What's Stopping You?

we've been speaking for the last several weeks on a subject matter that to most is not an easy thing to hear preached much less process or even embrace for meaning it's hard to deal with or even hear me teach because it brings up many emotions that are sometimes hard to process but I believe through this intentional spirit lead focus that while we are in what what we've been calling this quarantine season I believe that when we come forth out of this season that we are all going to be better because when I am done teaching and we begin to put into practice what I have shared thus far and what I will share with you tonight I believe God is going to give you a nice strength to truly embrace the spirit of forgiveness if you believe that shout a man if you have your Bibles I want you to turn quickly with me to Ecclesiastes chapter 9 verses 11 and 12 please yes T's nine eleven and twelve and the King James Version the wise writer instructs us I returned and saw Under the Sun that the race is not to the Swift somebody say the Swift nor the battle to the strong neither yet bread to the wise nor yet riches to me in an understanding nor yet favor to men of skill but here there is but time and chance happeneth to them all for man also knoweth not his time as the fishes that are taken in an evil net and as the birds that are caught in the snare so are the sons of men snared in an evil time when it falleth suddenly upon them when you read that same verse of scripture in the message translation it reads like this I another walk around the neighborhood and realized on this earth as it is the race is not always to the Swift nor the battle to the strong nor satisfaction to the wise nor riches to the smart nor grace to the learned sooner or later bad luck hits us all no one can predict misfortune like fish caught in a cruel net or Birds in a trap so men and women are caught by accidents evil and sudden with the help of the Lord this evening I want to minister to you from this simple thought what's stopping you I want to ask you that question and I want you to take it very personal tonight what's stopping you

a lady went to a counseling session when one morning and she was curious about starting the journey of forgiving her husband who had abandoned her and their four children she said my husband doesn't deserve to be forgiven with tears in her eyes the counselor looked at her and said I get that he did a terrible thing to you and has caused much pain to you and to your precious children he definitely doesn't deserve to be forgiven the counselor pause for a second and said these words but do you when I read this story I don't know if stun is the right word or there was a pause in my own spirit because it made me realize that none of us everybody say that not even me none of us deserve to be forgiven none of us deserve the grace of God that he gives freely none of us deserve the mercies of God those mercies are new every morning there's there wouldn't be a hand if I were to say raise your hand this evening if you feel like you deserve the mercies that were new this morning there wouldn't be a hand that would be raised none of us deserve to be loved with an unconditional unfailing unstoppable love but aren't you glad on this Wednesday evening that the Lord doesn't commend his love to us based upon our goodness or our own merits but I was reminded of fresh this morning while we were yet sinners Christ died for us you ought to just right where you are you ought to thank the Lord you didn't have to get good to get God's mercy you didn't have to get everything aligned and you didn't have to get all your eyes dotted and t's crossed to get God he loved us regardless if you're thankful for that same man

in the study of the subject of forgiveness it's a it's a very exhaustive and a vast subject matter but over the years of study and haven't been forgiven of much and having to offer forgiveness for much I've come to the conclusion there are a few misconceptions about forgiveness and maybe even a false perception of what forgiveness means or doesn't mean let's begin our journey number one if you're taking notes forgiveness does not mean you forget what happened I know that that may sting when I say that but but it's it's a very true statement the old adage forgive and forget is only a half-truth just for the record that's not even found in the Word of God forgive yes forget well that can be somewhat tricky when you forgive it's very important you also remember you don't get amnesia I mean how do you forget some of the things that have happened in your life how do you forget when you were walked out on for somebody else how can you forget the abuse that happened to you and you still vividly remember the moment and it happened how can you forget when when a father or a mother possibly abandoned you how do you forget the betrayals and the lies that have happened to you when you forgive someone you do not deny the offense you do not pretend it never happened it did happen say that with me it did happen it was real it was bad forgiveness doesn't eliminate or minimize the severity per se of the offense but hear me and the Holy Ghost this evening but unforgiveness can cause even a deeper pain the weight of unforgiveness drags you down it's too heavy a load to carry in the race that you were called to run not forgiving others always leads to great bitterness which will drain you of your peace and joy that we've been called to live in and by the Holy Ghost by refusing to forgive you sabotage your own well-being when you forgive you are released from the torment you are free to love you are free to have peace you are free to be joyful you are free to live a full life I don't want anyone hearing this message tonight to misunderstand me but I want unity to Infanta CLE come into agreement with this that I am about to say don't buy the lie that you will always be tormented listen to Pastor this evening when you forgive through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ through what he did on Calvary and by what he did on Calvary you will begin to remember differently say that with me remember differently or in other words have a different emotion do you remember yes but could it be possible that through an act of forgiveness you never forget however you can remember differently and have a different emotion

