2 Corinthians 7:10 KJV “For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.”

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We have a saying, “It’s better to be safe than sorry.” But according to scripture it is better to be safe AND sorry. Because godly sorrow brings about repentance. And repentance brings salvation.😊 Worldly sorrow leads to death and eternal torment. Some folks are only sorry they got caught doing something wrong. That’s worldly sorrow. But Godly sorrow is different and makes us feel uncomfortable to the point of repenting of our wrongs. 

CONVICTION NOT CONDEMNATION 

The Holy Spirit convicts us hoping we will repent. Then we have a choice to either ignore the Holy Spirit or repent:

Proverbs 1:32-33 KJV “For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them. [33] But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell SAFELY, and shall be quiet from fear of evil.”

When we make the right choice-to follow the Spirit that is-we feel a whole lot better!😊 But sorrow had to come first in order to let us know that something was wrong. If a person can not feel sorrow about his/her sins and misdeeds how sad. They cannot repent and are on the broad road that leads straight to utter, eternal destruction which is hell.🔥😳 (Matthew 7:13-14) In light of this HOW BLESSED ARE WE if the Holy Spirit prods us about our sins and misconduct.😊 He doesn’t want us to go to hell! He wants us to repent and be with God forever!😃

“I’M SORRY”

How about when you know you’ve wronged someone? Do you apologize? Do you say, “I’m sorry?” Ask yourself, when is the last time you’ve said, “I’m sorry,” to someone. Has it been that long? Has your conduct been so good for all that time? You never said or did anything wrong or offensive to anyone?🤔 Or maybe we failed to show compassion by apologizing? When the Holy Spirit pricks us letting us know we have offended a brother or sister (or anyone) we should be humble enough to tell them, “I’m sorry,” with no excuses. Wouldn’t that please God?😊 Isn’t this the loving thing to do? 

Those two words, “I’m sorry,” when heartfelt can squash many problems. Satan doesn’t want us to show kindness to one another. He doesn’t want us to feel sorry about anything let alone say it. His job is to make sure that our love grows cold:

Matthew 24:10, 12 NIV “At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold,”😢

How is the Devil doing with you in this area? How is he doing with me? Has our love grown cold? Do we find ourselves wanting to be separate from our brethren instead of together in unity as God says? (Psalm 133:1-3) If this is you if this is me, do you not see what Satan is doing to you? Once the lion isolates his prey from the pack that’s when he devours it:

1 Peter 5:8-9 NIV “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. RESIST HIM, STANDING FIRM IN THE FAITH, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.”

I hope we meditate on what we’ve been discussing here. Something seemingly so small as saying, “I’m sorry,” when heartfelt does a world of good. It’s really huge! This shows that you have love, and it keeps us safe in the Lord.😊 

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Matthew 16:21-23 NET “From that time on Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests, and experts in the law, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. So Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him: “God forbid, Lord! This must not happen to you!” But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me, because you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but on man’s.””

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Jesus’ reaction to Peter rebuking Him shows who is sometimes behind our words and thoughts. The Devil can literally speak through us though our intentions be good and we wouldn’t even know it. Peter thought he was doing the right thing yet Satan was talking right through Him. So much for, “The Devil has no power.”🤔This behooves us to ask, “How many times has Satan spoken through me and I didn’t know it?”🤔

Considering this it makes more sense why Jesus says to forgive one another. WE ALL sometimes do and say things we’re not aware of. The evil one plants thoughts in our minds that we sometimes act on thinking it’s God’s will just like Peter did.

THE HEART IS DECEITFUL

Jeremiah 17:9-10 KJV “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? [10] I the Lord search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.”

God says our hearts are so deceitful that we can’t know just how wicked it is.😳 Only He knows the human heart and can judge it perfectly. If you and I are aware of this fact; that many things we feel deeply about are sometimes not right or true or in our best interest, we are ahead of the game.😊 The Bible says our own hearts; our deepest thoughts, feelings, and emotions betray us. “The heart is deceitful ABOVE ALL THINGS,” God says. How we view ourselves, how we view others can all be a figment of our imaginations. Our hearts pretend to always know what’s going on but it doesn’t. Often we misjudge people and situations. This is why we cannot trust our hearts. Our own feelings betray us. What a battle we have within ourselves!😞

Proverbs 28:26 KJV “He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool: but whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered.”

THERE IS HOPE

2 Corinthians 10:4-5 KJV “(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) [5] CASTING DOWN IMAGINATIONS, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.”

If we study God’s word (not just read it but study it), and we are a person of prayer, God will show us our hearts. He will show us when our thoughts are pleasing to Him and when they are not. Once we see that our feelings and imaginations do not line up with God’s word The Holy Spirit helps us cast them down (reject)! As we do this throughout our walk with God Satan cannot build new strongholds in our minds, and we destroy and tear down old ones. We bring our own thoughts and feelings into captivity making them obedient to Christ.

