3 Reminders To Wrap Up 2023 | Stephen Kong

You're listening to a message to go from at church. We hope this message

will light up your day. I want to just two with us, a

simple reflection for twenty two three? Is that? Okay? Okay? So

if you have your phone with you, I'm sure you have your phone with

you. Why don't you take your phone? Uh, you know, officially

right now, because I want you to scan the QR on the screen,

or if you can't scan, if it's too small, you can always just

type slider dot com okay, s l I d O dot co o M

okay, and then key in the hashtag which is called semoney hashtag sermone and

you will be on the right page okay, on your phone. Okay.

So I just want to do a simple reflection with you. It won't take

long. It's only three questions because there's the limitation of this app for free.

If not, you have to pay I think how many US dollars?

Quite expensive, but it used to be free, you know, by the

way, so now it's uh there's a chat for it. So I could

only put three questions, so it wouldn't take long. Don't worry, okay,

just very simple questions. Okay, So once once you click into it.

Once you're on the page, you will see h Q and A and

poll Okay, so you just pick on the pole side, okay, polls

on the rhind side. Okay. Are you guys there, Give you some

time. If you're there, give me a wave wave okay, okay,

okay. If you're not there, I then try try to log in.

Okay, just give you a little a little war more, okay. All

right, So I just want to say that reflections are good. First.

Uh. You know, I think every year, at least every year,

we should do reflections, uh, to just see where are we, you

know, in our journey, or you know, ask ourselves some tough questions.

Of course, today question is not tough. It's very simple because we're

in a big setting like this. But on your own, I would encourage

you to do some reflection and ask yourself some tough questions which you may not

necessarily be comfortable sharing in public, you know, but in yourself, between

you and the law, you can always commit those reflections to the law and

in prayer and ask God for strength and for guidance next year. Amen.

So I'm just gonna take it to a very simple reflection, Okay, so

sharenon, maybe you can kick the start the green button thing, Yeah,

right, the button, the green button. Okay, all right, so

this is a very simple exercise. So the first question will be what are

you thankful for this year? So you kick on your phone. You can

actually type a type of word or multiple words. Okay, of course,

try to keep it to like maybe three words maximum, you know, so

just you know thing for a moment, what are you thankful for? You

can key more than one response, so maybe let's say key one response.

You can always go back and kick again at another response and type it again

just for yourself personally, okay. Uh yeah, So as you continue,

the type of answer you will come up on the screen, and the more

people type the same answer, it will become bigger. Okay, so just

go ahead and uh think for a little while, what are you thankful for

this year? So it can be more than one thing. Okay, it

can be more than one thing, but yeah, what are you thankful for?

This year? Okay? So you can see some some good answers there

that recurring what someone Stephen, I see my wife okay, okay, so

yeah you can see the you know that the recurring answers appear bigger and bigger.

So we have the biggest answer, which is friends. You know.

Some people write family. That's good. Family is very important. Thank you

for family, God grace. Of course God appears twice there. God's grace

is important. We live really really by God's grace and God's grace alone.

Money Okay, money is important. Uh, and it's not wrong to say

thank God for money because otherwise without money you won't be able to survive.

You can't put food on the table. Uh. You know, community?

Right? Community? How many have You're thankful for? Community? Right?

Thank God? We're not alone. We were not meant. We're not made

to be alone. Okay, to be to be solo, you know,

we need community, We need one another, to have each odder God's faithfulness.

Okay, So I'm going to read some of the smaller answers. Some

say graduating health for everything. Well, some say thank you for everything.

Uh, you know, quality time, family. It seems to be a

wikoing team community also same a new musicians someone said. Someone said live partner

and love. Wow, so love is happening. Someone said, ek some

money, thank God for that. New friends, you know, field trips,

cafe Okay, well, ok you know, God's helping hand, Christian

community. Getting my first job. So someone got their first job. Something

to be thankful about, right, coffee? What else? Okay I did?

I got most of it. Walk to struggles okay, passing exams.

God is great and so and so forth. Okay, all right, so

yeah, thank you for you know, just sharing with us what you are

thankful for. And I'm very glad to see. You know. I think

that that most of us are thankful for very important things like God's goodness,

God's faithfulness, his grace, friends, family, you know, community.

