Love your Enemies

Thought for today:  It’s easy to love those that love you.  Our goal in life should be to love the ones that hate us that persecute us that speak lies about us.  Not only that, but we should seek to love those that love us with an even deeper, unselfish kind of love. The bible teaches us that true love will even cover a multitude of sins.  In other words, if God sees us truly loving people, he will forgive us for all our other sins. 

1 Peter 4:8 

 And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.

 Jesus Christ showed us by example how we should love.  When it came time for him to know he was facing death on the cross and he went into the garden of Gethsamane to pray.  He prayed so hard that his sweat became as great drops of blood and he ask the Father to take that cup from him.  He knew the pain that awaited him on that cross.  He knew he was going to be beaten, ridiculed and spit upon.  He knew that the pain he would feel would be excruciating, but he pushed past all that and loved us anyway.   He knew all this and still prayed, not my will but thy will be done. 

Luke 22:41-44

And he was withdrawn from them about a stone's cast, and kneeled down, and prayed,

Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.

 And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him.

 And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.

Jesus showed us by example that the greatest love we can give is not loving someone that is close to us.  That great love, that beyond understanding love is when we can love when we don’t want to, love when it hurts us, love where there is no love.  When we can master the flesh and put it under subjection to our will and love those that hate us and persecute us.  That is the kind of love Christ expects from us.  If you want to please God, begin to love your enemies, pray for those that hate you and persecute you.  I have heard many say, pray for your enemies and heap coals of fire upon their heads and yes, the bible does say this but what Paul is trying to teach us is that it is our job to love and it’s God’s job to avenge.  The reference to heaping coals of fire upon their heads is actually a good thing.  When the children of Israel were repentant of their sins, they would carry coals or ashes above their heads and go about repenting of their sins.  we often read of them covering themselves in ashes.  So, when we are praying for our enemies and heaping coals of fire upon their heads, it's a good thing, we are praying for them to repent and turn back to God!!  If we love the way Christ expects us to love, we will win souls and many of those we thought were our enemies will be saved. 

Roman 12:18-21

If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.

Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.

Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head.

 Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.

Set a goal for yourself today.  Begin to love someone that you feel you can never love.  Begin to pray for that person with a pure heart.  You may never see a change in that person, but I guarantee you that you will see a change in yourself.  A change for the better. 

Kathy Wellman

Reference:  King James Bible 

Honor thy father and mother

Thought for the day:

God gave us 10 commandments to live by.  Jesus said if you love me, keep my commandments.  Of these ten commandments that God gave us, there was only one that came with a promise.  It was the commandment to honor your father and mother.  God told us that if we would honor our father and mother that he would give us long life

Exodus 20:12 

Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.

Ephesians 6:2

Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise;

Children today have not been taught the commandments of God.  They have not been brought up to honor God or to keep his commandments.  This is one of the biggest things wrong in today’s world.  Respect starts at home and if we don’t teach our children to respect their parents then how are we to expect them to go out into the world and respect anyone else.  It all starts with respect.  If you teach your children respect, then they won’t lie, they won’t steal, they won’t kill, in other words, if you teach them this commandment, to honor their father and mother, to have respect, then they will keep the other nine because of this one. 

The bible is full of scriptures about the importance of honoring your parents.  God thought it so important that he made it one of the ten commandments and even attached a promise to it.  If it was that important to God, don’t you think it should important to you also. 

Deuteronomy 5:16 

Honour thy father and thy mother, as the Lord thy God hath commanded thee; that thy days may be prolonged, and that it may go well with thee, in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.

Exodus 21:15 

And he that smiteth his father, or his mother, shall be surely put to death.

Exodus 21:17 

And he that curseth his father, or his mother, shall surely be put to death.

Proverbs 1:8

My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother:

Proverbs 10:1

The proverbs of Solomon. A wise son maketh a glad father: but a foolish son is the heaviness of his mother.

Proverbs 19:26

He that wasteth his father, and chaseth away his mother, is a son that causeth shame, and bringeth reproach.

Proverbs 30:11

There is a generation that curseth their father, and doth not bless their mother.

Mathew 15:4

For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death.

Luke 18:20

Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother.

