
The process of
repentance is incomplete
00:16:44.27\00:16:47.50
unless we turn from self to God.
00:16:47.54\00:16:51.14
Genuine repentance results
00:16:51.17\00:16:54.34
in the rejection
of sin in our lives
00:16:54.38\00:16:56.88
and the return of
our devotion to God.
00:16:56.91\00:16:59.41
This is not an act we
can do by our own power.
00:16:59.45\00:17:02.72
Repentance is a gift from God
00:17:02.75\00:17:05.19
and we should
receive it with joy.
00:17:05.22\00:17:07.82
I want you to
consider three scriptures.
00:17:07.86\00:17:10.76
Let's look at these.
00:17:10.79\00:17:12.79
2 Corinthians 7:10 tells us,
00:17:12.83\00:17:15.86
"Godly sorrow produces
repentance to salvation."
00:17:15.90\00:17:20.84
We should thank
God for godly sorrow.
00:17:20.87\00:17:23.27
And then Paul
writes in Romans 2:4
00:17:23.30\00:17:25.97
"Do you despise the
riches of His goodness,
00:17:26.01\00:17:29.18
forbearance, and
longsuffering, not knowing
00:17:29.21\00:17:31.85
that the goodness of
God lead you to repentance?"
00:17:31.88\00:17:35.68
We should thank God for
His patience and goodness.
00:17:35.72\00:17:38.95
And then Acts 5:31 says this.
00:17:38.99\00:17:42.82
"Him, Jesus, God has
exalted to His right hand
00:17:42.86\00:17:48.36
to be Prince and Savior,
00:17:48.40\00:17:50.83
to give repentance to
Israel and forgiveness of sins."
00:17:50.87\00:17:57.04
We should thank God
for the gift of repentance.
00:17:57.07\00:18:02.41
You know, King David was
fully aware of his absolute
00:18:02.44\00:18:07.55
dependence upon God to
give him the gift of repentance
00:18:07.58\00:18:10.99
that would turn him back to God.
00:18:11.02\00:18:13.25
In Psalm 51:10 he prayed
"Create in me a clean heart,
00:18:13.29\00:18:17.99
O God, and renew a
steadfast spirit within me."
00:18:18.03\00:18:22.76
I praise God for leading
me to Psalm 51 as my model
00:18:22.80\00:18:26.67
to learn how to press into
His presence with repentance.
00:18:26.70\00:18:32.97
He taught me to
ask for repentance
00:18:33.01\00:18:36.54
just as I ask for forgiveness.
00:18:36.58\00:18:39.68
When you ask God
to forgive your sins,
00:18:39.71\00:18:42.32
do you also ask Him
to grant you repentance?
00:18:42.35\00:18:45.79
If not, I hope you
will from this day forward
00:18:45.82\00:18:48.72
because you cannot
turn around by yourself
00:18:48.76\00:18:51.73
for repentance is the gift,
His gift to bestow upon you
00:18:51.76\00:18:56.13
when you
acknowledge your need of it.
00:18:56.16\00:18:58.57
You know, Peter's boastful--
00:18:58.60\00:19:02.07
Peter make this
boastful claim in Matthew 26:33.
00:19:02.10\00:19:07.01
He told Jesus,
00:19:07.04\00:19:08.68
and this is toward the
end of Jesus' ministry,
00:19:08.71\00:19:10.45
right at the end there He said,
00:19:10.48\00:19:12.15
"O Lord, even if all are
made to stumble because of you,
00:19:12.18\00:19:16.69
I will never be
made to stumble."
00:19:16.72\00:19:19.79
Jesus responded assuredly
I tell you that this night
00:19:19.82\00:19:25.19
before the rooster crows
you will deny me three times.
00:19:25.23\00:19:31.60
Oh, how much I was like Peter
00:19:31.63\00:19:34.50
before I learn
to depend upon God
00:19:34.54\00:19:37.04
for the gift of turning
me around away from my sin.
00:19:37.07\00:19:41.58
I prayed and
pleaded for forgiveness
00:19:41.61\00:19:43.81
concluding with the
sincere promise to do better
00:19:43.85\00:19:46.98
and by sheer willpower
00:19:47.02\00:19:49.08
I determine to overcome sin
only to hear that old rooster
00:19:49.12\00:19:52.55
scratchy voice crowing over my
stumbles by the end of the day
00:19:52.59\00:19:56.66
and against my
heart felt determination,
00:19:56.69\00:20:00.06
I felt like I
had been like Peter,
00:20:00.10\00:20:04.33
I had denied
Christ through sin again.
00:20:04.37\00:20:07.40
You know, all sin
is a denial of Christ.
00:20:07.44\00:20:11.44
Peter's actions
were no worse than ours.
00:20:11.47\00:20:14.14
In fact, Peter
proved to be more responsive
00:20:14.18\00:20:17.05
than most Christians.
00:20:17.08\00:20:18.28
Just one glimpse from Jesus'
eyes of infinite love disarmed
00:20:18.31\00:20:23.65
this defiant disciple resulting
in heart seized repentance.
00:20:23.69\00:20:29.59
Peter wept
bitterly over his sin.
00:20:29.62\00:20:33.33
Do we?
00:20:33.36\00:20:35.56
Before his boastful
promise not to deny the Lord,
00:20:35.60\00:20:40.24
Peter was a man of bravado.
00:20:40.27\00:20:42.40
He paid no attention to
the Lord's preceding warning
00:20:42.44\00:20:46.64
which is found in Luke
21-- 22, Luke 22:31, 32.
00:20:46.68\00:20:54.18
Jesus said here, "Simon, Simon,
indeed Satan has asked for you
00:20:54.22\00:21:00.42
that he may sift you as wheat.
00:21:00.46\00:21:02.79
But I have prayed for you,
00:21:02.82\00:21:04.96
that your faith should not fail.
00:21:04.99\00:21:06.90
And when you have return to
me, strengthen your brethren."
00:21:06.93\00:21:11.80
Christ predicted Peter
would turn away from Him
00:21:11.83\00:21:15.54
and have need of repentance
but He also assured Peter
00:21:15.57\00:21:19.37
of His help in returning to Him.
00:21:19.41\00:21:22.21
What did Peter learned in
this process of repentance?
00:21:22.24\00:21:25.68
He came to appreciate the need
00:21:25.71\00:21:28.52
for absolute to surrender to God
00:21:28.55\00:21:31.35
and total dependence on Him.
00:21:31.39\00:21:35.09
You know, the secret to success
in our daily walk with Christ
00:21:35.12\00:21:39.23
is to recognize that apart
from Him we can do nothing.
00:21:39.26\00:21:45.03
Doesn't the Bible warn us
00:21:45.07\00:21:46.60
that we cannot
change ourselves anymore
00:21:46.63\00:21:49.44
than an Ethiopian can change
skin or a leopard his spots?
00:21:49.47\00:21:53.58
Why do we fail to change
after confession of our sin?
00:21:53.61\00:21:57.71
There is only one reason.
00:21:57.75\00:21:59.38
We attempt to
change by our own power.
00:21:59.41\00:22:02.28
But please notice that it
takes a cooperative effort
00:22:02.32\00:22:07.16
to put to death the misdeeds
of our sin, of our flesh.
00:22:07.19\00:22:11.16
Look at Romans
8:13, 14 which says
00:22:11.19\00:22:16.03
"For if you live according
to the flesh you will die,
00:22:16.06\00:22:20.20
but if by the
Spirit you put to death..."
00:22:20.24\00:22:25.27
Notice there.
00:22:25.31\00:22:26.41
"By the Spirit you put to death
00:22:26.44\00:22:29.64
the deeds of the
body, you will live.
00:22:29.68\00:22:32.15
For as many as are
led by the Spirit of God,
00:22:32.18\00:22:35.65
these are the sons of God."
00:22:35.68\00:22:37.65
So it takes the Spirit,
His power and our cooperation,
00:22:37.69\00:22:43.36
it's by the Spirit
that we must work together
00:22:43.39\00:22:48.03
with the Holy Spirit
to accomplish this change.
00:22:48.06\00:22:51.83
It's His power
that makes it possible.
00:22:51.87\00:22:55.34
Listen to what Paul
wrote in Philippians 2:12, 13
00:22:55.37\00:23:01.21
which underscores this.
00:23:01.24\00:23:03.08
I'm gonna read it
from the amplified.
00:23:03.11\00:23:05.45
It says "Work out
your own salvation
00:23:05.48\00:23:09.55
with reverence
and awe and trembling.
00:23:09.58\00:23:12.99
Not in your own
strength for it is God
00:23:13.02\00:23:17.16
Who is all the while
effectually at work in you
00:23:17.19\00:23:20.33
energizing and creating
in you the power and desire,
00:23:20.36\00:23:24.03
both to will and to
work for His good pleasure."
00:23:24.07\00:23:29.57
Genuine repentance
results in being joint to Christ
00:23:29.60\00:23:34.41
and feel afresh with His spirit,
00:23:34.44\00:23:36.85
then He completes the good work
00:23:36.88\00:23:39.11
He began in us as He
leads us by His spirit.
00:23:39.15\00:23:43.28
Halleluiah, when we surrender
control of our lives to Him,
00:23:43.32\00:23:48.02
God causes us to be
all that He calls us to be.
00:23:48.06\00:23:52.89
Matthew 12:20 is a
beautiful Bible promise.
00:23:52.93\00:23:58.27
It says "A bruised
reed he will not break,
00:23:58.30\00:24:02.97
and smoking flax
he will not quench."
00:24:03.00\00:24:06.71
Do you feel battered and
bruised by your mistakes?
00:24:06.74\00:24:10.68
Come to Christ,
He will heal you.
00:24:10.71\00:24:13.28
Has your first love
passion for Christ dissipated?
00:24:13.31\00:24:17.32
Is the wick of
your spiritual lamp
00:24:17.35\00:24:20.49
flickering, smoking
and about to go out?
