September 15, 2024 • 37 mins
Welcome to episode #14 of "Faith It Till You Make It" with your host, James Masse.
Join us as we delve deep into the theme of forgiveness, exploring its profound impact on our lives as Christians.
James opens up about his personal struggles with forgiveness, recounting his life before he found Jesus. Through heartfelt storytelling and powerful scripture, he emphasizes that forgiving someone doesn't mean forgetting or putting yourself in harm's way again. Instead, it's about freeing yourself from the chains of bitterness and letting the Holy Spirit guide you to a place of peace and wisdom.
Discover the power in Jesus' teachings on forgiveness and how this divine principle protects us from the enemy's footholds as James shares a compelling analogy about strings attached to us by unforgiveness; which the devil can use to control us like puppets. But through genuine forgiveness, these strings are cut, putting us in a position to regain our spiritual strength.
With references to real-life conversations and biblical stories, this episode will inspire you to embrace forgiveness as a strength, not a weakness. Tune in to understand that Jesus calls us to forgive infinitely because this show of grace shields us from spiritual warfare... and always remember, forgiving is not just an act of kindness towards others; it's a profound gift to yourself.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Hi, my name is Charlotte. I want to welcome you to Faith It Till You Make It
with my daddy, James Masse
Me and my sister just want to thank you all for being here.
Hi, my name is Gracie Bell. We just want to remind you. Jesus loves you! Bye!
(00:22):
What's up, everybody? Welcome to Faith It Till You Make It.
I am your host, James Masse. So before we get started, I just want to make
it a habit to start off the show with some good news. Amen.
So no matter who you are, where you've been, what you've done,
or where you're headed, Jesus loves you.
He knows you by name and he has amazing plans for your life.
(00:42):
Jesus Christ willingly sacrificed himself for our salvation.
And then three days later, he rose again, conquering death, hell, and the grave.
All you have to do is believe in him, repent of your sins, invite him into your
heart, and follow his lead. I promise you, it will be the best and most important
decision of your entire life.
And if it sounds too good to be true, that's because it should be.
(01:03):
But luckily for us, there's Jesus.
And that is why we call it the good news.
Your ticket to heaven is already paid in full. So just pick up your cross and let's go.
Music.
Welcome back, Faith If family. We are up to episode 14.
(01:26):
I'm your host, James Massey, and today's title is The Power of Forgiveness.
So we're just going to talk about all different scriptures through the Bible
that have to do with forgiveness and just how important forgiveness is in our lives as Christians.
I mean, as humans, but especially as Christians, you know, as we were told very
(01:49):
specifically by Jesus himself that, you know, we got to forgive. give. There's just...
I know this is hard for most people. I mean, it was very, very hard for me just
through life, especially before I found Jesus.
But I think there comes a time when you grasp the fact that forgiving someone, right?
(02:15):
I used to look at it like forgiving someone made me weak.
It's almost like, oh, I'm letting them off the hook if they did something wrong to me.
I'm, like, giving the upper hand back to them and, like, putting them in a position
where they can hurt me again or deceive me again or whatever the situation.
(02:36):
So, like, all through my life, before I was a real Christian,
I was very unforgiving, could hold a grudge, you know.
I used to think, honestly, I used to think that was a strength.
But obviously you know once the holy spirit gets in
there and starts what's he say i will take
away your heart of stone and give you a heart
(02:58):
of flesh and if that ain't the truest statement i ever heard in my life it's
exactly what he does but the the revelation of forgiveness that really hit me
and changed everything like just because you forgive somebody doesn't mean you
put them back in the the place where they were, right?
Where they can hurt you again. Like the world says, forgive and forget.
(03:21):
You don't have to forgive and forget.
Actually, you shouldn't forgive and forget because then you're kind of like
waving off wisdom or yeah, you're not using your experience through what you
went through to gather wisdom, right?
Because the Bible says all we got to do is ask God for wisdom,
(03:43):
but sometimes God will send you wisdom through pain, like through experience.
I mean, how else will you acquire it, right?
Let me show you what this situation does, or let me show you how your reaction
to it, you know, changes you.
Let me show you how next time you're in this kind of a situation,
(04:04):
you'll know exactly what to do. That's wisdom, right?
I heard something that was like, oh, knowledge. Yeah, so knowledge is knowing
that a tomato is a fruit, but wisdom is knowing not to put it in your fruit
salad, right? That's really good.
That's really good. But don't forgive and forget.
(04:27):
Forgive and remember. Just because you're forgiving doesn't mean you have to
be abused or you have to allow them to do what they've done unto you again.
No, you forgive and you remember. And every time you remember,
you forgive again, because again, forgiving is not for them. Forgiving is for you.
You know, forgiveness is a shield that keeps,
(04:47):
forgiveness is a shield, is a barrier that keeps your foundation strong and
whole because every little foothold you leave for the devil, right?
Unforgiveness, bitterness, all that stuff, that puts cracks in your foundation
and that's how snakes get in, right?
That's how unclean spirits get in.
(05:09):
So forgive and remember. but every time you remember, forgive again,
right? You could protect yourself.
You could protect yourself, but you got to forgive. You just got to release it.
You got to give it to God, you know, because holding a grudge against somebody,
and this is really what I've learned, holding a grudge against somebody is like
drinking poison and expecting it to hurt them, right?
(05:33):
Expecting it to kill them, but all it does is poisons you.
All it does is changes you.
I forget who I, you know, it actually might have been Mike Tyson.
Mike Tyson was talking to somebody because he's like come around.
I know he's a wild animal, but he found Jesus at some point.
He calls himself a Christian. He preaches the gospel a little bit on his show.
(05:54):
I'm not saying he's, you know, go follow Mike Tyson. I'm just saying he says
a lot of very intelligent things.
And he was talking to somebody and I think it was Saquon Barkley,
the running back for the Eagles now, but he was a Giants running back,
Penn State running back, and he said,
and they were talking about forgiveness, and he's like, oh, so Saquon is saying,
(06:15):
oh, you think if someone does me wrong, like, nah, you're done,
like, I'm done with you, like, I cut you off, that's it, he's like,
you don't get, like, a second chance to, you know, to hurt me,
and Mike Tyson was like, no, no, no, young man,
he's like, what do you mean, he's like, that's not, that's not the way to do
it, that's not the the way Jesus says to do it.
And Saquon's like, so you mean to tell me somebody can hurt me and then I gotta go forgive them?
(06:40):
And like and what just allow
them to continue to you know
be in a position where they can do it again he's like no
i just cut them off and then now they're not a threat and and
mike tyson was like no no then you lose he's like how do i lose mike tyson's
like because the devil wins because you changed and like that really really
(07:03):
like spoke to me like yeah you changed you in order to have that coldness to cut someone off,
someone, especially someone important to you, family, friends,
whatever it is, even if they're wrong, the part of you that you need to use to accomplish that is,
(07:24):
it's cold.
It's not of God. It's not a fruit of the Spirit. So if it's not of God,
then it's of the enemy, right?
This is why Jesus doesn't want us to have unforgiveness, because it is a gateway
for so much, because that coldness, it's a foothold for the devil, right?
(07:48):
You could throw up a wall, that too, like I used to think was a strength.
A lot of people think it's a strength or a lot, it's a defense mechanism,
but man, when you throw that wall up, it's just such such a gateway for all the devil's weapons,
for all the devil's weapons, because you're turning away from God to lean entirely
(08:11):
on your flesh in order to tap into that part of you that's capable of these things.
