1 Peter 2:8-12 – They
stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do. But you are
a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His own
possession, that you may proclaim the excellences of Him who called you out of
darkness into His marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are
God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of
the flesh, which wage war against your soul. Keep your conduct among the
gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may
see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.
As
I look around the room, I notice people who are from different tribes, different
parts of the country, different parts of Missouri, different neighborhoods.
Different… that’s what I noticed. Then when I read this verse I recognized our
similarities. We all were born to sin, guaranteed. We were all searching for
something in our lives to hold on to. We all were men. We were fathers. We all
were in prison and we all were children of God. We all were loved by God. “Once
we were not a people, but now we were God’s people.” We were all sitting in the
same room with a desire to serve the same father. That makes us brothers. That
makes us family. That makes us neighbors. What does God tell us to do with our
brothers?
John 13:34-35 – A new
commandment I give to you, that ye love one another; as I have loved you, that
ye also love one another. By this all men know that ye are my disciples if ye
have love one to another.
Romans 12:9-10 – Let
love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which
is good. Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honor
preferring one another…
1 Thessalonians – …for
ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another.
1 John 2:10 – He that
loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of
stumbling in him.
Colossians 3:12-13 – put
on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies,
kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; forbearing one another,
and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any; even as
Christ forgave ye, so also do ye.
Our
message last night in the Bible study I was attending in Cameron MO state
penitentiary was on love. Hate and differences brought us here, sin and evil.
Jesus Christ, love, God’s grace, and brotherhood unite us and prove to me that
without love in this world there would be nothing worth living for. I have a
good God! One that loves all people and wants all people to experience His love
daily. Are you living your life in a manner today that will allow you to
receive God’s love in a way that you are able to recognize it and feel it? Or
are you lost, stumbling around the world, frustrated? God still loves you, but
we have to position our self so that we can experience that love! Read, pray,
turn from all sin, and surround yourselves with people doing the same. That
will enable you to step into “his marvelous light.”
Prayer: Father
God, I pray that “they will know that we are Christians by our love”. In Jesus
name, Amen
Thoughts: John 1:1-5 – In the beginning was the word,
and the word was with God, and the word was God. He was in the beginning with
God ((who?) He..Jesus Chrsit) all things were made through Him, and without Him
was not anything made that was made. In Him was life (who? Him..again, Jesus
Christ) and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness and
the darkness has not overcome it.” And it never will. Get in the light.
Love you guys
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