"Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." (James 1:2-4)
It would be great if life was all fun and games, but it's not. Sometimes, you are going to face circumstances and people who want to throw you down and punch a hole in your face. In my circumstance, my car is in the shop and is in need of pretty expensive repairs. Your trial may be more severe, like being blindsided by a divorce papers, homelessness, dealing with a family member who is an alcoholic, or unemployment. It may be even be really extreme, like being date raped by someone whom you trusted, or dealing with your friend getting murdered by a gang. However, no matter how brutal the trial, it is important not to lose heart, for that trial which you are going through will build your character, if you let it. Obviously, it's going to be painful, grueling, and tortuous, but if you put your faith in Christ and persevere, you will come out smarter, stronger, tougher, more compassionate, and better able to truly inspire and heal others.
Every time I think of this, the first fight between Anderson Silva and Chael Sonnen comes to mind. After being the most dominant mixed martial artist in the world for years, Silva is suddenly faced with an unstoppable force who spends four-and-a-half rounds breaking him in half. He could have easily given up and gone home bitter and dejected, but he didn't. He hung in there and finally saw an opening where he could sink in a triangle choke and made Sonnen tap. Just like that fight forced Silva to dig deep and draw upon all of the courage and heart he had so that he could win, so do our trials force us to draw upon all of the courage and heart that God has given us so that we can emerge victorious. So it's your choice. Are you going to let your life's trials destroy you by giving up and becoming bitter and resentful? Or are you going to let perseverance finish its work, so that you may be mature and complete?
Friday, July 20, 2012
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Esther's Daughters Haiti Has Been Shut Down Due To Fraud
My friend Tom informed me earlier tonight that he and his wife were forced to close down Esther's Daughters Haiti. They discovered that donations to the orphanage were being mismanaged, children who weren't even orphans were being provided services there, and that there were other dishonest dealings done by one of the people running it. For this reason, they have immediately shut down the entire ministry. In lieu of this information, I have promptly removed the link to the website and no longer endorse that organization in any way, shape, or form.
The Power Of Music Part II: Third Day and Diamond Rio Freaking Rock!
"Whenever the spirit from
God came on Saul, David would take up his lyre and play. Then relief
would come to Saul; he would feel better, and the evil spirit would leave him." (1 Samuel 16:23)
Today I listened to Third Day's album, "Revelation." It was absolutely amazing. Most of the time, when I listen to an artist, there are only two or three songs on a CD which I actually like. This is why I don't buy CDs anymore: it's easier just to pay $.99 on Amazon for the one song I love. However, "Revelation" is amazing. Not to mention the fact that it's great to have another Christian band in which the men sound masculine. The church has been poisoned by modern society's trend of demonizing masculinity. There's nothing wrong with the feminine qualities of compassion, empathy, and sensitivity. The emotional support of my female friends has gotten me through many difficult circumstances in my life. At the same time, the masculine traits of boldness, courage, and assertiveness are virtues, not flaws. I take pride in being adventurous enough to explore the unknown, standing up to those who abuse and mistrust others, and taking the initiative to solve problems head on. I also try to surround myself with other men who are willing to do the same thing and become leaders and protectors, rather than hanging out with domesticated wimps who can't fight their way out of a paper bag.
But I digress. I also listened to Diamond Rio's "The Reason." I enjoyed Third Day more, but I loved this album, too. Once again, I was impressed by male singers who actually sounded like men. I can't wait to find more awesome, uplifting Christian music like this which deals with real issues, rather than irritating, sissy nonsense. Only music which truly praises and reflects the power of Christ will make the evil spirits leave. I thank God that He enabled bands like Third Day, Diamond Rio, Newsboys, and others to make this kind of music.
