Reflecting God - Embrace Holy Living - WordAction - The Nazarene Publishing House in Kansas City, Missouri, United States - The Global Church of the Nazarene - "Love Your Enemies and Pray" by Phil Pinckard for Monday, 12 June 2017 - Matthew 5:33-48

Reflecting God - Embrace Holy Living - WordAction - The Nazarene Publishing House in Kansas City, Missouri, United States - The Global Church of the Nazarene - "Love Your Enemies and Pray" by Phil Pinckard for Monday, 12 June 2017 - Matthew 5:33-48 Matthew 5:³³ “Again, you have heard that our fathers were told, ‘Do not break your oath,’ and ‘Keep your vows to Adonai.’[Matthew 5:33 Leviticus 19:12; Numbers 30:3(2); Deuteronomy 23:22(21)]

³⁴ But I tell you not to swear at all — not ‘by heaven,’ because it is God’s throne; ³⁵ not ‘by the earth,’ because it is his footstool;[Matthew 5:35 Isaiah 66:1] and not ‘by Yerushalayim,’ because it is the city of the Great King.[Matthew 5:35 Psalm 48:3(2)]³⁶ And don’t swear by your head, because you can’t make a single hair white or black. ³⁷ Just let your ‘Yes’ be a simple ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No’ a simple ‘No’; anything more than this has its origin in evil.
³⁸ “You have heard that our fathers were told, ‘Eye for eye and tooth for tooth.’[Matthew 5:38 Exodus 21:24; Leviticus 24:20; Deuteronomy 19:21] ³⁹ But I tell you not to stand up against someone who does you wrong. On the contrary, if someone hits you on the right cheek, let him hit you on the left cheek too! ⁴⁰ If someone wants to sue you for your shirt, let him have your coat as well! ⁴¹ And if a soldier forces you to carry his pack for one mile, carry it for two! ⁴² When someone asks you for something, give it to him; when someone wants to borrow something from you, lend it to him.
⁴³ “You have heard that our fathers were told, ‘Love your neighbor[Matthew 5:43 Leviticus 19:18] — and hate your enemy.’ ⁴⁴ But I tell you, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! ⁴⁵ Then you will become children of your Father in heaven. For he makes his sun shine on good and bad people alike, and he sends rain to the righteous and the unrighteous alike. ⁴⁶ What reward do you get if you love only those who love you? Why, even tax-collectors do that! ⁴⁷ And if you are friendly only to your friends, are you doing anything out of the ordinary? Even the Goyim do that! ⁴⁸ Therefore, be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.
-------One sure way to be identified as a child of our heavenly Father, is to love those who oppose us and to pray for those who persecute and/or oppose our best efforts. This is difficult, daunting work.
As a pastor, I occasionally faced opposition, usually from those who were members of congregations that I served. Such opposition should have driven me to my knees in prayer. Too often, instead of praying, I reasoned, discussed, debated, intellectualized, or rationalized. Oh, that I had realized the wisdom of prayer first! Many a conflict could have been averted.
When facing opposition, what is your response? Falling to our knees in everything, allows us to stand against anything.
Matthew 5 says, “But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven.”
"Standing on the Promises" by R. Kelso Carter1. Standing on the promises of Christ my King,
through eternal ages let his praises ring;
glory in the highest, I will shout and sing,
standing on the promises of God.
Refrain:
Standing, standing,
standing on the promises of Christ my Savior;
standing, standing,
I'm standing on the promises of God. 
2. Standing on the promises that cannot fail,
when the howling storms of doubt and fear assail,
by the living Word of God I shall prevail,
standing on the promises of God. 
Refrain:
Standing, standing,
standing on the promises of Christ my Savior;
standing, standing,
I'm standing on the promises of God.
3. Standing on the promises of Christ the Lord,
bound to him eternally by love's strong cord,
overcoming daily with the Spirit's sword,
standing on the promises of God. 
Refrain:
Standing, standing,
standing on the promises of Christ my Savior;
standing, standing,
I'm standing on the promises of God.
4. Standing on the promises I cannot fall,
listening every moment to the Spirit's call,
resting in my Savior as my all in all,
standing on the promises of God. 
Refrain:
Standing, standing,
standing on the promises of Christ my Savior;
standing, standing,
I'm standing on the promises of God.  

Thought for Today:
for Adonai takes delight in his people,he crowns the humble with salvation.[Psalm 149:4]
Please pray:
For faculty and students as they prepare for full-time Christian ministry in Cape Verde.
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