Bill Johnson teaches on the freedom that comes with forgiveness and how to let go of bitterness. Unforgiveness produces bitterness in our lives and poisons our perspective. Unforgiveness and bitterness keeps us imprisoned in the past, unable to move forward into what God has for us. Bitterness is something we are all susceptible to, and we must learn to protect our hearts from it. Forgiveness is a choice, and while it is not always easy, freedom is the result. Subscribe for weekly videos: https://bit.ly/bjmYoutube
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Scripture References: Hebrews 12 Ephesians 4: 26-27 Matthew 6: 10 Matthew 3: 8 Romans 12: 18 Philippians 4: 8 Originally shared at Bethel Church, Redding California, on November 25, 2018. Bill Johnson is a fifth-generation pastor with a rich heritage in the Holy Spirit. He is senior leader of Bethel Church in Redding, California, and is passionate about seeing Revival and God’s Kingdom established and revealed in the lives of individuals, families, communities, and nations. Bill’s teaching on the Kingdom of Heaven, hosting the Presence, and the renewed mind has helped thousands around the world to step into their true identity in Christ, God given purpose, and walk in a supernatural lifestyle displaying both purity and power. #BillJohnson #BethelChurch #Forgiveness #Freedom
so far as it depends with you be at
peace with all men do everything you can
possibly do on your end to stay
undefiled by the spirit of bitterness I
realize there are horrific stories
represented in this room the things that
some people do to other people is just
it’s just crazy it’s just stupid but
there is no liberty for you outside of
forgiving I have a few little signs here
that I like
either you like bacon or you’re
[Applause]
wrong that’s just not a good way to
start this meeting is
it what do we learn from cows hippos and
elephants it’s impossible to reduce
weight by eating green grass salads and
walking
huh that
works this was in a apparently a church
bulletin there will be a talk entitled
from cannibalism to Christianity
followed by a finger
[Applause]
foods not a well-placed announcement I I
agree people need to learn the
difference between want and need I want
a nice body I need banana
pudding one last one you’re all aware of
the romae lettuce
scare right now Donuts are healthier
than romae lettuce I’ve been waiting my
whole life for this
moment that’s
funny that is funny all
right Hebrews chapter 12 why don’t you
open your Bibles please to the book of
Hebrews chapter
12
the five scariest
people I I met in my life the most
terrifying people I’ve ever met we’re
all
bitter I think the most terrifying Vice
or iniquity is is the vice of
unforgiveness
bitterness I don’t know anything that
that destroys and ruins a life quicker
that in some circles
is commonly accepted as a almost a
virtue uh some people call it
discernment
um bitterness is always justifiable to
the bitter
yeah there’s always reasoning behind
resentment bitterness
unforgiveness my favorite virtue is
thankfulness thankfulness has um
goodness it’s almost like it insulates a
person from things that would normally
contaminate or cause a person to stumble
or hurt or whatever it might be doesn’t
mean it keeps us from Pain it just keeps
us in a place where we’re healthy it’s
thankfulness is so bizarre that you can
eat a put it in Old in a early New
Testament context of being invited by a
neighbor then offered their food to
Demons uh a meal that could possibly
hurt you if uh if you’re invited to that
meal it’s actually possible for that
meal to be Sanctified by the word of God
in prayer and in the context the prayer
was the prayer of thankfulness
Thanksgiving actually decontaminated
Ates that which was uh set against you
the whole issue of thankfulness in a
person’s life but the if I could go to
the opposite extreme my favorite virtue
would be thankfulness my the
scariest uh Vice or iniquity is uh is
bitterness I’ve I’ve worked with uh
people for a lot of years in at pastoral
Ministry counseling that sort of thing
I’m so glad I don’t counsel anymore
thank you
Jesus there’s a song in my heart going
on right now we don’t have time for it
but oh it’s there it is there but I used
to counsel and I don’t anymore I don’t
know if I mentioned that but I don’t
count so
anymore I’m going to forget what I’m
talking about because I’m so thankful
I’m just so thankful I’m insulated from
everything else right now because I’m so
thankful I I you you hear the the the
question can a Christian have a demon um
I love John whimber I think it was John
wimber’s answer he saysi don’t know why
you’d want one they make horrible
pets seem to be the most reasonable
