Forgivness

Okay I think I may be ready for this preacher from our revival to go back to Florida! Well not really but man he has sure been stepping on my toes! Guess that's what revival is about huh? Last night he preached on forgiveness. He made the point to say we all have someone in our lives that when we think of or hear their names we cringe and grit our teeth. Do you have one or more of those people? I currently have 2 UGGG!!!! He said we should not be like Johna in Johna 3:10 and bull up and refuse to forgive and take Gods job from him and think we should hold anger and be the judge. Its Gods place to judge not ours. Pastor Mike went on to say we need to get Gods heart in us! Gods heart is a forgiving spirit. Where if we live in our heart we will be living like Johna. When we are saved we are asking God to come into our hearts and allow it to become his. So in a sense when we hold a grudge we are turning from God and being in our heart not his.

Still with me?

Okay then lets move on. Are you ready to know how to forgive that person who has hurt you? Ya I have to re eat these words so I can bring them to you! That's okay though cause I know someone out there needs this as bad as I do! Pastor Mike at one time had to deal with this his self with a person who repeatedly hurt him on purpose. So he started going through the bible to find answers on forgiveness and found there is actually 5 steps to forgiving. And here we go:

1. We need to separate or release. Forgiving when someone hurts you we have to remember that the person is separate from the deed. We need to be angry at the deed the person has committed and not the person.

2. Send Away-We need to push the thoughts away and don't dwell on the offense. We must refuse to focus on the offense.

3. Be gracious toward the person- Learn how to be gracious to the person. PRAY FOR THEM. Ask god to forgive them and change them. When you pray for someone you will see your own heart change.

4. cover over- over time the offense will be covered over with the grace of shed blood of Jesus! Let god be the judge and you be you!

Its time to forgive who ever it is you are angry with. once you forgive you will feel a release.

He told us if we start taking these steps we will see that we will fall in the step following. WE are the ones who suffer when we hold a grudge!
I know this post is long but I have just a little more to add if you will please stay with me. Sometimes we feel there is no way to repair a relationship. Pastor Mike gave an example of a lady he worked with who had a falling out with her neighbor. She said the relationship was beyond repair. He told her to go over with a plate of cookies and tell the woman she was thinking about her. She said that would never work the lady would throw the cookies at her. He said okay pick up the phone and call a friend and tell the friend you are on the way over. Get in your car with the plate of cookies pull out of your drive way and into your neighbors. Leave your car running. When your neighbor comes to the door hand her the cookies and tell her you were thinking about her and continue with you are on your way out and just wanted to give her the cookies. Before the neighbor has time to respond leave. He said he got a letter later with the woman telling him she did what he told her to do. She went to the friends house she called and they prayed about the situation. She went home and soon heard a knock at the door. It was her neighbor. She went to the door and there stood the neighbor with the cookies AND a pot of coffee. the neighbor said cookies go much better with coffee and asked if they could sit down and talk. They worked things out over a plate of cookies!

Tell me are you thinking about making a plate of cookies right now? I did last night and I feel it again today! I need to make a plate of cookies.

Please pray for my relationships to heal with my Sister in law Gayla and my step son Andrew. If you leave a message here I will be sure to pray for you and the person your suffering over now.

Now I need to go say yes to something else and no to this computer. If you don't understand what I am talking about search yesterdays post titled "yes is a no and no is a yes".


Gods blessings to each of you!
Connie