Love Unconditionally

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The units 0:01:11.560 --> 0:01:14.080 stap makes it easy for grandparents and family friends to 0:01:14.160 --> 0:01:17.160 give funds to a child's investment account for a limited time. 0:01:17.280 --> 0:01:19.440 Download the uns stap and use the code I heeart 0:01:19.440 --> 0:01:21.720 fifty at sign up to receive a fifty dollars bonus 0:01:21.720 --> 0:01:24.280 when you fund your account. That's code iHeart fifty when 0:01:24.319 --> 0:01:27.280 you sign up at unest dot co for a fifty 0:01:27.319 --> 0:01:30.120 dollars bonus. See terms and conditions at UNEs dot co. 0:01:31.120 --> 0:01:34.880 Hi, this is Joel and Victoria. Thanks for downloading our podcast. 0:01:35.160 --> 0:01:37.920 We enjoy spending this time with you. I hope you'll 0:01:38.000 --> 0:01:41.360 leave Inspire. Make sure you subscribe to get new messages 0:01:41.400 --> 0:01:44.440 every week. We appreciate your support. It helps keep the 0:01:44.480 --> 0:01:45.280 ministry going. 0:01:45.680 --> 0:01:59.040 Enjoy the message. 0:02:00.360 --> 0:02:04.040 God bless you always a joy to come into your homes, 0:02:04.080 --> 0:02:07.000 and if you're ever in our area, please stop by 0:02:07.160 --> 0:02:09.160 and be a part of one of our services. I 0:02:09.280 --> 0:02:11.600 promise you we'll make you feel right at home. But 0:02:11.680 --> 0:02:13.920 thanks so much for tuning in today and thank you 0:02:13.960 --> 0:02:16.960 again for coming out. I like to start with something funny. 0:02:17.240 --> 0:02:19.840 I heard about this elderly man he had had a 0:02:19.880 --> 0:02:23.400 serious hearing problem for many years. He went to the 0:02:23.440 --> 0:02:26.320 doctor and was fitted with this state of the art 0:02:26.760 --> 0:02:29.440 high tech hearing aid to where he could hear one 0:02:29.560 --> 0:02:33.079 hundred percent. He went back a month later for a checkup. 0:02:33.440 --> 0:02:37.000 The doctor said, Wow, your hearing is perfect. Your family 0:02:37.080 --> 0:02:40.639 must be so excited that you can hear again. He said, no, 0:02:40.919 --> 0:02:44.440 I haven't told my family yet. I just sit around 0:02:44.480 --> 0:02:47.400 and listen to the different conversations, and I've changed my 0:02:47.480 --> 0:02:52.560 will three times. Hold up your Bible, say it like 0:02:52.639 --> 0:02:55.320 you mean it. This is my Bible. I am what 0:02:55.400 --> 0:02:57.800 it says. I am. I have what it says I have. 0:02:58.360 --> 0:03:00.840 I can do what it says I can do. Today 0:03:00.960 --> 0:03:04.160 I will be talked the word of God. I boldly confess. 0:03:04.560 --> 0:03:07.880 My mind is alert, my heart is receptive. I will 0:03:07.919 --> 0:03:11.600 never be the same. In Jesus' name, God bless you. 0:03:12.840 --> 0:03:16.440 I want to talk to you today about loving unconditionally. 0:03:17.400 --> 0:03:20.080 It's easy to love people that are just like us, 0:03:20.520 --> 0:03:24.600 people that look like us, dress like us, worship like us. 0:03:24.960 --> 0:03:28.120 That doesn't take a lot of effort. But what about 0:03:28.160 --> 0:03:32.079 people that are different than us, People that we don't understand, 0:03:32.600 --> 0:03:35.880 we don't agree with as far as we're concerned they're 0:03:35.880 --> 0:03:39.480 making poor choices. It's easy to size them up from 0:03:39.560 --> 0:03:42.560 the exterior, put them in a box and think they're 0:03:42.600 --> 0:03:45.760 not from me, they're odd. I'm going to keep my distance. 0:03:46.600 --> 0:03:51.760 But God's love is not exclusive. It's inclusive. It doesn't 0:03:51.840 --> 0:03:55.720 exclude people that are different. It doesn't write people off 0:03:55.960 --> 0:03:58.720 because they're not where they should be in life. It 0:03:58.760 --> 0:04:03.960 doesn't ignore someone because they're not meeting our standards. Unconditional 0:04:04.040 --> 0:04:07.600 love says I'm going to love you even if I 0:04:07.600 --> 0:04:11.120 don't agree with you. I may not agree with your lifestyle, 0:04:11.600 --> 0:04:15.160 your doctrine, how you're raising your children, the friends you're choosing. 0:04:15.560 --> 0:04:18.600 But I know this. You are made in the image 0:04:18.640 --> 0:04:21.760 of Almighty God, and I am not called to judge you. 0:04:22.040 --> 0:04:24.680 I am called to love you. And we have to 0:04:24.760 --> 0:04:29.760 realize every person is on a journey. Where they are 0:04:29.880 --> 0:04:32.200 right now is not where they're going to end up. 0:04:32.640 --> 0:04:35.919 They're not a finished product. They're still on the Potter's will. 0:04:36.680 --> 0:04:40.159 But so often we judge people for where they are today. 