Junk Removal for the Soul, Part 2 (cont'd)

It's been said that anger is often hurt, demanding justice.

And if that demand is not met, anger can lead to unforgiveness and bitterness. In just a few moments, Pastor Paul Shepherd helps take you from bitter to better in his Destined for Victory message, Junk Removal for the Soul. But before the message, he joins me now from his studio in California. Pastor, we've been asking our listeners during these critical summer months to be as generous as they can in their giving, and so many people have become very generous. And we thank God for them. You know, in this post-pandemic time, ministries like Destined for Victory sometimes get forgotten.

And it strikes me that that's why partnership is so important. Pastor, talk about our Destined for Victory partners. I know you look at them as the lifeblood of this ministry, don't you?

They absolutely are. We have occasional donors, and I appreciate those who from time to time say, you know what, I want to be a blessing to Pastor Paul and Destined for Victory. I don't see my way clear to give every single month, but I do give occasionally.

I want to let you know we see it, we need it, and we appreciate it. And I want to encourage those donors who can to step up to the next level and become partners. Those are the people who are the lifeline of our ministry because they give month in and month out. $20, $25, some of them give more to make sure that we can continue to bring these messages your way.

And then we have a third category of people that I am so grateful for. They are our legacy builders. These are people who are committed to giving $3,000 or more every year. That's $250 or more every month so that the gospel goes forth from Destined for Victory.

All three categories are absolutely important. However the Lord leads you, I want to thank you for partnering with me because through your giving, we're able to reach a dying world with the living message and the good news of Jesus Christ. Thank you for your partnership.

I look forward to more joining us and I pray that God will bless you as you bless the kingdom of God through your giving. And as our way of saying thanks for your partnership today, we'll send you a few thank you gifts including one of Pastor Paul's most popular CDs, The Best of Let My People Smile. Call 855-339-5500 and find out more about how to become a Destined for Victory partner for as little as $20 a month. You can make your pledge over the phone or mail your gift letting us know you wish to become our partner. The address is Destined for Victory.

Post Office Box 1767, Fremont, California 94538. You can also partner with us from our website pastorpaul.net. Now if you can't become a Destined for Victory monthly partner but can make a generous donation to Destined for Victory, we'd like to send you a booklet from Pastor Paul Shepherd based on the message you'll be hearing today called Junk Removal for the Soul.

Request it when you make a generous gift this month. God is really interested in making sure that we are prepared to move into the new season, the new things he's introducing into our lives. The only way we'll get there is we got to get rid of some junk.

You can't move forward into your new life until you deal with the issues in your now life. Today on Destined for Victory, Pastor Paul wants to help you get past some of the old habits that are weighing you down, keeping you from enjoying the abundant, joyful Christian life God wants to give you. So now, here's Pastor Paul with today's Destined for Victory message, Junk Removal for the Soul. Now God is really interested in making sure that we are prepared to move into the new season, the new things he's introducing into our lives.

The only way we'll get there is we got to get rid of some junk. And so I want you to notice very clearly these kinds of things where it pertains to your life. How bitter are you is a question you need to answer. And what are you bitter about?

Who are you bitter about? God wants that junk dealt with. Do you have wrath? Do you have anger going on, violence inside, explosiveness like a violent storm or earthquake, clamor? Is there screaming and yelling on the inside of you?

It needs to be properly dealt with. By the way, God doesn't do all of this supernaturally just like he doesn't do all healing supernatural. He has given us wisdom so that we, through the wisdom he provides, can get healing for the things that are hurting in our lives. Do you know just like doctors and nurses are an agent of God, even those that are atheists that don't honor God, that doesn't mean God doesn't use them to bless you. Thank God when they bless you.

You give me a good operation and my life is spared. If you don't know God, I'm going to pray for you that one day you'll come to know him before it's eternally too late. But you are an agent of God whether you know it or not. Let me tell you, in the same way, good therapists, especially those with a biblical paradigm, but even if they don't have a biblical paradigm or worldview, if they have learned how to help you deal with the junk on the inside, they're agents of God. So don't ask God to always do a miracle. He's a miracle working God. Some of us have had him work miracles in our hearts.

But however you get your stuff dealt with, some of y'all need to sit down with a good therapist and work it out. And that is God's will so that you can move in to the newness that he's destined for your life. One more thing in this list before I give you the seventh point. Evil speaking, evil speaking, especially evil speaking, born of malice is in this context here. Evil speaking, especially that which is born of malice.

