SERENITY

The peace of God is unlimited. It can reach the highest mountains and cross the longest desserts and find its way into your heart.

My life is not valuable unless I do things that are valuable in the eyes of others. As far as the eyes can see I can always dear to believe.

When I belief and dig deep into my faith I know that the word of God is true ... it gives light, life and hope. He is a God that does not lie. He brings the impossible to possible. He makes miracles happen. The biggest miracle is that I am iving it today.

The only thing, the only one that is stopping you from reaching your peak, is the fear that you allow to tell you that you cannot and will not make it. If you start off walking today, eventually you will get to where you are going. Turn your fear into faith. Put your fear behind you and start climbing. Soon you will find that the mountain that you have climbed was not insurmountable at all.

Fear is not of God, therefore our concerns should be directed to the word of God. So that it can be soothing to the mind and peaceful to the heart and joyful to the soul and life to the spirit.

Make serenity a key in your hand today so that it will unlock many doors to contentment, fulfillment and enjoyment. In it you will find that the peace of God does pass all understanding. It is the peace that comes from above and not an earthly peace. God's peace will endure. God is waiting for you to accept His Son Jesus Christ to give you this peace today.

NEW LIFE

Last week I had the joy of being part of new life. I remember when a certain man came to Jesus and said to him, "what must I do to be saved?", Jesus replied to him, "you must be born again". Jesus of course was not speaking of physical birth. Life is very valuable and important to God. I bring this up to you today, because I want to share the joy of the birth of a baby.

There is much expectation that comes from planned or unplanned pregnancy. By the time the baby arrives, many different emotions are expressed. The one thing that seems to hold true in every situation regarding the birth of a baby is the questions asked i.e. "How is the baby?" "Is the mother doing fine?" "Is it a boy or a girl?" These questions are not only ones of curiousity but I belief the also underscore the point Jesus was making when he told that certain man, "you must be born again". Birth symbolizes a new beginning. And with new beginnings come new hope and new desires. A baby gives us a sense of a better tomorrow. They are innocent. Untouched and uninfluenced by this world. Yet because the are now in a "new world" (outside the warm, protective and nuturing environment of the mother's womb); the same baby is totally dependent.

Yes, seeing my grandson brought a sense of hope to my heart and a prayer was uttered. Lord one day you will make this world a better place. Hurt and pain will be a thing of the past. We will be joyful and glad! Enjoying the fellowship of the saints and the presence of the Lord. Yes, if we desire eternal life with our Creator, as Jesus said, "you must be born again". Spiritual birth gives us hope that sin no longer has us enslaved and we can move forward with confidence and dependence on Christ Jesus in the "new world" that we live. CELEBRATE LIFE TODAY!

F.O.C.U.S.

Lately, I have been preoccupied ... not with the Rays advancing to the ALDS of Major League Baseball or the presidential debate between Obama and McCain ... mind you, these are quite eventful. However, my thoughts are directed daily to the acronym F.O.C.U.S. As I approach my mid 40s I have an ever increasing desire to ensure that my life is one of purpose. More directly ... doing the things that gives me a sense of accomplishment, fulfillment and peace. This blog is one expression of this desire. Here I get to express many of my thoughts in writing.

I have had prophecies spoken over me or directed to me about what a great "man of God" I am destined to be and "how I am to reach nations and multitudes". To be frank, if I did not believe if prophecies and the impact they have on a "person of faith", I would think it was a waste of time and pure foolishness. But let me turn my attention back to the acronym F.O.C.US. This is what I believed God gave to me.

F - Furthering my
O - Opportunities with
C - Constant Commitment while
U- Understanding and under-going
S- Stressful situations (these situations are opportunities for strengthening a person in their life learning and lessons).

I am remind by a beautiful person I recently met ... "that the glass of water is still half full". Our situations do not change because our perception of the situation changes; rather, we change! We are give a different perspective so we can get different options. With different options, we have different opportunities. With different opportunities comes a greater potential for success and reward. Let us stay F.O.C.U.S.

