John 13:34. A new commandment I give unto you, That ye LOVE one another: as I have LOVED you, that ye also LOVE one another.
It’s Wednesday friends…the middle day of our work week! Can you believe it? I certainly can’t. (smile) The days seem to be going by so quickly, and I’m not getting even a half of the things I want to get done! But that’s life I guess. If you don’t get up and make hay while the sun shines, you’ll be left behind. And sadly, that’s what’s happening with our Christian church. We’re so busy fighting each other that we don’t have the time or energy to fight the enemy like we should be doing. One good example of that is where I read recently that down in the U.S. an umbrella church group was planning to kick out any individual members that had women as pastors or high officials in their church.
Now that’s a real kick in the teeth to female pastors and other female high-ups in the body of Christ, for today there are many women who play a large part in the running of churches. But that’s one of the things that just boggles my imagination. Is that important enough to create more strife in the church? I certainly don’t think so, especially when the world is going to hell in a hand basket and we Christians, the ones who are supposed to stop it from going there are doing nothing, or very little to prevent it. Instead we’re fighting amongst each other over relatively petty and unimportant stuff. I’m sure Jesus must be shaking His head in disbelief, the way I am.
What were Jesus most important words to those who follow Him? ‘A new commandment I give unto you, That ye LOVE one another: as I have LOVED you, that ye also LOVE one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have LOVE one to another.’ (John 13:34-35) It’s only ONE commandment we have to follow friends; LOVE one another like Jesus LOVED us. But do you think we can, or are doing that? Certainly not! No wonder the unbelievers don’t pay much attention to the empty words we speak to them and the hypocritical actions we try to fool them with.
We’re so selfish and self-centred that it’s become a joke amongst the heathen, so much so that when we go to them and tell them about the LOVE of Jesus and all that stuff, they simply laugh in our faces because they know the hypocrites that we truly are. If we can’t LOVE each other like Jesus desires, how can we claim to LOVE others not of the faith eh? We are just like the Pharisees of Jesus’ time, whom He called out thus: ‘Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres (white-washed tombs), which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity (lawlessness).’ (Matt. 23:27-28)
Yes friends, unfortunately too many of us supposed believers are exactly like that in these crazy and exasperating times. We look good on the outside, and we talk the kingdom talk, but inside we’re dirty and disgusting just like the religious leaders of Christ’s day were. As it’s so commonly known; we talk the talk, but don’t truly walk the walk. Remember were only supposed to be IN this world, but not OF it. As Jesus prayed to the Father on our behalf. ‘I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil (one). They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them (set them apart) through thy truth: thy word is truth. As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they might be sanctified through the truth.’ (John 17:15-19)
Oh my fellow believers, are we sanctified, set apart by the truth of God’s word. It certainly doesn’t seem so, with all the petty infighting that’s currently going on between the various denominations and cliques of Christ’s church, and consequently our lack of witnessing to the unbeliever. The truth of the matter is that we cannot make any substantial changes in the world without interacting with unbelievers, however we cannot theoretically get into bed with them, meaning that we can’t do all the things they do, we have to set a good Christ-like example.
Unfortunately, too many of us are getting into bed with the unbelievers and thus making them change us, instead of us changing them. We all like the pretty, materialistic things of the world and are following the unbelievers too much in an ungodly attempt to get them. We’ve apparently forgotten the true meaning of discipleship, so let’s refresh our memories with Jesus’ explanation nuh. ‘And he said to them all, If any man will come (desires to) come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.’ (Luke 9:23) Note the important words there friends: ‘deny himself, and take up his cross daily.’
However, today, very few of us are willing to make any sacrifices in the cause of Jesus. And we’re certainly not picking up our crosses daily and following Him…perhaps once in a while, if we’re lucky. So how can we ever do anything worthwhile for Jesus in this world if we don’t follow the few directives He gives us eh? LOVE one another; that means no infighting. Do not be of this world. Don’t let the world change you, you’re supposed to change it. Deny yourself. Be prepared to make sacrifices on His behalf. Ah mih people, until we truly begin to follow the basics of Jesus’ teaching, we’ll continue to fail Him. and that’s truly sad, after all the sacrifices He’s made on our behalf.
Anyway, for those of us trying to be faithful, let’s go home declaring (yesss!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
And believe me, if we stick to Jesus until the very end, that future will be even more glorious than we can ask or imagine. So, see you there! Much LOVE!
…heaven is our home…not this world…so let’s start behaving heavenly nuh…
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