Let It (Unforgiveness) Go

Bishop T.D. Jakes @ Lakewood Church

If you don't give forgiveness well then you can't receive forgiveness well.

Romans 12:1-2 I beseech you therefore bretheren by the mercies of God that you present your bodies as a living sacrifice holy and acceptable unto God which is your reasonable service. And be not comformed to the ways of this world but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may prove that good acceptable and perfect will of God!

• Unforgiveness is when you get stuck in a place of pain.

• We have no provision for offense because we have developed a methodology for dealing with it.

• If you do well vertically but don't do well horizontally then are you really living a crucified life?

• If you don't think you are a good person then you won't like "me" thinking you are a good person, so you will find someone who sees you the way that you see yourself (i.e. Abusive relationships)

• Unforgiveness is not natural, it's a learned behavior (methodology) and if you can learn it then you can unlearn it. I NEED TO BE TRANSFORMED BY THE RENEWING OF MY MIND.

• When you hold yourself back people aren't meeting the real you. And you hold yourself back because of unforgiveness (i.e. remember what happened last time...)

• Unforgiveness is not attacking the other person, it's attacking you. (high blood pressure, sleepless nights, etc...) It's like drinking poison hoping the enemy dies.

• I'm commanded to forgive, I'm not commanded to trust. If someone has betrayed trust they have the responsibility to get it back.

• God is giving me time to unlearn destructive behavior.

-- Sent from JRochelle's Palm Pre

Let It (The Silent Frustration) Go

T.D. Jakes @ Lakewood Church

Luke 15:11-32

25 "Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. 27 'Your brother has come,' he replied, 'and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.' 28 "The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. 29 But he answered his father, 'Look! All these years I've been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!' 31 "'My son,' the father said, 'you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 32 But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.'"

• Imagine looking at this family from the neighbor's perspective.

They were obviously doing well. Even though everything looks good you don't know know what's going on in the inside.

• We've lost a little of that facade and the "last frontier" is what's going on in our head.

• The prodigal son gets all the attention and no one says anything about the son who is doing good.

• v.26 You can tell there hadn't been a party in a while because the "good son" said, "what's going on."

• v.28 The older brother became angry but he was already frustrated. He probably had to work harder. The dad was probably always saying "I wonder when brother is coming home" and etc...All the while he's thinking I'm here being faithful and working hard, can you be happy that I'm here.

• Sometimes it's hard to determine the makeup from the man.

• v.28 when the brother went out, the father went after him...he same father who celebrated the one who came home. The Lord says, "Before you miss my party, I'm coming out to get you."

• God is too wise to allow my happiness be predicated on someone else's behavior.

• It's time to let go of the silent frustration.

-- Sent from JRochelle's Palm Pre