GET TOGETHER – LOVING YOUR ENEMIES
Mt 5:44-47 “But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, “that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. “For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? “And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so?
I have often thought about and asked myself I wonder if Jesus got any Amens when He was preaching the Sermon on The Mount from which comes this passage. It is a very challenging passage. Jesus is saying that we are to love, bless and to pray for those who persecute us and hate us.
I believe that God created us male and female and that God’s plan for marriage is one man and one woman. I believe that life begins at conception. I believe that the only way that a person can live eternally is by repenting of our sins and putting our faith in the shed blood of Jesus Christ to save us from our sins.
There are people that would call me a bigot because I believe that. There are other names that many in the culture have for those of us who believe that. The same Bible that I believe teaches those fundamental beliefs also tells me that I am to love, bless and pray for those who may think that and say that about me.
I am not living in fear, but to say that I have not thought about would I remain faithful to those Biblical truths at a time when those of us who believe like that could face some serious persecution for having those beliefs, I would not be honest. To be honest last week I felt like the Holy Spirt impressed upon me that He would keep me faithful during a time of persecution. He also impressed upon me that it would be only through His power that I could be faithful.
As I was working on this, He also emphasized that it is only through the Holy Spirit’s power and love that we can love our enemies. It is only through the Holy Spirit that we can pray for those who would persecute us. It is the Holy Spirit that reminds us that Jesus died on the cross to save those who would persecute us: Joh 3:16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” It is the Holy Spirit who gives us the capacity to love those who hate us. He pours out a supernatural love into our hearts: Ro 5:5 Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”
I am sure that the early church remembered Jesus words from the Sermon On The Mount when they prayed for Saul of Tarsus. As a result of that he gets saved, filled with the Holy Spirit becomes an Apostle, plants churches, and writes at least thirteen books of the New Testament.
So, for all of us. May we pray that the Lord will keep us faithful. But may we also remember as disciples of Jesus Christ we are called to pray for and to love our enemies. Just think about when the Lord saves some of those who oppose the Gospel with so much passion of how they will be used mightily in the Kingdom. I have a list with their names on them. Jesus loved them enough to die for them on the cross. I have asked him to give me a love so that I can pray that just as I was rescued from the power of the darkness that they will be too. Get you a list. begin to call out their names. I am glad that someone at some time was calling out mine.
Let Us Pray
Lord today we know that there are people that oppose Your Kingdom that you died on the cross for. We ask you Lord to give us a love for them. We pray for the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit to bring those before us in prayer. May we pray that just as the Apostle Paul had a Damascus Road experience that they will too. May we pray just as the King of Nineveh’s heart was changed and so many others in that wicked city that these will come to a place of repentance and faith in You.
In Jesus Name
Amen
Love You All
Your Friend/Kinfolk
Preston
Real Party Ministry 