Have You Mastered Online Forgiveness Yet?

And to all those people who disagreed with me............
I forgive you!

Hidden In Him said:

If I could vote that one a Winner and Funny, I would have.

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When in doubt just say "I forgive you".

Hidden In Him said:

Thanks for the videos, Jason. I haven't watched them yet but I have that on my agenda.

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Well, I agree for the most part in what Alan teaches. But I do not agree with everything Alan says. For example: I do not think the "sin unto death" mentioned in 1 John 5:16-17 is talking about willful sin (as he states in his videos). I believe it is talking about unconfessed serious sins that lead to the Second Death (like murder, hate, adultery, unforgiveness, etc.). Sins not unto death are sins that are confessed. This is why we are to pray so as to give life to a person who is committing a sin not unto death. If a believer is struggling with sin, we can pray for them so as to have victory over their sin. I believe the Bible also speaks of other kinds of sins not unto death. 1 Peter 3:21 tells us that disobeying the command of baptism is not a sin unto death. For Peter says that baptism does not save us from putting away the filth of the flesh (Note: filthiness of the flesh is mentioned in reference to sin in 2 Corinthians 7:1).

You said:

About your post, there are some helpful things there. Let me start by asking you about this, however. In relation to renewing the mind, do you think it's possible to watch some TV while still remaining unaffected or no? I watch very little, but I do still watch some.

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I can see some (not all) documentaries and educational videos and films as being okay because it is about life. But movies and TV have blatantly sinful things within them. For example: Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade might seem like a movie with some Christian overtones in it, but the problem is that there are also sinful things within it, as well. Indiana Jones and his father both sleep with the same woman. This is just silently put into the film and you are supposed to just ignore it as if it is normal.

Will a little bit of rat poison effect you versus taking a lot of it?
That is how I view secular movies and TV now.

One of the biggest passages that always haunted me when I primarily just watched super hero movies and TV about 8 months ago was the following.

15 "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever."
(1 John 2:15-17).

You said:

This is good. And practical.

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I am glad you agree.

You said:

This is very good. I'm surprised you would apply the Lord's Prayer in this way. I don't think most people know that it is specifically talking about praying that the Lord not lead us into the temptation to sin verbally by failing to keep a tight reign over our mouths.

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I think if one prays for God's presence to protect them in moments where they might otherwise curse, God is leading them not into temptation, too. Meaning, God can give a person peace in stressful times or challenges. But I actually was referring to when Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane with his disciples in Matthew 26 where Christ says to them,

"Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." (Matthew 26:41).

You said:

The allusion to fasting as a means of keeping the flesh down is also something I firmly believe in, although in my opinion it has to be qualified by the fact that one cannot fast all the time (unfortunately). Paul attested to engaging in fasting "often," yet not always. So this cannot be regarded as a fool-proof method to fall back on. Sometimes you just can't.

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I see "fasting" as just of the many tools in our toolbox within God's Word to overcome sin. It certainly was not meant to be a tool by itself alone.

You said:

Agreed here as well, only, without wanting to sound argumentative, this too is not always a feasible option 24/7, at least to me. I find during times when I am receiving revelation from Him it is much easier to apply this one and see the positive effects of it. But there are other times when I am not able to keep my head in the word and in prayer. I've heard that ministry can also help, because it keeps one in prayer and the word more, of necessity.

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I think a person can pray to God so as to help them to either:

(a) Find opportunities to be a good witness for Christ at work (with us thinking on Him more).
(b) Denying ourselves to such a point whereby we follow Jesus 100% in what He says right now like selling all our possessions and giving the money to the poor, etc.

It also takes baby steps. The more you do the things of God, the more you will be dedicated to Him.

You said:

This one I've heard before, only I'm not sure Christ's example was a repetitive form of self-discipline. I regard it more as a single instance of direct response to the Devil. I suppose this doesn't disqualify this method from being used, but I'm not convinced His example lends it scriptural support.

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The sword of the Spirit is the Word of God. Using God's Word as a sword is one of the most important weapons you can wield against the forces of darkness and sin. I can tell you it works. Jesus did defeat the devil by quoting Scripture. Jesus said, my words are spirit and they are life. Jesus said man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.

