Radical Forgiveness
November 8, 2020
27:29
It Is Written seeks to impact lives for Christ.
Closed captions
Radical Forgiveness
Show timecode
Hide timecode
- ♪[theme music]♪
- 00:00:00.022 --> 00:00:06.028
- -John Bradshaw:This is It Is Written.
- 00:00:19.708 --> 00:00:21.477
- I'm John Bradshaw.Thanks for joining me.
- 00:00:21.510 --> 00:00:24.179
- In an age of shocking crimes,
- 00:00:24.213 --> 00:00:26.515
- in an age where,where mass shootings
- 00:00:26.548 --> 00:00:28.851
- just don't reallysurprise us anymore,
- 00:00:28.884 --> 00:00:31.587
- in an age of unhinged peoplecommitting heinous acts,
- 00:00:31.620 --> 00:00:35.858
- this one was reallyvery shocking.
- 00:00:35.891 --> 00:00:38.961
- Charleston, South Carolina,was founded in 1670.
- 00:00:39.962 --> 00:00:44.032
- It's situated righton the Atlantic coast
- 00:00:44.066 --> 00:00:46.368
- and was named in honor of theEnglish monarch at the time,
- 00:00:46.401 --> 00:00:49.371
- King Charles II.
- 00:00:49.404 --> 00:00:51.406
- A city with roots that deep
- 00:00:51.440 --> 00:00:53.942
- is clearly a place withsome interesting history.
- 00:00:53.976 --> 00:00:56.778
- And, given the timeperiods involved--
- 00:00:56.812 --> 00:00:59.014
- colonization, slavery, theRevolution, the Civil War--
- 00:00:59.047 --> 00:01:03.785
- some of that history is painful.
- 00:01:03.819 --> 00:01:06.388
- Just a few days beforesummer began in 2015,
- 00:01:07.389 --> 00:01:11.160
- a 21-year-old South Carolinaman traveled to Charleston
- 00:01:11.193 --> 00:01:14.930
- with malice on his mind.
- 00:01:14.963 --> 00:01:16.832
- The young man who cameto Charleston that day
- 00:01:16.865 --> 00:01:18.967
- possessed a sickenedmind and a gun.
- 00:01:19.001 --> 00:01:22.371
- A combustible mixture.
- 00:01:22.404 --> 00:01:24.406
- He came here toEmmanuel AME Church
- 00:01:26.041 --> 00:01:29.778
- fully intending to do harm--
- 00:01:29.811 --> 00:01:31.580
- or more to the point, fullyintending to take life.
- 00:01:31.613 --> 00:01:35.417
- Motivated by racial hatred,he mingled with worshipers
- 00:01:35.450 --> 00:01:38.620
- at the mid-week Bible study,
- 00:01:38.654 --> 00:01:40.689
- biding his time untilhe fired almost 80 shots
- 00:01:40.722 --> 00:01:45.794
- and took nine lives.
- 00:01:45.827 --> 00:01:47.029
- He murdered six womenand three men.
- 00:01:47.062 --> 00:01:50.632
- He was arrested the next dayalmost 250 miles away.
- 00:01:50.666 --> 00:01:54.069
- It's not easy to imagine theimpact of an event like this.
- 00:01:54.770 --> 00:01:58.507
- Think of it this way.
- 00:01:58.540 --> 00:01:59.975
- In September of 1989, at leasttwo dozen South Carolinians
- 00:02:00.008 --> 00:02:04.513
- died when Hurricane Hugobattered parts of the state.
- 00:02:04.546 --> 00:02:08.684
- Now, of course, atragedy is a tragedy,
- 00:02:08.717 --> 00:02:11.220
- but this was nature;things happen.
- 00:02:11.253 --> 00:02:13.322
- Earthquakes and tornadoes andhurricanes are to be expected.
- 00:02:13.355 --> 00:02:16.959
- But what happened in Juneof 2015 was different,
- 00:02:16.992 --> 00:02:20.295
- very different, in fact.
- 00:02:20.329 --> 00:02:22.531
- When a person dies in anatural disaster, for example,
- 00:02:23.532 --> 00:02:27.002
- there are somesurvival mechanisms,
- 00:02:27.035 --> 00:02:29.638
- some psychologicalmechanisms survivors
- 00:02:29.671 --> 00:02:32.441
- or those affected by thetragedy can default to.
- 00:02:32.474 --> 00:02:36.078
- In spite of,"This isn't fair."
- 00:02:36.111 --> 00:02:38.547
- In spite of, "Why didthis happen to us?"
- 00:02:38.580 --> 00:02:41.116
- In spite of, "Lifeis rough right now."
- 00:02:41.149 --> 00:02:44.052
- In spite of a senseof helplessness and anger,
- 00:02:44.086 --> 00:02:46.154
- what we know is thatnatural disasters happen.
- 00:02:46.188 --> 00:02:48.624
- We know thatcancer, for example,
- 00:02:48.657 --> 00:02:50.726
- heart disease,strokes, they occur.
- 00:02:50.759 --> 00:02:53.695
- It was terribly sadthat Grandma died,
- 00:02:53.729 --> 00:02:55.530
- but, after all, people do die.
- 00:02:55.564 --> 00:02:58.934
- But how do you wrestlewith something like that?
- 00:02:58.967 --> 00:03:02.004
- Nine people didn't simply diehere in Charleston that night.
- 00:03:02.037 --> 00:03:06.275
- They had their lives snatchedaway due to a deliberate,
- 00:03:06.308 --> 00:03:09.945
- thought-out,planned act of hatred.
- 00:03:09.978 --> 00:03:12.981
- Children were leftwithout parents.
- 00:03:13.015 --> 00:03:14.983
- Parents lost their children.
- 00:03:15.017 --> 00:03:17.152
- Siblings and friends andneighbors and colleagues,
- 00:03:17.185 --> 00:03:20.222
- all had to wrestle with aradically altered existence,
- 00:03:20.255 --> 00:03:23.592
- one that contained nowsome very big holes.
- 00:03:23.625 --> 00:03:28.196
- People went to churchthat night--to church--
- 00:03:28.230 --> 00:03:32.267
- to worship, to pray,to study the Word of God.
- 00:03:32.301 --> 00:03:37.172
- This was hideous.
- 00:03:37.205 --> 00:03:39.441
- We know how Godfeels about murder.
- 00:03:40.375 --> 00:03:42.277
- The sixth commandment isprobably best expressed
- 00:03:42.311 --> 00:03:45.447
- when it's translated,"Thou shalt not murder."
- 00:03:45.480 --> 00:03:49.084
- This is truly disastrous.
