Chain Letters and such...

I am not against Chain Letters.
However, I am standing firm against condemnation, manipulation and control.
If an e-mail you receive has a beautiful message and ends with something like this...

Do you have the courage to send this forward? If you do not stand up for Jesus, he won't stand up for you... etc...
or
If you don't send this to XYZ amount of people then you will be harmed or cursed.

Please delete the statements whose fruit are not of God, and go ahead and send the beautiful message if YOU WANT TO.
Jesus did not come to condemn the world, but to save it.

But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, [and] easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.- James 3:17

I understand and recognize that control and manipulation are still used by us all over. The root is usually fear. This kind of fear is a sin, let us Beloved, call it like it is, repent and move forward.
To quote Meet the Robinsons, "Keep Moving Forward." Don't let sin hold you down and don't let people hold you to your sin, for that is a sin. Forgive those who have wrongly judged you, the reality is we do this a lot, with God's grace we will see clearly. God help us to see each other with Your eyes in Jesus' name.

I used to be one of the most manipulative people I have ever met, and I tell you, I thought I was doing the right thing. I would coerce people to go to my bible study or Church, or meetings. I would say things so that if the person did not do what I said then they would feel bad about it. This is not Godly, I thought it was. My picture of who God really is, was not accurate. It is not wrong by any means to ask someone to go to Bible Study or Church, but when we do it, let us do it with gentleness, giving the person FULL freedom to say "no" if they don't want to go. With no condemnation. The conviction of Holy Spirit brings Godly sorrow and repentance followed by hope and peace!!!!! Not shame!! THE YUCKY SHAME FEELING IS NOT FROM GOD... Thank You Jesus.

If there is anyone that I have used control or manipulation over, reading this, I am truly sorry. So sorry. I was very insecure of God's love and thought I had to strive to obtain His love. Please, forgive me, and release me to God. I repent for ever making you feel shame for not doing what I was telling you to do, even if it was in a playful manor, it was not in a right spirit. I love you, truly. Be free, Beloved of God. I pray for all those whom I have hurt that they would come to know You more intimately Abba, that veils would come off eyes that we can see You clearly. May we have the knowledge of the glory of God, in Jesus' name.
And I also pray for your healing from any wounds in Jesus' name.

P.S. No shame to anyone who has written these chain letters or passed them on... Just repent and MOVE FORWARD! I am one who has done this too. In this instance knowledge is power... power to truly love, and "forward" love.

Note: I am not saying one shouldn't stand up for Jesus, I am saying we can do it without operating in condemnation on others.