Tear It Out

Tear It Out                                                      07-14-17

Luke 6:27-28 (ESV) ²⁷  “But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,
²⁸  bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.


Ever wish you could tear certain pages and passages out of the Bible? Oh yeah,I feel ya. This is one of those pages. I would be perfectly content to rip this one out and pretend it was never in there. You know how it goes don't you? Someone says or does something to us that wrongs us in some way. It is a REAL not an imagined wrong.Might be as minor as a simple misunderstanding;or it could be something more sinister. Something INTENDED to do us harm.It could be aimed at us,a member of our family, or our reputation before others. No matter what it is,we feel the threat and see it as an attack. If you are like me,your first reaction is to DEFEND yourself,your family member or your reputation.And most times if we begin by defending ourselves,that defense many,many times turns into offense.You know..like the old football saying goes,"A good offense the best defense." Or is it the other way around? Anyhoo,you get my drift don't you?

However,that isn't the way God handles it is it? His ways are not our ways are they? 

Isaiah 55:8-9 (ESV) ⁸  For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD.
⁹  For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

The world and its systems tell us to crush those that offend us.It counsels us to defend ourselves against accusations and injustices. But, Jesus acted a little differently didn't He? He rarely,IF EVER defended Himself to His accusers did HE?

Isaiah 42:2-3 (ESV) ²  He will not cry aloud or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street;
³  a bruised reed he will not break, and a faintly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice.


The Lord Jesus spoke about a different way didn't He. Look again. 

Luke 6:27-28 (ESV) ²⁷  “But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,
²⁸  bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.


Yeah,I hear ya. I wish I could tear that one out too. 

It's easy to proclaim that the battle is the Lord's......a little more challenging to actually trust Him with the battle AND the outcome! 

But

BUT, in the face of difficult circumstances,He makes us a promise if we do just that doesn't He? Doing just what Ronnie? Well,loving our enemies for one,blessing and praying for those who curse and abuse us for another. Please let me tear that page out!! Smile.

However,there is a SILVER LINING in this cloud. Look with me at this.

1 Peter 3:9 (ESV) ⁹  Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing.

Spoke with a friend today at work.We spent most of the day talking about a range of issues and one of the topics we discussed was"calling." Well,Todd looks like we have found our calling.lol

Pay particular attention to the latter part of this verse

".............but on the contrary,bless,for to this you were CALLED,that you may OBTAIN A BLESSING." (caps mine)

Brothers and sisters,as my buddy used to say,"This is where the rubber meets the road." The Lord Jesus is not only calling us to be passive in our defense of self,but He also instructs us to be ACTIVE in the sense that we pray and bless those that use and abuse us.  Amen or O me!BIG SMILE!!

I wish I could tear that page out.

Psalm 3:1-4 (ESV) ¹

 O LORD, how many are my foes! Many are rising against me;
²  many are saying of my soul, there is no salvation for him in God. Selah
³  But you, O LORD, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head.
⁴  I cried aloud to the LORD, and he answered me from his holy hill. Selah


 God Bless




  


  

I Am Sorry

I'm Sorry                                                      07-07-17

Matthew 5:23-24 (NASB) ²³  "Therefore if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you,
²⁴  leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering.

My wife had a conversation with a mental health professional this week past concerning an issue of interest to both of them.While they were talking,the therapist explained that many of her clients have a need to hear three words. Surprisingly,it was not the three words that I would have thought. The three words being,"I am sorry." When I heard that,the above Scripture came to mind.

Have you ever noticed the effect those words have on us? They have a healing salve don't they? You know how it goes don't you? Someone will do something wrong or mistreat you in some way.You stew on it. You are taken aback. It makes you mad. It ANGERS you.Then the offending party happens by your way,pulls you aside and apologizes. It has an EFFECT doesn't it? All of a sudden it's not as offensive anymore is it? It's a little easier to deal with.Not only inside of us but also with the way we feel towards the offending party. It changes things. That is what that word reconciled in the passage means.

Greek Strong's Number: 1259

Greek Word: διαλλάσσω

Transliteration: diallassō

Phonetic Pronunciation:dee-al-las'-so

Root: from <G1223> and <G236>

Cross Reference: TDNT - 1:253,40

Part of Speech: v

Vine's Words: Reconcile, Reconciliation

Usage Notes:

English Words used in KJV:

reconcile 1
[Total Count: 1]

from <G1223> (dia) and <G236> (allasso); to change thoroughly, i.e. (mental) to conciliate :- reconcile.

Strong's Talking Greek & Hebrew Dictionary.

To change thoroughly. To conciliate.

 A simple "I am sorry," A soft answer. It changes us.

Proverbs 15:1 (ESV) ¹  A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.

You see,in that Matthew passage Jesus is speaking to us about reconciling with our brothers and sisters when we are the OFFENDING  party. He considers it so important that He tells us to make it right with our brother before making it right with Him.

1 John 4:20-21 (ESV) ²⁰  If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.
²¹  And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.


An apology. To humble ourselves and admit a wrong with a simple I am sorry not only changes the offended but it changes the OFFENDER! No matter what side of the equation we happen to be on,it has a healing effect on us. It changes things and more importantly it changes us.

Psalm 50:5 (ESV) ⁵  “Gather to me my faithful ones, who made a covenant with me by sacrifice!”



God Bless



 


 









   

Picked by God

Picked By God                                            07-01-17


I was caught at work this week and could not get my blog out. In my stead I had someone who felt led to share their testimony. So without further adieu I give you Chloe McIntyre.

John 15:16 (ESV) ¹⁶  You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.

This summer I went to Camp Hickory Hills.  Camp Hickory Hills  is a church camp.  I had never been to a church camp before and did not know what to do.
Everyone there was nice and I learned a lot about God.  Learning about God was really fun.  I liked worship most of all.

Our Bible verse was " You didn't choose me. I chose you. -John 15:16".

I never really thought about God choosing me before.  I never even thought about any of that before I went to church camp.

I didn't know how God could even use me, but while I was at camp, I was saved and baptized.

God can use me in any way!  God made me brave to tell about my problems.  He helped me, so He can help you too.

I thank God for picking me!

Psalm 3:3 (ESV) ³  But you, O LORD, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head.



God Bless