Today's message comes from Matthew 5:43-45
43: "You have heard that it was said, Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.
44: But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
45: so that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. For He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous."
This comes after a conversation with a friend and then coming home and reading this very passage. It inspired me to use our conversation to make a point.
The conversation started out with me talking about my hubby having been sick for over two months now. His first attack was his right shoulder area on his back hurting. His muscles were extremely tight and causing great pain. He went in and the doctor put him on muscle relaxers and pain pills. He was bed ridden the for a few days then seemed to be getting better.
During this time he hadn't been to church but one time. This was a concern. Not to mention his whole being had changed. His coloring was poor. I just kept praying. Shortly after he started experiencing pain in the left side. I found a not the size of a tennis ball at the base of his neck. I kept prompting him to go in and get it checked as I was concerned that it may be a herniated disc. He finally went in and we were shocked with the diagnosis.
While the doctor was checking him out, she found some vertebra's that were very tender further down his back which caused concern. She ordered an x-ray. When she returned with the results, she was shocked as well. He had pneumonia and also told us that he has advanced osteoarthritis. Wow!
So he was kept on the muscle relaxers as his muscles were tight from the pneumonia and the pain pills. I took him off of those, as I could see him going down hill fast. The doc said that the pain medication would keep him from coughing, which he needed to cough to get the junk out. He was bed ridden for a few days again.
But there was something else too. I could tell something just wasn't right. He had only been to church a couple of times. Was despondent often, coloring was poor. Just not himself at all.
After one of the services I talked to a Pastor who is a good friend of ours. I explained all that was going on and he prayed and then mentioned something I never thought about. One of our friends who was a pillar in the church, a godly man by all means who basically was a mentor to my husband had done something shocking to many. It really had an impact on us. We just couldn't believe it. How could a man like this do such a thing?
Well it never occurred to me the full impact it had on hubs. It really brought him down. It affected his faith and all. The illness came at the same time and totally reflected on the illness alone, thinking it all had to do with that.
So I shared with a friend that hubs has been sick and needed prayer as he still is, but also talked without mention of name or situation just the shock that something bad had happened to such an awesome couple.
What she said was profound. "He's a man. We all have our moments when we fall short." She then shared of a church where the Pastor had been with this church for years and one day it was found that he liked pornography. Oh the horror! She was amazed at the congregations reactions. How they just put him down, he needed to be put out of the church. He was labeled. Why? She was wondering why the people weren't praying and lifting him up and helping him overcome that addiction.
This Scripture says it like it is. We are to love our enemies. Except he should not have been viewed that way. He messed up. He had an addiction that should have been approached, prayed about, and received help and support to over come this addiction.
This is where so many of us fall short. Does God walk away from us when we mess up? No! Instead He puts people in our midst to help us become better people. Instead he prods us and urges us to try harder to be better people.
But plain and simple, we are of the flesh. We will have our short falls. So the next time we find ourselves judging someone, ask yourself how you would feel if you were in that person's shoes and were being condemned. Would you deserve that kind of treatment, or would you rather people reach out and try to help you walk through it, over come it and become a better person for it by learning and stopping that problem?
Remember the Scripture: Matthew 7:1-5
1: "Do not judge, so that you won't be judged.
2: For with judgment you use, ou will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
3: Why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye but don't notice the log in your own eye?
4: Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out your eye,' and look there's a log in your eye?
5: Hypocrite! First take the log out of your eye and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye."
I'm guilty of judging others at times and am trying so hard to over come that. It's a trait I do not like.
Let the Spirit lead you and guide you. Before reacting to a situation, ask yourself how you would feel if someone responded to you in the way you were thinking of reacting. Let's get better at holding each other accountable for our actions/reactions. None of us are above one another. We are all equal.
Should we hold our leaders accountable? Of course, but with love and understanding just as our Father does with us. When they fall short, remind them, but don't turn away from them. Instead pray for them, give them a reminder in a manner that the Lord leads you to do. If you catch others condemning them, give them a gentle reminder of the proper attitude to have. Have a Christ like attitude! I know I sure want that more than anything.
