JESUS OUR TRUE IDENTITY PART 5

Loving Our Enemies

 

In our last blog, we took joy and pleasure learning how we were created in our Father’s image to be ‘Loving and Kind’ to all. We talked about how our Lord Jesus loved all whom He encountered, especially His enemies; think about it. The Pharisees, Scribes, and Sadducees were out to destroy Him, yet, He was ‘Loving and Kind’ to them. Even Judas, who He knew would kiss Him and betray Him in the end, our Lord showed no partiality or difference of affection between him and His other disciples who followed Him. Then, the people our Lord healed, fed their hungry bellies and souls, betrayed Him and yelled, “Crucify Him!’ In the end, our Lord prayed for them and said, “Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing.” What amazing love was that!

 

In our blog for this week, we will continue exploring our Lord Jesus who is ‘Loving to Our Enemies.’ I remember several years ago working with a Christian couple in counseling who was angry and bitter with each other. The years of neglect, rejection, ignoring each other had created a rift between them. No matter how much we talked and discussed the issues together, the wife’s heart was hardened and she had already divorced her husband emotionally; there was no forgiving him or letting him off the hook. One day, as we turned our focus to Jesus and the gift and purpose of marriage, I gave out some handouts to help each one to understand our Lord’s purpose in healing and restoring each heart individually, then together, so they can experience wholeness in their marriage. Something strange happened; they both united together and began to turn on me. The accusations, their pain, anger, bitterness spewed out on me. At first, my flesh wanted to protect me, but Jesus said, “I have you, my love, just be quiet.” For the whole session, they criticized the pictures I gave them, my skills, the sessions before, and went on and on. I felt helpless, belittled, angry, and mad! But, they felt better when it was over. I did not kick, fight back, spit, cry, or throw a tantrum (thank you, Jesus). But what I said was, “I am glad this was helpful for you both.” I shook their hands as they left. Then my Lord and I talked. He said, “Thank you for sharing in my sufferings. You did nothing wrong, you were there to help them. You trusted in my words to be quiet and let me handle it, and you did.” My Daddy then spoke and said, “My daughter, you are learning to trust in my protection and to know that I am your hiding place, no matter what comes your way, and I am using this and every difficulty in perfecting my LOVE in you.” I said, “Yes Lord, as the tears rolled down my cheeks.” (Let me add, sometimes we are to speak the truth in love. I had similar tests before in the past where I did not do so well, I either reacted in the flesh and spoke my mind or murmured and complained. I finally, got the lesson Daddy was trying to teach me. Thank you, Lord!)

 

The couple never returned. Later, I learned they divorced. But one day, the father was trying to find help for his son who was grieving the loss of the divorce. The father brought his son to our office for help.  We were ready to help him but his ex-wife refused to sign a consent form to let us help him.

 

 

We experience some very painful and unpleasant circumstances for Christ’s sake. It reminds me of receiving a beautiful gift in an ugly package then Papa saying, “Open this gift, my child, it will be good for you because I sent it.” We have learned from our last blogs that ‘HE IS GOOD, AND HE WORKS ALL THINGS FOR THE GOOD, TO THEM THAT LOVE HIM AND ARE CALLED ACCORDING TO HIS PURPOSE,’ RIGHT? Let me share another beautiful but painful event in my life. I got a letter in the mail in March when I moved to Florida. The letter stated I was eligible for Florida Medicaid and Social Security Admin. Disability (SSA). I was shocked because I did not do anything to notify them of my medical situation. I applied for Medicaid and was declined because of my financial status. I was throwing away the other letter that came with it but Daddy said to apply for SSA Disability. I was sick, it took around three hours to complete the online process, but I obeyed. Two months later I had to go to a medical and mental health evaluation for the Social Security Disability office. My medical evaluation went well. Then, I met the ‘evil one’ for my mental health exam. The doctor’s spirit and my spirit warred from the beginning when I sat down. The only words I spoke were, “Good morning.” Then, he asked maybe three questions and from those three questions, he gave me the diagnosis of Schizophrenia. He went on and on about me and things that were lies. He told me my doctor put me on the wrong medicine. I was psychotic with other issues and my psychotic episodes will continue unless I took antipsychotic medication. He talked nonstop as I sat there sobbing; my Papa said, “I got you.” When he finished, I felt like I had sat in hell with the ‘Accuser of the Brethren,’ I had. But, I did not yell or come back at him with bitterness, anger, rage, or in the flesh. I entrusted my Lord who knows what to say or do. I was not afraid, neither was I intimidated by his accusations. Here is the amazing and most beautiful thing; I got into the car to cry out to my Lord and His presence of peace filled the car and overwhelmed me, I couldn’t cry. Then He spoke, “I know the truth and you know the truth of what your diagnosis is, we are good, right?” I said, “Yes Lord, we know the truth!” When I got home, my girlfriend Carolyn was visiting. Carolyn was angry when I told her the story. She said, “Those are lies from the pit!” “We know what he said were lies, come let me hold you and pray for you, sweetie.” Just this week, I got my first check from the SSA Disability office paying me from April 2016 to the present, the month I went to my psychiatrist. Papa said, “It does not matter what the enemy says or does in your life, I am Lord; I have the final say!” “Oh, Yes Lord, You do!” He uses every circumstance for our good!

 

¹² “So then, in everything treat others the same way you want them to treat you, for this is [the essence of] the Law and the [writings of the] Prophets. (Matthew 7:12, Amplified)

 ³⁴ Now when the Pharisees heard that He had silenced (muzzled) the Sadducees, they gathered together. ³⁵ One of them, a lawyer [an expert in Mosaic Law], asked Jesus a question, to test Him: ³⁶ “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” ³⁷ And Jesus replied to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ ³⁸ This is the first and greatest commandment. ³⁹ The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself [that is, unselfishly seek the best or higher good for others].’ ⁴⁰ The whole Law and the [writings of the] Prophets depend on these two commandments.” (Matthew 12:34-40, Amplified)

 

The Old Testament laws and commandments were trying to teach us to ‘Love God and Love Others,’ even our enemies, three things we could never do, without selfish motives. So the law brought condemnation to us because we could not obey it. The law was good, it showed us our defects, however, when Jesus came as a human being, He was the Word of God fulfilling what we could never do, BUT was created to do. Now, through Christ, we can allow Him to love our enemies and be kind to all those who do evil and say evil against us. He can control our tongues so that we don’t yield to the flesh and obey its evil desires and hurt others. Jesus CAN! We are weak and will always fail if we do not look to Him. He is always strong and can handle the accusations of others, YES HE CAN!

 

Prayer: Thank you, Lord, I do not have to fear what others will say or do to me, you promised to keep me in PERFECT PEACE if I keep my heart and mind focused on you. Amen