UNDERSTANDING OUR JOURNEY

LOVING AND FORGIVING OTHERS – PART 1

JUNE 8TH, 2003

LIFE IS FULL OF DEDUCTIONS - - - NOT OF THE IRS VARIETY……BUT CONCLUSIONS WE COME TO ON THE BASIS OF LITTLE DETAILS WE SPOT IN PEOPLE AND THINGS AROUND US!!!

WHEN WE NOTICE THE DROOPY ……HALF-MAST EYES OF A THREE YEAR OLD…..EVEN IN THE MIDST OF HIS OR HER PLAYING…..

WE KNOW IT’S TIME FOR A NAP!!!

IN THE EARLY SPRING…….A FLOCK OF GEESE HEADING NORTH……..GIVES US HOPE FOR HOTTER DAYS IN THE NOT TO DISTANT FUTURE….

A PHOTO OF A DARK-EYED WOMAN IN A GRASS SKIRT WAS PROBABLY NOT…….(WE WOULD GUESS) SNAPPED IN ICELAND!!!

BASED ON NO MORE THAN THE COLORS OF THEIR CLOTHES……..WE KNOW WHETHER THE GUYS A FEW SEATS AWAY FROM US WILL ROOT WITH US….OR AGAINST US AND OUR TEAM!!!

WE CAN TELL A LOT FROM A LITTLE!!!

AND WE COMMUNICATE VOLUMES WITH THE SMALLEST SNATCHES OF WORDS AND ACTIONS!!

THAT EXPLAINS WHY MOST RELIGIONS OF THE WORLD ASK THEIR DEVOTEES TO EXPRESS THEIR PIETY IN LITTLE WAYS THAT SET THEM APART FROM EVERYONE ELSE!!!

IT COULD BE A RITUAL LIKE DAILY PRAYER…………….OR A PILGRIMAGE TO A HOLY SITE…..

OR AN ARTICLE OF CLOTHING…….SUCH AS A TURBAN…..OR A COLLAR

OTHER RELIGIOUS OBSERVANCES TAKE THE FORM OF A BODILY EMBLEM LIKE A SPOT OF ASH…..

OR A TATTOO…..

OR OF A STRICT DIETARY LIMITATION…..

AVOIDING MEAT OR FASTING FOR DESIGNATED PERIODS!!!

WITHIN RELIGIOUS CIRCLES…….THE MORE ADVANCED AND DEVOTED ADHERENTS ARE GIVEN SPECIAL SIGNIFICATIONS LIKE TITLES…..

VESTMENTS…

OR PRIVILEGES….

BUT SOMETHING THAT SAYS TO ALL AROUND ………

“HERE IS A TRULY SPIRITUAL PERSON………ASK THIS ONE FOR WISDOM”

RELIGIOUS ACTIVITES AND SYMBOLS EXHIBITED BY A GOD’S FOLLOWERS DO MORE THAN JUST IDENTIFY PEOPLE WITH THEIR GOD!!!

THE RELIGIOUS EXERCISES ALSO DECLARE SOMETHING ABOUT THE NATURE OF THAT GOD IN TERMS OF WHICH ATTRIBUTES IT PRIZES MOST HIGHLY!!!!

SINCE A GOD CAN ASK ANYTHING OF ITS DEVOTEES………WHAT IT WANTS OF THEM AND HOW IT WNTS THEM IDENTIFIED ARE CLUES TO WHAT THE GOD IS REALLY LIKE!!!

GENERALLY SPEAKING……….WHAT IS MOST TRUE OF A GOD……….IS WHAT THE GOD LONGS TO HAVE BE MOST TRUE OF ITS FOLLOWERS!!!

THOSE GOD’S DECLARE….”YOU SHALL BE LIKE ME”

SO………….WHAT MARKS A BELEIVER IN JESUS CHRIST?

WHAT ARE THE TELLTALE SIGNALS ALERTING EVERYONE AROUND US TO THE FACT THAT WE HAVE SURRENDERED OUR LIFE TO HIM????

IS IT AN ARTICLE WE PUT ON ……LIKE A CROSS?

AN ITEM WE CARRY WITH US WHEREVER WE GO???