Let's be the brothers and sisters we were meant to be. Our nationalities, skin color, age, sex, what ever the case doesn't matter. What matters is we are all God's children and should love one another, uphold one another, support one another through the good and the bad. Not just during the good.
Blessings to all of you. May your walk with the Lord be glorious and may we all glorify His great name!
Showing posts with label love one another. Show all posts
Showing posts with label love one another. Show all posts
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Complaining?
Well, the job is finally done. Our daughter is all moved, and Jay and I got the apartment all cleaned up. I was amazed at how well he done! He was an awesome big help.
I believe I've talked before about being worried about the grand kids and what they are growing up in and with. Well, during the clean, I became more and more distraught with the more I found. Jay kept telling me, "Cast all your cares up to the Lord. Let not your heart be troubled." I know this and try hard to do that, but sometimes the worry overtakes me.
On Thursday morning I went out back and sat on the patio drinking coffee. The birds were singing, the sun was shining, and the temperature was perfect at that time. I sat watching the birds playing, eating, and flitting around. I grabbed my Bible and looked at the tabs trying to decide what to read. Then I was drawn to Philippians, I kept looking as was still drawn to there. Then I said, "Lord, lead me to what you want me to read," and I opened the Bible, but not to Philippians, but rather 1 Thessalonians 3:11-13 and all of chapters 4 & 5. The title for chapter 4 lept off the page at me. At first I thought, oops, wrong area, then realized that know, this is what He wanted me to read:
Prayer for the Church
3:11 Now may our God and Father Himself, and our Lord Jesus, direct our way to you.
12 And may the Lord cause you to increase and overflow with love for one another and for everyone, just as we also do for you.
13 May He make your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all His saints. Amen.
It hit home when I read this. I was bad mouthing my daughter and her fiance. What a heel I was being. Our Father is an all loving God and we are supposed to follow in Jesus' footsteps. I was walking the opposite direction. So I read on:
The Call to Sanctification
4:1 Finally then, brothers, we ask and encourage you in the Lord Jesus, that as you have received from us how you must walk and please God--as you are doing--do so even more.
2 For you know what commands we gave you through the Lord Jesus.
3 For this is God's will, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality,
4 so that each of you knows how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor,
5 not with lustful desires, like the Gentiles who don't know God.
6 This means one must not transgress against and defraud his brother in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger of all these offenses, as we also previously told and warned you.
7 For God has not called us to impurity, but to sanctification.
8 Therefore, the person who rejects this does not reject man, but God, who also gives you His Holy Spirit.
9 About brotherly love; you don't need me to write you because you yourselves are taught by God to love one another.
10 In fact, you are doing this toward all the brothers in the entire region of Macedonia. Be we encourage you, brothers, to do so even more,
11 to seek to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you,
12 so that you may walk properly in the presence of outsiders and not be dependent on anyone.
The Comfort of Christ's Coming
13 We do not want you to be uniformed, brothers, concerning those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve like the rest, who have no hope.
14 Since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, in the same way God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep through Jesus.
15 For we say this to you by a revelation from the Lord. We who are still alive at the Lord's coming will certainly have no advantage over those who have fallen asleep.
16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the archangel's voice, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.
17 Then we who are still alive will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air; and so we will always be with the Lord.
18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.
Where is my brotherly love? Why am I complaining? What good does that do? I felt so good afterwards and prayed. Sitting there listening to God's creations, thanking Him for leading, for His creations, etc. And I prayed, and prayed. I felt so uplifted by the time I finished. Guess what, hardly said a complaint that whole day. But... still did some. So I decided to make this a morning ritual. Sit outside in the presence of God and His creations.
There was one other happening that scared the bejeebees out of me. I was outside the apartment cleaning up out there, spraying all the cob webs and garb down. I got out into the parking area and felt something on my leg. I looked down and there sat a pretty good sized hobo spider. Now anyone familiar with these things knows that they can pack a nasty bite that has no anti venom. The stuff they secrete into your skin eats away. There is no cure. Yes, I screamed and sprayed it off my leg. Thankfully I didn't try to swat it. I managed to step on it. After that, talk abut paranoid after that.
