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Overcoming Evil

/ Tim A. / Leave a comment

“Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, ‘Vengeance is Mine; I will repay,’ saith the Lord.
Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.” Romans 12:19-21 (KJB)

Overcoming of evil is not expected of evil.  It is expected of those who have been overcome by the One who has conquered the evil one who is Satan. He was defeated by Jesus Christ on the cross.

Our battle is not against flesh and blood. It is not against our neighbor across the street or across the creek, or on the other side of the fence. Our battle is against spiritual wickedness in high places (Ephesians 6:12). We are to love one another as believers in Christ.

We are to also show love to those who would mean us harm. Give them food and water. Give them wood for their fire. Overcome evil with good.

If you think this is difficult then just think of what Jesus Christ did for us. The sinless, guiltless, Son of God went to the cross to die for the sin laden, guilty, dirty, filthy, stinking sins of the sinners that you and me are. He really was overcoming evil with good.

Vengeance is God’s. Leave it with Him. Also see Deuteronomy 32:35 and Hebrews 10:30.

When Truth Has Fallen in the Street

/ Tim A. / 1 Comment

“Therefore is judgment far from us, neither doth justice overtake us: we wait for light, but behold obscurity; for brightness, but we walk in darkness. We grope for the wall like the blind, and we grope as if we had no eyes: we stumble at noonday as in the night; we are in desolate places as dead men. We roar all like bears, and mourn sore like doves: we look for judgment, but there is none; for salvation, but it is far off from us. For our transgressions are multiplied before Thee, and our sins testify against us: for our transgressions are with us; and as for our iniquities, we know them; in transgressing and lying against the LORD, and departing away from our God, speaking oppression and revolt, conceiving and uttering from the heart words of falsehood. And judgment is turned away backward, and justice standeth afar off: for truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter. Yea, truth faileth; and he that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey: and the LORD saw it, and it displeased him that there was no judgment.” Isaiah 59:9-15

There is a problem with being a prophet of God. One is that what ever he prophesies is what he will endure, receive and go through as well as the people he warns. Whether it is a prophecy for good; or a prophecy for judgment he will endure it as well.

The above verses are a confessional prayer/statement to the LORD, and to the nation. Note that Isaiah includes himself in the confession “Judgment [Justice] is far from us”, “but we walk in darkness”, and “we grope”, “we had no eyes”, “we stumble”. You get my point I am sure.

Even though the prophet had probably not committed these atrocities, these sins he includes himself in the array, because this was his nation, his people, and God had been offended by the sins of the people; the kings, princes, nobles and all.

Where we have sinned let us confess it and forsake it. Let us turn our backs on sin; not on God. Let us forsake evil and sin, not our God. Let us stand for truth, though it may be fallen in the street. Though we turn our backs on evil and sin; though we may become a prey because we do so. Let us do so.

“”If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9

The cleansing means that we turn our backs on sin, to not live it in repetition.

Until He Sets Justice in the Earth

/ Tim A. / 1 Comment

“Behold My Servant, whom I uphold; Mine Elect, in whom My soul delighteth; I have put My Spirit upon Him: He shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles. He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause His voice to be heard in the street. A bruised reed shall He not break, and the smoking flax shall He not quench: He shall bring forth judgment unto truth. He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till He have set judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for His law.” Isaiah 42:1-4 (KJV)

This is the prophecy of the coming Servant of God who would do mighty works in the midst of Israel. “My Servant” is Jehovah’s Chosen One who will give worth and value to the “Useless” in society.

These Servant songs of Isaiah speak of the Messiah who would come; and who did come, but was rejected by men, even by His own, and was hanged on a cruel, rugged wooden cross, to bleed and die for the sins of the world.

Matthew writes of this prophecy in Matthew 12:18-20, as Jesus fulfilling the prophecy of Isaiah; and thus He does.

Jesus is the One who brought and who brings justice to the Gentiles. He did not need to go preaching through the streets to gain attention – His works, and words were what was His advantage. He accepted the poor, the lame, the blind, the diseased; the “Useless” of the day. He still does.

He came into the world to save the lost, condemned, and dying sinner. If you are not a lost, condemned and dying sinner you cannot be saved.

The work Jesus Christ came to do on earth was finished when He died on the cross. However, He is yet to return and make all things righteous, holy and good as He rules and reigns on the earth. He will not fail. He will complete all that He has set out to do.