Love for Enemies
Matthew 5:43-47
Jesus Speaking
43"You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' 44But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
We are called to love our enemies as Jesus did. Jesus did not fight back out of anger. The one time Jesus did fight back was to be loyal to God not to Him self and He did it out of love. So many times in our lives we make excuses for hating this person or that organization because they did something to us or to someone we know. But that same person we are hating God delights in and loves. God calls us to love the people we hate. It is easy to hate people, a lot harder to love. If we are called to be like Christ and be loyal to God then we should see people through His eyes.
Today spend time thinking about someone you hate and need to forgive. Then ask God what he thinks of the people that you hate or don't like. Last, do something for that person to show them the same love Jesus shows you.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Sorry this wasn't posted right away :(
Read John 13 Jesus meets with His disciples and institutes the Lord's Supper.
INSIGHT
More than 2000 years ago, the Lord Jesus Christ ate a ceremonial meal with His disciples. This meal originated in the Passover and pictured Christ's death, our need to receive Him personally for our salvation, and the fact that all those who are His people are a communion of saints. During the meal, He instructed His disciples to observe this ceremony regularly and with gladness until His return. And so, whether called the Lord's Supper, Communion, or the Lord's Table, Christians today observe a solemn but joyous ceremonial meal which looks back to the redemption of the Cross and forward to the glory of the Second Coming.
PRAYER
Praise God that He is powerful enough to keep the promises pictured by Communion.
The Lord reigns;
Let the peoples tremble!
He dwells between the cherubim;
Let the earth be moved!
The Lord is great in Zion,
And He is high above all the peoples.
Let them praise Your great and awesome name - He is holy (Psalm 99:1-3).
Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
If I regard iniquity in my heart,
The Lord will not hear (Psalm 66:18).
As you contemplate the mercy of God, confess any sins which the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
But certainly God has heard me;
He has attended to the voice of my prayer.
Blessed be God,
Who has not turned away my prayer,
Nor His mercy from me! (Psalm 66:19-20).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
greater understanding of other traditions within Christianity,
heart-felt worship at your local church,
your activities for the day,
whatever else is on your heart.
Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!(Revelation 19:9)
Read John 13 Jesus meets with His disciples and institutes the Lord's Supper.
INSIGHT
More than 2000 years ago, the Lord Jesus Christ ate a ceremonial meal with His disciples. This meal originated in the Passover and pictured Christ's death, our need to receive Him personally for our salvation, and the fact that all those who are His people are a communion of saints. During the meal, He instructed His disciples to observe this ceremony regularly and with gladness until His return. And so, whether called the Lord's Supper, Communion, or the Lord's Table, Christians today observe a solemn but joyous ceremonial meal which looks back to the redemption of the Cross and forward to the glory of the Second Coming.
PRAYER
Praise God that He is powerful enough to keep the promises pictured by Communion.
The Lord reigns;
Let the peoples tremble!
He dwells between the cherubim;
Let the earth be moved!
The Lord is great in Zion,
And He is high above all the peoples.
Let them praise Your great and awesome name - He is holy (Psalm 99:1-3).
Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
If I regard iniquity in my heart,
The Lord will not hear (Psalm 66:18).
As you contemplate the mercy of God, confess any sins which the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
But certainly God has heard me;
He has attended to the voice of my prayer.
Blessed be God,
Who has not turned away my prayer,
Nor His mercy from me! (Psalm 66:19-20).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
greater understanding of other traditions within Christianity,
heart-felt worship at your local church,
your activities for the day,
whatever else is on your heart.
Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!(Revelation 19:9)
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Do you live like you are free to run?
But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn! This is not a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan -- this rebirth comes from God.
John 1:12-13 (New Living Translation)
SO WHAT?
Whatever things were in your past that pulled you down or made you feel like you were not worth anything, Jesus has set you free from them. You were born again and all of those old chains can be gone. Today you need to accept that Jesus has set you free and you need to live in it.
You are Free to Run!
John 1:12-13 (New Living Translation)
SO WHAT?
Whatever things were in your past that pulled you down or made you feel like you were not worth anything, Jesus has set you free from them. You were born again and all of those old chains can be gone. Today you need to accept that Jesus has set you free and you need to live in it.
You are Free to Run!
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