Saturday, October 07, 2006
Love Your Enemies
Thanks and praise to our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
Of this world we must endure much. Being not of this world but in it with Christ we can endure all things. Let not our hearts grow weak in faith for Christ is with us always. He is our rock and our salvation from which all things are subject to His will. Living life with Him is so much better than trying to go through it with out Him.
God is still alive and well and we are all works in progress. May He lead us in His way and not our own way. He has a purpose for each of us. Though we do not know what this purpose is we must stay strong in our faith in Him that we may fulfil our purpose that He has given to us. Keep on keeping on.
Be of kind heart for all for even the non-believers do love also. We must go beyond just loving the ones near and dear to us but also love those who do not love us. This was shown in a great way this past week with the terrible tragedy that happened in Pennsylvania. The parents of those dear children that were murdered forgave their murderer almost instantly. This was a great loss for them causing a lot of pain yet their love for others and their faith showed through. I pray that God will be with them in this their time of mourning.
Hate is like a cancer. When that one seed of hate is sewn in ones heart it will grow into a great vine that will consume us entirely. Hate will only do us harm it will not do anything else. Matthew 18:21: Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?
22: Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.
Mark 12:29-31
29: And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:
30: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.
31: And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.
There is faith, hope, and charity. But of the three charity is the greatest.
1 Corinthians speaks of charity. I think charity and love are the same basically.
1 Corinthians 13:1-13
1: Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.
2: And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.
3: And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.
4: Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
5: Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
6: Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;
7: Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
8: Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.
9: For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.
10: But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.
11: When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
12: For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
13: And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.
Luke 6:31-38
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.
37: Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:
38: Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.
Of this world we must endure much. Being not of this world but in it with Christ we can endure all things. Let not our hearts grow weak in faith for Christ is with us always. He is our rock and our salvation from which all things are subject to His will. Living life with Him is so much better than trying to go through it with out Him.
God is still alive and well and we are all works in progress. May He lead us in His way and not our own way. He has a purpose for each of us. Though we do not know what this purpose is we must stay strong in our faith in Him that we may fulfil our purpose that He has given to us. Keep on keeping on.
Be of kind heart for all for even the non-believers do love also. We must go beyond just loving the ones near and dear to us but also love those who do not love us. This was shown in a great way this past week with the terrible tragedy that happened in Pennsylvania. The parents of those dear children that were murdered forgave their murderer almost instantly. This was a great loss for them causing a lot of pain yet their love for others and their faith showed through. I pray that God will be with them in this their time of mourning.
Hate is like a cancer. When that one seed of hate is sewn in ones heart it will grow into a great vine that will consume us entirely. Hate will only do us harm it will not do anything else. Matthew 18:21: Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?
22: Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.
Mark 12:29-31
29: And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:
30: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.
31: And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.
There is faith, hope, and charity. But of the three charity is the greatest.
1 Corinthians speaks of charity. I think charity and love are the same basically.
1 Corinthians 13:1-13
1: Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.
2: And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.
3: And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.
4: Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
5: Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
6: Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;
7: Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
8: Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.
9: For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.
10: But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.
11: When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
12: For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
13: And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.
Luke 6:31-38
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.
37: Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:
38: Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.
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