God bless and inspire all who read this. "The race is not given to the swift nor the strong" ... the one who wins the race is "the one who endures to the end". F.O.C.U.S.

IMAGINE

What will you do with the life you now live? Will you continue to live in desparate or forge ahead to better and brighter days because you made an effort? Will you continue to settle for less or will you IMAGINE bigger and better things for you and your love one. John Lennon wrote a song about "IMAGINE". One verse goes something like this ... "IMAGINE all the people living life as one". Our brain is perhaps the most powerful human organ that we have been gifted to possess. Unfortunately so many of us use it for the wrong reasons. Some of us do not use it enough. IMAGINE being able to accomplish all that you were created to do because you IMAGINE and you allowed what you IMAGINE come into being. DREAM AND WHEN YOU DREAM DREAM SOME MORE. LIVE AND WHEN YOU LIVE, LIVE SOME MORE!

I CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST WHO GIVES ME THE STRENGTH TO DO ALL THINGS - ST. PAUL.

For Everything There Is A Purpose!

Many of us spend a significant amount of our time wondering what am I suppose to do with my life. Those of us that find ourselves trapped in this seeming less vicious cycle are usually the ones, that have not discovered a purpose for our lives or even defined what purpose our lives serve. So we drift from relationship to relationship, job to job. Some of us go so far as constantly relocating, from one state to another state. Those, who do not have the luxury or the affordability of traveling, simply might move from one apartment complex to the next every year. Some change cars every year, while others change fashions.

We are to seek purpose or even definition for and to our life. If we are not seen as successful, and for many that means, having a "phat" pay check, a huge six-figure bank account, owning your owe 4 bed-rooms, 3 baths, 2-car garage, three cars etc. etc. anything that is materialistic and Hollywood celebrity status driven; we tend to think we have failed or "what's wrong with me". Then some of us go into the "blame the man" mode.

Very few seek to rise above their circumstances and surrounding. For them it does not matter where they were born or who they were born to. It is not a matter of nature versus nurture for them. It is quite frankly a matter of knowing and doing. Knowing that their life is a gift and it must be shared. It is taking hold of every opportunity, no matter how insignificant it might seem and making it count. Yes, there is a time and a season for everything, and each life has been granted a purpose. Stop asking what is your purpose in life and start living your life with purpose. Reach out to someone who is not like you are and learn. Go the extra mile and in so doing discover a new horizon. Take wise risk and never settle for where you are. Never stop believing and certainly never stop trying. I remember a song by Leon Patillo years ago that said, "the sky is the limit". Well, science has even dared us to discover what is beyond the stars.

What are you waiting for. The truth of the matter is that You are hold You back. We all have been given one life to live. It is not too late to begin NOW. Moses, of the Old Testament was 80 years old when God told him to lead His people out of slavery. My mother became a teacher while she was still in her teenage years. She later became a principal of an elementary school in Trinidad. She still raised three children, took care of her mother, was a wife to a husband who was both a pastor and teacher. She was not born to a rich family, nor was her birth announced to millions, like so many celebrity babies in Hollywood are today. She was what many will call an "average woman". But there was nothing average about her. She did not only find purpose for her life, but more importantly she made her life one of purpose.

WHAT IS LOVE?

What is love?
According to Webster love is strong affection for another arising out of kinship or personal ties, (2) : attraction based on sexual desire : affection and tenderness felt by lovers (3) : affection based on admiration, benevolence, or common interests b : an assurance of love,
2 : warm attachment, enthusiasm, or devotion 3 a : the object of attachment, devotion, or admiration; used as a term of endearment 4 a : unselfish loyal and benevolent concern for the good of another: as (1) : the fatherly concern of God for humankind (2) : brotherly concern for others inspired by affection
1 Corinthians 13:13 (NIV) And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

Paul in First Corinthians states that love is “charity suffereth long; and is kind; charity envieth not, charity vaunteth not itself; is not puffed up, doth not behave itself unseemingly, seekth not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things, and that charity never fails!
1Jo 4:18 states: “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.”

