The birth of a new child, the dawn of a new day and the beginning of a new year.
There's a sense of excitement. New hopes and new expectations!

The Ancient and famous king David said " O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. Let the redeemed of the Lord say so.." Psalms 107:2.

Jesus Christ is our Savior. He is our redeemer and our deliverer. We can not be cursed when we have been blessed.

Therefore let us rejoice and be glad.

"Get out of bed! Wake up!.. God's bright glory has risen for you.
The whole earth is wrapped in darkness, all people sunk in deep darkness,
BUT God rises on you, his sunrise glory breaks over you.
Nations will come to your light, kings to your sunburst brightness.
Look up! Look around!Watch as they gather, watch as they approach you;
Your sons coming from great distances.
Your daughters carried by their nannies.
When you see them coming you'll smile-big smiles!
Your heart will swell and yes, burst!...
What's that we see in the distance...Returning your children from faraway places,..
Not long ago you were dispised refuse-out-of-the-way, unvisited, ignored.
But now I've put you on your feet,
Towering and grand forever, a joy to look at!...
You'll have no more need of the sun by day
nor the brightness of the moon at night.
God will be your eternal light,Your God will bathe you in splendour
Your sun will never go down,
Your moon will never fade.
I will be your eternal light
Your days of grieving are over!.." Isaiah 60 (Msg)

Overlook it, forgive or deal with it.

Offense/Issues:
As we go on in life we have to make allowances or give room for one another's faults and shortcomings.
Shortcomings, faults, mistakes are inevitable as long as we are in this box called 'flesh'. It means we are human so we will get things wrong sometimes.
Someone said "to err is human".
So what is the point I am making?
You will not be overwhelmed when someone you trust or someone you are close to messes up or disappoints you.
Make up ur mind to forgive even before an offense comes.
Offense as you know, when it's allowed to take roots defiles.
You can call up whoever it is and let them know how you have been upset by them.
Always be prepared to let go and let God whichever way it turns out.
Truly,
Yinka

What happens if you forgive?

Hey friend! Thanks 4 taking interest in this subject. The Scripture of my focus is Matt 18:21-35. It is obvious in this passage that forgiveness is very important to God. Indeed, it's a great, if not the greatest quality of a Christian. For example, a key point that brought us into God's kingdom is forgiveness. Our past is forgiven, our sins are forgotten and our debt is forgotten. Every member of the kingdom must live in forgiveness. I doubt whether we can remain in that kingdom with unforgiveness. We know, even Jesus said it is not possible to live in this world and not be offended. But the grace of God is what helps us to forgive.In my message, I tried to highlight the benefits of forgiveness which I titled "What happens if you forgive?" 1. You will be forgiven. (Matt 6:14) 2. You'll be saved from physical cause. Not forgiving weakens your body. "In one study, people who focused on a personal grudge had elevated blood pressure and heart rates, as well as increased muscle tension and feelings of being less in control. When asked to imagine forgiving the person who had hurt them, the participants said they felt more positive and relaxed and thus, the changes dissipated. Other studies have shown that forgiveness has positive effects on psychological health too" (Mayo Clinic). 3. You will be happy. You know from experience that no one is ever truly happy if they have unforgiveness in their heart. 4. Forgiveness is good news for relationships. We have to forgive "lest Satan should take advantage of us" (2 Corinthians 2:11). 5. You will be blessed. God wants us to forgive because when we do, we will inherit all that he has for us. (1 Peter3:9). Jesus said offense will come but blessed are you when you are not offended. 6. Your prayers will be answered. (Mark 11:25). 7. You will grow and mature as a Christian.Another thing I highlighted was the 'how of forgiveness' taking into consideration that forgiveness is not an easy process. Eny, it helps to remember that we forgive those who transgress against us for our own good as much as for theirs.(Matt 5:7).I pointed out "Prayer" as an effective tool to achieve living a lifestyle of forgiveness. As you talk to God about those hurtful things, he will give you his heart of love. You always love the person you pray for. You have to try it to experience it! Another way is to be accountable to someone or people who love you and who you can trust. Tell them to correct or show you whenever they see a sign of unforgiveness in you. In that way, you listen and accept their counsel and do something positive about what they point out to you.Of course, you should also practise asking for God's forgiveness and forgiving people regularly.Finally, as followers of Christ, our purpose should be to build the kingdom of God and fulfil his purpose...speak his words, and not our own. Our confidence must come from our walk with God, and not from what others think of us. Let it go, forgive, and be at peace. Luv ya!

Mercy and forgiveness

Hi Ladies, I posted this somewhere else. Thought I should share it with you. Feel free to share your thoughts. Luv u's!
Somebody once said “God isn’t a God of second chances. Woe to us if he were. He’s a God of infinite chances”.
Sometimes it’s better to be slow to speak and not to jump to conclusions about people that fall into sin.
I’d rather err on the side of mercy.“God is not only infinitely forgiving, he casts our sins into the sea and never looks back” – now, should we?
A question: Do you know somebody feeling inadequate to be a Christian because of a sin or shortcoming? Reach out to such a person. Who knows…?

“But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness” (3:21-23, NRSV).

Forgiveness

• Forgiveness
  
  “Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times? Jesus said to him, “ I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven. Matthew18:21- 22. Read up to verse 35
  
  “Should you not, also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you? And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him. “So shall My Heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses.” 33- 35
  
  …Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.” Matthew 6:11-12
  
  People we find easy to forgive:
  Our children
  
  People we find hard to forgive:
  Our spouses
  Our friends
  Our families
  Our enemies
• Ourselves
  
  What is good for one is good for all. What you give to one, you can give to others.
  To be continued.
  Your thoughts are welcome