The Lord's Prayer and Forgiveness

If someone attempts to teach you how to pray, beware, God gave us the "way" to pray, not the specific words. Here is how God told the Apostles to pray: Note, it does not take a seminar or thick books to learn how to pray. Christ gave it all right here in these few verses. If someone is attempting to draw you into rules and methods of prayer they are introducing you to meaningless traditions concocted by man. Ignore the man-made rituals and do as Christ commanded. God's way is so much easier than the detail of human rules made because of their pride.

Matthew 6:9-13

The Lord’s Prayer

9 “Pray, then, in this way:

‘Our Father, who is in heaven,

Hallowed be Your name.

10 Your kingdom come.

Your will be done,

On earth as it is in heaven.

11 Give us this day our daily bread.

12 And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

13 And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil.'"

We address our Father in heaven

We praise and honor Him

We ask for His will to be done

We ask for our needs and desires

We forgive those who have wronged us when they

are repentant

We ask that we not allow the temptation to get hold of us and we ask that we be delivered from evil.

The reason I added the words "when they are repentant" in reference to forgiveness is that God told us to forgive as He forgave us, that was when we were repentant.

Luke 17:3-4 "…3 Watch yourselves. If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. 4 Even if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times returns to say, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.”"

"And returns to say; "I repent." So many people ignore this phrase in Scripture because they have been taught wrongly the concepts of psychology.

We are told not to do revenge to those who harm us, even to bless them, but this is not forgiveness.

What is forgiveness? It is letting go of offenses when someone is repentant in order to reconcile the relationship. If someone is not sorry and continues to harm then they should not be forgiven, the relationship cannot be reconciled unless both parties participate, one being repentant and the other being forgiving.

The Bible never states anywhere that if you forgive before they are repentant it will soften their heart and yours.

Isaiah 26:10 "10Though grace is shown to the wicked man, he does not learn righteousness. In the land of righteousness he acts unjustly and fails to see the majesty of the LORD."

Merely being friendly and pretending to forgive a wicked man does not change his heart. More than likely it rulther hardens it when he realizes he never has to be sorry for anything.

When we cannot forgive because someone is not sorry we can pray for them, continue to treat them respectfully when we are with them but keep our distance until they are ready to obey God in repentance.

I took this one aspect of the Lord's prayer to take a look at because nearly everyone has the wrong idea about forgiveness in our culture that only ends up enabling the sinner, removing their guilt and shame causing hardness of heart in them.

It is amazing how the devil will claim it is wrong to follow God's Word and endorse the ways of men based on psychology. This is common now in our culture, psychology is so entrenched that it is rare to find believers who understand forgiveness and its purpose.

There is no scripture that says we are to forgive for our own sake, that comes from a passage taken out of context and embellished to fit man's desires, or rather Satan's lies.

That phrase is "Matthew 6:15

"But if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses."

If you read the entire rest of the chapter and in the context of the rest of the Bible we discover that forgiveness God's way is always associated with repentance. God never forgives those who are not broken over their sin, and neither should we.

This does not mean that we treat the offender badly or completely ignore them, it does mean that the relationship remains broken. We never have a good reason to sin against someone else in action or attitude. We do have the freedom and even commands in scripture to remove ourselves from those who walk disobediently.

Ephesians 4:32

"Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you."

If we have to remove ourselves from someone who walks disobediently in attitude or action, we pray for them to see the truth and that one day the relationship is mended through repentance.

The Pharisees were admonished because of their lengthy and ritualistic prayers. In this way perhaps the mentality that says; "I forgive even if they are not sorry, is a prideful stance.

1 Corinthians 5:1-2 "1 It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is intolerable even among pagans: A man has his father’s wife. 2 And you are proud! Shouldn’t you rather have been stricken with grief and have removed from your fellowship the man who did this?"

The Corinthian people were proud of how tolerant of the people who were sinning, this is the same mentality when we will not confront sin and require repentance. Our forgiveness becomes about ourselves to feel better and superior, rather than about reconciling the sinner to God and to others.

The reconciliation God's way is far more important than our feelings.

Luke 18:9-14

The Pharisee and the Tax Collector

"9 Now He also told this parable to some people who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and viewed others with contempt:

10 “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.

11 The Pharisee stood and began praying this in regard to himself: ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, crooked, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.

12 I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.’

13 But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to raise his eyes toward heaven, but was beating his chest, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, the sinner!’

14 I tell you, this man went to his house justified rather than the other one; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

We must stop focusing on our feelings, how people will view us, and psychology and begin seeking God for His ways.

