Love Your Enemies

[ciy]

Check out the following article.  The gospel is hard for people to take.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/global/main.jhtml?xml=/global/2007/02/01/wosama101.xml

CIY

[longhorn]

Probably the greatest revalation to me personally after having my Eyes opened (and by the way one of my favorite teachings of Ray's is..... We are the BEAST.

Love in Christ

Longhorn

P.S.  as I poorly type this it is raining, sleeting, and snowing all at the same time.  Got to go feed all the animals.  It will be fun, I love the snow.  wish yall could see all the cows standing around looking at me like.. how bout a couple of bales of hay out here buddy.

[DWIGHT]

Wait till they find out that one day God will save him!!

Dwight

[SandyFla]

Oh, Dwight ... what a HORRIBLE thought! LOL

Yes, thank God, even Osama bin Laden will be saved. And he'll be saved so completely that we won't have to worry about him trying to kill anyone.

Sandy

[Deborah-Leigh]

Longhorn

  how bout a couple of bales of hay out here buddy. .....   I can relate to waiting for part D from Ray!

Peace to you

Arcturus

[rk12201960]

  Just wait when they learn its God who directs everything in the world.
Also I'm sure they shown lots more people their sign than the church has. When will they learn they have no FREE WILL.
By objecting they advertise.
Who amoung you can hide from the Creator!
Randy

[gmik]

Unbelievable that "Christians" would object to that.  Yes Jesus loves him.  Yes He forgives him.  Yes we should pray for him. Ummm, I think that IS the gospel!!!

Just another reason why I am outta christendom.

gena

[Deborah-Leigh]

Ignorance is not bliss....the controversy and confusion that this ignited is from not knowing that in Osama's circumstances any one of us could be him. Anyone of us could have been Adolph Hitler, Judas Iscariot or even Paul of Tarsus.

"God is the potter......He will have mercy on whom He will have mercy."

Peace to you

Arcturus

[PKnowler]

I think it's pretty cool! You don't see many churches out there taking a righteous stand like this.
It looks like they are taking Christ's message to love their enemies seriously!

A quote from the article:
"We are saying that Jesus Christ loves everyone in the world, even this man. ... All we are doing is sharing the gospel."

Praise God! That blesses me!

~Paula

[Sorin]

How many of them in the church, or how many of you, love Osama? I think that's the question. Even if Jesus does love Osama, Osama is going to pay. So I would put up a sign that says Osama will pay. I mean, God destroys people, even babies, all day long, why would He give Osama a hug and a kiss?

Have we forgotten about the OT? So I think that sign is misleading people into thinking that all Osama has to do is say a little sinner's prayer before he dies and he will be saved, ascending into heaven upon death and will never be held accountable for his crimes. Sure he is a terrorist and slaughtered many innocent lives, but it's okay, Jesus loves him. So, no, I don't like that sign.

[PKnowler]

How many of them in the church, or how many of you, love Osama? I think that's the question. Even if Jesus does love Osama, Osama is going to pay. So I would put up a sign that says Osama will pay. I mean, God destroys people, even babies, all day long, why would He give Osama a hug and a kiss?

Have we forgotten about the OT? So I think that sign is misleading people into thinking that all Osama has to do is say a little sinner's prayer before he dies and he will be saved, ascending into heaven upon death and will never be held accountable for his crimes. Sure he is a terrorist and slaughtered many innocent lives, but it's okay, Jesus loves him. So, no, I don't like that sign.

Sorin, I am sorry if I offended you by my post. I understand what you mean but let me explain the way I see it.

Like Arcturus said "anyone of us could have been Adolph Hitler, Judas Iscariot or even Paul of Tarsus."

Given the right set of circumstances none of us are beyond anything! Christ died for us while we were yet sinners.
The Love of Christ can say "forgive them Father for they no not what they do."

We were all dead in our trespasses and sins before we accepted Christ atoning sacrifice and were quickened to newness of life.

Romans 5: 6-8 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.

8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

The scriptures say to know no man after the flesh.

2 Corinthians 5:16
    Wherefore we henceforth know no man after the flesh: even though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now we know [him so] no more.

Another translation
GWT: So from now on we don't think of anyone from a human point of view. If we did think of Christ from a human point of view, we don't anymore.

What that means to me is that we don't look at the sins of a person because none of us are finished yet. (For lack of better words)
An unregenerate sinner is going to sin! So I don't look at God's love through me as an emotion but a decision because of what Christ did for me. Does that make sense?

I have more to say but I need to wrap this up- my hubby's coming home!