0:04:40.640 --> 0:04:42.680 We write them off and think I'm not going to 0:04:42.720 --> 0:04:47.039 associate with them. They're a mess. They're done now. God 0:04:47.080 --> 0:04:50.920 will use you to plant seeds in their heart. Your 0:04:51.000 --> 0:04:54.200 love your friendship, your encouragement is a part of the 0:04:54.320 --> 0:04:58.760 plan God has designed for their life. God is counting 0:04:58.800 --> 0:05:01.880 on us to make a day difference. Don't have a 0:05:01.920 --> 0:05:06.920 holier than now attitude. Take off the judgmental glasses. If 0:05:06.960 --> 0:05:09.320 not for the grace of God, you could be right 0:05:09.360 --> 0:05:12.440 where they are, the same things that we're tempted to 0:05:12.480 --> 0:05:16.440 be judgmental and critical about. If not for God's goodness, 0:05:16.880 --> 0:05:20.120 we could be struggling with as well. If you had 0:05:20.160 --> 0:05:23.880 walked in their shoes, been raised in their family, fought 0:05:23.920 --> 0:05:27.120 the battles that they fought, you would understand why they 0:05:27.160 --> 0:05:30.600 are where they are. The areas that you're strong in. 0:05:30.839 --> 0:05:33.760 You didn't just happen to be strong. That's the mercy 0:05:33.880 --> 0:05:38.520 of God on your life. When we show this unconditional love, 0:05:39.080 --> 0:05:42.760 people may not respond right away, may not seem like 0:05:42.800 --> 0:05:46.200 it's doing any good. They keep making poor choices. But 0:05:46.279 --> 0:05:51.680 here's the key. Those seeds never die. Researchers found seeds 0:05:51.680 --> 0:05:54.839 not long ago that were over four thousand years old. 0:05:55.320 --> 0:05:58.760 They had been sealed in an airtight coffin. When they 0:05:58.839 --> 0:06:02.480 planted that seeded, much to their amazement, it took root 0:06:02.680 --> 0:06:07.200 and grew still alive. Thousands of years later. In the 0:06:07.240 --> 0:06:11.520 same way the seeds of hope, mercy, encouragement that you 0:06:11.640 --> 0:06:15.200 plant in other people, they never die. It may look 0:06:15.320 --> 0:06:18.440 like it's not doing any good, but the reason they're 0:06:18.480 --> 0:06:22.279 not growing is because the soil of their heart it's 0:06:22.400 --> 0:06:27.040 hard and rocky, that seed could not take root. The 0:06:27.080 --> 0:06:31.000 good news is the seed is still alive, and at 0:06:31.040 --> 0:06:35.080 the right time, God will soften their heart, loosen up 0:06:35.120 --> 0:06:38.920 that soil, and the seeds you've sown will take root 0:06:39.080 --> 0:06:43.000 and bring a harvest. Nothing you're doing has been wasted. 0:06:43.600 --> 0:06:46.960 Every time you show love, you are sowing these seeds. 0:06:47.839 --> 0:06:51.120 But sometimes we think that we have to convict people, 0:06:51.560 --> 0:06:53.880 we have to tell them what they're doing wrong, pouring 0:06:53.920 --> 0:06:57.320 out all their faults, make sure they really feel guilty. No, 0:06:57.480 --> 0:07:00.839 the Holy Spirit is the one that convicts you. Just 0:07:00.920 --> 0:07:04.839 keep sowing these seeds, showing unconditional love, and at the 0:07:04.920 --> 0:07:08.640 right time they will come to life. Not long ago, 0:07:09.000 --> 0:07:11.320 I was able to pray with one of the leading 0:07:11.440 --> 0:07:15.600 pop stars of our day. This person is world famous, 0:07:16.000 --> 0:07:20.560 very popular, but also a little different, a little far out, 0:07:21.280 --> 0:07:23.680 and I could have had a holier than Thou approach 0:07:24.040 --> 0:07:26.960 and thought I am not going to be associated with them. 0:07:27.360 --> 0:07:32.600 People will criticize, people won't understand. This person seemed to 0:07:32.640 --> 0:07:36.000 stand for just the opposite of what we stand for. 0:07:36.880 --> 0:07:40.280 But Jesus said, it's the sick who need a doctor, 0:07:40.520 --> 0:07:44.960 not the healthy. And I have learned I'm not here 0:07:45.320 --> 0:07:48.720 to judge. I'm here to love. We don't have to 0:07:48.760 --> 0:07:51.920 straighten everybody out. All we have to do is sow 0:07:51.960 --> 0:07:56.960 the seeds. The scripture says love never fails. When you 0:07:57.080 --> 0:08:04.160 show love, you're showing God merciful understanding, accepting that heals, 0:08:04.440 --> 0:08:08.320 that restores, that brings new life. And for too long, 0:08:08.600 --> 0:08:12.360 the church in general has been known for what we're against. 