It feels like a strength. It feels like a strength because it feels good to
the flesh to protect the flesh, right?
But in order to go to a place where you can throw up a wall,
in order to go to a place where you can cut someone off, in order to go to a
(08:33):
place where you can use anger to blind yourself from pain,
you're turning away from God and you're grabbing onto the flesh, right?
This is exactly why we automatically want to turn to that, because the flesh
is weak and wants to protect itself, right?
So in order to go into that kind of place, space to feel safe,
(08:57):
to feel protected, to feel in control, to feel strong.
You have to turn away from God and just use your flesh as a weapon.
And it works. I've done it my whole life.
I've done it my whole life. But now I see why that tug of war comes when you're
chasing Jesus and you run into this kind of a situation.
(09:17):
Because it's not those, the place you have to go to accomplish that kind of thing is not of God.
And that's why it makes you so susceptible to the enemy because you're grabbing onto the flesh.
And you're turning away from the Spirit. This is exactly why Jesus tells us
we have to forgive, not seven times, 77 times.
(09:39):
But in Jesus' talk, that just means infinite times.
Because if we have forgiveness in our hearts, and we don't allow any of these things to take root,
he understands it really is like a power. It really is a protection.
It really is a shield. It shields us from so many footholds that the enemy immediately
(10:07):
gets access to the second we have unforgiveness in our hearts.
Like I'll never look at forgiving someone the same after learning this stuff.
It just makes so much more sense.
It's not a power of, it's not a position of weakness.
It's a position of power It really really is,
Jesus is so smart I mean come on Smartest man ever walked this earth You know
(10:32):
what I mean We should probably just like Take his advice Especially on this,
He's really just trying to protect us from So many bad things Like what kind
of things come with unforgiveness You got anger,
Resentment, bitterness Bitterness is like.
I mean, that's, think about, you know, it's all poison.
(10:57):
It's all poison. But all these things stem from unforgiveness.
That's why Jesus is like, it doesn't matter what they did. I'm telling you to
forgive them just like I forgave you.
And the reason you're forgiving them, it's not for them.
It's for you, right? It's for you.
And if you've ever experienced it where you've really forgiven someone who did
(11:17):
something wrong to you, that you never imagined you could forgive,
it is such a release off of your shoulders.
It's such a blessing.
I mean, it really, really is. And I know that, listen, that this would have
sounded so crazy to me because I could hold a grudge. No more though.
(11:39):
But, you know, I actually had like a revelation about this recently about how
like unforgiveness is like, I picture it like the unforgiveness in your life, right?
All these little things, I picture them like strings, right?
They're like footholds for the devil. And that's the problem.
(12:00):
Like, this is why Jesus was telling us to forgive.
He was telling us to forgive so that, because he understood that like,
it's such a foothold for the devil to get in.
And once he gets in, you know, they say once one gets in, now he's holding the
door and in comes all the other ones you know what i'm saying that's why you
get a little a little mad at something and now like.
(12:23):
All these other sins start it's just it's just a spiritual warfare and it's
non-stop and it's always so if you just have the spirit of forgiveness it just
really really sets you up in a much better safer place to operate from especially
as a christian especially as a growing Christian,
and especially as a Christian who's following Jesus,
(12:45):
because the Christians who are really following Jesus,
the devil has his eye on you. You have a target on your back.
All the time, all the time. So I pictured it like these little footholds, right?
And I had like a vision of this where all these little unforgivenesses, right?
That you don't fully heal or you don't fully forgive the person and like free
(13:06):
yourself from that animosity or that bitterness.
I picture it like that's a string hanging off of you, right?
So you're like, yeah, I didn't really forgive him for this. Boom,
now you got a string hanging off of your heel, right? Right.
And, oh, I really didn't forgive my real father for this from,
you know, my childhood or whatever. Now you got a string hanging off of your wrist.
(13:27):
And, oh, my mom, this and my, you know, my grandma, that. And,
oh, now you got a string here, a string there. Now, all of a sudden,
you got all these strings hanging.
And how easy is it for the devil to come along and grab those strings and play
you like a puppet anytime he wants?
Right. This is why we forgive. Who cares if they were wrong?
You're not forgiving them for them.
(13:47):
You're forgiving them for you. You're forgiving them to protect yourself from the enemy.
So forgiveness is like, it's actually like a shield.
And it makes so much sense because I remember being like a young Christian and
being like, you know, no, they're wrong, right?
So worldly, so worldly.
(14:08):
Like, no, they're wrong. Why am I forgiving them? No, they're not even sorry.
How am I supposed to forgive them? That doesn't matter. That doesn't matter.
And also, I can't remember where this is. It's somewhere in the scripture.
It says something along the lines of if you are the Christian,
you are expected to initiate the reconciliation, right?
(14:32):
I got to look that up, but I know it is because my pastor said it before.
So it's like when we talk to the youth about it and their parents aren't Christian
and they're having disagreements and stuff.
Stuff okay well you're the christian right because if someone's not christian
you might be the only bible they ever get to read so if they see you saying
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that you're a christian and this is how you behave and they don't know any better
they don't know the scriptures they don't know jesus.
They're gonna take what they see from you oh oh our daughter's a christian she's
such a christian now but she we just got in a fight she just told me off she's
17 years old she just told off her mother,
oh, you're so Christian, look how much you're changing, you know,
(15:15):
and that's what the enemy will do in the mind of unbelievers to keep them there,
you know what I'm saying?
So, as Christians, we are expected, right, to practice what we're learning,
right, to practice what we're preaching if we're doing that,
but practice what we are.
What does James, I think it's in the book of James, pretty much along the lines
(15:37):
of like, don't just be, oh yeah, don't just be readers of the word, be doers of the word.
Because you can read it all you want. It's like reading about a diet plan and
thinking you're going to lose weight.
It's about reading about workouts and thinking you're going to get muscles.
No, you got to do it, bro. You got to do the thing. You got to go do the thing, right?
(16:00):
So anyway, let's jump into these scriptures about forgiveness.
We got Ephesians 4, 3, 2. It says, be kind and compassionate to one another.
Forgive each other just as Christ forgave you. Pretty self-explanatory, right?
Colossians 3.13, bear with each other and forgive one another.
If any of you has a grievance against someone, forgive as the Lord forgave you.
(16:24):
You see this pattern? So how can you say, no, no, no, they did something so wrong.
I don't want to forgive them. I'm not ready to forgive them.
I don't like them anymore. I don't want anything to do with them.
And then you're going to go to God after you live a life of sin,
a day of sin, whatever. even if you're super Christian, it doesn't matter.
All have fallen short of the glory of God. You're gonna need forgiveness.
(16:47):
Unless you're Jesus Christ.
Which would be super cool if he listened to my shell. But unless you're Jesus
Christ, you, who's hearing my voice now, you need forgiveness, period, right?
So, and actually there's a scripture that says that, I forget where that's at
too, that if we don't, what is it?
(17:07):
If we have unforgiveness in our hearts, right?
We, our prayers are hindered. So that's like God saying, listen, I told you, forgive.
And that's like the baseline. Forgive and then come to me.
So if you have unforgiveness in your heart and your prayers and your blessings
are being hindered and you can't
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be forgiven by God, you're separated from God. You don't have a choice.
As fair as you might think it is or isn't, we are called to forgive.
That's it. We have no choice.
And I'm going to tell you, when you give give into it, because it took me a
long, not that it took me a long time, but it took me a long time to realize
the power of it, I guess, you know?
