Post by Zac Loh on Nov 7, 2009 0:32:49 GMT -5
We hear how the victims of loan sharks shudder at the repercussions arising from the enforcement methods used. Debtors suffer a mind-boggling staggering twenty to thirty percent per month interest rates. Plus other additional penalty for late payment, borrowers will pay back double or more of the amount loaned. For most borrowers, it is a real financial black-hole.
Victims face intimidation, force and violence leading to the introduction of criminal elements. It ranges from the cutting of the borrower’s hand and leg to the throwing of Molotov homemade firebomb into houses.
Stories abound about cases of parents denouncing the children, spouse denouncing the spouse, and children denouncing the parents – when they could no longer take the harassment and humiliation inflicted upon them by the debt collectors.
Now imagine: you owe a ruthless loan shark, a huge debt. You are unable to pay back. You are pursued relentlessly. Your family is harassed. Thoughts of suicide are coming at you.
And, out of the blue, out of nowhere, a successful wealthy businessman, who is a total stranger to you - paid off your debt. On top of it, the kind stranger gives you for free, a sum of money to invest in business. Not only that. The kind stranger teaches you how to do the business. Add to top it all, the kind stranger sets-up business contacts and opportunities for you. Needless to say, you prospered.
The astonishing beauty of it, the kind stranger writes officially that you are not required to return any of his money. But there is one thing the kind stranger asked, is that, you help to relieve others from their loan shark debts, use only some of the extra money which you have.
The devil is a spiritual loan shark. He deceives and oppresses. Because Adam was deceived and sinned, those who are without Christ is under the dominion of the devil. This dominion originally belonged to Adam, and to the human race. But Adam forfeited it.
God is asking us to forgive others just as He had forgiven us. And as we continue to forgive others, He will continue to forgive us whenever we ask.
To be unforgiving or to be un-forgiven, they are the same because they are without God's forgiveness. We are to ask forgiveness from God. And we are expected to forgive others. Whenever we sin, we will eventually give a foothold to the devil. The condition for our own forgiveness is that we forgive others. Because of the many offenses going around us each day; we need to make a deliberate, specific decision to forgive. Sometimes the Holy Spirit leads us to forgive someone even though we sincerely thought that we weren’t offended by that person. We are baffled. But it’s best to trust the Holy Spirit.
Victims face intimidation, force and violence leading to the introduction of criminal elements. It ranges from the cutting of the borrower’s hand and leg to the throwing of Molotov homemade firebomb into houses.
Stories abound about cases of parents denouncing the children, spouse denouncing the spouse, and children denouncing the parents – when they could no longer take the harassment and humiliation inflicted upon them by the debt collectors.
Now imagine: you owe a ruthless loan shark, a huge debt. You are unable to pay back. You are pursued relentlessly. Your family is harassed. Thoughts of suicide are coming at you.
And, out of the blue, out of nowhere, a successful wealthy businessman, who is a total stranger to you - paid off your debt. On top of it, the kind stranger gives you for free, a sum of money to invest in business. Not only that. The kind stranger teaches you how to do the business. Add to top it all, the kind stranger sets-up business contacts and opportunities for you. Needless to say, you prospered.
The astonishing beauty of it, the kind stranger writes officially that you are not required to return any of his money. But there is one thing the kind stranger asked, is that, you help to relieve others from their loan shark debts, use only some of the extra money which you have.
The devil is a spiritual loan shark. He deceives and oppresses. Because Adam was deceived and sinned, those who are without Christ is under the dominion of the devil. This dominion originally belonged to Adam, and to the human race. But Adam forfeited it.
God is asking us to forgive others just as He had forgiven us. And as we continue to forgive others, He will continue to forgive us whenever we ask.
To be unforgiving or to be un-forgiven, they are the same because they are without God's forgiveness. We are to ask forgiveness from God. And we are expected to forgive others. Whenever we sin, we will eventually give a foothold to the devil. The condition for our own forgiveness is that we forgive others. Because of the many offenses going around us each day; we need to make a deliberate, specific decision to forgive. Sometimes the Holy Spirit leads us to forgive someone even though we sincerely thought that we weren’t offended by that person. We are baffled. But it’s best to trust the Holy Spirit.