00:24:20.52\00:24:23.63
Come to Christ, He will
add the oil of joy to your life
00:24:23.66\00:24:28.20
and your lamp
will burn brightly.
00:24:28.23\00:24:30.93
Acts 3:19 says this "Repent
therefore and be converted,
00:24:30.97\00:24:35.87
that your sins may
be blotted out, so that
00:24:35.90\00:24:39.74
times of refreshing may come
from the presence of the Lord."
00:24:39.77\00:24:44.75
Repentance is a
glorious gift from God,
00:24:44.78\00:24:47.58
it brings times of refreshing
that speeds our recovery
00:24:47.62\00:24:51.25
from the sting of sin
and revives us spiritually.
00:24:51.29\00:24:54.52
Repentance gives us
confidence before the Lord
00:24:54.56\00:24:57.29
and assures us of
His power to save.
00:24:57.33\00:25:00.20
Repentance brings
rest to our weary souls
00:25:00.23\00:25:03.30
and as we press into his
presence through repentance,
00:25:03.33\00:25:06.37
the sin barrier is
shattered and we are confident
00:25:06.40\00:25:10.44
that our prayers
will not be hindered.
00:25:10.47\00:25:12.77
God quiets our
fears with His love.
00:25:12.81\00:25:16.24
He invites us to come boldly
before His throne of grace
00:25:16.28\00:25:20.25
to find mercy and grace to
help us in our time of need.
00:25:20.28\00:25:25.65
Zephaniah 3:17 says
this. I love this scripture.
00:25:25.69\00:25:30.36
It says, "Our Father the
mighty one is in our midst
00:25:30.39\00:25:36.30
and He will save us,
00:25:36.33\00:25:37.50
He rejoices over
us with singing."
00:25:37.53\00:25:41.40
Do you see God this way?
00:25:41.44\00:25:44.14
Do you see a
mighty and loving savior
00:25:44.17\00:25:47.28
who rejoices
over you with singing?
00:25:47.31\00:25:51.28
Ah, glory to His holy name.
00:25:51.31\00:25:54.38
In previous programs
00:25:54.42\00:25:56.35
we visited the New Testament
altar of Calvary's cross
00:25:56.38\00:26:00.36
and we applied the
blood of Jesus to our sins.
00:26:00.39\00:26:04.96
And now in the spirit
of the purification rite
00:26:04.99\00:26:09.06
practice by the ancient priests,
00:26:09.10\00:26:11.67
we have
symbolically washed our hands
00:26:11.70\00:26:15.24
and feet at the
laver in the outer court.
00:26:15.27\00:26:18.51
Cleansed through the process
of confession and repentance,
00:26:18.54\00:26:23.31
we are now
prepared to go forward.
00:26:23.35\00:26:27.42
Now we are ready to
press into His presence further
00:26:27.45\00:26:31.99
and enter the holy place
00:26:32.02\00:26:34.52
and our prayer is that next time
00:26:34.56\00:26:37.86
you will join us for this
exciting journey in prayer.
00:26:37.89\00:26:43.50
Now what I would like to do
for you right now and for me is
00:26:43.53\00:26:48.57
let's have a prayer together.
00:26:48.60\00:26:50.97
Let's just go before the Lord
00:26:51.01\00:26:53.07
and ask Him to
grant us repentance.
00:26:53.11\00:26:56.61
Our most loving and
precious heavenly Father,
00:26:56.64\00:27:00.35
how we thank you, how
we thank you again, Father,
00:27:00.38\00:27:04.22
for your gifts of grace,
for Jesus Christ our Savior,
00:27:04.25\00:27:08.72
for Your Holy
Spirit in Your word
00:27:08.76\00:27:10.29
and how we thank you, Father,
that you have revealed to us
00:27:10.33\00:27:14.40
the five steps
of true repentance.
00:27:14.46\00:27:16.60
O Lord, we praise you because
we know you are all powerful
00:27:16.63\00:27:20.67
and that you will work in us
00:27:20.70\00:27:22.67
to willing to do
your good pleasure.
00:27:22.70\00:27:25.17
Father, we come before you today
00:27:25.21\00:27:27.18
not only to confess
our sins but we come asking
00:27:27.21\00:27:30.88
that you would grant
us the gift of repentance.
00:27:30.91\00:27:33.95
Help us, Lord, to
develop a sensitive spirit,
00:27:33.98\00:27:37.42
a sensitive heart to you.
00:27:37.45\00:27:39.55
And, Lord, help us day by day
to press in to Your presence,
00:27:39.59\00:27:45.09
to come before
You with repentance,
00:27:45.13\00:27:47.86
with clean
hands and a pure heart
00:27:47.93\00:27:50.03
that You give us when we
do, in Jesus' name, amen.
00:27:50.07\00:27:54.57
Well, as always our
thought toward you this day
00:27:54.60\00:27:59.64
is that the grace of our
Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,
00:27:59.67\00:28:03.58
the love of the Father
00:28:03.61\00:28:05.18
and the
fellowship of the Holy Spirit
00:28:05.21\00:28:07.48
will be with you
today and always.
00:28:07.52\00:28:10.49