Kathy Wellman

Reference: King James Bible

Valley turned into a Mountaintop

Thought for today:  We serve the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.  He has chosen us to be his people and when the battle seems so big and we fear it’s more than we can handle, remember, it’s not our battle, it is God’s.  Just like he miraculously steps in and protects the children of Israel, he will take care of you.  If you find yourself in a valley and it seems the whole world is against you, lift your hands and give praise to God Almighty, he will lift you up onto a mountaintop.   After three days of gathering the spoils of war the children of Israel gathered in the Valley of Berachah and lifted their hands to praise God.  If you research the Hebrew meaning of the word Berachah you find that it comes from the words to kneel or to bless.  So you could call it the Valley of Praise.  They gathered to kneel and bless or praise God.  They had trusted in God and he turned their valley into a mountaintop.  He will do the same for you.  God is the same, yesterday, today and forever.  He is worthy of all praise.  

If you will trust in God and lean not unto your own understanding, he will lift you up. 

Proverbs 3:5-6

Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

 If you turn aside and choose evil over good, just like he broke up the ships of Tarshish, he will lift his hedge of protection from you as well.  

2 Chronicles 20 King James Version (KJV)

20 It came to pass after this also, that the children of Moab, and the children of Ammon, and with them other beside the Ammonites, came against Jehoshaphat to battle.

2 Then there came some that told Jehoshaphat, saying, There cometh a great multitude against thee from beyond the sea on this side Syria; and, behold, they be in Hazazontamar, which is Engedi.

3 And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.

4 And Judah gathered themselves together, to ask help of the Lord: even out of all the cities of Judah they came to seek the Lord.

5 And Jehoshaphat stood in the congregation of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the Lord, before the new court,

6 And said, O Lord God of our fathers, art not thou God in heaven? and rulest not thou over all the kingdoms of the heathen? and in thine hand is there not power and might, so that none is able to withstand thee?

7 Art not thou our God, who didst drive out the inhabitants of this land before thy people Israel, and gavest it to the seed of Abraham thy friend for ever?

8 And they dwelt therein, and have built thee a sanctuary therein for thy name, saying,

9 If, when evil cometh upon us, as the sword, judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we stand before this house, and in thy presence, (for thy name is in this house,) and cry unto thee in our affliction, then thou wilt hear and help.

10 And now, behold, the children of Ammon and Moab and mount Seir, whom thou wouldest not let Israel invade, when they came out of the land of Egypt, but they turned from them, and destroyed them not;

11 Behold, I say, how they reward us, to come to cast us out of thy possession, which thou hast given us to inherit.

12 O our God, wilt thou not judge them? for we have no might against this great company that cometh against us; neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon thee.

13 And all Judah stood before the Lord, with their little ones, their wives, and their children.

14 Then upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, came the Spirit of the Lord in the midst of the congregation;

15 And he said, Hearken ye, all Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou king Jehoshaphat, Thus saith the Lord unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God's.

16 To morrow go ye down against them: behold, they come up by the cliff of Ziz; and ye shall find them at the end of the brook, before the wilderness of Jeruel.

17 Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of theLord with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; to morrow go out against them: for the Lord will be with you.

18 And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground: and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell before the Lord, worshipping the Lord.

19 And the Levites, of the children of the Kohathites, and of the children of the Korhites, stood up to praise the Lord God of Israel with a loud voice on high.

20 And they rose early in the morning, and went forth into the wilderness of Tekoa: and as they went forth, Jehoshaphat stood and said, Hear me, O Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem; Believe in theLord your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper.

21 And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the Lord, and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the Lord; for his mercy endureth for ever.

22 And when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten.

23 For the children of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of mount Seir, utterly to slay and destroy them: and when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, every one helped to destroy another.

24 And when Judah came toward the watch tower in the wilderness, they looked unto the multitude, and, behold, they were dead bodies fallen to the earth, and none escaped.

25 And when Jehoshaphat and his people came to take away the spoil of them, they found among them in abundance both riches with the dead bodies, and precious jewels, which they stripped off for themselves, more than they could carry away: and they were three days in gathering of the spoil, it was so much.

26 And on the fourth day they assembled themselves in the valley of Berachah; for there they blessed the Lord: therefore the name of the same place was called, The valley of Berachah, unto this day.

27 Then they returned, every man of Judah and Jerusalem, and Jehoshaphat in the forefront of them, to go again to Jerusalem with joy; for the Lord had made them to rejoice over their enemies.

28 And they came to Jerusalem with psalteries and harps and trumpets unto the house of the Lord.

29 And the fear of God was on all the kingdoms of those countries, when they had heard that the Lordfought against the enemies of Israel.

