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judgement

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

It’s Time For Overflow

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Overflow: the excess or surplus not able to be accommodated by an available space.

Philippians 1:9-11

9 And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment;

10 That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ.

11 Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.

Abound yet more in knowledge = overflow

Let us overflow that we may be lift up God, be genuine towards others and live to not offend them as alone as we live

Overflow = you are filled with an overwhelming conviction to do whats right

Let’s read the promise of the Father:

Isaiah 44:3 – For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring:

Joel 2:28 – And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:

Luke 24:49 – And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.

The Spirit of God is a spirit of might, and of power, as well as of knowledge, of understanding, of counsel, of love, and of a sound mind; whereby they were to be fortified, and inspired with courage and greatness of soul, so as to look their greatest adversaries in the face with boldness and intrepidity, and freely, and without fear, speak unto them; and whereby their ministrations would be succeeded to the conversion of many souls; and accordingly so it was: for after the Spirit was poured out upon them, they who before were timorous and fearful, came forth publicly, with undaunted courage, and resolution, and boldness, to the amazement of their adversaries; and their preaching was with the demonstration of the Spirit, and of power; who may be said to be “from on high”, since he descended from heaven upon them; and they may be said to be “endued”, or “clothed” with him, since there was such an extra ordinary and plentiful effusion of his gifts and graces on them: and now they were to wait in Jerusalem for this, that in the place where the Spirit had been dishonoured and blasphemed, and the unpardonable sin against him had been committed by the Scribes and Pharisees, the might be in a most visible and signal manner honoured; and also, because the doctrine of the Lord was to go out of Zion, and the word of the Lord out of Jerusalem.

Romans 15:13 – Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.

We abound in hope and keep peace through overflow. It’s time to seek God through overflow.

Divine Judgement And Blessings

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I have been forced to reconsider the relationship between divine judgment and divine blessing. I have always thought of them as opposites that have no relationship. I like to think of judgment as something that has little to do with me and much to do with my enemies. I like to think of God’s blessings and salvation as mine, unrelated to judgment. I have come to the conclusion that divine judgment and divine blessings are very closely inter-related.

In the first place, God’s judgment is the means whereby He delivers us from our enemies

(3:15, 19). 15 The Lord hath taken away thy judgments, he hath cast out thine enemy: the king of Israel, even the Lord, is in the midst of thee: thou shalt not see evil any more.  19 Behold, at that time I will undo all that afflict thee: and I will save her that halteth, and gather her that was driven out; and I will get [7] them praise and fame in every land where they have been put to shame.

Second, divine judgment purifies the righteous remnant

(3:9).  9 For then will I turn to the people a pure language, [3] that they may all call upon the name of the Lord, to serve him with one consent. 

Finally, God’s judgment is the means by which God brings about our blessings. When God removes the wicked, it is so He may come and dwell with us. In addition, when God removes the wicked, He gives their possessions to His faithful remnant

(2:5-7, 9-10).

5 Woe unto the inhabitants of the sea coast, the nation of the Cherethites! the word of the Lord is against you; O Canaan, the land of the Philistines, I will even destroy thee, that there shall be no inhabitant. 6 And the sea coast shall be dwellings and cottages for shepherds, and folds for flocks. 7 And the coast shall be for the remnant of the house of Judah; they shall feed thereupon: in the houses of Ashkelon shall they lie down in the evening: for the Lord [1] their God shall visit them, and turn away their captivity.

9 Therefore as I live, saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, Surely Moab shall be as Sodom, and the children of Ammon as Gomorrah, even the breeding of nettles, and saltpits, and a perpetual desolation: the residue of my people shall spoil them, and the remnant of my people shall possess them. 10 This shall they have for their pride, because they have reproached and magnified themselves against the people of the Lord of hosts.

The judgment of the wicked is the means to our blessing.

