When forgiving is hard…

May 30, 2020 Michele Anastasi

Recently I asked someone why they wouldn’t forgive a particular person. The offending party had repented and asked for forgiveness, but still this person refused to forgive. When I asked why, the reply was: “Because I could tell they weren’t sincere. They really aren’t sorry, so they don’t deserve to be forgiven.”

Forgiving is hard, but so is reaping the results of not forgiving.

Is that what Jesus says? Hardly. “If you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. (Matt. 6:15)” Only those who truly recognize their own sin and the price Jesus paid for them to be forgiven can forgive those who sinned against them. (At least we hope so.) Forgiving is hard, but so is reaping the results of not forgiving.

You received grace to give grace

Every one of us who has experienced God’s forgiveness is called to extend His love and forgiveness to others. He gives us grace to show grace to others. He pours His love in us to love like He does. Often people say they’ve forgiven when they really haven’t. They’ll say over and over: “Yes, I’ve forgiven them.” And then they tack on: “I just don’t want to have anything to do with them.” If they were really honest, they would admit that secretly they’d like to see that person pay a price for what they did.

Every one of us who has experienced God’s forgiveness is called to extend His love and forgiveness to others. He gives us grace to show grace to others.

Thankfully, that’s not how God forgives us. When He forgives us, He wipes the slate clean and treats us like we never committed the act. He doesn’t keep a record of it to bring up at some future time. What’s more, Jesus doesn’t just forgive—He restores what was lost.

Yeah, but how?

When we forgive others as Jesus commands us to, we receive healing. He takes away the pain of the offense. To have the forgiveness worked in and through us, we must do the following:

1. Pray for God to bless the one who hurt you, however He sees fit.

2. Willingly choose to be a channel of God’s love flowing from you to them.

3. Desire to see that person healed, restored and serving again in the call God has on their life.

In John 21:15-17, Jesus gives us His example of true forgiveness. Jesus’ dear friend and disciple Peter had to face the fact that he denied Christ—not once, but 3 times. Now, after His resurrection, Jesus confronts Peter:

“Simon son of John, do you love Me more than these?”

“Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”

Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love Me?”

He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.”

The third time He said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love Me?”

Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him a third time, “Do you love Me?”

He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.

Jesus said, “Feed my sheep.”

Unlimited pardon

Interesting, isn’t it, that Peter denies Jesus 3 times, then Jesus gives Peter 3 chances to reaffirm his love for Him. Jesus is making a point here. No matter how many times we fall and deny Him, He’s there to pick us up, forgive and restore us.

Neither His forgiveness nor our service to Him depends on us. Rather, it has everything to do with what Jesus has done for us. He’s a God of restoration! And His instruction to us is the same as that He gave to Peter: “Follow Me.” As followers of Christ, we’re to keep following Him and modeling His behavior—especially in forgiving others. Yes, forgive, even though it is hard and comes with a cost.

Share your Heart: What would it cost you to follow Jesus’ example and forgive someone who is hard to forgive?…

Unlock God’s blessings every day

May 23, 2020 Gaspar Anastasi

3 Comments

Getting past the past, Making positive change, Success & victory

If you’re like me, at times you’ve wondered why you haven’t seen more of God’s blessings manifested in your everyday life. Things like healing, peace of heart, freedom from bad memories and even financial blessings seem illusive.

I want to share a key I’ve discovered that is guaranteed to unlock these blessings— starting today. The word of God tells us, His children, that we have been given the keys to lock or unlock blessing from heaven’s storeroom (Matthew 18:18). You may have locked away your own blessings.

God desires that we release His blessings from His heavenly treasure chests. In spite of what our religious upbringing taught us, we are not waiting for God to release the blessing we so desperately need. He said in Ephesians 1:3 that He has already given us every blessing we need.

So how do we unlock these stored up blessings? Just having the keys is not enough. We must know how to use them to unlock heaven’s treasures.

The Bible describes a few keys, but I want to share the one I call the “master key” and give you steps on its correct use. Without this key, God’s treasure chest will stay locked. The master key to unlock every door holding God’s blessings is the KEY OF FORGIVENESS!

The master key to unlock every door holding God’s blessings is the KEY OF FORGIVENESS!

Use this key and your life will lack nothing. Here is how you start:

Step #1. Determine to forgive others or yourself according to God’s will. The forgiveness that flows out of your life shows the world around you who God really is—a forgiving God.

Remind yourself that God forgave all your sins 2,000 years ago, long before you even existed! In Matthew 6:9-15, God says forgiveness unlocks heaven’s windows so He can pour out His blessings.

Step #2. Turn the key by getting rid of any offense. The moment someone offends you, make sure you’re already in the forgiveness mode. Don’t wait for them to ask forgiveness. Instead, release forgiveness by freeing them from the offense.

Matthew 5:23 and 24 says, when you’re worshipping God, if you remember that someone has something against you, don’t wait for them to make it right. Stop what you’re doing, go and make it right with them first. Notice how different that is than what today’s culture says, which is to wait until they come to you.

