Good morning. So
Jesus is the great peacemaker, right? Do not think that I came to bring peace
on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. Say what? Didn't
Jesus say to love everyone, even your enemies? “For I came to set family members
against each other; and a man's enemies will be members of his household.” That
does not sound right. It is true, however, that when one member of the family
is completely dedicated to Jesus, the rest of the members of his family can
become quite agitated at him. You might be able to ignore someone at work who
is a dedicated Christian; but you cannot ignore a member of your own family who
is. You see Jesus in that person every moment you are home. You can escape from
someone at work, but not someone who is in your home. It is easy to compromise
your beliefs among the members of your family. Jesus says that if you love a
member of your family more than Him, you are not worthy of Him. You care more
how they feel then you care how He feels. The one who does not take his cross
and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who has found his life shall lose
it, and he who has lost his life for My sake shall find it. That is easier to
do in the world than at home. He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives
Me receives Him who sent Me. Father thank You that the reader loves You above his/her
family. He/she is a shining example to them.
Therefore I exhort you, be imitators of me
Good morning. Paul then gives a list of a lot of things that he has gone through as an apostle. I do not write these things to shame you, but to admonish you as my beloved children. For if you were to have countless tutors in Christ, yet you would not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel. There could be many people that you listen to either in church or through the Internet or other means; but there was only one person (as a general rule it was a person) that lead you to Christ. Therefore I exhort you, be imitators of me. He was saying that just like a child imitates his or her father, they were to imitate him. He says that again seven chapters later. Since it is easy to forget some things about people we have not seen in a while, Paul says that he sent Timothy to them to remind them of his ways which are in Christ, just as he taught everywhere in every church. Some have become arrogant, as though I were not coming to you. I shall find ou...
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