Sword of the Spirit – Asked to Leave #1120

Posted on November 4, 2020 by ron021950

SWORD OF THE SPIRIT                                                                                               1120

“Asked to Leave”

... The herdsmen fled, and going into the city they told everything, especially what had happened to the demon-possessed men. And behold, all the city came out to meet Jesus, and when they saw him, they begged him to leave their region. – Matthew 8:28-34

Our nation was founded by Christians who fled religious persecution in Europe. Madison’s original proposal for a bill of rights provision concerning religion read: “The civil rights of none shall be abridged on account of religious belief or worship, nor shall any national religion be established, nor shall the full and equal rights of conscience be in any manner, or on any pretence, infringed.” – Annals of Congress 434 June 8, 1789

The House and Senate committee at the time, reduced the wording into its final form as the first clause in the United States Bill of Rights which states in part that ‘Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof;’

The term, ‘Separation of Church and State’ is not found in our Constitution. The idea was originally stated by Roger Williams, founder of Rhode Island, who believed that any government involvement in the church would corrupt the church. The most famous use of the phrase was by Thomas Jefferson in his 1802 letter to the Danbury Baptist Association. In it, Jefferson declared that when the American people adopted the establishment clause in the Second Amendment that they built a “wall of separation between the church and state.”

Over the last 200 plus years, America has steadily become a melting pot of religious belief systems. The resulting conflict has presented our judicial system with conundrums that they have ‘solved’ by increasingly moving our nation’s secularism to the point of infringement upon our individual free exercise of our faith.

As a nation we are asking Jesus to leave.

In 1962, we took prayer out of public schools. This has extrapolated into preventing any mention of personal beliefs in God or Jesus in student speech or on clothing as well as praying before a meal in the cafeteria. We have asked Jesus to leave.

In January 2019 the Democrat-controlled House Natural Resources Committee produced a draft rules document that removed “So help you God” from oaths required of witnesses before the committee. We have asked Jesus to leave.

Challenges abound resulting in the removal of the Ten Commandments as a moral compass from public places. Christian businesses from Chick-fil-A to small Christian-owned bakeries, photographers and the like are being sued and driven out of business because their ‘full and equal rights of conscience’ are being infringed upon by an amoral government ruling in favor of immoral entities who feel discriminated against by people governed by God’s moral code.

And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. – John 3:19

Our country has asked Jesus to leave. We need to invite Him back.

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Sword of the Spirit – Crucified with Christ #1119

Posted on October 29, 2020 by ron021950

SWORD OF THE SPIRIT                                                                                               1119

“Crucified with Christ”

And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me; And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. – Luke 9:23; Matthew 10:38

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. – Galatians 2:20

So many of us view our burdens and sufferings as ‘our cross to bear’. This is not at all what Jesus was talking about relative to taking up our cross and following Him. At the time that Jesus spoke these words, the cross had one significant meaning to the people of that day – death. Jesus is asking us then and today if we are willing to die to self and to our sinful nature and follow Him.

Paul writes in Galatians 2:20 what it means to have taken up his cross and followed Jesus. We are exhorted to do the same. How do we practically apply this Word to our lives today? The answer is simple: we learn to say ‘No’ to the sinful desires of our flesh and ‘Yes’ to the righteousness of Jesus.

And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires; So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus; For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.…Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. – Galatians 5:24  Romans 6:11– Colossians 3:3-5

Being crucified with Christ also means that we learn to not embed ourselves in this material world at the expense of a closer walk with Jesus. We learn to deny ourselves the desires of the flesh when those desires conflict with obedience to following the Lord’s direction.

Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, … so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God. – 1 Peter 4:1-2

Being crucified with Christ is not a one-time event. It is a process by which we die little deaths over time. Can we deny ourselves some future plans and goals in order to care for elderly and sick parents?

But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. – 1 Timothy 5:8

Having been crucified with Christ it is no longer we who live but Christ lives in us. Are we willing to deny ourselves time, comfort, material goods, in order to be His hands and feet in ministry to those in need?

Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others…; Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to do it. – Philippians 2:4-8 – Proverbs 3:27

This is not an easy Word to apply to our lives. Like the rich young ruler many of us would walk away from such self-denial and total commitment to follow Christ. Our sinful nature is at war with our spiritual nature and as long as we are in the flesh the battle will rage on. But take heart for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. 1 John 4:4

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Sword of the Spirit – Cleanse the Land #1118

Posted on October 22, 2020 by ron021950

SWORD OF THE SPIRIT                                                                                               1118

“Cleanse the Land”

When you come into the land that the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominable practices of those nations…And because of these abominations the Lord your God is driving them out before you. – Deuteronomy 18:9-12

When the Lord led His people into the Promised Land He empowered and equipped them with weapons of war to bring His judgment upon the people there for their abominable practices.

Today, God sends His people, the church – the Body of Christ into the land to cleanse it also. Only now our weapons are not swords and spears but rather, prayer and our vote at the polls.

Traditionally, over 40% of professing evangelical Christians have not voted at all. This is unconscionable. This election year is probably the most critical election I have voted in for the past 50 years. The entire Body of Christ must turn out to vote.

He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? – Micah 6:8

God’s Word has told us what is right and wrong, moral and immoral. God requires us then to do justice, love kindness and walk humbly with Him.

Voting is an act of justice. We must not look for a charismatic personality to vote for. We are not electing royalty or an idol. We are to vote based upon the issues and where the political party stands on these issues. We bring God’s judgment upon the abominable practices with our vote.

You shall not give any of your children to offer them to Molech, and so profane the name of your God: I am the Lord. – Leviticus 18:21

Voting is an act of love. The most dangerous place in America is the womb. Our nation has legalized, funded and promoted the murder of innocent babies – even full term. Our vote for those who stand for life is an act of love.

We the people are blessed to live in a constitutional democracy. We the people are the authority and yes, God’s Word instructs us to obey the authorities over us. However, when that authority seeks to enslave us and force us to accept what God considers to be an abomination, then we are to exercise our authority with our vote.

We the people are inclusive of all beliefs and cultures. As Evangelical Christians we share the authority of our vote with those who do not share our faith in God. Are we being good stewards of this nation that God has blessed us with if we sit back and abdicate our responsibility to vote in accordance with God’s Holy moral principles?

‘My vote won’t matter’, you say. Then why do you recycle that one plastic bottle to ‘save the planet’? Your vote, my vote, our collective votes matter greatly when we see ourselves as the Body of Christ – not just an individual.

if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land. – 2 Chronicles 7:14

VOTE! It’s an act of love and justice. Vote to cleanse our land.

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Sword of the Spirit – Keep the Word #1117

Posted on October 14, 2020 by ron021950

SWORD OF THE SPIRIT                                                                                               1117

“Keep the Word”

I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. – Psalm 119:11,105

What value do you place on the Word of God? Do you treasure it? Is it merely an inanimate book to you or do you know it to be the Living Word of God i.e., Jesus Christ?

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made.  In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. – John 1:1-5

If the Word of God is nothing more than a book of fictional stories, then why have governments and evil factions worked so hard for centuries to eliminate it? Bibles have been removed from public places. They are confiscated at borders of countries and burned. Plaques with Scripture verses are being removed and destroyed. Prayer is banned in public places and the Name of our Lord is only allowed to be used in vain. The answer as to why is found in John 3:19.

And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. – John 3:19

When we keep the Word of God in our heart we maintain our moral compass with which to navigate the myriad of decisions and choices we need to make in this life. The Word gives us discernment and clarity when faced with the deception of the evil one.

For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. – Hebrews 4:12

Inasmuch as our bodies need food to live, so do our spirits need to be nourished by the Word of God. We need more than a nibble every now and them. We need to continually feast on the Word.

But he (Jesus) answered, “It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God. – Matthew 4:4

We need to keep the Word of God not only in the sense of obedience to it, but also in the sense of treasuring it in our hearts. Keeping the Word makes us complete and equipped with the full armor of God. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of Godmay be complete, equipped for every good work. – 2 Timothy 3:16-17

When we keep the Word we, as the Body of Christ, are a preserving force (salt) in this world. The Word in us is the Sword of the Spirit bringing the light of Jesus to dispel the darkness of evil.

“You are the salt of the earth…You are the light of the world…- Matthew 5:13-15

In this critical election year fraught with the pandemic and economic turmoil, emotions run high. Political ads are infested with half-truths and flat out lies. Fact checkers need to be fact checked. The Body of Christ MUST rise up en masse, complete and equipped with the Word of God as their moral compass to rightly discern the way to vote.