answer to
me um but this the the scripture
actually gives warning to Believers
don’t give place to the devil so the
point is as a Christian can give uh a
place of influence to the enemy and uh
Paul in Ephesians four warned against
giving a place of influence and I I’ve
watched uh in the in the groups of
people that I’ve worked with for the
last 40 some years the three areas that
open people up to the Demonic the the
most from my opinion my perspective is
uh drug abuse specifically
hallucinogenics uh sexual immorality
especially perversion repeated and the
third one is bitterness and the three
scariest five scariest people I’ve ever
met in my life were all had one thing in
common they were they were uh bitter
Beyond Reason and all bitterness is
beyond reason but these people were
possessed by this Spirit of bitterness
uh two of them one of them I worked with
here in Reading trying to get him free
but he just he just he just
refused and then one in Weaverville they
both are in prison for murder uh they
both killed people after after they
rejected um the trying to get free from
the issue of bitterness because
bitterness is actually the spirit of
murder uh in diapers it’s just
undeveloped murder is what it is and it
whether it actually becomes a violent
act or not is not the point it’s what
happens in the heart of the person who
is embittered and
unforgiving the scariest part of the
whole issue the subject of unforgiveness
to me uh we’re going to read about it in
a few minutes uh when we get to Hebrews
12 but it’s it’s this statement that
unforgiveness defiles so if you could
picture this this is the person I’m
bitter at I’m the bitter person this is
the person I’m bitter at what happens is
unforgiveness bitterness in me defiles
me
me it defiles everyone under my
influence and it does nothing to the
person I’m bitter
at it’s the craziest thing it’s like
it’s like uh it’s it’s like drinking
poison somebody said it’s like drinking
poison hoping somebody else will die you
know it’s bitterness actually destroys
the vessel that it’s in and we are
Redemptive people I don’t think I don’t
think there would be a bitter person on
the planet if we saw how undeserving of
forgiveness we were from God and he
forgave us I don’t think it’s possible
to see how undeserving I am and he
forgave me how much more must I forgive
even in in life’s worst situation
forgive forgiveness doesn’t mean to um
trust again trust has to be earned
forgiveness
doesn’t
um Jesus taught several things about
forgiveness the Apostle Paul taught
several things that I I think would be
worthy of note um one is that
forgiveness we receive forgiveness
according to the Forgiveness we
give the prayer that we love so much on
Earth as it is in heaven it concludes
with this statement that we are forgiven
according to the Forgiveness that we
give to
others I I saw this video it’s very
sobering video of a gentleman who was
who was RA raised from the
dead and and he was he was ABS
absolutely terrified from The Experience
because of where he was
going and uh and and this story about
this man who had been raised from the
dead he was so paranoid of conflict and
I don’t mean that in a in a wrong way I
I just want to describe the situation he
was in his home when an argument would
start between two family members he
literally would get up and run and hide
in the bathroom he would was hide
because he was he saw the effect of
bitterness on eternity and it so
terrified him that he would run and he
would hide and yet bitterness is
something that people broker in all the
time in fact it’s uh it’s become uh
empowered accentuated emphasized uh in
the political conflict climate that we
live in right
now I I do believe you know we say that
God is Not Republican or Democrat or
libertarian or independent socialist
whatever you want to fill in the blanks
he I I get that he’s
not um the the question isn’t whose side
is God on the question is is is are we
on his side because he does have things
that he despises and
loves uh Mike ble uh made the best
statement for me helped me understand so
much he said God’s anger is always aimed
at whatever interferes with love
of and our the scripture says we’re to
be angry and sin not so this whole
notion of the Christian becoming coming
to a place where there is no emotion
that’s Buddhism that’s not
Christianity that’s Spock on Star
Wars I I don’t want to be like Spock on
Star Wars who Star Trek Star Trek thank
you cover got your cover you know what I
meant you know spark on Star track yeah
they’re all the
same
sorry I just now you have to forgive me
you have to forgive me
[Applause]
now believe me I’ve made much worse
mistakes than movies I I I tend to
