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LOVING OUR HATED NEIGHBOR – A PROVOKING STORY [MONDAY MANNA 4]

February 6, 2006 by Marc 14 Comments

Dear saints,

God’s basic rules, His commandments, are easy to remember. The foremost is loving Him with all we have. Mark 12:31 states: “The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

Who is our neighbor?

We too might ask Jesus. How might He reply?

+++

A group of unkempt individuals was stranded by the side of a major road one Sunday morning. There was a man and woman, an old woman, three children, a baby, and an younger man. They may have been a family, but there was really no way to tell for certain.  Also in this drama was a scraggly female dog, a mutt, weighed down by her milk and 5 small pups scurrying to get a place to feed.

The group was in obvious distress. The woman was sitting on a tattered suitcase, hair uncombed and matted down, clothes in complete disarray, a whole series of tattoos showing. She had a glazed look in her eyes, holding the smelly, diaper laden, poorly clad, wailing baby.

The man was unshaved, dressed in coveralls with no shirt, with multiple body piercings, a cigarette dangling from his mouth, a look of despair as he tried to corral the younger children. One young boy was urinating in the gutter of the street in full view of the world. The other two children were yelling and hitting each other, also pelting each other with small stones found in the gutter.

To top in all off, the old woman was trying valiantly to cradle in her lap the head of the young man whose emaciated body was sprawled across the concrete curb and sidewalk, no soft grass in sight to comfort his body. The young man exhibited all the signs of the last stages of AIDS. The mutt and her pups were alternating cycling around these two on the curb, seeming to know the desperation of the situation, and yet trying to settle down for a feeding.

Beside them all, an ancient two door F-150, complete with tattered lawn chairs in the bed, enormous rust holes, countless multi-colored patch attempts, smelling of burning oil and smoke, had obviously just given up the ghost.

Sweat ran liberally off each member of this motley crew. It was a full sun August day and about 95 muggy degrees, and cooling rains had been missing in the drought that was upon the area. No shade was anywhere to be found. Again, there was no way to be certain they were a family of any type, maybe just a collection of people. A faint smell of marijuana hung in the air to anyone that might pass by.

Down the road came a car driven by the senior pastor of a major local church, on his way to Sunday services. And although the man on the side of the road, perhaps being the father, waved frantically and shouted loudly, the pastor couldn’t hold up his congregation.

So, using the volume control in the steering wheel of his late model Expedition SUV, his latest praise music CD was adjusted upward, as the in dash GPS system noted his position. He glanced away to left, with the air conditioning blowing in his hair,  and acted as if he didn’t see them.

Soon after another car approached, and again the man (father?) waved furiously. But the car was driven by the president of the local Bible College, and he was late for a statewide meeting of Bible College presidents in the nearby convention center on the edge of the city. He, too, acted as if he did not see the group, but he just stared straight ahead.

Shortly afterward, the next car that came by was driven by an outspoken local atheist, who also happened to be the state’s head spokesperson for Gay and Lesbian Pride movement. He was a practicing homosexual, and his flamboyant partner, also an atheist and noted abortionist, was sitting next to him in the light tan leather seat.

When they saw the group’s distress, they immediately swerved to the right, stopped and pulled right up to the curb. They jumped out of their Lexus SUV, and immediately began loading the people into their vehicle.

After inquiring of their need, the homosexuals took them to the local Hilton, where they spent a considerable time getting them settled in and cleaned up. Next, they paid for two weeks lodging for the entire group of people, also making provision for all their meals and incidentals with the Innkeeper.

The AIDS infected man was transported a bit later by the men to the local hospice, and when he died two weeks later, they provided a grave site and memorial marker paid in full.

Even the mutt and her pups were taken by the men into their own home, after receiving top treatment at the vet. The atheist homosexuals helped the man find work through the local secular job agency. They even paid for a rental van for the man. They also gave $500 cash to the woman for food and new clothes for the entire family, driving her around town to three thrift stores to get the best deals.

And lastly, they ferried the young children to and from Vacation Bible School during the week since the family had a budding interest in spiritual matters.

So, then, which of these proved to be a neighbor?

Go, and do the same. Luke 10:36-37

+++

Please comment on this post right below. Feel free to write and proclaim your leadings in the Spirit in an honorable fashion.

