who have a hard time forgiving others. If you are the kind of person that can hold onto hatred like a sponge holds water and you are tired of your heavy load, consider this devotional a message from heaven that says, "Put, That Down Before You Hurt Yourself!!!� In Matthew 18:21-35 Jesus teaches His disciples how to deal with a really heavy load. Here's what the passage says,
I
t was a great day in the life of the Henderson family. They were moving into their new home and things were looking up. I mean it was like they were the Jefferson's from back in the day. They were moving from the hood to a deluxe apartment in the sky! They were finally getting their piece of the pie. The entire family was in on the move and the boxes were big and heavy. Jason Henderson had an 11 year old daughter that was determined to move her entire room by herself. And she was doing great at it until she tried to lift a huge box of her shoes without any help. When she lifted the back end of that huge box her father shouted with passion and love at her, "Girl, put that down before you hurt yourself!" As we share this devotional time together I want to spend just a few moments dealing with your heavy load. It is a load that many of you have been carrying far too long; a load that causes you to be bitter and never really get better; a load that causes you to carry a grudge and harbor hatred in your heart; a load that has many Christians frustrated, depressed, and disgusted with life and living. It is the heavy load of unforgiveness. Let's be honest for a moment, forgiving people is not easy is it? Especially when the people that have tried to hurt you have not bothered to apologize. Forgiveness can seem impossible when the person that caused the damage continues to do things that hurt you over and over again. Have you ever been there before? This lesson is for the married couple that's really struggling and just when you thought you could forgive them something else happens and you know that unforgiveness for you is a heavy load. This lesson is for the Christian that knows the pain of a broken relationship. You have had people play you like a video game and your emotions are torn and your feelings are hurt. And, for you too unforgiveness is a heavy load. This lesson too, is for people
Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, until seven times: but, until seventy times seven. Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants. And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talentsdest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee? And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him. So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses. Is forgiveness an area of struggle for you? Have you been hurt and have found real forgiveness difficult to deal with? Have you ever really struggled with the heavy load of unforgiveness? If your earnest answer was yes, then hear this cry from heaven designed to heal you and set you free "Put, That Down Before You Hurt Yourself!" The question however, is why must we put it down? First of all, you must put it down because if you hold on to it you forfeit your right to divine sympathy. Let me ask you a question right quick. How much dirt do you have? Okay, was that too personal for you? Let me ask the same question a different way. Have you ever made any mistakes that you need God to forgive you for? If you answered yes you must drop your heavy load! If you want God to forgive you, you must forgive those that have hurt you! Jesus uses a narrative and according to the story a servant owed his king more than fifteen years’ worth of income. The king forgives his debt; in fact, it says that "...he was moved with compassion." In common terms he had some sympathy for this brother! This same brother that was just forgiven had a man that simply owed him some chump change. And, he took him by his throat and demanded payment. The forgiving king gets ear of it and says, "After I let you off the hook for fifteen years of back payments you could not forgive
your brother for some change?" (Paraphrase). Since you cannot forgive him, I will not forgive you. God says if you want Me to be merciful and forgive you, you must be the same way with others! Secondly, you need to ditch your heavy load because your freedom is at stake. Real forgiveness happens when you decide to let the prisoner go free. Only to look into the mirror of your hurt and pain to see that you are the one in handcuffs!!! Let's face it, the people that have hurt you have gone on about their business. You are the one wearing the shackles. And, the only way out of bondage is for you to let yourself off the hook. Here in the text the word "forgave" used here is aphiemi. It means to set a prisoner free, to let a boat float away, or to release a caged bird. When you forgive people that have hurt you, the bondage and shackles of unforgiveness are opened and you go free. Remember this, unforgiveness can make you miserable. But, real forgiveness can heal a broken heart. Set yourself free by letting them off of the hook! It's the only way to deal with a heavy load. And lastly, your future is on the verge of a breakthrough in the spirit! God is at His best with human hurt that needs healing. He is at His best with broken people that need to be restored. And, He is at His absolute best with wounded people that need a breakthrough! Here's a great question for you to answer right quick. Are you ready to be healed from the heavy load of unforgiveness? Get this, God is able if you are ready.
