Bless Your Enemies

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It's time, Your time, not just to 0:01:03.800 --> 0:01:06.199 go back to school, but to come back and move 0:01:06.280 --> 0:01:11.039 forward with Purdue Global, Purdue's online university for working adults. 0:01:11.680 --> 0:01:19.840 Start your comeback at Purdueglobal dot edu. 0:01:28.560 --> 0:01:31.280 Well, God bless you. It's a joy to come into 0:01:31.319 --> 0:01:34.160 your homes. And if you're ever in our area, please 0:01:34.200 --> 0:01:36.840 stop buying be a part of one of our services. 0:01:37.000 --> 0:01:39.760 These are the finest people in all of Houston, right 0:01:39.800 --> 0:01:41.959 here at Lakewood, and we'd love to have you come 0:01:41.959 --> 0:01:45.440 out whenever you can. I like to start with something funny, 0:01:45.440 --> 0:01:47.800 and I heard about this man. He was on an 0:01:47.840 --> 0:01:50.920 overnight train and he said to the conductor, I'm a 0:01:51.080 --> 0:01:56.040 very sound sleeper. Please wake me up in Philadelphia and 0:01:56.160 --> 0:01:59.160 make sure I get off. I may be groggy, I 0:01:59.240 --> 0:02:01.680 may tell you no oh, but I have to get off. 0:02:02.080 --> 0:02:04.800 The conductor said, you have my word, I'll make it happen. 0:02:05.320 --> 0:02:07.920 The man woke up the next morning in New York City. 0:02:08.360 --> 0:02:11.400 He had missed this stop. He was so upset he 0:02:11.560 --> 0:02:15.160 let the conductor have it. A lady watching said, wow, 0:02:15.480 --> 0:02:18.639 that man was so angry. The conductor said, if you 0:02:18.720 --> 0:02:21.040 think he was angry, you should have seen the man 0:02:21.320 --> 0:02:25.480 we put off in Philadelphia say it like you mean it. 0:02:25.960 --> 0:02:28.799 This is my Bible. I am what it says I am. 0:02:29.320 --> 0:02:31.680 I have what it says I have. I can do 0:02:31.800 --> 0:02:34.320 what it says I can do. Today I will be 0:02:34.400 --> 0:02:38.240 taught the word of God. I'll boldly confess. My mind 0:02:38.320 --> 0:02:41.560 is alert, my heart is receptive. I will never be 0:02:41.639 --> 0:02:46.560 the same. In Jesus' name, God bless you. I want 0:02:46.560 --> 0:02:50.480 to talk to you today about blessing your enemies. It's 0:02:50.560 --> 0:02:53.200 easy to be good to people that are being good 0:02:53.280 --> 0:02:56.640 to us. Doesn't take much faith to be kind, to 0:02:56.720 --> 0:03:00.200 show favor to someone that's kind to us. But what 0:03:00.320 --> 0:03:04.079 about when people do us wrong. They're talking bad about us, 0:03:04.440 --> 0:03:07.519 they weren't honest in a business deal, they walked out 0:03:07.560 --> 0:03:11.200 of a relationship. The last thing we think about is 0:03:11.240 --> 0:03:15.320 being good to them. They don't deserve it. But Jesus said, 0:03:15.720 --> 0:03:19.520 bless those that curse you. Do good to those that 0:03:19.639 --> 0:03:24.440 hurt you. Pray for those that mistreat you. One test 0:03:24.560 --> 0:03:27.560 we all have to pass is being good to people 0:03:27.960 --> 0:03:31.320 that have not been good to us. Everything in you 0:03:31.360 --> 0:03:35.440 will say, hold a grudge, talk about them, look for 0:03:35.520 --> 0:03:38.640 ways to get even. But your job is not to 0:03:38.720 --> 0:03:42.480 pay people back. Your job is to bless your enemies. 0:03:42.920 --> 0:03:45.680 You be the blesser and God will take care of 0:03:45.720 --> 0:03:49.080 your enemies. And when it says to pray for those 0:03:49.240 --> 0:03:52.440 that have done you wrong, that doesn't mean pray that 0:03:52.480 --> 0:03:56.400 they'll go bankrupt, pray that that new girl will leave, 0:03:56.760 --> 0:04:00.400 pray that God will bless them. Joel, they don't just it. 0:04:00.760 --> 0:04:04.240 They hurt me. It wasn't fair. You're not blessing them 0:04:04.400 --> 0:04:08.600 for their sake. You're blessing them for your sake. Without 0:04:08.640 --> 0:04:12.640 you showing them kindness that they don't deserve, you'll get stuck. 0:04:13.160 --> 0:04:16.599 It will limit how high you can go. That person 0:04:16.640 --> 0:04:19.080 at the office that left you out of the meeting, 0:04:19.520 --> 0:04:23.159 they did it on purpose. Don't be surprised. If you're 0:04:23.200 --> 0:04:26.960 in charge of inviting people to the next meeting, you'll 0:04:27.000 --> 0:04:30.320 be tempted to think, thank you Jesus, is payback time. 0:04:30.680 --> 0:04:33.760 I'm going to invite everyone except them. I'm going to 0:04:33.800 --> 0:04:38.120 invite the cleaning crew, the parking lot attendance, the weekend volunteers. 