How long did it take you to realize what an Apostolic life was all about. I’m very glad Jesus has given you the knowledge to determine what constitutes a nicolaitan church. We are moving into a new arena, and many of us are realizing that churches are filled with the traditions of the early church fathers.

I wish we lived nearby, I would fellowship with you and we’d have some fantastic movements of the Lord. I’m praying for more brothers and sisters to come to this revelation. I don’t doubt you’d be a man I could place in authority over me in my life. I need more elders, to see the workings of apostolic ministry and spiritual fruits.

Lord Bless you.

Thank you very much for this article. God is good! But it seems smooth-talking “Rev” W. and his followers have virtually train-wrecked my once close family by turning our sister against us. My brothers and I, who were all raised in Westbury, want our beautiful and wonderful sister back. But she remains under the control of the the gang that calls itself a church and its unsavory “pastor”, who becomes more powerful year by year. Yes, I’m referring to St. John’s. Our sister is an accomplished professional woman who came under the influence of “Rev” W. almost 20 years ago. Now it’s as though she’s been persuaded we’re not her family anymore. Since she became involved with SJ’s she progressively became another person entirely. First off, although she was married at the time, not only did she become romantically involved with “Rev”, (who is divorced) but also picked out other women for him to dabble with. One time, as she told me, he asked her out to a function, and there were three other females in the car when he picked her up. The women were so embarrassed they sat together at the same table but didn’t acknowledge each others’ presence. That being said, let’s get to the heart of the matter. When our mom passed away in 1998, R secretly went to Mineola with Dad, who was senile and had dementia. One of W’s associates, a new boyfriend, served as witness as our loving father, who loved all his children equally, signed over the deed to the family home in Westbury to herself. (Three years later her soon to be ex-husband, whom she surprised by served divorce papers via mail, called my brothers to inform them.) You can imagine my shock when I saw R’s and her boyfriend’s signature, with my father’s name scribbled as having a life estate, as an afterthought. She has since refused to speak to us about this. She had moved into the Westbury house and rented out her home in Freeport. Upon taking residence, she locked up all the family papers in a safe that only she had the combination to. This includes family momentoes, the deed to land in North Carolina, and much more. I saw insurance docs indicating that R had driven Dad’s Cadi to an 11:30 am movie on a Friday morning in a Valley Stream mall. The car was stolen, and the insurance paid out $10,000.
All the while she maintains that we are greedy and “money-hungry”.
She also locked Dad in the house and I had to practically beg for a key. My brothers visited infrequently as both live/work in distance locations. I live about two hours away yet visited and called very often. However, whenever I came by I had to wade through throngs of “church” members who were always hanging around the house. Another of her boyfriends got to picking altercations with me. I no longer felt safe so I contacted Family Court and sued for the right to visit without all those people there. At the hearing I couldn’t believe my ears. My sister said none of us ever visited, and that my parents had always liked her best. She also lied when she denied having tenants in the house. The judge granted us regular visits in a non-poisoned atmosphere, but refused to set aside the new deed. Daddy died in 2005, and my brothers and me were not allowed in the house. My brother rented a hotel suite and we dined together before the funeral service. To this day R tells people that my husband and I are both alcoholics and that my husband lost his job. She also tells people that I have abandoned her. Whatever she does we love her and have forgiven her! But in light of the fact that we all have kids going to college or shortly going to college, we need to sit down together and work out the family finances. Meanwhile, I just feel it in my bones that somehow, some way, SJ’s has something to do with this! Any suggestions are welcome. God bless and good night.

“The reason I don’t forgive wrongs done to me is has nothing to do with pride, hurts, pain, self healing, it is because I have not been asked to forgive.”

Again, such is merely pride in manifestation as noted by Proverbs 31 Sista. The most horrid consideration is that one can be so blinded by pride that they actually think they are speaking for the Lord and cannot perceive their own error.

Where is the Scripture that supports such an assertion as has been made in these posts? It is absent.

The standard for those in Christ IS Christ…not financial institutions. If one feels justified by mimicking the systems of this present evil world, then one is greatly deceived.

This also has nothing to do with the respect and authority through which patriarchs speak, for when men actually do speak for God, they are endowed by Him with such authority. The issue presented in these comments is simply Scriptural error.

Being a man – and even a man who has the respect of his family and speaks forcefully – means nothing in and of itself. Neither should any person define truth by what someone else feels led to say/do in their spirit. If a man’s words do not line up with God’s word, then it is error.

When Jesus was on the cross, He forgave those who crucified and persecuted Him. And this was not because they first asked for forgiveness (Luke 23:34). It was because He was obedient to the Father in all things…as we are to be.

God commands us to forgive – and He does not make this a condition of having being asked for it first (Matthew 6:12; Colossians 3:12-13).

We are to forgive at the moment of being sinned against, not when the person finally comes to ask for it (Matthew 6:14-16; Matthew 18:21-22).

When Jesus healed the man sick of the palsy, the man did not ask for forgiveness first (Matthew 9:2).

When we are approaching God with our offerings, He commands us to leave the gift and go be reconciled with our brother. The text does not say there has to be an actual wrong committed or debt owed; it could simply be a perceived one. It says to be reconciled if your brother has anything against you (Matthew 5:23-25).

Similarly, we cannot even come to God in prayer without having forgiven those who have offended us. Again, NOT because they have asked for it but because the unforgiveness we bear towards them is an obstacle to our relationship with the Lord (Mark 11:25).

The forgiveness we have received in Christ – AND the forgiveness we offer through being in Him – is all about denial of “self”. Even to the extent of taking the wrong when such is not warranted (I Peter 2:20).

We cannot exalt ourselves and what we are owed or what people should do for us and at the same time be doing the will of God. When the focus is on “self” instead of on Christ, it is not the Spirit of the Lord speaking.

Our pattern in Christ is to forgive, even when not asked. When people are to busy holding on to IOUs, they cannot walk in the freedom, love, and COMMANDS of Christ.

Elephants Dancing, Golden lions? Was it a dream or did she just come back from the circus?

How is anyone following this mess?

This happens all too often because of sincere attempts to heap honor on men of God by ignorant sheeple, that haven’t a clue as to how honor is to be properly given unto men of God. Along with the fact that those who ought know would neglect telling them how things ought be done decently and in order!

Extravagance is the order of the day and thereby we create the monsters that we make, we can deny this but try spoiling a child and come back to me in a few years and give me the report, not telling you what I think but what I know.

I had a feeling that you were making reference to honor before I even read it in your post, but we are on the same page!

1Cr 14:40 Let all things be done decently and in order.

Rom 12:8 Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that GIVETH, [let him do it] with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.