forget I sit on United Airlines and I
turn a movie on I if I last five minutes
it’s almost a miracle I just ah stupid
movie change it ah dumb movie change it
oh this is going nowhere change
it never mind all
right so Spock on Star truck got it got
you got it all
right he said be a the scripture says be
angry and sin not the emotion of anger
is natural if you’re not angry at
certain situations that rise up in your
life or in society and culture
something’s broken right it just can’t
lead to
sin it can’t lead to resentment it can’t
lead to bitterness it can’t lead lead to
a self-promotion
Vindication uh you know
retaliation be angry it’s a sign you’re
alive if you see a child abused and you
you don’t get angry then you you’re dead
there’s there’s something really wrong
because that that is supposed to provoke
provoke anger but also it’s to put us
into a place where we become Redemptive
Solutions Redemptive Solutions listen if
I am bitter my volume increases by my
influence
decreases bitter people lose trust
quickly because everybody in society and
culture is looking for people to trust
we vote for this politician we choose
this measure we move into this
neighborhood we put our children in this
school it’s always an issue of trying to
find where can we set our teeth into a
place of trust and bitter people are not
trustworthy so he says he says um be
angry and sin not but then he follows it
with this statement in Ephesians 4 he
says uh be angry and sin not then he
says don’t let the sun go down on your
anger so here here’s the deal we start
the day with what Jesus taught us to
pray Our Father who are in heaven
Hallowed Be Your Name Your Kingdom Come
your will be done on Earth as it is in
heaven give us this day our daily bread
forgive us our debts as we forgive our
debtors what is it at the beginning of
my day I have determined to live
redemptively and I before I am sinned
against am prepared to
forgive it’s it’s the commitment I am
going to live the life of a forgiving
person it doesn’t mean abuse is wrong
doesn’t mean lying stealing doesn’t mean
any of that stuff that is done to you to
me doesn’t mean it’s okay it doesn’t
mean that stuff’s fine it just means I
am not going to become controlled by the
sins of another person I’m not going to
let the spirit of bitterness dictate to
me my thoughts and my feelings I will
rise above these circumstances because
I’m going to be a contributor to society
what happens when I’m filled with
bitterness I’m holding on to the past if
I hold on to the past I cannot hang on
to the present and bring Redemptive
Solutions it’s one of the things the
enemy uses to keep us away from being a
creative positive influence in culture
in society is to keep us married to
yesterday if if I am if I am Bound by
the effects of yesterday then I have
really lost my ability to have positive
effect on the world around me so we we
have this commandment to to not let the
sun go down on our anger here’s here’s
another one uh the uh uh John the
Baptist made this statement he says
bring forth fruit of your repentance
bring forth fruit of your repentance
those has to be evidence when we claim
spiritual realities it has to be
measurable in the natural Jesus said if
you say you love God who you can’t see
and you hate your brother who you can
see you’re a liar because claiming an
unseen reality has to be measurable in
the natural it has to be it has to be uh
realized in the natural it has to have
an effect for example if I am bitter at
somebody and I forgive them it has to my
behavior towards them has to change now
as I said earlier it doesn’t mean if
there’s an abusive situation or they’ve
stolen or they’ve done whatever it
doesn’t mean that trust is rebuilt it
just means as far as it depends with me
I am living in peace and I’m not being
controlled or manipulated by the
circumstance of of being hurt abused
whatever the situation might
be so we have this issue of not letting
the sun go down on our anger so I start
my day as a Redemptive person that today
I’ve determined I before anything
happens no matter what happens today I’m
going to live as a forgiver I’m going to
live as a forgiver I’m going to release
people I refuse to be bound by
bitterness through the actions of other
people number one but then I’m going to
make sure that at the end of the day and
don’t let the sun go down on my anger I
maybe experienc frustration anger
because this happened that happened this
was wrong that was wrong but I’m not
going to let it control me so at the end
of the day I’ve got to make sure that I
go to sleep with peace if I don’t then
that thorn of unforgiveness gets under
the skin it fouls and festers and it
gets woven into my personality it gets
