Dead Man Walking

The Messenger

A Prophetic Bulletin Publishe= d by Prepare the Way International

Malachi 3:1 "Behold, I send My messenger, and he will prepare the way before Me."

Volume 8, No. 5<= span style=3D'mso-tab-count:7'> &= nbsp; &nbs= p; &= nbsp; &nbs= p; &= nbsp; = = &nb= sp; = &nb= sp; = July 2010

“Dead Man Walking”= ;

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by Kay Winters

“Dead Man Walking” is an expressio= n used when referring to individuals on “death row”, who in most cases have been convicted of committing murder.&= nbsp; However, murder is not only committed by the relatively few on ̶= 0;death row”, but also by thousands of Christians who refuse to release their offenders through forgiveness. The Oxford Dictionary defines “murder” as “to punish severely= or be very angry with”.

I John 3: 14-15 “He who does not love his brother abides in death. Whoe= ver hates his brother is a murderer and you know that no murderer= has eternal life abiding in him.”

Indeed, murderous rage fills the hearts of man= y who call upon the name of Jesus. Hypocritically, we declare “Jesus as Lord”, yet curse our offenders. Like a broken reco= rd, we daily rehearse the trespasses and injustices of those who have betrayed or abandoned us. Unfortunately, holding a grudge not only gives Satan the legal right to bind us to our sin= s, but also obstructs us from fulfilling our destiny.

Forgive and Be Forgiven

I personally wore a crown of offense for years= . Though neither heard nor seen by m= en, daily I inscribed judgments upon the tablets of my heart. In the battlefield of my mind, I a= dopted the role of conqueror, repeatedly vanquishing my offenders through bitter r= oot judgments. I was confined beh= ind prison walls that were guarded by demons of offense, who daily served me the bread= of sorrow dipped in the bitter gall of vengeance.

Nevertheless, the Lord began to deal with me regarding forgiveness through a testimony I read in a Christian publication. The testimony wa= s about a minister in the Ph= ilippines who resisted a divine call to the ministry, because of a lucrative business= he was unwilling to surrender. H= is disobedience eventually brought divine judgment on him. Having been rushed to the hospital= with a heart attack, he died on the operating table. His spirit exited his body and he = found himself outside the gates of heaven, where Jesus confronted him about his disobedience. The man begged = the Lord for a second chance at life, and promised to serve Him as a minister of the Gospel. However, before he returned to his body, Jesus gave him a glimpse of hell. The man was distraught to see his = mother-in-law burning in hell. He knew she = had said the “sinner’s prayer”, confessed Christ, and regular= ly attended church. So the man earnestly inquired, “Why is she in hell, Lord?” Jesus then told him that she had re= fused to forgive a relative and therefore could not be forgiven.

Mark 11:25-26 R= 20;And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive= him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven for= give your trespasses.”

This testimony shook me to the core and caused= the fear of the Lord to arise in my heart.&nbs= p; Convicted of my sin, I forgave my offenders and released all past injustices. Having been washe= d and cleansed by the blood of the Lamb, I no longer sought vengeance on those who had offended and betrayed me. I experienced His peace and pardon in a very unique and liberating way, and w= as amazed how simple it really was to forgive. A lifestyle of forgiveness has not= only brought me exhilarating freedom, but also has dramatically increased the manifest presence of God in my life. Truly, the shackles of unforgiveness h= ave been broken off of me, enabling me to hear more clearly and frequently the voice of the Master.

Along with unbelief and pride, unforgiveness i= s one of the most prevalent sins plaguing the Church today. Many counselors and deliverance ministers assert that unforgiveness is often the root cause of most bondages. Shut out from the presence of God, those incarcerated by unforgiveness silently suffer undern= eath a veneer of cheer; yet in reality they are filled with fear, anger, and bit= terness. Continually perplexed about the li= berty, peace and joy that elude them, victims fail to realize that forgiveness is = the key that will open the door not only to their freedom, but also to their destiny.
Regrettably, many pulpits today have remained = relatively silent on the issue of unforgiveness, ignoring it as the mortal sin that it truly is. We “blow the whistle” loud and long on sins of adultery, gambling and drinking, wh= ich are rampant within the hallowed walls of our churches. Yet the sin of unforgiveness will = only merit a “slap on the wrist”. Perhaps you have heard someone say, “You have every right to feel that way”, or “Some things = are just unforgiveable”.

A Spiritual Tor= nado of Destruction

In the spirit, unforgiveness operates much lik= e a tornado in the natural realm. Tornados form when contrary air masses meet, which subsequently create a vortex accompanied by increased wind velocity and atmospheric instability. If a tornado reaches F-5 on the Fu= jita scale, death and destruction are sure to follow.

Similarly, unforgiveness originates when peopl= e with contrary attitudes or ideas collide, resulting in offense. If the offense is not quickly reso= lved, the offense spirals into bitterness, hatred and vengeance. Eventually, unforgiveness entombs = its victim in the embalming fluid of bitterness, creating a broad path of defil= ement and destruction that affects the lives of many. Indeed, unforgiveness has brought widespread devastation and division to the Church, and has sealed off the passageway to revival.

Today, many are taking anti-depressants in an attempt to deal with the effects of unforgiveness. Doctors also have determined that = certain diseases, such as cancer and arthritis, can be effects of long-term bittern= ess and resentment. Although ther= e can be a myriad of causes of physical and mental disease, we first need to exam= ine our hearts. Are there flies breed= ing on a garbage heap that we have refused to burn and bury? In other words, are there offenses= from our past that we have refused to forgive and forget? We must not allow unforgiven offen= ses from our past to paralyze our present and future. On the contrary, we must release a= ll past offenders, that we might be free to fulfill our purpose in the kingdom of God.

Many in the Body of Christ today appear to be = alive, but are wrapped in a death shroud of unforgiveness. They appear to be free, but are suffering in a prison of bitterness and resentment. They simply are “Dead Men Walking”.

Revelation 3:1 “I know your deeds that y= ou have a name that you are alive, but you are dead.”

Forgiveness allows us to experience the abunda= nt life Jesus provided, whereas holding a grudge will only produce death. Jesus, while dying on the cross, o= vercame the destructive force of unforgiveness by releasing His offenders from the ultimate trespass, saying, “Father, forgive them, for they do no= t know what they do.” = Likewise, we all must choose = life by forgiving our offenders and walking free from the bondage of unforgivene= ss, bitterness and revenge. Truly, those whom the Son sets free are free indeed! (Luke 23:34, John 8:36).

The Messenger is a prophetic bulletin published by Prepare the Way International. Issues of = The Messenger are available on our website (www.preparethewayint.com). If you would like to receive strat= egic prophetic bulletins, prophecies and stay informed regarding our prophetic gatherings and training seminars, subscribe to Prepare the Way e-mail distribution, by e-mailing us (info@preparet= hewayint.com) your name and e-mail address. Thank you.