# 316 - Today's Living Word comes from Mr 3:23-26 So He called them to Himself and said to them in parables: "How can Satan cast out Satan? "If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. "And if a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. "And if Satan has risen up against himself, and is divided, he cannot stand, but has an end.”
The scribes and Pharisees have started rumors that Jesus was casting out demons by the power of Satan. He addresses their ridiculous charge with a question. How can Satan cast out Satan? How can anyone turn against themselves? Then He uses two parables, (earthly stories with heavenly implications) to make His point.
A kingdom engaged in a ceaseless Civil War will eventually cease to be a kingdom, and a family that engages in a ceaseless civil war will eventually cease to be a family. These are undeniable natural truths with implications for the universal church, the local congregation, and even for individual families.
Friends, we need to aim to keep it together! Fight for peace and unity. Ro 12:18 says, “If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.
And in 2 Cor 13:11 we read, ”Finally brothers, rejoice. Aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace and the God of love and peace will be with you.”
However, this peace must never be obtained at the sacrifice of truth, and that's the tricky part isn't it? We must learn to speak the truth to each other in love. Let me say this about speaking the truth in love. This does not mean that we add syruppy inflection to our voice when we speak, or that we seek to sugar coat the truth with cloutless words seeking to soften the blow.
Truth is truth. Speak it! That's what Jesus did. To speak it in love simply means that as we speak truth, we live our lives in love. And that is also what Jesus did.
These two things are difficult to argue with.....truth....and love.
I'm Duane Matz and that's Today's Living Word.
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