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==Perhaps you are mistaken in your judgment!==
<p><em>Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you. (Matthew 5:42) </em></p>
<p>We have to hear from the Lord concerning how to behave in the above situation. </p>
<p><em>You have heard that it was said, "Love your neighbor and hate your enemy." But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. (Matthew 5:43,44) </em></p>
<p>To love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us is not natural to our fallen, adamic nature. We must be filled with Christ at all times. </p>
<p>Notice the response of the nations of the earth when the Law goes forth from Zion: </p>
<p><em>He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore. (Isaiah 2:4) </em></p>
<p>By that time, Satan will be in the Bottomless Pit. Antichrist and the False Prophet will be in the Lake of Fire. Christ and His armies of saints and angels will have gone through the earth, cleansing it from all influences of Antichrist. </p>
<p>The only work of darkness remaining on the earth will be the self-will of people. They then will be taught the Sermon on the Mount. </p>
<p>God is love. He also is capable of unimaginable wrath. He much prefers that people live in peace with one another. Christ will help us do just that. But the work of Divine judgment I have mentioned previously must take place first. The evil principalities must be confined before peace can prevail on the earth. </p>
<p><em>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. (Matthew 5:45) </em></p>
<p>God is so good, isn't He? The world we are living in would be a paradise if it were not for sin and self-will. </p>
<p>Man creates cities with towering skyscrapers, filled with noise and confusion of every sort. God creates a garden filled with righteousness, love, joy, and peace. </p>
<p>The account of Adam and Eve in the garden in Eden shows us the environment God has in mind for His children. But we in our self-will, not listening to the Words that come to us each day from our Father in Heaven, have created cities that abound in crimes of every sort, immorality, murder, rape, and everything else that is ugly and destructive. </p>
<p>The garden shall be restored by means of God's program of redemption. We are in the middle of that program in the present hour. Once again people will flourish in the Paradise of God. But first the power of Satan must be broken, and people must be taught the Word of the Lord that has come from Jerusalem. </p>
<p>If Paradise has not first been formed in people, then it will be of no use to place them in the external Paradise. They still will fight with one another. </p>
<p><em>If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? (Matthew 5:46,47) </em></p>
<p>God would have us live in love and peace with all people. In our day in America there are "conservative" people and "liberal" people. These are terms the newspapers love to use. So do the politicians, apparently. </p>
<p>There is increasing tension between the two groups. Each is certain they are correct and know how society should be conducted. In order for us to please God we must ask Christ to help us to be kind and loving toward those of opposite beliefs. </p>
<p>There yet may be civil war in America because of the fierce emotions that govern those who are liberal and those who are conservative. The true Christian will go about his business as peaceably as possible, treating all people with kindness and gentleness, even though the other person is a subscriber to that which to him is abominable. </p>
<p>The Bible tells us to pray for those who are in authority over us. I think we would do well to keep our opinions to ourselves no matter how we feel. Christ still is in control and He is our President. Isn't that true? </p>
<p>If there is something we can do to change our country for the better, then Christ will guide and empower us in this. Meanwhile, we are to do good to all people as we have opportunity. </p>
<p>We will stand before Christ one day and answer to Him concerning our conduct in the present hour. </p>
<p><em>Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. (Matthew 5:48) </em></p>
<p>One time a lady in church said to me, "We know we can never be perfect, so that means we go to Heaven by grace in that we cannot do what Christ has commanded." </p>
<p>I think this is how most believers in America regard the commands of Christ. "We cannot possibly obey His commands. If we even try we are seeking to add to the grace by which He is saving us." </p>
<p>I have been fighting this delusion all my adult life. </p>
<p>Do you know what her attitude implies? It is that we should not take the commands of Christ and His Apostles seriously, especially the Sermon on the Mount. </p>
<p>But Jesus said, "If you love Me, keep My commands." </p>
<p>How do we reconcile this statement of the Lord with the prevailing teaching of lawless grace? </p>
<p>The two cannot be reconciled! We in America are in a state of theologic delusion! </p>
<p>"But," Brother Thompson, "you know no one is perfect." </p>
<p>I will grant you I am not perfect in the way you are thinking, and there are not too many people around who are perfect according to your definition of perfection. </p>
<p>This much I understand. But I understand also that Christ does not give commands so people can say, "I am saved by grace and so it is not that important for me to obey Christ. I believe in Christ but I don't have to obey Him because of grace." </p>
