Are You a Peacemaker?

Are You a Peacemaker?                                                     Major Kelly Durant                                               

Matthew 5:9 Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God      

2.Missionaries have always fascinated me. Today our schools teach only secular, sterile, and usually considerably boring history dealing only with war, politics, and power. But the real interesting stories of history are those about people who went to faraway places for the first time like David Livingston, the Scot who was the first white man in deep Africa in the 1800’s. He was almost killed several times but saved by miraculous means; you should read his stories! He made famous the Victoria Falls! How many of you have heard of him or read about him? Not long ago everyone knew of him and his adventures, along with Hudson, Muller, and Wesley. 

One story worth repeating from the 1950s is the Jim Elliot story. He was one of 5 missionaries that were making friends with the Quechua Indians in deep the jungle of Ecuador which had never had any outside contact with modern man before. For weeks they dropped gifts from their airplane but when the day came to land and meet them they were not received well. All five were killed but here is what I want to emphasize: when authorities examined the area later it was discovered the missionaries had loaded guns but they had chosen not to use them! How Christlike that was! It was in Elliot’s diary that it was better to die for Jesus than to kill for him. He was a man of peace. 

The most famous quote from his diary which I love is this one: “You are no fool to give a life you cannot keep, to gain a love you will never lose”.  Over time many of the Indians converted, TTL! 

3. Blessed are the peacemakers! In the end only Jesus’ way and heart changing words brings peace to the human race. When the angels announced Jesus birth to the shepherds, they said, “Peace on earth” (and goodwill to men)! As the old bumper stickers that use to appear on cars reads: ‘Know Jesus, know peace, No Jesus, no peace’.  

Why am I preaching on peace today? Like it or not all of us seem to be exposed to an abundance of people who do not practice peace. Some people have the worldly idea they have to always fight for their own and make their selfish point be highlighted not caring if they are disrupting the peace and harmony of the larger group. I thought I should address this issue because amongst ourselves at times everyone experiences inner family or extended family conflicts. Conflicts happen inside and outside the church and how sad it is to see certain cities and nations right now! Many people have become warmakers, not peacemakers!

James 4:1 (MSG) 4 1-2 Where do you think all these appalling wars and quarrels come from? Do you think they just happen? Think again. They come about because you want your own way, and fight for it deep inside yourselves. You lust for what you don’t have and are willing to kill to get it. You want what isn’t yours and will risk violence to get your hands on it.

4. Many opinions on current events are circulating right now and some confused Christians even believe that God’s justice includes doing something harmful to others to make a point. Romans 3:8 And why not say, “Let us do evil that good may come”? as we are slanderously reported and as some affirm that we say. Their condemnation is just.  The controversial part is that even a few so called Christian Reverends vouch for ‘justice’ by demanding things, but justice is never achieved through mob rule, railing words, or violence. Violence usually has a way of being counter-productive as it just brings about even more violence until someone forgives and stops the cycle of revenge. Romans 12:19 Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord.

5. Regarding character and how to have a controlled one, concerning how we should behave, let’s examine Jesus most famous opening statements to everyone for all generations:  3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (Those who are not full of themselves and proud are ready for heaven) 4 Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. (Those who are empathetic, and offer consolation to others in pain get comfort returned to them) 5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. (The humble, non-aggressive people will win) 6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. (People who want God’s way of doing things) 

7 Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. (People who forgive & love as they want to be loved). 8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. (Those who are not doing anything corrupt, those who are being holy as God is holy) And now the emphasis of today:

9 Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. (So agitators by default would be the children of who? Satan!)

 

5. Jesus Sermon on the Mount was influencing thousands towards the stopping of the cycle of violence in his day. His entire message was always of peace and of loving your enemies, a feat considered impossible by some. Everything about his message and example was diametrically opposed to the lifestyle and message of all so called glorious oppressive dominions. Recall at that time how badly the Hebrews wanted revenge on the cruel enslaving Romans. 

 

Jesus infused a diametrically contradictory governance model into the world on how to conquer by meekness and peaceful means. It was like pouring vinegar on baking soda, the outcome was a reaction that neutralized the harbored bitter properties. This example eventually served as the means to overcome the aggressive Roman Empire with the new Constantine Holy Roman Empire.  In the words of an oriental saying, the teeth are hard and fall out, but the tongue is soft but remains.

