Audience For Hate?
Thursday, June 4, 2020 Good morning, Lord V.O.D.: 1 Chronicles 29:11 Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, The power and the glory, The victory and the majesty; For all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours; Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, And You are exalted as head over all. M.O.M.: Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. John 14:27 Today's reading: 2 Chronicles 23-24 John 15
Audience For Hate?
Destruction to prove a point? Masses marching and burning and screaming-does this change your mind? If it does not change your mind, what reation does it bring? Approval? Hate? A reaction to judge? What about love?
If you sit and watch this on the news and instantly pray for the souls of the 'destructors', the following is not for you unless you want to pass it on to someone who might need it.
Our Christian life needs four things, on our part, to maintain healthy spiritual growth. 1. Persistence-firm or obstinate continuance in a course of action in spite of difficulty or opposition. 2. Consistency-conformity in the application of something, typically that which is necessary for the sake of logic, accuracy, or fairness. 3.Resistance-the ability not to be affected by something, especially adversely. Step back and repeat-the battle is the Lord's. 4. Resilience-the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties; toughness. Ask God to 'set your jaw' and you-you set your jaw-reach back and grab your own'stubborn' and stand for God no matter what.
Persistence Write objectives for your Christian life. Achievable daily steps to start in front of God and stay in front of God. Whatever it takes for you to get your heart and mind centered on loving God and living for Him, loving self, loving your neighbor. It takes a lot of trial and error to get these right but it is worth every effort you make. Daily Bible reading, daily scripture memory work, daily journaling, daily contact with both believers and non-believers. Consistency Get your mind right. Cling to the truth of God with all you are. Love the faces of all you see. Make it a habit to go to God with every face and see them with His heart. Resistance Resist temptation for sin. Sins of the flesh are easy to identify. But sins of the mind are another thing. We see a face on TV throwing rocks at cops and we see a criminal in short order-judgement on our part is as wrong as adultery-right-one sin is as bad as another? Be resistant to the negative thought. We are resistant to the statements of the anarchist, right? But what about the anarchist? Do we pray for their souls or wish for their demise? What about the atheist? Jesus died that none would perish-none-
The enemy wants to destroy it all. So, one billionare hires thousands to loot and burn and thousands join them and we hate them all-well, do we? In what part of scripture do we read that we have rights to do anything but be called children of the living God? Where does it say it is right for us to judge and hate? That's right-it is not in the Bible. Real children of the living God do not return the stone thrown at them. They return forgiveness and love.
God's desire is for us to learn to love the unlovable. That pretty much levels all playing-fields today and everyday. Until we get over ourselves and our own desire to 'see justice done to those bad people', we will not progress.
Jesus said, "12 And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us. ...14 For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
After reading this, do you feel forgiven? Got something to confess maybe...? Got some harsh feelings to deal with? So, deal with it in front of God/and get on with it.
...because He loves us...
Father in Heaven, Forgive me my hate for the mobs. Show me how to let it go and love them. Forgiving and merciful Father, In the name of Jesus, Amen