Showing posts with label God. Show all posts
Showing posts with label God. Show all posts

Thursday, November 1, 2018

God: Is He Conservative or Liberal?


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Is God conservative or liberal?

Some would say, which God are you talking about? The God of the Christian, the God of the Jew, the God of the Muslim or the God that I choose to believe in?

For the sake of finding truth, let's say, "all of the above."

Most mainstream religions (and, quite frankly most people) believe in monotheism - the belief that there is only one God. Much to the surprise of the Jehovah Witnesses, as well as the Jewish and Muslim communities, Christians also believe in only One God.

Having said that, when I use the name Jesus in this article, please don't conclude that I am only talking about the Christian faith. While I am, personally, a Christian, I am writing this article to try and bring truth - truth from One God, the God of all creation - into view.

I have found that Christians, Jehovah's Witnesses, Jews and Muslims all believe in Jesus as a prophet, they simply differ in their belief of His deity. This article is not a debate about Jesus. This article is a thought provoking post about the One True God of all humanity - no matter your religion - and His ultimate desire for this world and, especially, for human beings in particular.

As a human being on planet earth who believes that God loves all people and He wants the best for all people, I am writing this article to bring about "thought" in the minds of those who either don't practice any religion, at all; or perhaps, who do have faith in God but they have not considered the end result of God's ultimate purpose and plan - His desire for all mankind.

I hope that whether you are a Christian, Jew, Muslim, or of some other faith, you will think soberly about the content of this article before concluding your opinion of what you believe to be the remedy for the evils of society.

Here is my article...

~~~~~~~~~~~

Jesus (whether you believe in him as prophet or as deity) liberally loves all people but He conservatively hates sin and hypocrisy. His life on earth was a visual demonstration of God’s will.

Jesus never condemned the humble, nor turned His back on broken humanity. He did, however, openly condemn those whose “motives” were wrong. 

In fact, in Matthew 21, Jesus angrily overturned the tables of those who were selling doves to be used in sacrifices at the temple. In this same chapter He also spoke a curse onto a fig tree because it did not produce fruit for Him. Again, in Matthew 23, we see Jesus openly condemning hypocrisy and even going so far as calling the teachers of the law and the Pharisees (religious leaders) "snakes and a brood of vipers." 

Jesus would look straight through a person to expose the heart (the root) of the matter.

Everything that Jesus did was the will of God.

God is the same from Genesis to Revelation of the Holy Bible.

For the Christian, Jesus did not come to condemn the law but to fulfill the law. Nonetheless, the law is still God’s standard, because without the grace of God - (for the Christian, the blood of Jesus that only covers humble hearts of repentance) - the law remains in effect.

Satan, himself, tried to use the Word to tempt Jesus. But, because Jesus knew the meaning of the Word better than Satan, Jesus could not be led astray.

In fact, all faiths who believe in the account of the Garden of Eden should be able to easily see how the devil twisted God's Word against Eve when the serpent said, "Did God really say that you would surely die?" The deception was to create confusion, doubt, justification and rationalization in Eve's mind so that she would truly believe (at least for the moment) that it was okay for her to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, although God had clearly said earlier that it was forbidden. Eve probably had a sense of peace (although it was not true peace) when she made the decision to eat of the fruit.

The devil (you might think of him as an evil force) has been twisting God’s Word in the minds of all humanity since the Garden of Eden. Satan (the devil - the worker of evil) is a master deceiver and he is attempting to twist God's Holy Word, still today, in the minds of any human being who does not fully understand the character of God as both Loving and, yet, a Righteous Judge.

God loves people. His judgements are always for the purpose of turning sinful humanity back to Himself in truth and righteousness.

The wages (penalty) of all sin is death.

God does not want humanity to die mentally, emotionally, spiritually or physically - not individually, or as a family, place of worship, community, state or nation. (Hence, heaven is the ultimate escape from death. I call the way to heaven The Remedy for the wages of sin.)

Unfortunately, because all of humanity lives in a sinful world, we will all die (from this earth) one day - unless Jesus, Messiah comes back before that day comes.

For a moment, let's compare sin to cancer. Cancer secretly works, destroying good cells and overtaking body tissue with bad cells. Like cancer, you don’t always see sin or feel sin until it is too late.

Much like sin, oftentimes radical measures must be taken in order to eradicate cancer. Initially, these uncomfortable, painful, radical, cell-killing procedures can seem much worse than the cancer itself; but, the end result is intended to bring health and healing to the patient as well as the family members who have been traumatized by the secret mission of cancer.

In the same way, God will use seemingly radical measures, radical people and radical judgements to eradicate the sin that is ultimately killing humanity. His end result is righteousness, peace, joy, health, healing, prosperity and love.

In fact, God will even use people who have a form of godliness, people who are new converts, people of opposing faiths, and those who don't know or believe in Him, at all, to accomplish His divine plan for all of humanity.

Yes, the God of all creation will use circumstances, situations, governments and kings to accomplish His ultimate plan.

He is a loving, yet righteous, judge. He does not wink at rebellion, wrong motives, deceived hearts nor twisted scripture (those who twist His Holy Word to fit their own agenda).

With God - Who is the creator of the universe and the One who allows us to breathe the breath of life...

Right will always be right.

Wrong will always be wrong.

So when it comes to truth, it really doesn’t matter how we view God, it only matters Who He is.


He is.


God.


Christian, would you honestly say that Jesus would confirm the sinful behavior of a people group as the standard for a community?

Those of any belief, would you honestly say that “your God” (whatever religion you practice) would want humanity to be broken, rebellious, confused, law breaking or manipulative for the sake of appeasing human weaknesses?

As a person with common sense, do you honestly believe that a band-aide can fix a broken bone?

Citizen, can you honestly say that skin color, gender, personality or political party is not a factor in your zeal for promoting your opinion of how government should rule?

We should all agree that God loves all people in every corner of the world because for us to judge God's love for any other race of people, we place ourselves on the throne and say that we are God.

We should all agree that doing things the right way ultimately gives God glory and brings all of humanity from all parts of the world into truth and righteousness which ultimately brings peace, joy, health, healing, stability, harmony, prosperity and well-being to everyone.

In conclusion, would you honestly say that God is a conservative or a liberal?