Here in this parable the focus should not be placed upon the servant that cannot forgive, but on the king that can! Here in this passage forgiveness is an unexpected breakthrough! Nobody expects to be forgiven for everything that they've done. But when God shows up you can always expect things to change and a breakthrough to come forth! Here's the breakthrough for you, God has forgiven you!!! You are free to go! The cross is vacant and the tomb is empty! Jason Henderson yelled at his 11 year old daughter with a huge shoe box, "Girl, Put That Thing Down Before You Hurt Yourself!" She dropped the box and her father called for her older brother to pick it up for her. You see, she had a big brother that could carry the load that was too heavy for her to bear. Can you see Jesus in this? Like Jason's daughter had an older brother that could carry her load, you have an older brother too!!! His name is Jesus and He specializes in carrying loads that are too heavy for you to deal with. Unforgiveness can be a heavy load, but when you put it down and let the Lord carry it you find out that what was too heavy for you, is just right for Him! Mark 11:25-26 And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.
B
orn in Dallas, TX in 1993 while my mother, Cynthia Redou was in critical condition; I know my life has purpose. I have a younger sibling and her name is Betty Redou. I left Blinn College in Brenham, Texas after becoming pregnant. I was studying psychology, but chose to prepare myself for the biggest job of my life - parenthood. However, at that point in life, I honestly wasn’t ready to raise a child - my life was just beginning. I struggled to tell my family, especially my Nanna (grandmother), who helped raised me and my uncle (Andre James). Although, I suffered with bad thoughts of suicide, stress, depression, anxiety, and even thoughts of terminating my pregnancy, God had a different plan for my life and my unborn child. I gave birth to my gorgeous daughter, Soliiyah Johnson on June 30, 2012 . Living on my own for years raising Soliiyah, my faith slowly began to weaken. I became more stressed, depressed, and frustrated. I worked from 9–5 then attended school from 5-10, each day. I thought I couldn’t take it anymore - it was a struggle for me. So many tests and trials began coming my way and were pulling me down. I didn’t try talking to anyone because of the fear of being judged - I felt that no one would understand. I stopped believing in God and began to hate my self. I asked God "why is this happening to me?" I just want my life to be perfect. The devil was really attacking me and I was letting him!
After a while, I remembered some things my grandmother told me. In 2014, I decided to get baptized again to become closer to God. In the back of my head I knew I was stronger and no longer wanted to allow the devil to attack me so easily. Today, my relationship with God is better and I am continuously praying and encouraging myself. Being a single mother is challenging. Now, I fully understand the saying, “It takes a village to raise a child.” It does, literally. But my daughter has shown me that I am somebody and that I am loved not only by her but by God. She keeps me going, she’s my motivation, and now that I’m expecting, my goal is to be bigger and better in my faith. I have an educational goal that I am trying to fulfill, as I would like to continue my education in and succeed in the medical field as a Registered Nurse. My daughter and I recently joined the Single Parents' Ministry at Antioch Missionary Baptist Church. The advice I would give to all young single parents is to never give up no matter how tough things get. God is still there and he'll never give you more than you can handle. Also, don't be afraid to ask for help. There are many scriptures that I hold close to my heart, but my favorite scripture is, Proverbs 3:5-6
P
assivity is defined as not reacting visibly to something that might be expected to produce a manifestation of an emotion or feeling. Someone can have the most incredible thoughts, but no one else knows what they are until they are spoken. Spirits of passivity want control, and will use silence to do the most damage. Now, I'm not suggesting that everyone blurt out every thought that comes to your mind, because that does not address the spirituality that would still be in control. The world, or the church for that matter, really doesn't understand how to put their teeth into the true problem that passivity causes. The problem has to be addressed head-on where it matters the most -your relationship with the Father. Passivity comes to pull away the things that the Father wants for our lives. For example, Lucifer wanted the position and worship that was rightfully due the Most High (Isa 14.)
