Embracing God’s Love: Insights from Apostle Celene McDonald

So while everybody is getting me the pulpit, I just want to bounce off of that. That is a church in North Carolina that had a Voice of God seminar. They sent a team to them last year, and it rocked their world. We’re going back again this year. We’re going to be there the first weekend in August.

This is a powerful church. We believe in the Church of God. We believe in the house of God. We want to do everything we can as a church to support other churches. So not only are we having a Voice of God there the first weekend in August, but we’re going to be doing a Voice of God in South Carolina the weekend before.

And so the word of the Lord is going out. He’s stirring up the churches, and he’s bringing the body of Christ together. We are all different people, and we’re all different churches, and we’re all different bodies, but we have one body that we’re a part of. We are so excited about what’s going on over there.

Those people there in North Carolina are amazing. We love them, and they love us. Pastor Stevie, a lot of you got to meet him when he was here for Voice of God and his team, and they are just beautiful, beautiful people. God put Pat and me back together with a pastor and his wife that we made a very quick connection with ten years ago at a gathering with Bishop Miller in the lodge, and it got broken.

It’s a long story, but God brought us together last year. It turns out that my daughter-in-law’s mother, Pastor Jackie, is his worship pastor. Is that a coincidence or is that a coincidence? That’s happened in just the last year or two. God is great. He’s bringing churches together. He’s bringing his people together. He’s moving in the earth, and he is moving quickly, and he needs all of us, right?

Tonight, I’m a little fired up. When I’m typing out a message, it’s kind of like I’m typing and typing, but I’m telling you, it’s inside. I had to laugh. Shelly prayed, but God downloaded it to me this morning.

God told me because I’m here on assignment. The church put it in the hearts of the leadership here to go back to the basics, to go back to the simplicity of Christ, to go back to not being ashamed of the gospel of Christ, to go back to where we would be bold and stand up and say that we are Christians, even though it’s not popular in our world.

Because you know what? It’s going to probably get even worse. But who cares, right? Because we’re the sons and daughters of the Most High God. It really doesn’t matter what people think. It’s what He thinks. We go all over. We just came back from Apostle Les Bowling’s house. He says to greet you, to give you his love.

He sends his love. I wanted to just let you know one other thing before I go crazy here: Pastor Karen Croatian sends her love and Pastor Paul and Mary Dimitrios from Thessaloniki, Greece, not only greet you but will be with us on August 11th and hopefully applying for some August 14th. Do not miss that. You will love these people.

That is who Joe and Liz are serving with, serving under and come alongside, and they’re coming. God is moving. He’s moving across the earth. What he’s doing here, they’re doing in Castle, and they’re doing the exact same thing right now. That wasn’t Liz’s thing. That was Pastor Paul’s thing, that was the Holy Spirit’s thing. Right? So God’s telling churches all over to do the same thing.

That’s the Holy Spirit’s job, right? Our job is just to follow. We are living in a time that is unprecedented for us. It’s a time that if you disagree, you are a hater. It’s a time we’re living in where killing someone just because you’re upset or don’t agree is an option in your own mind. We’re living in a time where people are anxious and full of uncertainty.

We’re living in a time our children cannot just be children. They’re subjected to growing up very young. We’re living in a day where murder is just okay, we’re mutilating bodies. It’s okay. And we’re teaching children to make lifelong decisions even before they’re adults. We’re living in a day where people are taught to lie.

If somebody disagrees with them, we’re living in a day. If you’re a Christian and you have morals and you have children that you want to protect, you are not allowed. We are living in a day that you’re not even considered fit to be a parent if you don’t line up with the government’s agenda.

We’re living in a day that has lost its mind. What do we do with a world like this? Because all those things can leave you hopeless. All those things can leave you so discouraged. All those things can make you say, what’s the use? Why do I even bother? Why do I go to Pine Crest and try to tell someone about Jesus?

The world is all screwed up. How’s it going to make a difference? What can I do? I don’t even want to vote. I don’t even want to say anything. I don’t want to do this. I don’t want to take a stand. I just want to. I just don’t want to be in the war. I just want to go over here and live a very peaceful life.

