Embrace the Within no. 132

“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth [punishment that fits the offense].’ But I say to you, do not resist an evil person [who insults you or violates your rights]; but whoever [In this context the “slap” is not an act of violence, but more likely an insult or violation of one’s rights] slaps you on the right cheek, turn the other toward him also [simply ignore insignificant insults or trivial losses and do not bother to retaliate—maintain your dignity, your self-respect, your poise]. If anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, [Probably a prohibition against frivolous legal action] let him have your coat also [for the Lord repays the offender]. And whoever [Roman soldiers were allowed to force civilian bystanders to carry their gear one mile for them] forces you to go one mile, go with him two. Give to him who asks of you, and do not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you.

Matthew 5:38-42 AMP

Generosity and mercy are the focus of Christ’s sermon today. I am not to react selfishly to the words and actions of my neighbors and my enemies. My struggle is not against flesh and blood. My struggle is spiritual. My warfare is not physical. My warfare is spiritual and mental. When I lower myself to the ways of the world, when I look to take an eye in vengeance, when I look for my pound of flesh, when I look to get even, when I look to protect my pride, when I look to defend my honor, then I lose sight of what Christ commands. I need to maintain my dignity, self-respect, and poise in my relationship with the Lord as His Ambassador.

“Your ancestors have also been taught, ‘Take an eye in exchange for an eye and a tooth in exchange for a tooth’ [See Ex. 21:24]. However, I say to you, don’t repay an evil act with another evil act [As translated from Hebrew Matthew. The Greek is “Do not resist evil (or evil doer)”]. But whoever insults you by slapping you on the right cheek, turn the other to him as well [That is, simply stand and take it without responding in return with violence. In the cultural setting of the days of Jesus, to slap someone was the greatest insulting physical blow you could give a person. It is better to respond with kindness. This robs the oppressor of his ability to humiliate. See Prov. 15:1; 24:29; Isa. 50:6; Lam. 3:30]. If someone is determined to sue you for your coat, give him the shirt off your back as a gift in return. And should people in authority take advantage of you, do more than what they demand [“If someone forces you to go a mile with him, go two.” This is in reference to the Roman authorities, who often compelled the Jewish men to carry their heavy items for them. In v. 40 we are challenged to give up our rights, in v. 41 to surrender our freedom, and in v. 42 to surrender our prosperity]. Learn to generously share what you have with those who ask for help, and don’t close your heart to the one who comes to borrow from you” [The Aramaic can be “If someone wants to benefit from you, do not stop him.” In the agrapha sayings of Jesus, as quoted by early church fathers, an additional line is found here that reads, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” See also Acts 20:35].

Matthew 5:38-42 TPT

I need to give up the rights that God gave me to serve others. I need to surrender the freedom God gave me to serve God. I need to give up my prosperity provided by God to help others. If there is something that needs to be repeated, it is this idea today.

Am I still holding on to the cultural beliefs of my ancestors? Am I still repeating their mistakes in making their own way without the Lord? Am I still a godless heathen?

“Ye haue heard that it hath bene sayd, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth. But I say vnto you, Resist not euill: but whosoeuer shall smite thee on thy right cheeke, turne to him the other also. And if any man wil sue thee at the law, and take away thy coate, let him haue thy cloke also. And whosoeuer will compell thee to goe a mile, goe with him twaine. Giue to him that asketh, and from him that would borowe of thee, turne not away.”

Matthew 5:38-42 GNV

There is a family history of making poor choices that I need to overcome. Every family has different poor choices built into their history. I need to come to terms with what those poor choices are in my life and give them over to God. God doesn’t love me because I am saved. God saves me because He loves me.

And He loves me when I am sinner. And He loves me when I walk in His Way. And I am thankful that He can love me enough to look through space and time and decide that two thousand years ago He was going to make a way for me. And He was there making a way for you too. He made that way knowing that I was going to make mistakes and fail BUT He made that decision out of love. And that is what this is all about. Loving God and others a lot more than I do my own pride, my own freedom, and my own abundance.