(17:50):
Like when you really, truly give it to God and you really, truly release it
from your heart and you really, truly forgive, it changes you.
You could feel that string fall off. You could feel that foothold released.
You could feel the devil scrambling around and looking for something else to
grab onto because he just lost the handle, all, right?
(18:11):
So it's a powerful position. Forgive.
People mess up, man. That's another thing. I try to put myself in other people's
shoes, and it's really helped me a lot because I was very impatient.
Not bad, but I had a temper and very quick to defend myself or defend my stance aggressively, right?
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I mean, like, you know, most men, I guess.
But man, that Bible really changes you because when it says be quick to listen
and slow to speak, I'm telling you, just 10 seconds,
just 10 seconds, even with like a dealing with your ex or something like that,
and you're having a disagreement or whatever, whatever it may be.
(18:52):
Like, there's a me that would have five paragraphs ready to just boom,
boom, drop in like atomic bombs in an argument that means nothing,
in an argument that no good can come out of, right? Ten seconds.
Give yourself ten seconds. Freeze, be slow to speak, quick to listen,
and invite the Holy Spirit into it.
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I mean, it sounds like it's not a magic trick. I'm here to tell you that it works.
You say, Holy Spirit, I'm going to give this to you. Give me five.
And I'll tell you right now, you'll look at those five paragraphs and you'll
be like, who even wrote this?
I don't feel any of this stuff. I don't even like, what was I even mad about?
Was that even me? No, it wasn't you.
That was your flesh, the reaction of your flesh, right?
(19:35):
Influenced by you know who, right? But if you give a few seconds,
greater is he who is in you than he who is in this world, right?
But you got to give he who is in you a chance, right? Why do you think the Bible
says be quick to listen and slow to speak?
Because the Holy Spirit needs a chance to intervene.
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Greater is he who is in you than he who is in this world. You've got to give
he who is in you, you've got to give him permission. You've got to invite him in.
Holy Spirit, I need you.
And it's real life. You'll look at that and you'll be like, huh.
Erase it all and you'll just be like, okay, I'll take care of that. that, right?
(20:16):
And then all of a sudden it's like, whoa, people start noticing a difference in you.
Yeah, there is a difference in you. You're giving the Holy Spirit a chance to
manage your flesh because your flesh is completely out of control, right?
And it's been running the show for too long in most of our lives,
right? But greater is he who is in you.
Just give him a chance. Invite him in. And you know Jesus is a gentleman.
(20:39):
He's not just going to jump in, right?
What do you want? Use your words, right? You live and die by the power of your
tongue. Holy Spirit, I need your help with this.
And he'll show up. You'll notice a difference in yourself.
Listen, and this is the thing too. Don't expect like the wind to blow and your
hair to be going crazy and lights to flash and here comes the Holy Spirit to rescue.
No, it's not like that, right? I mean, hey, it might be for some people and
(21:02):
it has been for some people.
Things like that happen. but just something as simple as you responding in a
way that is non-confrontational when you are a confrontational person is like,
oh, so I gave the Holy Spirit a little room and wow.
I reacted different. I feel different. And then all of a sudden you do that
5, 10, 15 times, and now you're not just reacting different, you are different.
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Because there's a constant transformation going on inside of you when you accept Jesus.
The Holy Spirit comes to live in you. You are a temple, right?
You are a temple to the Holy Spirit, but you still have free will. And He is a gentleman.
Invite Him in, and He will help you in everything.
He will help you in everything. thing. So don't just say, nah, it's just how I am.
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I'm just short-fused. I'm a Virgo. I'm a whatever, Aries.
I just act like, no, you're none of those things. You're a child of God, okay?
And you are what you speak over your life, and you are what you allow yourself to be, right?
But those are paradigms. You're not stuck in those cages.
(22:12):
I was talking to the girl who I'm day and her daughter has
a like a lizard right and we were
talking about how they put the crickets in
this little like one inch like this little one
inch lid right and obviously these crickets
can jump like 20 times higher than that little lid but she realized by the behavior
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her daughter by the behavior of the crickets she realized that these crickets
will not jump out of this lid if they can't see over the lid so if they can't
see where they're gonna where they're jumping to two, they won't jump.
So here's these crickets. All they got to do is jump. Literally,
they were born to jump. That's all they do, jump, right?
But since they can't see over the ledge of the thing, they won't jump.
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They'll literally just sit there until the chameleon comes up and eats their face.
You know what I'm saying? And me and her were having this conversation and I'm
like, man, that's such a example of us, right?
We think, oh, I'm this way because I've always been this way since i was a kid
or on this way because my mom was this way my dad was this way my grandparents
(23:17):
were this way so this is like where i belong in this little area of this this
is me right all it would take is one of those crickets right one of those crickets
to have a little faith and say you know what this chameleon is coming.
I mean, I'm gonna just jump out of here and see what happens. A leap of faith, right?
And once one of them did it, right? Then they would all see, right?
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But they're so programmed, right? They're so programmed that they're so,
she's so confident that she will put them in this lid and walk through her bedroom,
knowing that they won't jump out, right?
And that's like us when we're in a stronghold or a foothold of the devil.
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He's confident in what he has made us believe about ourselves.
But those crickets, all they got to do is jump.
That's it. All you got to do is take one step and now you're not confined anymore.
All it takes is you to choose that I'm going to take this step in this direction.
And who's going to stop you?
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Nobody's going to stop you, right? Right? You're not this way because this is the way it is. No.
You can change that. All you got to do is jump out of the lid.
Jump out of the lid. Change one little thing and then things start changing.
Listen, nothing changes if nothing changes.
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So I did one little thing. I mean, I did a lot of things.
I mean, I fully just like gave my life to Jesus. But
I'm just saying like even a small thing like but even after i gave
my life to jesus i still i wasn't a saint i was
still you know fighting with people acting crazy just
you know all on my way to here i'm
still not perfect i mean almost we're all sinners i sin every single day i just
(25:09):
get back on the horse i keep on riding i keep on pursuing jesus that's the difference
right i understand now that like the waves are going to come of guilt and of
things to try to throw me off and to drive I have a wedgie between me and God because,
you know, why would he want someone who, you know, did this or that or thinks
like that or has this in your past or did that, you know?
(25:31):
It's just, that's, it's all lies of the enemy. That's all it is.
It's all lies of the enemy.
His only job, he literally has one job. His job is to make sure you don't become
what God put you on this earth to become. That's it.
He comes to steal, kill, and destroy. That's it. And he's so full of pride and
he's really relying on billions of imperfect people in an imperfect world to
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mess up and hurt the other imperfect people so that the imperfect people cannot forgive.
And he's counting on that because when they don't forgive, like I said,
it just opens up so many doors,
doors, so many portals, so many cracks in the foundation, so many footholds, so many strongholds.
(26:20):
He's counting on that. He's counting on us not forgiving each other.
All we got to do is what Jesus told us to do.
It really is crazy. The Bible really is just like, it's a blueprint.
It's a blueprint to survive this life and to prosper in this life and to fulfill your destiny.
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I mean, if it was easy, everybody would fulfill their destiny.
Obviously, it's not easy, but we just got to just do what he says.
Do what he says. He's never wrong.
He's always steering us right. He always is trying to get us to do what's best
for us. And it's always going to be hard.
It's always going to be. It's hard, right? It's hard, but it's worth it.
(27:06):
So if you hear a a voice, especially, and this is why it's really important
to read scripture and to understand God's voice and to pray, right?
Because when you hear a voice that doesn't sound like your father,
you just don't allow that voice to even have a, you don't even give that voice a microphone.