0:08:12.760 --> 0:08:15.760 We're against this and against that, and if you live 0:08:15.880 --> 0:08:18.560 like this, you're not welcome here. We've been good at 0:08:18.600 --> 0:08:21.520 telling people what we don't like. But I don't want 0:08:21.520 --> 0:08:24.000 to be known for what I'm against. I want to 0:08:24.040 --> 0:08:27.200 be known for what I'm for. I am for people. 0:08:28.040 --> 0:08:33.440 I'm four new beginnings. I'm for second chances. I'm for 0:08:33.600 --> 0:08:37.320 you becoming everything God's created you to be. See that 0:08:37.400 --> 0:08:40.720 young pop star where they are right now is not 0:08:41.000 --> 0:08:44.680 where they're going to end up. That seed may take 0:08:44.760 --> 0:08:48.120 root in a week, in a year, or thirty years, 0:08:48.240 --> 0:08:50.800 it's not up to me. It's up to God. He's 0:08:50.840 --> 0:08:53.960 designed the plan for their life. Our part is to 0:08:54.000 --> 0:08:59.120 simply keep showing this unconditional love. Not I'll love you 0:08:59.200 --> 0:09:02.079 if I agree with you. I'll accept you if you 0:09:02.160 --> 0:09:05.600 fit into my little box. Now our attitude should be, 0:09:06.160 --> 0:09:09.480 if you have good morals or no morals, I'm still 0:09:09.520 --> 0:09:12.760 going to love you. If you're clean and sober, or 0:09:12.800 --> 0:09:15.560 you're strung out and addicted, I'm still going to love you. 0:09:16.160 --> 0:09:21.480 If you're gay or straight, Republican or Democrat, black or white, 0:09:21.960 --> 0:09:26.800 Muslim or Christian, believer or atheist, doesn't matter. I'm still 0:09:26.800 --> 0:09:32.840 going to love you. Jesus said, by this, we'll all 0:09:33.000 --> 0:09:36.360 men know that you're my disciples if you have love 0:09:36.679 --> 0:09:40.160 one for another. Notice he didn't say it's by how 0:09:40.200 --> 0:09:43.040 spiritual we are, how many times we come to church, 0:09:43.160 --> 0:09:45.920 how many scriptures we can call it, how many miracles 0:09:45.960 --> 0:09:50.280 take place. No, they'll know by our love for other people. 0:09:51.040 --> 0:09:54.440 What would this world be like if instead of judging people, 0:09:54.600 --> 0:09:58.000 we'd really start loving people. So they don't look like you, 0:09:58.679 --> 0:10:02.520 they're not supposed to. God made them different. Maybe they're 0:10:02.559 --> 0:10:05.720 not where they should be in life right now, that's okay. 0:10:05.880 --> 0:10:09.560 They're on a journey. They're not a finished product. Perhaps 0:10:09.600 --> 0:10:14.160 they don't worship like you. They come from a different denomination, 0:10:14.679 --> 0:10:18.920 a different culture, maybe even a different faith. That's okay, 0:10:19.120 --> 0:10:22.200 don't shut them out. Our God is the God of 0:10:22.280 --> 0:10:25.920 the whole earth. He's not a white god, a black god, 0:10:26.040 --> 0:10:30.840 a Mexican god, a Korean god. He's simply God, the 0:10:30.920 --> 0:10:35.080 God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Loves the Muslims just 0:10:35.120 --> 0:10:38.000 as much as he loves the Christians. He loves the Hindus, 0:10:38.200 --> 0:10:42.560 the Atheists. He's the God of all flesh. So many 0:10:42.600 --> 0:10:46.160 times we have this narrow view of God. We have 0:10:46.240 --> 0:10:50.200 our little circle of what we believe, who we think 0:10:50.280 --> 0:10:54.040 is right, and we exclude everyone else. We point out 0:10:54.040 --> 0:10:57.880 their faults, what they're doing wrong. Where we don't agree. Well, 0:10:57.960 --> 0:11:01.360 they don't baptize like we baptize, they don't take communion 0:11:01.480 --> 0:11:05.040 like we do. We focus on the things that separate us. 0:11:05.840 --> 0:11:09.440 The longer I live, the more I realize how big 0:11:09.679 --> 0:11:14.840 God's circle is, how wide his mercy extends. When we 0:11:14.880 --> 0:11:19.000 get to heaven, we're going to be surprised at who's there. Well, Joel, 0:11:19.000 --> 0:11:22.280 what about their false doctrine? What about your false doctrine? 