http://anchor.tfionline.com/post/sharing-gods-love-when-its-tough/
Words from Jesus
Audio length: 8:39
Download Audio (11.8MB)
Introduction by Maria Fontaine:
Sometimes those that you’re close to may not be especially supportive or receptive to your religious beliefs; some people may even oppose or reject you because of the choices you’ve made. I pray the Lord will give you the extra grace, love, anointing, and encouragement that you need for being an effective witness and example of His love in situations where you are experiencing friction, difficulty, or challenges in your interactions with family, loved ones, or close associates and friends.
You can be assured that even if you find yourself in a difficult or challenging situation, the Lord is in control and will give you the grace, wisdom, and love that you need. The Lord needs you, and there are many searching souls who need you—including those who readily admit their hunger and need for the Lord and those who don’t yet know how much they need Jesus and His love. Everybody needs Jesus and His love, and nobody is beyond hope. So keep loving, keep giving, keep witnessing, and keep following the Lord and His counsel as you reach your part of the world!
Here are some messages from Jesus on the subject:
Dealing with rejection
I know what it’s like to be rejected by the people you are trying to reach. I was “despised and rejected of men.”1 During My three and a half years of ministry, I was constantly faced with receivers, rejecters, and the indifferent and undecided. Many of My own people, who I had come to bring salvation and freedom to, rejected Me. But I never stopped giving the words of truth. Shortly before I died, I said, “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, how often would I have gathered your children together, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing.”2 I didn’t stop giving them the opportunity to receive the truth.
Because you have chosen to follow Me and walk on the path of discipleship, you will at times face opposition and rejection. “For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on Him, but also to suffer for Him.”3 That need not discourage you, though. It may break your heart, but you can allow that breaking to draw you closer to Me. I will bind up your wounds and soothe your heart and bring healing. I will pour upon your spirit My gifts of faith, trust, and endurance.
Even though you may face difficulties or challenges with some of the people you care about, and they may not be open to your witness, I will work in their hearts as you commit them to Me. Reflect on these words I spoke, as recorded in the Gospel of Luke, and let them strengthen your faith:
“Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you. If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.”4
As you seek Me, you will find Me—My solutions, comfort, direction, endurance, wisdom, and love. There is great reward for you who are not ashamed of Me or My Father. I will not deny you, but I will honor you. In this world you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world—and so will you, if you will keep the faith.5
I hear your heartcries, and as you put your faith in Me, I will work things out. In your patience possess ye your souls.6 Look to My Word for direction, for in My Word you will find the answers to give to them that ask of you.7 The Word will teach you about when you should “agree with your adversary.”8 There are times when it is best to keep silent. I will show you when it is time to “endure hardness” as one of My good soldiers.9
My Word has the guidelines that will enable you to prosper and be successful. “This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth; but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.”10 My Word is your refuge and your strength.
Supernatural love
I say to you what I said to My disciples when I was on earth: “Love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.”11 That is what you are doing when you bear the burden of displeasure or rejection of others because of your faith. The love that I speak of is My supernatural and unconditional love for others, My love that “surpasses knowledge.”12
I know what it’s like to love those who don’t understand you. I also felt the disdain, the displeasure, the ridicule, and even direct opposition of family and friends.
There was only one way for Me to accomplish My mission of bringing salvation to the world, and that was through the supernatural love that I received from My Father, the love that compelled Him to give His only Son to the world so that they might be saved. The all-encompassing power of that love is found in these words: “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.”13
It is this supernatural love that will give you the understanding and insight into the hearts of those who do not share your faith and may even oppose your faith. That’s why one of the vital components of love is patience—the kind of patience that endures and trusts that I love those that are close to you, and I am working in their lives. Trust that as you pray for others, and as you continue to patiently love them, all things will one day work together for good, and you will receive the reward of obeying My commandment of loving others as I have loved you.
Strive to manifest love and patience toward others. Love can abound, even if complete understanding is not present. “Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 14 Love never fails.”15
Originally published June 2009. Adapted and republished May 2015.
Read by Simon Peterson.
1 Isaiah 53:3.
2 Luke 13:34 ESV.
3 Philippians 1:29 NIV.
4 Luke 6:30–36 NIV.
5 John 16:33.
6 Luke 21:19.
7 1 Peter 3:15.
8 Matthew 5:25.
9 2 Timothy 2:3.
10 Joshua 1:8 ESV.
11 John 15:12–13 ESV.
12 Ephesians 3:19.
13 John 3:16 ESV.
14 1 Corinthians 13:7 ESV.