 

So why do we have agitators today trying to stir up division however they can? Do you recall the phrase. “Divide and Conquer”, all of these tactics are Satan’s same old game! The recent racial wars, class warfare, and religious disunity are a product of the obvious concerning politically motivated people: They have their own personal gain agenda, and they feed the inner carnal debauched appetites of others for vengeance, violence, and power. 

 

6. Contrary to this there are outstanding examples of people who changed the world for the better and brought peace to many and even to entire nations.

Let’s look at just a few of these modern day peace heroes and peacemakers who were blessed and blessed others. Who has been successful in diffusing race and economic power differences preventing massive deaths in our own century?

 

One of them is Mahatma Gandhi.  The oppressive English lost the battle with him because his way of protesting was by peaceful means, even fasting until the violence and killing stopped. India won independence from England in 1947 after he had protested many times by peaceful means. Non-violence worked because the world felt sorry for the suffering Indians under the English because the violence used against them was excessive. Gandhi attributed the Bible and the Sermon on the Mount as being a big influence in his life.  An International Day of Non-Violence is observed on October the 2nd on the birthday of Mohandas Gandhi to celebrate the effectiveness of the victory won from the outcome of his peaceful protests. 

 

7. Another hero of peace is Nelson Mandela. You are aware how oppressive and segregated the country of South Africa was and unjustly he served 27 years in jail. When he was released having fame due to his writings and support of being an anti-apartheid  freedom fighter for the oppressed, he was exalted to being voted in as the President of the country. On his release he immediately said he was called to be a humble servant and he pleaded for all tribes to unite and to not take revenge on anyone. He made a court system in which if the white oppressors were to come voluntarily and confess their sins against the people and ask forgiveness, forgiveness was granted. Quote, “For to be free is not merely to cast off one's chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others. If you want to make peace with your enemy, you have to work with your enemy, then he becomes your partner”. This outraged all the African blacks that wanted revenge on whites for their crimes, but due to these peaceful measures, he prevented even more bloody massacres from happening. May God bless him in his final days on earth, amen? He lived until he was 95 then he passed away on 12-5-13!

 

8. Americans also recognize one of their own peacemakers, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. who is a modern day hero of civil rights and peace. He spoke at protests emphasizing peace and due to his marches, many laws were changed for and more equal rights were achieved for Afro-Americans. Quote, (I Have a Dream Speech) ”With this faith, we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith, we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together…” I think it is a pity his Christian principles are not emphasized enough. When we compare Dr. MLK to others such as Malcom X, Luis Farakan, and other current voices, his gospel of influence outweighs in all areas.

 

9. When we think of peace what verses come to mind?  

Peace emanates from a person pleasing God.

 

Proverbs 16:7

When a man’s ways please the Lord, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.

The benefits of being a peaceful person brings on God’s blessings and even good health.

 

Peace comes from knowing God’s word and practicing it.

Psalms 119:165

Great peace have they which love thy law and nothing shall offend them.  Someone could offend you and it will not even phase you because you have your value in God, not in opinions.

 

Peace is directly connected to Jesus and the Holy spirit.  

Galatians 5:22

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

 

People who have peace almost always have a face (happy and calm) that reflects that peace. In our case as Christians, we bring peace (or take it back) according to how people receive Jesus message. Matthew 10:13

If the household is worthy, let your peace come upon it. But if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you.   You should be bringing peace to everyone everywhere you go! (If they deserve it!)

 

10. The question today is, are you a real peacemaker as Jesus had intended? I have heard some people in the past take pride in saying, “Oh I’m just brutally honest, I’m just a firey Irish, or I love a good fight”, but these qualities are of the world and not of God. Some people always love going against others just because they enjoy seeing people get bothered and red in the face. 

 

Today God is calling you and me to influence everyone with a peace that is supernatural!  A peace that is divine in nature overwriting your human nature! 

Peace means not speaking loud to express your point trying to dominate every conversation because you believe you know more than others. That is pride. Some people even argue Bible?! 

 

Peace means greeting with a Shalom, or a “Hi”, and talking to a person whom you feel has offended you in the past.

 

Peace implies letting others have contrary opinions to yours, and quite often opinions really do not really matter so much from either you or others! But of course Christians should not tolerate people who offend God’s truth in the Bible so when exposed to moral or blasphemous words, practices, or beliefs, we must speak the truth even if it does disrupt the peace.

