Superhero: Solution Seekers

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This is Part 5 of my Superhero series. In the introduction of this series, I provided the argument that heroes are real and then I distinguished between heroes and superheroes. I also provided a list of what defines a superhero. In Part 1, we learned that superheroes recognize the absolute standard of Good and realize that evil is a mere privation of what is good. In Part 2, we learned that superheroes recognize the absolute moral standard and realize that what is wrong can only be known by the standard of what is right. In Part 3, I defined and expounded upon love because all superheroes are full of love and are compelled to act out from love. In Part 4, I explained that superheroes desire to save people from all forms of danger and/or death and this desire comes from love.

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In this message (Part 5), I’m going to examine another defining characteristic of superheroes: they are solution seekers!

Solution seeker! Yes! Being a solution-seeker is a great concept and a wonderful thing to write on a resume! But there’s one problem: we often worry about what’s wrong. Many people are prone to pointing out problems. In fact, I just pointed out a problem by pointing out that problem. (Oh no! That’s a problem!) But wait – there’s more! I have good news to share! Where there are problems, there can be solutions! In fact, here is a solution to problems: Never point out a problem unless you’re also willing to seek a solution. At the very least, you must be willing to seek a solution to a problem or else you become the problem. For the one who refuses to seek a solution accepts the problem as a permanent pain.

If seeking solutions is such an easy answer to pesky and persistent problems, why are there so many people who are depressed and/or filled with anxiety or worry? Why do so many people consider suicide? Well, there exists two major evil villains that prevent people from seeking solutions: Fear and Doubt – they are the fork in the tongue of the serpent. Many people often allow problems to paralyze them from going forward due to fear of failure; many people also what-if themselves into indecisiveness and doubt themselves into idleness.

Fear and Doubt:

Fear paralyzes people and prevents possibility. Even if you do not fear anything, you can still be denied possibility due to Doubt. If Doubt becomes a barrier between you and Belief, it becomes equal to fear in the sense that it still prevents you from possibility. The person who allows Fear and Doubt to take control becomes his/her own problem because he/she is imprisoned within his/her own mind. In the prison of problems, your only cellmate is stagnation.

There Is Hope:

I’m going to let you in on a secret in the hope that you’re going to tell everyone and it will no longer be a secret: Doubt fears Belief, and Fear doubts Belief. Even with as much hatred and evil as Fear and Doubt have within themselves, they still understand the concept of teamwork; together, they can imprison you! However, Doubt fears Belief. Doubt fears Belief because Belief banishes Doubt away. Where is your concept of teamwork? You cannot have teamwork with Fear or Doubt while seeking Possibility. Fear and Doubt already work together with plans of destruction and their target is you! You can only pair up with Belief and Vision in order to find Possibility. Belief banishes Doubt from you when you and Belief join together to create a team. Together, you can then overcome Fear because you would believe that you can do so. However, because Fear doubts Belief, Fear will follow you, doubting that Belief will remain within you. Since Belief banishes doubt from you when you team up with Belief, Doubt will live inside of Fear (who is following you), motivating Fear to follow you. However, the pursuit will be in vain because Belief is eternal so long as you never have an about-face of doubt. That means you will always be able to find Possibility so long as you team up with Belief. But belief in what? Not what, but who! Belief in the Savior, Christ Jesus! The Savior is the Solution – we simply need to seek the Solution to all problems if we are to find the specific solutions for specific problems!

Resist and Receive:

“So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come close to God, and God will come close to you.”
(James 4:7-8) -NLT

“Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. You parents—if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him.”
(Matthew 7:7-11) -NLT

The special stipulation to this promise is found in James 4:2-3; our desires need to be in alignment with GOD’s will. Ask yourself three important questions:

1. For what are you asking?
2. Why are you asking for that specific request?
3. Will it benefit the Kingdom of GOD?

Knowing GOD takes faith, focus, and follow-through. Jesus promises a reward for the passionate pursuit of seeking GOD’s will.

What Does GOD Say About Fear?

There are over 300 instances in the Bible in which we are instructed not to fear. There are two major reasons why we should not fear:

1. Trust in GOD;
2. love for others.

(1) There should be no fear in this limited lifetime because we know our eternal destiny:

“Don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell. What is the price of two sparrows—one copper coin? But not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it. And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows.”
(Matthew 10:28-31) -NLT

(2) Why would we fear the outcome of choosing to love?:

“And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world. Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love.”
(1John 4:17-18) -NLT

Therefore, we do not fear people nor do we fear punishment. Perfect love casts out all fear. And since we trust in GOD – who is love (1John 4:8,16) – and we choose to love GOD and others, we have no reason to fear.

What Does GOD Say About Doubt?

“When doubts filled my mind, your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer.”
(Psalm 94:19) -NLT

Do you see how this works? Belief banishes doubt. Faith (trust) in GOD creates hope. With hope, one has reason to seek solutions. While seeking the Solution, the Holy Spirit gives the seeker wisdom and vision. Wisdom and vision plan out and produce possibilities.

“And Peter answered him, ‘Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.’ He said, ‘Come.’ So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, ‘Lord, save me.’ Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, ‘O you of little faith, why did you doubt?’ And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, ‘Truly you are the Son of God.’ ”
(Matthew 14:28-33) -ESV

Peter had faith and so he walked on water. However, he allowed doubt within and he started to sink. But remember: doubt was living inside of fear and fear is faithful to follow. Doubt and fear joined forces and caused Peter to sink. But in seeking the Savior, the Solution was found: trust in the Lord is the solution. Faith creates hope and hope gives birth to possibilities.

“Then Jesus told them, ‘I tell you the truth, if you have faith and don’t doubt, you can do things like this and much more. You can even say to this mountain, “May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,” and it will happen. You can pray for anything, and if you have faith, you will receive it.’ ”
(Matthew 21:21) -NLT

So, faith is foundational and prayer is powerful. But in order to pray we must first be seeking GOD. If prayer, however, is one of the keys to being a solution seeker, then prayer needs to be properly understood.

Faith-filled Purposeful Prayer:

Prayer needs to be purposeful if it is to be powerful (I’ll expound upon prayer in parts 21-22). Prayer is not a means of merely asking for what we want. GOD is not a magic genie and prayer is not the magic lamp by which to summon GOD. Prayer is a connection between us and GOD. A healthy relationship requires constant communication. So, talk. Prayer is also a way to love others. We should pray for others (Ephesians 6:18-19). But we should also pray that GOD’s will be done and not our own (Matthew 26:39, 42, 44). In the connection of prayer, the goal is to come into alignment with GOD’s will. Regarding prayer, it is important to remember that GOD always answers our prayers in one of three possible ways: yes, no, or not yet. And it is important to thank GOD for all the “no” answers. All the “no” answers eventually lead to the “yes” moment. When we pray, we must pray for the right reasons. Motive matters. We don’t need a mantra, we need a meaningful connection with the Maker. Prayers need to be genuine and purposeful. But remember: you don’t always need to know exactly what to say (Romans 8:26-28). Just be honest.

“But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.”
(James 1: 6-8) –NIV

Doubts are sometimes unavoidable and seem inevitable. Whether intellectually based or emotionally charged, all doubts need to be doubted and examined. If you find yourself doubting, you’re certainly not alone in your struggle. In Mark 9:24, the father of the possessed son asked Jesus to help his unbelief. Having the courage to doubt your doubts and investigate their causes leads to greater confidence in your relationship with Jesus. In seeking the Savior, He can help work through your doubts to increase your faith. Therefore, investigate your doubts. Seek Truth. Be specific about what your doubts are – write them out and list reasons for and against them. Also, pray! And never stop praying (1Thessalonians 5:17)! Like the father of the possessed son, we too can ask GOD to help with unbelief. Be a Solution seeker! This is important because belief casts out doubt and love casts out fear. The faith-filled become the faith-full! The faithful and loving solution-seeker is stable and also able to pursue possibilities.