“Again you have heard what is said in the Torah: An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. But I say to you, do not repay evil for evil; but he who smites your right cheek provide for him the left. He who wishes to oppose you in judgment and to rob your shirt, leave to him your garment. He who asks you to go with him a thousand steps, go with him two thousand. To him who asks from you give and from him who wishes to borrow from you do not hold back.”

Matthew 5:38-42 NMV

I can choose to be out there swinging and flailing like the third monkey trying to get on the Ark. Or I can trust in the Lord. And I spent plenty of time being that third monkey. Today and tomorrow I choose to trust in the Way of the Lord. And that means trusting Him when I don’t understand. That means trusting Him when I don’t see a path. That means trusting Him when He tells me things that don’t make any sense to me. Because trusting Him is not about understanding. Trusting Him is about obedience despite and in spite of my own understanding.

“You have heard that our fathers were told, ‘Eye for eye and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you not to stand up against someone who does you wrong. On the contrary, if someone hits you on the right cheek, let him hit you on the left cheek too! If someone wants to sue you for your shirt, let him have your coat as well! And if a soldier forces you to carry his pack for one mile, carry it for two! When someone asks you for something, give it to him; when someone wants to borrow something from you, lend it to him.”

Mattityahu (Mat) 5:38-42

I pray that this lesson of Christ lays heavy on my heart when I wake up and want to choose violence. I pray that Christ’s love be an example of how I am supposed to live daily. I pray that I get out of my own way and let God lead in His Way. I pray that I am a better example of Christ’s love to my neighbor and my enemy each and every moment of the day. Let the fruit of the Ruach HaKodesh be there to temper my heart with mercy and compassion to mirror that of the Lord.

I love you. I forgive you. Have a blessed and abundant day!

#ThinkBetter #BeBetter #NoGodsNoMasters #NoKingButChrist

Embrace the Within no. 131

“Again, you have heard that it was said to the men of old, ‘You shall not make false vows, but you shall fulfill your vows to the Lord [as a religious duty].’ But I say to you, do not make an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God; or by the earth, for it is the footstool of His feet; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. Nor shall you make an oath by your head, for you are not able to make a single hair white or black. But let your statement be, ‘Yes, yes’ or ‘No, no’ [a firm yes or no]; anything more than that comes from the evil one.

Matthew 5:33-37 AMP

My word is to be enough. When I say yes or no, I need to mean what I say and that underscores that I speak with authority. And the authority of which I speak flows from the Truth revealed by mirroring the Way of the Lord.

I hear children swearing on their mommas, adults swearing on their lives, and all sorts of oaths to affirm my trust in their words. BUT I don’t trust them even with the sworn oaths. I trust in the Lord and those that keep the Truth.

“Again, your ancestors were taught, ‘Never swear an oath that you don’t intend to keep, [That is, don’t perjure yourself. but keep your vows to the Lord God.’ 5:33 See Lev. 19:12; Isa. 66:1]. However, I say to you, don’t bind yourself by taking an oath at all. Don’t swear by heaven, for heaven is where God’s throne is placed [In the days of Jesus and in the Middle Eastern cultural setting of Israel, taking oaths and swearing by something greater than oneself was a common practice. Jesus’ words trump culture and our bondage to doing things according to the expected norms of society. He instructs us to be faithful and true with our words]. Don’t swear an oath by the earth, because it is the rug under God’s feet, [As translated from the Aramaic. The Greek is “his footstool”] and not by Jerusalem, because it is the city of the Great King [See Ps. 48:2]. And why would you swear by your own head, because it’s not in your power to turn a single hair white or black? But just let your words ring true [Our words must be fulfilled by actions. All four things Jesus mentioned were considered sacred to the Jewish people—heaven, earth, Jerusalem, and a person’s head. But Jesus teaches us that words of truth make our lives sacred. See James 5:12]. A simple ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ will suffice. Anything beyond this springs from a deceiver.

