Love Your Enemies

[jabcat]

I highly recommend watching Gary's new video on the main TM home page.   :thumbsup:

[darryl]

watched it...it's beautiful  :dsunny:

[Dandelion]

Sorry to be pesty, but could you post a link to there?

Thanks, jabcat!

D.

[Dandelion]

Okay, I found it.

I do agree that our basic premise must be to love our enemies. Jesus came to teach a new order.....no longer an earthly, worldly outlook, but one directly from God.

Not greed, but generosity; not pride and 'being cool', but humility; not seeking wealth of this world, but God's own Son, born in a stable; not following rigid laws first, but putting love above all else, and we could go on and on, realizing how revolutionary, and 'not of this world' Jesus was and is still today.

I believe there are times we must use weapons to stop the innocent from being harmed, but we are obliged to seek the ways of God first, and not of man.

Of course, the world's outlook on Christianity, directly colors our outlook on 'Hell' and what the afterlife might look like.

I agree with what eaglesway said a few days ago about the first major way that the established Church strayed, was to tell the people that they could not hear and know the Spirit themselves, but needed everything translated for them, by the priests. ( Please correct me if I misrepresented you, eaglesway.) This fits in with the article Gary posted. Because so many were illiterate in those days, the established Church could do this very easily.

In a world where violence rules, it is very easy to justify, and believe that God is going to use violence, too, as an end to those who oppose Him, or even don't accept Him.
If we see this as Christianity, and God's outlook, then we can jump on the bandwagon of giving up on others, who oppose us. Hell can then become a very acceptable way for God to deal with us.

My Dad used to always use the analogy with me of the glass being half empty or half full. Are we going to see the Love of God, first and foremost, or will we focus on the thought of wrath?

I think there is always a danger of looking at the Story of Salvation, or the Bible, in only small pieces. The very beginning of understanding of what God was trying to teach us, I believe, requires a good understanding of the entire Bible. I realize this is an enormous undertaking.....a lifetime study. And, yes, I believe it is a lifetime study.

2 Timothy 3:

1But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. 2People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 4treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— 5having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.

6They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over gullible women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, 7always learning but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth. 8Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so also these teachers oppose the truth. They are men of depraved minds, who, as far as the faith is concerned, are rejected. 9But they will not get very far because, as in the case of those men, their folly will be clear to everyone.

10You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, 11persecutions, sufferings—what kinds of things happened to me in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra, the persecutions I endured. Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them. 12In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, 13while evildoers and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. 14But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, 15and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

So important for Christians to be 'in the world, but not of the world'.

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 1 Peter 2:9


And, we must hold firm to this, and never forget who we are or how revolutionary our mission truly is.  :dsunny:



D.

[marie glen]

Amen! yes! a veRy good video!! :cloud9: :HeartThrob:


          And amen, Dandelion!! :thumbsup: :dsunny:

[CHB]

Hi marie, is this video under Gary's Corner? I can't find it.

CHB

[jabcat]

https://youtu.be/nQefNkEHNB4

[Dandelion]

Thank you, jabcat.

I looked for it, saw a written article with the same name, and replied to that.

A similar theme, but a very different feel.

Sorry, everyone!

When I get home I will write a reponse to the video.

It was beautiful, by the way!

D.

[CHB]

Thanks Jabcat,

I was going to speak at a Church at the end of next month and was going to talk about love. I would like to use the last words Gary spoke to end my lesson on? About us being the enimies of Christ and how he laid down his life for us. Do you think Gary would mind?

CHB

[jabcat]

:)  yw both...

C, I'm positive Gary wouldn't mind.    :thumbsup: