Participants:
Series Code: TDYFW
Program Code: TDYFW190018A
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00:02 I want to spend my life
00:08 Mending broken people 00:13 I want to spend my life 00:19 Removing pain 00:24 Lord, let my words 00:30 Heal a heart that hurts 00:35 I want to spend my life 00:40 Mending broken people 00:46 I want to spend my life 00:51 Mending broken people 01:09 Hello, and welcome to 3ABN Today 01:11 Family Worship. 01:13 It's Friday night 01:14 and as we open up the Sabbath hours, 01:16 what a privilege it is to come into your home, 01:19 to share this time with you, 01:21 to just open up God's Word, and to pray together, 01:24 and to see God's face. 01:25 You are part of the 3ABN family. 01:29 I know every time Greg 01:30 and I go out with the 3ABN team, 01:32 and get to meet you 01:33 and see your faces and hear your stories 01:36 and know that you pray for this ministry, 01:39 and you support this ministry. 01:42 What a difference that makes. 01:44 Because of you, many people are finding out about Jesus 01:47 for the very first time. 01:49 Now, I'm not sitting here with Greg, 01:51 and usually I'm sitting with Greg on Family Worship 01:54 but tonight I have my sisters with me. 01:57 And we invite you whether you are 01:59 one of the sisters or a brother. 02:01 Our topic for tonight affects all of us. 02:04 So I'm excited we're talking about forgiveness, 02:07 which is a deep, and a heavy topic, 02:10 and an involved topic. 02:11 But it's so liberating, so freeing 02:14 what God wants to do in our lives 02:16 and in our hearts. 02:17 So I wanna introduce our sisters. 02:18 I'm gonna start right here with Dee. 02:20 And Dee Hildebrand 02:21 is production coordinator for 3ABN. 02:25 You've been here 22 years. 02:27 Twenty two years. 02:28 That's why I'm only part time now. 02:29 I've put in my 20 years so now I just come 02:31 and help Greg when he needs me. 02:35 Oh, we need you all the time, Dee. 02:37 Wouldn't you agree Dee is indispensable? 02:39 Absolutely. 02:40 You have a heart for God. 02:42 It's nice to be needed, but I'm not indispensable, 02:45 but it's nice to be needed. 02:46 That's true. Absolutely. 02:48 And sitting next to you 02:49 is our pastor's wife and sister, 02:52 Angela Lomacang. 02:54 And we love you, Angie, 02:55 what a blessing you are to the ministry and to us. 02:57 And thank you for being here. Praise the Lord. 02:59 I'm happy and excited about being here 03:02 and to be a part of you ladies and the topic, 03:05 it's a deep topic. 03:06 So, well, we all deal with this issue. 03:09 Oh, absolutely. 03:10 Isn't that incredible because as, you know, 03:13 you think okay, "I'm a Christian, 03:15 and I've followed Jesus, 03:17 and I'm not going to deal with this." 03:18 But we all do and before we go any further, 03:20 let me introduce everyone else. 03:22 On this side is my sister and friend, 03:25 Dr. Yvonne Lewis Shelton. 03:28 I love having you here, sis, 03:29 I know you are founder and consultant 03:32 for Dare to Dream Network. 03:34 Yeah. So glad you're here. 03:35 Oh, it's so good to be here. 03:36 I've been looking forward to just being able to share 03:40 with my sisters here and with you. 03:43 So this is a blessing. 03:45 Amen. 03:46 And sitting next to you is my assistant. 03:49 Sometimes if you call the office, 03:50 you might get LaDonna. 03:52 Now you can put a face with the name, 03:54 and a sweet personality behind it. 03:56 You are such a blessing, LaDonna Terrill, sorry. 04:00 You are such a blessing to me in the office, 04:03 and do an incredible job, serve the Lord 04:05 with kindness and grace, and thank you for being here. 04:07 You are all a blessing to me 04:08 and I'm absolutely thrilled to be a part of this program. 04:11 Thank you. 04:12 Yay! 04:13 LaDonna is always helpful to all of us, isn't she? 04:17 Thank you. 04:19 But I can say honestly that all of you are helpful to me. 04:21 Yes. 04:22 You know, when I look around the table here, 04:24 you've all prayed for me or with me 04:27 and you've all encouraged me in my walk with God 04:30 and mentored me, so thank you. 04:31 We love you. 04:33 Exactly. You know, you introduced us. 04:34 But you have been such an amazing blessing 04:37 to all of us. 04:38 Amen. 04:39 And we are thankful for your leadership, 04:42 and we are thankful that you are a sister here, 04:44 so, it's all good. 04:46 I think we love each other. I do too. 04:48 We just love each other, that's how it is. 04:50 We love working together and sharing. 04:52 We do. It makes life wonderful. 04:54 Yes. 04:56 People come here to 3ABN and you know, Dee, 05:00 I've been told this that they just see us like a family. 05:04 And that we really genuinely love each other. 05:07 It's not, you know, it's not just 05:09 what you see on television, we really love each other. 05:12 And so it's a blessing to be co-laborers for Christ. 05:17 And when we come out and do the rallies 05:19 and we meet you, what a blessing it is 05:21 because then we know, you know, you're watching, 05:24 and you're praying with us, and for us. 05:26 And so it's just, it's really a blessing 05:29 to be on this planet at this time 05:32 in earth's history. 05:34 And to be able to work for the Lord 05:36 and to share about our experience 05:39 which we're gonna do this evening. 05:40 It's just a blessing. 05:42 So we're glad that you're with us this evening. 05:43 Well, since we're not all perfect, 05:45 we practice this a lot, this forgiveness. 05:48 We're quick to forgive each other. 05:50 Yes. Yeah. 05:51 And it makes it all back to our working well together. 05:55 Yeah. Amen. 05:56 You said it. That's true. 05:58 You know, there's saying, "A family that prays together, 06:00 stays together." 06:01 And that's how this ministry is. 06:03 We forgive and pray. 06:04 Yes. 06:06 Speaking of prayer, we should open up in prayer 06:07 before we get into our topic and open up God's Word. 06:10 And, Angie, you wanna pray for us? 06:12 Sure. Let's bow our heads. 06:13 Our gracious Heavenly Father, we bow before Your presence. 06:17 And, Lord, You're so good to us, 06:19 we cannot thank You enough for Your goodness 06:22 and graciousness towards us. 06:24 Lord, we ask that You come 06:26 and send Your Spirit right now to this, 06:29 this family worship. 06:31 Lord, be in our midst. 06:33 All of us deal with the issues on forgiveness. 06:36 And, Lord, You have come into our hearts, 06:38 and bless the viewers and listeners, 06:41 and speak to their hearts. 06:42 If they are struggling with forgiveness, 06:44 speak to their hearts I pray, and may today give You, 06:48 this program, give You the praise, 06:50 the honor, and glory that You are so deserving. 06:53 In Jesus' name, amen. 06:55 Amen. Amen. 06:58 So I wanna do an opening scripture 07:00 and then we'll jump into our topic of forgiveness. 07:03 And at first glance, it might not seem 07:05 like it has anything to do with forgiveness. 07:08 But let's look at 2 Corinthians 5:17. 07:13 Whoever gets it, you wanna jump in and read 07:15 2 Corinthians 5:17. 07:18 "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, 07:21 he is a new creature. 