Beyond, Through, and To:

“Give all your worries to him, because he cares about you.”
(1Peter 5:7) –NCV

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”
(Philippians 4:6-7) -NLT

Though the Bible does not explicitly say that worry is a sin, we can still logically conclude that it is a sin by examining all the available evidence. One simply cannot trust GOD to provide if one worries about provision. Likewise, one cannot trust GOD about wellbeing if one worries about wellbeing. Faith is trust. There’s no trust in worrying because worrying comes from doubting GOD.

“And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.”
(Hebrews 11:6) -NLT

Know this: GOD already told us He will take care of all our needs (Matthew 6:25-34).

“And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.”
(Philippians 4:8-9) -NLT

Pray Your Way To Peace:

Prayer is not our last resort; rather, it is our first line of defense! And that is why prayer is being discussed here in addition to the end of this book. How do we get GOD’s peace? By putting into practice what we learned. We have learned that we need to put our trust in the Lord (Proverbs 3:5-6). So, let us put into practice our faith by living confidently in Christ. We can pray our way into peace! Look beyond the problem, through the potential and to the possibilities by seeking the power of GOD in prayer. If we focus on all that is good and right, our focus won’t be on what is bad and wrong. That’s easier said than done – I know. But no one ever said that what is simple is also easy. If we fill our minds with GOD’s Word, we won’t have enough room to fill our minds with the Satan’s lies and the world’s ways. Christians must think about what they’re thinking about and not allow their minds to wander into the chaotic circus of sin. In our spiritual warfare, we need to wear the helmet of salvation (explain in Part 19) because it is spiritual armor for the mind. Negative thoughts can be replaced with positive ones, and the more that godly substitution takes place, the more peace and joy we can experience. Many times we are asking GOD to change our situation when GOD desires to change our stinkin’ thinkin’! GOD’s peace is promised to guard those who pray – with thanksgiving – about everything.

“And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.”
(Romans 8:28) -NLT

Stay Focused:

We already know the ending of the story! Christ returns, evil is banished to Hell, and all believers will live happily ever after with Jesus for eternity (Revelation 19-21). Knowing this, our focus should simply be on how to continually make things better until Christ returns. GOD gave people the great gift of free will. Where free will exists, evil is always possible; in fact, bad things are inevitable in this sinful fallen world. But GOD created us to create good while we choose to live a life of love. So, what are you creating? In order to be a solution seeker, we must trust in GOD and love others. Belief banishes doubt and love expels fear. Without fear and doubt, GOD’s peace will be with you and GOD’s power will enable you to be more than a conquerer in Christ (Romans 8:37).

Conclusion:

“Show mercy to those who have doubts. Save others by snatching them from the fire of hell.”
(Jude 1: 22-23) –GW

You can be a superhero! You can be a superhero by simply being a consistent solution seeker! In the name of Jesus, go be a defender of the faith by helping others battle fear and doubt. Peter was saved while sinking in the sea of doubt because he reached out to Jesus. All people can find salvation by doing exactly what Peter did – by reaching out to Jesus and trusting Him to save. In fact, I did the same thing when I once found myself sinking and Jesus saved me too! To read my testimony, see my other article, “My Testimony: From Agnosticism, To Atheism, To Christianity“.

Here’s the bottom line: When a problem comes along, you must whip it! Whip it good… in the name of Jesus!

 

The Frog In Your Jar

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If you prefer to read this message, I have provided the words below:

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This is a message about forgiveness. And as stated in the hilarious 2005 movie, Just Friends, “forgiveness is more than saying sorry.”

But why is forgiveness more than saying sorry? Let’s investigate…

“The ways of right-living people glow with light; the longer they live, the brighter they shine.”
(Proverbs 4:18) -MSG

The longer we live, the more we experience and the longer we practice living; therefore, the longer we live, the better at life we should be. GOD provides new and different ways for us to collect wisdom as we travel through our journey in life. Here’s some wisdom I have for you: you poop. (I know — insightful, right?) And you poop because your body has a filtering system: your body keeps the nutrients from the food you consume and it discards the rest. Your body rejects and tosses out what you don’t need; therefore, you poop. Just as our bodies have a filtering system for the food we eat, we are meant to live our lives with a filtering system for our minds that keeps the good and discards the bad. After many years of living and filtering, we will become as a safe with stored treasures within our minds. If we travel through life only keeping what is good and ridding of what is bad, we will be a collection of what is good at the end of our lives. Sadly, many people collect the bad and refuse to let go of it and end up as a jar full of poop.

Have you ever caught fireflies (lightning bugs) and put them in a jar? If you catch enough of them, that jar will turn into a lantern. We are like a jar that can either be filled with fireflies or poop. The jar is the Christian; the firefly is the good in life. The longer we live, the more fireflies (good) we collect and put in our jar, the brighter the light will shine! We then become a lantern of light that shines into the darkness of this world – we will then attract those who are lost in the darkness!  The more we filter and the more good we store within us, the brighter we will shine!

However, we must never put the frog (the bad) in the jar with our good (the fireflies) – the frog will devour the light-bearing fireflies! The negative thoughts you keep inside of you will destroy the good; the bad corrupts, contaminates, and eliminates the good you desire to keep. Peace will not be possible so long as the frog is in the jar with the fireflies.

We must filter and discard the bad! A refusal to forgive someone will rot you from the inside-out and rob you of your peace and  blessings. Do you have bitterness? Resentment? A desire for revenge? Anger? Those emotions are connected with a refusal to forgive. If you truly forgave someone, you wouldn’t harbor that bitterness or resentment within you. If you truly forgave someone, you wouldn’t possess a desire for revenge or wish for bad things to happen to that person. If you truly forgave someone, you wouldn’t celebrate due to that person’s downfall. If you truly forgave someone, your anger would have transformed into peace. If you truly forgave someone, your forgiveness would be revealed by your willingness to love that person. Is there anyone in your life whom you believe does not deserve forgiveness? You need to examine why you believe that person doesn’t deserve forgiveness.

Forgiveness. What’s it all about anyway? Well, forgive me, but it is my intention to take you out of your comfort zone…

Do you remember the rock star, Alice Cooper? The master of Shock Rock who was considered by many to be the ultimate showman? The Rolling Stone Album Guide once called Alice Cooper the world’s most “beloved heavy metal entertainer.” Well, the master of Shock Rock shocked many when he opened up in an interview in March of 2006:

“I used to celebrate moral decay, the decadence of it. I can look back on what I did then and what I’m doing now and they’re two different things. But at the time I was the poster boy for moral decay, you know. So yeah, I’ve got a lot to be forgiven for… Out of ignorance, I thought I was doing the right thing. I was totally in agreement that every guy should sleep with every girl and drink as much as they can. I don’t believe that now. I don’t believe in it, because I see how destructive it is.”
(Interview – KNAC.com)

Alice Cooper admitted that he needed to be forgiven. But who doesn’t need to be forgiven? Don’t we all need to be forgiven?

