Do you know that your life is meant to be used to be a shining Beacon of hope and love? Each of us are created with a plan and purpose. The Lord has given us the charge to be light in the midst of darkness, to be hope in the midst of despair and to be love in the midst of strife and disheartenment. How we treat one another whether in unison or division speaks directly to our relationship with the Lord. If we are in communion with Him, then we will act in the same manner that the Lord Jesus portrayed while He was on the earth. The Lord Jesus loved all, welcomed all, forgave all, healed all and as His ambassadors on the earth we are called to do the same to the best of our ability. We can’t say that we love God and follow His commands and then have strife with our brother. We can’t talk the talk, but then not walk the walk. Our faith confession must match our life’s actions. We must follow the command of the Lord to love our neighbor as we love ourselves and to do unto others as we would have them do unto us. We must be peacekeepers and peacemakers so that all who look at us may more importantly see Him who calls us all to be living testimonies of God’s love, mercy and grace. (Matthew 5:16) (James 1:22-27)

No matter how tempted you have been to stay in strife with someone else, I would encourage you to tear down those walls and seek for peace. Find common ground and do your absolute best to let Christ shine through your life’s example. No matter how hurt we may feel we must forgive others their trespasses just as we have been forgiven our trespasses. We can’t have a holier than thou mindset because we have all fallen short at one time or another. No man can stand before God and say I have not sinned and just as the Lord graciously forgives us, let us also forgive others their trespasses and seek forgiveness for our trespasses. (Romans 12:17-21) (Romans 3:23)

If we expect to lead a victorious life then we must be wise in our dealings with one another and do our best to keep love, peace and harmony at the forefront of our interactions. This life is too short to live it in misery so let us each do our best to love others sincerely, truthfully, wholeheartedly without motive or pretense. When we do I believe we will elevate our life to a new level and in doing so elevating the lives of others just the same. May we each let our light shine brightly until this whole world sees the love of Jesus through our life’s example. (Romans 12:1-10) (Galatians 6:1-10)

I hope this message inspires and encourages your heart to do your best to live peaceably with those around you. Let your life’s example draw others to the Savior’s love who welcomes all and casts away none.


TEARING DOWN THE FENCES

“Good fences make good neighbors”, the television commentator said, misquoting Robert Frost for the millionth time in my memory. It made me wonder if the esteemed poet was not looking down from Heaven and sadly shaking his head.

No line of poetry has ever been more misused in history than that one. It comes from Frost’s great poem Mending Wall. In it he writes of him and his neighbor repairing the broken stone wall that divides their property. Frost questions why they are doing so, because there are no animals that need fencing in. He sees as well that the wall is a symbol of the barriers that people create to distance themselves from each other. He wisely writes that, “Before I built a wall I’d ask to know what I was walling in or walling out, And to whom I was like to give offence. Something there is that doesn’t love a wall, That wants it down.”

His neighbor, however, who Frost describes as a “stone savage” who “moves in darkness” refuses to part from the ways of his forefathers and goes along foolishly with their belief that “Good fences make good neighbors.”

I wonder if Mr. Frost would have ever written this poem if he knew that the line he wrote in irony would be used again and again to encourage what he was so against. Perhaps he would have written a different one about tearing down the fences that separate us and breaking apart the walls that hide our hearts from each other. Either way, we should embrace the wisdom he shared with us. Fences and walls separate us from each other and from God. We need to take them down stone by stone, walk through them, and embrace each other in joy. We need to love our neighbors just as our Father in Heaven meant for us to. We need to see that good fences Do Not make good neighbors. They just make lonely hearts.

By Joseph J. Mazzella


Read and meditate on these scriptures:

Galatians 6:9-10 “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.” 

Romans 12:10-16 “Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another; Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord; Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer; Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality. Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not. Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep. Be of the same mind one toward another...” 

1 Thessalonians 5:11-14 “Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do. And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you; And to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake. And be at peace among yourselves. Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men.” 

1 Peter 3:10-12 “For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile: Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it. For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and His ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.”

Matthew 25:37-40 Jesus declares “Then shall the righteous answer Him, saying, Lord, when saw we Thee an hungred, and fed Thee? or thirsty, and gave Thee drink? When saw we Thee a stranger, and took Thee in? or naked, and clothed Thee? Or when saw we Thee sick, or in prison, and came unto Thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto Me.”

All of these scriptures can be found in the King James Version Bible.


Today’s Selected Poem: THE POWER OF ONE
Click here to read --- http://www.Godswork.org/inpoem125.htm

Today’s Selected Testimony: THE PINK BIRDS
Click here to read --- http://www.Godswork.org/testimony155.htm


In Christ’s Service,

Dwayne Savaya
God’s Work Ministry