Follow the Process...

In the 'pleasantly surprised' category; obeying God's Word continues to prove itself correct...

Matthew 18:15+ the Bible tells us that if we have ought against our brother that we should go to him and if he hears you, you have gained your brother.  It also tells us what to do if he doesn't hear you, which amounts to following the rest of the process to pressure your brothers & sisters into complying with the Word of God; the end of that process being to 'treat them as heathens and as if they don't know the Lord or belong to the Kingdom of God'. 

The result of not obeying the Word of the Lord is an acknowledgement that the Lord Himself considers them outside of the family of God, and not a part of it. If a brother or sister in the Lord reaches out to you in order to try and find resolution or repair the relationship, you and I are commanded by God Himself to respond, or risk being cast out of this Kingdom.  If you are a Minister, you are doubly at risk as you will be held to a higher standard.  If someone comes to you, you must respond or risk having the Lord Himself intervene on that person's behalf.  And trust me when I tell you this, it is always better to receive a rebuke from a brother or sister - if the Lord gets involved it will be waaaaaaay more painful.  He doesn't play with this stuff as I have learned by hard experience.  Sorry, I digress...  ;)

So with that in mind, I embarked on a quest a few months ago to begin going back to those that the Lord reminded me, in my past, that I had offenses against, or they had offenses against me.  He challenged me to take up my cross and try to reach out to them and make amends.  Noting, that where I was successful, I would have my brothers and sisters back in my life, and I would be enriched by those relationships.  He also clearly revealed to me areas where my life needed work and repair, where I was neglecting His Word and gaps in my life that needed to be addressed in obedience to His Word.

So I began to contact all those that I could remember, and those that he helped me remember.  Many have responded, some haven't and I will now have to pursue them to the next level, on the way to total heathen declaration if they don't eventually surrender to His guidance.

I had a very nice lunch yesterday with a brother from the Corpus Christi area who was a more recent brother that I somehow ended up messing up our relationship.  Our bridge was broken and needed repair.  We talked for over an hour, had lunch and the information that we shared with each other was fascinating.  As he told his side of the story, and I told mine, we were both able to see the hand of God in both of our situations, moving and preparing us for our eventual, total restoration back to complete wholeness.  It was truly amazing; the Word of God worked...  Again...

I would like to note how pleasant and good it is when brethren dwell together in unity, as the Lord's word points out.  I have experienced it and it is profoundly good and wonderfully pleasant.  Whether its a lost relationship with a brother or sister in the Lord, or a family member; in the House of the Lord, we are commanded to dwell together in unity.  We really don't have the option of 'writing each other off' as so many do in the Body of Christ.  Not if we want to continue to believe that we are a part of the Household of Faith.

We are only the 'people of the Living God' if we obey His commandments.  I understand that sometimes in our humanness, we need some time to allow our hurts and pains to heal a bit, but I have learned through real experience that the faster we submit to His Word, and follow it, the faster our wounds will heal and they will heal the right way.  For us to say, give me some time, let me heal, reveals that we don't understand our loving Father at all.  It is the courageous, the violent, the bold who inherit His promises, His healing, His forgiveness, His promises!  Not the selfish, weak, mealy mouthed, backslidden and hard hearted.

I'm just sharing my experiences and putting truth on the table.  I understand how this works; the Lord will offend our mind, in order to reveal our hearts.  The mind wrestles with 'how could I ever forgive what this person did'?  While the heart says, 'obey His Word'; it will work!

I would advise, and reiterate - Follow The Process!  The Lord knows what He is doing.  His Word works and now my life is getting better because I'm obeying His Word.  I am excited about all of this and wanted to share it with you.  God bless.