What does that mean? It means animosity, spite, or hatred that manifests in abusive words and cruel mockery. Let me let you hear that again. Some of you have evil speaking, whether it's come out of your mouth yet or not, it's there. Evil speaking is not just mere nasty words, it's animosity, it's spite, it's hatred that manifests in abusive words. You ever seen somebody try to use their words to destroy a person? Use words to beat them down.

Sometimes people don't beat you with their fists or with an instrument in their hand, they beat you with their mouth. And that's what Paul is saying here. Some of you, Christian folk, holy folks, spiritual folks, so you say, on the inside and about to manifest is evil speaking.

Some of y'all got some stuff that if you actually spoke it, we'd all be shocked. We thought you, woo, I thought you were saved. It's not about saved, they are saved.

But they got stuff, 1-800 spiritual got junk, got to come and help you get the stuff out. Because you can't move into newness if all of that is still there. So that having been said, you're now prepared to do the last thing Paul talks about in the passage, which is the last point in this series. And here's point number seven. Enjoy the freedom that forgiveness provides.

Now look at these last three points together. Always aim for the only like that matters. So God's got to be your audience. Live for an audience of one.

That's the best way I can help you frame it. I live my life for an audience of one. If the other folk around like it, oh, that's good. But I'm living for one like. That's the one that matters. That's the one that will judge me in the end.

Why bother having a million followers on Instagram? That'd be great. I love it. Even if all but 10,000 of them were bots, I love the 10,000. That's great.

I'm going to see what I can do to beef up, make my stuff more friendly and user friendly, whatever. I'm going to get some folk to help some of these young people help me think it through. Bottom line, though, is I can't live for these people out here on social media.

You know why? Because they don't have a heaven for me. They don't have a hell for me. And what they think doesn't change who I am. Remember, Jesus one time looked at the disciples and said, who do men say that I am?

And they gave some this one, that one. Oh, some folk think you this. He said, now, who do you say that I am? At the end of the day, though, it doesn't matter what the people say. It doesn't even matter what you think of God. It matters what God thinks of you. Well, that's good.

You need to write that down. Doesn't matter what you think of God. It matters what he thinks of you. He'd be able to say, I don't know that I believe in the God of Christianity. OK, but he believes in you. And he sent his son to die for your sins. And you need to accept him.

Now, having looked at that point, having looked at making sure he is the main like in your life, and having also let go or making the commitment today to let go of negative attitudes and treat people with kindness. Now, look at this last point. Enjoy the freedom that forgiveness provides.

That's point number seven. Enjoy the freedom that forgiveness provides. I'm trying to set you up for the rest of your life being the best of your life.

That's what I'm trying to do. I don't care. Oh, Pastor, my best is behind me. Who said that? Who said your best is behind you? Where did you get that? You didn't get that from God. God has a way of taking what doesn't look like it has much potential ahead of you and making it better than what's behind you.

Don't believe me? Ask a lady named Naomi. She left town with her husband, her two sons, went down to Moab during a famine. And in the 10 years they were down there, her husband died and her two sons died.

Here she is, a widow, kids dead, no hope ahead of her, look like the best of her is definitely in her rearview mirror. But God had a plan. And one of the boys had married a girl named Ruth.

Ruth ended up going back to Bethlehem with Naomi, who is really no longer her mother-in-law because they don't have any relation now that the son's dead. But they had kinship of spirit because God sometimes does something in you. It's not based on blood, it's not based on any connections that you would think are obvious in today's world, but it's based on a spirit connection. See, you've got to stop worrying about thinking everything's got to have to do with the people that are skinned to you. Some people are skinned to you, but other folks are kinned to you in the spirit. I just said something good. You're worried about the people that are skinned to you, especially when they're dogging you and hurting you, and that's why you better get your 1-800 spiritual junk out the way because sometimes you've got to ignore the skinned people. You love them from afar.

Love y'all. But the people I'm rolling with are people who are kin to me in the spirit. Ruth was kin to Naomi in the spirit. They went back to Bethlehem.

Ruth had never been to Bethlehem in her life. But she got this old lady she wanted to take care of because God put it in her spirit. She goes out to a field one day to glean.

You know the story. You've read the four chapters of the book of Ruth, and it just so happens, some translations say, that she was gleaning in the field belonging to Boaz. God had some destiny connections that these ladies knew nothing about, but God hooked her up. Next thing you know, Ruth and Naomi have a kinsman redeemer named Boaz.

