Thursday: Forgiving Others

"If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him."

Good Morning, my dear brothers and sisters, and it is family day on the line. Please take time to pray for families today, and pray for these families... Saylor Family, Vicki's family, Mayeski Family, Lehman family, Pam's family, Glenda & Wanda and their families, Waybright family, those who reside and/or work at the Bridges and their families. Pray for LeaAnne as she interviews for a job today, and for Mark to have a door opened to him for a job, and all families who use this line.

Forgiving Others: How many times should you forgive a person who sins against you? Here is my answer to that. You will not find it worded like this in the Bible... How many times should you forgive a person who sins against you? How many times do you want Jesus to forgive you? Oh, did I say that? Yes I did.

Luke 17: 3b - "If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. 4 If he sins against you seven times in a day and seven times comes back to you and says, 'I repent,' forgive him." (NIV)

Several things come to my mind on these scriptures. First is that word REPENT, for if you notice in this scripture, and these, folks, are the words of Jesus, and I love the words of Jesus, we are to forgive our brothers (sisters) if they repent. Now this works both ways, when we go to our brothers and sisters who we have wronged (sinned against) we need to repent. Bottom line on this is if we or our brothers and sisters, if you and I want forgiven we need to repent. Next let's look at how many times we should forgive, notice Jesus used the number seven times and it was in a DAY. Now using those numbers let us do some math. Oops, I need to hunt the adding machine. Ok, and remember, this is based on if they say they repent. And remember you and I have promised to repent how many times in our life so far? And we keep sinning. We are to forgive our brothers and sisters 7 times a day, 49 times a week 2,548 times a year, and let's say we live 75 years... that would be 191,100 times. Now how many brothers and sisters do you have? WAIT A MINUTE, it might be family day on the line, but Jesus is talking about our brothers and sisters, and we, and please understand this, we are all children of God, meaning we are all brothers and sisters. So we are talking about your family, your friends, strangers, and get this, even those in Washington DC. Oh yes, we need to do it, IF, if they would come to us and say I repent. Now I know that lowers the numbers. Why am I bringing all of this up? It is about forgiveness. Yesterday I told you a lot about my background and a whole lot of people over the years including, but not limited to, my children forgave me. Brothers and sisters, if you have sinned against another, repent of it, and if you can, ask them to forgive you. If someone asks you to forgive them, ask them have you repented... and forgive them... and get on your knees and ask God to forgive you, I mean GET DOWN, brothers and sisters, GET DOWN on those knees. If you have an Altar with a rail in your church, know that the rail is there for you to use to push yourself back up. The edge of the bed works well also... or get on your knees in bed put your face in the pillow and pray, but once in a while, GET DOWN... It is time to repent, Jesus works so hard to forgive us, and in fact He gave His life for it once, it is time we stop driving nails into Him and repent and really try and keep it that way. AMEN.

Dear Father, once again I come asking for forgiveness and asking You to help us repent, sometimes I think You are telling me to write these messages so that I get the point, and Lord, I am getting it better each time I write about it. Bless families today, all we have listed and also Your family, Lord, the family of God. I pray today for peace Lord, and I fully understand that total peace is asking for Your return. Come on back, Jesus, and till that time may we ready ourselves and help bring in the others... In the name of Jesus I pray... Amen.

Brothers and sisters, if I have offended you in the past, forgive me, but if you were offended because I have offered up the truth according to the Bible you need to work that one out with the Lord. Now go and share those blessings. Oh, did you mail that can of food or drop it off? Some did, and I need to say THANK YOU. love ya, dan.