RE: [TruthTalk] Who's Who of the Bible?

[ShieldsFamily]

Izzy in blue below:   Subject: RE: [TruthTalk] Who's Who of the Bible?   I hope you don't mind if I butt in...   Luke 5:30-32- The Pharisees ask Jesus why he eats with the sinners. Jesus plainly tells them that those are the people who need him the most. He was calling the sinners to repentance. Yes, that I have done aplenty.  That is a different relationship though, not an intimate one like one has with Believers.   Luke 6:27-38- This passage clearly states that we are to love even though we are cursed or mistreated. Sure it is easy to love those who love you. But God has a blessing for us if we love those who aren't so lovable. I keep repeating: I have no problemo with “love” for enemies. I repeat: the question is in what way? Giving them big hugs and pretending that their sin does not exist, and their sin is perfectly acceptable and “normal”?   I think the problem here is that we (I include myself) have a tendancy to think temporily rather than eternally. Yes, it stinks that we are surrounded by such sin. And our reward for loving others may not come here on earth but in the kingdom. I guess I would rather have an eternal blessing than a temporal blessing. Being “rewarded” for loving others is not an issue for Believers.   My personal opinion is that those homosexuals that live in your neighborhood are the one's who need an accurate display of love. I believe that in some way or another they have not been shown true love. And sometimes that true love has to be tough. Exactly. That’s where the difficulty arises.   As for praying a blessing on the unbeliever, why not as long as you are not blessing their unrighteousness. It should be a blessing of understanding God's Word. I know I have prayed for some of my unbelieving friends. I pray that God would soften their hearts. I also pray that God would show Himself to them in a way that they could not deny that it was God. Exactly my point—the only way I feel comfortable in praying for the lost is to pray for them to come to repentance and salvation so they can enter into the blessings and joys of knowing Him. Izzy   Suzy