Your friend and brother in fighting the good fight,

Marc

+++

Saints, we’re one day closer to Home, and Him! Love Him wholeheartedly!

You may view our Archives here: MONDAY MANNA – ARCHIVES;   Complete Archives; feel free to write and proclaim your leadings in the Spirit in an honorable fashion. May our Father richly bless you with His grace, through Jesus Christ our Lord, in order to walk worthy of His name.

Please comment on this post right below. Feel free to write and proclaim your leadings in the Spirit in an honorable fashion.

 

Filed Under: Best of Walk Worthy - most popular, controversial, & convicting, Love Your Enemies - are we a Christian or not?, Monday Manna - new week equipping for the spiritual war, Walking Worthy - loving God through obedience, Words of Jesus - the King of kings speaks Tagged With: christian truth, escaping american christianity, eternal rewards, kingdom of god, love your enemy, walk worthy, words of jesus

LOVING & THE WILL OF GOD [MONDAY MANNA 3]

January 30, 2006 by jesusislord Leave a Comment

CLAY IN HANDSBeloved,

In your life honestly before Jesus, would you consider yourself mostly diligent with things pertaining to the kingdom of God by His grace…or mostly distracted with other things around you?

How would you rate your kingdom work on a scale of 1 to 10? If you’re more distracted (or even diligent) about non-kingdom things, does the world play any role?

1 John 2:15-17 teaches us by John’s command:

Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever.

John in this passage creates an either-or, conditional choice. If we love the world or any of its “things,” then the Father’s love can’t exist within us. It’s similar to the either-or choice of not being able to serve two masters. If-then. Either-or. Not both. This statement of John’s is certainty not politically correct.

I suppose we all know what the world is, what it represents, the destruction it creates,  promotes and causes in people’s lives. But, what about the “things” of the world? When my children were smaller they asked me years ago what those might be.

And the Spirit taught me to answer them back with a simple question. I asked them in their opinions what does the world really like to do, to lust (crave) after, to do a lot, especially to excess.

They gave me an interesting, varied list which included money, music, sex, church activities (out of the month of babes!), holidays like Christmas, food, killing each other, disunity and running away from each other (they had seen and been through a few church splits), amusement including sports, movies, etc.

Then I mentioned they should just do the opposite of what the world chases after, and in the case of necessities like food, etc. – in thoughtful moderation! In the end, I proclaimed to them, it’s always an issue of the heart. Of course, only the grace of God can lead us in all victory, with all adoration to Him!

Paul admonished the Corinthians for their worldliness, their fleshly lives. You might agree many Christians (especially American ones) use their “freedom” in Jesus as an effective temporal cover to continue in activities and attitudes that can’t be proven to lift the name of our Lord. Even if something may be permissible, Paul asserted love limits its freedom, not wishing to cause any brother to stumble. He went so far as to say he wouldn’t eat meat again if that appeared to be the case.

Is there something of the world’s things that has crept in or even has full rights in your heart? Ask Him and others you trust. The Holy Spirit and faithful, holy walking saints will be able to show you. In my life He and others showed me that I had been writing certain people off too quickly, certainly a thing the world practices.

Let’s all love Him more each day in refreshing ways, not being an unfaithful fornicator with (or even a  casual friend of) the world or it’s things. Not even a hint or shadow of them, being holy in all our behavior. Come out and be separate. It’s His will for us all in Christ Jesus!

Please comment on this post right below. Feel free to write and proclaim your leadings in the Spirit in an honorable fashion.

Your friend and brother in fighting the good fight,

Marc

+++

Saints, we’re one day closer to Home, and Him! Love Him wholeheartedly!

Marc and Walk Worthy are supported in part by the body of Jesus Christ. Please consider donating on a regular basis:

www.WalkWorthy.org/donate

You may view our Archives here: MONDAY MANNA – ARCHIVES; Complete Archives. May our Father richly bless you with His grace, through Jesus Christ our Lord, in order to walk worthy of His name.

Please comment on this post right below. Feel free to write and proclaim your leadings in the Spirit in an honorable fashion.