Blessings, Paula 

[Deborah-Leigh]

Ray's latest audio on Love nails this discussion into its correct perspective.

We love all with agape love on a one way street as does God loves His creatures and we love only our brethren with Phileo love. We are not huggy kissy with terrorists and murderers who will not see the kingdom of God. We are not obliged to love evil.

Peace to you

Arcturus

[DWIGHT]

Once again our eloquent sister out of Africa has nailed it.   Sorin, if you haven't heard the audio on love do so; it's wonderful and really has cleared up this whole thread of love that we had last week. 

In Him,

Dwight

[longhorn]

I think it means that I am happy that Osama will be reconciled to God after the "Lake of fire",  I rejoice that someday his eyes and ears will be opened,,, but in the meantime, I would love to shove his face in a fresh steaming hot pile of cow manure.

Longhorn

[rrammfcitktturjsp]

Longhorn,

  Beautiful and witty as usual.  Thanks for making me smile today.

  Sincerely,



  Anne C. McGuire

[Deborah-Leigh]

.....our eloquent sister out of Africa..........

You are giving me a good name Dwight

Thank you brother for recognising the grace of His gift in me, working through Ray to bless us us directly with Godly wisdom and the mind of Christ.

Peace to you

Arcturus

[jennie]

Longhorn, I like that idea!!! Just make sure the manure is real fresh! I know it doesn't change the situation but it surely makes us feel better sometimes.

My daughter and our family friend have on ongoing joke about church signs. I hope it is okay to share it in this area. If I don't write it down now, I'll forget to write it later. The most recent sign was " Don't wait to go to church until you have to be carried in by six men". I didn't get it (not too quick on the pick-up) but apparrently after they explained to me , it meant don't wait until your 6 pallbearers carry you in. I don't even see the point of it! There are losts of signs around here on every church sign.
Gotta tell ya'll this... ya'll know we live in a very small country area. At the Christmas parade downtown this year there was a float with the manger scene and a big sign over it, " Merry Christmas... brought to you by Dirty ..........Adult store!
Our parades also have big ol' 4-wheel drive trucks on them, a marching band, motorcycles and people riding horses and driving wagons bringing up the rear. Our town still has the manger scene on the court house lawn, our American flag and a big marble stone with all our soldiers , living and dead from our town. We used to have a big old oak tree on the corner but it got cut down beause it got sick so now w have a marble bench with the story of the tree etched on it. They just moved the jailhouse here a while back but when it was on the town square, you could go to the post office and the prisoners would holler down at you. Around here if you don't someone personally you know their family from generations back. I could go in the P.O. and often hear" Hey Miss Jennie!" being called out through the bars and of course I would holler back asking how they were ! funny , HUH? Much love and laughs , Jennie

[PKnowler]

Thanks for reminding me about Ray's study on love Arcturus. I finally listened to it this morning. It is very good. I learned a new way to say Agape. Instead of Ah-gah-pee it's Ah-gah-pey- or Ah-gah-pao.

I found it interesting how Ray brought out the fact that God loves those who love Christ with a phileo (brotherly) love because we love Christ.  He loves the world with a Agape love. Agape love is a one way street, it is not reciprocated, nor is it based on emotions or a persons actions. What freedom there is to have the love of Christ to Agape the sinner but hate the sin! We do not have to be bound by hate or revenge.

Blessings, Paula

[Deborah-Leigh]

Hello Paula

I am glad you listened to Ray's teaching on love.

It was totally liberating for me.

Now that I have the tools to discern the LOVE word of God, I am more ably equipped to deal with the different expectations that have had me in bondage all my life! I was taught to always be polite even if it was to Satan himself! Guess where I got that teaching?!......Now I am much better off to have received the wonderful distinction between Godly one way love and two way affection for the brethren. The expectation to show affection, subliminal agreement and tolerance for wickedness was always a torture rack on my heart and soul and this teaching has rendered me free at last!

I wonder if Ray knows the far reaching influence of liberation caused through the insights he is sharing! It is truly the power of the touch of Christ in the deepest most bound up regions of the heart mind and soul that his teachings are releasing....the power of the touch of Christ.

With affection in peace

Arcturus

[DWIGHT]

Arcturus,

Well said, I too feel the liberation from the bondage that Christianity made us believe.  To discern from loving people that are evil to the love of the brethern is a direct revelation from God.  We are so blessed to hear and to see the real truth that has been hidden for thousands of years and has been covered up by the blind guides of Babylon.  Thank you Lord that you have hidden it from wise of this world and have revealed to us.

In Him,

Dwight