Prayer

Our passage today is an answer to a question ... actually, two questions. So let’s check them out.

One of the things we need to talk to our Father about is spiritual protection. We have an enemy who is out to get us.

Temptation is real, persuasive, and alluring; otherwise, it wouldn’t be called temptation. But you do not have to cross the line. If you choose to take that step, you do so because you want to, not because you have to.

Christians in every generation have the same temptation—the allure to retreat from the world. From business to education to recreation, there is a desire only to be involved with other believers. One problem ... that was not the intention of Jesus. 

It was going to be a tough meeting. Those sitting around the table had some real issues with each other. You could feel the tension—so thick you could cut it with a knife, as the saying goes. I knew this time together could blow up in my face.

I can relate to the reasoning of Matthew 5:43. I love hanging out with neighbors. That’s a good time. Joking around. Laughing. Investing in the lives of people you like. I can handle that. And my enemy?

The apostle Peter had a question about forgiveness. When he asked Jesus how many times a person should be forgiven, Jesus told the story of a king who wanted to settle his accounts.

Living in real life means inevitable issues with people in our lives. When those issues arise, and they will, Jesus gives us specific instructions.

The great author C.S. Lewis says that everybody loves the idea of forgiveness ...until they have to forgive someone, that’s true, isn’t it? Forgiveness is a tremendous spiritual truth! What could be better?