Moneychanger No. 5 (Forgiveness)

You are looking at the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem where the Jewish people go to pray for forgiveness for themselves and loved ones and to pray for the return of their Messiah.

Perhaps most of you who are closest to me understand and have perceived that I am focused on this moneychanger thing about forgiveness. I hope you don't think I am a hobbiest. I am somewhat hung up on this subject. Many of you know that in the eyes of some I " fell from grace" about a year ago. I think my writing, at least on the subject of forgiveness is because of the high handed ways I have seen moneychangers (those who exploit the house of God for their purposes) treat those who they have accused of being "fallen brothers." The proof of this came to me at the outset of my "falleness" when I was told that I would not be judged and yet in effect I was judged.

I have come to believe that there are those in the kingdom of God who are standing in the very doorway of the kingdom and exploiting the people of God while operating under the guise of being leaders in the kingdom. I believe this to be true because their actions are so diametrically
opposed to the Head of the church and the Foundation of the building of God.

Folks like these are hard , conceited, self righteous, burdensome judges of other mens' lives who have put themselves between the children of God and God's forgiveness. I know that to be true because since my "spiritual demise" they have become the epitome in my life of "kicking a 'dog' while he is down," even though the kicking has been done with the tongue.

My "fall" came when I decided to leave a marriage that had lasted for decades and had begun as a failed union. I was defrocked, dejobbed, dis-fellowshipped, cast out, and shunned in one fell swoop. There were no attempts and have not been any attempts to help me reclaim my Christianity at all. I gave them close to 50 years of my life; I attended their preachers institute; gained two baccalaureate degrees from a Christian university; and an advanced degree. I preached for some years, taught in Christian schools and helped begin a group home for children that I directed for 28 years. I was excommunicated and cut loose with almost nothing to show for 28 years of service and 50 years of my life.

They surmise I have violated their cause, yet they are inconsistent in their accusations. To this day there are within their ranks those who have committed the same "sins" with no consequences at all and they remain in good standing, and even in leadership rolls in their fellowships. And some of them have the audacity to say of me "you have left the church".

I must tell you that I am not making excuses for leaving a marriage that I should have left years ago. I did not leave it because I had been taught not to leave it, and there were children that needed to be reared. Do I think I am a sinner. I know I am. And for that reason I have been on my face in more than one church asking God's forgiveness, and He has given it.

I know that these writings have been lengthy, but I feel this is a subject that we all will face in the judgement. That subject is "forgiveness". Please bear with me as I express to you my heartfelt feelings about God's people and their forgiveness. I believe that many fellowships of today have failed those who they deem fallen, the lost, the weak, the downtrodden, and the spiritually sick. So I hope that through this sharing of my walk with you somehow or another some fellowships could resolve to be a stronger fellowships that meet the needs of all it's people healthy and sick.

I don't know the exact reason for the type of moneychanger that would exploit the people of God with reference to forgiveness. I can think of a couple of reasons. I will merely suggest them and perhaps we can all decide whether they apply to us.