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If Jesus asked the Father to forgive people who were killing Him and torturing Him while making fun of Him, shouldn’t we be able to forgive our brethren?😊

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WHY MANY ARE FALLING AWAY

One of the reasons why so many are turning away from the faith in these last days is because of what we are talking about. (Matthew 24:10) Many are listening to their hearts; their feelings and emotions, above the word of God. How dangerous because as we’ve learned Satan can make us feel things too.🤔 Many are not willing to take their thoughts into captivity and make them obedient to Christ. They are not willing to crucify the flesh and deny themselves as Jesus says we must do (Luke 9:23). Schisms; divisions in the church, are the result.

Proverbs 19:11 KJV “The discretion of a man deferreth his anger; and it is his glory to pass over a transgression.”

This one verse we just read if followed solves a whole lot of problems.😊 As we’ve established sometimes folks do and say things they’re not even aware of like Peter did when he rebuked Jesus. Though Jesus corrected Peter he also forgave Him. That’s what we should do instead of letting feelings of anger rule us. To pass over transgression means to cover it. Imagine placing a cover over something, you can’t see it anymore. If we do that with each other’s sins, faults, annoyances, etcetera, what a healthy church we will have.😊 The person who does this obeys God and has self-control. Remember, our own hearts are the most deceitful thing God says. Our feelings often betray us. It makes more sense to simply forgive people in light of this.😊

And lastly, while Jesus was being tortured on a cross he said a prayer for his persecutors:

Luke 23:34 KJV “Then said Jesus, Father, FORGIVE THEM; for they know not what they do.”

Is this not proof of everything we’ve been talking about? People can sometimes do hideous things without even knowing it? If Jesus asked the Father to forgive people who were killing Him and torturing Him while making fun of Him, shouldn’t we be able to forgive our brethren?😊

Colossians 3:13-14 NIV “Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.”

Obeying God’s command to forgive destroys the deceitful heart. Jesus is indeed all powerful. He is the King Of Kings And Lord Of Lords.😊

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Matthew 6:14-15 KJV “For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: [15] But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”

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A Christian who refuses to forgive has lost their way and needs to get it back.

Matthew 18:23-35 NET ““For this reason, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his slaves. As he began settling his accounts, a man who owed ten thousand talents was brought to him. Because he was not able to repay it, the lord ordered him to be sold, along with his wife, children, and whatever he possessed, and repayment to be made. Then the slave threw himself to the ground before him, saying, ‘Be patient with me, and I will repay you everything.’ The lord had compassion on that slave and released him, and forgave him the debt. After he went out, that same slave found one of his fellow slaves who owed him one hundred silver coins. So he grabbed him by the throat and started to choke him, saying, ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ Then his fellow slave threw himself down and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will repay you.’ But he refused. Instead, he went out and threw him in prison until he repaid the debt. When his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were very upset and went and told their lord everything that had taken place. Then his lord called the first slave and said to him, ‘Evil slave! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me! Should you not have shown mercy to your fellow slave, just as I showed it to you?’ And in anger his lord turned him over to the prison guards to torture him until he repaid all he owed. So also my heavenly Father will do to you, if each of you does not forgive your brother from your heart.””

Here this servant was in danger of losing everything; even his entire family, they too were to be sold because he couldn’t pay his huge debt. He begs for mercy the king cancels his debt and he’s allowed to go free. Right after this happens he finds a fellow servant who owes him some chump-change. But instead of granting the same mercy that was just shown him he harasses his fellow demanding payment. When the man pleads for mercy (the same way he did to the king) he says, “NO!”😠 Then he has his fellow servant thrown in prison.😳 How wicked is this! This is what we are doing when we refuse to forgive others FROM OUR HEARTS.

God cancelled all of our sins, ALL OF THEM! We all have an enormous debt before God that we cannot pay. And we refuse to cancel the small irritations and sins of others? How sad.😪 If we are living like this we are in danger of losing everything unless we repent. Nothing anyone has ever done to us, said to us, no past sins or hurts is worth forfeiting our souls in hell and losing eternal life. Jesus says if we won’t forgive our brothers from our hearts; from our feelings, from our deepest emotions, we are hell bound, and will be tormented forever!😳 This is just punishment considering all the many sins God has been willing to forgive us of. All my fornications, my adulteries, my pornographies, my lusting, my idolatry, my stealing, my gossiping, my slander, my lying, my fighting, my taking the Lord’s name in vain, my judging others, my witchcrafts, and all of my sins, God is willing to cancel ALL OF THAT DEBT!😊 How can I hold someone else’s feet to the fire that wrongs me?😳 Their sins is chump-change compared to what we owe God!

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A Christian who refuses to forgive has lost their way and needs to get it back.

