Good Day to all y'all. I'm a couple days late with posting, and lucky that I'm mot preachin' from a pulpit yet, or I'da been in a lot of trouble for not having a sermon ready a few days ago. But, better late than never, here it is. SIN. What is a sin, and when does "it" become a sin to us? Let's talk about that for a while....
We may get to a verse or two in a bit. But, let's start off with a definition that I apply to my life. A sin is anything that goes against God and His teachings, His Word, the Bible. More specifically, it is sin if it doesn't lift up and glorify Him. Wow. That kind limits a few things in life, huh? Maybe, but maybe some of these things Need more limits in our lives. A few years back I used to see bumper stickers and bracelets and such with a slogan that said WWJD(What would Jesus Do?). Just think about how straight forward life would become if we started to ask that question before we did even the most menial of tasks. I can't think of any time that we couldn't apply that logic to our daily lives and affairs. We certainly wouldn't have to worry much about sin, now would we?
I think a story might fit well and explain a few things here. I started smoking cigarettes at the ripe old age of 13. Now almost 32 years later, it's become quite ingrained in my daily habit. Like all of us who have smoked know, unless you live under a rock, Science is pretty sure that smoking is bad for us. It will kill us. It is harmful to our lungs and our bodies. It offends a lot of other folks. It smells, and it may even affect the health of others' too. I'm also pretty sure that God, Jesus, Peter, Paul, and the rest of "The 12" would slap a Sin label on our puffing habit. Yet, even after God led me back into His arms 5 years ago, I continued to smoke. Now, since August of 2008 I've beaten the addiction of alcohol, anxiety meds, and marijuana, and a lot of pent-up anger at the world in general. Additionally, many of my other life addictions have taken a back seat. You'd think that smoking would be a cinch. Nahhht exactly. But, when I heard the call from God in my heart to ministry and to preach His Word, my habit really began to gnaw at me. Over the last year I even felt like it was coming between me and my spiritual relationship with Him. But, each time I tried to quit, I'd end up smoking like a chimney the last few days, which made it impossible for me to stop, I'd get so stressed at the mere thought of taking that last drag. Over the last few weeks, I really felt like there was a disconnect going on in my spiritual life. I was doing everything I could to be close to the Lord. But, every time I'd pick up a cigarette, I'd be riddled with guilt. That guilt was getting between me and God. The last straw was about 3 weeks ago, when I was counseling someone who had come to me to discuss getting cleaned up. They were fighting a few addictions, one of which was smoking, and they were asking my advice about how to handle stopping all these things. At that moment I felt like such a hypocrite. I took two days to smoke that last pack, and now I'm a quitter and a winner! And I feel closer to God than ever. Praise the Lord!
For the many years that I smoked and drank and drugged, I knew I was hurting my body, but I had accepted that I was okay with it. I knew I'd live a few years less, and that was fine with me. All along this road of addictions, I'd been in and out of church a lot, too. I knew what I was doing fell into that classification of sin, but I figured that as long as I was just hurting me, it wasn't that big a deal. When that summer of 2008 began, I knew I would be dead within months if I didn't quit the alcohol and drugs soon. (Fortunately, God was waiting for me in Rehab.) The last few years have been relatively easy regarding those addictions, now that God is leading me on His path. But, the day I felt cigarettes step between me and my spiritual relationship, I knew that I had to finally put them down, as well. This experience has caused me to look back at all the many other "addictions" I've had in my life; ya know, things that took control of or encompassed my life at times. It was then that I began to see a pattern in my walk with Jesus. You might say that some of my addictions bordered on Idolatry, and when they were important in my life, God wasn't as important in my life. Sometimes, work was my addiction. Other times it was partying. Sometimes it was playing and writing music. Sometimes it was finding drugs, or drinking. Sometime it was motorcycles. But, whatever "IT" was, "IT" was always coming between me and God. Today, God has replaced many of my other addictions, and sins. I'll forever be working on them, and more, but I've never seen nor found so much peace in my life before I learned some of these lessons. I still enjoy some of these things, but I keep a close eye on them to ensure that they don't become a focal point of my life again, causing me to live in s i n....
