FORGIVENESS

Bless And Not Curse

The Bible says I should bless and not curse my enemies. Many times I have obeyed this scripture, or thought I had obeyed. Only to discover that the remembrance of a given event or situation still carried great emotional weight when it was brought back to my conscious memory. The emotions attached to the event were still there and if given my replay attention they would manifest and sometimes even bring with them new thoughts and emotions.

I could replay the event in my minds eye, reliving every word and action that I believed to be plotted, planned and carried out against me. I could relive my words, and wish I had said new words or brought up other offenses to prove my position in this event. I could spend vast amounts of time reliving in my imagination the perceived reality of this thing done to me. The weight and reawakened emotions attached to this event would flood in and my puddle had now become a river to swim in.

Jesus said in Matthew 6:14-15 (KJV) 14 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.

Forgive: lay aside, send away (Strongs Dictionary)

Trespasses: a lapse or deviation from truth and uprightness (Strongs Dictionary)

If I forgive, send away, lay aside mens lapse or deviation from truth and uprightness, toward me, then my heavenly Father will also forgive, send away, lay aside my lapses or deviations from the truth. The scripture doesn’t say the person who is doing these things will forgive, send away or lay aside their opinion or action toward me, when I forgive them. It says that my Father would forgive or not hold to my account, my own deviations from truth and uprightness.

People are important in my life, but none more important than my heavenly Father. His love for me is so deep, that He holds me to principals that will keep me free and safe. Principals that I know and understand are for my good. His intention is not to let those who speak ill of me get away with their behavior. This principle also applies to the person or persons deviating from truth concerning me. They are responsible for their relationship with God. They are accountable to God, not to me. Knowing this principle will help equip me with the tools needed to walk in relationship with God, without insecurities that I may not be pleasing to God. It will give no place for the devil to come and divide my thinking and feelings about God or others. Once again not allowing satan to be raised to a position of god in my life.

My relationship with anyone, God included, will only be developed through spending time to get to know them and allowing them to know me. The Father, knows that the offenses or unforgiveness in my heart of belief system against another will occupy a space that can become infected with my fixation on picking at the wound. God prepared a kingdom opportunity for an instant healing for my wound through, Forgiveness.

Matthew 7:1-5 (KJV) 1 Judge not, that ye be not judged. 2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.

What ever measure of judgement I measure it out it will come back to me.

Measure: degree

Judge: decide (mentally or judicially)

What ever degree of judgement, mentally or judicially that I judge or assess against another that same degree or measure will be used to measure and decide for or against me.

This scripture came alive to me many years ago. I realized this was a Kingdom principle. My opinions and judgements on what is taking place is limited at best. When I bless people then I get the same level of blessing. When I curse, with my words, or deeds, whatever I release I too will receive the same level of evil manifested back into my life.

Love your enemies...

Matthew 5:44 (KJVS) 44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

We find in the Strongs Dictionary of the Bible this definition for bless. Means...to speak well of; to invoke blessings.

The Strongs definition of curse; is to curse, doom, imprecate evil upon.

Imprecate is to utter a curse or invoke evil against someone or something. This doesn’t have to be a chant or intentional ritualistic ceremony, my friends. It simply can be my opinion spoken out with intentions other than edifying, exhorting, or comforting. I wish I could say that I was accomplished at this. I am not. I am daily having to cast down thoughts and imaginations that try to raise themselves about the knowledge of what Christ has taught me in the scriptures.

In Matthew 5:44, Jesus is saying for me to speak well, invoke blessings on my enemies, to do good to those who invoke evil against me. To pray for those who use me in a maliciously spiteful manner.

This is a most powerful weapon to have. It causes the devil to flee because the very act is resisting the devil and submitting myself unto God. The devil has to flee it a God promise, and God never breaks a promise. The one who I focused on as my enemy now becomes an opportunity to humble myself under the mighty hand of God.

As I intercede over and for this situation and person, God is exalting me, holding me in high regard! In the due or right season, Gods regard will be evident to all. This is not an elevation in the eyes of men, it is an elevation in the eyes of the more important Father, God! His unconditional love will fill me to over flowing. My blessing another has an exponential return policy! It not only sets me free! It purifies or cleanses my heart, my belief system. The Bible says the pure in heart shall SEE God! I want to see Him! I want to be in close friendship with Him. I want people to like me, but I want God’s approval above all else!

I can't speak for you but as for me, in the past I have done more cursing of my enemies than blessing them. As I have matured a bit as a follower of Jesus’ example. I have mostly stopped the cursing or wishing doom, or worse on them. I don’t only see the benefit, but have experienced the consequences as well. I have to ask myself is my opinion worth the consequences of risking the disapproval of God?

