Friday, August 10, 2024

Forgiveness ...
In watching series 4 of "The Chosen", I saw the 2nd show where Simon becomes "Peter", and Matthew is asked to go to Simon/Peter and ask forgiveness for what he's done in the past.  Matthew wrestled with it, and later Peter wrestled with accepting his forgiveness.  But in the end, when they did that, and forgave, the strength of GOD's love burst forth.  

I have been trying at just about everything I can try, to get work, to get a trucking job, to get "anything" ... to make a good living and continue wiping out my debt and moving forward.  But even still, at every turn, when I try these things, I hit a brick wall, over and over and over again.  

I have done everything that I know to do ... except to forgive.  I have to forgive GOD.  I have been holding the failures over the years to HIM, for various reasons.  Now, I am going to do what Matthew did, and what Peter did, and forgive, not just GOD, but my former boss, and the $40,000-$50,000 losses in income.  I am going to forgive "everyone", even my sons, who have turned against me after the divorce.  All they see is a failure of a man, and for that I cannot blame them ... but "forgiveness" was the message in the show last night, and forgiveness is what I will do.  And afterwards, not knowing how to pray otherwise, I will begin to intercede, and pray in tongues ... and pray "until" I break through whatever has been holding me back ... in this life.   

So, what do you do when you think you're doing the right thing, but even that doesn't seem to be working?

Forgiveness 
by Richard A. Allcorn   

In searching through the Bible for verses on "forgiveness", I find that just about every book has something to say on the subject of "forgiving".  But after viewing a show of "The Chosen", in season 4, episode 2, I chose to see what the Apostle Matthew had to say.  And the very first mention I find was in his writings where he shares "The Lord's Prayer", a prayer that Jesus gave us to follow, when we don't know how to pray.  You know it well, "Our Father Who are in Heaven, hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven ..." and so on.  But one particular section caught my eye in this search for "forgiveness".

In verse 14 of Matthew chapter 6 (Amplified), we read, "For if you forgive people their trespasses, leaving them, letting them go, and giving up your resentment, your heavenly Father will also forgive you."  This one hit home, for me, but in reading further, I read, "But if you do not forgive others their trespasses sins, leaving them, letting them go, and giving up the resentment you hold, neither will your Father forgive you your trespasses, and your sins."

Now I've always known that we need to forgive, so that GOD "can" forgive us, but this drove the message home for me.  As not just a Believer, but as a "Christian", as a member of that group of Believer's who dares to actually "be" like Jesus, we MUST walk in forgiveness!  THAT is where the power of love begins to yield it's strength, and show it's full potential!  Without forgiveness, it's like the gifts of GOD ... the power of the tongue, the authority of the Believer, the delivering capabilities of faith ... these all go "offline" when we are not walking in love.  So, likewise, the power of LOVE, and it's capabilities, are rendered totally useless if we do not have forgiveness in our heart.  

Many years ago, when I was stations in California, I was also active with a local group of Believer's in the local Christian Coffee House located on George AFB, in Victorville California.  We were attending a Full Gospel Businessman's Fellowship Dinner.  And friend and I had finished our meal early, and while waiting for the others to finish and the services to commence, we stepped outside to visit with some of the local students who were hanging around that evening at the school grounds where we were meeting.  He and I were witnessing to them, and sharing Jesus.  

I had only recently been reading a book on the Mormon faith, to better understand their beliefs and where they are coming from.  That evening a young man came up and began to interject controversy, and arguments, hindering the progress we had been making with the students.  Holy Spirit told me that he was a Mormon.  His intent was so that I could understand where he was coming from and minister to him, benefiting from my recent studies.  But instead I began to compare and berate his beliefs in comparing them to what the Bible says.  At the time I did not realize it, but I was not-at-all walking in love, when taking this approach.  

He finally became upset, grabbed me by the tie, and was about to his me in the face.  I told him, "I rebuke you in the name of Jesus."  And with that, his anger rose and he began to rearrange my facial features with his fists!  My friend looked at him and said, "I take authority over the spirits driving you, in the name of Jesus." and the guy tripped and fell on his own feet, scrambled up and ran away.  Needless to say, the witnessing session was over!  And so was our meeting!  