Today I listened to Third Day's album, "Revelation." It was absolutely amazing. Most of the time, when I listen to an artist, there are only two or three songs on a CD which I actually like. This is why I don't buy CDs anymore: it's easier just to pay $.99 on Amazon for the one song I love. However, "Revelation" is amazing. Not to mention the fact that it's great to have another Christian band in which the men sound masculine. The church has been poisoned by modern society's trend of demonizing masculinity. There's nothing wrong with the feminine qualities of compassion, empathy, and sensitivity. The emotional support of my female friends has gotten me through many difficult circumstances in my life. At the same time, the masculine traits of boldness, courage, and assertiveness are virtues, not flaws. I take pride in being adventurous enough to explore the unknown, standing up to those who abuse and mistrust others, and taking the initiative to solve problems head on. I also try to surround myself with other men who are willing to do the same thing and become leaders and protectors, rather than hanging out with domesticated wimps who can't fight their way out of a paper bag.
But I digress. I also listened to Diamond Rio's "The Reason." I enjoyed Third Day more, but I loved this album, too. Once again, I was impressed by male singers who actually sounded like men. I can't wait to find more awesome, uplifting Christian music like this which deals with real issues, rather than irritating, sissy nonsense. Only music which truly praises and reflects the power of Christ will make the evil spirits leave. I thank God that He enabled bands like Third Day, Diamond Rio, Newsboys, and others to make this kind of music.
Sunday, July 15, 2012
Be Who God Made You To Be!
"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart..." (Jeremiah 1:5)
In context, this verse is referring to Jeremiah's call to be a prophet. However, it also points out something very important about God's character: He does not make mistakes. Even before you were in existence, He thought about you and planned out your unique personality and characteristics. He also gave you a destiny which only you can fulfill. Granted, your calling won't be to become a prophet. However, it may be to become a graphic designer, a preacher, a chemist, or a professional video gamer. To find out what your calling is, pray, read scripture, and seek godly counsel. Now, by godly counsel, I don't mean that you should go to the close-minded Pharisee club who will shoot down what you want to do just because it doesn't fit their bullcrap traditions. You're better off ignoring those people completely. I mean that you should seek pastors and elders with a strong, genuine faith who truly want to see you grow in Christ.
When I was in school, I was always taught to be myself, no matter what. However, there was one thing that I had to learn the hard way: the majority of people don't want to accept you for who you are. They want to mold you into what they want you to be, and if it means crushing your spirit in the process, so be it. Now listen, it feels good to have the approval of others, so the pressure to conform to their expectations will be strong. That being said, what price will you pay for their approval? Is it even worth it?
"What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?" (Matthew 16:26)
Do you really want to give up all of your God-given hopes and dreams to appease some jerk or witch who doesn't like you anyway? Do yourself a big favor and say NO!!!! God created you in His own image, and loves you so much that He thought you were worth the death of His Son. So just be yourself. Not the watered-down, weenie version that you present to the world when you are afraid of rejection. Be the 100% pure, all-natural, no preservatives, one and only you that Christ came back from the dead to save! God wants you as you are! Come to Him!
In context, this verse is referring to Jeremiah's call to be a prophet. However, it also points out something very important about God's character: He does not make mistakes. Even before you were in existence, He thought about you and planned out your unique personality and characteristics. He also gave you a destiny which only you can fulfill. Granted, your calling won't be to become a prophet. However, it may be to become a graphic designer, a preacher, a chemist, or a professional video gamer. To find out what your calling is, pray, read scripture, and seek godly counsel. Now, by godly counsel, I don't mean that you should go to the close-minded Pharisee club who will shoot down what you want to do just because it doesn't fit their bullcrap traditions. You're better off ignoring those people completely. I mean that you should seek pastors and elders with a strong, genuine faith who truly want to see you grow in Christ.
When I was in school, I was always taught to be myself, no matter what. However, there was one thing that I had to learn the hard way: the majority of people don't want to accept you for who you are. They want to mold you into what they want you to be, and if it means crushing your spirit in the process, so be it. Now listen, it feels good to have the approval of others, so the pressure to conform to their expectations will be strong. That being said, what price will you pay for their approval? Is it even worth it?
"What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?" (Matthew 16:26)
Do you really want to give up all of your God-given hopes and dreams to appease some jerk or witch who doesn't like you anyway? Do yourself a big favor and say NO!!!! God created you in His own image, and loves you so much that He thought you were worth the death of His Son. So just be yourself. Not the watered-down, weenie version that you present to the world when you are afraid of rejection. Be the 100% pure, all-natural, no preservatives, one and only you that Christ came back from the dead to save! God wants you as you are! Come to Him!