07:23 Old things have passed away, behold, 07:25 all things have become new." 07:28 And that has a lot to do with forgiveness 07:30 because I am a new creature. 07:32 I want to be a new creature. 07:34 And I don't want all that old gunk 07:36 that used to be in me, even to exist anymore. 07:40 So and you cannot be new 07:42 if you're holding on to the old, 07:45 and unforgiveness is really destructive. 07:50 So yeah. 07:52 Any other thoughts on the scripture? 07:56 Dee said it all. 07:58 She did it. 08:00 She said it all. 08:03 New creature, yeah, we are new in Christ. 08:06 And we cannot hold on to the past, the old things. 08:10 And you were raised a Christian, 08:11 was a Christian all your life and yet still 08:14 you became a new creature... 08:16 Oh, yes. Unlike me. 08:19 Even if you've been a Christian, 08:20 raised a Christian, 08:22 you didn't do any of the stuff I did. 08:24 But you still become a new Christian in Christ. 08:25 Amen. Yes, yes. 08:27 No matter where you come into your walk with Christ 08:30 but what you drop off the old. 08:31 Yes, yes. 08:33 It's amazing that, you know, 08:35 when we look at Christ is the creator. 08:38 Yeah. Yes. 08:39 And He is always creating. 08:41 Always, I mean, He is... 08:44 Through Him everything was created, 08:46 so we are new creatures, we become new creatures. 08:50 And even if you're living in a pattern of sin, 08:54 and you then you give your heart to Jesus, 08:57 He recreates you. 09:00 You're brand new, and so He never stops creating. 09:04 Yeah. 09:06 Just creating in us, you know, create in me a clean heart, 09:09 oh God, a new, a steadfast spirit within me. 09:13 He's always creating something new in us. 09:17 So in Him, we are new creations. 09:20 That's right. We are. 09:22 There are... 09:24 I remember hearing a pastor say one time that, 09:28 you know, people who are involved 09:31 in adultery, or fornication, or sexual sin, 09:36 you can leave that behind 09:39 and become a new creature in Christ. 09:42 So we're gonna be talking about forgiveness and self-forgiving 09:46 and all that. 09:47 God has a plan for everybody. 09:50 And He is always creating us 09:54 to conform to the image of Christ. 09:56 Amen. 09:57 So that's... I mean, this verse is, 09:59 it does have to do with forgiveness as well. 10:03 I think it's one of my favorite scriptures. 10:05 You know, that whole concept of we were all once 10:09 the old creature, you know, 10:11 we all were once wrapped up in sin, infliction, 10:15 and bitterness of spirit and unforgiveness. 10:19 And in the Greek the word for new. 10:20 It says, "If anyone is in Christ, 10:22 he is a new creation." 10:23 The word for new Kainos means, new in quality, not in time. 10:27 Oh, I love it. Beautiful. 10:29 So, if you think about that, we are the same people. 10:32 It's not like we're a new person. 10:34 That's right. 10:35 We are just created a new or recreated, 10:39 like those old habits die 10:41 in the old way of thinking goes away. 10:45 We think differently, we see things differently, 10:47 we feel differently about... 10:49 It changes what's in you and brings out 10:52 what He created you to be, 10:54 not what the fallen nature of man created you to be. 10:58 Even your thought patterns are different. 10:59 Right. 11:01 You still have those experience that help you 11:03 to help other people too, 11:04 you know, so have that background. 11:06 Amen. 11:07 So as we jump into forgiveness, 11:09 why is it even important to forgive? 11:11 Maybe someone's at home going, "I'm hanging on to this grudge. 11:14 It kind of feels good to hold on to that." 11:17 And I don't think I want to let that go. 11:19 Because it's just, I have a right too. 11:20 See, I was in the right and it's no seesaw. 11:24 It's like drinking poison and hoping that they die 11:27 but you die. 11:30 It eats you up. 11:32 And the poison will kill you, me, not them. 11:35 It's a little piece at a time, it's kind of insinuate, 11:38 you know, you don't see it coming 11:40 because you just have this little grudge. 11:43 Someone just, they gave it, wonderful. 11:46 It's like an oxymoron. 11:47 Yeah, right. 11:48 Does have a little grudge. 11:50 But that's how we look at it. 11:51 You know, it's like, "Well, I'm not gonna 11:52 have anything to do with that person." 11:54 But I just heard someone demonstrate 11:56 that it was like putting a little string across the... 11:59 Who did? Somebody, I just heard that? 12:00 Shelley did that. Shelley did that. 12:02 You put a little string across the stream, 12:04 and it catches one little leaf. 12:07 It's not a big deal, the water's still flowing, 12:09 but that leaf catches another leaf. 12:12 And pretty soon you have a dam built up 12:14 and it doesn't flow. 12:15 So that little grudge, 12:17 it kind of attract other little things 12:20 where we can be 12:22 easily offended. 12:26 And these little things, we don't think much about them. 12:29 And sometimes we think we've let them go 12:31 but we haven't. 12:32 They're laying in there festering 12:35 and creating poison 12:38 that destroys our soul, destroys our life. 12:43 So you want your life to be free, 12:47 and whole, and open, 12:49 those little grudges that you don't think much about, 12:52 can be your destruction. 12:54 That's right. 12:55 Well, Dee, and you mentioned letting go, 12:56 you know, when you think, 12:58 "Oh, I forgive so and so for that." 13:00 Until the next time something happened 13:02 and so and so does something to you, 13:03 because I struggle with this, 13:04 so and so does something to you again, 13:06 and you dredge that back up and say, 13:08 "Well, I got this and now you got this, 13:11 well then I forgive." 13:12 But the next time rouse around like, 13:13 "I got this, and I got this, and I got this." 13:15 You know, it's the same thing. 13:17 Once you've forgiven, we got to try to forget 13:20 and move past that. 13:21 So then when something happens again, 13:23 we're not dredging up the past of unforgiveness. 13:26 And it can be the same thing over and over. 13:27 Right. 13:29 So sometimes we need to go along with the forgiveness. 13:31 We need to look at that person and try to see 13:33 what's happening. 13:34 Maybe look at them through God's eyes or ask, 13:37 "Lord, help me understand why they're doing this, 13:40 or what does that really mean to them? 13:41 Am I misinterpreting what you're saying or doing?" 13:45 Yes. 13:47 And maybe they don't mean to be that way 13:48 or they don't understand how it's coming across. 13:51 So we can. 13:54 Let's look at the scripture about that Matthew 6, 13:56 part of the Sermon on the Mount. 13:59 I love the Sermon on the Mount. 14:01 You know, you think about when Jesus presented that, 14:03 it's fairly early in His ministry work. 14:05 And the fact that 14:07 what He presented was so radical, 14:10 it's so radical for what the scribes 14:13 and the Pharisees taught the people. 14:15 And He said, "Okay, you say, 'don't murder people.' 14:18 But I say, 'if you even hate someone...' 14:20 " You know, He took the law so much deeper. 14:23 He did, He did. Look at to the scripture. 