Midnight Cry Messenger

‘A True New Year’

January / February 1966

1. "And the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt saving,
This month shall be unto you the beginning of months, it shall be the
First month of the year to you, Speak ye unto all the congregation of
the children of Israel saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall
take them a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for a
house; and if the household be little for the lamb, let him and his
neighbour next unto his house take it according to the number of souls;
very man according to his eating shall make your count for the lamb,
Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year; ye shall
take it out from the sheep or from the goats; and ye shall keep it up
until the fourteenth day of the same month I and the whole assembly of
the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening. And they shall
take of the blood and strike it upon the two side posts and on the upper
door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it. And they shall eat
the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; and with
bitter herbs they shall eat it. Eat not of it raw or sodden at all with
water, but roast with fire; his head with his legs, and with the
purtenance thereof. And ye shall let nothing remain of it until morning;
and that which remaineth of it until morning ye shall burn with fire.
And thus shall ye eat in haste; it is the Lord's Passover. For I will
pass through the land of Egypt and will smite all the first born in the
land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt
will I execute judgment, I am the Lord. And the blood shall be to you
for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I
will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you,
when I smite the land of Egypt." Exodus 12:1-13.

2. "And when they were come to the place which is called Calvary, them
they crucified him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the
other on the left. Then said Jesus, Father for-give them, for they know
not what they do." Luke 23:33-34.

"To whom ye forgive anything, I forgive also; for if I forgive anything,
to whom I forgave it, for your sakes forgave I it in the person of
Christ; lest Satan should get an advantage of us, for we are not
ignorant of his devices." 2 Corinthians 2:10-11.

In Exodus 12 1-13, wherein we have read the story of the Passover, God
has just given to his people, Israel, a New Year. It is most peculiar
how he went about giving them that New Year. But the meaning of it is
found in Luke 23:33-34, where the spotless Lamb of God, who is our
Passover, cried out while dying upon Calvary 'Father forgive them. .So
the story of the little lamb being slain and his blood splashed upon the
door posts and lintel is the story of God giving his people a New Year
by means of the blood which speaks of forgiveness. God is saying to
those people, "I am going to make a change for you. I am going to take
you up out of bondage away from Egypt. I am going to lead you into a
land of freedom and blessing. I am going to make you forget all the
years that are behind: those unproductive years of slavery. I am going
to do it by giving you a New Year, a New Start, a New Life; I am going
to do it by forgiving you. I am forgiving you for all your past while
you were there in Egypt. The blood is gong to make a atonement for you."
Your New Year begins in complete forgiveness."

3. Never forget that. It was forgiveness that made the New Year. Without
forgiveness there never would have been a New Year. When God gave them
that New Year, He gave them a new start, a victorious new start. Thus it
was forgiveness that gave them that New Year and that new start. Today
men and women approach the New Year with resolutions. They say, "We are
going to make a change, not only of things, but in ourselves. We are
going to make a new start. We will stop doing the things we ought not to
have done. We are making a break with the past. 

Now then, we will start doing the thing we ought to have done, and
somehow never have gotten around to doing, even though we wanted to. We
will be different and things will be different. This is a New Year. We
are going to see that everything is new along with it. I have no doubt
in my mind that ancient Israel was just exactly like moderns of today.
When they heard of the New Year and a new beginning, they could well
have reasoned within themselves, "We will be different. e will stop
being a slave people who are under compulsion. We will do new things in
a new place and we will dominate and not be dominated. We will be free
to do as we ought to do. 

