Sent: Monday, November 26, 2007 8:37 AM
From: Pastor Vitale
Brethren
What I find really interesting is that XXX found a Scripture that explains harsh judgment. Harsh judgment is for anyone who does not receive and implement kind judgment in their lives:
Proverbs 15:10:
Harsh correction is for him who forsakes the way, and he who hates reproof will die.
I have known for years that a lot of what some of you have called harshness from me was from the Lord, but I never realized that there was a Scripture for it.
As I have said to the brethren many times, you have a right to petition the Lord if you feel that my judgment is harsh, but if He does not respond to you, it means that He has rejected your petition.
Someone told me recently that they have been seeking the Lord for years about something they believe that I did wrong, and have never received a response. “No response” means that you are wrong in your thinking and/or your approach.
The way to get a response from the Lord is to present your case and then ask Him to correct you in any area where you might be wrong.
If the Lord brings the correction through me, however, and you reject His response because it came through me and not directly from the Lord, you have cut yourself off from the Lord’s Wisdom, and are now a candidate for harsh judgment.
I minister both the White Throne Judgment (the mercy of God) and the Sowing & Reaping Judgment, which is the harsh judgment of Jehovah.
We all deserve what we get in this world, because the spiritual Law that this world is based upon is the Sowing & Reaping Judgment. Most people find this hard to believe because they are blind to their own sins, wherefore, it is the mercy of God to have our sins revealed to us.
No one has a right to mercy or kindness, except the one who, himself, is merciful.
1. The one who is merciful to the hungry or sick by feeding or taking them to a doctor, or praying for them, will reap mercy, IN THESE SAME AREAS. In other words, should that person who meets the need of the hungry or infirm ever be hungry or sick, they should expect to find mercy.
2. On the other hand, anyone seeking mercy when their sins are judged by someone who they sinned against, should examine himself to determine whether he has had mercy on whoever may have sinned against him.
In other words, criticism and, in particular, criticism of an authority, calls for a harsh rebuke because the one under authority has made their opinion equal to that of the authority.
Such an attitude strips the person in charge of his legitimate authority (all authority comes from God), and is, therefore, the sin of jezebellic witchcraft and pride. This is why complaints against an authority should be made only to the Lord. Silence (no response) means that the Lord has rejected your complaint.
3. One may also desire mercy when sin is revealed through an attitude, word or behavior that arises out of ignorance or a lack of knowledge (not a personal attack). In this case, mercy can be obtained in two ways:
a. By being merciful to people who offend you out of ignorance or lack of knowledge, or
b. By being corrected by someone who is merciful because they are manifesting the nature of the Lord Jesus, even though you don’t deserve mercy in accordance with the Sowing & Reaping Judgment.
4. Sometimes we are judged incorrectly, and are truly innocent. How does the Lord require us to respond to unfair (not harsh) judgment?
1 Peter 2:20-21
20 For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God.
21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:
KJV
Acts 23:3-5
3 Then said Paul unto him, God shall smite thee, thou whited wall: for sittest thou to judge me after the law, and commandest me to be smitten contrary to the law?
4 And they that stood by said, Revilest thou God's high priest?
5 Then said Paul, I wist not, brethren, that he was the high priest: for it is written, Thou shalt not speak evil of the ruler of thy people.
KJV
I never cease to be amazed at how the Lord teaches us.
God bless you all.
Love, Pastor Vitale
