John 15:12. This is my commandment, That ye LOVE one another, as I have LOVED you.
Oh brother, when it rains, it does rain yes! All day yesterday, last night, and it’s still wet and drizzly now with no apparent let up in sight. But our God is a good God, and through His most wonderful Son, Jesus Christ, He allows, or rather, enables us to handle any negative aspects of the weather, or for that matter anything else that comes against us in this crazy and mixed-up world. All praise and glory be to the Most High God Jehovah, Creator and Controller of the universe and all therein!
So what’s happening with us this rainy Tuesday eh my brethren? Are we putting God first and foremost in our lives like Jesus advised, when He said: ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt. 6:33) And hopefully, if we are doing that, then we are also leaning wholeheartedly on this promise from Bruh Paul that ‘my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:19) And that He will too.
But then, we come to the next important aspect of our Christian faith; the way we treat each other. Now that’s something I don’t believe we’re doing such a good job at, for there’s too much dissension, disunity, feuds and strife amongst the brethren, even amongst the same denominations and cliques. Whatever happened to this directive of Jesus eh? ‘This is my commandment, That ye LOVE one another, as I have LOVED you.’ (John 15:12) I don’t think you have to look very far to realize that that’s not a prominent aspect of our Christian fellowship.
Yes friends, whatever happened to the Golden Rule, that so many of us were brought up to uphold? Jesus also decreed it: ‘Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.’ (Matt. 7:12) Oh my people, that wasn’t something new Jesus was teaching, but it was the law and had been preached by the prophets since the beginning of time.
And furthermore, it’s just simple common sense; you do to others what you want them to do to you! You can’t want to abuse and reject people, but then when the shoe falls on the other foot, you cry out for injustice and mercy! But that’s the way of our current world, for selfishness, anger, strife and injustice rule the roost. And yet we expect to live good, healthy and sane lives.
Hn! Look at the world my fellow saints; it’s in a total uproar. Nobody’s happy about anything. Everybody has some kind of axe to grind; some injustice to be corrected, some right to be fulfilled, but in the meanwhile, we don’t care that we are causing injustice to others, and trampling on the God-given rights of others. No, we just want what we believe we are entitled to, and crapaud smoke the pipe of those who get in our way of achieving it! We couldn’t give a ‘darm’ about their interests or betterment!
So where does that put us in respect to these words of John in his first epistle? ‘If a man say, I LOVE God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that LOVETH not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he LOVE God whom he hath not seen? And this commandment have we from him, That he who LOVETH God LOVE his brother also.’ (1 John 4:20-21)
Now that’s a very good question! And in our current society we see that very thing playing out to a great extent. Even in many biological Christian families, there is serious hate churning amongst the members. The same with Christian congregations. So where is the LOVE and affection we spout about so much eh? And how do we expect others to come to Christ through our unchristian-like examples eh?
Oh my fellow saints, please, please, let’s remember these telling words of Jesus. ‘For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.’ (Matt. 5:20) Yes friends, the scribes and Pharisees were considered the most religious and righteous people back then, but their righteousness was mostly an outward show of self-righteousness. And outward shows of righteousness profits no one anything! It’s what inside a body that really counts.
That’s why the Lord looks at our hearts before He even listens to our words. And sadly, in these times when believers are supposed to be standing strong and steadfast and bearing much good fruit, too many of us are like the blooming scribes and Pharisees, only outward show! We talk a most excellent talk, but our walk leaves a lot to be desired. Oh my people, whatever happened to these heartfelt verses of scripture from Bruh Paul to the Ephesians?
‘Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.’ (Eph. 4:29-32) We have either forgotten them, or simply chosen to ignore them, because today, when they are so badly needed, they are not being practiced by believers as much as they ought to.
Oh friends, there are so many verses of scripture that deal with treating each other good, that I could go on for the whole day, and still not be done. It’s one of the most important topics in the Good Book; in fact it’s the second most important as Jesus pointed out when questioned by a pompous, arrogant Pharisee lawyer about the most important commandment. ‘Thou shalt LOVE the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt LOVE thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.’ (Matt. 22:37-40)
And just for our information friends, our neighbour is anyone with whom we come into contact! So why is there all this bad blood betwixt and between us eh? As believers in Christ Jesus, there is no justified reason for it. So please let’s move to cut it out nuh…asap… for if we don’t, when Jesus comes back, many who thought that we’d be herded to His right side with the sheep, will unfortunately find ourselves herded to the left with the goats. (Matt. 25:31-46) And friends, if you don’t know that scripture, then please read it as quickly as possible, because it is very important. It has to do with your earthly behaviour and where you will spend eternity on account of it.
Now for those of us who are sincerely trying to live for Christ, let’s go home declaring (yesss!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole world know who and whose we are. Altogether now: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world. Amen!’
Well then, let’s go out and do exactly that; share the LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…A friend LOVES at all times…and a brother is born for adversity… (Prov. 17:17)
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
SCRIP-BITS 