"For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds." (2 Corinthians 10:4).

Strongholds are demonic forces. One of the weapons of our warefare is God's Word.

You said:

Excellent verse and good advice. I recall Greg Merrill posting a thread asking for everyone to pray for members who appeared to be getting into strife right about the time when I was losing it with a brother. And while he never mentioned by name who he was concerned about, for all I know those prayers might have truly helped me at the time.

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The power of prayer is powerful.

You said:

This brings to mind honorable mention to Greg again, who professes to keep this habit as well. MY trouble (again, not making excuses), is that I am so mentally active in other things the Lord has me doing that it is very tough constantly giving myself to repetitive meditations like that. It would also have to dominate my prayer time to have any real conceivable effect, and I have so many other things going on that I need to be praying for that, one way our another, something would get sacrificed.

To be continued...

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If you confess from a broken heart, there is nothing repetitive about it. One is being genuine with God.
Also, just because something is repetitive does not mean it is wrong, either.
The four beasts in Heaven said (without rest), "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come." (Revelation 4:8).


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Jason0047 said:

There are ways to overcome sin.

First, I would encourage anyone who struggles with sin to check out Allan Ballou's videos here:

His website is:
How to stop sinning | HowToStopSinning.com

All His videos can be found at:
Alan Ballou's YouTube Page.

Second, a person has to be ye transformed by the renewing of their mind. They have to be willing to dedicate their life entirely to Jesus (holding nothing back). They have to be willing to give up the ways of this world for Jesus. They have to stop indulging in worldly movies, music, books, comics, or sports, etc. For Jesus said, deny yourself, pick up your cross, and come follow me. Granted, this may not be an overnight process. It can take time for a person to deny themselves in many areas of their life.

Anyways, the most important thing for a person to do right now (if they struggle with any sin) is to drop down upon their knees right now before God (with a broken heart) and confess their sins and forsake them so as to be forgiven whether it be the six sins or sixty of them.

Sins (like murder, hate, adultery, theft, unforgiveness, etc.) lead unto the lake of fire if not repented of. Howevever, I believe there are different ways to overcome sin by God's Word and with the help of Jesus.

1. Remove yourself from sinful environments (if possible) and or get rid of things that cause you to sin. In Genesis: Joseph had literally ran away from the temptation of sexual sin.
   
   
2. Pray to God so as not to be tempted. It is part of the Lord’s prayer for you to pray so as not to be tempted into sin. God will guide and protect you if you are serious in praying for this. In fact, fasting will help you with this, as well.
   
   
3. Obey God’s righteous ways. The more you love God and love others and obey His Word and stay in His Word and pray, the more you will not even have a chance to sin or do the wrong thing. But the more you walk in God's Word by the Spirit you will not fulfill the lusts of flesh.
   
   
4. When you are tempted, quote Scripture. When Jesus was tempted by the devil, He quoted Scripture to defeat the devil. So when some specific sin is bothering you, find all the verses you can that are victory verses over that particular sin. A good general verse is, “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.” You can say these verses to yourself silently under your breath (with nobody hearing).
   
   
5. Ask for prayer from other God fearing Christians or Godly Christians to help you to overcome certain sins. The Scriptures say, bear ye one another's burdens and thus fulfill the Law of Christ. So seek true fellowship and ask for their help.
   
   
6. Hide God’s Word in your heart. Memorize Scripture. David said he hid God’s Word within his heart so that he may not sin against the Lord.
   
   
7. Confess of your sins. 1 John 1:9 says if we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Anyways, I hope this helps.
And may God's love shine upon all here today.

With loving kindness to you in Christ,

Sincerely,

~ Jason.


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I was so delighted to realize the Lord's prayer includes asking not to be tempted, and especially to be delivered from evil! In the last year I've begun to pray this as the profound prayer it is, and noticing the big effect it has on the day.

