Forgiveness - Part 7

...gives her, but she can't forgive the man that God says be in subjection to. You know there's nothing as ugly as a dear soul that isn't in subjection out of love to God and the man, and forgives him, and forgives him, not seven times. Sarah, she just forgives him, and still in subjection for the love of Christ, and for Christ's smile out of love, and love comes with forgiveness.

Do you know what it is like for a man to go out in this world and be the breadwinner, in case you think he failed for no reason? Do you know what it is like to survive in the world today? For most Christian husbands who go out there to keep you alive, and to keep you with a roof over your head, and to keep you living with any what's left of him by the time he comes home? And on top of that, on top of that, do you know what it's like for a man with a moral decadence to have the burden as the head of the home, the fears of what will happen to the children as a wave, a tide of moral decadence defiles children from 10 years old upwards, that there's very few left that aren't totally defiled through and through. And he wants this home to be like a fortress, and he can't do it. He's trying.

Do you know what burden he carries in his prayers and his responsibility, and all that it is to keep the home going? And oh yes, the devil wears out even husbands, and they might be worn out when sometimes they're irritable, when they aren't Christ-like, when they fail you. Otherwise, can't you forgive him? Just look a bit past that he could be perfect in a perfect climate. He's not heaven yet.

Forgive, forgive him. How many fathers need to forgive children? You wanted to have the testimony of Christ on your home. All you wanted was the glory of God in your home.

You brought them up on your knees, praying and through, feeding in the Bible, and suddenly one child wants the devil. One son wants and chooses to go out in the world and serve Satan with all his heart. And oh, the hurt in the father's heart.

He writes in his heart there, oh, the shame that came on the home, the testimony of Christ crumbling in the home, the bitterness, the sorrows, the grief. And the testimony lies in ruins of the home that could have just glorified God as a Christian. And oh, fathers, you need to forgive.

You're bitter against that child. You're angry at all the grief he brought in the home. So you brought him up to follow Christ and all the shame.

How many fathers need to remember the father heart of God? Look at what that prodigal did. How many of you need to ask God for the father heart that was shown to you the moment you turned? There was no judgment. The moment you turned, he knew there was this one thing, forgiveness.

Does your son know that, or do you make it impossible for him to come to God because he doesn't see a father heart of God in his own father? The father's forgiveness. You just judge him. You can't forgive him.

You're bitter again. Oh, how many fathers need to forgive their children and to show them that no matter what they've done, there's this forgiveness waiting. Longing for them just to come back.

Maybe that's why they can't come back. There's no forgiveness of their own father. How can they look past you to God? How many children are bitter against their parents? You know, we live in a world today where if you go out in the unsaved homes, you won't believe what's left of homes.

The bulk of the unsaved homes, there's this hatred against their parents. The whole world cries out, rebel against authority. All the music, all the films, everything is just a crying out, rebel against authority beginning in the home.

And it's got through. The fruit of that being sown and sown in the unsaved, unrestricted, unrestrained homes. Suddenly you find there's no few homes left that children don't hate and bitter again.

Do you know the tragedy of the day it spilled over to the church? How many Christians homes, Christian boys and girls can't forgive their own fathers and mothers for some personal failure in his life, for some misjudgment in you, in his tiredness. Oh, he gave you a roof over your head. He worked like a slave to keep you clothed and to educate you.

Maybe he failed, but if he's got God in him, he's more sorry for his failures than you. Even he hasn't cried out to God for forgiveness and his weakness and his weariness. Sometimes he wasn't everything he should be.

But you child, if you're a Christian, forgive your father, forgive your mother, forgive to be forgiven, God says, even to you children. Don't hold bitterness against them. How many in-laws? Oh, we used to joke about in-laws.

You know, I don't joke anymore. It's such a tragedy what in-laws have become in this world and in the church especially. I can't believe what's going on home upon home.

Your in-laws interfered. Oh, your marriage could have survived if they just left you. With their interference all the time, all the time interfering, you couldn't work things out in your marriage by the runes.

You're a Christian, young man. You need to forgive those in-laws and not be bitter and full of the hatred and hurt that's in you. You need to forgive them.

To look them in the eyes and let them know you utterly forgive them, for God requires it of you that you don't have this bitterness and hatred toward your in-laws. How many in-laws need to forgive the boys, the young fellows, you think he didn't treat your daughter like he should have been treated. And all the bitterness in your heart, the hatred, the venom in your heart towards him through your eyes.

Why don't you forgive him if you're a Christian? I mean, forgive him in a way that he can forgive himself, that he knows you're giving him another chance. You're trusting him no matter what failures. How many preachers need to forgive, to forgive their congregations? How many preachers are full of bitterness against each other as preachers in a denomination? Do you know who crucified Jesus Christ, brethren? It wasn't the Romans.

It wasn't the Jews. It was the religious leaders. Do you know why they crucify Jesus? When they stand before God one day, they won't be able to say it was because he blasphemed.

Oh, long before they found this blaspheme against God, that they found an excuse to crucify him. Before any fault, they couldn't find any fault. Long before that the hatred, the hanging on every word, looking for something to kill him.

You know why? Jealousy. Do you know how much jealousy is amongst the preachers? They were jealous that was their sin, that he drew the crowds, let some preacher be used of God and watch what other preachers do to him. If Pharisees are alive and well on planet earth today, you can't believe what men have done to me.

I still can't believe it. I've looked in amazement and as I've got on my knees weeping and said, why God? Why would preachers? And God eventually said to me, they're jealous. Jealous.

Do you know I used to pray when any preachers and oh how they tried things you couldn't believe to destroy me, to wipe me out, to simply bar me from pulpits and even lands. I used to pray, God stop them. This is unjust, Lord.

It's not true. They're going to close doors, Lord. But you know, I don't pray that anymore.

In the school of God, God takes you a bit higher in level and whatever they do now, I just say to the Lord very different things. I say, Lord, this must be needed, otherwise I would not allow it. This must be needed, God.

I must be that I was the one to put me in the dust. So Lord, just have thy way. I don't hurry thee, whatever it is that thou art doing, God, just do it.

If it's needed for me to be trusted for the next pulpit. But Lord, help me to be Christ-like. Help me to be Christ-like to these people, to reveal Christ, God.