How to Succeed at God's Work

[Vince Massi]

We'll be a while in the parable of the unforgiving servant. Despite being forgiven a massive debt by his King, he refused to forgive a smaller (though still large) debt from his fellow servant.

Some Christians will forgive another Christian but still feel pain and anger over what happened. We are often taught that he never really forgave the wrong-doer. But the Scriptures really do show that forgiveness is a choice--you forgive or you don't. The idea of struggling for years to forgive someone does not appear in Scripture. So what's the problem?

If the first servant had forgiven the second servant, he never would have gotten the hundred days' wages that he was owed. Folks, that's a lot of money. And the money was owed due to wrong-doing. By forgiving his fellow servant, the first servant would never achieve justice. If he needed that money, his need would not be met.

Now Brethren, if you choose to forgive someone who did you wrong, then you really did forgive him. If you are suffering pain and anger over what happened, but you do not wish revenge, then you still forgave the person.

Some wrongs continue to produce long-term pain. A ruined childhood can never be restored. HAC can never repay the wrongs it did to many of its students. And when you forgive, you waive your right to justice. But if you really did forgive, then you have forgiven that person, despite the ongoing pain.

 

[Vince Massi]

In the parable of the unforgiving servant, we see that the second servant actually had wronged the first servant. If the first servant had forgiven him, then the first servant would never have achieved justice. We also see that forgiveness is a choice--if you choose to forgive someone, then you forgave him; there is no such thing in Scripture as struggling for years to forgive.

So what if, years later, you are still suffering pain from what the person did to you?

Like the first servant, you have been forgiven a far greater debt than God tells you to forgive. You did more wrong to God than your fellow servant did to you. You are still ahead, even if you never receive the justice you deserve.

Now, Brethren, a lot of people on this thread are bitter, and they have good reason to be. We were lied to, exploited, and betrayed by HAC. No other college, of any kind, is as despised by its graduates as HAC. Since HAC opened its doors, God's people despise Jack Hyles more than every other preacher, evangelist, Pope, and false prophet combined. Dave Hyles is the only possible exception.

And you will never receive justice. But you've done more wrong to God than HAC did to you, and God still forgave you.

 

[Vince Massi]

The first servant demanded justice, and he got it. The King handed him over to the tormenters until he paid all that was due. And this gets us into a problem.

I had a handful of scorners following me around to mock God's Word, but I'm not talking about them. This forum has a LOT of people still angry and hurt over what HAC did to them. Granted, they have a lot to be angry and hurt about. But decades later, we have entire threads dedicated to scorning HAC. Now, helping people recover from HAC is one thing--mocking, scorning, ridiculing, etc, are another.

A lot of people on the FFF have not forgiven Jack and others for the wrongs that were done. The wrongs are real, and you'll never get justice. But you need to forgive., or you're going to keep suffering from hurt.

 

[Ransom]

The first servant demanded justice, and he got it. The King handed him over to the tormenters until he paid all that was due. And this gets us into a problem.

There is no problem. The parable teaches that since we have been forgiven of a sin-debt that we could not possibly pay, we are expected to forgive others. It's both uncomplicated and obvious.

 

[The Rogue Tomato]

How to succeed at God's work:

1 Unless the Lord builds the house,
They labor in vain who build it;
Unless the Lord guards the city,
The watchman stays awake in vain.
2 It is vain for you to rise up early,
To sit up late,
To eat the bread of sorrows;
For so He gives His beloved sleep.

 

[Vince Massi]

Good to hear from you, Rogue.

It's true that unless the Lord builds the house, the workers are laboring in vain. But makes grace, spiritual gifts, wisdom, His Word, and forgiveness available for us. These blessings (along with others) are tools that God uses to build the house.

 

[Vince Massi]

Hebrews 12:14-15 tells us "Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord: looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled;"

When you have been wronged, you are to pursue peace with the wrong-doer while separating from sin. You need to be diligent that bitterness doesn't spring up, because if it does, it can cause trouble among the saints and defile many.

This, Brethren, is the secret to the success that comes to scorners--bitterness. The opposite of grace, bitterness gives a person the ability to influence Christians to harm themselves spiritually.

