It seems that I've/we've discussed this concept ad infinitum here, but again I say unto you bloggers that Jesus said, "love your neighbor AS YOU LOVE YOURSELF"...the implication being that your love for others should be in direct proportion to the love you have for you...You can't really love anyone else in a healthy way until you develop this original love...treat yourself the way you want to be treated by others...love yourself, and you will be loved...Jesus was, among other things, the perfect example of One who walked in the manifestation of a completely perfect respect and high esteem for Himself...
When you realize your potential to feel a good and authentic sense of well-being by simply loving and appreciating the you that is truly God's workmanship...the real you that is fearfully and wonderfully made...you will ask no one to be different in order for you to feel good..you will free yourself from the cumbersome impossibilities of needing to control the world, your friends, your mate, your children....
In the weeks and months ahead we're going to be once again observing monthly message themes at CITN, and in these months we'll be going deep into the true meaning of the real Gospel...the Gospel that Jesus taught, based simply on two Great Commandments...
It's going to be life-changing for all of us...
Stay tuned...
In the meantime, just love God, and love your neighbor AS YOU LOVE YOURSELF...trust the Gospel...it actually works!
18 comments:
Excellent Bishop! Beautiful!
Sunday mornings are like waking up excited to see what's new. Change can move the house from the norm to the marvelous. I pray that ALL are willing to accept the change in the spirit not the flesh. In the spirit we can be excited about what God is doing in the house and eagerly willing to assist. In the spirit we do away with our agenda's and shortcomings and move with the cloud that God is moving through the house and in each one of us.
This is absolutely the word for the week. I preached this word to my nephew just Saturday because as a young man (19 yrs) he has yet to understand why God would love him and is challlenging for him to look himself in a mirror and say that he loves himself. He loves coming to Church in the Now with me even though he had never been to church in his life before moving here from Watts, CA. He has learned a lot and ha much to learn.
This word completely sets me free to love others as they are because even though they are different from me, they are his workmanship and I can simply love them as a work of God and find their beauty as God's creation simply the way that I look beyond my own flaws and see God's creation in myself.
I am so looking forward to the next word. Excitement is not a big enough word.
Great word, Bishop. I truly believe the reason the church cannot move forward is that we have so many people that do not love themselves. How can you love others when you do not love you! People need to be real and have a real look at themselves and love whatever they see. Stop worrying about what people are saying about you and stressing over things that you do not have any control over.
If we can let the love of God flow through us to clean all the diseases(hate, resentment. doubt, gossip,envy, pride, unforgiveness, low-self esteem, unworthiness,hurt,depression and other things that are not of god) that we let live in our bodies free! It's time to evict them out of our hearts,and minds. We cannot let them live free anymore. Why work to pay rent for others to live free in your house (mind & heart) EVICT NOW! Now are hearts and minds are free to receive the love of God and we can in turn love others.
What a feeling when the house is empty, we can know relax and love God, our neighbors and ourselves........
Bishop, you mentioned "hearing" the words to a song as if for the first time last week. That happened to me today on your blog with Jason Morant's "Holy".
I won't list all the lyrics, which all spoke volumes today, but these are the first...
"There's a place where the angels are dancing like children
And it's calling me..."
It's a strange sensation to realize you haven't really been hearing something, even though I must have joined in on the chorus a thousand times. Very odd. But hearing the words now...with the Holy chorus...brought me back to Sunday at CITN. And THAT was very cool.
"but again I say"...thanks for keepin' on keepin' on!
Vanessa Faye Mattox said...
That is the Basic 101 course that is needed(Love Your Self). Before we can love anyone else, we have to love ourselves. The biggest problem in the world is most people do not love theirselves and therefore are trying to be someone else. It's a job trying to be somebody else. It causes people to be fake and no real love is being spread in the church and in the world.
Cheryl Tiedemann said...
Working on it.
Renee Dunbar-Scott said...
Amen, Pastor Faye.
I love that song, Avatar, and I'd really love for us to do it at church...
I'm ready to ride the waves of freedom as I bask in the breeze of this new found love of myself. I love therefore I am loved. What a wonderful concept. Yes I'm ready... the teacher is showing up.
That would be most cool, Bishop.
Love your neighbor as yourself… hmmm… How do I love myself???? I forgive myself everyday… I give myself grace and mercy everyday… I seem to be comfortable being myself everyday… (at least most of the time)… I try not to put unhealthy expectations on myself… I try to see the good in myself… I know that God is for me and not against me… and that is just for starters… Although I know I have not perfected my self love, to begin with this would start a ripple effect that would affect the whole earth…
I am excited about what is happening at Church In The Now… God is doing a good thing…
I’m out of town until tomorrow night… wish I could be there for service… Can’t wait until Sunday…
Love you guys… all of you… just as I love myself….
Iris
Read it and I am working it out. Loving self does not come easy. Loving others is ????
Sometimes I wish I could start over again and forget all the stuff that shook my foundation.
Love is the Foundation
Amen River... Something I have been asking God to help me out with this week is... to help me remember everything that I have agreed with in my life so I can disagree with the things that are not beneficial to me... Then the true foundation of life will be...
Iris
Love = Freedom
Tonight’s service was excellent. Love each other and ourselves, and agree.
As Bishop was sharing, Jesus did not try to change anyone in who they were, and enlightened them and us at the same time.
Like the Centurion, the Disciples, Judas, The Woman at the well, John The Baptist, etc. Jesus did not have to, because as expressed it had long before been done, from the foundation, before anyone witnessed the crucifixion. Just like now, it is already done.
In regard to God revealed in each one, what we say ‘will’ happen has already happened. We experience the Love of ourselves as with others, and with God. We experience our agreement. We are in Eden, now.
so lovely Bish
i just shared these basic principles with a dear friend of a different faith and as we shared our beliefs calmly I observed love in practice.
I wanted to know if you have heard from pastor Ben in Uganda?
I had dinner with him last night...he's been here for a few weeks, and is going back to Uganda this Sunday...
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