8/18/13   KINGDOM LIVING   

The Blessings of Generosity

    What is your approach to life?
***Me, myself and I
***Jesus, Others, You (what a wonderful way to spell joy)
Kids Collect Pennies to Purchase New Fire Truck
    Shortly after the tragedy of 9/11 came a wonderful story of giving. It came from a school in Columbia, South Carolina.
    First, the historical perspective. Two years after the Civil War, with much of Columbia still in ruins, some of the bitterness over the conflict was put aside by a single gesture: New York firefighters set out to collect pennies to buy Columbia a firetruck.
    On February 17, 1865, a devastating blaze devoured about one-third of the city. Columbia had lost most of its firefighting equipment during the Civil War and desperately used bucket brigades in their attempt to douse flames.
    Not long after, New York City firemen, many of them former Union soldiers, raised $5,000—mostly in pennies—and put a hose-reel wagon on a steamship bound for Columbia, South Carolina. On the way, the ship sank, but instead of giving up, they took up another collection and sent a second hose-reel wagon.
    So overwhelmed was former Confederate Colonel Samuel Melton that he made a promise on behalf of South Carolina’s capital city to return the kindness “should misfortune ever befall the Empire City.”
    After 9/11, White Knoll principal Nancy Turner and her teachers were trying to find some tangible way their students could respond to the attacks. Eventually the decision was made to collect money to buy a fire truck.
    Then Turner stumbled on records of New York’s gift. It was easy to get city leaders and the governor, Jim Hodges, to join in. Columbia’s fire chief was a New York native. The effort was named “South Carolina Remembers”. After 134 years, the day to remember came and the children of Columbia took it on themselves to honor that pledge.
    They collected pennies at football games, held bake sales, and sold T-shirts in a drive to raise the $350,000 needed to replace one of the dozens of New York fire trucks destroyed in the 9/11 attacks.
    The idea began from a lesson in giving. Donations poured in. One donor wrote: “When I was growing up in Columbia, Mama always said you need to return a kindness. I know she’d be as glad as I am to be part of this wonderful thank-you gesture.”
    One of the most unforgettable donations came from Russell Siller of Rockville Centre, New York. Siller’s brother, Stephen, was part of the elite firefighter force Squad 1. He died that terrible day. Siller wrote: “At a time like this, when the whole nation is still mourning its loss, what a powerful and poetic message your efforts send to all of us. I am proud that New York’s bravest sent you a fire truck in your city’s time of need. … To think that you would honor a pledge made so many years ago! The new fire truck will become a symbol for your love for your country, and for New York’s bravest.”
Condensed from Building Adult Ministries, Christianity Today International. “A Kindness Returned-134 Years Later,” Building Adult Ministries (3-31-08); taken from an Associated Press story by Page Ivey
    The blessings of generosity.  It is not just an emotional response to a heart wrenching appeal.  This is one of the most powerful principles God wants all to learn.  I am reminded of:
II Corinthians 9:7 NLT
7 You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.”
    In His sermon expressing the foundation of His Kingdom, the constitution of the church, Jesus taught about something we all deal with - generosity and the temptation to be in love with stuff.
    I want to challenge you with the blessings of generosity.  What we allow to flow through our hands, what we keep, and how we look at caring for others  will set the pace for where we go in life.
    Jesus taught:
Matthew 6:1-34 NLT
1 Watch out! Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven. 2 When you give to someone in need, don’t do as the hypocrites do—blowing trumpets in the synagogues and streets to call attention to their acts of charity! I tell you the truth, they have received all the reward they will ever get. 3 But when you give to someone in need, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. 4 Give your gifts in private, and your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.
    Learn the blessings of generosity, just don’t make a big deal about it.  This goes to motivation.  Why do you do what you do?  Is it so others will be impressed?  Is it to make people think you are a wonderful person?