Marc White, Director, Walk Worthy Ministries, www.WalkWorthy.org

 

 

Filed Under: Holiness - without living holy no one sees the Lord, Monday Manna - new week equipping for the spiritual war, Walking Worthy - loving God through obedience Tagged With: christian truth, commands of Jesus, holiness, love of God, walk worthy, will of God

LOVING OURSELVES [MONDAY MANNA 2]

January 16, 2006 by jesusislord Leave a Comment

love yourselfSaints,

Indeed, this is a ticklish subject in a narcissistic age that we currently live.

Joining one of the two greatest commandments (to love God wholeheartedly), Jesus Christ states one other that Bible believing saints have most likely read numerous times:

The second is this, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’ There is no other commandment greater than these. Mark 12:31

If you’re anything like me and most folks, we zero in on the “neighbor” part, since the Good Samaritan is the story He unfolds in another gospel account to illustrate.

But there’s a comparison that He makes in this passage that in many circles of teaching has been roundly minimized, even neglected. Loving yourself.

I’d submit for your consideration a couple of reasons, among others in my opinion, for this neglect. We’re constantly told we need to die to self, even daily. Just crucify the flesh. You know the routine. How many years have we all been basically unsuccessful in doing that? Because we’re already crucified, buried, and resurrected! Jesus already makes us holy…we’re sanctified by faith. It’s done.

This mistaken doctrine of having to continuously ‘die’ often in the serious soldier of Christ produces a type of ascetic, minimal joy, somewhat robotic, keep on dying, “aw-shucks-I’m-just-a-low-down-Romans-7-sinner.” How can you deeply love someone like that, especially when it’s yourself? But this is a flawed and dangerous view of a new creation made in the image of Jesus, and commanded in love to walk exactly like Him (1 John 2:3-6).

Another reason is the extreme indulgence of self in the American and western culture, mirrored almost perfectly in most church groups. Labeled New Age self-love, it has a bad name in evangelical circles, and for good reason. So we cautiously avoid putting together the words “self” and “love” in the same phrase or breath. But throwing the baby out with the bathwater never solves anything. This, too, is an inaccurate view.

By the way, here’s a huge part of the Good News of the Gospel! As we said above, we’re already crucified and dead, since we’ve been “baptized into His death,” then “resurrected to newness in life,” a new creature in Jesus! Dead to sin and alive to God (Roman 6:11). Hallelujah! He did it all. (Romans 6, 8, etc.) Just believe it and walk worthy in this victory.

No temptation is too great, for just boldly come to the throne of grace for help in time of need. Jesus promises to deliver us from sin – every time (1 Cor. 10:13-14). Walk holy, flee from idolatry this passage also proclaims.

In Ephesians 5:28-30, Brother Paul teaches us a husband who loves his wife “loves himself.” He goes on to state “no one” hates himself, but rather “nourishes and cherishes” (provides and protects) his own flesh (physical body). How much more, then, for our spirit and soul?

And that is the essence of all love: to protect and provide.

Since we’re triune beings: body, soul, spirit…then it stands to reason that these are three distinct areas where our Lord God can help us to love ourselves in a holy way.

There are many clues in the Word about loving yourself. Ask the Holy Spirit and He will faithfully reveal them to you. He’ll also help you love yourself the right way, in serving His Body through all the one-another exhortations and admonitions.

Please comment on this post right below. Feel free to write and proclaim your leadings in the Spirit in an honorable fashion.

Your friend and brother in fighting the good fight,

Marc

+++

Saints, we’re one day closer to Home, and Him! Love Him wholeheartedly!

Marc and Walk Worthy are supported in part by the body of Jesus Christ. Please consider donating on a regular basis:

www.WalkWorthy.org/donate

You may view our Archives here: MONDAY MANNA – ARCHIVES; Complete Archives. May our Father richly bless you with His grace, through Jesus Christ our Lord, in order to walk worthy of His name.

Please comment on this post right below. Feel free to write and proclaim your leadings in the Spirit in an honorable fashion.

Marc White, Director, Walk Worthy Ministries, www.WalkWorthy.org

 

 

Filed Under: Monday Manna - new week equipping for the spiritual war, Walking Worthy - loving God through obedience, Words of Jesus - the King of kings speaks Tagged With: christian truth, god's grace, God's love, holiness, Lord Jesus Christ, loving ourselves as God loves us

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