Because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ. (Ephesians 2:4–5)

We are entering into another presidential election year.  Every election cycle half the people are satisfied and the other half are not.  It seems that divisions are getting worse and worse.  It has reached the point that who you voted for president is the cause of family break ups.  We are facing a crisis at our southern border.  We are a nation of laws but those laws mean little to
nothing to enforcing them.  The border is open for all purposes.  People are flooding over and entering our country without being vetted.  Who are they?  What is their intent?  Since September 11th we cannot ignore the possibility of terrorism making its ugly presence known within our country.  At the same time aren’t we supposed to be a welcoming country?  There are at least two sides to every issue.  Whatever happened to being civil to those with different opinions?  Remember WWJD?  What would Jesus do?  I always think the better question is “What has Jesus done!”

It’s important to grasp what’s taking place in the world, so you know how to live and how to respond. Hatred has become the new “spirit of the age”; the mounting tensions in this country are symptoms of a much deeper reality. The more you understand the essence of human nature and human conflict, the more you understand what Jesus was pointing to, and to appreciate all the more that through His innocent suffering and death on the cross He has freed us from our body of death.

When sins rages, when cruelty, selfishness, and hatred rule the day, love is hard to cultivate—even in the best of us. Never before has love been more important to cling to, to pray, to invoke. You are going to need to be vigilant—no little grievances, no offense, no revenge. Jesus will keep bringing you back to love, to pray love, to enforce love. Forgiveness, mercy, overlooking
offenses, breaking any agreement with violation, hatred, or violence.

God is love, and as you call down love you call down the heart of God himself, and you call down the power of his kingdom.  I will close with a short prayer.

Jesus, I love you. I turn my heart toward you and receive your love. I choose love and align myself with love and command the love of God to flow through my life.

Pastor Dave