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Everyone wants to talk about love, but few want to ‘love one another.’ If we had to sum up life in two statements they would be: love God with your total being and love your neighbor as you love yourself (Matthew 22:37-39). Jesus summarized His commands with these two statements.
It sounds easy, but in reality, we can be very self-centered with our love. The only way to put things into proper perspective is to know the source of love before you start doing the loving. Love cannot be generated in our humanity alone because we are flawed by sin. Our best effort in loving is always mixed with sin and selfishness.
We must have a spiritual transaction in order to discover the Author of love. He will implant Himself in us so we can draw from His love to love people the way He wants us to love.
Jesus is God’s greatest expression of love. The Father sent the Son to fix what is missing in each one of us. When we know Jesus then we can love God fully. When we know God through Jesus, then we can love others.
In John’s gospel Jesus said it this way, “ 34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” John 13:34-35 (ESV).
This statement is directed toward His followers how they treat each other.
Reverend John Bouquet
‘Our community has an opportunity to practice this great principle to ‘Love One Another’ at the annual Ashland Community Prayer Breakfast in conjunction with the National Day of Prayer. On Thursday, May 2nd from 6:30 – 7:59 A.M. at the Ashland University Convocation Center we will gather to pray for each other.”
Our community has an opportunity to practice this great principle to ‘Love One Another’ at the annual Ashland Community Prayer Breakfast in conjunction with the National Day of Prayer. On Thursday, May 2nd from 6:30 – 7:59 A.M. at the Ashland University Convocation Center we will gather to pray for each other.
More than 80 businesses, churches and para-church ministries have come together to sponsor this event. This is loving one another in prayer. We invite 435 elected officials from our city, county and statewide office holders to assemble. Our purpose is to lift these choice leaders up in prayer for their families, their specific office and to invite the favor of God upon our county. We value our elected officials regardless of their title, we believe they are ordained from on high to their position.
You can join this team of citizens by obtaining a ticket from www.ashlandcma.org or go to Ashland Grace, Trinity Lutheran or the Transformation Network. The Transformation Network will be selling tickets until 4:30 PM on Wednesday, May 1st . Tickets are $15 and you must have one. All seats are reserved, and the elected officials are free, we want to bless you and say thank you. You may call 419-962-4763 for more information.
Jesus called this a ‘new commandment.’ Jesus intended his followers to make this their new way of doing life. Love people for who they are. Love people for who they can become and love them because Jesus said, ‘Love one another.’
Reverend John Bouquet is senior pastor at Bethel Baptist in Savannah, Ohio and local chairman of the National Day of Prayer.