I went to the bathroom and looked at my face in the mirrow.  I was amazed that I could see myself, given the swelling and damage to my face.  My friends, looking on in horror, began offering to call the police, and to take me to the emergency room.  But in my grief, all I could think about was that "the name" ... it didn't work!  When I used my authority on that guy in his actions against me, it - didn't - work!!  I was crushed in my spirit!  So I told them, "No, I just want to go home."  And that I did.  

In the military, you don't just call-in "sick" ... they wanted me to go to "sick call" and see a doctor.  I refused and pleaded with them just to give me a day, and I would be fine and back to work the following day.  So, they reluctantly agreed, and I parked myself in my dorm room, listening to worship music, and praying, asking GOD what happened!  Suddenly, I found myself in Heaven!  I was in a place that looked alot like a gazebo, up on a mountaintop area, overlooking the city of Heaven!  And there in front of me was Jesus Himself!  

I won't go into the details for that would be another story in itself, but Jesus and I spoke for hours upon hours, and we talked about "everything" you could imagine, concerning my ministry, my calling, my gifts, and His purpose for me here in the Earth.  And when that magnificent experience was all over, I found myself back in my body, and the record has not even finished!  Folks, that's when we used big disks like CD's called LP's, or "long play" records.  And this one should only have lasted about 40 minutes to an hour at the most.  But it wasn't very far from where it was when I left and went to Heaven.  

Suffice it to say I learned great deal from the visit, but one thing that became very clear to me, something I could not have seen otherwise.  The reason that nothing happened when I rebuked the guy in Jesus name was that I was not walking in love!  The Bible is very clear about things of the spirit and the Gifts of the Spirit, and how they are regulated, with a safety on them, in that you cannot use these gifts outside of "love".  And THAT is what I had tried to do!  When I began a personal onslaught against that young man, attacking everything he believed, and everything he knew since his upbringing, I was not walking in love, but rather to prove myself right!  And therein is why my words had no power.  

Likewise, our "love walk" is but a futile act of pretense when we are not walking in "forgiveness".  You cannot walk in love WITHOUT walking in forgiveness.  We need to forgive those who have hurt us, betrayed us, berated us, and even attacked us.  We even need to forgive ourselves!  Yes, we need to forgive ourselves!  GOD forgave us, but if we continue to hold onto things that GOD has long since cast into the "sea of forgetfulness", then we are the ones hindering our prayers, not GOD.  

  

So, here I was asking GOD, "What am I to do?"  I had prayed over my situation, done spiritual warfare, and still nothing!  And it seems now that the key to all of this is "forgiveness".  So, I will be forgiving ... "all".  I will be forgiving, and asking forgiveness, to cut lose the ties that bind "my failures" to me, because of that unforgiveness.  I will be wrapping my arms around those whom I have held offense with, in much the same way that Peter came and wrapped his arms around Matthew, and told him, "I forgive you.  This fewd between us, is over."  I even have to forgive GOD.  I know HE has done nothing wrong, but if I hold HIM for something that has happened, then I have created a chain, a rope of bondage, that is hindering my prayers, my faith walk, and my ability to "break free" from Satan's attacks.  With unforgiveness, Satan has me.  Without walking in love, Satan has me.  With strife, and words that are not in love, Satan has me.  The bible says when we walk in strife we are "taken captive by Satan at his own will."   I definitely do NOT want that!  So, the answer?  Forgive.  Love.  Believe.  

So, what areas of your life do you feel are getting nowhere?  Could it be that you too are having a battle with unforgiveness, like I have been?  If so, you're NOT walking in love, that the power gifts, the things that GOD has provided to set you free, are "on-hold", for now, UNTIL you forgive, and walk in love.  The "safety" is on, and these weapons WILL NOT FIRE unless you bearer of these weapons is walking in love.  What a wonderful world it would be if we could do the same with our earthly weapons.  Machine guns, pistols, etc. would be powerless to attack the innocent, and would only fire when used to defeat evil, when they were used after every other effort has been tried to squelch the situation.  So, I urge you today to ask GOD to reveal to you if you have any unforgiveness in your heart against someone, anyone.  Find these little rascals that hinder our walk with GOD and chase them off.  Sever their ties, and break "FREE" at last, that your words and your prayers, might avail much!

by Richard A. Allcorn  

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