Debbie's Biblical Nuggets
In the summer of 2021 Cale and I were planning to purchase a home. I was not on board. One day I went to the property and was drawn to a building that was used for family get-togethers.
I prayed and the Lord showed us this building would be a prayer room. He also gave me very clear instructions- prayer meeting Tuesdays at 10:00 for the lost and the word “freedomâ€. The first part was easy. We would invite the ladies the Lord put on my heart. I put a cross in there with the names of the lost we are interceding for and nailed it to the cross. Red ribbons were tied onto it when they came to Jesus. But three years later I still did not understand the part about freedom.
The Tuesday before the ladies came I asked the Lord what He meant about Joy and Freedom.
He gave me my answer.
Psalm 51:10
“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.â€
Luke 7:47
“Wherefore I say into thee, her sins which are many are forgiven, for she loved much; but to whom little is forgiven. The same loveth little.â€
Matthew 5:43-44
“ Ye have heard that it hath been said. Thou shalt love thy neighbor and hate the enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them that despitefully use you, and persecute you.â€
I am convinced that Satan's greatest weapon against a christian is a seed of bitterness. Bitterness comes very sneakily into the heart. Satan is crafty. It starts with unforgiveness.
Bitterness sees what they did to you, how they have hurt you or wronged you. Pride creeps in, you see yourself as the victim and you feel justified for your hatred.
The Bible says in Matthew 6:15.
“But if you forgive not men for their tresspasses, neither will your father forgive your tresspasses.
The World Says:
Set up boundaries, avoid that awful person ( that you have every right to hate them.
The Bible Says:
1 John 4:20
“ 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 seenâ€.
Bitterness causes prayers to be unheard and hindered.
Psalm 66:18
“If I regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will not hear meâ€.
Ways to recognize there is a root of bitterness in your life:
A very scary thought to all this is Satan is also a master deceiver. So in your state of bitterness and unforgiveness you may still see signs and wonders, and think you're okay. Like somehow God loves you so much he will excuse the unforgiveness you harbor. That is a deceitful lie from Satan.
Matthew 7:22-23
Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
Forgiveness of others is not a suggestion, it is a command.
John 13:34
A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
Aside from Jesus himself the best example of forgiveness is Stephen.
Acts 7:60
And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.
Stephen in the midst of being martyred cried to the Lord to forgive the very ones who were killing him. Forgiveness does not make you a doormat. It does not mean what they did was okay. Forgiveness allows the prison cell your heart is living in to open up and set you free.
We are called to take up our cross and follow Jesus. He carried the weight of every sin on that cross. He did everything necessary so we could be forgiven. And when we take our eyes off the hurt, and take our hurt to him, and repent of the bitterness and learn to love our enemies that is when we are truly free.
The Lyrics to†Forgiveness†by Matthew West:
It's the hardest thing to give away
And the last thing on your mind today
It always goes to those who don't deserve
It's the opposite of how you feel
When they pain they caused is just too real
Takes everything you have to say the word
Forgiveness, forgiveness
It flies in the face of all your pride
It moves away the mad inside
It's always anger's own worst enemy
Even when the jury and the judge
Say you've got a right to hold a grudge
It's the whisper in your ear saying set it free
Forgiveness, forgiveness
Forgiveness, forgiveness
Show me how to love the unlovable
Show me how to reach the unreachable
Help me now to do the impossible
Forgiveness, forgiveness
Help me now to do the impossible
Forgiveness
I want finally set it free
Show me how to see what your mercy sees
Help me now to give what You gave to me
Forgiveness, forgiveness
Forgiveness, forgiveness
I prayed and the Lord showed us this building would be a prayer room. He also gave me very clear instructions- prayer meeting Tuesdays at 10:00 for the lost and the word “freedomâ€. The first part was easy. We would invite the ladies the Lord put on my heart. I put a cross in there with the names of the lost we are interceding for and nailed it to the cross. Red ribbons were tied onto it when they came to Jesus. But three years later I still did not understand the part about freedom.
The Tuesday before the ladies came I asked the Lord what He meant about Joy and Freedom.
He gave me my answer.
Psalm 51:10
“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.â€
Luke 7:47
“Wherefore I say into thee, her sins which are many are forgiven, for she loved much; but to whom little is forgiven. The same loveth little.â€
Matthew 5:43-44
“ Ye have heard that it hath been said. Thou shalt love thy neighbor and hate the enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them that despitefully use you, and persecute you.â€
I am convinced that Satan's greatest weapon against a christian is a seed of bitterness. Bitterness comes very sneakily into the heart. Satan is crafty. It starts with unforgiveness.
Bitterness sees what they did to you, how they have hurt you or wronged you. Pride creeps in, you see yourself as the victim and you feel justified for your hatred.
The Bible says in Matthew 6:15.
“But if you forgive not men for their tresspasses, neither will your father forgive your tresspasses.
The World Says:
Set up boundaries, avoid that awful person ( that you have every right to hate them.
The Bible Says:
1 John 4:20
“ 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 seenâ€.
Bitterness causes prayers to be unheard and hindered.
Psalm 66:18
“If I regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will not hear meâ€.
Ways to recognize there is a root of bitterness in your life:
- You hear that person's name-irritate and anger set in.
- You blame that person for everything, never recognizing your own role in the problem.
- You view them as evil and yourself as innocent.
- You have no joy or peace.
- Physically- you will have headaches, stomach aches, anxiety attacks, restless sleep and fear.
A very scary thought to all this is Satan is also a master deceiver. So in your state of bitterness and unforgiveness you may still see signs and wonders, and think you're okay. Like somehow God loves you so much he will excuse the unforgiveness you harbor. That is a deceitful lie from Satan.
Matthew 7:22-23
Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
Forgiveness of others is not a suggestion, it is a command.
John 13:34
A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
Aside from Jesus himself the best example of forgiveness is Stephen.
Acts 7:60
And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.
Stephen in the midst of being martyred cried to the Lord to forgive the very ones who were killing him. Forgiveness does not make you a doormat. It does not mean what they did was okay. Forgiveness allows the prison cell your heart is living in to open up and set you free.
We are called to take up our cross and follow Jesus. He carried the weight of every sin on that cross. He did everything necessary so we could be forgiven. And when we take our eyes off the hurt, and take our hurt to him, and repent of the bitterness and learn to love our enemies that is when we are truly free.
The Lyrics to†Forgiveness†by Matthew West:
It's the hardest thing to give away
And the last thing on your mind today
It always goes to those who don't deserve
It's the opposite of how you feel
When they pain they caused is just too real
Takes everything you have to say the word
Forgiveness, forgiveness
It flies in the face of all your pride
It moves away the mad inside
It's always anger's own worst enemy
Even when the jury and the judge
Say you've got a right to hold a grudge
It's the whisper in your ear saying set it free
Forgiveness, forgiveness
Forgiveness, forgiveness
Show me how to love the unlovable
Show me how to reach the unreachable
Help me now to do the impossible
Forgiveness, forgiveness
Help me now to do the impossible
Forgiveness
I want finally set it free
Show me how to see what your mercy sees
Help me now to give what You gave to me
Forgiveness, forgiveness
Forgiveness, forgiveness
1 Comment
Great word!!