    God says to be generous and let Him take care of any rewards.  God sees what you do. He will reward you in ways you couldn’t think of.  Just be kind and forget it.
    Generous is something we all can be.  It may be with money, it may be with something we already own, it may be with time and talents.  Many think “When I get rich, then I’ll do great things”.  Don’t wait for that time, it probably won’t come.  Use what you have now.
    Generosity includes this simple concept: find a need, then heal it.  Not every need is large and you can do something about it.
19 Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. 21 Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.
    Termites Eat Millions of Indian Rupees
    It was an all-you-can-eat buffet at the bank. An army of termites munched through 10 million rupees ($222,000) in currency notes stored in a steel chest at a bank in Barabanki, said police in northern India. The bank manager discovered the damage when he opened the reinforced room in an old bank building.
    Police officer Navneet Rana told The Associated Press, “It’s a matter of investigation how termites attacked bundles of currency notes stacked in a steel chest.” The money was put in the chest in January, 2011. In the past, termites had damaged bank furniture and documents. The police have registered a case of negligence against the bank officials.
Associated Press, “Termites eat millions of Indian rupees in bank” (4-22-11)
    Some treasure lasts and gains value.  Some simply fades away.  People have lost billions of dollars in investments that were worthless.  Things that seemed so valuable have lost their appeal.
    Let’s come up with a list of things that had value at one time:
8 track, cassette tapes
dial telephones
vacuum tubes (radio, TV)
floppy disks for computers
?????
    These things were all valuable and looked like a great investment.  Now, they just sit and collect dust.
    Store up treasure that will last, that won’t lose value.  Eternity is the place to invest.
What will bring people to Jesus?
What will show God’s love and compassion for people?
What will bring honor to God?
    This is where we want to invest.  So many things people work so hard to collect fade away.  Let me illustrate it with this golf club.  I got it used for $5.  I probably could have gotten it for less.  New, it cost hundreds.  Some time ago someone was all excited as they got this beautiful new club.  Now, it’s considered worthless.  Look at so many other toys people have to have that are now filling up storage sheds or landfills.
24 No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.
25 That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? 27 Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?
28 And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, 29 yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. 30 And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith? 31 “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ 32 These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. 33 Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. 34 So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.
    ***No one can serve two masters.
    Money, things – the master of many people.  This is why people say the church shouldn’t talk about money.  “That’s my money and I’m going to do whatever I want with it.”  Money becomes the master and controls people.  Jesus said we will either serve God or money.  That is an amazingly accurate statement.
    People place a high value on things.  They place their trust and faith in it and look to it for security and happiness.  If you have enough money, your future is guaranteed.  They forget these words from the Bible.  Luke 12:15, 20 NKJV
15 And He said to them, “Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.”
20 But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?’
    Accumulating wealth takes over a person’s mind so they forget about doing things for God’s glory.
    Let’s review 19-34.
Questions for discussion.
What does the Bible say about money, material possessions?
God owns it all.
Psalm 50:10-12 NKJV
10 For every beast of the forest is Mine, And the cattle on a thousand hills. 11 I know all the birds of the mountains, And the wild beasts of the field are Mine. 12 “If I were hungry, I would not tell you; For the world is Mine, and all its fullness.”
    We are to manage what God gives us, use it for God’s purposes.
1 Corinthians 4:2 NKJV
2 Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful.

