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
BE GOING DOWN TO HIS OR HER LEVEL. THERE WAS AN ILLUSTRATION GIVEN TO ME A FEW YEARS BACK BY A VERY WISE WOMAN. I CALL HER “TIA NINI”, OR IN ENGLISH, “AUNT NINI”. SINCE THEN, I HAVE KEPT HER
WORDS IN MY HEART AND HAVE APPLIED THEM EVERY TIME I FIND MYSELF IN A SITUATION OF THE SORT. THE ILLUSTRATION WENT AS FOLLOWS: THERE WAS A MARRIED COUPLE THAT WAS ARGUING. WELL, THE WOMAN, AS ALWAYS, IN HER SWEET, QUIET, TENDER VOICE, ESPECIALLY WHEN ARGUING, WAS TRYING TO MAKE HER POINT AS CALMLY AS POSSIBLE. NOT! I MEAN, COME ON, WE ALL KNOW HOW
PRECIOUS WOMEN CAN GET WHEN ARGUING. THIS LADY WAS YELLING AT THE TOP OF HER LUNGS, COMPLAINING AND YELLING ABOUT THINGS THAT DIDN’T EVEN HAVE TO BE YELLED ABOUT. SHE WAS STATING HER POINT OF VIEW, OF WHICH IN MOST MARRIAGES, THE WOMAN’S POINT OF VIEW IS LIKE THE MAIN POINT OF VIEW, AND MEANWHILE, HER
CALM, UNDERSTANDING HUSBAND, WAS JUST STANDING THERE
LOOKING AT HER WITH SUCH PATIENCE, AND ONE OF THOSE GRINS THAT JUST MADE HIM LOOK AS IF HE WERE TO BE IGNORING HER. SUDDENLY, THE WIFE NOTICED THAT SHE WAS THE ONLY ONE “DISCUSSING THE ISSUE” AND ASKED HER HUSBAND, WELL, SHE MORE LIKE DEMANDED AND ASKED: “AREN’T YOU GOING TO TELL ME ANYTHING BACK? WHY ARE YOU JUST STANDING THERE ALL QUIET?" THEN, HER HUSBAND, JUST LIKE MOST HUSBANDS, RESPONDED CALMLY, BUT IN THIS CASE, WITH A PHRASE THAT SHE DIDN’T EXPECT
FOR HIM TO RESPOND. HE SAID: “I’D PREFER FOR THERE TO BE ONLY ONE FOOL THAN FOR THERE TO BE TWO!” I’M TELLING YOU TODAY, DON’T BE THE FOOL WITHIN YOUR SITUATION! EVERYONE, LOOK AROUND YOU. IF YOU SEE SOMEONE OF WHICH YOU HAVE A GRUDGE AGAINST, SOMEONE WHO HAS HURT YOU, OR SOMEONE OF WHOM YOU KNOW IS ANGRY OR UPSET AT YOU, GO TO THAT PERSON RIGHT NOW. MAYBE IT WAS BECAUSE OF RUMORS, NONSENSE, OR SOMETHING THAT JUST ISN’T WORTH IT AND THERE WAS A STORM CAUSED IN
A GLASS OF WATER. NOW, LISTEN, REBUKE THAT SPIRIT OF FEAR, THAT SPIRIT OF REJECTION, OR PRIDE, OR/AND OF ANGER, AND BRING THAT PERSON UP TO BOW DOWN BEFORE THE LORD AND ASK HIM FOR FORGIVENESS. EVEN IF IT’S NOT YOUR FAULT, DON’T BE THE FOOL. IF JESUS DIED WITHOUT BEING AT FAULT, DON’T YOU THINK YOU CAN WALK JUST A FEW FEET TO ASSURE YOUR SALVATION? IT’S ABOUT
TIME TO GET THINGS RIGHT. THE LORD IS COMING FOR A CHURCH THAT’S SPOTLESS AND WRINKLE FREE. A GRUDGE, AS MINOR AS IT CAN BE, CAN PENETRATE INTO YOUR SOUL AND RISK ETERNAL CONDEMNATION. IF YOU MUST, GO TO SOMEONE AND HUG HIM OR HER. LET THE SPIRIT GUIDE YOU IN WHAT YOU ARE TO DO. LET THE LOVE THAT CHRIST ORDAINED REMOVE AND WASH AWAY ALL BITTERNESS AND THE SPIRIT OF UNFORGIVENESS. IF YOU’VE GOT NO ONE TO ASK FOR FORGIVENESS TO, GO TO SOMEONE YOU’VE NEVER
COMMUNICATED WITH OR BONDED WITH BEFORE, AND TELL THEM
THAT YOU LOVE THEM IN THE LORD. I’M TELLING YOU, THOSE WORDS CAN MAKE A DRAMATIC BREAKTHROUGH LIKE YOU WOULDN’T BELIEVE. GO, NOW, AND SHARE THE LOVE OF GOD...
