Forgiveness - yes, it's hard to do

Jesus taught us to pray:

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.
Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory for ever and ever.
Amen

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HUG AN "ENEMY" TODAY.
Tell them you forgive them.
Ask them to forgive you, too.

It's not good to harbor anger and hatred. I know. I did it for too many years. Even though many of them are dead, I haven't totally forgiven everybody who did me harm, but the Holy Spirit is helping me day by day to have a forgiving heart. He is helping to take away the murderous heart and extreme hatreds that have consumed me too many times in my life. One thing that has helped me is when I learned somewhere that bitterness against another person doesn't hurt them at all. It is ME (or YOU) who is suffering hurt and just making the evil person that much more gleeful. Jesus told us to forgive our enemies, like our Father in heaven forgives us. I sure don't want to face Jesus and have him ask me why I never did that. That desire in me is not only because I fear punishment, but because I don't want to see the look on the face of Christ. I know you know what I mean.

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UNFORGIVENESS
~author unknown~

Nothing is as painful as unforgiveness to the soul.
A heart that's torn asunder, with forgiveness, becomes whole.

A single kind word spoken means more than countless words.
The three words "I forgive you" are all that need be heard.

To a soul that has been wounded, like a healing, cooling balm,
forgiveness soothes and comforts till at last the soul is calm.

For the soul that seeks forgiveness when forgiveness can't be found,
it struggles vainly every day to hear that simple sound.

The power in those three kind words can heal a heart that's broken;
but that heart cannot begin to heal as long as words remain unspoken.

Compassion in its purest sense reside in those three words.
The three words "I forgive you," are all that need be heard.

I BELIEVE CHRISTIANS MAY FORGIVE, BUT THEY DON'T ALWAYS FORGET
They DO expect God will give them vengeance someday against the wicked!

"A teflon coating only lasts for a period. Then it rubs off."
In other words, evil people might get away with stuff for a while ...
but then WATCH OUT!

O Lord God, to whom vengeance belongeth; O God, to whom vengeance belongeth, shew thyself.
Lift up thyself, thou judge of the earth: render a reward to the proud.
Lord, how long shall the wicked, how long shall the wicked triumph?
How long shall they utter and speak hard things? and all the workers of iniquity boast themselves?
They break in pieces thy people, O Lord, and afflict thine heritage.
They slay the widow and the stranger, and murder the fatherless.
Psalms 94:1-6

The souls of martyrs who had been slain, including being beheaded, for the word of God are
under an altar in Heaven crying out for vengeance.
These souls under the altar are pictured as crying out,
"How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true,
until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?"
Rev 6:10

(The following is reworded from: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1398429/posts?page=120#120)
"There are individuals who act in an in-humane, self-serving, ego-centric, immoral, and cruel manner. That is not be a surprise to any of us. Unfortunately there are no earthly laws against being pond scum. If there is a judgment against any of them here, hooray...but their judgment day will come at their time of death, and their victims will be standing at the gate to hear the judgment that will count. My faith in that will never be shaken."

However, until the last breath is taken, every human being on the face of this earth has the opportunity to ask for forgiveness and to accept Jesus Christ into their hearts. Praying for those salvations should be more important to us than asking God for revenge.

In fact, Jesus himself said: "Pray for your enemies and do good to those who hurt you".

That's hard, huh? !!!

But, you never know. There have been many witnesses who have testified about a forgiving person who was the catalyst that led them to salvation. And, my dear friend, that's what it's all about. Leading others to Christ. The reason for what happened to you may have been to give you the opportunity to do just that.

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