- 00:03:49.117 --> 00:03:52.020
- So how do you go on whensomebody you love is murdered
- 00:03:52.054 --> 00:03:55.123
- in circumstances like these,
- 00:03:55.157 --> 00:03:57.259
- by a person who soughtout innocent people
- 00:03:57.292 --> 00:04:00.128
- for the purpose of doingsomething ultimately hateful?
- 00:04:00.162 --> 00:04:03.965
- Well, we're about to find out.
- 00:04:03.999 --> 00:04:06.635
- Myra Thompson was therethat night at the church
- 00:04:06.668 --> 00:04:09.438
- often referred toas "Mother Emmanuel."
- 00:04:09.471 --> 00:04:12.140
- She was among thenine people murdered.
- 00:04:12.174 --> 00:04:14.776
- Her husband Anthony has madethe remarkable decision
- 00:04:14.810 --> 00:04:17.579
- to forgive the man whokilled not only his wife,
- 00:04:17.612 --> 00:04:20.982
- but eight others.
- 00:04:21.016 --> 00:04:23.018
- Thank you so muchfor joining me.
- 00:04:24.519 --> 00:04:25.620
- I appreciate it greatly.
- 00:04:25.654 --> 00:04:27.389
- It was June 17, 2015.What happened?
- 00:04:27.422 --> 00:04:31.093
- -Pastor Anthony Thompson:Someone called me
- 00:04:32.694 --> 00:04:34.329
- from the church--
- 00:04:34.363 --> 00:04:36.164
- not from the church--
- 00:04:36.198 --> 00:04:37.232
- it was a member of EmmanuelAME Church called me
- 00:04:37.265 --> 00:04:39.501
- and, and told me that shootingwas going on at the church,
- 00:04:39.534 --> 00:04:44.172
- and somebody wasshooting outside.
- 00:04:44.206 --> 00:04:46.942
- That's, at least, I thoughtit was outside.
- 00:04:46.975 --> 00:04:48.410
- So I, I took offout of my house.
- 00:04:48.443 --> 00:04:50.011
- I, I drove down, found outthat shooting was taking place
- 00:04:50.045 --> 00:04:56.518
- inside the church,not outside the church.
- 00:04:56.551 --> 00:04:59.755
- Then I was told that familymembers had been moved
- 00:04:59.788 --> 00:05:02.724
- from the church to a hotel.
- 00:05:02.758 --> 00:05:04.393
- So I thoughteverything was okay,
- 00:05:04.426 --> 00:05:06.695
- until I got there,
- 00:05:06.728 --> 00:05:08.230
- found out that ambulanceswere parked outside.
- 00:05:08.263 --> 00:05:12.534
- Nine.
- 00:05:12.567 --> 00:05:13.835
- So I thought, had to be more toit than what I had been told.
- 00:05:13.869 --> 00:05:19.241
- And once I searched,trying to find my wife,
- 00:05:19.274 --> 00:05:21.843
- frantically searching,trying to find her,
- 00:05:21.877 --> 00:05:24.713
- and trying to get intoEmmanuel AME Church,
- 00:05:24.746 --> 00:05:27.916
- I discovered...I lostmy best friend,
- 00:05:27.949 --> 00:05:32.821
- the one I love the most.
- 00:05:32.854 --> 00:05:35.023
- And, uh...[inhales and exhales]
- 00:05:35.056 --> 00:05:38.693
- it kind of tookeverything out of me.
- 00:05:38.727 --> 00:05:41.563
- -John: You made a remarkabledecision, however.
- 00:05:41.596 --> 00:05:43.899
- This was a crime intentionallyperpetrated by a hate-filled man
- 00:05:43.932 --> 00:05:47.569
- bent on causing pain,perpetrating violence,
- 00:05:47.602 --> 00:05:52.240
- and, and starting a race war.
- 00:05:52.274 --> 00:05:54.376
- -Pastor Thompson:Mm-hmm.
- 00:05:54.409 --> 00:05:56.044
- -John: But you didn'ttake the bait.
- 00:05:56.077 --> 00:05:58.613
- And somehow you and othersmade a decision to forgive,
- 00:05:58.647 --> 00:06:03.718
- a decision I'm sure somepeople would think is crazy.
- 00:06:03.752 --> 00:06:06.688
- Let's get to that in a moment,but I want to ask you,
- 00:06:06.721 --> 00:06:09.191
- how were you able to make thedecision to forgive, and why?
- 00:06:09.224 --> 00:06:14.296
- -Pastor Thompson: Well, thedecision to forgive Dylann
- 00:06:14.329 --> 00:06:17.466
- came easy.
- 00:06:17.499 --> 00:06:19.701
- Not for me, but easy in a waythat God stepped in and,
- 00:06:19.734 --> 00:06:24.606
- and made it possible,
- 00:06:24.639 --> 00:06:26.308
- because He put me in a placein the bond hearing,
- 00:06:26.341 --> 00:06:30.445
- a place where Ididn't want to be.
- 00:06:30.479 --> 00:06:32.647
- Then when I got there,He had me to say something
- 00:06:32.681 --> 00:06:37.619
- that I had no ideaI was going to say.
- 00:06:37.652 --> 00:06:40.155
- And that was to forgive him.
- 00:06:40.188 --> 00:06:42.224
- And so, that's what I meanwhen I say it was easy.
- 00:06:42.257 --> 00:06:45.427
- But then...you know, afterthinking about it for some time
- 00:06:45.460 --> 00:06:51.166
- after actually doing it,
- 00:06:51.199 --> 00:06:53.935
- I realized that He had beenpreparing me for that moment
- 00:06:53.969 --> 00:06:57.472
- for a long time.
- 00:06:57.506 --> 00:06:59.007
- -John: Why do you think it wasthat you chose to forgive
- 00:06:59.040 --> 00:07:01.176
- when so easily youcould have said,
- 00:07:01.209 --> 00:07:02.844
- "I'm not going to forgive,"
- 00:07:02.878 --> 00:07:03.845
- and you, you could havestood up in that hearing
- 00:07:03.879 --> 00:07:05.947
- and said all mannerof unkind things?
- 00:07:05.981 --> 00:07:08.950
- Why did you make that choice?
- 00:07:08.984 --> 00:07:10.285
- -Pastor Thompson: Well...
- 00:07:10.318 --> 00:07:12.954
- first, I didn't want Dylannto have control over my life.
- 00:07:12.988 --> 00:07:16.658
- I didn't want him to havecontrol over my children's life.
- 00:07:16.691 --> 00:07:20.462
- I wanted to just be rid of him.
- 00:07:20.495 --> 00:07:22.964
- And one way of being ridof him was to forgive him
- 00:07:22.998 --> 00:07:25.967
- so that then his intentions ofstarting a race war wouldn't,
- 00:07:26.001 --> 00:07:30.572
- wouldn't happen.