How do we recognize His ownership?
Acknowledging His ownership.  The tithe is the acknowledgment that it all belongs to God.
Malachi 3:10-11 NKJV
10 “Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, That there may be food in My house, And try Me now in this,” Says the LORD of hosts, “If I will not open for you the windows of heaven And pour out for you such blessing That there will not be room enough to receive it. 11 And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, So that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground, Nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field,” Says the LORD of hosts;
    The tithe is God’s revealed way to support the local church.

What does God’s ownership imply?
    He owns everything.  He gave it to us to use, to manage for Him, to receive benefit of having what we need in life.
    God blesses generosity, generous living.  Being a faithful steward builds up treasures in heaven.  Nothing can take those away.  It relieves us from the worry about things.
The Application
What am I going to do about things, money, generosity?
What am I going to do about the tithe?

8/11/13  KINGDOM LIVING

Purity – God’s Best Option

    In his book Glorious Mess, Mike Howerton tells a story about a childhood experience playing “mud football”. After a huge downpour, he and his buddies found a gully filled with two inches of standing water. He describes what happened next:
    We had a blast. Every tackle would send you sliding for yards and yards. The ball was like a greased pig, which meant tons of fumbles and gang tackles and laughter.
    I remember tackling one of [my friends] and watching him skim across the surface of the water for something like four miles and thinking, “I might be in heaven.” When he got up, I noticed something stuck on his shoulder. I peered closer, wondering, “What is that?” Now, there was a huge, concrete sewage runoff drain right next to the gully. And apparently during heavy rains, all sorts of things got backed up, and I don’t know if the apartment complex immediately next to the school burst a pipe or what, but I do know we didn’t really pay attention to the flotsam in the gully until I noticed that something on Craig’s shoulder. I peered closer and suddenly realized it was a soaking piece of toilet paper. In that same instant I realized the smell surrounding me was a bit more pungent than a typical mud football game ought to smell. I yelled out, “We’re playing in POOP WATER!” and we bolted for home as fast as we could.
    Talk about an instant of mental transformation.  Sometimes in life we need our thinking transformed. Sometimes we think we’re having fun until we realize we’re rolling around in sewage.
Mike Howerton, Glorious Mess (Baker, 2012), pp. 101-102
    God has given us something awesome, and, as usual, the enemy is making it something awful.  God has given us the beauty of personal relationships and a beautiful thing called marriage with all its benefits, and they enemy gets it all twisted up.  What appears to be beautiful and extremely fulfilling becomes a source of destruction and desperation when we break God’s ways.
    KINGDOM LIVING -- Purity, God’s best option
Matthew 5:27-32 NKJV
27 You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.
31 Furthermore it has been said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’ 32 But I say to you that whoever divorces his wife for any reason except sexual immorality causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a woman who is divorced commits adultery.
Matthew 7:13-14 NKJV
13 Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. 14 Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.
    In His sermon expressing the foundation of His Kingdom, the constitution of the church, Jesus taught about something we all deal with - desires of the heart.
    I want to challenge you with the blessings of obeying God’s laws.  What we allow into our hearts, what we dwell on, will set the pace for where we go in life.
    This message today is built on the foundation of one of the beatitudes. 
Matthew 5:8 NKJV
8 Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God.
    The pure in heart have dedicated themselves to the Lord and are free from sin’s power.  They live to please God.  Pleasing God loves what God loves and hates what God hates.  This is living in tune with God.
    God is looking for purity in His followers.
1 Samuel 13:13-14 NKJV
13 And Samuel said to Saul, “You have done foolishly. You have not kept the commandment of the LORD your God, which He commanded you. For now the LORD would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. 14 But now your kingdom shall not continue. The LORD has sought for Himself a man after His own heart, and the LORD has commanded him to be commander over His people, because you have not kept what the LORD commanded you.”
    God blesses pure hearts who love righteousness.
Hebrews 1:9 NKJV
9 You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You With the oil of gladness more than Your companions.
    Jesus taught about our thoughts and desires.  We must make them pure according to HIS standards of holiness.
28 But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
    As you read the Bible you see many references to this topic of adultery.  There is physical as well as spiritual adultery.  What is the big deal?  Why is the Bible so strongly against it?
    God gave the most special human relationship to a man and woman in marriage.  It is like no other.  You can be friends, business acquaintances, neighbors, meet people at social gatherings, friends at church -- and nothing comes close to the special relationship found in marriage.
