Whether you are a new believer, a long-time believer or a pre-believer this podcast is for you! Walk the Walk will help answer some questions you may have. I will talk about the Bible...and what it means to me. Not only will I share, but guests will be invited to share their own stories on how God is moving in their lives. You will be encouraged, uplifted and hopefully you will want to seek God to be a part of your life. You are welcome here.
A Journey into the Heart of Christlike Compassion and Acceptance on this Valentine's Day
•Tina Perry
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As I unwrapped the practical broom and a nostalgically amusing DVD of 'The Ghost of Mr. Chicken' from Jeff this Valentine's Day, it sparked a reflection on the many dimensions of love we encounter. This episode is a heartfelt journey through the Christian perspective of love, as I share my own experiences and struggles to love others as Jesus loves, free from judgment and human shortcomings. Wrapping personal anecdotes with scriptural wisdom, I discuss how we yearn for that instantaneous, pure connection of love that a mother has with her newborn and the acceptance we receive through our relationship with Jesus, much like I am accepted as part of an entourage by association as a sign language interpreter.
Delving into the complexities of divine love and the sorrowful reality of its rejection, we contemplate Jesus's teachings on love and judgment. This Valentine's Day, we confront the difficult truth that while God abhors sin, He does not revel in condemnation but rather yearns for our hearts to turn to love and obedience. As we navigate the turbulent waters of loving those who may despise or oppose us, we discuss the importance of loving Jesus as a keystone to understanding and radiating His profound love for us. Join me on this introspective voyage to either deepen our capacity to love as Jesus did or to carve out a space in our hearts for Jesus himself.
Hello and welcome to Walk the Walk. Happy Valentine's Day Now. For some of us that means not much. For some people it means a lot. To me it means it's just another day, another opportunity to love one another. That may sound a little corny.
Speaker 1:
I did get Valentine's gifts from Jeff. I got three things. I don't even remember what all they are. The only thing I really remember is that he bought me a broom and a dustpan. That's Jeff's love language. He buys me the things that are necessary. He did buy me a DVD and some flowers. The ironic thing about the DVD is I don't even have a DVD player. I can't even watch it. He got me one of my favorites, the Ghost of Mr Chicken. I love Don Knott's. So I don't know. Just the mere thought that he remembered that for me on Valentine's Day, I guess that's enough. But in the funny how we don't have that quote unquote technology that we used to have. I think we got rid of every DVD player we own. I don't even know if I could play it in the car. I don't even know if I can play it on my one computer. But that's not the point. The point is he thought of me and I love him.
Speaker 1:
I want to talk to you a little bit today about love. It is Valentine's Day and, as you know or may not know, I'm working on doing some talks and hopefully completing a Bible study on that very topic of love. And if you don't remember the topic, my topic will be Jesus loves you, but I don't and I know that sounds abrupt and I know that sounds rude, but it is a fact and maybe you don't think it's abrupt or rude that you may say I know exactly what you're talking about. Like I want to love the way Jesus does, but I can't. My flesh will not let me, my judging head will not let me. I just cannot bring myself down to love somebody the way that Jesus does. So thank God, jesus, that you love them, that's the most important thing. But I want to read to you some scripture today on the topic of love.
Speaker 1:
In first John 410,. It says this is love that God did send his son to die for us. He did not. It wasn't because we love you, god, it was because he loved us. So in this sense, just imagine if God said okay, I'm going to wait until everybody loves me, then I'll send my son. We would still be waiting today.
Speaker 1:
John 21, 15, says he, uh, jesus was talking to Peter at this time and he said three times do you love me? And Peter, of course, responded with yes. And each time he said feed my sheep, care for my sheep. And I thought about this and I thought Jesus didn't say to Peter feed your sheep, care for your people, because they're not the. We all belong to Jesus. So Jesus was commanding Peter to take care of the sheep.
Speaker 1:
And now that's where sometimes I have a problem with my own heart is taking care of somebody I don't love, and I don't mean that as a family member, I mean as in a stranger. And then Hebrews six, 10,. It says God is not unjust. He will not forget your work and what you have shown him and the love that you have shown God and have helped his people and continue to help. This doesn't say that, oh, you love these people because God tells, or Jesus tells us to do that.