- 00:07:30.605 --> 00:07:32.407
- And, if I'd gonethe opposite way,
- 00:07:32.440 --> 00:07:35.176
- well, I would havegave in to him,
- 00:07:35.210 --> 00:07:36.912
- and he would havebeen in control.
- 00:07:36.945 --> 00:07:38.980
- And so forgiveness wasa way of releasing myself
- 00:07:39.014 --> 00:07:42.284
- from his control.
- 00:07:42.317 --> 00:07:43.251
- -John: And clearlythat's what you've done.
- 00:07:43.285 --> 00:07:44.586
- You've released yourself fromthe control of the person
- 00:07:44.619 --> 00:07:47.022
- who committed thisterrible act of violence.
- 00:07:47.055 --> 00:07:49.824
- I wonder if some people wouldsay you let him off the hook.
- 00:07:49.858 --> 00:07:53.595
- -Pastor Thompson: Yes.Some people have said that.
- 00:07:53.628 --> 00:07:56.364
- Some people saidthat they don't see how
- 00:07:56.398 --> 00:07:59.601
- I could forgive himbecause it's like saying,
- 00:07:59.634 --> 00:08:03.438
- I don't want anythingto happen to him;
- 00:08:03.471 --> 00:08:04.773
- I don't want himto be punished.
- 00:08:04.806 --> 00:08:07.409
- And, um, my answer was, "No,it was letting me off the hook."
- 00:08:07.442 --> 00:08:11.446
- Dylann is being punished.
- 00:08:11.479 --> 00:08:12.948
- Dylann is in jail--
- 00:08:12.981 --> 00:08:13.982
- nine, nine counts of, uh,the death sentence.
- 00:08:14.015 --> 00:08:17.319
- And so I'm not lettinghim off the hook;
- 00:08:17.352 --> 00:08:18.853
- I'm letting myself off the hook,
- 00:08:18.887 --> 00:08:20.855
- you know, from havinghim have control,
- 00:08:20.889 --> 00:08:23.224
- from, from me being angry,
- 00:08:23.258 --> 00:08:25.260
- and from me hating him andjust making my life miserable.
- 00:08:25.293 --> 00:08:28.029
- Because if I had not forgivenDylann, you know, the anger
- 00:08:28.063 --> 00:08:32.968
- and harboring angerand hate in my heart for him
- 00:08:33.001 --> 00:08:35.170
- would only destroy my life.
- 00:08:35.203 --> 00:08:36.705
- -John: What sort of manwould you be today
- 00:08:36.738 --> 00:08:38.707
- if you'd not madethe choice to forgive?
- 00:08:38.740 --> 00:08:42.744
- -Pastor Thompson: I probablywouldn't be at this church.
- 00:08:42.777 --> 00:08:45.547
- Because, first thingcame to my mind was,
- 00:08:45.580 --> 00:08:49.851
- what, what am I going to do?I have no more purpose.
- 00:08:49.884 --> 00:08:53.388
- And I was thinking, well, doesthat mean leaving the church?
- 00:08:53.421 --> 00:08:56.291
- So, I probablywouldn't be here.
- 00:08:56.324 --> 00:08:58.526
- Could have just continued topity myself and pity myself.
- 00:08:58.560 --> 00:09:03.131
- I don't think itwould have been good.
- 00:09:03.164 --> 00:09:05.266
- My life probably wouldhave changed drastically.
- 00:09:05.300 --> 00:09:07.268
- You know, I probablywould have gone from God
- 00:09:07.302 --> 00:09:08.937
- to not depending on Him,depending on myself.
- 00:09:08.970 --> 00:09:12.173
- Could have led to drinking,drugs, uh, I don't know.
- 00:09:12.207 --> 00:09:15.310
- You know, it could have gonequite the opposite.
- 00:09:15.343 --> 00:09:17.879
- -John: Here's another unknown,
- 00:09:17.912 --> 00:09:19.147
- although people havespeculated on this.
- 00:09:19.180 --> 00:09:21.983
- Your decision to forgive, thedecision made by you and others,
- 00:09:22.017 --> 00:09:24.819
- to forgive a murderer had avery powerful effect on a city.
- 00:09:24.853 --> 00:09:29.958
- -Pastor Thompson:Mmm.
- 00:09:29.991 --> 00:09:30.959
- -John: Tell me about that,
- 00:09:30.992 --> 00:09:32.127
- how the city of Charlestonwas impacted by forgiveness.
- 00:09:32.160 --> 00:09:35.563
- -Pastor Thompson: Well,the city of Charleston
- 00:09:35.597 --> 00:09:38.066
- was not lookingfor forgiveness.
- 00:09:38.099 --> 00:09:40.168
- They were lookingfor us to start a riot,
- 00:09:40.201 --> 00:09:42.003
- to start the race warlike Dylann wanted.
- 00:09:42.037 --> 00:09:44.105
- And from that not happening,it just put everybody in awe,
- 00:09:44.139 --> 00:09:51.179
- gave them time to think--what, what just happened?
- 00:09:51.212 --> 00:09:55.316
- You know, why?
- 00:09:55.350 --> 00:09:57.285
- What was that?You know.
- 00:09:57.318 --> 00:09:59.587
- And, and then immediatelyeverybody just hold hands
- 00:09:59.621 --> 00:10:03.758
- and hugged, cried together,
- 00:10:03.792 --> 00:10:06.361
- you know, uh,brought flowers
- 00:10:06.394 --> 00:10:07.896
- and put them in frontof the church together.
- 00:10:07.929 --> 00:10:09.564
- And spent days, I mean, the cityof Charleston was crowded;
- 00:10:09.597 --> 00:10:12.701
- the downtown area was so crowdedtraffic couldn't even move
- 00:10:12.734 --> 00:10:16.571
- because the peoplewouldn't move.
- 00:10:16.604 --> 00:10:17.672
- The people just wantedto be attached to somebody.
- 00:10:17.706 --> 00:10:20.308
- And it didn't matter what yourrace was or what your color
- 00:10:20.341 --> 00:10:23.378
- or your culture was orhow different you spoke.
- 00:10:23.411 --> 00:10:25.980
- You know, we, we justwanted to communicate.
- 00:10:26.014 --> 00:10:28.183
- We, we, you know,it was like,
- 00:10:28.216 --> 00:10:30.985
- it was like we all hada sense of family
- 00:10:31.019 --> 00:10:34.622
- 'cause somebody came andjust destroyed and killed
- 00:10:34.656 --> 00:10:38.560
- some people in our family,like brothers and sisters,
- 00:10:38.593 --> 00:10:40.795
- and so we came togetherlike brothers and sisters,
- 00:10:40.829 --> 00:10:42.931
- like, you know,"Oh my God," you know,
- 00:10:42.964 --> 00:10:44.466
- you know, "Myra's gone."