Step #3. Turn the key all the way. Search your heart for any past un-forgiveness towards anyone who hurt or disappointed you, or even towards yourself. Confess that holding unforgiveness is a sin. We often overlook this sin because it is so acceptable in the body of Christ. We tend to look at the outward, fleshly sins instead of the inward spiritual sins like resentment.

This master key unlocks the blessings God already purchased for you. By failing to forgive, you keep God’s blessings from being released in your life. Your unforgiveness even hinders other people from forgiving you! Have you been wondering why people stay mad at you? It could be because the heavens are locked up.

Unforgiveness also locks up:

God’s divine favor that opens doors of success.
God’s wisdom to help you wisely steward the blessings you do have.
Healing from sickness like arthritis, cancer, depression, mental illness, etc.
Unforgiveness also blocks the body’s natural defenses against new sicknesses that can attack you.

It may seem like this master key is difficult to use. But if you are a child of God, it’s not difficult because God’s nature to forgive is already inside you. But what good is a master key if you never use it?

Right now, make a list of people with whom you are angry or offended. Ask God to forgive you and make a decision to live a life of forgiveness. When you claim the blessings God promised, expect them to begin to flow because you have the master key. Use it! Start unlocking your blessing today!…

Kick your past out of your present

May 16, 2020 Michele Anastasi

1 Comment

Getting past the past

Years ago, my mother used to say to me, “When you marry a man, you marry his family.” Meaning, with him, come relationships with a bunch of other people. Their family becomes yours, and yours becomes theirs.

That’s very true, but on a deeper level it also means that the person you marry is a product of their family’s culture, traditions, habits, weaknesses, strengths, the good, the bad and the ugly of their past generations. That’s why we see certain patterns carried down through the generations of families: Things like addiction, divorce, strife, chronic depression, betrayal. What happens in one generation often repeats itself in the next.

Patterns of the past

Our family’s traits—both good and bad—live inside us and have shaped who we are. They continue to influence how we feel about life, marriage, family, money, even what we think about God. We’ve been programmed with thousands of messages. The problem is, most of our family’s messages go contrary to God’s ways. We may not even be aware that these messages are keeping us in bondage to sinful habit patterns. It’s no wonder we try, but can’t seem to live the abundant life.

The good news is: Once we come to Christ, the traits of our biological family no longer have to determine our future. We’re adopted into God’s Family. We’re Born Again, with a new beginning and a new inheritance.

Look back

To take hold of our new inheritance and cancel out the old one, to kick our past out of our present it’s necessary to go back and take a look at where we came from. Looking back can be painful, and somehow, putting our family under a microscope of scrutiny seems disloyal. Let me say this to reassure you. Most parents did the best they could, but the fact is, all families are flawed by the effects of sin in the world. Because of that, none of us escape without some negative baggage. But remember, because of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross, we can get healed of our pasts and move forward into our future free. We don’t have to pass on to our children the old baggage we carried into adulthood.

Jesus said it very clearly in Matthew 10:37: “Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me.” He didn’t mean, literally hate our parents, but hate their sinful habit patterns, and limiting culture we grew up with. He meant, let go all that negative baggage because now you’re a member of God’s family.

Take the time

God wants to heal you, even more than you want it. Spend time with Him each day. He made you and He loves you. Bring your burdens, your wounds, the bruises life has inflicted on you. He’ll heal you, free you, and fill you with new life. “Come to me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” Matt. 11:28.

Take a minute to share: Think back to the family you grew up in. Was there any “baggage” you picked up that needed to, or still needs to be unpacked, in order to break free and live well?…

Mother’s Day Thoughts

May 9, 2020 Gaspar Anastasi

4 Comments

Getting past the past, Making positive change, Success & victory

I believe out of all the holidays we celebrate in this nation, there is none more important than Mother’s Day. I miss my own mom terribly and I would love to have another chance to tell her how much she meant to me.

I admit (un-ashamedly) that without having had a mom like mine, I would have never made it to where I am today. And I have been so blessed in my life to be surrounded with women like her.

My wife, the mother of our five children, is not only a great mother but also has been an awesome wife to me for the past fifty-plus years. There are not enough words in the English language to express how truly thankful I am for not just my mom, but also for my wife.

I celebrate all mothers because I know the great price and the personal sacrifices they have made for so many.

But I celebrate all mothers because I know the great price and the personal sacrifices they have made for so many. Motherhood is one of the most thankless jobs in the world. Yet none of us could have life without having a mom.

I want to encourage you mothers who are struggling as widows or have been abandoned by your husband or even by your own children and let you know I appreciate you.

I also want to encourage you “mothers” who never formally became mothers… but every day you are filling in for those who have not understood their gift of motherhood. Thank you for sharing your “mother’s heart” with others. I honor you.

Know today that God is aware of all your pain and quiet suffering over these many years. But He also wants you to know how well pleased He is with you for being a great vessel of love and compassion to the ones He’s placed in your midst.

I say to everyone else: Don’t be sorry later for something you should be doing now. Don’t let this Mother’s Day (and every day) pass without sharing your gratitude and appreciation for her.