woven into my Consciousness into my
thinking it becomes a part of the fabric
of who I am the longer I leave it there
the more it begins to Define me Jesus
wants us to have every day with a fresh
start where we become true uh
contributors to society and we can’t do
that under the influence of bitterness I
remember years ago I was I was
counseling somebody have I mentioned you
I don’t counsel
anymore oh let’s just sing a song right
now of gratefulness to the Lord there is
a song in my heart I want you to know
that right now I’m experiencing Great
Joy anyway I was sitting with this
couple in counseling a long time
ago she was mad because he had done
something 10 years earlier that’s a lot
of sons going down on
anger and uh so we we’re they’re friends
so we’re we’re talking and I found out
she’s been carrying this for 10 years I
said all right so I looked at him I said
did you ever repent for what you did he
said
yeah and I said well where’s the
evidence now that was into an accusation
sounds kind of harsh but it was we just
in conversation because the scripture
says bring forth fruit of your
repentance if you don’t have if your
internal decision doesn’t affect your
behavior you have no evidence you’ve
forgiven right if it doesn’t if it
doesn’t affect Behavior then it’s just a
philosophy he didn’t call us to a
philosophy of forgiveness he he called
us into a lifestyle of forgiveness it
has to be proven through action so I
said do you have any any evidence he he
said no I don’t I said all right well
let’s meet again next week and just
bring me some
evidence so um we went by they came in I
sat down I looked at her I said is there
any evidence she goes nope I looked at
him I said do you have any evidence he
says yeah and he began to make this list
and her eyes opened up and she realized
that she had become the problem he
caused it but because of bitterness she
extended it does that make sense let me
re rephrase this her bitterness blinded
her to the reality of his
repentance see bitterness distorts view
perspective it distorts it poisons how
we view not just the situation or the
person who’s hurt us but life in general
life in general becomes interpreted
through my history of pain through my
history of pain and so now I’m actually
even if I’m not in unforgiveness if I’ve
held on to these things these issues of
past pain if I’ve held on to them even
if I’m not a bitter person they still
shape how I view present
situations and in order for us to be
instant in season and out for us to be
redemptively uh functional in any and
every situation it means yesterday
cannot have lasting influence on my life
except for what Jesus has done back to
the story so I said do do you have any
any uh any uh evidence he says yes and
he began to make a list and she realized
that he was correct he did have evidence
for his forgiveness the point is when
you forgive somebody embracing a
philosophy of being a forgiver is not
going to fix a problem but when there
are measurable actions maybe it’s that
you take a day to fast and pray for that
person maybe maybe you make a phone call
I remember I remember making specific
phone calls uh to individuals that had
really had hurt me and I would call them
to bless them or to honor them or in
some way serve them and and it hurts so
much inside but the only thing that hurt
was the part that was supposed to be
dead so it wasn’t that big of a
deal that don’t protect what should be
[Applause]
dead submit it to The Obedience of
Christ submit it to obedience to actions
of obedience so here’s the deal if I’m
forgiving this individual then I need
some Behavior changes maybe the person
who abused me you know let’s say I was
abused 20 years ago they they’re dead
well I can’t do anything to them or for
them but you know what I could do is I
could pray for the blessing of God on
their
descendants in some way put into an
action maybe fall to my knees and just
pray God I don’t deserve maybe that
person is is uh lives on the other side
of the planet but you come before the
Lord you say God I know that I did not
deserve your forgiveness
and you forgave me I ask that you would
give that same Mercy to this individual
that hurt me what I have brought into my
life as a as a regular discipline in
recent uh months and year or so is Benny
and I like to take communion often and
I’ve already taken you through this at
least many of you in in part but we like
to take communion often most every day
and when I in fact I I had it this
morning uh Eric and I both come early
early morning 5 5ish 5 5 to 5:30 to come
and just to pray to get ready for the
day and so I’d like to bring communion
with me uh so that I can pray and what I