- 00:10:44.499 --> 00:10:46.468
- You know, "Tywanza,he's gone."
- 00:10:46.501 --> 00:10:49.337
- You know, just like you,like they lost somebody, too.
- 00:10:49.370 --> 00:10:53.241
- And so it gave everybody a senseof just wanting to be together,
- 00:10:53.274 --> 00:10:55.744
- being a, beinga family,
- 00:10:55.777 --> 00:10:56.745
- and that's what we'retrying to work on now.
- 00:10:56.778 --> 00:10:58.546
- -John: There's powerin forgiveness.
- 00:10:58.580 --> 00:10:59.948
- There is powerin forgiveness.
- 00:10:59.981 --> 00:11:01.549
- Looking forward to talking morewith Pastor Anthony Thompson
- 00:11:01.583 --> 00:11:03.818
- about this in just a moment.
- 00:11:03.852 --> 00:11:06.087
- ♪[music]♪
- 00:11:06.121 --> 00:11:11.292
- -Announcer:We hear it all the time:
- 00:11:15.296 --> 00:11:17.198
- God is all-powerful,and God is love.
- 00:11:17.232 --> 00:11:19.968
- But if God is sopowerful and loving,
- 00:11:20.001 --> 00:11:22.270
- why is there so much suffering?
- 00:11:22.303 --> 00:11:24.339
- Discover what the Biblesays on the subject
- 00:11:24.372 --> 00:11:26.307
- by requestingtoday's free offer,
- 00:11:26.341 --> 00:11:28.343
- "Why Does God Allow Suffering?"
- 00:11:28.376 --> 00:11:29.978
- It's absolutely free.
- 00:11:30.011 --> 00:11:31.546
- Just call800-253-3000,
- 00:11:31.579 --> 00:11:35.116
- 800-253-3000,
- 00:11:35.150 --> 00:11:38.253
- or write to the addresson your screen.
- 00:11:38.286 --> 00:11:39.988
- You can also makeyour request online
- 00:11:40.021 --> 00:11:41.623
- atiiwoffer.com.
- 00:11:41.656 --> 00:11:43.992
- -John Bradshaw: Thanks forjoining me on It Is Written.
- 00:11:45.493 --> 00:11:47.996
- My very special guest isPastor Anthony Thompson,
- 00:11:48.029 --> 00:11:50.799
- whose book,"Called to Forgive,"
- 00:11:50.832 --> 00:11:52.634
- recounts the terrible tragedyin Charleston, South Carolina,
- 00:11:52.667 --> 00:11:56.671
- in 2015 and its aftermath.
- 00:11:56.704 --> 00:11:59.974
- Uh, tell me about theprocess of writing that book.
- 00:12:00.008 --> 00:12:02.944
- It had to be painful,therapeutic.
- 00:12:02.977 --> 00:12:06.147
- How was that for you?
- 00:12:06.181 --> 00:12:07.582
- -Pastor Anthony Thompson:Well, initially,
- 00:12:07.615 --> 00:12:08.950
- I didn't want towrite immediately
- 00:12:08.983 --> 00:12:11.352
- because...we hadpeople coming at us
- 00:12:11.386 --> 00:12:15.590
- from all differentkind of directions,
- 00:12:15.623 --> 00:12:17.525
- and didn't havetime to mourn,
- 00:12:17.559 --> 00:12:19.994
- barely had time to thinkabout what had happened.
- 00:12:20.028 --> 00:12:22.897
- And I didn't want to re-livethat, you know, not at the time.
- 00:12:22.931 --> 00:12:27.769
- And so, um, I gave itsome prayer,
- 00:12:27.802 --> 00:12:30.705
- with the help of otherpeople praying with me.
- 00:12:30.738 --> 00:12:33.875
- And then, eventually,I started speaking,
- 00:12:33.908 --> 00:12:38.213
- started speaking todifferent crowds,
- 00:12:38.246 --> 00:12:40.748
- different churches,organizations,
- 00:12:40.782 --> 00:12:43.117
- and as I spoke,it was like venting,
- 00:12:43.151 --> 00:12:46.588
- and I could feel myselfbeing relieved day by day.
- 00:12:46.621 --> 00:12:50.191
- But then after a while, afterrealizing the real purpose,
- 00:12:50.225 --> 00:12:55.997
- that God wanted thisto be a mission
- 00:12:56.030 --> 00:12:59.267
- and spread the gospelof forgiveness,
- 00:12:59.300 --> 00:13:02.103
- is when I heard the peopleseeking, seeking something,
- 00:13:02.136 --> 00:13:05.473
- some kind of peace,
- 00:13:05.506 --> 00:13:06.741
- wanting to know how--"What is forgiveness?"
- 00:13:06.774 --> 00:13:08.209
- "How does it work?"You know, "What can I do?"
- 00:13:08.243 --> 00:13:10.278
- And then it kicked in.
- 00:13:10.311 --> 00:13:12.914
- You know what, yeah, I needto write this book.
- 00:13:12.947 --> 00:13:15.149
- -John: It's interesting,as a minister of the gospel,
- 00:13:15.183 --> 00:13:17.085
- forgiveness is your thing;it's what you talk about.
- 00:13:17.118 --> 00:13:18.953
- It, the, the gospelis about forgiveness.
- 00:13:18.987 --> 00:13:21.589
- A sinful world, we needreconciliation with God.
- 00:13:21.623 --> 00:13:24.926
- So talk to me aboutyour understanding,
- 00:13:24.959 --> 00:13:27.729
- your experience in God'sforgiveness towards us.
- 00:13:27.762 --> 00:13:31.299
- How do you understand that moredifferently or more completely,
- 00:13:31.332 --> 00:13:33.801
- now that you've been calledto forgive in a very real,
- 00:13:33.835 --> 00:13:39.507
- very raw sort of a way?
- 00:13:39.540 --> 00:13:41.676
- -Pastor Thompson: Beforethis actually happened,
- 00:13:41.709 --> 00:13:43.945
- before Godintervened...you know,
- 00:13:43.978 --> 00:13:48.049
- I didn't give forgiveness a realthought, a real deep thought.
- 00:13:48.082 --> 00:13:53.054
- All I knew was that I wasa forgiven person,
- 00:13:53.087 --> 00:13:55.990
- and some of the things thatI experienced in my life
- 00:13:56.024 --> 00:13:59.060
- from my childhood--I wentthrough some things that,
- 00:13:59.093 --> 00:14:01.162
- uh, some people whooffended me, you know--
- 00:14:01.195 --> 00:14:04.432
- I forgave them in the past.
