Jesus and the message of Christmas …
Forgiveness
We can get caught up in the gifts , the hype , the festivities
and parties . The time of the year people seem to be more open with
each other , as if there is a spirit of kindness and love glowing
from so many of us . We reach out to help those in need , even
those who have no religious beliefs get caught up in the helping
and giving . Those who have hard lives or lives turned badly
often have the hardest time of the year also , it is season like no
other .
What is Christmas really about ? The Bible and
the recorded words of Jesus speak more about
Forgiveness then any other issue . But today
with Christmas we sometimes seem to be more
concerned about setting those people straight who are
objecting to it then celebrating it seems at
times. Un forgiveness is the one that hurts us and our
relationships the most . It controls our responses. If you allow un
forgiveness in your heart , even when you know it is hurting you it
will hard to let it go .
The parable about the unmercible Jesus shares about the
servant that was forgiven his financial debt but then did not
forgive the debts of others. His master finds out of his un
forgiveness and throws him into jail. The Gospel
shares when Peter asked Jesus how many times he should forgive ,
seven times Peter suggested .Jesus said no , seventy seven times
. The Bible says in Romans 12’7 ” Pay no evil with evil “, in
fact in Peter 1 3’9 it says when people insult you , we are
to pay them back with a blessing . Not the kind of stuff that
comes easy to our natures , for some of us it is impossible
unless God is allowed room in our lives to listen to , worship and
obey . But unless we do so , we fight our battles ourselves and are
leaving God out of the situation and big part of our lives.
. he Lord takes control , but He will not unless we ask Him
to. For us to live the life the Lord directed us to ,, we have
to willing to allow God to be the leader in our lives .
Sin seems to be the most preached about topic in the modern
church , at least in many churches and political conversations
. Jesus taught more about forgiveness then any other
sin. For when we do not forgive , we are not
acknowledging His gift of being Born into this world ,
accepting all our sins , all our faults , all our excuses and/or
confessions , He took them all and forgave us all
. Jesus spoke about forgiveness and even on the
cross asked for ours . Merry Christmas , Loving God allows us
to Love all of us .
But if you do not
forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your
sins.
Matthew
6:15
Some scriptures celebrating Forgiveness and urging us
to forgive others.
Be kind to one
another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ
forgave you.
Matthew
6:14-15
For if you forgive
others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive
you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither
will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Luke
6:37
“Judge not, and you
will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned;
forgive, and you will be forgiven;
Colossians
3:13
Bearing with one
another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each
other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must
forgive.
Matthew
18:21-22
Then Peter came up
and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me,
and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I
do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven.
Mark
11:25
And whenever you
stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so
that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your
trespasses.”
Luke
6:27
“But I say to you
who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate
you,
Beloved, never
avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is
written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the
Lord.”
Pay attention to
yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents,
forgive him, and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and
turns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive
him.”
Do not repay evil
for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for
to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing.
If we confess
our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to
cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
But I say to you,
Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
For if you forgive
others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive
you,
James
5:16
Therefore, confess
your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be
healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is
working.
2 Chronicles
7:14
If my people who are
called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and
turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will
forgive their sin and heal their land.
For if while we were
enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much
more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his
life.
So also my heavenly
Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your
brother from your heart.”
Do not say, “I will
repay evil”; wait for the Lord, and he will deliver you.
And Jesus said,
“Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” And they
cast lots to divide his garments.
Jesus said to him,
“I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the
Father except through me.
Blessed is the man
who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way
of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in
the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He
is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in
its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he
prospers. The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind
drives away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;
Beloved, if God so
loved us, we also ought to love one another.
Let no one despise
you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in
conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.
For with the
judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you
use it will be measured to you.
Be angry and do not
sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger,
Give, and it will be
given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running
over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it
will be measured back to you.”
Blessed are those
whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord! Blessed
are those who keep his testimonies, who seek him with their whole
heart, who also do no wrong, but walk in his ways! You have
commanded your precepts to be kept diligently. Oh that my ways may
be steadfast in keeping your statutes!
Isaiah
55:7
Let the wicked
forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him
return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him, and to our
God, for he will abundantly pardon.
Mark
4:24
And he said to them,
“Pay attention to what you hear: with the measure you use, it will
be measured to you, and still more will be added to you.
Psalm
16:6
The lines have
fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful
inheritance.
See that no one
repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one
another and to everyone.
Again he began to
teach beside the sea. And a very large crowd gathered about him, so
that he got into a boat and sat in it on the sea, and the whole
crowd was beside the sea on the land. And he was teaching them many
things in parables, and in his teaching he said to them: “Listen! A
sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell along the
path, and the birds came and devoured it. Other seed fell on rocky
ground, where it did not have much soil, and immediately it sprang
up, since it had no depth of soil.
In the thirtieth
year, in the fourth month, on the fifth day of the month, as I was
among the exiles by the Chebar canal, the heavens were opened, and
I saw visions of God. On the fifth day of the month (it was the
fifth year of the exile of King Jehoiachin), the word of the Lord
came to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the
Chaldeans by the Chebar canal, and the hand of the Lord was upon
him there. As I looked, behold, a stormy wind came out of the
north, and a great cloud, with brightness around it, and fire
flashing forth continually, and in the midst of the fire, as it
were gleaming metal. And from the midst of it came the likeness of
four living creatures. And this was their appearance: they had a
human likeness,
Why do the nations
rage and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth set
themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord
and against his Anointed, saying, “Let us burst their bonds apart
and cast away their cords from us.” He who sits in the heavens
laughs; the Lord holds them in derision. Then he will speak to them
in his wrath, and terrify them in his fury, saying,
But I say, walk by
the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For
the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of
the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each
other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. But if you
are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of
the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality,
idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger,
rivalries, dissensions, divisions,
If possible, so far
as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never
avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is
written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the
contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty,
give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning
coals on his head.”
He who dwells in the
shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom
I trust.” For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and
from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his pinions, and
under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield
and buckler. You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the
arrow that flies by day,
