Have you ever tried to forgive someone and found you simply couldn’t do it? You’ve cried about it and prayed about it and asked God to help you. But, those old feelings of resentment just failed to go away.

Put an end to those kinds of failures in the future by basing your forgiveness on faith rather than feelings. True forgiveness doesn’t have anything at all to do with how you feel. It’s an act of the will. It is based on obedience to God and on faith in Him.

That means once you’ve forgiven a person, you need to consider him permanently forgiven! When old feelings rise up within you and Satan tries to convince you that you haven’t really forgiven, resist him. Say, “No, I’ve already forgiven that person by faith. I refuse to dwell on those old feelings.” Then, according to 1 John 1:9, believe that you receive forgiveness and cleansing from the sin of unforgiveness and from all unrighteousness associated with it including any remembrance of having been wronged.

Have you ever heard anyone say, “I may forgive, but I’ll never forget!” That’s a second-rate kind of forgiveness that you, as a believer, are never supposed to settle for. You’re to forgive supernaturally “even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.” (Ephesians 4:32) You’re to forgive as God forgives – to release that person from guilt permanently and unconditionally and to operate as if nothing bad ever happened between you. You’re to purposely forget as well as forgive.

As you do that, something supernatural will happen within you. The pain once caused by that incident will disappear. The power of God will wash away the effects of it, and you’ll be able to leave it behind you once and for all.

Don’t become an emotional bookkeeper, keeping careful accounts of the wrongs you have suffered. Learn to forgive and forget. It will open a whole new world of blessing for you. 1 Corinthians 13:5 says that “love... is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it pays no attention to a suffered wrong.”

Here is your copy of firstIMPRESSIONS, Volume 10.11. Live for God, on purpose, forgiving others just as God has forgiven you.

What Does this Mean?

I am reminded of the story of the little seven-year-old girl who, instead of going to Children’s Church, stayed with her parents in the regular adult service on week. It just happened to be Communion Sunday that day, and when the communion was served, the little girl was quite surprised. As the elements were distributed, she quickly turned to her mother and whispered loud enough for everyone to hear, “The snack in children’s church is much better. And we get a lot more juice!”

The church that I grew up in only on rare occasions had communion – usually only once or twice a year. There are other churches that observe communion every single Sunday. Our tradition at WFA is having communion once a month, and this Sunday is when we have communion for this month.

When you have communion very infrequently, it can lead to a lack of any real knowledge about what communion is. But when you have it quite often, communion can become so commonplace that it can lose all meaning whatsoever, becoming nothing but a ritual.

In Exodus 12:26-27, we read “And when your children ask you, ‘What does this ceremony mean to you?‘ then tell them, ‘It is the Passover sacrifice to the LORD.’” The ceremony was not to become a meaningless ritual – its meaning was to be communicated, from one generation to the next. Knowing what the communion means is important. Proverbs 4:13 tells us to “Hold on to instruction, do not let it go; guard it well, for it is your life.”

This Sunday, as we observe communion together, we will look to at the memorial of the Lord’s Supper, and answer the question “What Does This Mean.”

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Failure is Not Final

from the messages of Adrian Rogers

Ty Cobb and Babe Ruth were two of the greatest baseball players of all time. Ty Cobb was known for his record number of stolen bases, and Babe Ruth was known for his record number of home runs.

What you may not know is that Ty Cobb was also thrown out more than any other man in baseball trying to steal bases. And Babe Ruth struck out more than any other man in baseball!

These fellows didn’t let their failures stop them, and neither should you! Fix your goal. Face your faults. Forget your failures. Failure in the Christian life is not final.

Maybe you or someone you know is feeling discouraged today. Remind them or yourself of this promise – “I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4:13)

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Jesus from Genesis to Revelation

The Bible, from cover to cover, answers the question, “Who is this Jesus?”

In the Old Testament:

• In Genesis, He is the Creator God.

• In Exodus, He is the Redeemer.

• In Leviticus, He is your sanctification.

• In Numbers, He is your guide.

• In Deuteronomy, He is your teacher.

• In Joshua, He is the mighty conqueror.

• In Judges, He gives victory over enemies.

• In Ruth, He is your kinsman, your lover, your redeemer.

• In I Samuel, He is the root of Jesse.

• In 2 Samuel, He is the Son of David.

• In 1 Kings and 2 Kings, He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

• In 1st and 2nd Chronicles, He is your intercessor and High Priest.

• In Ezra, He is your temple, your house of worship.

• In Nehemiah, He is your mighty wall, protecting you from your enemies.

• In Esther, He stands in the gap to deliver you from your enemies.

• In Job, He is the arbitrator who not only understands your struggles, but has the power to do something about them.

• In Psalms, He is your song and your reason to sing.

• In Proverbs, He is your wisdom, helping you make sense of life and live it successfully.

• In Ecclesiastes, He is your purpose, delivering you from vanity.

• In the Song of Solomon, He is your lover, your Rose of Sharon.

• In Isaiah, He is the mighty counselor, the prince of peace, the everlasting father, and more. He’s everything you need.

• In Jeremiah, He is your balm of Gilead, the soothing salve for your sin-sick soul.

• In Lamentations, He is the ever-faithful one upon whom you can depend.

• In Ezekiel, He is your wheel in the middle of a wheel the one who assures that dry, dead bones will come alive again.

• In Daniel, He is the ancient of days, the ever-lasting God who never runs out of time.

• In Hosea, He is your faithful lover, always beckoning you to come back even when you have abandoned Him.

• In Joel, He is your refuge, keeping you safe in times of trouble.

• In Amos, He is the husbandman, the one you can depend on to stay by your side.

• In Obadiah, He is Lord of the Kingdom.

