From The Crucible (by Pastor Linda Pugsley)

“Love your enemies”. Is God nuts or something? Never mind “how” to love my enemies…why should I even try?

With our limited viewpoint and broken nature, we often cannot see God’s viewpoint nor have full understanding of His ways. As you review the headlines recently about radical Islamists killing an American ambassador and three other American civilians; or Occupy Wall Streeters defecating on what should be our revered flag; or Iranian leaders threatening to bomb our military bases, you could be filled with hatred and anger toward them. But did you ever stop to pray for them?

I never once prayed for Khrushchev when Russia was a Cold War enemy; I never once prayed for the Communists who invaded South Vietnam, especially while I served there as a military nurse and saw the horrendous wounds inflicted on our treasured young men. I never prayed for the Ayatollah when the U.S. Embassy in Iran was attacked and our Americans who worked there were held captive for over a year. I prayed for the Americans but never their captors. I have never prayed for the Taliban or any radical Islamist today. Have you? That surely made me start to think as the Lord has spoken to my heart over the years.

Wow, can you imagine what might happen if we seriously prayed for a miraculous intervention in the hearts of those I just mentioned? The intervention of God won’t happen to everyone because some just have a hardened heart that will never warm up to God, no matter how much heat He applies to it. But there are many who have never had the truth hit their hearts and they would change drastically if it did. Praying for your enemies is crucial, not crazy.

You see, Jesus died for them, too, as much as He did for you and me. Oh-Oh…I think we may have forgotten that. Instead of hating our enemies, we should be “herding” them into God’s flock!

Who’s on your enemies’ list… former spouses, those who commit crimes, relatives and friends who have ripped you off, liberals and Democrats, conservatives and Republicans, pagans and politicians, the government, etc. If you want to be a true follower of Jesus Christ, you must put away the broken nature that leans toward hatred, hurting and revenge and put on the mind of Christ which guides us toward holiness, healing and redemption! Endure the fire…it’s producing pure gold!

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