And he's going to try. And sometimes he's going to get you because we're humans
and we're not super humans, right?
(27:27):
But God does not speak like that. God does not condemn and, listen,
Listen, Jesus does not condemn and shame and be disgusted,
right? No, it's conviction.
It's come back. Look at the story. We're actually going to read the story of
the prodigal son. It's a perfect example. It's a perfect example.
(27:51):
So those voices or those thoughts that are shaming and...
You just got to know your father's voice. And once you know your father's voice,
you'll understand it's the enemy. It still doesn't make it easy,
but it makes it easier. You know what I mean?
But I don't know. I really, you know, I promised that I was going to have like
(28:14):
be a little more structured, but it lasted about four minutes.
But let's just let's jump back into this.
Sorry. Anyway, Matthew 6, 14 and 15.
For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly father
will also forgive you. but if you do not forgive others their sins,
your Father will not forgive your sins.
You better get on the forgiving train. That's it. It's your only choice.
(28:38):
1 John 1 through 9. I'm at 1 John 1 9.
Jeez. 1 John 1 9. Okay. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just,
and He will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
Well, that's less about us forgiving and more about how forgiving God is,
(28:59):
but like, do you hear this?
If we confess our sins, he's faithful and just and will forgive us, right?
And purify us from all unrighteousness.
That's a great scripture because this is like God telling us that,
listen, once you're forgiven, once you confess your sins to me, you're forgiven.
So any guilt you have after that, it's not me.
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Like you're washed in the blood. When I see you, I see my son.
When I see you, I see you, you know, dressed in a robe of righteousness.
So don't, and a pastor one time said this, Pastor Mark, Pastor Mark,
I can't remember his last name.
I guess that doesn't, I guess I shouldn't say it anyway. What am I doing?
Anyway, yeah. So the pastor said.
(29:45):
Don't, he said, he said, when you are forgiven, you're, you're made white as
snow. Right. It's from, I think it's from, yeah, it's from Isaiah.
And he said, don't, don't, don't go back and, and like, and put your hands in
the blood, get out of the blood.
Don't be looking around, moving around the blood, trying to,
you know, you already gave that to him. It's in the blood.
(30:09):
You stay out of the blood. Right. And it was like a, it was like a really powerful,
I didn't, I don't know exactly how he portrayed it, but I just remember he's
like, oh, don't be looking around in the blood.
That sin is forgiven. It's gone. It's forgotten. It's literally forgotten.
It's done. So any kind of condemnation, condemnation, yeah, any kind of condemnation
(30:35):
you're feeling or guilt or anything like that, it's the enemy.
It's the enemy. So yeah. Yeah. So Psalms 103, 12, as far as the East is from
the West, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. That's just another perfect example.
As far as the East is from the West, right?
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That's far, that's opposite sides, right? That's as far as the East is from
the West, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
It's reminding us again, once you ask for forgiveness, you're forgiven.
I think this is God just telling us like, listen, this is my stance on it.
I'm telling you you're forgiven.
I have the final say, right?
(31:17):
The Father, right?
So this is just like a reminder that anything you feel afterwards, it's not Him.
It's not God, you know?
And you know, if you really like pay attention, you can really tell because
we know how the father speaks.
Luke 6, 37, do not judge and you will not be judged. Do not condemn and you will not be condemned.
(31:41):
Forgive and you will be forgiven. Look at this.
Don't judge people and you won't be judged. That's a tough one because this
is really tough for people who love the gossip because Because I know there's
such a thin line between like venting, complaining, and gossiping.
That's why I just try to do none of it. But like I know it's not easy and we
(32:03):
do need to like vent sometimes.
But you just got to be careful. Because that too, it's like pitcher strings
falling off of you. You know, you're told not to do this.
So now you're giving the enemy, you know, footholds more and more strings for
him to play you like a puppet, right?
We don't realize these things. Everything is spiritual.
Everything is spiritual. Every thought that comes into your mind, it's all.
(32:28):
It's all. We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities
and rulers in the darkness of this world.
Like, it's all spiritual. It's a spiritual war.
You know? Again, we are not humans that have a soul and a spirit.
We are spiritual beings that just happen to be wrapped in flesh for now.
(32:48):
That's it. it, everything is spiritual. Everything is spiritual.
Mark 11, 25, and when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone,
forgive them. Oh, this is what we're talking about.
So that your Father in heaven may forgive you of your sins.
See, this is saying, when you're praying, if you hold anything against anyone,
(33:11):
this is saying, if you're praying and you have unforgiveness,
you got to forgive them so God can forgive you and hear your prayers.
What a waste of time. What a waste of time and energy on forgiveness is in your life, right?
Like, I hope this is getting through, like, because, man, I get it.
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I don't want to, like, it's hard. It's hard. It's hard, but it's life-changing,
and it's really, it's a huge step in Christianity,
and it's a huge step in growth, and it's a huge step in, man,
in everything. Obedience.
God knows how hard it is for us to forgive.
(33:51):
God knows how hard it is for us to forgive, but forgive them,
Father, for they know not what they're doing.
I'm going to read that story, and it's a tough story for me to read because it bothers me.
It bothers me to reimagine over and over what happened to Jesus because I love
Jesus so much, and most likely you do too.
(34:11):
But listen, no matter what they did to you, if Jesus can say that in the middle
of that, there's just no excuse.
There's just no excuse. You just forgive them because you're called to forgive them.
And sometimes, you know, sometimes you're not delivered. Sometimes deliverance
is a process, a long one, and you do your best.
(34:32):
God knows your heart, you know.
But you need to come in full agreement that forgiveness is necessary and you're in agreement with him.
Because if you're not in agreement with the word of God, then you're not, then that's not...
Then that's a sin. I mean, you have to repent, and to repent means to turn, to change your mind.
(34:55):
So if you don't agree that you should forgive someone who hurt you,
you need to repent of that.
And I know it's hard, and I'm not being unempathetic or insensitive,
because some bad things happen to people in this world, you know.
I'm just, I didn't write the Bible, I just agree with every word that's in there.
And that's my stance, you know?
(35:16):
And I pray to God that I never am in a position where I find it impossible to
forgive someone, you know?
Because that is a tough place to be. But I mean, it's all here.
You just, you got to do it. And just try to remember it's for you. It's for your peace.
It's a power. It's a position of power. It's not a position of weakness, you know?
(35:38):
All right, guys, we're going to cut this episode short here.
And next week, We'll jump right
back into it, and episode 15 will be The Power of Forgiveness Part 2.
Hope you guys enjoyed the show, and I hope I see you next time. God bless.
Music.
Whether you know it or believe it, Ephesians tells us that we do not wrestle
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against flesh and blood, but against principalities and the rules of the darkness
in this world. So, let's pray.
Father, I take up the full and complete armor over everybody under the sound
of my voice. I declare and decree the cross and the blood of Jesus to protect
us, our families, and our families.
Father, with the power of prayer and all of your promises of scripture,
I take up the belt of truth.
(36:20):
Music.
I take up the breastplate of righteousness. I take up the boots of the gospel
of peace. I take up the shield of faith. I take up the helmet of salvation.
And I take up the sword of the spirit. I take up the full and decree my life.
I declare and decree that no weapon will be as good as it ever was.
That God will never lose his purpose, that God's plan is the process of God's
(36:43):
promise, and that greater is he who is in us than he who is in us.
I bind him to you in a plan or scheme that he will try to do in the next days.
