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Dealing With Difficult Enemies

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Proverbs 16:7 – “When a man’s ways please the Lord, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him.”

I try to always remember when reading this that my world may not always be one where some people would not be against me but that God can help my enemies to slow down or cease in the raging and warring over every single thing.

Strive to live your life for Christ first and know that God will move for you in ways that you could not move for yourself.

It reminds me of another verse as well,

Proverbs 25:21 – “If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he be thirsty, give him water to drink:”

It is not God’s will that we would perish trying to solve seemingly unsolvable things on our own against our foes. It is God’s will that we live our lives in peace with them by not making things worse and loving/respecting them as we would want to be.

You may not get your kindness back in return, but know that your efforts are acknowledged by the one who can calm the storms as Jesus did upon the waters!

Learning To Love Our Enemies

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Luke 6:27-36

27 But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you,

28 Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you.

29 And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other; and him that taketh away thy cloak forbid not to take thy coat also.

30 Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again.

31 And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.

32 For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them.

33 And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? for sinners also do even the same.

34 And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again.

35 But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.

36 Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.

There are many things we can learn about here:

  • If we do not love our enemy ultimately means we hate our enemy
  • If we want to hurt those who hurt us it is from the fear of being hurt again
  • If we want justice for those who used us then we are letting selfishness drive us
  • If we will not give back when others will take then we care too much of what we have

There are also many things we need to do:

– Show love when others would look to hate

– Exhibit benevolence and give when others would not

– Be the voice in a tough conversation

– Find the good in an adverse situation and do it

  • Expect nothing in return even when you give it all

So while this may sound crazy I am thankful for every storm, trial, confrontation, battle and enemy that has ever shown up in my life. It’s by these opportunities that I have truly gotten to know the true love of God and how this love can change the world if the world will love itself and its enemies

Five Actions To Keep Your Relationships Alive

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God has been dealing with me as to how we as human beings must continue to fight for those whom we hold dear. For without the efforts to keep love stirred between others the relationship begins to dwindle to a state of weakness, therefore leaving room for the enemy to intervene with the most foolish of dramatic events/rumors/jealousies/envyings/etc.

Here are five actions we must all learn to perform towards others (that’s right, towards others):

1) To sharpen mental integrity by sound counsel 

Proverbs 27:17 – Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.

If you want to be a true friend to another person you must learn to share things in honesty spoken with love. God wants us to continually reveal the truth to each other, even when we find that it hurts. If you know of others that benefit from your counsel then take the time to share the things God has given you to speak. Holding the knowledge within hurts all parties; for it was given to be given and by that obedience to give it you are blessed and favored amongst many. The more of a sound spiritual counsel can be spoken the less the devil overcomes in peoples weakness. So if people around you are important, remember to speak what you know and have learned through Christ!

2) To learn how to agree and disagree 

Amos 3:3 – Can two walk together, except they be agreed?

Should you hope to have an honest friendship you must both be willing to accept the fact that you may never agree on specific details (doctrine, scripture, teaching, opinions, etc.). If you can learn to reason in a peaceful manner then I believe that an open and honest discussion of things helps both parties to grow in not only communicating to each other but to also learn more about how they can be a stronger brother/sister in God.

3) To be willing to sacrifice things for the benefit of another

John 15:13 – Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

If you are the kind of person that only helps others when it benefits you then you need to strongly reconsider your outlook. God does not bless us with anything just for us to keep it and reap it. God uses his children in the principle of reciprocity (what do you give for what you get). When you begin to become the kind of person that will spend more time to help others than yourself (when it calls for it) then you will begin to reap the blessings of God. Do not always expect an exact return for exact obedience. What you may do to bless someone may never be done exactly to you but this does not mean that you do not get an equal or exceeding blessing either. Sometimes God blesses your need and the want (as it falls in His will). Learn to give up time, money and resources for the greater good of others. It is of far greater benefit to sow more to others; for you will reap more as a friend to them and as an obedient vessel to Christ.

4) To encourage action in others that will bring good thinking and love

Hebrews 10:24-25 – And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:

Sometimes words are simply not enough to help someone. You may have to show up in person to get your message across. Having someone call you and tell you that you need to get up and go run is not as significant as having them knock on your door! Texting someone and telling them that you are praying for them (while worthwhile) is not as powerful as calling and praying on the phone or praying with the individual in person. To provoke is an active action to bring forth an action. Take that action for someone else and just see how blessed that you can truly be.

5) To be compassionate to the tribulations of another

Ruth 1:17 – Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the LORD do so to me, and more also, [if ought] but death part thee and me.

At last…this is the one I feel like is most lacking in friendships. Take the time to say “I’m sorry” when someone unloads on you. Offer to pray and be an ear to hear and shoulder to cry upon. When people do not exhibit compassion towards others than they are not a very presentable place for someone to lay their trust in. As ambassadors of God we must be God-like to the capacity of helping others to openly communicate their struggles. As we listen and gain understanding of their struggle we then should exhibit equal or greater compassion. Compassion is the greatest weapon to tear down the walls of fear and doubt, yet is one of the least used weapons of God’s people. Jesus walked, breathed and obeyed out of compassion. We have salvation because Jesus paid the price. Compassion is everything for a Christian and for those whom they encounter in a struggle. Learn to use this virtue in a greater way and see how God can begin to bloom out of others the blessings that will begin to bless you.