~~~~~~~~~~~

PS - The religions that I listed all agree on the fundamental definition of SIN. So, let's not use that as a crutch for justifying the twisted truth that the enemy of humanity has whispered into our ears.

We can choose to label sin as sickness, how God made me, disease or even our personal belief system; but, the fact still remains that God is the final judge of all creation and we will all die one day to face Him.

Even if you choose to believe that God does not exist, you have an inner knowing of right and wrong. And friend, if any of the religions in the world who believe that there is a God are right about His existence and His standard, you will not have a choice once you die. It will be too late to change your mind.

What we choose to believe carries no weight in the quest for TRUTH.

Truth is God. 

God is truth.

Wednesday, September 13, 2017

Psalm 46 - God Our Help


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"God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble." - Psalm 46:1 (KJV)

If you need help today, call on Him.

God promises to help us when we call on Him with a humble heart.


Purify yourself.

Lay down your agenda, your attitude, your prejudices, your vices, your rebellion...

Leave your sin at the door and enter into His tabernacle.

He is God.

His way is the right way.

His ways bring healing, hope and peace.

He is your help.

He is your refuge and strength.

He is YOUR SALVATION.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

HERE IS THE ENTIRE PSALM 46 (JUB)

46 ¶ God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in tribulation.
2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth be removed and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea,
3 though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the violence thereof. Selah.
4 There is a river, the streams of which shall make glad the city of God, the sanctuary of the tents of the most High.
5 God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved; God shall help her, as the morning dawns.
6 ¶ The Gentiles raged, the kingdoms were moved; he uttered his voice, the earth melted.
7 The LORD of the hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.
8 Come, behold the works of the LORD, what desolations he has made in the earth.
9 He makes wars to cease unto the end of the earth; he breaks the bow and cuts the spear in sunder; he burns the chariot in the fire.
10 Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted in the Gentiles, I will be exalted in the earth.
11 The LORD of the hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.

Monday, September 11, 2017

God Wants to Save YOU from Yourself!


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He made a way through Jesus, The Christ, for mankind to enter into the Kingdom of God (in this life and in the life to come).

God cares about every hair on your head.

He wants to show you all of His benefits.

But the only way that you can clearly see His benefits is when you accept being born again.

Once you are born again, you'll be able to hear Him, understand Him, receive the benefits of His Salvation, participate in Kingdom activity and live forever!

The born again experience is the first door that you must enter to understand the mysteries of God.

SO, ... WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE BORN AGAIN, ANYWAY?

