Love

Love Is Not Extra Credit Work

Posted on by Jesse Walker

Love is not extra credit work for the child of God. Jesus said in John 13:34-35, “a new commandment I give to you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples if you love one another.” On another occasion John recorded in 1 John 4:20, “If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.”

That doesn’t give us much wiggle room does it. How we treat others reveals if we really love God or not. The foundation of love has to be the starting place of how we interact with others. With our friends, with our families, with strangers and with our loved ones. Including all those who disagree with our biblical beliefs. Even those who are struggling with gender dysphoria or have embraced a transgender lifestyle.

To do this, we must view people as God views them. While some have done all they can to scar their image, we can never forget that they were created in God’s image. No amount of sin removes the fact that they were created in God’s image. The playing field is level when it comes to how God views his creation. They are exactly the same in God’s eyes.

To see the value of a transgender person, means you must stop any behavior that demeans them. Or even go the extra mile and stand up for them when they are being made fun of. Have you tried to listen to their burdens without being judgmental? Galatians 6:2 says, “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way, you fulfill the law of Christ.” In order to carry someone’s burdens you must love them as God loves them.

So, what do we do with 1 Corinthians 13:6 that says, “Love does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth.” Well, first we must understand that loving someone and not telling them the truth is not what the bible teaches. But again, when you tell someone the truth you must do it in love. You must know them. You must convince them that you really care about them. You must treat them with respect. Not because you agree with their sin, but because they were created in the image of God. We help no one when we deny God’s word. Sometimes we do this because we want to fit in. Or we don’t want to face the strife we know it will cause. Or we don’t want to appear as a religious zealot.

Communicating truth and love requires relationships. You must invest time and energy into someone if you ever hope to help them. I can only speak for myself. I know my first approach to transgenderism was to shout it down. To prove it unbiblical at all costs. No matter who it hurt. If I’m honest, I spent little time trying to assure them that I loved them. And that God loved them. For that I repent. I pray God will give me the ability to love everyone more patiently. Let us not forget that love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant. (1 Corinthians 13:4).

God saves the most unlikely of people. Of which I am one. Why should I not give them a chance? Lord, please forgive me for being so short. So quick to judge. Help me learn to speak the truth in love. Help me to love like your love. Help me to trust more in you and your ability to change lives.

Bought With a High Price

Posted on by Jesse Walker

Bought With a High Price – Video

How well do you make plans? I’m not very good at it. I like to think I’m spontaneous. Which means, I’m not good at making a schedule and sticking to it. That’s something I need to work on.

But I know someone who is great at making plans. Do you know who that is? If you said God, you’re correct. Did you know the bible says that God planned to save the world through his son Jesus Christ before he whispered a world into creation. In Ephesians 1:4-5 it says, “4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will—”

This plan was carried out in Galatians 4:4 where we read that when the time had arrived God sent his Son to be born of a woman and to redeem his fallen creation. Make no mistake about it, it wasn’t an accident. It wasn’t just a good guess.  It was a well thought out, well-executed plan that was in the works before the beginning of time.

Why did God send his Son? In one word “love”. God before the beginning of time, choose to provide all who believe in Him a way back to Him through His Son Jesus Christ. This love was on full display on the cross when the Lamb of God carried away the sins of the world. God redeemed us (bought us back). There was no partial payment made. No loan taken out. He paid the bill in full. And he paid it with the blood of his Son, and 1 Corinthians 6:20 says, “God paid a great price for you and me.”

By sending Jesus, He showed, that there is no Caucasian, no gender, no race, or ethnicity, no rich or poor, no educated or uneducated, no protestant, no country greater than the next. Neither Jew or Gentile, neither slave or free, neither male nor female, we are all one in Christ Jesus. He speaks to the shady lady at the well, he works with the stinky fishermen, with the lowly IRS agents (tax collectors), and he healed the lame and the blind.

Lord you are holy. We will praise your name forever. Help us to remember your steadfast love never ceases, your mercies never end, help us to see how they are renewed every morning.  For you are faithful. And this is Jesse Walker with the Glenwood Church of Christ.

Don’t Bear False Witness

Posted on by Jesse Walker

Many years ago, Jesus was asked, what is the greatest commandment. To which he replied, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”  Mark 12:30.

The Greek word for love that Jesus used is well known in the verb form of AGAPE. It is a love that is based upon choice. The child of God is to freely choose to love God and to love others. They are to delight in God’s holiness. And that love is to spread outward to others. Christians are to seek the best for others. Which means, we must be able to see the best in them.