 

11. There is a time for peace and a time for war according to Ecc. 3: 8  A time to love,

    And a time to hate;

A time of war,

    And a time of peace.

One must evaluate what fight God wants you to pursue though. If you are standing up against hypocrisy, and against sin as Jesus did, then you are correct to disturb the peace and to bring on a war cry provoking conviction in the hearts of evil doers.

 

In the world today, however, beware that many fights are created only as diversion tactics so someone can pull off some bigger scandal and not be noticed since all the focus is on the hyped conflict. Our world is full of political division. By praying (and being watchful) the Holy Spirt can reveal many truths to you so you fight for the right things at the right time.

 

Jesus chose his fight against sin, but not with the drunks and harlots who would easily recognize their wrongs against God, but He disturbed the peace with the religious hypocrites who were damaging the faith of others by misrepresenting the character of our God of love, peace, and mercy.

 

12. Does your face reflect peace to those around you? Peace-making is a lifestyle that can only be lived out by a person who is filled with Jesus peace and the Holy Spirit.  John 14:27

Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

 

If you are full of Jesus, then you are full of His peace! Will you start becoming more peaceful as of today? In Miami I have heard Cubans yell at each other over stealing parking spots (but that happens most everywhere), but to bring peace to a non-peaceful world is not easy; but with the Holy Spirit you can do it! Ask God for forgiveness, and ask Him to make you a peacemaker.

 

Final prayer…by St. Francis of Assisi

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace,

Where there is hatred, let me sow love;

Where there is injury, pardon;

Where there is doubt, faith;

Where there is despair, hope;

Where there is darkness, light;

Where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master,

grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled, as to console;

to be understood, as to understand;

to be loved, as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive.

It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,

and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life.

Amen. 

How to Avoid Manipulation -What Jesus Taught Us When Pressured!

How to Avoid Manipulation -What Jesus Taught Us When Pressured!              

By Major Kelly Durant

John 8:1  Jesus went unto the mount of Olives. ²And early in the morning he came again into the temple, and all the people came unto him; and he sat down, and taught them. ³And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst,⁴They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act ⁵Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou? ⁶This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not. ⁷So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. ⁸And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground. ⁹And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. ¹⁰When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? ¹¹She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.

2-Have you ever been suckered at a Carnival or at some game? I recall once when I was 11 I had saved up $6 for about 6 months. When you are age 11 money is hard to come and at that time it would have been worth about $60 today. I was shooting at a target with a BB gun and almost getting all the area shot out with a hole big enough to win. They would trick me so good and say, “Keep playing son, you almost won!” I played over and over for almost an hour and a half and spent all my money. Later I felt like such a fool to have wasted all that hard earned money. I was young and learned my lesson, but in life many of us are predisposed to accept abuse because we want to gain something out of pride, something that we may not really need. We all can get easily misled!

3-Have you ever felt that people all around you are trying to manipulate you? You are not alone! You may first think it is junk mail and TV advertisers, politicians, and Uncle Sam that are trying to convince you against your will and opinion but actually most manipulation occurs with those closest to us!  To manipulate another person for personal gain is a sin and God will hold those who do it guilty for it. Beware.

Many people grow up in abusive homes and you should determine what kind of an example your parents and relatives gave you. Was it good or bad? When either the father or the mother withholds something from the other, hoping to obtain some personal item, usually a luxury item or money, then that is manipulation and abuse! And it can get violent! 

Like they say, “People use people and love things, when they should love people and use things”. I personally get angry when I feel taken for a fool, and you?

4-Before exploring more about the deceitfulness of people for personal gain let’s look at Jesus forgiveness for the prostitute sinner. What is the main lesson of this incident? That God will show mercy on all sinners, no matter how many accuse and want to punish, right? It is a comfort to know that God will love the worst of the worst and forgive.

This is a beautiful lesson and we all should feel relief that if God forgave her, then He can forgive you and me! But let’s dig deeper here. Usually we focus on the prostitute, but what were the other ones in the street doing? All of Jesus actions always have multi-faceted lessons for us to learn by, many teachings all in one. We know and understand forgiveness from these verses. Now, what do we learn about the accusers? 