Here is the Bible answer...

John 3 (MSG)

There was a man of the Pharisee sect, Nicodemus, a prominent leader among the Jews. Late one night he visited Jesus and said, “Rabbi, we all know you’re a teacher straight from God. No one could do all the God-pointing, God-revealing acts you do if God weren’t in on it.”

Jesus said, “You’re absolutely right. Take it from me: Unless a person is born from above, it’s not possible to see what I’m pointing to—to God’s kingdom.”

“How can anyone,” said Nicodemus, “be born who has already been born and grown up? You can’t re-enter your mother’s womb and be born again. What are you saying with this ‘born-from-above’ talk?”

Jesus said, “You’re not listening. Let me say it again. Unless a person submits to this original creation—the ‘wind-hovering-over-the-water’ creation, the invisible moving the visible, a baptism into a new life—it’s not possible to enter God’s kingdom. When you look at a baby, it’s just that: a body you can look at and touch. But the person who takes shape within is formed by something you can’t see and touch—the Spirit—and becomes a living spirit.

“So don’t be so surprised when I tell you that you have to be ‘born from above’—out of this world, so to speak. You know well enough how the wind blows this way and that. You hear it rustling through the trees, but you have no idea where it comes from or where it’s headed next. That’s the way it is with everyone ‘born from above’ by the wind of God, the Spirit of God.”

Nicodemus asked, “What do you mean by this? How does this happen?”

Jesus said, “You’re a respected teacher of Israel and you don’t know these basics? Listen carefully. I’m speaking sober truth to you. I speak only of what I know by experience; I give witness only to what I have seen with my own eyes. There is nothing secondhand here, no hearsay. Yet instead of facing the evidence and accepting it, you procrastinate with questions. If I tell you things that are plain as the hand before your face and you don’t believe me, what use is there in telling you of things you can’t see, the things of God?

“No one has ever gone up into the presence of God except the One who came down from that Presence, the Son of Man. In the same way that Moses lifted the serpent in the desert so people could have something to see and then believe, it is necessary for the Son of Man to be lifted up—and everyone who looks up to him, trusting and expectant, will gain a real life, eternal life.

“This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn’t go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again. Anyone who trusts in him is acquitted; anyone who refuses to trust him has long since been under the death sentence without knowing it. And why? Because of that person’s failure to believe in the one-of-a-kind Son of God when introduced to him.

“This is the crisis we’re in: God-light streamed into the world, but men and women everywhere ran for the darkness. They went for the darkness because they were not really interested in pleasing God. Everyone who makes a practice of doing evil, addicted to denial and illusion, hates God-light and won’t come near it, fearing a painful exposure. But anyone working and living in truth and reality welcomes God-light so the work can be seen for the God-work it is.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Salvation is so simple and yet many will miss it because their mind gets in the way of their heart.

Just believe.

Be like a little child.

Lay down your fear.

Lay down your defenses.

Lay down your pride.

Lay down your sin.

Jesus is waiting to give you LIFE ETERNAL!

HE IS REACHING DOWN TO SAVE YOU FROM YOURSELF!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

John 3:16-21 (KJV)

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.

But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tuesday, September 29, 2015

Popular Quotes by Deborah Ross



FORGIVENESS is a PROCESS that begins with a DECISION.

It's better to die in FAITH than to live in fear, doubt and unbelief.

It's better to die while believing to be healed, than to live while believing to die.

God wants YOUR FAMILY whole!

God wants YOU whole!

God is FOR your marriage!

Somebody must go FIRST.

Obedience to God's Word creates fertile ground for a miracle!

God hates divorce because divorce hurts people.  He does NOT hate divorced people.

In marriage, there are no "what if's"; there is only "what is."

A pattern of dissatisfaction is probably a result of bad choices.  Change your thinking and change your direction.  Follow Him.

The little choices we make each day either fertilize our God-given destiny or breed road blocks, dead ends and detours in our journey.

Church: Do we go to be seen of people; or, do we go to see God?

When you fall in love with Jesus, your spouse will notice.

Broken people do broken things.

Sinners sin.  That's all they know.

It's better to reach for the stars and only make it to the moon, than to never leave earth.
(Vision, Purpose, Destiny)

The little choices we make each day make up the sum total of our life as it is right now.

Life is about CHOICES.

We aren't set free from the bondage of sin only to become entangled with religion.

