Dear Precious friends,
I am sharing from my Pastors message yesterday on this Magnificent Monday. We are in a time of great division and as passionate as I am about my candidate ... I had to really evaluate my heart yesterday about evaluating politics through the filter of faith.
Our country is divided.
This great divide was no surprise to Jesus....
Nothing divides like politics. Why? Because nothing divides us like fear. BOTH sides feed off of our fear.
What are we afraid of? Loss. We each have something we are afraid of losing. It could be control, wealth, opportunity, freedom etc. And that is what divides us. Those running for office run their ad campaigns based on fear, peddling fear. Are we contributing to it? We need to ask ourselves when we re-post are we contributing to the divide?
Pastor Shaddy’s started his “Ballot Box” series yesterday. It caused me to do a heart check, a spirit check on how I feel about others choices and while I think I’m respecting their right to have their opinion, my heart has been broken feeling they have been blinded.
I am reminded to live by Jesus in John 13:34-35.
34 I give you a new commandment: that you should love one another. Just AS I HAVE loved you, SO YOU MUST love one another.
35 By this shall all [men] know that you are MY disciples, if you love one another [ if you keep on showing love among yourselves].
So ...are we honoring God in this new commandment to love one another in our political posts?
Our Pastor reminded us
In John 17, Jesus has a prayer request before He is to die on the cross. His heart is heavy for the disciples. He starts out praying for the disciples with ..1 Father the hour has come, Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify You.
In 17:9 He starts with .. 9 I am praying for them.....11....Holy Father, keep in Your Name those whom You have given Me, that they may be ONE AS WE [are one].
He is praying for the disciples...unity, United, that they are one with the Father.
Now are you ready for this? In 17:20.-21. “20 Neither for these alone do I pray[ it is not for their sake only that I make this request], but also for ALL those who will ever come to believe in ( trust in, cling to, rely on) Me through their word and teaching, 21 That they may ALL be ONE.....so that the WORLD may believe and be convinced that You have sent Me.”
He is talking to us Christians! We need to set the example of oneness. Of Unity. Of discipleship.
We must not let ANYTHING divide us.
We must not let ANYONE divide us.
It’s not just the political ads trying to divide us, it’s the media, both sides. If you want to know the platform of the candidate then go to their website and read. Political ads tend to feed into fear.
Fight for our Unity.
1. Pray for oneness.
Heavenly Father, make us one so we can influence many.
2. Look for an opportunity to love unconditionally someone with whom you disagree with politically.
We should be able to disagree politically & LOVE unconditionally!
So, I may not agree with who some of you and who you are voting for but I love you unconditionally.
The message we received yesterday at Lake Mary Church is one I will share.
It’s a must listen to...
Let’s live this great commandment
And live with our heart filled with LOVE... Gods love.
Amen