“There is not a righteous person on earth who always does good and never sins.”
(Ecclesiastes 7:20) -Voice
[see also: 1Kings 8: 46-50; Psalms 143:2; Proverbs 20:9; Romans 3:10]

What have you done and why do you need to be forgiven? I can think of many things I’ve done in my past that were evil. And by the way, if your actions aren’t done out of love, then they’re evil. Have you ever made a selfish decision? To be selfish is to be evil because GOD commanded us to be selfless and to love others. And to love others, we must place them above ourselves. Read the following Scriptures and ask yourself if you are in alignment with GOD’s Word: Matthew 16:24-26; 23:11-12; Mark 8:34-36; Luke 9:23-25; Romans 9:1-3; 1Corinthians 10:24; 2Corinthians 6:3; 12:15; 2Timothy 2:10.

Are you in alignment with what is written in GOD’s Word? How often do you place yourself before others and make decisions to serve yourself? The story in Matthew 18:21-35 should help us all to understand the importance of forgiveness:

“Then Peter came to him and asked, ‘Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?’
‘No, not seven times,’ Jesus replied, ‘but seventy times seven!’
‘Therefore, the Kingdom of Heaven can be compared to a king who decided to bring his accounts up to date with servants who had borrowed money from him. In the process, one of his debtors was brought in who owed him millions of dollars. [10,000 talents: a single talent was worth about 20 years worth of labor; about 2,000 lifespans.]
He couldn’t pay, so his master ordered that he be sold—along with his wife, his children, and everything he owned—to pay the debt. But the man fell down before his master and begged him, “Please, be patient with me, and I will pay it all.”
Then his master was filled with pity for him, and he released him and forgave his debt. But when the man left the king, he went to a fellow servant who owed him a few thousand dollars. [100 denarii. A denarius was equivalent to a laborer’s full day’s wage. So, about 100 days of labor.]
He grabbed him by the throat and demanded instant payment. His fellow servant fell down before him and begged for a little more time. “Be patient with me, and I will pay it,” he pleaded. But his creditor wouldn’t wait. He had the man arrested and put in prison until the debt could be paid in full. When some of the other servants saw this, they were very upset. They went to the king and told him everything that had happened. Then the king called in the man he had forgiven and said, “You evil servant! I forgave you that tremendous debt because you pleaded with me. Shouldn’t you have mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had mercy on you?”
Then the angry king sent the man to prison to be tortured until he had paid his entire debt. That’s what my heavenly Father will do to you if you refuse to forgive your brothers and sisters from your heart.’ ”
(Matthew 18: 21-35) -NLT

When Jesus told us to forgive someone seventy times seven times, He did not instruct us to forgive someone 490 times but not on the 491st offense. If you were to count how many times you forgave someone — especially up to a number so high as 490 — one would almost certainly only be counting with intentions of being able to counter attack or walk away once incident #491 came about. Plus, why would we count how many times we have forgiven someone if we have truly forgiven that person? Would we allow that frog in our jar? Would we allow ourselves to be consumed with the details of our forgiveness and hang onto the heavy burden of weighty numbers?

The point Jesus was making is the same point He made when He instructed us to turn the other cheek, give someone our clothes, walk the second mile, give freely, and love our enemies (see Matthew 5:38-48). We are not to condemn someone for their sin(s) because we are not the Judge (see Luke 6:37-38). [Of course, that doesn’t mean we can’t point out sin in someone’s life, it just means that we are not the ultimate Judge who should make the judgment as to whether someone is sentenced to Heaven or Hell.] The point of forgiving someone is to clean the slate, not to keep tallying up numbers on the slate. We are to go above and beyond in our love. Forgiveness isn’t a trade defined by special stipulations that would bring the act of forgiveness to be null and void if someone stumbled. Forgiveness is not quid pro quo; we do not forgive a person in order to receive what we perceive to be a right response that would please us. We are not to forgive someone in order to make that person act a certain way that pleases us.

Christ Jesus died on the cross for our sins. Jesus forgave us even though He knew of the evil we would commit. With all the wrong that we have done in our lives, we have built up a debt that we can never repay; however, Jesus forgave us and cleared our entire debt!

Forgiveness is only possible with love. Is there someone in your life you believe does not deserve forgiveness? …If someone came to mind when I asked you that question, you need to let go and finally forgive. It’s time. From a spiritual standpoint, you are withholding GOD’s blessings for yourself because of your inability to forgive someone whom Jesus has already died for and forgiven. It’s wasted energy. Even if the person you’re thinking of is completely evil in your sight — perhaps a murderer? — your unwillingness to forgive is only placing a frog in your jar, devouring your peace and light, and causing you more pain.

Ponder on the person you have trouble forgiving. Why does this person desire to hurt you? Or does this person desire to hurt you at all? Is it possible that he/she does not have intentions to harm you, but that you get hurt because of miscommunication? But if this person does have malicious intent towards you, perhaps that person sees in you what he/she wishes that person could be. Perhaps that person is so wrecked and pained within that he/she lashes out. Some people have never learned the proper way to express emotions in a healthy manner. Whatever the case, it is easy to forgive someone when you place yourself in his/her shoes and realize that he/she hurts others because that person is hurt and broken inside his/herself.

As a believer and a follower of Christ Jesus, I find it easier to forgive someone once I realize he/she is lost and needs to be saved. Compassion overwhelms me and I understand that he/she needs love. I used to be an atheist and full of anger, sadness, and confusion. I used to mock Christians. I can tell you from experience that I had lashed out at others because I was broken and hurt inside. But I got saved at the beginning of 2004. Because I used to be the person who was capable of [intentionally] hurting others, I can relate and understand. I now find it somewhat easy to place myself in others’ shoes. Because I once needed forgiveness (even more than I do now), I understand the need to forgive others. And I’m not saying that I never need forgiveness now that I’ve been saved and am a Christian. I still need to be forgiven by others. I still make mistakes and I still have potential to hurt others; however, if I do hurt others, it is never intentional. But I still have moments where I need to be forgiven — especially for my thoughts. And when I have those moments, I make sure that I confess, I repent, ask for forgiveness, and then make a conscious effort to once again live my life aligned with GOD’s will.

But what if the person you have trouble forgiving isn’t an unbeliever and lost but is a fellow Christian who proclaims to be righteous? It is not your duty to change a person. If you love the person and forgive that person, you have done your part.

The person who hurts you needs an example of Christ in his/her life. The people who hurt you need love. But you can only be that example to that person if you forgive him/her. Unfortunately, it’s rather difficult to express love to someone whom you harbor bitterness or resentment towards. Through Christ who strengthens you, you can forgive that person. You can release yourself from that prison. Pray to GOD and ask for strength to forgive. Pray to GOD and ask for patience. Pray to GOD and ask for endurance so that you may forgive for as long as it takes. Praise GOD! All things are possible through Him who strengthens us! Release that anger/resentment/bitterness and allow GOD’s blessings to flood your life. A refusal to forgive is like a dam that holds back water, but the water is our blessings. Don’t hold back the blessings of GOD any longer! It’s time for forgiveness.

“Forgive other people when they sin against you. If you do, your Father who is in heaven will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive the sins of other people, your Father will not forgive your sins.”
(Matthew 6: 14-15) -NIRV

“In prayer there is a connection between what God does and what you do. You can’t get forgiveness from God, for instance, without also forgiving others. If you refuse to do your part, you cut yourself off from God’s part.”
(Matthew 6: 14-15) -MSG

Do you have a frog in your jar? A frog in your jar will devour your light. Without the light, there is only darkness. With darkness comes pain, suffering, sadness, confusion, frustration, anxiety, stress, worry, doubt, fear, and hatred. And with all that, peace is simply not possible.

