Forgiveness

Sometimes people hurt our feelings and we don’t want to forgive them. In fact, we want to see them punished. You may say, “But you don’t know what they did.” Too often we can’t see beyond a transgression. We feel justified not to forgive.   Matthew 6:15   But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.   God can show you how to be a forgiving person if you’ll let him. Pray that He will.   “How many times should we forgive someone, seven?” Peter asked Jesus. “No,” He answered, “Seventy times seven.” Spiritual translation: Every time and don’t count.   The prodigal son didn’t deserve forgiveness and didn’t expect it, but his father lovingly forgave him. Is there someone in your life who has wronged you? You need to forgive them. Don’t say you can’t. If you have the love of Jesus in your heart, it’s possible.   As we get closer to God, we are never more like Christ than when we forgive.

The sixth hour (noon) that Jesus was on the cross, darkness came over the land. This miracle was not some natural phenomenon. At the first Passover, the ninth plague in Egypt was three-day darkness, followed by the last plague, the death of the firstborn.
 
The darkness of Calvary was an announcement that God’s Firstborn and Beloved Son, the Lamb of God, was giving His life for the sins of the world.
 
Two other remarkable events occurred at His death: an earthquake and the veil in the temple torn in two. The veil had separated man from God.
 
An earthquake also happened at Sinai when the Law was given. But now the Law was fulfilled in Jesus Christ and its curse removed. Through His sacrifice, Jesus had purchased not only freedom from the Law, but also freedom from the entire sacrificial system.
 
The Roman centurion got it right. “Truly this was the Son of God.”

We live life at a race car speed, zooming past things. Sooner or later everything will have its last time.
Last day of school
Last job
Last one saved
Last gospel song
Last sermon 
 
The last promise of God is, “Surely I come quickly.” The last prayer in the Bible is John’s. “Even so, come quickly.”
 
One day there’ll be a last plea.
 
Revelation 22:17 And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.
 
The last verse in the bible says the grace of our lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen. Only by the grace of God, covered by the blood of Christ will heaven be your last home. Accept His plea.

The story of Job was a test. One day God bragged to Satan. "Have you considered my servant Job? He's perfect and upright. He fears God and eschews evil."

Father of ten children, he was also wealthy. He was the greatest of all the men of the east.

"Take away all that he has and he'll curse you to your face," Satan spewed.

God allowed him to take everything except his life. In one day he lost it all, including his children. Then he got boils all over his body. He was left with the one thing he needed the most: God. His friends said he had sinned, was a hypocrit, a backslider and God was chastizing him. His wife told him to curse God and die. "Though God slay me, yet I'll trust Him," he replied.

Around a year later, God restored his health and gave him more wealth than he had before. He also had ten more children. 

Sometimes you have to suffer. I can't exlain it. I know that God said He will never leave you or forsake you. He will never put more on you that you can handle. We serve a sovereign God. We can see that through this study. We shouldn't question Him.

The Scribes had determined that the Jews should obey 613 precepts. Most of them were man-made laws – 365 negative and 248 positive. They loved discussing which was the greatest. Trying to trip Him, they asked Jesus, and His answer came quickly.
 
Mark 12:30-31 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.
 
Jesus said love, because love is the fulfilling of the law (Romans 13:8). We don’t live by rules but by relationships, a loving relationship to God that enables us to have a loving relationship with others. God is love.