LIKE MAYBE OUR BIBLE???

HOW ABOUT THE REGULAR EXERCISE …..OF SAY…………….ATTENDING CHURCH EACH WEEK?

OR MAYBE IT’S THAT PEOPLE AROUND US WILL EQUATE  OUR ‘BEING GODLY’ WITH OUR BEING ‘MORALLY GOOD”

HOW WILL ANYONE EXCEPT OUR CLOSEST FRIENDS AND FAMILY KNOW THAT WE ARE DISCIPLES OF JESUS???

WHAT IS THE MOST MEANINGFUL ATTRIBUTE THAT COMMUNICATES NOT JUST THE REALITY OF OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM……BUT ALSO WHAT IS MOST TRUE OF HIM!!!!

WELL I’M GLAD YOU ASKED…

BEC ONE DAY….JESUS……GOD’S ONLY BEGOTTEN SON……GAVE HIS FOLLOWERS A VERY SIMPLE ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION!!!

IN TWO DIFFERENT PLACES HE SAID…..”LOVE ONE ANOTHER JUST AS I HAVE LOVED YOU”  (JOHN 15:12)

AND IN JOHN 13:35 HE SAID….”BY THIS ALL MEN WILL KNOW THAT YOU ARE MY DISCIPLES….IF YOU HAVE LOVE FOR ONE ANOTHER”!!!

NOT VERY SURPRISING THAT HE WANTS US TO BE DISTINQUISHED BY EXACTLY THE SAME QUALITY THAT MOST CHARACTERIZES GOD HIMSELF!!!!

WE HAVE ALREADY LEARNED THAT GOD IS LOVE…….AND THAT LOVE IS THE KEY TO ALL HIS THOUGHTS AND WORDS AND ACTIONS THROUGHOUT ALL TIME!!!

HE IS THE ORIGINATOR OF LOVE……..

BIBLE SAYS…THAT ‘LOVE IS FROM GOD’

HE HAS SET HIS LOVE AND AFFECTIONS ON US….AND HE WNTS US TO COMMUNICATE THAT SAME ACTION TOWARD OTHERS!!!

SINCE LOVE IS GOD’S MOST PROMINENT FEATURE……..HIS CHILDREN …

HIS FOLLOWERS WILL BEAR THAT RESEMBLANCE TO HIM!!!!

JESUS EXPLAINED TO HIS DISCIPLES THAT THE LOVE WITH WHICH HE CHERISHED THEM WAS A PERFECT COPY OF THE LOVE HE HAD FRIST RECEIVED FROM HIS FATHER!!!

YOUR IN JOHN 15…..SO LOOK AT VERSE 9   JUST AS THE FATHER HAS LOVE ME……I HAVE ALSO LOVE YOU………SOSOSOSOSOS…….ABIDE IN MY LOVE”

HE WAS LIKE HIS FATHER IN ALL WAYS…

HE MANIFESTED THE GLORY….THE RADIANCE OF GOD…..SO THAT IN SEEING  JESUS…….PEOPLE COULD SEE THE FATHER!!!!

(JOHN 1:14…..AND THE WORD BECAME FLESH AND DWELT AMONG US…AND WE BEHELD HIS GLORY….GLORY AS OF THE ONLY BEGOTTEN FROM THE FATHER….FULL OF GRACE AND TRUTH”)

THE MIRACLES THAT JESUS PERFORMED….AND THE TEACHING HE SHARED WERE NOT HIS….

THE FATHER ABIDING IN HIM TOOK THE INITIATIVE AND DID THEM THROUGH JESUS!!!

EVEN MORE THOUGH THAN THE MIRACLES OR THE TEACHINGS…

THE PRIMARY REFLECTION OF GOD THROUGH JESUS WAS (AND IS) LOVE!!!!

JESUS LIVED OUT THE VERY PATTERNS OF GRACE, MERCY AND KINDNESS….AND DESRIE FOR RESTORED RELATIONSHIP - - THAT WERE TRUE OF GOD’S LOVE FOR ALL MANKIND!!!!

ON EARTH JESUS REFLECTED THE FATHER’S LOVE AS A MIRROR DUPLICATES THE ONE WHO GAZES INTO IT!!!