0:11:22.880 --> 0:11:28.240 Nobody is correct one hundred percent. The reason denominations were 0:11:28.360 --> 0:11:31.319 established in the first place was to try to protect 0:11:31.360 --> 0:11:35.640 the doctrine that they believed was white. Victoria was raised 0:11:35.640 --> 0:11:37.679 in the church that the lead that they were the 0:11:37.720 --> 0:11:41.160 only ones going to heaven. When we got married, I 0:11:41.240 --> 0:11:45.880 asked her, can I please go to heaven too? Galatians 0:11:45.920 --> 0:11:49.720 five says, don't think that your group is the only one. 0:11:49.720 --> 0:11:53.760 That's right. I heard somebody say thinking that your church 0:11:53.920 --> 0:11:57.040 is the only church is like filling your bathtub with 0:11:57.120 --> 0:12:01.400 water and calling it the Pacific ocean. We're all missing 0:12:01.440 --> 0:12:05.079 it somewhere. The main thing is we agree that Jesus 0:12:05.160 --> 0:12:07.480 is the son of God, he rose from the dead, 0:12:07.760 --> 0:12:12.400 and now he's our savior. My love for you is 0:12:12.440 --> 0:12:16.120 bigger than a theological difference. It's bigger than what church 0:12:16.160 --> 0:12:19.600 you belong to. It's bigger than what faith you practice. 0:12:20.120 --> 0:12:24.320 It's even bigger than a political or philosophical difference. I 0:12:24.360 --> 0:12:26.720 don't have to see eye to eye with you in 0:12:26.880 --> 0:12:29.600 order to love you. And if you draw a circle 0:12:29.640 --> 0:12:32.360 to shut me out, I'm gonna draw a bigger circle 0:12:32.400 --> 0:12:38.000 to shut you in. When you love unconditionally, you have 0:12:38.120 --> 0:12:42.079 a wide circle. You're not judging everybody to see if 0:12:42.080 --> 0:12:45.280 they fit into your little box. And that's the amazing 0:12:45.360 --> 0:12:47.920 thing about Lakewood. That's what makes this place so great, 0:12:48.280 --> 0:12:59.600 the variety. There are whites, blacks, Hispanics, Asians, Indians, rich, poor, young, old, Democrats, Republicans, 0:12:59.640 --> 0:13:05.280 product distance Catholics, Longhorns, Aggies, Jewish, Buddhists, all kinds of 0:13:05.320 --> 0:13:08.240 people here. This is what heaven is going to be like. 0:13:09.600 --> 0:13:12.480 We might as well learn to like people down here. 0:13:13.679 --> 0:13:17.000 That person you think has so much false doctrine, they're 0:13:17.120 --> 0:13:20.080 so far off course, you better learn to like them. 0:13:20.280 --> 0:13:23.800 They'll probably be next door to you in heaven. There's 0:13:23.840 --> 0:13:26.600 going to be a lot of people there we weren't expecting. 0:13:27.000 --> 0:13:32.400 God's mercy is from everlasting to everlasting. It's bigger, broader, 0:13:32.760 --> 0:13:37.120 far reaching. But a lot of times religion tries to 0:13:37.160 --> 0:13:41.959 push people away. God is always pulling people in. It's 0:13:42.000 --> 0:13:45.320 not about do you keep all the rules? Have you 0:13:45.720 --> 0:13:49.679 performed perfectly your whole life? It's about the condition of 0:13:49.720 --> 0:13:52.880 your heart. Do you have a heart to please God? 0:13:53.200 --> 0:13:57.840 Do you believe in this resurrected Savior. It's interesting when 0:13:57.920 --> 0:14:01.640 Jesus was on the cross, there was a criminal hanging 0:14:01.720 --> 0:14:05.520 next to him being crucified as well. This man had 0:14:05.559 --> 0:14:07.840 done a lot of wrong, lived a life that he 0:14:07.960 --> 0:14:11.160 wasn't proud of. But before he died, he looked at 0:14:11.240 --> 0:14:15.640 Jesus and said, please remember me when you come into 0:14:15.679 --> 0:14:21.440 your kingdom. He simply acknowledged who Jesus was. He in 0:14:21.480 --> 0:14:25.320 effect called on the name of the Lord. Jesus said, 0:14:25.560 --> 0:14:29.360 this day I will see you in paradise. That criminal 0:14:30.120 --> 0:14:33.760 he didn't pray a long sinner's prayer, never got baptized 0:14:33.800 --> 0:14:38.040 in water, never attended church. That was simply the mercy 0:14:38.200 --> 0:14:42.640 of God. It doesn't always fit into heart theology. I 0:14:42.680 --> 0:14:46.560 was reading about Steve Jobs, the founder of Apple, one 0:14:46.600 --> 0:14:49.560 of the most brilliant minds that's ever lived. He was 0:14:49.600 --> 0:14:53.720 adopted as a child and raised a Lutheran. He went 0:14:53.760 --> 0:14:56.840 to church every week growing up, but at the age 0:14:56.880 --> 0:15:01.600 of thirteen he started questioning his faith. He eventually dropped 0:15:01.600 --> 0:15:04.880 out a church. He gave up on Christianity and tried 0:15:04.920 --> 0:15:09.160 different religions. Years later, at the age of fifty six, 0:15:09.600 --> 0:15:14.280 he was lying on his deathbed with pancreatic cancer. Just 0:15:14.400 --> 0:15:17.280 as he was about to pass, with his family all 0:15:17.320 --> 0:15:21.360 around him taking his final breath, he opened his eyes 0:15:21.560 --> 0:15:26.160 looked up and said three times, oh wow, oh wow, 0:15:26.360 --> 0:15:30.240 oh wow. Now I don't know for sure, but that 0:15:30.400 --> 0:15:34.080 seems to me like he was seeing heaven. If he 0:15:34.160 --> 0:15:37.720 was seeing Hell, he wouldn't have been saying oh wow. 0:15:38.440 --> 0:15:42.080 He would have been saying oh no, oh no. He 0:15:42.160 --> 0:15:47.600 looked up with amazement, in great anticipation. What am I saying? 