15 1 Corinthians 13:8 NIV.
Words from Jesus
Audio length: 8:39
Download Audio (11.8MB)
Introduction by Maria Fontaine:
Sometimes those that you’re close to may not be especially supportive or receptive to your religious beliefs; some people may even oppose or reject you because of the choices you’ve made. I pray the Lord will give you the extra grace, love, anointing, and encouragement that you need for being an effective witness and example of His love in situations where you are experiencing friction, difficulty, or challenges in your interactions with family, loved ones, or close associates and friends.
You can be assured that even if you find yourself in a difficult or challenging situation, the Lord is in control and will give you the grace, wisdom, and love that you need. The Lord needs you, and there are many searching souls who need you—including those who readily admit their hunger and need for the Lord and those who don’t yet know how much they need Jesus and His love. Everybody needs Jesus and His love, and nobody is beyond hope. So keep loving, keep giving, keep witnessing, and keep following the Lord and His counsel as you reach your part of the world!
Here are some messages from Jesus on the subject:
Dealing with rejection
I know what it’s like to be rejected by the people you are trying to reach. I was “despised and rejected of men.”1 During My three and a half years of ministry, I was constantly faced with receivers, rejecters, and the indifferent and undecided. Many of My own people, who I had come to bring salvation and freedom to, rejected Me. But I never stopped giving the words of truth. Shortly before I died, I said, “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, how often would I have gathered your children together, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing.”2 I didn’t stop giving them the opportunity to receive the truth.
Because you have chosen to follow Me and walk on the path of discipleship, you will at times face opposition and rejection. “For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on Him, but also to suffer for Him.”3 That need not discourage you, though. It may break your heart, but you can allow that breaking to draw you closer to Me. I will bind up your wounds and soothe your heart and bring healing. I will pour upon your spirit My gifts of faith, trust, and endurance.
Even though you may face difficulties or challenges with some of the people you care about, and they may not be open to your witness, I will work in their hearts as you commit them to Me. Reflect on these words I spoke, as recorded in the Gospel of Luke, and let them strengthen your faith:
“Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you. If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.”4
As you seek Me, you will find Me—My solutions, comfort, direction, endurance, wisdom, and love. There is great reward for you who are not ashamed of Me or My Father. I will not deny you, but I will honor you. In this world you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world—and so will you, if you will keep the faith.5
I hear your heartcries, and as you put your faith in Me, I will work things out. In your patience possess ye your souls.6 Look to My Word for direction, for in My Word you will find the answers to give to them that ask of you.7 The Word will teach you about when you should “agree with your adversary.”8 There are times when it is best to keep silent. I will show you when it is time to “endure hardness” as one of My good soldiers.9
My Word has the guidelines that will enable you to prosper and be successful. “This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth; but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.”10 My Word is your refuge and your strength.
Supernatural love
I say to you what I said to My disciples when I was on earth: “Love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.”11 That is what you are doing when you bear the burden of displeasure or rejection of others because of your faith. The love that I speak of is My supernatural and unconditional love for others, My love that “surpasses knowledge.”12
I know what it’s like to love those who don’t understand you. I also felt the disdain, the displeasure, the ridicule, and even direct opposition of family and friends.
There was only one way for Me to accomplish My mission of bringing salvation to the world, and that was through the supernatural love that I received from My Father, the love that compelled Him to give His only Son to the world so that they might be saved. The all-encompassing power of that love is found in these words: “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.”13
It is this supernatural love that will give you the understanding and insight into the hearts of those who do not share your faith and may even oppose your faith. That’s why one of the vital components of love is patience—the kind of patience that endures and trusts that I love those that are close to you, and I am working in their lives. Trust that as you pray for others, and as you continue to patiently love them, all things will one day work together for good, and you will receive the reward of obeying My commandment of loving others as I have loved you.
Strive to manifest love and patience toward others. Love can abound, even if complete understanding is not present. “Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 14 Love never fails.”15
Originally published June 2009. Adapted and republished May 2015.
Read by Simon Peterson.
1 Isaiah 53:3.
2 Luke 13:34 ESV.
3 Philippians 1:29 NIV.
4 Luke 6:30–36 NIV.
5 John 16:33.
6 Luke 21:19.
7 1 Peter 3:15.
8 Matthew 5:25.
9 2 Timothy 2:3.
10 Joshua 1:8 ESV.
11 John 15:12–13 ESV.
12 Ephesians 3:19.
13 John 3:16 ESV.
14 1 Corinthians 13:7 ESV.
15 1 Corinthians 13:8 NIV.
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