<p>You know, I think the grace delusion is about to come to an end. God has permitted it for a season, but now that it is time for the spiritual fulfillments of the last three Jewish celebrations, the Blowing of Trumpets; the Day of Atonement; and Tabernacles, the "grace excuse" will not be acceptable, practical, or logical. </p>
<p>These last three festivals portray the creating of man in God's image, not by imputed righteousness but by transformation of personality. </p>
<p>"Grace," as it is commonly taught, just does not fit, now that God is making people in His image. </p>
<p>The edicts of the Sermon on the Mount are to be taken seriously! They are the image of God! </p>
<p>But how can we hope to obey them? How can we be perfect? </p>
<p>By the wisdom and power of Christ. </p>
<p>He who created the firmament and its galaxies with a spoken Word certainly has the power to make you and me perfect in behavior. He has the power to bring to pass that which He has spoken. </p>
<p>But we must pray continually that we may have the wisdom and strength to obey Him when we know His will. </p>
<p>Perhaps Christ's standard of perfection means merely that we are living in Him according to His will, and not living in our sin and self-will. Perhaps we are perfect for the moment! The blood atonement keeps us righteous concerning the behaviors with which we have not been confronted. </p>
<p>If we aren't perfect for the moment, like right this minute, perhaps it is because we are not really seeking Him that we might do His will. </p>
<p>Do you suppose this is why we are being chastened? </p>
<p>The Lord is speaking here about our attitude toward people. If we have forgiven everyone, if we are kind to people, we are perfect in the sense in which Christ is speaking. Not perfected, you understand, but perfect. </p>
<p><em>Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. (Matthew 6:1-4) </em></p>
<p>Notice in the passage above that righteousness in this case has to do with generosity toward needy people. We are not to make a display of our charitable works or of any other benevolent actions that we do. </p>
<p>It may be observed that giving to the poor is regarded by Christ as righteousness. The idea of imputed righteousness, which we are supposed to gain by "accepting Christ," has largely replaced in the minds of Christians the thought that God views giving to the needy, or other charitable actions, as righteousness. </p>
<p>Assisting people in need as being righteousness should be restored to our thinking. We may be out of balance in the area of what righteousness is. </p>
<p>God, who sees our hidden acts of mercy, will reward us. </p>
<p><em>And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. (Matthew 6:5,6) </em></p>
<p>I do not know what is true concerning Americans praying in public places that they may be seen. I have not observed much of this. Evidently it was true in Jesus' time. It may be true today in other countries. </p>
<p>In any case, we should avoid behaving in some sort of religious manner so that people can see our actions and regard us as especially pious. I am somewhat suspicious of the wearing of special robes and actions by a priest during liturgical ceremonies. Special clothing might come under the inunction concerning endeavoring to impress people with our unusual holiness. </p>
<p>Personally, I do not understand why a religious leader should wear special vestments unless he is trying to make people think he is closer to God than they are. I do not believe Christ is pleased with this; but I am sure numerous priests and prelates have good hearts and are just doing what is expected of them. </p>
<p>Perhaps related to this are cathedrals and ornate places of worship. It reminds me of the law about putting steps leading to the altar. </p>
<p><em>You must not go up to My altar on steps, so that your nakedness is not exposed on it. (Exodus 20:26–Holman) </em></p>
<p>I seem to understand from this that God wants His worship to remain unadorned; no spiritual cosmetics on the Bride. The simpler the better. </p>
<p>I have been a pastor for many years, but I would not do anything that would make the people believe I was holier than they are or especially close to God. If my life and behavior do not speak of God, then putting on a robe is not going to help anything that I can see. </p>
<p>I much prefer that we, including the young people and children, should march shoulder to shoulder toward our inheritance in Christ. </p>
<p><em>And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. (Matthew 6:7,8) </em></p>
<p>Again, to my knowledge the idea of babbling many words in prayer is not characteristic of most American Christians. Probably some of us know of Tibetan prayer wheels, which might be related to this admonition. </p>
<p>But the idea that our Father knows what we have need of before we ask Him is a challenging idea. This might lead someone to avoid praying since God knows already what he has need of. </p>
<p>Let me say that God waits to hear our petition. He does not supply our needs and our desires just because He knows what they are. He waits for us to ask; and the more specific we are, the better. </p>
<p>Why this is true, why we have to make our petitions known to God when He already knows what we need and desire, is not understood by me. It must have something to do with God's Nature and His desire that we depend on Him for everything. </p>