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”
~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

“This is the message we heard from Jesus and now declare to you: God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all. So we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness; we are not practicing the truth. But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin. If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts.”
(1John 1:5-10) -NLT

Refusing to forgive is like drinking poison and hoping someone else will die. Forgiveness is unlocking a door and expecting to allow someone in only to discover that you are letting yourself out. Forgiveness is freedom; forgiveness produces life; forgiveness provides peace.

Out of all your past sins, which ones has GOD forgiven? The answer: all your sins have been forgiven. Jesus paid the price for you when He allowed Himself to be crucified on your behalf. Christians are the most forgiven people in the world; therefore, Christians should be the most forgiving people in the world. As Christians, we should forgive others’ transgressions more readily than the world would avenge them.

“Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.”
(Colossians 3:13) -NLT

“Forgive us for our sins, just as we have forgiven those who sinned against us.”
(Matthew 6:12) -NCV

What would happen if GOD forgave you in exactly the same way you are forgiving others at this time?

Forgiveness is undeserved and cannot be earned. Forgiveness is not a feeling; it is an act of the will. Forgiveness is not forgetting. Forgiving is an active process; it involves a conscious choice and a deliberate course of action. Forgiveness is not excusing the sin, accepting sin, or condoning sin in any way. Forgiveness says, “We both know that what you did was wrong and without excuse; however, I’m choosing to forgive you as GOD forgave me.”

Forgiveness may be described as a decision to make four promises:

1. I will not dwell on this incident.
2. I will not bring up in this incident again and use it against you.
3. I will not talk to others about this incident.
4. I will not let this incident stand between us or hinder our personal relationship from growing healthier.

When forgiving someone, do not merely say, “I forgive you.” Go on to describe the four promises that are packed into those three special words.

Remember: Forgiveness does not automatically release a wrongdoer from all the consequences of sin. Even Newton’s Third Law declares that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. Choices create consequences. The ramifications of sin sometimes goes beyond the targeted person and affects others around the targeted person. If the sin is severe enough, it may cause a reaction from those who enforce the law. An example of this was seen in 2015 when the relatives of the Charleston Church shooting victims told the shooter, Dylann Roof, that they had forgiven him. Though the relatives had forgiven Dylann, it didn’t release him of the consequence of his sin. However, like the those family members of the shooting victims, you must do your part. In fact, Jesus commanded us to love our enemies (Matthew 5:43-48; Luke 6:27-36). To forgive someone means to release him/her from liability to suffer punishment or penalty within your own heart. To forgive someone, we choose to absorb as much cost as possible. Forgiveness provides opportunity for growth and refuses to allow evil to win.

To forgive, we must renounce sinful attitudes and unrealistic expectations. Either consciously or unconsciously, many of us withhold forgiveness because we believe the offender must earn or deserve our forgiveness or because we want to punish the offender or make him/her suffer. We may also withhold forgiveness because we want a guarantee that such an offense will never occur again. These attitudes and expectations are utterly inconsistent with the command to forgive as GOD forgave us. Just as GOD demands no guarantee from us regarding our future conduct, we have no right to make such a demand of others. We have no right to let our fears of the future delay the forgiveness of today.

Consider the fact that the apostle Paul had once been addressed by the name of Saul and he lived his life persecuting Christians (Acts 8:1-3). In fact, he had been present while Stephen had been stoned to death and he approved of the execution (Acts 7:58; 8:1). But even Paul was forgiven and provided a new life through Christ Jesus (Acts 9:1-22). And Paul acknowledged the fact that he might have been the least deserving (1Corinthians 15:8-10). Is there someone you believe doesn’t deserve forgiveness? The truth is that none of us deserved to be forgiven; however, Jesus was so loving that He forgave us and died for us even while we were still sinners (Romans 5:8).

Assess your own contributions to the problem. Again, do your part. In some situations, your sins may have contributed to a conflict. Even if you did not start the dispute, your lack of understanding, careless words, impatience, or failure to respond in a loving manner may have aggravated the situation. We often take GOD’s forgiveness for granted while we stubbornly withhold our forgiveness from others. If you’re struggling with unforgiveness, take another look at the enormous debt for which GOD has forgiven you. Or do you not realize that your sins killed Christ?

Now, we are commanded to forgive, but how is one able to forgive? Put forgiveness into practice. Forgiveness requires reconciliation and replacement. Forgiveness is an event that knocks down a wall that stands between you and a person who has wronged you. Forgiveness is a process. After you demolish an obstruction, you usually have to clear away debris and do repair work. It takes time and requires effort. Reconciliation requires that you give a repentant person an opportunity to demonstrate repentance and regain your trust. Setbacks and disappointments are likely to occur, but mistakes are acceptable so long as continuous effort is put forth to rebuild. But keep in mind that if you are coasting, you’re probably going downhill. In other words, unless a deliberate effort is made to restore and strengthen a relationship, it will generally deteriorate.

We should pursue reconciliation on three different levels: our thoughts, our words, and our deeds. We need to replace negative thoughts and memories with positive ones. Instead of dwelling on the negatives, pray about the positives. Pray the positives for the person you need to forgive. And when you pray the positives, speak them out loud so you say it with your lips and hear the positive words come out.

“And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.”
(Philippians 4:8-9) -NLT

And when talking to others about the person who offended you, make it a point to speak well of the person. As you verbally reaffirm your relationship and sincerely build up the other person, both of you should experience improved attitudes and feelings. And finally, put your actions where your words are. Loving actions can do much more than change your feelings; they can also communicate in unmistakable terms the reality of your forgiveness and your commitment to reconciliation. Be quick to demonstrate forgiveness with concrete actions.

“And Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.’ ”
(Luke 23:34) -ESV

Jesus prayed forgiveness for the very people who were murdering Him and ridiculing Him. Why? Because that’s love. Jesus said that those people didn’t know what they were doing. How is that possible? Obviously, they knew that they were crucifying Jesus. However, they believed they were accomplishing justice when they were actually acting out of sin and doing wrong. Is there anyone in your life who has ‘crucified’ you that you should be forgiving? What has GOD forgiven you for in the past? How serious are your opponent’s sins against you when compared with your sins against GOD? Read Matthew 18: 21-35 again. How does it apply to you?

“Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.”
(1Peter 4:8) -ESV

What does love look like? Love looks like a man wiping away your tears and forgiving you even after you left Him hanging on a cross for your sins.

There are two types of people I want to pray for and exhort to action:

1. Do you want to be forgiven? If you are full of guilt, regret, sorrow, or shame and want to be forgiven, I want to pray for you, pray with you, and commit myself to encourage you from now on. I also want to challenge you: If you desire forgiveness from someone, I urge you to meet with that individual in person (or via phone if over a great distance), confess your feelings and desire to be forgiven, and then ask the person to forgive you. And remember: your ultimate forgiveness isn’t based upon the person’s choice to forgive you — Christ has already forgiven the repentant person. Your duty is complete upon asking for forgiveness. The Holy Spirit will do the work of change in the other person.
2. Do you need to forgive someone? If you have a frog in your jar and you need the strength to open the lid and the courage to grab the frog and remove it from your jar, I want to pray for you, pray with you, and commit myself to walk this journey with you. I also want to challenge you: if you need to forgive someone, I urge you to meet up with that individual in person (or via phone if over a great distance) and confess the reasons why you desire to forgive that person. To do this, all you need to do is explain what happened and why you got hurt. The conversation is not to pile guilt on the other person, but to explain your pain. It’s as simple as that. And remember: the person you need to forgive does not need to accept your forgiveness for you to be able to release your frog. The person you need to forgive might not believe he/she needs to be forgiven and might reject your forgiveness. That’s not your problem. The Holy Spirit will deal with that person. You need only to release your frog. But keep in mind that forgiveness is only possible through love.

Please pray this prayer with sincerity: “Jesus, thank you for sacrificing Yourself on the cross and forgiving me. Your forgiveness covers all I have ever done and all I will ever do. You died for me; therefore, I will live for you and I will live for all others whom You died for as well. I repent of the evil ways that are not aligned with love and I commit myself to live a life of love from now on. For myself and others, I pray for the powerful miraculous healing of the heart as seen in Ezekiel 36:26-27. I forgive everyone who has ever hurt me and I give all of my bad burdens to You. For I know that if I hold a grudge, it will be I who will face The Judge. Thank you GOD for setting me free! I proclaim to live a life of love and righteousness from now on. Thank you, GOD, for all that You have done, all that You are now doing, and all that You are going to do. In the name of Jesus, by the power of GOD, I cast out any and all frogs of darkness that are currently in my lantern of light! I proclaim freedom from all bondage of past pain and declare a life of love, light, and peace! I will no longer allow negativity, pain, suffering, sadness, confusion, frustration, anxiety, stress, worry, doubt, fear, and hatred to control my thoughts and direct my actions! I will no longer allow the heavy burden of unforgiveness to weigh me down! I am free from the burden of unforgiveness! Amen.”

The Heart Is The Start

When meeting someone for the first time, one of the first (if not the first) questions people usually ask is, “What do you do for a living?”

Many people try to identify others by the things they do or the way they look instead of seeing them for who they truly are, what they care about, and who they are striving to become. I believe it is more important to know who a person is striving to become than to know what it is that person currently does. Truly, the heart should be the start because what’s important is hidden within and often remains unseen.

And so, we are going to play a game. I am going to describe to you seven different people. As I am describing these people to you, I want you to try to imagine what each person looks like. First, imagine whether the person is male or female. After you assume the gender of the person, I want you to imagine the age, height, and weight of the person. I want you to also imagine if the person has a lot of facial hair or if the person is clean shaven. Imagine the person’s skin tone, hair color and even the eye color. Does the person have freckles? Does the person have scars? What clothing would the person be wearing? After I describe all seven individuals, I will reveal the identity of each person.

Take out a piece of paper, a writing utensil, and write the numbers one through seven going down. Write your guess after reading each description. The answers will follow. (Let me know if you guessed any correctly, and if so, how many.)

The Descriptions:

(1) This person had a sister and a brother who both died at an early age. Not too much longer after the death of both siblings, this person’s mother also died. This person eventually became a part-owner of a store, but the business failed. This person studied law. This person eventually fell in love; however, this person’s love interest also eventually died. With only two saddlebags to hold all of this person’s possessions, this person moved to a new city to live in at the age of 28. This person eventually got into politics. This person ran for president year after year and got rejected year after year; however, this person finally got elected as the president of the United States at the age of 52.

(2) This person was born in 1929. This person lived in a confined space with many other people and felt as if the atmosphere was suffocating at times. At the age of only 15, this person got arrested. At the young age of 16, this person died from typhoid fever; in addition, all family members with the exception of the father ended up dying.

(3) This person was born in Australia. As a child, this person struggled mentally, emotionally, and even physically. At one point, this person considered suicide. At the age of 21, this person graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce and with a double major in accountancy and financial planning. This person is now a Christian evangelist and motivational speaker.

(4) This person was one of eight siblings and was also the runt of the litter. Being the smallest, this person was sent to watch over sheep rather than being in war or hunting. On one occasion, a special visitor came to the father and desired to choose one of the siblings for a special task and rare position. But on this occasion, this person was excluded from the other siblings and wasn’t even presented as a choice to the special visitor. Neither the father nor the siblings thought very much of this person.

(5) This person dressed with clothing that proclaims importance and that is because this person possesses an important title or position. This person was one of the few who comprised the ruling class in the area. This person was a successful person by human standards. However, this person eventually caused an innocent and much loved man to receive a death sentence and was later despised because of it.

(6) This person grew up agnostic and eventually became a performer in Hollywood for the entertainment industry and had been in dozens of television shows. This person became a nihilistic atheist whose only concern was experiencing fun. Sadly, this person’s nihilism brought this person to write out a suicide letter, considering everything in life to be worthless and meaningless — even life itself. After failing to commit suicide, this person eventually left the entertainment industry and ended  up receiving unemployment checks until working such jobs as a janitor for an elementary school and as a groundskeeper for an apartment community. By the world’s standards, this person became a failure and an insignificant and invisible nobody.

(7) As a baby, this person was born in a dirty place where animals typically go to eat. There never seemed to be anything remarkable about this person; in fact, this person worked an ordinary job as a typical carpenter. When this person was around 30 years of age, this person went above and beyond to love people. And yet despite of this person’s great love, this person was condemned to a death sentence on false accusations and died a horrible death. People mocked this person as this person died.

The Revealing:

(1) It was only after years of rejection and ‘failure’ that this man succeeded. That man was Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln signed the first of the Homestead acts, allowing poor people to own land. He also established the United States Department of Agriculture, he signed the Morrill Land-Grant Act which led to creation of numerous universities, and he also issued the Emancipation Proclamation which led to abolishing slavery in US.

(2) The young girl named Anne Frank eventually went on to inspire millions of people despite the fact that she wasn’t even alive here on Earth. Her father (only remaining family member) found Anne’s diary, was amazed by her maturity and character and then got it published. Anne provided wonderful insight into a dark moment of history inundated with Nazis and also showed the world that maturity can be found in youth and a hero can look like a female.

(3) This person is Nick Vujicic; he was born with tetra-amelia syndrome, a rare disorder characterized by the absence of all four limbs. Nick has encouraged, motivated and inspired millions of people simply because he overcame and never quit. Though he lives a life without limbs, his heart propels him in the direction he needs to go.

(4) This person is the great David of the Bible. Though no one else thought much of David because of his appearance, GOD saw David’s heart and it looked like a lampstand ready to shine GOD’s light. Before Samuel anointed David as the king who would replace Saul, Samuel saw David’s brother and thought he would be king because of his appearance. But examine GOD’s response:

“When they came, he looked on Eliab and thought, ‘Surely the Lord’s anointed is before him.’ But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.’ ”
(1Samuel 16:6-7) -ESV

(5) This person is one of the many Pharisees whom Jesus opposed and often rebuked. These are the people who seemed like they had it all together and were doing everything right! Though the Pharisees had the appearance of importance and right character, they lacked heart. Examine the words of Jesus regarding the Pharisees:

“Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, ‘The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat, so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice. They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger. They do all their deeds to be seen by others…. Woe to you, blind guides…. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness. So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness…. You serpents, you brood of vipers, how are you to escape being sentenced to hell?”
(Matthew 23:1-5, 16, 27-28, 33) -ESV

(6) This person is me, Trenton Gill. Worthless and meaningless is how I saw myself. Yet somehow, GOD saw in me the goodness I never saw in myself. Jesus knew my good heart and He saved me from myself and helped me to repent (turn around) and start living a righteous life of servitude that gives praise to GOD rather than the superficial life that would receive praise from people.

