This is the Truth Network. Welcome to If Not Forgot. Stories of hopelessness that turn to hope. Here is your host, Mike Zwick. How do you love your enemies?
Hey, this is If Not for God with Mike Zwick. And I've got my friend Robbie Dilmore. And it's funny, many years ago, back in. The end of 2019, or I think the beginning of 2020, I said, Robbie, I feel like I wanna... Have my own radio show on the Truth Network, and I was expecting him to say, Are you kidding me?
Who are you? But he was actually silly enough to say okay. Is that right, Robbie? And I'm so glad I was excited. Because, you know, anybody that's passionate wants to get the word of God out, preach the word everywhere, right?
As it says. Yesterday was Axe 8.4 and For they preach the word everywhere, and that's one thing I've noticed about you, Mike. And so, why not share it with the truth audience and the other audiences as we were just streaming right now on Facebook and. And YouTube. Absolutely.
And today we're actually talking about loving your enemies. What does it mean to love your enemies? And so, if you have your Bibles, and I hope you do, I've got Matthew chapter 5, verse 44. He says, But I say unto you, love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you. and pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute you.
that you may be the children of your Father which is in heaven. For he makes his son to rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just. and the unjust alike he says for if you love them who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the publicans Do the same. And I read that Robbie, and I say, man, you know, it's easy to like people.
Who are nice to me. It's easy to like people who are giving me positive feedback, but. Uh the other morning I woke up and I had a dream. And uh in the dream uh I was about to pray for somebody. And I remember these people that I was going to pray for, I didn't like them.
And I didn't even want to pray for them. But I went ahead and I prayed for them because it felt a little awkward, you know, praying for somebody you don't really like and they might not like you either. But I went ahead and prayed for them, and the Lord healed them and touched them. And I remember at the end, it was like after this had happened. We had come together in unity, and we were no longer angry at each other.
And so. I believe that when we take that first step. of being nice to somebody who may not be very nice to us. or to be kind to somebody who really doesn't like us. A lot of times God can do big things and I'm sure you've seen that as well, Robbie.
Yeah, the neat thing about that verse, it's an amazing verse. It's there in the Sermon on the Mount, as you know. It is. And, you know, here's the.
Some of the beginning teachings of Jesus. And you may know that in John chapter 1, it says he's full of grace and truth. And there's so much grace and truth in that particular statement that he that you just made. But the fascinating thing is that Jesus Doesn't Teach a lot on the word grace. The word in Greek is charis, but it's han in Hebrew.
And the fascinating thing is that when he says, what I th what does it what does he say? What reward is that to you? But what actually what he says is what charis is that to you. In other words, this is the one time that we know in Scripture that Jesus teaches on the idea of grace. And the idea of grace he teaches on here is for you to have favor Unmerited favor.
And so it's kind of cool that, like he said, he's full of grace. If I've got this person like you to talk about that I don't have a lot of affinity for, And there's lots of people like that in my life. And if I'm honest, you know, there's a lot of people, man. Oh, no, they're coming. You know what I mean?
However, If I think about Great. Like, oh my gosh, I'm God's favorite in spite of the shenanigans I pulled. How can I. harness that kind of grace. This person, and so that I can begin to see things in there in them that would make them my favorite.
Because people can tell when you're talking to them. if you favor them or if you're just if they're just like And so the most godly people that I've ever been around, and I'm sure you've seen this too, Mike, you always feel like you're highly favored when you're in their presence because they're full of grace. Yeah. And so to get that for your enemies. Takes amazing grace, right?
And you're not going to get that on your own, by the way, because apart from me, you can do nothing. The only way you can do that is through prayer, like he's talking about.
So you're going to pray for them. Yes. Like you like in your example, like yeah, okay, God. Me favoring them is one thing. You favoring them is a Lord, you know, bring it, bring it, bring it for them, and help me to have eyes to see what you see in that person.
Because clearly, he. Made sure that they came alive, you know, and he'd billed them. From the DNA up, all the parents and whatever, to do something specific, can show me what you see. Give me your eyes. Yeah.
