Five Steps To Forgiveness

                                             When The Door Slams

"This, then, is how you should pray: "Our Father" in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.              Matthew 6:9-15 NIV

            If you want to experience the happiness, relief, and well-being that come from the practice of forgiveness, remember these five steps: 

1.        Resist the temptation to be judgmental. Remember, only God knows all the circumstances. Leave the judging to Him.

2.        Learn to be compassionate. The best method is to use your imagination, put yourself in the other person's shoes, ask yourself whether the fault is entirely the other person's or whether there is some blame on your part that needs to be honestly faced. 

3.        Image the whole problem in terms of reconciliation. Visualize the broken relationship healed. See yourself free of the poisons of resentment and anger. Let your imagination suggest hopeful things you will accomplish with the increased energy that will come to you. 

4.        Pray for the person who has offended you. If this is difficult (and it will be), pray for God's grace to come into your heart to give you the strength to do it. Remind yourself that the act of forgiveness will benefit you more than the other person.

5.        End your prayer with the Lord's prayer. Give special thought and emphasis to the part that asks God to forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. 

            Think about this: Do these five things and you will be amazed at the healing power of forgiveness. If you let, it can change your life.

Related Bible Texts: Matthew 5:44; 6:9-15; Luke 6:28,27; Colossians 3:12-15.

            Affirmation: Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from him. truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken (Psalm 61:1-2 NIV).

Ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart and reveal any areas of unconfessed sin. Acknowledge these to the LORD and thank Him for His forgiveness. 

                                                Never Rest Ministries

                                       

Doubleminded Religious People Struggle To Break Cycles Of Self-Destructive Behavior

                                                 When The Door Slams 

So now it is no longer I that do it, but sin that dwells in me. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) dwells no good thing, for the will to do what is right is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. For the good I desire to do, I do not do, but the evil I do not want is what I do. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who does it, but sin that lives in me.                                        (Romans 7:17-20 MEV)

            Sometimes the changes we seek are more serious. Double Minded people struggle to break cycles of self-destructive behavior. Apostle Paul goes on to mention a host of evil spirits that come in once the mind becomes reprobate: sexual abuse, adultery, lies, binge eating, substance abuse, deceit, evil-minded, haters of God, disobedient, untrustworthy, backbiters, proud and being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality. Reprobate spirits and spirits of homosexuality and lesbianism, these are perversions and are under the judgment of God.

            Others see their marriage falling apart and long to change and grow to become the spouse they long to be, yet fall repeatedly into the same old pattern of angry conflict or withdrawal, accelerating their slide into bitterness. We wrestle to rise above our basest urges, sometimes finding success, but often falling back into old habits-too often descending even further than before. Even the Apostle Paul wrote, "I know that in me, (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice" (Romans 7:18-19).

            However, Paul understood in his struggles what so many today do not. He was engaged in spiritual warfare. Most religious people around us are double minded and has no idea of this reality. Religious people continue striving and struggling against power and temptations in complete ignorance of the spiritual magnitude of the battle they are waging. The self-help industry makes billions of dollars selling tricks and techniques--some helpful, some not so much--without acknowledging the spiritual aspect of the conflict we face. 

            But if we seek real change and real growth, we must embrace the truth that we are not simply fighting against bad habits and destructive patterns. We are engaging in spiritual warfare against a real enemy who seeks our destruction-not just in this life, but for eternity.

            Obedient to the LORD GOD will reveal the hidden spiritual world that few acknowledge--and fewer understand. Understanding the nature of the enemy and how he came to be is crucial if we are to comprehend the environment in which our battle take place. Once we recognize the enemy, we shift our focus to the fundamental actions we must take to achieve real victory. They are not the dramatic actions that many televangelists would sell you, but they are the true weapons of spiritual warfare that every obedient Christian needs. God, who will ultimately bring the victory--and how each of us can be a part of that victorious outcome.

            Think about this: Paul knew that he was involved in a war. He was not simply seeking a better life or healthier--his life had a God-ordained purpose, and he wrote about those unseen enemies fighting against any changes he sought to make.

            Affirmation: Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places (Ephesians 6:10-12 NKJV).  

 Ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart and reveal any areas of unconfessed sin. Acknowledge these to the LORD and thank Him for His forgiveness.

                                                    Never Rest Ministries     
            

               

             

           

                               

You Praise The LORD But Serve The Devil

                                                 When The Door Slams

And when your children ask you, What does this ceremony mean to you? then tell them, 'It is the Passover sacrifice to the LORD, who passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt and spared our homes when he struck down the Egyptians. Then the people bowed down and worshiped. The Israelites did just what the LORD commanded Moses and Aaron. At midnight the LORD struck down all the firstborn in Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh, who sat on the throne, to the firstborn of the prisoner, who was in the dungeon, and the firstborn of all the lives stock as well. Pharaoh and all his officials and all the Egyptians got up during the night, and there was loud wailing in Egypt, for there was not a house without someone dead.                                                                                                      (Exodus 12:26-30 NIV) 

            The first Passover (in Exodus 12) is the story of two peoples and one choice. After more than four hundred years in Egypt, the children of Israel were clearly influenced by its culture and religions. Getting Israel out of Egypt took a few days, but getting Egypt out of Israel took forty years. 

            It was a seminal moment. There was a clear choice. Israel would obey or not. Her firstborn would live or die. They would find freedom or stay in slavery. They would go to the promised Land or choose Goshen. They chose wisely!

            We all face such moments. We must decide to go on to greater heights in God or stay where we are. In the moment, life, death, our future, and the fate of those we love all hang in the balance. Sadly, not everyone chooses wisely, they are double-minded. 

            The key to the story is simple. It was obedience. the way out of Egypt wasn't really the road to the Red Sea. It lay in obeying God. We do what God commands, or we don't. We leave the old life behind, or we don't. We cross the threshold of faith, or we don't. We live God's way, or we live the world's way. 

            They could not have crossed the Red Sea without first crossing the barrier of obedience. We will never see or experience the great things God has for us without this one simple act, doing what the Lord commands.

            Think about this: Start children off on the way they should go and even when they are old they will not turn from it. (Proverbs 22:6) is as true today as when Solomon wrote it several thousand years ago. Running one's eye down the columns of any concordance on the words obey, obedience, and obedient give some idea of the importance of these words in God's sight. "It is better to obey than to sacrifice. It is better to listen to God than to offer the fat of sheep," Samuel told Saul. In order to properly hearken, which is the beginning of learning, one must be obedient.

            Affirmation: Who is wise? Let them realize these things. who is discerning? Let them understand. The ways of the LORD are right, the righteous walk in them, but the rebellious stumble in them. (Hosea 14:9 NIV)               

            Ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart and reveal any areas of unconfessed sin. Acknowledge these to the LORD and thank Him for His forgiveness.

                                                        Never Rest Ministries 

         

                                              

No Man Or Woman Can Be The Disciple Of Christ And Desire Fame

                                                When The Door Slams

Then the LORD said to me, "Write my answer plainly on tablets, so that a runner can carry the correct message to others. This vison is for a future time. It describes the end, and it will be fulfilled. If it seems slow in coming, wait patiently, for it will surely take place. It will not be delayed. "Look at the proud! They trust in themselves, and their lives are crooked. But the righteous will live by their faithfulness to God.* Wealth is treacherous, and arrogant are never at rest. They open their mouths as wide as the grave, and like death, they are never satisfied, In their greed they have gathered up many nations and swallowed many peoples.                                                                                   (Habakkuk 2:2-5 NLT)

            For the scope of power lives from man to man, And not from man, O Lord, to thee. The man, then, who does right, and seeks no praise from men, while he merits nothing, shall be rewarded by his Father, and his reward will be right precious to him. 

            No man or woman can not be the disciple of Christ and desire fame. To desire fame is disgraceful; it is a slang devil greed. In the noble mind, it is the more of an infirmity. There is no aspiration in it--nothing but ambition. It is simply selfishness that would be proud if it could. Fame is the applause of many, and the judgment of the many is foolish; the greater the fame, the more is the foolishness that swells it, and the worse is the fools that thirst after it.

            Think about this: Aspiration is the sole escape from ambition. He who aspires--that is, his endeavor to rise above himself--neither lusts to be higher than his neighbor, nor seeks to put in his opinion. What light there is in him shines the more that he does nothing to be seen by men. He stands in the mist between the gulf and the glory of the LORD and looks upward. He loves not his own soul, but longs to be clean. 

            Confession: I will cleanse them of their sins against me and forgive all their sins of rebellion. (Jeremiah 33:8 NLT) 

 Ask  the Holy Spirit to search your heart and reveal any areas of unconfessed sin. Acknowledge these to the LORD and thank Him for His forgiveness.

                                                        Never Rest Ministries  

When Something Is Reprobate, It Has Been Judged By God As Worthless

                                                 When The Door Slams

Who knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them                                                                                                                             (Romans 1:32 NKJV)

                 

            What sins does Paul mention that are deserving of death? The answer is idolatry, homosexuality, and lesbianism. Now, I am not stating that every person involved in these sins should be put to death. Thank God for His mercy. There is salvation offered to all. Jesus died and shed His blood for sin. Those who repent and accept His sacrifice will receive, deliverance and forgiveness of sin.                                                                                                                                              However, the judgment of God will come to those who, through a hard unashamed heart, will not repent (Romans 2:5). Regardless of what the secular world or media try to tell us concerning idolatry, homosexuality and lesbianism, these are perversions and are under the judgment of God, because He knows your heart.                                              

            The JB Phillips calls them "disgraceful passions." Webster's definition of abomination is "extreme disgust and hatred, loathing." ....men with men working abomination. Loathe means "to dislike greatly and often with disgust or intolerance, to detest." 

            And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting. (Romans 1:28 NKJV)  

            Reprobate spirits also operate with idolatry, homosexuality, lesbianism and perversion. The dictionary definition of reprobate is "rejected as worthless, morally abandoned, depraved." You will recall that the definition of Belial is "worthlessness." When something is reprobate, it has been judged by God as worthless and, therefore, rejected. The Revised Standard version says, "God gave them up to a base mind." The word base means "to be of little value." Synonyms include low and vile, meaning, "deserving contempt because of the absence of higher values. The Reprobate spirits and spirits of idolatry, homosexuality and lesbianism cursing men and women to commit vile acts, thus bringing the judgment of God. 

            Think about this: The apostle Paul goes on to mention a host of evil spirits that come in once the mind becomes reprobate: 

            Affirmation: Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: "I will dwell in them And walk among them. I will be their God, And they shall be My people." Therefore "Come out from among them And be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you." And you shall be My sons and daughters, Says the LORD Almighty." (2 Corinthians 6:14-18 NKJV)

Ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart and reveal any areas of unconfessed sin. Acknowledge these to the LORD and thank Him for His forgiveness. 

                                            Never Rest Ministries 

                                                                         

            

A Doubleminded Man Or Woman Is Unstable, Deceitful In All They Do

                                                 When The Door Slams

If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is doubleminded and unstable in all they do.                              (James 1:5-8 NIV) 

            My life, like yours, is full of a thousand demands. Sometimes I feel yanked this way and that way, spiritual off-balance. When I become unbalanced and wonder how it happened, the Bible offers this explanation: "Such a person is doubleminded and unstable in all they do." 

            Some women say yes to the Lord and no to the world. Others say yes to the world, but no to the Lord. The doubleminded woman says yes to everything! Consequently, she's continually off-balance, like a drunken high-wire artist, lurching dangerously along the wire, leaning first to this side, then to that. She's a cataclysmic fall just waiting to happen. 

            False prophets works with the spirit of doubleminded to seduce the servants of the Lord into fornication and idolatry. This dark spirit can manifest through false teachings and deception, these spirits has no shame or guilt works well with manipulation and intimidation. Again, the intent is to draw people away from the truth and cause them to go into error, causing demonic bondage and curses that bringing upon themself the judgment of God. 

          Indeed I will cast her into a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her into tribulation, unless they repent of their deeds. I will kill her children with death, and all the churches shall know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts. And I will give to each one of you according to your works (Revelation 2:22-23 NKJV). 

            This is the judgment of the Lord upon those who allowed themselves to be seduced by  doubleminded spirits. Fornication and adultery will always be judged by the Lord. We understand that marriage is under attack in America like never before. Divorce is no longer considered unacceptable--it is almost expected in the church. Deceitful is an evil, demonic spirit with no shame, no guilt and no repentance that draws people into whoredom and adultery. This will bring the judgment of God upon you.

            It is interesting to note that the only reference to Belial in the New Testament is found in 2 Corinthians 6:15: And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? Paul was dealing with the rampant carnality in the church of Corinth. The evil Belial works with the deceiving spirit of Jezebel to draw people into abominable sins, including sodomy, homosexuality, incest, rape and perversion of all kinds. 

            Think about this: The greatest threat to Jezebel's spirit has always been true servants of God. Those who preach the truth and maintain a standard of holiness are obstacles to the work of Jezebel. This spirit therefore attacks these men and women of God in order to move them out of the way, which will bring the judgment of God on them.

Ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart and reveal any areas of unconfessed sin. Acknowledge these to the LORD and thank Him For His Forgiveness.

                                                Never Rest Ministries                            

We Are In Constant Danger Of Having The Temptation To Exchange Something Very Precious

                                                 When The Door Slams

If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall. The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.                             (1 Corinthians 12:13 NLT)

            Oh, stupid Esau sells his birthright! "What good is my birthright to me now?"            (Genesis 25:29-34). The Point: We gain nothing by choosing the immediate over the significant. But what about me? What about you? What about us? "What is my mess of marital life?" How often do we ask this question of ourselves? It is important to verbalize the question. 

            We are in constant danger of having the temptation to exchange something very precious, a priceless reality-for indulging our sudden violent desires. The violent desire may be involved with greed for eating and drinking, passion for money or material things, letting loose our anger in action and abandoning reason, power giving in to depression without check, cursing God in despair or disappointment without even thinking of the trap which Satan set for Job and is setting for us, yielding to a sweeping sexual desire without waiting for the right framework. 

            The "mess of material things" that is dangerous to you and me in any temptation to give in to violent speech or action or choice of direction, based on the fulfillment of the "feel of power" the immediate moment which will demonstrate power to anyone watching...that we despise the promises of the Living God for our future.

            Time after time we have the opportunity for demonstrating the reality of our belief in the truth of truth, of our trust in God's promises. Time after time we can demonstrate by our responses and our choices that we really believe that no suffering for the present can be compared with the glories that are ahead of us in the plan of God.

            Think about this: God may allow His servant to succeed when He disciplined him to a point where he does not need to succeed to be happy. The man who is elated by success and is cast down by failure is still a carnal man. At best his fruit will have a worm in it.

            Affirmation: God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. And remember, when you are being tempted, do not say, "God is tempting me." God is never tempted to do wrong, and he never tempts anyone else. Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death (James 1:12-15).  

            Ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart and reveal any areas of unconfessed sin. Acknowledge these to the LORD and thank Him for His forgiveness. 

                                                        Never Rest Ministries