Tag: #LoveYourEnemies

Standing in His Love

“No, I won’t be shaken, my fear doesn’t stand a chance, when I stand in Your Love…”

What a beautiful reminder to wake up to! “Stand In Your Love” is a new song by Josh Baldwin, and he sings about the power and strength of GOD’s absolute Love for us, and how His Love breaks anything that binds us to sin. JESUS spoke to His disciples after choosing them and told them this – and I believe He intended this for everyone, throughout the ages, who accepts Him as SAVIOUR.

“Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you, revile you, and defame you on account of the SON of Man. ….But I say to you that listen, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. ….If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. ….But love your enemies, do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return. Your reward will be great, and you will be children of the MOST HIGH; for He is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. Be merciful, just as your FATHER is Merciful.” – Luke 6:22‭, ‬27‭-‬28‭, ‬32‭, ‬35‭-‬36 NRSV

“My fear doesn’t stand a chance when I stand in Your Love….”

When we attempt to follow our LORD JESUS, but we are afraid to step out of our comfort zone, our fears tend to take over and rule our lives. I know this, because I often struggle to love my enemies – instead of standing in GOD’s Love, I keep trying to do it on my own. I don’t have it in me to forgive my enemies. If it were up to me, they would pay for their transgressions in a long and painful way. My judging would have no mercy – and I thank GOD it isn’t left up to me! I have been given freedom from the chains and baggage of sin, and that forgiveness came completely and undeservedly from JESUS. Shouldn’t I then forgive and love on those who really don’t deserve my forgiveness?

I can’t forgive if I am standing frozen in my fear. If I forgive them, aren’t I somehow condoning* their abuse? (*Empathetic NO, it is not.) When we stand in GOD’s Love, HE forgives for us – and He will judge them according to their deeds. The only way to shed fear, to lock the enemy out, is to turn to JESUS and allow His Love to hold us up to bask in His Light. Fear is a liar; it is a jail of our own creation, and it all comes straight from the enemy.

“No, I won’t be shaken, my fear doesn’t stand a chance, when I stand in Your Love…”

Can you claim the Promise of Salvation today and let our LORD throw the fears out of your life? “Likewise the SPIRIT helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very SPIRIT intercedes with sighs too deep for words. And GOD, Who searches the heart, knows what is the Mind of the SPIRIT, because the SPIRIT intercedes for the saints according to the Will of GOD.” – Romans 8:26‭-‬27 NRSV

Patriotism is NOT Enough.

Patriotism. It’s a word that is being spoken a lot in view of of the elections coming up, and especially looking at the tremendous amounts of terrorism, both domestic and abroad. According to Your Dictionary.com, “Patriotism is love and support of your country. An example of patriotism is waving the flag proudly on your home.”

As a patriot, I want to subdue our enemies. Okay, I really want to kick their behinds. Am I speaking as an American patriot, or as a patriot to Jesus Christ and His kingdom? Absolutely both. Is that even possible? I believe the answer is yes, if you take the time to discover what it really means. Patriotism should be applied to Christianity. I love and support my Savior, and although I don’t have a flag to wave, I can show it in my words, both spoken and written, and in my actions.

We were watching a PBS program last night called “The Crimson Fields,” set in 1915 as a British field hospital in France. One of the nurses was arrested for treason when it was discovered that her fiance was a German soldier, and she was accused of being a spy. Of course, seeing it from the outside, we knew she wasn’t a spy; she was simply trying to find out if her man was alive or dead. He gave himself up as a POW in order to save her from being executed as a traitor, and they were both sent of to prison for the duration of the war.

In the course of the show, they referred to a Nurse Cavell and her execution by the Germans. I looked up her information on Wikipedia, and her words are compelling and intense. “Edith Louisa Cavell (4 December 1865 – 12 October 1915) was a British nurse, humanitarian and spy. She is celebrated for helping some 200 Allied soldiers escape from German-occupied Belgium during World War I, for which she was arrested. She was court-martialled, found guilty of treason and executed.” Before her death, she said this: “But this I would say, standing as I do in view of God and eternity, I realize that patriotism is not enough. I must have no hatred or bitterness towards anyone.” Our own President Lincoln is quoted as saying “Do we not destroy our enemies when we make them our friends?”

I’m not saying that we should negotiate with terrorists, because that is already a lost cause. They are determined to die for what they believe in; we should be just as determined to defend our belief and our country whenever and wherever it is necessary. Shouldn’t we be ready, as patriots of our country and our God? Remember what Jesus says: “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’  But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you….” – Matthew 5:43‭-‬44 NIV
(http://bible.com/111/mat.5.43-44.NIV)

I will continue to pray for those who are my enemies, foreign and domestic, and I will stay prepared to defend my right to do so. We either stand as a true patriot with Jesus, or we stand against Him. This is my choice; you make yours.

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