Rise up church! Keep the Word and be salt and light in this dark time.

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Sword of the Spirit – Love and Justice #1116

Posted on October 1, 2020 by ron021950

SWORD OF THE SPIRIT                                                                                               1116

“Love and Justice”

The Lord is slow to anger and will by no means clear the guilty. – Nahum 1:3

Have you ever encountered people who believe in God but reject His free gift of salvation through Jesus?

You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder! – James 2:19

They believe there is an eternal afterlife but they view the concept that Jesus as being the only way to Heaven with Father God as too narrow and restrictive.

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. – John 14:6

And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” – Acts 4:12

There are those who teach that God does not send people to hell – that He only honors their choice to go there. That teaching does not hold with the Truth of the Word of God. If I choose to break the law, I am not doing so because I am choosing the negative consequence for my action. I am breaking the law because I prefer to sin rather than being obedient.

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. – Romans 6:23

In the same way people who choose to embrace a life of sin and reject God’s plan of repentance and salvation through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ are not choosing to go to hell. They are choosing to reject Jesus all the while maintaining an expectation of eternal life in heaven.

Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few. – Matthew 7:13-14

They continue to expect eternity in heaven by stating that a loving God will not send them to hell. God does indeed love us. He does not want people to go to hell for eternity – He wants them all to repent and accept his free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ.

The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. – 2 Peter 3:9

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. – John 3:16

However much that God loves us, He is also just. God will send those to hell whose choice is to refuse to repent and turn from sin and who reject salvation though Christ Jesus – God will mete out justice.

Then he will say to those on his left, Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. – Matthew 25:41

May the Holy Spirit reveal the truth of the Word of God to your soul. May the sword of the Spirit cut through the deception of the enemy so that you may know the depth of God’s love for you through Jesus. May you know His true character of love and justice.

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Sword of the Spirit – Misplaced Trust #1115

Posted on September 24, 2020 by ron021950

SWORD OF THE SPIRIT                                                                                               1115

“Misplaced Trust”

Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord and in whose hope is in the Lord – Jeremiah 17:5-7

We the people of the United States of America are going through a difficult patch right now. Not only are we dealing with a pandemic and the economic effect thereof, but also with anarchists who are wreaking havoc in our cities.

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble; When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. – Psalm 46:1; Psalm 56:3

Roads are blocked, innocent travelers are being accosted and our police are being attacked and killed. It seems that domestic terrorism is being allowed to flourish and run rampant and little if anything is being done to put an end to it.

But I trust in you, O Lord; I say, “You are my God.” My times are in your hand; rescue me from the hand of my enemies and from my persecutors! – Psalm 31:14-15

When we cannot trust our governing authorities to keep us safe, what do we do? It seems that every day conversations of late with friends, family or acquaintances inevitably include the topic of owning weapons to defend ourselves.

He said to them, “But now let the one who has a moneybag take it, and likewise a knapsack. And let the one who has no sword sell his cloak and buy one. – Luke 22:36

Those who carried burdens were loaded in such a way that each labored on the work with one hand and held his weapon with the other. And each of the builders had his sword strapped at his side while he built. – Nehemiah 4:17-18

I am a firm believer in our Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms in order to defend our families from evildoers. I am also a firm believer that my trust must never be misplaced on such weapons.

Blessed be the Lord, my rock, who trains my hands for war, and my fingers for battle; Through you we push down our foes; through your name we tread down those who rise up against us. For not in my bow do I trust, nor can my sword save me…. – Psalm 144:1; Psalm 44:5-7

Gun sales are at record levels since the pandemic panic hoarding began in March of 2020. What are people seeking to defend – themselves or their T-paper and canned goods? We should share what we have with those in need and trust in the Lord to resupply.

And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you. – Psalm 9:10

In these difficult times, be clear in whom or in what you place your trust. Be careful not to misplace your trust in man, self, weaponry, wealth or anything of this world.

Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God; The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; … – Psalm 20:7; Nahum 1:7

Exercise your right to keep and bear arms if you so desire. Exercise also your right and obligation to vote in the upcoming election seeking to preserve the sanctity of life from the womb to the nursing home and to preserve the foundations of our Constitution. May the Peace of Jesus fill your hearts and homes.