30 So the realm of Jehoshaphat was quiet: for his God gave him rest round about.

31 And Jehoshaphat reigned over Judah: he was thirty and five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty and five years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Azubah the daughter of Shilhi.

32 And he walked in the way of Asa his father, and departed not from it, doing that which was right in the sight of the Lord.

33 Howbeit the high places were not taken away: for as yet the people had not prepared their hearts unto the God of their fathers.

34 Now the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, first and last, behold, they are written in the book of Jehu the son of Hanani, who is mentioned in the book of the kings of Israel.

35 And after this did Jehoshaphat king of Judah join himself with Ahaziah king of Israel, who did very wickedly:

36 And he joined himself with him to make ships to go to Tarshish: and they made the ships in Eziongaber.

37 Then Eliezer the son of Dodavah of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, Because thou hast joined thyself with Ahaziah, the Lord hath broken thy works. And the ships were broken, that they were not able to go to Tarshish.

Kathy Wellman

Re:  King James Bible

Speaking in Tongues

Should man be speaking in tongues in the church? Many believe that speaking in tongues is no longer for man, that it was just a thing for the apostles and early Christians. That is not the TRUTH.

The gift of tongues is often misunderstood by so many because when they think of the gift of tongues they think it is one thing when in fact there are different types of tongues.  There is a tongue of men, which is simply different languages and then there is a heavenly tongue, the tongue of angels or you could say the language of angels. 

1 Corintians 13:1

Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.

The bible teaches us that one sign when we have received the Holy Ghost is the evidence of speaking in tongues.  In other words, speaking in tongues is a sign that the Holy Ghost has come upon you. This is the type of tongue that was spoken on the Day of Pentacost. 

The deciples were told in Acts 1 to tarry for the promise:

Acts 1:4-5  And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me.

 For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.

In Chapter 2 they received the promise.  The Holy Ghost with the evidence of speaking in tongues!  This type of tongues is simply another language other than the one you normally speak.  It's the language of heaven.  For instance you may speak English, but when you speak in the heavenly language, then those around you can understand you even if they don't speak the same earthly language that you speak! This is the "Gift of Tongues".

Acts 2 

And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.

² And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.

³ And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.

⁴ And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

⁵ And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven.

⁶ Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language.

⁷ And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans?

⁸ And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?

We are taught in Mark that one of the signs of a believer is speaking in tongues. 

Mark 16:17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;

Man cannot have power over the devil in himself.  It takes the Holy Ghost to bring the power to cast out a devil.  The gift of tongues may be used here when the Holy Ghost speaks through man and speaks directly to the evil spirit.  The evil spirit has no power against the Holy Ghost.

This is a heavenly language that no man can interpret unless he has the gift of interpretation.  I believe this is the type of tongue that Paul is speaking about in 1 Corinthians 14.  He calls it an unknown tongue.  When they spoke on the day of Pentacost it was in other tongues, a heavenly language that could be understood by people of other nationalities.  That is why in verse two Paul tells us that no man understandeth him, it is not a language of this world and only someone with the gift of interpretation can understand it.  That is why you should always pray for the gift of interpretation so that you might be able to give the message to the church if the Holy Ghost speaks and brings a message forth.  Paul calls it an unknown tongue many times, this tells you that it’s not any known language.

1 Corinthians 14:2

For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries.

1 Corinthians 14:4

He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself; but he that prophesieth edifieth the church.

1Corinthians 14:13

Wherefore let him that speaketh in an unknown tongue pray that he may interpret.

1 Corinthians 14:14

For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful.

1 Corinthians 14:19

Yet in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that by my voice I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue.

1 Corinthians 14:27  

If any man speak in an unknown tongue, let it be by two, or at the most by three, and that by course; and let one interpret.

1 Corinthians 14:28

But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church; and let him speak to himself, and to God.

Verse 28 is the one that often confuses most people because they think of tongues as just one thing and don’t realize there are different kinds of tongues.

It is my opinion that Paul is not saying you can’t speak in tongues in the church, rather he is telling you to speak to God.  In other words, when you are praying and the spirit takes over and you begin praying in tongues, you are speaking directly to God, not to the church.  When the Holy Ghost comes upon you with a message for the church there is a different tone to the message.  Usually when he, the Holy Ghost starts to speak, everyone becomes silent and when he is done someone will stand and interpret what he said.  I say he because whether it’s a man or a woman that is giving the message in tongues it is not the person speaking, it is the Holy Ghost and the Holy Ghost is a he, the third person of the trinity.

