"Do not repay evil, for evil, Beloved."
Brethren,
After reading this passage of SCRIPTURE, from Malachi 3:13-15." Do you Believe that the people that are spoken of in this passage, are Believers?" And if so, "Do you Believe that they are passionate about serving HIM, Who laid down HIS very LIFE, to "SAVE us all?"
Let me share the SCRIPTURE with you, that you may consider the question, as you read." It reads like this: "Your words have been harsh against ME,"
Says The LORD,
"Yet you say,
'What have we spoken against YOU?'
You have said,
'It is useless to serve GOD;
What profit is it that we have kept HIS ordinance,
And that we have walked as mourners
Before The LORD of hosts?
So now we call the proud Blessed,
For those who do wickedness are raised up;
They even tempt GOD and go free.' "
I don't know how you feel right about now, Beloved,"
but the writer of psalm 123:4 was extremely fed up with “the contempt of the proud.”
If you're as passionate about your calling to serve The LIVING GOD, as I am." It's quite possible, that you are too!" People you know, may be scornful of you, because of your FAITH and determination to GLORIFY our Beloved LORD.'
And joyfully share HIS finished work of The Cross."
And if you are,"
Consider this WORD from 1 Peter 3:15-17."
But sanctify The LORD GOD in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the HOPE that is in you, with meekness and fear; having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in CHRIST may be ashamed. For it is better, if it is the will of GOD, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.
With that made abundantly clear,
"Do you recall hearing these words?"
Sticks and stones may break my bones, but name's will never hurt me? Maybe you've personally said them yourself?"🤔
Well, sticks and stones," surely can break our bones, and words can hurt us even more!" For words, spoken in anger, are as “cold steel stabbing the heart!”
We can retaliate against the offensive words of the proud by becoming like them, or we can view their attempt to humiliate us, as a badge of honor.🎖 A badge of honor?" Yes, a badge of honor!" For our LORD JESUS, speaks these WORDS to us, who are willing to suffer for HIS NAME sake.
Mathew 5:11-12 reveals them like this: "Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for MY sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in HEAVEN, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Brethren,
I praise GOD for you, "if you are willing to suffer for our Beloved LORD'S NAME sake."
For if we are, then we are The Blessed who are mentioned in Philippians 1:29-30.
Consider how Blessed we are": For to you it has been granted on behalf of CHRIST, not only to Believe in HIM, but also to suffer for HIS sake, having the same conflict which you saw in me and now hear is in me.
Brethren,
If we are being FAITHFUL to our calling," then we will rejoice with those FAITHFUL Believer's who went before us. They are mentioned in Acts 5:41." They, like us, were “counted worthy to suffer shame for our Beloved LORD'S NAME” sake.
And it's far better to suffer ridicule and shame, for a short time now. Than to have "wicked," as a title above our name for ETERNITY."
It's far better to be rejected by sinful men now, than to endure “everlasting shame and contempt in The Eye's of GOD.
Daniel 12:2-3 elaborates on this, saying: And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake,
Some to Everlasting LIFE,
Some to shame and everlasting contempt.
[But consider how we, Beloved, the wise and FAITHFUL, are spoken of."🤔] Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament,
And those who turn many to RIGHTEOUSNESS
Like the stars FOREVER and EVER.
Beloved,
Knowing that we are called to LOVE our enemies, 1st Peter 3:9 speaks these WORDS of instruction, to each of us, saying: Not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary Blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a Blessing. For he who would LOVE LIFE and see good days, Let him refrain his tongue from evil,
And his lips from speaking deciet.
Let him turn away from evil and do good; Let him seek PEACE and pursue it. For The Eye's of The LORD are on the RIGHTEOUS, and HIS Ears are open to their prayers; [Yes, our LORD'S Ears, Beloved, are open to our prayers.] But The FACE of The LORD is against those who do evil."
Brethren,
We must not be like the mockers by mocking them in return, but instead, we are to Bless those who persecute, and spitefully use us."
“Bless and do not curse,” is what we are instructed in Romans 12:14." These WORDS are spoken as instruction to us: Bless those who persecute you: Bless and do not curse.
Brethren,
While preaching The GOSPEL of CHRIST, on Mt Rubidoux,
some time ago"
An emissary of Satan, was sent to buffet me, so that I don't exalt myself above measure."
Right!" So that I don't think more highly of myself, than I ought." A certain unbelieving man, reviled and cursed me, after I had wished him, and his wife, a good morning. But what bothered him most, was that I added: "GOD Bless you." And just mentioning The NAME of GOD, was enough for this man, to become "unhinged," and to insult and revile me."
His behavior was "extremely irrational, and flagrant were his words!" But I was not deterred, from obeying The LORD, and keeping my cool. So I told the man to his face: "GOD Bless you, Sir!" To which he responded, with more anger, and more curse words!"🤬 Again, I said to him: GOD Bless you, Sir!"
This, I repeated two more times!"
And then, The HOLY SPIRIT instructed me to walk away." So I did!" But I didn't walk away angry," even though the man's mouth, was still insulting me." I prayed for the man, and asked The LORD to be merciful to him." Yes, Merciful, and GRACIOUS to him."
Again, I prayed that GOD would be merciful to him, even as HE has been with me." Because I know that I don’t deserve, what GOD has freely given me." The TRUTH is, I deserved judgement!" But HE gave me MERCY." I deserved death!" But HE gave me LIFE!" I deserved to be left utterly alone!"😔 But HE gave me a LOVING wife." And so once I recieved HIS MERCY and GRACE, HE assured me, that HE has entrusted me to tell everyone, of how on The Cross, HE took my place. Right!" And to do the work, that HE sends every Believer to do." For HE has made it abundantly clear, through 2nd Corrinthians 4:13-14, in saying: And since we have the same SPIRIT of FAITH, according to what is written, "I Believed and therefore I spoke," we also Believe and therefore speak, knowing that HE Who raised up The LORD JESUS will also raise us up with JESUS, and will present us with you.
HE has also given us, Beloved, these WORDS from 1st Thessalonians 2:4, saying: But as we have have been approved by GOD to be entrusted with The GOSPEL, even so we speak, not as pleasing men, but GOD Who tests our heart."
Brethren,
To us, even as HE did to the first century disciples. Our LORD, directs these WORDS to us, from Mathew 10:8, saying:
Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have recieved, Freely give."
By our FAITH in our LORD'S finished work of The Cross,
We have been freely forgiven. And if you will take a closer look at this passage of SCRIPTURE, and analyze what The WORD of The LIVING GOD,
is saying." You will see, that all these things mentioned here. Are each achieved through evangelism."
For we are called to reach out to those who are dead in their trespasses and sins, and bring them into the knowledge of Everlasting LIFE. Yes, by Trusting in the finished work of The Cross of CHRIST."
For we are to pray, that they also might embrace The LIFE-GIVING WORD of GOD, and enter into Everlasting LIFE!"
Knowing that he who wins Soul's, is wise!"
That's us, Beloved Brethren!"
JESUS
OK