I believe the number one rule in forgiving sins is to do as Jesus commanded in John 20:22 and receive Holy Spirit, who provides the strength and ability to forgive, none of us can do
it on our own. The forgiving of sins seems to be the first power conferred upon people when they are born again. If that is so, then the forgiving of sins should be our first duty as believers, but although we have the power to forgive, its not always easy Whenever someone hurts me, I ask Holy Spirit to breathe on me strength to forgive that person, because inside of me my emotions are screaming, you really hurt me and its not fair. Remember whatever you forgive in others, it will always be forgiven in you. Every day thousands of thoughts come to our minds—some good, and some bad. In order for us to stay positive and healthy, we must focus on the good thoughts and let go of the bad ones. It's always such a temptation to hold on to the bad thoughts. Our minds have had so much practice operating freely that it seems we don't have to use any effort at all to think wrong or negative thoughts. The effort comes in learning to think positive thoughts.
Positive minds produce positive lives. The opposite is also true: Negative minds produce negative lives. Positive thoughts are always full of faith and hope. Negative thoughts are always full of fear and doubt, which can ultimately destroy your life. It can be very difficult to switch your way of thinking. Some people are afraid to hope because they have been hurt so much in life. They have had so many disappointments that they don't think they can face the pain of another let down. Therefore, they refuse to hope so they won't be disappointed. Battles are fought in our minds every day. When we begin to feel that the battle of the mind is just too difficult and we are about to give up, that's when we must choose to resist negative thoughts and determine that we are going to rise above our problems and succeed. We must decide that we are not going to quit. When we are bombarded with doubts and fears, we must take a stand and say: "I will never give up! God is on my side, He loves me, and He is helping me! I am going to make it!" No matter how bad the battle rages in your mind, don't give up! You must step out and regain the territory that has been stolen from you through negative thinking. Regain it one inch at a time, if necessary, always leaning on God's grace and not upon your own ability to get the desired results. In Galatians 6:9 the Apostle Paul simply encourages us to keep on keeping on! Don't be a quitter! Don't have that old "give up" spirit. God is looking for people who will find the courage to rise above all the negative and pursue the positive. Whatever you may be facing or experiencing right now in your life, I want to encourage you to stay positive and refuse to give up! God will be with you, and He will help you make spiritual progress—strengthening and encouraging you to "keep on keeping on" in the rough times. It's easy to quit—but it takes faith to press on through to victory. When the battle seems endless and you think you'll never make it, remember that you are reprogramming a "worldly" mind to think as God thinks. In the same way that computers are programmed, our minds are programmed. From the time we are born, our minds are like computers that have had a lifetime of garbage programmed into them. But God, who is the best "computer programmer" around, is working on us everyday to reprogram our minds. As we cooperate with Him and allow Him to help us control our thoughts, He will "renew" our minds. This process of reprogramming or renewing our minds will take place little by little, so don't be discouraged if progress seems slow. Don't get down when you have setbacks or bad days. Just get back up, dust yourself off and start again. When a baby is learning to walk, he falls many, many times before he develops the ability to walk without falling. However, the baby is persistent. He may cry for a while after he falls down, but he always gets right back up and tries again. Learning to change our thinking works the same way. There will be days when we don't do everything right—days when our thinking is negative. But never stop trying. God is gradually bringing us around to His way of thinking. Just don't give up! Galatians 3:16 refers to Jesus as the seed. He is the seed of everything good that God desires for us to have. God plants the seed but it must be nurtured, watered and cared for. Our heart s and lives is the ground. Everything that need to be changed or removed is not taken care off all at once. There is a great work to be done and only the Holy Spirit knows the proper when and how. As He deals with us on certain issues we need to submit to Him our will. It is not easy but worth it. Going through change is hard but staying in bondage is even more difficult.
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Ana & Andre Schoonbee God uses us to motivate and encourage the body. Authors
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