    God used marriage as a picture of the relationship believers (the church) have with the Lord.
    This very special and awesome relationship found only in marriage is the foundation for society.  It is the foundation for an orderly society.  It is the way that truth, righteousness and godliness are to be passed from generation to generation.  The strong desires a man has towards his wife are counterfeited by sin and lead to the destruction of the home, the lives involved and eventually society.  These strong desires in marriage are good and come from God.
    This is why Jesus said that a look of uncontrolled passion is just as destructive as physical adultery.  What starts out as a thought often leads to an action.
    I have never heard someone say “I’m sorry I was faithful to my wife for all these decades.  I wish I’d had an affair.”
    Men, let’s be honest about what is all around us. Entertainment is filled with everything destructive.  Let’s be honest, pornography is destructive to your life.  The research confirms what the Bible teaches – men who consume porn enter into many destructive behaviors.  It is central is countless breakups of families.  It treats women like play toys to be discarded.
    A request to women: please be careful how you dress.  Make an effort to understand modesty.  Be careful what and how much you show in how you dress.  Yes, it really makes a difference.
    It is not just porn that pollutes the mind.  My observation is that the majority of entertainment today is based on a world-view that mocks God’s moral standards.  Don’t waste your time watching the stupid programs, but do some research to the story lines and settings of the TV programs coming out these days. As a Christian, you should be shocked and disgusted.  And you have to be even more careful with movies.  What are the laugh lines?  Often they are about things the Bible calls sin.
    I recently saw an ad for a frozen dinner.  The implication of the ad was that the woman promoting this product was naked.  I wonder, is their product that bad that they have to try to trick people into buying it? What kind of a perverted mind would conceptualize that ad?  And what kind of pervert would approve it to represent the company?
    Again, the Sermon on the Mount:  Jesus isn’t calling for physical abuse, but note these verses and see the over illustration of what should be done to prevent sin from destroying a person.
29 If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.
    Hell is no joking matter.  Those who participate in immoral behavior face horrible destruction and torment in hell.
    The things we are talking about today are God’s laws.  Many are sick or even dead because they have ignored God’s moral laws and have fallen prey to the lies of the “fun” of sexual sin.  You can’t break God’s laws without paying the price.
    This year there was a plane crash in Michigan.  Our son, Matthew, called us about it.  He had flown the plane that went down and four people died.  There was nothing wrong with it.  A young pilot took some family members for a ride and overloaded the plane. Even though there were four seats in the plane, it couldn’t handle that much weight.  The plane never got more than 100 feet in the air.  It crashed and all died.  Matthew’s insightful comment:  you can’t break the laws of physics.
    You can break human laws.  You can never break God’s laws.  Whenever someone tries, they will crash and burn.
    One of the beautiful and special features about marriage is that God uses a Divine super-glue to bring the husband and wife together.  This is why it hurts so much when it breaks.  Jesus said in Matthew 19:6 that God does the joining in marriage.
31 Furthermore it has been said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’
    Jesus was talking about religious teachers making it easy to divorce for any reason.  The prophet, Malachi, wrote that God hates divorce. He hates it because of the pain it brings.  Especially among believers there must be a way to work things out.
    I have tied together verses about God’s moral law with His statement about the narrow way to heaven.
Matthew 7:13-14 NKJV
13 Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. 14 Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.
    Two opposites here: life and destruction.  We are either heading towards one or the other.
    Narrow and wide.  Is it more important to be popular and be considered “in” than to obey God?  The popular way these days is basically immoral.  The younger generation thinks boyfriend/girlfriend living together is just the normal thing.  Even some who call themselves Christians are doing it and thinking nothing of it.  Why?  Because that is what everyone else is doing.  And, our culture lives for instant gratification.  Don’t wait, I want my fun now.
    God’s ways are always the best.  It is easy to get negative on moral topics and make it seem as if Christians/the Bible are against everything.  That is not so.  God is FOR us and gives us the way to be most successful.  I love a statement I heard on a radio program once:
Once you throw away God’s best, all of the options stink.
QUESTIONS
What are the moral principles God wants us to understand and obey?
What do you say to someone who says Christianity is narrow?
Is “narrow” really an insult?
What is modesty?
What is the world not understanding about God’s design for marriage and physical intimacy?
APPLICATION
Ask God to speak to your heart to help you see how you can live a life that receives the blessings of Biblical morality.