You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. – Isaiah 26:3

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Sword of the Spirit – Soul Thirst #1114

Posted on September 17, 2020 by ron021950

SWORD OF THE SPIRIT                                                                                               1114

“Soul Thirst”

O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. –  Psalm 63:1 

Have you ever suffered the effects of severe dehydration? You feel weak and can hardly function. Your thinking becomes clouded. Your body temperature elevates and you can’t seem to catch your breath. You feel faint. Every fiber of your being becomes driven to get water.

David, in today’s reference Scripture, likens his spiritual thirst to that of the dehydration of his body. How thirsty is your soul?

As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God… – Psalm 42:1-2

Let’s examine David’s thirsty prayer.

O God, you are my God – David begins his prayer by affirming that God is the one, true God and that he worships no other ‘gods’. In biblical times as is today people have divided affections in worshiping many false gods. Believers and unbelievers alike can be found praying to mother earth or other false deities. Spiritual thirst can only be satiated by Jesus.

You shall have no other gods before me; You are my witnesses… that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor shall there be any after me. – Exodus 20:3; Isaiah 43:10

earnestly I seek you – Is satisfying your soul thirst a desperate priority in your life or have you rendered your relationship with Jesus to an afterthought, when you have time? Do seek Him only when you need something? How thirsty is your soul, really?

Seek the LORD and his strength; seek his presence continually! – Psalm 105:4

…my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. – We live in a dry and weary land. We have taken prayer out of public places and have enacted laws to remove and hide references to Almighty God. In exchange, we have elevated and protected the worship of false gods. Our souls should be thirsting for righteousness like never before.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. –  Matthew 5:6

The people of our dry and weary land need the Living Water of Jesus, our Lord and Savior. We, the church, the Body of Christ, are commissioned to help bring those who thirst to the water of life in Jesus. We cannot do that when we have let our own soul thirst go unsatiated or worse yet attempt to satisfy our spiritual thirst with the created things of this world.

May you earnestly, desperately and continually seek to satisfy your soul thirst in Jesus Christ. Jesus said to them, “…If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink; …but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”-  John 6:35; 7:37; 4:14

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Sword of the Spirit – Word Storage #1113

Posted on September 10, 2020 by ron021950

SWORD OF THE SPIRIT                                                                                               1113

“Word Storage”

I have hidden Your word in my heart that I might not sin against You. – Psalm 119:11

Having accepted God’s salvation plan through Jesus Christ, our sins are forgiven and we are justified before our Father in Heaven. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. – 2 Corinthians 5:17

Yet as long as we remain in this body of flesh we will be at war with our old sin nature.

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. – Ephesians 6:12

Our spiritual desire is to live for Jesus – to be His disciple. But we stumble and sin on occasion.

For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing; Wretched man that I am!  – Romans 7:19; 24

The Word of God reveals the example of Jesus for us, being fully God and fully man, He showed us how to navigate life in this world being guided and empowered by the Holy Spirit of God.

Because He Himself suffered when He was tempted, He is able to help those who are being tempted;  For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. – Hebrews 2:18; 4:15

When Jesus began His ministry the Holy Spirit led Him into the desert for 40 days and 40 nights where Satan tempted Him and sought to trip Him up. Each time Jesus overcame temptation with the Word of God. But he answered, “It is written, “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” – Matthew 4:4

The Living Word of God, read, spoken, memorized and stored in our hearts provides our armor and weaponry to battle the evil of this world that tries to trip us up and drag us back into sin.

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for instruction, for conviction, for correction, and for training in righteousness. – 2 Timothy 3:16

Make a priority of beginning each day reading, speaking, meditating, studying, and memorizing the Word of God. Feed your spirit with an equal if not greater priority than you seek to satisfy your body’s thirst or hunger.

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. – Psalm 119:105

Store the Word of God in your heart and the Holy Spirit will bring it to mind at the precise moment you need it to ward off temptation, to give you courage, to increase your faith, to give you peace.

Turn my eyes away from worthless things; revive me with Your word; But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh; For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. –Psalm 119:37; Galatians 5:16; Hebrews 4:12 

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Sword of the Spirit – The Good Old Days #1112

Posted on September 3, 2020 by ron021950

SWORD OF THE SPIRIT                                                                                               1112

“The Good Old Days”

Do not say, “Why is it that the former days were better than these?” For it is not from wisdom that you ask about this. – Ecclesiastes 7:10

Do you often lament and pine for the good old days? Looking back life seemed to be so much simpler in the 40’s, and 50’s – or were they really?

