Forgiveness and My Commandments

Lord: I want to talk to my church about forgiveness this morning, for I know that many are as distressed as I am, with the lack of forgiveness, in the very public eye, and in the media.

There is a modern trend to offer no quarter to anyone who, even once in their life, transgresses the law, and people are today bringing up small offences 20 or 30 years after they were committed, in order to gain money from them. In a Christian country, this sort of behaviour should be balanced by My perspective on things. Let me explain what I mean. I will start by my law.

 

My Law can be summed up in the commandments I gave to Moses. Now six of these ten commandments are the fundamental basis of all laws in both Christian and non Christian societies. For the moment I have passed over the first four, but I will come back to them in a moment.

The last six commandments are agreed upon by most societies around the world as the foundation stones for society. Not all the societies which incorporate them in their legal system derived them from Moses, but from the realisation that stable society requires standards of acceptable behaviour. Respecting and honouring your parents and elders is part of all stable societies where the young are safe and protected and free to learn and grow up into good people. Murder is unacceptable to most, even the most heathen or materialist, societies, and although it is commonplace as societies wander further from me, it is still a basic punishable law offence in all nations. Adultery is considered stealing or cheating, but it is also recognised as a cancer that attacks family life, and the stability of any nation is in its family. Stealing is also socially unacceptable the world over. Even in those nations that embrace communism, and re-distribute wealth, stealing is still a crime against the state. Bearing false witness is effectively lying! Lying leads one away from truth, and although many individuals and societies, wouldn't recognise truth if it reared up and bit them, no one likes to find out that they have been lied to! Coveting is one of the most widespread of all the sins of mankind. Everyone at some time in their life is jealous of someone owning something they don't have. That something may be a material possession like a car, a home or a job, or it may be something less tactile, but nevertheless just as real, like a talent, an education, an opportunity. Coveting anything that belongs to someone else leads to a breaking of all of the commandments or laws that govern society.

The first four commandments are the elements that set My law and commandments above the laws and commandments of the godless. The reason for this is simple; the first four commandments require an acceptance of an authority higher than the authority of man. That authority is Me! Why should I have more authority than the leaders of men? Because I am the Designer and Creator of everything that is. I formed everything in the entire universe and beyond, out of nothing! As the creator, even of the laws of nature, many of which mankind has not even imagined exist, I have absolute power and authority over everything I laid down those laws on tablets of stone for Moses, to create a nation. They were the lowest common denominator of basic rules. Keep the first four, and keeping the next six is much easier. Keep them all and man is living the life I intended him to live.

Now let's look at something which is often overlooked. When I gave the commandments to Moses, I wanted mankind to use a gift I first gave to Adam and Eve. That gift is free-will. I wanted mankind to exercise the gift by accepting the commandments freely, without coercion, to recognise the goodness and rightness of them, and to realise that as they became a single nation, the free adoption of My commandments would enable them to live in peace with one another.

Notice that in the narrative which relates how I gave them to Moses, I do not include a punishment for the breaking of any of the commandments. The nearest I come to a punishment is that I say of those who take my name in vain, that I will not hold them guiltless. I want man to keep these commandments, not out of fear or punishment, but out of love, accepting them as the minimum standard of decent living and of righteousness.

Now, because they are so basic in society, the breaking of any of My commandments, does have consequences, which, if left unchecked lead to human suffering, disease, and the breakdown of family and society. Hence the necessity for some form of reckoning and or punishment. This purges the evil from society, but it must be, and be seen to be, just. Some trespasses are unintentional or accidental, and some seem unavoidable at the time. This is why I have allowed for forgiveness and a means of atonement.

Remorse and sadness, about a breaking of the commandments can and should, lead to repentance. and an acknowledgement of the wrong done; a desire to say sorry and to make restoration. A resolve to never do it again, should lead to forgiveness. on the part of society.

A society which is in any way God-fearing, whether Christian or otherwise, should also accept that what I have forgiven is forgiven for ever! Those who fail to forgive, whether great or small, set themselves up above mankind as some sort of god themselves. In remaining unforgiving of those who have repented, they place themselves in the wrong before me. For if I, as the Creator, and only just judge, have declared someone clean, who can dare to challenge My judgement?

Forgiveness, whether from man or from Me, is a precious gift. When I forgive sins, those sins are forgiven forever, and no amount of fishing can bring them back. When you forgive the sin of anyone who sins against you, they stand forgiven! Yes, I have declared through My beloved son Jesus, that if you forgive the sins of anyone they are forgiven, both on Earth and in Heaven. You may not, after forgiving anyone, bring that sin up again! To do so makes you a liar, and equally as guilty as the one who has sinned against you. Remember that All mankind has sinned, that means even you, and have fallen short of the minimum standard I have set! No one is without sin, and the wages or consequence, of sin is death! Jesus died on the Cross to deal with that death and give all men a way to come back, into the way of righteousness. Once they have been forgiven, they are forgiven, both in the eyes of his fellow sinner and, in My eyes as well. Remember when you accuse others, that there are accusations against you! If you forgive others, then others will forgive you. If I forgive you, then no man may accuse you.
 

Love one -another, as I have loved you!

Jesus The Gate

Me:    Good morning Lord. Thank you for waking me this morning and for a chance to be together in the cool of the day. Thank you for your love Lord. I love you.

Lord:    Good morning Martin, thank you for walking with us this morning and for sharing this time. We love you too.

Lorna is right, there would be those who could be offended by what I say to you, but that has always been the case. What Jesus said caused many people to be offended and turn away from him, and down the centuries every Christian witness has received opposition, just as you have in your ministry. Do not be discouraged by that. Rather be encouraged. Jesus did not come to sweet talk the hard of heart, but to open the gate they had thought was securely locked, by them! Through this gate all can enter the Kingdom of God. That gate is Jesus.

What you have to realise is that the ways of the Kingdom and the ways of the world are diametrically opposed to each other, because they have a different centre, and therefore a different world view.

When the world's organisations do evangelism, the purpose is to increase membership and therefore income, and to increase influence and 'power' and therefore justify their existence.

My body on Earth, my Church, has Jesus in the centre and all evangelism is Jesus driven. The sole purpose of evangelism is to bring souls out of darkness into the light of Jesus, to save them from death in sin to life in Jesus. There should be no thought of personal gain or prestige on the part of the evangelist, no thought of influence or power, just my love. For all that the Church has to offer is given freely by me, no charge, just pure GRACE.

Successful churches are not those that are good at fundraising, but those that bring folk to Jesus and nourish them with sound teaching and lots of love.

Successful evangelism is usually done quietly by example and quiet conversations. Without pressure, but with a true story of faith, most people move forward towards Jesus. It may take several goes, but always remember that the converting is my task, not yours. I am with you in all your witnessing, even when you think you didn't do very well. Every word spoken for Jesus in love and sincerity, drives home like a bullet.

Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify tour father which is in Heaven. Matt 5:16 ISV

In His Service

Me: Good morning Lord. Thank you for waking me this morning and for giving me this new day. Thank you for the stars that shine so brightly and for the promise of warm sunshine and another beautiful Autumn day. I Love you Lord.

Lord: Good morning Martin. Thank you for joining us this morning and for your company on our walk.  We love you too.

Walking in the centre of my will is not always being in the front line of battle. As any army advances there are always the support services that work quietly behind the lines feeding, clothing, and dressing the wounds of those engaged on the battle front. Those who work in those support services are just as important as the army itself. As my army advances I to employ the services of untold numbers of support service personnel. These loved ones are right in the centre of my will for them, and I need them to be working as I direct, in order for the work of the kingdom to progress.

I want all my children young and old, male and female, to seek my guidance as to where they should be and what they should be doing. I don't need everyone to be eyes or everyone to be a voice, for there are many other functions the body has to perform. There are also times when even those in the front line have time to sit, eat and take their rest.

Once you were slaves to sin. Sin never gives rest, it is always present and is a harsh taskmaster. But now you are free and belong to me. I require righteousness, but I also pour out my grace. I do not drive my loved ones into the ground, I raise them up and give them strength. Under sin you lived in fear, with me you have joy unspeakable and love freely given.

Do not be discouraged when things go quiet, rest and build up your strength. Feed on my word, encourage one another. Remain watchful and open for I work suddenly and unexpected. There will be times when you feel as though you have been thrown in the swimming pool at the deep end, and there will be times when you are paddling around in the shallows. Stay close to me and you will know what is in my will and when you step out of it. Not all busy-ness is necessarily where I want you to be. Often being busy distracts you and keeps you from the real task. Watch and pray, lest you fall into the temptation to be worldly busy. When I give you busy-ness I will also give you all the tools you need and follow it up with great blessing as the work of the Kingdom progresses.

As you continue along the pathway with me you will find that I lead you into different phases and ministries during your walk. Some are front line some are support, some are working with the young and some with the old. Just because I bless one part of your ministry with great success and then move you into an apparently less active or 'successful' field, doesn't mean you are not where I want you to be. It is a good thing that you are not always aware just how effective you are, else you would become arrogant and proud. One day you will see clearly just what I have done through you, and you will be amazed that the most effective times are the times when you feel low or ineffective.
   
So, stay close to me and let our relationship develop as I guide you. Be content to be who you are and the person I made you. leave the finding of 'work' for you to do in the Kingdom to me. I am the Lord your provider. This way you will find fulfilment and satisfaction. I love you.

GRACE

Me:    Good morning Lord. Thank you for waking me this morning and for this new day, Thank you for our walk this morning and for the most beautiful of dawns. I love you Lord.

Lord:  Good morning son. Thank you for your company and your love. I love you too.

Don't be upset the silver jubilee of your priesting should pass un-noticed, and unmarked. I notice these things and it was I who brought it to your attention. It is not important that man should notice these things, only that I, who knows the heart of man, and the pain that those 25 years brought, should mark them. I have noted them in the annals of life!

There is no deed of man that goes un-noted, whether it is an act of kindness or a deed of hate, and in the long term every deed is rewarded by me with the reward it deserves. Sometimes the reward is seen inside the earthly lifespan of the individual, but often, very often, the rewards come later before my Father in heaven. Many times David, and others, bemoaned the fact that the wicked seem to go unpunished. This certainly appears to be the case from the human perspective, but from the heavenly viewpoint things look very different. I always give the sinner an opportunity to repent and the victim a chance to forgive. Don't question that, for only I know what goes on in the heart of man, and what an eternity can pass in a microsecond of time. The evil one would like to have all mankind die in sin, unforgiven and full of hatred. If he could achieve that he would deem that I have failed and that the creation of man was a disaster. However he does not succeed, and countless thousands give their hearts to me, and repent of the evil they have done.

The work of the Christian is to destroy the works of Satan, and that is best done by using My name, the name of Jesus, to set the captives free, to heal the sick and the oppressed, and to proclaim the liberty and freedom I offer. Sin locks people in a dark bubble that isolates and depresses them. Forgiveness bursts that bubble and sets them free and back into the light of love. Forgive those who sin against you and pray for those who are locked in the chains of sin and wickedness. The really good news is that my forgiveness has no conditions attached and is available to anyone who dares to call upon my name. It is by grace, and grace alone that mankind is saved. No organisation or individual has any right whatsoever to put either charge or conditions upon forgiveness. It is my free gift. God's Riches At Christ's Expense.