We are living in times that can make this incredibly challenging. With the growth of social media and the usage of smart phones. Did you know in a study done in 2021, that 46% of American’s reported that they spend 5-6 hours a day on their phones.  And for most it’s not just playing Candy Crush. Do you realize, for many that’s more time than they spend with their significant other. They hold their phone more than they hold their spouse. They talk to their phone more than they do their mate. Can you see where that is a problem?

As more and more Christians spend long hours online, they are easily caught up in today’s political wars. It would do Christians good to remember what the 9th Commandment says in Exodus 20:16: “You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.”  When you log online, and say something about others, are you spreading gossip? Can you be sure when you click the “like” button that it’s a true statement? When you share it, are you sharing the truth? Or is it partial truth? Is it just a little white lie? Is that okay with you? I urge you to be incredibly careful. Ask yourself honestly, how much of the news do you know to be true. I mean you heard it yourself, you seen it yourself. Were you present when what your posting, re-posting, sharing, commenting on, was said or done?  Here’s an eye opener for you, (not really) you probably already know this, or should know this, all news agencies/outlets are formed to make money. Here’s a fact you should know too, controversial news makes more money. Controversial news posted online gets more clicks. Sells more adds. You get the picture. You’re not going to stand before God and say, but Fox news said, ABC news said. Jesus is going to say, I said do not commit slander. Next time you go to send out that email, to retweet that comment, you might want to listen to the word of God. “You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.”

But Lord when did I commit slander. When was I a false witness. When you reposted that article without researching thoroughly the facts. When you posted that nasty tweet about some politician you disagree with. When you sent out that email trail to all your friends making fun of someone’s disability.  The rest of the story in Deuteronomy 19, is let it be done unto you about what you were hoping was done to the other person. In other words, may others tell stories about you. May they try and tear down your reputation. May they make fun of you. May you be stalked and sought out because of what your tongue so loosely spoke, or fingers so easily typed. Ouch!

What do you think God will do to those who are spreading misinformation? Is he going to wink at our failures? Is he going to give us a pass because we were so compassionate about our side of the story? Be careful, the Apostle Paul was full of conviction when he was having Christians killed. His conscience was clean. But he was dead wrong. And if he hadn’t met God, and repented of his sins, he would be rotting in hell.

But Jesus, what is the greatest commandment. “Love”.   You mean it hasn’t changed in 2023.  Come on Jesus, surely you know our times are different. These are drastic times that call for drastic actions. Yes, my child, you are correct. You should love even more. You should care even deeper. And remember, the greatest of these is love.

If you haven’t heard it yet today, may I be the first, I love you as a child of God is to love. I care about you. I want the best for you. Why? Because I love God, and he has told me to love my neighbor. How can I say no to that? Reminds me of Joseph in Genesis 39:9, “My master (meaning her husband) has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?”  The next time you’re tempted to spread that loosely typed article or make that ugly comment, ask yourself, is this done out of love? If not, how can you do such a thing and sin against God. And this is Jesse Walker with the Glenwood Church of Christ.

Loving Your Neighbor as Yourself

Posted on by Bob Mathews

In our society today it is common for one to not want to get involved in other people’s problems, perhaps prompted by the misguided idea that we have no responsibility unto others in their time of need. The story of the good Samaritan, whether a parable or an account of actual events, illustrates otherwise (Luke 10:25-37).

Probably, most Christians today will not ask, “Who is my neighbor?,” in an effort to justify indifference to the needs of others. Yet, if we are inattentive to those needs when we have the opportunity and ability to address them (ref. Mt. 25:14-30), then we place ourselves in a similar context as that of the lawyer who sought to justify himself.

As illustrated in the story, everyone does not exercise a spirit of unselfish love and compassion for strangers. The very ones that would be expected to do so, in view of their religious standing, may deliberately avoid the responsibility. Such is a tragedy for the Lord’s church and an embarrassment and sin for those who exercise an uncaring heart.

The Samaritan’s context is compelling. He was of pagan stock who was cursed publicly in the synagogue. The Jews prayed that Samaritans would have no part in the resurrection of life and rejected them as proselytes. To eat their food was regarded by the Jew as eating the flesh of swine. The Jews thought it better to suffer than to accept the help of a Samaritan. They avoided them if at all possible. Yet, when the stranger was in need, the Samaritan assisted beyond measure. He extended a caring heart to the very ones who seemed to despise him greatly. He truly is our example of being a neighbor to those about us. May we direct our lives in a way that gives us the courage and aptitude to love the unlovely and to make a lasting impact in our community.