The English language only has one word for love. For example I can say, "I love my wife" and use the same word to say, "I love banana sandwiches" or "I love my kids" and so forth. Obviously I don't love a banana sandwich the same way I love my kids! But, just what is love?
We often look for love in the wrong places. We look horizontally rather than vertically for love. I see folks filling their emptiness with empty love. It just will not fulfill or sustain you. We try to fill our emptiness with "fun fixes," "fun fixes" being, parties, recreation, vacations, temporal thrills and the like. Just what is love?

The Greek Language has five words for love.
1. Sensual love. This is sexual desire. Greeks called it epithymia.
2. Yearning for unity. For the Greeks this meant a drive to unite with something attractive. They called it eros. Our English word erotic means passion and sex, but for the Greeks, eros had a much broader meaning. It could even be used to describe love for God. C.S. Lewis uses the word to mean, "falling in love."
3. Brotherly love. This kind of love shared by good friends and companions. It is a close feeling that develops when two persons have many things in common. The Greek word for this is phillia.
4. Family affection. This is the kind of love shared by parents and children. The Greeks called this storge.
5. Self-giving love. Greek Christians invented this concept and called it agape. They associated this type of love with Jesus. It is the self-giving devotion to others regardless of their merits. There are some people you don't think are very loveable, but you can love them anyway, simply because they are human beings.

We say we love our spouses, our boy or girlfriends, our kids, our parents with this Agape love. But do we really? Do we really love God with the same Agape love that He loves us with or do we love with conditional love? One type of conditional love is the, "I love you if" do something love. This turns into a manipulative love. Your boyfriend gets angry because you will not give in to his sexual desires. What he is saying is I love you if you go to bed with me. Husbands and wives do this; while we may not say these exact words we imply them by our actions. "I love you if you get a better job", "I love you if you get us a bigger house" "I love you if we take better vacations," "I love you if you stop doing this or that." We do this to God. As long as my health is good, I am successful and all is well in my life, I love you Lord! But when our boat gets rocked... watch out God! Our "love" changes.

Another conditional love we imply and sometimes say is the "I love you because of something" love. "I love you because you are beautiful, because you are smart, because you are popular, because you are talented, ect." We imply to our kids, "I love you because you have good grades, you excel in sports, or some other talent." This leads to fear and insecurity, because the one being loved constantly has to live up to the "because" expectation the one doing the "loving" places on us. I sure am glad God is not like that toward us. So, where do we find this Agape love? Where do we find as Paul calls it, "A more excellent way."

There are at least two examples of agape love in the Bible, one found in the Old Testament i.e. Abraham being asked by to sacrifice his promised son Isaac (Genesis 22:1-18). Abraham’s love for God was tested by his willingness to give up the promised child Isaac. He trusted God and obeyed God! Now look at Isaac’s love for his father. A 25 year-old man. Matured but submissive, wanting the will of his father to be done. A willingness to trust his father. He lost his will to that of his father. Isaac became dead to himself. Love breeds trust.
Likewise Jesus lost his will. His will became rapped up in the will of his father. He said, “not my will but Thy will be done”. He worked because he saw his father working. He imitated the passions of his Father. Love results in submissiveness and willingness.
The other in the New Testament, God allowing his only begotten son, Jesus to die on the cross in our place for our sins (John 3:16). “No greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13)
The ultimate love (charity or agape) is a selfless and giving love. One that is will to pay the ultimate price, by giving oneself or giving what one love’s the most! Any man that loves meets the requirement of self-sacrifice. The seed of love brings about a “defacing of oneself”. It goes to any length, it takes a hit, and it covers. Your love is perfected through sacrifice. We must go to the source of this love, the source being God Himself. First John 4 sums it up pretty nicely for us, let us read it:
4:7
Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
4:8
He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
4:9
In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.
4:10
Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
4:11
Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. Amen!

