“Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” Matthew 5:43-48 KJV
"bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you"; BOY - that's a tall order! You know our "old man" just doesn't want to do that! The easy way is to respond in like manner! Even as small children we say, "well, he did that to me first"; justifying our reaction to a wrong. We have to be taught mercy and kindness and that lesson does not come easy! When we get it right though, it is a beautiful thing! It is truly a reflection of our Father.
It all comes down to dealing with our sins and having a pliable heart.
“O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.” Matthew 12:34-37 KJV
"for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh." Our friend says: "When you get your lemon squeezed, what comes out? What's in middle!" Honey is what is supposed to come out as a Follower of Jesus Christ! The world responds in kind, but we have overcome the world!
“But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of Him that created him:” Colossians 3:8-10 KJV
This can only be done when one is seeking God with his whole heart! God actually gives us His heart as we (little by little) give up our will to Him. Herein is the change! He makes us into His image! And the difference in light and dark is no more noticeable than when we are attacked! Even when we blow it, and recognize it, and immediately repent is a reflection of Him working in us! Such a beautiful thing!
However, if one refuses to give up his sin; justifies it; loves it more than God, then the devil has a foothold and darkness will choke out the light! It's our choice whom we follow! Taking the easy way is always the wrong way for a Follower of Jesus! He didn't and we can't! Repentance must be made.
“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.” Joshua 24:15 KJV
Everyday we choose whom we will follow; by our response to circumstances! Laying down our "right" to be right, is a true indicator of our choice!
“Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” Matthew 7:13-14 KJV
That narrow way is the way of the Cross; it's the hard way; it's painful and it's not the way our flesh wants to walk!
When we walk in love; when we walk in forgiveness; when we walk in repentance - daily, we are walking in His light!
If however we choose to walk offended, angry, hateful, bitter, and unforgiving, we are reflecting the devil in us; no matter how churched we are.
“But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!” Matthew 6:23 KJV
In these last days the line will be blurred and many will believe they are on the straight and narrow. When pulpits don't preach repentance and define sin, then the lost stay lost even when they believe they are saved!
“Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”
Matthew 7:22-23 KJV
It all comes down to sin. Christ did not die on the cross for you to stay in the sins you love; pride, unbelief, bitterness, anger, fear, unforgiveness, judgments, adultery, coveting, slander, gossiping, grumbling and complaining, criticisms and the like! You must repent before it's too late!
Even so - MARANATHA!
From 5/2/17
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