What is Forgiveness?

Forgiveness by definition is "the releasing of a debt." It is not saying what the other person did was right or OK by any means, it simply is saying they don't owe you for it. Forgiveness is acknowledging that Christ is your source and He more than “repays” whatever debt they incurred to you. In faith you are saying, "If you did not supply me the love you promised me, I do not walk away deficient in love, Christ becomes the love you did not supply me!"

4 Symptoms of Bitterness/Offense

4 symptoms of bitterness/offense: 1) Do you have lingering anger towards someone? If you are waiting for an apology in order to forgive, don't hold your breath. Keep in mind the power to forgive doesn't come from an apology it comes from Christ. 2) Do you rejoice at someone's misfortune? 3) Do you frequently speak negatively about someone? 4) Do you try to turn others against them? Find friends who point you towards wholeness not feed your grudges. Make sure you give your angry words to God so you don't give them to someone you shouldn't.

More on Easter

Romans 6:7 says, For he who has died has been freed from sin. It's pretty easy to see that sin can't do much to a dead man, that is why it's so important we see that we were CRUCIFIED WITH Christ. By taking us into Himself at the cross, He effectively didn't just die FOR us but actually AS us - discharging us from the dominion and debt of our sin. We died with Him that day so what penalty do we have left to pay? None. Also, if Jesus dies FOR the murderer then He still leaves the murderous person a murderous person, but if he dies AS the murderer, that former murderer has died & received the full consequences of his sin and is now free to be born anew (raised) as a brand new person in Christ!!! Sin has no more sway over him because he was found guilty, tried, sentenced, and death was executed upon him in Christ. This is legally and righteously just; no smoke no mirrors. Hence Romans 6:11 says, Now reckon yourselves dead indeed to sin but alive unto God in Christ Jesus.

Resurrection Day

A few Easter Thoughts: You gotta love the 3rd Thief (Jesus) on the cross that day. A thief you say? - well to those who didn't know who He was, He was just another criminal but He also did take a few things!! He took from the woman with 5 husbands all her guilt and shame. He took from the centurion all his doubt and despair. He took from the lepers all their disease and isolation. He took from the young man born blind his career as a beggar. And in the greatest heist in history, He stole from Satan his accusation power over you and me ~ and He stole from the grave its sting and victory!

Notes from Sunday

1) You don't suffer afflictions because you DON'T have faith but BECAUSE you DO have faith. 2) Don't let the enemy condemn you when you struggle with health problems. Romans 8:1 says, There is therefore NO condemnation for those in Christ Jesus. 3) Romans 8:11 says the same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead gives life/health to your mortal body through His Spirit that indwells you. 4) If your body went to the next "body convention," what would it say about you as it's owner? Would your body say how thankful it is that you hasten to choose love over hate, good will over ill-will, and peace over strife? 5) Our Heavenly Father NEVER puts sickness on us to "teach us a lesson." Would we ever do that as parents? God forbid. 6) Jesus didn't just come to tell us how to live but to SHOW us how to live. 7) The Bible records crowds of people saying about Jesus "He speaks as One who has "authority." Which literally means He taught "according to the nature of reality." He taught us as though He had made us! 8) I believe we are biologically and physiologically designed to be Christ-like. Any doctor (even an atheist doctor) would say that humans are much more healthy in love, joy, and peace than they are in hate, fear, and strife. 9) Not only does the Holy Spirit protest every step of our departure away from Christ likeness, but our bodies do too! 10) Jesus healed people simply as a demonstration of the culture of wellness and wholeness He represented ~ The Kingdom of God.

