February 19th 2017
To Be Able To Love Your Neighbor You Must; First, Love God And Second; Love Yourself!
Matthew 22:37-39 (NIV)
Jesus replied: "‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’
To be able to love your neighbor you must; first, love God and second; love yourself! There is a lot of talk about self-esteem being bandied about in our society today, but little reference to a need to love and trust God. Our schools stress the need for self-love, or having a high esteem for self, but we are not allowed to even mention a love for God, and certainly there is no allowance of mentioning a love of Jesus. Unfortunately, this is often the case even in so called Christian schools. Self-love is not really the same as self-esteem, as you can have self-esteem by acting in a way that shows hate not love. Many of the communities teach the people living there to hate all those outside of their community. This is based mostly on a distrust of anyone who appears different then you. Appearance is not the same as racial appearance alone. Gang members are taught to even dress in similar garb, to extinguish themselves from all other people.
When Jesus was asked, "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" (Matthew 22:36). Jesus first replied, "‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment.” However, Jesus was not satisfied with just this answer! Jesus continued by adding a second answer that He believed was needed. Jesus continued with His answer to the question by saying, “And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.” Here Jesus is telling this man, and us, that loving God, but hating your brother or sister is not the total answer. The first three of the Ten Commandments are directed at loving and worshipping God, but the next seven are directed at loving our fellow man! The tenth commandment sums it up as Jesus did in His answer to this man. "You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor." (Exodus 20:17)
It seems we have lost this God given, and commanded, respect for the property of others. It seems most people are teaching their children that if someone has something you want, if you can, just take it for yourself. Cheating is also no longer looked down on, as our schools commonly give students the answers to questions, instead of making them study to learn the correct answer. This is being done usually to insure the school produces students who score high on the “important” tests, so state and/or federal funding comes to their school. Many good teachers do still exist, but they may not be allowed to teach as much as supply the answers. No, I am not connected in any way to public schools, so this writing is mostly a perspective of mine!
The teaching of evolution, as a fact, in our public schools has caused students to have very low opinions of themselves, as they are told they are really just another animal. The Bible teaches that mankind is a special creation, made in the image and likeness of God/Jesus. Which picture of yourself do you hold, are you just occupying the highest rung on the ladder of life, just slightly about your family dog, and very close to the chimpanzee you can go to the zoo to see? Or, do you think of yourself as a member on mankind, just below Jesus on the narrow path that leads to heaven, when you leave this life?
I know, I’m going to heaven when I die, because it depends not on what I do in this life, but because I believe Jesus died to pay my price for the trip to heaven! Tell your students this message, and see if they still want to cheat to get a better grade in school, or that they may respect other people, because they know that they too deserve to go to heaven! Jesus died for all of mankind, all that is required is for anyone to accept this gift of grace! Now that is truly a fact!
Getting a good education is important, if you want to get ahead in this world. Learning is more important than being taught procedures for getting ahead in life through any means necessary. Wisdom is gained, it seems, only through holding the Lord God in awe, not in fear, but in awe. Everything there is in this universe was created by Jesus, and is upheld by Him, knowing/believing that allows you to have wisdom. As the writer o Psalms once wrote, The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. To him belongs eternal praise. (Psalm 111:10). Did you get that, “all who follow his precepts have good understanding?”
Jesus taught us about ways of getting by in this world, but not becoming part of this world. About complying with the world order, Jesus taught His disciples about paying taxes, but remembering to also pay God. Show me the coin used for paying the tax." They brought him a denarius, and he asked them, "Whose portrait is this? And whose inscription?" "Caesar’s," they replied. Then he said to them, "Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s." (Matthew 22:19-21). Yes, pay your taxes, but also be ready to support your church too. Jesus further taught us to be sure and ready to give to God what is rightfully His, first! But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. (Matthew 6:33-34)
Are you seeking God’s kingdom, first? Remember, Jesus already paid your way into heaven, so you do not need to worry about that!
Amen!
Your brother in life through Adam, your brother in eternity through Jesus,
Bob Moak
Matthew 22:37-39 (NIV)
Jesus replied: "‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’
To be able to love your neighbor you must; first, love God and second; love yourself! There is a lot of talk about self-esteem being bandied about in our society today, but little reference to a need to love and trust God. Our schools stress the need for self-love, or having a high esteem for self, but we are not allowed to even mention a love for God, and certainly there is no allowance of mentioning a love of Jesus. Unfortunately, this is often the case even in so called Christian schools. Self-love is not really the same as self-esteem, as you can have self-esteem by acting in a way that shows hate not love. Many of the communities teach the people living there to hate all those outside of their community. This is based mostly on a distrust of anyone who appears different then you. Appearance is not the same as racial appearance alone. Gang members are taught to even dress in similar garb, to extinguish themselves from all other people.
When Jesus was asked, "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" (Matthew 22:36). Jesus first replied, "‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment.” However, Jesus was not satisfied with just this answer! Jesus continued by adding a second answer that He believed was needed. Jesus continued with His answer to the question by saying, “And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.” Here Jesus is telling this man, and us, that loving God, but hating your brother or sister is not the total answer. The first three of the Ten Commandments are directed at loving and worshipping God, but the next seven are directed at loving our fellow man! The tenth commandment sums it up as Jesus did in His answer to this man. "You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor." (Exodus 20:17)
It seems we have lost this God given, and commanded, respect for the property of others. It seems most people are teaching their children that if someone has something you want, if you can, just take it for yourself. Cheating is also no longer looked down on, as our schools commonly give students the answers to questions, instead of making them study to learn the correct answer. This is being done usually to insure the school produces students who score high on the “important” tests, so state and/or federal funding comes to their school. Many good teachers do still exist, but they may not be allowed to teach as much as supply the answers. No, I am not connected in any way to public schools, so this writing is mostly a perspective of mine!
The teaching of evolution, as a fact, in our public schools has caused students to have very low opinions of themselves, as they are told they are really just another animal. The Bible teaches that mankind is a special creation, made in the image and likeness of God/Jesus. Which picture of yourself do you hold, are you just occupying the highest rung on the ladder of life, just slightly about your family dog, and very close to the chimpanzee you can go to the zoo to see? Or, do you think of yourself as a member on mankind, just below Jesus on the narrow path that leads to heaven, when you leave this life?
I know, I’m going to heaven when I die, because it depends not on what I do in this life, but because I believe Jesus died to pay my price for the trip to heaven! Tell your students this message, and see if they still want to cheat to get a better grade in school, or that they may respect other people, because they know that they too deserve to go to heaven! Jesus died for all of mankind, all that is required is for anyone to accept this gift of grace! Now that is truly a fact!
Getting a good education is important, if you want to get ahead in this world. Learning is more important than being taught procedures for getting ahead in life through any means necessary. Wisdom is gained, it seems, only through holding the Lord God in awe, not in fear, but in awe. Everything there is in this universe was created by Jesus, and is upheld by Him, knowing/believing that allows you to have wisdom. As the writer o Psalms once wrote, The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. To him belongs eternal praise. (Psalm 111:10). Did you get that, “all who follow his precepts have good understanding?”
Jesus taught us about ways of getting by in this world, but not becoming part of this world. About complying with the world order, Jesus taught His disciples about paying taxes, but remembering to also pay God. Show me the coin used for paying the tax." They brought him a denarius, and he asked them, "Whose portrait is this? And whose inscription?" "Caesar’s," they replied. Then he said to them, "Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s." (Matthew 22:19-21). Yes, pay your taxes, but also be ready to support your church too. Jesus further taught us to be sure and ready to give to God what is rightfully His, first! But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. (Matthew 6:33-34)
Are you seeking God’s kingdom, first? Remember, Jesus already paid your way into heaven, so you do not need to worry about that!
Amen!
Your brother in life through Adam, your brother in eternity through Jesus,
Bob Moak
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