THIS WILL GIVE YOU CHILLS: (author unknown)
“I LOVE YOU SON”
AFTER A FEW OF THE USUAL SUNDAY EVENING HYMNS,
THE CHURCH’S PASTOR SLOWLY STOOD UP,
WALKED OVER TO THE PULPIT AND,
BEFORE HE GAVE HIS SERMON FOR THE EVENING,
HE BRIEFLY INTRODUCED A GUEST MINISTER
WHO WAS IN THE SERVICE THAT EVENING.
IN THE INTRODUCTION, THE PASTOR TOLD THE
CONGREGATION THAT THE GUEST MINISTER WAS
ONE OF HIS DEAREST CHILDHOOD FRIENDS AND
THAT HE WANTED HIM TO HAVE A FEW MOMENTS
TO GREET THE CHURCH AND SHARE WHATEVER
HE FELT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE FOR THE SERVICE.
WITH THAT, AN ELDERLY MAN STEPPED UP TO THE
PULPIT AND BEGAN TO SPEAK.
“A FATHER, HIS SON, AND A FRIEND OF HIS SON WERE
SAILING OFF THE PACIFIC COAST,” HE BEGAN.
“WHEN A FAST APPROACHING STORM BLOCKED ANY
ATTEMPT TO GET BACK TO THE SHORE.
THE WAVES WERE SO HIGH, THAT EVEN THOUGH THE
FATHER WAS AN EXPERIENCED SAILOR, HE COULD NOT
KEEP THE BOAT UPRIGHT AND THE THREE WERE SWEPT
INTO THE OCEAN AS THE BOAT CAPSIZED.”
THE OLD MAN HESITATED FOR A MOMENT,
MAKING EYE CONTACT WITH TWO TEENAGERS WHO WERE,
FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE THE SERVICE BEGAN,
LOOKING SOMEWHAT INTERESTED IN HIS STORY.
THE AGED MINISTER CONTINUED WITH HIS STORY,
“GRABBING A RESCUE LINE, THE FATHER HAD TO MAKE THE
MOST EXCRUCIATING DECISION OF HIS LIFE: TO WHICH BOY
WOULD HE THROW THE OTHER END OF THE LIFE LINE.
HE ONLY HAD SECONDS TO MAKE THE DECISION.
THE FATHER KNEW THAT HIS SON WAS A CHRISTIAN AND
HE, ALSO, KNEW THAT HIS SON’S FRIEND WAS NOT.
THE AGONY OF HIS DECISION COULD NOT BE MATCHED BY
THE TORRENT OF WAVES.
AS THE FATHER YELLED OUT, ‘I LOVE YOU, SON!’
HE THREW OUT THE LIFE LINE TO HIS SON’S FRIEND.
BY THE TIME THE FATHER HAD PULLED THE FRIEND BACK
TO THE CAPSIZED BOAT, HIS SON HAD DISAPPEARED BENEATH
THE RAGING SWELLS INTO THE BLACK OF NIGHT.
HIS BODY WAS NEVER RECOVERED.
BY THIS TIME, THE TWO TEENAGERS WERE SITTING UP
STRAIGHT IN THE PEW, ANXIOUSLY WAITING FOR THE NEXT
WORDS TO COME OUT OF THE OLD MINISTER’S MOUTH.
“THE FATHER,” HE CONTINUED, “KNEW HIS SON WOULD
STEP INTO ETERNITY WITH JESUS AND HE COULD NOT
BEAR THE THOUGHT OF HIS SON’S FRIEND STEPPING INTO
AN ETERNITY WITHOUT JESUS. THEREFORE, HE SACRIFICED
HIS SON TO SAVE THE SON’S FRIEND.”
HOW GREAT IS THE LOVE OF GOD THAT HE SHOULD DO THE
SAME FOR US. OUR HEAVENLY FATHER SACRIFICED HIS ONLY
BEGOTTEN SON THAT WE COULD BE SAVED. I URGE YOU TO
ACCEPT HIS OFFER TO RESCUE YOU AND TAKE A HOLD OF THE
LIFE LINE HE IS THROWING OUT TO YOU IN THIS SERVICE.”
WITH THAT, THE OLD MAN TURNED AND SAT BACK DOWN IN
HIS CHAIR AS SILENCE FILLED THE ROOM.
THE PASTOR AGAIN WALKED SLOWLY TO THE PULPIT AND
DELIVERED A BRIEF SERMON WITH AN INVITATION AT THE
END. HOWEVER, NO ONE RESPONDED TO THE APPEAL.
WITHIN MINUTES AFTER THE SERVICE ENDED, THE TWO
TEENAGERS WERE AT THE OLD MAN’S SIDE.
“THAT WAS A NICE STORY,” POLITELY STATED ONE OF
THEM, “BUT I DON’T THINK IT WAS VERY REALISTIC FOR A
FATHER TO GIVE UP HIS ONLY SON’S LIFE IN HOPES THAT
THE OTHER BOY WOULD BECOME A CHRISTIAN.”
“WELL, YOU’VE GOT A POINT THERE,” THE OLD MAN REPLIED,
GLANCING DOWN AT HIS WORN BIBLE. A BIG SMILE BROADENED
HIS NARROW FACE. HE ONCE AGAIN LOOKED UP AT THE BOYS
AND SAID, “IT SURE ISN’T VERY REALISTIC, IS IT? BUT,
I’M STANDING HERE TODAY TO TELL YOU THAT STORY GIVES
ME A GLIMPSE OF WHAT IT MUST HAVE BEEN LIKE FOR GOD
TO GIVE UP HIS SON FOR ME.
YOU SEE…
I WAS THAT FATHER AND YOUR PASTOR IS MY SON’S FRIEND.”
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Abiding
7 Ways to Forgive [podcast]

