No Mystery...

Happy Sunday!

Dr. Myles Munroe said, "God never demands anything that He does not provide for.  Whatever God commands us to do, He equips us to do.” 

Matthew 5:44-47 says, "“You’re familiar with the old written law, ‘Love your friend,’ and its unwritten companion, ‘Hate your enemy.’ I’m challenging that. I’m telling you to love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer, for then you are working out of your true selves, your God-created selves. This is what God does. He gives his best—the sun to warm and the rain to nourish—to everyone, regardless: the good and bad, the nice and nasty. If all you do is love the lovable, do you expect a bonus? Anybody can do that. If you simply say hello to those who greet you, do you expect a medal? Any run-of-the-mill sinner does that."(Message).

So based on this scripture, God has given us the power and ability to love those people that treat us the worst.  He says we can love the mean and spiteful co-worker, He says we can love the abusive ex-husband or ex-wife, and He says we can love the racist, the thief, and the murderer.  OUCH!  Who wants to love them?  Who wants to pray for them?  Wouldn't it be easier to hit them in the head with a brick?  Wouldn't it be easier to curse them?  Wouldn't it be easier to avoid them altogether?  Sadly, NO!  John 3:16-17 says, "This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn’t go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again."(Message).   Did you see that?  God wants to set the world right again.  He wants the family, the races, and the nations to be reconciled, reunited, and renewed!  

How can this ever happen?  The world seems to be so messed up!  Great question, I'm so glad you asked!  John 14:12 says, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and GREATER works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father."(KJV).   Dr. Bill Winston continued the series, "Christ in You", with the sub-title, "Empowerment".   Colossians 1:26-27 says, "He has kept this secret for centuries and generations past, but now at last it has pleased him to tell it to those who LOVE him and LIVE for him, and the riches and glory of his plan are for you Gentiles, too. And this is the secret: Christ in your hearts is your ONLY hope of glory."(Living Bible).   The King James Version says mystery instead of secret.  A mystery is beyond human comprehension.  God never wants us to be ignorant!  He urges us to ask him for Wisdom.  James 1:5 says, "If you don’t have all the wisdom needed for this journey, then all you have to do is ask God for it; and God will grant all that you need. He gives lavishly and never scolds you for asking."(Voice).   

People used to say that God works in mysterious ways.  Perhaps, this is true in some sense, BUT God never leaves us in the dark, or ignorant.   1 Corinthians 2:9-10 says, "But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.  BUT God hath revealed them unto US by his SPIRIT: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God."(KJV).  Don't miss this!  God reveals the secret or mysterious things to us by the Holy Spirit!  We can get the inside information needed to make good decisions!  We can get the wisdom to do the greater things that Jesus spoke about!  But we can ONLY get it from the Holy Spirit!  We need the Holy Spirit to lead us and guide us into ALL Truth!(John 16:13-15).  

With the Anointing of the Holy Spirit, and Christ in us we can love people, we can forgive people, and we can overcome in life!   Our lives depend on us being able to allow the Holy Spirit to help us forgive.  In Matthew 6:15, JESUS said, "Your heavenly Father will forgive you IF you forgive those who sin against you; but IF you refuse to forgive them, he will not forgive you."(Living Bible).  Selah.

Love and prayers, Cynthia