Completely & Forever

“For You, O Lord, are good and ready to forgive (our trespasses, sending them away, letting them go completely and forever); and You are abundant in mercy and loving-kindness to all those who call upon You.”  Psalm 86:5, AMP

Do you have trouble forgiving yourself? If so, I have good news for you today because our scripture above tells us that we are not only forgiven but our sins have been sent away, let go completely and forever by our merciful and loving God!

Do you remember in Elementary School when a teacher would put our name on the chalkboard if we disobeyed in class? Having our name on the board would stir up feelings of embarrassment and awareness of our wrongful behavior.  And it was the very act of seeing our name on the chalkboard throughout the day that kept us conscious of our bad choice. This is the very thing the devil longs to do to God’s people.  He wants us sin-conscious, after all, he is the accuser of the brethren and he wants our focus on our past sins rather than God’s grace.

Satan understands that sin conscious people live a state of hopelessness and depression.  He does not want you to fulfill your destiny and focusing solely on your past sins – will do just that! You see, Satan does not want you to know that  Jesus is the “eraser” of all sin.  The chalkboard that once listed your sin was erased with His precious Blood the moment you gave your life to Him.  That my friend is the power of the Cross!

The truth is that you may not feel forgiven but God’s Word supersedes feelings. Psalm 86:5 is clear,“For You, O Lord, are good and ready to forgive (our trespasses, sending them away, letting them go completely and forever); and You are abundant in mercy and loving-kindness to all those who call upon You.” Your feelings will LIE to you, but God’s Word is ALWAYS TRUE.

If forgiving yourself has been a struggle for you then I would like for you to do something…Take out a pencil and a piece of paper.  Then write down all the sins that have tormented you. Once you have completed your list, I want you to re-read Psalm 86:5.  As an act of faith, I now want you to use an eraser and erase your list until it is completely gone.  And now with your blank paper in front of you, it is time to thank Jesus for His Blood and forgiveness of sins!

I would also like to encourage you to put this piece of paper somewhere for you to see (a kitchen cabinet or bathroom mirror perhaps) and anytime you feel un-forgiven or tormented by your past sins, walk up to this piece of paper and declare: “The Lord has forgiven me of my sins. My sins have been erased, sent away, let go completely and forever out of God’s abundant mercy and love for me. Feelings you must submit to the Word of God. I am forgiven, redeemed and an over comer in Christ Jesus. Amen.” That my friend is what it means to be forgiven completely & forever!!

Prayer: “Lord, Your love is amazing and I am so thankful that my sins are forgiven, let go of completely and gone forever.  Help me to believe Your Word over how I feel.  I declare that my feelings must line up with the Word of God and I ask that You help me receive this truth deep within my spirit.  Thank Jesus for Your precious blood that came to erase my sins away. Help me to walk in the abundance of Your grace forevermore.  Amen.”

The Fruit of Patience

“For you have need of endurance so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise.” Hebrews 10:36

Patience…it’s a word that most of us do not like. But, today I want to show you how vital the fruit of patience is to receive the promises of God in your life. Did you know that patience is also defined as endurance and perseverance? The Greek word for endurance is “hupomone.” (Please stay with me for a moment as we define the Greek word, “hupomone” and get a clearer picture of why patience is so imperative to our spiritual life). “Hupomone” means, “constancy, perseverance, continuance, bearing up, steadfastness, holding out and patient endurance”. “Hupo” literally means, “under,” and “mone” literally means, “to remain.”

Therefore, we can define patience as: “The ability to bear up under difficult circumstances, not with a passive complacency, but with a hopeful staying power that actively resists weariness and defeat.”

This is good news, because most of us give up too soon. Once we receive a promise from the Word of God we want an immediate manifestation of that promise – like NOW! But it usually does not work that way. Just as Abraham had to wait patiently before he received his promise – so do we. There is a slice of time between the PROMISE and the PROVISION where the POWER of PATIENCE is vital. You see, during this in-between time is when the enemy attacks you the most. The devil will do everything within his power to distract, discourage and pull you off track. When the attack comes – you will need the power of patience. You need the supernatural power of endurance to bear up under the trials of this life and ACTIVELY resist weariness and defeat. The truth is YOU WIN – if you do not lose hope!

I encourage you today to ask God for the power of patience to manifest in your life. Whether you need it now or sometime in the near future – the “hupomone” power of God will help you to wait patiently and receive your promise!

Prayer:
Lord, I need the power of patience in my life. Help me to bear up under difficult circumstances with a hopeful resilience that actively resists weariness and defeat. When the enemy comes like a roaring lion, I declare the supernatural power of endurance is manifested in my life. I will not give up. I will not lose sight. I will be victorious and receive ALL the promises of God in my life. Amen.