Luke 6:27-29
"If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you, even sinners do that. And if you lend to those whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great and you will be children of the Most High, because He is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful."
Luke 6:32-36
This is one of the hardest teachings of Jesus. He spoke these words to His disciples when He was trying to teach them the importance of love, of unconditional love. Specifically love for their enemies.
I've been struggling with this kind of love. I simply can't fathom it. Seriously? Pray for those who are persecuting you? Pray for those who hate you? Wait....let's make it more real, more current....Pray for those who are mercilessly killing people? Beheading people, bombing people, murdering innocent people? Wait....what....How?
In light of what has happened in France this weekend, I can tell you, I've been all over the place emotionally. I've been horrified, upset for France and her people, and I've been angry and frustrated with the injustice and the hatred I've seen. I've even said some horrible things that terrorist should endure... And I know that our God is angry. I know that He is a just God, who NEVER EVER wants to EVER see any of these things happen in our world.
I hear over and over and over again---"So why would a loving God let this happen?" Listen, He doesn't WANT this to happen. However, He's given us all free will. So these men that have hatred in their hearts, that is their own free will to have it there. The Lord will NEVER force Himself on anyone, or force anyone to change....but He DOES want us all to come to Him that He may heal us, love us, forgive us, change us, mend us-make us a new creation....so that we may love Him, and love others. Those are the two greatest commandments of Christianity---to Love God, and Love others. If we loved God and loved others, these things wouldn't happen. But Jesus won't forces us to love Him.
The Lord wants ALL mankind to come to Him...not just some....
"The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some people think. No, He is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but for all to come to repentance." 2 Peter 3:9
I don't understand it, I can't comprehend it, but in my heart my prayer must be, that the Lord will draw the people to Himself that are seeking to destroy others. My heart needs to pray for my enemies..for those who persecute others. I still don't know how to do that....but with the help of Jesus, I believe He will teach me.
And trust me, I'm not saying these things should not be stopped. They MUST be stopped. The law MUST hold these terrorists accountable for their actions...but I must pray for them, and love them, (not to be confused with liking them because I doubt I could EVER like them) but that is what the word of God says. That I must love my enemy, and be good to those who spitefully use you or persecute you. That is the God I serve, so I must conform myself to His unconditional love, even if I don't understand it.
We also must remember, that it's not the person or the people that came up with these acts....they are fully brainwashed by the defeated one...yeah remember him? Satan is the one who came up with all these tactics and a religion that tells people to do these horrible things.
Satan is the one who tricked us in the garden of Eden...Satan is the reason we have pain and destruction and all the bad things that happen in this world. So if you want to blame someone...blame him, and do everything in your power to live a life that is furthest from what he wants for you... eternal death.
Jesus wants us all to have eternal life.
Satan strives for all of us to have eternal death.
"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood (humans) but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of the dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms (the stuff that's going on that we cannot see with our naked eye)." Ephesians 6:12
My prayer must continue to be, that mankind will understand the deep and unconditional love that Jesus has for all of us. My prayer must be that they will see that Jesus died on the cross, so that He could reverse the choice we made to listen to Satan in the garden of Eden. I must pray that all mankind, even my enemies, realize that Jesus wants to save them from the sin, the pain, the hatred, and the sorrow of this world, and give them eternal life...and a good life on this earth as well.
Jesus is all about redemption of the human soul. No matter how evil a person is, His deepest desire is to reverse that, and redeem that person.
It's possible for everyone. Remember Paul? He murdered hundreds of Jews..He was a terrorist in his day...but Jesus came to him, and Paul accepted Jesus, and he lived on to the the greatest author and follower of Jesus Christ. That is the hope of Christianity.
Look at how Jesus acted on the cross. He said, "Forgive them Father, for they know not what they do." I want to be more and more like that. So Lord, help me be like you, and please, help the countries and governments and soldiers and law enforcement to STOP these horrific things from happening.
Be with the families and the country that is mourning the loss of so many. May people find forgiveness, to heal their hearts from the poison that will try to create hatred in them for the injustice that was done.
Please Lord....help us....
Help us.
~Larena Ann
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