Wednesday, July 10, 2019

"But love your enemies, do good to them..." Luke 6:35-36 (NCV)


Loving our enemies and those who have wronged us, or even to those who have hurt us is a tall order, but this is where our journey begins at forgiveness.  This is where the journey began for Jesus as he met with His disciples when He taught them “freely you have received, freely give” Matthew 10:8.

When we reach out to a dying world we must recognize that we have the hope that they need, our hope is not a false hope based on philosophy or dogma but by a living relationship with the King of the universe.  It is that relationship with Jesus that the world needs to find its forgiveness and identity.  We are all called to be children of the Most-High God, that is the good news and Jesus paved the way for each one of us.

I have family members who say they could never forgive the wrongs done to them because of emotional trauma connected to the offense done, they erect walls of protection around them to protect them from being hurt further and guard their heart against feeling emotional pain.  It is their defense mechanism to keep them safe.  
Unfortunately, this type of defense also prevents growth and change from happening, it is like locking one’s self into a prison cell and holding the key on the inside of the cell not willing to let it be opened for fear of what will happen.  Jesus has set the captive free and has given us a new identity, it is this message which I know to be true and the message I will continue to relate and demonstrate. I do pray for my family members and will make myself available to hear them and pray for them directly when they are comfortable to do so.

Jesus spoke plainly to His disciples, in Matthew 10:8 “Heal the sick, raise the dead to life again, heal those who have skin diseases, and force demons out of people.” He didn’t mince words but was very clear about their mission.  When we operate as Jesus’ disciples in these powers, we are not just dealing with symptoms alone, we are dealing with real people with identities which are tied to these conditions.  We need to recognize that when we pray for people who need healing or praying for people who are harassed by demons, we need to focus on the whole person and respect their dignity, not focus on just the immediate need or condition.  Many need to know that they are loved by the Savior and that He has set them free from their bondage and can heal their brokenness and make them whole again. This isn’t always a quick fix, oftentimes it can take time for the healing process to begin and progress.

We live in an “instant” society, we want immediate gratification and quick results.  This isn’t the case when dealing with God’s people.  Just about every testimony I have ever heard about healing or casting out of a demonic presence involves some level of relationship with the person desiring this type of prayer.  These types of prayers are not performed in a vacuum, but in close connection with another person by taking time to develop trust.  We are relational people and we need to develop that trust with others to demonstrate we are authentic people of Christ and can suffer (demonstrate empathy) with those we pray for.

This is how we are known as “the children of the Most-High God” as stated in the above scripture, to be as connected and responsive as Jesus was to His disciples.  We have a high calling put before us, and that calling is to show mercy as God has shown us mercy.  We do not deserve the mercy we have been given, but Jesus freely demonstrated the Father's mercy to us even while we were still in rebellion to Him.  It is with that understanding that we can love our enemies because we were once in the same place as they are, it is the mercy of God that sets us free to love as He loves us.

The word enemy is a term which indicates “one equal in power to us”, otherwise they would be godlike and have power over us.  We have mighty promises extended to us as priests unto our King:

The Lord will extend your mighty scepter from Zion, saying,
“Rule in the midst of your enemies!”.  Psalm 110:2 (NIV)

We will rule in the midst of our enemies as Jesus does, that ruling is the rule of love for our enemies.  The power of love is the greatest force in heaven and on earth to bring our enemies into becoming friends, and eventually family members in Christ. 
Be Blessed;
Stephen Barnett

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