Of course, not for getting money. I appreciatebout it before. It's important.

But yeah, thank God for all of these things that you has given

to us. Is it katsa? Someone said, kats I mentioned yeah,

cafe? Yeah, okay, so we can eat all right? So yes,

okay, that's the first question. Very simp Okay, let's go on

now to the Let's go on to the second question. Okay, you want

to you taketh of us? Okay, let's go to the second question.

Okay, so this year, on a scale of one to five, how

much do you think your faith has grown this year? Okay? Of course,

one being like not like almost yo, Two being a little bit tree

is moderate, four is uh, you know, quite a bit, and

maybe five is I grew a lot, you know, maybe this year was

my year that I grew the most in my faith. So on a scale

of one to five, how much do you grow? Okay? How much

do you think you grow in your faith in God this year? Okay?

In your faith in God? Okay? So just put some thought into it

and ask yourself how much do you grow in your faith? Okay? So

we can see that most answers are at about four level of scale of four,

you know, some on three and five, and very few on the

scale of two. Okay, So that's that's good to know. I think

as a church we are happy in part that you grow in your faith because

it is important that in a community of believers that you continue to grow a

faith. Amen. Uh. And and you know, our tagline of ex

church is actually helping people believe, you know, And if we can at

least help you to believe just a little bit more, okay, just a

little bit more every single year, we would have at least done one thing

right, you know, to help people believe. So I really really,

I prayed it you will continue to grow your faith. Uh. You know,

we thank God that each of us managed to go out of faith one

way or another, at least depending on how much or how litter. But

I pray it you'll continue to go out of faith. Amen. All right,

Okay, let's go to the third question. This will be a final

question, and so what do you want to focus on strengthening next year?

Okay, so now we've we have done for this year. Uh so are

you now to put a little bit of thought on what would you want to

focus on to strengthen next year? To build or to strengthen uh next next

year? Wow? Okay, so musters came out. Okay, okay,

so some big answers are coming up there. You can see my faith is

there is huge. It's big. Means many people answered the same question,

same same thing. Discipline Wow, Okay, discipline is important. Okay,

that's very very good. Discipline is the starting is easy, but as time

goes on it gets harder. So we need to be faithful in our discipline.

Faith. You know, so faith seems to be a recorry team.

It appears twice and it's a big it's a big word time management. Okay.

Time management is so linked to discipline. That's very important as students and

smoking adults, as kids, as parents, like all of us. The

time management, Uh okay, So I can see some other answers like,

oh, self control okay, self control one of the food of the spirit.

Okay, I have a more positive outlook. I think you mean like

being more optimistic? Right the determination? You know? Uh, Dispensing grades

okay, giving grades to others okay. Do an exams someone's world, exams,

love for his people, relationship with family, prayer okay. Work we

got or basic basically it must be a basis. Uh. Work, We've

got physical health Okay, PhD If someone wrote PhD idea, you're doing a

PhD or maybe you want to do PhD. Uh knowledge, courageous sharing my

bank account okay, this son was young working now okay. Relationship with God?

What else? Up? What else? I can't really see atually?

Quality time? We got new musicians, more opportunities, right side muscles Okay.

Self love okay, I love seems to be coming as well. And

faith okay, So faith is a big team. Discipline, time management and

all these are the big team that's coming okay. So yes, it's good

to know that we are focusing on good things and on the right things.

Of course, I paid all of us will have better discipline next year.

Because we good disciplines, we will be able to achieve more and and do

more for God. Amen uh, and I pay it. You also will

grow in your faith, which is a big team. The FIP is,

so it's big coming up. Okay, So yeah, I may do not

give you the grace to complete your FIP if you're going to your FIP next

year, so that you can finish well even next you not just this year,

okay, but also finish you on next year. Amen. Okay,

all right, thanks for participating in that simple exercise. But I hope I

just gave you just a glimpse of what you know, reflection could look like.