Well, I could've filled up this post with quotes and scripture, defining sin, and what types of sin there are. But, I think that most of us know in our hearts when we are doing things that aren't what Jesus would be doing. Learning to ask the WWJD question first in our lives EVERY time isn't easy at first. But, as we work towards a God-centered life, it does get easier and more automatic. It comes along with our strengthening ourselves with a daily devotional with our bibles, and by forming our relationship with God. That spiritual walk with Him has become the central desire in my life. It has brought me hope and love, in a world that doesn't seem to have much, lately. But, my walk must be daily, sometimes hourly, sometimes just minute by minute. I know I won't ever be free from sin while I'm walking this earth, but that doesn't deter me from giving it my best to try to be that way.
Remember, Folks. Hope isn't something we can go out and pick up at the store. It takes time for us to change from doing things the way we used to, and waiting for God to come to us. It simply doesn't wok that way. We have to go to HIM. And the first step is to figure out what sin or sins are coming between us and God and our spiritual one-ness with Him. We must learn to walk daily with Him, Find a church, start a 5 minute devotional each morning, and each night before bed, and Get into a bible study group or Sunday School. If you don't fit in with your church, find a new one. Fortunately, there are churches on every other corner in our towns. There IS one out there for you. I promise. Fellowship is an essential part of developing your relationship with the Lord. Finally, sit down and have an honest talk with yourself. We all know where some sin lies in our lives. All these other things will help us to weed out the rest, and lead us back to that bumper sticker becoming foremost in our hearts....
"What WOULD Jesus Do???"
May God bless you and bring y'all peace, comfort, and Love.
In His Service,
Bro. Jay
Thursday, June 20, 2013
Monday, June 10, 2013
Attitudes. How's Yours?
Hmmmm.... I tried to write this over the weekend, but I couldn't find the words. Sorry for the delay. Let's see what happens This time....
Today's verses are Proverbs 27:3 "Stone is heavy and sand a burden, but provocation by a fool is heavier than both.", 29:22 " An angry man stirs up dissension, and a hot-tempered one commits many sins.", 10:9 " The man of integrity walks securely, but he who takes crooked paths will be found out.", and finally from 10:12 " Hatred stirs up dissension, but Love covers all wrongs."
Over the last few weeks I've been reminded about what words can do. When I was a little kid we had a rhyme we'd recite when someone called us a bad word. I'm sure most of you have heard it: "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me." I don't think the person who created that has heard some of what's said in this world today. Words CAN hurt. Sometimes they shatter lives. The question though, is WHY, and What does this have to do with Hope? How can we stop these words from hurting? Let's dig deeper...
Well, it starts out simply enough. Someone mouths off with a wisecrack about you or a good friend. Our natural instinct is to get mad or at least annoyed, and to defend ourselves or that friend. But, check out the last half of that first verse from Proverbs; 27:3 "... but provocation by a fool is heavier than both." In other words, even when people aren't aware of a single fact, the snide comments that they make can carry a lot of weight. How about 29:22? When we get angry and lose control, we allow sin into our lives. We push away love. And, lest we forget, Who is Love? God is love! (1 John 4:16b "God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him."
A good friend made a comment the other day about how not to lose love. Paraphrased, She said,
" You can't "Take" offense when someone says something demeaning to you. Offense is being given to those who choose to accept it." Only you can let you get all worked up about something that someone says. If you choose not to pay attention to what is said, you won't get annoyed or angry, which means that you don't lose the love in your heart. Easy, right?
I know. I know. It's not that easy. But, it begins with the process of understanding that when we let God into our hearts, souls, and minds, there isn't any room for hate or anger. As I've said before, anything that isn't "of" God, is against God. There is NO neutral ground that benefits our soul and our relationship with Him.
