#Forgivness – Boldly For Him

March 24, 2022March 24, 2022

Kissed With Forgiveness

No matter how many times that we have been kissed, to be “Kissed with Forgiveness” is the Greatest Kiss that we will ever receive….or give!

Psalm 103:3 (TPT);

“You kissed my heart with forgiveness, in spite of all I’ve done. You’ve healed me inside and out from every disease.”

What kind of Love offers a “kiss of forgiveness?” What type of Love brings “healing inside and out from every disease?” It is The GOD kind of LOVE that the Psalmist King David intimately adores with his whole heart.

Psalm 103:1-2 (TPT);

“With my whole heart, with my whole life, and with my innermost being, I bow in wonder and love before You, The Holy God!” “Yahweh, You are my soul’s celebration. How could I ever forget the miracles of kindness you’ve done for me?”

David’s “Soul’s Celebration” is The One True God that longs to “Kiss His Creation with Forgiveness!” Gifting us with Eternal Life through God’s Son Jesus Christ! He Is The Savior Who restores us to intimate fellowship with The Father! We read about it in the following prophetic overture of David’s heart:

Psalm 103:4 (TPT);

“You’ve rescued me from hell and saved my life. You’ve crowned me with Love and mercy.”

The “Kiss of Forgiveness” rescues us from hell and “crowns us with love and mercy.” Why is this so important? So that we too can give “The Kiss of Forgiveness” with the same “love and mercy” that our Heavenly Father has extended to us!

HAVE YOU BEEN “KISSED WITH FORGIVENESS?”

John 3:16-17 (TPT);

“For this is how much God loved the world-He gave His One and Only, Unique Son as a Gift. So now everyone who believes in Him will never perish but experience everlasting life.” “God did not send His Son into the world to judge and condemn the world, but to be its Savior and rescue it!”

To be “Kissed with Forgiveness” is a Gift of God’s Divine Love that Brings Eternal Life and Healing to us, spirit, soul, and body! This “Free Gift of God’s Grace” (ref. Romans 3:24) prepares us to be bearers of “The Kiss of Peace” as we walk in God’s Redemptive Love.

THE KISS OF PEACE

“The Kiss of Peace” is a “Holy Kiss of Love” exchanged from one believer in Jesus Christ to another.

1st Peter 5:14 (TPT);

“Greet one another with a ‘Kiss of Peace’.”

2nd Corinthians !3:12 (MEV);

“Greet one another with a, Holy Kiss.”

When we exchange “The Kiss of Peace” with our brothers and sisters in Christ, that “Holy Kiss” extends The Love of God to them. Assuring them that their relationship with us is safe and secure, free from malice and strife. My friend, through our Salvation, we are “forgiven much,” therefore we have the power through Jesus Christ “to love much.” (Ref. Luke 7:47.) Enabling us to “Kiss with Forgiveness” those that betray us with “The Judas Kiss.”

THE JUDAS KISS

When the force of betrayal hits, it leaves behind the piercing sting of “The Judas Kiss.”

Matthew 26:48-49 (AMPC);

“Now the betrayer had given them a sign saying, The One I shall kiss is the Man; seize Him.” “And he came up to Jesus at once and said, Hail (greetings, good health to you, long life to you) Master! And he embraced Him and Kissed Him with pretended warmth and devotion.”

Judas betrayed Jesus Christ with a kiss and a lie. What has been the weapon of choice? A smile? A hug? A wave across the room? A gift, “just because”…..just because we want control over someone or something, not ours? My friend, if we choose to live contrary to God’s “Law of Love” (Ref. Galatians 5:14), we open ourselves up to be used as vessels of “The Judas Kiss.”

DO YOU HAVE RELATIONSHIPS THAT BEAR THE BIRTHMARK OF BETRAYAL?

Some friendships designed in the Portals of Heaven are severed, leaving behind “The Birthmark of Betrayal!”

Galatians 5:15 (NKJV);

“But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another!”

We cannot simultaneously “bite and devour one another” and give “the kiss of forgiveness.” When we choose strife over forgiveness, we violate “God’s Law of Love.” Dangerously turning our hearts away from God, we distance ourselves from our brothers and sisters in Christ. By injecting the venom of “The Judas Kiss” into the vein of our relationships. Slander is “the poison of sedition,” blocking the Love of God from flowing freely through our lives. This is a serious affront to The Kingdom of Heaven because “God is Love.”

James 4:11 (TPT);

“Dear friends, as part of God’s family, never speak against another family member, for when you slander a brother or sister you violate God’s Law of Love. And your duty is not to make yourself a judge of the Law of Love by saying it doesn’t apply to you, but your duty is to obey it!”

Remember that we are not called to shun “The Love of God” by “judging The Law of Love.” Instead, as The Body of Christ, we are called to “Live in The Love of God.”

“LIVING IN LOVE”

1st John 4:16 (TPT);

“God is Love! Those who are living in Love are living in God, and God lives through them.”

