Count Your Blessings

Thankful for my Country and my Neighbors

Sunday November 1st, 2020 - Pastor Wungreiso Valui

Leviticus 19:33-37

When a resident foreigner lives with you in your land, you must not oppress him. The resident foreigner who lives with you must be to you like a native citizen among you; so you must love him as yourself, because you were foreigners in the land of Egypt. I am the Lord your God. You must not do injustice in the regulation of measures, whether of length, weight, or volume. You must have honest balances, honest weights, an honest ephah, and an honest hin. I am the Lord your God who brought you out from the land of Egypt. You must be sure to obey all my statutes and regulations. I am the Lord. (Leviticus 19:33-37)

In crisis, while you are living through hard times, counting your blessings can let you choose to live a life of gratitude.

CHOOSING A LIFE OF GRATITUDE

And seek the peace of the city where I have caused you to be carried away captive, and pray to the Lord for it; for in its peace you will have peace (Jeremiah 29:7).

For Jesus there were-

1. No elections to be fought and won.
2. No political parties to be favored.
3. No nations to be conquered.
4. No people to be divided and dominated.
5. Jesus loved the children, the women, the men of all nations.

When a resident foreigner lives with you in your land, you must not oppress him.

You must not oppress him

1. In Biblical terms, oppression means wearing out people by overpowering them and causing them to suffer. You oppress and exhaust people by labor and suffering.

Old And New Country

1. Paul directed his spiritual son Timothy in 1 Timothy 2:2 "to lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence."
2. Behold all things have become new. Choose to live a life of gratitude and thank God for His Son, Jesus Christ.
3. God redeemed His people from oppression and commanded His people to be a people of Redemption.

Seek the peace of the city you live in. Pray to the Lord for it; for in its peace you will have peace.

34 The resident foreigner who lives with you must be to you like a native citizen among you; so you must love him as yourself, because you were foreigners in the land of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.

You must love him as yourself

1. Native means one arising from the soil, a free tribesman. God commanded the Israelites collectively to love the resident foreigner as yourself.

Crossing and Recrossing the Border

1. Remember we were all foreigners. The Bible says "And He came and preached peace to you who were far off and to those who were near. For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father. Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God." (Ephesians 2:17-19 NKJV)
2. You may find yourself crossing and recrossing the border to your old country. Don't stay in the old country. Behold all things have been made new. You are a new creation.
3. You were once far off as a foreigner. Love your neighbors.

Seek peace in the city in which you live, pray for the city. In its peace you will have your peace.

35 You must not do injustice in the regulation of measures, whether of length, weight, or volume. 36 You must have honest balances, honest weights, an honest ephah, and an honest hin.

You must not do injustice

1. Injustice in this context means unrighteously deceiving other people, and the riches acquired by deceiving people.

LIFE IN A DISTANT COUNTRY

1. We think, like the prodigal son, life in a distant country sounds wonderful and promising. The reality is life in a distant country always disappoints. We squander our wealth and inheritance with no families and friends.
2. In a distant country, we are addicted to self-fulfillment, self admiration, attainment of status and accumulation of wealth and power.
3. What do we lack in a distant country? A loving compassionate father, who welcomes, who forgives and who celebrates the return of the prodigal son.

Be compassionate and don't do injustice.

For Jesus there were-

1. No elections to be fought and won.
2. No political parties to be favored.
3. No nations to be conquered.
4. No people to be divided and dominated.
5. Jesus loved the children, the women, the men of all nations.