I claim the word of God. I claim the power of the Holy Spirit.
I claim all of God's love for you in heaven, and I claim the precious blood of God for you in heaven.
In the mighty name of Jesus Christ, amen. Thank you for watching.
(37:22):
Amen amen amen this is faith until you make it and i am your host James masse
i just want to thank everybody for being here with us i pray each and every
one of you leaves with a little little bit more than you came with.
If you did, then like I always say, I'm just a lamppost. So praise God.
I love you all, but Jesus loves you more. Now go win your week.
(37:43):
God bless. We'll see you next time.
Hi, my name is Charlotte. I want to welcome you to Faith It Till You Make It
with my daddy, James Masse
Me and my sister just want to thank you all for being here.
Hi, my name is Gracie Bell. We just want to remind you. Jesus loves you! Bye!
(00:22):
What's up, everybody? Welcome to Faith It Till You Make It.
I am your host, James Masse. So before we get started, I just want to make
it a habit to start off the show with some good news. Amen.
So no matter who you are, where you've been, what you've done,
or where you're headed, Jesus loves you.
He knows you by name and he has amazing plans for your life.
(00:42):
Jesus Christ willingly sacrificed himself for our salvation.
And then three days later, he rose again, conquering death, hell, and the grave.
All you have to do is believe in him, repent of your sins, invite him into your
heart, and follow his lead. I promise you, it will be the best and most important
decision of your entire life.
And if it sounds too good to be true, that's because it should be.
(01:03):
But luckily for us, there's Jesus.
And that is why we call it the good news.
Your ticket to heaven is already paid in full. So just pick up your cross and let's go.
Music.
Welcome back, Faith If family. We are up to episode 14.
(01:26):
I'm your host, James Massey, and today's title is The Power of Forgiveness.
So we're just going to talk about all different scriptures through the Bible
that have to do with forgiveness and just how important forgiveness is in our lives as Christians.
I mean, as humans, but especially as Christians, you know, as we were told very
(01:49):
specifically by Jesus himself that, you know, we got to forgive. give. There's just...
I know this is hard for most people. I mean, it was very, very hard for me just
through life, especially before I found Jesus.
But I think there comes a time when you grasp the fact that forgiving someone, right?
(02:15):
I used to look at it like forgiving someone made me weak.
It's almost like, oh, I'm letting them off the hook if they did something wrong to me.
I'm, like, giving the upper hand back to them and, like, putting them in a position
where they can hurt me again or deceive me again or whatever the situation.
(02:36):
So, like, all through my life, before I was a real Christian,
I was very unforgiving, could hold a grudge, you know.
I used to think, honestly, I used to think that was a strength.
But obviously you know once the holy spirit gets in
there and starts what's he say i will take
away your heart of stone and give you a heart
(02:58):
of flesh and if that ain't the truest statement i ever heard in my life it's
exactly what he does but the the revelation of forgiveness that really hit me
and changed everything like just because you forgive somebody doesn't mean you
put them back in the the place where they were, right?
Where they can hurt you again. Like the world says, forgive and forget.
(03:21):
You don't have to forgive and forget.
Actually, you shouldn't forgive and forget because then you're kind of like
waving off wisdom or yeah, you're not using your experience through what you
went through to gather wisdom, right?
Because the Bible says all we got to do is ask God for wisdom,
(03:43):
but sometimes God will send you wisdom through pain, like through experience.
I mean, how else will you acquire it, right?
Let me show you what this situation does, or let me show you how your reaction
to it, you know, changes you.
Let me show you how next time you're in this kind of a situation,
(04:04):
you'll know exactly what to do. That's wisdom, right?
I heard something that was like, oh, knowledge. Yeah, so knowledge is knowing
that a tomato is a fruit, but wisdom is knowing not to put it in your fruit
salad, right? That's really good.
That's really good. But don't forgive and forget.
(04:27):
Forgive and remember. Just because you're forgiving doesn't mean you have to
be abused or you have to allow them to do what they've done unto you again.
No, you forgive and you remember. And every time you remember,
you forgive again, because again, forgiving is not for them. Forgiving is for you.
You know, forgiveness is a shield that keeps,
(04:47):
forgiveness is a shield, is a barrier that keeps your foundation strong and
whole because every little foothold you leave for the devil, right?
Unforgiveness, bitterness, all that stuff, that puts cracks in your foundation
and that's how snakes get in, right?
That's how unclean spirits get in.
(05:09):
So forgive and remember. but every time you remember, forgive again,
right? You could protect yourself.
You could protect yourself, but you got to forgive. You just got to release it.
You got to give it to God, you know, because holding a grudge against somebody,
and this is really what I've learned, holding a grudge against somebody is like
drinking poison and expecting it to hurt them, right?
(05:33):
Expecting it to kill them, but all it does is poisons you.
All it does is changes you.
I forget who I, you know, it actually might have been Mike Tyson.
Mike Tyson was talking to somebody because he's like come around.
I know he's a wild animal, but he found Jesus at some point.
He calls himself a Christian. He preaches the gospel a little bit on his show.
(05:54):
I'm not saying he's, you know, go follow Mike Tyson. I'm just saying he says
a lot of very intelligent things.
And he was talking to somebody and I think it was Saquon Barkley,
the running back for the Eagles now, but he was a Giants running back,
Penn State running back, and he said,
and they were talking about forgiveness, and he's like, oh, so Saquon is saying,
(06:15):
oh, you think if someone does me wrong, like, nah, you're done,
like, I'm done with you, like, I cut you off, that's it, he's like,
you don't get, like, a second chance to, you know, to hurt me,
and Mike Tyson was like, no, no, no, young man,
he's like, what do you mean, he's like, that's not, that's not the way to do
it, that's not the the way Jesus says to do it.
And Saquon's like, so you mean to tell me somebody can hurt me and then I gotta go forgive them?
(06:40):
And like and what just allow
them to continue to you know
be in a position where they can do it again he's like no
i just cut them off and then now they're not a threat and and
mike tyson was like no no then you lose he's like how do i lose mike tyson's
like because the devil wins because you changed and like that really really
(07:03):
like spoke to me like yeah you changed you in order to have that coldness to cut someone off,
someone, especially someone important to you, family, friends,
whatever it is, even if they're wrong, the part of you that you need to use to accomplish that is,
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it's cold.
It's not of God. It's not a fruit of the Spirit. So if it's not of God,
then it's of the enemy, right?
This is why Jesus doesn't want us to have unforgiveness, because it is a gateway
for so much, because that coldness, it's a foothold for the devil, right?
(07:48):
You could throw up a wall, that too, like I used to think was a strength.
A lot of people think it's a strength or a lot, it's a defense mechanism,
but man, when you throw that wall up, it's just such such a gateway for all the devil's weapons,
for all the devil's weapons, because you're turning away from God to lean entirely
(08:11):
on your flesh in order to tap into that part of you that's capable of these things.
It feels like a strength. It feels like a strength because it feels good to
the flesh to protect the flesh, right?
But in order to go to a place where you can throw up a wall,
in order to go to a place where you can cut someone off, in order to go to a
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place where you can use anger to blind yourself from pain,
you're turning away from God and you're grabbing onto the flesh, right?
This is exactly why we automatically want to turn to that, because the flesh
is weak and wants to protect itself, right?
So in order to go into that kind of place, space to feel safe,
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to feel protected, to feel in control, to feel strong.
You have to turn away from God and just use your flesh as a weapon.
And it works. I've done it my whole life.
