Love your neighbor as yourself

Mark 12:31

In Matthew 22:36-39, Jesus is asked, "Which commandment is the most important?" He responds with “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind and the second most important is similar, love your neighbor as much as you love yourself.”

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In Luke 10:39 it mentions that a man wanted to justify his lack of love for some kinds of people, so he asked, “Which neighbors?” Jesus responds with a parable of the good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37).

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In this story a Jew traveling on the road from Jerusalem to Jericho was attacked by bandits and left half-dead on the side of the road. By chance a Jewish priest came along who saw the hurt man and crossed to the other side of the road.

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A Jewish Temple assistant walked over, and he looked at the hurt man and he also crossed to the other side of the road to avoid him. Finally, a despised Samaritan came along, and when he saw the wounded man, felt compassion for him. The Samaritan soothed his wounds and bandaged them. Then he put the man on his own donkey and took him to an inn, where he took care of him.

Jesus asked, “Which of these three would you say was a neighbor to the bandits’ victim?” The man replied, “The one who showed him some pity.” Then Jesus said, “Yes, now go and do the same.”

If we are to reach our world, then we need to see that everyone is our neighbor. We need to understand that every person is made in the image of God and is worthy of love regardless of their beliefs, actions, or attitudes.

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We need to demonstrate kindness and mercy, not just to those who are nice to us. God so loved the world that He sent His Son Jesus and now He is sending us to share the “Good News” that our neighbors are loved and redeemable by His grace.

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This sounds easy, doesn’t it? But we get distracted, we get busy, and we don’t always pay attention to what our neighbors might be going through in their lives because we find ourselves going through hard things and are too distracted with our needs to even notice those around us.

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In John 13:34-35 Jesus gives a new commandment to love one another just as He loved them and by this everyone will know we are His true followers. God desires for us to show unselfish concern for others. 1 John 3:18 exhorts us to stop just saying we love people; let us really love them, and show it by our actions.

A neighbor can be anyone around you who needs help, needs a friend, or needs you to pray for them. Ask God to show you how to love your neighbor as you love yourself.

Blessings,

Cindy

Please join us for the CDM Virtual Prayer Walk - June 9-19, 2020. Remember your fervent prayers avail much (James. 5:16)!

Challenge Accepted - promises to empower you

Never let anyone tell you that you can’t do something-

“you’re not smart enough”

“you’re not strong enough“

“you’re not______ “ (fill in the blank)

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When I get faced with something- I know I have two options- flee or fight

And I choose to live my life with these two words: “Challenge Accepted.”

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“It’s never been done before?

Challenge accepted.”

“There’s no possible way?

Challenge accepted.”

Matthew 19:26 says “With God all things are possible.”

Don’t tell me that I can’t do something- because I will always find a way to push through and finish strong.

Philippians 4:13 says

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

It’s called grit- gumption, chutzpah, determination, perseverance.

Hebrews 12: 1-3 says

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”

It’s called falling seven times and getting up each time.

Proverbs 24:16 says

“for though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again..”

It’s called being able to take a punch and come back swinging.

2 Corinthians 4:8-9 says “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.”

It’s called being a warrior- filled with the Holy Spirit’s Power that makes our own calls and trailblazers our own path- even through heart ache and loneliness.

John 16:33 says: “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."

It’s called being a child of God that stands up for what’s right and faces mountains head-on- just because - Challenge Accepted.

We are a new creation!

My kids and I went bike riding at a wildlife refuge the other day. There were butterflies EVERYWHERE.

All the butterflies reminded me of a beautiful verse in 2 Corinthians 5:17

“Therefore if anyone is in Christ [that is, grafted in, joined to Him by faith in Him as Savior], he is a new creature [reborn and renewed by the Holy Spirit]; the old things [the previous moral and spiritual condition] have passed away. Behold, new things have come (because spiritual awakening brings a new life)”

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I wanted to look up the actual Greek original meaning for “creature” or “creation”

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I was always taught that the original meaning was “metamorphoses” or transformation and change- just like a butterfly.

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But the original word is actually ”ktisis” which means “creation out of nothing”

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This same Greek word is used here in Colossians 1:15 that says “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.”

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The new creation that we become is the same language that is used to talk about the creation story- God breathing life into a void universe and creating the most epic Origin story of all time.

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When we become a new creation in Christ, we don’t just change from a different state like a tiny caterpillar to a fragile butterfly that only lives for two weeks.

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We become something never-been-seen before- a beautiful, complex beginning that starts an entirely new series of events that effects entire history books.

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Like when Peter Parker gets bitten by a radio-active spider that turns him into the unstoppable, undefeatable superhero of Spider-Man- we become empowered and strengthen to do amazing works.

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Therefore we can walk around with our head held high because we are filled with the strength, creativity, power and knowledge that only comes from walking with the Creator of the Universe. The same power and words that created the very stars in the galaxy is living inside of us.

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Now can look at verses like Romans 8:37 that says “Therefore, we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us” and truly believe we have super-human abilities to come into situations filled with the Holy Spirit’s life-giving power and change hearts, break-down barriers as set captives free!

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Devotional by @virginiamarketingandmedia

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#devotional

#votd #verse #biblestudy #wordstudy