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Please be praying for the Turner family and the ordeal that they are going through. Also, pray for the Harmon family at the tragic loss of Scott’s brother. I would like to thank Larry Hamby for sharing an article with me on forgiveness. The article is entitled, The Heart of Forgiveness. In this article, Steven S. Lemley gives some valuable insights and interesting illustrations. One point brought out in the article was that when Jesus gave the “Lord’s Prayer” the only thing in the prayer that Jesus commented on was forgiveness. "But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins." (Matthew 6:15, NIV) I was joking with Larry when he gave me the article that I didn’t like to study forgiveness, because Jesus said that I have to forgive if I want to be forgiven. Actually, because of the forgiveness that Jesus has offered me, I can forgive. It isn’t fair what some people have done to me. They don’t deserve my forgiveness. The fact is, I don’t deserve the Lord’s forgiveness. Yet, I have received it. If God has forgiven me, even though it wasn’t just or fair, how can I not forgive others? One other thing about forgiveness is that it frees me. I may forgive someone else and they never feel any differently about me. But, I feel different if I truly forgive. A quote of unknown origin found in this article stated, “Harboring unforgiveness is like drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die!” That is a powerfully true statement. The resentment that I carry doesn’t hurt the other person a bit. It will however, destroy me. Let me see do I understand this correctly? If I refuse to forgive others, God won’t forgive me? If I harbor unforgiveness, I only hurt myself? Maybe I should give careful consideration about forgiving anyone whom I have not yet forgiven, If not for their sake, for mine. One last thought, we are commanded to forgive. "Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you." (Ephesians 4:32, NIV) The standard of forgiveness that we have been commanded to keep is the standard that God has used toward us. We must forgive others as He has forgiven us. Russell REMEMBER! Dec. 5 Adult One Christmas Party Dec. 6 Ladies Holiday Brunch. Dec. 9 Deliver Cheer Baskets Dec. 13 Cactus Family Christmas Celebration Dec. 14 Special Offering Dec. 19 2nd Annual Feast of Joy Page 2 GLAD TO SEE JESUS —When Herod saw Jesus, he was very glad (em p hasis m ine), for he had long desired to see him , b ec ause he had heard ab out him , and he was hop ing to see som e sig n done b y him “ (L u k e 2 3 :8 R S V ). T h e N ew In tern a tio n a l V ers io n tells u s th a t H ero d —w a s g re a tly p le a s e d “ to s ee J es u s , w h ile M o ffa tt s a y s th a t —H a ro d w a s g re a tly d e lig h te d to s ee J es u s “. H ero d is lik e a c h ild in a c a n d y s to re. H e h a s h ea rd a b o u t th is c eleb rity n a m ed J es u s , a n d h e is g o in g to g et to s ee h im ! Y o u c a n a lm o s t en v is io n h im ju m p in g u p a n d d o w n a n d c la p p in g h is h a n d s to g eth er w ith ex c item en t. W h en J es u s a rriv es in h is p res en c e, H ero d is —v ery g la d ...g rea tly p lea s ed ...g rea tly d elig h ted to s ee J es u s .“ D o n ‘t b e d ec eiv ed ! T h is is a v ery s u p erfic ia l th in g . T o H ero d it‘s lik e g o in g to s ee S ieg fried a n d R o y . —S h o w m e s o m e m a g ic !“ —I w a n t a s ig n !“ J o h n M a s efield in h is p la y , —T h e T ria l o f J es u s ,“ s eem s to b e rig h t o n ta rg et w h en h e s h o w s H ero d a s a s u p erfic ia l c h a tterer, c u rio u s o v er th e la tes t s en s a tio n . P o o r H ero d , H e h a s b efo re h im th e W o rd m a d e fles h , th e b elo v ed S o n o f G o d , th e lig h t o f th e w o rld , th e b rea d o f life, th e S a v io r, th e C h ris t a n d a ll H ero d c a n th in k o f is —J es u s th e en terta in er.“ H ero d b ec a m e q u ite irrita ted th a t J es u s w o u ld n o t a n s w er h is s illy q u es tio n s , o r w o rk a m ira c le to s a tis fy h is c u rio s ity , s o H ero d trea ted J es u s —w ith c o n tem p t a n d m o c k ed h im .“ It‘s in c red ib le th a t H ero d c o u ld lo o k J es u s in th e fa c e a n d n ev er g et a n y c o n c ep tio n o f J es u s ‘ g rea tn es s . W h a t a ju d g m en t th is w a s o n H ero d (a n d p erh a p s o n m a n y o f u s ). O n o n e o c c a s io n J es u s s a id , F o r ju d g m en t I c a m e in to th is w o rld , th a t th o s e w h o d o n o t s ee m a y s ee, a n d th a t th o s e w h o s ee m a y b ec o m e b lin d “ (J o h n 9 :3 9 ). H ero d ‘s rea c tio n to J es u s s h o w s h o w s p iritu a lly b lin d h e rea lly w a s . Q u es tio n . A re w e a ls o b lin d ? J o h n G ip s o n W in d s o n g C h u rc h o f C h ris t