Sis Joanna Dorai
21-02-2021
Matthew
7:24-27
New
International Version
The
Wise and Foolish Builders
24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into
practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the
streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not
fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these
words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who
built his house on sand. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat
against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”
It is the words of Jesus Christ and Christ alone that
will lead us out of the waves and storms that are beating against your house. During
the shakings and the storms, it is not just about behavioural change that the Lord
is looking at; the Lord wants to lead you to act and live and move as those who
are wise, especially in times of storm. (Matthew 7:24-27)
Today there may be many storms in our hearts and a whirlwind
of emotions and confusion and we are not able to accept the many realities that
we cannot reconcile, and they come in many forms. Would you like to be the wise
man who builds his house upon the rock? The Lord is saying, “Hear My voice. Out
of this pandemic and out of the shakings, you will see the desire of all
nations come and fill your life with glory. And in this place, I will grant you
peace.”
Build:
·
Our lives
·
Our family
·
Our business
·
Our studies
·
Our children
·
Our legacy
·
Our church
On the foundation of Christ the solid rock.
1)
Turn away
from revenge (Matthew 5:38-42)
Matthew
5:38-42
New
International Version
Eye
for Eye
38 “You have heard
that it was said,
‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ 39 But I tell you, do not resist an evil
person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. 40 And if anyone wants to sue
you and take your shirt, hand over your
coat as well. 41 If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. 42 Give to the one who asks you,
and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.
There is a deep cry for justice in Jesus’
day but He says, “The law is peace, and not vengeance.” Jesus points into your
heart and says, “I’m listening to you. I see your oppression, I see you’re
hurting, I see your cry for justice but what’s in your heart? Revenge. You’re
looking for sweet revenge.”
Instead of leading them on in their
quest for vengeance, He led them to a path of peace. And He says, “Turn away
from revenge.” The nature of revenge is so vicious that it consumes the person
who is caught in it but Jesus says, “Come to Me.” Come to Jesus who gives you a
solid foundation to reconcile the realities that are hard to accept and the
emotions that are hard to even identify—to come to a point of truth and build
your house upon the solid rock so that you can stand in peace in times of
storm. God wants to heal your heart by revealing some things in your heart
today.
2)
One day your
enemies will become your friends (Matthew 5:43-48)
Matthew
5:43-48
New
International Version
Love
for Enemies
43 “You have heard
that it was said,
‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But
I tell you, love
your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be
children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil
and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 If you love those who love
you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47 And if you greet only your
own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48 Be
perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
We cannot reconcile the reality that in our human hearts
there is nothing perfect about it and there is nothing perfect about the world.
Loving family and friends is already so difficult; what more to go the second mile
to love the enemy.
Jesus sees beyond our complaints. He understands and sees
the condition of our hearts.
What we see now is through the perspective of time. But in
the beginning, the God of time and the Prince of peace says that “I am about
the shake the nations, not only the earth but also the heavens as well. I will
come down and cause the glory to dwell on this earth and grant you peace.” And the
same voice travels through time and comes down in the flesh and says, “You have
not seen what I can do, and what the plans of God are in front of you.” So,
pray for those who persecute you and ask the Lord to change their hearts so
that you could be children of your Father in heaven. God blesses the righteous
and the unrighteous.
And He goes on to say, “What’s the point of loving those
within your circle? Doesn’t everybody also do that?” The product of the vicious
cycle is that if you keep being exclusive, you remain separate. If you’re so
exclusive, you only see your kind in your own worldview and other people do not
appear in your radar, Jesus sees that. Within the Jewish context, the Gentiles
are an abomination. Everybody else is an enemy. The Gentiles are uncircumcised people.
While it is the truth that the Jews are chosen and they are circumcised, within
their worldview, everybody else does not matter. And Jesus sees all that. And He
says, “Love your enemies. Pray for those who persecute you.” The degree of
hostility and the degree of how we define our enemy is something out of our own
heart.
God does not show favouritism. His blessing falls on all.
And His heart is so that everybody would be one. He would give the Holy Spirit to
anybody who asks.
That’s when the anointing of God would flow. How good and
pleasant it is when brethren actually dwell in unity. The mark of the Prince of
peace in your life is not only in how you treat your family and friends, but
also in how you treat your enemy. Jesus wants to lead us into a future where
our enemies actually will call us friends. And you’ll find the blessing of
friendship, brotherhood, protection, and most of all, peace—peace here on earth
and peace with God, and we’ll all be children of our Father in heaven.
Today, God wants to heal our hearts, touch our wounds,
but more importantly, give us a future.
The Lord wants to heal you. He wants to meet you at this place of grief. There are some things in your heart that have been buried for so long. There are some things that you could not express to the people whom you love. There are some things that you do not even know that’s going on inside that are actually boiling, that you cannot express and today, the Lord says, “I want to set you free.” “Vengeance is mine,” says the Lord, “but blessed is the man who does not step in the way of the wicked or sit in the seat of mockers.” Let Him lead you down the path of understanding that He would allow you to be planted by rivers of water so that you would prosper in all that you do because your enemies that had wanted to destroy you have now become your friends and they want to bless you and work together with you as allies. You will find you have the presence of God through the people around you because they are standing together with you, they believe in you and they want you to prosper. That is the presence of God and the blessing of God.
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