The next verse, " A man of integrity walks securely...". Well, as Christians, as children of GOD, if " we walk in the light, as HE is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sins." As we develop our spiritual relationship with our Lord, we begin to understand more completely that this earth is full of the devil, and we can't continue to "live" in it. As Christians, we reside in God's spiritual kingdom here on earth. But, in order to live in the Kingdom, we must study His word over and over. His word leads us through the traps and pitfalls of the evil that we must deal with in the physical world. But, each time that we lose control... each time we get angry, each time we plot revenge,.... The devil wins that battle within us. And when the devil wins one battle, he tries even harder to win another. It's like fuel to him. When we allow God's love to leave our hearts, we distance ourselves from His guidance. We get discouraged sometimes after getting mad, which leads to more bad decisions, which leads to our hope fading. See the pattern now? We eventually fall all the way back to the bottom, and away from God. Now we have to start all over again. Who wouldn't get discouraged after feeling God's love, then falling away? It'd be a lot better to keep this from happenin', right? Well, prevention starts with "attitude", an "attitude" of love towards God. Proverbs 10:12 "...but Love covers all wrongs."
So. How do we apply this to our lives? It goes back to one of the other posts I wrote, we LOVE ourselves and others, even our enemies. I actually feel sorry for some of these problem people, instead of the anger that used to take over my whole body it seemed, before I received the love of Jesus. Now, I spend more time these days, thinking about how to speak to others without provoking them. No, I'm NOT always successful. But, I do my best,(most of the time.) I try to improve with each day I'm given. I also attempt to stay away from situations that could lead to these problems. If they are unavoidable, I find a close friend or family member to go with me. Does that sound extreme to you? Maybe, but that's how much I want to keep God's love in my heart. That's how thankful I am to Jesus for bringing me salvation; for saving me from death, and for giving me His Word to study and learn, so that I may develop a personal relationship with Him. Who wouldn't want that?
Attitudes... A good one will lead you to developing a personal relationship with your Savior, Jesus Christ. He will lead you and bring you hope, faith, and His enduring love. A bad attitude? What's that bring you? To the bottom. And in some cases, it brings you to rock-bottom. I've been there. You don't want to go. God's love in your heart and soul will ensure you never come close to the bottom, and you will always have a lifeline of hope, when times get tough, for Him to pull you through.
May the Lord Jesus bless you all and bring you peace. I promise, HE can bring it to you. It's up to you to follow, though.
Y'all have a great week.
In His Service,
Bro. Jay
Today's verses are Proverbs 27:3 "Stone is heavy and sand a burden, but provocation by a fool is heavier than both.", 29:22 " An angry man stirs up dissension, and a hot-tempered one commits many sins.", 10:9 " The man of integrity walks securely, but he who takes crooked paths will be found out.", and finally from 10:12 " Hatred stirs up dissension, but Love covers all wrongs."
Over the last few weeks I've been reminded about what words can do. When I was a little kid we had a rhyme we'd recite when someone called us a bad word. I'm sure most of you have heard it: "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me." I don't think the person who created that has heard some of what's said in this world today. Words CAN hurt. Sometimes they shatter lives. The question though, is WHY, and What does this have to do with Hope? How can we stop these words from hurting? Let's dig deeper...
Well, it starts out simply enough. Someone mouths off with a wisecrack about you or a good friend. Our natural instinct is to get mad or at least annoyed, and to defend ourselves or that friend. But, check out the last half of that first verse from Proverbs; 27:3 "... but provocation by a fool is heavier than both." In other words, even when people aren't aware of a single fact, the snide comments that they make can carry a lot of weight. How about 29:22? When we get angry and lose control, we allow sin into our lives. We push away love. And, lest we forget, Who is Love? God is love! (1 John 4:16b "God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him."
A good friend made a comment the other day about how not to lose love. Paraphrased, She said,
" You can't "Take" offense when someone says something demeaning to you. Offense is being given to those who choose to accept it." Only you can let you get all worked up about something that someone says. If you choose not to pay attention to what is said, you won't get annoyed or angry, which means that you don't lose the love in your heart. Easy, right?