...VERSE 15 SAYS: “LET THE PEACE OF GOD RULE IN YOUR HEARTS, TO WHICH ALSO YE ARE CALLED IN ONE BODY; AND BE THANKFUL...” WE’RE ALL ONE BODY AND YOUR BODY CANNOT FUNCTION PROPERLY WITHOUT A LEG OR AN ARM, WITHOUT AN EYE, OR WITHOUT ANOTHER BODY PART. WE NEED EVERY MEMBER OF THE BODY, BUT IF THE HUMAN BODY HAS CANCER DEVELOPING WITHIN IT, IT MUST BE TAKEN OUT. IT’S THE SAME WAY IF ANYONE WITHIN THE BODY OF THE CHURCH IS CAUSING HARM TO THE BODY OF CHRIST. WE
HAVE TO FIX IT, OR GET RID OF IT. TRUE, WE NEED ALL THE PEOPLE WE CAN GET, BUT THE CONGREGATION OF 100 HOLY GHOST FILLED SAINTS THAT CAN REBUKE A LEGION OF DEMONS IS MUCH MORE POWERFUL THAN A CONGREGATION OF ONE MILLION DWELLING WITHIN DEMONS, AMEN?
NOW, IN VERSE 16 IT STATES: “LET THE WORD OF CHRIST DWELL IN YOU RICHLY IN ALL WISDOM; TEACHING AND EXHORTING ONE ANOTHER IN PSALMS, HYMS, SPIRITUAL SONGS, SINGING WITH GRACE IN YOUR HEARTS TO THE LORD.” IN LOWEST TERMS, FOR THE ONES THAT DIDN’T REALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT I READ, WE SHOULD PREACH
TO EACH OTHER WITH SONGS AND GIVE EACH OTHER LESSONS WITH LOVE, NOT ANGER OR JEALOUSY...
IF AT THIS TIME ANYONE HERE HAS BEEN OFFENDED WITH THE WORDS THAT WERE SAID TODAY, I DON’T WANT TO BE THE FOOL IN THIS SITUATION. I BEG OF YOUR FORGIVENESS IN THE NAME OF JESUS. IF YOU DON’T FORGIVE ME, THANKS BECAUSE THE WORD SAYS THAT IN THE END TIMES THERE SHALL BE WHEAT AND WEEDS WITHIN THE
CHURCH, AND IT’S YOU, THE WEEDS, THAT KEEP US, THE WHEAT, ON OUR TOES. JUST KEEP THIS IN MIND: IN THE END OF DAYS ALL THE WEEDS SHALL BE SEPARATED FROM THE WHEAT AND THEY SHALL BE PLUCKED OUT. NEVER BEFORE HAS THERE BEEN SO MUCH SIN SEEN AS WE SEE NOW. WE TRULY ARE IN THE END TIMES. NO MORE TIME FOR SIESTAS. NO MORE TIME FOR SPIRITUAL NAPS. SAVE YOURSELVES THE EMBARRASSMENT AND GET RIGHT WITH GOD. FORGIVE TO BE FORGIVEN. GALATIANS 6:7 SAYS THAT YOU REAP WHAT YOU SOW. IF YOU ARE WONDERING WHY THINGS ARE SO BAD
AND YOU ARE SERVING CHRIST, MAYBE THAT’S WHY. WATCH WHAT YOU SOW. SOW JESUS AND REAP JESUS.
