LOVING GOD & OTHERS

Matt 10:8 Freely you received, Freely give		Time with Jesus – Friday, 06 July 2012			Matt 10:8 Freely you received, Freely give
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	INTRODUCTION		DAILY LIGHT EVENING SCRIPTURES	LOVING GOD & OTHERS

About 30 years ago Phyllida and I went to a meeting in Nicky van der Westhuizen’s tent in the Krugersdorp area. We went to see a visitor from South America. His name was Juan Carlos Ortiz. Some of you may remember him. He had written a couple of books on discipleship. Books we had found particularly challenging. So we went along to the tent to hear what this physically small man had to say.

Juan Carlos spoke reasonable English so there was no need for an interpreter. He started talking about love and told us a remarkable story. He was the pastor of a fairly large church. Every week he had to preach to the people much the same as is done in South Africa, On this particular Sunday morning before the service, he had a talk with the Lord. “What are you speaking about today?” the Lord asked him. “Love” replied Juan Carlos. “Will they do it?” asked the Lord. “No!” replied Juan Carlos. “So why are you speaking about love if they don’t love each other?” stated the Lord. “I don’t know!” said Juan Carlos. “Don‘t you think you should do so before you continue with something else?” “Tell them to love one another!” the Lord added for”. That was the end of the conversation. But Juan Carlos didn’t know what to do.

Juan Carlos did what he could to prolong the preliminaries leading up to the “sermon”. When the time came, he went up into the pulpit. He then looked at the people and said, “The Lord says to tell you to love one another”, he said rather nervously. Then he sat down. The silence was deafening. After a couple of embarrassing minutes, he got to his feet and said, “The Lord says to tell you to love one another. Then he sat down again. After a few moments, one of the elders stood up and asked, “Aren’t we doing it?” “It seems not!” said another. This started a time of discussion in the church. They had to go back to basics and develop a system such that they didn’t move on to the next step until the Lord said they were ready. It took about six months. Then they could move on.

Even today Phyllida and I get excited about people being involved in the weekly meetings. For most people this becomes threatening. They are not used to participation in the services. All they have ever known is the lecture mode we see all around us. We don’t know how the Lord is going to do this.

Today’s meditation goes back to 1984. We had started to look for a new and better system. Two of the poems came out of that era. The final one, “Neighbours”, goes back to 1981. At that time a number of friends were instructed by their pastor to have nothing further to do with us. The issue was divorce. At that time the attitude toward many couples who had been divorced was, “God will forgive you but we won’t!” We were sad to lose the friendship of this couple. That’s when I wrote that poem. The sentiments are still the same. We subsequently overcame the problem and the four of us became friends again. Thank You Lord.

Thank God those days are over. We have all learned much from what happened; things we have been able to use when coming into contact with people who have been through the pain of divorce. Love is the only solution to such problems. Love that is genuine and willing to reach out to others.

Jim & Phyllida Strickland

³ For I am always aware of Your unfailing love, and I have lived according to Your truth. - Psalm 26:3 NLT

⁸ The LORD is gracious and compassionate; slow to anger and rich in love. - Psalm 145:8 TNIV

⁴⁴ But I say, love your enemies! [Bless those who curse you. Do good to those who hate you.] Pray for those who persecute you! ⁴⁵ In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For He gives His sunlight to both the evil and the good, and He sends rain on the just and the unjust alike. Mat 5:44-45 NLT

¹ You are the children that God dearly loves. So be just like him. ² Lead a life of love, just as Christ did. He loved us. He gave himself up for us. He was a sweet-smelling offering and sacrifice to God. Ephesians 5:1-2 NIrV

³² Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Ephesians 4:32 TNIV

²² Now that you have obeyed the truth and have purified your souls to love your brothers sincerely, you must love one another intensely and with a pure heart. 1 Peter 1:22 ISV

¹⁴ Christ's love controls us. We are sure that one person died for everyone. And so everyone died.

2 Corinth 5:14 NIrV ³⁵ "But love your enemies. Do good to them. Lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then you will receive a lot in return. And you will be sons of the Most High God. He is kind to people who are evil and are not thankful. ³⁶ So have mercy, just as your Father has mercy.

Luke 6:35-36 NIrV

JESU'S LOVE

On into eternity;

Beyond all of infinity

Is where the love of Jesus goes.

As precious as a fragrant rose

Which blooms and spreads its scent abroad;

That's how the Love of God is poured

Upon a person who is seen

As someone who's a king or queen!

It never ceases; never ends;

It never wavers; never bends;

t is as solid as the ground

On which the universe is found.

It is the cure for loneliness

And is the way the Lord can bless

A person throughout all his years;

The way to calm his deepest fears.

And, ultimately, you will see

That, though He is Divinity,

His care for you brings nothing less

Than everlasting blessedness!

Love One Another

How do we love each other?

How can I lay my life

Aside for every brother,

Sister child and wife?

Am I a good example

Of Christian love and care?

A little tiny sample

Of how we all should share?

We are so self-sufficient;

We don't identify.

But Lord, You are omniscient;

So, open every eye

And show us what is needed

To break our frozen masks.

For Lord, we all have pleaded

To find that simple task

By which, all of the emptiness

Our faces do conceal,

Can be replaced with blessedness

That's genuinely real.

Lord, help us smash the barriers

That keeps each other out.

May we all be carriers

Of what Your love's about.

Cut out our tongues and silence us

If loving is just words;

If all we do is make a fuss,

Ignoring what we've heard.

So, help us love, we beg You,

In practice and in fact.

For then, like You, the things we do

Will not be just an act.

Then, everyone who knows us

Will praise The Lord above

And say they know God chose us

For, "See how much they love!"

Neighbours?

Although we live along the street

It seems as though we never meet.

Which really is an awful shame;

Perhaps we're equally to blame!

For it must surely grieve God's heart

When Christian people have to part.

For I am sure He longs to see

The FACT of Christian unity!

Jim & Phyllida Strickland