You can have the success that comes from being blessed by God, and you can have the success that comes from disobeying His commands not to scorn, but you can't have both. You can have grace, or you can have bitterness, but you can't have both.

 

[subllibrm]

Just checking in to see if Vince has provided his definition of success yet.

 

[Vince Massi]

Subllibrm, success is accomplishing what God wants you to accomplish.

And now, for a little psychology.

Years or decades after abuse, some victims are still suffering pain. Since they cannot physically remedy the situation (it happened long ago), they try to remedy it mentally. Part of their pain is from their feeling of helplessness, and some people will spend years devising plans by which they could have won.

Another mental response to this pain is scorn. Ridiculing your tormenter gives you a feeling of power and it actually does reduce your pain. But it doesn't solve the problem, because the abuse happened and it is over. People who are taunting Jack Hyles, Dave, Hyles, Jim Vineyard, etc., usually aren't imagining the wrongs these men committed. But scorning them does not undo the harm they did, nor does it give you justice.

Instead of scorning, submit to the authority of God and His people. This will produce h8umility, and humility will produce grace. Grace will prevent and eliminate bitterness, and that wilol remove your pain.

 

[subllibrm]

At least you got around to a definition. Thank you for that.

While I will not quibble with your definition I will say that I see success less as an issue of accomplishments and more of obedience.

Many of of the prophets were obedient and "accomplished" very little. Jeremiah comes to mind. He was faithful to the task given him and saw very little is any of what we would today call fruit.

Now back to your lesson plan.

 

[Ransom]

Vince apparently defines "success" in such a manner that writing this thread for three weeks, and still not getting to his point, somehow qualifies.

 

[Vince Massi]

Folks, I posted this on my blog last year, and somebody commented on it today.

Saturday, August 30, 2014
CLOSURE

When one Christian wrongs another, God's will is that the second Christian forgive and the first Christian make amends. I have seen this happen. But many times, the second Christian forgives and the first Christian does nothing.

"Closure" in this instance is not God's perfect will. It occurs when the second Christian forgives, the first Christian makes a solid refusal to set things right, God takes vengeance, and the second Christian learns of it.

About 34 years ago, I worked for a Christian school that badly mistreated its teachers. The pastor's son was above the rules, and I received a loud chewing out for making him obey them.

We had an insurance meeting, and everyone on staff voted to include pregnancy insurance. The pastor's enraged wife, her face livid with anger, lashed out at the young couples who were teaching in their Christian school. The insurance agent pointed out that older women had the same average costs as younger women with pregnancy insurance, but she made her husband give in. A valuable lesson I learned that day was how much the leadership in Christian schools despised their teachers.

When teachers made a student behave, the principal would send the student to take the teacher out of class for a chewing out in front of the student.

About a week after the school year ended, they informed me that I was not coming back next year. It was difficult to find a position with such short notice, but God took care of me and I went into a much better school.

One reason was that I had forced the pastor's son to behave in class. The pastor had literally yelled at me for doing it, and I had told him that his son was lying. A few days ago, the son, now 47, was sentenced to 16 to 20 months prison for molesting boys while he was his father's youth director.

"Closure" does me little good. I had forgiven them back when it happened. God had taken care of me, and I had become a better teacher as a result of all that happened. Reconciliation would have been better for everyone.

Especially the Christian who did wrong.

Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay," says the Lord. Romans 12:19

 

[prophet]

Still wondering if your interpretation of the Spirital Gifts is slanted by your A.O.G. association.

When you say the Gifts are "available to us", what do you mean?

 

[Vince Massi]

Still wondering if your interpretation of the Spirital Gifts is slanted by your A.O.G. association.

When you say the Gifts are "available to us", what do you mean?

Prophet, I mean two things, both of which are taught in Scripture.

1) Every Christian has a spiritual gift. 1 Corinthians 12 talks about spiritual gifts, concluding in verse 11 "But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.

2) You can have more than one spiritual gift. 1 Corinthians 14:1 tells us "Pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy."