Matthew 5:33-37 TPT

It is quite common enough to swear things in Western culture to prove that these things are true. BUT God wants us to not be like the world. God wants us to live within the world as His Ambassadors. And that means doing things differently. That means not conforming to the ways of the world while still living here bearing His image.

'You shall not swear [an oath] falsely by My name, so as to profane the name of your God; I am the Lord . '

Leviticus 19:12 AMP

The commandment is an old one. It dates back to the wandering of the Israelites. And it is still a commandment that Christ takes time to refocus and explain during His ministry.

“Above all we must be those who never need to verify our speech as truthful by swearing by the heavens or the earth or any other oath. But instead we must be so full of integrity that our “Yes” or “No” is convincing enough and we do not stumble into hypocrisy.”

James (Jacob) 5:12 TPT

Because my word is all about my integrity. Being able to say what I mean and mean what I say separates me from a world of lies. And in a world full of lies, the most revolutionary thing is speaking the Truth. Not my truth or your truth or the world’s truth, BUT speaking His Truth.

“Againe, ye haue heard that it was sayd to them of old time, Thou shalt not forsweare thy selfe, but shalt performe thine othes to the Lord. But I say vnto you, Sweare not at all, neither by heauen, for it is the throne of God: Nor yet by the earth: for it is his footestoole: neither by Hierusalem: for it is the citie of the great King. Neither shalt thou sweare by thine head, because thou canst not make one heare white or blacke. But let your communication be Yea, yea: Nay, nay. For whatsoeuer is more then these, commeth of euill.”

Matthew 5:33-37 GNV

Trying to do more than merely speak the Truth will lead me down a path to evil. I will start to believe my own oaths hold power or that the things I am swearing by actually have some sort of control over the truth. Nothing has more control than my word spoken in alignment with His Truth. Nothing has more authority than the Will of the Lord.

“Again you have heard what was said to those of long ago: You shall not swear by My Name falsely, but you shall return to Yehovah [Messiah Pre-Incarnate] your oath. But I say to you not to swear uselessly in any matter, neither by Heaven because it is the throne of The Mighty One, nor by Earth because it is the footstool of His feet, nor by Yerushalayim [abode of peace] because it is the city of The Mighty One. nor by your head for you are not able to make one hair white or black. But let your words be ‘yes yes’ or ‘no no’. Everything in addition to this is evil”.

Matthew 5:33-37 NMV

How do I speak with authority and integrity? I speak with authority and integrity when I speak the Truth. So I need to know the Truth. And that involves getting into the Word and getting to know the Word. I need to know the sound of His voice. Getting familiar with Truth helps reveal when lies are present.

When you know God’s voice and His Truth, you can much more readily discern when someone is trying to influence lies into your life. And one thing that I was lacking in my life, even with decades of being around church, was an understanding of God’s Word. I took it for granted that whatever I was hearing in church was enough. And I can testify that it was not. And I can not emphasize enough the importance of reading and studying the Word on your own.

“Again, you have heard that our fathers were told, ‘Do not break your oath,’ and ‘Keep your vows to Adonai .’ But I tell you not to swear at all — not ‘by heaven,’ because it is God’s throne; And don’t swear by your head, because you can’t make a single hair white or black. not ‘by the earth,’ because it is his footstool; and not ‘by Yerushalayim,’ because it is the city of the Great King. Just let your ‘Yes’ be a simple ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No’ a simple ‘No’; anything more than this has its origin in evil.”

Mattityahu (Mat) 5:33-37

Church is great, group Bible study is awesome, BUT individual responsibility to God is the most important. And that means taking time to study and read and pray with Him alone.

I pray today that I spend more time in His Truth so that I can speak with integrity and authority in all things. I pray that as I read and learn more that my words will be a reflection of what He wants me to say.

I love you. I forgive you. Have a blessed and abundant day!

#ThinkBetter #BeBetter #NoGodsNoMasters #NoKingButChrist #EmbraceTheWithin #NotMyWayYHWH