The Healing Rod of Correction
Did You Know? When some one fractures their femur (thigh) bone surgeons have to insert a rod into the center of the bone to correct it so it heals properly. Yes, the longest and the strongest bone in the human body can be fractured and without the proper corrective medical attention and equipment it can take a long time to heal properly.
https://www.sciencesource.com/
This picture of a fractured femur and the corrective surgical rod hits close to home because Chief Apostle HC Gunn has been going over the importance and value of correction recently at the Body of Christ, Inc.
A rebellious child hates to be corrected. And if not corrected, that rebellious child will grow up to be unaccountable and continue the cycle by becoming a parent that fails to correct their child in a balanced way. A lack of correction makes for a fractured child, a fractured parent, a fractured household and ultimately a fractured relationship with God, and this cycle will continue. No matter how strong-willed, smart, self-sufficient, good-hearted, church-going, or prayerful you think you are, if you are not willing to take correction from the person God set over your life to guide you - your pastor, saved parents, or the saints that God sent to your life to help you, then you will always be weak and never fully healed - that area of your life will always remain fractured. You will never reach your full potential.
Chief Apostle Gunn reminded us the other day of the scripture: "For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? - Hebrews 12:6-7 (Chasten means to correct, discipline, purify.)
When you love someone, you correct them because you don't want to see them go astray. You don't want to see them fail or fall. Correction is a tool God has given us to help reroute our lives and the lives of others back on track and on the path towards him. If you fail to correct someone when you see that their ways, their actions, their decisions, their lifestyle, their sin, their selfishness, their mindset is leading them to hell or to the deepest ditch of life, then you hate them because you don't care enough to rescue them with a word of loving correction. If someone was about to fall into a ditch, would you not tell them because you didn't want to offend them? If you wouldn't, then you don't love them or care for their life - you'd let them die instead of tell them the truth. Their blood is on your hands because you could have helped to save them. This is how correction works: When God puts in on a persons heart to provide you with correction, if they don't obey, the outcome of your life could be on their hands. If you choose not to listen and the obediently come to you, then your own blood is on your hands.
If God didn't send his word and his presence every day to bind up our wounds and straighten the crooked things in our lives how would we feel? What if he could never speak to us or deal with us because we were too offended to receive his correction? Would we feel unloved, uncared for, unsecured? Believe it or not, that's how a child feels when their parent doesn't take the time or give them the attention needed to correct them.
Chief Apostle Gunn told us this past Sunday the story of a family: God used him to send a word of correction to some unruly children in this family. Instead of the parents appreciating the help in getting their kids on track or backing up the teaching to impart upon the children the right way and to encourage them to receive the correction, the parents and grandparents got offended that someone would point out the obviousness of the bad conduct of their children. They left the church and never returned and after they turned their back on God's word, God's servant, God's people and the corrective help that God set forth in his Word for their fractured family, all things went down hill. The children went down a dark road and so did their parents and have remained unhealed and unchanged for refusing the help of the rod of correction. If the parents truly loved their children they would want them to turn out the best way possible and they would not want them to live a foolish life when holy correction could set them on the right path.
"Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him." - Proverbs 22;15. This scripture doesn't just apply to children in age but spiritual children - you can be a saved adult who refuses to grow up because you won't take correction.
And God is moving on this scripture. Our 17-year-old youth pastor Amaya, who is living for Christ with great humility, faith and fortitude preached this message on Sunday in Madison, Florida, almost two hours away from where the Body of Christ, Inc. is located in Blountstown, Florida. Her openness to God allowed her to deliver an identical message that Chief Apostle Gunn delivered and she had know idea what his message was going to be about. This is a witness from God that he is speaking about how important correction is to him in our healing process, in our deliverance, in our moving forward. Amaya emphasized to the youth she spoke to about the importance of being willing to receive correction as a healing and life-changing opportunity whether that reject it because of offense and be lost.
Going back to the example provided at the beginning of this post: When a parent allows the surgeon to operate on a child with a fractured femur or an adult permits the doctor to repair the damage that is done, they willing allow a rod of correction to be used as a healing tool because they love that child or love themselves, and want to see or experience health, wholeness and a better quality of life.
As Chief Apostle has reminded us from the Bible recently: You've got to love yourself before you can love others. If you don't love yourself enough to want the best outcome of your life and soul by receiving corrective instruction, how will you want the best outcome for your child or someone else?
In closing, Chief Apostle Gunn has always taught us that the Word, the teaching, spiritual love and guidance, and knowing how to receive the good gifts of God are to be most valued. However, often people would rather receive financial help or things of monetary or worldly value than a healing and transformative word from the shepherd or the saints.
Chief Apostle reminded us of Colossians 3:2: Set your mind on the things that are above, not on the things that are on the earth.
If you can happily receive a money blessing from someone but can't willing receive a corrective word from them to help you heal your life than you need to check your priorities and see if you are coming to church or fellowshipping with the saints to fatten your wallet or to strengthen your soul and your relationship with God.
Life is general has given witness to what happens when you refuse correction. If you don't listen to your teach your fail in your education. If you don't take your medicine, you fail in your health. If you don't follow protocol or training you fail on your job and the list goes on.
Hebrews 12:11 : Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.
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