The nation of Israel had forgotten what it was like to be cruelly mistreated as slaves in Egypt and began to lose trust and faith in God and His promises and plan for them.

“Why is the LORD bringing us into this land, to fall by the sword? …would it not be better for us to return to Egypt?” So they said to one another, “Let us appoint a leader and return to Egypt.” – Numbers 14:3-4

God’s Word teaches us about Esther who was taken from her family to be in the king’s harem. She probably longed for the good old days as well but God used her to fulfill His plan.

For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows if perhaps you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” – Esther 4:14

Job pined for the good old days also as he went through a very difficult time in his life.

“Oh that I were as in months gone by, As in the days when God watched over me; When His lamp shone over my head, And by His light I walked through darkness; As I was in the prime of my days, When the friendship of God was over my tent; When the Almighty was yet with me, And my children were around me; – Job 29:2-5

During such trying times we tend to lose sight of the fact that God remains present to comfort and heal and see us through it.

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in times of trouble. – Psalm 46:1

Because of the loving devotion of the LORD we are not consumed, for His mercies never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness! – Lamentations 3:22-23

A windshield is a lot bigger than a rear view mirror for a reason. It is the same principle for our Christian life walk as it is for driving a car. The past is past – we need to learn from it and thrive in the present looking forward to the future trusting in God and in His love and care for us.

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, to give you a future and a hope; And we know that God works all things together for the good of those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose. – Romans 8:28; Jeremiah 29:11

Do not look to the good old days of the past for comfort. Rejoice in today – in the present abiding presence of the Lord. Eagerly anticipate the ‘something new’ that God is bringing about in your life.

“Do not call to mind the former things; pay no attention to the things of old. Behold, I am about to do something new; even now it is coming. Do you not see it?-  Isaiah 43:18-19

This is the day that the LORD has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it. – Psalm 118:24

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Sword of the Spirit – No Record #1111

Posted on August 26, 2020 by ron021950

SWORD OF THE SPIRIT                                                                                               1111

“No Record”

Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, outcry and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and tenderhearted to one another, forgiving each other just as in Christ God forgave you – Ephesians 4:31-32

Forgive each other.….just as…..in Christ…..God forgave you.

God’s Word is clear. We are to get rid of all bitterness. We are to forgive others with the same love that our heavenly Father showed when He forgave us through Jesus.

For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that everyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life – John 3:16

If we profess to be Christian, a born-again, Spirit Filled follower of Jesus Christ, saved by grace then the fruit of this profession is evident in the love we show – even for those who have done us wrong. By the grace and power of the abiding presence of Jesus in our hearts we are able to forgive and keep no record of being wronged.

Love … keeps no account of wrongs. – 1 Corinthians 13:5

How many of us religiously attend church services being careful not to sit next to ‘certain’ people for whom we harbor bitterness because of a hurt they have caused us in the past?

And when you stand to pray, if you hold anything against another, forgive it, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your trespasses as well. – Mark 11:25

How many of us are estranged from family and friends due to bitterness and unforgiveness? Oftentimes it has root in an act from the distant past that hurt us at the time but now in retrospect is really quite insignificant.

But like an invasive vine bitterness was allowed to take root and thrive to the point that the vine has become so thick and intertwined in our soul that it is seems impossible to extricate. Such bitterness and unforgiveness chokes the Life of Christ out of our soul. The fruit of the Spirit becomes less evident in our life and our testimony for Jesus is tarnished. The rivers of Living Water that should flow through us have slowed to a trickle if not completely dried up.

Are you unable to forgive someone? Are you held captive by the thick vine of bitterness that you have allowed to take root in your heart? Are you oppressed by the enemy of your soul because of your unforgiveness? Are you feeling distanced from your first love when you first came to receive forgiveness through Jesus?

Jesus began His ministry by quoting this passage from Isaiah:

“The Spirit of the Lord is on Me, because He has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

Repent of your past unwillingness to forgive and forget. Allow Jesus to set you free from the bondage of bitterness and be reconciled to your family and friends by the power and presence of Jesus in your heart. Forgive as God has forgiven you in Christ and keep no record of wrong.

For I will forgive their iniquities and will remember their sins no more.” – Hebrews 8:12

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