Today's Passage - Ephesians 4:31-32

River of Life Christian Church ︳www.rolcc.net/english Ephesians 4:31-32   "Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you."   The heart and soul of people today are often bound by thoughts of hatred.  Memories of how we were hurt and failed since we were young are hard for us to forgive and forget.  Many of us are filled hatred and we often contemplate seeking revenge.  While we claim to want to seek revenge, deep down inside us, however, we thirst for being forgiven by others.  Forgiveness is the center of the gospel of Jesus Christ, and also the way that Christians ought to live in the world.  When we hear the teaching on forgiveness, we would first think: "Why does he apologize to me first?  Why should I apologize first?  It's not fair because he's the one who's wrong, so why should I forgive him?  He's lucky that I didn't get back at him!  Why should I accept him and love him?"  When we don't forgive others, we are actually the real victim.  The more we think, the more bad we'll be, and we'll be filled with anger against the unfairness and we won't be able to do anything!   I've read this in a book: "Having hatred inside can turn a beautiful girl into a witch, a friendly man into a devil; the outcome of rage is a slow suicide."  Once I communicated with a brother who was filled with grievance and bitterness inside, because he really hated another brother at church, believing that the brother has been giving him a hard time, so he really wanted to seek revenge.  One night, he dreamed about some high profile murders throughout history; an assassin killed President Lincoln, and another assassin killed President Kennedy.  Then he saw himself taking a gun and aiming at the brother he hated, wanted to kill him, but the brother took out a gun and killed him first.  He woke up from the nightmare and suddenly realized that God had spoken to him through this dream: "You want to revenge?  The outcome is your self-destruction!"  He immediately bowed down, confessed and repented for his sin, and asked for God's forgiveness.   Brothers and sisters, are you filled with thoughts of unfairness?  Are your heart and soul bound by hatred and cannot be released?  May the Lord help us, first come before Him to confess our sin, let light of the Lord shine inside us so that we can see our own darkness, and confess that we really need the love of the Lord.  Let the love of the Lord fill us first, and then we can deal with our hatred inside with His love.                                                                                    Pray with Pastor Tong           Lord, in your name I bless all brothers and sisters; if they have hatred inside and cannot forgive, please cover them with your precious blood, break all the bondage of hatred and release them so that they can experience true freedom.  I thank you and I pray in the victorious name of Jesus, amen!