Removing oneself from a temptation is a good step, doing whatever it takes (plucking out). When I notice a billboard or ad that would tempt me I look away. I don't want that anymore! It's taken several prayers and repentings to divorce our hyper lustful culture, each effective, and now I have learned to avoid the trap ahead of time. Now I want to see only faces and spirits always, as when I was a child.

I've often recited part of psalm 23 in the last year, because it is so wonderful. Now i want the rest. What a delightful means of strengthening.

Another incredible jewel and help is psalm 51. Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

No but it's on my to do list.

Hidden In Him said:

Norbert, I'm going to have to disagree with you on a few points here. For starters this comes off as oversimplified. I actually have gotten accused of being guilty of the above when it wasn't true. In both times I have gotten seriously upset with someone it was because they were teaching false doctrine or false interpretation and misleading people, and I don't like the effect I know it will have on other people. This is why it is a little difficult for me relating to those who say that other online personalities don't effect them. I suppose when it is someone simply talking about nonsense then it certainly does matter one way or the other. But when it has to do with teaching others the word of God and teaching them falsely, to me this is something I regard as being important. So it is not simply as easy as saying that someone who loses it with someone else is "in the wrong," plain and simple. Yes, the way they are responding is wrong. But their motivations for responding as they are may be because they are right theologically, and the other person needs to be corrected, and badly.


Ugh... This quote bothers me too, although don't take it personal. But God help us when it is regarded as "whoever has the last word wins." This is precisely what leads to endless wars amongst Christians. No one can ever shut up and leave it alone because everyone is running on the fear they might "lose," and it's all about saving face instead of merely defending the truth.

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The parable of the splinter vs the plank should be a simple lesson. However to identify when it is happening can take more effort. Likewise pointing out when a person who is in the wrong forgives someone who tries to point that out because forgiving is the Christian thing to do is not so far fetched that it too is simply a truthful observation. These things do happen and it took me time to see and grow out of it and the two points I made is how I deal with it personally. In regards to the OP who I was responding to, when it comes to forgiveness an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

When you say "So it is not simply as easy as saying that someone who loses it with someone else is "in the wrong," plain and simple. Yes, the way they are responding is wrong. But their motivations for responding as they are may be because they are right theologically, and the other person needs to be corrected, and badly." I used wording along the line of bearing a grudge, bitterness and being blind of what is causing pain. Would you agree that all those are either a bad attitude or quality for a Christian to have and respond with on these forums? I believe that when those conditions are at their worst, that is when a person can lose it.

It should be simply obvious that we have much greater influence and power to correct own selves rather than the other person.

Hidden In Him said:

This is primarily a question about mastering the ability to forgive others whom you have online interactions with, although it could naturally also apply to personal relationships as well if that's something anyone would also like to discuss.

But where are you in your ability to forgive those who offend you online, especially other brothers and sisters in Christ who instead of acting brotherly are openly rude and insulting to you? But please note, I am NOT asking have you mastered the ability to not become angry with those who offend you. Quite the opposite. I am asking have you mastered the ability to forgive others when they did offend or anger you.

If you have developed ways and systems of mastering this, please describe the procedure you go through that helps you break free from anger to hear from God, and restore yourself to a heart of forgiveness once more.

If you have not, please share what you believe are the toughest obstacles hindering you from doing so.

Please note also, this is not intended to become a thread for airing grievances anyone might still have with someone else at this website. I am simply hoping to discuss a subject matter that I believe is very close to the Lord's heart, and hoping I might gain some insight from those who have successfully dealt with this issue in the past, and/or are doing so today.

If you can do so in a way that doesn't slander anyone, please cite examples of how you have overcome anger or resentment to walk in forgiveness once again. Online or interpersonal examples are both welcome.

Thanks.

