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Matthew 18: 21-22 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?" Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times. |
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In the Name of God by Raymond Russell Unity
It's June 28th 1997 on a Saturday morning, the first Unity Conference; it was a tremendous success. The love and fellowship that was there was so apparent when God's people come together to sing His praises and to hear His Word. As we listened to the talks, you could feel the love and faith each speaker had for God and our Lord Jesus, as each revealed His word to us. As I reflected a few days later on the speakers, it
came apparent to me that there really is no difference between the
different denominations when it comes to proclaiming the word of God.
The only difference is, man's interpretation and understanding of
certain sections of God's word, and believing that they are right and
all the others have got it wrong. Because of this the Church in the name
of God, has caused great pain, suffering and anger, and as persecuted
and put to death people down the centuries for not accepting their
beliefs.
On the Saturday morning of the conference as we where getting ready, we became aware that there was a
group of people outside on the pavement.
They were there to protest about the conference and handing out
material against unity of the Churches and in particular one
denomination. I went out to see what was going on, and who they were. I
asked them who they were, they did not answer or say were they came
from, but proceeded to tell me why they where there and their
objections. They did this by using scripture to make their point and
justify themselves. As I listened to them my heart breaking as I felt
there anger coming from them for this particular denomination and the
unity of God's Churches. It was so painful that I could not open the
conference for several minutes, until my wife Dianne had prayer with me.
When I read the material a few day's later, I found out who they were, as I read through it, I came to see how scripture was used to justify there objections to unity. This reminded me of Gen 3 "The fall of man" how Satan used scripture for his own ends to destroy man's trust in God's word. I came to realize; we to use scripture to justify our beliefs. As I continued to read about who they were and why they feel the way they do about this particular denomination, I asked myself, why? After 400 years are the leaders of this denomination still in stilling this bitterness into their congregation. Surely as Christians we should condemn sin and pray for the sinner and not hold them and ourselves in bondage, and allowing it to eat away at our souls, giving Satan a foot hold in our lives, where he can keep us from God's grace and blessings. No one has a right to hold anyone in bondage for what the Church or what our ancestors did in the past. As a father, if I did something wrong to someone, does that mean that my children's, children should be condemned and persecuted because of what I did? NO. The only thing we can do is say we are sorry for what our ancestors had done, and pray that we can all find it in our hearts to forgive.
When an injustices is done to us, no matter how small or great it may be, we will often say to our selves and to others, 'I cannot for give them'. The
pain and the injustices are far too great, we will also say that they
are in the wrong, and not me. When I hear this or read about such
un-forgiveness, I have to ask myself, what are we doing to ourselves.
Jesus said in Luke 6: 27 "But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who ill-treat you". And in Matthew 18: 21-22, Peter comes to Jesus and asked; "Lord how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?" Jesus answered, "I tell you not seven times, but seventy-seven times". If this is a command from Jesus, why are we not doing it? Jesus says in Mark 12: The two greatest commandments are these, "Hear, O Israel, the Lord your God, the Lord is one, love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. The second is this: love
your neighbour as yourself. There is no commandment greater than
these". How
then can we love God, if we do not love our neighbour? If we do not love
our neighbour, we cannot love ourselves.
On
Sunday 29th the day after the conference, Dianne and myself
went to listen to a preacher from Zambia, he spoke on Covenants. As he
spoke, this reminded me of a fifteen week in depth teaching on the
Gospel in 1994; given by Flame Ministers International, Western
Australia, in Birmingham and Peterborour England, called 'Set
My People on Fire' one of the weekend sessions was on Blood
Covenants. While I was listening to the preacher from Zambia it
reminded me of the implications of someone entering into a covenant. In
Genesis 15: God made a covenant with Abraham, where God promised Abraham
a son if he did what God asked of him. As you are aware, when you make a
covenant; comes all the good things and the blessings, there also comes
curses if you break covenant. God made a final and everlasting covenant with man in the sacrifice of His one and only Son. When I reflected on this teaching, I realized that ever time I fail to forgive my brother or sister, I in fact break covenant with God. You and I may say that it is not that easy to forgive the wrong done. Then ask yourself this: how great is the wrong done to us compared to the wrong done to Christ? Now reflect on the Crucifixion, starting at Gethsemane, when Judas betrayed him, 'how many times have we been betrayed by
someone we loved, remember the pain, the anger. Now reflect on his
trial, the humiliation, the beatings, the whippings and the mocking that
he went through. Now the lowliness and pain he felt, when his own people
turned on him and rejected him. Finally the Crucifixion the most
barbaric and shameful execution any Jew could ever have done to them,
dying off the ground, the land that God had given to them, the promised
land, what rejection. Yet in is love and compassion for us, he pulled
himself up knowing what pain he would inflect on himself, he took in
breath, and called out to, the Father and said; "Father
forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing".
Luke 23; 34. What is
our forgiveness compared with that of Jesus?
We most call on the Holy Spirit, to give us the strength to ask
for a heart like Jesus to forgive and a heart of humbleness to seek
forgiveness. Now ask yourself this last question, where would I be today and what would happen to me at my death, if God had said: 'I cannot forgive the human race for what they have done to My Son, who I sent to rescue them from the clutches of Satan'. (Frightening isn't it). Give thanks and praise that he is a God of love, compassion and forgiveness.
On Tuesday 1st July after the conference, as I was reading the material given out on the Saturday, I
had a picture come into my mind, "I saw Our Lord Jesus standing in
front of God the Father with His wounds open wide, they were weeping and
throbbing with pain. Then I saw God looking at His Son with tears
running down his cheeks, because of the pain His Son is continually
suffering because of us". We
daily keep inflecting pain on our saviour because of what we keep doing
to each other. How much more, most Our Lord suffer, because we cannot
find it in our hearts to forgive. One of the talks on the Saturday was
on 'Taming the Tongue' which was a very anointed by God. During the talk
it made you examine yourself and how you use your tongue. We can use it
to edify or to destroy each other. Many of you like us have felt the
power of the tongue and the pain it causes you, especially when it is
from those you love and respect. For my wife and I, it was only by
turning to Jesus and the Holy Spirit to help us find it in our hearts to
forgive; and the prayers of others, that we were able to do this, not in
the flesh, but in the power of the Holy spirit. Amen. PRAYER I would like leave you with this prayer.
Lord through your Holy Spirit help us to forgive those who have us, those in the Church, those in society, those in our work place and those in our families.
Lord there have been time in our lives that we have hurt others, Lord forgive us.
Lord we pray that you will give us a heart like Jesus, so that we can forgive has he did, and a heart of humbleness to seek forgiveness.
Lord we pray that through your Holy Spirit you will touch the hearts of all your priests in ever denomination and community, to help them to seek reconciliation, forgiveness and unity with each other.
Lord it is only through reconciliation and forgiveness that we can come together in unity with you in the one body of your Son Jesus.
Lord it is only by working in unity with each other that the world will come to know that you sent Your son to be sacrifice for us and a pathway to eternal life with you.
Lord God you alone know the time of the second coming of Christ in glory.
Lord prepare our hearts through Your Grace.
AMEN
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