The Nose Grinder

The Message | 1 Co 13:1 If I speak with human eloquence and angelic ecstasy but don't love, I'm nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate. 2 If I speak God's Word with power, revealing all his mysteries and making everything plain as day, and if I have faith that says to a mountain, "Jump," and it jumps, but I don't love, I'm nothing.  If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don't love, I've gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I'm bankrupt without love.

To Love, Forgive & Protect others is a Life about not choosing sides and declaring a winner. Life should be one of protecting, feeding, leading, and caring for people. God gives to us so we can give back to others.

The Message | Lk 6:37 "Don't pick on people, jump on their failures, criticize their faults-unless, of course, you want the same treatment. Don't condemn those who are down; that hardness can boomerang. Be easy on people; you'll find life a lot easier. 38 Give away your life; you'll find life given back, but not merely given back-given back with bonus and blessing.  Giving, not getting is the way. Generosity begets generosity." 39 He quoted a proverb: "Can a blind man guide a blind man?' Wouldn't they both end up in the ditch?

You must Forgive others!  Why Should I?

Charles Stanley Book "The Gift of Forgiveness" He states: A person who has an unforgiving Spirit is always the real loser, much more so than the one against whom the grudge is Held. Regardless of who is wrong the other Person may have been if you refuse to forgive you reap the corruption of un-forgiveness in life. That corruption affects your relationship with God. Un-forgiveness by its nature prevents individuals from following through on many specifics of the Christian Life.

What Have You Learned Personally about this Pastor Cory?

When we choose not to forgive in one relationship, it spills over into other relationships and it destroys them at a more devastated rate and now many are left feeling all alone! If you wait for someone else to forgive first, you miss the boat of opportunity to be free. Instead they end up controlling your destiny and you have lost out on the progress of your life and the fullness of your destiny. Here is my Reality Check for you. Un-forgiveness imprisons you! The Past is in control! Think about this- Don't let the past dictate your future! Un-forgiveness provokes Angry & Bitterness!

NLT | Mk 11:22 Then Jesus said to the disciples, "Have faith in God.  I tell you the truth, you can say to this mountain, 'May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,' and it will happen. But you must really believe it will happen and have no doubt in your heart. I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you've received it, it will be yours. But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too.

What I have learned.

A forgiving attitude towards others as well as faith in God is also essential for effective prayer. I don't think it is a coincidence that "forgive" contains the word "give," do you? One of the most giving things you can do is forgive people who wrong you. Not an easy gift, but then again, the very nature of giving involves sacrifice. Most gifts involve sacrifice of time or money, this sacrifice that cannot be measured in either time or money, it involves laying down justifiable anger, hurt and pain to extend grace to the very person who caused it.  

In many ways, forgiveness is giving of our souls to someone else, not to the person who harmed us, but to our God who loves us. When we forgive, we are doing what Jesus would do-what He did do-what He still does. Hanging on the cross, He prayed, "Father forgive them ..."

Giving Life