It seems obvious that the scribes and Pharisees wanted to manipulate Jesus and the crowd to their cruel way of doing things. What was their way? The condemning self-righteous, double-standard way! Jesus exposed them! Did they stick around and tell Jesus later, “Oh I am so sorry I had such maliciousness in my heart”?  No! They went home angry or convicted for Jesus interfering with their conscious and system of doing things!

If Jesus were to have said: “Agreed, she broke the law and she is worthy of death”, then He would have been allowing the merciless hypocrites to manipulate Him. But what were His words that shocked all like a bomb going off?  7”He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her”.

5-Here clearly Jesus is resisting and not playing the game of the hypocrites. What happened as a result is that all of them had to walk away because in their hearts they knew they were guilty of sin too! Jesus had the divine gift of knowing how to expose sin and stop abuse by those who just wanted the power, control, and manipulation. 

Now let’s apply this to our lives at home! When a relative or a friend tries to get you to agree with them on something not quite right, and you feel that pull of the spirit inside you making you feel that it is wrong, what should you do? You should be silent a moment and reflect just like Jesus did!

When they came to pressure Jesus, did he jump right into the discussion? No, we read He wrote on the ground. Haven’t you ever wondered what he wrote? I have many times!  But it seems Jesus was giving all of them time to calm down, time for them to shut up so he could speak.  It worked because when He asked who didn’t have sin, let him throw the first stone, they were all very quiet for sure!

Never let others manipulate you to get you in on the game of gossip, accusations, or bullying another person. People always want to manipulate you and anyone they can to their way of thinking as it usually gives them the advantage over you. They have arguments that if you do not agree with them then you are a hater, a racist, and the worst kind of sinner that exists! But hypocrites cannot take the truth the truth that they are a terrible sinner as well!

6-There is a time to forgive, but when a serious sin is harming someone it should be addressed by church leaders, or community leaders for correction. There are 2 sides to the coin. Proverbs 11:14 Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety.

I am thankful that in The Salvation Army we must do all decisions, in councils. The Pastoral Councils are the ones who put many heads together to see how to handle something wrong in the Corps or community. It creates a big problem when either the Officers or a certain leader decides to do some punishment on their own with no one’s council or advice.  By experience I have seen this never works. Like with the Pharisees, they got exposed to the fact that they had no authority to judge and condemn due to their own sins.

7-The deceitful part is throwing stones makes some people feel holy, it is a holier–than-thou platform. However, when condemning the sin of another, as Jesus points out, one must take into account one’s own sins. God shows mercy to repentant sinners, and we should too.

All things we see in life should be handled by prayer. Sometimes there is a time to expose and meet and deal with a sin and other times it is a time to be silent. 1 Peter 4:8 And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.

There are times to point out sin. I John 2: 1, 2 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: 2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

8-What we learn today is how to handle sin and the errors of others without being manipulated into condemning someone without mercy. We must apply in our lives the lesson of Jesus’ forgiveness and also of the exposure of the hypocrite scribes and Pharisees.  Due to pride, power abuse, and deceitfulness, they were manipulated by Satan in their hearts. In the end, all they wanted was to see blood, and see Jesus admit they were right. But they were evil and wrong! Never let anyone lead or manipulate you! To agree with the hypocrite makes you guilty of his sin as well!

Christians must be strong and become the most difficult people on earth to manipulate, use, or abuse! Resist lies, intimidation, and negative violence! Take time out like Jesus. Let the dust settle before acting on anything. Safeguard yourself with prayer and with more knowledge of God’s Word, and share any disturbing news with someone strong in the faith who can help you get through it. Others may have more facts than what you do. Live in the truth and you will always see the truth of motives!

 

Troubles & Worries, But No Despair!

Troubles & Worries, But No Despair     Kelly Durant    8-8-15 (Re 9-13-20)

2 Corinthians 4:7-9

7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.8 We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; 9 Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; 

2. Have you every screamed out loud, really cried out, to the Lord for help in distress?  One time my wife and I were traveling between Bogota & Cucuta in our 1984 Ford Fairmont. (In our 14 years abroad we only owned a car for 2 years) There are many steep mountainous cliffs on the way there and no ledges to pull off onto and many crashes occur when one semi-truck passes another between the mountain and the cliffs. The problem is coming around the curving mountains you are blinded to never know when you will face 2 trucks head on head on with one passing another! 