But we are not to be fearful. I had Jay come out there with me to tell me any more got on me. He finally took over and told me to go inside. He said, "You are way to paranoid and are driving me up a wall." ;) So I handed the hose and went in. And yes, when he came back in, I checked him over. So sad. If I was meant to get bit, it would have happened when I found the first one. Then short after that, I opened a bedroom window to put the screen back in and there sits and even bigger Hobo waiting for me. I was like, that's it, you guys are going down. You will not get control of me. I was able to go about my business then.
Chapter 5
1 About the times and the seasons: brothers, you do not need anything to be written to you.
2 For you yourselves know very well that the Day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night.
3 When they say, "Peace and security," then sudden destruction comes on them, like labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.
4 But you, brothers, are not in the dark, so that this day would overtake you like a thief.
5 For you are all sons of light and sons of the day. We're not of the night or of darkness.
6 So then, we must not sleep, like the rest, but we must stay awake and be sober.
7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night.
8 But since we are of the day, we must be sober and put the armor of faith and love on our chests, and put on a helmet of the hope of salvation.
9 For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,
10 who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him.
11 Therefore encourage one another and build each other up as you are already doing.
Exhortations and Blessings
12 now we ask you, brothers, to give recognition to those who labor among you and lead you in the Lord and admonish you,
13 and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves.
14 and we exhort you, brothers: warm those who are lazy, comfort the discouraged, help the weak, be patient with everyone.
15 See to it that no one repays evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good for one another and for all.
16 Rejoice always!
17 Pray constantly.
18 Give thanks in everything, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.
19 Don't stifle the Spirit.
20 Don't despise prophecies,
21 but test all things.
Hold on to what is good.
22 Stay away from ever form of evil.
23 Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely. And may your spirit, soul, and body be kept sound and blameless for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
24 He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.
25 Brothers, pray for us also.
26 Greet all the brother with a holy kiss.
27 I charge you by they Lord that this letter be read to all the brothers.
28 May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you!
This all clearly states how we are to love one another, not talk bad, to treat our brothers and sisters as Christ treats us. It clearly states what happens if we don't live a Christ like life and do evil instead. There are many more great scriptures depicting all this, especially the plank in my own eye. But this is where I was led and was awakened once again. The next day I was given more to read, but that is for tomorrow.
Blessings to all!
I believe I've talked before about being worried about the grand kids and what they are growing up in and with. Well, during the clean, I became more and more distraught with the more I found. Jay kept telling me, "Cast all your cares up to the Lord. Let not your heart be troubled." I know this and try hard to do that, but sometimes the worry overtakes me.
On Thursday morning I went out back and sat on the patio drinking coffee. The birds were singing, the sun was shining, and the temperature was perfect at that time. I sat watching the birds playing, eating, and flitting around. I grabbed my Bible and looked at the tabs trying to decide what to read. Then I was drawn to Philippians, I kept looking as was still drawn to there. Then I said, "Lord, lead me to what you want me to read," and I opened the Bible, but not to Philippians, but rather 1 Thessalonians 3:11-13 and all of chapters 4 & 5. The title for chapter 4 lept off the page at me. At first I thought, oops, wrong area, then realized that know, this is what He wanted me to read:
Prayer for the Church
3:11 Now may our God and Father Himself, and our Lord Jesus, direct our way to you.
12 And may the Lord cause you to increase and overflow with love for one another and for everyone, just as we also do for you.
13 May He make your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all His saints. Amen.
It hit home when I read this. I was bad mouthing my daughter and her fiance. What a heel I was being. Our Father is an all loving God and we are supposed to follow in Jesus' footsteps. I was walking the opposite direction. So I read on:
The Call to Sanctification
4:1 Finally then, brothers, we ask and encourage you in the Lord Jesus, that as you have received from us how you must walk and please God--as you are doing--do so even more.
2 For you know what commands we gave you through the Lord Jesus.
3 For this is God's will, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality,
4 so that each of you knows how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor,
5 not with lustful desires, like the Gentiles who don't know God.
6 This means one must not transgress against and defraud his brother in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger of all these offenses, as we also previously told and warned you.