I've done it my whole life. But now I see why that tug of war comes when you're
chasing Jesus and you run into this kind of a situation.
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Because it's not those, the place you have to go to accomplish that kind of thing is not of God.
And that's why it makes you so susceptible to the enemy because you're grabbing onto the flesh.
And you're turning away from the Spirit. This is exactly why Jesus tells us
we have to forgive, not seven times, 77 times.
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But in Jesus' talk, that just means infinite times.
Because if we have forgiveness in our hearts, and we don't allow any of these things to take root,
he understands it really is like a power. It really is a protection.
It really is a shield. It shields us from so many footholds that the enemy immediately
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gets access to the second we have unforgiveness in our hearts.
Like I'll never look at forgiving someone the same after learning this stuff.
It just makes so much more sense.
It's not a power of, it's not a position of weakness.
It's a position of power It really really is,
Jesus is so smart I mean come on Smartest man ever walked this earth You know
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what I mean We should probably just like Take his advice Especially on this,
He's really just trying to protect us from So many bad things Like what kind
of things come with unforgiveness You got anger,
Resentment, bitterness Bitterness is like.
I mean, that's, think about, you know, it's all poison.
(10:57):
It's all poison. But all these things stem from unforgiveness.
That's why Jesus is like, it doesn't matter what they did. I'm telling you to
forgive them just like I forgave you.
And the reason you're forgiving them, it's not for them.
It's for you, right? It's for you.
And if you've ever experienced it where you've really forgiven someone who did
(11:17):
something wrong to you, that you never imagined you could forgive,
it is such a release off of your shoulders.
It's such a blessing.
I mean, it really, really is. And I know that, listen, that this would have
sounded so crazy to me because I could hold a grudge. No more though.
(11:39):
But, you know, I actually had like a revelation about this recently about how
like unforgiveness is like, I picture it like the unforgiveness in your life, right?
All these little things, I picture them like strings, right?
They're like footholds for the devil. And that's the problem.
(12:00):
Like, this is why Jesus was telling us to forgive.
He was telling us to forgive so that, because he understood that like,
it's such a foothold for the devil to get in.
And once he gets in, you know, they say once one gets in, now he's holding the
door and in comes all the other ones you know what i'm saying that's why you
get a little a little mad at something and now like.
(12:23):
All these other sins start it's just it's just a spiritual warfare and it's
non-stop and it's always so if you just have the spirit of forgiveness it just
really really sets you up in a much better safer place to operate from especially
as a christian especially as a growing Christian,
and especially as a Christian who's following Jesus,
(12:45):
because the Christians who are really following Jesus,
the devil has his eye on you. You have a target on your back.
All the time, all the time. So I pictured it like these little footholds, right?
And I had like a vision of this where all these little unforgivenesses, right?
That you don't fully heal or you don't fully forgive the person and like free
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yourself from that animosity or that bitterness.
I picture it like that's a string hanging off of you, right?
So you're like, yeah, I didn't really forgive him for this. Boom,
now you got a string hanging off of your heel, right? Right.
And, oh, I really didn't forgive my real father for this from,
you know, my childhood or whatever. Now you got a string hanging off of your wrist.
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And, oh, my mom, this and my, you know, my grandma, that. And,
oh, now you got a string here, a string there. Now, all of a sudden,
you got all these strings hanging.
And how easy is it for the devil to come along and grab those strings and play
you like a puppet anytime he wants?
Right. This is why we forgive. Who cares if they were wrong?
You're not forgiving them for them.
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You're forgiving them for you. You're forgiving them to protect yourself from the enemy.
So forgiveness is like, it's actually like a shield.
And it makes so much sense because I remember being like a young Christian and
being like, you know, no, they're wrong, right?
So worldly, so worldly.
(14:08):
Like, no, they're wrong. Why am I forgiving them? No, they're not even sorry.
How am I supposed to forgive them? That doesn't matter. That doesn't matter.
And also, I can't remember where this is. It's somewhere in the scripture.
It says something along the lines of if you are the Christian,
you are expected to initiate the reconciliation, right?
(14:32):
I got to look that up, but I know it is because my pastor said it before.
So it's like when we talk to the youth about it and their parents aren't Christian
and they're having disagreements and stuff.
Stuff okay well you're the christian right because if someone's not christian
you might be the only bible they ever get to read so if they see you saying
(14:53):
that you're a christian and this is how you behave and they don't know any better
they don't know the scriptures they don't know jesus.
They're gonna take what they see from you oh oh our daughter's a christian she's
such a christian now but she we just got in a fight she just told me off she's
17 years old she just told off her mother,
oh, you're so Christian, look how much you're changing, you know,
(15:15):
and that's what the enemy will do in the mind of unbelievers to keep them there,
you know what I'm saying?
So, as Christians, we are expected, right, to practice what we're learning,
right, to practice what we're preaching if we're doing that,
but practice what we are.
What does James, I think it's in the book of James, pretty much along the lines
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of like, don't just be, oh yeah, don't just be readers of the word, be doers of the word.
Because you can read it all you want. It's like reading about a diet plan and
thinking you're going to lose weight.
It's about reading about workouts and thinking you're going to get muscles.
No, you got to do it, bro. You got to do the thing. You got to go do the thing, right?
(16:00):
So anyway, let's jump into these scriptures about forgiveness.
We got Ephesians 4, 3, 2. It says, be kind and compassionate to one another.
Forgive each other just as Christ forgave you. Pretty self-explanatory, right?
Colossians 3.13, bear with each other and forgive one another.
If any of you has a grievance against someone, forgive as the Lord forgave you.
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You see this pattern? So how can you say, no, no, no, they did something so wrong.
I don't want to forgive them. I'm not ready to forgive them.
I don't like them anymore. I don't want anything to do with them.
And then you're going to go to God after you live a life of sin,
a day of sin, whatever. even if you're super Christian, it doesn't matter.
All have fallen short of the glory of God. You're gonna need forgiveness.
(16:47):
Unless you're Jesus Christ.
Which would be super cool if he listened to my shell. But unless you're Jesus
Christ, you, who's hearing my voice now, you need forgiveness, period, right?
So, and actually there's a scripture that says that, I forget where that's at
too, that if we don't, what is it?
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If we have unforgiveness in our hearts, right?
We, our prayers are hindered. So that's like God saying, listen, I told you, forgive.
And that's like the baseline. Forgive and then come to me.
So if you have unforgiveness in your heart and your prayers and your blessings
are being hindered and you can't
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be forgiven by God, you're separated from God. You don't have a choice.
As fair as you might think it is or isn't, we are called to forgive.
That's it. We have no choice.
And I'm going to tell you, when you give give into it, because it took me a
long, not that it took me a long time, but it took me a long time to realize
the power of it, I guess, you know?
(17:50):
Like when you really, truly give it to God and you really, truly release it
from your heart and you really, truly forgive, it changes you.
You could feel that string fall off. You could feel that foothold released.
You could feel the devil scrambling around and looking for something else to
grab onto because he just lost the handle, all, right?
(18:11):
So it's a powerful position. Forgive.
People mess up, man. That's another thing. I try to put myself in other people's
shoes, and it's really helped me a lot because I was very impatient.
Not bad, but I had a temper and very quick to defend myself or defend my stance aggressively, right?
(18:32):
I mean, like, you know, most men, I guess.
But man, that Bible really changes you because when it says be quick to listen
and slow to speak, I'm telling you, just 10 seconds,
just 10 seconds, even with like a dealing with your ex or something like that,
and you're having a disagreement or whatever, whatever it may be.