I’m here to tell you there’s no such thing as a peaceful life. You’re living in the world. But this is where the gospel changes everything. Because it’s a gospel of hope. It’s a gospel of life. It’s a gospel of freedom. It’s understanding that freedom is not free. It’s the most costly thing in life. We couldn’t pay for it ourselves.

It was so costly that someone else had to pay. He had to obtain it for us. And I’m here to say that as a blood-bought believer, we are in the greatest day of history. And we’ve got to stop complaining. And I’m preaching to myself, okay? Because I don’t like the world I live in. But I gotta stop complaining and I gotta start doing right.

There is only one solution and it’s taking all hands on deck. Just like, Oh my Lord Jesus, help us. She said, God, about the army and about the rain and that man all hands on deck. And that man, every prayer, every weapon of spiritual warfare that we have, it needs to be brought out and used on a daily and minute-by-minute basis. We are in an hour where you are all needed. Every single person in this room has a purpose for your life. Every single person in this room is necessary. You are called by God. You are called by the King of Kings, the Most High God. You are called by the greatest one that exists.

He has been here. He created this earth. He created it all out of love. So there is only one solution for all of this mess. And that’s love. It’s love. It’s love.

Love goes forever. It never fails. It is the answer to every problem. For someone who’s caught in addiction, they feel unloved, unworthy, and hopeless. Someone who hates is angry and broken. Do you understand? It’s the love of God that changes things. And you know heaven sent love to earth. He sent Jesus to earth. He sent love to earth.

And now he’s sending you.

He’s sending you. Jesus came to take care and take away all the stupid, all the dumb things we’ve done in life. All the things that we’re not proud of, all the hurts that were put upon us by others who maybe they were hurt first. And so they didn’t know anything else but to hurt you, even though they didn’t want to hurt people.

Hurt people hurt people. Amen. But healed people heal people. That’s the gospel. Healed people heal people. We have a world that is broken. A world that is a mess, a world that needs something bigger than itself, a world that needs to understand that looking to me is never gonna work because I don’t have it in me. But if you’ve got Jesus in you, if you got Jesus in you, you are powerful.

And because you’re powerful, you have an enemy that would love to take you out. Now y’all know how I feel about him.

He is not my friend, nor is he yours. And I don’t understand how we can spend so much time listening to his voice. When you have a voice from heaven that speaks so loud, it speaks right here. And it resonates. And we hear. But what’s in here needs to come out.

Over the last several weeks, we’ve been focusing on the Great Commission about going into all the world and preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ. That was the last thing Jesus said before he went to be with his father. He said, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

But it doesn’t stop there. That’s where it starts. But this is where we’re all needed now, teaching them to observe all things that I’ve commanded you. And lo, I am with you always, even until the end of the age.

Jesus. He was God’s answer. A person was God’s answer. Jesus came as a man.

For God so loved the world that he gave his only son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. This gospel is famous. It is known throughout the world. You can open any history book. You can Google Jesus, and you’ll find out the world knew of him. We have a calendar A.D. and B.C.

Before Christ, after death. He’s in every part of the world. His name is known. There’s just an enemy trying to blur it up. But he’s real, He’s real. He came to Earth as a man. He started as a baby. He came just like you and I. He came through another human and entered this world. And yeah, he lived some life.

He experienced a lot of things. He saw a lot of things.

But he knew why he was here. He knew why he was here.

He brought hope. He brought life. And he brought the promise of eternal life. There is no other religion that gives that promise. There’s no other religion that has a living God. There is no other religion. As the song says, he is great. He has no rival. He has no equal. He has nothing. No one has anything over him.

There have been great men and women that have walked the earth, people that are wise and smart and all that good junk. But you know what? They never went into a pit of hell and took the keys of death. Helen sinned and walked out and came back and came back to the earth and came back to his people and said, see, I told you I could do it.

And now I’m here to tell you that you can do it, because I already did it. I was human, I died, I went to hell and I got him out, and I can do this. So if you’re in hell right now, I’m here to tell you you can walk out. You can walk out because the love of God, the love of God for you is so great.

