tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20978336291908004882012-02-16T12:17:41.190-08:00Learning to THRIVE where God places us!passion with a purposehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16106419725603227364noreply@blogger.comBlogger11100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2097833629190800488.post-44824627671120664542009-06-14T23:19:00.000-07:002009-06-15T00:23:07.025-07:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_-hylkeFcvBs/SjXo4nBmCHI/AAAAAAAAAAM/BAaT4rdfENg/s1600-h/untitled.bmp"><blockquote></blockquote><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 200px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_-hylkeFcvBs/SjXo4nBmCHI/AAAAAAAAAAM/BAaT4rdfENg/s320/untitled.bmp" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347436191818319986" /></a>Luke 6:27-36 is a radical call to love those who hate us. This sounds crazy! From human prospective is is love in the <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(51, 102, 255);">extreme. </span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255); font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">"But I tell you who hear Me: love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also, If someone takes your cloak do not stop him from taking your tunic. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back."</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic; "><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal; ">Notice how throughout this Jesus never once says within reason. No, this is so far outside of the worlds standards of love that it seems beyond reason. But, that is what God calls us to do. He doesn't want us to love our enemies when it is convenient for us! I am so glad that God did not just love me when it was convenient for Him! </span><br /></span></span><div><br /></div><div>John Loftness says, "The true mark of love is how we handle those who openly and actively oppose us." But, why must we love our enemies? why must we bless those who persecute us? why must we turn the other cheek when someone openly insults or hurts us? Because God loved us while we were still sinners. God loved us when we openly opposed and insulted Him. God loved us when we rejected Him. Imagine God crossing a <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic; ">chasm </span>of offense to be with us, to claim us as His! That is how much He loves us! </div><div><br /></div><div>But, there is another reason. God promises that "Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of The Most High." Our relationship with God grows as we love our enemies. John Loftness says, "<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic; ">When we love those who hate us there is a certain fellowship that comes with that experience that transcends the <span class="Apple-style-span" style="">pain </span>of the relationship it transcends that <span class="Apple-style-span" style="">desire </span>for revenge." </span></div><div><br /></div><div>When we love those who hate us we join in the sufferings of Christ who came to do nothing but save and love us and died for it. He was rejected over and over again while He was here on earth, yet He continued to love us no matter how much pain we gave Him. When follow His example we are actually able to have a deeper relationship with God because we begin to understand His amazing LOVE for us!</div><div><br /></div><div>As soon as we say "I'm not fighting back, I'm not making someone pay for that injury that was done to me, I'm not demanding my rights" we are changed! This doesn't mean that there won't be justice. Justice is God's business in His timing, our business is to love. </div><div><br /></div></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal; ">We all have people who mistreat us and openly and actively oppose us. We have all probably just squirmed around the issues and gone on with life. But, now this IS our life. We are called to live a life of love! A life that speaks of the love that Jesus showed for us on the cross. Our time here is so short that we don't have time to put this on hold anymore. The time to love is NOW!</span>"</span></span></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2097833629190800488-4482462767112066454?l=thrivingwhereplanted.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>passion with a purposehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16106419725603227364noreply@blogger.com0