On our return trip from Starved Rock to New Lenox, Marcy and I passed through Ottawa, IL to be refreshed by a local coffee shop with an inspiring story – Jeremiah Joe Coffee. Ottawa reminded me a great deal of Charleston, WV, which is a great comparison for the Illinois town.
As we drove on, we passed a church with their marquee – “What’s the best vitamin for a Christian? B1.” – and a banner. The banner got me worked up a bit, and maybe you will see why. It read, “Jesus didn’t reject anyone. Neither do we.”
In response, I plainly said aloud, “Yes, He did.” Marcy looked up to see what I was talking about, and I explained what I saw and what I was saying.
“The Scribes and the Pharisees,” I said, “He called them vipers.“ (See Matthew 12:34, 23:32-34)
Now, the spirit of the banner is one thing, and to love one’s neighbor in spite of any shortcomings or differences is a great thing. Of course we are all in need of this kind of love.
But the “love” that says anything goes, that permits any behavior as long as it is not immediately painful to . . . → Read More: Banner of “Love”
I’ve seen the first sentence of this quote, but not the rest. Very interesting, especially the last line. What a stark thing for such a man to say.
“I know men and I tell you that Jesus Christ is no mere man. Between Him and every other person in the world there is no possible term of comparison. Alexander, Caesar, Charlemagne, and I have founded empires. But on what did we rest the creation of our genius? Upon force. Jesus Christ founded His empire upon love; and at this hour millions of men would die for Him.”