It’s so mighty, it’s so unfathomable. But because of the love of God, you and I can walk right out of that grave. Do you understand me? I don’t care what hell you’re in. I don’t care what hell you’re in. I don’t care what hell your marriage is in. I don’t care what hell your kids are in. I don’t care what hell is heart.

Your body is in. I’m sad. Jesus came to free you and to give you liberty. And he paid the price for you. You’re. But you’re bought by the blood of Jesus. You have so much in you. And yet we just get caught up. Oh my gosh, where’s the rug going? I don’t know, what am I going to do?

I don’t know who to vote for. Oh my God, how do you vote for anybody? What do you do, Lord? Father, what are they doing? No I can’t oh my God. There. Tell him, my child, that they can be whatever and know. Lord, I don’t know what to do. And I’m telling you my thoughts. My, you told you I’m preaching to myself.

But sometimes you just say soul. Soul. Why are you disquieted within you? Why? Why are you God saying and putting your eyes on the one who already paid it all, did it all, and authorized us to do it all? Because at the beginning of that scripture in Matthew it says, Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, all authority has been given to me in heaven and on the earth, and that authority commanded them to go and to do, and to be a light and a witness and a beacon of hope, and to know that when we go through hardships, there’s people that care because we’re not alone.

We are surrounded. We are surrounded. Just look around this room. If this isn’t enough, there’s thousands and thousands and millions of Christians across the world. But yet, how many of them feel alone? I was watching the news a few months ago, and San Mateo County supervisors sent a letter to the governor Newsom, and they said the biggest problem in their county was loneliness.

Thousands and thousands of people all around that lonely. Why? Why?

You and I have the answer to that problem. I’m sorry. Governor Newsom doesn’t have. Neither does any other governor in any other state or any other politician. Why do we look to politicians to solve the problem? Why? You and I are the solution to the problem. You and I are the solution to the problem. I want you to say I am the solution to the problem.

I am the solution to the problem. I am the solution to the problem because God put me here. See, I live where God put me. I didn’t choose to live here. Most of you know I wouldn’t have chose to live here. It’s beautiful here. Please don’t get me wrong, but I’ve had to learn to love what God wanted.

I’ve had to put my whole life into a place that I wouldn’t have chose. Because I learned. As a child, that God puts you where he wants you. You might start out one place, but if that’s not where he wants you, he moves you. I was adopted when I was 14 months old. I started in one place, one family, and God said no.

He said, here, if you thank God.

I might not have chosen that. But I’ve learned that God’s choice is always the best. Yes. And that your heart and your soul and your body comes in alignment with it. And you stop fighting it. The great things happen. I’ve had a life that I could have never dreamed of.

I’ll never trade. What God had for me. I’ll only be grateful.

When I think about love.

I think. How did this all start?

So I took a quick look. In Genesis. Because that’s where God started humans’ journey. We see that God had a design and a plan, and he specifically put it into action, one step at a time. And every detail was thought out and executed at the right time. Genesis shows us that God was methodical. He made the heavens and the earth.

Next day he made the light, and he separated the waters from the dry land. And he gathered the water up, and he gave them boundaries. And then he put fish in it, and then he put vegetation, and he did mammals. And then he created a caretaker for it all. He didn’t just make it and leave it. He gave it someone to take care of it.

There’s so many lessons, so many things we could go off. This is not about Genesis today, but I can’t go where I need to go without going to the beginning. Sometimes you got to go back to where God found you in your heart and remember what he did for you. You got to remember what he did for you.

Okay? You’re having trouble now, okay? He’s here. Thank you. Oh, yeah. He’s not over there. He’s right here.

We have to look at the. Why? Why did God make heaven and earth? Why did he make man? And if we will truly embrace that God is purposeful, we must look to what his original intention was. The Bible is a love story. It’s got everything right. It’s got a lot of war in it too. Sounds like a love story to me.

Sounds like a marriage. I know none of you have those problems. I’m a little spicy anyway. But it all starts with the God who hungers for a relationship with beings like himself. So what does he do? He first creates a beautiful place for them.