Of course, I told you you can ask yourself some really really tough

questions, you know, like what are some of the wins, what are

some of the of the losses, What are some of the things that you

felt you didn't do well and you want to improve on? You know,

if we really are honest with ourselves, I think it's a good place for

us to go even next year. Amen. Okay, all right, so

let's go into the world this morning, and I'm just gonna get bring us

to a very simple message. You know, as I was driving this week,

I just asked the Lord Lord, what should I share with the church

on the last Sunday and the last day of the year. And he gave

me three simple points with the letter F, which is faith, forgive and

forget not his benefits. So that there was a three F that I received

even as I was driving, and I just continued to meditate on it.

And as I prepare this message, you know, and it's good to see

that on the screen that many of you wrote your faith. You know,

it's fair with something that you want to grow more next year, and it's

something that we should focus on. Okay. So as I as I bring

a shoe our last Sunday of the year, I want to share about more

about faith, okay. And so what is faith? Faith actually is as

simple as if you go and google it, you find a dictionary. You

will find that faith is a complete trust and confidence in something or someone.

Okay. That's as simple as what faith is. Okay. Hebrews chapter eleven,

verse one to three. If you have your Bibles. You can turn

to me, turn with me to Hebrews chapter eleven, verse one, two

three. Okay. And this is the famous a portion of scripture in which

we quote for faith. Okay, are you there? Say? Yeah?

Okay, Hebrews chapter eleven, verse one. Now, faith is the substance

of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen. For by it,

the elders obtained a good testimony verse three. By faith, we understand that

the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which

are seen were not made of things which are visible. Okay, it sounds

a little bit confusing, but let me let me break it down further.

Okay, So once again, verse one says, faith is the substance of

things hoped for the evidence of things not seen. Okay. So the thing

is this, faith is the substance of things hoped for. So what is

the is the substance? Okay? Okay, okay. Faith is tied to

the substance Okay, the substance in which it is not yet seen or experienced

without five five sentences. Okay, and so what what what? What is

the substance? Right? The substance is that it is an anchor in which

you are convinced that it is real based on the integrity of the subject calling

for the faith, okay, in which our substance is actually on on God

who causes us unto faith, right. Uh. And so between faith and

substance they are connected, and both are equally as important, but more so

the substance is more important than the faith. Let me explain you why,

okay, Because if you have faith in a substance in something, in something

or a substance that so, in something that has very little substance, no

matter how much faith you have, is of no use. Okay. For

example, if you have faith in uh, let's say an object, right,

that has no substance in a sense whereby something dead it's an object,

right, So there is no substance or very little substance to it. No

matter how much faith you have, it's not gonna do anything. Right.

But if you have faith in something that has great substance, for example,

in the God that we believe in, who has great substance, even with

a little bit of faith, you can move mountains. Does that make sense?

Even with a little bit of faith. Why, the Bible tells us

even if you have faith Like a mustard seed. You can say to this

mountain, be moved, and it will be moved. So it's not just

dependent on how much faith we have, it's actually dependent on the substance that

you have. Right, do you have faith in something that has substance,

that has weight? Okay? Which is more important because if he has substance,

he has great substance. Even with little faith, you can do great

things. But if you have no substance but a lot of faith, you

will get nothing. So the Bible tells us that if without faith, it

is impossible to please God because all he who comes to God must believe that

he is, and He is the reward of those who diligionly seek him.

Okay. And so faith is believing that something has already happened before you even

see it. Okay. That's why he says that it's a substance of things

hoped for. Did you know that God doesn't need faith? You know why?

Because God does not hope. When God sees it, he says it

it becomes into being. But for us as humans, we need faith because

we hope for something that is yet to come, has not come, But

you already believe you have it even though it has not come yet. So

I remember this, uh you know told you or testimony that a preacher or

that was sharing in a rat in a in a prayer velly right. And

as the prayer ally has ended, everyone has gone back home, I forgot

the name of this preature. Uh. And as he was about to pack

his bags and leave, he found a guy on you know, on on

a wheelchair you know who came by uh and he asked for this preature to

pray for him for healing. Uh you know, and I think I think

because he he his LIGs was amputator or something like that, right. Uh.

And this guy who on the wheel chair came to the preacher and asked

the preacher to pray for him so his LIGs will be healed. But he

didn't just go there and sit on the wheel chair. Guess what he did.

He actually brought shoes. He brought shoes and put below on on on

the on the on the floor and said to the preacher, please pay for

me. And as the preachers looked at it and said, that's faith,

because you have already believed that it's already done before you even see it.

The shoes will already be paid. And as you know how the miracle ban

he played and he was healed, you know. Uh. And and this

guy, you know, his leg was healed and he could wear and and

walk again. So you know that that's an example of what faith looks like

right wherever you believe and have full confidence that it is done, even before

you see it or even before you experience it with your five sensus, you

know, whether it is seeing, feeling, or touching. And we only

faith right because the God that we believe in we don't actually see physically.

Of course, some people encounter physical encounters. Uh. And if you actually

have a physical encounter is quite scary. You know, you will your life

will be changed. We actually have a physical encounter with a lot, you

know, just like how we just celebrated Christmas, right Uh. Mary and

Joseph had a physical encounter with the Lord. You know, it's not it's

not easy when you have a physical encounter like that. You know. Of

course, when the calling is huge, like to be in a place of

Joseph or Mary, Mother Mary, the physical matter of Jesus. You know,

when you're in that kind of place, then maybe you need such huge

an encounter because great is their calling. You know. I'm sure you know

that we just celebrated Christmas, right, even as we remember Jesus the reason

for the season, right, and so so Fave is ready for us,

you know. But for God he speak things into creation, right, and

so there's a worse. Three says. By faith, we understand. By

fai we are we are okay. By faith, we understand that the words

were famed by the word of God, so that the things we were seen

were not made of things which are visible. That means God created the world

the things that are visible out of nothing, because before the world was formed,

there was nothing right, it was empty, right, and God spoke

the world into being right out of nothing, the world was created. And

that is why you and I need faith even to understand and believe that that

happened, because you and I have not seen it. Right. We were

not here when the world was formed, you know, we were not here

when enemy Eve was created. But yet we still believe by faith. It

is faith that caused us to believe. Amen, So you are convinced favor

when you are convinced that it is real based on the integrity of the substance

So why why am I sharing about faith? You know, even as we

close twenty tree because you know, maybe some of us had dreams or visions

or promise that God has given you in twenty twenty three, but you may

have not seen it come to pass. You know. That is why we

need to continue to strengthen our faith, to believe even though you have not

seen it yet. Because faith is believing without seeing. Did you get that

faith is believing even without seeing? It's not emotion? How many have you

know that faith is not an emotion. It is not a feeling because feeling

have no intellectual intellectual sense connected to it. Feelings what you feel right most?

I would say most times, But oftentimes our feelings don't really go to

our minds. Do you think so? Right? You don't really think what

you feel, You just you just feel it. Right. So faith is

not emotion. It's not a feeling. It is the confidence that we have

in God. That is why the Bible reminds us to walk by faith.

There's the action involved to walk by faith. Never tell the Bible never tells

us to feel by faith. Did anyone tell us to see by faith?

But to walk by faith? Because there is an action involved in it to

walk by faith. Amen. So Psalm Chapter for the six verse ten reminds

us to be still. If you have a birus, can turn the Psalm

chapter for the six verse ten. Psalms for six verse ten says, be

still and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations.

I will be exalted in the earth. And so when I when I

look, when I read this entire chapter of Psalm Chapter for the six I

asked myself, why did the Samis say, be still and know that I

am God. I will be exalted one the nations. I will be exalted

in the earth. And I realized, if you read this entire chapter,

you will realize that at least three times, in fact, three times the

Samis actually says that God is our refuge. You can read it. It's

there, okay, just if you just screen show, you will see it.

Okay. At least three times the sum Is actually acknowledged that God is

our refuge. And then I realized that is why you and I can be

still and know that He is our God, because we know that He is

our refuge. And what does refuge to represent? Refuge represents a shelter represents

a safe place, a safe space whereby we can have security in the God

that we believe in. And that is why we can be still and to

trust God with all our heart, to know that He is in control and

that all things happen, you know, to the good of those who trust

Him and who believe in him. A man, and so I want to

encourage us today. Delay is not denial. There is a right time for

everything under Heaven. Increases this sepretary reminds us that you know, it's a

very common scripture that most of us would know. If you don't, even

if if you're not familiar with it, go creases his sepretary. You know

to everything there is a season, a time for every purpose and heaven.

