Favor Follows Forgiveness, Pt. 2

June 28th Part Two Favor Follows Forgiveness

So glad you’re here w/ us TODAY.

Today is part 2 of a two part series, entitled Favor Follows Forgiveness.

Ok, so, Last week I told the story of how about 10 years or so ago, I was the recipient of an attempted car jacking, And how the Lord used a vision in my bathroom mirror to bring me to a place of forgiveness and healing… If that was all I got, I’d be the most grateful soul on the planet...

Today, we’re gonna talk about the benefits of obeying God...

Let’s talk about favor for just a second.

Greek Lexicon Bible dictionary, - an act which gains a favorable response.

Ex - 2 Chr 7:14 If my people, pray repent…then I will heal their land...

The word ‘if’ is interesting. It is one of the most important words in the Bible because it speaks directly to our responsibility to God.

Many promises in the Bible have conditions and the word ‘if’ speaks to those conditions.

Now, our responses to God’s mandates affect not only our relationship with Him but in many cases, determines our receiving from Him.

Jesus used the word ‘if’ all the time. Actually, there are 574 “IF” statements in some form or another, and Almost half are in the four Gospels.

But, just to be clear, the ‘if’ is always on man’s side and never on God’s side.

Example:

Hebrews: 15,7,4:7 “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.”

Deuteronomy 28:13 The LORD will make you the head and not the tail, and you only will be above, and you will not be underneath,

.......if you listen to the commandments of the LORD your God, which I charge you today, to observe them carefully.

Deuteronomy 28:2 All these blessings will come upon you and overtake you IF you obey the LORD your God.

There can be a premise to the promise...

See, we are the “If” element, He is the “Then I” fulfiller...

I believe the Bible gives evidence, that we can actually put ourselves in a position to have God show us His favor..

How? By doing things according to the Word of God -

So when we’re talking about Favor following forgiveness,

I’m simply saying that the Lord has the power to give a favorable response in any way He sees fit, to anyone who is willing to align themselves w/ the word of God.

With that said, God cannot be put in a box:

It’s not, “If I do this God, then God must”…NoNoNo..That’s religion…

Remember, the If statements are always on man’s side, and never on God’s.

With that said : Fact - God can bless us in ways that could be directly related to a particular situation or in other ways that don’t seem to connect -

Example: I forgive you, and he blesses me w/ a better paying job. I tithe, and He helps my child attend the college of their choice.

It doesn’t have to be in the way in which I honored His word.

Mal 3: 10 Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the LORD Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.1...

1 I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not drop their fruit before it is ripe

We simply cannot put God in a box on how He’ll show us favor when we obey.

Come back...

Now, why do I believe that Favor Follows Forgiveness???

For starters, we’re honoring the Word....he tells us to forgive 70 x 7....But,

To release the grip we have on someone, and to place them at the feet of Jesus, takes courage, strength and humility. And the Bible tells us ...

Proverbs 3:34 …He shows favor to the humble...

I believe the Lord wants to show off to us. I believe He wants to show Himself to us in crazy amazing ways… He’s just looking for folks that will listen to His voice, take the Word of God at face value - and do what it says. Is it hard, yes. Worth it? Yup...

2 Chr 16:9 9 The LORD is constantly watching everyone, and he gives strength to those who faithfully obey him.

I’m just here to tell you...

God can allow you a front row seat to pure crazy -ridiculous - fun when we just listen, and act....

I hope your ready…cause this is crazy stuff right here....

So a brief catch up from last week, (May want to go back and watch last week’s sermon)

I mentioned to you when I was leaving a gas station after offering a young man some food, gentleman walked to the window, said”kind thing…etc”, drove away.

Because I had been attacked just months prior, fear, anger and all kinds of ugly rose up in me towards the young man who attacked me.

That incident ultimately led to the vision in the mirror where I found myself first in the courtroom, then in prison, then back in the courtroom, culminating w/ the Lord’s words

“In the same way I’ve forgive you, I’m asking you to forgive them.” Here we go…

Several months later- making a hospice visit, and the family didn’t have coffee. And I really needed coffee that day - So, I actually left them to make a quick visit to the gas station (not the same one) to get a cup of coffee...