This very scenario happened to me and my wife and by a miracle a small edge appeared by the cliff side and we pulled over on it to break to a frightening stop as 2 trucks passed us on that pitch dark single lane road. My wife and I both cried out, “Jesus, Jesus save us!” Instead of going off the edge of a mountain we were saved! How could God time it so precise with that ledge to save us! God has saved us from death many times, actually! Thanks be to God we did not die of heart failure either!

A near death experience, a sudden fear, or an accident will drive you seek God! It is just a natural response to either cry out to God, or to curse God, depending on your heart’s condition! Many times bad things happen to good people and in the end only God knows why. All we can do is accept that God has a plan and obviously His will is being done even though we may not like it, agree with it, or understand it. 

It is painfully hard, but we have to accept that we are just frail people in frail bodies living in a broken sinful world where many tragedies happen daily! Our bodies, and our spirits housed within them, are not of iron but of clay and they can break easily. But if we seek Him, God can be our strength keeping us together. 7 “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.” The power we have to endure all our fragilities living in these jars made of clay comes from God! To Him is the glory forever!

3. Each one of us here have had times of troubles and despair and most everyone relates to King David’s clamors to God in the Psalms. Psalms 3:4 I cried unto the LORD with my voice, and he heard me out of his holy hill. Selah. Have you ever yelled out to God for help? I have often!

The anguishes and pains we suffer in this life are very real and do hurt so much they often leave us with a scar. How many of you have scars on your bodies? What about a scar from a traumatic experience? Pain changes each of us! We either become close friends with God praying the whole time for hope and healing, or we may become embittered as those who have no faith, who curse God for allowing evil to happen to them or a loved one. I have met many bitter people in my life, and some of them have even been “so called” Christians. I hope you are not one of them here today!  How sad, right?  Here is a poem to reflect deeper …

       THE SCAR    by Kelly Durant

1-Writhen tissue

A deadened stain

Disfigured past

Evident pain

 

2-Nakedly exhibits

Itself indifferently

To the cringing, ill world

Indiscriminately

 

3-Exposed surface

Imbedded screams

Painted trauma

Recanting dreams

 

4-Cruelty left its mark

Let it be diminished

By the hope of God in

Surroundings unblemished

Cursing God gets no one anywhere! Job’s wife saw Job so miserable after losing his wealth, health, and family (who were killed by robbers) that she in Job 2:9 said this, “Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die!” If Job would have done that he would have died in despair, failure, and humiliated by Satan, but He answered her to the contrary. 10 But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips.

4. Sometimes our pain in life can come from empathy as we suffer when someone we love suffers. Some Christians have this compassionate quality of love, but not all. People that truly love others are capable of putting their selves in the shoes, mind, and body of another. This connectedness causes you or me to want to help, console, and show compassion in the very way Jesus intended for us to do it in our love for one another.  Matthew 14:14 And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick.

In desperate times our prayers need more desperation! You may even need to scream and cry and let God know how hurt you feel! A little silent prayer will not do when you or I are under stress and afraid for an uncertain or difficult future. Let God know how you feel! God loves to feel us, hear us, and answer us! That is how David did it! His passionate prayers and songs are an encouragement to us even 3,000 years later!

To obtain comfort from God we must converse with Him in prayer! We must gain strength from Him by reading His Word! And we must support one another by doing what we can to make life easier in some way! 1 John 3:17 But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? 

5. The verses of today continue, 2 Cor.4:8 “We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;” After you let it out and vocalize it in prayer, what should you do?  Should you stay awake and worry? Worry does nothing except bring you bad health! Over time it will bring you depression and insanity as well!  

God knows that everyone will have troubles in this life but through Him and the Holy Spirit, He desires that none of us suffer to the point of becoming psychotic, crazy mad, or falling into a manic despair. Despair should never be a condition of a Christ following child of God! God will comfort us with the Holy Spirit if we ask for it. (John 14:26)  It has been so hard for me to practice this next verse, but I have done my best in the past. Psalm 3: 5 “I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the LORD sustained me.” 

This seems so contradictory, David is distressed for his life as He could be killed any day by his enemies or Saul, but yet he writes that he is able to go to sleep in peace because he is trusting in God! Now that is faith and trust in God for real!

6. So what do we need to learn when we are in terrible situations? To take an attitude that after you cry out, after you pray, that you will trust God for the answer to the point you let God stay awake and not you!