A MIND TO WORK

A MIND TO WORK
“Nehemiah and the Law of Navigation”

Scripture Texts: Neh. 2:1-20; 4:1-23; 6:1-16

Nehemiah was not actually one of the Jews who were in captivity during the burning down of the walls of Jerusalem (Neh. 1:3). However, when Nehemiah got news of what had happen to his fellow countrymen, “he sat down and wept, and mourned for many days, he fasted and prayed before the God of Heaven” (Neh. 1:4). As a result Nehemiah got a “burden” for his people’s distress from fasting, praying, being broken and being repentant. 2 Chronicles 36:11-21 gives us the brief history of the fall of Jerusalem and the burning of its walls. 10,000 Jews saw this great disaster occurred but none of them had a burden or a vision to do something about it. 126 years would pass after the fall of Jerusalem before God would use Nehemiah as a navigation leader to rebuild Jerusalem and its walls. Once the people came together under Nehemiah’s leadership it took them 52 days to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem (Neh. 6:15). God used him to “rally the troops”. But remember, also there would be the “Sanballats” and the “Tobiahs” (opposing forces and people) who will stay on the sidelines and try to distract you from doing a great work. They would try to discourage you, humiliate you, and reject you in order to stop the vision from coming to pass.
To help us understand more what God is saying to this house this morning let us now define some key words.

What is law?
A rule of conduct or action prescribed or formally recognized as binding or enforced by a controlling authority; a prescribed set of rules or principles.

What is mind?
It the context of this message, “mind” denotes one’s desire and purpose. An objective. What one intends to accomplish or attain.

What is work?
An activity in which one exerts strength or faculties to do or perform something; sustained physical or mental effort to overcome obstacles and achieve an objective or result

What is a “burden”?
In the context of the message it carries the ideas of a LOAD (that which is carried at one time by a specified means); DUTY (obligatory tasks, conduct, service, or functions that arise from one's position (as in life or in a group) b (1): assigned service); RESPONSIBILITY (the quality or state of being responsible: as moral, legal, or mental accountability (Reliability & Trustworthiness)

In order to get a vision one must first repent before approaching God. It is from repentance that a burden is given which brings about the vision.

This message is also for leadership. A leader must know where he is going and how to get there. He must be a navigator (one who has the ability to steer a course through a medium). In other words, a leader must see the problem ahead, detect what is the best possible solution to the problem and engage in a course of action. (He must walk in the spirit of the problem). He must see further than others see; or more than others sees, and before others see.
Pro. 29:18 states, “Where there is no vision (burden; revelation; knowledge) the people perish (become scattered and rebellious)”.


There are 3 powers of a burden:
1. It purifies motivates - the essence of a burden is the desire to do something for others; it is drawn to serve and it not self-seeking.

2. It cultivates persistence – it is not who starts first or who starts best, or who starts fastest but it is the one that endures and completes the task set before him that gets the reward. To be in leadership is both difficult and challenging. If you do not persist you will drop out the race!

3. A burden brings cement to the convictions. A lot of worthwhile actives always seek leadership's attention, but a need is not necessary a call. A burden helps a leader know that he must take on a task. In other words without a burden a leader will pick up ideas and run with them only because they are good but are not part of his convictions. It is the burden that leads to vision!

Nehemiah’s navigation skills:
1. He identified the problems
2. He spends time in prayer (and a burden is received)
3. He approaches a key influential person
4. He assesses the situation
5. He meets with the people and cast (presents) the vision
6. He encourages them by pass assessment (what they were able to do in the pass)
7. He receives a “buy in” from the people. The people also now believe in the vision and have the mind and spirit to work
8. He organizes the people. A plan is always need to secure success. He who fails to plan; plans to fail
9. The work begins! The burden becomes a vision the vision becomes a reality.

Amen!

