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NASB | Matthew 5:44 "But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Matthew 5:44 "But I say to you, love [that is, unselfishly seek the best or higher good for] your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, [Prov 25:21, 22] |
Subject: Denounce militant Islam? |
Bible Note: Hi, Norrie! Jesus was well aware of these problems even them: ...But when the Son of man comes, will he find any faith on earth? (Luke 18:8) It is for them that I pray. I am not praying for the world but for those you have given me, because they belong to you. I am not asking you to remove them from the world, but to protect them from the Evil One. I pray not only for these but also for those who through their teaching will come to believe in me. (John 17:9, 15, 20) Though He came to rescue us from death, He did not come to neutralize our will (willpower, resolve, etc.)... this is why He cautioned: those who have eyes... those who have ears... It is our choice to follow Christ or the world... I think that Christians lose it when we attempt to modernize Scripture by conforming Jesus' Word to interpretations that patronizes the world; we are only fooling ourselves by thinking that the creature will outmaneuver the Creator--it did not work for Lucifer nor Adam nor Cain nor the rebellious people of Israel nor the Masters of the Law, Sadducees, and Pharisees! We are not called to judge nor convert the world... our task is simplicity in itself: 'Son of man I have appointed you as watchman for the House of Israel. When you hear a word from my mouth, warn them from me. If I say to someone wicked, "Evildoer, you are to die." and you do not speak to warn the wicked person to renounce such ways, the wicked person will die for this guilt, but I shall hold you responsible for the death. If, however, you do warn someone wicked to renounce such ways and repent, and that person does not repent, then the culprit will die for this guilt, but you yourself will have saved your life. (Ezekiel 33:7-9) God is not concerned with what the world does; He is solely concerned with what we, who choose to call ourselves His children, do! (Matthew 5:20) He knows that we cannot convert a single person to Him--still He expects us to bring the Good News to all, and to warn them of the impending doom that sin visits onto all! We are called to be the voice in the desert: the cry that announces Salvation in Jesus Christ! Yet, as you mentioned, we refuse to recognize sin and we are quick to run to the latest fads that teaches us to hate Christ!: 'Anyone who is not with me is against me; and anyone who does not gather with me throws away.' (Luke 11:23) Our task is clear: profess Christ, live Christ, teach Christ, and allow the world to decide if they are for Christ or against Him! All the relativism, absolutism, hatred, and extremism in the world cannot separate us from Christ! (Romans 8:35-39) God Bless! Angel |