THIS SIMPLE TRUTH HAS PROFOUND IMPLICATIONS FOR EACH OF US WHEN IT COMES TO MANIFESTING THE ONE TRUE MARK OF A BELEIVER - - LOVING OTHERS!!!!

AS WITH ALL OTHER ASPECTS OF OUR LIFE WITH THE LORD…..HE DOES FOR US WHAT WE CANNOT DO ON OUR OWN!!!

EVEN HIS COMMANDMENT FOR US TO LOVE OTHERS IS FULFILLED BY HIS GRACE DOING THE WORK!!!

GOD WANTS TO SHINE THROUGH US…

HE SIMPLY WANTS US TO HOLD THE MIRROR OF OUR LIFE UP TO HIM SO THAT IT ANLES A CLEAR RELECTION OF HIS LOVE TO EVERYONE AROUND US!!!

WHEN WE ‘SEE’ SOMEONE IN THE MORROR…..IT JUST MEANS THAT THE MIRROR IS ANGLED PROPERLY TO RETURN HIS OR HER REFLECTION!!!

MIRRORS ARE NOT PICTURES - - - THEY ARE INCAPABLE OF PROJECTING AN IMAGE OF THEIR OWN!!!

SO …..ONE OF THE FIRST SECRETS WE LEARN ABOUT LOVING OTHERS ‘LIKE’ JESUS FIRST LOVED US…..IS TO DO EXACTLY THAT - - - -

IMITATE THE MANNER AND WAYS OF HIS LOVE!!!!

IT IS NOT AS THOUGH WE HAVE TO MUSTER THE CAPACITY TO LOVE OTHERS FROM WITHIN OURSELVES!!!

RATHER…..JUST AS GOD LOVES US…..SO WE (SHOULD) LOVE OTHERS……

OR TO PUT IT ON MORE PRACTICAL TERMS……

HOW WE LOVE OTHERS WILL BE A TRUE REFLECTION OF WHAT WE CLAIM TO KNOW ABOUT THE COMFORTING AND HOPE-GIVING LOVE FROM GOD!!!

BEING RECIPITENTS OF JESUS’ LOVE …..SURROUNDED ALWAYS BY HIS FAVOR AND DELIGHT…..GIVES US HOPE FOR BEING ABLE TO LOVE OTHERS

(NOW……WE MIGHT NEED TO STOP THERE FOR A SECOND……AND RE-AFFIRM THAT GOD DOES LOVE YOU - -  AND TO HAVE YOU EXAMINE WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT GOD’S LOVE TOWARD YOU)

NOW….

BACK TO THIS LOVING OTHERS THING!!!

ALTHOUGH IT TAKES PRACTICE…..THE PRINCIPLE FOR LOVING OTHERS AS GOD LOVES US IS FAIRLY SIMPLE!!!

WHEN YOU FIND VERSE THAT DESCRIBE ANY ATTRIBUTE OF GOD’S LOVE FOR US…..LIKE THESE THAT FOLLOW………

BEGIN TO ‘DO’ THAT QUALITY TO AND FOR THE PEOPLE AROUND YOU!!!

THINK OF THE ‘DOINGS’ AS FOCUSED STEPS TO FOLLOW!!!

AT THE END OF THE TRAIL YOU WILL HAVE LOVED OTHERS AS JESUS LOVES YOU!!!!

THE PROBLEM IS….

ON OUR OWN WE OFTEN FIND IT DIFFICULT TO LOVE THE PEOPLE AROUND US!!!

PEOPLE GET ON OUR NERVES….

THEY DO FOOLISH AND STUPID AND HURTFUL THINGS……..TO US!!

THEY GET IN OUR WAY…

OR THEY ACT BOORISH….OR SELFISH….OR CLUELESS!!!

WHAT’S MORE…

THEY HAVE TEMPERS…..

AND LUSTS…

AND FEARS…

AND AGENDAS….

AND HURTS!!!

(JUST LIKE US)

THAT IS A VOLATILE COMBINATION -- - - - - -

OTHER’S BAD STUFF…….AND OUR BAD STUFF….DO NOT MIX WELL….

