It is amazing to read something familiar to what the Lord has been saying to me from a different perspective.
Thank you
The sheer pain I went through by betrayal by those I assumed were who they said they were drove me to the gospel. Funny to be there after 1/2 a century and a family all being "Christian".
Then came what you describe, what I have called a bit more harshly, "emotional blackmail" and "scapegoating", things every person in the Bible experienced - including Jesus himself.
And I get it that I wasn't perfect, I did things wrong too - so I look forward to what you have promised us in future writing.
But I now see that we are terribly flawed and as you referred to Paul, he didn't say "do better". So what did he say? He said, he was in love with the one who is love and that God teaches us to love and make course corrections. COURSE CORRECTIONS!
(Romans, Galatians, 1 Cor 13, and I will add John who wrote 1 John)
"Christians have you been betrayed by Christians?" was my article, something I mention because I set myself up for what happened in a way - I assumed something I never should have and that was a tough pill to swallow - and something I think your hints at future writing will address as well.
Thanks for your comment Linda. I'm sorry you were forced to navigate betrayal. It's the worst. We've had different seasons of that type of difficulty and it is ZERO fun. Looking back, the experience made us more like Jesus than we could have ever imagined but it was definitely not a fun process.
Thankfully, in our suffering, we get to share in Christ sufferings!
You know, I would never question the Lord's blessings because I see the big picture (zero fun but made more like Jesus). Yet when he speaks of the 2-edged sword as the truth, blessings seem to come in that way.
.
Luke 6:22 "Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man!"
Upon reading this I wept, both for my pain but those who refuse to let me love them because of their exclusion of me and conclusion that I know no truth and never did (Sheesh I can't imagine Paul showing up to say, "hey! I know Jesus now! Yes, me the murderer! Can we talk?") - yet I am being refined - just want to love them and never stopped loving them. Yes, a 2-edged sword needing the balm of Gilead because my soul needs my Great Healer. And maturity is being graceful in the cut of truth (I have a ways to go in that.)
Now I have to move forward with knowing that their forgiveness, or mine may not result in healing of relationships, but has no reflection on the forgiveness any of us can obtain equally at the foot of the Cross and there is great hope in our Redeemer. I do love him SO!
And Brandon, I am sorry and not sorry that it takes someone betrayed to know another who was betrayed.
Linda, I think Psalm 35 would be of much encouragement to you and a helpful Psalm to pray through. I read it yesterday and considered my own experience but I also thought of you and prayed for you.
And I’m thankful Jesus taught us what you mentioned in Luke 6:22! Otherwise this whole following Jesus thing would be even more difficult!
Spent time in that today. Thank you. I struggle with these words of judgment on those I love. I get it and weep at the anger I struggle with. The betrayal story - almost with exact accuracy can be found in 2 Samuel 13-19, the only difference is that my son is alive - and I suppose he is in Egypt.
You have a gift in writing Brandon and a calling, lots of people don’t understand the Gospel and your experience will resonate in a powerful way…
Thanks Sergio, your encouragement is very kind!
Keep going Brandon. So good. I believe! Help my unbelief.
“Behold! the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”
“The work of God is this: to believe in the One He sent.”
May we work hard…at believing in what He has done!
Open our eyes, our ears, our hearts, our minds! Help us walk in great belief!
Thanks, Debra. I agree with all you said here!
Thank you for sharing!
You're welcome!
A thousand likes
Thanks Jonathan!
Welldone Sir Brandon. This was a lot of help and sight.
Thank you. Glad it was helpful!
This is LEGIT, brother.🔥
Thank you, Andrew!
It is amazing to read something familiar to what the Lord has been saying to me from a different perspective.
Thank you
The sheer pain I went through by betrayal by those I assumed were who they said they were drove me to the gospel. Funny to be there after 1/2 a century and a family all being "Christian".
Then came what you describe, what I have called a bit more harshly, "emotional blackmail" and "scapegoating", things every person in the Bible experienced - including Jesus himself.
And I get it that I wasn't perfect, I did things wrong too - so I look forward to what you have promised us in future writing.
But I now see that we are terribly flawed and as you referred to Paul, he didn't say "do better". So what did he say? He said, he was in love with the one who is love and that God teaches us to love and make course corrections. COURSE CORRECTIONS!
(Romans, Galatians, 1 Cor 13, and I will add John who wrote 1 John)
"Christians have you been betrayed by Christians?" was my article, something I mention because I set myself up for what happened in a way - I assumed something I never should have and that was a tough pill to swallow - and something I think your hints at future writing will address as well.
Thanks for your comment Linda. I'm sorry you were forced to navigate betrayal. It's the worst. We've had different seasons of that type of difficulty and it is ZERO fun. Looking back, the experience made us more like Jesus than we could have ever imagined but it was definitely not a fun process.
Thankfully, in our suffering, we get to share in Christ sufferings!
Thank you. I do need the encouragement so much.
You know, I would never question the Lord's blessings because I see the big picture (zero fun but made more like Jesus). Yet when he speaks of the 2-edged sword as the truth, blessings seem to come in that way.
.
Luke 6:22 "Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man!"
Upon reading this I wept, both for my pain but those who refuse to let me love them because of their exclusion of me and conclusion that I know no truth and never did (Sheesh I can't imagine Paul showing up to say, "hey! I know Jesus now! Yes, me the murderer! Can we talk?") - yet I am being refined - just want to love them and never stopped loving them. Yes, a 2-edged sword needing the balm of Gilead because my soul needs my Great Healer. And maturity is being graceful in the cut of truth (I have a ways to go in that.)
Now I have to move forward with knowing that their forgiveness, or mine may not result in healing of relationships, but has no reflection on the forgiveness any of us can obtain equally at the foot of the Cross and there is great hope in our Redeemer. I do love him SO!
And Brandon, I am sorry and not sorry that it takes someone betrayed to know another who was betrayed.
Linda, I think Psalm 35 would be of much encouragement to you and a helpful Psalm to pray through. I read it yesterday and considered my own experience but I also thought of you and prayed for you.
And I’m thankful Jesus taught us what you mentioned in Luke 6:22! Otherwise this whole following Jesus thing would be even more difficult!
Spent time in that today. Thank you. I struggle with these words of judgment on those I love. I get it and weep at the anger I struggle with. The betrayal story - almost with exact accuracy can be found in 2 Samuel 13-19, the only difference is that my son is alive - and I suppose he is in Egypt.
Just need to apply these truths every moment.
That's the hardest part!