David gave all his burdens to the Lord and then he went to bed! Have you ever prayed and trusted that intensely? Have you felt that intensity of peace from God’s Holy Spirit after prayer and then gone to sleep like that? This is true confidence, when a calm trust comes over you!

We hope in God knowing that He is the one who will do the miracles. After all He is in control of everything and there is nothing we can do that is going to override His supreme will. Our prayers will often get positive results, but God does want to see if we will honor Him or not.

7. Pain also is often the results of man’s cruelty to man. I sometimes get very concerned and worried over the current and future persecutions of Christians. I know their pain is very real and I suffer with them! After all about 13 million Christians have recently been displaced in the Middle East and are living in tents hiding from religious persecution. We want to save and heal in the name of God, and others want to kill in the name of their false god. Psalm 3:6 “I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people that have set themselves against me round about”. 

Being afraid is something that grips you making your insides shake but it is something that God wants us as Christians to reject because we ultimately trust in Him for our lives and for our deaths! Multitudes of horribly evil people in society around the world are against you and me as Christians, but we do not tremble, despair, or lose our minds! 

What is David referring to here? He was at war with the pagan nations around him! They all hated him and were hunting for him wanting him dead. Have you ever felt like, that thousands are hating you? We are at war against the world’s evils and it never is God fault that men chose evil instead of good. God and Jesus are there to save and heal us, but always recall suffering is Satan’s idea as a means of destroying us in this life and in the one to come.

8. If you are truly righteous, telling your friends about Jesus, you will be hated by Satan, his demons, and those who do evil! I want to tell you something shocking, if you really stand up for what is right, it is inevitable, you will have enemies and you will be afraid at times! Satan at some time or another will put you to the test as He did to Jesus.

And this takes us to the last part of the verse in 2 Cor.4: 9 “Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;”  As Christians we are persecuted by our adversary, the Devil, and he sometimes may cause us physical harm. We must also recognize that our enemies are often those who make us worry and stress, and invoke on us spiritual anguish! 

Evil people may even attack us! Persecution often includes more than just offensive words, it may mean a loss of a job, an embarrassing defamation of character, or as in other countries, a loss of home and belongings with the possibility of death or the death of one’s loved ones. 

9. The pain we suffer in life often is an attack from Satan, but even in the midst of the trial we can recall that we can defeat Him as Jesus did when He was tempted. You may be faint, you may be sick but in the end God will win the victory for you if you do not give up!   

Amongst Christians though, each of us must be united to stand against those who are evil! We must fight when Satan harms any one of us in any way! Remember the fight is not amongst our selves as Christians (unless someone is obviously violating God’s principles) but our fight is against the principalities of darkness and spiritual wickedness!

Apart from the evils of accidents and sicknesses in this fallen world, we witness right here in our community many people practicing destructive devices from Satan. There is amongst all races exploitations and abuse, sexual trafficking, immigrant trafficking, voodoo, gang activities, and more! Drugs, prostitution, and fraud are everywhere and these evils bring cruel suffering upon our neighbors. We are called to do our part to save the victims and alleviate the suffering!

10. The question is, if God hears the cries of you and me and of everyone who is a victim in distress, are you willing to also hear, see, and show compassion and do something? God has no hands but ours to do good! You and I are called to love as Jesus did, and to put bandages on the broken as the Good Samaritan did while on his way to Jericho. The reason the Salvation Army exists and came to be was for its compassionate members to bless others with love, compassion, and prayer in this horrible hell of a world! But when a Christian loses their salty flavor, when they have no compassion or love, then God’s heart and many people suffer!

What is our response when there is pain? 1) To cry out to God praying to Him when in troubles and distress!  2) To trust God totally claiming His Word to us calm down so we sleep   3) To trust that God will avenge those who persecute or do evil, and   4) In the end, accept that salvation and blessings will come from God over time for trusting in Him!

Psalm 3:8 “Salvation belongeth unto the LORD: thy blessing is upon thy people”. It seems so simple, but it is true, God bestows to us who trust in Him healing, salvation, and blessings! How many of you feel like you are in a desperate situation right now and you need to cry out to Jesus? Trust in Him and accept His will and you will live in peace.

We Are Family! Those that are true to the Lord, that is!

We Are Family!                               Kelly Durant   1-16-17 (Re 9-

 

Ps 68:4-6

4 Sing unto God, sing praises to his name: extol him that rideth upon the heavens by his name JAH, and rejoice before him.