0:04:38.560 --> 0:04:42.280 That's a test. They did you wrong. Now here's your 0:04:42.360 --> 0:04:46.200 opportunity to be good to someone that wasn't good to you. 0:04:46.880 --> 0:04:50.120 If you leave them out, it's not hurting them, it's 0:04:50.240 --> 0:04:55.120 hurting you. Blessing your enemies is a test of your character. 0:04:55.560 --> 0:04:58.720 They don't need your blessing. God could have somebody else 0:04:58.800 --> 0:05:01.560 do it. But when when you prove to God that 0:05:01.600 --> 0:05:06.240 you're not bitter, you're not vindictive, you're not holding a grudge, 0:05:06.400 --> 0:05:09.960 you're big enough to swallow your pride and bless them, 0:05:10.240 --> 0:05:14.240 then God knows you're ready to be promoted. But the 0:05:14.279 --> 0:05:17.760 reason God can't promote some people is they would use 0:05:17.800 --> 0:05:21.480 that power to get even. They would fire the six 0:05:21.560 --> 0:05:24.479 people that did them wrong and demote the twelve people 0:05:24.520 --> 0:05:27.880 that talked about them. Drive by their enemy's house every 0:05:27.960 --> 0:05:31.159 night in their new car. Look at me now. Now, 0:05:31.839 --> 0:05:35.200 God is not going to promote us to pay somebody back. 0:05:35.760 --> 0:05:39.400 The sooner you learn to bless your enemies, to be 0:05:39.520 --> 0:05:41.960 good to those that have done you wrong, the better 0:05:42.040 --> 0:05:45.200 off you're going to be. And sometimes the way you 0:05:45.279 --> 0:05:48.720 bless your enemy is by not talking bad about them. 0:05:49.440 --> 0:05:52.200 They may not even be in your life. They've done 0:05:52.279 --> 0:05:54.600 the damage and moved on. They're in a different chapter. 0:05:55.279 --> 0:05:59.080 You could bring up all the negative, tarnish their reputation, 0:05:59.680 --> 0:06:03.080 tell you your friends how they have no character, they're dishonest, 0:06:03.120 --> 0:06:07.120 they played around. Instead you zip it up, You cover 0:06:07.240 --> 0:06:12.200 for them, You protect their reputation. You just blessed your enemy. 0:06:12.680 --> 0:06:16.760 You just showed God you're ready to go higher. There's 0:06:16.760 --> 0:06:21.320 an organization that holds large conferences and training seminars for 0:06:21.440 --> 0:06:24.520 leaders and pastors. A few years ago, when I came 0:06:24.560 --> 0:06:28.560 along started doing the Nights of Hope and having big events, 0:06:28.680 --> 0:06:31.440 they didn't like it. They thought I was taking some 0:06:31.560 --> 0:06:35.000 of their audience. They started trying to discredit me and 0:06:35.360 --> 0:06:38.480 saying things that weren't true. I didn't know any of 0:06:38.520 --> 0:06:41.479 them and really didn't even pay attention to it. But 0:06:41.560 --> 0:06:44.599 a couple years ago they wanted this man to come 0:06:44.680 --> 0:06:49.160 speak at one of their big conferences. He's an influential man. 0:06:49.800 --> 0:06:52.719 It would be a big boost to their attendants. But 0:06:52.839 --> 0:06:56.120 he told them that he was my friend and he 0:06:56.160 --> 0:06:58.680 would have to check with me to see if I 0:06:58.720 --> 0:07:02.440 would recommend him coming. Well, I was the last person 0:07:02.600 --> 0:07:05.440 they wanted him to check with. They knew they had 0:07:05.480 --> 0:07:08.680 been vocal against me and said things that put me 0:07:08.760 --> 0:07:12.480 in a negative light. You can say things that are true, 0:07:13.000 --> 0:07:15.120 but if you don't put it in the right context, 0:07:15.400 --> 0:07:18.920 if you don't tell the whole story, then technically it 0:07:18.960 --> 0:07:21.680 may be correct, but it's not being honest. That's what 0:07:21.720 --> 0:07:23.680 they had done to me, and the men called and 0:07:23.720 --> 0:07:26.360 asked me if I thought that he should do it. 0:07:27.040 --> 0:07:30.720 My first thought was, Lord, you were good. Now I 0:07:30.760 --> 0:07:34.960 can show them how it feels to have somebody trying 0:07:34.960 --> 0:07:37.920 to disrespect them, to make them look bad. But deep 0:07:38.000 --> 0:07:42.040 down I could hear the still small voice saying, Joel, 0:07:42.400 --> 0:07:46.160 be the bigger person. Bless your enemies. Be good to 0:07:46.200 --> 0:07:49.800 those that have done you wrong. I didn't feel like it, 0:07:50.480 --> 0:07:53.640 they didn't deserve it, But bottom line is they have 0:07:53.720 --> 0:07:57.280 a good organization. So I swallowed my pride and put 0:07:57.360 --> 0:07:59.760 in a good word for them. Didn't bring up any 0:07:59.800 --> 0:08:02.880 of the negative. When the man told them that I 0:08:03.000 --> 0:08:07.880 recommended him to attend, they nearly passed out. A couple 0:08:07.880 --> 0:08:10.720 of months later, I received the letter from the head 0:08:10.800 --> 0:08:14.720 of the organization. He said, Joel, we want to apologize. 