The Blessing of Forgiveness

By Dr. Raha Mugisho

Do you know the reason for your unhappiness? When attitudes toward others are based on past wounds and deception, the result cannot be good fruit. People in a state of distortion do not make wise decisions. Pride and a spirit of selfishness can have enormous consequences, actually resulting in physical illness and depression.

Joy in your heart, a smile on your lips, and an attitude of forgiveness toward yourself and your offenders are vital elements in healing. The ideas of retaliation and revenge come from the Evil One who takes pleasure in destroying relationships. If Satan succeeds in stealing your joy and your peace, you may be on the road to a complete meltdown. We must resist the devil. He is the source of disorder and confusion.

Condemnation is never the answer. Forgiveness is an indispensable ingredient for spiritual and emotional deliverance and is a spiritual act we can only manage by faith. Respect, care, and empathy offer hope of permanent healing.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Nov 9, 2007
• ISBN: 9781469122458

Dr. Raha Mugisho

Dr. Raha Mugisho is the founder of Rhema Pentecostal Churches. He is recognized as a pioneer of spiritual revival in Eastern Congo. The focus in his teachings is to trust God with all your heart. He has under his leadership 300 churches. He has a doctorate of Ministry, Counseling/Psychology from Freedom Bible College and Seminary in Roger, Arkansas, USA. Through his organization, Christian International Solidarity, he twice brought Christian Republicans and Democratic congressmen to share their American experience with African Christian leaders. Those conferences were held in Virginia in 2001 and 2005. Dr. Raha is also known as a Patriarch of faith. He believes that the entire third world may be developed if they adopt the project of modern villages. A sample of this plan is in this book.

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Copyright © 2007 by Dr. Raha Mugisho.

ISBN:         Hardcover                               978-1-4257-7858-3

                   Softcover                                 978-1-4257-7837-8

                   Ebook                                      978-1-4691-2245-8

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CONTENTS

Acknowledgements

Introduction

Chapter I

Forgiving Is

A Free Choice

Chapter II

The Meaning Of Forgiveness

Chapter III

What Forgiveness Is About

Chapter IV

The Importance Of Forgiveness

Chapter V

The Way That Forgiveness

Can Take Place

Chapter VI

Can Forgiveness Happen

Without Apology?

Chapter VII

Forgiveness According To

Different Faiths

Chapter VIII

Forgiveness For Spiritual

Well-Being

Chapter IX

Forgiveness For Your

Physical Well-Being

Chapter X

Consequences Of

Unforgiveness

Appendix A

Questionnaire For Research

Conclusion

Endnotes

Bibliography

Dedication

I dedicate this book to my family. The family is an important element in the spiritual and physical world. Nothing can replace it. Forgiveness and understanding are better than any reward. In any experience we may pass through, it remains the seed of our blood. We have a blood connection. The past is past, we have to move on with Christ. True love is an obligation to stay in God’s bond. Relationships without understanding may have an unwanted result. Our power is found in a true union. People cannot walk together if they don’t agree. I love you and in my daily prayer we are together. God is still in control of all issues. This work is dedicated to you

Acknowledgements

God is my shepherd; I thank Him for enabling me to fulfill the desire of my heart. To Him be all glory and honour. Rev. Enoch Butler, I acknowledge you and you can be proud for assisting in the fruit of this work. Thanks to all the churches of Rhema Pentecostal for your assistance to accomplish this work. I would like to acknowledge Bishop Kikunda Jeremie and Bishop Kitunga Modeste, Nono Ntabugi H. who encourage me daily to be somebody in my society. Many thanks to my younger brother, Mugisho Baraka. Pastor Bashimbe Kanagwa Joshua, Mrs Claire Bashimbe—you did a great thing in financing this work, I thank you. Bishop Runiga Lugerero, Rev. Nsembe Israel and Bodo Pambu, thank you for your encouragement and your love. My gratitude to all who prayed for me both night and day. Together we will continue to praise the Lord for what He did.

Introduction

The basic secret of true deliverance in multiple issues of life is forgiveness. The source of the dilemma, which produces all sorts of crisis and trouble, resides in a lack of knowledge. The Bible says, Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed (John 8:32-36 KJV).

Forgiveness is the precious gift you can give to yourself, to your dear fellow-believers, and to offenders. It brings solid reconciliation and opens the doors of progress. Without forgiveness, the bondage blocks the progress of true success.

Forgiveness is a defining human activity for religious and non-religious alike. You cannot pretend to obey the word of God if you refuse to forgive, because thereby you refuse to accept the grace of God. Outside of God’s principles for life, there is no healing or harmony.

The purpose of this book is to demonstrate the power of forgiveness and to detail its components.

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Chapter I

Forgiving is

a free choice

What determines success?

The way we perceive things cannot determine our success if the main point is forgotten. A wise man said that, When a man’s life is characterized by conflict, this fact is the sign of self-destruction. 1 The heart of man was created to dwell in peace and harmony. The only way to protect one’s heart from trouble and insecurity is to be in peace with ourselves and also with others.