I know. I know. It's not that easy. But, it begins with the process of understanding that when we let God into our hearts, souls, and minds, there isn't any room for hate or anger. As I've said before, anything that isn't "of" God, is against God. There is NO neutral ground that benefits our soul and our relationship with Him.
The next verse, " A man of integrity walks securely...". Well, as Christians, as children of GOD, if " we walk in the light, as HE is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sins." As we develop our spiritual relationship with our Lord, we begin to understand more completely that this earth is full of the devil, and we can't continue to "live" in it. As Christians, we reside in God's spiritual kingdom here on earth. But, in order to live in the Kingdom, we must study His word over and over. His word leads us through the traps and pitfalls of the evil that we must deal with in the physical world. But, each time that we lose control... each time we get angry, each time we plot revenge,.... The devil wins that battle within us. And when the devil wins one battle, he tries even harder to win another. It's like fuel to him. When we allow God's love to leave our hearts, we distance ourselves from His guidance. We get discouraged sometimes after getting mad, which leads to more bad decisions, which leads to our hope fading. See the pattern now? We eventually fall all the way back to the bottom, and away from God. Now we have to start all over again. Who wouldn't get discouraged after feeling God's love, then falling away? It'd be a lot better to keep this from happenin', right? Well, prevention starts with "attitude", an "attitude" of love towards God. Proverbs 10:12 "...but Love covers all wrongs."
So. How do we apply this to our lives? It goes back to one of the other posts I wrote, we LOVE ourselves and others, even our enemies. I actually feel sorry for some of these problem people, instead of the anger that used to take over my whole body it seemed, before I received the love of Jesus. Now, I spend more time these days, thinking about how to speak to others without provoking them. No, I'm NOT always successful. But, I do my best,(most of the time.) I try to improve with each day I'm given. I also attempt to stay away from situations that could lead to these problems. If they are unavoidable, I find a close friend or family member to go with me. Does that sound extreme to you? Maybe, but that's how much I want to keep God's love in my heart. That's how thankful I am to Jesus for bringing me salvation; for saving me from death, and for giving me His Word to study and learn, so that I may develop a personal relationship with Him. Who wouldn't want that?
Attitudes... A good one will lead you to developing a personal relationship with your Savior, Jesus Christ. He will lead you and bring you hope, faith, and His enduring love. A bad attitude? What's that bring you? To the bottom. And in some cases, it brings you to rock-bottom. I've been there. You don't want to go. God's love in your heart and soul will ensure you never come close to the bottom, and you will always have a lifeline of hope, when times get tough, for Him to pull you through.
May the Lord Jesus bless you all and bring you peace. I promise, HE can bring it to you. It's up to you to follow, though.
Y'all have a great week.
In His Service,
Bro. Jay
Monday, June 3, 2013
Love Others, (Including Your Enemies)!
Good Day, Folks!
Last week I wrote about how important it is to learn to push aside the past guilt you held yourself up to, and begin to learn to love and forgive yourself. This post is going to be about taking this to the next level, and loving others, as well as loving those you might not want to, your enemies. Let's get started, shall we?
We'll begin with a couple of verses from 1 John. The second and third sentence of 1 John 4:16 says, "God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him." And now, 1 John 4:20-21, "If anyone says "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. (21) And He has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother." I would recommend that you read from 1 John 4:7- 5:12, to get a more complete understanding of the verses.
As discussed before, the apostle Paul wrote in 1Corinthians 13:13 "And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love." And in Matthew 5:43-48, Jesus says,43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47 And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect."