do is I pray over every member of my
family I make confession of the Lord uh
by his stripes we are healed and pray
for those who need Miracles I pray I
hold the blood out before the Lord I
make the proclamation as for me in my
house we will serve the Lord I remember
each mention each family member I pray
for them uniquely individually but then
I move into the area where I pray for
those whose Ministries they actually
have taken a position to oppose me or to
uh publicly uh write a book or maybe
they uh um have conferences uh to
undermine us me uh maybe they they tear
apart or critique or criticize a book
I’ve written or whatever it might be
fill in the blanks they’ve take public
position to oppose me I’ve had uh them
meet me at the airport when I land here
I’ve I’ve I’ve had just weird situations
protest banners out in front of
conferences that I do it’s because they
love me so much and they just don’t know
it
yet and Chris one of them Chris was mad
cuz my name was on the protest board and
his name wasn’t there he was he was he
was little little upset over that but
anyway um there are five people on my
list three who are are who are
recognized around the world who have
taken this position to oppose me you
never criticize a servant to that to
that servant’s Master there’s no right
uh never does a Believer have the right
to
accuse another believer before God we
don’t have that right so what I do is I
bring their name before the Lord and I
pray I ask God uh this morning I prayed
God I pray that they would lack nothing
that everything they need in life
whether it’s finances whether it’s favor
whether it’s open doors for because they
do preach the gospel uh uh open yours
for uh for the gift that you’ve given
them and pray for the blessing of the
Lord on them but the thing that I love
praying the most for them is that father
I ask that you’d give them the joy of
having children who have children who
would serve you wholeheartedly that they
would have the privilege have children
grandchildren great-grandchildren that
would serve you with all of their heart
give them that joy and that pleasure
what you’ve got to do is you have to
have evidence that an internal decision
has been made made in is carrying out
and sometimes it’s prayer sometimes it’s
a gift sometimes it’s a phone call but
it’s something that we do just to make
sure as the scripture says so far as it
depends with you be at peace with all
men do everything you can possibly do on
your end to stay undefiled by the spirit
of
bitterness
amen we haven’t got to Hebrews 12 yet
have we just trust me it’s
[Applause]
good let me make one more comment then
we’ll read
this because of the politically
heightened conflict that exists in our
country right
now we need people to hold to righteous
values without becoming
bitter and one of the hardest things in
the world to do is to minister to a
group of people without picking up their
offenses in fact let me make two more
comments
it’s challenging listen carefully it’s
very difficult to give yourself to
minister to a group of people without
picking up their offenses for example
it’s very difficult to minister to the
poor without being offended at the
rich it’s very difficult to minister to
the rich and not be offended at those
who don’t
work it’s very difficult to minister to
children not be offended at adults who
don’t prioritize the life of a
child it’s tough to minister to adults
not be offended by a younger generation
that shows them no
respect it’s difficult to minister to
One race without being offended at
another race the list goes on and on and
on and sometimes people’s Ministries are
defined by what they’re offended at
instead of the actual Ministry of the
Gospel I believe that God has he cares
about the issues that are at stake in
any of our Nations represented in this
room he he doesn’t have
opinions he’s
[Applause]
right and like was it was it Joshua that
saw the Lord and said who side are you
on and the angel of the Lord says who
side are you on that’s the real question
having said
that I don’t think on many many issues
the enemy cares what your opinion is as
long as you leave the character of
Christ to defend
it in many areas of our life I don’t
think the devil cares one bit about what
your convictions are regarding an issue
as long as you leave the character of
Christ to defend
it Hebrews
12 you all right we almost have to end
and I’m finally getting to the
Bible
oops all right verse
12 Hebrews 12:12 therefore strengthen
the hands which hang down the feeble
knees make straight paths for your feet
so that what is lame may not be
dislocated but rather
healed pursue peace with all people man
I love that and