- 00:14:04.465 --> 00:14:06.968
- And, but never reallyexperienced the kind of peace
- 00:14:07.001 --> 00:14:11.639
- that I experiencedwhen I forgave Dylann
- 00:14:11.673 --> 00:14:14.142
- at the bond hearingthat day, you know,
- 00:14:14.175 --> 00:14:16.678
- because what he did to my wife,it was completely different.
- 00:14:16.711 --> 00:14:21.249
- Um, and so, I sawforgiveness then as,
- 00:14:21.282 --> 00:14:27.155
- well, something I'msupposed to do, you know.
- 00:14:27.188 --> 00:14:30.625
- And I knew that it, if I did it,
- 00:14:30.658 --> 00:14:33.261
- something good wouldcome out of it.
- 00:14:33.294 --> 00:14:35.663
- But then when I forgave Dylann,
- 00:14:35.697 --> 00:14:37.098
- it was more than somethinggood came out of it.
- 00:14:37.131 --> 00:14:39.500
- It was, I receiveda peace, you know,
- 00:14:39.534 --> 00:14:44.939
- I mean, a, a calmness,
- 00:14:44.973 --> 00:14:47.909
- a more sense ofletting God have control,
- 00:14:47.942 --> 00:14:52.347
- knowing that I couldtrust Him, you know,
- 00:14:52.380 --> 00:14:56.517
- because of what Hebrought into my life,
- 00:14:56.551 --> 00:14:59.387
- where He gave menew purpose.
- 00:14:59.420 --> 00:15:01.756
- And so it was that, that,it was different...
- 00:15:01.789 --> 00:15:06.027
- at the tragedy than it wasprior to the tragedy.
- 00:15:06.060 --> 00:15:09.530
- -John: Undoubtedly there aremany people watching us
- 00:15:09.564 --> 00:15:11.165
- right now who are struggling toforgive, refusing to forgive.
- 00:15:11.199 --> 00:15:16.404
- "I know I shouldforgive, but I won't.
- 00:15:16.437 --> 00:15:19.040
- It hurts too much."
- 00:15:19.073 --> 00:15:20.341
- This and that.
- 00:15:20.375 --> 00:15:21.409
- What would you say to thatperson that's wrestling
- 00:15:21.442 --> 00:15:23.144
- with forgiveness?
- 00:15:23.177 --> 00:15:24.278
- How does someone go aboutforgiving another person?
- 00:15:24.312 --> 00:15:28.149
- -Pastor Thompson:I would say,
- 00:15:28.182 --> 00:15:29.283
- right now, I knowyou're hurting.
- 00:15:29.317 --> 00:15:32.320
- You know, I know somebodydid something to offend you,
- 00:15:32.353 --> 00:15:35.289
- and, and it hurts you, and youprobably want to get them back.
- 00:15:35.323 --> 00:15:39.527
- You know, you probablyhate the person.
- 00:15:39.560 --> 00:15:41.629
- You're probablyangry at that person.
- 00:15:41.662 --> 00:15:43.731
- And you feel you'vegot to do that
- 00:15:43.765 --> 00:15:46.934
- because it's going tomake you feel better.
- 00:15:46.968 --> 00:15:49.504
- Well, I'm going tolet you know now:
- 00:15:49.537 --> 00:15:50.838
- It won't make you feel better.It'll make you feel worse.
- 00:15:50.872 --> 00:15:54.275
- Because harboring angerand harboring hate,
- 00:15:54.308 --> 00:15:57.478
- it affects your health;it affects your mind;
- 00:15:57.512 --> 00:16:00.648
- you know, it justaffects your soul.
- 00:16:00.681 --> 00:16:02.183
- And you just getdeeper and deeper
- 00:16:02.216 --> 00:16:04.685
- and deeper anddeeper until, till,
- 00:16:04.719 --> 00:16:07.088
- till wanting to dosomething bad.
- 00:16:07.121 --> 00:16:09.390
- But forgiveness is,it may be hard to do,
- 00:16:09.424 --> 00:16:13.394
- but God can help you.
- 00:16:13.428 --> 00:16:16.064
- All you need to do is toask God to forgive you;
- 00:16:16.097 --> 00:16:20.635
- then ask God to help youforgive the person
- 00:16:20.668 --> 00:16:22.870
- you can't seem to forgive.
- 00:16:22.904 --> 00:16:24.806
- And that's all He'llrequire of you,
- 00:16:24.839 --> 00:16:26.340
- and He will help you do it.
- 00:16:26.374 --> 00:16:28.242
- You will do it.
- 00:16:28.276 --> 00:16:29.477
- And when you do it, Iguarantee you 100 percent
- 00:16:29.510 --> 00:16:33.214
- that He will give you thatpeace that you've been trying
- 00:16:33.247 --> 00:16:35.983
- to find through other meansof being angry and revenge.
- 00:16:36.017 --> 00:16:39.320
- -John: How about,though, though--
- 00:16:39.353 --> 00:16:42.090
- someone's going to say, "Yeah,my neighbor backed into my car
- 00:16:42.123 --> 00:16:45.259
- and then lied about it.Cost me $1.100."
- 00:16:45.293 --> 00:16:48.763
- But that's that.But what about the big things?
- 00:16:48.796 --> 00:16:54.035
- And you're qualifiedto speak about this
- 00:16:54.068 --> 00:16:55.636
- 'cause you wentthrough the biggest thing.
- 00:16:55.670 --> 00:16:58.039
- Help someone getover that hump.
- 00:16:58.072 --> 00:17:00.141
- 'Cause I can justimagine somebody saying,
- 00:17:00.174 --> 00:17:02.210
- "Yeah, I, I understand that,
- 00:17:02.243 --> 00:17:03.611
- but you don't know whatI've been through."
- 00:17:03.644 --> 00:17:06.581
- How do we address that withthe really difficult things?
- 00:17:06.614 --> 00:17:09.784
- [inhales and exhales]
- 00:17:09.817 --> 00:17:11.919
- -Pastor Thompson: We canmake things difficult,
- 00:17:11.953 --> 00:17:13.554
- because we, we, wedefine sin as small sin,
- 00:17:13.588 --> 00:17:19.060
- as big sin.
- 00:17:19.093 --> 00:17:20.495
- We look at lyingas something small.
- 00:17:20.528 --> 00:17:22.630
- "Well, I can do that.I can forgive them."
- 00:17:22.663 --> 00:17:24.198
- Then we look at murders.
- 00:17:24.232 --> 00:17:25.333
- "Oh, that's, that's just too,that's just too much.
- 00:17:25.366 --> 00:17:27.568
- I can't forgive him."
- 00:17:27.602 --> 00:17:29.036
- But sin is a sin.