He attempted to take credit for worship that was for the Father as if he was the originator. You cannot find your spiritual growth at the expense of another. God is not going to overhaul your spirituality all by Himself. Relationships are a lot of work, and you will have to work with Him to walk into freedom and righteous thinking. Lucifer did not want to work with the Father as a son anymore, yet lusted for his Father's throne. Passivity comes to pull away the things that the Father wants for our lives. For example, Lucifer wanted the position and worship that was rightfully due the Most High (Isa 14.) He attempted to take credit for worship that was for the Father as if he was the originator. You cannot find your spiritual growth at the expense of another. God is not going to overhaul your spirituality all by Himself. Relationships are a lot of work, and you will have to work with
Him to walk into freedom and
righteous thinking. Lucifer did not want to work with the Father as a son anymore, yet lusted for his Father's throne.
The First Step to Overcoming Passivity is Being Honest
The Spirit of God is right there to help us go in the other direction: towards being part of the solution, instead of part of the pollution that passivity brings to our relationships.
Important Aspects of Passivity in Marriages
Passivity in the husband is what the enemy wants. If he can get the head of the household to be passive, he can bring a whole other kingdom to put disorder in relationships.
Because a wife is joined to her husband, his passivity can be a trigger for the enemy to tempt her with control and self-pity. This comes as a way to "cope" with his passivity.
Since this can be a chain reaction, God wants to first deal with the head of the home.
It must be understood that the wife/helpmeet is "responding" to what is being provided to her spiritually.
When the husband is willing to accept that he has to take responsibility at some level, the Father is there to help him in the personal process to dismantle and overthrow passivity's mentality in his life.
This is why repentance and taking responsibility are so important in taking our proper position with God.
One of the Greatest Weapons of Passivity is Silence
We are made in His image, and God is not silent. It is time to wake up and learn to speak as our Creator intended us to.
It is time to identify passivity in our lives. This includes keeping silent about one's thoughts; not being clear; not taking responsibility; and/or not taking the initiative in our relationship with God.
According to Psalm 32, passivity can have an impact on our health if not recognized. Psalm 32:3 When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long.
Passivity wants to shut down clear communication. Have conversations outside your head. That kingdom wants you to stuff everything... thoughts, desires, and even tears. We become intellectual and unemotional, which is similar to being stoic.
Unemotional homes are damaging situations established by the enemy. There is a strategy from this enemy to disciple us into replicating this family iniquity. We have to take responsibility for passivity towards God and others so that He may re-form us into the real son or daughter He designed us to be.
Solutions to Passivity
Put your mind on "speakerphone." In other words, if you struggle with passivity, start expressing what you're thinking.
When you do the talking instead of yielding to silence, it puts that other kingdom on "mute." You are going to make mistakes when you talk... so what! Repent if you do, but don't wait for God to force you to change. Take hold of the gift through His Son and initiate conversation and relationship.
Let others hear directly from you, as opposed to expecting them to interpret your facial expressions or mood as indicators of what you are thinking.
Although passivity can feel like a bear trap or a physically heavy barrier to speak and express ourselves, we can press through. If we repent and ask our Father in heaven for help, He is right there to meet us and the heaviness has to leave!
We do not have to be stuck with passivity. It is a choice we make with the Father to permit Him to help us deal with it properly and remove it from our lives. We can be re-formed into His ways, which starts our freedom from this inherited assignment. We can overcome passivity!
We live in a culture where it’s totally acceptable to go from
harm shoes in the house can bring. I ran across an article about this
spending time outside and then walking into our homes with our
subject from a wonderful website you may want to check out.
shoes still on our feet. Consider this…every surface, everything
Here’s an excerpt:
that you stepped on when you were outside is now going onto your hard floors and carpets.
“A recent study out of the University of Houston found that 39 percent of shoe soles sampled were contaminated with the
The problem isn’t only that you’ll track dirt into your house…it’s
bacteria C. diff (Clostridium difficile), a public health threat that is
the bacteria that you need to be concerned about. Our shoes
now resistant to a number of antibiotics. C. diff infections can
carry it all and create an environment in our homes, teaming with
cause severe diarrhea that may progress to colon inflammation
whatever bacteria we’ve encountered on the outside.
and more serious health issues, especially if it does not respond to antibiotic treatment.”