These reasons for divine judgment can best be summarized in this way:

  • God will judge those in Judah who practice pure paganism (1:4).
  • those who mix the worship of God with the worship of other deities (1:5a).
  • those in Judah who completely reject and turn away from the faith of their fathers (1:6).
  • those who choose to identify with the heathen (rather than the people of God) by their dress (1:8)
  • those who practice violence and deceit (1:9)
  • those who presume that God is indifferent about their sin (1:12)
  • those who put their trust in anything but Him (1:18)
  • those who refuse divine instruction, and who have ignored His warnings (3:1-2). Judah should have learned from God’s judgment of others, but she did not (3:6-7)
  • those in leadership, who have abused their authority and forsaken their stewardship (3:3-4)

Zephaniah 3:8-13

Zephaniah also summarizes the hope of the righteous remnant:

Their sins are forgiven and they are cleansed from their sin (3:9, 11, 13).

They will be delivered from or through divine judgment (2:1-3)

They will eventually be rescued from the hand of their oppressors (2:4-15; 3:15).

They have the hope of future blessings (2:6-9).

They will be given fame and honor (3:19-20).

They will enjoy security and peace (3:13).

They will enjoy being in God’s presence, as He rejoices over them as the objects of His love(3:15-17).

Zephaniah 3:14-20

After the promises of taking away sin, follow promises of taking away trouble. When the cause is removed, the effect will cease. What makes a people holy, will make them happy. The precious promises made to the purified people, were to have full accomplishment in the gospel.  They show the abundant peace, comfort, and prosperity of the church, in the happy times yet to come. He will save; he will be Jesus; he will answer the name, for he will save his people from their sins. 

Preparation And Prayer Will Bring Conviction

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One of the toughest things for Christians to be able to do successfully is to persevere in their continual seeking on behalf of those around them. What I am writing to you today are some awesome nuggets that you can read from the spirit of the text we will begin with below:

Daniel 6: 7-24

[7] All the presidents of the kingdom, the governors, and the princes, the counsellers, and the captains, have consulted together to establish a royal statute, and to make a firm decree, that whosoever shall ask a petition of any God or man for thirty days, save of thee, O king, he shall be cast into the den of lions.
[8] Now, O king, establish the decree, and sign the writing, that it be not changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not.
[9] Wherefore king Darius signed the writing and the decree.
[10] Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime.
[11] Then these men assembled, and found Daniel praying and making supplication before his God.
[12] Then they came near, and spake before the king concerning the king’s decree; Hast thou not signed a decree, that every man that shall ask a petition of any God or man within thirty days, save of thee, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions? The king answered and said, The thing is true, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not.
[13] Then answered they and said before the king, That Daniel, which is of the children of the captivity of Judah, regardeth not thee, O king, nor the decree that thou hast signed, but maketh his petition three times a day.
[14] Then the king, when he heard these words, was sore displeased with himself, and set his heart on Daniel to deliver him: and he laboured till the going down of the sun to deliver him.
[15] Then these men assembled unto the king, and said unto the king, Know, O king, that the law of the Medes and Persians is, That no decree nor statute which the king establisheth may be changed.
[16] Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel, and cast him into the den of lions. Now the king spake and said unto Daniel, Thy God whom thou servest continually, he will deliver thee.
[17] And a stone was brought and laid upon the mouth of the den; and the king sealed it with his own signet, and with the signet of his lords; that the purpose might not be changed concerning Daniel.
[18] Then the king went to his palace, and passed the night fasting: neither were instruments of musick brought before him: and his sleep went from him.
[19] Then the king arose very early in the morning, and went in haste unto the den of lions.
[20] And when he came to the den, he cried with a lamentable voice unto Daniel: and the king spake and said to Daniel, O Daniel, servant of the living God, is thy God, whom thou servest continually, able to deliver thee from the lions?
[21] Then said Daniel unto the king, O king, live for ever.
[22] My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions’ mouths, that they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt.
[23] Then was the king exceeding glad for him, and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no manner of hurt was found upon him, because he believed in his God.
[24] And the king commanded, and they brought those men which had accused Daniel, and they cast them into the den of lions, them, their children, and their wives; and the lions had the mastery of them, and brake all their bones in pieces or ever they came at the bottom of the den.

