“And the LORD descended in the cloud and stood there with him as he called upon the name of the LORD. Then the LORD passed by in front of him and proclaimed, “The LORD, the LORD God, compassionate and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in faithfulness and truth; who keeps faithfulness for thousands, who forgives wrongdoing, violation of His Law, and sin; yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, inflicting the punishment of fathers on the children and on the grandchildren to the third and fourth generations.” And Moses hurried to bow low toward the ground and worship. Then he said, “If in any way I have found favor in Your sight, Lord, please may the Lord go along in our midst, even though the people are so obstinate, and pardon our wrongdoing and our sin, and take us as Your own possession.”” (Exo 34:5-9, NASB)
Over the last few gatherings, we have spoken about grace and compassion and looked at the keys of the kingdom of binding and loosening. Binding, as you will remember, is not about the commonly used spiritual warfare technique of tying demons up in knots, but about giving our hearts in covenant. On the opposite side of the coin, loosening is about releasing former unholy affections of the heart so we can be fully committed to loving the Lord, with all our heart and soul. As Yeshua said:
“Jesus answered, “The foremost is, ‘HEAR, ISRAEL! THE LORD IS OUR GOD, THE LORD IS ONE; AND YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH.’ “The second is this: ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”” (Mrk 12:29-31, NASB)
You cannot love the Lord with all your heart if you have a divided heart or what James calls a double-mindedness:
“For that person ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.” (Jas 1:7-8, NASB)
What does it mean to be double-minded? Going back one verse James tells us:
“But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind.” (Jas 1:6, NASB)
Doubt is at the heart of double-mindedness. What produces doubt? I want to suggest that doubt lives as a self-focus. Faith comes from God focus.
Remember the lesson of the 12 spies. The majority, 10 of them, focused on the giants and on their own inadequacies:
“But the men who had gone up with him said, “We are not able to go up against the people, because they are too strong for us.” So, they brought a bad report of the land which they had spied out to the sons of Israel, saying, “The land through which we have gone to spy out is a land that devours its inhabitants; and all the people whom we saw in it are people of great stature. “We also saw the Nephilim there (the sons of Anak are part of the Nephilim); and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight.”” (Num 13:31-33, NASB)
Joshua and Caleb focused on God and His ability: “And Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, of those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes; and they spoke to all the congregation of the sons of Israel, saying, “The land which we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land. “If the LORD is pleased with us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us—a land which flows with milk and honey. “Only do not rebel against the LORD; and do not fear the people of the land, for they will be our prey. Their protection is gone from them, and the LORD is with us; do not fear them.”” (Num 14:6-9, NASB)
Doubt is the enemy of trust and faith. It is about how we see things in our life. What affects our beliefs, our boldness?
The book of Hebrews states: “Therefore let’s approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace for help at the time of our need.” (Heb 4:16, NASB)
This confidence to approach His throne arises out of His Glory which is to forgive. Exodus 34:5-9
“And the LORD descended in the cloud and stood there with him as he called upon the name of the LORD. Then the LORD passed by in front of him and proclaimed, “The LORD, the LORD God, compassionate and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in faithfulness and truth; who keeps faithfulness for thousands, who forgives wrongdoing, violation of His Law, and sin; yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, inflicting the punishment of fathers on the children and on the grandchildren to the third and fourth generations.” And Moses hurried to bow low toward the ground and worship. Then he said, “If in any way I have found favor in Your sight, Lord, please may the Lord go along in our midst, even though the people are so obstinate, and pardon our wrongdoing and our sin, and take us as Your own possession.”” (Exo 34:5-9, NASB)
Forgiveness is the beginning of salvation. It is the essence of God’s love and our ability to love Him. In Hebrew, the word for forgiveness is Slichah. It comes the root salach. In the Bible it is always associated with God forgiving. This is why the Pharisees got so upset when Yeshua forgave sin. In the scriptures there is only One who forgives sins, God Himself.
“And they brought to Him a paralyzed man lying on a stretcher. And seeing their faith, Jesus said to the man who was paralyzed, “Take courage, son; your sins are forgiven.” And some of the scribes said to themselves, “This man is blaspheming!” And Jesus, perceiving their thoughts, said, “Why are you thinking evil in your hearts? “For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? “But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—then He *said to the paralyzed man, “Get up, pick up your stretcher and go home.” And he got up and went home.” (Mat 9:2-7, NASB)
His point was that not only was He, God in the world who could forgive sin, it was also the same as being God who could restore a crippled man to walk. What sometimes can get overlooked is the profound statement that Yeshua forgives sin, salach.