Thursday, July 12, 2012
Why Show Mercy?
"Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy." (Matthew 5:7)
Let's be honest: the majority of us would relish the opportunity to drop the hammer on someone who offended or disobeyed us. Seriously, if you were given the authority to completely crush the person who wounded you, wouldn't you be tempted to say "payback's a witch" and give them what's coming to them? In all likelihood, yes, and I am certainly no different. However, I have decided that, whenever I am in the mood to condemn someone to the harshest extent possible, I will take note of my surroundings and realize that:
1) I am not in total darkness.
2) I'm not weeping or gnashing my teeth.
3) I'm not burning in a lake of fire.
Why do I take note of these things? Because they are what I and the rest of the human race deserve! Sin may not seem like a big deal to us. Then again, treason does not seem like a big deal to a traitor, and in God's sight, that's what we are. Every time we commit an evil act, even if it's taking a paper clip from work without asking, we turn our backs on God, and are guilty of committing treason against the Almighty. Just like treason against one's country or earthly ruler would merit death, so does committing treason against God, only more so. That's why the "second death" that we are condemned to if we don't repent is so severe. We have betrayed the one who sustains our very life in His hand. In spite of this, He has chosen to offer us mercy through His Son, Jesus Christ. If He was willing to be merciful to us, shouldn't we be willing to be merciful to others? Take note of your surroundings, realize what you are not experiencing, and think it over.
Let's be honest: the majority of us would relish the opportunity to drop the hammer on someone who offended or disobeyed us. Seriously, if you were given the authority to completely crush the person who wounded you, wouldn't you be tempted to say "payback's a witch" and give them what's coming to them? In all likelihood, yes, and I am certainly no different. However, I have decided that, whenever I am in the mood to condemn someone to the harshest extent possible, I will take note of my surroundings and realize that:
1) I am not in total darkness.
2) I'm not weeping or gnashing my teeth.
3) I'm not burning in a lake of fire.
Why do I take note of these things? Because they are what I and the rest of the human race deserve! Sin may not seem like a big deal to us. Then again, treason does not seem like a big deal to a traitor, and in God's sight, that's what we are. Every time we commit an evil act, even if it's taking a paper clip from work without asking, we turn our backs on God, and are guilty of committing treason against the Almighty. Just like treason against one's country or earthly ruler would merit death, so does committing treason against God, only more so. That's why the "second death" that we are condemned to if we don't repent is so severe. We have betrayed the one who sustains our very life in His hand. In spite of this, He has chosen to offer us mercy through His Son, Jesus Christ. If He was willing to be merciful to us, shouldn't we be willing to be merciful to others? Take note of your surroundings, realize what you are not experiencing, and think it over.
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
Happy Birthday America!
Today I could not go anywhere in my neighborhood without seeing fireworks go off. It was pretty awesome, since I was afraid that I was going to have to drive to the nearest parking lot to see the celebration of our nation's birth. I also spent most of the day with my friend Roger, which was pretty sweet. I had a rough week, to say the least, and hanging out with him was exactly what I needed to de-stress.
I am very thankful to be born in this country. The thing I value the most is freedom of religion. I spent nine months in Peace Corps on an island where there was no religious freedom. When I changed churches there, my reputation was trashed, my job was threatened, and eventually, so was my life. I had to be evacuated for my own safety and, fortunately, made it back to America in one piece. As a result, I believe that all Americans should serve in Peace Corps so that they can understand just how blessed they are to be born here. At any rate, I am currently typing up my memoir about how God helped me through that trying time, which is called "A Valiant Effort." I cannot wait until it gets published, so that people can read about how Jesus Christ protected me through some of the worst circumstances that I have ever encountered.