PRAY
“But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;” Matthew 5:44
LOVE AND DO GOOD TO THE OFFENDER
“Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.” Romans 12:9
REFUSE TO SPEAK EVIL OF THE OFFENDER
“Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not.” Romans 12:14
RELEASE THEM FROM YOUR PUNISHMENT
“Recompense (repay) to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. 18 If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. 19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.” Romans 12:17-19
DON’T CELEBRATE THEIR FAILURES
“Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth: 18 Lest the LORD see it, and it displease him, and he turn away his wrath from him.” Proverbs 24:17-18
TREAT THEM THE WAY YOU WANT TO BE TREATED
“And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.” Luke 6:31
STOP DWELLING ON THE PAST
“Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old.” Isaiah 43:18
The blessedness of being merciful to others:
“Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.” Matthew 5:7
The only way to prevent holding a grudge, is to simply forgive them – as God freely forgave you through the infinite price Christ paid for your sins on the cross, of which you don’t deserve (Psalms 103:10).
“Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. 8 Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh. 9 Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned: behold, the judge standeth before the door.” James 5:7-9
“And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: 32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.” Ephesians 4:30-32
Being kind and forgiving towards others becomes simple as we look in the mirror and declare with Paul the apostle: “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing.” (Romans 7:18)
“He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.” Psalms 103:10
Forgiveness becomes easy when we look in the mirror to see the person (us, me) who needs God’s mercy more than any other person alive on the earth! Memorize Ephesians 4:32 now. KJB
“For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.” James 1:20
“Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; 13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. 14 And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.” Colossians 3:12-14
Forgiveness Quotes
Forgiveness is ultra important to God. If you don’t forgive all others, you are not forgiven of your own sin and are as sure for hell as if you were already there. If you refuse to forgive you damn your own soul, non-negotiably. irrevocably.
“Forgiveness does not mean what happened is okay. It means not letting what happened take any more of your happiness.” Michelle Maros
“There is no love without forgiveness, and there is no forgiveness without love.” Bryant McGill
“Love is an act of endless forgiveness. Forgiveness is me giving up my right to hurt you for hurting me. Forgiveness is the final act of love.” Reinhold Niebuhr
“Holding a grudge doesn’t make you strong; it makes you bitter. Forgiving doesn’t make you weak; it sets you free.” unknown
Forgiveness | Fresh Start with God | Making Peace with God


Abiding
Christ’s Non-Negotiable Original Gospel Imperative [podcast]

“He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad.” Matthew 12:30
It’s one thing to claim we are with Christ and He with us, and it’s another thing to prove we are with the Savior by adhering to His words. Jesus told us that those who are “of God” hear and obey His words (John 8:47).
If one chooses not to love Jesus enough to obey His stated terms, such a man has rejected the Son of God for the love of sinful self and will perish in his own corruption (Matthew 22:37-40; Luke 9:23-24; 14:33; 17:33; John 14:15; 1 John 2:3-6, etc.).
“Repentance is to TAKE SIDES with God against yourself. It is a CHANGE of attitude toward SELF, toward SIN, toward GOD, toward CHRIST that is so REAL that it RESULTS in a changed life. It is raising the WHITE FLAG in SURRENDER to God and turning to Christ as your only LORD and Savior. Repentance is NOT a work … works are the fruit of repentance (Ephesians 2:8-10).” Trent Austin
Only the counterfeit will get upset at this Gospel message because such a rebel wants nothing to do with taking personal responsibility for his sin, the denial of self, the crucified life to be set apart, holy, and having the Savior reign!
Notice how Jesus knits the denial of self, the daily cross, the putting off the deeds of the body, of keeping under the body (the iniquitous fallen nature) with the destiny of the eternal soul.
“And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. 24 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it. 25 For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away?” Luke 9:23-25
Jesus made it clear here that the cross is an original Gospel essential, an absolute imperative to eternal glory with Him!
Each of us proves exactly who we love the most by the way we are living! – God or self!
Everything that is happening in your life now is being allowed by God in order to get you down low into the death and burial with Christ. Read 2 Corinthians 4.
“But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. 8 We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; 9 Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; 10 Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. 11 For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh. 12 So then death worketh in us, but life in you.” 2 Corinthians 4:7-12
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The Book of Proverbs Alexander Scourby [video]

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