So... it's pretty obvious of the supreme importance love plays in the kingdom of God. Jesus tells us plain and simple, that it's no big thing to love or be kind to someone who loves you. We all know that it's fairly easy. Why? Well, to love someone makes you want to show that person how you feel. It's easy to want to be kind to those who are kind to you. For instance, you may want to do nice things for them. You want to be around them. You want to help them. Love is more than a descriptive feeling. Love is a verb of action. It invovles of doing, showing and caring. Anyone, Christian or non-Christian can "love" someone who loves them, without much, if any, difficulty. But, what about those who do wrong to you? What about those people who talk about you behind your back(or to your face), and say mean things or lie about you. Well, you can imagine that, for some people, it would take a lot to love someone like that. Wouldn't it? Every one of us has had that feeling. But, as followers and believers of Jesus Christ and his Word, we are taught that love is the key to the kingdom of god. Remember the two most important commandments? "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. And love your neighbor as yourself." We are supposed to love our neighbor as much as we love ourselves! Jesus also clarified that "our neighbor" didn't just mean someone next door. Jesus further explained in Luke 10:29-37 the story of a Levite who helped a Samaritan who had been beaten and left for dead on the side of the road. There were, typically, many miles between a Levite and Samaritan settlement or village. The Samaritans were not highly regarded in Jesus's time. So, for Jesus to use this description to explain who our "neighbor" is, He wanted us to understand that there was no distance or social status that prevented someone from loving another as if they were their brother(or sister.) Got it?
Let me give you another example: When alcohol began to take over my life, there were many things said about me behind my back. Yes, some of it was true. But, some of it was mean-spirited. And some of the comments and stories were just unfounded made-up lies. We learned in rehab that, no matter what we did to try to repair certain friendships that we had abused or destroyed while we were having our drinking and drugging problems, there would be those people who would never want to repair the damage that had been done to our friendships, even though we had the disease of alcoholism and/or addiction, like a cancer, that took us over. At first, this was something I just couldn't understand. And it made me mad. I mean really mad. According to some studies, If we alcoholics had been diagnosed with any other kind of "socially acceptable" disease that affected our behavior, then we were healed, many, if not most, of those same people would have come back and tried to help us rebuild our lives and friendships. So, it took me a while to come to terms with this fact, that I had no control over this problem, and that I might never get these friends back. Some had even been lifelong friends. But, as I began to rebuild the foundation of my life, with the solid rock of the Word of Jesus Christ, I knew that I was going to have to deal with this anger and betrayal I felt by these old friends before I could truly understand and receive the gift of God's love and guidance to take control of my life and lead me from the initial elementary teachings of God, on to His mature Word and knowledge. We can't understand the deep meanings of His word, without firmly grasping these first, straightforward commandments.
After rehab, as I started to understand and feel the love that Jesus had for me, studying His word on a daily basis, and beginning to learn to integrate His teachings into my life, I also began to be able to also let go of the anger and/or hatred I had for some others, feelings that were totally unrelated to my alcoholic past. A few of them took a while, but with God's help, and prayer, that hatred and anger is gone too. At first, I had compassion for them. I felt sorry for them, that they were living a life full of their own anger, hatred, jealousy, selfishness envy, rage and revenge. I also knew that there was only one way that they could be saved from themselves. That was through God's love and His guiding Word. And prayer. Yes, I started praying for them. Praying helped me begin to love them. Now, anytime I get the opportunity, even when someone is saying mean things or is being rude to me, I am reminded of the pain or emptiness that they are carrying inside of them, without God leading them. I am also reminded that at some point not too many years ago when I had my problems, there were people who continued to love me, were kind to me, and who prayed for me. If it hadn't been for them, I would not be here alive today. That was God working through them to save me. That was the pure love that Jesus spoke about, when He told the story of the Levite and the Samaritan. That, no matter who someone is, or has been, as we deepen our spiritual relationship with God, and as the Holy Spirit begins to lead us in all things in this world, these feelings of hate, anger, jealousy, and envy begin to fade out of our hearts, souls, and minds. And it frees us completely from this evil world. Satan loses again...
