Daily Bread 5-31-18

Matthew 6:14

For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:

ref. - Mk 11:25 - And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.

Ep 4:32 - And be ye kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

What ruins a person's day quicker and more than anything? When we are holding offenses or grudges against others. If we are true Christians then we will know that we will be opposed and offended as others do not or have not experienced what we have in our Lord Jesus Christ. Rather than fight back and try to destroy or conquer the word of God says that we should study war no more(Isa 2:4, Mic 4:3) and that we should use forgiveness and mercy just as Christ has forgiven us. But rather than using the same emotion and weaponry as those who have not experienced Christ(and this also goes with those who claim to be Christian but do not practice the same forgiveness) we must utilize the tools that have been given to us when our souls were transformed. Let us not cast other men into prison or condemn them to hell when we do not hold the power to do so. As born again Christians we only have the power that is given us through the scripture and the power of the Holy Ghost. These gifts are not vengeance and condemnation, but forgiveness, love, patience, long suffering, mercy, meekness, etc... By now we should be getting the fact that if we have been truly transformed that the ability to hold a grudge or to stay offended does not come from God but it comes from the enemy trying to bind us and hold us from our true potential in Christ. Let us look at it this way; We have a disagreement with someone and we are filled with anger. Now as we part ways this person, even thought they may be wrong or not, has been used by the enemy to try to take us back away from Christ. Throughout the day we can choose to do one of two things. We can forgive and pray and feel good and continue on our day, or we can hold on to the grudge and the anger and go through the day planning how and what we are going to say to that person in order to "win" the fight. Meanwhile, the offender goes through their day feeling good and not even thinking of what they have done. They are able to go bout their day because what they have done is normal to them. They have not got the love of God in them. So, meanwhile, our day is abnormal because the anger and resentment has no longer got a home in us. It doesn't belong so it doesn't feel right and consumes our day. The anger increases and causes us to forget what God has given us in Jesus Christ. We, in turn, not only need to make right with our offender, but we also have to make right with God for wandering from his mercy. So, today, let us not drop back unto where we have already been, let us press forward into what is in front of us as Christians. This being the love of Christ, and the love of Christ will come when we become obedient to his commandments. If we have a grudge and want our prayers answered, we must forgive the one we have the grudge against, and then after a repentance, our prayers will be heard. If we want God to forgive us for one thing we can't be caught up in another. Clear our heads, clear our minds, clear our souls of all that does not belong. And one thing that has no place in the kingdom of God is offense. Sin shall never enter there.(1 Corinthians 6:9-11, Rev 21:27) Forgive and be forgiven........And have a great day!!!!