And then we arrive on the scene. We didn’t do anything to make it. But here we are.

All he wants to do is walk and talk and have a relationship. Be family.

You know, God started making Adam, but he noticed that Adam was lonely. He didn’t want him to be alone. So he gave him a helper. God doesn’t want you to be alone. He gives you a helper in the body of Christ. He gives us people in our lives. So. God creates a woman from within him, and she would help him subdue the beautiful garden that God had put him, and have dominion over the earth and over the animals.

And that union brought family into existence, procreation. And it’s here where human life begins. Please note that God is pro-creation, that God is pro-creation. He created everything. Then he created man in his own likeness and image to do the same.

We live in a world. That consistently wants to kill everything.

But everything God does brings life. This creator. He made an amazing and most beautiful world. A world where the waters had no boundaries. We call them oceans and those oceans supplied life. He created land for us to live in, a place to call home, a place to work. Yes, God created work. I know that’s a four letter word in our world, but in God’s book it’s a good thing because you know, when you work, you have value, you have worth, you have money, you have what you need.

When you work. Okay. It’s a good thing. Appreciate your job. Appreciate the opportunity to serve somebody else because God created it so you wouldn’t be so self-focused. Hello. Don’t get me going. I’ve already got enough. Anyway, he provided instructions on how to live, how to do life, and how to love through daily relationships with him and with others.

And even though man messed it up and chose not to listen to him, God provided a solution for the problem. We just have to follow the directions. It’s simple and I call it love. As we fast forward through all the stories of life in the ages, we find God is God. He clearly loves people who choose to be a part of the life he created, because God wants you to choose him.

When I say pro-choice, I’m saying pro-God. I’m choosing God. You understand? Pro-choice is choosing God. I choose him and God will fight for you. He’ll feed you. He’ll protect you. He’ll watch over you. We also see that if you choose that you don’t want God, which is your choice. And by the way, you can make that choice by just not making a choice.

Right. There are consequences. There are consequences to every action, good or bad. If I jump off the roof, I will hit the ground. Right. It doesn’t matter. That’s a, that is just a principle of God. Right. So consequences come. So we choose our consequences. But God’s ways were always rooted in love. They were never intended for man to be so self-absorbed.

He wasn’t that he would not be aware of the creator of the universe, or that he wouldn’t be aware of his family, where he wouldn’t be aware of his neighbor. Mark 12 Jesus says, the most important commandment is this listen, listen, listen, O Israel, the Lord our God is the one and only God. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, your soul, your mind, and all your strength.

Take strength to love the Lord. The second is equally important love your neighbor as yourself. So for all those that are self-absorbed, your neighbor needs that much love, that no other commandment is greater than this. And when we look at the Ten Commandments that God gave to Moses, we clearly see that honor, respect, and kindness were on the top of God’s agenda for life.

If our world lived by the principles of the Ten Commandments, we wouldn’t be in the mess we’re in. I’m sorry we would not be in the mess if we just followed those ten commandments. But you know, Jesus, man, he just made it even more simple in the New Testament. He brought it down to two love God, love people, love God, love people, love God, love people, love God.

First love people.

We wouldn’t see the hatred that we see. We wouldn’t see murder. We wouldn’t see war. We wouldn’t see crime. We wouldn’t see addictions of every kind. We wouldn’t see broken problems, you name it. I tell you, the Bible has the answer. Because if we lived it the way God said, things would happen with life. God believes in living a productive life, one that produces life at every level in every Plainfield personal, home, work, community.

He even tells us how to behave in church. He gave us the Bible so we could live. Every word of instruction is laced with his knowledge and his love. As we read the history of mankind, we find stories of great success, major mistakes, right wrongs, ways to handle problems. We fight. But we find the common denominator in all of those stories is one thing.

People write all the stories involved. People are you people? Okay, so that means all those stories are for you, right? Everything God does is from a heart of love. It is his attribute that we are designed to emulate, to duplicate. There is no other part of God’s creation that doesn’t do what God designed it to do. The oceans stay where they’re supposed to be, right?

