Forgiveness - what is forgiveness? Is this your prison?

 Good morning all. God is good all the time, all the time God is good. HE HAS RISEN!!  AMEN!  AMEN!!

  I will share with you what is very hard for me and probably for many of you also--- FORGIVENESS!

 What is forgiveness?  By Webster's new world dictionary forgiveness is:to give up resentment toward or the desire to punish, to be inclined to forgive.

   Colossians 3:13

"Bear with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive."

  Forgiveness is a hard process, a foreign concept to many to be able to really forgive.  I, as a Christian for many years held resentment toward some individuals and really could not say anything good about them.  However, once God took hold of my "sin of unforgiveness" I began to understand much better.

   Recently, today really, is when I actually feel free of this bondage.  I put myself in the prison of unforgiveness and through my passive agressive rebellion refused to take the keys to freedom and forgive.

  This was my prayer today, to ask My Father in Heaven for forgiveness, to love those whom I wanted not to forgive, then I actually felt freedom.  It is so interesting that we can keep ourselves in bondage, knowing full well what to do to be released, yet we become stubborn and want to hang on to those little pieces that are hurting us inside.

  How often are we as Pharaoh with Moses and our hearts become harden, when simple forgiveness would free us?

  If you have struggled as have I, here are some scriptures that may help you.

  Ephesians 4: 31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

   1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

   Matthew 6: 14 For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.

   Today, my prayer is that you be set free by going to God, confessing, and feel the freedom.  I am preaching more to myself than I am to you.  
May your day be wonderful and blessed. Love you all.

In Christ;s Love and Grace

Johnny