“If a fellow believer hurts you, go and tell him—work it out between the two of you.” ~Jesus

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Courage, Forgiveness, Jesus, Jesus Sayings, Love, Matthew 18

Jesus has a way he wants us to follow to work out our grievances against one another. If I am not willing to follow it, I should keep my mouth shut.

• Jesus wants me to have the courage to go to the person, one on one, try to work it out.
• I have to decide, is this worth an intervention? If it isn’t, I can just forgive and move on.
• Now this is tough, do I want to take it to the whole church?

I don’t think most of us would ever get past step one. Step one is huge though. It forces me to think through do I just forgive and does the person need to know they hurt me.

Having done all that, what should I do? Jesus says start it all over again and focus on God’s forgiving love.

“If a fellow believer hurts you, go and tell him—work it out between the two of you. If he listens, you’ve made a friend. If he won’t listen, take one or two others along so that the presence of witnesses will keep things honest, and try again. If he still won’t listen, tell the church. If he won’t listen to the church, you’ll have to start over from scratch, confront him with the need for repentance, and offer again God’s forgiving love.”

Source Matthew 18:15-17

7,319,049,214

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Jesus, Lost, Matthew 18, Population

Oh, boy, there are SO MANY people on this Earth! Billions and Billions and Billions. This site said there were 7,319,049,214 when I looked. Sometimes it feels like half of them are in front of me slowing me down from where I am trying to go. One big traffic jam.

But God is absolutely clear. He knows each and every one of us. He loves each one of us. He wants a real live relationship with each one of us, whether we are number 99 or 99,999,999 or 7,319,049,214.

“Whoever becomes simple and elemental again, like this child, will rank high in God’s country.” ~Jesus

Tags

Jesus, Jesus Sayings, Kingdom, Matthew 18, Simplicity

Child of God

Remember the song: “Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so”?

The simple song of a child. Oh how I used to love to sing that song over and over again. The simplicity of a child is a stunning thing to behold. There is no doubt. They honestly believe. They trust, without any sense that they shouldn’t.

Jesus beckons me to start over like children. Can I have that level of faith and simplicity? Can I humble myself so I can get a good look at God’s country and His new plan?

God’s goal for me is to believe in his son Jesus, the Messiah (anointed ruler in God’s country). That requires a simplicity of faith like a child’s.

May I become simple and elemental again. May I have the faith of a child.

At about the same time, the disciples came to Jesus asking, “Who gets the highest rank in God’s country?” For an answer Jesus called over a child, whom he stood in the middle of the room, and said, “I’m telling you, once and for all, that unless you return to square one and start over like children, you’re not even going to get a look at the country of God, let alone get in. Whoever becomes simple and elemental again, like this child, will rank high in God’s country.

~Jesus — Matthew 18:1-5