True. Okay, kangaroos do not become porcupines. Trees do not become people. They were created to be a tree. They were created to provide fruit. They were created to provide shade. They were created for beauty.

We are created in God’s likeness. We were created to be like him. We were made with his attributes in us. And we are the representation of God on earth. We are the very present presentation of God on the earth. You and I represent. We represent God here on the earth.

There is really no excuse that we can’t. So the Bible, it clearly states that God is love. First John four says, whoever does not love does not know God because God is love. This is how his love is showed among us. He sent his one and only son into the world that we might live through him. This is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us.

And he sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God loved us so, we ought to love one another. You know, there’s an age-old question what is love, right? People spend a lifetime trying to figure out what it is. They go here, they go there, they go to this person, that person. They read books.

They fantasize about it. They watch movies. Yet they never seem to find it. I would propose that the problem is in the question. What is love? Because love isn’t a thing. Love is a person.

The word says God is love. That’s an easy mathematical equation. If God is love, God equals love. Then love equals God. You cannot separate the two. Without God, you’re without love. With God you are love. The answer to who love. Who is love? Excuse me. Brings us to the understanding that we have a father in heaven, the creator of our life, who knows us inside and out.

He’s an actual person who cares deeply for us so much that even when Adam chose to disobey with his one simple, clear direction don’t eat of that tree. That tree is got the knowledge of good and evil. Adam knew good. The tree knew evil and good. But because he couldn’t take God’s advice, sin entered the world at that moment, and death and corruption and decay began.

Sin brings decay. Sin brings decay. But God. God provided. And although everything began to decay that year, that at that moment, and God and Adam’s ability to commune with God died. And it had to go now through external processes to get back into communication with them. God provided a way in that way, provided for you and me. So out of his great love, our father provided a way for mankind to eternally restore the relationship by sending His Son Jesus.

And he became the way, the truth, and the life for this restoration, not only for mankind but for the earth. Because God so loved the world, he loved the people, but he made a beautiful earth for the people to live in. And so creation is crying out, to be released, to be redeemed. But he, Jesus, came to earth from heaven.

Heaven came down to earth. Heaven came down to earth. Why? As Christians, are we so busy trying to get there? The heaven sent you here for a purpose that your eyes on your purpose. You’re here for something bigger than yourself. Thank God. Earth is God’s goal. Let that be ours. But Jesus came as a common person and he experienced our life.

Every challenge, every victory, everything about it. He didn’t live any privileged life and all that good stuff. He came and he was just like you and I, and he embraced all of our problems, and he became the living example of what God’s original intent was. So.

He, us beloved children, our love cannot be abstract theory. We only talk about. But it must be a way of life demonstrated through our loving deeds. We know that the truth lives within us because we demonstrate love in action, which will reassure our hearts in his presence. So these are his commands that we continually place our trust in the name of His Son, Jesus Christ, and that we keep loving one another just as he commanded us.

We must love and live like Jesus did. Jesus loved and he lived. He didn’t just sit there and glow. He loved and he lived. He was different. He people came to see him because there was something so different about him. He spoke differently. He, he everything he did, he he crossed every cultural boundary you could cross. He did things that people weren’t supposed to do all in the name of love, all in the name to save, and all in the name to rescue.

He never lowered himself or entered into their sin, but he provided for them, and he came to them wherever they were, and he walked them out into a new life. You and I are called to walk people out into a new life. It’s not enough to just go and sit. We are meant to do his impact on people, just like Jesus said in his message, was that he saw them.

We have to stop ourselves and say, God, give me eyes for them. Let me see what you’re seeing. And they’re the person. They’re yelling and they’re they’re mean and they’re the rude and what what’s wrong? What good do you see?

I have to ask myself that sometimes. But you know what? The love of God can change them. They just need someone to introduce them to love and to experience love. And how are they going to experience love? But through you and I. What does this kind of love look like today? First Corinthians defines love. It says love is patient.