We wash our hands, but not our shoes. Our shoes spread all that they have on their soles onto our floors. We sit on our floors, we
This information is important to consider. You can put a basket by
play on our floors, children and grandchildren spend more time on
the front door for your shoes or come up with some other creative
floors than they do in chairs.
holder for them. Just think how clean your floors and carpet will stay.
Would you put your shoes on the kitchen counter? Would you roll around on the floor of a public bathroom and then sit on your
Besides keeping down the amount of bacteria you track through
furniture? Of course not, but that’s what our shoes bring into our
your house, you’ll be keeping your floors cleaner longer, which will
homes.
save you lots of time and money trying to keep ahead of all that
There are bacteria that are very resistant to antibiotics. I searched the Web to bring you the best information on the subject of what
stuff that gets tracked in your house by shoes.
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Special “ thank you” to Antioch Single Parents who served as Pioneering Women volunteers and participated in the unveiling of the 2016 Honorees, "Women Who Mean Business" on March 15, 2016 at Beaumont City Hall.
The Single Parents' Ministry met Monday, March 14, 2016. We discussed the new S.L.A.M. (Supervising Leaders Administering Motivation) which is geared toward helping our youth by providing a positive example when in the communities. The parents were also advised that there is a new policy (YEP - Youth Escort Program) that will go into effect at Parkdale Mall on April 15, 2016. Parents were encouraged to be a part of S.L.A.M. and to advise their children of the new policy and to be role models and mentors to our children. Kim Williams and a special guest, Yancey Mbolda, provided a brief overview on financial literary. Parents and children shared praise reports and prayer requests. The fellowship was closed out in prayer for all families.
Movie and Dinner outing for the Single Parents will be April 15, 2016.
Single Parents’ Ministry will serve as hostess for the Graduation Ministry Banquet on April 29, 2016.
Parents were reminded of the upcoming Women of Purpose 3rd Annual Retreat sponsored by Minister Kim Hardy. This year's theme is "The Power Of A Flower." Registration deadline is March 27, 2016?? There are several payment plans that will fit your budget.
The next Single Parents' Monthly Fellowship is Monday, April 11, 2016, in Fellowship Hall A, at Antioch Missionary Baptist Church, at 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm. Please bring the children with you to the ministry fellowship as it is so necessary that they witness our Love for God. You do not need to be a member of Antioch to participate in this fellowship. If you have any questions, please contact Mary Simon, Ministry Leader at mrysim@sbcglobal.net or via Facebook or any other parent who is actively involved in the ministry.
PRISON & OUTREACH MINISTRY Let the Lord be magnified, which takes pleasure in the prosperity of his servants. (Psalms 37:27) Praise Report: The Outreach Ministry partnered with God's Bikers to feed our Inner City brothers and sisters at Weiss Park on 313-16. Many people received a hot meal, prayer, and salvation! The Prison Ministry held a one night revival at the Leblanc Unit on 3-11-16. Many inmates received restoration, healing and salvation through the word of God. To God be the Glory! The Prison Ministry team would like to thank everyone for your continued prayers as we go behind the prison walls to bring the gospel of Jesus Christ to the men and women who are behind the walls. Upcoming Events for the Month of April 2016: *April 10, 2016- 2PM- 3PM- Weiss Park- Feeding Our Inner City brothers and sisters. *April 29, 2016- 7PM- 9PM- Larry Gist Unit *Jefferson County Jail and Local State Prison Visits - (Upon request) contact Rev. Albert Chargois If you have any questions concerning the Prison-Outreach Ministry, if you would like to be a part of the ministry, or would like to request a prison visit please contact Rev. Albert Chargois at 409- 861-1277- HM 409-201-1216-Cell or email: albertchargois@sbcglobal.net
GREETERS’ MINISTRY Will meet at the church Monday, April 11, 2016 at 6:00pm. Please come prepared to pay your contribution to June Conference Sponsorship. You can see me to pay it early if you wish. Thank you to all who attended last month’s meeting and helped celebrate birthdays. Thank you in advance for all each of you do. Happy Birthday to Dr. John R. Adolph from the Greeters' Ministry. Sister Will Etta Anderson, Ministry Leader / Everlina Lee 409.782.0704 Contact Person
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