someone is saying right now how can I remember differently pastor you don't know what I've been through you don't know the hell I've suffered my whole life no I don't know each of your individual stories and you don't know mine either but the longer we do life and ministry together we will hear each other's testimonies but hear me and the Holy Ghost on this Wednesday night I'm not just preaching a message just to preach but instead of serving as a GPS coordinate of bitterness instead of it being a coordinate in your life a root of bitterness the offense will eventually through forgiveness become a point of reference for how help me tonight for how you have come in agreement with healing and that healing process and how much God has worked in your life to see beyond the hurt that's where I want us to get tonight when you forgive you start remembering differently it no longer is a coordinate for bitterness but is a it is a point of reference of the day the hour the moment that God come in with the balm of Gilead and begin to put healing in those wounds and begin to to extract the bitterness that has filled your life and your emotions hallelujah

forgiveness forgiving someone may not be instantaneous I'm really saying these words and I hope you embrace what I'm saying forgiveness many times is not instantaneous but the healing part let me let me reword it like this forgiving someone may be instantaneous but the healing part takes time you may say and out of the words I forgive them but it's going to take time for the healing to take place I'll even say this so does trusting trusting takes time just because you have you have issued a forgiveness maybe maybe you you've met with someone maybe you have issued forgiveness to someone but still when you think of their name they're still a little bit still left inside of you then oh I don't know if I have that's healing that healings trying to take effect healing takes time it doesn't mean that you haven't forgive but the healing takes time the Trust takes time it's not like flipping a light switch your own and just because you forgive someone you immediately allow them access or even trust this takes time I have come to encourage some heart tonight as this journey begins for you and I believe it's going to begin tonight before you know it one day you're going to wake up and the pain of being abandoned the pain of being betrayed the pain of being abused the pain of being stabbed in the back well not everybody see this will not be the first thing you think of each day as each new day passes the hurt will lessen you will have some good days you'll have some more painful days but I've lived long enough to know the good outweighs the bad and I have way more good days than I do bad days and there's Bishop Don Johnson said I can't complain when you when you give that forgiveness unto the Lord and you give those pains and hurts you give those emotions to the Lord here's what you do you release the torment from your hands to his hands you take them off of your hook and you put it on yes

point to forgiveness does not release the offender from consequences I've heard this from individuals struggling with embracing the idea of forgiving someone if I choose to forgive them they will get off with what they have done our flesh our emotions our feelings wants whoever hurt us number one to own up to what they did number two we want them to take responsibility for their actions but number three we even desire them to suffer like we have and I come to you as ugly as I can I can never promise you that they will ever suffer like you have but they will have their own way of suffering you may never know about it you may never hear about it but trust me every time they lay their head on their pillow at night every time they they they try to move forward they have to live with a decision that cause pain in your life or someone else's life I believe I truly believe the Lord dealt with me this morning so strong with this subject because I've seen it so many times this one point the number one reason we don't want to forgive people is because we want the Vengeance not only do we want them to feel what we feel not only do we want them to experience and have the same emotions as we are but we won't be the one to execute vengeance we are the ones I believe it's a little bit of human nature a spiritual warfare per se but we want to execute the Vengeance we want to be the one that that settles the score per se why because it comforts us to think we're paying someone back for the pain that they have caused us when we execute vengeance when we refuse to forgive I hate to hate to it maybe I'm gonna burst your bubble you have a false sense of comfort it's not truly a comfort that the Holy Ghost would have you receive I have an illustration in Genesis 27 and 41 Esau said to himself I will kill Jacob after I have mourned for my father basically what Esau was saying when this is over when my mourning is over I'm gonna balance the scale of right and wrong for what you did to me I'm gonna take matters into my own I can't do it right now but I'm gonna settle the score it propose it where I'm preaching and the angle that I'm coming from some of you may be even asking yourself this question is it wrong to seek justice I may forgive someone now listen to this maybe maybe you can call this analogy person I may forgive someone for for taking the life of a loved one let's use this as an example but just because I forgive someone for doing a fatal act against a family member does it mean that the person should not go to prison for the rest of his life that doesn't mean they should not pay a consequence to their action just because I have forgiven them don't get the two mixed up the Bible's does not teach that the Vengeance is wrong or sinful but hear me in revelation 9 9 through 10 we read about the souls the martyrs in heaven who stand under the throne of God crying avenge us we all know that sin doesn't exist in heaven so the prayers and cries from the martyrs must have not been sinful but here's the critical point that I want to make vengeance is not mine to carry out and neither is it yours no matter what said no matter what's done no matter how bad you may feel tonight no matter how torn you are no matter how angry you are no matter how frustrated hear your pastor tonight vengeance is not ours to carry out because the Bible gives us clear instructions two things belong to the Lord the tithe and vengeance Romans 12:19 through 21 beloved do not avenge yourselves but rather give place to wrath for it is vengeance is mine I will repay says the Lord of verse 20 therefore if you're hung enemy is hungry feed him if he is thirsty give him drink for in doing so you will heap coals of fire on his head but verse 21 do not be overcome by evil but overcome evil with good it's not up to me it's not up to you to hold someone accountable who has wronged us it's up to God it's not up to us to execute vengeance it's up to God I prayed early this morning that this would be the Wednesday night that there would be a multitude of people that would be good people members of the sanctuary Community Church that would give your anger to God would release the spirit that would want and desire vengeance that we would give that desire unto the Lord and you would allow God to be the judge and the jury you would allow him to repay we're repayment needs to take place

let me say it like this God takes offense very seriously Luke 17 1 through 8 1 & 2 it reads like this then he said to the disciples it is impossible that no offenses should come but woe to him through whom they do come it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea then that he should have been one of these little ones in other words if someone offends one of God's own it would be better for that person to tie a cement block around his neck and be dropped into the ocean this is God's Way of saying let me handle it you've been trying to handle it all by yourself but why not let me handle it vengeance is mine you just forgive no matter what someone else has done and why not leave the rest to me rest in my arms rest in my peace and know that all things work together for your good for my good when we let God do his part hallelujah if you're receiving this word right now would you just simply say Amen

point number three forgiveness does not mean reconciliation let's say that again forgiveness does not mean always reconciliation I know this comes as a shock to some but when you forgive someone it does not automatically mean you must rebuild a relationship that has been broken in fact that may never happen some people who are untrustworthy or abusive to have a close relationship with them would be unhealthy for you in your personal healing that's why you have to love from a distance that doesn't mean that you have not forgiven them it just means that for my healing for my well-being there must be a protection upon my healing upon my emotions upon how I am going to embrace the forgiveness that God is working in and through me for instance you say forgive someone who has never asked you to forgive them or they refuse to accept that he or she has wronged you while forgiveness is still required there is no way outside of a miracle of God that a relationship can be reestablished if a parent or someone has sexually abused you as a child you can forgive him or her without needing to become friends with them maybe you were cheated in a business deal you can forgive them but that doesn't mean you have to go back in business with them again to prove your forgiveness reconciliation and these situations would be foolish God did not create you and I to become a crash-test dummy simply forgiven somewhat forgiving someone does not invite more abuse by the offending party there are situations in which you will need to set and secure boundaries for you and your family

I'll be the first to tell you I am NOT a licensed therapist I don't claim to be I'm a preacher of the gospel of Jesus Christ I am a servant of the kingdom of God I am a flawed man I stand before you tonight a man who has been forgiven of much and I have forgiven much but there are things that we all face I don't know all of your personal stories but I do not want one single person hearing my voice tonight I do not want you to feel condemned because you seek help from a Christian counselor that may be something some that are listening tonight you need to explore especially if you're considering reconciliation or looking at what a healthy reconciliation process will look like I highly encourage that I believe tonight that some of you are embracing where you are as an individual and I believe I can say this and you will feel the you will feel the sincerity of my heart I think it's time that we can all take a lesson and this stop making excuses for not meeting to forgive God is warning you to hear this message tonight and for you and I to do something you may not have ever dreamed nor imagined you would do the moment that you think of forgiveness rage and anger comes up almost in the same breath and you say there's no way I can let this go there's no way I can empty myself of this emotion it's become my identity it's become the focus of my life if I do this then what will happen who will I become the new normal is not something and I'm quite ready to embrace

hear your pastor tonight let go say that with me let go so you can take hold let go so you can take home what are you gonna take hold of you're gonna take a hold of your future there can be peace and happiness in your life there can be a joyful experience that God can usher into your future because you have let go of unforgiveness you've let go of bitterness you've let go of the emotions that have held you captive but you've taken a hold firmly oh what God is getting ready to do next

I'm closing I wish tonight that you could turn your home into a sanctuary what do you mean pastor I want you to open your heart to forgiveness here's what I don't want to happen tonight is you hear another message about forgiveness some of it sounds good some of it's like a foreign language but if you can hear me and understand the spirit in which I teach do not wait till you feel like forgiving because you probably never will I know some of you would like to feel the warm and fuzzy feeling feelings to wash over you you would like to feel you know well I want to feel this and I I want them to approach me first or I won't many times you those feelings never happen many times those those occurrences never take place but that doesn't disqualify you from forgiving I'm encouraging someone to begin the journey right now tonight in your living room in that private area you're watching this live webcast depending on your circumstance a face to face may be in order a face to face encounter or a face to face meeting may be in order but if you can't meet in person with someone you need to forgive do it between you and God privately sometimes those who have hurt you don't even know they've hurt you they don't even know what they've done to you forgive anyway don't wait till the offending party has come and y'all basically have had to come to Jesus meeting and they beg for your forgiveness this may never happen forgive anyway

I want you to take the steps that I'm gonna give you and begin walking in forgiveness number one open your heart in order to forgive you've got to open your heart you cannot heal or move forward until you take this first step god I open my heart to forgiveness I am letting go so I can take hold number two extend compassion I often try to look at circumstances and situations from this viewpoint why not try to walk a mile or two in their shoes you don't know really the story possibly behind the individual who hurts you I'm not saying this is easy to do but if you can try to separate the person from the person's actions and have compassion on him in her this doesn't minimize or even excuse what they did but all what one act of compassion could produce not only in your heart but in theirs

number 3 release the person from the prison you have them in inside your heart inside your mind when you and I utter words like this I'll never forgive them as long as they live I'll never forgive them you have just put them in the prison of your heart but I've come with a word and I've got a key in my hand and I'm ready to I'm ready to transfer that into your hands it's time to let the offender out of prison there is no doubt that he or she has broken your heart there's no doubt that he or she has betrayed your trust there's no doubt that they have done something bad and even harmful or hurtful but in order to heal in order to be made whole you must take the key that key is forgiveness and unlock the prison and let that person go you open the heart you open your heart and you release the person I'll never let this have the same emotion on my life I'll never let this have the same feelings inside of me again I'm letting Oh forgiveness as a decision sir forgiveness is a decision ma'am you must choose to forgive I'm calling this great church I'm calling those that are watching I want you to make a commitment tonight to a lifestyle of forgiveness I'm not calling you to be a doormat to be walked upon I'm not calling you to just be run over and like no I'm not asking you but I am asking you to embrace a lifestyle of forgiveness offenses will come Hertz will live long enough Solomon said good and bad are gonna happen the race is not to the Swift the battle is not always to the strong but whatever wrong has been done against you you've been obsessed long enough by your growth has been hampered your future awaits you you've got a it's more than a it's more than a song on a Disney film you truly have kind of let it go the enemy has caused you to to fall for one of the greatest tricks in his playbook and that is focusing on things you cannot change and things that don't even matter anymore it's over it's behind you you can't even go back and redo it or fix it if you tried but the moment you let it go you welcome the dawning of a new day the dawning of a future and a destiny that God says if you could just see what I have waiting for you if not if we're not careful we will spend the only life that we have been fortunate enough to be given we will spend the only life trying to justify the past and God is saying let it go and come into a life full of my blessings full of my provisions full of my joy in peace in the Holy Ghost

please hear me tonight don't run from forgiveness but why not run to forgiveness I feel like telling someone in the spirit tonight forgiveness is a great friend if you choose to forgive your heart will heal it'll take time it'll take days they even take months or years but at least we're moving in the right direction at least we're moving forward we're not staying in the trap that hell would have us stay

I close by asking you the question that I started with what's stopping you you've been informed you've been inspired you've been taught what's stopping you from letting go I can't answer that for you I can't I can't put words in your mouth but I do want to ask it and I want you to answer it to yourself what's stopping you why don't we pray right now Lord I believe there's a solemn move of the Spirit I believe there's a solemn move of the Holy Ghost that's moving in every home and in every heart there will be those God that will watch this webcast not only now but in days to come and they will be facing what seems to be insurmountable emotions but God I speak a spirit of hope I speak a spirit of liberation I speak a spirit of divine intervention that will come in do every heart in every life and every mind and allow them God to move past every obstacle and move into an ordained future into an ordained path that you have paid for them God I'm seeking your face right now and I'm asking you Lord that every life will embrace the forgiveness that you purchased for us on Calvary the blood that was shed the blood that purchased us we've been purchased we're not our own and God we give you permission to take the pain we give you permission as we let it go into your loving arms and into your hands this night it's in the name of Jesus may our new beginning start now may our future begin now in Jesus name we pray if you prayed in agreement I want you to say Amen let it be so God in Jesus name I look forward to seeing you Sunday morning at 11 a.m. let this word penetrate let that be prayers that go on after we're going off the air let something happen inside your home and inside your heart in Jesus name god bless you we love you we'll see you soon