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But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness Gal 5:22 |
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Dear
Friend,
If you do not already have a habit of gathering daily manna the first thing in the morning (we can look at the example given to us in Exodus 16 and find the pattern for collecting daily manna), make it a habit. Establish your life and your schedule to allow you the necessary time to do your daily collection first thing every morning to give you the strength to make it through the day. And remember that today’s manna will not be sufficient for tomorrow; tomorrow’s manna must be collected tomorrow morning. Friday, February 24, 2017
Today's Passage : Subject :The Sermon on the Mount - Turn the Other Cheek Bible Verse :Matthew 5:38-42 (ESV) "“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.” " Message:
This may be the most difficult passage in the entire Bible. It is difficult even to teach or write about it, because anyone who teaches it is a hypocrite.
Nobody follows it. Churches may read it, but they universally make exceptions to it that cannot be supported by Scripture. The Amish and Quakers, as well as some missionaries and orders, at least try to follow it — if you literally slap an Amish person in the face, chances are he will literally turn the other cheek. But even they fail, ultimately. (If this interests you, you might start by Googling, say, “Quaker lawsuit” or “Amish litigation”.)
In fact, if we want to see how our minds work to rationalize our non-compliance with Scripture — how difficult it is to read the Bible as it is written — think about a government suppression of religion. For example, the State of Pennsylvania wants to require the Amish to conform to the state building code, by forcing them to install smoke detectors in their homes.
Those who side with the Amish say that they have a right, under the first amendment of the U.S. Constitution, to engage in a sincere religious practice of building their homes free of electronic devices. Those who side with the state say that smoke detectors will save the lives of Amish children. And so on.
But what does Jesus say? Jesus says, we do not litigate. We want the passage to have exceptions. Surely, our brain tells us, there are cases where the rule does not apply. But there is no such case.
We must read the central tenet until we grasp the truth of what Christ instructed: “Do not resist the evil (person).” This is utterly counter-intuitive for a “good” person and, as a result, confusing. The other side of the coin is sometimes a little easier to grasp: Trust in God and God alone. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.” (Proverbs 3:5)
Consider the life of Christ himself. Did he ever refuse to give up any item to someone who asked him for it? No. When he was hit, did he defend himself? No, and in fact, when Peter attempted to defend him, he stopped him. (Luke 22:47-51) Did Jesus ever try to influence Judean politics? Fight a war? Defend himself in court? Again, no: Christ followed his own teaching, to the point of allowing himself to be convicted of a ridiculous crime, beaten and executed.
None of us has the strength of faith to follow Christ 100%, but we can certainly admit to ourselves, and to God, when we fall short, and ask for forgiveness. We can grow closer to Christ during our lives on earth.
So, let us put these words in our heart and meditate upon them every day, without twisting them to fit our preconceptions, without rationalizing our conduct. We may speak the truth, we may teach, we may love our fellow man; but our battle is against the evil in ourselves, not against other people who have given into it. It is a battle we cannot win; we must trust God to fight it and have faith that He will prevail.
Meditation : Prayer : Now all glory to you, great God, who is able to keep us from falling away and will bring us with great joy into your glorious presence without a single fault. All glory to you who alone are God, our Savior through Jesus Christ our Lord. All glory, majesty, power, and authority are yours before all time, and in the present, and beyond all time! .Amen |
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