I am very thankful to be born in this country. The thing I value the most is freedom of religion. I spent nine months in Peace Corps on an island where there was no religious freedom. When I changed churches there, my reputation was trashed, my job was threatened, and eventually, so was my life. I had to be evacuated for my own safety and, fortunately, made it back to America in one piece. As a result, I believe that all Americans should serve in Peace Corps so that they can understand just how blessed they are to be born here. At any rate, I am currently typing up my memoir about how God helped me through that trying time, which is called "A Valiant Effort." I cannot wait until it gets published, so that people can read about how Jesus Christ protected me through some of the worst circumstances that I have ever encountered.
Surviving The Desert
"Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil." (Matthew 4:1)
Rest assured that once you accomplish something great for God, Satan will counterattack as soon as he can. Now, we should not give Satan power which he does not have. After all, he is a created being, and, as such, has limits on what he can do. That being said, underestimating him is foolhardy and dangerous, especially since he had the audacity to challenge Jesus Christ Himself. In this case, Jesus Christ had just been baptized by John the Baptist. After His act of obedience, He was publically honored by God the Father and God the Holy Spirit.
"...At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:16b-17)
It was right after this that the Holy Spirit led Him out to face the one who tried to usurp His throne. From this event, we learn several things:
1) God will allow temptations and trials into your life in order to strengthen you. Very often, these will occur after you have a wonderful spiritual experience. It's sort of like becoming a UFC champion. Once you win the belt and have your moment of glory, you need to accept the fact that the strongest, fastest, smartest, and most ruthless fighters in your division will be out for your head. In our case, the top contenders will come out of Satan's two training camps: the sinful world and the demonic kingdom. Expect them to come for you after:
A) You get saved.
B) You get baptized.
C) You minister to a friend.
D) God allows a miracle to happen in your life.
Also, unlike a mixed martial arts champion, you don't have the option to lose the belt and fade into obscurity. According to John 10: 27-29, salvation is permanent, so you are going to be in battle for the rest of your life.
2) Satan does not fight fair. Remember, when he came after Jesus, He was alone and starving after having fasted for 40 days. Rest assured that when your life descends into complete chaos, Satan will be choosing his moment to finish you off. He will send your dead-sexy ex-girlfriend back into your life when your marriage is on life support. He will arrange for a new casino to open up in town right after you are appointed Chief Financial Officer of your company. He will send a handsome, understanding older man to "comfort" you when you have lost your father. Criminals will offer their "help" in getting you that government position when your opponent has you against the wall. In the same way that Bane waited until Batman had been run ragged by Gotham City's criminals before he broke his back, so will Satan wait until you have been run ragged before he tries to break yours.
3) Christ will empower you to succeed. He even showed us, through His example, how to use our deadliest weapon against Satan: the Bible.
"For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart." (Hebrews 4:12)
Think the lightsaber was an amazing weapon? Let's see it cut through souls and spirits. Christ answered every temptation that Satan threw at Him with scripture. This is especially amazing, considering that Satan was quoting scripture to make His temptations more appealing. Fortunately, Jesus recognized when it was being taken out of context and would use verses to show what the Bible was really saying. In other words, if you know scripture and use it properly, you will have victory over the enemy. Then, through the power of Christ, you will be able to defeat the devil, as Christ did when He said the following:
"... Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’” (Matthew 4:10)
Rest assured that once you accomplish something great for God, Satan will counterattack as soon as he can. Now, we should not give Satan power which he does not have. After all, he is a created being, and, as such, has limits on what he can do. That being said, underestimating him is foolhardy and dangerous, especially since he had the audacity to challenge Jesus Christ Himself. In this case, Jesus Christ had just been baptized by John the Baptist. After His act of obedience, He was publically honored by God the Father and God the Holy Spirit.
"...At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:16b-17)
It was right after this that the Holy Spirit led Him out to face the one who tried to usurp His throne. From this event, we learn several things:
1) God will allow temptations and trials into your life in order to strengthen you. Very often, these will occur after you have a wonderful spiritual experience. It's sort of like becoming a UFC champion. Once you win the belt and have your moment of glory, you need to accept the fact that the strongest, fastest, smartest, and most ruthless fighters in your division will be out for your head. In our case, the top contenders will come out of Satan's two training camps: the sinful world and the demonic kingdom. Expect them to come for you after:
A) You get saved.
B) You get baptized.