JUST LIKE NITRO AND GLYCERIN DO NOT MIX!!!

SO HOW ARE WE TO LOVE UNLOVABLE PEOPLE WHO ….

LIKE OURSELVES….

HAVE A GREAT MANY ROUGH EDGES AND AS YET UNREFINED QUALITIES!!!!

NATURAL LOVE IS GENERALLY A RESPONSE TO SOMETHING ABOUT SOMEONE ELSE - - - THE WAY A PERSON LAUGHS, ….OR HOW THOUGHTFUL OR CLEVER THAT PERSON IS!!!

WE ARE ATTRACTED BY THEIR ATTRACTIVENESS….AND WE WANT TO BE WITH THEM BECAUSE WE WANT TO BE CLOSE TO WHAT WE LIKE ABOUT THEM!!!!

CONVERSELY……IF SOMETHING ABOUT THEM BOTHERS US - - - THE NASAL WHINE IN THEIR VOICE….

THE WAY THEY SNEEZE….

THE WAY THEY GARGLE…..

THEY WAY THEY ALWAYS SEEM SO SELF-CENTERED……

WHATEVER…

WE DO NOT WANT TO BE AROUND THEM!!!!

AND SIMPLY PUT…..SOME PEOPLE JUST BUG US!!!

AND SO WE STUMBLE OVER THINGS IN THEIR LIFE THAT ARE NOT THE WAY WE WANT THEM TO BE!!!

OR THE WAY WE WANT THEM TO ACT….!!!

BUT THAT IS NOT THE WAY GOD LOVES!!!

GOD LOVES US BEC OF WHAT IS TRUE ABOUT HIM…….NOT BEC OF WHAT IS TRUE ABOUT US!!!!!

IF HE BASED HIS DESIRE TO BE WITH US ON HOW DESIRABLE WE WERE WHILE LOCKED IN OUR SIN….

WE WOULD STILL BE APART AND SEPERATED FROM HIM!!!

HE DID NOT (I WOULD REMIND YOU) WAIT FOR YOU TO BE RID OF ALL YOUR BAD THINGS BEFORE HE WOULD LOVE YOU!!!!

HE LOVED US FIRST!!!!

BY LOOKING BEYOND OUR STUFF…..WHEN WE WERE STILL SINNERS…….!!!

AND IN HIS HEART …….HE CREATED A SEPARATION BETWEEN US AND OUR EVIL DEEDS …..

SO THAT HE COULD REMOVE THE SEPERATION BETWEEN US AND HIM!!!!!

(YOU DON’T BELIEVE ME????/        READ WITH ME ON THE BOARD ROMANS 5:8….AND LET’S PUT THE EMPHASIS ON WHERE IT BELONGS……”WHILE WE WERE YET SINNERS)

NOW….

LET ME BACK UP AND HIT A STATEMENT AGAIN THAT I MADE EARLIER.

I SAID…”GOD LOVES US BEC OF WHAT IS TRUE ABOUT HIM…..NOT BEC OF WHAT IS TRUE ABOUT US”

I WANT TO CARRY THAT ONE MORE STEP!!

THE THOUGHT OF LOVING CERTAIN PEOPLE MAKES US RECOIL!!

OUR NATURAL REFLEX IS TO DRAW BACK, …..EVEN PERHAPS POLITELY AND WITHOUT DRAWING A LOT OF ATTENTION TO OUR SNUB OF THEM……BUT DETERMINEDLY TO REMOVE OURSELVES FROM HAVING TO BE GRACIOUS….AND LOVING AND KIND TO PEOPLE WE JUST CAN HARDLY TOLERATE!!!

OUR JUSTIFICATION IS THAT………..’’NO ONE COULD LIKE THAT PERSON” - -

HE OR SHE IS OBNOXIOUS…..BOSSY…….OR STRANGE!!

WE EVERN FEEL A BIT DISCERNING……

IN THAT WE ARE SO GOOD AT SPOTTING THE WRONGS AND DISTORTIONS IN THE PERSON’S PERONALITY…..OR CHARACTER….OR LIFESTYLE!!!