4. But here is what God said, "The New year begins with forgiveness. It
is either forgiveness or NO New Year. And right here is where 2
Corinthians. 2:10-11, comes in. Here is whether you will get a New Year
or not. Here is where things will be different or you will go right on
as you are, and perhaps even more confirmed in your way. Your New Year
will depend on how thoroughly you forgive those who wronged you. Read
those verses again. "For your sakes forgave I it in the Person of
Christ, lest Satan get an advantage of us, for we are not ignorant of
his devices." See it. It is so simple. As you come to this, another New
Year, you want to stop doing certain things but you cannot. Not only
that, but you want to start doing certain things that you have known
ought to be done, but you cannot for you are bound. You have a lot of
ideas about why it is so in your case, but you have never really known
the truth. The truth is, someone has an advantage over you. You are not
your own free man as you ought to be. And that on who has the advantage
over you and holds you is Satan. That is what the Word says. It declares
that Satan’s method of gaining an advantage, of getting hold of
people, is to foster in them an unforgiving spirit, and from thereon
everything is wrong, for you are no longer free, but bound. When people
stop forgiving each other, they can make all the resolutions in the
world, and they can pray and struggle and repent the best they know how,
yet there is no deliverance. There cannot be deliverance until there is
forgiveness. This is how it was with Israel. They could not. be
delivered until forgiveness shone forth. Every change begins in
forgiveness. Your change from a sinner to a child of God began in
forgiveness, for God forgave you of your sins. That is where you got
your start with God. That is called justification which means that God
called you righteous upon the grounds that He had a legal right to,
through the shedding of Jesus Blood. As soon as He did that, you became
a new creature in Christ. You were set free. You were delivered from the
guilt and bondage and power of sin. You had a new start. That was your
New Year at the time of your new birth. How good it was to be a new
creation, to have a new start and above all, have a new birth. 

5. Every dead formal church that receives a reviving breath of the
Spirit of God does so only on the grounds that a spirit of conviction
overcomes the members until they are overwhelmed their guilty actions
toward each other, and forgive each other and make amends. It is this
asking of forgiveness that melts hearts and brings revival. God has not,
and cannot move in any way amongst His people until they forgive and
come to unity. Where there is forgiveness, there is a new start, and
things are different. Where there is no forgiveness, there is no
revival, no new start, but bondage and Satan holds the advantage. 

And when Jesus taught His disciples to pray, he said, "And forgive us
our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us." And as He
concluded teaching them to pray, He elaborated upon the words just
quoted, saying, "For if we forgive not men their trespasses neither will
your Father forgive your trespasses." So here we have the sacred
pronouncement, "Forgive or you will be in bondage to your sins. Forgive,
or there will be no deliverance and consequently no new start and no new
year for you. If you forgive, you will be in a position to stop doing
the things you hate doing, and begin to do all the right things you have
not been doing. Your adversary will no longer have the advantage over
you. You will have that wonderful new start to do all things well. It
will be the beginning of months, months of the power and glory of God. 

6. Now, lest we know not what it means to forgive as we ought, we would
do well to study and determine exactly what it does mean. It so happens
that the word 'forgive" is derived from three basic thoughts. 

1. To remove away from, in the sense of time, place or relation. Suffer.
Yield up. Remit. 

2. Grant gratuitously, a favour; pardon; rescue.

3. Urgent, or smearing (taken from the same root that we get the word
'anointing’ in relation to the Holy Spirit.

From this we can formulate an exact definition. To forgive is; "To
suffer the guilt, to be removed from the wrong doer, by disassociating
him from the wrong action, and not only pardoning him, but healing the
breach." 

For one to forgive is to have all guilt removed from the guilty one, and
not only remove the guilt as to penalty, but indeed disassociate him
from the crime as though he had never done it and therewith yet not rest
until the breach had been healed and love restored and care established
as though none of this had ever been removed. Is that not to forgive
even as Christ also forgave? That is how He forgave us 

Now, in order that one will forgive as completely as did Christ, and so
rid himself of the snare of Satan, he must begin through the directive
of Christ who knew the only way that this could be done. In Matthew 18;
35, we read, "From the heart forgive everyone his brother." This, of
course, means that forgiveness must come from the inside. This is not
simply an apology, a doing of penance, mak1ng rest1tut1on or repent1ng
as though any of these were suff1c1ent in themselves. It must come from
the HEART, for herein the seat of the emotions lie, all the rankles of
life. Here is where we are hurt and disturbed. Here is where envy,
jealousy, malice, revenge and resentment plague us as living coals that
with a bit of fanning, burst into violent flames. Unless we go deep
within the heart, and cast out the unforgiving spirit, there is no true
forgiveness, perhaps a word or a deed, but that is all. 

7. But you say, "A wrong is a wrong and it is only natural that one
rises up, so how will I be able to cast out this "avenging spirit?" And
there, my friends, you have begun to answer your own question, or you
would have answered it, had you sought. and found the answer about what
you call a "wrong." For, indeed, the Word is very careful to say, "Woe
unto them by whom offences come. Never once does it say "Woe unto them
to whom offences come." Indeed it does say "Offences must come" but
blessed is he who is persecuted, blessed is he against whom any manner
of evil is perpetrated. Count it all joy when your faith is tried. 

