Archive | April 2024

LOVE the LORD

Apr23

part two

In the last Blog on Collateral Grace, the scribes were still trying to mess with Jesus. Sometime later, and still trying to trip up the Savior, one of those pesky scribes came along and asked the Lord, “Which is the first commandment of all?” And Jesus answered him, “The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord. And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like the first, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12:28-31 KJV)

All too often, we miss the words of the second to the last sentence, “And the second is like the first,” Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.”

Love. Thy. Neighbor. As. Thyself. Think about those 5 words. Do YOU do this? Do you love yourself?

How often do you say to yourself, “I’m so dumb?” or “I’ll never be able to play tennis?” or “I’ll never read the whole Bible?” or “There’s no way I’ll pass the final?” or “Me?, get an A in math?” or I’m just stupid?”

Please, LISTEN to yourself and then go back and read those five words,

If you say those ‘bad/negative’ things to your best friend or husband or wife, how does that make them feel? And how long will that friend be your friend? If you love your friend as you love yourself, you’re doing a LOUSY job of loving YOU and your FRIEND.

So, let’s go back to loving yourself. No, I’m not suggesting selfishness, egotism, or even narcissism. Be kind to yourself, and then you will be kind to your friend.

If God made us in His image, and He did, then He gave us all we need to love Him, and ourselves, thereby loving those friends. Try it!

LOVE the LORD

Apr9

PART ONE

Is there a Christian anywhere in the world, at least in the modern world, who doesn’t know this verse or some form of it? . . .  Love the Lord your God with all your heart  . . .  Let’s set the stage.

In Mark 11, verse 11, Jesus rode into Jerusalem on the colt (which we call a donkey), and the people were praising and singing Hosanna in the highest, and He went to the Temple. There, Jesus found “money changers in the Temple.” It was an abomination to the Lord. He continued, “Is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer? But ye have made it a den of thieves.”

When the scribes and the chief priests heard what the Lord was saying, they wondered how they could destroy Him. (You know, those guys really thought they were all that and a bag of chips!) The fact is, they truly feared Jesus because all the people were astonished and hung onto His every word.

          Picture this: Jesus, in His divine wisdom, returned to Jerusalem. He captivated the crowd with His powerful parables. The self-important men, fearing His popularity, tried to trap Him with their cunning questions. Can you believe they even tried to ‘Catch Him in a lie ‘? The audacity!

          The men brought out their best hypocritical selves and asked about paying tribute to Caeser. Jesus knew they were up to no good and told them to give Him a penny. When they did, He asked them whose likeness was on the coin. They conceded that it was Caesar’s. “And Jesus answering said unto them, Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s. And they marveled at him.”

          Sometime later, and still trying to trip up Jesus, one of those pesky scribes came along and asked the Lord, “Which is the first commandment of all? And Jesus answered him, “The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord. And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like the first, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12:28-31 KJV)