“And when you see your ‘enemy’ a long way off, do as My Father I would do. Wait at the door with a basin and a towel. When he comes in, wash his feet the way I would. If you have no water, use tears of tenderness at the reconciliation that I have affected. Feed your brother. Eat with your brother. Clothe your brother. Soothe the wounds of your brother. Recognize how miserable he is. Enter into the mutual wretchedness of having been estranged from deep love.”

“Your culture has taught you to ‘love your friend and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do much good to those who hate you, and pray for those who show you spite and even persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:43-45)

“THIS is the way you break a curse. This is the way you break the curse that is upon YOU.” – Jesus

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JSB • November 18, 2022

• Our family and nation has no greater need in this hour than for us to lay aside our 1000 reasons why we SHOULDN’T DO THIS and selflessly bear this dynamic as our daily cross…

• “Therefore be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.” (Matthew 5:38)

• Crazy thought for the day: Could THIS be one of the chief outcomes that the Lord had in mind as He’s brought us into intensified judgment??? “For when Your judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness (the way the King would act).“ (Isaiah 26:9)

• Apply this where you will… The “battles” and “culture war” we’re fighting will not be won in the flesh. The strongholds won’t come down until we embrace the conviction that leads us to be in the valley of weeping on behalf of the ones who are estranged from the Father. When the Lord turns hearts they will need to find “family” who aren’t shaming them, but are filled with foot-washing love, humility, contrition, repentance in the fear of the Lord. Unless we incarnate this spirit of holy hospitality we only succeed in further brandishing the curse, and offering prodigals no home of reconciliation, and no joy in returning. (Isaiah 51:10)

• This is the prayer of those who wait for the redeemed in the valley of Baca: “9 Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the Lord! Awake as in the ancient days, in the generations of old. Are You not the arm that cut Rahab apart, and wounded the serpent? 10 Are You not the One who dried up the sea, the waters of the great deep; that made the depths of the sea a road for the redeemed to cross over? 11 So the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with singing, with everlasting joy on their heads. They shall obtain joy and gladness; sorrow and sighing shall flee away.” (Isaiah 51:9-11)

• O, that we would BE a habitation where “the evil” could come in and be redeemed.

• Forgive us, Father! We’ve not represented Your heart. We have not acted as “Your sons”. We’ve been – I’VE BEEN – the “older brother” – again and again and again and…

• Paul tells us in Romans 12:21, “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”
Honest question: Where in our communities/culture do we see evil being overcome by good???

If neither we evangelicals, nor the MAGA, nor the deep-state, nor the socialists, nor the anarchists are willing to employ Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, what hope do we have of seeing ANY evil overcome by good???

TRUTH BE TOLD, if we were going to be honest and strict, Biblical literalists NONE of US would EVER have anything to do with ANY of us! Hahaha. For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, ³ unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, ⁴ traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, ⁵ having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with these ones! (1 Timothy 3:2-5)