April 2021 - ALL IS FORGIVEN
Dear Partner,
I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins. Put me in remembrance: let us plead together: declare thou, that thou mayest be justified. Isaiah 43:25-26
In Ernest Hemingway’s short story, The Capital of the World, he tells the story about a father and his teenage son who lived in Spain. Their relationship became strained, eventually shattered, and the son ran away from home. The father began a long journey in search of his lost and rebellious son. Finally, as a last resort, he put an ad in the Madrid newspaper. His son’s name was Paco, a very common name in Spain. The ad simply read, “Dear Paco, meet me in front of the Madrid newspaper office tomorrow at noon. All is forgiven. I love you.” As Hemingway writes, the next day at noon in front of the newspaper office there were 800 “Pacos” — all seeking forgiveness and reconciliation.
COME HOME…BE BLESSED
I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto me; for I have redeemed thee. Isaiah 44:22
God is in the forgiveness business. Today many people have trouble accepting the fact that God offers total forgiveness. Psalm 32:1 says, “Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.” The Apostle Paul refers to this verse in Romans 4:6-8. This forgiveness includes the total erasing from His memory that sin was ever committed. He does this for His own sake, so He can bless us the way He wants. If God doesn’t remember that we have done anything wrong, then we should allow Him to erase it from our memory also. Smith Wigglesworth said, “Never look back if you want the power of God in your life.” God’s power is always propelling us forward.
NO MORE PARALYSIS
The story of the man with four crazy friends in Luke 5:17-26 is one of my favorites. When Jesus saw their faith, He told the man with paralysis, “Man, thy sins are forgiven thee.” Jesus spoke to that man’s deepest need. If Jesus calls you forgiven, you are totally forgiven and released from the condition and consequences of sin. You are redeemed. Then Jesus told him to “Arise!” The man got up and was totally healed of all paralysis.
This miracle caused the religious leaders much trouble. The rules and regulations of religion have paralyzed many people. However, when you get in the presence of Jesus, forgiveness and restoration are freely given. What a wonderful Jesus we have who forgives and heals! He is our Redeemer today.
REMIND ME OF THIS PROMISE
Because of Isaiah 43:25-26, we know God promises to blot out our transgressions and not remember our sins. God says remind me of this promise. This promise of forgiveness and our faith in this Word opens the door to God’s goodness. When we receive forgiveness and freely forgive ourselves and others our faith will work. God forgives us so radically and totally that He commands us to forgive others the same way. God’s kind of forgiveness even erases the memory of all sin, failure, guilt, and accusation.
God loves and forgives like this and we, as His children and with His love nature, can and must do the same. Ephesians 4:32-5:2 makes this truth clear: “Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you. Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us....”
When we choose to forgive others, the weight of anger and bad feelings toward ourselves and others is gone. Remember 1 John 1:9 says that when we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Instead of living life under the power of darkness and unforgiveness we can live in the light of God’s love. “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin,” (1 John 1:7).
We acknowledge the power of the blood of Jesus cleanses us. It is the liquid love of God that will overflow into our lives to others. The blood gives us the power to live free from self-condemnation and accusation. Righteousness is restored and our prayers get results.
And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. James 5:15-16
Talk to your soul and let this praise continually flow from your lips: Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities, who healeth all thy diseases…Psalms 103:1-4
All is forgiven! God loves you! Now your faith is working, your prayers are heard, and mountains will move.
LOVE THE SECRET TO SUCCESS
Thank you so much for your continued and faithful partnership with us. We are moving forward with our New MHM Conference Center which will be a tool to help us distribute the Word of God more than ever before. We are also excited about the growth of our Daily Livestream Bible School and plan to make that available on our website and app starting in March. The Word is growing and multiplying. YOUR PARTNERSHIP IS MAKING THIS POSSIBLE!
IN Christ,
Mark and Trina