14:25 And yes. 14:26 So if we look at Matthew 6, here's this principle 14:28 of we need to forgive other people, 14:30 verses 14 and 15. 14:33 You have that, LaDonna? 14:34 Yeah. 14:36 "For if you forgive men their trespasses, 14:37 your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 14:40 But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, 14:42 neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." 14:45 Wow. 14:46 Now, is God just being mean? 14:49 Yes, He's being harsh. 14:50 Is that harsh, is that cruel? 14:52 Not at all, I think it's pretty black and white, 14:53 really. 14:56 If we don't forgive, why can't He forgive? 14:59 What's the principle underneath that? 15:02 Yeah. 15:03 Can we really... 15:06 It's a good question, Dee. 15:07 Yeah. Yeah. 15:08 What is the principle? 15:10 We're holding something in our heart against another, 15:12 and God forgives us, who knows, so much more. 15:16 You know, so much more. 15:18 And it's a daily, it's hourly sometimes, 15:20 you know where God is just open to given us forgiveness. 15:22 But we're not willing to forgive 15:25 Joe across the street because his dog barks too loud. 15:27 You know, so you just... 15:29 Can we actually accept 15:31 and be filled with God's forgiveness 15:33 if we're holding other unforgiveness 15:35 in our heart? 15:37 That's a very good point. 15:39 Yeah, that's a very good point. 15:41 I think that He forgives us so much. 15:47 It's kind of like that parable of the, you know, 15:51 of the person who owed... 15:53 Yeah, the debt. 15:55 The unforgiving servant. 15:56 Yes, who owed so much, 15:58 and yet was so unwilling to forget the debts 16:02 that were owed to him. 16:03 Yes. 16:04 I think that, you know, it keeps things in perspective. 16:09 Excuse me. 16:10 God says, "If we don't forgive others, 16:14 then He's not gonna forgive us." 16:15 And surely He has a lot to forgive in us. 16:18 So it really... 16:20 For us, it's freeing to forgive. 16:23 Yes. 16:24 And you said it. 16:26 If we refuse to forgive, we become debt collectors. 16:30 Oh, that's good. 16:31 We do become debt collectors, and how, how I wrote this down, 16:36 how long we refuse to keep them in jail. 16:39 We refuse to forgive people and we put them in jail. 16:43 Ooh. Good point. 16:44 That's good. Put them in jail. 16:46 Right. 16:47 And we have to let go. 16:50 You know, we're collecting debt, 16:53 you know, there was a prison jail 16:55 back in Bible days when you didn't pay your debt, 16:57 you go to the jail. 16:59 And it's like, "Okay, I didn't pay my $20..." 17:02 Right. 17:03 Yeah, but you go to debtors jail. 17:05 Debtors prison, right? Prison, that's right. 17:07 And so it does eats you up. It does. 17:10 But if you fill your heart with all this debt, 17:14 what room is there for God's forgiveness? 17:17 That's right. 17:19 He's trying to make new creatures of us. 17:22 He's trying to fill our heart with His ministry 17:26 and His character. 17:27 Do you think God walks around holding grudges 17:30 and unforgiveness in His heart? 17:33 So that's not His character. 17:35 So we're crowding Him out where you can say, 17:37 "You can have this much in my heart. 17:39 But this part over here, I'm holding for my grudges 17:41 because I'm just." 17:44 And yet who is really just? 17:46 Yes. 17:47 There's a great scripture 17:48 I thought I was looking up a minute ago. 17:52 It's Hebrews 12:14-15. 17:57 Ooh! I love this scripture. Right. 17:59 Yeah. Right. 18:01 And it says, "Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, 18:05 without which no one will see the Lord." 18:08 Looking...This is verse 15, "Looking carefully, 18:11 lest anyone fall short of the grace of God, 18:14 lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble 18:19 and by this many become defiled." 18:23 We can become bitter 18:26 from what someone has done to us, 18:29 if we keep turning it over, and over and over. 18:33 I know for me, like, one time, 18:35 I think I had like PTSD or something. 18:37 It was my own PTSD because I kept thinking about 18:41 what this person had done to me. 18:44 And I just can't, I couldn't even... 18:47 I just couldn't stop it. 18:48 It would just pop into my brain from time to time. 18:52 And the way I am, I'm not fake and phony, 18:57 so when I would see this person, 18:59 I would just go different direction 19:01 so I wouldn't have to speak because I didn't wanna speak, 19:06 I didn't wanna talk, 19:07 I just wanted to just stay away. 19:08 Yes. 19:11 And the Lord, the Lord is too much, 19:14 He laid on my heart 19:17 to apologize to this person 19:20 for not speaking. 19:23 And I said, "Lord, I don't wanna to do that. 19:25 I don't want to apologize." 19:29 After what happened to me and all the meanness and all, 19:33 I don't want to apologize. 19:35 He said, "Apologize. 19:38 Say that you're sorry for not speaking." 19:42 So... 19:45 Did you do it? Did you do it? 19:47 Yeah, drum roll. 19:49 I did. I did. Amen. 19:52 And the person said to me, "Why, I couldn't figure out 19:55 why you wouldn't speak to me? 19:57 I'll say to myself, "What? You did." 19:59 But I didn't say it? No. 20:00 Because really, I was really trying to do 20:02 what the Lord had laid on me. 20:04 But guess what? 20:05 The Lord removed all my flashbacks 20:08 after I apologized for what I was doing wrong. 20:13 The Lord removed all of my flashbacks. 20:16 I no longer had that bitterness. 20:20 I was letting bitterness take root in my spirit. 20:26 And after that, 20:28 those and now I can run into the person and just, 20:32 you know, be kind and genuinely feel 20:35 like everything's okay. 20:36 Yeah. 20:38 You know, I don't let myself 20:40 think about what happened 20:42 because then I'll start getting excited. 20:43 Yeah, we leave it alone. 20:45 So you just leave it alone. Leave it behind you. 20:47 But I saw that, to say, 20:50 that the forgiveness was for me. 20:53 Yeah. Right. It was. 20:55 That was for me asking forgiveness, freed me. 21:00 And then I was free to just go on and live my life. 21:04 Isn't it interesting how sometimes 21:06 God is trying to guide us down the right path. 21:10 And we resist kicking and screaming all the way. 21:14 And then when we actually do it, going into sin, 21:19 asking for the commitment, so it's very difficult. 21:20 Yes. 21:22 How is coming out of it now? 21:23 Oh, it was amazing. 21:25 And I felt after having the conversation, 21:29 I just felt freer. 21:30 Right. 21:32 You know, and now if I run into that person, 21:34 I can, like I said, I can be friendly 21:36 because God has freed me of that anger, 21:40 and the rage, and the PTSD, 21:43 you know, that would just come in. 21:45 And I'm not making light of any of it. 21:47 If anybody's watching with PTSD, 21:48 I really do think I had a form of it 21:50 because it was a traumatic situation 21:55 and so I was getting that. 21:57 But the Lord has freed me from that by submitting to Him. 22:03 When He tells us to do something, 22:05 He doesn't tell us just because He's just 22:07 arbitrarily telling us to do something. 22:10 He's telling us because He knows what effect 22:13 doing it will have for us. 22:16 And so He just, you know, 22:18 after that I was just so grateful 22:20 because I didn't have the same flashbacks. 