0:08:15.120 --> 0:08:18.200 We were jealous. We knew we said things about you 0:08:18.280 --> 0:08:21.440 that weren't true. We can see you're the bigger person. 0:08:22.800 --> 0:08:27.160 Proverb says, if your enemy is hungry, giving food to eat. 0:08:27.960 --> 0:08:32.200 If he's thirsty, give him water to drink. In doing this, 0:08:32.640 --> 0:08:35.600 you will heap coals of fire on his head, and 0:08:35.720 --> 0:08:40.320 the Lord will reward you when you do good to 0:08:40.360 --> 0:08:43.240 those that have done you wrong. It may feel like 0:08:43.400 --> 0:08:46.439 you're being weak, you're letting them take advantage of you. 0:08:46.800 --> 0:08:50.640 The truth is that's putting coals on their head, and 0:08:50.679 --> 0:08:53.679 that doesn't mean they're going to burn up. It means 0:08:54.000 --> 0:08:55.760 some of you are thinking, I know what to do now. 0:08:56.080 --> 0:09:01.240 It means it means that is more than trying to 0:09:01.280 --> 0:09:05.880 pay people back. My brother Paul was overseas earlier this year, 0:09:06.360 --> 0:09:09.600 operating on people that had been injured in the war. 0:09:10.520 --> 0:09:14.240 There's a group trying to harm innocent people, doing so 0:09:14.400 --> 0:09:18.280 much damage and causing so much heartache. And Paul didn't 0:09:18.360 --> 0:09:22.400 just operate on the innocent people. They would bring soldiers 0:09:22.480 --> 0:09:26.040 in from the other side, the ones causing all the trouble. 0:09:26.800 --> 0:09:30.200 After an operation, two of these men were talking. They 0:09:30.240 --> 0:09:33.040 didn't know Paul was around the corner with an interpreter. 0:09:33.800 --> 0:09:36.360 One said to the other, why are we trying to 0:09:36.440 --> 0:09:39.920 kill these people? They love us, They treat us with 0:09:40.040 --> 0:09:44.640 respect and kindness. What they felt that day was more 0:09:44.720 --> 0:09:49.800 powerful than any machine gun, any explosive. Love is the 0:09:49.800 --> 0:09:53.960 most powerful force that we have. Will you be good 0:09:54.000 --> 0:09:57.480 to someone that's done you harm? Will you let go 0:09:57.520 --> 0:10:01.000 of the anger, the bitterness, the resentment, and give your 0:10:01.160 --> 0:10:05.840 enemy food when he's hungry. When you're merciful, you're not 0:10:06.080 --> 0:10:09.720 lessening what they did. They may have hurt you, it 0:10:09.800 --> 0:10:13.840 wasn't right. You're not excusing their actions. But when you're 0:10:13.840 --> 0:10:17.520 the bigger person, when you're kind, even though they don't 0:10:17.520 --> 0:10:20.640 deserve it, not only does that have a great impact 0:10:20.760 --> 0:10:23.839 on them, but that frees you to go to a 0:10:23.920 --> 0:10:27.800 higher level. This is what Joseph did in the scripture. 0:10:28.320 --> 0:10:31.440 His brothers were so jealous of him they threw him 0:10:31.520 --> 0:10:34.200 into a pit. They were going to leave him there 0:10:34.240 --> 0:10:38.719 to die, but this caravan of Ishmaelites came by. They 0:10:38.760 --> 0:10:42.319 sold Joseph as a slave to a man named Potterford. 0:10:43.040 --> 0:10:47.640 Joseph's whole world was turned upside down, his dreams, his goals, 0:10:47.760 --> 0:10:51.480 seeing his family, having his freedom. It was all because 0:10:51.559 --> 0:10:55.920 of his brothers. He ended up spending years in prison 0:10:56.280 --> 0:10:59.600 for something that he didn't do, going through lonely nights, 0:11:00.120 --> 0:11:04.280 times where he felt like God had forgotten about him. Finally, 0:11:04.360 --> 0:11:08.360 thirteen years later, after all the heartache and pain, he 0:11:08.480 --> 0:11:12.120 was vindicated and put in charge of the food supply 0:11:12.360 --> 0:11:15.800 in Egypt. He was second in command of the whole nation, 0:11:16.360 --> 0:11:19.959 one of the most powerful people of that time. There 0:11:20.000 --> 0:11:23.920 came a great famine in the land. One day, Joseph's brothers, 0:11:24.480 --> 0:11:27.319 the same ones that threw him into the pit, showed 0:11:27.400 --> 0:11:30.800 up at the palace looking for food. They had traveled 0:11:30.800 --> 0:11:33.319 a great distance from a foreign land, and they were 0:11:33.400 --> 0:11:36.600 right in front of Joseph. It had been so long 0:11:36.880 --> 0:11:41.480 they didn't recognize him, but Joseph knew exactly who they were. 0:11:42.400 --> 0:11:46.120 This was his big chance to get even after all 0:11:46.240 --> 0:11:51.200 the years of heartache pain injustice, God brought the people 0:11:51.240 --> 0:11:54.560 that caused it right in front of him. Most of 0:11:54.679 --> 0:11:58.800 us would be thinking about payback. But the reason God 0:11:58.840 --> 0:12:02.880 could promote Joseph, the reason he could give him incredible 0:12:02.960 --> 0:12:07.600 influence in favor, is God knew he could trust Joseph 0:12:07.920 --> 0:12:12.600 to handle the power correctly. Joseph had proved he would 0:12:12.640 --> 0:12:15.720 do the right thing and be good to people that 0:12:15.800 --> 0:12:19.760 had done him harm. Joseph looked at his brothers. Instead 0:12:19.760 --> 0:12:23.720 of getting revenge, the scripture says, he threw his arms 0:12:23.760 --> 0:12:29.120 around them and wept, kissing and embracing them. He invited 0:12:29.160 --> 0:12:32.520 them into the palace and served them dinner. He had 0:12:32.600 --> 0:12:35.760 them go home and bring their father and the rest 0:12:35.800 --> 0:12:39.199 of the family. He gave them land and a place 0:12:39.240 --> 0:12:42.200 to live where he could watch over them. When you 0:12:42.280 --> 0:12:45.880 can do like Joseph and be good to someone that's 0:12:45.920 --> 0:12:50.360 caused you pain, when you can embrace someone that's betrayed, 0:12:50.400 --> 0:12:55.040 you show kindness and respect even though they don't deserve it, 0:12:55.400 --> 0:12:59.959 There's no limit to how high God will take Youseph 0:13:00.320 --> 0:13:03.640 being betrayed by his brothers, that was all a part 0:13:03.679 --> 0:13:08.040 of God's plan. God knew years down the road there 0:13:08.160 --> 0:13:11.200 was going to be a great famine. He needed somebody 0:13:11.240 --> 0:13:14.280 on the inside of Egypt where the food would be 0:13:14.360 --> 0:13:18.600 stored so the Israelites could survive. He had to find 0:13:18.720 --> 0:13:25.199 somebody that could handle being mistreated and betrayed without being vindictive. 0:13:26.120 --> 0:13:29.200 If Joseph would have tried to get even put his 0:13:29.280 --> 0:13:33.559 brothers in prison, then the Israelites could have perished during 0:13:33.559 --> 0:13:37.720 the famine. Everything that happens is a part of God's plan. 0:13:38.520 --> 0:13:41.480 We can't see it at the time. Having a family 0:13:41.520 --> 0:13:45.080 member betray you, that doesn't make sense. A friend walk away, 0:13:45.880 --> 0:13:49.520 don't be bitter, don't hold a grudge, be a Joseph. 0:13:50.320 --> 0:13:53.400 Be good to those that have done you wrong. Let 0:13:53.520 --> 0:13:56.800 God take care of the people that have hurt you. 0:13:56.800 --> 0:13:59.800 You don't have to pay them back. You're not the judge, 0:14:00.160 --> 0:14:03.960 not the jury. Leave it in God's hands. Years ago, 0:14:04.040 --> 0:14:06.839 there was a pastor in another state. We had been 0:14:06.880 --> 0:14:09.760 friends with him our whole life, but there was this 0:14:10.000 --> 0:14:13.640 political issue that he felt strongly about. It was his 0:14:13.720 --> 0:14:16.400 new mission. He wanted me to get on board and 0:14:16.520 --> 0:14:20.480 help him. Well, my plate was full doing what God's 0:14:20.520 --> 0:14:23.360 called me to do. But he didn't understand it. He 0:14:23.480 --> 0:14:26.760 got so upset it with me. They interviewed him in 0:14:26.840 --> 0:14:29.320 his paper back at home, and he spent half the 0:14:29.400 --> 0:14:32.240 time talking about how I wouldn't help him, and I 0:14:32.240 --> 0:14:36.320 wouldn't be involved, on and on. It's one thing to disagree, 0:14:36.680 --> 0:14:41.320 but another to start blasting somebody in public, especially somebody 0:14:41.440 --> 0:14:44.600 that's been your friend for years. Of course, I wanted 0:14:44.640 --> 0:14:48.240 to respond, set the record straight. I've learned it's better 0:14:48.520 --> 0:14:52.040 to let God fight your battles, let God be your vindicator. 0:14:53.120 --> 0:14:56.400 A couple of years later, one of his staff members 0:14:56.600 --> 0:15:00.480 sent a request asking me to make a video for 0:15:00.600 --> 0:15:04.480 his twenty fifth anniversary of being at his church. It 0:15:04.560 --> 0:15:07.080 was a surprise. They were going to play it in 0:15:07.080 --> 0:15:11.360 front of the whole congregation. This staff member obviously didn't 0:15:11.400 --> 0:15:14.600 know that the man had made all these negative comments 0:15:14.640 --> 0:15:17.920 about me. My first thought was, yes, I would love 0:15:18.040 --> 0:15:20.560 to make a video. I have a lot to say 0:15:20.600 --> 0:15:25.160 about him, specially in front of his congregation. But seriously, 0:15:25.200 --> 0:15:29.120 I thought, God, making a video, that's too much. I'll 0:15:29.160 --> 0:15:33.000 bless him in private, but not in public. God, you 0:15:33.040 --> 0:15:35.480 didn't say anything in the scripture