Yeah, that's true. And and there's a there's a verse in the New Testament. And it says, it's in Romans chapter 5, verse 8, and it says, But God commendeth his love toward us. in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us. And so when I was in college, when I wasn't living right.
To put it mildly, Um God sent a young lady to come and share the gospel with me. God sent a lady who stood up in the classroom and said, If there's anybody I could meet in history, I'd want to meet Jesus Christ. And I remember doing that. And God gave me my mother. And we were talking about that this morning over at Wednesday in the Word.
My mother, who was a praying mother. And I believe that many of us had a praying mother or a praying father or praying grandmother or grandfather, whoever it was. We can't forget about the power of prayer because, you know, I remember one time, Robbie, you told a story about you went to the beach or something and you saw these seagulls. And these seagulls were just kind of gliding there. They weren't using any of their own effort or anything like that, but they were just guiding, and the wind was holding them up.
And you said that when we pray... That's what God does for us. He's like the wind that holds us up. There's times, Robbie, where I can't love my enemy in my own flesh because it's not in me. It's not natural to love my enemy in my own flesh, but through the power of Christ...
And through the power of prayer, He gives us The wisdom, he gives us the courage, he gives us the peace. to be able to do things that we can't do. in our own understanding, in our own mind, in our own desires. And I know you've seen that too. Yeah, that's something that God's been teaching me a lot recently.
is that there are In the 85th Psalm, there's a Uh the line I believe it's Verse 8. where it says that Hesid, or the idea of kindness, mercy, as it's sometimes translated. Hessin is going to come together with righteousness and then it says that Truth is going to kiss peace. Yes. So here's these four concepts.
Bit. we know as Hesid, which is this loving kindness that God has. coming together with what's right. And then we have the idea of truth and peace. And right under that, it says, next verse, it says that truth is going to spring up from the ground.
Well, the ground's cursed. Right? Yeah. And so truth is going to spring up from the ground and righteousness is going to come down from heaven and meet it. And so here's this idea of heaven touching earth with righteousness touching truth.
Yes. Right? So here's these four ideas. And so I've created them as sort of gauges in my. Christian cargine mind.
Like Okay, if I am not feeling a lot of peace. Mm-hmm. What? Why am I believing? Hmm.
Because, wait a minute, Jesus wins this. Everything's going to be amazing. We're going to heaven. Life's. Like So I must, if I don't have peace, there's something else going on.
But also, If I don't have a right relationship with someone, Righteousness has to do with the right relationship with God, a right relationship with you, a right relationship with other people. Then I'm not very kind. I I'm seriously. Like, if I'm noticing that there's something wrong in this relationship, then unfortunately m my Hesid, my loving kindness drops. And so here, like, Lord, I need you to bring truth.
Lord, I need you to bring... Hesed. I need you to bring this unbelievable loving kindness that you have, this mercy that David talked about at the end of the 23rd Psalm. That's the best place I know to jump on the word Hesed because he says, surely. Right?
He said, Goodness and mercy will follow me.
Well, here he put goodness together with that hess, this idea of loving kindness. And so, if that's going to follow me all the days of my life, I definitely need that in the case where my enemy is like, whoa, man, I don't want to deal with this person right now. And unfortunately, it comes up so subtly, as you know, Mike. Like, you're talking to this. Hmm.
Like, you've got to find out about an insurance problem. Like, we had this horrible accident, you know. And I'm dealing with all sorts of insurance adjusters, and they're not telling me what I want to hear. And so I'm like, wait a minute, my peace gauge is going, my Hessid gauge is going, you know, in other words, as I see these gauges going this way, I'm like, oh my gosh, do I need Jesus in this situation? Oh my gosh, do I need truth?
Oh my gosh, do I need mercy? And I need grace. I need all those to try to bring this back. It doesn't mean I'm effective at it. But I understand that it's like a check engine light flashing in your mind.
