Love for the enemy

      When Jesus tells us to love our enemies, He Himself gives us the love that He demands from us.

   In Africa I visited the cell of a young man who was sentenced to death. His hands were chained and his dark skin had many red wounds, caused by lashes. Behind me stood three soldiers. The cell was absolutely empty; only a plank on the floor and high up in the wall a very little window. The prisoner looked very healthy and strong. The tragedy that this man had to die overwhelmed me.

I sat down beside him and prayed for a word from the Lord. “Have you ever heard of the cross of Jesus Christ, where He carried the sins of the whole world, also your sins?” He nodded. “Do you believe in Jesus Christ, that He will be your Savior too?”

“Yes, I love Him, but I have not always been faithful. Politics have taken up my time and attention completely, but now I have brought all my sins to Jesus. He has forgiven me. If I may live any longer, then I will serve Him with all my life.”

“Have you forgiven the people that have brought you here, who have your death on their conscience?”

“No, I hate them.”

“I can understand that. I will tell you one of my experiences. During the war in Holland, I helped to save Jewish people, because Hitler wanted to kill them. One day a man came to me who told me that his wife had also helped the Jews and that now she had been arrested. ‘She is in the police station and probably she will be put to death. Now there is a policeman who is willing to let her escape, if we pay him six hundred guilders, but I have no money,’ he told me. ‘I can help you,’ I said. ‘Come back in an hour.’ In the meantime I collected all the money from my friends and all I had myself, and it was exactly six hundred guilders. I gave it to him to save the life of his wife. But he was a betrayer. His wife was not arrested at all. The enemy had told him to find out whether I helped Jewish people. So this man thought that at the same time he could make some money out of this situation. He went home with six hundred guilders in his pocket. But five minutes later the enemy came and my whole family was arrested. Later, when I heard that this man had betrayed us, hatred came into my heart, just at it happened with you. I had given him the last money that I had. But then I read in the Bible that hatred is really murder in God’s eyes (Matthew 5:21-22).

“How glad I was that I knew what I could do against hatred. ‘The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin…If we confess our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness’ (1 John 1:7,9). I brought my hatred to Jesus. He forgave me and cleansed my heart with His blood. After the war this betrayer was sentenced to death. I wrote to him: ‘What you have done through your betrayal caused the death of my 84 year old father, my brother, his son, and my sister in prison. I myself have terribly suffered through your fault, but I have forgiven you everything. This is just a very little example of the forgiveness and love of Jesus. He lives in my heart; that is why I can forgive you. Jesus will also come into your heart and will make you a child of God. Confess your sins to Him. On the cross of Calvary He has finished all for your sins and mine.’ Later he wrote me: ‘I have prayed: “Jesus, when You can give such a love for the enemy in the heart of someone who follows You, then there is hope for me.” I have indeed confessed my sins to Him. Now I know that I am a child of God, cleansed by the blood of Jesus.’

“So you you see that Jesus used me to save the soul of this same man I had hated so much. Do you know that if you do not forgive, you yourself do not receive forgiveness? Jesus said: ‘For if you forgive other people their failures, your Heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you will not forgive other people, neither will your Heavenly Father forgive you your failures’ (Matthew 6:14-16). You cannot do that, neither can I, but Jesus can!” That same day, the prisoner sent a message to his wife: “Forgive my murderers. You are not able to do it, I am not able, but Jesus is able. If we are not willing, then we ourselves do not receive forgiveness.”

When Jesus comes and we have bitterness, yes, even hatred in our hearts, then we are not ready to meet Him with a clean heart: “Everyone who has at heart a hope like that keeps himself pure, for he knows how pure Christ is.” (1 John 3:3).

In the time of the final battle, many will be filled with hatred, then we do not stand on victory ground. It is very easy to belong to the masses of people. It is one of the laws of the kingdom of God that men receive peace only if they are always ready to forgive unreservedly. We never touch the love of God so much as when we love our enemies. “The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us” (Romans 5:5). He does the job. Hallelujah!

~Corrie ten Boom

What if you lost everything

This morning on my way to work, I was challenged by Pastor Chuck Swindoll, a pastor who airs his sermon on the KKLA 99.5 FM Christian radio station: What if you lost everything today? What if suddenly, you lost your health, your job and everything that matters most to you and you don’t know what to do. Everything, completely everything is gone in just a few seconds. What then? What now? What will you do? Who will you blame? Who will you curse? And how will you move beyond this devastation?

And so, here I go, I start to play an image in my head of HR showing up at my work place with a pink slip addressed in my name and a small Office Depot box to pack my belongings and quit the premises or else. Then, I started thinking of all my bills that will be left unpaid, the half-empty fridge that needs to be fed, my newly renewed cell phone contract because I wanted a new phone, not being able to tithe for church, Christmas presents that I won’t be able to buy this year and the list continues on and on for days.

