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6 min read https://www.givehim15.com/post/march-31-2022 March 31, 2022 Choose Life Yesterday I spoke with you about offenses and forgiveness. The New Testament word for an offense is actually the part of an animal trap upon which a piece of raw meat was placed. When an animal reached for the meat the trap was sprung and they were captured. It is very interesting that the word for an offense basically means to “take the bait.” This is also why it is called “picking up” an offense. Regarding forgiveness, in yesterday's post (Don’t Take the Bait), we mentioned that the word means “to release.” In Luke 6:37 Jesus said, “Release, and you will be released.” When we release the person who has offended or wounded us, we can then be released from the bruises and pain they caused us. We also said yesterday that forgiveness is a choice - a decision - not a feeling. When I was 17 years old, my family went through a very difficult time. The Board of Directors of the church my father was pastoring fired him and kicked us out of the home where we were living. The house had been given to us, but put in the church’s name. We were left homeless and penniless. Shortly thereafter, my father divorced my mother and married another woman. Mom was devastated - her circumstances had gone from bad to catastrophic. I remember holding her in my arms as she wept, saying she did not want to go on living. I did not know how to process all of the pain I was experiencing. I didn’t want to blame God or my father, so I blamed all of this on the chairman of that church board. I focused all of my anger upon him, an anger that soon became a bitter hatred. I said on several occasions that I could not kill this man, but I would rejoice if someone else did. I also became bitter at the church, in general. I associated my pain and my family’s disintegration with religion and swore I would never darken the door of another church. I became very rebellious and turned to drugs and alcohol. God was incredibly patient. He protected me and for two years waited patiently for me to come to a point where I could respond to Him again. I returned to Him and have enjoyed a wonderful walk with God since that time. Around six months into my renewed walk with the Lord, He began dealing with me about my hatred for the man I had blamed for all of our problems. I heard Holy Spirit very clearly telling me I would have to forgive him. I did not angrily resist the Lord, but I did not believe I could ever truly do so. What I had against this man was so deep in me I had no confidence whatsoever that I would be able to forgive him, and I told the Lord this. It’s comical sometimes when we act as though the Lord doesn’t know what we’re thinking. Holy Spirit was very gentle with me. He was not pushing, His promptings always came as a gentle nudge deep in my heart. He was, however, insistent and persistent. “You will have to do this if you want My best for you and to truly be free from all of the pain this caused you,” He said. When my heart softened to the point that I was willing, Holy Spirit began teaching me how to do it. Some of what He taught me I shared in yesterday's post. He revealed to me that I could have feelings of anger, hurt, etc., toward this man in my mind and emotions, but still choose to forgive from my heart allowing that to overrule my emotions. “You don’t like to get up early some days and go to work but you do it anyway because it’s right, and it’s your responsibility,” he said. “You don’t like certain aspects of exercise but you do it anyway because you know you need to,” He said again. Then came the winning blow, “Jesus did not want to go to the Cross, but He did so anyway, for the joy He knew it would produce later,” (Hebrews 12:2). “Choose to do this because it’s right, even though you don’t want to and you don’t feel like it. If you will make this choice and maintain the decision daily, I will release you from all the pain, resentment, and hatred. Your responsibility is to let go; it’s my responsibility to heal your emotions and release you from every effect of this. Choose life!” Somehow this clicked in my thinking. I realized I didn’t have to have any positive feelings about this man, whatsoever. I simply needed to release him to God and trust Him to deal with what had happened. I did so daily, saying something along these lines (it’s important to say it), “I choose to release David (not his real name) from all he did to hurt my family.” Every time he came to mind and unpleasant feelings began rising up inside of me, I would say it again, “I choose to release David from all he did to hurt my family.” Some days I had to do this multiple times. After a couple of weeks, he was rarely coming to my mind, and when he did, I felt less and less emotion. But I would say it again. A week or two after that, I thought of him and I realized I felt no pain or anger, whatsoever. I was shocked. I knew God had released me from all the effects of what had occurred two years earlier. However, Holy Spirit wanted to show me that I was truly healed. One night my mom and I were returning home from a Sunday night service, and stopped at a local restaurant to grab a bite to eat. There were no tables available and we were waiting for one, when I noticed this particular man and his wife seated across the room. He noticed us at the same time. I also noticed that he and his wife