Recognizing that we are a “part of God’s family” will keep us “living in love.” Obeying “The Law of Love” with every Faithful Word that we speak and every “Holy Kiss” that we give, as God Expresses Himself through us.

HOW DO WE OBEY “THE LAW OF LOVE?”…….WITH THE KISS OF HUMILITY!

Nothing moves the Heart of Father God more than the “The Kiss of Humility.” Because it is from the position of a heart, free from pride and arrogance that “The Kiss of Forgiveness” can be freely given and freely received!

Luke 7:37-38 (TPT);

“In the neighborhood there was an immoral woman of the streets, known to all to be a prostitute. When she heard about Jesus being in Simon’s house, she took an exquisite flask made from alabaster, filled it with the most expensive perfume, went right into the home of the Jewish religious leader, and knelt at the feet of Jesus in front of all the guests.” “Broken and weeping, she covered His Feet with the tears that fell from her face. She kept crying and drying His Feet with her long hair. Over and over she kissed Jesus’ Feet. Then she opened her flask and anointed His Feet with her costly perfume as an act of worship.”

“The Kiss of Humility” is an “act of worship.” It is costly and knows no shame. Being free from pride and arrogance, “The Kiss of Humility” is willing to risk it all for LOVE! The Heavenly Love, that only God, through His Son, Jesus Christ, can give us.

Who in your neighborhood, family, church, office, etc., needs “The Kiss of Forgiveness?”

Are you willing to open the door with “The Kiss of Humility?”

My friend, the prostitute in Simon’s house, teaches us a valuable lesson. She took her most cherished earthly possession and exchanged it for “The Pearl of Great Price.” (Ref. Matthew 13:45-46). The Kingdom of Heaven that can only be found at the feet of Jesus Christ! Unashamed and unafraid of her appearance before men, this despised woman of the streets bravely enters Simon’s home. With a repentant heart, she “bows at The Savior’s feet and gives, “The Kiss of Humility!” Not just once but over and over again! Her sacrificial offering of tears, kisses, and costly perfume are an “extravagant act of worship,” that troubles Simon’s, hard heart.

Luke 7:39 (TPT);

“When Simon saw what was happening, he thought, This man can’t be a true prophet. If He were really a prophet, He would know what kind of sinful woman is touching Him.”

It is incredibly uncomfortable to watch someone else’s heart be “Kissed with Forgiveness” while ours remains unchanged. Yet this is what Simon and his dinner guests do. They choose to despise the “Ways of Peace” (Ref. Luke 7:50), as they judge, “The Law of Love.”

“WAYS OF PEACE”

Luke 7:48-50 (TPT);

“Then Jesus said to the woman at His feet, “all your sins are forgiven.” “All the dinner guests said among themselves, “Who is The One Who can even forgive sins?” “Then Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith in Me has given you life. Now you may leave and walk in the ways of peace.”

Faith in “The Kiss of Forgiveness” gives us life and releases us to “walk in the ways of peace!”

Where is our faith? Are we sitting at Simon’s dinner table, Looking Down our nose in disdain at the open act of worship from a repentant heart? Or are we at the feet of Jesus Looking Up into, “The Face of The One Who Has Just Kissed Us With Forgiveness?”

It’s time to humble ourselves and walk in “The Ways of Peace,” my friend! “Healed inside and out from every disease!” (Ref. Psalm 103:3).

Be Strong and Live “Venom” Free…….” Kissed with Forgiveness” Boldly For Him!

Photo: Alex Shute

March 14, 2020March 15, 2020

“A Banner Love”

The unthinkable happened, with the verdict guilty, the decision was sealed. Now it would take The Blood of His First Born Son to eradicate the penalty of death caused by the sin of man.

It wasn’t that long ago that God walked with Adam in “the cool of the day”, sharing His Thoughts, Plans, and Dreams for man. Now with Eyes Full of Tears, He watched with Love and Compassion as the man and woman whom He had created, “In His Very Own Image” were driven from their home. The first, “eviction” had occurred and now their home, “Eden,” the Beautiful Garden that God Had “Planted” for them was left without a caretaker. Oh, how God would miss the fellowship of His Beloved Creation! Adam, the first “man” and his wife Eve, the first “woman,” would now be removed from His Presence, as a result of their disobedience.

What sin did Adam and Eve commit, that drove them from Eden?

It was the “sin” of unbelief and rebellion against the commandment of The Lord.

In Genesis 2:15-17 (AMP) we read the commandment of The Lord God to Adam. A commandment that Adam and his wife Eve would later go on to violate;

“And The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to tend and guard and keep it.” “And The Lord God commanded the man, saying, You may freely eat of every tree of the garden;” “But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and blessing and calamity you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”

The devastating “fall of man”, has forever been recorded for us in Genesis 3:1-8 (NKJV);

“Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?” “And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden;” “but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’” “Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die.” “For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” “So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate.” “Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings.” “And they heard the sound of The Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from The Presence of The Lord God among the trees of the garden.”

