Category: Forgiving Others

Bible Verse of The Day – 9-6-17

Mark 11:25 (NKJV) 25 “And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses.

Are we holding anything in our hearts that needs to go?

For instance, did someone mistreat us, abuse us physically or verbally? Have we been cheated on or looked down upon as never amounting to anything? Have we been punished for something we did not do?

If we don’t forgive the person who has done these things, said these things or caused these things, we will not be free in our own hearts.

Things that happen in life can harden our hearts so badly that it can cause us to stop living. We stop having fun. We stop laughing.

Unforgiveness robs us of our joy because we are bound to whatever it was that hurt us. By not forgiving and letting it go it has a hold, a grip on our hearts.

The very act of forgiving someone brings freedom to us. Even though we are setting them free, we are getting free ourselves.

That is why God does not ask us to forgive, but He tells us to. Nothing we can tell Him will excuse our unforgiveness.

We have to let what they did to us go, put it behind us and move on. We cannot make them pay us back by punishing them. We cannot keep bringing it up and reminding them of it. We cannot continue to be mad at them and hold a grudge until we think they have made it right.

We don’t have to be best friends with them, or even be around them. But we have to forgive what they have done to us.

It is not ours to deal with. They will have to answer for themselves for the things they have done. And we don’t need to know about it when it does happen.

Set them free. Let go of the bitterness and the unforgiveness that just causes us hardship, sadness and even sickness.

Today is a new day. Enjoy your life.

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie

Seven Seas Ministries
P.O. Box 272
Bradford, RI 02808

401-315-0902

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Bible Verse of The Day – 1-30-17

Matthew 5:44 (NKJV) 44 But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you…

Our hearts don’t always think of the right thing to do. If we are hurting, sometimes it can tell us to do the wrong thing. Or it might keep us from doing the right thing. In cases where we have been hurt, scripture or verses like this will guide us to do right, in spite of how we feel.

This is a very humbling and right-to-the point verse and it will bring healing in many ways if we let it. We need to reach a point within ourselves to be able to act out in such a way. This kind of change requires help from the Holy Spirit.

Loving our enemy(s) is impossible to do on our own. There is no way we will love them if we don’t have God’s Spirit moving in us.

Blessing those who curse us, well, that’s just plain not happening without God’s help.

Do good to those who do what to us? HATE us.

Try doing something good for someone who hates us and see how far we get while still having the right attitude toward them.

Praying for those who spitefully use us and persecute us? OK, How? How do we pray if our heart is broken, angry and sad? We don’t. At least not by our own strength. Or if we do, we don’t do it for the right reason and we don’t have the right motive.

It takes God’s help to walk this verse out. It takes the Holy Spirit moving in us.

How do we find freedom or healing in any of this? It sounds like it is just hard work and painful.

We find freedom, peace and healing when we sincerely want to see that person (or people) get help. Not just any help, but God’s help. When we want God’s will for that person, His blessings on them and everything else that He has for them, we know we’re on the right track.

When we begin to pray for them, it may feel like it is hurting us more than we can stand. But that pain will subside when we stick with it and do what He tells us to do. When we put ourselves aside, we will learn how to love in spite of the pain and hurt we feel.

We will soon find God’s peace. Not by figuring it all out, but by doing the right thing and leaving the rest in God’s hands.

Thank you, God, for teaching us these things. We love you and we want to do what is best. Help us to love and pray for those who have hurt us. In the precious name of Your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie

Seven Seas Ministries
P.O. Box 272
Bradford, RI 02808

401-315-0902

If you know someone who will enjoy this or be encouraged by it, please feel free to share it with them!

To have the Bible Verse of The Day delivered to your inbox each day, please Click Here and then enter your email address in the box near the upper left corner of the page.

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Bible Verse of The Day – 2-25-16

Matthew 6:15 (NKJV) 15 But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Yesterday, I ran into someone I hadn’t seen in a very long time. We were very close friends at one time in our lives. Some hurtful things took place and we became distant.

When I saw this person for the first time, face to face after many years, it was very uncomfortable for me. But the more we talked the easier it became.

When people hurt us, it takes some time for healing to happen. But there comes a time when we may run into that person again and we have to put it behind us and let it go.

That means holding nothing against them. When we see them we don’t associate them with what they did wrong.

God forgives. He does not remember. He doesn’t see our face and connect it with our mistakes. He simply forgives us as we ask Him to. And we need to do the same for those that make mistakes against us.

Forgive.

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie

Seven Seas Ministries
P.O. Box 272
Bradford, RI 02808

401-315-0902

If you know someone who will enjoy this or be encouraged by it, please feel free to share it with them!

To have the Bible Verse of The Day delivered to your inbox each day, please Click Here and then enter your email address in the box near the upper left corner of the page.

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Bible Verse of The Day – 10-17-15

Mark 11:25 (NKJV) 25 “And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses.

Forgiving someone is something we all face from time to time. It’s a step we have to take.

Some have to forgive their parents for things that happened to them when they were a child, and they had no control over the things that happened to them. But the memory is there and it’s hard to move on and let go.