UNFORGIVENSS - The Hinderance To Your Prayers

Scripture Text”
Matt. 6:5-14
Opening Statement: Unforgiveness is sin!
Unforgiveness is sometimes one of the most difficult sins to confess, because we so often think we must feel it emotionally when we forgive someone. But forgiveness is an act of our will, and we do not have to feel like it, to do it. Forgiveness must be honest, sincere and complete, or it leaves a root of bitterness in our lives. One sign that we have not forgiven is continued anger, which can evolve into depression or a spirit of retaliation. Forgiving means leaving everything in God’s hands, recalling that ultimately, vengeance is His.
Sometimes the person we need to forgive is ourselves. Sometimes, if we are honest, it is the Lord we have not forgiven. It is sin that separates us from God (Isaiah 59:2) and grieves His Holy Spirit. It is sin that hurts our relationship with Him—and with others.
PRESENTATION:
AT ISSUE: The great and foremost commandment for Christians is to love God with all our hearts, souls, minds and strength, and love our neighbors as we do ourselves. These are interconnecting mandates from the Lord. The Bible further states that if you do not love others, you do not, in fact, love God. Therefore loving others is imperative to faith, and brings with it the ability to forgive others.
Matthew 22:36-4O; Mark 12:30-31; 1 John 2:10-11, 4:7-11, 20-21
Forgiveness is based on two ideas. First forgiveness is an act of gratitude. We forgive others out of gratefulness to God for His gracious forgiveness of our sins. Second, forgiveness is an act of obedience. It demonstrates to others our obedience to God's Word and our love for Him. The alternative of not forgiving has serious consequences in our lives. Jesus said that if we do not forgive someone who has wronged us, He would not forgive us either.
Matthew 18:21-35; Mark 11:25-26; Ephesians 4:32; Colossians 3:13; 1 John 5:3
UNDERSTANDING GOD'S FORGIVENESS:
God's forgiveness is an outpouring of abundant grace and mercy that provides unconditional pardon to the guilty. This forgiveness may or may not release them from the physical or material consequences of sin, but it does provide full release from guilt and discharges the ultimate penalty of wrongdoing - permanent separation from God.
2 Samuel 12:13-14,- Psalm 103:10-14; Luke 23.39-42;' Romans 5:8; Ephesians 4:32
Scripture indicates it is God's nature to forgive sins. This includes any type of sin that can be committed against Him (except blasphemy of the Holy Spirit, which is attributed to the work of Satan.) God is ready to forgive while we are still His enemies and before we ask for it, or are able to receive it. He never withholds it if we sincerely confess our sins. His forgiveness is complete and permanent. He blots it out, covers it up, and no longer deals with us according to it. And the best part is, it is free and without any cost.
Exodus 34:6-7; Psalm 32-1, 51:9; 86:5; 103.3, 10-12; Isaiah 43:22-25; Mark 3:20-3;' Romans 5:6-10, 16-21, 8:1: Ephesians 2:4-9; 1 John 1:9
GUIDELINES OF FORGIVENESS:
1. Forgiveness is an act of obedience to the Lord (Luke 17-3-20; Ephesians 4:32);
2. Forgiveness is an act of gratitude for the Lord forgiving you (Matt. 18:21-35)
3. Forgiveness gives another what is needed rather than what is deserved (Rom.5:8)
4. Forgiveness is always granted when requested without limitation (Mat. 18:21-22);
5. Forgiveness does not demand restitution but seeks reconciliation (Mat. 18:32-33);
6. Forgiveness does not keep a record of wrongs (1 Corinthians 13:5);
7. Forgiveness does not gossip to others about another person's faults (Eph.4:2);
SELF FORGIVENESS:
Christians often struggle with the need for "self-forgiveness." Scripture has little to say about this subject. Rather it focuses toward our need to receive God's forgiveness, and subsequently to forgive others. Jesus does infer the idea of self-forgiveness when He tells us to "love your neighbor as yourself." However, the notion of self-forgiveness is never mentioned directly in the Bible. The process described in Scripture is as following:
a. We need to receive God's forgiveness for our sins (Colossians 1:13-14; 1 John 1:9;
b. His forgiveness is not a matter of "feeling forgiven", rather it is a matter of trusting Him and His promise to do so (Romans 5:1-2; Colossians 1:21-23; Hebrews 11:6);
c. Since God says there is no condemnation for us in Christ Jesus, then it is true regardless of how we feel about ourselves (Romans 8:1);
d. The need to forgive ourself presupposes a sense of guilt for past sins. If we repent and confess our sins to the Lord, He removes them from us, and we no longer need to feel guilty about them (James 5:16, 1 John 1:9);
e. The Bible encourages us to look ahead and forget what is behind (Philippians 3:13-14);
f. While the need for realizing God's forgiveness of self is imperative to our faith, the need for personally forgiving ourselves does not appear to be a critical issue.
SEEKING FORGIVENESS FROM OTHERS:
The Bible tells us to seek forgiveness from others when we have sinned against them. Asking for forgiveness is a vital to our own spiritual well being. It is also an important step in reconciling and restoring relationship with others. Seeking forgiveness requires repentance, confession and restitution (when needed.)
Matthew 5:23-24; 18.21-35; Romans 12.18; Ephesians 4:32: James 5:16; 1 John 1:9
Repentance involves changing our minds about a relational problem, acknowledging our own mistakes and misbehavior, taking personal responsibility for it instead of blaming others, and taking action to resolve the situation. Repentance produces an attitude of contrition in us, allows us to discover God's perspective on the problem, and sets us free from the guilt and condemnation of past sins.
1 Kings 15:12; Matthew 3:8; 2 Corinthians 7-9-10; James 4:8-10,1 John 1:8-10
Confession requires humility and vulnerability on our part. It is openly admitting our sins to those we have offended, being specific about what we did, not making excuses for what happened, and asking for forgiveness. More importantly, confession contains a commitment to stop misbehaving. When possible, confession leads us to reconcile the relationship.
Psalm 51:1-4; Matthew 7:1-5; Romans 2:1; 14:13; 1 Corinthians 13:5; Ephesians 4:15