were seated at a table for four people, and two of the chairs were empty. He jumped to his feet and headed in our direction. Well, I thought to myself, I’m about to find out if this is real. He wanted to do more than just say hello. “Would the two of you like to join us at our table,” he asked. “Sure,” said my mother, “that’s very kind of you.” I kept waiting for that horrible feeling in the pit of my stomach that I used to feel when I thought of him. I waited for at least a mix of negative emotions. But there were none. I realized I was not having to feign being nice to him while burying my anger and hatred. It was very easy - actually, it felt normal - to treat him with kindness. And I felt no pain whatsoever. All I could do was thank the Lord for delivering me from my chains of bitterness. This man did not become my friend, but he was no longer my enemy. Friends, no matter what your situation is, who hurt you, or how long ago it occurred, He can do this for you. Let’s pray. Pray with me: Father, it is impossible to go through life and not have numerous opportunities to forgive. You said offenses will come. You did not tell us to forgive only if we felt like doing so; You said we must do it. You never ask us to do anything You will not enable us to do. So we choose this day to honor Your word and obey it from our hearts, our spirits, regardless of how our emotions feel. As we do what You say, our emotions and feelings must come into alignment with the Word-based decision we make. They must…and they will. As we release, we will be released. And now, Father, we ask for a release of tremendous grace to everyone praying this prayer with us now. Give them grace to forgive and release. Let a process of healing begin now for people who have been abandoned, abused, rejected, betrayed, and harmed in any way. Cause the revelation that forgiveness is a choice we can all make to become strong in them. May today mark a new beginning for all who need one, and all of the negative results of what they have suffered be reversed. Let this begin today. Heal bodies through this. Mend hurting hearts and minds. Tear down the walls we’ve built to protect our emotions. Cause victims to be victimized no longer. Let the abused go free. Release captives, mend broken hearts, and restore hope. We ask that this truly be a new beginning. And we ask it all in the name of the great healer, Jesus. Amen. Our decree: We declare that we will walk in forgiveness to all. ****************************** Click on the link below to watch full video.

5 min read https://www.givehim15.com/post/march-30-2022 March 30, 2022 Don’t Take the Bait In Luke 17:1 Jesus tells us that offenses are inevitable; they WILL come. The Greek word for “offense” is skandalon. It is also translated as a “stumbling block,” a word or event which causes an individual to stumble or fall, figuratively speaking. This word is very fascinating. Skandalon literally means “a trap-stick.” (1) It was the trigger of a trap (usually made of wood) on which bait was placed; when the bait was taken by an animal, the trap was sprang. Skandalon is also the Greek word from which we get our English word, scandal. When we, like an unsuspecting animal, take certain types of bait, we are trapped and often find ourselves in a scandalous situation. It also became the word for an “offense.” An offense is a result of “taking the bait” when wronged. Thus the phrase, “pick up an offense.” When we have been wronged or mistreated the key to remaining free from bitterness and lasting pain is to not pick up the offense - don’t take the bait. Jesus told us very clearly that we WILL be baited - offenses WILL come. We must not pick them up - they are traps! The bait in an animal trap is food the creature finds appealing, something it desires to eat. How else could the trap actually be successful? Likewise, we pick up offenses because it is desirable, feels good, to pick it up. When treated poorly or unfairly, stolen from, spoken to harshly, abused or mistreated, it feels good to take the bait. We “deserve” to be angry, to feel resentful, to take up an offense. After all, they hurt us. But it’s a trap! Years ago, in a certain part of Africa, monkeys were trapped by placing a banana in a jar that was tied to a tree or stake. The opening of the jar was just large enough for the monkey’s hand to fit through it when open. However, when the hand was closed into a fist it was too big to remove it. The monkey wanted the banana so badly it would not let go of it, and consequently could not remove its hand. It was now trapped. If you have picked up an offense, if you have taken the bait, let go of it. It’s the only way to be free. If you hold on to it, you will become a captive to the enemy and to the effects of the wound. This brings us to the subject of forgiveness. Jesus told us in Luke 6:37 to forgive and we would be forgiven. In the prayer we call the Lord‘s Prayer, Jesus again instructed us to forgive our debtors, or “those who trespass against us.” The word forgive also means to release. “Release and you will be released,” Luke 6:37 says. The key to being freed from the effects of being wronged - pain, fear, emotional walls, and more - is to release the person that hurt us. Let go of the banana. It may feel good to resent or hate the offending party, but it’s a trap. One of the biggest hindrances for people when trying to forgive is a wrong understanding of forgiveness