5 A father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widows, is God in his holy habitation.

6 God setteth the solitary in families: he bringeth out those which are bound with chains: but the rebellious dwell in a dry land

 

   2. Back in the 70s there was a picture of a young child carrying another child on his back. It looked like the one carrying the child was having a hard time since the other one was so big. Someone asked, “Isn’t he too heavy for you to carry?” And the child responded, “He aint heavy, he is my brother.”

 

   Those that are family are never a burden, we do not get rid of them, they eat with us, they laugh with us, they share the deepest things of their heart with us, and they are in a special class that others do not have. We are a part of the family of God and His name is above all family names and we must live with the utmost respect, nobility, and honor.

 

  All true Christians and those who know God promote families and the protection of women and children, today we will reflect on this. Part of the reason for my choice of this subject is because soon we will be participating in the Salvations Army’s anti-trafficking initiative which is a major assault on families.. Want to support? Visit the web, pray, be alert!

 

   3. It was recognized in the past decades that Latinos and many immigrants had strong family ties and values.  I recall in the 70s people would comment that the minorities and immigrants always brought with them a strong family value and this was good for the country. Today however, the disease of sin, the filth from Hollywood and media debauchery, has divided a majority of families, and immigrants have almost the same statistics as everyone else in the area of divorce, single motherhood, and criminality when compared to the rest of the population. The brainwashing has been too effective!

 

  Notice in the Psalm verses of today, that as always we are prompted to praise God, and to be happy in his presence. And why is that? Because He is… A father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widows, God in his holy habitation cares and knows about all our situations. This means that God is there for you and for those who do not have a family nearby. God is especially near to those with circumstances that make it hard for them to survive. My emotions went ecstatic when I read this verse for the first time and I suddenly felt and knew that God had replaced my earthly father in a way far beyond my expectations! The Word of my Father God, the wisdom, the comfort, the salvation, has impacted me beyond what any human can offer. Psalm 27:10 When my father and my mother forsake me, Then the Lord will take care of me.

 

  And one of my favorite verses is the one of focus today: “God setteth the solitary in families: he bringeth out those which are bound with chains: but the rebellious dwell in a dry land”. Lets’ examine how God does this, how wonderful He is!

 

   4. Throughout the world, in almost all churches, if you are a brother in Christ, then there is the idea that you have received a new spirit, and new way of life. Therefore, you become a person of trust, and brothers in the faith open their doors to you and you can stay with them as if they were family. If you are a lonely person and solitary then you could be close to a larger family and this is how we all become one big family in God!

 

  Throughout the years Regina and I have stayed with dozens and dozens of Christians  while traveling, or arriving in a new country, and most all of them treated us as family, some even lent us their own bed to sleep in! What a great thing to have the same Father God and Jesus Christ, to have a unity of purpose and faith. We too have had dozens upon dozens of people stay in our homes over the years too because this is just how Christian families work. God intended for his created humanity to live in love and harmony, that we would be One under His awesome presence. This is how the fist disciples lived.

 

Matt 19:29

29 And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life. 

With this verse you and I are impressed that the followers of Jesus had to give up their families in the flesh to do a greater work for God traveling and evangelizing, but by doing so they gained a hundred more families in the process!

 

    5. Do you as a Christian right now have a half dozen friends that will take you into their home if you need it? Will you take into your home brothers of the faith? Families are not produced by indifference towards others; they are established by love, patience, and a good heart keeping them together! This is freedom, freedom from the chains of the materialistic world that puts money and food costs above relationships and compassion. 

 

Let’s look at the second half of verse 6 in the verses of today in Psalm 68:6 

“but the rebellious dwell in a dry land”. Some people do not have anywhere to stay because of their rebellion against God! No one wants complicated sinful people nearby bringing you problems!

 

What does this imply? Let’s look at family situations. What happens when sin gets in the middle of the fellowship, when one of the brothers or sisters starts living unholy, or speaking ugly things, or hurts another?  When one is rebellious and does not support the home financially, or spiritually, what happens? Conflicts, fights, anger, bitterness, hate, vices, and then worse things happen right? 

 

  Someone usually leaves because they do not wish to tolerate all the problems and abuse. And what happens in the end to those that are rebellious, who do wrong against God and their own kind? They suffer the judgments of God and end up alone and are cursed to live a life as one who lives lost in the desert with no friendships, joys, or happiness. I have known many people that no one wants to talk to because they have an angry ungodly character.