In verse seven the enemy decided to take advantage of the Kings weakness and leverage him, using the only plot that would convict Daniel. Take notice here that Daniel’s enemies were not those who we would have expected here (someone acting in a sinful nature for their own gain). You see the enemy that Daniel was dealing with was worse than that; this kind of enemy was sitting in high places and had no control or favor with God. And as we should be very keen to, we cannot ever find ourselves comfortable in a crowd of those we are close to. It is nice to have those we can trust, but God must be above all others! Verse ten opens up the preparation for consequences and totally defiled the enemies intent and creed. If there is nothing else you read, read this part: The first thing we should do in any matter of major/minor significance is to seek the face of God! And yes, seeking God can be done even when knowing that the enemy is intentionally coming against you!

The king’s weakness to peer pressure (and losing his throne) is revealed in verse 15, and as we read it should become clear to us today that sin is revealed in our own lives when God deals with our hearts to commit to Christ. Through the passages of verses 17-23 you can begin to see the represented conviction and restlessness that the king began to face. Conviction will come when we come against God or resist the drawing of our heart for an encounter with Him. Even after the victory and protection that Daniel received God dealt with the enemy for the ill-willed intentions that tried to bring down one walking in God’s will. The enemy cannot run when God is proven, sin cannot stay where the spirit delivers!

Take The Time To Take Your Time

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No matter the situation it seems we are in, there is always the part of us that is demonstrated in the moment: the need to love or care for others on demand. I admit first and foremost that at times it is hard to do, or even feels impossible as emotionally affected as we can get. Let me share some quick tips with you that has been inspired by God and the wisdom of some great elders to me.

1) If someone takes the time to have a conversation about you or something that concerns you, make sure you take the time to return the favor by doing likewise (or indicating why you can’t). We should always be subject to one another and do unto others as we would have them do unto us! Doing so demonstrates a love for people which in turn demonstrates love for God and beyond yourself. It’s very key to note that it’s in the very small things you do in your every day life that will demonstrate the power of your ministry.

2) Take time to help those who cannot help you. It is so easy just to either deny people simply by the right of judgement or denial that they really “don’t need me to care”. What we neglect to realize is how much of a difference being charitable can be. Remember to help those who cannot repay, for this truly shows the kind of love that Jesus gave to us when he gave His life for us!

3) Finally, the time we have to live is a gift from God, so do not waste it! Live in love and live for loving others! Make time for God each and every day not only in prayer but in acts of love and kindness towards others. Beyond that, have a heart that will show that driven love and kindness beyond what would try to drag you down!

Use God’s time to build yourself up as well as the lives of others!

Are You On The Outside Looking In?

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Hebrews 10:15 – Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before

1 John 5:10 – He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son.

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When I am going through the problems in my life, it is always the most difficult plunge of faith to be able to trust God completely. Sometimes we have to remind ourselves that in our own perspective versus God’s that we are on the outside looking in. There will be many occasions when we do not understand the feelings or pains that a circumstance brings to an individual or family. The perfect example I could give you is when you see someone go to pray. When they are on their way to the altar, others go to pray for them and are done praying quicker simply because their heart is not invested like the individual that came. It simply was not enough. In times like that we may just say what we think is best or just hug a person and say “You are going to be okay”, but what are we really doing? Are we not staying long enough? Are we not caring deeply enough to feel the load that they carry? Tough questions, right?

It is especially easy for people to get on the defensive when you are passing on worldly advice, yes. Obviously it is the easiest choice for you to just tell them what you might think is best for them at the present time. Sometimes personal advice will prove to work, while when times are harder it can be less effective. Trials will be trials and burdens will be hard felt, regardless of what we can offer. There is nothing that I could say or any shield that I could put around anyone that would keep them from being able to escape from all the things that life will bring. So what am I getting at today?

I have to remember to not be a judge on people and instead help to be a burden bearer spiritually! When my words will fail them and there is nothing else that I can do, sometimes you have to begin to pray for the situation to improve. Sometimes going and trying to intervene is not necessarily the best plan of attack. You see, God’s ways are far above our ways, and He is above looking over each and every one of us! His perspectives go far beyond yesterday and today, but even into tomorrow to see what is in store. Always remember that God is your judge, and that you can always lean on God for comfort, rest, and an escape from the trials of life each day!

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Put Into Practice:

The first exercise is short and sweet. Go an entire day without saying a judging comment about another person. You would be surprised how hard it can be when you consciously try.