THE CATCH IS THAT GOD….WHO SEES MORE THAN WE DO….HAS NO DIFFICULTY WHATSOEVER LOVING THAT PERSON!!!

DOES HE SEE THE PERSON’S ISSUES NAD THE WAY HE OR SHE BEHAVES!???

ABOSOLUTELY!!!!

SO………..WHAT ENABLES HIS TO LOVE THE PERSON IN SPITE OF THE PERSON?

THE ANSWER IS A BIT UNSETTLING BEC IT IS SO CONTRARY TO HOW WE ARE USED TO THINKING…..

GOD EASILY LOVES PEOPLE…..WITH MAJOR ISSUES AND PERSONALITY QUIRKS……- - - BROKEN……MALFORMED HUMANS……BEC HE HIMSELF HAS NO SUCH ISSUES!!!

THE BIBLE TELLS US THAT THE “LORD IS ONE” 

THAT MEANS THAT HE IS COMPLETE…PERFECT…SELF-CONTAINED…AND WHOLE WITHOUT ANY MISSING PARTS!!!!

IN OTHER WORDS..

THERE’S NOTHING WRONG WITH HIM

THAT IS WHY HE CAN LOVE ANYONE AND EVERYONE …….

THERE ISN’T ANYTHING WRONG IN HIM TO REACT UNJUSTLY TO THE WRONG IN PEOPLE!!!

WOULD IT SURPRISE YOU TO LEARN THAT THE MAIN REASON WE STRUGGLE WITH LOVING OTHERS IS NOT SO MUCH BEC OF THE THINGS THAT ARE WRONG IN THEM……

AS MUCH AS WITH WHAT IS CARNAL IN US!!!!

NOW….

THAT STATEMENT AGAIN…

…”GOD LOVES US BEC OF WHAT IS TRUE ABOUT HIM…..NOT BEC OF WHAT IS TRUE ABOUT US”

BEING ABLE TO LOVE OTHERS COMES MOSTLY FROM RIGHTNESS IN US!!!!

RATHER THAN RIGHTNESS IN THEM!!!!!

THE MORE WHOLE YOU BECOME AS A CHILD OF GOD….THE BETTER ABLE YOU WILL BE ABLE TO LOVE UNLOVABLE PEOPLE!!!!

HOW ARE YOU GOING TO ACCOMPLISH THAT???

IF YOU ASK THE LORD TO HELP YOU LOVE PEOPLE AS HE DOES….

I PROMISE YOU…………….HE WILL GET TO WORK ALMOST IMMEDIATELY ADJUSTING YOUR HEART……YOUR MIND….YOUR WILL…..AND YOUR PERSPECTIVE!!!!

AS YOU AND I GROW IN THE LORD….

AND WE ARE TOO DO JUST THAT!!!

HIS GRACIOUS LOVE FIRSTHAND TOWARD US….OVER AND OVER AGAIN………BEGINS TO ACTUALLY IMPRINT ITSELF ON OUR SOUL SO THAT WE BECOME BETTER AND BETTER ABLE TO ACTIVELY LOVE OTHERS!!!

THE HEALING WE RECEIVE FROM OUR LOVING FATHER IN HEAVEN MAKES ITS EASIER TO REACT TO PEOPLE AND TO EMBRACE THEM THE WAY GOD DOES INSTEAD OF HOW WE NATURALLY WOULD!!!

IT IS ALMOST LIKE HAVING OUR HEARTS TURNED INTO TRACING PAPER - - - -AS THEY GET LAID DOWN OVER THE PORTRAIT OF GOD’S LOVE….

OUR HEARTS CAN THEN BE PNECIL-MARKED AND FAINTLY SKETCHED TO INCREASINGLY RESEMBLE THAT IMAGE OF HIS LOVING HEART!!!!

LOVE THEN….IS TO BE THE SIGNIFYING MARK OF OUR SPIRITUALITY!!!!

TRUE MATURITY IN CHRIST IS MEASURED BY THE DEGREE TO WHICH WE LOVE OTHER PEOPLE!!!

IF SUCH A LOVE IS TO DIFFERENTIATE US FROM OTHER PEOPLE IN THE WORLD….AND CLASSIFY US AS JESUS’ DISCIPLES…..IT CANNOT BE AN INVISIBLE QUALITY………LIKE AN EMOTION OR A FEELING!!!