(7) This person is Christ Jesus. Jesus — fully GOD — became fully human in order to save us from ourselves. By His great sacrificial love, our bloodstained sinful selves have been whitewashed and cleansed and we will be able to live in His presence for all eternity.

When I described each person, did the physical appearance ever make a difference as to who they ended up becoming? Did age or gender make a difference? Did all of their ‘current’ jobs, tasks, labels or titles ever define who they would end up becoming? Did their history of whatever they lacked ever define who they would eventually become? No. Who you are right now can change so long as you possess the desire to change and put forth the effort and never quit.

Therefore, if you’re reading this and we don’t know each other, I will not risk shaming you by asking you what you do for a living. What you currently do is sometimes irrelevant to who you are and who you will become. After all, the famous rocker, Jon Bon Jovi, was a janitor before he became famous and eventually helped out with different charities. There’s something more important I want to ask you than what you do for a living: “Who are you and who are you striving to become?”

Share with me the following:

• What are your short-term and long-term goals?
• What are your dreams?
• What do you care about most in life?
• Where do you want to end up in the near future and distant future?
• Who do you want to become?
• After you leave Earth and go into eternity, what do you want to leave behind for everyone else still living on Earth?

You can be the person you desire to be; you can be the person you dream to be. Do you know your identity? Dare to dream! Vision and belief that are united with wisdom leads to possibility; possibility harbors potential; therefore, full potential is only possible with vision and belief. Do you believe? How is your faith?

“Jesus told them. ‘I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, “Move from here to there,” and it would move. Nothing would be impossible.’ ”
(Matthew 17:20) -NLT

“The Lord answered, ‘If you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, “May you be uprooted and thrown into the sea,” and it would obey you!’ ”
(Luke 17:6) -NLT

“I can do everything through Christ who strengthens me.”
(Philippians 4:13) -GW

“Jesus looked at them intently and said, ‘Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God everything is possible.’ ”
(Matthew 19:26) -NLT

Through Christ, you can accomplish anything so long as it is in alignment with GOD’s will. Again, I want to ask you a very important question: who are you and who are you striving to become? You need to know your identity.

“But Amos stood up to Amaziah: ‘I never set up to be a preacher, never had plans to be a preacher. I raised cattle and I pruned trees. Then GOD took me off the farm and said, “Go preach to my people Israel.”’ ”
(Amos 7: 14-15) -MSG

Scripture states that Amaziah was a priest and Amos was a shepherd. Amaziah basically told Amos not to preach in Bethel because it offended him and others.

I can relate to Amos quite well because I have told many people the same message and many people have responded by telling me the same thing that Amos heard. I never set up to be a preacher; I never had plans of being a preacher. Amos was a shepherd. I was an atheist actor in the entertainment industry with aspirations of fame and fortune. I had my sights set on money. But my desires and my title changed after I found my identity. And many people often tell me not to preach because my words sometimes offends people. It saddens me that people would get offended by Truth, but I must rank truth as more important than feelings. And it’s not my Truth to change. I didn’t write the Book of Truth, I merely share the message. I’m a messenger.

Pastor, teacher, or messenger — titles are irrelevant to GOD’s calling and are obsolete in Heaven. Titles are created by humans to accommodate human agenda; moreover, titles are not indicative of the true calling and cannot change the character of any human. As of right now — November 15, 2017 — I do not possess a certified title of pastor or minister; however, the lack of an official title doesn’t take away from my calling. I will continue to fulfill my calling and eventually people will throw a title on me because of the way I’m living out my calling. Consider the following four examples:

(1) Albert Einstein failed an entrance examination for the school of ETH in Zurich, Switzerland. He didn’t have a title then, but GOD designed him to be a genius. Later in life, he was awarded a Ph.D., became a professor at Karl-Ferdinand University in Prague, became President of the German Physical Society, was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics, and received the Copley Medal from the Royal Society. Einstein is proof that a ‘nobody’ can be a ‘somebody’ of great significance. Einstein’s wisdom would have helped the human race advance whether he acquired those titles or not. But he acquired those titles because he lived out his calling and then humans threw titles on him.

(2) Adolf Hitler was considered a great leader at one point, but his title didn’t alter the demonic demeanor within him. Hitler’s title labeled him to be a leader and respected ruler; however, his orders to his army brought about the deaths of millions of innocent people. Hitler’s earthly title amongst the nazis meant very little to the soldiers who opposed him; moreover, his title meant nothing in the big picture of eternity. The nazis called him Fuhrer, which meant, “leader.” But do you know what he is called in Heaven? Well, he isn’t called anything because he’s not in Heaven.

(3) Pastor Steve Fender from Livingway Church of San Antonio, Texas shared with me one of the most amazing testimonies I’ve ever heard. After an alter call at one of Steve’s services, a man by the name of Ernest had asked Steve to talk to him and pray with him. Eventually, Ernest confessed to being a Mexican mafia hitman and that he had killed a lot of people. Ernest asked if GOD would still accept him because of all the murders he had committed and Steve told Ernest that no one is too far gone to be saved. Pastor Steve asked Ernest to lift up his hands in surrender to GOD; Ernest told Steve that he would, but only if Steve would hold his shirt down so that no one would see his gun while his arms were up. Ernest — a hitman with a loaded gun in church service — gave his life to Christ that day and eventually led many other people to Christ. One day, Ernest was shot while walking the streets. When pastor Steve arrived at the scene, Ernest was face down on the ground, already dead. In Ernest’s hand appeared to be a gun; however, it was a copy of the New Testament. The world labeled Ernest as a murderer; Ernest proclaimed himself to be a murderer at one point; however, Ernest was made new in Christ and was called to be a preacher. Ernest’s title of ‘hitman’ wasn’t his true title. And once Ernest realized his real identity, he received his true calling and his true title. Repentance and faith bring salvation. Despite his past, Ernest was a preacher and that is how we should remember him.

(4) There are [far too] many people who earned the title of being a Priest, yet they were then later convicted and declared to be pedophiles.

There are some people who possess the title of ‘Priest’ (like Amaziah), yet their character proclaims them to be frauds and dirty — just like the Pharisees whom Jesus condemned. Amaziah was wrapped up in religion (rules, regulations, and rituals) and neglected to have a relationship with GOD.

Ponder on this: Jesus was wisdom in human form, yet He didn’t possess a Ph.D. Jesus didn’t need a P-H-D because he was with the title of G-O-D. His title was Messiah, or Christ, or Savior; however, He didn’t receive that title until after He already fulfilled the role. No one except His disciples gave Him the title of Messiah before His crucifixion. But the lack of the title didn’t take away from His calling.

Though the world tells us to take up titles, we are called to live the calling. Do not allow yourself to be beguiled by titles! Do not be fooled into believing you are who the world says you are! To fulfill your calling, you need only to look beyond the façade of worldly titles and possess zeal for the seal of GOD’s approval. The start is the heart!

“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.”
(Psalm 51:10) -ESV

“And he called the people to him and said to them, ‘Hear and understand: it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person.’…. But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a person.’ ”
(Matthew 15:10-11, 18-20) -ESV

Amaziah was a Priest, yet GOD chose a shepherd (like David) named Amos to do the preaching of His Word. Amos made himself available to be used! If Amos was capable of caring for a herd and tending little details such as yard work [with honesty and integrity], then he could be trusted to do and say what was right – to preach. GOD basically said, “I don’t care that other humans label Amaziah as a Priest. Amos is my preacher.”

