[Faith-talk] FW: [masterslist] Even Your Enemies

[Eric Calhoun]

Original Message: 
From: "Dean Masters" <dwmasters15 at gmail.com>
To: "masters list" <masterslist at yahoogroups.com>
Subject: [masterslist] Even Your Enemies
Date: 
Mon, 2 Apr 2012 10:50:35 -0400



From: Lenten Lessons

To: lentenlessons at yahoogroups.com
Subject: [lentenlessons] 23.Even your enemies!



Lent '12




Richard Wurmbrand, founder of The Voice of the Martyrs ministry told of 
seeing Christians in communist prisons with 50 pounds of chains on their 
feet, tortured with red-hot iron pokers, in whose throats spoonfuls of
salt 
had been forced, being kept afterward without water, starving, whipped, 
suffering from cold, yet praying fervently for their communist torturers.



Later, as political winds changed, some of the torturers were thrown into

prison with their former Christian victims, who, instead of taking
vengeance 
treated them with love and kindness.


Do you wonder what could possibly have motivated those Christian
prisoners 
to love and pray for their enemies?



"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbour and hate

your enemy.' But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who 
persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is 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." Matthew 5:43-45.


Those are the words of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount.


Do you think He was telling His hearers that the Old Testament says you
are 
to love your neighbour but hate your enemy?



Look at the verses again.


You'll see that Jesus isn't saying the Old Testament instructed people to

'hate their enemies.' His words were, 'It is said.'



Jesus was referring to a false proverb that had been going around.

And He was setting the record straight, bringing back the truth that God
has 
always loved His enemies and expects godly people to do likewise.


What is this 'love' that Jesus spoke of?
It is not a 'warm, fuzzy feeling' for your enemy.



The word Jesus used for love means that you have a heartfelt desire for
the 
good of the person being loved.


Yes, even your enemies!


Prayer for your enemies, abusers or persecutors cannot be worked up
simply 
by knowing it is what you are supposed to do.



Maybe you wonder-
Are there really any people in the Bible who loved their enemies like
this?
Jesus, in Luke 23:34.
Stephen, in Acts 7:54-60.
Paul, in 2 Timothy 4:16;Romans 12:20.
Peter, in 1 Peter 3:9.

Is anyone bullying you?

Have you suffered from someone's unkind words or actions?

Are you feeling bitterness against another person?

Is there anyone you feel you cannot forgive?

Do you hate someone?


Do some quiet thinking and praying about what Jesus says in Matthew
5:43-45.


Ask God to give you the right attitude to pray for the one who has hurt
you.

Now, pray for that person, believing what the Bible says in Philippians 
4:4-7.

====================================
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Dean Masters, owner of the Masters List

"I would rather walk in the dark with Jesus than to walk in the light on
my 
own."
Wayne Watson

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/masterslist