22:24 You had peace in your mind. 22:25 Yes! That's so incredible. 22:27 This very scripture, God used to deliver me too. 22:30 Amen! 22:35 Read it again. 22:36 On the same scripture because what had happened 22:38 in my experience, I had, this was several years ago, 22:41 I walked into a room with a whole bunch of people. 22:43 And there was a woman at the other end of the room, 22:45 and she had her back to me, and she was my friend. 22:48 So I was excited. Oh, here she is. 22:50 And I was gonna go say hi. 22:51 Yeah. Yeah. 22:53 Then when I walked in, 22:54 I realized she's talking about me. 22:55 Oh, wow! 22:57 It was just like critical and dwindling. 22:59 And I just stood there and then I ran back 23:02 out to the car. 23:04 And I remember just crying. 23:06 And I thought, I thought, "God, she was my friend." 23:09 And then I did what I thought 23:11 any good Christian women should do. 23:13 And that is, I didn't gossip about her. 23:14 That's right. 23:16 'Cause we can be good at that, right? 23:17 The gossip part. 23:19 And I thought, "Okay, I'm not gonna talk about that." 23:21 But I stuffed it. 23:23 And I just buried that deep in my heart. 23:25 And I didn't even realize the bitterness that was there 23:29 until I was memorizing the scripture. 23:31 I was doing dishes, 23:32 and I put three-by-five cards up 23:34 at the sink. 23:35 So I can work on memorizing scripture. 23:36 Nice. 23:38 And I was reading follow peace with all men and holiness, 23:40 without which no one should see God. 23:41 And I thought, thank you, God, I'm walking in peace 23:43 with my brothers and sisters because I didn't sense it. 23:46 Yes. No, it was in there. 23:47 It was buried. 23:49 Yes. 23:50 And then the very next scripture 23:52 just kind of jolted me, 23:53 the one about looking diligently, 23:55 lest any root of bitterness trouble you. 23:58 And I felt the Holy Spirit just tapped me on the shoulder, 24:00 you know, and say, 24:01 "Jill, this bitterness is gonna ruin you, 24:04 and your marriage, and your ministry." 24:08 And I thought, "Okay, God, I wanna give it to you 24:09 but I don't know how, you know. 24:12 I don't know how, God, will you give me 24:13 Your forgiveness for this woman?" 24:15 Yes. 24:16 But I didn't know what else to do. 24:18 And then He led me on a journey to pray for her. 24:20 Yes. 24:22 Like a consistent, everyday prayer. 24:24 Now, you know what I wanted to pray? 24:26 God, she can have a car accident. 24:29 Making it real. 24:31 Not anything really serious, but she could break an arm. 24:35 It just show that there's some pain going on here. 24:39 And He said, "No, Jill, 24:41 you need to pray blessings over her life." 24:43 So I prayed what I would have prayed over a friend, 24:45 you know, God, would You bless her life spiritually, 24:48 and give her good things today, 24:50 and give her financial blessings, 24:52 and bless her family, 24:54 and or expand her ministry? 24:56 And it felt really fake. 24:58 You know, like I was very hypocrite. 25:00 I didn't want that. Yes. 25:01 Yes. Right. 25:03 But I prayed the first day, and the second day, 25:04 and the third day, and just so hypocritical, 25:07 I felt but God had said, "Do this." 25:09 So I'm trying to walk in obedience. 25:10 Right. 25:11 And then maybe day five or six, 25:14 I don't remember. 25:15 And God changed my heart. 25:17 I was just praying one day, 25:19 and it just rolled off my back like, 25:23 "Thank you, God. 25:25 You've set me free." 25:26 You know, and that doesn't mean later on down the road, 25:29 you might have to go back again. 25:30 Right. That's right. 25:31 It's right. That's just right. 25:33 And I think that's important to say to, Jill, 25:35 that it is a journey. 25:37 It's not, it doesn't necessarily 25:39 happen instantaneously. 25:41 You know what I mean? 25:42 Yeah, 25:44 it just like you, 25:46 you submitted to God's will for you. 25:49 Pray for this person. 25:50 The first time feels fake. 25:52 Oh, yeah. I've done that too. 25:54 If you pray for somebody, and, you know, 25:55 you really are not feeling that, 25:58 but you're just doing it 25:59 because you feel like you should. 26:01 But eventually, you do feel like, 26:04 you really should be praying for this person. 26:07 And it's really freeing you. 26:10 But it's a process. 26:11 It's doesn't necessarily just happen just like that. 26:15 And we've talked about forgiveness 26:17 on things that were, 26:19 that hurt our feelings, 26:20 or that were superficial, and not superficial. 26:24 I didn't mean now in that way. 26:26 It's really painful, 26:28 but I was thinking about people who have... 26:30 Because we feel justified when we've been injured, 26:34 but there's lots of people out there 26:36 who have been injured physically, or mentally, 26:40 and emotionally that are abused, 26:43 that are, critical people have gone to jail for things. 26:48 Many, many, many years ago, 26:49 someone broke into my home and I was there 26:53 and they were armed with a knife. 26:55 And God was there and He worked it out. 26:59 I didn't get raped, 27:01 I got just superficially cut,` 27:03 and all the details worked out fine. 27:05 And I ended up safe. 27:07 And he actually felt like he had not done anything wrong 27:11 because someone did call the police 27:16 and the police showed up. 27:17 And he was arrested, 27:18 and he ended up going to jail for a year. 27:21 But he still felt like he didn't do anything. 27:23 But there was many things that he had done. 27:27 And I actually learned, 27:32 knew at the time that if I hung on 27:34 to that justified rage. 27:40 I remember not too long 27:41 after that I went to the hairdresser 27:43 because there's stuff that happens to you. 27:46 And when he put my head back to wash my hair, 27:50 and exposed my neck, I came flying out of there, 27:54 almost screaming it was like and terrified. 27:56 And he's like, 27:58 because no one knew what had happened. 27:59 And he was like, "What's wrong with you?" 28:02 So I had to put in towel over my neck 28:03 to cover my neck to protect myself 28:05 to get through this emotional thing. 28:07 But I knew that if I did not let go of this, 28:11 if I didn't, that I was the one captive. 28:15 He might have been in jail, but I was captive too. 28:19 So that God had to heal me 28:21 mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. 28:23 And part of that journey 28:24 was lifting Him up in prayer. 28:28 And I didn't do that right away at the time. 28:31 I wasn't really Christian right then. 28:34 But later on, I began lifting Him up 28:36 and asking the Lord to heal his life. 28:41 And he was a married man and he had children. 28:45 So even though he was very, very young, 28:47 so it was sincerely praying, 28:51 I hope to see him in heaven someday. 28:54 And that whatever happened then, 28:58 it turned his life around 28:59 before he ended up destroying his life. 29:02 But I don't know, 29:04 but I still think of him in prayer. 