The cashier rings me up, and I say to her, what I say to everyone...

God bless you and have a good day. ------------------ As I began to walk away, She blurts out , “I just started going to the Catholic church”.

Side bar: Dr. Blackaby had taught me (Experiencing God) if you ever want to know if God is working in someone’s life, just listen - why else would someone say something like that...

I just looked at her and said, “Is it working for ya?”...

Some may wonder - why would you ask that? Simply put - church in and of itself, cannot fix someone, only Jesus does.

Anyway, She looks at me and begins to cry, and says “No...”

I ask if someone can cover her so we can step outside and talk. We go outside, she tells me she had just been released from a 3 day hold, for a suicide watch,how she’s depressed, she shows pix of kids, I see stuff. - lead her to Lord.

Month or so later, out of nowhere, I get a call from a gal, who explains she met me a month ago ‘ she somehow mentioned to a customer or two, how she was looking for this blonde lady, blah… I don’t know till this day who that person was, but they somehow connected the dots to me, and that person had my number... Just so happens someone knew me. She calls, we agree to meet for coffee. I realize she needs real help. I was visiting a local church and knew they had a pastor on staff who was a licensed therapist. I agreed to take her with me that night. I show up and she asks if a friends daughter can come w/. I agree We’re driving to church, and we’re making small talk. She explains she’s living in the homes less shelter, and has to be back by a cetytin time. I ask If I can call, so I call and they agree. Of course, I was curious why in shelter, she begins to explain how messed up her life is. How she tries to be free, but it’s like she climbs a wall and can get one leg over, but cant just seem to get the other over. Her mom won’t let her come home as she has a drug problem. Now, I mention to her about forgiving her mom, she doesn’t know how to raise a druggy, etc... Ready? She then goes off on me a little - You don’t know how messed up my life is... I have nowhere to live, I just got out of juve, I got my sister on drugs, and she my sister gets out Monday, and my boyfriend’s in jail cause ‘he jacked up some broad”... Everything stopped....because I just knew I was that broad. So I asked, where did he ‘Jack up the broad”... Some chick who lives behind the mall... Ever have a moment go in slow motion..... I pulled over to the side of the road, which I’m sure made y passengers very nervous, And I turned to look at the young gal in the passenger back seat, and said to her... I’m the broad. And please tell your boyfriend xxxxx, that I pray for him every day.. Easy to tell someone to pray for enemies when they haven’t one. Having one changes everything... Mat 5:44-45. But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you to show that you are the children of your Father Who is in heaven; Drove the rest of the way in silence. We get to the church, my friend sees us, has a vision Comes up to ask if he can pray for her. Begins to tell her of a vision. Of her climbing a wall, etc... We pray over her and she begins to tremble. That night she gives her life to Christ. Driving home, I invite them to a women’s ministry dinner the next night. Girl asks if she can bring mom. Next night, getting ready, and I see the two arrive, but super early. Explains that she needs to get back to the shelter early. I ask where’s your mom. Restroom... suddenly, I see a woman walk in and I know her... She approaches us and says to the young gal, “Mija, this is the lady”. The daughter says, “Mom, no, this is my lady”.. The day the gent... That same day, while driving away, the Lord say get 5 5 gift cards and bring them to the cashier.. Those gift cards fed them for two days... Mom is left behind while the others leave, we begin to chat and she states she doesn’t know how to raise a daughter w/ a drug problem and just can’t do it alone. Wel, just so happens I know a guy...LED her to Christ. Icing on the cake. One year or so ago, in Marshall’s, woman approaches me. She waited for me to get off the phone, she asks do you remember me? I knew her face... “Yes, how are you”... wanted t thank you. My daughters are doing so well. One live in MX w/ husband and have a family, business and serving the Lord at a church , and the other is in AZ, serving in MInistry. As for me, I belong to a Spanish church, I love the lord and am serving him there.... The favor that flows from forgiveness

Acts 3:19

19 Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord,