...This is my Bible

I am what it says I am...

Topical Bible Message- Learning how to forgive others
Matthew 6:14 (The Message)...
1 Samuel 24:10-12 (New Living Translation)...
Luke 23:34 (Amplified Bible)...

Alright everyone on the Internet I want you to hold onto your bibles and
repeat the following like you mean it.

This is my Bible

I am what it says I am

I have what it says I have

I can do what it says I can do

Today I will be taught the word of God

I boldly confess

That my mind is alert

My heart is receptive

and that I will never be the same.

In Jesus name

Amen



Topical Bible Message- Learning how to forgive others

For this week the message will be practical application as already
hinted with the title. I=B9m sure that most of us have annoying people in
our lives that are difficult to deal with. Sometimes they are those that
are constantly finding all our faults (even sometimes in the areas of
Usenet grammar), people that cheat us, steal from us, lie about us, and
people that constantly criticize us. Friends I am guilty of all the
above. Recently I lied about Jason and have criticized him a number of
times. I am dreadfully sorry for my ungodly actions.

Back at Simpson I had a fair share of enemies. I did make many enemies
that did not like my strong stance for the truth, and strong opposition
to their liberal views, and this was to be expected as Jesus himself
made many enemies because of these reasons. But I will humbly say that
some of my enemies were there because of my own sinful un-christ like
behavior.

I remember one girl who rejected my being a member of her mission team
and was not very professional about the way she did it. Her
unprofessionalness and degrading of my personality and values in what
she labeled were factors to not hire me, made me very angry. So instead
of forgiving her I sought out revenge. Some two years after the conflict
I was expelled for a month. But praise the Lord for giving me another
chance, and for finishing school! When entering my last year things
looked quite bleak. I admit to 100% at fault in the predicament because
I had pestered and harassed this girl for 2 years so she claims.
Although I will admit that some of my jokes and behaviors she considered
harassment were considered normal around my other girl friends. I made
the mistake of not understanding Nicole. For example I expected to tease
Nicole the way I did Monica, Christine among others. But what I failed
to understand was that Nicole was not my friend, nor wanted anything to
do with me!

Nicole may have forgiven me but wanted the college to place a
restraining order on me after I returned from being expelled for a
month, but failed to get one because there was not substantial evidence
that I was a physical threat to her like she claimed. She then made
matters worse by filing a false report with one of her police friends at
the city PD claiming that I was following her around in my car. This was
quite absurd and had no factual basis whatsoever. I had eyewitnesses
that were ready to back me up encase the officer came (as he threatened
to do) to campus to talk with me. I notified the college of the false
charge and they could not do anything. But the Lord delivered me as
Nicole decided to leave the college.

Friends this was a very ugly situation. Both Nicole and I were at fault
that failed to forgive each other and set a very poor example to the
many freshmen that were involved in our lives by our childish antics.

Learning to forgive is hard yet the bile commands us to do so.

Matthew 6:14 (The Message)

14"In prayer there is a connection between what God does and what you
do. You can't get forgiveness from God, for instance, without also
forgiving others.

Matthew 6:14 (Amplified Bible)

14For if you forgive people their trespasses [their [a]reckless and
willful sins, [b]leaving them, letting them go, and [c]giving up
resentment], your heavenly Father will also forgive you.

I think the bible is very clear especially in the dynamic versions used
above. There comes a time and place for the dynamic translations, as
well as the literal translations.

Another predicament that I am in right know which is finding itself
difficult.

At the job there is a lady that has been nothing but a Saul to me. She
has hounded me for going on my legal breaks, she has called me harassing
names, and she has failed to respect my allergic conditions, among many
other things. It=B9s been so hard dealing with her, but I think God put
her into my life to test my ability to forgive others. I tried to solve
the situation myself by offering a truce with her, but this did not
work, although she did agree to the truce, but failed to cary it out.
However what I failed to do was treat her the way David treated Saul.
David truly served Saul even though Saul was trying to kill him!

When Saul was in David=B9s cave, David did not seek justice.



1 Samuel 24:10-12 (New Living Translation)

10This very day you can see with your own eyes it isn't true. For the
LORD placed you at my mercy back there in the cave, and some of my men
told me to kill you, but I spared you. For I said, `I will never harm
him--he is the Lord=B9s anointed one.' 11Look, my father, at what I have
in my hand. It is a piece of your robe! I cut it off, but I didn't kill
you. This proves that I am not trying to harm you and that I have not
sinned against you, even though you have been hunting for me to kill me.
12The LORD will decide between us. Perhaps the LORD will punish you for
what you are trying to do to me, but I will never harm you.

Although I tried to make peace, I asked my employer to jump into the
situation and make peace between us but in response we were separated.
Perhaps this was the only resolution to the situation. Sometimes God
places us in these predicaments and wants us to trust him to be our
vindicator. Maybe God took me out of the situation because I could not
handle it, or maybe he wanted to protect me I don=B9t know. But I will say
that it is better to forgive rather than pursue justice and why I am
holding back a formal harassment claim against this lady, and will not
file one unless I absolutely must and that would be in the event of job
loss. In California employment is "At Will" and they do not need a valid
reason nor a reason to eliminate someone. This lady can simply say that
she wants me fired and it can happen, since she does have authority at
the job. But if this happens then I will file my harassment complaint,
but only as a last resort. Hopefully if it comes to that she will learn
that it is against the law to retaliate against a employee for taking
his legal breaks, she will learn that is wrong to call me harassing
names simply because I have a different personality and she will learn
that is wrong to slander employees as she has done with me on multiple
occasions.

But I believe that God wants to teach me to forgive those that have
offended me in the same way that hero=B9s in the bible did. Also note that
when Jesus went to the cross he forgave all who hurt him.

Luke 23:34 (Amplified Bible)

34And Jesus prayed, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they
do. And they divided His garments and distributed them by casting lots
for them.(A)

There is much more I could say and by no means am saying that this study
is completely inclusive for it was not intended as such.

God blesses!

John
--
John 1:6-9 There came a man who was sent from God;
his name was John. He came as a witness to testify
concerning that light, so that through him all men
might believe. He himself was not the light; he came
only as a witness to the light.
CERM-Church Education Resource Ministries
http://johnw.freeshell.org/bible/