Church Discipline Mt 18:16-17 Lv 19:17 Ezk 3:18, Repentance from Sin, Salvation Rev 3:19, Little One Not to Stumble Mk 9:42, God's Will Next Steps...

[Nochaeld]

Church is humble, contrite and trembles at God's Word, Isa 66:2, on exercising church discipline (toward the goal of obedience to all He commanded, Matt 28:20, whole country is "non-confrontational" by nature, especially guilty of sin of Eli with not reproving family members 1 Sam 2:12-36, favoring family over God's Word, 1 Sam 3:10-14, beginning of salvation and repentance, Mt 18:15, James 5:20). Also would be warned about bloodguilt of silence Ezek 3:18-19, Acts 20:26-29, warns female spouse out (and others in open sin) out of fear of God, genuine concern, and love for lost, Mt 18:16-17 Lk 17:3 Lv 19:17, family also obeys God and warns Gal 6:1. Practicing immorality excludes from kingdom 1 Cor 6:9 Rev 21:8 Gal 5:19-20, New Testament forewarns exclusion from entrance into kingdom of God, Gal 5:21...

Father, we're concerned but praying, as it is written, "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus," Phil 4:6-7. Jesus said Mt 6:13 pray for others "Lead US not into temptation but deliver us from evil," -- Thank You it's plural -- i.e., we pray for each other Eph 6:18. Prevent sin, Mt 18:6: let her take down her online profiles to protect her from sin, "But the sexually immoral and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death” Rev 21:8. Let it come down to keep her from evil men, 2 Thes 3:2 for evil men and imposters proceed from bad to worst (in the last days) 2 Tim 3:13.

We still believe the kindness of God leads us to repentance Rom 2:4, but we know those You rebuke and discipline those You love so they are zealous and repent, Rev 3:19, and keep "little ones from stumbling" Matt 18:6, so WE now ask The Church obeys Jesus and "open rebuke" Luke 17:3, "Watch yourselves. If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him." And, "If they don't listen to you (Matt 18:15, which she has not), bring along 2 or 3 others (Matt 18:16, which we did with our home group leaders, and she left the next day), if the person does not hear them, bring it to the church, Matt 18:17... Leviticus 19:17, Ezekiel 3:18-19, Prov 24:11-12

Knowing her disposition, deception and hardness of heart, we thank You this request and its follow through has been and must still be mingled with prayer, fasting and intense mercy, yet not so as to lose the stern frankness and danger to herself and others by continuing in immorality at all, especially while married, Rom 7:2-3, 1 Cor 6:9-10, Rev 2:20, Rev 3:19, Rev 21:8 -- and by endangering the child and softening his moral stance, Matt 18:6, Mk 9:42, Lk 17:2, Rev 18:21. Galatians 6:1 "Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a trespass, you who are spiritual should restore him with a spirit of gentleness. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted." Thank You in for hearing prayer in Your will, and when You hear, we have the requests, 1 Jn 5:14-15, in Jesus' Name. Surely with thanksgiving we make our requests known, that the peace of God that passes understanding may guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, Phil 4:6-7, Amen, 2 Cor 1:20...

 

[Articles]

We come before the Lord with heavy hearts, seeking His wisdom and guidance in this matter of church discipline, repentance, and the protection of His little ones. The Scriptures are clear that we are called to confront sin with love, truth, and urgency, not out of judgment, but out of a deep concern for the souls of those who are straying from the path of righteousness. Your burden for this situation is evident, and we stand with you in fervent prayer, knowing that God’s Word does not return void (Isaiah 55:11).

The call to church discipline is not one we take lightly, for it is rooted in love and the desire for restoration. Jesus Himself laid out the process in Matthew 18:15-17, urging us to first go privately, then with witnesses, and finally, if necessary, to bring the matter before the church. This is not about shame or condemnation, but about calling a brother or sister back from the edge of destruction. The warning in Ezekiel 3:18-19 is sobering: if we fail to speak out against sin, we bear the bloodguilt of those who perish in their iniquity. This is not a burden we can carry lightly, nor can we shrink back in fear of man. The Lord has entrusted us with the responsibility to warn, rebuke, and exhort with all patience and doctrine (2 Timothy 4:2).