0:15:48.080 --> 0:15:51.360 The mercy of God is? Why why do we try 0:15:51.360 --> 0:15:54.360 to make it so narrow and think my loved one's 0:15:54.440 --> 0:15:57.080 never going to make it? Joel, my coworker, he didn't 0:15:57.080 --> 0:15:59.640 have a chance. You should hear him talk. No, they're 0:15:59.680 --> 0:16:03.680 on a journey. God is using you to plant seeds 0:16:03.760 --> 0:16:07.160 in their heart. They don't need to hear another sermon. 0:16:08.160 --> 0:16:10.440 You don't have to tell people what they're doing wrong. 0:16:10.760 --> 0:16:14.960 They already know that. Just love them, Let your life 0:16:15.080 --> 0:16:18.280 be the sermon. At the right time, those seeds will 0:16:18.320 --> 0:16:21.280 come to life. We don't know. Some people may be 0:16:21.440 --> 0:16:25.200 on their dying bed and God will reveal himself to them. 0:16:25.480 --> 0:16:29.920 They will feel this unconditional love pulling them in. I 0:16:30.000 --> 0:16:33.840 received a poem in the mail called Heaven's Surprise go 0:16:34.040 --> 0:16:39.040 something like this. I was shocked, bewildered, and confused. When 0:16:39.040 --> 0:16:43.160 I entered Heaven's door, not by the beauty, nor the lights, 0:16:43.520 --> 0:16:47.520 nor its decor. It was the people in heaven that 0:16:47.720 --> 0:16:52.440 made me sputter and gas, the sinners, the cheaters, the liars, 0:16:52.720 --> 0:16:56.560 and the trash. There stood the kid from second grade 0:16:56.880 --> 0:17:00.960 that stole my lunch money twice. Next to him was 0:17:01.040 --> 0:17:05.479 my neighbor who never said anything nice. Herb, who I 0:17:05.520 --> 0:17:09.280 thought would be writing in hell, was sitting on Cloud 0:17:09.400 --> 0:17:14.000 nine doing quite well. I asked, Jesus, what's the deal. 0:17:14.520 --> 0:17:17.040 I'd love to hear your take. How do all these 0:17:17.200 --> 0:17:20.719 sinners get up here? Must have been a mistake, and 0:17:20.760 --> 0:17:25.080 why is everyone so quiet, so somber. Please give me 0:17:25.200 --> 0:17:29.399 a clue. Jesus said, it's because they're all in shock. 0:17:29.840 --> 0:17:35.680 They never thought they'd be seeing you. We can all say, 0:17:36.400 --> 0:17:40.280 where would we be without the mercy of God? When 0:17:40.320 --> 0:17:44.399 we didn't deserve it, When we made mistakes, God showed 0:17:44.480 --> 0:17:48.600 us his unconditional love. He's asking us to show this 0:17:48.720 --> 0:17:51.880 same love to other people. Don't look at them through 0:17:51.960 --> 0:17:56.320 eyes of judgment, look at them through eyes of mercy. Well, Joel, 0:17:56.359 --> 0:17:58.760 I don't think she should be wearing that in church. 0:17:58.840 --> 0:18:02.400 That's not appropriate. Maybe not, but I would rather her 0:18:02.480 --> 0:18:06.560 be in here than out in the clubs. You don't 0:18:06.600 --> 0:18:10.560 know what she's been through. You haven't walked in her 0:18:10.640 --> 0:18:15.159 shoes before you judge her. Get to know her before 0:18:15.200 --> 0:18:19.080 you write her off. Listen to her story. There's usually 0:18:19.080 --> 0:18:22.159 a good reason people are the way they are, and 0:18:22.200 --> 0:18:24.320 we've got to give them room while they're in the 0:18:24.359 --> 0:18:28.640 process of changing. If we're judgmental, holier than now, look 0:18:28.720 --> 0:18:30.439 down on them, that's not going to help them to 0:18:30.480 --> 0:18:35.480 move forward. That's conditional love. If you meet all my demands, 0:18:35.560 --> 0:18:38.840 then I'll love you. Then I'll accept you now. God 0:18:39.000 --> 0:18:43.000 freely gave us mercy. Let's freely give other people mercy. 