Holiness without which no one will see
the Lord I have that phrase underlined
without which no one will see the Lord
looking carefully lest anyone falls
short of the grace of God lest any root
of bitterness springing up causes
trouble and by this many become defiled
lest there be any fornicator or profane
person like Esau who for one morsel of
food sold his Birthright you know that
afterward when he wanted to inherit the
blessing he was rejected for he found no
place for repentance though he sought it
diligently with
tears don’t skip the sobering passes
passages of scripture don’t skip them
don’t don’t just read the verse es that
make you feel like the king of the earth
read the things that cut deeply because
we need them the fear of God is a huge
part of our walk with
Christ and uh this is part of it so
verse 15 looking carefully lest anyone
falls short of the grace of God Le lest
any root of bitterness springing up
cause trouble and by this many become
defiled this phrase concerning
bitterness and many being defiled has
been a phrase that has been racing
through my mind for several weeks and
I’ve been looking forward to today Happy
Thanksgiving by the way looking forward
to
today I am thankful but I’ll be more
thankful when if you’re not bitter you
[Music]
know it’s been racing through my mind in
recent weeks because I can I could see
me I could feel and see
the defiling effect of bitterness of a
person on another
person and where the Lord is taking us
is deeper into places of service of Love
of care of
influence but we can’t survive it if we
don’t know how to resist picking up the
offenses of the people we loveing care
for and by many by it become
defiled I was
uh just talking with some friends of
mine uh two weeks ago uh we were able to
spend some time together and they were
they had a some some sort of a birthday
gathering or holiday gathering I forget
what it was now and and something in the
food didn’t taste right every everyone
just went ahead and ate it even though
it didn’t taste right and then it hit
everyone everyone got food
poisoning everyone but two people
everyone got food poisoning that ate
this
stuff uh and many were
[Applause]
defiled and if you eat the meal of
criticism and
accusation you’re being food
poisoned and so the Lord here’s here’s
my here’s my if I could pray one thing
for today it would be either that we’d
be ridiculously thankful and or we would
become allergic to bitterness you’d
break out in hives or something You’
start twitching I don’t care what it is
but in some way you begin to manifest
when you get around bitterness because
it is that
defiling and to see the effect of
bitterness on the human soul to see the
effect on a family I realize there are
horrific stories represented in this
room that what you’ve gone through is
beyond words I spent enough time
one-on-one with people to know the
things that some people do to other
people is just is just crazy it’s just
stupid but there is no liberty for you
outside of forgiving there just isn’t
there just isn’t we become defiled by
our
own uh entertaining thoughts of
accusation Paul made this great
statement in Philippians 4 I’m sorry I
should be giving you references and if I
had my act together I’d have verses on
the screens with the references and and
you would be all the smarter because of
it Philippians 4:8 he says whatever is
lovely whatever is of good report uh all
these think on these things and if I’m
struggling does anybody else ever have
accusations about somebody else come to
your mind like a thousand a
minute maybe not a thousand maybe just a
hundred a minute the accusations that
come if you don’t if I don’t if I don’t
proactively counter that not by
rebuking but by
replacing he can only plant a thought
where there is no
thought
I have people that have have really
affected my life in not a positive
way and yet I know that they have a
relationship with the
Lord and what I’ve had to do is come to
the place where I actually fear Christ
in
them so that I maintain awe and respect
for them Jesus has redeemed them he has
has changed their life he has forgiven
they’re not perfect but neither am I and
we rub each other the wrong way
something happens those thoughts bombard
the mind if I can’t vict get victory
that way by praying aggressively for
them not against them then I just turn
my attention to my wife because she’s
everything on Philippians 4:8 she’s
lovely she’s of good report she’s all
the things listed so I just think about
her and I’m delivered right there I just
comes right out and I’m okay that so uh
whatever works for you you can think
about my wife too if you
want go
[Laughter]
ahead what I can’t afford to do is to
spend time thinking something that has