OTHERWISE….NO ONE COULD SEE IT!!!

AND THIS FACT…..

ALONG WITH THE RELATIVE IMPOSSIBILITY OF FORCING OURSELVES TO GENERATE LOVING FEELINGS FOR PEOPLE WHOM WE FIND UNSAVORY….GIVES US A PRETTY CLEAR CLUE THAT THE LORD IS NOT TALKING ABOUT LOVE AS SOME KIND OF INNER…..OR INTERNAL EMOTIONAL RESPONSE….

BUT AS SOMETHING OUTWARD AND VISIBLE!!!!

LOVE DOES STUFF!!!

IT ACCOMPLISHS THINGS IN OUR LIFE AND IN THE LIVES OF OTHERS!!!

IT IS ACTIVE…

IT IS RESOURCEFUL AND SPIRITUALLY STRONG!!!

MORE THAN WE EVEN KNOW……IT IS THE PRIMARY FOCUS OF GOD’S WORK IN AND THROUGH OUR LIVES!!!!

LOVING OTHERS JESUS’ WAY ACTUALLY MEANS DOING THINGS TO AND FOR THEM…..MORE THAN FEELING THINGS ABOUT THEM!!!!

SPIRITUAL LOVE IS A CHOICE OF ACTIONS…..NOT THE WHIM OF EMOTIONS!!!

IT IS HOW WE DEAL WITH PEOPLE….

NOT HOW WE FEEL TOWARD THEM!!!

LOVE MANIFESTS ITSELF IN ‘DEED AND TRUTH”  (I JOHN 3:18)…..AND NOT JUST IN WORDS!!!

SPIRITUAL LOVE TRIGGERS ‘GOOD DEEDS’

THAT IS HOW WE KNEW JESUS LOVED US…..

HE DIDN’T JUST HAVE A GOOD THOUGHT OR TWO TOWARD US…OR ABOUT US…

“HE LAID DOWN HIS LIFE FOR US”!!!!

IF HE HAD ONLY LOVED US FROM AFAR……..WITH A SORT OF HOPEFUL THOUGHT ABOUT OUR FUTURE CONDITION…..

WE WOULD HAVE NEVER KNOWN IT!!!

HE DID SOMETHING TO MAKE HIS LOVE REAL….

AND WE ARE TO DO THE SAME!!!

ACTING OUT OUR LOVE FOR PEOPLE!!!!!

FOR INSTANCE…..WHEN WE GIVE PREFERENCE TO OTHERS……PUTTING THEIR NEEDS OR CONCERNS ABOVE OUR OWN…

WE ARE LOVING THEM!!!

ROMANS 12:9-10 SAYS…..LET LOVE BE WITHOUT HYPOCRISY….ABHOR WHAT IS EVIL….CLING TO WHAT IS GOOD…

BE DEVOTED TO ONE ANOTHER IN BROTHERLY LOVE…..GIVE PREFERENCE TO ONE ANOTHER IN HONOR!!”

THIS THING OF PREFERRING CAN BE ACTED OUT IN SEVERAL WAYS!!!

IT MAY BE AS SIMPLE AS CHOOSING TO GO TO THE END OF THE POTLUCK LINE…….OR BECOMING KNOWN AT YOUR WORK AS THE ONE PERSON WHO IS ALWAYS WILLING TO FILL IN FOR SOMEONE WHEN THEY HAVE A FAMILY CRISIS OR A NEED TO SWITCH WORK DAYS!!

SUCH BEHAVIOR GETS NOTICED!

MANAGING TO BEAR UP UNDER AND PUT UP WITH SOMEBODY’S STINKY ATTITUDE - - - LONG AFTER THEY HAVE BEEN GIVEN UP ON BY EVERYBODY ELSE….

IS AN EXAMPLE OF LOVE IN ACTION!

SO IS ANY DECISION TO DISADVANTAGE YOURSELF FOR THE SAKE OF ANOTHER PERSON!!

