In Matthew 6:9-13, Jesus gives His disciples a prayer to model their own prayers after. In verses 14 and 15, Jesus expands on verse 12 and teaches about: Forgiveness! In Matthew 18:21, it seems to me like Peter is trying to flex his spiritual muscle to show the others how he had matured.
Peter asks Jesus how often should he forgive someone who keeps sinning or doing him wrong time and time again. Then Peter, thinking that he’s really giving forgiveness and grace, says: “… till seven times?” Now ‘seven’ in the Hebrew also stands for ‘completion’, so Peter is willing to take this forgiveness thing all the way to completion. I can just see Peter smirking at his brothers, thinking “now they can see how spiritual I am”. After a pause, how long I don’t know, but Jesus brings Peter down off the mountain he thought he had put himself on and says to Peter: “…not seven, but seventy times seven.” 490 times to forgive someone of doing something to you over and over again.
This lesson of Jesus in that we should not keep tallies, but always forgive, even to the same person as many times as it arises.
“And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: That you Father also which is Heaven my forgive your trespasses.”
Mark 11:25
“But if ye do not forgive, neither will you Father, which is in Heaven, forgive your trespasses.”
Mark 11:26
Your reception of the Father’s forgiveness is directly related to the forgiveness you give.
It is time to make your amends. If you do your part, what God is asking of you, you are not held accountable for another person’s response. I urge you to speak to the one you have put on the back burner because you “didn’t want to deal with it.” Make contact. Phone, email, snail mail. Of course, the best is in-person.
Do it before they are not here any longer. You will receive blessings from above for following thru. You know who you need to make things right with, they are in your mind right now.
Time is getting shorter. Time seems to be compressing, just as the water of a river moves faster and faster toward the falls. Don’t let Satan rob you any longer.
“We are not ignorant of his devices.”
2 Corinthians 2:11
Satan will try to keep you from forgiving and making amends. Bridging the gap of offenses with forgiveness will open the door to those who are outside the Kingdom of the Son and pull them from satan’s kingdom.
Those of you who have family and friends that are still lost to eternal life and don’t want to hear about Jesus, I suggest that you write a letter that explains The Rapture, the tabulation, the mark of the beast and what the Bible says about being saved should the Rapture be missed.
Put the letter somewhere safe, perhaps with your will. Let those whom you spiritually agonize over know about the letter. They will smile and think you are crazy. That’s alright. You did your best to direct them to Jesus. After that, it’s on them. And always pray that the bonds satan has over them will be broken, 2 Corinthians 4:4.
En Agape,
Anvil