Rise Again

As for overcoming feelings of disappointment because you did some incredible piece of stupid, it always helped me to ask myself, “What good is it going to do you or anyone else to stay here in the hole of no impact beating yourself up? What good is wallowing? Why not get up, rise again, and start partnering with God again!” That mindset will always help far more than a day of self-pity followed by a night of self-loathing. If and when you do commit a sin, immediately renew your mind to agree with God about your standing with Him in the midst of your difficulty and ‘guilty’ feelings. Turn from any unbelief and instead agree with who God still says you are. Dare to believe one poor choice did not change or alter your identity and union with Christ. Rise up with the understanding, an apple tree is STILL an apple tree even if there are no apples on it right now. ‪#‎trueYou https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/trueyou?source=feed_text&story_id=10208511746451814 ‪#‎chapter3 https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/chapter3?source=feed_text&story_id=10208511746451814

A Word

"Arise My love. Trust wholeheartedly in Me. For do you not know that because of your new birth, My blood now flows through your veins? My purity has become your purity. My righteousness has been assigned to you. My very Life and Spirit are in you bringing healing and health to your mortal body. Is there anything impossible? Is there anything we cannot touch redemptively this day together? If I be for you who can be against you. Trust and be not afraid. Walk without fear. Embrace what I have done in you. Be who I've made you to be not who others try to condition you to be."

Sunday

God said it. That settles it. Whether we believe it or not. All those wonderful things God says about us in His Word are true about us -- so why not believe them? Who wants to live in a false reality? We must not allow what we think, feel, or believe about ourselves to become higher authorities than the truth of God's Word. Just because we choose not to believe something amazing God says about us does not make it untrue, it just means we don't get to experience the life, joy, and peace of what is true about us!

Sunday Slides

Jesus Christ is not a doctrine, religion, principle, or philosophy;

He is a LIFE that desires to be expressed in and through us at all times.

They may stop our words of Truth but they can't stop our deeds of Truth.

Nor the Spirit that authors them through us.

Postmodernism Defined:

Postmodernism is a philosophy that says absolute truth does not exist. (that's their truth though)

Postmodernism supporters maintain all viewpoints are equally valid.

In today's society, postmodernism has led to relativism, the idea that all truth is relative.

This means that what is right or true for one group or individual may not be right for others.

All religions are a matter of one's opinion.

What I agree with on Post Modernism:

All religion's are the same & equal

I would add:

They are all equally destructive and divisive

Religion is man's attempt to reach God, Jesus Christ is God's attempt to reach you.

Postmodernism Vs. Christ

We will be examining the heart of postmodernism as it relates to Christianity in America. On one hand you have Jesus Christ stating that He is the truth and talking a great deal about the Spirit of Truth and then you have the postmodern philosophy that says absolute truth does not exist. Postmodernism says truth is relative to each individual or group and therefore religion is simply a matter of opinion. Now while I agree that all religions are equal and equally deadly - the Truth of Christ is a person not a philosophy. He is not idealism, He is realism in the present tense.

John 16:13 - However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth.

John 17:17 - Sanctify them by Your truth, Your word is truth.

John 6:63 - It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are Spirit and they are Life.

John 14:6 - I am the way, the truth, and the life.

John 14:16-17 - I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever-- 17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, He dwells with you & will be in you.

Charts from Sunday

Vision of the house is two-fold:

1) Get Holy Spirit inside of every person that will receive Him.

2) *Encourage all who have received Him to: *

Surrender to Jesus Lordship

Surrender to their new creation identity

Walk in personal intimacy with Christ every day

*3 simple yet great things far more empowering than religious rules and regulations: 1) Surrender to Jesus internal Lordship ~ I truly believe His desire is to not just be our Savior but our Lord & Guide each day.2) Surrender to your new creation identity ~ Dare to agree with who God says you are as a born again Christian (no matter how righteous, clean, and good it is.)3) Walk intimately with Jesus every day ~ You walk intimately with Him each day and you'll bear far more fruit than religious self effort could ever bear!*

A King is Born

Don't let the little baby in a manger fool you, Jesus is a King. His rule is not outward like all other forms of government that frustrate us, His is internal and transforming of the heart. Beyond that it's redemptive. His Spirit lording a human heart is always the highest good for that individual, their family, their city, their state, and their nation. Christmas therefore is not about "presents", it's about "PRESENCE"!