about having to do 0:15:35.520 --> 0:15:38.600 it in front of people. He didn't deserve it. He 0:15:38.640 --> 0:15:42.080 had tried to make me look bad. Now they wanted 0:15:42.120 --> 0:15:46.640 me to make him look good. This is what Joseph faced. God, 0:15:46.680 --> 0:15:49.600 here are the brothers that did me wrong. You want 0:15:49.600 --> 0:15:53.640 me to do what? Invite them into the palace, give 0:15:53.640 --> 0:15:56.920 them a place to live, use my influence to give 0:15:56.960 --> 0:16:00.640 them land, give them food. Get behind me. Say that 0:16:00.680 --> 0:16:04.280 could not be God. I didn't feel like doing it, 0:16:04.920 --> 0:16:08.680 but I knew this was a chance to bless somebody 0:16:09.080 --> 0:16:12.800 that had done me wrong. I made the video, congratulating 0:16:12.880 --> 0:16:15.480 him on twenty five years and thanking him for all 0:16:15.520 --> 0:16:19.320 of his meanness, I mean, all of his faithfulness. A 0:16:19.360 --> 0:16:23.080 friend of mine was at the event when the video played. 0:16:23.760 --> 0:16:26.600 He said, when I came on, this pastor put his 0:16:26.680 --> 0:16:31.240 head down and started weeping and weeping. Blessing your enemies 0:16:31.520 --> 0:16:34.520 not only shows God that you have the character to 0:16:34.600 --> 0:16:38.240 go higher, but it shows people who you really are. 0:16:39.160 --> 0:16:41.280 It's easy to be good to those that have been 0:16:41.320 --> 0:16:44.520 good to you, But when you can be good to 0:16:44.640 --> 0:16:48.600 people that have done you wrong, you're an exceptional person. 0:16:49.160 --> 0:16:52.400 You're a Joseph. You're the kind of man, the kind 0:16:52.440 --> 0:16:56.600 of woman that God can entrust with greatness. He can 0:16:56.720 --> 0:17:00.880 use you for his highest purposes. We see this same 0:17:01.000 --> 0:17:05.520 quality in David. When he defeated Goliath, King Saul loved 0:17:05.600 --> 0:17:08.680 him so much so he brought him to the palace. 0:17:09.359 --> 0:17:12.120 David would play the Heart for Saul when he wasn't 0:17:12.160 --> 0:17:15.960 feeling well. But David began to get so much recognition 0:17:16.119 --> 0:17:20.240 and so much popularity that Saul became jealous of David. 0:17:20.760 --> 0:17:23.200 And one day, while he was playing the harp, Saul 0:17:23.240 --> 0:17:26.320 took a spear and threw it it. David barely missed him. 0:17:26.600 --> 0:17:30.720 This happened time and time again. Saul was wrong, he 0:17:30.800 --> 0:17:34.600 was jealous. But you will never read where David tried 0:17:34.600 --> 0:17:38.160 to pay him back. Despite Saul trying to kill him. 0:17:38.200 --> 0:17:40.800 What did David do? Played the Heart for him, tried 0:17:40.840 --> 0:17:44.760 to make his life even better. Fast forward years later, 0:17:45.280 --> 0:17:47.720 Saul had been killed in a battle gone For a 0:17:47.760 --> 0:17:52.080 long time, David had been the king, won many victories, 0:17:52.480 --> 0:17:56.920 had incredible success. Now he was later in his life, 0:17:57.080 --> 0:18:01.080 not out fighting battles, but enjoying the blessed in favor 0:18:01.240 --> 0:18:05.240 that God had given him. One night, sitting around the palace, 0:18:05.800 --> 0:18:09.880 David said to his men, is anyone still alive from 0:18:09.920 --> 0:18:12.560 the house of Saul that I can be good to? 0:18:13.600 --> 0:18:17.080 I can imagine his men saying, excuse me, David, are 0:18:17.080 --> 0:18:21.000 you feeling okay? Do you remember Saul was trying to 0:18:21.080 --> 0:18:24.800 kill you. He chased you through the desert, made your 0:18:24.840 --> 0:18:28.280 life miserable through spears at you when you were being 0:18:28.320 --> 0:18:31.600 good to him. David said, in effect, yes, I know 0:18:31.640 --> 0:18:34.360 who he was, but I want to bless my enemies. 0:18:34.920 --> 0:18:38.520 I want to do something good for his family despite 0:18:38.680 --> 0:18:42.359 what he tried to do to me. No wonder David 0:18:42.440 --> 0:18:46.199 is called a man after God's own heart. My prayer 0:18:46.280 --> 0:18:49.080 is God, help us to grow to the place where 0:18:49.119 --> 0:18:52.760 we're not looking for ways to get revenge on our enemies, 0:18:53.119 --> 0:18:57.120 but we're looking for ways to bless our enemies. Well, Joe, 0:18:57.200 --> 0:19:00.040 you're too nice. I believe in standing up for my 0:19:00.359 --> 0:19:04.480 I believe in paying people back. The scripture says, you 0:19:04.680 --> 0:19:09.360 overcome evil with good. You don't overcome evil with more 0:19:09.400 --> 0:19:13.159 evil if you do the same thing to them that 0:19:13.200 --> 0:19:16.000 they're doing to you. They lied about you, so you 0:19:16.080 --> 0:19:19.399 lie about them. They betrayed you, so you betray them. 0:19:19.800 --> 0:19:23.359 Not only will you have a bigger problem, more conflict, 0:19:23.440 --> 0:19:26.959 but you'll get stuck. It will keep you from rising higher. 