"Love Your Neighbor AND Yourself!"

June 27  “Love Your Neighbor And Yourself”  Matthew 5:44 / Matthew 19:19

Good morning from Pastor Glen Brock, Baptist Tabernacle Church, Wendell, North Carolina… “But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;” (Matthew 5:44)/“Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.” (Matthew 19:19)

A total stranger approaches you and begins to berate you because you are a different race and there is an assumption that you are supposed to be against him; how do you respond to this situation?  What if your friend, of many years, tells you that he agrees with the destruction of property in order to achieve some political outcome and he says to you that you are a part of the problem with our unequal society? What do you do?  Our God tells us that we are to love those that are, for whatever reason, against us and would curse us!  Now, this is not easy!  We are to be “CHRIST-LIKE” in all that we are! Remembering, HE treats the unbeliever with LOVE and KINDNESS!  So, as difficult as it is, we are to “Love our neighbor as ourselves,” and “Do Good to those who despitefully use you!”  In the shadows of the present “chaos” and displays of “emotion driven ignorance and insanity,” God does expect us to stand for something and to do something!  How many of us remember the instructions to “turn the other cheek?”  Please understand that I am not advocating “caving” to the “EVIL” that is clearly on display in our country today, but we are to be “THE BRIGHT LIGHT OF REASON AND LOVE” that GOD has ordained us to be!  I have thought and prayed long and hard that God would show me and direct me through these turbulent times and, through HIS PRECIOUS HOLY WORD, He has provided THE WAY to navigate, successfully, through this present and future “EVIL!”  Finally, I realized that, as a “BELIEVER,” my responsibility is to be “CHRIST-LIKE,” not to be conformed to this world, so, I have to continue in HIS WORD and continue to PRAY WITHOUT CEASING, and to be OBEDIENT to HIS CALLING and to be THAT LIGHT OF GOD’S LOVE to this crazy and evil world!  So, what is the message today?  Forgive your enemies, Love your neighbor, Love yourself, Stand for something, Do something, and be content in knowing that your actions and words are bringing honor and glory to GOD!  With Christ as our support and guide and HIS LOVE, we can live to HONOR HIM and to live to SHARE HIS LOVE and to claim and embrace HIS PROMISE that HE would see us through!  After all, when we accept HIS GRACE and claim HIM as SAVIOR, our responsibility, immediately becomes sharing HIS LOVE and to live our lives as HIS AMBASSODORS to this EVIL and LOST world!  I am grateful to God that HE has shown me the way that I should go and that HE has provided “PEACE” in my soul!  HE has reminded me that this “IS NOT MY HOME, I AM JUST PASSING THROUGH,” and that my HOME IS WAITING FOR ME IN HEAVEN!  So, I am focused on serving HIM and I am committed to doing what I can to demonstrate HIS LOVE in all that I do!  It is not easy, however, it is REQUIRED!  Are you willing to allow GOD to alter your focus and to lead you into HIS LOVE AND SERVICE so that you can make a difference in this “EVIL GENERATION?”  With all of these words spoken, yet the answer to ALL of life’s challenges is found in one amazingly powerful word; LOVE!  I challenge you to walk in LOVE and remember that “WE ARE JUST PASSING THROUGH!”  Folks, this is the answer to the Evil that has beset our nation!  We are to Stand Strong and Love our neighbor and Share His Good News!  May we love as God loves us and gave himself up for us!! May we lay aside the attitudes and behaviors that would hinder our service, and dig deeper in the Word and exercise spiritual growth and embrace the responsibility to serve Him and to edify Him!  What God does with you, depends upon what you do!  It Always has; It Always will!! Be sure, be productive and continue to share the Love of God with others!  To God Be the Glory!  Stay Strong, Stay Focused…Remember, THE BEST IS YET TO BE!