FORGIVENESS
FORGIVENESS is a powerful word. It is hard to give when you are in the midst of the storm. A time when emotions rule instead of logic. It is truly the hardest thing to give away.
INSPIRATION
This is the amazing story of Forgiveness, with capital letters. Can a woman forgive the man who killed her daughter? This woman could, and she felt so liberated that she now is helping the man. This impressive story was the inspiration for Christian singer Matthew West and he wrote a song dedicated to her and telling her story. Here we can see the song and the story, told by the protagonists.
GOD IS GOOD, ALL THE TIME. And ALL THE TIME GOD IS GOOD. This is the theme of all the GOD’s NOT DEAD movies. And I have started to use these statements on a regular basis.
In fact, The Holy Spirit seems to be leading me to movies that illustrate GOD IS GOOD ALL THE TIME. These movies touch the core of my heart that brings tears to my eyes. That is how I KNOW it is from GOD.
THE LYRICS TELL A STORY
- It’s the hardest thing to give away
- And the last thing on your mind today
- It always goes to those who don’t deserve
- It’s the opposite of how you feel
- When the pain they caused is just too real
- Takes everything you have to say the word
Eph 4:32 KJV – [32] And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.
- Forgiveness, forgiveness
In essence, Forgiveness is defined as letting go of past grudges or lingering anger against a person or persons.
- It flies in the face of all your pride
- It moves away the mad inside
- It’s always anger’s own worst enemy
- Even when the jury and the judge
- Say you’ve got a right to hold a grudge
- It’s the whisper in your ear saying set it free
Eph 4:26 KJV – [26] Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:
SLOW TO ANGER IS THE KEY
- Show me how to love the unlovable
- Show me how to reach the unreachable
- Help me now to do the impossible
Mat 19:26 KJV – [26] But Jesus beheld [them], and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.
Therefore, With GOD all things are possible to those who BELIEVE > TO LOVE the UNLOVABLE, REACH THE UNREACHABLE, and TO DO THE IMPOSSIBLE.
- It’ll clear the bitterness away
- It can even set a prisoner free
- There is no end to what its power can do
- So let it go and be amazed by what you see through eyes of grace
- The prisoner that it really frees is you
Psa 146:7 NIV – [7] He upholds the cause of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry. The LORD sets prisoners free
- I want finally to set it free
- Show me how to see what your mercy sees
- Help me now to give what You gave to me
Matthew 5:7 NIV Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
- Forgiveness, forgiveness
In other words, the HEART finally lets GO and lets GOD!
AND HE DID IT AGAIN
Important to realize, “HE DID IT AGAIN” seems to be the pattern God is directing my life. Thank you, Jesus! My heart overflows with PRAISE for this direction. I cry a river of tears writing these articles. The SONG LYRICS and the MOVIES reveal new REVELATIONS of the LOVE OF GOD towards us. He never leaves us nor forsakes us. Even when we feel the WORLD is coming against us from all sides. When we “feel” we cannot HEAR THAT STILL SMALL VOICE, God is always a prayer away.
WITHOUT FURTHER ADO …
Henceforth, this movie showcases FORGIVENESS from multiple people > GOD’s NOT DEAD – A LIGHT IN DARKNESS.
The effect of UNFORGIVENESS > A Church in TRAGEDY. A Pastor in CRISIS. A Family in TURMOIL.
The stakes couldn’t be higher, yet even in the bleakest circumstances, HOPE rises from the ashes. GOD’s NOT DEAD: A LIGHT IN DARKNESS brings a powerful story of HOPE, HEALING, and FORGIVENESS.
GOD’s NOT DEAD – A LIGHT IN THE DARKNESS (Official Trailer)
As can be seen in this trailer, this video captures what the word ANGER can produce. Adam is distraught over his girlfriend, Keaton, who requested time apart to “sort out her walk with God!” That ANGER sparked a physical response > A BIG X spray-painted on the Church sign and then a BRICK thrown at the church. His anger ignited a FLAME that destroyed the Church. He did not intend for his BRICK to start the flame; it was meant to release his anger on what the CHURCH was doing to his relationship with Keaton.
IN ESSENCE
In essence, his ANGER DID MORE DAMAGE than he ever could imagine. It destroyed the church and took the life of a visiting PASTOR from Africa.
Another key point for clarification. This church was on the property of a STATE university. It had been there long before the UNIVERSITY was built. But now… the CHURCH was under FIRE (verbally and physically) because of the ANGER from one student.
ANGER is a POWERFUL EMOTION
To summarize, ANGER is a POWERFUL WORD: a strong feeling of annoyance, displeasure, or hostility.
