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For I know the plans I have for you,declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jer 29:11 |
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| Archived Manna: | |
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 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. Thursday, February 14, 2019
Today's Passage : Today's Passage:Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them Bible Verse:Romans 12:14,19-21 "Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." Message:
One of the many confusing issues in practical Christian life is, “Who shall I forgive?” We feel that we must repent and ask God for his forgiveness, and then we pray “forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us,” so should we forgive others only when they say that they are sorry? When they promise not to do it again? Certainly, this makes sense. What good is it to forgive someone who is just going to do it again?
Or does our obligation of forgiveness extend to those who profess Christ? This also makes sense. We are, after all, supposed to treat fellow Christians as brothers and sisters, and we know that they are trying, as we are, to live good lives.
But the answer to the question “Who shall I forgive” is much harder, for the answer is “everyone.” Jesus said it. Here, Paul repeats it and elaborates upon it. There is no room for doubt in such a plain statement: “Bless those who persecute you.”
Is this the hardest lesson in the Bible? Possibly. It is the ultimate acceptance of Romans 12:1, “present your bodies as a living sacrifice.” It is so difficult to follow that very few churches will even preach it, for fear that the congregation will say “that’s ridiculous” and leave.
But this is exactly what Paul, and Peter, and Jesus himself did. For most of us, it is a goal that we must strive towards, and it becomes extraordinarily hard when heinous crimes are involved. You will find Christian teachers finding a thousand excuses why this does not apply, for example, to foreign Muslims who hijack aircraft and fly them into buildings.
Yet, it is exactly what Christ commands us to do: not to be overcome by evil —in this case, not to let the most evil of actions separate us from Christ—but, instead, to overcome evil with good. Hatred and the desire for vengeance can be an overwhelming emotion. But when we experience it, we must pray that the object of our hatred be blessed; for this is Christ’s command to us.
Our practical model appears in an account of the first non-apostolic martyr, Stephen, who was stoned to death by an enraged Sanhedrin. His full story takes up the entirety of Acts 7, but the relevant portion can be read in Acts 7:52-60.
Meditation : Prayer : The blessing of the Lord rest and remain upon all his people, in every land, of every tongue; the Lord meet in mercy all that seek him; the Lord comfort all who suffer and mourn; the Lord hasten his coming, and give us, his people, the blessing of peace, this day and always........Amen |
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