<p>If I am not mistaken, God is infinitely more desirous that we come to know Him as our Father and the Source of answering all our needs and desires than we are to have Him so. Our natural desire is to fend for ourselves, and perhaps offer some kind of token prayer, unless we are in serious trouble. </p>
<p>Even though God knows all our desires and needs, it is of the utmost importance that we speak to Him throughout the day and night, continually apprising Him of our needs and desires, our hurts and problems, and giving thanks for the solutions that come sooner or later. </p>
<p>So we do not babble with the idea the more we state a request the more likely we are to receive an answer. Rather, we enter fellowship with God, thanking Him for His goodness and for previous answers to prayer. Then we tell Him about our present circumstances, although He knows them already. </p>
<p>The next time we go to prayer we may make the same requests. And again. And again. And again, until we know He has heard us. We ask, seek, and knock until we have our petition or come to the end of our life. Some of our treasures will remain in Heaven until we get there. </p>
<p>So Jesus, when He mentions babbling, is not referring to persistence in prayer but to chanting the same phrase over and over, as though there is merit in this. </p>
<p>And we always say, "Your will be done," because that is the foundation of all acceptable prayer. </p>
<p><em>This, then, is how you should pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. (Matthew 6:9) </em></p>
<p>It may be true that when Jesus said, "Our Father," He meant His and ours. </p>
<p>"Holy be Your name." How often we hear God's name spoken in an unclean manner. This is the language of demons who continually are swearing in the name of God. </p>
<p>The name of God never is to be spoken lightly, only in the most devout and sincere manner. Our Father deserves this respect. Do you agree with this? </p>
<p><em>Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. (Matthew 6:10) </em></p>
<p>Why did the Lord Jesus tell us to pray that God's Kingdom will come to the earth, and His will be done on the earth, when we do not believe this is going to take place; or if it does, it doesn't matter because we will be in Heaven? </p>
<p>Do Christians really believe that God's Kingdom actually will come to the earth and His will shall be done here? </p>
<p>For how many years have Christian people prayed that God's Kingdom will come to the earth and His will shall be done here? Why then do we speak about going to Heaven to live there for eternity? </p>
<p>Do we really want God's Kingdom to come to the earth? Do we really want His will to be done here? Do we want God's will or our own will to be done on the earth at the present time? </p>
<p>I think there are some matters that need to be straightened out in our mind. Do you feel this way? </p>
<p>John the Baptist, the Lord Jesus, and the Apostles of the Lamb preached the coming of God's Kingdom, the doing of His will in the earth. Am I correct in this? </p>
<p>What passage of the Bible tells us that the purpose of salvation is to bring us to Heaven to live forever? </p>
<p>If there is no passage of the Bible that speaks of our going to Heaven to live forever, and God's holy Prophets, both Old Testament and New, spoke of the coming of God's Kingdom to the earth, and the doing of His will here, how long will it be before God's pastors and evangelists begin to preach the Good News of the coming of the Kingdom of God to the earth? </p>
<p>The Psalms, for example, contain many verses that speak of God coming to the earth. I cannot recall a single verse in Psalms that tells of the righteous making their eternal residence in a mansion in the spirit Paradise. </p>
<p>The belief that we are saved to go to Heaven may be innocent enough, and may have been beneficial throughout the Christian Era. But now that the coming of Christ and His Kingdom are close at hand, the concept that we are saved to live forever in Heaven is counterproductive. It does not result in our moral transformation as does the knowledge that it is time today to prepare ourselves to meet the King. </p>
<p>Incidentally, the King is not coming to take us to Heaven but to help us set up His rule upon the earth. </p>
<p><em>May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine on us—so that your ways may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations. May the peoples praise you, God; may all the peoples praise you. May the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you rule the peoples with equity and guide the nations of the earth. May the peoples praise you, God; may all the peoples praise you. The land yields its harvest; God, our God, blesses us. May God bless us still, so that all the ends of the earth will fear him. (Psalms 67:1-7) </em></p>
<p>I have heard that it is taught such passages apply only to the Jews, while the Gentile Christians are in Heaven. This is entirely impractical because of the intermarriage of Jews and Gentiles throughout the Christian Era. Will the husband go to one place and the wife to another? Is this what we really desire? And where will the children go? </p>
<p>In addition, the one Seed of Abraham will inherit the promises of God, and that one Seed consists of the elect Jews and the elect Gentiles who form one Body of Christ. </p>

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