  

Wednesday, August 6, 2014

Who is God?



Dictionary: a god is one that is worshiped, idealized, or followed.



So... who or what do you worship?  Who or what do you idealize?  Who or what do you follow?  

Drugs
Alcohol
Yourself
Money
Pornography
Fame
Sexual Perversions
The Culture
Movie Stars
Secret Sins
Social Status
Lie's
The Devil 
Tradition
Unforgiveness
Hatred
Self-Righteousness
Self-Condemnation
Religion
Your Own Opinions
Your Parents Faith
Your Career
Spirits
Agnostic
Denominations
Liberal Opinions that DO NOT line-up with God's Word
Status Quo?

Or, do you follow the One true God of the Universe? 
AND... 
Do you "do" what He says to do?


Luke 6:46 says, "So why do you keep calling me 'Lord, Lord!' when you don't do what I say?"  So MANY people today are claiming to know "God," but they are not in a right relationship with Him.

So, who is God anyway?

He is holy. 
He is just. 
He is perfect.
He is righteous.
He is judge over all.
He is mighty.
He is majestic.
He is all-powerful (omnipotent).  
He is all-knowing (omniscient). 
He is present everywhere at the same time (omnipresent).  
He is above all others with supreme rank, power and authority (sovereign).
He is the CREATOR... the originator and RULER of the universe.
... And, yes He is love.

So why does His creation (mankind) constantly try to redefine who He is? Why do we claim to believe "this" or "that" as being truth? Shouldn't we ASK the One who made it all?  Shouldn't we search Him out with our "whole heart?" Shouldn't we approach His ways with a humble spirit? Shouldn't we confess our sins to Him and ask Him to forgive us and wash us clean?

And, what is sin - anyway?

According to the dictionary, sin is an immoral act considered to be a transgression against divine law.  Who's divine law?  Answer: God's law!!! 

How can we know God's law? Answer: He has defined His law in the Holy Bible.

And for those of you who think that the Jewish religion, Muslim religion, Buddhism and others have a different standard... think again.  It is "people" who change laws to make them what they want. If we take the time to really research the origins of these other religions we will find that most all of them go back to Abraham and/or creation (from the Bible). This is evidence that "people" have been adamant about changing God's divine Word to say what they want it to say since the beginning of time. Hence, more ways to God... and more religions.

As babies are born into various cultures who practice such other religions, most of these offspring will follow traditional practices without ever really questioning God for the absolute TRUTH; claiming their way to be the truth but not "humbly" seeking God Himself for the answer.

And nowadays, the American culture has made it quite en vogue to pick and choose which religion to follow. There is no humble seeking of the One True God.  There is no desperate need to be free from the stain of sin.  Instead, culture says you can have your sin and your religion, too, because God is so good that He doesn't care. Nothing could be further from the truth. God wants us free from sin because the wages of sin is death! (Romans 6:23)  God does not want us to die, that's the devils evil scheme.  God wants us to have LIFE and to have life more abundantly. (John 10:10)

Isn't it strange how the Bible can be interpreted differently between 2 different people? That's because one of them - or both of them - is choosing to read it through their tinted glasses of pride, rebellion and hidden sin.  When the Bible is read with a "humble" heart, the Holy Spirit will teach all people the same thing.  Granted each humble soul will be at a different level of understanding on their journey of faith throughout their lifetime of growing in the knowledge of God; BUT, these humble souls (Christ followers) will not be at odds with each other about the basic fundamentals of WHO JESUS IS... WHAT SIN IS... HOW TO GET TO GOD... ETC.

No matter where I have traveled in this world, I have found that when I start to "humbly" talk about Jesus and the Word of God - people listen!  Deep in the heart of all humanity there is a longing to know the one true God of the universe.  I have shared my testimony with Muslims and Jews alike, and I have seen the voice of God touch their heart as the Holy Spirit of all Truth revealed Himself to them at that very moment.  Even though religion, pride and sin will keep many people from knowing the One true God, the truth is that most people really do want to know and understand their Creator. Deep in their heart they know there is more than what their religion (or the lack thereof) has taught them.  While they may not earnestly seek after Him, when He is spoken of they recognize His voice, recognize His nature, recognize His ways and recognize His holiness.

