It was Saturday the 10th of October and I got an alert on my Facebook page that it was a friend of mine’s birthday. So I called him up to wish him a happy birthday. As we were talking, I asked him could he hold on a second which he said ok. I called up a fellow co-worker of ours who I hadn’t spoken with for months if not over a year. I merged the call and the three of us had a great time talking together before we ended the call. You see the birthday guy was African-American and our co-worker was Caucasian. We traveled on many jobs together and had some great times on the road. We probably spent more time traveling the United States and Overseas with each other than we did with our families.
You see it is no accident that God has allowed my path to cross with so many people of all nationalities, ethnicities, and cultures. I have been to weddings of Korean friends, Cambodian, Filipinas, and Caucasians just to name a few, all because it wasn’t about their ethnicity but the friendship and love we shared.
In my worship with Christ, I’ve listened to the teaching of some of the most well known and unknown Men and Women of God from all backgrounds of life but of One Spirit. Bishop Gilbert E Patterson (COGIC), Dr. Fredrick Price, Dr. Charles Stanley, Ministers Tony Evans, Jentezen Franklin, Dr. David Jeremiah, Joseph Prince, Rabbi Kirt A Schneider, Pastor John Williams, Bishop James Lundy, Pastors Randy, and Gina Scalise, OD Joseph, Brother Kenneth Evans, and of course my First Lady Ineda Frazier who really brought me back to the Faith, just to name a few, they all feed my soul with the spiritual food which is the Word of God.
No matter what teaching I am listening to, they all teach on faith, but more importantly on Love. 1 Corinthian 13 declares, “1Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. 2And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. 3And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. 13And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.
We are living in a time when the world, not just the United States is so divided. We have lost the very thing that keeps us functioning as nations, love. We may not always share the same beliefs but we could at least respect other’s opinions, differences, and points of view. For the believers of Christ, we know that we were created in His image, then why do we not share the same Spirit of Christ which is to love one another. The Great Commandments were told in Matthew 22:36-40 KJV.
Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like, unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
So you may ask, who are your neighbor, the scripture says in Psalm 24 The earth is the Lord‘s, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. So we are all neighbors, therefore we should love one another. I’m reminded of the Samarian woman at the well in the Gospel of John. When she met Jesus at the well and He asked her, “Give me to drink”, her reply was unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans. WE could easily replace woman of Samari with Republican and Jew with Democrat, or Caucasian and African American, or perhaps any religion and Christianity.
Back in High School, I was in the Chorus and we sang a song, the music was composed by Burt Bacharach called, “What The World Needs Now Is Love”. It was just a beautiful song then but it had such a profound meaning then as it does now. We need love, not hatred, not division, not raising arms against one another just because, not a stony heart but one of love. You may not agree with my views but don’t let my views cause you to hate me as a person. We as Christians may hate the sin but not the person who sins. For we know that Jesus is love and He died for our sin, yet He loved us enough to go to the cross, one who was made sin who knew no sin. Our Love should be above politics, above ethnicity, above religion but spirituality, above economic and social status. How can we as believers say we love God for whom we have not seen, yet hate the neighbor you see every day? As our faith is blind, let the love we have been blind as well. Let it not see the color of the skin; let it not see what the outer man may appear but what the inner man display; let our tongue be a blessing and not a curse, not only to others but unto ourselves.
If we are connected on social media or not, there is a reason why we are connected. We are connected because somewhere or somehow we have crossed paths physically or virtually. It doesn’t matter which way we are connected, the most important thing is that we are connected to show love and respect for all and to be an example for those who look upon us to see the Light that shines from within us into a dark world.
Proverbs 21:2-3 as it is written Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the Lord pondereth the hearts. 3 To do justice and judgment is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice. So no matter what sacrifice one may think they are doing as for the Gospel, to do justice and following the judgment according to God’s way and to love one another is what is important. When Jesus examines your heart, what will he see? Will He see love, forgiveness, and repentance, or will He only hear the sound of sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. We must not only confess love but demonstrate love toward one another.
Jesus, I pray thee that I have Your mind, Your spirit and that I speak as you speak with love, compassion, empathy, and truth. Holy Spirit occupies this temple that is of the Father and lead and guide me in the way that I am to go. Control my tongue because it is a member that no man can tame. I know that life and death lie in the power of the tongue and that spiritual death is a separation from Christ my Lord and Savior. Let me love ALL men, even if they may despise me or present themselves as friends for in Your word You have said that I must as it is written in Matthew 5:43-46 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.
44 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;
45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
46 For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?
Thank you for the Word, thank you for Your example of true Love, and thank you for being my Lord and Savior. Father God, I give You the Honor, Praise, and Glory in the matchless name of Your Son Jesus The Christ forever Amen.
We do not own the right to this music: