THURSDAY 31ST DEC.,2015

TOPIC: START THE NEW YEAR RIGHT
TEXT: Col 3:13 “bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.”

To start the New Year right, you must let go of any old grudges that are weighing you down. Bitterness comes naturally when you’ve been hurt, whereas, forgiving is supernatural and requires God’s enabling grace. But remember, Jesus said, ‘If you do not forgive…your Father will not forgive your sin’ (Matthew 6:15 NIV). Humanly speaking, there is not one single reason God should forgive your sins, yet the offenses He pardons you for every day far outweigh anything you will ever be asked to forgive others for By forgiving, you change the whole dynamic. You open the door of a prison where you are both prisoner and jailor, setting yourself and the other person free.
Grudges not only isolate you from people who were once friends, they actually shorten your life by producing deadly enzymes that contribute to a host of physical ailments. Forgiveness reverses the trend by restoring and healing broken relationships.
It’s a medical certainty that forgiveness adds years to your life. As a rule, when you talk to people who’ve passed the eighty-year mark you find they are at peace with themselves – because they’ve learned to forgive and let go. With the dawn of a new year, make a decision to forgive and let go, Even as we enter the closing hours of a fruitful and gracious year in the presence of the Almighty God, we should appreciate God with a grateful heart and a thankful spirit. Wishing you all a Happy New Year.

MEDITATION: Eph 4:32

BIBLE STUDY
LK 5:1-26; EZE 48; ISAIAH 66