My man is a baller, straight-up baller, and he drives up in his Tesla. He sees this girl. He sees this girl gleaning in the field.

He said, who is that? And everybody sings her praises. Oh, she's a diligent young woman she came back with and tells the story of how she's taking care of Naomi. He meets her. Bottom line, he marries her.

She didn't know she was gleaning in a field she was going to own. You've got to know, you might think your best days are behind you, but you don't know the God you serve. So you've got to get rid of the junk, stop worrying about the people who are skinned to you, and lock in on the people who are kin to you.

Some of them could be relatives, blood relatives, but some are not. But God's got a plan for your life. So the final point is important. So you've got to enjoy the forgiveness, the freedom that forgiveness provides. Now, let me tell some of you all this. The Lord spoke it to me as I was preparing this, that I was to inform some of you, this is the last season of your life where that rationale, which is a lie, that I have to hold people in unforgiveness because of everything they did to me, this is the last season where you've been able to tell yourself that as of today, that lie has got to go in the 1-800-GOD junk file.

That's a lie. You don't have to hold anybody in unforgiveness because of what they did for you. The only way you're going to get where God's taking you is you've got to forgive. Now, let me just spend these last 10 minutes telling you this, and then I'll pray for you and let you go. Look at what Paul says in verse 32 here in Ephesians 4. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted. Then watch this. Forgiving one another as God in Christ forgave you.

You see that? You've got to forgive him. He didn't say it's a good idea.

I know they hurt you, but it would be a good idea if you forgive them. No, God doesn't tell us it would be a good idea. If you notice every time you see forgiveness of people in the New Testament, you're commanded to forgive.

You're not suggested. It's not, hey, come on, come on, be the bigger person. God doesn't do it the bigger person. If Christ forgave you, that's what Paul said, then you must forgive them. What does forgive mean?

To send the offense away. See, the Greek word translated forgive simply means to send. But in the spiritual context, it's to send offenses. So to forgive is to send. I'm getting it away from me. Offenses, trespasses, abuse, mistreatment, violence. They destroyed my reputation.

Whatever it is, dogged me out. Forgive is to send it away. Now, your carnal nature is going to say, no, no, uh-uh, don't let Pastor Paul talk you into that.

You better hold them in unforgiveness. He don't know what they did to you. See, he up there just preaching.

He don't know nothing. Listen, this is the word of God. This isn't the word of Paul. The word of God said forgive.

Every time you see it, it's a command. You've got to forgive. So to send is the definition of the Greek word.

Here's the practical definition. To forgive is to relinquish my perceived right to hurt you for hurting me. To forgive is to relinquish, to let go of my perceived right to exact revenge on you because of what you did to me. Some people have lived your whole lives saying, I don't get mad, I get even. I know what that's like. I'm choleric melancholy by temperament. I could be the king of I don't get mad, I get even. That is so in line with my nature. Why bother getting mad when I can hurt you real bad?

Some of y'all are saying, amen, in your spirit, if not out loud, you know you like me in that regard. Even if you've got a different temperament, you end up at that same place. Why bother getting mad when you can hurt them real bad? And the Bible says you can't hold them in unforgiveness and you can't hurt them real bad. You've got to send it away. You've got to relinquish your right to exact revenge. Why do I have to forgive, Pastor?

Really? Two reasons. Because Christ commands it. See, when you send away in a relationship with Christ, you send it to him. Christ sent his offenses to the Father. He's on the cross. These sinners who he's dying for are killing him.

And what does he say? Father, forgive them. He's sending it to the Father because they don't know what they're doing.

Stephen, the first Christian martyr, Acts chapter 7, what do you see him doing? They're stoning him. And he says, Lord, don't lay this sin to their charge. He's sending it away from him. Now, see, the lie that you've got to relinquish as of today, the lie is telling you, no, no, because they'll think they got away with it. If I don't exact revenge, they'll think they can get away with it.

Not according to the Scriptures. Because when you're sending them, where are you sending them? You're sending them to the one who's going to judge the living and the dead.

You're sending them directly to the judgment seat of Christ. Everybody who dogged me has got an answer to my daddy, my Heavenly Father. You mess with me, I'm not going to get you. I'm going to let my Father deal with you.

That's what it is. Now, see, that doesn't satisfy the flesh. Flesh says, no, no, no, I want to do it myself. But God says, no, vengeance is mine, meaning his. He says, I will repay.