Romans 8:8 teaches us that in the flesh, we cannot please God.

Roman 8:8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.

Therefore, the spirit, the Holy Ghost will help us in our prayer lives by praying for us directly to God the Father. 

Romans 8:26-27 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

Paul taught us in Ephesians that we should pray always in the spirit and in the spirit make known the gospel.

Ephesians 6:18-19 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel,

Finally and probably most important of all, Jude taught us to remember the words of the apostles.  They warned the people that in the last days that Christians would be mocked for what they believed in, but he still told them in verse 20 to pray in the Holy Ghost.   If we fail to believe and pray in the spirit then our spirit never gets to talk directly to God the Father. This my friend the what the devil ultimately wants for all mankind, that they do not talk directly to God the Father.

Jude 1:17-21

But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ;

How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts.

These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit.

But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,

Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.

I have another post on Spiritual Gifts that goes along with this one.  Click the link here or below to read it.  

Spiritual Gifts

Kathy Wellman
Reference:  King James Bible

A grafted branch can be easily removed

Thought for the day:  If God destroyed his own people for their evil and unbelief, how much more so shall he destroy those that have been grafted in.  We need to beware that we don’t let evil people turn us away from God.  Making sin a law does not make it right and it does not make it any less a sin.  Stand up for what you know is right.  If it doesn’t line up with God’s word, then it is wrong, period.  No compromise.

Jude 1:3 Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.

4 For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.

5 I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not.

Romans 11:18 Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee.

19 Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in.

20 Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear:

21 For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee.

                                                                                           Kathy Wellman

Does God answer prayers?

There have been times when I've prayed and I felt that my prayers did not even get passed the ceiling of the room, but I prayed anyway because I know that I serve a God that hears me when I pray.  I may not always feel his presence during prayer or the Holy Ghost may not always show up, but I know he is listening.  Daniel cried and prayed for twenty one days and didn't think God heard him but God sent an angel to tell him, I heard you the first time you called.

Daniel 10:11 And he said unto me, O Daniel, a man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak unto thee, and stand upright: for unto thee am I now sent. And when he had spoken this word unto me, I stood trembling.
12 Then said he unto me, Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words.

And then there are times when I pray and God moves on my prayers immediately.  I have seen God answer my prayers so many times.  One time in particular I was faced with a situation and was truly at a loss for what to do.  I simply turned and walked away, lifted my hands and gave it all to God.  I just cried out to him that he was the only one able fix it.  I give it to you Lord because you are able when I am not.  The Holy Ghost showed up and spoke my needs directly to God.  Within minutes of my praying, the thing was done.  There was no doubt in my mind that God stepped in and fixed the situation.  One person told me later that he was angry one minute and the next minute he felt a great calm come over him and he knew there was a better way to fix things.  This is how God works.  He speaks to the wind and says "Peace be Still" and even the wind obeys him.  

He told us in Matthew 21:22
And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.

The key word here is "believing", we must believe that God will answer our prayers.  

The next thing we must do is pray in his will.  We must always remember when we ask God for something that we should pray if it be thy will to do this for me.  Jesus taught us to always pray that the Father's will be done when he taught us how to pray with the Lord's prayer.

Matthew 6:10
Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

Let me assure you that God does answer prayers.  The answer may not always be what you expect it to be, but it will always be what God plans it to be.  And if we leave the decision up to him and let him do things his way then his answers will always be what is right and good for us.  

Kathy Wellman

RE: King James Bible

What will God do?

Psalms 37:5 tells us: Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.

We don't know exactly what he will do or bring to pass, but we do know that he will do it. There is no limitation to what God will do if we commit our ways to him and remain in his will. If we are in his will, he will bring it to pass. You might ask, what will he bring to pass? The answer: He will bring to pass whatsoever is good, whatsoever is right, In short, his will....when it is "His Will" it is right and good. When we step outside his will then we limit what he will do.

It is possible to even limit God in our prayer life. When we pray and ask God to do this or that instead of praying not my will but thy will be done, then we are limiting what God will do. Jesus taught us how to pray. He told us to stay in the father's will. Mathew 6:10 Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

So if we stay in the father's will, what will he do? He will do what is needed and whatever he does, it will be right for us. It may not always be what we expect, but it will always be what is right.

Jesus taught us in Mathew: 6:25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

Stand on faith and commit your way to God's will and believe for whatever you need and God will do it!!

KathyWellman

RE:  King James Bible