The Nothing Blog

"Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance  against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you." Colossians 3:13 Forgiveness is freedom. We create our own bondage if we refuse to forgive people. Think about it. Jesus preached these words during His Sermon on the Mount: "For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins"  (Matthew 6:14-15).  First of all, we see that we are sinning if we refuse to forgive others because God tells us to forgive others! And not only are we sinning but our sins will not be forgiven! Yikes. Jesus' existence on earth was all about love and forgiveness! We won't forgive if we don't love. Jesus walked on this earth with a humble, forgiving heart -- in total freedom! He was free to trust His Father's love for Him and His Father's plan for the salvation of ...

The path to overcoming a self-centered life is paved with self-denial. Self-denial is actually spelled L-O-V-E. But make no mistake, this LOVE is God's way of loving. "Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves" (Romans 9-10). This love is very powerful, unstoppable, and produces so much fruit. It produces fruit that will last. It's unconditional love and Jesus wants us to love like that. This kind of love heals all kinds of problems. Most of all it is deliverance from a self-centered life! And boy, does that bring all kinds of freedom and abundant living! So where do we get this kind of cure?  God has spelled it out for us in Scripture. "Love is patient Love is kind It does not envy It does not boast It is not proud It does not dishonor others It is not self-seeking It is not easily angered It keeps no record of wrongs Love does not delight in evil But rejoices with the t...

My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. John 15:12 To love others the way Jesus loves is possible. But it is a supernatural request from a supernatural Savior to His children. The requirement is that we must be humble. And, believe me, it is so much better that we humble ourselves with prayers of repentance to God and to quickly forgive others, than it is for God to humble us!  Ouch! I'm speaking from experience. When Jesus called my name and saved me He already knew everything about me. Of course He did, He created me! He knew about my anxious, insecure longing to have my own daddy's love and approval. I was a five-year-old when my daddy abandoned our family, and as I grew all kinds of dysfunctions developed in my personality. I became self-protective, since my daddy wasn't taking care of my needs, and looked to people and as well as myself to be for me what only God could provide. That kind of thinking produces pride, unrealistic expectations of self and...