8/4/13 KINGDOM LIVING

Anger and retaliation.  How do you treat your enemies?

    It is very easy to get extremely angry at someone and have a strong desire to retaliate.  It would feel great to rearrange their face.  We need to be honest that we have all felt these desires and emotions from time to time.
    In His sermon expressing the foundation of His Kingdom, the constitution of the church, Jesus taught about something we all deal with - anger and retaliation, revenge.  We know that from time to time we will be treated poorly and unfairly in life.  What do we do with it?
    Let me share a true story about the destruction and insanity of holding on to anger.  This is what can happen when we ignore Jesus’ advice we will read about today.
    In June of 2012, Carl Ericsson, a 73-year-old South Dakota man, was sentenced to life in prison after admitting to the murder of a former high school classmate. Friends and family members were shocked that the once-successful insurance salesman seemed to snap. Ericsson had been married to his wife for over 44 years.
    But after the murder, Ericsson’s secret finally came out. For over 50 years he had simmered with a grudge: He was still mad at a classmate who had once pulled a high school prank. Norman Johnson, the classmate and murder victim, was a star athlete. Ericsson was a student sports manager. According to Ericsson’s confession, on one occasion Johnson pulled a prank, humiliating him and planting the seed of resentment that would continue to grow for over half a century. Throughout their lives, Norman Johnson continued to outshine Ericsson. Johnson had played college football, earned a degree, and then taught and coached at his alma mater for more than three decades.
    After holding a grudge for over 50 years, Carl Ericsson rang Johnson’s doorbell and shot him dead. Ericsson told a judge, “I guess it was from something that happened over 50 years ago. It was apparently in my subconscious.” During his sentencing, Ericsson turned to Johnson’s widow and apologized, saying, “I just wish I could turn the calendar back.”
Cameron Smith, Bizarre S.D. murder caused by resentment over 50-year-old locker room jockstrap prank," Yahoo Sports Prep Rally blog (6-18-12)
    Can you imagine living your whole life consumed by anger and resentment over one silly thing done in high school?  I wonder how many times this caused Carl Ericsson to seethe with anger and resentment.  I wonder how many times he dreamed with delight at the thought of getting revenge and making Norman Johnson shrink in humiliation and suffering.
    Jesus knew the controlling destruction of anger, which is why we have His teaching we will look at today.
    Let’s read some of Jesus’ teachings on this topic.
Matthew 5:21-26 NKJV
21 You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’ 22 But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’ shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire.
23 Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.
25 Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are on the way with him, lest your adversary deliver you to the judge, the judge hand you over to the officer, and you be thrown into prison. 26 Assuredly, I say to you, you will by no means get out of there till you have paid the last penny.
Matthew 5:43-48 NKJV
43 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.
    Having read these verses, let me back up to read a foundational verse.
Matthew 5:17 NKJV
17 Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.
    There were people who thought that believing and applying the Law God gave through Moses was no longer necessary.  But, Jesus was taking spiritual things to a higher level.  He wasn’t only calling for obedience to the letter of the law because you have to, but obedience that comes from the heart.  Don’t just go through religious motions, but really love God.
    There is a teaching called antinomianism.  This says that faith and grace releases a Christian from the obligation of following any moral law.  Jesus was dealing with this.
    This is a belief that there are no moral laws God expects Christians to obey.  Biblically, we are not required to observe the law as a means of salvation.  On the cross, Jesus fulfilled the law.  Antinomianism comes to the unbiblical conclusion that because of God’s grace and Jesus death on the cross, there is no moral law God expects Christians to obey.  We can do whatever we want.
    Paul settled this in:
Romans 6:1-2 NKJV
1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?
    People can say, “If I am saved by grace and my sin is forgiven, why not sin all I want?”  However, someone really saved has a strong desire to obey God out of love for Him.  We are not looking for excuses or permission to sin.  We want to get close to Jesus.
    Again:
22 But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’ shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire.
    Jesus is not speaking of a justified, righteous anger at those who are wicked and cruel.  Instead, He is condemning the vindictive anger that desires to harm or kill another person. “Raca” is a term of hatred and contempt, calling a person an “empty-headed fool.”  Jesus spoke against these kinds of insults.
    Murder starts with anger.  If anger is not dealt with, it will lead the violence, murder and destructive acts.  Often anger starts with insults.  Jesus said that these insults will lead to judgement, and many problems.
    The citizens of an early settlement in a place known as Qumran (the place where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found), had a strong expectation of Godly behavior.  Blasphemous speech could result in having one’s food ration reduced for a year.  The extreme punishment could be banishment from the settlement.
    Jesus said these kinds of offenses can lead to punishment in hell.
    The principle Jesus taught was to get things settled quickly so that strife doesn’t continue to escalate.  Even if you have to leave your sacrifice at the altar to go and get it settled, do it right away.
    Settle things. Forgive.  Give up the need for revenge.  This does not imply that people can sin and get away with it.  God is the ultimate judge.  But, get things settled.  Recognize the destructive force of anger.  Don’t let it ruin your life.  Make an active effort at reconciliation.