Love is kind. It does not envy. It does not boast. It is not proud. It does not dishonor others. It is not self-seeking. It is not easily angered. It keeps no records of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth. Love always protects and always trust. It always hopes. It always perseveres. Love never fails.

And now these three remain faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. So what does that look like? Love starts with the passion to make sure everybody that God puts in your pathway, whether it’s in your job, whether it’s in the grocery store, whether it’s in school, whether it’s your neighbor, no matter who that is, that they have heard the good news of the gospel, you that you have the love in you that is compelling you to make sure that they know the truth about a God that loves them and has a plan for their life.

And this begins by actually believing that whoever God puts there is your assignment. See, God has an assignment for you. Purpose, assignment, same thing. He has an assignment for you. And so you have to believe that they’re there for you. True love requires that we do our best to live our lives in a manner that creates wholeness, not brokenness.

Our interactions with people must bring life, not hurt or destruction. God’s love is willing to walk with people, to take the time to disciple them, to teach them heaven’s ways. You have to teach people heaven’s way. They don’t know because they don’t have any examples around them except for God’s people. God’s people teach heaven’s way. Earthly men teach earthly ways. You’re God’s man. You’re God’s woman. You have to teach God’s ways. And you teach not just with your mouth, but with your life, because your life will speak louder than any word that you will ever utter. Your words are necessary. As Pastor David says, they’re absolutely necessary. Some of us just go, “I’m just going to love, and I’m just going to be a light so bright that they just can’t even be around me.” And then I don’t have to talk. Well, that’s beautiful, but they do need to be taught. So you have to be able to do both.

Jesus’s teachings were so countercultural. They defined, they defied all human reasoning, and yet the results were undeniable. Matthew says it like this: “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, do not resist the one who is evil.” Well, there’s a mouthful. “But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn the other. If anyone would sue you and take your tunic, give him your cloak. If anyone forces you to go one mile with him, go two. Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you. You have heard it said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of the Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? But if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

Jesus didn’t tell us to do something we can’t do. We can do life like Jesus. Okay, you believe that? I grew up in churches that didn’t. I did. So, the way of love requires faith-based, eternity-based decisions and produces powerful results, such as a decision to love in the face of mistreatment, yielding my right, blessing our enemies with our actions and words from our hearts, honoring people in authority in Jesus’s day with soldiers and courts. And this passage. But even where we are here, it’s police, government, laws, church leaders, spouses, parents. It’s giving to both wicked and godly people. Giving more than is required, going the extra mile. Take time to sit with someone whose life is falling apart. Maybe they’ve been rejected or maybe they failed. Bring them a message of love and hope. I think we all can do that, can’t we? Haven’t we all been in a place one day where we just needed someone to put their arm around us and say, “It’s going to be okay, we’ll get there. I don’t know how, but what I do know is who does. And I know if I walk with him, we’re going to get there. So I’ll walk with you because we’re going to walk with him. You’re not going to follow me, we’re going to follow him. Got it. Okay.”

You can show compassion to someone confused about who they are or purposefully, lovingly point out all their giftings and God’s purpose for their life. And most people end up in this state only because of hurt. And you can bring that love that they need to heal the hurt. Love heals things. Love heals things. Screaming at people does not. It does not. Love heals things.

You can get angry. The Bible says you can get angry, but sin not. But what are you to get angry about? Maybe what isn’t the answer? The question. Maybe it’s who.

You can get angry at the enemy of your soul. You can get angry at the enemy that’s trying to take you out. You can get angry with the one trying to take out your family. You can get angry at the one trying to destroy your nation. You can get angry and you can war with him. You can war.

But do you know how we war? How do we war version.

You want to get angry? Make the devil crazy. He doesn’t want you to talk to God. That’s what he’s tried to break. He doesn’t want you to talk to him. He doesn’t want you to know who you are. He doesn’t want you to know that you’re a blood daughter or son of God. That you serve the King of Kings, the one who created heaven and earth. He doesn’t want you to know that your God is greater than him. He doesn’t want you to know all that. He doesn’t want you to talk to him. He doesn’t want you to feel his presence. He doesn’t want you to hear his voice. Drive you crazy. Drive him crazy. If he tells you to go do this over here, you say, “God, it’s. I’m over here. I’m not doing what you said. I’m not going to do those things you put in my mind. I’m not going to take those thoughts that you put in there. I didn’t put them in there. And God certainly didn’t put it in there for me to kill myself. God didn’t tell me to take my life because life is hard. God didn’t tell me to just run away from my family and to run away from my people and to run.” God told me to stand, having done all, to stand still.