I challenge you to know your identity and pursue your calling rather than a title. Take action on what GOD has called you to do. If the world declares you to be nothing but a janitor yet GOD calls you to preach, then you’re a preacher! If the world declares you to be nothing but an old man (like Noah) yet GOD calls you to build an ark and protect the animals, then you’re a contractor, carpenter, soon-to-be sailor and captain, and wildlife preservationist! If the world declares you to be nothing but a tax collector yet GOD calls you to write a book, then you’re an author! Worldly titles mean nothing. Do not get so wrapped up in nothing that you end up missing out on everything GOD has for you. What is the true title you possess? Proclaim it in the name of Jesus Christ, by the power of GOD-Almighty! But know and understand that the heart is the start. In order to fulfill your calling, you need to purify and protect your heart. The reason David was chosen above all others was because he was a man after GOD’s own heart (1Samuel 13:14).

“But as for those whose heart goes after their detestable things and their abominations, I will bring their deeds upon their own heads, declares the Lord God.”
(Ezekiel 11:21) -ESV

But for those of us who desire to fulfill our true calling, all we need to do is ask Jesus to purify our hearts and align our thoughts with His will. By seeking first the Kingdom of GOD (GOD’s will), everything else will fall in place.

“And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.”
(Ezekiel 36:26-27) -ESV

“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you”
(Matthew 6:33) -ESV

Once purified, we must put on the breastplate of righteousness for protection (read Ephesians 6:10-20; see also Isaiah 59:17). Take note that the heart is protected by righteousness. A righteous life prevents the penetration of sin that desires to find its way in. Sin finding its way into the heart is like a sperm finding its way into an egg. We must protect the heart because the heart is the start.

“But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.”
(James 1:14-15) -ESV

I want to pray for three types of people:

• If you have never accepted Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior yet you desire to do so, I want to pray with you and encourage you in your decision.
• If you need to purify your heart and desire for GOD to remove your heart of stone and give you a new heart of flesh, let me know and I’ll pray with you and continue to pray for you. And I will also partner with you in a commitment to protecting your newly purified heart.
• If the Holy Spirit has purified your heart throughout this message and you now desire to put on the breastplate of righteousness to protect your purified heart, I want to pray with you and continue to pray for you. And I will also partner with you in a commitment of fellowship to ensure accountability of a righteous life.

Eventually

I want to talk about the word, “eventually.” Have you ever been rejected? How did it make you feel? How quickly are you able to recover from rejection? Rejection is painful and can be crippling to confidence or even paralyzing you, preventing you from reaching your purpose. Rejection is like a venomous snake bite that poisons hope. I should know – I have felt the stinging injection of rejection many times. There are many times in my life when people told me that I wasn’t good enough. And I believed them. I shouldn’t have believed them, but I did. Rejection solidifies doubts and fears and creates a concrete mixture of emotions that can crush someone’s hope if that person decides to carry that heavy burden. But if anything good is to come from rejection, the pain we feel can at least help us realize that we are alive and death has not yet arrived.

It is acceptable to experience failed attempts, but it is unacceptable to refuse to try. The very act of failing is a successful attempt of trying. Overcoming adversity is as easy as the word, “eventually.” Success comes with persistence and faith. Do not ever give up. Do not ever allow the venom of rejection to paralyze you and rot the hope within you. You can never fail so long as you never stop trying. If you don’t give up, you will eventually succeed or be honored and remembered for your faith for your ability to at least finish the race. But quitting is not an option.

When I preach a message, I usually use the Bible for references; however, I want to ensure that everyone can understand and relate to this message. I don’t anyone to feel like this doesn’t apply to their lives. So, before I use any scriptures, I want to share with you 12 worldly examples to prove that persistence and faith are necessary for success:

Albert Einstein didn’t speak until he was four (4), didn’t read until he was seven (7), and his teachers didn’t think he would amount to much. However, he eventually won a Nobel Prize and became the face of modern physics.

When Michael Jordan was a sophomore in high school, he didn’t make the varsity team, but his friend did. Michael went home, locked himself in his room and cried. However, he eventually led the Chicago Bulls to six NBA championships (1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998). He was also Five-time NBA Most Valuable Player and six-time NBA Finals MVP.

Walt Disney was fired from a newspaper company for “lacking imagination” and “having no original ideas.” If Walt would have accepted the words of his critics as truth and gave up, millions of children would have missed out on the joy he eventually brought to them. If Walt would have quit too soon after his theme park concept was trashed 302 times, there wouldn’t be a Disneyland or DisneyWorld to fill children with joy.

At 30 years of age, Steve Jobs was devastated and depressed after being unceremoniously removed from the company he started. However, he eventually fathered the Apple monopoly movement that included iPhones & iPads.

Abraham Lincoln failed in business three times, failed campaigning seven times, suffered the death of his sweetheart, and had a nervous breakdown all before ever becoming the 16th president of the United States at the age of 51.

Stephen King’s first book, Carrie, was rejected 30 times before he decided to throw it in the trash. His wife retrieved the manuscript and encouraged him to finish it. His books are now famous and have sold over 350 million copies.

Henry Ford failed at three different businesses before finally succeeding at Ford Motor Company at the age of 53.

J.K. Rowling was unemployed, divorced, raising a daughter on social security income while writing the first Harry Potter novel. Harry Potter was rejected by 12 publishing houses prior to it being accepted. Her books have now sold over 400 million copies.

Colonel Hardland David Sanders (KFC founder) had a few businesses that failed. When he finally decided to make fried chicken his business, he couldn’t sell his chicken because nobody wanted it. More than 1,000 restaurants rejected him. Colonel Sanders eventually opened up the very first KFC at the age of 62. His life essentially began at the age of 62. So, don’t tell me it’s too late for you! It’s never too late!

Howard Shultz got turned down 242 times for bank loans before he eventually raised up enough money to start up the world renowned Starbucks Coffee. He now has a net worth of over 2 billion dollars.

Vincent van Gogh only sold one painting in his lifetime – to a friend. A pity purchase. Despite his inability to make his passion into his profession, he kept painting and finished over 800 pieces. Today, his most expensive painting is valued at around $143 million.

Theodore Seuss Geisel (Dr. Seuss)’s first book was rejected by 27 different publishers. However, he eventually became a legendary children’s author. His books have sold over 600 million copies. And Dr. Seuss had a tremendous impact on my life as a young child – especially with The Sneetches.

In The Sneetches, some had stars upon thars and some didn’t. The Sneetches who didn’t have stars on their bellies, compared themselves to the Sneetches who did have stars; consequently, the Sneetches who didn’t have stars on their bellies felt like they weren’t good enough. But one day, a salesman came by and told the Sneetches without stars that he had a machine that would put the stars on their bellies and they could have stars for only a certain cost; therefore, the Sneetches paid the salesman to get the stars. When the original star-bellied Sneetches found out, they got angry because they wanted to be special. And then the salesman told them that he had a machine that could remove the star. All of the Sneetches went back and forth, putting stars on their bellies and removing them. Eventually, the Sneetches had no idea who originally had the star and who didn’t. Comparison is from the devil. And whether Dr. Seuss realized he did this or not, he created a parallel to Satan. You see, Satan is the salesman. In The Sneetches, the salesman took all they had and left the Sneetches broke. All because the Sneetches wanted to be someone they weren’t meant to be. If they had been true to themselves, the salesman couldn’t have sold them the lies that he did. Satan will sell you lies, telling you that you’re not good enough and that you will never amount to anything. Satan will try to sell you lies such as, “Well, if you only had this, you could be that.” …or, “If you looked like this, others would like you.”