- 00:17:29.070 --> 00:17:31.873
- You know, wrong is wrong;bad is bad.
- 00:17:31.906 --> 00:17:34.976
- There's no greater;there's no lesser;
- 00:17:35.009 --> 00:17:37.111
- they're all the same.
- 00:17:37.145 --> 00:17:38.112
- So, you've got to takea look at that first.
- 00:17:38.146 --> 00:17:40.648
- You know, then you've got totake a look at your own life.
- 00:17:40.681 --> 00:17:43.084
- You've got to examineyourself and say to yourself,
- 00:17:43.117 --> 00:17:46.821
- "Who have I done wrong to?Who have I lied to?"
- 00:17:46.854 --> 00:17:48.723
- What, you know, you know,was it, was it a big sin,
- 00:17:48.756 --> 00:17:51.692
- or was it a small sin?
- 00:17:51.726 --> 00:17:53.027
- There's no, no greater.
- 00:17:53.060 --> 00:17:54.795
- And then if you can seeyourself as a person
- 00:17:54.829 --> 00:17:58.366
- who's done somebody wrongor said something wrong,
- 00:17:58.399 --> 00:18:00.434
- then it makes it a little easierfor you to see the person
- 00:18:00.468 --> 00:18:03.137
- that did you wrong,
- 00:18:03.171 --> 00:18:04.238
- no matter how big, how smallyou may see it to be.
- 00:18:04.272 --> 00:18:06.941
- But there's no bigger sin,and there's no smaller sin.
- 00:18:06.974 --> 00:18:09.010
- Sin is sin.
- 00:18:09.043 --> 00:18:10.678
- -John: And if we lookat the Bible,
- 00:18:10.711 --> 00:18:11.979
- we understand that Jesus died,not because of your sin;
- 00:18:12.013 --> 00:18:16.250
- He died because of my sin.
- 00:18:16.284 --> 00:18:17.952
- So, I'm responsible forthe death of the Son of God,
- 00:18:17.985 --> 00:18:21.022
- and surely that oughtto motivate me somehow
- 00:18:21.055 --> 00:18:23.524
- to exercise forgiveness.
- 00:18:23.558 --> 00:18:25.493
- Jesus said, didn't He,"Father, forgive them."
- 00:18:25.526 --> 00:18:30.198
- "Father, forgive them."
- 00:18:30.231 --> 00:18:31.799
- As a minister of the gospel,
- 00:18:31.832 --> 00:18:33.701
- what does that exampleof forgiveness
- 00:18:33.734 --> 00:18:35.670
- exercised or demonstratedby Jesus mean to you,
- 00:18:35.703 --> 00:18:38.172
- and how do you share thatand relate that to others?
- 00:18:38.206 --> 00:18:41.809
- -Pastor Thompson:It means a lot to me,
- 00:18:41.842 --> 00:18:43.611
- 'cause first of all, the painand the suffering that He took.
- 00:18:43.644 --> 00:18:48.616
- I mean, He, He was, He, He wasbeaten as He walked to Calvary.
- 00:18:48.649 --> 00:18:54.322
- You know, He, He, they,they took a whip with,
- 00:18:54.355 --> 00:18:57.925
- tied with bones and,and, and, and like glass,
- 00:18:57.959 --> 00:19:01.395
- like metal on the endof the tips of it,
- 00:19:01.429 --> 00:19:03.531
- just tore Him, ripped His body.
- 00:19:03.564 --> 00:19:05.499
- Then they put crownsof thorns on His head.
- 00:19:05.533 --> 00:19:07.235
- Then they took, set the spearin His side, you know,
- 00:19:07.268 --> 00:19:10.471
- where the blood and the watersurrounding His, His heart,
- 00:19:10.504 --> 00:19:14.242
- you know, just camedown His body.
- 00:19:14.275 --> 00:19:16.244
- And then, they nailed Him tothe cross, hands and feet.
- 00:19:16.277 --> 00:19:20.448
- I mean, that's realpain and suffering.
- 00:19:20.481 --> 00:19:22.917
- But He didn't have to do it.He did it for you and me.
- 00:19:22.950 --> 00:19:26.187
- And He said,"Father, forgive them."
- 00:19:26.220 --> 00:19:29.156
- So, if He can do all that forme and do all that for you,
- 00:19:29.190 --> 00:19:35.129
- then we should be able toforgive someone who does,
- 00:19:35.162 --> 00:19:38.132
- who's done somethingso small to us.
- 00:19:38.165 --> 00:19:42.803
- You know, I mean,
- 00:19:42.837 --> 00:19:45.640
- for God's sake, you know,forgive that person.
- 00:19:45.673 --> 00:19:48.943
- -John: "Called to Forgive."
- 00:19:48.976 --> 00:19:50.911
- If anybody knowssomething about forgiveness,
- 00:19:50.945 --> 00:19:53.247
- it's Pastor Anthony Thompson.
- 00:19:53.281 --> 00:19:54.582
- We'll have a little morein just a moment.
- 00:19:54.615 --> 00:19:56.617
- ♪[music]♪
- 00:19:56.651 --> 00:20:02.823
- -Announcer:We hear it all the time:
- 00:20:05.826 --> 00:20:07.762
- God is all-powerful,and God is love.
- 00:20:07.795 --> 00:20:10.598
- But if God is sopowerful and loving,
- 00:20:10.631 --> 00:20:12.833
- why is there so much suffering?
- 00:20:12.867 --> 00:20:14.969
- Discover what the Biblesays on the subject
- 00:20:15.002 --> 00:20:16.971
- by requestingtoday's free offer,
- 00:20:17.004 --> 00:20:18.806
- "Why Does God Allow Suffering?"
- 00:20:18.839 --> 00:20:20.608
- It's absolutely free.
- 00:20:20.641 --> 00:20:22.209
- Just call800-253-3000,
- 00:20:22.243 --> 00:20:25.680
- 800-253-3000,
- 00:20:25.713 --> 00:20:28.716
- or write to the addresson your screen.
- 00:20:28.749 --> 00:20:30.384
- You can also makeyour request online
- 00:20:30.418 --> 00:20:31.886
- atiiwoffer.com.
- 00:20:31.919 --> 00:20:34.322
- -John Bradshaw: Thanks forjoining me on It Is Written.
- 00:20:36.624 --> 00:20:39.293
- As we talk aboutforgiveness, let me ask you.
- 00:20:39.327 --> 00:20:41.696
- You preach about it;you've written about it.
- 00:20:41.729 --> 00:20:43.364
- Forgiveness in the Bible,where do we see it?
- 00:20:43.397 --> 00:20:45.866
- -Pastor Anthony Thompson:The two servants.
- 00:20:45.900 --> 00:20:47.735
- There was a servant whoowed his, his master.