29:07 And I can't imagine how hard it is 29:08 for someone who has been raped, or abused, or beaten, 29:14 or these horrific things that happened, 29:16 I can't... 29:18 Or if they killed someone that you love, 29:20 like your child, or your spouse, or something. 29:23 I do not know 29:25 how hard that would be for someone to do. 29:27 And yet I know 29:29 that that is the path to healing. 29:32 That's right. 29:34 It's starting that long path 29:37 of working with the Lord and saying, 29:38 "God, You have to take me down this path 29:41 and show me how to forgive, to cleanse my own heart 29:45 and have my own freedom 29:47 or this will destroy me, not the person who..." 29:52 I have to leave justice to the Lord. 29:53 You have to reach the point where you say, 29:55 "Lord, I'm going to give the justice to You 29:58 because this was wrong, 29:59 it should never have happened, but I can't make it unhappen. 30:04 So help me walk the path that will lead to forgiveness. 30:09 So I will be free and be a new creature. 30:13 And God can make you a new creature, 30:15 even if you've been through all of this. 30:18 That's right. He can. 30:19 And you know, Dee, you brought up something 30:21 that I think is really important, 30:23 you know, praying for someone, 30:24 even when they don't think they've done anything wrong. 30:26 Yeah. 30:27 You know, how do you... 30:31 The Bible tells us that we're supposed to, 30:34 if someone has something against us, 30:37 we're supposed to go to them. 30:39 Not even just us against somebody else. 30:41 But if somebody has something against us, 30:44 we're to go to them and make it right, fix it. 30:48 And it's like how do you... 30:50 How do you... 30:51 And this is just a question for all of us. 30:53 How do we forgive someone who has not even asked 30:59 or doesn't even, you know... 31:00 Acknowledge. Exactly. 31:02 Well, like that lady said to you, 31:03 "I didn't know why you weren't speaking to me." 31:06 They're like, "What?" Yeah. 31:08 So they have no conception that they have wronged you. 31:13 So how do you go ask for, you know... 31:16 Yeah, how do you forgive someone 31:18 who is not even asking for your forgiveness? 31:21 I think it's easier. 31:23 Do you know if someone comes to you 31:24 and says "Oh, I'm sorry." 31:25 I didn't mean to hurt you. 31:27 "You know, I messed up. I made a mistake." 31:29 No, they're not even acknowledging 31:30 that they did something wrong to you. 31:32 How do you then forgive them? 31:34 What do you think? 31:38 Angie, you look like you wanna say something. 31:40 How do you forgive that person that doesn't even acknowledge? 31:43 You have to ask the Lord to put it into your heart 31:46 to make you willing. 31:48 Because we're human nature, 31:50 we're not willing, you ask. 31:52 So first of all, you have to make the decision 31:54 that's what you wanna do. 31:56 Yes. 31:57 So then you... 31:58 That the Lord's will be in me 32:00 and I wrote down the principles of forgiveness. 32:02 Amen. 32:03 And number one was, 32:04 let the Lord's will be done, not your will. 32:07 With my will, 32:08 I'm done with them. 32:10 No, you want the Lord's will 32:11 because you want their salvation. 32:13 And the second one was, 32:14 let the Lord provide your daily strength. 32:17 Give us this day, 32:18 our daily bread, 32:20 you know, ask the Lord to help us on daily basis. 32:23 And the third one is, 32:24 forgive us in the same way that we forgive others. 32:28 You know, it's like, you want forgiveness, 32:31 you know, I want to be forgiven of my sin. 32:33 So, you know, you please. 32:36 Anyway, number four is, 32:37 don't allow temptation and evil to have power over us. 32:41 We don't want that over us. 32:43 We don't want that spirit over us. 32:46 And let Your glory in Your kingdom 32:47 be revealed in us. 32:49 And lastly, 32:50 we will be forgiven 32:53 only as if as we forgive others. 32:56 So I want forgiveness, but I have to forgive others. 33:01 Also, you said it, 33:03 it's the hardest thing sometimes. 33:05 But we have to ask the Lord to put that in me. 33:07 Right. 33:08 Give me Your Spirit and make me willing. 33:12 And it's hard, 33:14 you know, it's hard... 33:15 But the reward is your joy. 33:17 We can do all things through Christ. 33:18 That's right. 33:19 All things, even that, 33:21 you know, somebody's been raped. 33:22 How do you forgive the person that raped you? 33:24 Yeah. 33:25 You know, you said it earlier, 33:27 somebody murdered your spouse or your child. 33:30 But the Lord has to, 33:32 you have to ask the Lord 33:33 and you said it, "Pray for that person." 33:35 And, Jill, you said that, didn't you? 33:37 You had to pray for that person 33:38 that was speaking against you and didn't in Ephesians, 33:42 pray for those who speak all kind of evil or...? 33:45 Yeah, that's right. I think it's in Ephesians. 33:47 Again, too, but we must forgive because Christ has forgiven us. 33:53 You know, it's amazing. 33:55 I was at a woman's conference just a few weeks ago. 33:58 And one of the women came up to me 34:00 at the end of the conference, 34:01 and she said, "My kid was murdered." 34:05 Oh! 34:07 How do you even begin to cope with that? 34:11 And it'd been a couple years. 34:12 And every day, you're just trying to process, 34:15 you're trying to do what she said, 34:17 "I want to forget, I know I need to forgive. 34:21 I'm asking God for His forgiveness." 34:25 But sometimes it's a journey. 34:26 I always look at forgiveness as an onion, 34:28 I don't know if that's... 34:29 Or an artichoke. 34:30 You know, right, 34:32 so you take one layer, 34:33 and you think, "Oh, thank you, God, 34:35 I've gotten this healing and God set me free." 34:38 And then all of a sudden, there's another layer. 34:41 And you didn't realize the layer was there 34:43 but in event like 34:44 putting your head back and this thing triggers, right? 34:47 A flashback or something to that event, 34:49 and then you got to maybe work the process again, 34:52 or go back through or forgive on a deeper level. 34:56 What about forgiving ourselves? 34:58 Because we've been talking about forgiving other people, 35:02 but what about forgiving myself 35:05 or accepting Christ's forgiveness for me 35:08 or understanding and knowing that I can be forgiven. 35:13 Any thoughts on that? 35:16 Oh, go ahead. 35:17 Go ahead. No, no, no. 35:19 It's hard sometimes to forgive ourselves 35:21 because when we really see I remember, 35:25 when I had been doing TCM, 35:30 Traditional Chinese Medicine, acupuncture and all 35:31 and when I realized 35:33 what I was really doing in terms of 35:36 the spiritualistic aspects of it and all that, 35:39 when I realized it, I felt so broken like, 35:43 "Lord, I'm just so sorry." 35:45 Because I realized that I had been using my gifts 35:51 for a different purpose, 35:52 a purpose that was not God's purpose for me. 35:56 And I remember crying, 35:58 I went to prayer meeting that night, 36:00 the night that I finally realized 36:02 what I was doing. 36:03 And I went to prayer meeting that night, 36:04 and this couple 36:06 was so loving toward me and kind. 36:08 And I was just crying like through prayer meeting, 36:10 I guess they were like, "What happened?" 