So delay is not denial. Even though you may be believing on God for

a promise and you have not seen yet, keep believing. Don't stop believing,

because it is coming and the Lord will not fail us. Amen.

How many have you know? Abraham waited twenty five years for the promise to

come twenty five years. The Bible tells us that Abraham was seventy five years

old when he left Haran, seventy five years old, and Isaac his son,

I should say his first son, first son officially with Sarah, okay,

not with Arawana. With Sarah. First son officially was at one hundred

years old. So God for me is Abraham, that you will have an

offspring from your wife Sarah that came twenty five years later. Can you imagine

waiting on God for permis for twenty five years? Think about that? For

what some of us? If we wait twenty five days, we are done

already. You know. It's it's tough, right, It's tough because today

we live in a generation where by everything is instant. You know, we

have instant noodles, you have instant coffee, you have Instagram, instant Graham,

you have you know, everything is instant. Right. We want everything

fast, We want everything immediately, you know it because the generation is changing,

times are changing. Everything is getting faster now, right. But I

really believe that waiting is part of God's plan. Actually it is. If

you look at the scripture, you will know time and time again, the

people of God waited upon him and and and for God's promise or his his

will to come to pass. And so we think I believe it's very part

of God's plan, because it is in the time of waiting that our character

is being built. Our character is being built. So God asks you to

wait for something, then look to him. Amen, because I want encourage

us. Seek after the giver and not after the gift. If you are

waiting on the Lord for a gift, for a promise, seek after the

giver and not the gift itself. Believe that even as our team d years,

say is Heaven rules. Even though you may find that you know,

times are not going the way you wanted it to be, you know,

continue to believe that Heaven rules and God is in control. And men,

we live in really very challenging times today, my friends, really really challenging.

There are wars everywhere, there's pestilence, there is hatred. You know.

We have never seen such hatred, such disunity, such wars between you

know, brothers and sisters. You know, we have never seen such hatred

in the years that have passed. And I think we have yet to see

even worse to come. You know, even as we are nearer to the

end times. You know, and I always tell a lot of a lot

of people who are leaving us for good. Let's say you're graduating, or

if you're living to another country or your home country for good. One of

the things that I always say to you is that remember your faith, because

in this time of ancient time, nothing else matters more important than your faith.

Nothing else, you know, no money, no house, no car,

no possession, no titles will bring you to heaven. In fact,

you can't bring any of them to heaven except your dependency and your faith on

Jesus Christ. Amen. Friends. In times of lack, God would test

our faith. In times of plenty, God would test our faithfulness. Let

me say that again, in times of lack, God would test our faith.

In times of plenty, God would test our faith fullness. Doubs may

bring us down, but it is faith that will hold us up. I

got this from Inspiration Volume four. Can go and see there very very good

code. Doubs may bring us down, but faith holds us up. So

it is easy to stop believing when we are, you know, distracted with

disappointments or when you don't see something happened according to what we expect it to

be. You know, the question is when you quinn ask God for something

and you don't receive it the way you expect it to be. Will you

still believe? Will you still believe? I remember very clearly even to today,

when I was a student like you. Uh, and I was in

my year two of my engineering. Okay, I'm sure. If if you're

an engineering, you notice your year two is very important because if you want

to do an men study and mentions a four years program for your engineering,

you need to cross a certain benchmark in your year two right for your engineering.

And for me in civil engineering, my year two is very important because

I need to do for yours in civil engineering. Long story shot, in

my year two, I missed the map by half a percent. So when

I was in I was traveling with my with my family in Russia at that

time, because my sister was graduating in Russia, she studied medicine. And

I was on holiday, and I was on holiday and I was going to

receive my results, and so I was in holiday. I remember my family

was in the in the apartment and Airbnb, and I went, I went

to the room. I locked myself in the room, and I now before

the lot, and I pray, I say, Lord, you know how

I have been faithful to you, how I have put my trust in my

faith in you. I've done my best, and I put my full dependency

on you, and say, Lord, if I if I pass and I

make it. You know, if I, if I passed the minimum mark,

our our thank you. Blessed be the name of the Lord. But

even if I don't, I was too blessed the Lord anyway open my result.