Restitution involves restoring or compensating for any damages caused by our sin. Scripture states we are to seek out restitution whenever possible. It is to be made directly to those we have sinned against. In some cases, such as adultery, forgiveness is possible but restitution is not. The goal of restitution is to bring peace with another, it is not an attempt to "buy back" one's reputation or manipulate the situation.
Exodus 22:1-7; Numbers 5:5-8; Proverbs 6:30-35; Luke 19:8-9; Romans 12:9, 18
Scripture Text”
Matt. 6:5-14
Opening Statement: Unforgiveness is sin!
Unforgiveness is sometimes one of the most difficult sins to confess, because we so often think we must feel it emotionally when we forgive someone. But forgiveness is an act of our will, and we do not have to feel like it, to do it. Forgiveness must be honest, sincere and complete, or it leaves a root of bitterness in our lives. One sign that we have not forgiven is continued anger, which can evolve into depression or a spirit of retaliation. Forgiving means leaving everything in God’s hands, recalling that ultimately, vengeance is His.
Sometimes the person we need to forgive is ourselves. Sometimes, if we are honest, it is the Lord we have not forgiven. It is sin that separates us from God (Isaiah 59:2) and grieves His Holy Spirit. It is sin that hurts our relationship with Him—and with others.
PRESENTATION:
AT ISSUE: The great and foremost commandment for Christians is to love God with all our hearts, souls, minds and strength, and love our neighbors as we do ourselves. These are interconnecting mandates from the Lord. The Bible further states that if you do not love others, you do not, in fact, love God. Therefore loving others is imperative to faith, and brings with it the ability to forgive others.
Matthew 22:36-4O; Mark 12:30-31; 1 John 2:10-11, 4:7-11, 20-21
Forgiveness is based on two ideas. First forgiveness is an act of gratitude. We forgive others out of gratefulness to God for His gracious forgiveness of our sins. Second, forgiveness is an act of obedience. It demonstrates to others our obedience to God's Word and our love for Him. The alternative of not forgiving has serious consequences in our lives. Jesus said that if we do not forgive someone who has wronged us, He would not forgive us either.
Matthew 18:21-35; Mark 11:25-26; Ephesians 4:32; Colossians 3:13; 1 John 5:3
UNDERSTANDING GOD'S FORGIVENESS:
God's forgiveness is an outpouring of abundant grace and mercy that provides unconditional pardon to the guilty. This forgiveness may or may not release them from the physical or material consequences of sin, but it does provide full release from guilt and discharges the ultimate penalty of wrongdoing - permanent separation from God.
2 Samuel 12:13-14,- Psalm 103:10-14; Luke 23.39-42;' Romans 5:8; Ephesians 4:32
Scripture indicates it is God's nature to forgive sins. This includes any type of sin that can be committed against Him (except blasphemy of the Holy Spirit, which is attributed to the work of Satan.) God is ready to forgive while we are still His enemies and before we ask for it, or are able to receive it. He never withholds it if we sincerely confess our sins. His forgiveness is complete and permanent. He blots it out, covers it up, and no longer deals with us according to it. And the best part is, it is free and without any cost.