(18:52):
Like, there's a me that would have five paragraphs ready to just boom,
boom, drop in like atomic bombs in an argument that means nothing,
in an argument that no good can come out of, right? Ten seconds.
Give yourself ten seconds. Freeze, be slow to speak, quick to listen,
and invite the Holy Spirit into it.
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I mean, it sounds like it's not a magic trick. I'm here to tell you that it works.
You say, Holy Spirit, I'm going to give this to you. Give me five.
And I'll tell you right now, you'll look at those five paragraphs and you'll
be like, who even wrote this?
I don't feel any of this stuff. I don't even like, what was I even mad about?
Was that even me? No, it wasn't you.
That was your flesh, the reaction of your flesh, right?
(19:35):
Influenced by you know who, right? But if you give a few seconds,
greater is he who is in you than he who is in this world, right?
But you got to give he who is in you a chance, right? Why do you think the Bible
says be quick to listen and slow to speak?
Because the Holy Spirit needs a chance to intervene.
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Greater is he who is in you than he who is in this world. You've got to give
he who is in you, you've got to give him permission. You've got to invite him in.
Holy Spirit, I need you.
And it's real life. You'll look at that and you'll be like, huh.
Erase it all and you'll just be like, okay, I'll take care of that. that, right?
(20:16):
And then all of a sudden it's like, whoa, people start noticing a difference in you.
Yeah, there is a difference in you. You're giving the Holy Spirit a chance to
manage your flesh because your flesh is completely out of control, right?
And it's been running the show for too long in most of our lives,
right? But greater is he who is in you.
Just give him a chance. Invite him in. And you know Jesus is a gentleman.
(20:39):
He's not just going to jump in, right?
What do you want? Use your words, right? You live and die by the power of your
tongue. Holy Spirit, I need your help with this.
And he'll show up. You'll notice a difference in yourself.
Listen, and this is the thing too. Don't expect like the wind to blow and your
hair to be going crazy and lights to flash and here comes the Holy Spirit to rescue.
No, it's not like that, right? I mean, hey, it might be for some people and
(21:02):
it has been for some people.
Things like that happen. but just something as simple as you responding in a
way that is non-confrontational when you are a confrontational person is like,
oh, so I gave the Holy Spirit a little room and wow.
I reacted different. I feel different. And then all of a sudden you do that
5, 10, 15 times, and now you're not just reacting different, you are different.
(21:27):
Because there's a constant transformation going on inside of you when you accept Jesus.
The Holy Spirit comes to live in you. You are a temple, right?
You are a temple to the Holy Spirit, but you still have free will. And He is a gentleman.
Invite Him in, and He will help you in everything.
He will help you in everything. thing. So don't just say, nah, it's just how I am.
(21:50):
I'm just short-fused. I'm a Virgo. I'm a whatever, Aries.
I just act like, no, you're none of those things. You're a child of God, okay?
And you are what you speak over your life, and you are what you allow yourself to be, right?
But those are paradigms. You're not stuck in those cages.
(22:12):
I was talking to the girl who I'm day and her daughter has
a like a lizard right and we were
talking about how they put the crickets in
this little like one inch like this little one
inch lid right and obviously these crickets
can jump like 20 times higher than that little lid but she realized by the behavior
(22:33):
her daughter by the behavior of the crickets she realized that these crickets
will not jump out of this lid if they can't see over the lid so if they can't
see where they're gonna where they're jumping to two, they won't jump.
So here's these crickets. All they got to do is jump. Literally,
they were born to jump. That's all they do, jump, right?
But since they can't see over the ledge of the thing, they won't jump.
(22:55):
They'll literally just sit there until the chameleon comes up and eats their face.
You know what I'm saying? And me and her were having this conversation and I'm
like, man, that's such a example of us, right?
We think, oh, I'm this way because I've always been this way since i was a kid
or on this way because my mom was this way my dad was this way my grandparents
(23:17):
were this way so this is like where i belong in this little area of this this
is me right all it would take is one of those crickets right one of those crickets
to have a little faith and say you know what this chameleon is coming.
I mean, I'm gonna just jump out of here and see what happens. A leap of faith, right?
And once one of them did it, right? Then they would all see, right?
(23:42):
But they're so programmed, right? They're so programmed that they're so,
she's so confident that she will put them in this lid and walk through her bedroom,
knowing that they won't jump out, right?
And that's like us when we're in a stronghold or a foothold of the devil.
(24:03):
He's confident in what he has made us believe about ourselves.
But those crickets, all they got to do is jump.
That's it. All you got to do is take one step and now you're not confined anymore.
All it takes is you to choose that I'm going to take this step in this direction.
And who's going to stop you?
(24:25):
Nobody's going to stop you, right? Right? You're not this way because this is the way it is. No.
You can change that. All you got to do is jump out of the lid.
Jump out of the lid. Change one little thing and then things start changing.
Listen, nothing changes if nothing changes.
(24:46):
So I did one little thing. I mean, I did a lot of things.
I mean, I fully just like gave my life to Jesus. But
I'm just saying like even a small thing like but even after i gave
my life to jesus i still i wasn't a saint i was
still you know fighting with people acting crazy just
you know all on my way to here i'm
still not perfect i mean almost we're all sinners i sin every single day i just
(25:09):
get back on the horse i keep on riding i keep on pursuing jesus that's the difference
right i understand now that like the waves are going to come of guilt and of
things to try to throw me off and to drive I have a wedgie between me and God because,
you know, why would he want someone who, you know, did this or that or thinks
like that or has this in your past or did that, you know?
(25:31):
It's just, that's, it's all lies of the enemy. That's all it is.
It's all lies of the enemy.
His only job, he literally has one job. His job is to make sure you don't become
what God put you on this earth to become. That's it.
He comes to steal, kill, and destroy. That's it. And he's so full of pride and
he's really relying on billions of imperfect people in an imperfect world to
(25:54):
mess up and hurt the other imperfect people so that the imperfect people cannot forgive.
And he's counting on that because when they don't forgive, like I said,
it just opens up so many doors,
doors, so many portals, so many cracks in the foundation, so many footholds, so many strongholds.
(26:20):
He's counting on that. He's counting on us not forgiving each other.
All we got to do is what Jesus told us to do.
It really is crazy. The Bible really is just like, it's a blueprint.
It's a blueprint to survive this life and to prosper in this life and to fulfill your destiny.
(26:40):
I mean, if it was easy, everybody would fulfill their destiny.
Obviously, it's not easy, but we just got to just do what he says.
Do what he says. He's never wrong.
He's always steering us right. He always is trying to get us to do what's best
for us. And it's always going to be hard.
It's always going to be. It's hard, right? It's hard, but it's worth it.
(27:06):
So if you hear a a voice, especially, and this is why it's really important
to read scripture and to understand God's voice and to pray, right?
Because when you hear a voice that doesn't sound like your father,
you just don't allow that voice to even have a, you don't even give that voice a microphone.
And he's going to try. And sometimes he's going to get you because we're humans
and we're not super humans, right?
(27:27):
But God does not speak like that. God does not condemn and, listen,
Listen, Jesus does not condemn and shame and be disgusted,
right? No, it's conviction.
It's come back. Look at the story. We're actually going to read the story of
the prodigal son. It's a perfect example. It's a perfect example.
(27:51):
So those voices or those thoughts that are shaming and...
You just got to know your father's voice. And once you know your father's voice,
you'll understand it's the enemy. It still doesn't make it easy,
but it makes it easier. You know what I mean?