I was like, “Oh, Lord, that’s a lot to think about.” I ask God, “What am I supposed to do and what will happen to me?” I started to panic and over think things that were unfounded and not true. Immediately, God stepped in into my thinking brain and halted all the crazy thoughts that were swimming in my head by whispering into my ears and saying, “Sue, in this life, nothing is for certain. Just keep doing what you’re supposed to do in My name, and I will continue to bless you.” I kid you not, I was a little scared that He spoke so loud and clearly in my ears. But I calmed down, stayed still and started praying. I surrendered all my fears and anxieties to Him in my prayers and accepted the promises that were spoken to me. Then, once I moved past my fears, God gave me His peace. His supernatural peace calmed my jumpy spirit and helped soothe my anxiety of not knowing what to do about my “what if’s.”

Encouragement for today:

Continue to praise God and keep doing what you’re doing that pleases Him. Be in constant fellowship with Him because only He is consistent and forever because our life can be snuffed out in any moment. Nothing is guaranteed in this world. Nothing is forever in this world. Only the Word of God and His promises are forever. Praise Him for thoroughness, for his provision and for His unexplainable peace that washes over us.

Love,

Sue

A truly thankful person

 

The truly thankful person is a truly peaceful person. They have made a habit no matter what, to notice, pause, and choose.

Noticing something for which to be thankful no matter their circumstance.

Pausing to acknowledge this something as a reminder of God’s presence.

Choosing to focus on God’s presence until His powerful peace is unleashed.

Will we be a noticer? A pauser? A chooser? A person of thanksgiving no matter what circumstance we’re facing?

I find this truth about the power of thanksgiving over and over in Scripture. What was the prayer Daniel prayed right before being thrown in the lion’s den and witnessing God miraculously shutting the lion’s mouths? Thanksgiving.

After three days in the belly of a fish, what was the cry of Jonah’s heart right before he was finally delivered onto dry land? Thanksgiving.

How are we instructed to pray in Philippians 4:6 when we feel anxious? With thanksgiving.

And what is the outcome of each of these situations where thanksgiving is proclaimed? Peace.

Powerful, unexplainable, uncontainable peace.

“And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7 NIV).

One of Webster’s official definitions of thanksgiving is: “a public acknowledgment or celebration of divine goodness.”

I wonder how we might celebrate God’s divine goodness today.

I wonder what might happen if we decide in the midst of our circumstances today to notice, pause, and choose something for which we can truly be thankful.

Are you thankful today?

You can start today with this prayer: Dear Lord, will You help me notice things for which I can be thankful in each circumstance I face today? Will You help me remember to pause and acknowledge this as evidence of Your presence? And will You help me remember to choose to focus on Your presence until Your powerful peace rushes into my heart and helps me see everything more clearly? Thank You for the reality that being thankful changes everything. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

~credit to Proverbs 31 Ministry

That deceitful heart

~picture isn’t mine

“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” – Jeremiah 17:9

Our own hearts can cause us to lose our footing before we’re even aware it’s happening. That’s how deceitful the heart can be.  The heart can be healthy and sick at the same time. You can never tell what the heart is up to. It’s so unpredictable. For example, when it comes to love, the heart is especially good at disguising its agenda. The heart likes to play trick on it. It simply just likes the thrill of the unknown. It likes to test and prod and probe where it excites and hurts the most. Or maybe, it’s just me who thinks that way. Anyway, I think the human heart acts that way because the human heart has the tendency to pervert and belittle what true love is. We’re fickle beings and never consistent. A bunch of double-minded junkies who is unstable in all that they do (James 1:7). We don’t treasure what’s important but only what feels good at the time of its convenient. Psh, if love is like that, then forget it. I want nothing to do with it. Keep me far far away from that twisted form of love. I’ve got too much to live for in my life.

Love, it’s beautiful in the eyes of God but wicked and corrupted if humans have anything to do with it.

Love, make it simple. Why complicate love? It really isn’t’ that hard you know. Take good care of your heart and don’t let it go wandering around, hurting and deceiving others – especially yourself.

By,

Sue

#randomthoughts

Note Taking

~it’s been a while since my last poem, i hope you enjoy this one. btw, photo is not mine.

It’s so easy to let my tears drip freely

And it’s so easy to allow the bitterness of life to overwhelm me

I’m easily deceived by what my feelings tell me

And I try so hard not to take notes of these useless thoughts that torment me

The notes on my heart, what are they about?

Clearly, it reads instability, am I right?

There’s no right or wrong answers, no, nothing in between

But just the need to run away

It’s in those moments that I’m afraid of what to expect; if at all

Yeah, those notes on my heart

It’s like I’m speeding in a car, but knowing that I still have to step on the breaks

Because I fear of what repercussion might loom ahead

I can’t claim to understand much about my thoughts,

That is something that I’m still searching for

I don’t think this poem makes any sense, but heck, I can write whatever I want because this is my blog

Okay, back to note taking again…