And of course I already complitted the marks. I already knew how much

I needed to get and I saw it. I knew already I missed it

by a tiny bit. So and right a moment, I said, Lord,

does it be your name anyway? So, long story shot. I

graduated with two years of bachelor's in engineering. But I can tell you that

I'm still doing well in the in the industry, even though that was not

what I expected to be. Of course, if I had delayed one year

edition of studies, I may not have worked in where I worked in my

previous job. I may not have had the same experience I have. Long

story shot, because the story is too long. The testimony is long.

I worked in a project that my father was. My dad was involved in

building the new parliament. Okay, So if if you're a Malitian, you

know that our Parliament had a new extension building. It was a five year

project. So I joined the project right at the beginning of the project,

right at the start. So I was there for five years, completed the

project, and looking back in hindsight, that project gave me a good hit

start in my experience in where I'm today, right. So suffice to say,

if I had did one extra year of study, I would have missed

this complete five years in this company, in this job, right, I

would have entered one year later, and my experience would not have been complete.

Very rarely you can find an engineer who has been to a job from

the starting to the finish, right from the start, all the way and

to the end. It's very rare to find. And to me there was

a testimony, and so really I just want to encourage you trusting the Lord.

You know, never never stop believing. Don't stop believing, and you

would definitely do well with whatever God has called you to do. Amen.

He is the god of the veralu and also the god of the mountains.

So Second Timothy four, verse seven says I have fought the good fight,

I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. So my honest

prayer or sincere prayers that you and I will continue to keep the faith.

Even as we have kept the faith this year, I pray that you will

keep the faith next year, and the following year, and the following year

and the years to come until we one day meet our creator. Amen.

Remember to keep the faith because He is the most important asset that you and

I have today. In fact, faith is the currency of heaven. It

is the most important asset that we have today. Amen, So keep a

faith. There's an encouragement to all of us. My second point is forgive.

So even as we close twenty twenty three, forgiving. Forgiveness is a

very very important thing that you and I need to do. Okay, we

need to learn how to leave our past herds behind and forgive those who offend

us. Now this is not easier, but I want to tell you the

truth, the hard truth. Unforgiveness is a dangerous place to be in.

When you have unforgiveness, you put yourself in a prison while the other person

or whoever that you have unforgiveness against. You put yourself in a prison while

the other person is still going about their daily life. Did you know that

unforgiveness only robs yourself and not the other person, because the other person may

have no idea or no clue that you have an unforgiveness towards them. So

the only person that is actually in damage is yourself. Think about it.

In fact, unforgiveness will hinder God's blessing toward us. Did you know that

I'm going to show you in a while. Uh, unforgiveness will only kill

yourself, and you are the one who will suffer and become a prisoner of

unforgiveness. So actually, unforgiveness only leaves us behind and while the other person

moves on because the other person may have no idea that you have unforgiveness.

So I want to encourage us or urge us to let go of our past.

You know, uh and forgiveness. Forgiving and forgetting is two different things,

right. Maybe someone has offended you, Maybe someone has wronged you.

Maybe someone didn't shake your hand on a Sunday morning, didn't say good morning

to you. Uh, you know, maybe someone step on your toes while

you were on a stage. You know, you know, it could be

anything. You know, maybe someone forgot forgot your birthday, you know,

uh, forgot your anniversary It could be many things, right, but at

the end of the day, you and I still need to forgive. Here

it is forgiveness is a choice. Okay, I'm gonna start by Lisa.

Forgiveness is a choice. However, it is not an option. You and

I still have the choice whether you want to forgive or not. But did

you know it is not an option? In fact, it is a condition

to receive forgiveness from God. In other words, we have no choice but

to forgive. Even though you have the choice, you don't really have the

choice. If you get what I'm saying. We have no choice but to

forgive. It's not either A or B. It's a it's aoa right.

It's forgive. Forgive. It's the final answer. There's no other alternative to

it. We must forgive others in order for God to forgive us. Let's

see what the scripture says Matthew, Chapter six, verse fourteen to fifteen.

Now Here this is very important. Jesus said this after the Lord's prayer.

Okay, after he taught the disciples how to pray the Lord's prayer. He

said this in verse fourteen. For if you forgive men that trespasses your heavenly

fighter will also forgive you. But that's the butter. But if but if,

okay, it's a condition. But if you do not forgive men that

trespasses, neither will your father forgive your trustpassers. Somebody say out so that

itself has a condition to it. So that's worry. I want to encourage

us. You know, we need to give forgiveness. We need to extend

forgiveness to those who need, you know, uh, not not to those

to ourselves, you know, to forgive others and not be a prisoner of

unforgiveness. Because if you don't forgive others, God, your heaveny fighter will

also not forgive you. That's a dangerous place to be in. So forgiveness

is not to free other person by it's a liberation of ourself. In other

words, forgiveness it is for your own good, for your own good.

But sometimes maybe it could be real. They need to ask for forgiveness.

So it goes two ways. Forgiveness goes two ways. You know, when

we are wrong ourselves, when we go and ask forgiveness from someone or to

say sorry, I really believe that it helps with the with the forgiving site

on both sides it does help uh. And so the Bible actually reminds us,

right, then when you come to the Lord and offer a sacrifice or

offering at an author, right, and if you suddenly remember that you've got

something against your brother or your sister, right, the Bible actually tells us

to go back to your brother, settle or whatever it is unsettled first.

After you have settled it, then only come back and offer your offering.

Barbe actually tells right Matthew five twenty two to twenty four. Therefore, if

you bring your gift to the author, and then remember that your brother has

something against you, leave your gift there before the author, and go your

way. First, be the consult to your brother, and then come and

offer your gifts. So it goes two ways. Forgiveness will go too ways.

If we are in wrong, remember to ask for forgiveness. And if

you have unforgiveness towards someone, remember also to forgive them, Amen. Matthew,

Chapter eighteen, verse twenty one. Matthew Chapter eighteen, verse twenty one.

Then Peter came to him, came to Jesus, Lord, how often

you shall my brother seen against me? And I forgive him up to seven

times? And what did Jesus was born. I do not say to you

up to seven times, but to seventy times seven seventeen times. Verse thirty

five says, So, my heavenly father also will do to you. If

each of you, from his heart does not forgive his brother, his chest

passes. So gave me see that happening again. Right, God will not

forgive us if we do not forgive our brothers and our sisters surround us.

So, if you do the math right, seventy times seven is four hundred

and ninety times. Now, it's not about how many times your brother scenes

against you, right, It's not literal about how many times, right,

Because even if your brother since against you four hundred and ninety one times,

does that mean you stop forgiving you? Don't? You still have to forgive.

So it's it's not about the numbers. Jesus not talking about the numbers

that matter. It's actually the spirit or the principle behind it that means,

no matter how many times, you and I still have to forgive one another,

because God forgives us. Okay, and you can go back and read

about us. You know the parable of the unforgiving servant, whereby the Master

forgives the severn, and the servant goes to another, his other debtor,

who owes him, and he demands back in return, and you know,

and then the master you know, rebuoks this servant and says, I forgive

you, but you do not forgive you know the others who owe you,

you know, So it's it's a chaine effect. So I pray that you

you and I will you know, forgive those who have wrung us in twenty

twenty three so that we can move on to a new year. A man,

let me give you three quick points about forgiven us. Forgive us.

It's not forgetting the offense, but accepting it and healing from it. Forgiveness

is a pardon, and the only person needed in the act is you.

Forgiveness is a pardon, and the only person needed in the act is you.

Forgiveness is a decision you make that sets you free from your offender.

So it's about you. It's about setting you free. So, friends,

don't be a prisoner of unforgiveness. Even as we close the year of training

twenty three. Don't harbor unforgiveness. Don't bring it over to twenty twenty four,

because it will do you know no good. It will only bring you

home, uh, And I pray that you won't live in it in that

place and then and that you will forgive your brother's and sisters as God also

forgive us even all right, And so that brings me, brings me to

my final lap, my third point, which is forget not what He has

done. And I'm going to invite the worship team to come up soon even

as you prepare, So forget not what He has done. How many of

you know that's power in remembrance. There is a lot of power in membrance.

That is why we take communion. We take comvenion to remember what God

has done for us. And He died on the cross and paid for all

of our sins once and for all. Communion is about remembering what He has

done. And so I always encourage us as a church, you know,

as as a church and as individuals to remember what God has done for us.