 

   6. I have seen people leave families and even the church family due to the abuses they have suffered, because of the sins of another which hurt them. This is sad. Look up Prov 18:19 ‘A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city: and their contentions are like the bars of a castle’.  But like it or not Jesus commands us to forgive all! But not everyone knows how to ask God to help them get through what they consider offensive.

 

  Not just in our church family, but I am sure in your flesh family you have suffered through abuses and divisions, ex-communications, and even divorces. Sin is rebelliousness and it has its effects, it destroys family households and Christian fellowships! And as we see in riots today, angry sinful people that destroy everything they touch like a child of Satan! Only God can save them, but they have to ask Him!

 

  In today’s world we see the disintegration of families so severe that only one in three people actually live in a family in the U.S.! Jesus and His love and forgiveness are the only answer to restore and heal and put people back together!

 

  7. Today Satan is at war against families and society! Satan wants to destroy people cursing them to live spiritually in a dry desert land which is a type of hell, and then when they die the hell continues in their solitude and despair! Notice how has Satan has unprecedentedly destroyed families in the past millennia? We notice how wars between races, nations, and tribes provokes death and dozens of millions are forced to move and immigrate due to the conditions of suffering. Divisions, in-fighting, and hate and murder which goes with it separates everyone on massive scales. But Jesus love can bring us together like family!

 

   And what about those that would have experienced the joys of having a family had it not been for abortion? What about those who would have fallen in love and made a family had it not been for someone convincing them that they were not cool and that to be accepted by the rebellious, political Hollywood crowd that they needed to have a relationship that goes against nature? Feminism and many other recent movements exist for the sole purpose of contaminating others with bitterness and hate so that people learn to reject the love of God and separate themselves from those that would love and support them. Political correctness is a set of anti-Biblical rules and they are destructive and self-sabotaging!

 

   And now, what about families that were united and happy until politics obsessed the minds of a few to the point they preferred to part ways with their brothers and sisters? Satan’s pride and bitterness is alive today working through politics and religion and very few want to just ‘let things go’ when they have a different idea or a misinformed view of other people and events. I am tired of the demonization of others with fake news, no one is perfect except Jesus, and only God will judge guilty souls. But you and I should refuse to take part in throwing more gasoline on the fire! Even Paul rebuked others for identifying with men, wanting political and spiritual leaders as supreme guides.  1 Corinthians 3:4 For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?

 

  8. The message of Jesus, and of this church is; we are family! The message of Jesus to all who receive Him is: I am family with you and I lay down my life for you! Despite our sins, despite the sins of others, God’s word promises us that we can still have a spiritual family, even if your own reject you!   John 1:11

He came unto his own, and his own received him not.

So if you have kin who love to fight, divide, attack, and impose what they believe on you and others, just let them be. The rebellious live in a dry land and you should not follow them out to their dry places of misery! We are heaven bound!

 

  You as a Christian have the job to forgive, heal and restore all who you can into God’s family! But not all will! A horse can be brought to the water but that does not mean he will drink! And it’s so strange when you think about how we as Christians can be close to those who are very different from ourselves in race and customs and it is all because we have the same faith in Jesus. What more does the word say about families? How should you behave?  1 Tim 5:8

8 If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. 

 

Keeping a family alive requires maintaining support, love, and care. In families there exists a required sense of responsibility, but if we are unfaithful to others in our own family of the faith, how can God bless us? 

 

  9. In heaven we will all be one big happy family, and there… there will no longer be any more class division, race, and sin issues! No more need to have people demanding social justice as God’s righteousness will reign over all. We will be dancing in the streets as one big family! Let’s live now on earth full of love for all as it is in heaven!

 

Do feel like you are in dry land spiritually? Do you know someone who is in a dry land in your family or church? Maybe it is because you have not opened the door of your heart and home to make them feel at home! But if you have and they have not wanted it, you did your part. Just pray for them, that’s what we do! Just live holy, loving, inclusive, and heavenly minded!

 

God never blesses selfishness; no one can expect others to take them in as family if they are not willing to take in others themselves! To make families and to be a church which is one family, we must seek to love with God’s love and receive all! Pray to have a spirit of family today! The family of God is our real family, amen?