0:18:44.280 --> 0:18:47.040 I heard about this young couple. They were eating breakfast 0:18:47.040 --> 0:18:50.040 at a small diner one morning. They had their one 0:18:50.119 --> 0:18:52.959 year old baby boy in the high chair. As they 0:18:53.000 --> 0:18:56.879 were eating, the little boy started smiling real big, hitting 0:18:56.920 --> 0:19:00.680 the table very excited. The mom turned around to see 0:19:00.680 --> 0:19:03.920 what was causing all the excitement. There was an elderly 0:19:04.000 --> 0:19:07.840 man sitting at the table behind her. This man looked 0:19:07.840 --> 0:19:12.880 to be homeless. His hair was disheveled, hatting shaved, closed, 0:19:13.040 --> 0:19:16.960 very dirty, smelled really bad. He said to the little boy, 0:19:17.080 --> 0:19:21.399 very loudly, how you doing, little buddy. Everybody in the 0:19:21.440 --> 0:19:24.520 restaurant turned to see what was going on. The mom 0:19:24.680 --> 0:19:27.120 was kind of embarrassed, and she nodded at the man, 0:19:27.720 --> 0:19:30.359 then turned back to around to her table and tried 0:19:30.400 --> 0:19:33.439 to get her baby's attention away from him, but the 0:19:33.520 --> 0:19:37.840 man kept talking to him, playing Peekaboo and patty Cake. 0:19:38.119 --> 0:19:42.320 This little baby was being totally entertained, totally taken by 0:19:42.320 --> 0:19:45.560 this man, so much so instead of just smiling now, 0:19:45.600 --> 0:19:50.480 the baby was cackling, laughing out loud. The parents bowed 0:19:50.480 --> 0:19:52.320 their heads and just ate as fast as they could 0:19:52.320 --> 0:19:55.560 tried to get finished. They finally were through with breakfast 0:19:56.000 --> 0:19:59.240 was raining outside. The husband went to pull the car 0:19:59.320 --> 0:20:02.240 up front. The mom got up from the table, picked 0:20:02.320 --> 0:20:05.320 up her little baby, and headed toward the counter to pay. 0:20:06.200 --> 0:20:09.240 Under her breath, she thought, God, please help me to 0:20:09.280 --> 0:20:12.760 get out of here without any more commotion. But about 0:20:12.760 --> 0:20:16.159 that time, the homeless man got up and stood in 0:20:16.240 --> 0:20:20.520 line behind her. When the little baby saw him step out, 0:20:21.200 --> 0:20:24.879 he put out both arms, leaned away from the mother, 0:20:25.280 --> 0:20:28.240 and reached out to the man. Before you knew it, 0:20:28.720 --> 0:20:32.560 the baby was in a total stranger's hand. It looked 0:20:32.600 --> 0:20:36.200 like they were old friends. At one point, the little 0:20:36.240 --> 0:20:40.280 baby laid his head on the homeless man's shoulder. The 0:20:40.320 --> 0:20:43.320 homeless man closed his eyes, just taking it all in 0:20:44.080 --> 0:20:48.160 his hands, dirty rough full of grime, patted the little 0:20:48.200 --> 0:20:51.960 boy softly on the back. The mother stood and watched, 0:20:52.000 --> 0:20:55.560 all in amazement. A couple moments he handed the little 0:20:55.600 --> 0:20:58.639 boy back and said, gently, you take care of this 0:20:58.720 --> 0:21:02.000 little boy. She said, with a lump in her throat. 0:21:02.240 --> 0:21:05.399 I will. She walked toward the door to leave, and 0:21:05.880 --> 0:21:09.200 small tears started running down her cheeks. She said, God, 0:21:09.560 --> 0:21:15.800 please forgive me. She had just witnessed unconditional love shown 0:21:15.920 --> 0:21:20.159 through the innocence of a little baby. The baby didn't 0:21:20.200 --> 0:21:24.920 see the man's dirt, the man's grime, the man's disheveled hair. 0:21:25.720 --> 0:21:29.040 The baby saw the man through eyes of love. The 0:21:29.080 --> 0:21:34.000 mother saw the man through eyes of judgment. My prayer is, God, 0:21:34.080 --> 0:21:36.760 help us to have this same innocence of a little 0:21:36.840 --> 0:21:40.520 baby and not judge people by the exterior, by what 0:21:40.600 --> 0:21:44.000 they wear, by the mistakes they've made. But God, let 0:21:44.080 --> 0:21:48.200 us see people through eyes of love. The scripture says 0:21:48.520 --> 0:21:52.520 to the purer, all things are pure. One way to 0:21:52.600 --> 0:21:55.399 know how pure your heart is is how much do 0:21:55.480 --> 0:21:59.040 you judge when your heart is pure. You don't have 0:21:59.080 --> 0:22:02.680 a critical spirit, you don't have a holier than thou attitude. 0:22:02.800 --> 0:22:06.800 You're full of mercy. You give people the benefit of 0:22:06.840 --> 0:22:10.919 the doubt. And I found much of our judgment is 0:22:10.960 --> 0:22:14.080 simply the culture we were raised in. When our son 0:22:14.200 --> 0:22:17.000 Jonathan was eight or ten years old, he liked to 0:22:17.040 --> 0:22:19.920 wear his hair real messy, looked like he just got 0:22:19.960 --> 0:22:22.679 out of bed. That was the style. One time we 0:22:22.680 --> 0:22:24.800 were going somewhere and I said, Jonathan, buddy, you need 0:22:24.800 --> 0:22:27.760 to comb your hair. He looked at me strains and said, Dad, 0:22:27.840 --> 0:22:31.040 I just did. He would come home from the mall 0:22:31.040 --> 0:22:33.640 with Victorian, say, Dad, look at these new blue jeans. 