Exodus 34:6-7; Psalm 32-1, 51:9; 86:5; 103.3, 10-12; Isaiah 43:22-25; Mark 3:20-3;' Romans 5:6-10, 16-21, 8:1: Ephesians 2:4-9; 1 John 1:9
GUIDELINES OF FORGIVENESS:
1. Forgiveness is an act of obedience to the Lord (Luke 17-3-20; Ephesians 4:32);
2. Forgiveness is an act of gratitude for the Lord forgiving you (Matt. 18:21-35)
3. Forgiveness gives another what is needed rather than what is deserved (Rom.5:8)
4. Forgiveness is always granted when requested without limitation (Mat. 18:21-22);
5. Forgiveness does not demand restitution but seeks reconciliation (Mat. 18:32-33);
6. Forgiveness does not keep a record of wrongs (1 Corinthians 13:5);
7. Forgiveness does not gossip to others about another person's faults (Eph.4:2);
SELF FORGIVENESS:
Christians often struggle with the need for "self-forgiveness." Scripture has little to say about this subject. Rather it focuses toward our need to receive God's forgiveness, and subsequently to forgive others. Jesus does infer the idea of self-forgiveness when He tells us to "love your neighbor as yourself." However, the notion of self-forgiveness is never mentioned directly in the Bible. The process described in Scripture is as following:
a. We need to receive God's forgiveness for our sins (Colossians 1:13-14; 1 John 1:9;
b. His forgiveness is not a matter of "feeling forgiven", rather it is a matter of trusting Him and His promise to do so (Romans 5:1-2; Colossians 1:21-23; Hebrews 11:6);
c. Since God says there is no condemnation for us in Christ Jesus, then it is true regardless of how we feel about ourselves (Romans 8:1);
d. The need to forgive ourself presupposes a sense of guilt for past sins. If we repent and confess our sins to the Lord, He removes them from us, and we no longer need to feel guilty about them (James 5:16, 1 John 1:9);
e. The Bible encourages us to look ahead and forget what is behind (Philippians 3:13-14);
f. While the need for realizing God's forgiveness of self is imperative to our faith, the need for personally forgiving ourselves does not appear to be a critical issue.
SEEKING FORGIVENESS FROM OTHERS:
The Bible tells us to seek forgiveness from others when we have sinned against them. Asking for forgiveness is a vital to our own spiritual well being. It is also an important step in reconciling and restoring relationship with others. Seeking forgiveness requires repentance, confession and restitution (when needed.)
Matthew 5:23-24; 18.21-35; Romans 12.18; Ephesians 4:32: James 5:16; 1 John 1:9
Repentance involves changing our minds about a relational problem, acknowledging our own mistakes and misbehavior, taking personal responsibility for it instead of blaming others, and taking action to resolve the situation. Repentance produces an attitude of contrition in us, allows us to discover God's perspective on the problem, and sets us free from the guilt and condemnation of past sins.
1 Kings 15:12; Matthew 3:8; 2 Corinthians 7-9-10; James 4:8-10,1 John 1:8-10
Confession requires humility and vulnerability on our part. It is openly admitting our sins to those we have offended, being specific about what we did, not making excuses for what happened, and asking for forgiveness. More importantly, confession contains a commitment to stop misbehaving. When possible, confession leads us to reconcile the relationship.
Psalm 51:1-4; Matthew 7:1-5; Romans 2:1; 14:13; 1 Corinthians 13:5; Ephesians 4:15