Again:
Matthew 5:43-48 NKJV
43 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.
    Jesus is not teaching about letting evil people get away with sinful acts or resisting proper justice to those who are wicked.  Jesus is concerned about loving and expressing kindness to our enemies.  When someone does something against us, we are not to respond in hatred.  Instead, show a Christlike character. Our responses toward unkind people can cause them to consider what Jesus is like.  This example can lead them to receive Jesus as their Savior.
    The concept of hating your enemies: some people wrongly believe that they SHOULD hate their enemies.  But, the Law never used the words hate your enemy.  Rather, it taught kindness even toward an enemy’s animals. The law commanded love not only for one’s neighbor but also for strangers.
    Loving an enemy really throws him into confusion.  It is a tool to reach him for Jesus.  He doesn’t understand why you don’t want revenge, for that is what he would want.
Romans 12:18-21 NKJV
18 If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. 19 Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. 20 Therefore “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; If he is thirsty, give him a drink; For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
    Coals of fire - that sounds painful.  The concept is not attempting to call down Divine judgement, but it speaks of the natural result of showing kindness to someone who we think doesn’t deserve it.  The effect of being kind to an enemy will produce pain resulting from shame and remorse.  The goal is that it will lead to repentance.
    How unreasonable, absurd and nonsensical anger can be.  It grabs hold of a person and controls them.  An observer can often see the folly of it, but the person consumed by anger can’t. Anger can even control a person when the issue isn’t real.
Woman Lays Down a 30-Year Grudge
    From 1974-1981 the actress Alison Arngrim played Nellie Oleson on Little House on the Prairie. Nellie, as fans of the show will remember, was a horrible child who continually tortured Laura Ingalls. Alison is still acting, but Nellie Oleson is never too far in the background.
    Alison was at the Los Angeles County Fairgrounds a few years ago, signing autographs with other former child stars. In the midst of a long day of meeting and greeting, a woman in her forties made it to the front of Alison’s line. Alison looked up, smiled, and reached for something to sign. The woman had nothing to sign. She merely stood in front of the table and turned different shades of red and purple. She was shaking, closing her eyes, and swallowing as she tried to compose herself.
    Allison and her husband grew increasingly uncomfortable, and were close to calling for security, when the angry woman broke the silence with three labored words: “I … forgive … you.” And, just like that, she exhaled, turned, and exited the tent.
    Alison says that this kind of thing happens fairly often. She had never met this woman. They had never exchanged a single word before meeting at the fair that day. But this angry stranger at the LA County Fair had carried a seething, consuming grudge against a character on a TV show that had not aired in 30 years. Nellie had never bullied her and never lived in her neighborhood. Nellie never even existed. But after 30 long years of carrying the burden of this hatred, she needed to lay it down and walk away.
Alison Arngrim, Confessions of a Prairie Bitch (HarperCollins Publishing, 2010), pp. ix-x
    This is amazing. A woman was upset for 30 years over something that wasn’t even real.  This is a good illustration of the destruction of anger and the importance of dealing with it.
    One of the most important events in my life came in a family camp service at Spencer Lake.  The teaching was on getting along.  Then the teaching went to forgiveness.  The question was: why is it so hard to forgive?
Four thoughts:
Often, the offender isn’t sorry.
We feel our rights have been violated.
We are left with a loss.
We feel the offender is getting by free.

Question:
Is it easy to forgive?
Why would God ask us to do something so hard?
Personal reflection:
Is there someone you need to forgive?
Is there someone you need to contact and restore a relationship?
Do you have any grudges you need to release?