- 00:20:47.768 --> 00:20:51.138
- In today's money, it'd be likea million or more dollars.
- 00:20:51.172 --> 00:20:53.941
- And the master was ready tocollect, and the servant said,
- 00:20:53.974 --> 00:20:57.111
- "Well, you know, Lord,I don't have it."
- 00:20:57.144 --> 00:20:59.580
- You know, and he beggedfor mercy, you know, said,
- 00:20:59.613 --> 00:21:01.115
- "Hey, look, I'll payyou later, you know.
- 00:21:01.148 --> 00:21:03.217
- I'll pay youas soon as I can."
- 00:21:03.250 --> 00:21:05.086
- He said, "But justhave mercy on me."
- 00:21:05.119 --> 00:21:07.455
- And he had mercy on him.
- 00:21:07.488 --> 00:21:08.489
- And he relinquishedhis servant's debt.
- 00:21:08.522 --> 00:21:11.792
- I mean, he didn't evenhave to pay him back.
- 00:21:11.826 --> 00:21:13.294
- In other words, he forgave him.
- 00:21:13.327 --> 00:21:15.363
- And then that same servant,he was master to a servant,
- 00:21:15.396 --> 00:21:19.066
- and his servant owedhim maybe a few bucks.
- 00:21:19.100 --> 00:21:21.635
- And he told the man,
- 00:21:21.669 --> 00:21:22.870
- "I'm going to throw youin jail until you pay me."
- 00:21:22.903 --> 00:21:26.240
- Now, the ridiculouspart is that,
- 00:21:26.273 --> 00:21:27.875
- well, while he's in jail,he can't pay him.
- 00:21:27.908 --> 00:21:30.711
- So it means that he wasnever going to pay him,
- 00:21:30.745 --> 00:21:32.279
- so he was alwaysgoing to be in jail.
- 00:21:32.313 --> 00:21:35.082
- Then the master whoforgave him found out
- 00:21:35.116 --> 00:21:39.220
- that he had thrown his servantinto jail, and then he said,
- 00:21:39.253 --> 00:21:42.323
- "You know, I forgave you,
- 00:21:42.356 --> 00:21:43.691
- and you could notforgive your servant?"
- 00:21:43.724 --> 00:21:45.893
- He says, "So now I'm goingto throw you in jail,
- 00:21:45.926 --> 00:21:48.362
- and you're going tostay there, you know,
- 00:21:48.396 --> 00:21:49.897
- until you can pay me back."
- 00:21:49.930 --> 00:21:51.599
- Meaning that, you know,it was over for him.
- 00:21:51.632 --> 00:21:54.969
- And so, the story is that,you know, God is saying,
- 00:21:55.002 --> 00:22:00.241
- "If you want me to forgive you,
- 00:22:00.274 --> 00:22:03.244
- then you have to forgive theperson who did you wrong."
- 00:22:03.277 --> 00:22:06.313
- -John: Forgiveness is sofundamental to the gospel,
- 00:22:06.347 --> 00:22:08.516
- but we wrestle with it.
- 00:22:08.549 --> 00:22:09.483
- Forgiveness sometimesseems so very hard,
- 00:22:09.517 --> 00:22:11.919
- but as you know,unforgiveness is much harder.
- 00:22:11.952 --> 00:22:15.756
- -Pastor Thompson:Much harder.
- 00:22:15.790 --> 00:22:17.124
- -John: Tell meabout your wife, Myra.
- 00:22:17.158 --> 00:22:18.592
- What was she like?
- 00:22:18.626 --> 00:22:19.693
- -Pastor Thompson: Mmm.Myra was a beautiful woman.
- 00:22:19.727 --> 00:22:22.029
- Uh, very extraordinarywoman, very loving.
- 00:22:22.062 --> 00:22:24.732
- She wasn't astranger to anybody.
- 00:22:24.765 --> 00:22:27.067
- She was a giver.
- 00:22:27.101 --> 00:22:28.402
- Everybody loved Myra.
- 00:22:28.436 --> 00:22:30.004
- Myra loved everybody.
- 00:22:30.037 --> 00:22:31.405
- -John: What do you thinkshe'd say to somebody
- 00:22:31.439 --> 00:22:32.873
- wrestling with a decisionto forgive or otherwise?
- 00:22:32.907 --> 00:22:36.710
- -Pastor Thompson: Mmm.She would tell them,
- 00:22:36.744 --> 00:22:40.581
- "I don't know why youdrank that poison,
- 00:22:40.614 --> 00:22:42.516
- think it's going to killsomebody else."
- 00:22:42.550 --> 00:22:44.251
- [laughs]
- 00:22:44.285 --> 00:22:45.820
- "You need to go aheadand forgive them."
- 00:22:45.853 --> 00:22:47.621
- You know, you just need to goahead and forgive them.
- 00:22:47.655 --> 00:22:50.524
- Because that, you, you,
- 00:22:50.558 --> 00:22:53.360
- you drinking the poison notgoing to kill them, you know.
- 00:22:53.394 --> 00:22:56.063
- You holding hate in your heartor anger in your heart,
- 00:22:56.096 --> 00:22:58.766
- that's not going to doanything to them.
- 00:22:58.799 --> 00:23:00.534
- It's going to makeyour life miserable.
- 00:23:00.568 --> 00:23:01.836
- You're going to die fromthe poison, not them.
- 00:23:01.869 --> 00:23:04.572
- So, don't drink thepoison. Forgive.
- 00:23:04.605 --> 00:23:08.342
- -John: Thanks so very much.
- 00:23:08.375 --> 00:23:09.343
- I appreciate youtaking your time.
- 00:23:09.376 --> 00:23:10.344
- -Pastor Thompson:Amen. God bless you.
- 00:23:10.377 --> 00:23:11.479
- -John: God bless you.
- 00:23:11.512 --> 00:23:12.680
- -Pastor Thompson: Thank youfor taking the time to come.
- 00:23:12.713 --> 00:23:13.647
- -John: Sure.
- 00:23:13.681 --> 00:23:14.448
- -Pastor Thompson:I appreciate it.
- 00:23:14.482 --> 00:23:14.949
- -John: Thank you.
- 00:23:14.982 --> 00:23:16.083
- ♪[soft music]♪
- 00:23:16.116 --> 00:23:17.318
- What we know is that lifeis going to challenge you.
- 00:23:17.351 --> 00:23:20.020
- Most of the time, thosechallenges, relatively small.
- 00:23:20.054 --> 00:23:23.591
- Sometimes big,occasionally massive.
- 00:23:23.624 --> 00:23:26.827
- The question is,how do you respond?
- 00:23:26.861 --> 00:23:29.330
- In this case, hatewould serve no purpose.
- 00:23:29.363 --> 00:23:32.266
- It's certainly not goingto bring anyone back.
- 00:23:32.299 --> 00:23:35.069
- A man has been sentenced to die.
- 00:23:35.102 --> 00:23:36.837
- His executionwon't raise the dead.
- 00:23:36.871 --> 00:23:40.140
- The living will still haveto go on through life
- 00:23:40.174 --> 00:23:42.776
- without people thatthey love the most.
- 00:23:42.810 --> 00:23:46.280
- Regardless of the wrong,
- 00:23:46.313 --> 00:23:47.915
- irrespective of the issueinvolved, forgiveness matters.
- 00:23:47.948 --> 00:23:51.552
- Forgiveness setsthe forgiver free.
- 00:23:51.585 --> 00:23:53.387
- Forgiveness is God's way.
- 00:23:53.420 --> 00:23:55.689
- Now, I understand; sometimes thepain just seems way too great.
- 00:23:55.723 --> 00:23:59.827
- Sometimes the wrongjust seems way too wrong.
- 00:23:59.860 --> 00:24:02.496
- But forgiveness was given by Godso that you can be made whole.
- 00:24:02.530 --> 00:24:07.801
- Anthony Thompson shows us thatwe don't have to go through life
- 00:24:07.835 --> 00:24:10.471
- hanging on to anger and hate.
- 00:24:10.504 --> 00:24:13.207
- We don't have to carry with usthe weight of unforgiveness.
- 00:24:13.240 --> 00:24:17.811
- So how's thatworking out for you?
- 00:24:17.845 --> 00:24:19.780
- It seems that most everybodyhas something to forgive.
- 00:24:19.813 --> 00:24:24.418
- Which might just meanthat most everybody
- 00:24:24.451 --> 00:24:26.320
- is hanging on to something thatthey might ought to let go.
- 00:24:26.353 --> 00:24:29.523
- Most people are far less wholethan they ought to be
- 00:24:29.557 --> 00:24:32.593
- simply because they'rechoosing not to forgive.
- 00:24:32.626 --> 00:24:36.830
- Think about the big picture.
- 00:24:36.864 --> 00:24:38.599
- As sinners, God has forgiven us.God has forgiven us so much.
- 00:24:38.632 --> 00:24:43.404
- Jesus died for our sins, andwhen we confess our sins,
- 00:24:43.437 --> 00:24:47.207
- the Bible says,
- 00:24:47.241 --> 00:24:48.609
- "He is faithful and justto forgive us our sins."
- 00:24:48.642 --> 00:24:52.212
- Further, "to cleanse usfrom all unrighteousness."
- 00:24:52.246 --> 00:24:56.550
- After what God has done for you,
- 00:24:56.584 --> 00:25:00.020
- can you extend that sameforgiveness to another?
- 00:25:00.054 --> 00:25:03.290
- And through exercisingthe kind of forgiveness
- 00:25:03.324 --> 00:25:06.360
- that God has exercisedtowards you,
- 00:25:06.393 --> 00:25:09.396
- you can experience the peace
- 00:25:09.430 --> 00:25:11.432
- that Anthony Thompsonexperiences,
- 00:25:11.465 --> 00:25:14.134
- the peace that God wants youto have now and forever.
- 00:25:14.168 --> 00:25:19.840
- -John: Thank you forremembering that It Is Written
- 00:25:20.674 --> 00:25:22.576
- exists because of the kindnessof people just like you.
- 00:25:22.610 --> 00:25:26.046
- To support this internationallife-changing ministry,
- 00:25:26.080 --> 00:25:29.183
- please call us now at800-253-3000.
- 00:25:29.216 --> 00:25:33.454
- You can send yourtax-deductible gift
- 00:25:33.487 --> 00:25:34.955
- to the addresson your screen,
- 00:25:34.989 --> 00:25:36.323
- or you can visit us online atitiswritten.com.
- 00:25:36.357 --> 00:25:40.327
- Thank you for your prayers andfor your financial support.
- 00:25:40.361 --> 00:25:43.097
- Our number again is800-253-3000,
- 00:25:43.130 --> 00:25:47.334
- or you can visit us online atitiswritten.com.
- 00:25:47.368 --> 00:25:50.371
- -John Bradshaw: Let mepray with you now.
- 00:25:51.372 --> 00:25:53.107
- Father in heaven,we thank You in Jesus' name
- 00:25:53.140 --> 00:25:55.009
- that You are a Godof great forgiveness.
- 00:25:55.042 --> 00:25:57.411
- We thank You for the gift offorgiveness that You give to us.
- 00:25:57.444 --> 00:26:00.114
- I ask that right now as someoneis wrestling with a choice
- 00:26:00.147 --> 00:26:03.617
- to forgive or otherwise,impress that heart to forgive.
- 00:26:03.651 --> 00:26:07.221
- Show that person thehealthy way forward.
- 00:26:07.254 --> 00:26:09.923
- Friend, is that you?
- 00:26:09.957 --> 00:26:10.991
- Would you open your heartup to God now and say,
- 00:26:11.025 --> 00:26:12.626
- "God, give me that graceto forgive another,"
- 00:26:12.660 --> 00:26:14.328
- or "God, I choose to forgive"?
- 00:26:14.361 --> 00:26:16.497
- You can choose to forgive.
- 00:26:16.530 --> 00:26:18.399
- Don't consult your feelings.
- 00:26:18.432 --> 00:26:20.534
- Choose to forgive and expectthat God will take care
- 00:26:20.567 --> 00:26:23.303
- of the feelings inthe fullness of time.
- 00:26:23.337 --> 00:26:25.873
- Thank You, Lord,that You forgive us,
- 00:26:25.906 --> 00:26:28.008
- that Your forgivenessis full and free.
- 00:26:28.042 --> 00:26:31.078
- Give in our lives theability to forgive others.
- 00:26:31.111 --> 00:26:35.949
- We pray, we thank You,we claim it,
- 00:26:35.983 --> 00:26:38.352
- and we believe,in Jesus' name.
- 00:26:38.385 --> 00:26:41.822
- Amen.
- 00:26:41.855 --> 00:26:43.190
- Thanks so muchfor joining me.
- 00:26:43.223 --> 00:26:44.558
- Looking forward to seeingyou again next time.
- 00:26:44.591 --> 00:26:46.193
- Until then, remember:
- 00:26:46.226 --> 00:26:48.395
- "It is written, 'Man shallnot live by bread alone,
- 00:26:48.429 --> 00:26:51.832
- but by every word that proceedsfrom the mouth of God.'"
- 00:26:51.865 --> 00:26:57.004
- ♪[theme music]♪
- 00:26:57.037 --> 00:27:02.976