But I don't know. I really, you know, I promised that I was going to have like
(28:14):
be a little more structured, but it lasted about four minutes.
But let's just let's jump back into this.
Sorry. Anyway, Matthew 6, 14 and 15.
For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly father
will also forgive you. but if you do not forgive others their sins,
your Father will not forgive your sins.
You better get on the forgiving train. That's it. It's your only choice.
(28:38):
1 John 1 through 9. I'm at 1 John 1 9.
Jeez. 1 John 1 9. Okay. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just,
and He will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
Well, that's less about us forgiving and more about how forgiving God is,
(28:59):
but like, do you hear this?
If we confess our sins, he's faithful and just and will forgive us, right?
And purify us from all unrighteousness.
That's a great scripture because this is like God telling us that,
listen, once you're forgiven, once you confess your sins to me, you're forgiven.
So any guilt you have after that, it's not me.
(29:23):
Like you're washed in the blood. When I see you, I see my son.
When I see you, I see you, you know, dressed in a robe of righteousness.
So don't, and a pastor one time said this, Pastor Mark, Pastor Mark,
I can't remember his last name.
I guess that doesn't, I guess I shouldn't say it anyway. What am I doing?
Anyway, yeah. So the pastor said.
(29:45):
Don't, he said, he said, when you are forgiven, you're, you're made white as
snow. Right. It's from, I think it's from, yeah, it's from Isaiah.
And he said, don't, don't, don't go back and, and like, and put your hands in
the blood, get out of the blood.
Don't be looking around, moving around the blood, trying to,
you know, you already gave that to him. It's in the blood.
(30:09):
You stay out of the blood. Right. And it was like a, it was like a really powerful,
I didn't, I don't know exactly how he portrayed it, but I just remember he's
like, oh, don't be looking around in the blood.
That sin is forgiven. It's gone. It's forgotten. It's literally forgotten.
It's done. So any kind of condemnation, condemnation, yeah, any kind of condemnation
(30:35):
you're feeling or guilt or anything like that, it's the enemy.
It's the enemy. So yeah. Yeah. So Psalms 103, 12, as far as the East is from
the West, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. That's just another perfect example.
As far as the East is from the West, right?
(30:56):
That's far, that's opposite sides, right? That's as far as the East is from
the West, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
It's reminding us again, once you ask for forgiveness, you're forgiven.
I think this is God just telling us like, listen, this is my stance on it.
I'm telling you you're forgiven.
I have the final say, right?
(31:17):
The Father, right?
So this is just like a reminder that anything you feel afterwards, it's not Him.
It's not God, you know?
And you know, if you really like pay attention, you can really tell because
we know how the father speaks.
Luke 6, 37, do not judge and you will not be judged. Do not condemn and you will not be condemned.
(31:41):
Forgive and you will be forgiven. Look at this.
Don't judge people and you won't be judged. That's a tough one because this
is really tough for people who love the gossip because Because I know there's
such a thin line between like venting, complaining, and gossiping.
That's why I just try to do none of it. But like I know it's not easy and we
(32:03):
do need to like vent sometimes.
But you just got to be careful. Because that too, it's like pitcher strings
falling off of you. You know, you're told not to do this.
So now you're giving the enemy, you know, footholds more and more strings for
him to play you like a puppet, right?
We don't realize these things. Everything is spiritual.
Everything is spiritual. Every thought that comes into your mind, it's all.
(32:28):
It's all. We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities
and rulers in the darkness of this world.
Like, it's all spiritual. It's a spiritual war.
You know? Again, we are not humans that have a soul and a spirit.
We are spiritual beings that just happen to be wrapped in flesh for now.
(32:48):
That's it. it, everything is spiritual. Everything is spiritual.
Mark 11, 25, and when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone,
forgive them. Oh, this is what we're talking about.
So that your Father in heaven may forgive you of your sins.
See, this is saying, when you're praying, if you hold anything against anyone,
(33:11):
this is saying, if you're praying and you have unforgiveness,
you got to forgive them so God can forgive you and hear your prayers.
What a waste of time. What a waste of time and energy on forgiveness is in your life, right?
Like, I hope this is getting through, like, because, man, I get it.
(33:31):
I don't want to, like, it's hard. It's hard. It's hard, but it's life-changing,
and it's really, it's a huge step in Christianity,
and it's a huge step in growth, and it's a huge step in, man,
in everything. Obedience.
God knows how hard it is for us to forgive.
(33:51):
God knows how hard it is for us to forgive, but forgive them,
Father, for they know not what they're doing.
I'm going to read that story, and it's a tough story for me to read because it bothers me.
It bothers me to reimagine over and over what happened to Jesus because I love
Jesus so much, and most likely you do too.
(34:11):
But listen, no matter what they did to you, if Jesus can say that in the middle
of that, there's just no excuse.
There's just no excuse. You just forgive them because you're called to forgive them.
And sometimes, you know, sometimes you're not delivered. Sometimes deliverance
is a process, a long one, and you do your best.
(34:32):
God knows your heart, you know.
But you need to come in full agreement that forgiveness is necessary and you're in agreement with him.
Because if you're not in agreement with the word of God, then you're not, then that's not...
Then that's a sin. I mean, you have to repent, and to repent means to turn, to change your mind.
(34:55):
So if you don't agree that you should forgive someone who hurt you,
you need to repent of that.
And I know it's hard, and I'm not being unempathetic or insensitive,
because some bad things happen to people in this world, you know.
I'm just, I didn't write the Bible, I just agree with every word that's in there.
And that's my stance, you know?
(35:16):
And I pray to God that I never am in a position where I find it impossible to
forgive someone, you know?
Because that is a tough place to be. But I mean, it's all here.
You just, you got to do it. And just try to remember it's for you. It's for your peace.
It's a power. It's a position of power. It's not a position of weakness, you know?
(35:38):
All right, guys, we're going to cut this episode short here.
And next week, We'll jump right
back into it, and episode 15 will be The Power of Forgiveness Part 2.
Hope you guys enjoyed the show, and I hope I see you next time. God bless.
Music.
Whether you know it or believe it, Ephesians tells us that we do not wrestle
(36:00):
against flesh and blood, but against principalities and the rules of the darkness
in this world. So, let's pray.
Father, I take up the full and complete armor over everybody under the sound
of my voice. I declare and decree the cross and the blood of Jesus to protect
us, our families, and our families.
Father, with the power of prayer and all of your promises of scripture,
I take up the belt of truth.
(36:20):
Music.
I take up the breastplate of righteousness. I take up the boots of the gospel
of peace. I take up the shield of faith. I take up the helmet of salvation.
And I take up the sword of the spirit. I take up the full and decree my life.
I declare and decree that no weapon will be as good as it ever was.
That God will never lose his purpose, that God's plan is the process of God's
(36:43):
promise, and that greater is he who is in us than he who is in us.
I bind him to you in a plan or scheme that he will try to do in the next days.
I claim the word of God. I claim the power of the Holy Spirit.
I claim all of God's love for you in heaven, and I claim the precious blood of God for you in heaven.
In the mighty name of Jesus Christ, amen. Thank you for watching.
(37:22):
Amen amen amen this is faith until you make it and i am your host James masse
i just want to thank everybody for being here with us i pray each and every
one of you leaves with a little little bit more than you came with.
If you did, then like I always say, I'm just a lamppost. So praise God.
I love you all, but Jesus loves you more. Now go win your week.
(37:43):
God bless. We'll see you next time.
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