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I used to say when offense came especially in traffic or I saw injustice, or any behavior where I lost my peace: God loves you! I love you! God bless you! This went on for about 5 years. THEN a few weeks ago I was given unction and it came out I LOVE YOU! with thoughts I do not need to declare His love first. Lord's love is indwelling. I do not yet know why, but a week ago it came out of me WE LOVE you. I say this quite often throughout the day when I sense I am losing my peace over others actions. I is working great to stay in peace. I have been activated into a healing ministry with Lord. I have been too focUSed on trying to get as many resluts as possible and feeling disappointed when there are no opportunities coming forth. Sometimes three will be healed in 1/2 a hour (happened twice) mostly about 1/2 an hour apart. I go out to a few places asking if they have pain they want to be free from. I sometimes have no results and I almost always dedicate 2 hours to the process. I mention this to say this. When Lord showed me to say "W/we love you" to everyone going by it took my focUS on the object of healing and put it on the P/partnership with Lord's indwelling grace and "reality". It feels so rewarding not being concerned about accomplishing healings. There is a lot of variations of approach etc. This is very breif example of a possible help for a refocUS. I hope this testimony has been a help

Hidden In Him said:

As a matter of fact, while I'm at it let me ask you a question: This is off topic from the OP, but since I created the thread I'm allowed.

Have you ever experienced times when people approached you for healing but the Spirit gave you no real witness or leading about administering it?

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Not yet but a person came to me for baptism of Holy Spirit and Lord had me ask him. "have you made Lord, Lord of your life and with the no answer he went away.

Hidden In Him said:

It most certainly has, Stealth! Thank you.

You know, I've been feeling the same way with my gift. I went for while there last month where I was interrupting dreams and visions left and right, and very clearly and unmistakably being used supernaturally by God. Several were deeply affected.

Then nothing. Maybe a little dream or something here or there, but hardly anything that the ones being given the dreams couldn't figure out themselves with a little effort. No real challenges. I've gotten bored, like I've got an itchy trigger finger or something. But being submitted to Him means that I simply have to wait until someone NEEDS the gift, and that means waiting in God's love for others to need Him.

Anyway, your words ministered, so I really appreciate you sharing what He is doing in your life. It really resonates with me a lot.

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Lord I thank "Hidden In YOU" that he is not so hidden because he has received and extended encouragement. I thank You and him for that I command a blessing that there be an exponential increase in understanding of Your love for "ALL" You have created and with revelation of how easy it can be to "Let go and LET YOU". Thanky you that You put the desires in our heart so that we can experience Your favor when you meet those desires. I bless all saints with deeper understanding of the favor available to those paying attention.

GeorgeJ said:

I've never been "hurt" or "offended" by an anonymous online personality.

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just found this thread and have to agree with this ^

from being a longtime member on another forum (now gone), once received the nastiest pm from another member
guess she didn't like one of my posts on a thread

read back thru some of her posts and saw she was Catholic

then replied back
said that I couldn't be insulted and was also surprised that she'd send such a nasty pm, considering that she was Catholic and went to church

she actually replied back and sent a nicer pm, lol

most people if they do get upset from someone's posts, it because something in them reacts negatively to what's said

it means they probably have something unresolved concerning topic if they get upset or angry
(not talking about bullying as that's different case)

Being offended is a choice. It is well within our control.

bettercallpaul said:

And to all those people who disagreed with me............
I forgive you!

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Interesting possible contradiction and/or paradox ..... can you, or did you, or will you or should you (should anyone?) forgive Jesus for disagreeing with you ? And/or repent and turn to think His Way ?

RayJeena said:

Since offense is taken rather than given, the ones traditionally likely to be perceived as the offending party haven't really done anything to me that I feel needs to be forgiven. I need to forgive myself for interpreting what they say in such a way that would leave me feeling offended.

That said, I haven't yet reached the point where I don't feel the need to report something if it violates CF rules of conduct, or, at the very east, put someone on Ignore temporarily. Enforcing boundaries isn't a bad thing, after all.

Ultimately, though, I would love to reach that zenlike level where I no longer feel the need to take such action(s).

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I agree....I had a huge struggle with being easily offended and I would get so hurt then angry then have to go and pray to get my peace back....and the worst part is that I would later find out that they didn't mean to offend me....so I am so much better now I believe He delivered me of that "spirit" of offense.
And what helped me the most was to thank everyone for their reply to a thread I posted even if the response was a bit harsh.....I also had to quit defending my belief versus theirs and just be accepting of it at least here on the forum.