These light afflictions are working for you and not against you, and
certainly all things will work for your good while you look unto Jesus.
The whole word of God stresses continuously that nothing can in any wise
be evil to us unless we let it become evil to us. Nothing can, by any
means harm us when we stay in the attitude of faith. Thus rejoice, for
great is your joy that you have been counted worthy to suffer while the
poor guilty miscreant, who could have been the object of God's grace
even as you, is now the mark of the just judgment of God. For "judgment
is mine, saith the Lord and I will repay." With such an attitude toward
Him (and b believe me this is truth) we now sorrow for such a one. He is
the (object of prayer and pity, and we sigh in intercession that God may
pass over his sin by way of mercy and forgiveness. And not only do we
forgive him, but should we be called upon to witness in judgment against
him, we would plead, "I refuse to lay a charge, or as far as I am
concerned, he has done nothing to harm me. I, like Paul, have not at all
been injured. Indeed, than him that he has helped .me to become a
partaker of the grace of God and the Spirit of Christ. I have not been
wronged. It is he who is now wronged by wronging himself. I consider
myself to be blessed." 

8. And if such meditation did not move your heart to forgive and sorrow
for the sin of another, then let me further remind you that the
integrity of the Almighty is at stake, for He has commanded that we
forgive. If, then, you will not be moved by love and gentle mercy,
knowing that the wrath of God is toward the offender, hear it and fear,
"Wilt thou then not fear to rise up against the holy command of God and
fearlessly refuse to obey the one who has commanded you to forgive,
knowing that, if you forgive not, you in your own wrong doing will not
receive the outpouring of mercy and grace that you will so badly need in
your sore time of having sinned against another?" Here is not simply a
case of man involved with man, but God has spoken, and He has handed
down the decree that we suffer and forgive. Can the creature cry out
against the Creator? Can the thing formed rebel against his maker? Can
the vessel cry out against the potter? Here is not the matter of a
choice. Here is a command, and with this command, hee is the very person
of Christ within, admonishing us to forgive and be compassionate, even
as He has done so to us. 

Or, further, have you not faith in God? Surely, you do have faith in
God, for by grace were you saved through faith. But perhaps you have
become a little like the apostle, who when they heard they ought to
forgive seventy times seven said, "Lord increase our faith, for why
should a man forgive a breach against him, and turn the other cheek in
love if a Holy God will not reward him above all he can ask or think for
doing so. Surely God will avenge and reward the elect. Then, if you are
not at this time desirous of receiving the grace of God, surely you must
desire a full recompense of reward in the eternal kingdom of God, by way
of rewards for doing the will of the Father in heaven. This ought to
make us take gladly the spoiling of our goods, knowing that in heaven we
have substance enduring through eternal life. 

9. Now, though I have spoken in this tone of voice, I know that every
redeemed child of God would dearly love to forgive. And though we would
do so, we often feel that somehow we cannot. That one would forgive so
thoroughly and completely with all of the heart pure and clean from any
resentment is a mast wondrous prospect. And if there be the will for it,
why is there not the doing and finishing of it? The answer can be found
in Matthew 5:23-26. "Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar; and
there rememberest that thy brother has ought against thee, leave there
thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy
brother, and then come and offer thy gift. Agree with thine adversary
quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him, lest at any time the
adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the
officer, and thou be cast into prison. Verily I say unto thee, Thou
shalt by no means come out hence, till thou hast paid the uttermost
farthing." 

Herein is Christ speaking of reconciliation and forgiveness. In v22-24
we find that most of us make the very common mistake of by-passing the
necessary obedience to the Word, by prayer or works, apart from an
actual reconciliation. But no prayer and no work short of actual
reconciliation can take the place of obedience. Now our communion with
God is perfect through Jesus Christ, as set forth in Hebrews 10.19-22.
"Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the
blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which he has consecrated for us,
through the veil, that is to say, his flesh: and having an high priest
over the house of God: let us draw near with a true heart of full
assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience,
and our bodies washed with pure water." I want you to see how this
perfect communion was established for it sets the example whereby we are
to establish perfect communion amongst the saints. 

