December 15 “Love God, Yourself and Your Neighbor” Matthew 5:11-12
**THANK YOU to PAUL BROWN, JR., MARSHALL JONES and the AMAZING BTC CHOIR for another SUCCESSFUL CANTATA Experience! It was a genuine worship experience! **
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Good morning from Pastor Glen Brock, Baptist Tabernacle Church, Wendell, North Carolina… “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. 12 Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” (Matthew 5:11-12)
Each morning, and each evening, as I am praying for our Baptist Tabernacle Church Family, I often stop to reflect on the blessings of our family and the challenges that have been overcome through our faith in Jesus and our continued growth in His Holy Word! One of the most difficult challenges that I face is the requirement to love those who do not treat me with the same Biblical Love that is required of every Believer! I understand the fact that some folks have difficulty “fitting in,” regardless of how, what and when the circumstances might be! My dear mother used to tell me to “Kill them with kindness,” and I have adapted that lifestyle, and when individuals are less than pleasant towards me and towards our fellowship, I place them at the foot of the cross and plead the Blood of Jesus for their lives! Mama used to, also, say that “You cannot control what others do, but you can control your reaction to it!” Repeatedly, she would explain that how I live, how I interact with others, how I navigate through the challenges of life, how I respond to positive and negative circumstances, is entirely up to me! I cannot help that some do not like me, or will say things that are unflattering, or do whatever they can to create disharmony, for whatever reason, but I am praying for them, and I will continue to pray for them, regardless of their actions or attitudes! Folks, our walk with Jesus, our witness for Him, and our commitment to growth in Him, requires us to “Forgive,” “to Pray for them,” and to not allow Satan to use the situation to harm the cause of Christ! In Mark 12:30-31, it explains our obligation to those who would choose to create strife, and how we should view them. “And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. ‘This is the first commandment. 31 And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” The key to survival is HIS LOVE, OUR COMMITMENT TO THAT LOVE, AND OUR WILLINGNESS TO LIVE THAT LOVE! Stay Strong, Stay Focused … THE BEST IS YET TO BE!