C) You minister to a friend.
D) God allows a miracle to happen in your life.
Also, unlike a mixed martial arts champion, you don't have the option to lose the belt and fade into obscurity. According to John 10: 27-29, salvation is permanent, so you are going to be in battle for the rest of your life.
2) Satan does not fight fair. Remember, when he came after Jesus, He was alone and starving after having fasted for 40 days. Rest assured that when your life descends into complete chaos, Satan will be choosing his moment to finish you off. He will send your dead-sexy ex-girlfriend back into your life when your marriage is on life support. He will arrange for a new casino to open up in town right after you are appointed Chief Financial Officer of your company. He will send a handsome, understanding older man to "comfort" you when you have lost your father. Criminals will offer their "help" in getting you that government position when your opponent has you against the wall. In the same way that Bane waited until Batman had been run ragged by Gotham City's criminals before he broke his back, so will Satan wait until you have been run ragged before he tries to break yours.
3) Christ will empower you to succeed. He even showed us, through His example, how to use our deadliest weapon against Satan: the Bible.
"For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart." (Hebrews 4:12)
Think the lightsaber was an amazing weapon? Let's see it cut through souls and spirits. Christ answered every temptation that Satan threw at Him with scripture. This is especially amazing, considering that Satan was quoting scripture to make His temptations more appealing. Fortunately, Jesus recognized when it was being taken out of context and would use verses to show what the Bible was really saying. In other words, if you know scripture and use it properly, you will have victory over the enemy. Then, through the power of Christ, you will be able to defeat the devil, as Christ did when He said the following:
"... Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’” (Matthew 4:10)
Sunday, July 1, 2012
July's Celebrity Prayer Project: Trent Reznor
"Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” (Matthew 19:24)
I've toyed with the idea about praying for celebrities for years. Now it's time to put it into practice. The fact of the matter is that everyone, rich and poor, will die and stand before God one day. For that reason, each month, I will pray for fifteen minutes a day for the salvation of one celebrity. To kick it off, I am going to begin with my favorite musician: Trent Reznor. While I decided to stop listening to his songs after I heard "Heresy", I was struck by the lyrics of "Terrible Lie", in which he expresses a painful disillusionment with God based on what is going on in his life and world. For that reason, I will be praying that Trent gets the answers that he seeks, and that he has a real and true encounter with the God who loves him so much that He sent His Son to die for him.
(Photo from wikipedia.org)
(Photo from wikipedia.org)
Why Forgive?
"Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you." (Colossians 3:13).
Today, I am still reeling from a situation where someone screwed me over several months back. For a completely frivolous reason, they threw me under the bus and turned my life upside-down. I will explain the situation in my memoir, which I am calling "That Was Then, This Is Now." However, I will say that just because someone claims to be a brother in Christ, does not mean that they will always act like it.
Let's just face it: life isn't fair. Therefore, it is no surprise that sometimes, you will be given the wrong end of the stick. The fact is that anyone who claims that people are inherently good has either been blessed to live in an unusually good community, or is simply naive. The fact is that, as Romans 3: 11 states, "There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God." People are sinners, and ultimately, are only out for themselves. Dale Carnegie put it this way:
"When dealing with people, remember that you are not dealing with creatures of logic, but with creatures of emotion, creatures bristling with prejudice, and motivated by pride and vanity."
In my case, I was stabbed in the back by someone who lacked the courage to stand up to someone else's emotions and prejudice. It was rather ironic, because this other person was under their authority, and not the other way around. However, even though people are going to misuse you and abuse you in life, you really only have one option when it comes to dealing with them: forgiveness. Now obviously, if the situation warrants it, you must take whatever LEGAL options you have at your disposal to rectify it. God is not honored by vigilantism. However, you still need to forgive others, for these simple reasons.
1) Your bitterness is only hurting yourself. Your offender has probably forgotten about what they've done to you and moved on to screwing someone else over. Don't let them hurt you any more than they already have. Release the pain and move on.