10. When we were in sin and rebellion against God, doing wickedly by
sinning against him, he was the one who sought us but and spoke
reassurance to us. He made it evident that he forgave us. He did it
because he wanted to do it. He knew that only thereby would the guilty,
vile sinner be made to conform to his will and his desires for him. Only
if he came to us and forgave us and let us know it, would we be
reconciled to him. So, see him as he comes in the flesh. There upon the
cross he dies for us. Hebrews 10 19, before we loved him or even knew
him he died for us. 

Therein was the lost sheep brought into the fold, on the ground that he
healed the breach? There was the outcast made one with the great and
eternal God. Our perverted soul and mind has so much against him. His
way we had hated, his love we had resisted. There were none of us
righteous, no not one. But he came and made peace. By becoming he
brought us into unity with the Father, and now he that is joined to the
Lord is one Spirit. But it could not have been done at all, if when the
cry had come "Who will go?" and he had simply said, "I will pray," or "I
will show them my love by blessings and good works." He had to come to
the one who was out of harmony or there never would have been harmony.
That is what we must do too. We must go to that one and make
reconciliation. It matters not on whose part the blame is, it matters
only that we go. You may pray before you go, but do not be fooled that;
prayer alone will do it. You may make overtures by works of grace, but
that is not enough. It is only enough when we go and make reconciliation
with our brethren. We must go and make peace with them, and when
necessary, make peace for them. 

11. And then in verses 25, 26, we see that which is also often our
error. Here is an example of actual trouble. Here is what is fast tuning
to a prolonged battle. And here it is we learn "STOP." Stop fighting
now, in the midst of it (while thou art in the way) before you have
become entrenched, stop before you get too deep. No matter who is wrong,
you take your place as the offender. Apologize ask for forgiveness,
because no matter what the issue, whether it be a question, a deed,
money, or goods, is not the life more than meat and the body more than
raiment? What does it matter? A sword will but bring a sword, peace
alone begets peace. How can it be worthwhile to fill the heart with the
poison of anger, and distrust and hate? But note what saith the Lord, If
you will not agree and cease from strife, and forgive and forget and
heal the breach, you will be mastered by your passions and they will
hold you until they have run their course in your life and it will cost
you vastly more, than had you humbled yourself and simply taken that
lowly part, even as did Jesus, who agreed with his adversaries, and
forgave them, and went the way of the cross. But when he had gone the
way of the cross, he arose again, leading captivity, captive. Death
could not hold him. There was no prison or prison keeper that could keep
him barred in. There was no judge that could sentence him. He had
humbled himself and God made him the victor.

And just to carry the point of these verses 25-26 a little further, did
you notice that when two became involved in a scene it wasn't long until
there were many more brought into it? There were three more soon brought
into this thing, judge, officer, keeper, as many more as might be
required. Isn't that exactly like Hebrews 12.15?

"Looking diligently lest any of you may fail the grace of God (refuse to
take the trial of life, not realizing that they will do you good and not
harm you) lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and
thereby many be defiled." See, no man liveth unto himself. We affect
those around us. The body of Christ is rent by factious people. Let us
learn, therefore, to be reconciled with our brethren immediately when
there is any difference between us. Let us be offended by all, but let
us never take offense. Since we have, in many respects, set forth how we
should forgive and when we ought to do it, most certainly we would be
benefited were we to get an enlarged insight into the necessity of
forgiving those who try us. Here we shall endeavour to see of what
benefit it is to us who would obey the command of God, and forgive. 

12. "Then Peter came to him and saith, Lord, how oft shall my brother
sin against me and I forgive? Till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I
say not unto thee, until seven times: but, until seventy times seven.
Therefore, is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king which
would take account of his servants? And when he had begun to reckon, one
was brought unto him which owed him ten thousand talents. But, forasmuch
as he had not to pay his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife,
and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made. The servant,
therefore, fell down and worshipped him saying, Lord, have patience with
me, and I will pay thee all. Then the lord of that servant was moved
with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt. 

But the same servant went out and found one of his fellow servants which
owed him a hundred pence, and he laid hands on him, and took him by the
throat, saying, Pay me, that thou owest. And his fellow servant fell
down at his feet, and besought him saying, have patience with me, and I
will pay thee all. And he would not& but went and cast him into prison,
till he should pay the debt. So when his fellow servants saw what was
done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that
was done. Then his lord, after he had called him, said unto him, O thou
wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desirest me;
shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellow servant, even
as I had on thee? And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the
tormentors till he should pay all that was due him. So likewise shall my
heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not
every one his brother their trespasses." Matthew 18.21-35.

