Love: Follow Me
They will know you are my disciples; by the love you have
for one another.
During formation, the Bishop asks each deacon candidate
“What is your theology? What will you preach?” I gave the only answer I knew
“God is Love.” That’s what my daddy told me and that’s what my momma told me.
It’s the motto of my ministry. Y’all be good. Y’all be holy. Preach the Gospel by the way you live and
love.
Love is Jesus ministry. Love is glorifying God. It’s in the
directions Jesus gives, “Follow me.”
To follow Jesus is to love. It is the identity at the core
of our Christian faith. Love in the humanity of Jesus, son of Mary, and love in
the divine relationship with God the Father.
This is Love that most people have not found yet; even
those who say they are “saved.” They are not "saved" from themselves.
We live in the world that tells us what to love. It tells
us success is the most important thing. So our pride and self-centeredness closes
the door to God’s love and opens the door for sin. The world can even fool us
to mistake sin as love. This is the worldliness we need to be saved from.
The greatness of God’s love is that He doesn’t give up on
us. God seeks us even in our imperfections. God’s love is who and why we are.
God’s love is at the deepest core of our identity. It is the reason we were created. For many, our own ego hides this love.
But, God is dwelling in us; you are the temple of God and
scripture promises God will always be present. The presence of God is love and
grace. We know these following the commandment Christ gave us.
Love one another. --- Love
is not about us.
To know love, we must change and grow by faith and love in Him
that is something more than ourselves.
God opens the door to faith. To knowing that you belong to
Christ and are in His love and grace; turning to the love in you and away from sin.
Christian singer Matthew West has a song “Do
Something.” He
sings about troubled world. He knows there needs to be a change. He sees
poverty, abuse, and hate in the world. Disgusted he shakes his fist at heaven. “God, why don’t You do something?” God
answered, “I did, I created you”
He created us
from love, He created us for love, and our destiny is his eternal love. (Ilia Delio,
"Love at the Heart of the Universe," Oneing, Vol. 1 No. 1 (Center for
Action and Contemplation: 2013), 22.)
Fight the sin of our pride and open your hearts to the
love of Christ.
Work hard to keep it, fight the distractions of the world.
And the Holy Spirit and grace will bring us to heart, mind, and love beyond
our own.
This is conversion. This is being saved. This is being
born again. No matter what you call it, this is the love in which God makes all
things new.
Jesus invites us to God that is love.
We’re created for God and his love. God’s there, love’s there;
keep looking.
Tell everyone about God’s love. Go out to the world and
make disciples.
Love others enough to want them to find the love of
Christ.
Never give up God’s love, even when others are trying to
pull you away.
The truth of our faith is sharing the love that is Christ
and his words,
Follow me.
Follow Jesus. We’re never going to change the world by
standing still. (Do Something by Matthew West)
That’s love. 
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