Bless and be blessed

Christians, when your enemies revile you, do not revile back.  Rather bless them!  Bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them that persecute you.  And if we must do this for our enemies, how much more when the reviling is coming from Christians.  We have been called to be a blessing, so that we can receive the blessings of God.  (When I wrote that on a Christian page, a meanie Christian 'yelled' at me that it is not in the Bible, that I must have gotten that line from a prosperity pastor's book! lol ;) ) That verse (1 Peter 3:9) I was gleaning that from, is talking about temporal and spiritual blessings.

God promises us in His word that He will provide our needs.  God blesses us also spiritually with peace of mind, our sins forgiven and assurance that we have everlasting life!  Our God is a good God.  He thinks good thoughts toward us. 
When we fear Him and walk in His ways, He blesses us.  I am not talking prosperity gospel here, but God does want to bless us.
The Bible says to delight yourself in the Lord and He shall give you the desires of your heart.

I know I'm stuck on this topic of praying for our enemies, blessing them, but I am just so in awe of the love of our God and I want to walk in obedience to Him.  It was just such an eye-opener when God led me to these scriptures the first time.  So many Christians are not doing what Jesus said, to pray for, love and bless all people, even our enemies.  They get mad at me when I write about it. :(  And it's not my words!  It's the word of God!  I also never used to pray for my enemies, but that all changed when I got saved and God started working on my heart.
So forgive me if I keep talking about this topic. :)

John Gill writes the following commentary on "that you may inherit a blessing":

Referring either to what goes before being called by grace to the discharge of all the above duties exhorted to, and particularly to suffer patiently all injuries and affronts; and instead of making returns in the same way, to bless and pray for those that have hurt us, either by words or deeds; see ( 1 Peter 2:20 1 Peter 2:21 ) or to what follows, that ye should inherit a blessing; temporal blessing or blessings; for godliness has the promise of this life and godly persons shall not want any good thing; and even while the blessings of others are cursed they have their outward mercies with a blessing, and they are blessings indeed to them; wherefore, the little they may have is better than the large affluence of others: and also spiritual blessing, or blessings; such as peace of conscience, the pardon of all their sins a justifying righteousness adopting grace, all supplies of grace from Christ, his presence and communion with him: and also an eternal one, even life for evermore; called so, because it springs from the free favour, good will, and blessing of God, and which its being an inheritance also shows; and because such that enjoy it are eternally and unspeakably happy.

"not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing."
~•1 Peter 3:9

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.
~•Jeremiah 29:11

Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
~•Psalm 37:4

Wait on God's counsel

Israel provoked God to anger in the wilderness.  They forgot about all the wonderful things He did for them.  They did not wait on His counsel.  They were ungrateful for the manna He provided.  They demanded meat.  He gave them what they wanted, but God also punished them!  

It is actually a sin not to wait on God.  God has His timing, His way of doing things.  God knows best.  Yet we tend to want to decide things and do things in a hurry, instead of waiting on God's counsel.

May we never forget what God has done for us.  I am sure God has done many good things in your life.  He sure has in mine!  I am also one who wants God to answer as soon as possible, but God is teaching me to be patient, to wait on Him!  God wants us to wait on Him, to trust in Him.  When we do, we can never go wrong.  While to us it may feel like nothing is happening or changing, God is working behind the scenes.  So never give up hope.  Have faith when you pray about something, ask God for something.  God is faithful and will come through for you.

John Gill writes the following commentary about this verse:

They did not ask counsel of God, though it belongs to him, and he is wonderful in it, and does all things after the counsel of his own will; nor would they take it when given by Moses and Joshua; they did not choose to wait his time and way of working; they were for limiting the Holy One of Israel to their time and way; they were for being in the land of Canaan before his time; and were for eating flesh, when it was his counsel to feed on manna he provided for them every day.

They soon forgot His works; They did not wait for His counsel, 

~•Psalm 106:13 

 

How to give and receive the blessing of Yahweh

Are we doing what Jesus commands us to do?

Jesus' words!

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’
44 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,
45 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.
46 For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?
47 And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so?
48 Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.
~•Matthew 5:43-48

An example how to love your enemy....read about where apostle Stephen was being stoned to death. He prayed for them while being killed! He asked God to not charge them with that sin!

"When they heard these things they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed at him with their teeth.
55 But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God,
56 and said, “Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!”
57 Then they cried out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, and ran at him with one accord;
58 and they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul.
59 And they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”
60 Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not charge them with this sin.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.
~•Acts 7:54-60

But most important of all is our Jesus who gives us the perfect example of how to love our enemies....when He was dying on the cross He prayed the Father to forgive them for they know not what they do.