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Matthew 5:21-26 NET ““You have heard that it was said to an older generation, ‘Do not murder,’ and ‘whoever murders will be subjected to judgment.’ But I say to you that ANYONE WHO IS ANGRY WITH A BROTHER WILL BE SUBJECTED TO JUDGMENT. And whoever insults a brother will be brought before the council, and whoever says ‘Fool’ will be sent to fiery hell. So then, if you bring your gift to the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother and then come and present your gift. Reach agreement quickly with your accuser while on the way to court, or he may hand you over to the judge, and the judge hand you over to the warden, and you will be thrown into prison. I tell you the truth, you will never get out of there until you have paid the last penny!”

Remember, God is the judge; the lawgiver, the righteous King. It is wickedness he says not forgive. Let’s repent please and take this matter to heart. If God shows us that we’ve been harboring bitter resentment in our hearts towards others thank Him for it!😃 This is happening because God wants us to repent. He doesn’t want us to be judged as wicked and tormented in hell. God doesn’t desire that any should perish. May you and I please do the right thing and CANCEL ALL DEBTS! Let others sins, faults, and irritations go. Don’t hold on to anything against anybody.😊

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John 3:36 KJV “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but THE WRATH OF GOD ABIDETH ON HIM.”

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Beware of people who say God doesn’t get angry. Especially those who claim to be believers. The scripture above says plainly that God does get angry and that He is angry with certain people. When talking about God’s righteous judgment I’ve had people tell me that I was wrong and God doesn’t get angry. Then when I showed them a scripture like the one above they got stark raving mad!😤 Some even started yelling Bible verses at the top of their voice that had nothing to do with what we were talking about. Seeing this was amazing. At times it is. It’s like watching a light switch go from off (calm as a lamb) to on (demon possessed rage)!

Read the next verse and see whether or not God gets angry:

Romans 1:18 KJV “For THE WRATH OF GOD is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness.”

Here it plainly says that God’s wrath, “Is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men.” I shared this passage with a person who said God doesn’t get angry and he still tried to argue his point. This person also screamed and yelled at the top of his voice claiming that he knew God. He says God doesn’t get angry but he sure does.🤔 What kind of person claims to be a believer, looks at a scripture straightway, then opposes it? The last part of Romans 1:18 explains; those, “Who hold the truth in unrighteousness.” Other Bible translations say, ‘Those who suppress the truth.’ Look at this next passage and answer for yourself whether or not God gets angry:

Psalms 95:8-11 NLT “The Lord says, “Don’t harden your hearts as Israel did at Meribah, as they did at Massah in the wilderness. For there your ancestors tested and tried my patience, even though they saw everything I did. FOR FOURTY YEARS I WAS ANGRY WITH THEM, and I said, ‘They are a people whose hearts turn away from me. They refuse to do what I tell them.’ So IN MY ANGER I took an oath: ‘They will never enter my place of rest.’””

Does that sound like a God that doesn’t get angry to you? For fourty years God said He was angry with them. Some of you already know what we’re dealing with here, right? How much you wonna bet these same people who say God doesn’t get angry slyly say we can sin as much as we want to and God won’t judge us for it?🤔 According to them He doesn’t get angry, right? So why would He judge sin? Some who push this argument are ignorant. Others are long time willful sinners who don’t want to be judged by God for their sins. Talking about God’s judgment makes them feel very uncomfortable. Here’s another passage about God’s anger towards these kind of persons:

Hebrews 10:26-27 NIV “If we DELIBERATELY keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.”

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Beware of people who say God doesn’t get angry.

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Again, does that sound to you like a God who does not get angry with willful sinners? And that’s the point here: willful sin. Yes, God does get and is angry with folks who willfully sin. If this is us we need to repent in a hurry!😳 Jesus’ blood does not cover willful sinners as Hebrews 10:26-27 states. Deliberate sinners have only a fearful expectation of God’s fiery judgment. This is why they hate anything or anyone that reminds them of their sin. These are the very folks who use God’s grace as a license for loose conduct. (Jude 1:4) But oh do they have a rude awakening coming.🔥 These are false brethren indeed. 

GOD IS LOVE

We know that the Bible says God is love. (1 John 4:8) Anger is not the dominant force in God’s personality. But righteous anger is a part of who He is. As a righteous judge God punishes sin. Only those who believe in God’s son Jesus Christ are saved from His wrath. Many claiming to be saved don’t know this. What are they saved from? Ask them this and they cannot tell you. When a person becomes saved it means they are saved from God’s wrath. Once we come to our senses and believe in the good news of Jesus Christ God’s wrath is removed from us. We have been acquitted from all sin and God’s adverse judgment. 

Do beware of Christians who claim that God is just a fuzzy wuzzy marshmallow in the sky. As the creator of everything and all living things God has the right to judge! He is The Righteous Judge. So let’s be smart; seek His face and repent.😊

Lastly I leave you with this passage:

2 Peter 3:5-7, 10, 12 NIV “But THEY DELIBERATELY FORGET that long ago by God’s word the heavens came into being and the earth was formed out of water and by water. By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare. As you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat.”

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