7 For God has not called us to impurity, but to sanctification.
8 Therefore, the person who rejects this does not reject man, but God, who also gives you His Holy Spirit.
9 About brotherly love; you don't need me to write you because you yourselves are taught by God to love one another.
10 In fact, you are doing this toward all the brothers in the entire region of Macedonia. Be we encourage you, brothers, to do so even more,
11 to seek to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you,
12 so that you may walk properly in the presence of outsiders and not be dependent on anyone.
The Comfort of Christ's Coming
13 We do not want you to be uniformed, brothers, concerning those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve like the rest, who have no hope.
14 Since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, in the same way God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep through Jesus.
15 For we say this to you by a revelation from the Lord. We who are still alive at the Lord's coming will certainly have no advantage over those who have fallen asleep.
16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the archangel's voice, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.
17 Then we who are still alive will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air; and so we will always be with the Lord.
18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.
Where is my brotherly love? Why am I complaining? What good does that do? I felt so good afterwards and prayed. Sitting there listening to God's creations, thanking Him for leading, for His creations, etc. And I prayed, and prayed. I felt so uplifted by the time I finished. Guess what, hardly said a complaint that whole day. But... still did some. So I decided to make this a morning ritual. Sit outside in the presence of God and His creations.
There was one other happening that scared the bejeebees out of me. I was outside the apartment cleaning up out there, spraying all the cob webs and garb down. I got out into the parking area and felt something on my leg. I looked down and there sat a pretty good sized hobo spider. Now anyone familiar with these things knows that they can pack a nasty bite that has no anti venom. The stuff they secrete into your skin eats away. There is no cure. Yes, I screamed and sprayed it off my leg. Thankfully I didn't try to swat it. I managed to step on it. After that, talk abut paranoid after that.
But we are not to be fearful. I had Jay come out there with me to tell me any more got on me. He finally took over and told me to go inside. He said, "You are way to paranoid and are driving me up a wall." ;) So I handed the hose and went in. And yes, when he came back in, I checked him over. So sad. If I was meant to get bit, it would have happened when I found the first one. Then short after that, I opened a bedroom window to put the screen back in and there sits and even bigger Hobo waiting for me. I was like, that's it, you guys are going down. You will not get control of me. I was able to go about my business then.
Chapter 5
1 About the times and the seasons: brothers, you do not need anything to be written to you.
2 For you yourselves know very well that the Day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night.
3 When they say, "Peace and security," then sudden destruction comes on them, like labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.
4 But you, brothers, are not in the dark, so that this day would overtake you like a thief.
5 For you are all sons of light and sons of the day. We're not of the night or of darkness.
6 So then, we must not sleep, like the rest, but we must stay awake and be sober.
7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night.
8 But since we are of the day, we must be sober and put the armor of faith and love on our chests, and put on a helmet of the hope of salvation.
9 For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,
10 who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him.
11 Therefore encourage one another and build each other up as you are already doing.
Exhortations and Blessings
12 now we ask you, brothers, to give recognition to those who labor among you and lead you in the Lord and admonish you,
13 and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves.
14 and we exhort you, brothers: warm those who are lazy, comfort the discouraged, help the weak, be patient with everyone.
15 See to it that no one repays evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good for one another and for all.
16 Rejoice always!
17 Pray constantly.
18 Give thanks in everything, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.
19 Don't stifle the Spirit.
20 Don't despise prophecies,
21 but test all things.
Hold on to what is good.
22 Stay away from ever form of evil.
23 Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely. And may your spirit, soul, and body be kept sound and blameless for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
24 He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.
25 Brothers, pray for us also.
26 Greet all the brother with a holy kiss.
27 I charge you by they Lord that this letter be read to all the brothers.
28 May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you!
This all clearly states how we are to love one another, not talk bad, to treat our brothers and sisters as Christ treats us. It clearly states what happens if we don't live a Christ like life and do evil instead. There are many more great scriptures depicting all this, especially the plank in my own eye. But this is where I was led and was awakened once again. The next day I was given more to read, but that is for tomorrow.
Blessings to all!
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