As Unlike You

"and won the only battle He fought—against the flesh."

WHEN ARE we going to stop the hate? When are we going to be like Jesus?

This man's going to "flip tables." Then you're not like Jesus.

This one preaches against the Catholic church. Jesus is Catholic. Jonathan Roumie who played Jesus in The Chosen is a born-again Catholic, and Jesus is pleased.

Charismatic churches writing corrections of denominational church doctrines. This is what divided us. There was one church in Acts.

The disciples were ... ARE ... Jews. Pentecost in Acts 2 was 120 Jews celebrating a Jewish holiday in the capitol city of the Jews, when the Spirit fell as tongues of fire. Peter then preached a sermon about their Moshiach and 3,000 Jews were saved.

But let's throw stones at the Jews.

When are we going to read the Word of God in Ephesians 4, Romans 14, Matthew 5, and James 4 and act like it? Anyone who will do so will stop being like demons. I hate that word. But it applies here because Romans 1 describes us and them as equals. Sin destroys both. Jesus heals. Jesus is LOVE. Jesus is peace.

In Him there are no differences. We are ONE.

There must be no name calling in the pulpit. This is a word from the Spirit. There's no wiggle room around it. Don't call names. Don't justify doing it anyway. Jesus' words in Matthew 5 were for us to be like our Father in heaven. He preceded them by saying He'd come to fulfil the Law, not destroy it, and He blessed all who taught it. Backing up even further, He said to be peacemakers.

To mourn. The Father mourned sin through Jeremiah. Through Ezekiel. And Malachi. Mourning sin requires humbleness. It is grief without words. And our Father brings comfort. He is peace. He is holiness. He sent Jesus so we'd be willing to obey, just like Him.

Jesus said nothing when falsely accused. He made no defense and won the only battle He fought —against His flesh.

We lose every time we speak up.

A Jew, working in a restaurant, one evening, got backlash from a customer, another Jew. He said his instinct was to punch the guy, but instead, he prayed. And G_d worked a miracle. Later, the worker thanked the customer for giving him an opportunity to pray. Startled, the customer said, "You prayed?" Overcome, he then apologized for his behavior and made a request. "My son and his wife can't have children. Would you pray?" The worker did so, standing there at the man's side.

The story isn't over. A year later, the restaurant worker got a phone call from a voice he didn't know. Turned out to be the customer. He wanted to invite him to the bris ceremony of his new grandbaby.

Never think your hate outweighs God’s love. Never excuse it to protect your wrong attitude. And I urge you to go even further. Be like Jesus. Make it as far from who you are, as unlike you, as Light and darkness.

Photo by Getty Images on Unsplash


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Suzanne D. Williams, Author
www.suzannedwilliams.com
www.feelgoodromance.com