"And when they had come to the place called Calvary, there they crucified Him, and the criminals, one on the right hand and the other on the left.
34 Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.”
~•Luke 23:33-34

Then I come on the internet and see Christians' comments on articles and many of them are full of hatred, condemning people to hell! Is that what our Lord Jesus wants from us? That is totally contradicting Jesus' commandments to us. Let us get back to the Bible and pray continuously, for all people, our governments, our loved ones and friends, our brothers and sisters in Christ who are suffering for their faith in the Lord Jesus, our enemies, therefore we shall be perfect as our Father in Heaven is perfect, just like Jesus said! God bless you and keep us strong in these evil days to stand for the truth of His word.

ISIS beheads 21 Egyptian Christians 

One of the Christians praying before being beheaded

Backsliders

Let the word of God speak.  God's hand is not too short to redeem a backslider.  God Himself goes after His sheep gone astray. :) There is hope for the backslider.  God will heal them and love them freely!  He says so in His word!
Even though they left God, God never left them.  God still loves them and He is still calling them through chastizing them.  May our loved ones who are backsliders listen to God who is calling them to repentance.  May God have mercy on their souls and bring them back to Him.  May they again worship the Lord their God with their whole heart.  Nothing is impossible for God.  Let us stay in prayer for our loved ones. ♥

"Return, you backsliding children, And I will heal your backslidings." "Indeed we do come to You, For You are the Lord our God.
~•Jeremiah 3:22

 "I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely, For My anger has turned away from him.
~•Hosea 14:4

For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
~•1 Peter 2:25

Go and proclaim these words toward the north, and say: 'Return, backsliding Israel,' says the Lord; 'I will not cause My anger to fall on you. For I am merciful,' says the Lord; ' I will not remain angry forever.
~•Jeremiah 3:12

Why, when I came, was there no man? Why, when I called, was there none to answer? Is My hand shortened at all that it cannot redeem? Or have I no power to deliver? Indeed with My rebuke I dry up the sea, I make the rivers a wilderness; Their fish stink because there is no water, And die of thirst.
~•Isaiah 50:2

Seducers

The quote below is words from the Lord by I guess a prophetess.... apparently the Lord is speaking about us trying to add works to His finished work.

"It is THE ENEMY'S VOICE that tells you that your God is not enough. He TELLS YOU THAT YOU MUST PRAY MORE, fast more, and give more."

I highlighted the words in caps because that's what caught my eye.  Since when will the enemy tell us to pray more?  Since when is praying more, adding our works to Jesus' finished work?  And since when is it wrong to pray more?
THE BIBLE tells us to PRAY WITHOUT CEASING!

Just the other day the Lord led me in His word to Ezekiel 13 where He tells Ezekiel to prophesy against the women who prophesy out of their own heart!  And here I see this woman's "word from the Lord", contradicting the Bible. :( 

Just like that prophecy given by Stanley Frodsham from 1965 said, they will first preach true doctrine, according to the Bible and then when they've won the hearts of the people, they bring in their false doctrines.

Quote from Stanley Frodsham's 1965 prophecy:

"I warn you to search the Scriptures diligently these last days. For the things that are written shall indeed be made manifest. There shall come deceivers among My people in increasing numbers, who shall speak forth the truth and shall gain the favor of the people. For the people shall examine the Scriptures and say, "What these men say is true." Then when they have gained the hearts of the people, then and THEN ONLY shall they bring out these wrong doctrines. Therefore, I say that you should not give your hearts to men, nor hold people's persons in admiration. For by these very persons shall Satan enter into My people. WATCH FOR SEDUCERS. Do you think a seducer will brandish a new heresy and flaunt it before the people? He will speak the words of righteousness and truth, and will appear as a minister of light, declaring the Word. The people's hearts shall be won. Then, when the hearts are won, they will bring out their doctrines, and the people shall be deceived. The people shall say, "Did he not speak thus and thus? And did we not examine it from the Word? Therefore he is a minister of righteousness."

See, they will mix in a little bit of truth with their lies.

Christians, we need to discern false prophets/teachers and we can ask God for discernment.  Ask Him, if you want to stand for the truth of God's word alone and no man/woman's false doctrine, God will see your heart for the truth and He will help you to discern, but we also need to stay in the Bible because that's how we will discern with the Holy Spirit's help! :)  I don't know everything!  But Holy Spirit is guiding me into all truth...slowly but surely, because I ask Him and I hunger for the truth.

Let us be wise as serpents in these evil days, yet gentle as doves.  The only reason I am posting this is to warn people.

Rejoice always, PRAY WITHOUT CEASING, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
~•1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

“Likewise, son of man, set your face against the daughters of your people, who prophesy out of their own heart; prophesy against them,"
~•Ezekiel 13:17

“Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves."
~•Matthew 10:16

The Lord our Healer

If someone hurt you with their words or by their actions and your heart is broken, please know that you are not alone. Jesus will heal your broken heart, He will bind up your wounds.
Keep those who hurt you in prayer, yes pray for them! I know it is hard, but press through and you will be amazed how Jesus will heal your heart.