Eternal Life is Eternal

Repeat from 2017

"By Miguel Jurna

25 REASONS YOU CANNOT LOSE SALVATION

One of the most common concerns in Christian circles, because many are not taught correct doctrine, and because most do not study the Word of God on their own, is “Can a saved born-again blood-washed Spirit-filled child of God lose their salvation?” Can the Heavenly Father God be ever strictly threatened them to take the Eternal Life away from them if they are failing in their sins everyday?

Let’s take a look at the answer according to God’s own promises:

1. ETERNAL LIFE IS ETERNAL! – John 3:15, John 10:28, Rom. 6:23, 1 John 2:25, 1 John 5:11, 1 John 5:13

2. EVERLASTING LIFE IS EVERLASTING! – Daniel 12:2; John 3:16, John 3:36, John 5:24, John 6:40, John 6:47; Romans 6:22

3. HEAVEN IS RESERVED FOR US! – 1 Peter 1:4

4. WE ARE SEALED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT! Ephesians 1:13

5. WE ARE SEALED UNTO THE DAY OF REDEMPTION! – Ephesians 4:30

6. WE ARE PRESERVED FOREVER! – Psalms 37:28

7. WE ARE BORN OF GOD! – John 1:12-13

8. WE ARE A NEW CREATURE! – 2 Corinthians 5:17

9. WE ARE CREATED IN CHRIST JESUS! – Ephesians 2:10

10. WE ARE PRESERVED UNTO THE HEAVENLY KINGDOM! – 2 Timothy 4:18

11. WE ARE KEPT BY THE POWER OF GOD! – 1 Peter 1:5

12. CHRIST HAS PRAYED FOR US! – John 17:11

13. WORKS CANNOT AFFECT OUR SALVATION! – Romans 11:6

14. NOTHING CAN SEPARATE US FROM THE LOVE OF CHRIST! – Romans 8:38-39

15. GOD IS ABLE TO KEEP US! – 2 Timothy 1:12

16. WE ARE PROMISED TO NEVER PERISH! – John 10:27-28

17. WE ARE IN CHRIST’S AND THE FATHER’S HAND! – John 10:28-30

18. GOD’S MERCY NEVER ENDS! – Titus 3:5"

Judgment and Wrath

Knowing the Principles of God!!!

If you feel pressured by anyone to "memorize" the Word of God, do not feel guilty when you cannot do this. Everyone can memorize the words having read a verse over and over again. However we cannot memorize the entire Bible, or it is very rare. What we can all do is learn the principles and commands and remember those.

God never told us to "memorize", I know He would not have said this because we could not memorize Hebrew.

He told us to hide His word away in our hearts. Christ is the Word He is the embodiment of His Word, the Bible. We are to hide away in our hearts the principles and commands in the Bible, not the exact words as we see in English.

We read English to learn but it is the concepts and commands that we remember. And Christ reminds us of His principles when we cannot bring up the exact English words.

John 14:25-26 "…25 All this I have spoken to you while I am still with you. 26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have told you."

Modern Christianity has pressured people to memorize words as though it is the only way to know Christ. It is not the Words only that we know, It is Christ Who we know, it is understanding His heart and with wisdom using what He has told us from His Word.

John 14:26

"26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and remind you of all that I said to you."

It is good to continually read the Word of God to learn the heart of God, it does not have to be memorization of the English words, but through a continual learning and deep knowledge of the heart of God that keeps us walking close to Him.

It is not wrong to memorize but it is not necessary to intimately know God. I know in my own life I cannot keep particular words in my head or even addresses of verses in the Bible, but concepts I know very well. I continually look up the concepts I know in the English Bible to convey to others where it is found.

In short, do not be discouraged if you find yourself attempting to memorize but keep having to continually revisit the words as written in our English language. If you know Christ and He lives in you, then you can look up what you need when you need it. Also, even if we do not have chapter and verse but we know the principle we can still speak with authority that something is true according to God's Word.

If we want to prove to someone who wants to know we can go and look it up again to give the chapter and verse.

1 John 5:2-4 "…2 By this we know that we love the children of God: when we love God and keep His commandments. 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome, 4 because everyone born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world: our faith."

I see nowhere in any version of the Bible a command to memorize God's Word in any language. We are to Hide His Word away in our hearts, He is there to remind us of what we read. He has also given us many resources to look up the words that help us find the verses.

Often I will type in the google search a few words from the verse I need or the concept with the word "Bible" at the end and the verse comes right up. God is so wonderful in providing us these resources to find what we need to prove that what we say is from God's Word. Of course, it is important to convey the context of a verse so as not to misinterpret meaning.