Had Dr. Seuss gave up, his book never would have taught me to be myself when I was a young child. And Dr. Seuss was only one of twelve examples I gave you, but there are many more that I could have included. It’s easy to get overwhelmed with current circumstances and fall into a false belief that we will never be significant and make a difference. But GOD has a plan for us – we simply need to keep progressing forward and never give up! Don’t give up! In persistence, you can prevail! Even the snail reaches its destination eventually. What matters in the race? The start or finish? Would anyone shake your hand and congratulate you for starting the race? No. The ones who cross the finish line get the praise of a job well done. If you are alive, you haven’t crossed the finish line and you need to keep going. If you’re down, you need to get back up. If you feel left out, I’m here to invite you in!

Can I share something about myself? I am a very sensitive person and I take all forms of rejection very hard. Rejection hits me hard! I suffer from low self-esteem and lack confidence in many areas of my life. When rejection hits me, I fall down every time. I already believe I’m not good enough most of the time, but when others tell me I’m not good enough, it sends me crumbling to the ground. But I made a decision a long time ago to make a conscious effort to try even if I believe I’m not good enough to succeed; moreover, I decided that I will always put forth my best effort regardless of whether I think I’m good enough or not. It doesn’t matter what I thin about myself because I know what GOD-Almighty has told me I am: I am a child of GOD-of-the-universe! But even if I fail and I fall, I know there are many people who will help me get back up. And I want you to know that I’m here to help you get back up. I’m here to tell you that you’re important and that you matter in life. Your life matters. Your life matters to me, but most importantly, your life matters to GOD.

Now, I don’t usually ask people to look back into their past and ponder on all of their mistakes; however, I’m going to ask for you to look back for this message. But don’t worry – you won’t be looking back for long. Please go ahead and think about all of the mistakes you have ever made in life. Ponder on your regrets for a moment… I am willing to bet it didn’t take long for all them to come to the surface. Examine these three scriptures written by David:

“What you’re after is truth from the inside out. Enter me, then; conceive a new, true life.”
(Psalms 51: 6-7) -MSG

“Give me a job teaching rebels your ways so the lost can find their way home.”
(Psalms 51: 13) -MSG

“Going through the motions doesn’t please you, a flawless performance is nothing to you. I learned God-worship when my pride was shattered.”
(Psalms 51: 16-17) -MSG

David wrote those three scriptures after Nathan the prophet confronted him about his affair with Bathsheba. Not only did David have an affair with Uriah’s wife, but David used his position and power to get Uriah killed so that he could stay with Bathsheba.

David messed up big time – absolutely! David’s mistake was an all-time epic failure and he probably would have been stoned to death had he not been king. And please keep in mind that this was the same David who watched and protected his father’s sheep when he was a nobody, before he ever became king. This was the same David whom GOD chose to be king because of his good character. This was the same David who defeated Goliath and inspired many people. This was the same David who refused to hurt Saul while Saul was trying to kill him. Is that possible? Yes. Even the best of people can make the worst mistakes.

Nathan called David out for his sins. Clarification: informing someone of their sins is not being judgmental; on the contrary, it is an action of love. If you love someone, make their sins known – that provides an opportunity for them to repent and grow. If you don’t call attention to the sins, you send a message that you condone the sins. It is possible to love the person yet hate the sin. Therefore, when Nathan called David out on his sins, he did so out of love.

Confession: I, Trenton, have [in the past] lied, cheated on tests, stolen, destroyed property, hurt people both physically and mentally, abused my own body by drowning it with alcohol, idolized the wrong people, and even killed animals for the sake of ‘fun.’ But like David, I learned true GOD-worship the day my pride was shattered and I became humbled. I have many regrets from my life in the past; however, those regrets directed me away from sin and straight to Jesus Christ.

Our corrupt culture would like to teach everyone to live life without having any regrets; however, that decision will only bring about more regrets later on in life. Y.O.L.O! You only live once! Most people use that as an excuse to sin. But I’m telling you that you only live once; therefore, we need to get this right. Now, you have one shot and that is your lifespan; however, you have many chances within that one lifespan. But living without any regrets is foolish. Buried sins will eventually get uncovered. Having regrets and feeling the guilt is a good thing! It’s healthy. Guilt and regrets can and will guide us back on the right path. However, after the initial guilt and regret, there does need to be a time when we let go of the guilt and regret in order to heal and progress forward. And please realize that there is a difference between guilt and shame. With guilt, a person realizes he/she has done wrong. With shame, a person believes he/she is the wrong and that the problem is him/herself as a whole. Shame is self-abasement and is not healthy. However, guilt and regret can be healthy so long as the person can let them go in order to heal and become a better person.

David had a great character trait which compelled him to become humbled and seek GOD regardless of the severity of his mistakes. Confession leads to repentance, which leads to forgiveness, which leads to restoration. David always strived to get back up once he fell. David didn’t allow his mistakes to keep him away from where GOD wanted him to be.

It was not GOD’s will for David to have that affair with Bathsheba, but it was GOD’s will that he repent for his sins and to align his thoughts and actions once again with the will of GOD. And David did just that! David admitted to his wrong doings, felt the guilt, felt regret, received forgiveness and then he got back on track to get right with GOD again in order to be restored!

Everyone makes mistakes, but we are not to let our mistakes keep us down. Give thanks for GOD’s grace! If it weren’t for GOD’s love and grace, we would all be trapped in misery from our past mistakes.

“Pile your troubles on GOD’s shoulders – he’ll carry your load, he’ll help you out.”
(Psalms 55: 22) -MSG [see also, Matthew 11:28-30)

How loving GOD is! GOD wants us to pile our burdens of guilt and regret on Him so that our load will be light. Why? Because when our load is light, we will travel further in our journey through life and go places we never thought we could go. GOD knows we have made mistakes and will continue to make mistakes – that’s why Jesus Christ died for our sins!

I challenge you to truly take inventory of your past mistakes. I challenge you to admit them as being mistakes, and then feel the guilt and regret. But I also challenge you to pray to GOD a prayer of genuine repentance and ask for forgiveness. Ask GOD to take your burdens away from you – GOD will take your burdens away! After unloading your burdens and receiving forgiveness, I challenge you to do everything possible to live a restored and redeemed life. If you are carrying any burdens around, you need to ask yourself why you’re doing that – Jesus Christ took your burdens the day he sacrificed Himself for you. Everyone has made mistakes and has fallen. Well, now it’s time to get back up! It’s time to live right and do what is best. It’s time for dedication to righteous living.

If you have past regrets and need GOD to forgive you and remove the burdens from your life, I want to pray for you.

If you’re down and think you’re out, I’m here today to tell you that you’re not out – you are in! You are inside of GOD’s loving grace!

If you feel like you’re at a point to where you want to give up, I want to pray for you.

If you want more out of life than what you are currently experiencing, I want to pray for you.

GOD, please hear the cries of those who have heavy burdens and remove those burdens. Please fill this place with your Holy Spirit and heal us of the guilt and shame of our past regrets. GOD, I know You are full of mercy and grace and You can transform our mistakes into miracles. I know that you can restore our lives and can make us complete and whole again. I know that we may be in a difficult place in life right now, but I also know that GOD can help us to change our lives for the better. You may feel broken and worthless right now, but eventually, your life will be restored. In the name of Jesus Christ, by the power of GOD-Almighty, may it be so. Amen.

[For more motivation and inspiration, read my article: Overcome (Don’t Give Up!)]

[To find out why I am a Christian, read my article: Why I Am A Christian]