0:19:27.920 --> 0:19:32.480 David found Saul's grandson. He was crippled. They brought him 0:19:32.480 --> 0:19:35.919 to the palace. David gave him all the land that 0:19:36.000 --> 0:19:39.640 belonged to his grandfather. He said to him, from now on, 0:19:40.040 --> 0:19:42.840 you will sit at my table and have dinner with 0:19:42.920 --> 0:19:48.359 me every night. You imagine having the grandson of the 0:19:48.400 --> 0:19:51.040 men that tried to kill you eating dinner with you 0:19:51.119 --> 0:19:54.800 every night. That takes a big man. That takes somebody 0:19:54.800 --> 0:19:58.840 of great character. You may have had people do you wrong. 0:19:59.000 --> 0:20:03.400 We all have. Don't be bitter. Be a David. Overcome 0:20:03.480 --> 0:20:07.720 the evil with good. During the Korean War, a father 0:20:07.920 --> 0:20:11.320 was arrested by the Communist when they found out he 0:20:11.359 --> 0:20:14.760 was a follower of Christ. He was ordered to be shot. 0:20:15.080 --> 0:20:18.239 But when this young Communist leader that was about to 0:20:18.280 --> 0:20:22.119 carry out the execution learned that this father with the 0:20:22.200 --> 0:20:26.119 head of an orphanage. He decided to spare his life 0:20:26.440 --> 0:20:29.760 and instead take the life of his son. Right on 0:20:29.800 --> 0:20:32.280 the spot, they lined up his nineteen year old son 0:20:32.600 --> 0:20:36.200 and executed him. Years later, when the war was over, 0:20:36.560 --> 0:20:40.760 peace was restored, this young communist leader was put on 0:20:40.840 --> 0:20:44.560 trial by the United Nations. He was found guilty and 0:20:44.680 --> 0:20:48.480 sentenced to death before the Senates could be carried out, 0:20:48.960 --> 0:20:52.919 This father, whose son was murdered, pleaded with the court 0:20:53.280 --> 0:20:57.000 to spare his life. He argued that he was too young, 0:20:57.080 --> 0:20:59.600 that he didn't really know what he was doing. He 0:20:59.640 --> 0:21:02.920 told the court, I'll take him into my own home. 0:21:03.600 --> 0:21:06.840 I'll be responsible for him. I'll make sure he lives 0:21:06.840 --> 0:21:11.640 a productive life. Against all odds, the United Nations granted 0:21:11.680 --> 0:21:16.119 this unbelievable request. This father took the murder of his 0:21:16.280 --> 0:21:20.200 son into his home. He loved him, he cared for him. 0:21:20.680 --> 0:21:23.680 That young man gave his life to Christ. He ended 0:21:23.760 --> 0:21:27.000 up becoming the pastor of a church. But most of 0:21:27.119 --> 0:21:31.000 us will never have to face anything that traumatic. But 0:21:31.080 --> 0:21:34.760 you may have a coworker that's jealous tries to keep 0:21:34.800 --> 0:21:37.320 you from a promotion. You may have a friend that 0:21:37.480 --> 0:21:41.720 walks away, a relative that's not honest. It's easy to 0:21:41.800 --> 0:21:44.439 hold on to the hurt and look for ways to 0:21:44.520 --> 0:21:47.800 pay them back. Why don't you try a different approach 0:21:48.040 --> 0:21:51.639 and bless your enemies, be good to those that have 0:21:51.720 --> 0:21:57.800 done you wrong. Living vindictive, angry, bitter, it only poisons 0:21:57.840 --> 0:22:02.400 your life. I know the pain was real. What they 0:22:02.440 --> 0:22:05.760 did hurt, it wasn't fair, But holding on to it 0:22:05.800 --> 0:22:08.720 doesn't make it better. If you will let it go 0:22:09.160 --> 0:22:12.119 and live out of a place of forgiveness, a place 0:22:12.119 --> 0:22:15.359 of wholeness, you'll not only feel better, but that's what 0:22:15.480 --> 0:22:18.639 allows the creator of the universe to go to work. 0:22:19.160 --> 0:22:21.480 It may have been meant for your harm, but he 0:22:21.640 --> 0:22:24.280 knows how to turn it around and use it to 0:22:24.359 --> 0:22:28.760 your advantage. In the New Testament Book of Philemon, Paul 0:22:29.119 --> 0:22:32.600 was in prison. He was an old man, his life 0:22:32.680 --> 0:22:34.960 was coming to an end, and he wrote a letter 0:22:35.000 --> 0:22:38.120 to a man named Philemon. He was like a son 0:22:38.200 --> 0:22:41.800 to Paul. Fileimon was a wealthy man. He owned a 0:22:41.920 --> 0:22:44.960 large estate, and he'd come to know the Lord through Paul. 0:22:45.600 --> 0:22:48.760 Paul was writing to him about one of his runaway 0:22:48.880 --> 0:22:54.840 slaves named Anissimus. Anissimus didn't just run away. Commentaries tell 0:22:54.920 --> 0:22:58.359 us that he stole something from Philemon, and then he 0:22:58.440 --> 0:23:02.960 took off away. Slave met up with Paul in prison. 