LIKE OFFERING TO STAY AFTER AN EVENT TO CLEAN UP OR VOLUNTEERING TO DRIVE SOMEONE HOME EVEN THOUGH THEY LIVE OUT OF YOUR WAY!!!

NOT ALL LOVE ACTIONS ARE SACRIFICIAL IN NATURE.

THINK OF JUST A FEW OF THE THINGS GOD DOES FOR US BEC OF HIS LOVE…..AND YOU BEGIN TO GET AN IDEA OF HOW JOYOUS AND FULFILLING IT IS TO LOVE OTHERS!!!

·       EXTENDING MERCY TO PEOPLE WHO DO NOT DESERVE IT  (READ EPH 2:4)

·       CREATING A PLACE THAT MEETS THE NEEDS AND ASPIRATIONS OF OTHERS   (READ GEN 1)

·       TREATING STRANGERS LIKE PART OF YOUR FAMILY….(READ I JOHN 3:1)

·       PERFORMING ACTS OF KINDNESS  (READ TITUS 3:4)

·       RESCUING OTHERS OUT OF TIGHT OR AWKWARD SITUATIONS   (READ DEUTERONOMY 7:8)

·       PROMOTING AND BELEIVING IN OTHERS…..EVEN WHEN THEY ARE UNTRIED   (READ 2 CHRONICLES 9:8)

·       BEING INVITINGLY KIND, AND THERBY DRAWING PEOPLE IN FROM A DISTANCE   (READ JEREMIAH 31;3)

THE MORE WE MIRROR GOD’S LOVING BEHAVIOR TOWARD US BY HOW WE TREAT AND DEAL WITH PEOPLE AROUND US……THE MORE WE WILL REFLECT HIS LOVE TO THEM!!!

SEEING HOW WE ARE TOWARD THEM GIVES THEM A BEGINNING UNDERSTANDING OF HOW GOD FEELS ABOUT THEM

AS AN INVISIBLE GOD WHO SHUNS ANY IDOL OR ANY ATTEMPT BY HIS FOLLOWERS TO CREATE A MATERIAL REPRESENTATION OF HIM IN STONE OR WOOD OR PRECIOUS METAL…….THE LORD RELIES ON US TO BE HIS PORTRAIT TO A LOST WORLD!!!

HOW TERRIBLE IT MUST BE TO HIM TO HAVE HIS FOLLOWERS MOSTLY KNOWN THROUGHOUT THE WORLD AS THE PEOPLE WHO TELL EVERYONE HOW WRONG OR BAD THEY ARE!!!

THE CHURCH SOMETIMES STANDS CLOSER TO THE PHARISEES THAN IT DOES TO THE SINNERS…

AND MEMBERS OF THE BODY OF CHRIST ARE CAPABLE OF HAVING A BETTER MEMORY FOR WRONGS SUFFERED………..

THAN MOST BASEBALL ENTHUSIASTS HAVE FOR BATTING AVERAGES!!!

WHEN WE BECOME MORE FEARED AS THE CONFRONTERS THAN SOUGHT OUT AS THE CONSOLERS………..

MORE NOTED FOR OUR FINGER POINTING…….INSTEAD OF HAND-HOLDERS….

THEN WE HAVE GIVEN THE NAME OF THE LORD A BUM RAP!!!

SUCH AN UNDERSTANDING LEADS US TO ONE OF THE MOST ESSENTIAL INGREDIENTS IN OUR LOVE FOR OTHERS - - -

THE ASPECT OF GOD’S LOVE THAT IS MOST RESPONSIBLE FOR SECURING OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM!!!

IN THE MIRROR OF OUR LIFE….

OUR FRIENDS ….

AND ACQUAINTANCES ARE SUPPOSED TO SEE…….LOVING FORGIVENESS

IT SHOULD BE THE SINGLE MOST PROMINENT FEATURE OF OUR DEALINGS WITH ALL OTHER HUMAN BEINGS!!!

WITHOUT THAT FEATURE……

WE WILL PRESENT A DISTORTED MESSAGE TO THE WORLD!!!

A MESSAGE THAT IS EXACTLY OPPOSITE TO THE ONE WE CHERISH SO DEARLY FOR OURSELVES!!!!!