If this blog post has been a blessing to you, please let us know by leaving a comment below. We love to hear from you!…

3 Things You Should Never Do

April 25, 2020 Gaspar Anastasi

1 Comment

Finding significance in life, Getting past the past, Making positive change, Success & victory

There are three specific traps you and I should never allow ourselves to fall into—not if we want to live out the purpose for which God created us.

Proverbs 29:18 says, “Where there is no vision, the people perish….” By perish the scripture does not mean that we will die or even miss heaven. It means we will miss the purpose for which God created us and, unfortunately, many people do exactly that. So today, I want to give you some pointers on getting a vision and living out your destiny.

Never live in regret.

The prophet Isaiah says, “Do not remember the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing… (Isaiah 43:18, 19).” You may have missed opportunities in the past or made mistakes you can’t undo. The good news is that God is not through with you. So stop looking back and start living with purpose.

God is always opening doors for us, but we have to walk through them—and looking back kills your forward momentum. He has a destiny for you that He wants to fulfill and He has not changed his mind. He never forgets His promises to you.

According to Proverbs 25:2: “It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, but the glory of kings is to search out a matter.” Finding your purpose in life is a discovery process. God wants to reveal in your heart what you were created for. So stop trying to please people, allowing their approval to dictate your destiny. As you bring yourself in agreement with God, He will bring His plans to pass in your life.

When God created us He concealed our purpose. But when we turn to Him, we begin to discover it. That’s why we need to seek Him.

Never live in retreat.

Are you more critical than you used to be? One big sign that you’re walking away from God is that you stop being thankful and start finding fault. Also, you find it hard to forgive people. Maybe you realize that you’ve lost your hunger for God. Pray for Him to give it back.

Thank Him for the things that are going right instead of complaining about all that’s going wrong. Lose your thankfulness and you lose the peace of God (Eph. 5:20).

Just because you have a promise that has not manifested yet, it doesn’t mean He is not true to His word. Rather, put Him in remembrance of His word. When you do that, you remind yourself. His promise hasn’t changed.

A lot of people will miss their destiny—their purpose in being here. I didn’t say they won’t go to heaven, but they don’t care enough to search out the matter and find out God’s purpose in creating them.

Never live in reserve.

Now that you have sought out the matter, determine to live “all out”. Serve God with abandon. Leave nothing undone. Don’t fear being radical; throw caution to the wind. Don’t be like the unwise steward who received his master’s talent but, out of fear, hid it (Matt. 25:24-28). God holds us responsible for our stewardship.

When you give your all, someone coming after you will benefit. What costs you now in searching out God’s plan for you and living all out, you will transfer to someone else. For instance, when I first became a pastor, I entered into the prayers and labors of others. I inherited this ministry from people who started it some eighty years ago.

God holds us accountable for what He has given us. You need to go farther with the gifts and talents you have. Determine to live fully engaged and you will both fulfill your destiny and advance God’s kingdom!…

It Takes More Than Willpower

February 22, 2020 Gaspar Anastasi

0 Comment

Getting past the past, Making positive change, Success & victory

Some people are more prone to addictive behaviors than others because of traits passed down from their ancestors or their own personalities.

The definition of addiction is: a compulsive overpowering dependency on an object, feeling, or action; habits that cause us to act against our own will. My focus in this blog is to give you some steps to break those controlling addictions in your life.

As stated in the title, will power alone (our inner desires) is not enough. Although God stirs up our willpower to desire a breakthrough, there must be a “supporting team” along with our will power to break those addictions and replace them with godly habits.

All addictions come down to idol worship because they have taken the place of the Lordship of Jesus.

Get out of denial. Too often we make excuses for repeated bad habits, implying that we have control over them. But we have to admit we are out of control, that we can’t stop it and admit we need help.

Deliverance is necessary. There are no shortcuts to breaking addictions. They are demon spirit-influenced and controlled. The length of time you have had that addiction will dictate the strength of the demonic influence. The good news is there are ministries like Stop Hurting Start Healing with prayer ministers who are trained and equipped to help get people set free.

Discover the cause. To every fruit (addiction) there are roots. By researching your history—the way you have been brought up and the traumatic things that occurred in your life—you can discover the root causes of your addictions. Willpower can give you temporary relief, but eventually the cycles of addiction will start over again. For that reason, too many of us have given up trying to get free.

Replace the bad habits. Certain habit patterns open the door to addiction. So replace them with good habit patterns. This takes discipline and a source of accountability.

With severe cases of addiction we need other people or programs to intervene in our lives. Joining a healthy-living group like our 3S Program or entering a substance abuse program like the New Life Dream Center are effective tools to help us find the discipline we need to change our current habits and give us the accountability to stay on track.

Give God first place. All addictions come down to idol worship because they have taken the place of the Lordship of Jesus in our life. We depend on them to meet our needs, fill the void in our heart, give us the much needed self-satisfaction, etc. But God needs to be our source, strength and our all in all—nothing else! Jesus tells us in Matthew 6:33 KJV “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”

Will power is needed and is the first step in the process of breaking addictions (God stirs our desire for a breakthrough). God initiates it, but we have to follow His steps if we want to be free. You don’t have to live your life under demonic influences any longer! “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed” (John 8:36).

If this blog post has been a blessing to you, please let us know by leaving a comment below.…