Far too many people take verses out of context to prove a point that is not even valid. They will claim things based on one verse out of context to make God say what they want Him to say. This is sinful and dangerous.

When we read a verse or phrase we must go to the entire chapter to see who God was speaking to and what He was conveying, not according to our desires or western mindset.

2 John 1:6 "2 John 1:6

And this is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the very commandment you have heard from the beginning, that you must walk in love."

The only way we can rightly divide the word is if we are honest and we are willing to give up what others have told us and believe only God.

We have many teachers now who are spreading false doctrine because they are not honest, they are attempting to fit into the culture more than they care what God really meant.

2 Timothy 4:2-4 "…2 Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and encourage with every form of patient instruction. 3 For the time will come when men will not tolerate sound doctrine, but with itching ears they will gather around themselves teachers to suit their own desires. 4 So they will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.…"

Do not just believe people, test what they say according to the word, making God more important than the friendship of others.

Heaping Hot Coals of Kindness?

If we are working in the flesh to heap hot coals of kindness to evoke a feeling in shame toward someone, we are sinning.

When we authentically love a person who has been offensive and we operate in love toward them when we encounter them, we are doing it in the power of the Holy Spirit to please Christ, our purpose is not to shame or cause bad feelings. Our purpose is to please God and He will use the Holy Spirit to convict.

The reason why we do things is very important. If we have revenge in mind to manipulate the feelings of others with the appearance of kindness, then this is sin.

God wants us to love and treat respectfully everyone, even in our corrective language. When someone approaches others to beat them down to submit to them, this person is fleshly and vindictive. Even if they are right about their stance, they walk fleshly and not in the Spirit of God.

When we love others we are more concerned about helping our friend to understand, not manipulating them into feeling inferior to us. If any of "self" is involved in our conversation with someone in error then we are in sin.

Our responses to others we may disagree with or who have offended us ought to be in humility and love. AND, this can only be accomplished if we are walking in the Spirit.

Galatians 5:15-16 "15 But if you keep on biting and devouring one another, watch out, or you will be consumed by one another. 16 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh."

When there is angst and biting words there is no love. No matter how much we think we are right there is no reason to snark at one another as though the other person is inferior or stupid.

Also, remember it is not only words and tone of voice that conveys arrogance, it is also facial expressions, particularly rolling of eyes which is an expression of contempt.

When we roll our eyes at someone we are saying they are stupid and unworthy to have their own opinions.

If a person is continually treating another human being in these distasteful and mean-spirited expressions then it is best to remove ourselves from them. We remove ourselves because continual contact with them will eventually cause us to become like them.

1 Corinthians 15:33-34 " 33Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good character.” 34Sober up as you ought, and stop sinning; for some of you are ignorant of God. I say this to your shame.…"

When we are wronged by someone, they snark at us our flesh tends to think we are justified in snarking back at them. If they snark and we snark back we have become like them and have also sinned.

Our response needs to be continually under the power of the Holy Spirit so that we are blameless, without evidence of wrongdoing.

A narcissist snarks to cause snarky reactions in us causing the narcissist to feel justified in their attacks against us. Our focus is not to change anyone else, it is to present the truth and leave the response to Christ.

When we know we cannot change another person we will not react badly when attacked. We will always leave the response of the hearer to God and rest in that.

Proverbs 26:4-5 " 4 Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you yourself will be like him. 5 Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he become wise in his own eyes.…"

When we fight back with fools they sense that they have won in engaging you in folly. There is only one answer for the fool that is no answer at all. Attempting to reason with a fool is itself foolish.

When we know the Word of God and walk with the Holy Spirit we will not feel the need to have the last word nor will we be frustrated if someone didn't listen. We merely move on and leave that person to the Lord. After all, we are His workmanship and so is the other person.

We have must to learn in these last days of chaos and rebellion. The most important lesson for us now is to learn how to respond or not respond to those who will attempt to cause us to fall into sin.

When we know the devil is behind all the evil, all the snark and all the manipulation we need not feel any frustration at all, we can observe, see the truth as though watching a play and feel nothing.

The most important thing to remember and is a challenge is to remain faithful to God resisting the temptation to have the final say with a narcissist. They will not listen and will misinterpret what we say to fit their angst against us. Resist this when we have to encounter it and avoid them if possible.

Hallelujah, we can walk in peace and joy always when we allow the Holy Spirit to take over in us.

Let's Settle This NOW... Can A Woman Be a Preacher According to the Bible?

Sanctification: The Believer’s Transformation, Part 1