Beguiled by the language of rebellion that the enemy spoke, and enticed by the lust of their eyes, Adam and Eve desired and partook of the fruit that God had commanded them to stay away from. Now for the first time in recorded human history, fear and shame shrouded God’s creation with a vice grip of death, that squeezed their Holy Innocence from them.

The awareness that Adam and his wife Eve had of their transgression caused them to, “hide themselves from The Presence of The Lord God among the trees of the garden.” You see my friend their, “willful” sin created a “Spiritual Homelessness” a “Vacancy of Heart” that had evicted them from, “Eden” the garden home that God had planted for them.

The domino effect of the original sin of Adam and Eve was staggering. It would go on to affect everyone who would ever be born on the face of the Earth. Thank God that He had a Holy, Divine Plan put in place long before you and I were born, to Redeem Man back to his original relationship with God.

What is this Plan?

This Holy, Divine Plan is called, “SALVATION” and His Name is JESUS CHRIST! We read about This, “Banner Love”, this Gift of Salvation in;

John 3:16-17 (TPT);

“For this is how much God Loved the world-He gave His One and Only, Unique Son as a Gift. So now everyone who believes in Him will never perish but experience Everlasting Life.” “God did not send His Son into the world to judge and condemn the world, but to be it’s Savior and rescue it!”

This is Good News for you and me, my friend! Remember what happened back in the Garden of Eden? Adam and Eve sinned and through that sin, introduced, “everlasting death”. Now through our believing upon “Jesus Christ” His Son, our “Savior,” we all receive, “Everlasting Life,” as we are rescued from the effects of eternal damnation, which is eternal separation from God!

This is God’s “BANNER LOVE” for you and me Redemption through His Son Jesus Christ!

What do we do with this, BANNER LOVE?

So glad you asked! Colossians 3:12-14 (TPT) gives us the answer;

“You are always and dearly loved by God! So robe yourselves with virtues of God, since you have been divinely chosen to be holy. Be merciful as you endeavor to understand others, and be compassionate, showing kindness toward all. Be gentle and humble, un-offendable in your patience with others.” “Tolerate the weaknesses of those in the family of faith, forgiving one another in the same way you have been graciously forgiven by Jesus Christ. If you find fault with someone, release this same gift of forgiveness to them.” “For love is supreme and must flow through each of these virtues. Love becomes the mark of True Maturity.”

My friend since, “Love becomes the mark of True Maturity”, then we must ask ourselves the following question;

“Am I a spiritual adult”?

Ouch! A question from The Lord that hits home for all of us! I know that there have been many times that I have personally felt the “pinch”, the “grief” of The Holy Spirit when I did not respond in a manner where love was “supreme” toward others or even towards myself. When this happens in our lives, it is so important to recognize, “Why” The Holy Spirit is Grieved. You see my friend, when, “love reigns supreme through our lives”, we are the most like God! We become, Spiritual Adults by choosing to live from a “Banner Heart” as we Advance The Kingdom of Heaven with every thought, word, and action! This is how His, “Banner Love” is seen and reproduced in our lives, Glory To God!

On the other hand, when love does not “Reign Supreme” in our lives, we are then giving way to our, “old Adam self” living like the enemy and reproducing death with every thought, word, and action. This type of behavior is extremely detrimental to our lives and very harmful to The Kingdom of Heaven.

Why is this behavior so detrimental to our lives and harmful to The Kingdom of Heaven?

Simply put, when we make choices contrary to the characteristics of Christ-likeness in our lives, we are choosing to create a “hard heart” rather than choosing to live from a “Banner Heart.” An unrepentant “hard heart” will eventually lead you and others away from The Presence of God.

What is the solution to a “hard heart”?

To receive God’s “Banner Love” for our lives as the scriptures state in John 3:16-17 (TPT). When we make this decision and choose daily to live for The Kingdom of Heaven we will then develop a strong, immovable, unshakeable, “Banner Heart,” able to disciple others because we ourselves have been discipled in the ways of God.

The next step is to follow the instructions that The Lord has given us in Colossians 3:12-14 (TPT) and, “Robe ourselves with The Virtues of God.”

What are the Virtues of God that make up this Robe?

Holiness, Mercy, Understanding, Compassion, Kindness, Gentleness, Humbleness, Un-offendable, Patient, Tolerant and Forgiving.

This, my friend, is the Glorious Robe of His “Banner Love”, which was wrapped around The Tree of Calvary for you and me! Jesus Christ is His Name and when you receive Him, you will never be the same. He was Bruised and Beaten for every one of your sins, diseases, and iniquities, with The Blood of Jesus you have been Washed and made Clean. Now you are in The Kingdom of God Family! Righteous, Free and Totally Healed…..So “Be Strong and Live Free” in Perpetual Victory With The Power and Strength of “The Banner Love” of Calvary!

AMEN and AMEN!

Picture by: Brandon Morgan