• In Jonah, He is your salvation, bringing you back within His will.

• In Micah, He is judge of the nation.

• In Nahum, He is the jealous God.

• In Habakkuk, He is the Holy One.

• In Zephaniah, He is the witness.

• In Haggai, He overthrows the enemies.

• In Zechariah, He is Lord of Hosts.

• In Malachi, He is the messenger of the covenant.

In the New Testament:

• In Matthew, He is king of the Jews.

• In Mark, He is the servant.

• In Luke, He is the Son of Man, feeling what you feel.

• In John, He is the Son of God.

• In Acts, He is Savior of the world.

• In Romans, He is the righteousness of God.

• In I Corinthians, He is the rock that followed Israel.

• In II Corinthians, He the triumphant one, giving victory.

• In Galatians, He is your liberty; He sets you free.

• In Ephesians, He is head of the Church.

• In Philippians, He is your joy.

• In Colossians, He is your completeness.

• In I Thessalonians, He is your hope.

• In II Thessalonians, He is your glory.

• In I Timothy, He is your faith.

• In II Timothy, He is your stability.

• In Titus He is your reason for serving.

• In Philemon, He is your benefactor.

• In Hebrews, He is your perfection.

• In James, He is the power behind your faith.

• In I Peter, He is your example.

• In II Peter, He is your purity.

• In I John, He is your life.

• In II John, He is your pattern.

• In III John, He is your motivation.

• In Jude, He is the foundation of your faith.

• In Revelation, He is your coming King.

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The 80/20 Rule

The Pareto Principle, or 80/20 rule, states that 80% of the effects come from 20% of the causes. Although this rule was first applied in Italy when Pareto was looking at the dispersal of wealth, it has since become a rule of thumb for many businesses. It has been said that 20% of your workforce does 80% of the work, or 80% of your sales come from 20% of your clients. I think this law comes into play in our lives as well. Life is 20% what happens to you and 80% what you make of it.

There are tons of stories about people who come out of difficult situations – gang life, in and out of jail, drug addiction, broken families, abuse – yet still seem to rise to the top. And of course, there are many stories of those who have been given everything they would need to succeed, only to wind up in the depths of a broken life. How you choose to respond to what life hands you not only says a lot about you, but has a huge impact on your life. You can choose to either spend your life blaming your circumstances for misfortune or heartache, or you can learn from those things and move on.

James 1:2 says, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds.” This is so contrary! Joy? How can you consider it joy when you are robbed, raped, lied to, fired, are having marriage difficulties or friendship problems? James is not saying to pretend to be happy about a painful situation, but simply to have a positive outlook and know you can learn from it and not let it drag you down. The only thing we have control over in this life is how we choose to respond. And how you choose to respond, especially under pressure, shows the depth of your character. Instead of complaining about your struggles or blaming your trials for the bad choices you make, look at them as opportunities to grow, not opportunities to assign blame for your misfortune.

If life is truly 20% what happens to you and 80% what you make of it, be thoughtful each time you react to something that has happened or each time you make a decision.

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Priorities

What is at about human nature that makes us put off the most important things until a crisis looms? So often we coast in our relationships until they skid into a crisis. We think nothing of spending thousands on a car and blindly drive it by the homeless shelter everyday. We think nothing of a sixty-hour workweek but can’t find time for dinner as a family.

We live lives of loneliness and sorrow because those things that could build our friendships, family, and faith get our leftover time.

Then, one day it is too late, we have waited too long. We are like the Rabbi who did not run to Jesus until his daughter was “at the point of death [eschatos].”

Take a moment to examine your life today. What is at the “eschatos” – the point of death – in your life right now? What part of your spiritual or relational life is barely breathing? Find ways to make those areas (family, friendships and faith) a higher priority than career and income. Do something different this week. Before scheduling anything else, book time with God, schedule an appointment with those in your own family. Then, after prioritizing God and your family, then set up the rest of the week.

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All-Points Bulletin

Thousands of cars are stolen every year in California, but in 1981, there was one car theft that made all the local papers and was the lead story on the evening news. The police had issued an all-points bulletin to find the missing car and to make contact with the person who stole it.

Why was this car theft getting so much attention?

The owner of the stolen car had informed the police that on the front seat of the car was a box of crackers laced with a deadly poison. The car owner had planned to use the crackers as rat bait. So the police were desperately trying to find the thief not to punish him, but to save his life. They were afraid he would eat one of the crackers and die.

In the same way, our Heavenly Father pursues us — not because he wants to punish us but because he wants to save us. You may be running away from God because — like the car thief—you are a sinner. You have broken God’s law. But what you may not realize is that God is trying to rescue you, not condemn you. The penalty for your sin has been paid by Jesus Christ on the cross, and God wants to give you your freedom. So stop running and turn yourself in. Your life is at stake!

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The Last Impression

One day God was walking through the garden of Eden. After a short while, he came across Adam. Adam was in low spirits this particular day, and God asked him what was wrong. Adam told the Lord that he was lonely.

God responded that He would create Adam a companion. She would walk by his side for all eternity. She would listen to his problems. She would wash his clothes. She would keep his house clean. She would cook his meals. She would do anything to keep him happy. Most importantly, she would never complain or nag him.

To this Adam was ecstatic. His spirits lifted immediately. The Lord hated to tell him that this creature would come at a price. God told Adam that the creature would cost him an arm and a leg.

Adam responded, “What can I get for a rib?” ... And the rest is history.

We are going to enjoy a special time of worship together this Sunday at WFA, and you don’t want to miss any of it. But, you might miss an hour of it! You will, unless you remember that Daylight Saving Time begins this Sunday. So, be sure to turn your clocks AHEAD one hour before going to bed on Saturday night!