Speaker 1:
I think Jesus understood we can't physically love one another. Let me tell you, if you've ever had a baby or child, the instant that that baby is born there's this immediate bond you will agree with that. The baby comes out, it's covered in placenta and whatever else is all over that baby. You would have no problem grabbing that baby and kissing it, even though it wasn't physically cleaned up yet. You would do it, you would hold it and snuggle it and kiss it, and immediately you see people say, oh my gosh, I felt this love that I could not explain. Well, there's that bond between that mother and child. Don't you wish that every time we came across another child of God or another person, that we could have that same emotion of love, that your heart would be so in love? We say that about our spouses.
Speaker 1:
How many of you have said well, when I first met so-and-so, it was love at first sight. I was totally in love with him or her. I know I say that. I know I can't say and I didn't even know them. Or, you know, I'll just use Jeff, for example I don't think it was love at first sight. I'm going to take that back. I don't think I really loved him that much in the beginning, but I sure did grow to love him and right now I can say that every day my love grows stronger for him. My heart feels it, my soul feels it, my body feels it. God, why can I feel this way about people in general? Well, he knows that we cannot. So here's what I say If you love Jesus and you've accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you get credit for everything Jesus does. And if you ask, well, what does that mean? That means on the day that I stand before God, god does not see Tina Perry in her flesh. He will not. He will see Jesus standing there and Jesus will say to God and I'm paraphrasing and I don't know if he's going to say this exactly, but chances are he might he'll say Tina's with me.
Speaker 1:
Now I'm a sign language interpreter and I have interpreted for presidents, actors, actresses, people who would be considered pretty famous, and when you are their interpreter, you are kind of part of their entourage. When they go one place, I go with them and nobody stops me and says who are you? I've had Secret Service escorts, I've had, you know, their bodyguards or whatever. I'm with that entourage and that. I don't know if I said that word right, but it doesn't matter, you know what I mean. So we, I go wherever they go.
Speaker 1:
That's the same thing with what's going to happen on the day that you die if you've accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. He's going to say, maybe put his arm around me and say, god, she's with me. And God's not going to say well, wait a minute, think about that time she didn't love those homeless people. Think about that time when she, god's not going to say that, because God, the Father, and Jesus are one One together and I am part of that oneness. So on this Valentine's Day, when you're like I wanna love like Jesus does, I think the important thing to remember is if you love Jesus, you get credit for who he loves. I don't think I can say that any simpler than that If you love Jesus, you get credit for who he loves.
Speaker 1:
And if you're saying, oh, jesus loves everybody, well, I would have to venture to say that Jesus loves everybody who loves him, because there are people that absolutely hate our Jesus and will always hate our Jesus. You know Jesus hates lying and there's a whole list of things that he hates. But he cannot judge the verb, which is the action, without judging the noun, the person that does it. So don't fool yourself in thinking oh well, you know, I have to love all these criminals and I have to love all these terrorists that hate us and that hate me unless their heart changes, their hardened heart changes. I don't see the requirement to love Now.
Speaker 1:
It says to love your enemy, but it also says to pray for them. Because let me just say this God does not want to send us all to hell but, like I've said before, it's there for a reason. There will be some people who will choose to pick their eternal destiny in hell, hating Jesus until their very last breath. Wow, that's kind of scary to me, but we have seen it being in the pastors meeting with people and they're dying bed and cursing God until their eyes close.
Speaker 1:
They hate God and it's hard for people to hear this, but God doesn't love that. He wishes for them to change their heart to love Jesus, to follow his ways and, like I said, you want credit for loving the way Jesus does. Then love Jesus, because he says I am not an unjust God. You will get credit for loving me and feeding my sheep. Can't be any simpler than that. So today, on Valentine's Day, I hope your heart is soft and open to trying to love the way Jesus does. But if you can't find that in your heart, love Jesus. Happy Valentine's Day.
