mistreated

[Betty]

Bible Minute transcript for 04-20-2005

Title: Turn Your Cheek
Series: Following Jesus

To view today's transcript, visit:
www.backtothebible.org/minute/today/25929


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Title: Turn Your Cheek

Man 1: I'll tell you this right now, you'll
never get away with this.
I'll sue you for everything you have...
Woodrow Kroll: We certainly live in a culture
that thrives on litigation.
I'm Woodrow Kroll and it seems as if
everybody is suing everybody else. "Stand
up for your rights," your friends say. Well,
Jesus had a different perspective.
He said, "Whoever slaps you on the right
cheek, turn the other to him
also."
Now, Jesus wasn't encouraging us to stand
around and get beat up all the
time. He was simply saying that retaliation
never settles anything. It's not
His way. We are not to be motivated by anger
or revenge. Our culture says,
"Get even."
Jesus says, "Show some Christlike love, even
when it doesn't seem fair."
Jesus even modeled this behavior so we might
follow in His steps. And how
do we become like Him? We become like Jesus
when we read His Word. Immerse
yourself in His teaching.
The Book of Matthew is a great place to start
because it reveals the life
Jesus led on this earth. Begin in chapter
one--that's the Christmas story--and
work your way to the end of the book. You'll
learn about God's great promises
to you.
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[Betty]

E V E R Y D A Y L I G H T
Daily readings to help you see Jesus' light in
your life
by Selwyn Hughes

My Way - or God's Way

"There is a way that seems right to a man, but in
the end it
leads to death." (v.12)

-- For reading & meditation: Proverbs
14:1-13

T he second step we need to take in order to rid
ourselves of the
things that hinder our ability to trust is the
recognition of the
fact that, having been let down by others, we
have determined in our
hearts that we will never trust another person
again. The
determination never to trust another person again
may be a human
reaction, but it is not a Christian one. I have
heard many people
say, "I can trust God but I can't trust people."
But Christianity is
all about relating to people. The essence of
reality is passionate,
other-centered relationships, as is evidenced by
the perfect
relationships of the Trinity, in whose image we
are made. If we draw
back from others because we are afraid of being
betrayed, then what
we are saying is this: "I can't trust God enough
to hold me when
others let me down." Those, therefore, who say,
"I can trust God and
I can't trust people," are not making sense. It
is more honest to
say, "I can't trust God and I can't trust
people." What we ought to
be saying, if we really believe the truths of the
New Testament and
are willing to give ourselves to them, is this:
"I can trust God to
hold me when I relate to others, irrespective of
whether I am
accepted or rejected." The determination to stay
self-protected is
evidence that our trust is not what it should be.
We must bring this
self-protective determination to preserve our own
soul before God in
an act of repentance, and resolve that no matter
how others may treat
us, our trust will be confidently placed in Him.

PRAYER:
O Father, I must ask myself: Can I trust You
enough to hold me when
others do not come through for me? The
determination to stay safe
seems so right, yet it is so wrong. I turn from
my way to Your way.
Hold me secure. In Jesus' Name. Amen.