13. In this parable of the wicked servant, we see that the master has
extended an unmerited cancellation of debt. He has most heartily
forgiven the debt. That it was an act of grace is indisputable for it
was freely given, and on no other grounds than that the man could not
meet the debt. The servant pled that he is willing to pay the debt when
he is able to. One thing he desires is the patience of the Lord until
such time. But, no, the master will go beyond all that, He will forgive
him the debt, simply because he has compassion on the inability of the
poor man to meet the requirements. Such grace of God is here, indeed.
But now, this servant will not in turn forgive one who is beholden to
him, but rather he does very wickedly by him and refuses the very grace
that saved him from a debtor's prison. Then the Lord is very angry, and
withdraws the grace that he had extended. It is very evident to us from
this parable that he who will riot forgive another, denies the grace of
God, and that to himself. The law of the harvest is portrayed. If one
wants the grace of God in his behalf at all times, he must sow in such a
manner as to be, receiving constantly a harvest of it.  

What a pity we have never learned this lesson as well as we ought to
have. Freely have you received, freely give. Dam up the river of grace
and be selfish and the river will turn to a stagnant pond, that will in
time dry up. To witness in your spirits the constant flowing God's
grace, we must forgive all, even as God has forgiven us. The grace is
there for you but you will not know. it experimentally until you
compassionate another. 

And notice in verse 28 that this unforgiving man not only wanted his
so-called due but he became violent. He took him by the throat. .He was
not only powerless to do good because of his unforgiving spirit, but he
was moved by passion to destroy. Just as John says; "He that hateth his
brother (won't forgive real or fancied wrongs) is a murderer. Let us
beware lest all the good we could and would do be withheld from us
because we will not forgive our brethren. But when we forgive, we are
enabled to do good for our passions turn to compassion. But when we
forgive not, try as we might, we cannot do the good that we would.
Forgive then, lest the fruit of your hands be destroyed and you be found
in an evil way.

14. And then asked the master, "Shouldest thou not have had compassion?"
But how can one with an unforgiving spirit have compassion on anyone in
need? How we have sought and prayed to God that we might have compassion
on the lost, and be so stirred that we might intercede greatly for all
manner of needs and all who are needy. But the divine compassion is
missing and there is a brittleness and a hardness that is not at all
becoming to the Christian. Why? The answer to our problem is right here.
We have hardened our hearts in an unrelenting, unforgiving spirit. Can a
fountain give forth bitter and sweet water in the same place? So then,
be careful lest you destroy your compassion, and your life be wasted,
all because you would not forgive.

And now the master delivers him over to the prison. Thus, he that would
not forgive is destitute of help. He is in bondage. Thus will an
unforgiving spirit do to the man who will not forgive? God cannot help
him, for he has rebelled against God. He is working against God and not
with him. 

He is in chains to himself. He has made himself a captive, and only he
has the power to open his own prison. And until he forgives he will be
in torment for an unforgiving spirit will bind the mind and spirit, and
beyond that, it will break down the body, for many are the ailments of
the body and many are the diseases of the mind that come from an
unforgiving heart. Emotionally aroused in a wrong way the cancer of hate
eats on until the unforgiving one is destroyed. O, thou soul, wilt thou
remain a captive to thyself and thy hardness of heart, or wilt thou
forgive and restore, and thyself be restored? The grace of God is not
just God to man but it is also man to man. It was at first God to man
that it may indeed be the grace of God in man and toward man. Thus,
repent of thy hardness of heart, and seek thy brother and humble thyself
and receive and be received, so that Satan no longer will have an
advantage of thee, disquieting thy soul, robbing thee of thy peace of
mind, destroying thy body, and in all oppose the saint as to leave him
an unworthy member of the body of Christ, even though he is indeed an
object of God's love.

15. Thus, beloved, we come to the threshold of a New Year. And all of us
long for a truly New Year, new in the amplified service and blessing of
God. Hungry for his ever deepening revelation of Himself; crying that we
might feed more and more upon Him, resolving piteously to obey and
serve. Then forgive even as He has forgiven, and indeed this will truly
be your New Year, and hasten, now, while you are reading and moved by
the truth. Make amends, so that every disadvantage being gone, you are
free to become, and to do, what the Spirit of God is crying in your
heart. 

 

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