That person cuts you off in traffic, or they're going 20 miles under the speed limit, and you're like, mmm, you know. And then all of a sudden my gauges are going, rrrr. And so actually what I've done is I've created this dashboard for these with artificial intelligence and I have it on my My prayer. Where I begin to pray every morning, I see those gauges, so I can just look in my mind and go, Okay, how am I doing right here? How am I doing right here?
How am I doing right here? And I also have it. Like, as soon as I open my phone, guess what? I'm gonna see those gauges. That's it.
And it's just a reminder to me, like. to check in on If I'm not feeling Like something's something's not right. There's no peace, there's no truth. Am I being kind in this particular situation? At least.
You know, I'm asking for God to help me in this situation, but it's extremely helpful. And I would tell you that this idea. It's so connected to Zachariah chapter 8 that what's going to happen is all of it's coming back to Jerusalem, and it says that we will love peace and truth. Yeah. And Jeremiah also uses peace and truth.
Like these two things come together. And so when you add the the the mercy and blessing, and I just think it's really helpful. Because what you say is is difficult, so God, you gotta help me.
Well, you know, and I believe, you know, one of the things that's helped me is. We have choices each day and there's things in life that you can't control. You know, you couldn't control that somebody hit you with a je when you got squished in between your Jeep and another car, right? I mean, you can't control that. But there's a pastor, I believe he used to come on here.
Chuck Swindall, does he still come on? Yeah. Chuck Swindall. And this is what he said. He said, The longer that I live, The more that I realize the impact of attitude on life.
He said, Attitude to me. is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness, or skill. It will make or break a company, a church.
in a home. The remarkable thing is that we have a choice. every day regarding the attitude that we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past. We cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way.
And everybody said amen. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing that we can do is to play on the one thing that we have. And this is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% What happens to me and 90% how I react to it.
And so it is with you. We are in charge. of our attitudes and i i think that it's funny robbie when the when the the world catches up with the bible because the bible says and i was looking at ecclesiastes 10 19 it says that laughter makes the heart merry And that, but I remember I was in AP Psychology when I was in high school over at, we used to meet at the Career Center. I don't even know if it's still there. It is, it definitely is.
Okay, it definitely is, but the Career Center. And we would go over there, and the professor in AP Psychology said this: he said, We've learned in psychology that if you're feeling blue, start whistling. Go for a run. Go for a walk. But you know, one of the biggest things, and maybe the biggest, well, the biggest thing that helps me is praising God.
If I turn up the worship music and I start praising God, man, I can't feel bad. I can't feel bad. I can't be depressed while I'm praising the Lord with everything that I've got.
Now, I know there's times in our lives and there's been times in my life where you are depressed and where things are tough. I'm not talking about that. But as Christians, we shouldn't stay there for the rest of our lives. But I've also learned, Robbie, that each and every day I have a choice. One of the things that helps me sometimes to get out of bed or to go do what I'm doing.
is when I asked the Lord, I said, Lord, who can I help today? And I don't care who you are or what you're going through or what you're doing. Whenever I'm feeling bad, when I decide that I'm going to start helping other people, I feel better myself. Right, well, just think what you just said.
Okay, guys, there you got the Hesid. Kindness makes you feel right. Like, I did something. Right. Because that righteousness and kindness are connected and you couldn't be more.
Ac and you know, I can't tell you the people I've seen that Man, they were dealing with stuff that was unbelievable. In fact, one of my favorite stories is. I'm trying to remember his name. He was with Wild at Heart Ministries. He had horrible leukemia.
And he was in all these fevers and pain that was unbelievable. And he's praying to God at the time. And he's like, God help me. I'm hurting so bad. I'm hurting, I'm hurting, I'm hurting.
And you can imagine what he was going through. as he was hurting it so bad and he said the lord said to him What I want you to do is start praying for others. And he goes. Whoa, wait a minute. I'm the one in pain here.
I'm the one with cancer. I'm the one. And he said. He said, Um Pray for others. This is an unbelievable opportunity for you to pray for others.
