Survey of Firstfruit Fundamentals

Lesson 3:  Introduction and General Questions-Part 3 and Forgiveness       printer-friendly   MP3

"Success is nothing more than a few basic spiritual disciplines, practiced every day."

"Success is the natural consequence of consistently applying the basic fundamentals."

Subject: General Questions
Question 7:  The world around us seems so negative and ugly, I feel like I am being sucked into it.  How do I stop this process?  

First, I agree with you. The world around us does seem to be negative and ugly. Second, it is easy to get sucked into it. So how do we stop this process? In a word, obey. Remember the three rules of life for firstfruits:

For every action you take and every decision you make, use these three rules:

1] What does the Word of God say?
2] What would Christ do?
3] Do everything as if Jesus Christ were standing next to you...because He is standing there.

These three rules have one common foundation: Obey Almighty God.

Let us see what the Word of God and Jesus Christ say:

1 John 5:19 ...confirming the premise of the question
And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness. 

Romans 12:2, 9 
2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. 
9 Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good. 

1 John 2:15-17
15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 
16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 
17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever. 

John 18:36
Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence. 

John 15:19-20
19 If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. 
20 Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also. 

James 4:4 
Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. 

John 3:19-20
19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 
20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. 

John 1:5
And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. 

Isaiah 5:20-21
20 Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! 
21 Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight! 

Matthew 16:23
But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men. 

Psalm 40:4
Blessed is that man that maketh the LORD his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies. 

1 Corinthians 15:33-34
33 Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners. 
34 Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame. 

Proverbs 1:10
My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not. 

Proverbs 4:14
Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men. 

Philippians 2:21
For all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ's. 

Luke 8:11-15
11 Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. 
12 Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved. 
13 They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away. 
14 And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection. 
15 But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience. 

2 Timothy 3:1-14 [see Lessons]
1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. 
2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 
3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, 
4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; 
5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. 
6 For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, 
7 Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. 
8 Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith. 
9 But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as theirs also was. 
10 But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity, patience, 
11 Persecutions, afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured: but out of them all the Lord delivered me. 
12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. 
13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived. 
14 But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; 
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Firstfruits are in the world physically. However, spiritually they are in the Kingdom. That is, they are immersed in the Word of God, which is the Kingdom book. Firstfruits are in the world, but they are not part of it.

John 20:21
Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. 

John 15:18-21
18 If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. 
19 If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. 
20 Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also. 
21 But all these things will they do unto you for my name's sake, because they know not him that sent me. 

John 16:33
These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. 
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Those who refuse to love the world face hostility.

John 17:14-18
14 I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 
15 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. 
16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 
17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. 
18 As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. 

John 16:2-3
1 These things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be offended. 
2 They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service. 

2 Corinthians 2:14-16
14 Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place. 
15 For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish: 
16 To the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things? 

Isaiah 66:3-4
3 He that killeth an ox is as if he slew a man; he that sacrificeth a lamb, as if he cut off a dog's neck; he that offereth an oblation, as if he offered swine's blood; he that burneth incense, as if he blessed an idol. Yea, they have chosen their own ways, and their soul delighteth in their abominations. 
4 I also will choose their delusions, and will bring their fears upon them; because when I called, none did answer; when I spake, they did not hear: but they did evil before mine eyes, and chose that in which I delighted not. 

John 16:33
These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. 
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Choose your position - whom will you follow? 

Ephesians 5:8-18
8 For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: 
9 (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;) 
10 Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. 
11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. 
12 For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret. 
13 But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light. 
14 Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light. 
15 See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, 
16 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. 
17 Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. 
18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; 

Joshua 24:15
And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the 
Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD. 

2 Corinthians 4:16-18
16 For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. 
17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; 
18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal. 

Philippians 3:20
For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: 

So, what was the answer to this question again? Obey!!

Subject: Forgiveness
 Question 1:  How do I forgive?     

 The key word for forgiveness is "release."  The firstfruit must release all the elements that would preclude the forgiveness from being manifested.

I want you to imagine standing in a great room of a building before a great wall with 20-foot ceilings.  Now see this wall divided into four parts--physical, mental, emotional and spiritual.  In each part of the wall are several electrical outlets each full of long, thick, black power cords. Each power cord represents some element that is keeping you from offering the forgiveness.

Your duty and responsibility is to identify each cord element.  You are then to unplug the cords, one by one.  When you pull the plug from the socket you cut off all power to that cord.

Clearly a powerful tool for forgiveness is meditation coupled with prayer.  The analogy above is perfect for your meditation.  The verses below are good for meditation and prayer.

Acts 7:59-60 
59 And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. 
60 And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep. 

Matthew 6:12 
And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. 

Proverbs 15:18 
A wrathful man stirreth up strife: but he that is slow to anger appeaseth strife. 

Psalm 103:12 
As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us. 

John 13:34-35 
34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. 
35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. 

John 3:16 
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 

Matthew 5:19 
Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 

Mark 11:25
And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. 

Matthew 18:21-22
21 Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? 
22 Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven. 

Colossians 3:13
Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. 

James 2:8
If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well: 

Matthew 6:15
But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. 

Now get out there and start pulling those plugs!!

Some quotes for your meditations:

 “The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.” 

 “We cannot embrace God’s forgiveness if we are so busy clinging to past wounds and nursing old grudges.”

“Forgiveness is not an occasional act, it is a constant attitude.”

“Forgiveness is the fragrance that the violet sheds on the heel that has crushed it.”  ~Mark Twain

“Resentment is like drinking poison and then hoping it will kill your enemies.” 

“To be wronged is nothing, unless you continue to remember it.” 
“When you forgive, you in no way change the past – but you sure do change the future.”

“I believe forgiveness is the best form of love in any relationship.  It takes a strong person to say they’re sorry and an even stronger person to forgive.”

“It's one of the greatest gifts you can give yourself, to forgive. Forgive everybody.”

“We win by tenderness.  We conquer by forgiveness.”

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