To Love or To Judge?

We can either judge others or we can love others – but we can’t do both. – Anon  

When the crowd brought the woman taken in “the very act” of adultery to Jesus, they were shocked by His response – LOVE!  

Decisions, decisions, decisions. One of the toughest things in the world for us as Christians is to practice consistent decision making. We often go from one extreme to the other always with ‘OUR OWN’ best interests at hand. But if the word of God tells us to “consider others better than ourselves,” I think God’s calling to us is to practice love, not law. This is not to say that we condone the actions of those who transgress God’s commands, but neither do we become judge, jury, and executioner. Ours is to keep ourselves pure and extend grace to others in hopes of their repentance.  I pray we will be like Him today.  

Until tomorrow…..  

Pastor Botts  

“The second [command] is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these’.” – Mark 12:31

All in or All Lie

A half-truth is a whole lie. – Anon

When Jesus stated “these people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me,” it wasn’t a one time occurrence. WOW!  
We all know from our school and life lessons in logic that if any part of a statement is false, the whole statement is false. We should remember that deception in any form is a tool of the enemy. Half-truths are often told with the intent to deceive in some form or fashion. Unfortunately, many people seem to like living their lives this way. When we live by our own sense of morality, our own brand of truth, or our own standard of justice; and claim to belong to Christ also, we’re only half-right and in actuality only deceiving ourselves. Jesus said His way was the “ONLY” way. The Christian ‘life’ is in word and deed, not word only.
 
Until tomorrow…..
 
Pastor Botts
 
“…‘The most important {truth},’ answered Jesus, ‘is this: Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength….Love your neighbor as yourself…” – Mark 12:29-31

Somebody to Love

Love is an act of faith, therefore whoever is of little faith is also of little love. – E. Fromm 

Though she was looked upon with contempt and even called a dog, the Canaanite woman’s faith impressed Jesus. It was motivated by love for her daughter, not herself. Hmm! 

It’s a true statement: What the world needs now is love! The scriptures bear it out loud and clear many, many times, “God is love” (I John 4:8), “for God so loved the world” (John3:16). The point is He’s asked us to show it by our faith. We extend love to others not because we expect love in return, but because it is Christ within us reaching out to man. If we cannot love all men, we cannot truly love God. In our chance encounters and circumstances today we're expected to practice the faith. 

Until tomorrow…… 

Pastor Botts 

“Hear , O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. 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 12:29-31

Loving Each Other

If you plant hope today in any hopeless heart, if someone's burden becomes lighter because you do your part, if you cause a laugh that chases a tear away, if tonight your name is mentioned when someone kneels to pray, then your day will be well spent. – Anon 

The greatest thing Andrew did was go find his brother Peter and tell him about the Messiah. Hmm! 

Most people would jump at the chance to do something for notoriety, fame, or fortune. Just look at the continuing onslaught of ‘reality based TV’ shows and the number of contestants just waiting to make it big, do the improbable or the impossible. But God’s improbable or impossible is just for us to be human and humane to one another. God never expects us to do the impossible, but to do just what is ‘natural’ in the course of being a compassionate individual; to help someone a little further on their way, for in doing so it helps us on our way. That’s loving our neighbor as ourselves. 

Until tomorrow….. 

Pastor Botts ….

"This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no greater commandment greater than these.’” – Mark 12:31