What You Face Is For You

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Ephesians 6:10-12

[10] Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
[11] Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
[12] For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

We should remember and be good to never forget that the forces of evil are arrayed against us, raging as a roaring lion to devour us.

We are not here just to:

  • Preach and teach
  • Raise Money
  • Build a building
  • Run a program

We are here to do battle against a very real and present enemy:

  • Eternal life is at stake
  • Souls hang in the balance
  • The standards of righteousness are being compromised
  • Foundations of decency are crumbling

The good news today is that we are equipped to win this battle through Christ!

Romans 1:16-21

[16] For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
[17] For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.
[18] For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;
[19] Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.
[20] For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
[21] Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

We possess the power of the gospel; it is the great message that can mend all hurt and repair the broken pieces of a persons’ life:

  • Forgiveness from our sin
  • Deliverance from our bondage
  • Lifting of the weights of the cares of life
  • All will sincerely believing in the love that was shown us by God through the sacrifice of God’s son, Jesus Christ (now that’s powerful!)

Ephesians 3:8-21

[8] For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
[9] Not of works, lest any man should boast.
[10] For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
[11] Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands;
[12] That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:
[13] But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.
[14] For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;
[15] Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;
[16] And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:
[17] And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.
[18] For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.
[19] Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;
[20] And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;
[21] In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:

We have the power of the Holy Spirit

You are given the spirit of God to have boldness, access and confidence by faith, to faint not at life’s tribulations:

  • To know we are his, to know we are named means everything
  • To strengthen our inner selves with might and spirit
  • Be rooted and grounded in love
  • To know the love of Christ
  • Be filled with the fullness of God

Ephesians 6:13

[13] Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

We have the armor of God

I Corinthians 15:57-58

[57] But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
[58] Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

Ultimate victory is certain for whom will believe

Sometimes People Just Won’t Get You

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John 15:18-25

[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.
[22] If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloak for their sin.
[23] He that hateth me hateth my Father also.
[24] If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father.
[25] But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated me without a cause.

One of the toughest truths to accept when considering the social aspect of being a Christian is that sometimes people just won’t get you.

Let’s read from II Corinthians 12: 20:

[20] For I fear, lest, when I come, I shall not find you such as I would, and that I shall be found unto you such as ye would not: lest there be debates, envyings, wraths, strifes, backbitings, whisperings, swellings, tumults

Through the few years of ministry that I have made it through I have found all of the different types of negative behaviors attempt to attack me on a public as well as a personal level. There has been times that even when you are doing all of the right things that someone still finds a way to point something negative out to you. Some people will even tell others about something that is not wrong whatsoever just to attempt to create drama to elevate their status in self-righteousness. Drama happens whether or not you are in presence of others. The part that I have noticed about the enemies tactics through using willing people that will behave negatively is that they are nice to you in person and only feel the authority and power over you to work division while not in your presence. You will also find this behaviour as you read of the demons in the bible whom scared others from even walking by but began to change their tune when Jesus was in the midst!

Matthew 8:28-34

[28] And when he was come to the other side into the country of the Gergesenes, there met him two possessed with devils, coming out of the tombs, exceeding fierce, so that no man might pass by that way.
[29] And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time?
[30] And there was a good way off from them an herd of many swine feeding.
[31] So the devils besought him, saying, If thou cast us out, suffer us to go away into the herd of swine.
[32] And he said unto them, Go. And when they were come out, they went into the herd of swine: and, behold, the whole herd of swine ran violently down a steep place into the sea, and perished in the waters.
[33] And they that kept them fled, and went their ways into the city, and told every thing, and what was befallen to the possessed of the devils.
[34] And, behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus: and when they saw him, they besought him that he would depart out of their coasts.

When the enemy is in the presence of the anointed he cannot exercise the same authority he could while working it in the shadows of what you cannot see or hear. Each of these kinds of feelings that people will bring on you are not things that you should take lightly or not prepare yourself against. One of the best nuggets of wisdom God has taught me is that you must not worry about what people will try to do to work against you. We as Christians must learn to work together and to see persecution as a stepping stone rather than a stumbling block. For when we can endure the present sufferings of peoples’ persecution then we can be blessed by walking in the virtues that God has given and called us to use.

Continue in your calling and be not moved by the words and attempts to bring division. Stay steadfast in the love you have for all people and bless those that will despitefully use you for their own gain. Turn away from the petty attempts the devil uses behind your back to try and ensnare your favor and patience that God builds in us daily. Be strong and keep your mind focused on the one who loves you and forget the things that those who despise you will do. What your enemies will try to do only hinders what God tries to prosper. Jesus even recognized that mankind in its weakened state of sin doesn’t even know at times what we do; for in the greatest moment of suffering on the cross Jesus chose to love us and to prevail against all the things that would have kept us from the eternal fellowship and relationship we remain in with God today!