Today’s Bible Translation

Bible translation used in today’s episode: Ch. 20-21 NLT, Ch. 22 NIRV

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Thoughts

Given what state the world is in, I think it’s appropriate to spend a little time talking about the two most important commandments. There is so much hatred and division today, isn’t there? Everywhere we turn, we hear stories of division. Right vs Left, black vs white, Democrat vs Republican, mask wearers vs mask abstainers, and on and on it goes. And the news media stokes the fire, non stop. It’s enough to make you throw up your hands in despair. Except for the fact that none of this surprises God, I would think that He must be so sad at what He sees his creation doing to itself.

But of course, there is an answer, beloved. We have the answer, and to our shame, most of us don’t share the answer. 

Why do you suppose Jesus, when asked what the greatest commandment is, gave the Pharisees a two-for-one answer? Do you remember what He said? Sure you do. He said, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. Love him with all your mind.’ This is the first and most important commandment.  And the second is like it. ‘Love your neighbor as you love yourself.’ Everything that is written in the Law and the Prophets is based on these two commandments.”

The Word of God was written so that we would know about God, and so that we would know how to get along with each other. 

The root of the problems in the world today is not political. It’s not racial. It’s not social. The root of the problem is that God has been rejected in nearly every corner of the world. He’s been thrown out of schools, out of government, out of “polite society”, and sadly, even out of some churches. 

Am I saying that we should legislate God into these places? No, I don’t believe that is the answer.

The answer, I believe, is for each of us to first do the greatest commandment ourselves. We mustLove the Lord our God with all our heart and with all our soul, and Love him with all our mind. And if we do that, it will change the world around us, because it will change the way we interact with the world. Next, we need to love our neighbor as ourself. Who is our neighbor? Anyone and everyone that God puts in our path. We must love them as Christ loves them. When we start doing that, our world will change. I’m talking about the part of the world that you are in. And as more and more of us change *our* world, the world at large cannot help but be changed. 

Beloved, Jesus changed the world with just 12 men. Think what we can do! Jesus said, “Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.

It’s high time we get to work.