Re: The Living Word Fellowship, The Walk, John Robert Stevens
Date: November 16, 2015 04:23AM
Off and on thru out some of the posts I have noticed that the idea of forgiveness is spoken of in some of the posts. Spoken of as having an importance - as being one of the answers to one's own well being.
I would like to share some of my thinking about forgiving some one who has severely wronged you - I will use as an example - when the ministry of the church - influences a man's children, ( whether a minor or an adult ) to distance themselves from or not to relate to their own father because their father has chosen not to actively function as a member of the church any longer, and then that father becomes amputated from being a father to his own children because the ministry has led the children to harden their hearts against their father and to disregard their father as having a right, to be a father to his own children. Such a sin is ( unforgivable) until it is acknowledged openly as being ( sin ) among all the people.
I believe I have found in the Scriptures - that Jesus did not instruct His own disciples to just forgive a brother. Jesus said, if you see your brother sinning, you are to rebuke ( correct ) him. if he repents ( if he corrects himself and his way) then you are to forgive him.
Jesus also instructed, If your brother sins against you, rebuke him. If he returns to you saying, "I repent," forgive him.
When your brother sins against, "you," personally. Jesus instructs that if that brother who has sinned against you personally, returns to you personally saying, "I repent," you are to forgive him.
To have a heart that is ready to forgive, is what is the perfect.
But to forgive some one who is doing wrong when they are unwilling to acknowledge the wrong they are doing by ( correcting their own self to do right themselves ) or to forgive some one who unquestionably is wronging you personally, who does not return to you saying to you personally , ( "I repent") - Jesus did not teach His disciples' to unconditionally forgive.
What Jesus actually did in instructing His own disciples' regarding the forgiveness of sin is He gave them the responsibility to either forgive sin or to also retain the sin of those who were unrepentant.
But if you retain sin and do not have a heart that is ready to forgive - that sin may destroy your soul. Before Jesus instructed His disciples' regarding forgiving and retaining the sins of one's brother - He breathed on them and said receive the Holy Spirit.
What TLWF has lacked, is a heart that wants to know the truth so that they can walk in the truth. Instead they have followed the leading of the voice of those they believe are their spiritual leaders. And the leaders have a history of leading the people far away from the heart and mind of God in ( some things ) . For they have not been open to being corrected by any one among them except those who they view as being their spiritual superiors.
The problem they will face is humbling themselves first to the Lord Himself and then humbling themselves as leaders to the people they have miss lead - if they should seek God to know Him and His mind and then come to realize they have done wrong. But if they do not seek Him to know the truth - they will continue on as they are, until over time , they will no longer find themselves to be - a people.
This sin of turning children's hearts ( whether minors or adults) against their own natural father ( simply) because the father has chosen not to allow the ministry to make decisions for that man's life. A father that the ministry wishes to have authority over for the sake of being an authority - over a brother - even if that father attends church as a member, he will be related to as an outsider among his members because of the teaching and thinking held by both the ministry and the members of the church. He is automatically an outsider before he leaves the church. Because he no longer speaks the same language, he no longer shares completely as having the same mind as the majority of that body of believers.
Can a healing come about if the ministry and leadership of the church realizes that they are sinning by turning the children's hearts away from their own parents (father or mother) and they hide the truth ? - by not confessing the truth to the congregation and exposing (sin). Let's say that the ministry now leads the children to relate to their parents now - a parent who is not an active member in the church.
I will tell you that the children will not really be able to really relate to their parents who are not active in the church ( as family) if the ministry does not tell the children the truth and also tell them how they ( the ministry have sinned against their parents and have caused them (the children ) to not relate rightly to their own parents.
But the ministry can not tell the children the truth if they do not know from God the truth. If they do not acknowledge the Word Of God to themselves and humble them selves First to God, to acknowledge God .
The truth is that the ministry has taught the children and their members to disrespect, to dishonor and to disregard their own parents and further to not relate to their own parents and the Commandment of God, IS - TO HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER.
And what is even harder for the ministry and leadership is - for them first to confess to all the people that they have taught them to disregard the Commandment of God and then to return to the brothers they have personally sinned against who have told them the truth and to acknowledge to those fathers and mothers they have sinned against, to return to these former members , saying ( " I repent.")
And if they come to the father's and mother's they have personally sinned against and acknowledge their sin in light of God's Commandment with understanding and those father's and mother's do not forgive them, then God Himself will not forgive them when they personally ask God for His forgiveness.
This I think is where God will not forgive us, if we do not forgive those who truly ask our forgiveness.
So my thinking today - about forgiveness, which I wanted to share at this time.