Many of us have a tendency to fight back, when people fight with us, push when we’re being pushed upon and lash out, when we feel like we’re being lashed out upon. What do we do with that tendency? Is that ‘feeling’ always true? Can we rely on something else, and not just our ‘feelings’? I’ve been going to school and learning Laws on Contracts. These were the Instructors highlights about words: 1. Words matter 2. Words mean something 3. Choose your words wisely 4. What you wouldn’t say in court, do not say anywhere else. It bought me back to the Sermon on the Mount when Christ spoke about our words and how we deal with our anger towards our brothers and sisters in Christ. The four statements above resound loudly within Christ’s sermon: 21 “You have heard that it was said to •our people long ago [our ancestors; the ancients], ‘You •must [Lshall] not murder [Ex. 20:13; Deut. 5:17]. Anyone who murders another will be •judged [subject to judgment].’ 22 But I tell you, •if you are [Leveryone who is] angry with a brother or sister,[a] you will be •judged [subject to judgment]. •If you say [LWhoever says] •bad things [“Fool!”; LRaca; Can Aramaic term of derision] to a brother or sister, you will be •judged [subject/liable to judgment] by the •council [Sanhedrin]. And if you call someone a •fool [idiot; moron], you will be in danger of the fire of •hell [LGehenna; Ca valley outside of Jerusalem where in the OT period children were sacrificed to a pagan god; later used as a burning trash heap; a metaphor for hell]. 23 “So when you •offer your gift to God [present your offering/sacrifice] at the altar, and you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, 24 leave your •gift [offering; sacrifice] there at the altar. Go and •make peace [be reconciled] with that person [Lfirst], and then come and •offer your gift [present your offering/sacrifice]. 25 “If your •enemy [opponent; adversary; accuser] is taking you to court, •become friends [reach agreement; settle matters] quickly, •before you go [on the way] to court. Otherwise, your •enemy [opponent; adversary; accuser] might turn you over to the judge, and the judge might give you to the •guard [officer; warden] to •put [throw] you in •jail [prison]. 26 I tell you the truth, you will •not [never; certainly not] leave there until you have paid •everything you owe [the last penny; CGreek: the last quadrans; a small copper coin of very low value]. (Matthew 5:21-26 Expanded) Then Christ goes on to tell us that our words matter, and they will either condemn us or acquit us. (Matthew 12:37) In Luke 19:22 Christ said that he would judge an evil servant by ‘the servants own’ words. Acts 13:27 states people became guilty when they judged Christ, because they fulfilled the Prophets words, when they condemned him to death. The Prophets warned Christ’s teachings would be rejected by his own followers. (Psalms 89:38-39) Did you notice within the Sermon of the Mount, the courtroom Christ was speaking about, is the Sanhedrin of Heaven? When we wrong someone repeatedly and we do not repent, the ‘wronged’ person’s prayers fill the prayer bowls in Heaven and the Heavenly Court convenes. This is spoken of in the Book of Revelation. A ‘judgment’ is pronounced from Heaven on behalf of the ‘wronged’ person. The ‘condemned’ person whom judgment has been rendered against, goes to spiritual jail. They remain there until ‘everything’ is paid back. Have you wondered how to we ‘pay’ back what we owe? We repent and change our course of conduct. We stop hurting, speaking badly against and condemning others. For years, I’ve had many people discern spiritually the ‘spirit of infirmity’ within me. They’ve commanded it off of me repeatedly, but it still lingered. I’ve been learning how to forgive, from the deepest level following the Lords leading. He leads me to places, where people ‘trigger’ me up the ‘ying-yang’ so to speak. I get placed in places where all I ‘feel’ is inner turmoil. And within it, He teaches me to forgive their behavior, and reminds me that’s how I become forgiven. When we come from an abusive background, this is extremely difficult to do, because we’ve learned how to ‘hold’ on to the memory of the abuse, so as to protect ourselves from it in the future. But this ‘hold’ keeps us in bondage. Forgiveness is the key that frees us, heals us and keeps us within ‘inner’ peace. It does not mean we go back, running into the arms of those who ‘choose’ to continually lash out at us. It simply means, we don’t take it personally. The behavior is theirs to work out with the Lord. Do we want to hold on – or – do we prefer to be set free? Forgiveness is the KEY to our freedom. When the memories arise, slam the door on the memory and open the door to Christ. I have been doing this for quite some time now. For many years I’ve been working on forgiveness towards “Leaders” of the Body of Christ. Realizing the weight of my words, this weekend I purposely choose to ask the Lord to help me forgive: • “Leadership” that condemns the Body of Christ • “Leadership” that subjugates the Body of Christ • “Leadership” that leads the Body of Christ astray • “Leadership” that believes it’s above the Body of Christ My heart felt like it weighed 10 pounds, it was so heavy. I said, “Lord I forgive them on purpose, but ask you to help me release every tie of unforgiveness within my heart, my mind, my body and my soul.” For the first time, as I stood before the Lord, a “Leader” stood before and was quiet for a moment. Then they said, “Lord, you are removing from her the ‘spirit of infirmity’,” and down I went. I no longer carry that spirit, and I physically feel the difference. When we repay our debt, ‘forgive others’, we are forgiven, delivered and we are healed. The Lord leads as we follow. Within our following, we are taught, delivered and healed. The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.
Posted on: Wed, 23 Oct 2013 10:34:08 +0000
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