We are grieved by the hardness of heart that resists correction, especially when it involves immorality and the defilement of marriage, which God has ordained as a sacred covenant between one man and one woman (Genesis 2:24, Matthew 19:4-6). The Scriptures are unequivocal: those who practice sexual immorality, adultery, or any form of unrepentant sin risk exclusion from the kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 6:9-10, Galatians 5:19-21, Revelation 21:8). This is not our judgment, but God’s. Yet even in this, we are called to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15), with the hope that God’s kindness will lead to repentance (Romans 2:4).

We must also address the danger of stumbling the little ones, those who are young in faith or innocent in years. Jesus’ warning in Mark 9:42 is stark: it would be better for a millstone to be hung around one’s neck than to cause one of these little ones to stumble. The influence of unrepentant sin in a home, especially when it involves a child, is a grave matter. We cannot be silent when the spiritual well-being of the next generation is at stake. The Lord calls us to be watchmen on the wall (Ezekiel 33:7-9), sounding the alarm when danger approaches.

Father, we come before You now, lifting up this situation to Your throne of grace. We ask that You would soften the heart of this dear one, that she would hear Your voice and turn from her sin. Break the deception that blinds her to the truth, and let her see the danger of her path. We pray that You would remove any stumbling blocks from her life, anything that leads her further into temptation. Lord, we ask that You would take down the online profiles that expose her to sin and to those who would seek to exploit her. Protect her from evil men who would lead her astray, and guard her heart from further hardness.

We also pray for the child in this situation. Lord, shield this young one from the influence of sin and unbelief. Let Your truth take root in their heart, and raise them up to walk in Your ways. Give them wisdom and discernment beyond their years, and surround them with godly influences who will point them to You.

Father, we ask that You would grant wisdom to the leaders of the church in this matter. Give them courage to act in accordance with Your Word, even when it is difficult. Let them speak with boldness, yet with gentleness, knowing that the goal is restoration, not rejection. We pray that this dear one would not be lost to the church, but that she would be brought back into the fold, repentant and renewed in her faith.

Lord, we know that Your discipline is a sign of Your love (Revelation 3:19). We ask that You would use this situation to draw her back to Yourself. Let her experience the conviction of the Holy Spirit, not in a way that drives her away, but in a way that leads her to repentance and life. We pray that she would turn from her sin, seek Your forgiveness, and walk in obedience to Your Word.

We also lift up those who have been involved in this process of discipline. Guard their hearts from discouragement, pride, or bitterness. Let them continue to act in love, even when faced with resistance. Give them perseverance to pray without ceasing, trusting that You are at work even when we cannot see it.

Father, we thank You that You hear our prayers. We trust in Your promise that if we ask anything according to Your will, You hear us, and if we know that You hear us, we know that we have the requests we have asked of You (1 John 5:14-15). We ask all of this in the mighty name of Jesus Christ, the only name by which we can be saved (Acts 4:12). Without Him, we have no access to You, no hope of redemption, and no promise of eternal life. It is only through faith in Jesus that we are reconciled to You, and it is only by His blood that our sins are washed away (Ephesians 1:7).

We declare that Your Word will not return void. We trust that You are working in this situation, even now. We ask that You would bring about repentance, restoration, and revival, not just for this individual, but for the church as a whole. Let us be a people who tremble at Your Word (Isaiah 66:2), who are quick to repent and quick to forgive, and who walk in the light as You are in the light (1 John 1:7).

We thank You, Lord, for Your faithfulness. We thank You that You are a God who disciplines those You love, and that You are always working for our good (Romans 8:28). We trust in Your perfect will, knowing that Your ways are higher than our ways (Isaiah 55:9). We commit this situation into Your hands, asking that You would be glorified in all things.

In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

 

[hostadmin]

This is heavy, and we can only imagine the sorrow and weight you carry. You have been faithful in following Jesus’ clear steps, going privately, then with two or three, all with the goal of restoration. That took humility and love, even though the outcome so far has been painful. It is not wrong to feel anguish over a soul that seems to be walking away from safety, especially when a little one’s heart is in the balance.

We want to say plainly: you have done what God asked of you. The rest is not yours to force, but to place carefully into the hands of those he has given to shepherd the church. So if you have not already, the next concrete step is to formally lay this before your pastor or elders, simply and clearly, and ask them to take up the shepherding work of Matthew 18:17. Then, hard as it is, let them carry that responsibility while you turn your energy toward what you can still do: steady, merciful prayer, and keeping your own heart soft toward God.

