Tag Archives: Love Your Neighbor As Yourself

LOVING PEOPLE WHO ARE HARD TO LOVE

November 18, 2024 12:13 am , Leave a Comment ,

My all-time favorite sermon titled “Love Your Enemies” delivered by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is the most powerful speech I’ve ever heard. Americans desperately need to heed the wisdom from this message delivered on November 17, 1957. Dr. King’s anointed words are just as relevant today as they were 67 years ago. Dr. King said: “Love is understanding creative redemptive goodwill for all men.”

Christ’s love is what the world needs more than anything else.

Matthew 5:43-48 says: “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.”

It’s easy to love the people who are kind to us and treat us well. The difficulty of loving comes when people are mean to us and treat us unfairly. Judgmental people who say unkind, critical words are the hardest people for me to love. But through Christ’s Spirit and power, I am able to love those who don’t love me.

I believe it’s only through the power of God that we can love our enemies and pray for the mean people to have a joyful life. The people who are hardest to love are the ones who need it the most. Christ’s love flowing through us coupled with prayer will bring transformation.

Love is the most powerful force in the universe. It never fails.

We can make a huge difference in our world if we learn to love all people regardless of our differences and varying beliefs. God (LOVE) will transform our world if we will follow Christ’s command to love our enemies.

I am inspired by the words that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said: “I still have a dream…men will rise up and come to see that they are made to live together as brothers…” May Dr. King’s dream come true. May we always walk in love and live as peacemakers.

Let’s pray for the CHURCH to rise up and love one another as Christ taught us.

LORD,

Thank You for Your grace and mercy that never ends. Help us to love our enemies with Your perfect love. Help us to love those who persecute us and spitefully use us. Let Your unconditional love be what the CHURCH is known for.

Bring unity and a spirit of brotherhood upon our land. Bring forth countless peacemakers in our country to bring change to our communities and help us live in harmony with each other. Let us all walk together in our diversities as one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Let every person from every race or background be treated equally with respect and honor. Cover our cities with Your peace and protect our neighborhoods from civil unrest during the days ahead.

Show countless people Your radical love. Speak to the hearts of all the people who call You, “Lord.” Raise us up to be the CHURCH You want us to be. Let us rise up and become people who love You fully and love each other perfectly. Let Your perfect love rule in the hearts of all Your followers. Make us ready for Your return, without a blemish or stain.

Awaken millions of souls to the reality of their need for Christ’s love and peace. Let the greatest spiritual awakening spread across our world. Let us arise in fervent prayer until we see Your kingdom come and Your will be done in America. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.

I hope you will listen to this powerful sermon…

 

 

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NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER: LOVE ONE ANOTHER

May 2, 2019 1:08 am , 2 Comments ,

We are focusing on loving one another for the “National Day of Prayer” in America.

Our generation is living in an unprecedented time of hatred. Many have turned away from God because they don’t know that His true nature is love. God is love. (1 John 4:8).

The words in Matthew 22:39 reveal the Lord’s second greatest commandment: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” God has called us to love all people purely and unconditionally. It is by God’s amazing love and grace that souls will be drawn into a relationship with Jesus Christ.

His love is enough to conquer anything. Evil may be increasing on the earth, but love overpowers it all. As we love one another as Christ loves us, we will see the world begin to change.

Let’s pray for our nation and for all the nations of the world to grow in Christ’s love.

Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank You for loving us perfectly and not giving up on our nation. Keep Your hand upon our country and help us to love each other as You love us. Bring unity and a spirit of brotherhood upon our land. Let love begin growing throughout every city in America. Let Your perfect love rule in the hearts of all Your children and let us be an example to those who do not know how to love yet. Let us all walk together in our diversities as one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Let all races be treated equally with respect and honor. Awaken countless souls with Your love and let the greatest spiritual awakening spread across our country. We pray in Christ’s name. Amen.

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.” John 13:34

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LOVING AS CHRIST LOVES

June 22, 2016 6:40 pm , 2 Comments ,

Love One Another

My heart is deeply saddened for the people in Orlando who lost their loved ones in such a tragic way. It’s hard to fathom a senseless act of terror on the lives of beautiful people.

On the day I heard the devastating news, my mind was far from being focused on the haters in the world. I tend to stay focused on the good in people. With compassion, I pondered the tragedy and wondered why the Pulse Nightclub in Orlando was targeted. A conversation with my family jolted me into the reality of a world where some people hate other people because of lifestyle choices and other differences.

From the moment I thought about the horrible devastation in Orlando, my strongest prayer has been for the families of the victims to be comforted and lavished in love.

Sadly, during past tragedies, I’ve heard about people who have said and done the cruelest things in the name of Christ. That must grieve the Lord’s heart more than anything else.

Someone who truly knows Christ will walk in love toward all people.

We know by reading the Bible (John 13:34-35) that Christ said: “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.”

Jesus did not say: Love people when their beliefs and lifestyles are the same as ours. He did not say to love people when they do what we think they should do. He simply said: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Christ has called us to love purely and unconditionally. It is by God’s amazing love and grace that people will be drawn to a relationship with Jesus Christ.

Our generation is living in an unprecedented time of hatred. Many have turned away from God because they don’t know that His true nature is love. God is love. (1 John 4:8).

It’s heartbreaking to watch someone choose hate over love and commit such a horrid act as the one in Orlando. I find peace and comfort in the one thing I am certain of: Jesus loves us deeply.

Our minds cannot comprehend how deep Christ’s love is. It is perfect. It is indescribable.

His love comforts.

His love heals.

His love redeems.

His love restores.

His love is enough to conquer anything. Evil may be increasing on the earth, but love overpowers it all. As we love one another as Christ loves us, that’s when we will see the world begin to change.

“Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.” 1 John 4:7

“The Lord is compassionate and gracious; slow to anger, abounding in love.” Psalm 103:8

 “He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.” Psalm 103:10

The Scripture verses were taken from the New International Bible.

Father,

I lift up every person who was impacted by the tragedy in Orlando. I know You are filled with compassion for those families. I ask You to comfort them in their sorrows. Fill them with the hope and knowledge of Your eternal love. Keep them in the palm of Your hand and fill the hole in their hearts with Your love and peace. Bring an abundance of beauty to replace the pain. I pray in Christ’s name. Amen.

Photo Credit: My husband captured the photo on the beautiful island of Molokai, Hawaii.

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