Spirit of the Heartland

I'VE NEVER REALLY HAD A PROBLEM WITH THE PART THAT SAYS LOVE YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, ALL YOUR SOUL AND ALL YOUR MIND. I MAKE PROGRESS TOWARDS IT EVERY DAY, I HAVE MY DAYS BUT I THINK I UNDERSTAND I CAN DO THIS! BUT THE NEXT PART… LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF. MY OH MY OH MY. WHAT DID THIS MEAN TO HIS DISCIPLES? WHAT DID IT MEAN TO THE JEWS OF MOSES' TIMES? WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO US?

MOSES HAD THE ORIGINAL BLUEPRINT, THE INSTRUCTIONS BOOKLET HE HAD THE LAW STRAIGHT FROM GODS MOUTH. HE HAD THE TABLETS AND MORE! TAKE IT EASY ON STRANGER, TRAVELERS. YOU WERE ONCE LIKE THEM, ALIENS IN A STRANGE LAND. I WATCHED OUT FOR YOU. DON'T ABUSE WIDOWS AND ORPHANS -OR- YOUR WIVES WILL BE WIDOWS AND ORPHANS! IF YOU BORROW MONEY TO THE POOR, DO NOT CHARGE INTEREST. IF YOU TAKE A CLOAK IN PAWN, GIVE IT BACK AT NIGHT IT MAY BE HIS ONLY PROTECTION AGAINST THE COLD. KILL - - AND YOU WILL BURN. DON'T MAKE ME COME THERE AND TELL YOU AGAIN.

PRETTY CLEAR ISN'T IT. THEY DID IT BECAUSE GOD TOLD THEM TO. WHEN PAUL WAS WITNESSING IN PHILLIPI, A YOUNG GIRL FOLLOWED HIM AROUND, EVERYWHERE HE WENT. SHE WAS A SPECIAL GIRL; SHE WAS ABLE TO FORESEE THE FUTURE. SHE MADE A LOT OF MONEY FOR HER MASTERS. PAUL FINALLY HAD ENOUGH OF THIS AND COMMENDED THE DEMON IN HER TO LEAVE, WHIT IT DID. THIS DID NOT MAKE HIM ANY FRIENDS, TO SAY THE LEAST. AS A RESULT, HE WAS DRAGGED INTO THE MARKETPLACE, BEATEN AND THROWN IN PRISON. WHEN THROUGH THE GRACE OF GOD HE WAS RELEASED, HE WAS FORCED TO LEAVE THE CITY. HE WAS VERY ANXIOUS ABOUT GOING TO THESSALONIKA. WHY THEN DID HE GO? THE GOSPEL GAVE HIM STRENGTH, HE KNEW THAT GODS LOVE WAS SO GREAT, HE LOVED THEM SO MUCH. HE JUST HAD TO PASS IT ON TO OTHERS. IN SPITE OF THE RISK. IT WAS THE RIGHT THING TO DO. LOVE YOUR GOD WITH ALL OF YOUR HEART, ALL OF YOUR SOUL AND ALL OF YOUR MIND. LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF. THE DISCIPLES UNDERSTOOD, THEY GOT IT. THEY DID IT.

FINALLY, HOW ABOUT US? DO WE GET IT, DO WE DO IT, WE KNOW THE WORDS, BUT DO WE WALK THE WALK?

AS I SAID EARLIER, I THINK I CAN DO THE FIRST ONE, THE LOVE YOUR GOD PART. I DO OCCASIONALLY SHAKE MY FIST HEAVENWARD AT TIMES, AND I DAILY FIND MYSELF ON MY KNEES ASKING FORGIVENESS. I UNDERSTAND THIS ONE, GOD UNDERSTANDS ME. WE HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING.

LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF. THIS IS A LITTLE FUZZIER. WHO IS MY NEIGHBOR? MY WIFE MAREN KAY, MY SON BEN? THAT'S EASY. HOW ABOUT THOSE THAT LIVE NEXT TO ME IN THE PARK, THEY YELL AT THEIR KIDS, I DON'T LIKE THAT. THOSE I WORK WITH? SOME OF THEM DON'T LIKE ME, I'M THE BOSS. I HAVE TO DISCIPLINE THEM. THOSE THAT BEAT THEIR WIVES, ABUSE THEIR CHILDREN, HATE ANYBODY THAT'S DIFFERENT, KILL INNOCENT SCHOOL CHILDREN. THOSE THAT BELIEVE THAT THERE IS NO GOD? AND ON AND ON AND ON.

WATCH THE NEWS, READ THE PAPERS. YOU ALL KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT. WE ARE IN THE MIDST OF A FIRESTORM. ARE THESE MY NEIGHBORS? YES YES YES YES.

HOW DO I LOVE THESE THINGS THAT I HATE, THAT I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND OR AGREE WITH. THIS IS JUST SO BIG, HOW DO I DO IT? WELL, KIND OF LIKE EATING AN ELEPHANT. ONE BITE AT A TIME. GOD SEES THESE THINGS, THESE TERRIBLE THINGS AND HE STILL LOVES US. WE NEED TO FOLLOW HIS LEAD. GOD IS LOVE. THIS HAS ALWAYS BEEN HIS CHARACTER. GOD'S LOVE WAS THE REASON HE CHOSE AND CARED FOR THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL. IN RETURN GOD'S PEOPLE WERE EXPECTED TO LOVE HIM AND SHOW A SIMILAR LOVE THEIR FELLOW MAN.

AGAPE IS A WORD THAT IS USED TO DESCRIBE SELF GIVING LOVE, SEEN ABOVE ALL IN JESUS CHRIST. IT'S IN HIS DEATH THAT WE SEE THE TRUE DEPTHS OF THIS LOVE. IT IS FAR GREATER THAN HUMAN LOVE. IT IS THE LOVE THAT UNITES THE FATHER AND THE SONE. IT IS THE LOVE THAT GOD HAS FOR THE WORLD AND IT BECOMES PART OF THE CHRISTIAN'S LIFE THROUGH THE GIFT OF GOD. IN REALITY IT IS THE MARK OF GOD'S PRESENCE IN THE LIFE OF EVERY CHRISTIAN. JESUS SAYS, "IF YOU HAVE LOVE FOR EACH OTHER THEN EVERYONE WILL KNOW THAT YOU ARE MY DISCIPLES." WE SHOULDN'T HATE THE CHILD, JUST THE BEHAVIOR. LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.

NOT EASY BUT DOABLE. I CAN DO THIS, YOU CAN DO THIS. AS YOU ALL KNOW, I AM A MEMBER OF THE SPIRIT OF THE HEARTLAND TOTAL MINISTRY TEAM. WE HAVE MET A NUMBER OF TIMES DURING THIS TIME OF FORMATION AND ARE STUDYING AND PRAYING TOGETHER. AND STARTING TO LEARN SOME THINGS ABOUT OURSELVES AND EACH OTHER. WE HAVE A WAYS TO GO. AS WE BECOME ONE WITH EACH OTHER AND WITH YOU, WE WILL START TO TAKE THESE LITTLE BITES OUT OF THIS ENORMOUS PROBLEM AND TOGETHER WE LEARN HOW TO LOVE THESE NEIGHBORS.

AS WE WERE BACKING OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY LAST SUNDAY TO GO TO CHURCH, SOME KNOTHEAD, ONE OF MY NEIGHBORS, TRIED TO CUT AROUND US AND HAD TO JAM ON THE BRAKES, ALMOST HITTING US! JERK! IDIOT! WHAT DID HE THINK HE WAS DOING? KAY AND I NEED TO WORK ON THIS. LOVE YOUR GOD WITH ALL OF YOUR HEART, ALL OF YOUR SHOULD AND ALL OF YOUR MIND. THIS IS THE GREATEST AND FIRST COMMANDMENT AND THE SECOND IS LIKE IT, LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.