But you know what? Love looked like for Jesus.

It looked like a cross.

It looked with a cross, a weapon of torture. And that day to execute a criminal.

Became love.

We have crosses.

Death to ourselves. Death to our ambitions. Death for the sake of others. It’s not all about me. It’s not all about you.

A cross connects with the Father and with the people.

We have to be connected to God and to people to show love. You cannot call yourself a Christian if you won’t be connected to people. I’m sorry. The church. Are you? I’m sorry the people have disappointed you. I’m sorry, I understand. I’ve been there. I understand the pains.

But when you stop and you think about what Jesus said when he was on that cross, he said, “Father, forgive them. They know not what they do.” Do you realize that people do not even realize what they’re doing? I had to come to that revelation. I was angry. I was hurt. I didn’t even know how much. God said to me, “I need you to do this.” I said, “I can’t. That requires me to trust people. I can’t.” He said, “Yes, you can.” I said, “No, I can’t. You know me. You already know I can’t. We wouldn’t be having this discussion.”

I said, “God, I forgave them. I’ve done it. It’s over. It’s good. They can be great people. It’s awesome. You can use them. Okay. It’s okay. You can use them. I’m okay with that. Glad you have my permission anyway? I’ve come past all of that. God, you’ve taken that all away from me. It’s good, I’m good, I’m good. Just don’t ask me to trust them. That’s all I ask.” He said, “Yeah, you did all that. That’s good. But.” And it was this loud. “Not even a hint of smoke.”

That passage comes from an Old Testament story of three men thrown into a fire that they didn’t ask to be in or deserved to be. But a fourth man showed up, and that man walked them out. And when they came out of that fire, that hell, there wasn’t even the smell of smoke on them. But that is love. That is love. We can forgive. And we can embrace our brothers and our sisters. We can be part of the family. We can join ourselves one to the other. Without fear. I said to God, “Okay, if I do that, if I trust, just promise me it’s good. It’s going to be okay. It’s not going to happen again.” It was silent. Conversation ended. I had a choice to make. With no promise or guarantee. I had to decide if I would love. All the way. Everything in me screamed, “No! I can’t do that.” But when you hear from God, you can never shake.

I stand before you today because I made the choice to do what God asked me to do. To be willing to open my heart to people. To be willing to go and do what he asked me to do. I had done okay in all of my journey. I never walked away from God or the church, but my heart was not always where it is today. I don’t know who I’m talking to. I really did not write this message for any one person, but I would have. Yes, I think there’s a lot of people in here with my story. I’m here today to tell you the only thing that’s going to make a difference in this world that is so messed up is your yes. And your renewed trust in your creator. Yes. In his love and his goodness and his grace.

I pray that God blesses you, that he keeps you. And that he burns within you like a fire that will be. You will be so compelled to go out and give to others what God has given to you, that he will light you up. We just came from this conference and Apostle Lewis said this. He said 10,000 unlit candles cannot light one.

But one lit candle can light 10,000. Yes.

That’s how you’re going to light the world. God bless you. May keep you. We love you. I unfortunately, I’m not going to be here for a couple more weeks because we’re going to do what God wants us to do. But this is my home. You are my family. And when I go, you’re always in my heart and always on my mind.

So we love you. We thank you for your good, your blessings and your love.

So what a word. Listen to it again because I don’t think we got it all. Amen. I just want to invite you all to join us next door for fellowship. And is an extension of our worship. Is getting to know each other and being family and doing life together. So we’d like to ask you if you’d like to join us across the parking lot for lunch.

Please do with that. Thank you all. Blessings. We’ll see you next week.