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NOVEMBER 2023 MONTHLY LETTER
We have such a good and awesome heavenly father. He speaks to us through His word (the Bible), guiding our lives. The word can be for the moment when we hear it or read it or for any occasion in our lives. This is why it is important how we receive the word in our hearts, so we can put it to practice when we need it. God, our Father, knew that we were going to need his counsel and guidance, this is why he gave us His word. His words are His wisdom and advice for us. Psalm 119:105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. The Lord knew everything we were going to face from opposition to offences, in our walk as believers. Due to this and through His word, we know how to position and respond.
In this letter we will talk about forgiveness. Forgiveness is important in the lives of all believers. Early in my walk I understood the importance of forgiveness. Many things that are going to happen in our life are outside of our control. When those things come, it is our duty to forgive, no matter what happened to us. When one is born again as a believer one will look at things in a different way. First, because God, commands us through his word to forgive and how to respond in different situations. Everything is in our responsibility. We decide how we respond, to forgive, being obedient to the Lord, or holding unforgiveness being disobedient and jeopardizing our fellowship with the Lord.
When we extend the grace of forgiveness on any occasion that is necessary, God our Father is glorified in our lives. Always choose to obey God, rather than allowing your feelings to dictate how you respond to the offence. No matter what they have done, we must choose to forgive.
Do not break your intimacy with the Lord for unforgiveness. Unforgiveness harms you first than the person who has wronged you. Do not walk in bondage and do not have anyone bound for lack of forgiveness. Use the power that God has given you to bound and to lose, forgiving the offence and the offender.
We can see this when Jesus taught His disciples the prayer that we call our Father’s prayer. He did not teach it to be used as a repetition, but rather for us to position ourselves with the father when we approach Him. Remember that the lack of forgiveness breaks your communion with the Lord, this is why it is important that you be free of unforgiveness. Unforgiveness brings bitterness, and bitterness brings torment, be free! It does not matter how many times people sin against you, choose to forgive!
Matthew 18:15-18 “Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. 16 But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that ‘by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.’ 17 And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector.
18 “Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.
19 “Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.”
21 Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?”
22 Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.
We cannot be hypocrites and say that we have communion with the father when there is unforgiveness in our hearts. Unforgiveness causes resentment, and resentment brings many negative things to our lives. We must be honest with ourselves. God knows our hearts and we cannot hide anything from Him. When we approach him, he will remind us of if there is something in our hearts that needs attention, do not ignore it. This way our fellowship can be restored, and we can enjoy communion with our Father.
Let me tell you, many will resist you in your walk with the Lord, sadly to say, even in the family of faith, but our duty is to forgive, there is no excuse that our Heavenly Father accepts of us. If we go to Him, He will say, “forgive”.
Matthew 6:12 And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors.
Just as our father forgave our debts, we must forgive the debts (offenses) of those who offended us. Through our forgiveness, we are extending to this individual mercy and grace, as God extended to us when we were born again.
In the Bible there are two passages that can help us in our walk with the Lord, one is in Luke 23:34 Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.” Jesus asked his Father to forgive those who had done evil against Him. You can do the same. The other passage was when Stephen was being stone because he was preaching the gospel. Read Acts 7:54-60, Stephen asked the father, verse 60 Lord, do not take this sin into account. When you are persecuted because of the kingdom of God, respond in the same manner that Jesus and Stephen responded, these examples are in the Bible as our examples to help us know how to respond when we are attacked because of the gospel. Forgiving is our banner indicating that we actually have intimacy and communion with the Father. Let's do our part as sons and daughters and we will see the power of God working through us in this evil world.
Choose to forgive and walk in freedom! John 8:36 Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed. Amen.
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