the potential of setting down roots in
me and shaping who I
am listen to me bitter thoughts are not
okay
they’re not okay because it’s what
predes imprisonment to
something that destroys
us I say
this because of
my I’m I’m concerned with what I hear
and
see I’ve taken time to reflect
over what I grew up with wa watching
what happened with people that I tried
to help Council that went and killed
somebody and just crazy crazy stuff the
two that scared me maybe the most were
the two people in a church that I would
go to serve and they were they were just
possessed by bitterness and resentment
and they they could not
reason I don’t I don’t see that here but
I I also know that you and I are made of
the same stuff and if they can if
somebody else can do it wrong then I can
do it wrong and so I want to make sure
that I that I have the tools in place
where I can walk in forgiveness walk
redemptively and the the answer is not
creating a big defense the answer is
offense a good offense is the best
defense keep the ball out of the hand of
the
enemy right just just don’t just don’t
give him a place don’t give him a place
he has no right to set up influence so
here’s the
deal I’m praying that everybody in this
this room would become
allergic to resentment that the
discernment level in your heart and mind
in my heart and mind would be so
heightened that if we get near
it we automatically come in redemptively
knowing we cannot afford to be
influenced by this that is sent from the
powers of
Darkness yep
my hope
is is is not I I I seld think of
survival I think in terms of overcoming
you know I don’t want to be the last one
standing I want to be a part of an army
that actually made a
difference and so obviously I I don’t
want to see people fall to that Spirit
of bitterness fall to that
control but more than that I want to see
a Redemptive Army be thrust into deeper
and deeper places of influence people
who know how to
forgive you know you read the quotes of
some of our nation’s Heroes Through The
Years you read the quotes I’m sorry I’ve
got them in my iPad I I didn’t think to
bring them up but quotes from Martin
Luther King some of his statements about
forgiveness very profound
statements the place of influence is
really given to those who know how to
forgive and I pray that for you I pray
that for me that the Lord would continue
to thrust us into places of influence
because we know what it is to walk as a
Redemptive Army of forgivers why don’t
you stand with me we’re going to pray
together you know my
dad
let’s do this let’s let’s just assume no
one in here is bitter than anyone amen
amen no one but if you were does anyone
come to
mind oh that’s so funny no no no one no
one no
one my dad used to have this
statement he said when you wash another
person’s feet you find out why they walk
the way they
do some people you may be offended at
that you wouldn’t be if you figuratively
wash their feet find out oh that’s why
they limp like they do that makes a lot
of
sense
so father make us
allergic let allergies spread through
the room right now Jesus
name you know what I mean right I do
pray Lord I pray for a great grace to
live redemptively at a level that’s
beyond anything we’ve known you you’ve
lifted the veil so to speak you’ve L us
uh have places of influence and to serve
and to love well and I just ask God give
us discernment give us a Grace in every
environment to be able to be an
influence of
forgiveness in Jesus name now I’m going
to ask everyone please hold your place
Bel the family hold your place if you
would because I want to give invitation
for people to know Jesus and I don’t
want to do that with people walking
around because it’s too easy for others
to be
distracted the greatest miracle that
could happen here today is that somebody
would say I want to know what it is to
be a disciple of Jesus I want to know
what it is to be forgiven by God and to
walk as a
forgiver if there’s anybody in the room
that just say Bill I don’t want to leave
the building until I know I’m at peace
with God I’ve been forgiven of sin then
I want you just to put a hand up where
you are we’re just going to make an
agreement with you we had five people
first service respond to this invitation
to know Jesus is there anyone this
morning in this service just put a hand
up I want to make sure that we give full
quality time for you to come to know the
forgi Forgiveness of Jesus for those who
are watching by bethl TV we just
announce to you the Forgiveness the
grace of God is available to you as well
and I do pray that you and I would be
able to spread the Forgiveness of Jesus
through all through our city this week I
just pray for that great grace amen amen