So, you know, that's what he started to do. He said, I don't know how I did it, but I was like, okay, God. And I started praying for this person. I started praying for that person. He said, I had the most glorious prayer time I can ever imagine.
was in that setting. of like oh my goodness Like His kindness towards these other people was unleashing God's kindness into his situation, and it just. is a perfect example of what you just described, is What better way is there really, Mike? And I know we don't feel this necessarily. But what better way is there for us to love another person than to pray for them?
That's good. You know, and to pray for them. And when I was talking about the attitude, I think that's one of the things that helps us to have a better attitude. Is when we're helping other people, when we're praying for other people, when we're saying, How can I serve you? Remember the lady that we have our prayer meeting with every...
Monday morning, Nanette. I've talked to her before you've talked to her on the phone. But I remember years ago when I first met her and she would have people at her house And she was praying for all of these people and Jesus was just healing them and it was just, it was amazing. And I remember one time I was having a tough time and I'd say, oh, Nanette, I'm having tough with going through this, going through that. And she was always there to help me out until and then one night I remember she said, She said I was diagnosed with cancer.
And she said, you know, I don't know how much longer I'm going to be here. I don't know how much longer I'm going to live or anything like that. And she said, but when I was diagnosed with cancer, She said, I promised the Lord that I would pray for a hundred people. And she said, the first couple of people I didn't see anything. And then one time, she said She said, I was on a trip to, on a cruise.
I guess you know, you're saying, hey, your bucket list, right? And she said, I prayed for a lady and she was completely healed. And this person was healed, that person was healed, and I think at first they might have said, hey, she's got a year to live. She had tumors all over her body. And the neat thing was, was that was 11 years ago.
And she's still here. And she ended up going back, I think, to the doctor much later on and they found out, no, the tumors were actually benign. And so, but it's like we talked about this this morning, is that we're blessed. to be a blessing. You know, Jesus died on the cross for our sins.
And I like what Stu says. He didn't do it so we can just keep this thing to ourselves, right? We want to share it with other people. And so. You know, I love what we're doing right here.
Yes, we're on the radio. Yes, and we do it every Saturday now in person over at Walmart. We go pray for people, share the gospel, stuff like that. But I love the story that I heard one of these influencers online. I think his name is Realism or something like that.
But he said there there were these two guys. Who died, and he said one of the guys died, and he ended up going before St. Peter, and he went to heaven. He got in and he saw St. Paul and he said, oh my gosh, you're the Apostle Paul.
He said, what was it like? To live at a time where you could be with, where you were actually around Jesus' time, and you were around the early church and the early disciples, and you saw all of this amazing stuff. And Paul said, Yeah, it was pretty good. We got to see miracles, we got to see this, that, and the other. And then all of a sudden the Apostle Paul kind of stopped for a minute and he looked at this guy.
He goes, hold on. Are you from the year 2026? And the guy said, Yeah. He said, What was it like? To be living during a time where all you had to do was turn on the camera, like we're doing now on Facebook and YouTube live.
And he said immediately you could reach. Dozens, hundreds, thousands, millions of people worldwide. He said, What was it like to have an opportunity to share the gospel like that? And the guy who just died said, I don't know, I just looked at videos of cats online. And so now we have an opportunity, Robbie.
to be able to share the gospel in ways that they would have loved to have had 50 years ago. Yeah, they had television 50 years ago, but now the everyday person with a cell phone or an iPad can put it in front of their face and immediately share the gospel with other people and... I don't know, I I'm happiest myself. when I'm helping other people and so I don't know, when I start to love my enemies, I I I'm happier as well, but it's hard. I saw this TikTok.
Somebody sent it to me. I don't actually usually look at TikTok myself. I don't blame you. I. I I Somebody sent it to me, and it was a story.
This guy talked about this guy whose name was Bill. Yeah. And have you seen it? No. And the guy, Bill, was kind of, he came from a rough background.
He had some struggle with addictions. Um you know. had some language, but he came to Christ. And he had an amazing relationship with Christ, but he also didn't forget where he came from. And he still had.
