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Why We Love Others

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JESUS SPEAKS

“When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. And he will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on his right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’ Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ And the King will answer and say to them, “Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to Me.’ (Matthew 25: 31 – 40)

FAITHFUL THOUGHTS

According to Jesus, loving and serving others is equivalent to loving and serving God Himself. When we feed the hungry, we are feeding the Lord; when we visit the sick, we are visiting the living God. Because we share Christ’s heart, we can avoid being cruel and focus on loving our fellows. This supernatural affection is the product of our genuine faith. Words can be deceptive; but actions rarely lie.

Superman is one of the most well known comic book characters of all time. He is essentially invulnerable to physical harm. And yet his relationship with his parents (who are weak) renders him susceptible to pain and heartache. Thus his enemies remain fixated on discovering his identity so that they might harm his loved ones and make him suffer. Similarly, the One True and Living God is all powerful and cannot be diminished, defeated, or harmed in any way; in turn Satan attacks those He loves; tempting mankind to sin, which leads them into suffering and pain; this grieves the Spirit of the Lord. For this reason all genuine Christians seek to spread the gospel and to provide for those in need; because this is pleasing to God.

If we truly share God’s heart then we will strive to love and to serve others. May we show compassion as we seek to provide for those in need. As we reach out to the lost, may we speak the truth without compromise, knowing that every kind act we accomplish is a display of God’s genuine affection for mankind. May all those we meet feel the love of God and be drawn toward Your Son and the joy of eternal salvation.

“Lord Heavenly Father, we thank you for Your unmerited provision and kindness. As we walk through this world may we love others with Your heart and see them through Your eyes. Fill us with Your Holy Spirit, that we might better accomplish Your will at all times. We love You Father, we praise You, and we thank You, and we ask and pray all of these things, according to Your will, in Jesus Christ’s name, Amen.” God bless all of you!

The Great Commission

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JESUS SPEAKING

“All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28: 18 – 20)

FAITHFUL THOUGHTS

Those who follow Christ are bound together by a singular purpose; to carry the gospel message to the entire world. Individuals who believe and repent of their sinful practices are baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. With great joy, these new disciples begin submitting themselves to the commandments of Jesus Christ; which emphasize their duty to evangelize. This scripture is often referred to as the ‘Great Commission.’

As we read in Genesis, the purpose of every living organism is to replicate after its own kind. To grow, multiply, and thrive. In this sense Christianity is no different. In John 12: 28, Jesus says, in reference to his death upon the cross, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain.” When one seed properly planted grows to maturity, it generates many seeds suitable for planting. Obviously then, a single seed can produce millions of seeds.

In reference to multiplication, Christianity is no different. The seed we have is the gospel message, which we are commanded to sow by means of evangelism. When this message of salvation and rebirth lands on good soil, it grows and produces many more believers, who in turn produce even more believers. Thus, according to the great commission, we are one of the primary instruments through which God adds to His body.

“Lord Heavenly Father, may we strive to spread the gospel message throughout the entire world. Give us the courage to speak up and to be bold. As we interact with others, may we prioritize evangelism; that many may come to receive salvation and be reborn. We love You Father, we praise You, and we thank You, and we ask and pray all of these things according to Your will, in Jesus Christ’s name, amen.” God bless all of you!

Loving Our Enemies

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JESUS SPEAKING

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you. Do not even the tax collectors do the same.” (Matthew 5: 43 – 46)

FAITHFUL THOUGHTS

The way that we treat our enemies reveals the authenticity of our Christian faith. As imitators of Jesus we are called to love those who hate us. When we love our friends and despise our enemies, nothing remarkable is expressed or observed (as even those who are evil practice this form of devotion.) And yet if we display a supernatural affection for our adversaries, then others will witness the risen Lord accomplishing His works through us; and many will be transformed.

As the story goes, hundreds of years ago an elderly Christian man entered a forest in Poland on his journey toward his native country. He soon encountered a band of robbers who demanded all of his valuables, finally asking: “Have you given us all?” When he had finally answered “All,” they let him go. Once safely out of sight the old man felt something hard in the hem of his robe. It was his gold; sewn there for safety. He promptly hurried back and found the thieves. He said, “I have told you what was not true; it was unintentional. I was too terrified to think. Here, take the gold in my robes.” To his astonishment, nobody offered to take his gold. In fact, one man returned his purse, another returned his book of prayer, while still another returned his horse and helped him to mount it. They watched as he slowly rode away. Good had triumphed over evil.

We read in Romans 12: 20 – 21, “Therefore, if your enemy is hungry, feed him, if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head,” (conviction.) “Do not be overcome with evil, but overcome evil with good.” As Christians we are commanded to love our enemies; to greet them and show them kindness, no matter how devious. In so doing, others may observe this supernatural love of God and be drawn to the Lord.

“Lord Heavenly Father, we are grateful for all of the blessings You have bestowed upon us. May we let go of any hatred we are harboring for others, that we would seek to love even the worst of our enemies. May we greet our friends and adversaries with an equal measure of affection. We love You Father, we praise You, and we thank You, and we ask and pray all of these things, according to Your will, in Jesus name, amen.” God bless all of You!