So, let me ask you now... Do you see any comparisons to what's happening in your life? Are you mad at someone, and/or struggling to forgive someone? Do it. Not because they deserve it, but because you desire forgiveness from the Lord. God commands that we love our brothers and sisters, and that we love our enemies. Period. Pray for that person. They don't even have to know you're praying for them. It doesn't matter. Sure, if the opportunity arises, by all means, let them know(without making them feel like you are talking down to them.) Pray that they will feel the peace and obtain the salvation and forgiveness that only Jesus can bring into their lives. Finally, Love them. Yes. Love them. Some of these people are hurting so bad for just one kind word. As long as they are alive, hope is there for them, that they may be sanctified through the love of God. And remember, of faith, hope, and love, the greatest of these is LOVE.
Let's pray. "Dearest Lord, maker of all things, creator of Love, we come to you in gratitude. We thank you, Lord, for your Holy Spirit, that gives counsel and comfort to our souls. We thank you, Father, for sending us your son Jesus Christ, who brought us His word, and that guides our lives through love, through His undying love for us and by His example He set for us through His life, death for our sins, and resurrection. Teach us, Lord, to defeat Satan by denying animosity, hate, anger, envy and jealousy a place in our lives. Lord, We pray for those who hate us, who do wrong to us, that they will find peace and solace in You and in your Word. We pray that they too will turn away from evil, will follow you, and will receive your blessings. We thank you, God, for being The Light, that shines on our path with you leading us to eternal life in Heaven, that guides us through the valleys, and that shines more powerful than the sun when we stand with you on the mountain-tops. We give thanks for all things holy, and ask these prayers and blessings in the name of our lord, savior and king, Jesus Christ. Amen."
Y'all have a great week. May God bless you and fill your lives with love!
Bro. Jay
Last week I wrote about how important it is to learn to push aside the past guilt you held yourself up to, and begin to learn to love and forgive yourself. This post is going to be about taking this to the next level, and loving others, as well as loving those you might not want to, your enemies. Let's get started, shall we?
We'll begin with a couple of verses from 1 John. The second and third sentence of 1 John 4:16 says, "God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him." And now, 1 John 4:20-21, "If anyone says "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. (21) And He has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother." I would recommend that you read from 1 John 4:7- 5:12, to get a more complete understanding of the verses.
As discussed before, the apostle Paul wrote in 1Corinthians 13:13 "And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love." And in Matthew 5:43-48, Jesus says,43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47 And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect."
So... it's pretty obvious of the supreme importance love plays in the kingdom of God. Jesus tells us plain and simple, that it's no big thing to love or be kind to someone who loves you. We all know that it's fairly easy. Why? Well, to love someone makes you want to show that person how you feel. It's easy to want to be kind to those who are kind to you. For instance, you may want to do nice things for them. You want to be around them. You want to help them. Love is more than a descriptive feeling. Love is a verb of action. It invovles of doing, showing and caring. Anyone, Christian or non-Christian can "love" someone who loves them, without much, if any, difficulty. But, what about those who do wrong to you? What about those people who talk about you behind your back(or to your face), and say mean things or lie about you. Well, you can imagine that, for some people, it would take a lot to love someone like that. Wouldn't it? Every one of us has had that feeling. But, as followers and believers of Jesus Christ and his Word, we are taught that love is the key to the kingdom of god. Remember the two most important commandments? "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. And love your neighbor as yourself." We are supposed to love our neighbor as much as we love ourselves! Jesus also clarified that "our neighbor" didn't just mean someone next door. Jesus further explained in Luke 10:29-37 the story of a Levite who helped a Samaritan who had been beaten and left for dead on the side of the road. There were, typically, many miles between a Levite and Samaritan settlement or village. The Samaritans were not highly regarded in Jesus's time. So, for Jesus to use this description to explain who our "neighbor" is, He wanted us to understand that there was no distance or social status that prevented someone from loving another as if they were their brother(or sister.) Got it?