I didn't give you authority to do that. Some of you have got to realize that God will not get after your enemies in your way. He's going to get after them in his way.

He knows what he wants to do in their lives. And you've got to release them. So that's the first reason I forgive, because he commands. The second reason I forgive is because it sets me free.

That's why I worded this point the way I did. You want to enjoy the freedom that forgiveness gives you. Listen, it sets me free. Refusing to forgive is like drinking poison.

You've heard it a thousand times, but you need to hear it again. Refusing to forgive is like drinking poison and waiting for your offender to die. You're drinking the poison, and you look at it and say, let me see, is that breathing God?

You know they're not breathing hard. Do you know the people that you hate and the people that you have been holding in unforgiveness for 17 years haven't thought about you in the longest? You're drinking the poison.

What are you expecting a change in their life for? Here's another one. Refusing to forgive sentences me to life in psychological prison, and my offender is my cellmate.

Did you hear that? When you refuse to forgive, you sentence yourself to jail emotionally, and your offender is your cellmate. Your celly is right there in the jail with you, right in the cell with you. You can't escape them. When you refuse to release them in unforgiveness, through unforgiveness, then okay, that's your cellmate for life.

They'll always be with you. You've given them power. You had no business giving them.

And I came to tell somebody, the Lord says, today is the day. You've got to end this unforgiveness stuff once and for all. Yes, they hurt you. Yes, they abused you. Yes, it was criminal. Yes, some people need to be in jail for what they did to you.

Yes, it was dastardly and deadly. But God says vengeance is mine. What I want to do is bless you with a future that you can't take unforgiveness into. So you've got to release them. You've got to relinquish the right to exact the revenge.

One more thing. Refusing to forgive prevents me from truly healing and moving into my destiny. As long as you hold them in unforgiveness, you are the one who can't move into what God has for you.

You're hindering your own progress. You've got to be like Esau in the Old Testament. You know how Esau was dogged by his own mother and his own brother. His brother stole his birthright and his blessing, and mama was an accomplice. You know dysfunction is bad when a mother, people always talk about a mother's love. There's nothing in the universe like a mother's love. Well, when mama got it right, that's true. But sometimes even mama doesn't get it right. And listen, the bottom line is you've got to be like Esau. Esau said, yeah, my brother did me wrong and mama helped him do me wrong. But how many more years am I going to live in this? So he decides Jacob and I have to have a meeting. And you know the story. When he's coming toward Jacob, Jacob hears he got 400 people with him.

400, H-U-N-I-D. They coming for you, boy. Jacob's like, oh, man, I'm going to get it.

All the junk I did. When Esau got there, saw all these gifts and all this bowing and scraping that his brother was doing, Esau said, what's all this about? Oh, I'm your servant. He was ready to humble himself because he ain't going to be killed.

Watch Esau's response. He said, I don't need all this. I don't need your gifts. I've settled in my heart what you did years ago. I'm just coming to meet my brother and end the strife. That's what some of you all got to do. It's time for you to end the strife. Esau, you got to meet your Jacob. You got to deal.

You got to confront your stuff to say, I'm releasing. You say, but pastor, then I'm still hurt. Yes, you're hurt. But only when you forgive can the hurt be healed by God. And I'm a witness and many of you are, too. If you truly forgive, God can truly heal. You'll never forget. Forgive and forget.

That's not a biblical concept. People say you need to forgive and forget. No, there's some stuff I'll never forget.

The longest day I live. But when you forgive it, although you remember it, it doesn't have the violence, the hatred, the all the stuff we just saw. That's no longer there. If that's still there, you haven't truly forgiven. You haven't truly released.

If you still got a little bit of if I ever see him, if I ever if they ever walking down this street, if you got that in you, you haven't done the work yet. Let the Holy Spirit get to the bottom. It's been said that unforgiveness is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die. If you are dealing with bitterness or unforgiveness today, let God help you.

Let it go. The life you save will be your own. Thanks so much for joining us for the message junk removal for the soul. If you'd like more information about the Destined for Victory program or how you can receive this month's special offer, be sure to stop by our Web site, Pastor Paul Dot Net.

That's Pastor Paul Dot Net. We live in a world where there's increasing technology. There's increasing thought about various areas of life. But what is not on the increase, what is actually on the decrease is plain old godly biblical wisdom. We're getting smarter and dumber at the same time. And that's tomorrow when Pastor Paul Shepherd shares his message following godly leadership. Until then, they'll remember he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion in Christ. You are destined for victory.