So, getting back to the definition of God, it grieves me (really it grieves God) to hear of so many "so-called" Christians and ministers of the gospel who live in, and practice, known sin such as child molestation, adultery, homosexuality, drug addiction, alcoholism, pornography, cheating, lying and so on.  The question is, "Who is REALLY your god?"  "Who do you serve?"  "Who (or what) gets most of your attention?"  "Who (or what) do you rely on when tormenting thoughts bombard your mind?"

James 1:15 says, "Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin; and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death."

The Bible is clear that we all have bad thoughts.  We all have lusts.  We all have sinful inclinations.  The difference in that of a sinner who is lost in his ways (separated from God) and a true child of God is the grace (POWER) that they have been given by God to "obey" the Holy Spirit and not ACT upon their perversions.  So, the thought itself is not sin, but once we conceive a thought as being our own and then act upon that thought - we sin.  When we make that thought, that desire, that thing our god - we agree with sin!

1 John 4:20 says, "If a man say, “I love God,” and hateth his brother, he is a LIAR. For he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?"  

Do we honestly believe that someone who commits adultery against their spouse really loves their spouse?  Do we honestly believe that someone who takes advantage of a child through sexual perversion loves that child?  Do we honestly think that someone who kills them self with drugs or alcohol really loves them self... or their family?  Do we honestly think that someone who lives a bald face lie really loves others? 

James 1:22-25 says, "But be ye DOERS of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.  For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:  For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.  But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed."

A god is one that is worshiped, idealized, or followed.

So, today's questions remain:  Who or what do you worship?  Who or what do you idealize?  Who or what do you follow?  Who or what do you esteem as absolute truth?  Who or what voices do you listen to?

Do you follow the One true God of the Universe... AND, do you "do" what He says to do?

Matthew 7:21-23(ERV) says, “Not everyone who calls me Lord will enter God’s kingdom. The only people who will enter are those who do what my Father in heaven wants. On that last Day many will call me Lord. They will say, ‘Lord, Lord, by the power of your name we spoke for God. And by your name we forced out demons and did many miracles.’ Then I will tell those people clearly, ‘Get away from me, you people who do wrong. I never knew you.’”

Now, we have all heard that God is love... and this is true!  But do we also know that He is just? Sadly, this world has chosen to only believe that He is love, but they have rejected the fact that He is just.  They have neglected to see that love does not allow someone to kill them self... or others.  Love always gives warnings, boundaries and guidelines.  Think about how a parent loves a child.  Will they let their child do things that they know will harm them?  No.  A good parent sets boundaries for their children so that they can grow in safety and a wholesome environment.  A good parent wants their children to respect authority.  God is the same with us.

So this particular article is not about the love of God (which is very important), but rather it is about the righteousness of God (which is also very important).  Because, He is!  He is God!  He is our Creator! And... He makes the rules for living a GOOD LIFE on this earth and in the life to come.

Will you seek Him with your whole heart today?  Will you ask Him to reveal the truth of who He is according to His word?  Will you believe His word (the Bible) and take it for face value (not twisting it to make it conform to your sinful lusts)?

If you are Jewish, will you read the New Testament to see what it says about this good man Jesus?

If you are Muslim will you read the Injeel to see what it says about this prophet Jesus?

If you are of any other faith would you humbly read the Bible and ask God to let you know if this is for real or not?

If you are struggling with addictions, homosexuality, pornography, rage or any other perversion, would you dive into the Bible to "humbly" see what God has to say about these conditions?  I know there are many "so-called" churches who teach that these things are "just the way you are" but friend, that is a lie from the pit of hell.  You were born to be like God - holy and righteous.  You were born to be free from the bondage of sin.  Would you ask Him to set you FREE by the power of the blood of Jesus?  He wants to!

If we really want to know the One true God... ASK HIM TO REVEAL HIMSELF!  
                                                     
                                                Because... HE WILL!



John 14:21 

"He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him."



John 17:3 
"And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent."


Tuesday, January 7, 2014

Sorry... Seems to be the Hardest Word



"I'm sorry!" - Two of the most powerful words we could ever speak to each other; yet, for many, uttering these simple, two little words is virtually impossible. Why is this? Perhaps pride, self preservation, justification or even neglect play a part in our "reasons" for avoiding these freeing words.

Though these words have the potential to change the course of our lives - to the glory of God - in a profound way, so often we become paralyzed by the lie of the enemy, thinking that we somehow give permission for the offense when we forgive. It's like we have an invisible muzzle on our mouth that restricts us from saying what we know is needed to restore relationships and, more importantly, to restore our relationship with our heavenly Father.