I can verbalize “I bless you” because Jesus instructed me to do so. I can easily give mental assent to the knowing I need to do this. But my limited understanding at best will only allow me to put the situation or person out of my present thinking patterns. I can give lip service, but the fruit of true forgiveness will not grow. The fruit of forgiveness is the absence of any negative or malicious thoughts or intents. Many times I obviously was not able to deliver the goods. The good news here is that there is no statute of limitations on forgiving.

As I continued the inner struggle I found that if someone or something triggered the remembrance of the event. I was off running with a fresh deluge of thoughts, emotions, and opinions all over again.

I realized that I needed deliverance from the effects of the event. Not just a mental reprieve, that allowed me to postpone the completion of the need to recognize that I had not forgiven and definitely had not forgotten. The proof of my deliverance will always be attached to the emotion that manifests when I revisit the event. If I haven’t yet finished my forgiving process, feelings of frustration, anger or anxiety may be present in varying degrees, when I mentally replay the situation. If I have finished my forgiving process, feelings of relief, calm, and peace will be present, also in varying degrees, as I mentally replay the situation. I don’t forget the event. I now can relive the event void of the accusations and negative emotions that have chained me to my limited view.

Sometimes when Holy Spirit AKA George is getting my attention and is going to teach me something I sort of trip and fall into it. I am sure He had rather me just be mature and attentive enough to attend class and allow Him to instruct me on a regular basis. Than to have to trip upon the proof of the lesson in real time. I so desire to have my maturing to progress to the point that I can hear the lesson and not have to be shown the lesson in real time.

This weekend I was praying in a group text for a person in the media right now who is being persecuted for his support of another. To the point of death treats. I was asking Holy Spirit to protect and bless him as he navigates this assignment in a public way. Holy Spirit brought my attention to the scriptures that say to bless our enemy, and don’t curse them.

In this prayer group text I was typing out we bless those who are persecuting our brother. As I did I ask Holy Spirit what are we blessing them with? It’s more in our human nature to justify our cursing them out, not blessing them with good things. LOL

As I continued to type this prayer with Holy Spirits help I began to bless them with revelation to see for themselves the true and living God...we bless them with the ability to see the snare they lay for the righteous is the one there feet are now tangled in...we bless them to see that the consequences of their choices will return to them..we bless them to hear their own voices and decide if their words are the paycheck they want to earn. Etc.

I became aware of the power of blessing to break chains of evil and darkness as we bless and God reveals the area of darkness and shines His light on their path so they can walk out of darkness! They are trapped. They don’t even realize, yet, that a loving God has set them up for an opportunity to see Him and with intention turn away from evil.

I realized that my friends persecution carried a benefit for those who don’t know the truth and are in darkness.The opportunity to see a great light. How are they going to know there is an alternative to evil if they don’t have a way out? Intercession brings these no named, no face, living people, before the manifest presence of a good, good, Father, who is fierce about His kids. This blessing and not cursing allows those who are in darkness and tormented with their opinions and judgements to have an encounter with truth. Even if they refuse truth, they have been given the merciful opourtunity to right a wrong in their lives. 

Am I mature enough, to want the captives set free, all the captives or just those who believe the way I do?

This hit me with revelation, not with information! I saw and understood that blessing instead of cursing became a ministry tool that would bring good things not only to those doing the persecution of this brother, but also to me. It would expedite the process of deliverance for the brother experiencing this season as well as bring an opportunity to the persecutor to see that their actions would carry a greater loss for them than anything they could do to the object of their hatred. I would be revealing Jesus without even having to go meet or contact the people.

In blessing them I could extend true forgiveness from a position that was not infected with my own emotions. I was standing as an intercessor not just for the brother, but also for the salvation of those who were despitefully using him to further their evil agenda.

There is more power in forgiveness than in a million won court cases!

Forgiveness will delivered us from the weighted emotions that are trying to work in our speech and behavior. Forgiveness causes the hoarded areas of my past experiences to be not only sorted but hauled away without regret or remorse! Forgiveness cleanses me from the weight and influence even if the forgiven person never changes! I don’t forgive to get! I forgive to BE forgiven and set FREE!

Forgiveness is not about making a list and checking it twice. To see if the person has now changed to behave as I think they should. The wisdom of forgiveness is that I get a two for one blessing. I get to experience the love of God in my emotions and also know that this loving God is revealing His true self to a Saul who may not have had his Damascus Road experience yet.

I am learning that the love of Holy Spirit will bring a thing to our remembrance and the power of forgiveness will release the event completely dealing with the emotions of it. When we entertain an offense through the eyes of our emotions that is where it can go from a molehill to a mountain, right there, in that moment, in my emotions.