36:12 But the realization of what I had done 36:17 was just so heavy on my spirit. 36:19 And I think, 36:20 we have to realize a few things. 36:22 Number one 36:24 that Jesus blood covers all of that. 36:27 That's right. Yeah. 36:29 The blood of Jesus covers every sin 36:32 that I've ever done, or ever will do. 36:36 And so, 36:37 I love the verses in Hebrews that... 36:41 Well, let's go to it, 36:42 Hebrews 4. 36:45 I love these verses 36:48 4:15. 36:52 "For we do not have a high priest 36:54 who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, 36:56 but was in all points 36:57 tempted as we are yet without sin. 37:00 Let us therefore come boldly, to the throne of grace, 37:04 that we can obtain mercy, 37:06 and find grace to help in time of need." 37:09 How many times have we needed 37:11 the grace of God to cover all we mess up? 37:16 I mean, there's a song that I sing, just once more. 37:20 Oh, yeah. It's beautiful. 37:22 The words are so beautiful. 37:24 Howard Hill wrote the song 37:26 and it has to do with us when we mess up. 37:30 We can say, "Lord, I'm so sorry. 37:34 Forgive me. 37:35 Forgive me just once more." 37:38 The Lord knows we're gonna mess up. 37:40 He knows that we are but does. 37:43 So He's given us as our high priest, 37:46 He's invited us to come 37:49 and to come boldly, not timidly, but boldly 37:54 and asking Him for forgiveness. 37:55 So if He can forgive me 37:58 and I have to be able to forgive myself 38:00 because Satan is the accuser of the brethren. 38:04 And he wants us to carry this dark thing 38:08 to be self-conscious. 38:11 But God wants us to be God conscious. 38:13 Amen, that's good. 38:15 Take that. I'll take that. 38:17 Looking at myself, 38:18 yeah, we are to evaluate ourselves, 38:20 I'm not saying that. 38:21 But we also have to say, "Lord, I'm so sorry. 38:26 Please forgive me." 38:27 And trust that the blood of Jesus 38:30 will cover that sin. 38:31 It's not our righteousness, we're filthy, 38:34 but is the righteousness of Christ. 38:36 Amen. 38:37 So, yeah, I even, I mean, 38:39 I get choked up thinking about it now. 38:40 Because you know, you just think about 38:42 how the devil has used you to do certain things. 38:45 And you have things in your past 38:47 that you just say, Oh! 38:49 But the Lord says, 38:51 "Come, and I will forgive you and gives you grace and mercy." 38:55 Amen. 38:56 So when you look at yourself through your own eyes, 38:58 when I look at myself through my own eyes 38:59 and my own knowledge, there's just no hope for me. 39:04 I'm just too... 39:05 Yeah. 39:07 Too much too bad. 39:08 It's just never gonna happen. 39:10 So I've actually asked the Lord, 39:14 you know, can I see me through Your eyes? 39:16 Help me see You, see me. 39:18 And then I have to stop and think 39:20 You, Your opinion of me 39:22 was that I was so precious, you would die for me. 39:25 I have to put the value on myself that you put on me. 39:29 That's right. Not that I put on myself. 39:31 And this, that doesn't stop all of the self-condemnation. 39:36 And you have little flashbacks once in a while. 39:38 But when I do, 39:41 I turn back to the Lord and say, 39:43 "Lord, let me live 39:45 in Yourself value of me not myself. 39:49 Let me see me through Your eyes." 39:51 And that's how I also want to see other people 39:55 is through His eyes. 39:57 Yes. Yes. Amen. 39:58 And then if you can, I forgive other people 40:01 because I think they're trying 40:03 as hard as I am to be a Christian. 40:05 And then I can forgive myself 40:07 because I'm trying to be a Christian. 40:09 And giving, it has to be both sides, 40:12 I wanna be forgiving to others. 40:14 So God is forgiving to me. 40:17 I need to give myself a break. 40:20 Right. That's right. 40:22 We should accept that forgiveness. 40:23 Yes, but we have to confess our faults, 40:24 the Bible says to one another, 40:26 you don't confess it to everyone. 40:28 Right. 40:29 You know, if you, you and me if we have said something, 40:32 I'm like, "Oh, I'm so sorry, LaDonna." 40:34 You know, I tell you what I've done. 40:36 And we confess it to one to another, 40:37 I won't confess it to all of you. 40:38 Right. 40:40 I confess to you if I've offended you. 40:42 And it's, I love this here 40:45 'cause it says here in Hebrews 10:17 40:49 which is absolutely beautiful. 40:51 I love this. Yes. 40:55 Who wants to read that? 40:58 Can we start with 16? 40:59 Yes, go ahead, Jill. 41:01 I love that because to me, 41:02 the new covenant is a continuation of that. 41:05 "This is the covenant 41:06 I will make with them after those days, 41:07 says the Lord I will put my law into their hearts, 41:11 and in their minds I will write them." 41:13 And, you know, we often think 41:14 the new covenant, well, this is New Testament 41:16 and the Old Testament was by works. 41:18 This covenant is in Jeremiah. 41:20 Yes. There you go. 41:22 You know, Jeremiah, the prophet talks about 41:23 writing God's law in our heart. 41:25 That's right. 41:26 "Then He adds, 'Their sins and their lawless deeds 41:30 I will remember no more.'" 41:33 That's beautiful 41:35 and the Lord has promised not to remember our sins, 41:37 I'll cast them into the depths of the sea. 41:39 Depths of the sea. 41:40 He remembers them no more. 41:41 But we drag them up. Right. 41:43 That's right. We go fishing like... 41:44 You don't have no fishing sign. 41:46 But listen to this... 41:48 this is from the Great Controversy, 41:49 it's a short paragraph, page 483 paragraph 2, 41:53 "All who have truly repented of sin, 41:57 and by faith claimed the blood of Christ 42:00 as their atoning sacrifice, have had pardoned," 42:06 you know, that we're pardoned, 42:08 "entered against their names in the books of heaven 42:12 and as they have become partakers 42:15 of the righteousness of Christ, 42:17 and their characters are found to be in harmony 42:20 with the law of God, 42:22 their sins will be blotted out, and they themselves 42:25 will be accounted worthy of eternal life." 42:27 Amen. 42:29 That's beautiful. That's beautiful. 42:31 We're counted worthy of eternal life, 42:33 He blots them out, 42:34 'cause we remember our what we have done. 42:37 I mean, there's people out there, 42:39 I know I have, 42:41 how could I have God forgive me, 42:42 what could I've done, you know, well, I've been so awful, 42:46 but as far as the east is from the west. 42:48 That's right. Right. 42:49 Psalm 103:12. 42:51 Yes. 42:52 So as he is removed. That's right. 42:54 So it's beautiful to know that God has forgiven. 42:58 Yes. 42:59 But we have to accept it. That's the key. 43:01 Don't you think that's the key because God forgives us, 43:04 but I need to know that He forgives me. 43:08 You, know, 1 John 1:9 says, "If we confess our sins, 43:11 He's faithful and just to forgive us 43:12 and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 43:14 But I can claim that promise, but if I don't feel it, 43:19 then you're like, wait a minute. 