Are You Smart Or Dumb?

ARE YOU SMART OR DUMB?

IT IS OF GREAT PLEASURE FOR ME TO EXPOSE THIS MESSAGE TO YOU TODAY. THEREFORE, BEING THAT THERE IS NO REASON FOR ME NOT TO PROCEED, LET’S BEGIN. IN THE BOOK OF COLOSSIANS CHAPTER 3 VERSES 12 THROUGH 14 IT IS INSTRUCTED TO BE LIKE GOD. ANYONE CAN COME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT WE CANNOT BE LIKE GOD BECAUSE HE IS KNOWN TO BE PERFECT, BUT IT’S OUR GOAL TO BE LIKE HIM. WE ARE TO BE AS HIM IN THE SENSE OF BEING

HOLY - LIKE, LOVING, WITH MERCY WITHIN US, KIND, HUMBLED, NOT NECESSARILY IN THE WAY WE DRESS, IN WHAT WE DRIVE, OR HOW WE LIVE, BUT HOW WE THINK. WE ARE TO BE MEEK, AND FORBEARING, OR IN A MORE COMMON WORD: PATIENT. NOW, THIS IS WHAT I CONSIDER THE MAIN SCRIPTURE OF WHAT WE HAVE READ, WHICH IS VERSE 13: “FORBEARING ONE ANOTHER, FORGIVING ONE ANOTHER, AND IF ANYONE HAS ANY TYPE OF QUARREL, OR ANGER, OR ANYTHING AGAINST ANYONE ELSE, THE SAME WAY CHRIST FORGAVE YOU, YOU FORGIVE THEM.” NOW, VERSE 14 SAYS: “ABOVE EVERYTHING, HAVE LOVE WHICH WILL ENABLE YOU TO HAVE...” WHAT WAS PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED. NOW, LET’S STOP THERE FOR A BIT. LET ME ASK YOU SOMETHING, AND BE HONEST BECAUSE YOU ARE IN THE HOUSE OF THE LORD: HOW MANY OF YOU HAVE GOT SOMETHING AGAINST SOMEBODY ELSE? DON’T RAISE YOUR HANDS. NOW, HOW MANY OF YOU KNOW OF SOMEONE WHO HAS SOMETHING AGAINST YOU? KEEP YOUR HANDS DOWN. NOW, IF YOU’VE GOT A REASON TO BE MAD AT SOMEONE, I’VE GOT THREE WORDS FOR YOU: “GET OVER IT!" LET ME TELL YOU WHY THESE WORDS. IN OUR SOCIETY, GET OVER IT MEANS WHAT? IT MEANS: FORGET IT, OLVIDALO, HUMMM, GET OVER IT! SEE, IF YOU CAN’T FORGIVE, YOU CAN’T FORGET AND IF YOU CAN’T FORGET, IT’S IN YOUR HEART AND IF IT’S IN YOUR HEART, YOU AREN’T WALKING WITH CHRIST, YOU ARE WALKING WITH THE IMAGE OF CHRIST, BUT WITH THE DEVIL RIGHT BESIDE YOU! THEREFORE, YOU ARE LUKEWARM. THE LORD SAID THAT IF YOU ARE LUKEWARM, HE WILL SPIT YOU OUT OF HIS MOUTH. IF YOU DON’T BELIEVE ME READ REVELATIONS 3:16. JESUS FORGIVES AND FORGETS. THE DEVIL’S JOB IS TO RUB IN YOUR FACE ALL THE BAD THINGS YOU DID IN YOUR PAST LIFE BEFORE YOU CAME TO KNOW CHRIST. THE DEVIL DOESN’T BELIEVE IN FORGIVING OR FORGETTING. HE LIKES TO GET YOU DOWN AND GET YOU TO THINK THAT YOU ARE HOPELESS BECAUSE YOU HAD COMMITTED ALL THESE TYPES OF THINGS THAT MAKE YOU FEEL GUILTY NOW. HEALING AND RESTORATION START OFF WITH SOMETHING AND THAT IS SELF FORGIVENESS. ONCE YOU ACCEPT THAT YOU HAVE BEEN FORGIVEN AND ONCE YOU FORGIVE YOURSELF, THINGS START TO CHANGE. AT TIMES WE DON’T WANT TO FORGIVE BECAUSE IT WILL HURT OUR PRIDE, MAKE US FEEL TOO HUMBLED, AND EVENTUALLY MAKE US LOOK LIKE “WUSSES”, BUT LET ME ASK YOU SOMETHING: IF CHRIST COULD EXTEND HIS HOLY HANDS TO FORGIVE US, WHY CAN’T WE? IF HE SUFFERED THE BEATINGS, THE HUMILIATIONS, THE NAILS, AND STILL ASKED HIS FATHER, GOD, TO FORGIVE THEM WHO WERE COMMITTING THOSE CRUEL ACTS, WHY CAN’T WE FORGIVE AN INSULT, ANNOYANCE, OR JUST A SOUR FACE THAT WAS MADE TOWARDS US? IF CHRIST GAVE HIMSELF FOR YOUR SALVATION, THEN, I THINK, NO, I KNOW THAT YOU BETTER FORGIVE THOSE WHO HAVE DONE WRONG TO YOU. IF YOU CAN’T FORGIVE, YOU’VE GOT PRIDE. IF YOU’VE GOT PRIDE, YOU’VE GOT VANITY, AND HATRED, AND THE LIST CAN GO ON AND ON. GET RID OF IT IN JESUS’ NAME AND HUMBLE YOURSELF TO BE DELIVERED! FOR EVERYTHING THERE IS A PRICE THAT HAS TO BE PAID, EITHER BIG OR SMALL, AND IN ORDER FOR YOU TO BE DELIVERED FROM THAT SPIRIT OF UNFORGIVENESS, YOU MUST HUMBLE YOURSELF BEFORE THE FATHER. NOW, LET’S TURN THIS THE OTHER WAY AROUND FOR A SECOND. THIS

MAY SOUND RIDICULOUS, BUT IT’S TRUE: IF YOU KNOW SOMEONE IS MAD AT YOU, POSSIBLY OFFENDED BY YOU, DON’T HAVE THIS ATTITUDE: “WELL, I DIDN’T DO ANYTHING TO HER, SO, I HAVE NOTHING TO APOLOGIZE TO HER FOR.” YOU EVER HEARD OF THE MEXICAN SAYING: “TANTA CULPA TIENE EL QUE MATA LA VACA QUE EL QUE LE CUIDA LA PATA”? IN OTHER WORDS, IF THERE’S A COW THAT IS GOING TO BE KILLED, AND THERE’S A MAN HOLDING THE COW’S FOOT SO THAT IT WON’T RUN AWAY, WHO’S FAULT IS IT THAT THE COW IS DEAD? THE MAN WHO KILLED IT, OR THE MAN THAT WAS HOLDING THE COW IN PLACE? IT’S BOTH OF THEIR FAULTS. THERE WAS NO “HE WAS MORE AT FAULT” BECAUSE WITHOUT THE OTHER ONE’S HELP, THE COW WOULDN’T HAVE BEEN KILLED. IF YOU HAVE THE “I DON’T HAVE TO” ATTITUDE, YOU’D BE THE ONE HOLDING THE COW’S FOOT. THEN YOU’D