All things considered, Man’s ANGER does not bring about the RIGHTEOUS LIFE that God DESIRES.
Jas 1:20 KJV – [20] For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.
Eph 4:26 NIV – [26] “In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry.
Hence, the storyline takes us through the power of FORGIVENESS from many people. The University no longer wanted the CHURCH on their property. It was causing TOO MUCH DISSENSION, and they wanted it GONE. They wanted a new STUDENT CENTER as a replacement on that property.
RESTORATION
In short, these scenes between co-Pastors, friends, and brothers SPEAK of GOD’s LOVE for one another. We are GOD’s arms and words to comfort those in need.
CHURCH VS. STATE
In effect, the plot thickens as Pastor Dave is in a legal battle to keep his father’s CHURCH alive. And who does he run to for legal help > his BROTHER who he did not get along with (lots of built-up resentment between the two) > a LAWYER. A brother who turned his back on GOD when he went to law school. THE ANGER ACTION was now a LAWSUIT.
Given these points, ANGER does not just affect one person; it is like a cancer. Once it finds a HOST it grows stronger and stronger.
In fact, when ADAM saw the news with the result of his actions, it brought him to his knees. His conscience was stirred by what he did. He could no longer live with himself knowing what he did.
SO WHAT DID HE DO?
Therefore, he anonymously TEXTED Pastor DAVE with HIS NAME as the person who started the fire.
Instantly that TEXT ignited ANGER in Pastor DAVE: a man of GOD who demonstrated his ANGER in a physical way against ADAM.
WE ARE CALLED TO BE A LIGHT IN DARKNESS
- CAN NOT RESPOND TO HATE WITH MORE HATE
- WE ARE CALLED TO BE THE LIGHT IN THE DARKNESS
- AND MUST REMEMBER WHAT WE STAND FOR!
This demonstration of PHYSICAL HATE by Pastor Dave sparked another FIRE of HATE between BELIEVERS and NON-BELIEVERS on the campus from staff and students. He attacked ADAM. His action brought NEWS Commentators to SHOWCASE why CHRISTIANITY was bad.
RESTORATION and FORGIVENESS
Then the movie starts to showcase RESTORATION and FORGIVENESS. And it all started with PASTOR DAVE returning to the BURNED OUT CHURCH to CRY out to GOD. When he humbled himself before GOD, HE HEARD >>> “This BUILDING IS NOT MY CHURCH!” He had been in this battle to save the BUILDING! WOW! That one statement restored Pastor Dave’s LOVE for others. He withdrew his lawsuit and asked FORGIVENESS from the STAFF, STUDENTS, and CHURCH MEMBERS.
THE BUILDING IS NOT MY CHURCH
WOW! A very POWERFUL STATEMENT and ONE WE NEED to HEAR. God’s church is in us. We are his CHURCH. Our LIVES are our PULPIT. The BUILDING is nothing but brick, mortar, and wood. It can be burned down, torn down, blown apart, etc. IT IS THE PEOPLE inside that PLACE OF WORSHIP (outside, under a tent, on a boat, etc.) that makes it a CHURCH.
RESTORATION between church and state and between brothers and between friends. LOVE NEVER FAILS!
THE RESULT
To sum up THE RESULT > HEALING of HEARTS. A mother forgave the person who killed her daughter. A Pastor forgave a young man who ignited the fire that burnt down his church and killed his friend. Hallelujah and Amen!
Therefore, let’s relate this song of FORGIVENESS for a lost child and this movie for a lost church to our lives. This mom FORGAVE from her HEART (not a building). Pastor Dave FORGAVE from his heart (not a building).
LET’S EVALUATE
Let’s evaluate what we call CHURCH. Do we consider it the brick, mortar, and wood building? Or do we consider our LIVES the church in which GOD resides? JESUS SAID TO GO > many respond to that word and GO to villages and inner cities where there is NO BUILDING.
IN CONTRAST
FORGIVENESS brings FREEDOM.
ANGER brings ANXIETY and MISERY > it takes away our JOY.
When our emotions take control, we pay dearly for the results.
Which one do you desire to live in?
IN CONCLUSION
FORGIVENESS > IT’S NOT EASY, BUT IT’S SIMPLE >>>>> IT’S OK TO BE BROKEN, GOD IS SHAPING YOU!
LIVES ARE CHANGED through FORGIVENESS. Jesus is our example > HE FORGAVE us our sins so we could be BORN-AGAIN!
In fact, www.youwillwantto.com reveals the blessings Jesus paid for > one article at a time.