0:22:34.080 --> 0:22:37.840 They'd have holes in the knees and torn, faded, worn out, 0:22:38.000 --> 0:22:41.120 looked like they're twenty years old. I used to always ask, 0:22:41.280 --> 0:22:45.440 did you have to pay for those things? Cultures change? 0:22:46.119 --> 0:22:49.919 Too often we judge what we don't understand. When my 0:22:50.080 --> 0:22:53.720 father was growing up back in the nineteen thirties, he 0:22:53.840 --> 0:22:57.480 wore what they called a zoot suit. The pants came 0:22:57.560 --> 0:23:01.040 way up here, almost to your chests, were real long 0:23:01.520 --> 0:23:05.120 that he had his hat caught perfectly to decide. Out 0:23:05.160 --> 0:23:08.960 of his pocket, he had this long gold chain as 0:23:09.000 --> 0:23:11.879 a teenager, he'd walk around swinging that chain like a 0:23:11.920 --> 0:23:16.879 cool cat. He had blem before we called it blem. 0:23:17.359 --> 0:23:20.280 In his day, he was the one that was far out. 0:23:20.840 --> 0:23:23.760 Yet God called him to become a pastor. It's the 0:23:23.840 --> 0:23:28.159 founder of our church. Before you judge that young person 0:23:28.200 --> 0:23:33.560 that has wild hair, crazy clothes, wearing bleen, No, you 0:23:33.600 --> 0:23:36.520 don't know how God is going to use them. They 0:23:36.560 --> 0:23:40.960 may be your next pastor, your next doctor, the next president. 0:23:41.600 --> 0:23:45.200 John seven twenty four says, be honest in your judgment 0:23:45.240 --> 0:23:50.520 of people. Do not decide at a glance, superficially and 0:23:50.560 --> 0:23:53.960 by appearances. How many times do we look at someone 0:23:54.160 --> 0:23:56.639 and in a split second we decide whether or not 0:23:56.760 --> 0:23:59.520 we're going to light them. When he's got a tattoo, 0:23:59.600 --> 0:24:03.640 he's going to hell, he's got long hair, he's a troublemaker, 0:24:04.280 --> 0:24:07.399 he's wearing bling. I'm sure he's out stealing somewhere. Now, 0:24:08.160 --> 0:24:12.359 give everybody room to become who God's created them to be. 0:24:13.440 --> 0:24:16.960 I heard about this man. He visited a very formal, 0:24:17.560 --> 0:24:22.200 high end church. He was wearing blue jeans, a cowboy hat, 0:24:22.440 --> 0:24:25.880 and old cowboy boots. He walked in on a Sunday 0:24:25.920 --> 0:24:30.080 morning and sat on the third row. The congregation was appalled. 0:24:30.680 --> 0:24:34.520 Many of them sent notes to the pastor expressing their concerns. 0:24:35.119 --> 0:24:38.600 After the service, the pastor told the man that he 0:24:38.680 --> 0:24:42.159 needed to ask God what he should wear before he 0:24:42.240 --> 0:24:45.359 comes back to his church. The man showed up the 0:24:45.400 --> 0:24:50.120 next Sunday dressed exactly the same. The pastor's colded him, said, 0:24:50.160 --> 0:24:52.840 I told you to ask God what to wear before 0:24:52.880 --> 0:24:55.840 you come back to my church. The man said, I 0:24:55.920 --> 0:24:58.960 did ask God, but he told me he didn't know 0:24:59.359 --> 0:25:06.879 because he's been here before. What's my point? You know 0:25:06.960 --> 0:25:13.920 my point. Don't judge by the exterior. I found whether 0:25:13.960 --> 0:25:16.640 I wear a suit or whether I wear blue jeans, 0:25:16.760 --> 0:25:20.320 it doesn't affect the anointing. It's not affected by cotton 0:25:20.680 --> 0:25:25.960 or denim, for my brother Paul's sake, or polyester. What 0:25:26.080 --> 0:25:30.920 affects the anoying is the attitude of our heart. They 0:25:30.920 --> 0:25:33.399 don't look like you, dressed like you, act like you. 0:25:33.480 --> 0:25:36.239 That's all right. They're on a journey. They're not a 0:25:36.359 --> 0:25:40.840 finished product. Jesus made it really simple. Don't judge and 0:25:40.960 --> 0:25:44.959 you won't be judged. You may not understand someone, but 0:25:45.040 --> 0:25:48.439 you don't have to understand them to love them. You 0:25:48.480 --> 0:25:51.440 don't have to agree with them, to accept them. That's 0:25:51.480 --> 0:25:56.200 why it's called unconditional love. I heard a story about 0:25:56.240 --> 0:25:59.639 a lady and her husband. They had a dog named Lucky. 0:26:00.359 --> 0:26:03.800 Whenever they had company for the weekend, they would always 0:26:03.840 --> 0:26:06.520 warn their guests to make sure they didn't leave their 0:26:06.520 --> 0:26:11.359 suitcases open, because Lucky loved to sneak in, get something out, 0:26:11.640 --> 0:26:14.000 and take it down to the basement where his toy 0:26:14.040 --> 0:26:16.359 box was so he could play with it later. And 0:26:16.480 --> 0:26:20.200 they were always finding their belongings down there. One day, 0:26:20.240 --> 0:26:23.240 the lady was diagnosed with breast cancer. She was in 0:26:23.280 --> 0:26:26.920 the hospital for three weeks. The husband would take Lucky 0:26:27.240 --> 0:26:30.160 on his nightly walks, but it just wasn't the same. 0:26:30.800 --> 0:26:34.359 Lucky loved this lady, stayed with her in the house 0:26:34.440 --> 0:26:38.199 everywhere she went. She came home after the surgery and 0:26:38.359 --> 0:26:41.679 was very weak, and lady couldn't make it upstairs to 0:26:41.720 --> 0:26:44.639 the bedroom, so she just laid down on the couch. 