Jesus and Stephen are two men who refused to pronounce evil words against their killers. They chose to die without a conflict in their heart and they asked for forgiveness for their attackers instead of revenge. On the cross before his death, Jesus asked the Father to forgive those who tortured him. Stephen, also in a great torture, cried to God to forgive his offenders. They knew the negative effects of cursing another, and they also desired to fulfill the proper will of God, that is: Forgive those who mistreat you.

Proverbs 24: 29(NIV) reads: Do not say, I will do to him as he has done to me; I will pay that man back for what he did. And Proverbs 25:21-22 states that if our enemy is hungry, we should give him food to eat; if he is thirsty, we should give him to drink. In doing this, we will, in essence, heap burning coals on his head, and the Lord will reward us.

When a decision is made based on past wounds and deception, the result cannot bear good fruit. We are called to live in peace and also to be a blessing to each other. True discernment consists in making good decisions based on the word of God. God is for all; He does not discriminate among His people. Toward both the good and the evil, God applies the same grace, so they need not perish.

Always when people’s minds are distorted, they do not know how to make a decision based on reality. But when they behave according to the love of God, they escape from vain conflicts. A wise man makes good choices, which will orient him to life in the Spirit. Victory or failure relies on those choices. However, it is an irreversible law that the choice of the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life always destroys. The choice to keep the ways of righteousness and follow continually the will of God provides an assurance of true life.

Many cases show that pride and a spirit of selfishness have enormous consequences which can even produce a variety of sicknesses and depressions. If we understand and accept the principles of Jesus, we can surely avoid much trouble. The joy in our hearts, the smile on our lips, and the forgiveness toward ourselves and others are great elements of healing.

Philippians 4: 4-7 NIV reads: Rejoice in the Lord always. I say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

We also must forgive ourselves from certain guilt in matters of which we are incapable of bringing a final solution. Why punish ourselves instead of accepting the grace of God. That is a reason many people commit suicide or destroy themselves in other ways. Forgiveness is a necessity for every parent to his children and it should be automatic. Even between brothers and relatives, forgiveness should be a daily exercise. When this element is missing, depression may attack the victim. Many cases of trouble and disorder issue from the lack of forgiveness.

The example in the Bible of the prodigal son and his father is rich in teaching. If the father did not forgive his son, a bad situation could occur and no medicine could bring him to a normal life. The only important thing for his healing was forgiveness. After receiving the warm reception from his father, the prodigal experienced again the joy of life. He admitted responsibility for his mistakes and enacted a good confession.

Many people are bound because of lack of forgiveness. Others do not have opportunity to experience love in their social environment. The Lord Jesus did not say, You have to forgive this many times. Any time there is an occasion that calls for it, do it with your heart. It is a remedy to yourself and to your neighbour.

THERE IS NO COMPLEXITY IN FORGIVENESS

It is more helpful when forgiveness is done simply, with humility and love. Forgiveness is the principle medicine for all victims of social injustice.

The most powerful tool that human beings possess to eliminate the clouds and conflicts in their minds that block the flow of abundance and prosperity is forgiveness. Before we can apply forgiveness to our grief and grievances, however, we must dispel some myths about forgiveness. When we grant forgiveness, we release from within ourselves some form of fear, hate, anger, and guilt. We make room within us for more love to enter. Forgiveness is equally beneficial to the giver and to the receiver. But the giver has far more discretion regarding how forgiveness may be used in his own life. Forgiveness clears the tree that blocks the light; it keeps your path clear and filled with beauty. It builds a bridge to peace and joy.1

All the ideas of retaliation and revenge come from the evil spirits who take pleasure in destroying and killing. If the devil succeeds in stealing your joy and your peace, he may start the process of destruction of your whole being. He steals joy, health, peace and everything if we do not resist him 2

The devil is a source of disorder and confusion. To pretend that someone is superior to another may be another cause of conflict. We need each other and together we are important, When we function in our fitting role, we then operate for the benefit of everybody. We must avoid all sorts of distortion based on what we think. How we value others must come from the identity we have through Jesus. It means that our values are not based on our biological families or our properties and skills but by grace as members in the body of Christ. Every part in the body has a special role to assume and it is very important. The Lord Jesus recommends us to love each other as He loves us. The complexes of superiority or inferiority do not have a part in the body of Christ. To know the principle of forgiveness presupposes that we have to do it daily and without ceasing. When you close the door of forgiveness you open a window of sorrows and disgrace. If you do not forgive, your prayers are vain before God.

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Chapter II

THE MEANING OF FORGIVENESS

Forgiveness is a Free Choice

According to the Bible, forgiveness is an act of love which delivers grace to the offender. True forgiveness does not name conditions; it is free of requirements and demands. Forgiveness is a spiritual act that is practiced by faith. Although the heart of the offended may be in pain, a decision is made to release the offender of all penalties. It is a free choice—an act of the will that goes beyond the normal. The heart full of God’s compassion does not tolerate conflict but calls for reparation through real forgiveness. In other words, it is an act of granting pardon or remission.

To forgive means give up, cease to harbor resentment and wrath, to remit a debt, to give up resentment or claim to requital for, pardon an offence. Forgiveness is the