Restitution involves restoring or compensating for any damages caused by our sin. Scripture states we are to seek out restitution whenever possible. It is to be made directly to those we have sinned against. In some cases, such as adultery, forgiveness is possible but restitution is not. The goal of restitution is to bring peace with another, it is not an attempt to "buy back" one's reputation or manipulate the situation.
Exodus 22:1-7; Numbers 5:5-8; Proverbs 6:30-35; Luke 19:8-9; Romans 12:9, 18

THE BODY UNIT

THE BODY UNIT
(1 Corinthians 12:12-30)
The Body of Christ is a unit. A unit in the sense of not one or single in number but “the sum total of all its parts” Just like you and I have only one body; so too is the “body of Christ”. The church functions as one body – but there are many different members and each member has different kinds of gifts. Each member has a mutual participation.

We need each part! This is God’s sovereign purpose for The Church!
It is God who has arranged different parts in the Body in order to exercise the Spiritual Gifts. God’s method employs diversity to create unity

21-26: No gift is more important than the next. There is no superior and more important gift in the body of Christ. The principle here is the interdependence of the parts of the body in the one whole. Paul seems to suggest in verse 22 that “weaker parts of the body” are indispensable – those that have positions and functions in the church that people think are less important are actually indispensable. Therefore, they should be given special respect! But we wrongfully give special attention to those parts of the body of Christ that have “spectacular gifts”.

WHY? Verse 25 – to get rid of division in the body and to prompt equal concern
No complaint of one member against another, as useless and unnecessary; no murmuring on that account; no tumults and rioting; no rebellion and insurrection of one against another; no dissension, no division

Verse 26 - but that the members should have the same care one for another;that is, they are so tempered and mixed together, are in such close union with, and have such a dependence on each other, that they are necessarily obliged to take care of each other's good and welfare, because they cannot do one without another; and so God has ordered it in the church, that persons should be so placed in it, and gifts disposed of among them in such a manner, that every man is obliged, not only to look on, and be concerned for his own things, that he takes care of himself, and performs his office, but that he looks every man on the things of others, his good and safety being involved in theirs.

And whether one member suffer…Pain; even the meanest, lowest, and most distant, as the foot or hand, toe or finger: all the members suffer with it;are more or less affected therewith, and bear part of the distress; as is easily discerned, by their different forms and motions on such an occasion: so when anyone member of the mystical body is in affliction, whether inward or outward, of body or mind, the rest are, or should be, affected with it, condole, sympathize, help, and assist; and remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them, as if they themselves were in bonds, and them that suffer adversity, whether spiritual or temporal, as being in the body, not only in the flesh, but as being part of the body, the church; and therefore should weep with them that weep, and bear a part with them in their sorrows.

KISS THE GROUND

Wake up Marcus! It is time to go! You not going to get excited about leaving to go to the States. My cousins all hung around the end of the bed like some good all fashion gossipers, just waiting for the next bit of juicy neighborhood news. If they could read my mind, it would have told them, I really don't want to leave. I know … I know. Everybody always saying that America is the land of opportunity, so I guess I should make myself look excited. I certainly did not want to disappoint my mom and dad and all who were “coming out of their pockets” to see the first Baine to head to the States. At least I am not going to be like so many who leave home and don’t ever come back or take “donkey years” to do so. Boy! One day I would eat those words. Yeah! You said it … “never say never”.

Sandra was there looking as beautiful as always and the family too! Hey you all, listen. I really think you all should know this. I am going and get my degrees and I am coming back. I ain't leaving Sandra to run off with just anybody. She looks at me and laughs. I said, girl I aint joking. If you tell me right now to stay, I will unpack my bags and I ain’t moving another muscle from here. Sandra had these eyes, that when she looked into mines, it was as if she was reading my heart from some open book or something. I felt she knew that I knew what she was going to say and what I wanted to hear, she knew that I knew that she would not say it. “No you go on and get your education, I will be right her waiting for you”. That was the motivation I needed to get on that plane and say goodbye to my family and woman.