itself. Most people link it with their feelings. But forgiveness is not a feeling or an emotion. It is a decision we make based on truth, just like love. Being angry at someone we love doesn’t mean we no longer love them. We may not “feel” the love currently - emotionally, we feel anger - but we still love the person. In the same way, forgiveness isn’t a feeling. We can make a genuine decision to forgive/release, while still feeling anger, hurt, pain, etc. We do so as an action of our will, based on truth - God said do it. And if we maintain our decision, it begins the process of releasing us from the pain and hurt. Another hindrance to forgiveness is failing to realize we are not declaring the offending person to be innocent. We are simply releasing them to God - He reserves the right to judge individuals. We are handing them over to Him and He will do what is right. Still another hindrance is a belief that when we forgive we must then have only pleasant thoughts or feelings toward the offender. There are people I have forgiven that I still do not trust or like as a person. They are mean and unkind. But I can choose to love and forgive even my enemies, releasing them to God, though they will never be my friends. When we pick up an offense, if not released, it will become a root of bitterness. The fruit it produces is also bitter: sickness, emotional disorders, anger, loss of joy and a breach between us and God. It also spreads to others. Hebrews tells us a root of bitterness defiles many. “Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled” (Hebrews 12:15; KJV). The Greek word defiled is also the word for a stain on clothing. When we become bitter we stain others with our bitterness. We’ve all seen entire families separated through bitterness. How tragic. In tomorrow’s post I will share the story of my hatred toward an individual, and God’s healing of my hardened heart. I truly hated this man and would have loved to see him die. God, however, showed me I could release him and thereby, be released from my own chains. He will help you do the same. Pray with me: Father, we thank You for modeling love and forgiveness. While we were still sinners You sent Your Son to die for us. Jesus, You forgave those crucifying You. We want Your forgiving nature to control us. We want to walk in love. We ask for grace now to do so. As You taught us to do, we choose to forgive those who have hurt us. We release them. As we do so, we believe it will release a healing process in us. Wounds will heal, sickness will leave, emotions will no longer control us. We desire to forgive and release so You can forgive us (Mark 11:25). And Lord, we know healed people heal people. Make us healers. Help us to spread healing love, not stain-causing bitterness. Heal our land of racial wounds, political division, and cultural divides. We want to see the accuser cast down in our nation. We bind spirits of division and strife, declaring their hold broken. We desire to be ambassadors and examples of your love and forgiveness toward others. Help us represent You well. We pray these things in Christ’s powerful name. Our decree: We decree that we will love and forgive as we have been loved and forgiven by God. ************************** Click on the link below to watch the full video. ______________________________ Spiros Zodhiates, Hebrew-Greek Key Study Bible - New American Standard (Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers, 1984; revised edition, 1990) p 2274.

5 min read https://www.givehim15.com/post/february-24-2022 February 24, 2022 Keep On Truckin’ More and more people - both here in America and abroad - have decided they’ve had enough of governmental control and the politicization of Covid. The truckers in Canada let their voices be heard loudly and clearly. American truckers are now doing the same. Today we want to pray for them. The following article, released by our friends at Intercessors For America, provides us with good insights in praying for this. “I’m sure that you have not missed the news that a trucker convoy is heading from California to DC in solidarity with the trucker protests in Canada. Just like the Canadian truckers added force to their voices by shutting down the busiest border crossing between the U.S. and Canada, the convoy that is expecting to arrive in DC later this week is planning to shut down the Washington Beltway. “The trucker protests have become a movement in defense of freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and against vaccine mandates and restrictions. According to Lifesite News, it has garnered support from all walks of life: “The truckers and blue-collar workers of the United States will be joined by freedom-loving supporters from all walks of life – front-line doctors, lawyers, first responders, former military servicemen and women, students, retirees, mothers, fathers, and children.” “Why, and how, should the community of intercessors in the United States and Canada pray about it? In and of themselves, these protest movements are laudable exercises of free speech in a democratic society that make the voice of large groups of people heard. But they have some, perhaps unintended, effects that can have long-term impact on the political, legal, and spiritual climate of our country. “In Canada, the protests led to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau invoking emergency powers, and requiring the Ottawa police to aggressively quell the protests. The Ottawa police then went a step further and announced they would actively look to identify protest participants and follow up with financial sanctions and criminal charges. That led to a significant social media backlash accusing the police of tyranny. “This escalation has led to two troubling issues: 1. Should a democratic government invoke emergency powers to quell protests it deems a threat to itself and set aside constitutional rights of its citizens? 