2) "Getting even" does not make them better. It makes you worse. Not to mention that it will likely lead to really bad consequences, such as getting fired or going to jail. One extreme example of this is "West Side Story", where Tony kills Bernardo after Bernardo kills his best friend, Riff. Due to his actions, Tony not only severely damaged his relationship with Maria, but he also became a fugitive and was eventually killed himself by Bernardo's own best friend, Chino. Now, obviously, none of us are 1950s gangsters, so we probably won't find ourselves in that position. However, it is important to note that it is far better to keep our cool than to react in a way that will get us into serious trouble.
3) We need to forgive because God forgived us. Remember, Jesus took the heat for what we did. We were the ones who turned our backs on God. We were the ones who betrayed Him and screwed Him over, even though He did nothing but good to us. Yet, He chose offer us forgiveness, coming down from heaven and dying on the cross so that we could go to heaven instead of burning in hell forever.
"But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed." (Isaiah 53:5)
So in my case, I am simply going to forgive the person and move on with my life. Now, it is important to remember that, as my friend Pastor Marv said, forgiveness is an ongoing process. Memories of what happened to you are going to cause anger to flare up in your heart. That being said, when this happens, for your own sake, forgive them again. And again. And again. Eventually, you will heal, and be freed from the evil which they have done to you forever. Then you will learn what Booker T. Washington had discovered before he said this:
"We are most like God when we forgive."
Today, I am still reeling from a situation where someone screwed me over several months back. For a completely frivolous reason, they threw me under the bus and turned my life upside-down. I will explain the situation in my memoir, which I am calling "That Was Then, This Is Now." However, I will say that just because someone claims to be a brother in Christ, does not mean that they will always act like it.
Let's just face it: life isn't fair. Therefore, it is no surprise that sometimes, you will be given the wrong end of the stick. The fact is that anyone who claims that people are inherently good has either been blessed to live in an unusually good community, or is simply naive. The fact is that, as Romans 3: 11 states, "There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God." People are sinners, and ultimately, are only out for themselves. Dale Carnegie put it this way:
"When dealing with people, remember that you are not dealing with creatures of logic, but with creatures of emotion, creatures bristling with prejudice, and motivated by pride and vanity."
In my case, I was stabbed in the back by someone who lacked the courage to stand up to someone else's emotions and prejudice. It was rather ironic, because this other person was under their authority, and not the other way around. However, even though people are going to misuse you and abuse you in life, you really only have one option when it comes to dealing with them: forgiveness. Now obviously, if the situation warrants it, you must take whatever LEGAL options you have at your disposal to rectify it. God is not honored by vigilantism. However, you still need to forgive others, for these simple reasons.
1) Your bitterness is only hurting yourself. Your offender has probably forgotten about what they've done to you and moved on to screwing someone else over. Don't let them hurt you any more than they already have. Release the pain and move on.
2) "Getting even" does not make them better. It makes you worse. Not to mention that it will likely lead to really bad consequences, such as getting fired or going to jail. One extreme example of this is "West Side Story", where Tony kills Bernardo after Bernardo kills his best friend, Riff. Due to his actions, Tony not only severely damaged his relationship with Maria, but he also became a fugitive and was eventually killed himself by Bernardo's own best friend, Chino. Now, obviously, none of us are 1950s gangsters, so we probably won't find ourselves in that position. However, it is important to note that it is far better to keep our cool than to react in a way that will get us into serious trouble.
3) We need to forgive because God forgived us. Remember, Jesus took the heat for what we did. We were the ones who turned our backs on God. We were the ones who betrayed Him and screwed Him over, even though He did nothing but good to us. Yet, He chose offer us forgiveness, coming down from heaven and dying on the cross so that we could go to heaven instead of burning in hell forever.
"But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed." (Isaiah 53:5)
So in my case, I am simply going to forgive the person and move on with my life. Now, it is important to remember that, as my friend Pastor Marv said, forgiveness is an ongoing process. Memories of what happened to you are going to cause anger to flare up in your heart. That being said, when this happens, for your own sake, forgive them again. And again. And again. Eventually, you will heal, and be freed from the evil which they have done to you forever. Then you will learn what Booker T. Washington had discovered before he said this:
"We are most like God when we forgive."
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