That part of him that was rough in his language, etc., etc. And he said, Just being who he was, kind of a bold guy. that there was this guy that lived down the street that had this lake and everybody. It knew it was full of fish, but nobody had fished there because, see, this guy was mean as a snake. And nobody wanted to talk to him because you could never talk to him.
He wouldn't just go off them. But Bill, just being Bill, it's like, man, I don't wanna go fishing. Right? And he said that He said that Um When he went up there to the guy and he's like, Man, I'd love to fish in your lake. And the guy just grabbed a stick or something and he just started blaring off all these curse words.
You blah buddy, blah, blah, blah, blah. You know, just screaming at him at the top of his lungs, like, you don't think you're gonna blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. And the guy. Bill with a smile on his face, looks at him and goes, well, you blobly blah blah blah blah blah, and just gives it back to the guy, but not. offensively just gives it back to him.
Same words, but just hey. Yeah. And the guy goes, what's your name? I like you. You can come fish at my lake.
Right? And the way the story went, about a week ago, Bill went back to the guy's house. He was sitting on the porch again. He had two fishing poles. because he wanted to fish with his new friend.
He didn't have a friend. Mm. And what he said was, You know, some people that that's the only language they grew up, man, they heard that, and we don't speak their language. Bill spoke that guy's language. The Apostle Paul one time he said, I have become all things to all men in order that I might save some.
Right, it's the same idea. But here again, You know, everybody else, how many people in that block that dislike this guy, whatever, were praying for him, right? But Bill. You know? He went up there and because God gifted him to speak his language, man.
The guy had a friend, right? And and and I had a dream and I know you love dreams and Um About Um The hell. I didn't know it was about hell, it was just brain. Everything was gray and everybody was Grumpy. And they were abusive, actually.
I mean, and I really didn't like being there, but I didn't know at the time that I was in hell, but it was just, there was no color, and there was no happiness. And there was, it was just. And after being there for whatever period of time, I just went. Man, I think I'm in hell. And the Holy Spirit kind of grabbed me and said, well yeah.
That's where you are. You're in hell. And so I remember one of my favorite verses in the 119th Psalms: I remembered your name in the night, O Lord, and kept your word. The idea being to actually sense God in my dreams. Yes.
And so here I am, and I'm like, okay, God, you're here. I'm in hell. Mike. What do you want me to see? And it was like, I want you to see gray.
Okay. And I almost immediately woke up. Mm-hmm. And when I woke up, I have these emerald green bed sheets.
Okay. and beautiful light coming through the window and Not that it was daylight yet, but there was light coming through the window. I could see the light and I could see some red in the picture and the colors were so vivid and I was like, oh my gosh. Yeah. These people that are going to hell?
They will never see color. We're going to see colors that are unbelievable in heaven. I mean, it's going to be spectacular. You know, the reds and the blues and the violets and all that we get to see, but these poor people. That are going to be spending their eternity with nobody that ever says a kind word to them, never says anything.
And so, Michael, you know, what you're talking about is so critical. I would hate. For anybody, can you imagine never seeing that blue? Never seeing another red? Um for eternity.
Yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah. And it's, well, you know, the Bible says in John 3, 16, he says, for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son. that whosoever believeth in him shall not perish, but have everlasting life. It says in Romans 3.23, it says that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.
I don't care how good you are, unless you're perfect, you're not making it into heaven on your own, and nobody's perfect. But the good news is that Romans 6.23 says that for the wages of sin is death. It says, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. And 1 John 5, 13 says, I have written these things unto you.
so that you may know that you have eternal life. And the Bible says that all who call upon the name of the Lord will be saved.
So if you just cry out to Jesus today and ask him to save you, Ask him to redeem you and you surrender your life to him. You repent, you turn from your sins, and you surrender your life to him. He will save you today. And we'll see you what happened. Amen.
Amen. It's not forgotten. It's not forgotten. Yeah, we got another 26. Share with me.
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