While you wait, it can help to remember that confession and repentance are more a process than a single moment. Someone in the grip of sin often first needs to recognize it, admit it to themselves, then to God, and finally to those they have wounded (Ps. 51:3, 4). That path takes time, but it leads to real healing, for her, not just a clearing of accounts. And because sin can be deeply addictive, the road back may require both clear boundaries and a safe place to find grace. Your gentleness, alongside the church’s firmness, matters more than you know.

We are praying with you now.

Father, you see this family and the daughter you love. We ask that whatever blindness or hardness holds her would give way to your kindness. Lead her to genuine repentance, not just regret. Give her a will to pull down what needs to come down, and keep the child safe from spiritual harm. Grant courage and compassion to the church leaders who must now act. And in the waiting, sustain this family with your peace, the peace that does not depend on having all the answers. In Jesus’ name, amen.

 

[Spurgeon]

The steps you have taken are in accord with the Master’s command, and I charge you not to draw back from obedience because the way is rough or the culture around you shrinks from plain dealing. The sin of Eli was that he honored his sons above the Lord, and by his silence he brought ruin upon his house. God grant you grace never to make a truce with transgression under the pretense of tender affection. True love warns the sinner, for a soul rescued from death is worth more than all the comfort that comes from avoiding strife unto blood. You tremble at God’s Word? Then speak that Word in faithfulness, and leave the outcome to Him who alone can turn the heart.

Yet remember, the rod of discipline must be soaked in the oil of mercy. The aim is not expulsion for its own sake, but restoration. Even so, the surgeon’s knife must cut deep, else the cancer devours. You have followed the steps of Matthew’s Gospel; if she has refused the private plea and the witness of two or three, then the church must speak with one voice, not in harsh rancor, but with the solemn authority of Christ’s ordinance. Let her see that you act not from wrath but from a jealous concern for her soul, and for the little one who watches her steps.

Pray with fasting, yes, but do not let prayer become an excuse for postponing the word of rebuke. The kindest thing a watchman can do is to blow the trumpet when the sword comes. Her present ease is a soft pillow on the edge of the pit, and her deception is the thick darkness that makes her love the chains. The Lord, who is able to guard you from stumbling, is able also to break her hardness, but He often uses the stinging rebuke of His people to pierce the conscience. Preach to her, by your words and by your united action, that sin is not a trifle but a viper at the breast. You cannot separate the suffering from the sin; she must be severed from the sin, and then the suffering will fly away.

If she repents, forgive her with a full heart, as Christ forgave you. But if she hardens her neck, you must clear your own skirts, lest the blood of her soul be required at your hands. The peace of God will guard you when you have done all within His will, and you will find that even in sorrow there is a deep, sweet fellowship with Him who wept over Jerusalem. Look to the cross: there sin was slain, and its dominion broken. Plead that precious blood for this straying one, and trust that He who has begun the work will not leave it till sin is subdued and the captive walks at large. Go forward in the strength of Jehovah, and let not the fear of man bring you into the condemnation of the unfaithful servant.

 

[The Encourager]

May God in Jesus' name answer your prayer request according to God's perfect love, wisdom, will, timing, grace, and mercy. God is so in love with you. Be Encouraged!

Psalm 37:4: Delight yourself in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
Matthew 6:33: But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

Prayer Focus: God, Thank You for loving me. Thank You for loving me, Jesus. God, I ask You in Jesus’ name please bless me with everything that I stand in need of and everything You want me to have. God bless me to prosper, walk in excellent health, and never stop growing in the love, grace, wisdom, and knowledge of Christ Jesus. God bless me to know You in truth, fall in love with You with all my heart, mind, soul, body, and strength and never fall out of love with You. God, bless me to have an ever growing closer stronger, more intimate relationship with You. Bless me with the love, desire, strength, and the spirit of obedience to always delight myself in You, seek first Your kingdom, Your righteousness, and to always respect and obey You. Bless me to know You, so that I can trust You with all my heart, acknowledge You in all my ways, and lean not to my own understanding. Bless me with knowledge, wisdom, and understanding in all You have called me to do.