Satan didn’t build the mountain I did. My negative faith was activated and took a mole hill/ mustard seed size of negative faith, grew this small amount of negative faith and developed it into something big enough for me to build a dwelling on. Faith works for both good or evil! Is my faith in satans ability to produce or is my faith in Gods ability to produce?

I have in past times given Satan so much credit for what I actually have done to myself. I am sure he has thrown parties to celebrate by abdication to his kingdom! LOL My ignorance of his devices does not exempt me from the consequences of the end result.

A child king listens to adult advisors and obeys from a place of no personal experience. He was born into the kingship. His position gives him authority, but his age limits that positional authority. He has not come of age and finished his training in how to rule in the kingdom. His handlers are acting on his behalf. Taking his authority and using it as if they were king. This is what Satan tries to do. Take our authority as if it is his own. Because as children we are not yet trained enough in our authority to see that another is speaking their thoughts and putting my seal to it. These handlers and advisors are decreeing a thing on our behalf and deceiving others. Causing them to think the true king wished it to be so.

An adult king makes decrees and declares his will and his word becomes law. His authority passes through no one else. If his decrees are not carried out there are consequences that will follow. It usually doesn’t turn out too good for the one who disobeys the kings decrees. An adult king although having experienced a few things in life, can still abdicate his authority to another if he chooses. Because of the pressure or influence of others. He may impulsively grant or decree a thing that has grave consequences for himself and those around him. In his immaturity he can pass punishment and bring justice upon those who are not obeying his decrees. Responding from the influence or position of others who have a personal motive and not a Kingdom motive in getting their way.

It pays to be adults in the kingdom to have advisors who have been here since before I became king. I want to honor those who can tell me and show me where it has already been written by the kings before me. I want to be surrounded with those who can find my word decrees and remind me that it was I who released the very thing I am struggling through the consequences of. I want to be acountable even as king of my own domain to others. So that I may decree with insight and wisdom, a new thing that supersedes the old immature childish things!

The best and most trusted teacher of the up and coming king. Is the Father King, he will be the living example to the next in line. He will be the visual aide to the son in what to do and not to do to have a successful kingdom. The Father King will make decisions and use his authority for the greater good of the whole Kingdom, not just what feels good or brings gain to himself. He isn’t looking to keep something for himself. He is looking to pass on the provisions of the Kingdom to others. He will appoint the best and most loyal teacher and trainer for his son.

King Jesus, ask the Father to send Holy Spirit to empower us with authority from on high. We are to rule and reign with Christ Jesus. Holy Spirit is our teacher, counselor, comforter, and guide. He will take from Jesus what belongs to Him in the Kingdom of Heaven and show it unto us. So we can replicate it in the Kingdom of Earth. We don’t lose our will or ability to choose. We have been gifted with One who knows what all the past history is and has the ear and trust of the King in what is to be accomplished in the future.

Holy Spirit knows where all the equipment, armor, and weapons are. He has access to the strategies and plans for demolitions and expansions of the Kingdom. He knows where and who the real enemy is and what weapons to use to win against their onslaught. He knows who our allies are and what strengths and weaknesses they bring. He knows what Jesus knows. He also knows what God knows and was present from the foundation of the world. He will uncover the hidden mysteries and plots of the enemy before we approach that enemy squatting on our territory. He will lead and guide us into all truth. Only if we are willing to listen and follow!

I want to be a good and wise king in my kingdom. I want to bless and not curse. Forgive and be forgiven. I want to be generous with what the Father King has left in my charge. I want to love those around me not as if they are subjects in my kingdom, but as allies of adjoining kingdoms that together make up the Kingdom of Heaven.

Matthew 11:12 (KJV) 12 And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.

The Kingdom of Heaven the abode of God, has suffered violence and the violent take it by force. The abode of God is now in the hearts of men. I am violently taking this belief system of my heart, thoughts, feelings, and emotions, and violently taking capturing everything that exalts it’s self above who and what Jesus says that I am.

How do I do that? Through a personal and intimate relationship with the King of Kings. Reading the history in the scriptures that foretells, and retells His life and activity in the earth. By allowing Holy Spirit to reveal what hidden things I need so I can be equipped with power from on high, to walk in the authority as a Daughter of God, and a king in the earth.

A baby does’t know or care they were born into a kingdom. An adolescent cares enough to impress his friends. An adult in line to rule, sacrifices their willful ways for the greater good of all those who are in their region of influence.

It may not be obvious to me what age I am in the kingdom. But it will be quite evident to all those around me.

I pray that I can stay hidden in Him and allow for His rule and reign to flow to me so that I might pass it on. Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done in earth as it is in Heaven!