By Joshua and Zechariah
Bless Those Who Curse You
We have decided to make a joint post because God has been working in both of our lives and focusing us on the importance of the spiritual truth behind blessing our enemies rather than harboring bitterness, resentment and unforgiveness. We hope that those of you who have been in similar situuations as us will find value in this spiritual principle of blessing the ones who have caused you pain.
As we continue to work through the hurt and anger our abusers have caused, we have come to a place where we no longer simply view our abusers as our abusers, but rather God has shown us that they are victims as well. Victims in a sense that they have believed the lie that power is obtained through various forms of control such as in the physical, sexual or emotional abuse of others. In their mindset, gaining control over another person means that they themselves are free from control– and staying in control will relieve them of their feelings of powerlessness. But this lie is actually causing and fueling their misery, holding them in slavery.
Slavery
Jesus answered them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin.” (John 8:34 NKJV)
Slavery leading to death
Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living. (Romans 6:16 NLT)
As hard as it may be to fathom, Jesus loves our abusers just as much as He loves us. Jesus desires to set them free from their slavery to sin and the bondage Satan has them in. Jesus has shown us that we should not let our emotions control our mindset, rather we need to take a more mature perspective by praying for our abusers and their deliverance from the web of lies that they live under and the misery that drives them to hurt others.
To imagine the depraved state of mind someone must be in to hurt innocent and helpless children in an effort to gain “power” gives us a better understanding of our abusers and helps us pray for them more effectively.
Bless those who curse you
But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. (Matthew 5:44, 45)
If this message has resonated with you, and you feel that the Holy Spirit is prompting you to pray for your “enemies” please join both of us in the following prayer:
Jesus,
We pray for the people that have hurt us so deeply. We ask that you would break through the lies that they believe about who You are and show them that even in the midst of their chaos, You love and care for them, and desire for them to experience the freedom and peace that they have never known. We know that they too have been abused and that as wrong as it is, they are only doing to others what has been done to them. Show them that they do not have to continue to find release by hurting others, as they have been hurt. We pray that you would break through the darkness and despair that they live in and touch them with your love in a way that they can understand. We ask that in your sovereignty, Jesus, you would open their eyes to Satan’s true intentions with their lives, and show them yours. In Jesus name, amen.
Zechariah and Joshua Manning
By Pastor Matthew
CELEBRATING INDEPENDENCE DAY
As a Believer in Jesus Christ
Our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there,
the Lord Jesus Christ. (Philippians 3:20 )
Every year on Independence Day, America celebrates its freedom from British rule. However, as citizens of heaven who
are only also American citizens, we daily have a more significant liberty to celebrate. As we spend time with family and friends this Independence day, I would like to pose a question to every Christian believer that reads this post and have you stop for a brief moment and ponder the truth within the following Scriptures:
What freedom do citizens of heaven have to celebrate?
Freedom from bondage
“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed. (Luke 4:18)
Freed by Christ
Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. They answered him, We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free? Jesus replied, I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. (John 8:32-36)
Freedom is universally desired
And free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. (Heb 2:15)
They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity–for a man is a slave to whatever has mastered him. (2 Pet 2:19)
Freed from the law of sin and death
Because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. (Rom 8:2)
Freed from the bondage of satisfying God’s law
To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. (1 Cor 9:21)
This matter arose because some false brothers had infiltrated our ranks to spy on the freedom we have in Christ Jesus and to make us slaves. (Gal 2:4)
For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman and the other by the free woman. His son by the slave woman was born in the ordinary way; but his son by the free woman was born as the result of a promise. (Gal 4:22-23)
But what does the Scripture say? “Get rid of the slave woman and her son, for the slave woman’s son will never share in the inheritance with the free woman’s son.” 31 Therefore, brothers, we are not children of the slave woman, but of the free woman. 5:1 It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. (Gal 4:30)
Freed from the sins committed under the first covenant
For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance–now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant. (Heb 9:15)
Freed from our sins by his blood
And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, (Rev 1:5)
Freed from accusation
But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation (Col 1:22)
Freed from the power of sin
Because anyone who has died has been freed from sin … 18 You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness … 20 When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness … 22 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. (Rom 6:7)
Caution: Do not think your freedom is permission to sin
Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God. (1 Pet 2:16)
You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. (Gal 5:13)
Free to approach God with confidence
In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence. (Eph 3:12)
Freed from spiritual blindness
But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. (2 Cor 3:16)
Freed from the curse of a decaying body
That the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. (Rom 8:21)
Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. (1 John 3:2)
Free to be a slave to others (WHAT YOU SAY?)
Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. (1 Cor 9:19)
The other man’s conscience, I mean, not yours. For why should my freedom be judged by another’s conscience? (1 Cor 10:29)
Caution: Don’t let your freedom from the law lead others to violate their consciences
Be careful, however, that the exercise of your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak. (1 Cor 8:9)
Freed by the law of love
But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it–he will be blessed in what he does. (James 1:25)
Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom (James 2:12)
So What Is The Christian’s Declaration Of Independence?
I am free from failure for “I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me.” (Phil.4:13)
I am free from want for “My God shall supply all my need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” (Phil:4:19)
I am free from fear for “God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” (2Tim1:7)
I am free from doubt for “God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.” (Rom. 12:3)
I am free from weakness, “the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” (Ps.27:1)
I am free from the power of Satan “because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.” (1Jn.4:4)
I am free from defeat “Now thanks be to God, which always causes us to triumph in Christ.” (2Cor.2:14)
I am free from ignorance, “for Christ Jesus has given to me wisdom from God.” (1Cor.1:30)
I am free from the eternal result from sin “for the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses me from all sin.” (1 Jn.1:7)
I am free from worry “for I am to cast all my cares upon Him.” (1Pet.5:7)
I am free from bondage “for where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.” (2Cor.3:17)
I am free from condemnation, “for there is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” (Rom. 8:1)