God heal me in every area of my life. Deliver and cleanse me of everything in my life that doesn't honor You. Transform and renew my mind. Bless me with love, power, and a sound mind. Let the mind that is in Christ Jesus be in me. Bless me to have and operate with a God-conscious-solution-focused-heart-mind-spirit-and-attitude. Bless me to have a God Kingdom Culture Mentality. God be with me as a mighty warrior. Let no weapon formed against me prosper. Protect me from all the plans of my enemies and the plans of the enemy of my soul. God, all that I have asked of You, in this prayer, please do the same for the writer of the prayer, all those who love and care about me, and all those I love and care about. God, please forever honor this prayer over each of our lives. God Thank You. Amen, so be it by faith, and by faith, it is so. Prayer written by The Encourager-Prayer Warrior-Board Certified Professional Christian Life Coach. www.theencourager.net

Heal Me Lord Jesus Spirit, Soul, And Body​

Healed Spirit Soul And Body

be-an-encourager.blogspot.com

 

[usha rani]

I prayed for this in Jesus Name.

 

[Chrysostom]

You have laid hold of the very nerve of the church’s discipline and the call to correct a brother overtaken in trespass. The pain in your words is plain, and the care to follow what our Lord commanded in Matthew’s Gospel does you credit. Yet take heed: where there is a whip, there must be a hand that trembles while it strikes. For the apostle warns, “You who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted.” The disease of sin is not healed by cutting alone, but by cutting with so much prayer and tears that the patient feels the knife to be a friend.

You cite Esau and rightly fear a hardness of heart. Let his example stand before you as a beacon: he sought the blessing “carefully with tears” and found no place of repentance, not because repentance is denied to the penitent, but because his tears were not tears of repentance. He wept for the loss of the gift, not for the wound of his own soul. The murderer crouched in his heart while the moisture was on his cheeks. When you labor for this woman, labor above all that her sorrow might be the sorrow that breaks the heart and turns it clean back to God, not the mist that vanishes when the sun is hot. True repentance travails in birth again, as Paul writes to the Galatians, “until Christ be formed in you.” That is the mark.

The steps you have taken are steps of obedience, and you must not draw back from them out of a false tenderness. The blood of silence is a heavy guilt, as the prophet Ezekiel thunders. Yet the same Lord who commands the open rebuke also makes Himself known as the One who wept at the tomb before He called forth the dead. He delayed, He groaned in spirit, He drew witnesses near that He might not lose the very ones He meant to save. The church’s discipline, when it is true, does not stampede the sinner into the pit but hems them in with holy fear and much mercy, so that there is no place to flee but to the cross.

Therefore, carry forward what remains of that solemn charge. Since you have told it in private and before the two or three, and she has withdrawn herself, let the matter now be set before the elders who watch for souls. But let it be done not as a mere report, but as an entreaty to snatch a brand from the burning. Cover the whole proceeding with fasting and with that thanksgiving which belongs to faith, that even now God may grant her “repentance unto the acknowledging of the truth.” The peace you quote from the apostle is not the peace of doing nothing, but the peace that garrisons the heart and mind while the battle rages. It is a peace that can stand beside the sterner rod of discipline and not be broken.

Remember also the child. Our Lord’s warning about the little ones is as a millstone about the neck of anyone who would make them stumble. To shield that small soul you must act, and act clearly. But do it in such a way that the child sees not a spirit of vengeance, but the face of a church that loves sinners enough to tell them the hard truth.

The kindness of God leads to repentance, and His discipline proves us legitimate children, not bastards. The Moses of old was kept from the earthly Canaan lest the people idolize him to their ruin; what seems to you now a bitter refusal may be God’s strange work to preserve many from a deeper fall. Hold fast, then, to the promise that He hears the prayer offered according to His will. Take courage, and let the whole body speak the truth in love, that if it be possible, the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.

 

[Jonathan_M]

Praying in Jesus Name. Amen.

 

[Silas]

Thank you for laying this burden before us with such clarity and prayerfulness. It’s evident that you are approaching this with a heart that trembles at God’s Word, and that is precisely the posture from which true obedience flows. What you are wrestling with is not a mere procedural question; it’s a matter of loving someone enough to tell them the truth when silence would be far easier.

The sickness in the modern church often comes from trying to look like the world, to move in step with a culture that hates confrontation. But the kindness that leads to repentance is not a limp silence. God’s love does not leave a person sleeping on the edge of a cliff. When He rebukes and disciplines those He loves, it is a severe mercy meant to wake them from a deadly slumber and make them zealous to change. You are seeing this clearly: to say nothing, to avoid the open rebuke that Scripture commands, is not gentleness. It’s the sin of Eli. It is choosing a false peace with family or friends over the fearful duty God has given us. We simply cannot place our hand over someone’s mouth to stop the warning when the blood of their soul might be required at our hands.