When we go to the cross, He also forgives all sins including sins committed in ignorance.
“[But Jesus was saying, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.”] And they cast lots, dividing His garments among themselves.” (Luk 23:34, NASB)
Then after His crucifixion, He gives authority for forgiveness to His disciples In John 20:19-23:
“Now when it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and when the doors were shut where the disciples were together due to fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst, and said to them, “Peace be to you.” And when He had said this, He showed them both His hands and His side. The disciples then rejoiced when they saw the Lord. So Jesus said to them again, “Peace be to you; just as the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” And when He had said this, He breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. “If you forgive the sins of any, their sins have been forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they have been retained.” (John 20:19-23, NASB)
The activation of the Holy Spirit in our lives is through forgiveness. The thing to remember is that forgiveness is from God alone. We can emotionally release people to truly forgive them is a divine enabling. This is true loosening.
Finally, we can turn to Peter’s question of how often do we forgive one another?
“Then Peter came up and said to Him, “Lord, how many times shall my brother sin against me and I still forgive him? Up to seven times?” Jesus *said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy-seven times.” (Mat 18:21-22, NASB)
This is not a numerical response but a description of where forgiveness lives, in eternity. When we hold on to wrongs, we block God and His forgiveness in and through our lives. The real problem with unforgiveness is that we bind ourselves to the offender. Think about that! We don’t want to be bound to an offender. The inside job of offense is that it places our hurt and desire for justice above God’s love and forgiveness.
Yeshua goes on to illustrate:
““For this reason the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his slaves. “And when he had begun to settle them, one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him. “But since he did not have the means to repay, his master commanded that he be sold, along with his wife and children and all that he had, and repayment be made. “So the slave fell to the ground and prostrated himself before him, saying, ‘Have patience with me and I will repay you everything.’ “And the master of that slave felt compassion, and he released him and forgave him the debt. “But that slave went out and found one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and he seized him and began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay back what you owe!’ “So, his fellow slave fell to the ground and began to plead with him, saying, ‘Have patience with me and I will repay you.’ “But he was unwilling and went and threw him in prison until he would pay back what was owed. “So, when his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were deeply grieved and came and reported to their master all that had happened. “Then summoning him, his master *said to him, ‘You wicked slave, I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. ‘Should you not also have had mercy on your fellow slave, in the same way that I had mercy on you?’ “And his master, moved with anger, handed him over to the torturers until he would repay all that was owed him. “My heavenly Father will also do the same to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart.” (Mat 18:23-35, NASB)
Forgiveness is a responsibility in the kingdom. Similar to healing the sick, feeding the poor and caring for widows, we hold the keys of binding and loosening. But we need God to work forgiveness in our heart, so we do not live in doubt.
Activation: Ask the Lord who do you need to forgive? Remember most unforgiveness is really self-unforgiveness. Ask God to give you the grace of forgiveness and utilize your authority to release people.
Related
Behold, I Am Coming Soon!
“Behold, I am coming quickly! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.” - Revelation 22:7, NKJV
The New Jerusalem
“Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.” (Rev 21:2, NKJV)
The Marriage Supper of the Lamb and the Battle of Armageddon
“After these things I heard a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, "Alleluia! Salvation and glory and honor and power belong to the Lord our God! For true and righteous are His judgments, because He has judged the great harlot who corrupted the earth with her fornication; and He has avenged on her the blood of His servants shed by her."” (Rev 19:1-2, NKJV)
Who is Mystery Babylon?
Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age? And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. - Matthew 24:3-5 NKJV
The Seven Vials of God's Wrath
And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous, seven angels having the seven last plagues (vials); for in them is filled up the wrath of God. - Revelation 15:1
The Two Witnesses
And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.” These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth. - Rev 11:3-4
The Seven Trumpets (Shofars)
So the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound. - Rev 8:6 NKJV
666 - The Mark of the Beast
“And he causes all, the small and the great, the rich and the poor, and the free and the slaves, to be given a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads, and he decrees that no one will be able to buy or to sell, except the one who has the mark, either the name of the beast or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for the number is that of a man; and his number is six hundred and sixty-six.” (Rev 13:16-18, NASB)
The Antichrist and the False Prophet
Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God. (2Th 2:3-4)
End Times: The Holy Roman Empire Reborn
"You, O king, were looking and behold, there was a single great statue; that statue, which was large and of extraordinary splendor, was standing in front of you, and its appearance was awesome. "The head of that statue was made of fine gold, its breast and its arms of silver, its belly and its thighs of bronze, its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay. "You continued looking until a stone was cut out without hands, and it struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay and crushed them. "Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver and the gold were crushed all at the same time and became like chaff from the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away so that not a trace of them was found. But the stone that struck the statue became a great mountain and filled the whole earth. (Dan 2:31-35 NASB)
End Times: Israel God’s Centerpiece - Part 2
Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week; But in the middle of the week He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate, even until the consummation, which is determined, Is poured out on the desolate." (Dan 9:27 NKJV)
End Times: Israel the Centerpiece
“On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your descendants I have given this land, From the river of Egypt as far as the great river, the river Euphrates:” (Gen 15:18, NASB)
World War 3
“And the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year, were released, so that they would kill a third of mankind.” (Rev 9:15)
Final 3 Seals - 5th, 6th and 7th
“I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a scroll written inside and on the back, sealed up with seven seals. And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and to break its seals?”” (Rev 5:1-2, NASB)
Who Are the Main Players? The Four Horsemen
“I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a book written inside and on the back, sealed up with seven seals. And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, "Who is worthy to open the book and to break its seals?" And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the book or to look into it. Then I began to weep greatly because no one was found worthy to open the book or to look into it; and one of the elders *said to me, "Stop weeping; behold, the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome so as to open the book and its seven seals."” (Rev 5:1-5)
New World Order
“And the dragon stood on the sand of the seashore. Then I saw a beast coming up out of the sea, having ten horns and seven heads, and on his horns were ten diadems, and on his heads were blasphemous names. And the beast which I saw was like a leopard, and his feet were like those of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. And the dragon gave him his power and his throne and great authority.” (Rev 13:1-2)
Revelation: The Keys to the Kingdom
“When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. And He placed His right hand on me, saying, “Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades.” (Rev 1:17-18, NASB)“When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. And He placed His right hand on me, saying, “Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades.” (Rev 1:17-18, NASB)
Understanding the End Times
He said, "Go your way, Daniel, for these words are concealed and sealed up until the end time. (Dan 12:9 NASB)
Brit בְּרִית, The Covenant
"Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah— not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them, says the LORD. But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,' for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more."” (Jer 31:31-3NKJV)
Bereshit בְּרֵאשִׁית, The beginning and the End
“All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” (Rev 13:8, NKJV)
Trust, Betach בָּטַח
“The LORD is my strength and my shield; My heart trusts in Him, and I am helped; Therefore, my heart exults, And with my song I shall thank Him.” (Psa 28:7, NAS95)
Meekness, Canah כָּנַע, Anah עָנָה
“He has told you, mortal one, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you But to do justice, to love kindness, And to walk humbly with your God?” (Mic 6:8, NASB)
Integrity, Yashar יָשָׁר
“And He said, “If you will listen carefully to the voice of the LORD your God, and do what is right in His sight, and listen to His commandments, and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have put on the Egyptians; for I, the LORD, am your healer.”” (Exodus15:26,NASB)
Image and Likeness Bearers Tzelem צֶלֶם and Demoot דְּמוּת
Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. (Gen 1:26-27 NASB)
Succoth - The Mishkan - Tabernacle
““Have them construct a sanctuary for Me, so that I may dwell among them. “According to all that I am going to show you as the pattern of the tabernacle and the pattern of all its furniture, so you shall construct it.” (Exo 25:8-9, NASB)
Yom Kippur: Alignment
“That they may all be one; just as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me. “The glory which You have given Me I also have given to them, so that they may be one, just as We are one; I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and You loved them, just as You loved Me.” (Joh 17:21-23, NASB)
Yom Teruah, Day of the Shout of The King
“"He has not observed misfortune in Jacob; Nor has He seen trouble in Israel; The LORD his God is with him, And the shout of a king is among them.” (Num 23:21, NAS95)
Zachar To Remember
“And I will remember My covenant, which is between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and never again shall the water become a flood to destroy all flesh. “When the rainbow is in the cloud, then I will look at it, to remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.”” (Gen 9:15-16)
Grace and Light
And from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. (John 1:16 ESV)
Enayim, Part 2
“I set My rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be for the sign of the covenant between Me and the earth.” (Gen 9:13, NKJV)
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