“I give you a new commandment: love one another.
As I have loved you, so you also should love one another.
This is how all will know that you are my disciples,
if you have love for one another.”

MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS,

Never underestimate the power of Christian love. Jesus gave us a New Commandment to live by and it should be the guiding force within our lives. Imagine if all of our thoughts, actions, and deeds were actually dictated by this commandment. The way we interact with other people would change drastically as the needs of our fellow human beings would be lifted up above our own. We would be truly transformed as the Kingdom of God is built up through us and by us. This is indeed the Christian Message. God created us out of love and we are expected to demonstrate that love all of our lives.

One of the biggest challenges that we face regarding this is to love when we are not loved first or in return. When we are faced with the dilemma, we must remember that Jesus loves everyone unconditionally and we must use Him as an example of how we should conduct ourselves. In any relationship love will be tested. It is much easier to fail the test by turning our backs and walking away but that is not what Jesus did to us. Thus, we should never do that to anyone else. We must remember that everyone suffers from the same condition: our judgments and experiences are clouded by sin. It is Satan who wants us to fail this test and divide ourselves through acts of anger and hatred. God did not create hatred. We created hatred and because of this it is inferior to anything that God has to offer.

Every day must be an exercise in getting closer to Jesus Christ. Vigilant prayer from the morning, throughout the day, and at night will open our hearts to Him so that we may experience a life with our savior. From there, everything will fall into place. When we are challenged, then we must pray more, turning to our community for love and support. Our dedication to our faith and to loving Jesus Christ must be approached much the same way we dedicate ourselves to the physical aspects of our existence. What is unseen and seemingly invisible to us is so much more important than what is in front of us. Our spirituality reaches beyond the limits of this world and reveals to us an eternal spiritual awareness. That awareness is Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ commanded us to love. He reminded us of the Greatest Commandment:

“You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and first commandment. The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself….”

Are we so arrogant so as to ignore what he said?

Deacon Tom

 

"Os doy un mandamiento nuevo: amaos unos a otros.
Como yo os he amado, así también amaos unos a otros.
En esto todos reconocerán que ustedes son mis discípulos,
si se aman los unos a los otros ".


MIS HERMANOS Y HERMANAS,

Nunca entender el poder del amor cristiano. Jesús nos dio un mandamiento nuevo para vivir por y debe ser la fuerza que guía dentro de nuestras vidas. Imagínese si todos nuestros pensamientos, acciones y hechos fueron dictadas en realidad por este mandamiento. La forma de interactuar con otras personas cambiaría drásticamente a medida que las necesidades de los demás seres humanos serían levantadas por encima de la nuestra. Estaríamos verdaderamente transformados como el Reino de Dios se construye a través de nosotros y por nosotros. Este es de hecho el mensaje cristiano. Dios nos ha creado por amor y que se espera que para demostrar que el amor toda la vida.

Uno de los mayores retos a los que nos enfrentamos con respecto a este es amar cuando no somos amados primero o en el retorno. Cuando nos encontramos ante el dilema, hay que recordar que Jesús ama a todos incondicionalmente y debemos usar él como un ejemplo de cómo debemos comportarnos. En cualquier relación de amor se pondrá a prueba. Es mucho más fácil fallar en la prueba por dar la espalda y alejarse, pero eso no es lo que Jesús hizo para nosotros. Por lo tanto, no debemos hacer eso a nadie más. Debemos recordar que todo el mundo sufre de la misma enfermedad: nuestros juicios y experiencias se ven empañadas por el pecado. Es Satanás quien quiere que falle esta prueba y dividir a nosotros mismos a través de actos de la ira y el odio. Dios no creó el odio. Hemos creado el odio y debido a esto es inferior a todo lo que Dios tiene para ofrecer.

Cada día debe ser un ejercicio de acercamiento a Jesucristo. la oración vigilante de la mañana, durante todo el día, y por la noche se abrirán nuestros corazones a Él para que podamos experimentar una vida con nuestro salvador. A partir de ahí, todo caerá en su lugar. Cuando tenemos el reto, entonces debemos orar más, convirtiendo a nuestra comunidad de amor y apoyo. Nuestra dedicación a la fe y al amor de Jesucristo debe ser abordado de la misma manera nos dedicamos a los aspectos físicos de nuestra existencia. Que no se ven y aparentemente invisible para nosotros es mucho más importante que lo que está delante de nosotros. Nuestra espiritualidad va más allá de los límites de este mundo y nos revela una conciencia espiritual eterno. Esa conciencia es Jesucristo.

Jesucristo nos manda amar. Nos recordó el mandamiento más importante:

"Amarás al Señor, tu Dios, con todo tu corazón, con toda tu alma, y ​​con toda tu mente. Este es el mayor y el primer mandamiento. El segundo es semejante a éste: Amarás a tu prójimo como a ti mismo ... ".

Somos tan arrogantes con el fin de hacer caso omiso de lo que dijo?

Deacon Tom

Suggested Reading: Acts CHAPTER 13 AND 14

For so the Lord has commanded us,
I have made you a light to the Gentiles,
that you may be an instrument of salvation
to the ends of the earth.”

MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS,

We are all instruments of salvation through and with Our Lord Jesus Christ. When we come to Jesus searching and praying for Him to intercede on our behalf, to have some sort of influence in our lives that lifts us above the darkness that so often envelopes us, a wonderful thing happens. We actually become a beacon of light and hope for all of those around us. When we accept Jesus Christ into our hearts we are then able to express that love that He has for us. This expression is oftentimes something that we are totally unaware of. The presence of Jesus Christ in our lives has the ability to change us in so many ways; some of these ways we will be unconscious of. Our thoughts and actions will be influenced while our entire thought process will be changed. Christ is always forming us and shaping beyond all of our expectations.

We are exemplars of the faith. It is through us that Christ reconfigures all of His creation. What a beautiful vision this can be. Wherever we are in our lives, what we say and do matters beyond ourselves and can influence all those that we come in contact with. As Christians, everyone truly looks to us for guidance and direction. Yes, we are watched more closely as many people will question if we do indeed practice what we preach, so there is a great responsibility there. We are encouraged, through our faith, to grasp that responsibility and take the obligation very seriously. We are all messengers of the faith.

Jesus knows each and every one of us. Every person that has ever existed in the history of the world is known by Jesus. His presence is impossible to ignore. Jesus tells us in the Gospel Reading today that no one can ever take us out of God’s hands. We are protected and cherished being His children. This is a promise that will never be broken. We need to separate ourselves from this world with its temptations and allures to listen to Jesus’ voice. This can be accomplished through prayer and devotion. Who wouldn’t want to acknowledge their Father and receive the comfort and protection needed to live a wonderful life united with Him?

We as Christians are destined for salvation being Children of God. This is the promise but the promise can only be fulfilled if we accept what is being offered. Ignore everything else and put Christ first. We all will be encouraged to do otherwise but that should be and will be an expected struggle. As with every struggle, the easiest way to overcome it is to stay united with likeminded people in community. This is why we gather to worship, celebrate, and share amongst ourselves. Never forget your community. It is through the community that we all touch the lives of others and we are then touched by Jesus Christ.

Deacon Tom