Love the One You're With

No, not in the Stephen Stills way....................and I just lost a good portion of you referring to Stephen Stills. I mean in the Jesus way. Yeah, I know........it got him in a lot of trouble. When you love the unlovable, it can get you into some deep poop. Especially with the "religious" crowd. I talked with a friend this week who was relating how the congregation he attends is handing the fact that some "shady" folks have started attending their congregation. Some folks don't like it, and have let it be know they don't. Is it a stretch to say that some of our churches come closer to being a "country club" than they do a safe place for the hungry, poor, and hurting among us? I don't think it's a stretch at all. Because we have the name of Christ on the sign in front of our building at Downtown, I hope the thing we are best known for in this community is that we love the ones we are with, and show the love of Christ to anyone and everyone we come into contact with..............rich or poor, hungry or full, clean or dirty, decked out or in rags, Lexus or bicycle, addicted or clean, drunk or sober, prostitute or virgin, green or purple skin, PHD or Dr. Seuss, liar or take it to the bank honest, Democrat or Republican, Memphis School of Preaching alum or Harvard Divinity School alum, fat or skinny, loud or quiet, rap or classical, smoker or environmentalist, Type A or Type B, earring or non-pierced, tatoo or neat freak, etc. Why? Because we are ALL God's children, therefore we are ALL brothers and sisters. Some of them are probably estranged from the Father, but we can love them back to Him. We are them, they are us. We are on the same team. We are the same family. We have only ONE enemy.............Satan. Period. Not the Muslims, not the Hindus, not the Baptist, not the Liberals, not the Conservatives, not even Rick Atchley. Every living male and female has a big G stamped on their heart as a claim we are His, you just can't see it sometimes for all the dirt and junk Satan has covered it with. And He doesn't want to lose a single one. Peter told us that when he said "not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance".
Anyone and everyone.........Peter's words, not mine. If you have a problem with it, take it up with him. Or better yet, take it up with the one that loved him out of the fishing boat.

Love the One You're With!