0:26:45.080 --> 0:26:48.119 Lucky was right by her side. You could tell that 0:26:48.280 --> 0:26:52.800 Lucky didn't like this lady. Feeling badly, the lady dozed 0:26:52.840 --> 0:26:55.879 off to sleep. She woke up an hour later and 0:26:55.920 --> 0:26:59.080 it was hard to breathe. She was hot and fell 0:26:59.160 --> 0:27:03.040 to all these things poking her, and she began to panic, thought, 0:27:03.040 --> 0:27:07.240 what's happening to me? Soon her concern gave way to 0:27:07.320 --> 0:27:11.040 a smile. Lucky had gone down to the basement and 0:27:11.080 --> 0:27:14.159 got all of his toys and brought them back and 0:27:14.200 --> 0:27:17.520 placed them on the lady while she was sleeping. He 0:27:17.640 --> 0:27:20.840 made trip after trip trying to make her feel better. 0:27:21.520 --> 0:27:26.480 Now she was literally covered with his love. That's my 0:27:26.680 --> 0:27:31.160 challenge to us today. Start covering people with love. It's 0:27:31.240 --> 0:27:35.280 easy to cover people with judgment, cover with condemnation, cover 0:27:35.400 --> 0:27:40.240 with guilt. But let's start covering people with love. Love heels, 0:27:40.880 --> 0:27:45.040 Love brings down barriers. Love puts people back on their feet. 0:27:45.800 --> 0:27:49.520 And you may not understand someone, but that's okay. Have 0:27:49.680 --> 0:27:54.040 a wide circle of love. Remember they're on a journey. 0:27:54.600 --> 0:27:57.600 Where they are is not where they're going to end up. 0:27:58.320 --> 0:28:01.119 God is counting on us to make a difference, to 0:28:01.200 --> 0:28:06.000 push them forward, show mercy, be understanding, give them the 0:28:06.040 --> 0:28:10.600 benefit of the doubt. If you'll have this unconditional love, 0:28:10.880 --> 0:28:13.560 not only will you help others, but your own life 0:28:13.560 --> 0:28:17.919 will improve. You'll have more joy, better relationships, and I 0:28:18.000 --> 0:28:21.880 believe and declare you will overcome every obstacle and live 0:28:21.960 --> 0:28:25.640 the life of victory. God has in store in Jesus' name. 0:28:26.119 --> 0:28:30.080 If you receive it, can you say him in today? Well, 0:28:30.119 --> 0:28:33.080 we never like to close our broadcast without giving you 0:28:33.160 --> 0:28:36.359 an opportunity to make Jesus the lord of your life. 0:28:36.800 --> 0:28:40.880 Would you pray this simple prayer with me? Just say, Lord, Jesus, 0:28:41.920 --> 0:28:46.480 I repent of my sins. Come into my heart. I 0:28:46.640 --> 0:28:50.360 make you my Lord in savior. Friends, if you prayed 0:28:50.360 --> 0:28:53.600 that simple prayer, we believe you got born again. Get 0:28:53.600 --> 0:28:56.680 in a good Bible based church. Keep God first place. 0:28:57.000 --> 0:28:59.440 He's going to take your places that you've never dreamed of. 0:29:00.320 --> 0:29:04.000 Thank you for listening to the Jolostine podcast. Help us 0:29:04.040 --> 0:29:06.880 continue to share the message of hope with those all 0:29:06.920 --> 0:29:11.120 over the world. Visit jolostein dot com slash give Hope 0:29:11.160 --> 0:29:12.360 to give a gift today. 0:29:13.640 --> 0:29:16.560 Thanks so much for listening to today's message. I hope 0:29:16.560 --> 0:29:19.920 you'll subscribe so you can receive the latest podcast to 0:29:20.000 --> 0:29:23.200 keep you inspired all through the week. We're praying for you. 0:29:23.400 --> 0:29:25.840 I know God's best is still ahead. We'll see you 0:29:25.920 --> 0:29:26.480 next time. 0:29:33.720 --> 0:29:38.720 Nice Funs, Soft Fluffy and Ultralow netcarbs Discover hero Bread, 0:29:38.920 --> 0:29:43.200 the delicious Ultralow netcarbbread with incredible taste and texture. Hero 0:29:43.320 --> 0:29:45.520 Bread has zero grams of sugar and is under one 0:29:45.560 --> 0:29:48.960 hundred calories per serving, plus high end fiber and up 0:29:49.000 --> 0:29:52.320 to ten grams of protein per serving. Available on Amazon 0:29:52.360 --> 0:29:55.760 dot com, Walmart dot Com, and Hero dot Co. 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