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Truth 18

10/14/2016

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Be Perfect

We finish our series on Truth with the last verse of Matthew 5.  It doesn't seem to be attached to any of the previous statements on the law.  It seems that it stands alone as reminder of what we must aspire to be as followers of the Almighty.  Let's examine it as we close this series on living the commands of God with Truth and Love.

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Truth 17

10/12/2016

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The Reward For Loving All

We looked at how Christ called us to flip the script on how we treat our enemies.  We even gave you some tactics to how to do this over on our ACCESS page.  Today we look at the rewards that come from going beyond the norm.  What benefits come into play when we love our enemies?  What do we get out of helping those who have hated us?  Find out below.

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Truth 16

10/10/2016

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Loving Enemies

We enter our final week in the Truth series by looking at yet another huge misconception by humanity. It's easy to draw lines in the sand when somebody wrongs us.  Holding grudges, as we've seen in a few of our previous lessons, is a common response no matter what culture we live in. Over time, all the grudges and the lines in the sand create barriers that separate our interactions into two categories.  We look at those categories today and what they mean.
Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. (Matthew 5:43)

Closed Society
The term neighbor here means friend, but it can also mean countryman.  In Christ's day, the Jews had closed themselves off almost entirely from the outside world.  While they traded with other nations and people, they had little to know friendships with outside cultures.  They looked at the Romans as their oppressors.  To be fair, most regions outside of Italy did.  They looked at the Greeks as vulgar apostates.  Traders from the east were commonly treated as thieves and untrustworthy.  Even those who were partially related, the Samaritans, were counted as unworthy.  Unless you were a Jew, their was no love for you in Judea.

Origins of Misconception
This wasn't a new thought process.  It had actually been commanded by God to Israel at times to hold anger and vitriol against their enemies at times (Exodus 17:14-16,  Deuteronomy 23:6-7, Deuteronomy 25:17).  There were even times where Israel chose to hate those who hated their God (Psalm 139:21-22).  These seem like good evidence for Israel to hold hate for those who misuse them, cheat them and hurt them.  However, looking closer, these instances were for specific circumstances.  Amalek and the worshipers of Baal knew that Israel was God's people and they still tried to attack them.  The enmity that Israel had with these two groups was one of survival.  The Romans, while oppressors, weren't trying to eradicate the Jews.  The Greeks, while heathens, weren't trying to destroy the Jewish religion.  The other groups, while sometimes dishonest, weren't trying to rob Israel of their faith.  Amalek and Baal hated God and that is why Israel was commanded to set themselves against them.  Only with those who choose to hate our Messiah are we to align ourselves in direct opposition.  Even so, God never called for Israel to hate a group of people, just their actions or attitudes.

Flipping the Script
Christ turns things around completely on the common thought when he tells his followers to, "Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;" (v. 44).  We'll go into the specifics of each one of these items tomorrow on ACCESS, but we wanted to primarily focus on the fact that Christ is asking us to return bad for good here.  He wants us to love our enemies, not hate them.  He wants us to bless those who would curse us.  If we took it back to Deuteronomy 23, that's exactly what the followers of Baal had done.  They had tried to curse Israel.  Christ isn't asking for enmity in this case.  He is asking for mercy and blessing.  We are to pray for those who use us, cheat us and persecute us.  That's in line with what Amalek had done.  Christ has completely flipped the script that Israel had implemented for thousands of years.  What had been reserved for 2 groups in 2 specific circumstances had become a habit and excuse for generations.  Christ was correcting man's misuse of God's authoritative commands.

Get Over Ourselves and Get Aligned with God
There are situations where we have felt justified in cutting people out of our lives because of what they have done to us.  They wronged us, sinned against us and damaged our reputation.  Their actions are in direct defiance of God's Word and we feel justified as Christians for cutting them completely off.  However, Christ is asking for a merciful approach.  He's asking us not to use the Word of God as a hammer to crush relationships but as a bridge that connects people to ourselves and God.  Imagine what would happen if we went to those who have wronged us and reached for them according to God's will for their lives.  They won't necessarily stop being our enemies.  Christ doesn't go so far as to reclassify them.  He simply asks us to treat them differently than what others have.   We never know what will happen when we respond to hateful actions with love and grace. Regardless, we will be doing the will of the Lord and that is what is commanded of us. 
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Truth 15: Give 

10/7/2016

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Give and Lend

Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away. (Matthew 5:42)

It's one of the core themes of Christ's mission.  Helping those in need.  We mentioned it in the last lesson, but today's devotion will dive into the concept of giving and it's purpose in the Kingdom of God

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Truth 14

10/5/2016

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The Alternative To Vengeance

We talked last time about the problem with eye for an eye mentality and why it was even mentioned in the Bible.  We saw that it was being exploited in Christ's day, and we can see how it is exploited in today's society as well.  Today, we turn our attention towards the alternatives that Christ presents.  Some of these methods won't sit well with common societal beliefs, but that's the thing about God's ways.  They rarely mesh up with what we as a society think on our own.

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Truth 13

10/3/2016

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An Eye for An Eye

It's one of the most famous lines from the Bible.  Gandhi famously appropriated the phrase as he crusaded for the equality of India.  Many others have used it in similar fashion, attempting to prevail upon the world with the message of acceptance and peace.  What does this phrase mean according to Christ, though?  We begin our search for that answer today.

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Truth 12

9/30/2016

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Yea and Nay

For all the talk we have had about how to make promises and guarantees and what to pledge ourselves by, in the end it all comes down to one of two words.  Yes and No.  In our regular discourse, the best thing we can do is to have a mastery of these two words.  Today we'll talk about this and see if we can come out with a more honest perspective.

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Truth 11

9/28/2016

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The Way NOT to Swear

We looked last time at the importance of keeping our oaths, especially when done unto or in the Name of God.  It's vitally important that we protect the Name of God as it pertains to our witness in everyday life.  If not careful, we'll find our reputation and God's influence severely harmed in the lives of those around us.

Today, we look at some things we should never invoke when we make promises or guarantees in life.   These are some areas that God never wants us to put on the line.  Find out what they are below.

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Truth 10

9/26/2016

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Our Oaths

We turn our attention to two other commandments as Christ continues laying out his hard truths.  This time, it's the fourth and ninth commandments:

Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.
Exodus 20:7

Thou shall not bear false witness against thy neighbour.
Exodus 20:16

What is Christ's perspective on these commandments?  Find out below:

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    Chris Farris is the author of The Way, a manual detailing how to implement  the Beatitudes into your life.  He review events and other media and offers other insights into writing and working for the Kingdom of God.

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