And I was preparing, you know, I was reminded by this sum

some one zero three was one to five some hundred and three. It is

my last scripture for today some hundred and three. Verse one says, bless

the Lord, oh my soul, and all that is within me. Bless

his holy name, Bless the Lord, oh my soul, and forget not

all his benefits. So what are his benefits? Let's look at it.

Who forgives all your iniquities? Somebody say, all, friends, God forgives

all of our iniquities? Can I hear a good amen? All? So,

if you're sitting here today, and maybe you're in your mind, you're

thinking, Lord in twenty twenty three, I've done some terrible things. I've

messed up big time, I don't think so you can forgive me. I

want you to look at the scripture carefully. The scripture says, who forgives

all your iniquities? Not some, not a few, not most of it,

but all? What else does he do? He heals all your diseases?

Yeah, heals all your diseases. So, friends, if you are

still believing God for healing, I want to stand and believe together with you

that God heals all your diseases, not some, not most of it,

but all in accordance to His will and his purpose. What else? He

redeems your life from destruction. Christ came to give his life so that you

and I may have life, and have it more abundantly. Christ gave his

life so that He can redeem us from destruction from the penalty of sin.

He counts us with loving kindness and tender mercies. So God has been good

to us a man, He has been faithful to us. If only we

sit down for a moment and just think about what God has done for us,

I'm convinced that you can at least name five to ten things that God

has done for you, and how good and how faithful He has been to

us. You know, as I remember this song when I was growing up,

it's very old song. You know. It says, you know,

count your blessings, name than one by one. If you come from a

traditional church, you will notice, you know, the song says, count

your blessings, named them one by one. So I pray that you,

even as we reflect, even as we close the new year, take some

time to just remember of what God has done for us. Scripture continues to

say, who satisfies your mouth with good things? Amen, so that your

youth is we knew like the eagles. Friends, Even as I close this

message, I want to remind us, why is it important to remember what

He has done for us? Why is it important It is important so that

we can be grateful for what He has done. We can be thankful to

him. It's also important today we can increase our faith during the times of

trial. When you go to the same struggle or same trial, you remember

God, You've done it for me one time, you can do it again

and live it. Amen. And it's also to encourage others in the faith,

because someone else may be going through something similar that you have gone through

in the past. And I believe that every experience and every event that happens

in our lives, it's not a coincidence. It's not a coincidence. When

you find someone else going too the same trouble, you can remind them based

on what God has done for you. And I pray that a miracle will

be repeated. Amen. How do you remember what He has done for you?

It's as simple as this. You can write a journal if you're not

a person of rights journal. You know, I'm not really a person of

vice journal, but you know I will at least sit down once a year

and reflect on the year. Just go month by man, think about what

God has done for you. What are the challenges, How has God been

with you in and thudose challenges. How has God been real to you in

your life, in the good and even in the bad times. It's also

so we also remember what He has done by reflecting regularly. It could be

monthly, it could be at least once a year. And another way to

remember is to share your testimony with someone. Share your testimony. So in

church we share our testimony always. Right, So if you have a testimony,

God has given you a testimony, don't keep it yourself. Share it

with others so that you will remember and others also remember of what God has

done and what he can do. Amen. As I close, one last

quote I'll give to you, it goes like this, remember the promises and

forget the past, never the other way around. I'll say it again,

remember the promises and forget the past, never the other way around, because

sometimes in our business of life we can tend to forget the promises and remember

the past. But I pray it today you and I will remember remember God's

promises for us, and in return you can forget the past. Did you

know that even God blots out our iniquities and remember remembers them no more?

Even God does it. You can find it in the Scripture, He blots

out our iniquities and remembers them no more. I can never imagine what my

life will be if God remembers my sin. Because you and I we've gone

to many things, even scenes that we wish we've never done. But how

we ever know that God can give us a new start all the time.

He is a god of second chances. He remembers your sins no more.

He forgives all your iniquities and gives us a brand new start every single time

we come to him, And if we ask for forgiveness, he will forgive

us. Amen. We hope you've been blessed by this message. For more

information on our church, please visit church org. We are also active on

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week, a hit for you. God bless