43:21 But when I learned in my walk with Jesus, 43:24 that I could take the promises in the Word of God, by faith, 43:28 whether I felt it in my heart, 43:31 whether I felt forgiven, John 6:37, 43:34 "Whoever comes to me, I'll never cast this out." 43:36 Yes. I love that. 43:37 So whether I felt that He would accept me or not? 43:41 When I understood 43:43 that I can claim those promises in His Word, 43:46 and that I understood who I am in Jesus. 43:50 What a difference that makes? 43:53 Yes. Amen. 43:55 I love Ephesians. 43:56 I think it's Ephesians 1, 43:58 just talking about who I am in Jesus. 44:02 Because Satan is the accuser of the brethren as well, 44:05 we've already talked about. 44:06 You know, Zechariah 3 talks about Joshua. 44:09 And then he standing in the filthy garments, 44:12 remember, 44:13 and then the angel of the Lord is standing by 44:15 because Satan is accusing, 44:18 but yet, what was the word given, 44:20 take away the filthy garments 44:22 and clothe him in that white robe. 44:25 And when I understand, and accept, and believe that, 44:28 I have 14 things of who I am in Christ, 44:31 just in the first couple of verses here, 44:33 Ephesians 1, we won't look at all, 44:35 but Ephesians 1:3 says, 44:38 "Blessed be the God and Father 44:39 of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us 44:41 so in Christ, I am blessed." 44:43 Verse 4, "Just as he chose us in him, 44:46 in Christ you are chosen..." 44:48 Yes, that's beautiful. 44:50 "That we should be holy and without blame," 44:51 in Christ you are holy, 44:54 in Christ you are without blame. 44:57 "Having predestined us, in Christ we are predestined 45:01 to be conformed to the image of God's dear son." 45:05 He predestined us to adoption, in Christ we are adopted. 45:10 Verse 6, "By which He made us accepted in the beloved, 45:13 in Christ, you are accepted." 45:15 Yes. 45:16 "In him we have redemption, in Christ you are redeemed, 45:21 the forgiveness of sins, in Christ you are forgiven. 45:25 He made them to abound toward us 45:27 and all wisdom and prudence, 45:28 in Christ you have wisdom and understanding." 45:32 We go down to verse 11, "We have an inheritance." 45:35 Verse 14, "We are sealed with the Holy Spirit." 45:39 Yes, yes, yes. 45:41 What does it do for you, LaDonna, 45:43 to understand that who you are in Christ, 45:45 what does that do for you? 45:46 Oh, it's overwhelming to an extent, you know, 45:48 'cause I think we sometimes forget that. 45:50 I mean, there's a whole lot 45:52 packed into that tiny scripture right there, 45:55 you know, and just claim those I think, 45:57 if we could learn to claim those daily, 45:59 that it would change our whole outlook, 46:01 it will change your whole feeling. 46:03 And, you know, the persona that we put 46:04 across other people every day, you know, it's just, 46:08 I don't, it brings tears to my eyes 46:10 and joy to my heart to know that. 46:12 I am that in God, that's who He sees in me, 46:16 in you and all of us. 46:17 That's that new creature. 46:19 That's the newness. 46:20 Yes, yeah, it's absolutely amazing. 46:23 Satan wants to take our view away from that. 46:25 Right. 46:26 So that's why being in the word and in scripture, 46:30 and this is why we're supposed to lift each other up 46:32 to remind each other. 46:33 You are a daughter of God, you are the Son of God, 46:38 you belong to Him, not to Satan. 46:41 Right. Amen. 46:42 And so, remember that. 46:44 And then that forgiveness can come so much easier. 46:47 You don't hang on to. 46:51 Oh, I'm so bad. 46:52 Yeah. 46:54 It's easy to do that. 46:55 That's true. 46:56 Let's see if we can take forgiveness to another level. 46:59 Okay. 47:00 Let's look in Exodus Chapter 33. 47:03 I think it is Exodus 33. 47:05 Now 32. 47:07 This is right after the golden calf. 47:09 So Moses had given, you know, 47:11 God had given Moses the law on Mount Sinai. 47:15 And the people had heard the law spoken. 47:17 And then just such a short time after that, 47:19 they thought, where's Moses? 47:21 Or has he disappeared to Egypt? 47:23 Where is Moses? 47:25 And they turned away from God, and worshipped an idol. 47:30 When they had just told God, all that the Lord has said, 47:34 we will do, right? 47:35 Like seconds afterwards. 47:37 Yes! 47:38 So I hear God sees the sin of the people 47:43 and Moses intercedes on their behalf. 47:48 So let's read that. 47:50 Someone have that, Exodus 32:31-32. 47:55 You do have that, Yvonne? I do. 47:57 "Then Moses returned to the Lord and said, 47:59 'Oh these people have committed a great sin, 48:02 and have made for themselves a god of gold! 48:05 Yet now, if You will forgive their sin, 48:08 but if not, I pray, blot me out of Your book, 48:11 which You have written.'" 48:13 Wow! Wow! 48:15 He wants to take all their sins on Himself? 48:17 Yes. Let me pay the price. 48:20 Wow! 48:21 That is deep. 48:22 You know, honestly, I don't think I could do that 48:25 like, they're off on their own thing. 48:28 And, you know, they, I was up there with God 48:31 and, you know, hanging and being beaten, 48:33 being like, in the presence of Almighty God. 48:36 And they're down there 48:37 having orgies and making golden calves, 48:41 and partying, and all that stuff. 48:42 And it's like, 48:44 and then he comes down, and he says, 48:46 "Let me bear the brunt of all this, not them." 48:50 And for me, like, I know, I'll be like, 48:53 y'all have messed up and I'll pray for you. 48:55 Yeah. 48:56 But I'm not trying to get blotted out of the book. 48:58 He just came down from... 49:00 He was filled with God's Spirit beyond our belief. 49:04 That's a good point. 49:05 He was filled. 49:06 I don't think the man that existed could do that 49:09 or the woman could do that. 49:11 But they couldn't even look at Him. 49:12 He was so lightened with the presence of Lord. 49:15 The glory of God. 49:16 So the glory of God so filled Him. 49:18 That's what allowed Him to do that. 49:20 Yeah. 49:21 So how do we reach a point 49:23 where we can take on... 49:29 That is love. 49:31 To accept? 49:33 But Moses was a type of Christ. 49:36 Jesus was on the cross, Father forgive them. 49:39 Right. 49:40 You don't know what they're doing. 49:42 So he was definitely a type of Christ. 49:44 Yeah. But they're doing to Jesus. 49:47 And He's asking to forgive them. 49:49 Yeah. 49:51 We're supposed to be Christ like. 49:53 Like, Stephen, you know, when he's been stoned. 49:55 You know, what did you say? 49:57 God lay not their sin to their charge. 49:59 So if it were me, I'd be struggling with God. 50:02 I'm mad at them right now. 50:03 Right? That would me thinking. 50:06 God, I don't want to die with unforgiveness. 50:09 So please give me Your forgiveness. 50:11 Yes. 50:12 But He's gonna a whole new level. 50:14 Yes, that's true. 50:15 Yeah. 50:17 Thinking about their salvation. 50:18 Yes. Yes. Yeah. 50:19 Instead of me, you know, 50:21 it takes a focus off of me and it puts it on someone else. 50:23 Yeah. 50:25 Which goes into the whole idea 50:27 that we really, really need to ask God 50:29 to give us a burden for souls. 50:31 Yes. 50:32 Like, I mean, we have one, we're in ministry. 50:34 So we do have a burden for souls 50:35 but even more. 50:37 Even more. 50:38 Even more so because there's so many people 50:41 who don't know the Lord, 50:43 and we can, you know, share Him with them. 50:46 But we need to have that heavy, `heavy burden for souls. 50:52 And I think we need to ask God to give it to... 50:54 If we... 50:56 So if we're in the Word and we really feel secure 50:59 in our walk with the Lord. 51:01 And we know that we're covered with His blood, 51:03 maybe this is why it's so important 51:06 that we feel secure in our walk with the Lord, 51:09 our salvation is secure, and we've given up. 51:11 So if we feel that our salvation is secure, 51:15 then we want somebody else's, 51:17 we don't have to worry about our own. 51:20 We know we have assurance because we have this assurance, 51:23 and then we can actually set self aside. 51:26 I have eternal life, 51:27 I don't have to worry about this life. 51:30 And then maybe that's what it takes 51:33 before you can sacrifice 51:34 for somebody else's assurance of salvation. 51:37 It's really good. 51:39 That's a good point. 51:40 In just a moment, we're gonna go to prayer, 51:41 and we'll go around the circle 51:43 and everyone will take a moment to pray. 51:45 But I just wanna make an appeal to you tonight. 51:47 I don't know if you feel like 51:49 you wanna be a new creature in Christ. 51:51 You might be feeling 51:52 you're so bound up as it were in that, 51:55 those bands of bitterness and unforgiveness 51:58 and it's really an addiction, I think the holding on to that. 52:04 And yet God says He came to set you free. 52:06 Amen. 52:07 Whoever the Son sets free is free indeed. 52:10 So just open up your heart to Jesus, 52:11 say, "God, I want You to come in. 52:14 Will You forgive me? 52:15 Will You cleanse me? 52:17 And will You pour Your forgiveness into my heart 52:19 for someone else." 52:20 So God wants to bring healing to your life. 52:24 God wants to reveal to you who you are in Him. 52:29 In Him you're loved and cherished, and chosen, 52:32 and forgiven. 52:34 So praise His name. 52:35 So we're gonna spend some time in prayer 52:37 and invite you to pray at home with us. 52:40 We'll start with Angie. Sure. 52:41 And then go around the circle. 52:42 I'll close. 52:44 Okay, I'll just have to show with the prayer. 52:45 Our gracious Father in heaven, 52:47 we are so grateful for Your forgiveness. 52:50 Lord, You said forgive them 52:52 for they do not know what they're doing. 52:54 You said that on Calvary. 52:57 So, Lord, we just ask 52:58 that You'll continue to touch our hearts, 53:00 help us to be willing, to be willing. 53:03 We need to touch of the Master's hand 53:05 on our lives. 53:07 So, Lord, thank You 53:08 for this wonderful topic of Forgiveness. 53:11 We all deal with part of forgiveness in our lives 53:15 and we just ask that you will continue 53:17 to abide with us, 53:19 we long to see You so, 53:21 Lord, thank You for abide in with us 53:24 and be in with us, in Jesus' name. 53:27 Amen. 53:28 Our Dear Heavenly Father, 53:30 You know, how hard it is for humans, 53:34 we want justice 53:35 and we want things to be made right 53:38 and yet they cannot be at this time, 53:41 justice belongs to you. 53:43 And when we allow the bitterness, 53:45 Father, You know how it destroys us 53:48 when we have bitter unforgiveness in our hearts. 53:52 Father, I ask that it will help each of us 53:56 find that path to freedom and to joy 53:59 and that new creature in You. 54:02 We will accept Your forgiveness and let Your forgiveness 54:06 just flow through us out to others, Lord. 54:10 So there will be a lifting up. 54:12 If You be lifted up, You will draw all men to You. 54:15 So we just ask 54:16 that You will continue working in our hearts 54:19 and help us reach a deeper level of forgiveness 54:23 that we will peel these onions back there, 54:26 and see how much deeper we can go 54:28 in giving forgiveness to others, 54:30 that frees us up to help others to forgive. 54:34 And just start this wheel rolling of unforgiveness, 54:37 Father, that will change the world. 54:40 We thank You, Father, 54:41 I praise You for the price that You paid, 54:44 that we can be forgiven, 54:46 and that we can be free in You, Father. 54:48 Thank You so much, Father, 54:51 and keep continuing to show us the way. 54:55 Thank You, Father. 54:56 We just praise You, Lord God, 54:58 that You brought us together to talk about this topic. 55:01 And we know that there are people watching 55:03 who are struggling with this very issue. 55:07 Right now we just pray 55:08 that Your Spirit will continue to work on them. 55:11 Continue to lead them to You 55:13 to a place of forgiveness and peace. 55:16 We know that it's Your will 55:17 that they should have peace in their spirit. 55:19 And so we just asked You to please bring them 55:22 to a place of peace because they have forgiven 55:25 because they are being forgiven by You. 55:28 We thank You, Lord, we know that 55:31 we have to show love to others. 55:33 And by this shall all men know that we're Your disciples 55:36 if we have love one for another. 55:38 And that love is manifested in forgiveness as well. 55:41 So help us to please love others. 55:44 And to please also to forgive ourselves 55:46 for the things that we've done 55:48 that we know that we've let You down. 55:50 But we thank You, Lord, that You have forgiven us. 55:53 Thank You, Lord, we praise You and bless Your name this day, 55:56 in Jesus' name. 55:58 Amen. 55:59 Yes, Lord, and I just pray 56:00 that You can help us humbly each day, God, 56:02 to not only draw others into prayer, God, 56:07 and to remember them. 56:09 If we don't know how to forgive, God, 56:11 that we will just seek Your face in that daily. 56:13 God, and that we will see the importance 56:16 of forgiving ourselves also, 56:18 God, because I believe that 56:19 we've got to be able to forgive ourselves, God, 56:21 before we can even begin to think 56:23 about forgiving anyone else. 56:25 And, God, I just thank You 56:26 for the time that we've got to share here 56:28 during this worship hour. 56:29 And, God, I just pray 56:31 that You be with those who are tuning in. 56:33 God, that You touch their hearts 56:34 in a special way, God, 56:36 that it would be a divine appointment 56:37 right there wherever they're at, 56:39 God, and that the words that were spoken 56:41 can resound with love, God, 56:44 and that forgiveness can triumph all. 56:46 We pray as You, God, for who You are. 56:48 And we're so thankful 56:49 for Your love and forgiveness for us, 56:51 in Jesus' name. 56:53 Thank You, God, that You are on the throne, 56:55 and that You are loved, and that You forgive. 56:59 Thank You that You want to pour that into our hearts, 57:01 we accept and receive it just now by faith 57:05 in the precious and holy name of Jesus. 57:07 Amen. Amen. 57:09 Thank you so much. 57:11 I can't believe our time is gone. 57:12 Angie, and Dee, and Yvonne, 57:15 and LaDonna, thank you, ladies, 57:17 what a privilege to share together. 57:19 Amen. Thank you. 57:20 And we thank you for joining us 57:22 for Friday Night Family Worship. 57:24 Know that we love you 57:25 and that we will be praying for you 57:27 that God will work to set you free. 57:30 We will see you next time. 57:31 God bless you and keep you. |
Revised 2019-06-10