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"Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions."  - Matthew 6:12-15 NASB. . Thoughts for Today . Forgiveness. It's an easy word to use. But what does it really mean to "forgive"? . Jesus used a Greek word which means "to send away." He was telling us that forgiveness means sending the deed away from us regardless of what has been done or said. . This helps us realize that, when God forgives, sins are wiped out and gone forever. David grasped this truth when he wrote, "As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us"  (Psalm 103:12). . Problems can linger menacingly if we have not asked for forgiveness. Perhaps we may not feel worthy or we may wonder if God could forgive us. But the Bible tells us that "If

. "When they had prayed, the place where they had gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness."  - Acts 4:31  . Do you know you’ve been given a very special gift? It’s faith! The Act of Faith prayer captures its essence. With faith God gives each of us supernatural grace to trust in Him and in His word  completely .We give Him our will and intellect so as to better love Him, as Jesus commanded us, with all our heart, soul and mind. Doesn’t it feel good when you  know  can count on someone when they give you their word? Well, God has given us His word, as truth! (His word even became flesh in the person of His Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ!) In faith we trust in Him not blindly but with confidence that in a world full of falsehoods, He’s the real deal! The Act of Faith prayer printed below acknowledges this. It can help recharge your spiritual batteries.       Do you know you’ve been given

Definition:  The word  crucifixion  comes from the Latin "crucifixio," or "crucifixus," meaning "fixed to a cross." Roman crucifixion was an  ancient method of execution  in which the victim's hands and feet were bound and nailed to a  cross.  It was one of the most painful and disgraceful methods of capitol punishment. Victims were usually beaten and tortured and then forced to carry their own cross to the crucifixion site. The Roman cross was formed of wood, typically with a vertical stake and a horizontal cross beam near the top. Before nailing the victim to the cross, a mixture of vinegar, gall, and  myrrh  was usually offered to alleviate some of the victim's suffering. Wooden planks were usually fastened to the vertical stake as a footrest or seat, allowing the victim to rest his weight and lift himself for a breath, thus prolonging suffering and delaying death for up to three days. Unsupported, the victim would hang entirely from nail-p

Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.  - Galatians 6:7-8 A few years ago, I began hearing some wonderful teaching about different kinds of fasting. Although there are some definite benefits to abstaining from food as we pray and seek God about certain matters, I'm not referring to that kind of fasting here. I'm speaking of fasting from certain actions and things in an effort to overcome the sin in our lives. In  Isaiah 58 , God reveals that it pleases Him greatly when we fast from sinful behavior. I have used this Biblical principle to overcome sins in my life that I never thought I could break free from. As the verses above from  Galatians 6  tell us, when we sow seeds of disobedience--seeking to please ourselves and our fleshly impulses--we will reap a harvest of destruct