Let me give you another example: When alcohol began to take over my life, there were many things said about me behind my back. Yes, some of it was true. But, some of it was mean-spirited. And some of the comments and stories were just unfounded made-up lies. We learned in rehab that, no matter what we did to try to repair certain friendships that we had abused or destroyed while we were having our drinking and drugging problems, there would be those people who would never want to repair the damage that had been done to our friendships, even though we had the disease of alcoholism and/or addiction, like a cancer, that took us over. At first, this was something I just couldn't understand. And it made me mad. I mean really mad. According to some studies, If we alcoholics had been diagnosed with any other kind of "socially acceptable" disease that affected our behavior, then we were healed, many, if not most, of those same people would have come back and tried to help us rebuild our lives and friendships. So, it took me a while to come to terms with this fact, that I had no control over this problem, and that I might never get these friends back. Some had even been lifelong friends. But, as I began to rebuild the foundation of my life, with the solid rock of the Word of Jesus Christ, I knew that I was going to have to deal with this anger and betrayal I felt by these old friends before I could truly understand and receive the gift of God's love and guidance to take control of my life and lead me from the initial elementary teachings of God, on to His mature Word and knowledge. We can't understand the deep meanings of His word, without firmly grasping these first, straightforward commandments.
After rehab, as I started to understand and feel the love that Jesus had for me, studying His word on a daily basis, and beginning to learn to integrate His teachings into my life, I also began to be able to also let go of the anger and/or hatred I had for some others, feelings that were totally unrelated to my alcoholic past. A few of them took a while, but with God's help, and prayer, that hatred and anger is gone too. At first, I had compassion for them. I felt sorry for them, that they were living a life full of their own anger, hatred, jealousy, selfishness envy, rage and revenge. I also knew that there was only one way that they could be saved from themselves. That was through God's love and His guiding Word. And prayer. Yes, I started praying for them. Praying helped me begin to love them. Now, anytime I get the opportunity, even when someone is saying mean things or is being rude to me, I am reminded of the pain or emptiness that they are carrying inside of them, without God leading them. I am also reminded that at some point not too many years ago when I had my problems, there were people who continued to love me, were kind to me, and who prayed for me. If it hadn't been for them, I would not be here alive today. That was God working through them to save me. That was the pure love that Jesus spoke about, when He told the story of the Levite and the Samaritan. That, no matter who someone is, or has been, as we deepen our spiritual relationship with God, and as the Holy Spirit begins to lead us in all things in this world, these feelings of hate, anger, jealousy, and envy begin to fade out of our hearts, souls, and minds. And it frees us completely from this evil world. Satan loses again...
So, let me ask you now... Do you see any comparisons to what's happening in your life? Are you mad at someone, and/or struggling to forgive someone? Do it. Not because they deserve it, but because you desire forgiveness from the Lord. God commands that we love our brothers and sisters, and that we love our enemies. Period. Pray for that person. They don't even have to know you're praying for them. It doesn't matter. Sure, if the opportunity arises, by all means, let them know(without making them feel like you are talking down to them.) Pray that they will feel the peace and obtain the salvation and forgiveness that only Jesus can bring into their lives. Finally, Love them. Yes. Love them. Some of these people are hurting so bad for just one kind word. As long as they are alive, hope is there for them, that they may be sanctified through the love of God. And remember, of faith, hope, and love, the greatest of these is LOVE.
Let's pray. "Dearest Lord, maker of all things, creator of Love, we come to you in gratitude. We thank you, Lord, for your Holy Spirit, that gives counsel and comfort to our souls. We thank you, Father, for sending us your son Jesus Christ, who brought us His word, and that guides our lives through love, through His undying love for us and by His example He set for us through His life, death for our sins, and resurrection. Teach us, Lord, to defeat Satan by denying animosity, hate, anger, envy and jealousy a place in our lives. Lord, We pray for those who hate us, who do wrong to us, that they will find peace and solace in You and in your Word. We pray that they too will turn away from evil, will follow you, and will receive your blessings. We thank you, God, for being The Light, that shines on our path with you leading us to eternal life in Heaven, that guides us through the valleys, and that shines more powerful than the sun when we stand with you on the mountain-tops. We give thanks for all things holy, and ask these prayers and blessings in the name of our lord, savior and king, Jesus Christ. Amen."
Y'all have a great week. May God bless you and fill your lives with love!
Bro. Jay
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