2. Should law enforcement agencies be used to squash protests, overstep wise boundaries in the process, and erode the public’s trust in their everyday duty to “protect and serve” the community? “In particular, the latter can have a domino effect of deepening and increasing the anti-police sentiment that already exists, which in turn can lead to further restrictions on their power, which can then lead to empowering criminals. “Especially here in the US. Several major cities have seen a dramatic increase in violent crime due to, among others, police cutbacks and retirements, which are in turn the result of anti-police movements that have a demoralizing effect and have increased violence against police officers. “I remember Jesus’ warning in Matthew 24:12 that in the last days, lawlessness will increase as love grows cold. The demoralization in many of our nation’s 12,000+ law enforcement agencies, and the subsequent flood of retirements, along with difficulty recruiting new personnel, are removing the restraint on crime, and allowing lawlessness to increase. Trust and support for police and the maintenance of law and order must be restored. “Which brings me back to the truckers arriving in D.C. with plans to shut down the Capital Beltway. It has the potential to result in more confrontations with police, some of which could turn ugly. That, in turn, has the potential of eroding the trust of many in law enforcement even further. I suspect that Satan will seek to exploit the situation in order to plunge the U.S. into further chaos and division and weaken the nation from the inside out. “As intercessors, we are watchmen on the wall. We see the spiritual battle between good and evil behind what unfolds here on earth. Therefore, we must stand in the gap to thwart Satan’s intentions and pray for peace, order, and the presence of God at the protests. “Keep in mind that he will fight hard, because national capitals often attract a strong demonic presence since that is where the powerbase of a country lies, where laws and policies that regulate life emanate. “Also keep in mind that we are seated with Christ in the heavenly places (Ephesians 2:6), from where we pray in dependence on His guidance, and out of His authority above all living things, and in the victory already won by Him on the cross (Colossians 2:15). “Here are some suggestions for prayer: Pray for peace among the truckers and the crowds they attract. Pray that God will bind any spirit of chaos, violence, ill-will, aggression, and division. Pray for the message of the protesters to be clear and truthful, spoken in love. Pray for protection from any groups wanting to use the protests to stir up violence and aggression. Pray for a spirit of agreeable cooperation between the organizers and the police. Pray for wisdom for Chief Robert Contee III and his command staff in handling the protests tactfully, diverting traffic effectively, and protecting the good of the community. Pray for the Holy Spirit to be poured out on the people assembled. Pray against the schemes of the evil one, that these protests and the involvement of the police will result in a restoration of trust in law enforcement, rather than further erosion.” Pray with me: Father, we thank You for the freedoms we enjoy in America. As some in our government have tried to encroach on these freedoms we appeal to You for help. As thousands let their voices be heard this week we pray for their safety and protection. In the name of Jesus, we bind spirits of violence, anger, and chaos. We ask for Your shalom to hover over them and their gatherings. May they, as well as those who oppose them, be controlled by love. We pray for the police who will be called upon to ensure peace and safety. Protect them, and give their leaders wisdom. Please override any attempt to stir up violence against them, and keep them from overreacting to any situation that arises. We pray for clarity of message, and for truth to be exalted. We ask that the liberal media and politicians not be able to distort the message of the protestors. And we ask You to cause the unfair and unreasonable mandates of our government to stop. We ask that foolish, even evil, decisions by our government surrounding the Covid issue stop. Some decisions have been made because of mammon, political gain, and evil ideologies. Lives have been lost, livelihoods have as well, our children have and continue to suffer, and further division has come to our nation because of this evil. Please help us end it. We ask all this in Christ’s name. Amen. Our decree: We decree that truth will prevail regarding Covid and its treatments, and that truth will produce freedom. ************************* Click on the link below to watch the full video. Today’s post was taken from Intercessors For America and written by their contributing author, Remco Brommet (www.ifapray.org). You can see the entire article here. 253 likes. Post marked as liked