Some have to forgive themselves for things they participated in, not knowing at the time that it was wrong. They went ahead and did it, only to learn now it was not the right thing to do.

Some have to forgive their spouse, for hurtful words and painful things they have done to them, and continue to love them and not hold a grudge toward them.

Some have to forgive their children for things they deliberately did to them to make them angry and bring shame on their family.

Some have to forgive their Pastor, Priest, or Minister, etc., for mistakes they have made.

Some have to forgive their very close friend that they trusted with all their personal information and that person took it and spread it to others.

These are just a few things that might hit home. Let God work on helping us to pinpoint the unforgiveness in our hearts.

We need to be free from it. Life is beautiful and we can’t be holding on to this stuff any longer.

It takes more work to hold onto something like this than it does to just give it over to God and let Him help with it.

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie

Seven Seas Ministries
P.O. Box 272
Bradford, RI 02808

401-315-0902

If you know someone who will enjoy this or be encouraged by it, please feel free to share it with them!

To have the Bible Verse of The Day delivered to your inbox each day, please Click Here and then enter your email address in the box near the upper left corner of the page.

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Bible Verse of The Day – 8-28-14

Matthew 6:15 (NKJV) 15 But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Forgiveness is a topic that could be taught on every day of the week and still it would not be often enough.

We all need to learn to forgive more often and more readily. It’s too easy to hold onto things and harbor unforgiveness in our hearts.

Everyone who is reading this has been hurt by someone. Everyone.

There isn’t a single person who hasn’t had something traumatic happen to them at the hands of another person. Some of us may have had some major hurts, while others might only be minor. But we have all been hurt.

The question now is; “What will we do with it?”.

We have two choices. Hold onto it and become angry and bitter. Or forgive the person, give it over to God and move on with our lives. There is no middle ground.

Some people are much quicker to forgive and move on. A lot of it is related to our personalities. But regardless of our personality type, God has told us that we must forgive if we want to be forgiven.

That may seem harsh, but I like the fact that God doesn’t beat around the bush. He lays it out before us and says “the choice is yours”.

I will admit that this is an area where God has had to do considerable work in me. I hate injustice and I hate when something goes unresolved. So when someone hurts me, it’s a lot tougher for me to simply lay it down and move on.

I’d rather try to fix it and work everything out to make it “perfect”. But this is real life and not everyone wants to resolve problems. Some people are happier to hold onto anger and let it turn into bitterness.

But if God says we need to forgive, then we need to forgive. Period. We need to lay our own preferences aside and do what we’re told by our heavenly Father.

We have been given much regarding our own forgiveness. God saw fit to forgive us for every sin we ever committed when we asked Him to. Therefore, we have definitely been given much. So if we have been given much, then much is required of us.

Luke 12:48 (NKJV) 48 …For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more.

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie

Seven Seas Ministries
P.O. Box 272
Bradford, RI 02808

 401-315-0902

If you know someone who will enjoy this or be encouraged by it, please feel free to share it with them!

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Bible Verse of The Day – 7-15-14

(Luke 23:34 NKJV)  Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.” And they divided His garments and cast lots.

Jesus set a perfect example for us as to how we should be toward all people; Forgiving.

I used to have an office position. My boss’s father would come in every day. He would come in and tell nasty jokes, using vulgar language, knowing that I didn’t find them humorous at all. And they were very offensive. He would laugh, thinking it was funny.

I used to sit at my desk and cringe every time he would say the Lord’s name in vain. I would let him say what he wanted, and share the nasty jokes and the bad language, but when it came to the Lord’s name in vain I would speak up in a kind way and say to him, “why do you have to use His name that way? He didn’t do anything to hurt you.” He would just glare at me and not say a word.

This went on for years. I was kind to this man, no matter what. I felt compassion for him even though I never saw any change in his behavior. The day came when it was time to move on from that job.

As years went by I heard that this man was in the hospital. Not knowing for sure if he would want me to visit him, I felt I needed to go. So I went to the hospital. There, lying in the bed, he looked old and weak.

As I walked into the room, I jokingly said, “What are you doing here?” He looked up and said to me very seriously, “I’m dying.” I said “you are, huh? And where are you going, Heaven or Hell?” Looking scared, he said, “I don’t know.”

I asked him if he would like to hear a story and he very calmly said, “Yes.” I knew it was my turn to share Jesus Christ. That day, the man who was so haughty, loud, obnoxious and rude to me and my Savior, accepted and received Him into His heart.  He was healed and went home from the hospital and lived many more years.

In order for that man to ever hear me or the story I had to share with him, I had to be able to hear him, to forgive him and pray for him, in spite of the things he did to me.

Forgive them, for they do not know what they do.

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie

Seven Seas Ministries
P.O. Box 272
Bradford, RI 02808

401-315-0902

If you know someone who will enjoy this or be encouraged by it, please feel free to share it with them!

To have the Bible Verse of The Day delivered to your inbox each day, please enter your email address in the box near the upper right corner of this page!

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