I cannot overemphasize the importance of forgiveness! I need not go into a long theological treatise here to show this for it is too evident in man’s spirit that forgiveness is important. How many times have we committed sin and have gone pleading to God for mercy and forgiveness? Can you even number them? You go to the throne of grace crushed in spirit because of the awful wrongs you have done, and you leave refreshed in spirit as though a warm gentle breeze swept through your soul. But what if you are wronged? Are you as merciful to others as God has been to you? Too often we are not! This is highly unfortunate! You should know that if you are unmerciful to the sins committed against you and refuse forgiveness, the same shall be done to you. Mark 11:25. When people have repented of their sins, how dare any of you to keep the matter going through gossip and persecution. You shall reap your own reward and eat of your own fruit. How unchristian ! This borders on an abomination! God watches such actions with displeasure. If you are doing this, by all means, turn from it lest it happen to you. What measure you mete, it shall be measured to you. Matthew 7:1ff.
Be generous in your praise of God
Never Be Moderate in the Praise of God There are too many times when our praises of men and for man far exceeds our praises of God and for God. And why is this? What justification can we securely offer? Man, in his greatest feats of good, could never have accomplished them without God! We glory in the brilliance of men–the geniuses of our age. I am not an inspired man but I will say this in confidence before God and man. Greater is the righteous man whose intelligence is lost in the masses than the genius whose mental faculties shine as the noonday sun but whose unrighteousness shines as brightly. Are you gifted? Give praise to God! Are you bountiful in talents? Give praise to God! Are you wealthy because of business acuity? Give praise to the almighty for he gives the power to be rich! Are you poor this morning but thankful? Give praise to the Almighty! Is your health fair this morning? Give praise to God! You will note that I did not say–is your health perfect–but rather is your health fair. Can you get around? Can you do simple tasks? Can you walk? Can you make the bed? Can you drive to work? Can you feed yourself? Can you endure with your illnesses? Praise God!!! In everything give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus. I will say this before closing this morning’s thought. We marvel at the computer and the worldwide web. We marvel at satellite technology and the ability of man to communicate in seconds with anyone around the world. We are astounded to the point of almost counting such a thing as miraculous. But for all of its greatness, it is like a man walking along a great beach and stopping to stoop down in the sand to gather just one small grain. When he stands up and brings the grain of sand close to his eyes so he can better see it, he stops and thinks how insignificant this one grain of sand is to the entire beach. For miles he sees nothing but sand in both directions. He now sits down in the sand and thinks a thought. No one else is around. There is nothing about but several sea gulls flying over head. The thought is this. What I have in my hand is the sum total of man’s ability. What lies before me on this beach (regarding sand) and all the beaches and deserts in the world is God’s ability. He drops the grain of sand and glorifies God unceasingly.
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