0:23:03.520 --> 0:23:06.720 He gave his life to Christ. He too became like 0:23:06.760 --> 0:23:10.840 a son to Paul. Paul was in a predicament. Anissimus 0:23:11.040 --> 0:23:14.520 had done wrong to Pileiman. He'd stolen from him, but 0:23:14.680 --> 0:23:18.680 now he was changed. So Paul wrote Pileman a letter 0:23:18.880 --> 0:23:22.960 on Anissimus's behalf. He said in verse ten something like this, 0:23:23.280 --> 0:23:28.440 I appealed to you for my son Anissimus. Formerly he 0:23:28.560 --> 0:23:32.200 was useless to you, but you will see he has changed. 0:23:32.800 --> 0:23:36.080 I am sending him back to you, not as your slave, 0:23:36.640 --> 0:23:40.760 but as your brother. Welcome him as you would welcome me. 0:23:41.600 --> 0:23:44.639 If he owes you anything or done you any wrong, 0:23:44.960 --> 0:23:47.280 put it on my account, and I give you my 0:23:47.400 --> 0:23:51.840 word I will pay you back. Paul was saying, in effect, Biliman, 0:23:52.359 --> 0:23:55.159 I know Anissimus has done you wrong. I know he's stolen. 0:23:55.280 --> 0:23:57.760 I know he ran away. You have a good right 0:23:58.080 --> 0:24:01.719 to be angry, to be vindictive when he returns. You 0:24:01.720 --> 0:24:06.119 could imprison him, make his life miserable. But something has changed. 0:24:06.640 --> 0:24:11.359 He's no longer your slave, He's your brother. This was 0:24:11.400 --> 0:24:16.160 a test would Filieman receive him back would he forgive him, 0:24:16.640 --> 0:24:19.800 be good to him, treat him like a brother, or 0:24:19.880 --> 0:24:22.920 would he hold on to the hurt, be angry, try 0:24:22.960 --> 0:24:26.520 to get revenge. The scripture doesn't tell us how the 0:24:26.600 --> 0:24:29.919 story ends. Did he put him in chage? Did he 0:24:29.960 --> 0:24:34.240 send him to prison? I believe that Filieman took Paul's 0:24:34.280 --> 0:24:38.720 advice and received him back, not as a slave, but 0:24:38.800 --> 0:24:42.199 as a brother. I believe he passed the test, that 0:24:42.280 --> 0:24:47.080 he showed him mercy. Sooner or later, a nissimus is 0:24:47.119 --> 0:24:50.520 going to show up at your house, somebody that hurts you, 0:24:51.080 --> 0:24:54.600 somebody that did you wrong, somebody that betrayed you. You 0:24:54.680 --> 0:24:57.480 have a right to be angry, to be bitter. That's 0:24:57.480 --> 0:25:00.840 a test. Are you stuck in what used to be, 0:25:01.560 --> 0:25:06.520 trying to get revenge, vindictive? Or have you grown? Have 0:25:06.600 --> 0:25:10.520 you come up higher? Have gotten past the hurt where 0:25:10.560 --> 0:25:13.600 you can show them mercy, where you can be good 0:25:13.640 --> 0:25:16.080 to those that have done you wrong, where you can 0:25:16.119 --> 0:25:21.119 even bless your enemies. Anyssamus showing up is not a coincidence. 0:25:21.520 --> 0:25:24.919 That's God seeing if you're ready to go to a 0:25:24.960 --> 0:25:29.080 new level, Joel, they don't deserve it. You don't know 0:25:29.080 --> 0:25:31.000 what they've done to me. I am not going to 0:25:31.040 --> 0:25:35.760 forgive them what they owe you. God is saying, put 0:25:35.800 --> 0:25:39.360 it on my account what they took from you. I'll 0:25:39.400 --> 0:25:43.560 pay you back. They may have hurt you, but if 0:25:43.600 --> 0:25:47.360 you'll do your part and receive them back, God will 0:25:47.359 --> 0:25:50.720 make it up to you. Think about the mercy God 0:25:50.760 --> 0:25:53.920 has shown you when you didn't deserve it. He forgave 0:25:54.040 --> 0:25:57.960 you when we got off course on purpose. He protected 0:25:58.040 --> 0:26:01.440 us when we got in trouble, rescued us. Why don't 0:26:01.440 --> 0:26:04.960 you take some of that same mercy, that same goodness, 0:26:05.280 --> 0:26:07.719 and show it to the people that have done you wrong. 0:26:08.560 --> 0:26:12.399 You have to give people the grace to change. Don't 0:26:12.480 --> 0:26:16.160 judge their whole life on one season, on one mistake. 0:26:16.920 --> 0:26:19.800 They may have left you a slave, so to speak. 0:26:20.000 --> 0:26:22.359 They hurt you, they made mistakes, they did you wrong, 0:26:22.720 --> 0:26:27.480 but now they've changed. Now they're your brother. The mercy 0:26:27.560 --> 0:26:31.000 you show them is the mercy God's going to show you. 0:26:31.680 --> 0:26:35.439 What you do with Anissimus will determine what God is 0:26:35.480 --> 0:26:39.159 going to do with you. If you're angry, bitter, vindictive, 0:26:39.359 --> 0:26:42.280 you'll get stuck. And I'm not saying you have to 0:26:42.320 --> 0:26:46.600 befriend them and allow them all access, but you should 0:26:46.680 --> 0:26:50.200 get past the offense, past the hurt where you can 0:26:50.200 --> 0:26:54.000 treat them with kindness, treat them with respect. Life is 0:26:54.080 --> 0:26:58.119 too short to live vindictive, angry, trying to get even. 0:26:58.800 --> 0:27:01.640 Turn that over to God. God put it on his account. 