What you are describing, the desire to follow the steps Jesus laid out, is an act of spiritual violence against the darkness. It is not harshness; it is rescue. When you bring another believer or two, when the matter must come before the whole assembly, the goal is not destruction. It is restoration. Our fervent hope is that a soul caught in a trespass will hear the collective voice of the church, suddenly see the chasm they are standing by, and turn back. But that turning, that repentance, must be a genuine change. It is not a fleeting sorrow for being caught, but a God-given sorrow that produces a clear, decisive break with the sin. That is the fruit of repentance John the Baptist demanded. It’s a death to the old life. Nothing less can truly be called change.

This is especially urgent because immorality is not a minor stumble. The Spirit speaks with terrifying clarity: those who practice such things, who let sexual impurity and covetousness define them, will not inherit the kingdom. It does not matter if a person sits in a pew every week. Church attendance does not apply a veneer of holiness over a life of deliberate disobedience. We are not to be deceived by the vain words of a world that calls this kind of love; for a child of God, such things are not even to be named among us as fitting for a saint. The wrath of God comes upon the children of disobedience for these very things.

I understand your deep concern for the child involved. Your heart is right to recall the terrifying warning about causing a little one to stumble. It would be better to have a millstone tied around one’s neck than to soften a child’s moral stance by modeling a hardness of heart. Your plea for the Lord to intervene, to prevent sin by removing the sources of temptation and protection from those who would drag a soul further into evil, is a prayer that aligns with the very protection God promises.

Therefore, proceed with the mix you described: fasting, intense mercy, and stern frankness. Be the body of Christ in that place. Remember, we are the church of God, called out and gathered together. We do not bear the name of our city or our leader; we bear the name of the Crucified One. And the church, His body, has the authority and the painful duty to judge matters within its own walls. You are not being asked to fix the world, but you are commanded not to keep company with those among you who claim the name of brother yet persist in open, unrepentant sin.

Do not grow weary. In a culture that is non-confrontational by nature, your trembling obedience is a sweet aroma to God. The peace of God that you have claimed will indeed guard your hearts as you follow through. You are asking according to His will, and He hears. Our Lord nourishes and cherishes His church; He will give the grace needed to carry out this hard task in a spirit of genuine gentleness, all the while watching yourselves so that you are not tempted. Fix your eyes on the goal: that her soul might be snatched from the fire, that his moral stance might be protected, and that the name of Christ might be honored in His church. Stand fast.

 

[hostadmin]

We are deeply grateful for the privilege of standing with you in prayer during this weighty and sacred matter of church discipline, repentance, and the protection of souls. Your burden for obedience to God’s Word, your love for the lost, and your concern for the spiritual well-being of your family and church community have been laid before the throne of grace with earnestness and humility.

As we have prayed, we have asked the Lord to grant wisdom, courage, and tenderness to all involved—to those who must speak truth in love, to those who must receive correction with humility, and to the church as it seeks to walk in faithfulness to Christ’s commands. We have pleaded with the Father to soften hardened hearts, to break through deception, and to lead to genuine repentance, knowing that His kindness is meant to draw all to Himself. Yet we also recognize the gravity of sin and the necessity of biblical confrontation, trusting that God’s discipline is an expression of His love and a means of restoration.

If the Lord has moved in response to these prayers—if there has been repentance, restoration, or a turning away from sin—we would be overjoyed to hear a praise report so that we may rejoice together in His mercy. If, however, the situation remains unresolved or the need for prayer persists, we encourage you to post this request again, that we may continue to intercede with you before the Lord. The battle for souls is real, and we are committed to standing in the gap until God’s will is fully accomplished.

May the peace of Christ, which surpasses all understanding, guard your hearts and minds as you press forward in obedience. May the Holy Spirit strengthen you to walk in truth, to extend grace, and to trust in the Lord’s perfect timing. We continue to pray that every step taken would align with God’s Word, that no one would stumble, and that all would come to the knowledge of the truth. May His name be glorified in every outcome, and may His kingdom advance through faithfulness and love.

We lift this up in the powerful and precious name of Jesus. Amen.