The AOG has sometimes managed to push the doctrine that speaking in tongues is the evidence of the filling of the Holy Spirit into the background; the Bible clearly tells us that tongues is the least of the gifts, and that we are to seek the better gifts. Our church actively supports soul-winning, and we have just helped bring in a missionary who has established several successful churches--he'll be serving in Guadalajara. The AOG just paid for Mayra Neighbor, who runs our Saturday Children's Church, to spend a week in training for VBS, and then she will be training other churches. We spend about two weeks a year on Indians reservations conducting VBS. I'm in the church where I want to be.

 

[Bruh]

Vince, thank you for your writings! I for one am not scornful like others you have pointed out at this gathering.

You are profound and very intriguing in your writings. You no doubt have meditated for many hours before posting. I have grown just from your writings. If you ever start a church and become the pastor I will move my family to that church for the preaching.

Thank you for being so willing to take criticism while maintaining a positive attitude.  Keep on keeping on!

 

[T-Bone]

Vince, thank you for your writings! I for one am not scornful like others you have pointed out at this gathering.

You are profound and very intriguing in your writings. You no doubt have meditated for many hours before posting. I have grown just from your writings. If you ever start a church and become the pastor I will move my family to that church for the preaching.

Thank you for being so willing to take criticism while maintaining a positive attitude.  Keep on keeping on!

I'm speechless!  SMH!

 

[Bruh]

Vince, thank you for your writings! I for one am not scornful like others you have pointed out at this gathering.

You are profound and very intriguing in your writings. You no doubt have meditated for many hours before posting. I have grown just from your writings. If you ever start a church and become the pastor I will move my family to that church for the preaching.

Thank you for being so willing to take criticism while maintaining a positive attitude.  Keep on keeping on!

I'm speechless!  SMH!

Why? Vince brings a tried and true perspective to great truths. And if applied will bring great success.

 

[T-Bone]

Vince, thank you for your writings! I for one am not scornful like others you have pointed out at this gathering.

You are profound and very intriguing in your writings. You no doubt have meditated for many hours before posting. I have grown just from your writings. If you ever start a church and become the pastor I will move my family to that church for the preaching.

Thank you for being so willing to take criticism while maintaining a positive attitude.  Keep on keeping on!

I'm speechless!  SMH!

Why? Vince brings a tried and true perspective to great truths. And if applied will bring great success.

Vince is a shallow idiot...and that you would want to place your family under his say nothing shallow teachings...well, that's incredible.  If you think he is a qualified teacher then you are as dangerous as he is.

 

[Bruh]

Vince, thank you for your writings! I for one am not scornful like others you have pointed out at this gathering.

You are profound and very intriguing in your writings. You no doubt have meditated for many hours before posting. I have grown just from your writings. If you ever start a church and become the pastor I will move my family to that church for the preaching.

Thank you for being so willing to take criticism while maintaining a positive attitude.  Keep on keeping on!

I'm speechless!  SMH!

Why? Vince brings a tried and true perspective to great truths. And if applied will bring great success.

Vince is a shallow idiot...and that you would want to place your family under his say nothing shallow teachings...well, that's incredible.  If you think he is a qualified teacher then you are as dangerous as he is.

You my friend are scornful, and I will let Mr. Vince, reply as I am not as studied as he.

 

[T-Bone]

Vince, thank you for your writings! I for one am not scornful like others you have pointed out at this gathering.

You are profound and very intriguing in your writings. You no doubt have meditated for many hours before posting. I have grown just from your writings. If you ever start a church and become the pastor I will move my family to that church for the preaching.

Thank you for being so willing to take criticism while maintaining a positive attitude.  Keep on keeping on!

I'm speechless!  SMH!

Why? Vince brings a tried and true perspective to great truths. And if applied will bring great success.

Vince is a shallow idiot...and that you would want to place your family under his say nothing shallow teachings...well, that's incredible.  If you think he is a qualified teacher then you are as dangerous as he is.

You my friend are scornful, and I will let Mr. Vince, reply as I am not as studied as he.

LOL...A person who speaks the truth to you is not scornful...and that you state that Vince the unlearned is more studied than you are is a scary prospect indeed.  I know junior high students that understand the Scripture better than Vince!