0:27:02.000 --> 0:27:04.920 People can't pay you back, they can't make it right. 0:27:05.359 --> 0:27:08.159 But if you'll go to God, he'll make up for 0:27:08.240 --> 0:27:13.240 what people cannot give you. Anissileness is coming, Joseph's brothers 0:27:13.280 --> 0:27:17.120 are coming. I'm asking you to pass the test. Show 0:27:17.200 --> 0:27:20.680 God you can handle a new level. Bless your enemies, 0:27:21.080 --> 0:27:23.679 Pray for those that do your wrong, do good to 0:27:23.720 --> 0:27:26.040 the people that have hurt you. If you'll do this, 0:27:26.520 --> 0:27:30.040 I believe and declare, you're going to see new levels 0:27:30.119 --> 0:27:33.720 of influence, new levels of favor. God is going to 0:27:33.760 --> 0:27:36.840 pay you back for the wrongs, heal the hurts, and 0:27:36.920 --> 0:27:40.640 take you to the fullness of your destiny in Jesus' name. 0:27:41.040 --> 0:27:43.439 And if you receive it today, can you say amen, 0:27:45.160 --> 0:27:48.120 I'd like to give you an opportunity to make Jesus 0:27:48.240 --> 0:27:50.760 the lord of your life. Would you pray with me? 0:27:51.520 --> 0:27:57.160 Just say, Lord Jesus, I'll repent of my sins. Come 0:27:57.160 --> 0:28:00.359 into my heart. I make you my lord lord, and 0:28:00.440 --> 0:28:04.359 save you. If you've paid that simple prayer. We believe 0:28:04.400 --> 0:28:07.720 you got born again, Get in a good Bible based church, 0:28:07.760 --> 0:28:11.200 and keep God first place. Victoria and I'll be right 0:28:11.240 --> 0:28:13.120 back to speak a blessing over you. 0:28:14.160 --> 0:28:16.600 As a thank you for your support of our ministry 0:28:16.680 --> 0:28:19.199 this month, Joel and Victoria, we'd like to send you 0:28:19.240 --> 0:28:23.040 a copy of Joel's new three message series, Anchored to Hope. 0:28:23.720 --> 0:28:27.200 When you're anchored to Hope, You're not moved by your circumstances, 0:28:27.440 --> 0:28:30.199 are worried because things aren't changing as fast as you'd like. 0:28:30.680 --> 0:28:33.879 You have your trust, your confidence, your hope in the Lord. 0:28:34.280 --> 0:28:36.240 You know he'll get you to where you need to be. 0:28:36.640 --> 0:28:39.200 Your best days are not behind you, They're still out 0:28:39.200 --> 0:28:42.080 in front of you. Request this resource. It will help 0:28:42.120 --> 0:28:43.840 you stay anchored to Hope. 0:28:44.400 --> 0:28:47.480 Request your copy of Anchored to Hope today at Joel 0:28:47.480 --> 0:28:50.680 Louistin dot com or call eight eight eight five six 0:28:50.760 --> 0:28:51.560 seven Joel. 0:28:52.000 --> 0:28:54.520 Thirteen years ago, my family and I started listening to 0:28:54.600 --> 0:28:57.400 Joel's messages every week. Since then, we've learned about the 0:28:57.440 --> 0:29:00.200 power of prayer. We face a challenge when my mom 0:29:00.240 --> 0:29:02.880 had to have two open heart surgeries. Because of what 0:29:02.920 --> 0:29:05.479 we've learned through this ministry. We were able to stand 0:29:05.480 --> 0:29:07.720 faith and we saw God heal her and do a 0:29:07.720 --> 0:29:09.080 great miracle in our lives. 0:29:09.600 --> 0:29:13.400 Your support is changing lives. Thanks for partnering with us. 0:29:13.640 --> 0:29:17.320 We appreciate your prayers, your generosity. It's making a difference 0:29:17.360 --> 0:29:20.280 around the world. Know that Victoria and I are praying 0:29:20.320 --> 0:29:22.720 for you and your family. We believe you're going to 0:29:22.800 --> 0:29:26.680 reach your dreams, overcome any obstacles that are holding you back, 0:29:26.720 --> 0:29:29.240 and not only that, but that you'll go places that 0:29:29.320 --> 0:29:30.800 you've never even imagined. 0:29:31.040 --> 0:29:31.080 No. 0:29:31.240 --> 0:29:33.520 God has you in the palm of his hand. He's 0:29:33.600 --> 0:29:37.040 breathing in your direction right now until we meet again. 0:29:37.400 --> 0:29:41.600 Know that you're blessed, You're strong, you're talented. You're a masterpiece, 0:29:41.880 --> 0:29:43.720 a child of the most High God. 0:29:51.320 --> 0:29:55.600 Nice buns, soft, fluffy and ultra low net carbs Discovery 0:29:55.680 --> 0:29:59.560 hero Bread the delicious ultra low net carbbread with incredible 0:29:59.600 --> 0:30:02.959 taste in texture. 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