Ever since the Garden of Eden, Satan has been busy at work, trying to create division between mankind. He knows that strife and unforgiveness open the door to a long list of hardships, really curses, that we bring upon ourselves as we refuse to humble ourselves to break these barriers by simply saying, "I'm sorry." Instead, we often create prisons in our own mind that hinder us from the good plans that God has for us. The master deceiver knows that if he can just get us to either offend someone or get us offended by the actions or words of another, he can slither his way into the depths of our soul (our mind, will and emotions), causing us to sin against God.

Unforgiveness is sin! It can lead us down the haunted road of bitterness, resentment, anger, rage and, ultimately, retaliation if not purged through humility and forgiveness. This path of self destruction brings further guilt and separation from the goodness of the Lord, while causing a whole new set of problems in our lives.

The Word of God is very clear about the importance of an apology. Mark 11:25-26 says, we should not even begin to pray to the Lord until we have forgiven those who have offended us. This passage goes on to say that we must forgive others... if we expect God to forgive us! Then again, in Matthew 5:23-24, Jesus says we should go and make things right with our brother (or sister) before we take our offering to the Lord. Clearly, God has no respect for offerings that we give out of a desire to make ourselves "feel" better. Trying to hide, or cover up, our unforgiving, true spirit from the Lord is futile. Our offerings to Him should go forth with no shame. We should give to Him out of a clean heart.

Albeit difficult, deep in our conscious we each know it is our job to be the first to say I'm sorry whenever we have offended someone. But, what do we do when the tables are turned, and someone has offended us? Our actions should ultimately be the same, whether the offense is created by someone else or by us. As a Child of the King, we should have a deep desire to keep our hearts clean by letting go of those things that were sent by the devil to destroy us. Granted, the person who offended us may not even know that they did so; still, we need to be quick to bring things out into the open in a loving way and then simply say, "I'm sorry."

It doesn't always seem fair. Certainly, it doesn't seem natural. But, one thing is for sure, everything in God's Kingdom is hinged on LOVE. Our job is to walk in love. His job is to bring freedom, restoration, and favor to our lives as we obey His word by "doing" His will. The scriptures say that "obedience is better than sacrifice." Learning to be obedient by simply learning the art of a humble apology is of great price in the Lord's eye's.

Now, there are those who will say, "I'm sorry, but _______." Friend, that is not a godly apology. What you are really saying is, "I'm trying to obey God by apologizing to you, but I really don't forgive you and I really don't feel that I should have to apologize to you." You are probably thinking to yourself, "So what is wrong with that? I can't help the way I feel. Right?"

Perhaps, that is the way you feel at the present time. But, as you "choose" to freely forgive without any attachments, you are cutting the chains that bind you to a life of bitterness. You are leaving the response up to the other person and therefore releasing yourself of all of the responsibility of that sin. What they choose to do with your apology is between them and God. You are placing the ball in their court and raising your hands in worship to the King of Glory! Your feelings will line up with your actions once you determine to do what is commanded in God's word.

It sounds crazy, I know, but God's principles are pretty radical. Supernatural things happen when we follow His directions for our lives. He makes crooked things - straight. He makes closed doors - open. He makes depression - turn to joy. He gives LIFE! All we have to do is trust Him... and "do" what He says.

One other scenario I'd like to address in this article concerning an apology is this: Saying I'm sorry does not necessarily mean you need to hang around that person. You can forgive someone and make peace with them, yet, let them go. This is not God's ultimate desire, but sometimes it is necessary in order for you to live your life free from future offenses and free from further conflicts. In every apology, try to bring with it restoration; but, if that is impossible, walk in freedom knowing that you have released all negative thoughts and emotions concerning your relationship with that person. Decide to love them in spite your differences. Pray for their well being.

"I'm sorry!" - Two words that seem harder to birth than a 20 pound baby. Yet, these powerful two words can - and will - change the course of your life, bring favor, and set you free to LIVE a life abundant in Christ Jesus! Now, go... forgive, and be blessed!

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Deborah Ross is an international evangelist, speaker, author, singer and choreographer. She is the mother of two teen-aged sons and the wife of Jay Ross since 1984. Her new book, Healing a Broken Marriage, is available now through bookstores and on-line. Deborah Ross is available for speaking engagements and can be contacted through her website at www.DeborahRossMinistries.org.