For Jesus' Love Series

FOR JESUS’ LOVE

By

Dr. Gale A. Ragan-Reid (June 13, 2017)

“So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs. He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep. He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.” (St. John 21:15-17, King James Version [Christ’s charge to Peter]}

Greetings in the Holy Name of Jesus,

My brothers and sisters, in relationships we find ourselves with expectations of how we want the relationship to be so we draw boundaries lines and place conditions on the future arrangements of our being one in friendship---our one body, our one love, of the love of Christ Jesus, of the love of God. We look to Leadership in all disciplines across industries and government in particular, we witness the Word (Jesus) in order to reflect on how God raised His children in His family, to believe. Jesus asked Peter for his love (St. John 15:21-17, KJV [Christ’s charge to Peter]. Love is a leadership trait that stands tall above many others for it is the love of God that allows us permits us to move in any direction in all our other relationships whether we go to the right or to the left the Holy Ghost Spirit that dwells inside of us guides us to stay on the straight and narrow not to fall by the wayside not to move forward as slaughtered sheep not to be led by the blind, in all our love, in relationships. Therefore, we count love---a leadership trait as a good faith. God required conditions on Abraham of leaving his country, leaving his family, leaving his father’s house to go to a land that God would show him in order to receive the blessings of a great nation, the blessing of his person, the blessing of his name made great, the blessing of God blessing those who bless him and cursing those who curse him and the blessing of all families of the earth (Genesis 12:1-3, KJV [God called Abram]). Circumspectly, the leadership trait of loyalty spoke volumes here in God and Abraham’s relationship for Abraham had to surrender all and submit to the Will of God, for everything which simply made a whole lot of sense, in purpose for living a good faith life for what are we without God, so, too, we count loyalty---a leadership trait as a good faith..

Who would bite the hand that feeds them, would you? Historically, Israel did just that notably right after receiving freedom from slavery in Egypt, right after God gave them freedom through the leadership of Moses, right after they walked out of Egypt with the wealth of the Egyptians, right after God split the Red Sea, right after God fed them manna every morning to sustain their flesh, right after God appeared on the top of Mount Sinai to guide Moses so that he could lead the family of God---the

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Children of God. How could they behave disloyal and take the gold they received from the Egyptians melt it down to build a golden calf to worship; right as Moses was with God on Mount Sinai but they did just that so we know and we see in our hearts what disloyalty looks like and we do not have to wonder why the leadership trait of loyalty also spoke volumes, in relationships. When we reflect on how those two leadership traits build us up and make us strong in our relationships----love and loyalty, we understand how the lack of those two traits in relationships destroy us---tear us down with no hope of success for betrayal of love and denial of love only gives us a fighting chance for good faith as we know Peter in leadership of the church denied Christ and struggled in leadership after the death (A.D.) of Jesus. However, we know leadership takes all prisoners for the fear of not having God (God of Israel) was a greater fear than the fear of the gods that they had for the witness of miracles, so great as splitting the Red Sea, only to name one great miracle, kept the people of other gods in great fear yet and still the children of God transgressed in love and loyalty and sought after other gods. Interestingly, King Saul, the first king of Israel was also disloyal, would not follow God’s orders for war with the other nations that God delivered into Israel’s hands. King Saul insisted on doing what the men he commanded said to do ignored god’s prophet, Samuel and ignored the instructions that God sent him through the prophet Samuel. How ugly and dark does disloyalty look like in God and King Saul’s relationship and in the prophet Samuel and King Saul’s relationship----real bad, so bad it cost King Saul the lineage of royalty in his family from the House of Benjamin and gave kingship to Judah, the House of David, to David and Christ Jesus where it was supposed to be for God said the scepter would remain in the House of Judah. However, through the course of time, circumstances and situations that prevailed to change the course of the Truth of the Word prophesized and foretold for all to know. Have you ever been in the right position at the right time and circumstances and situations prevailed to shift leadership and you were the one standing in the cat bird seat ready to receive the calling to leadership although you knew the prophesy did not give you leadership and the direction that leadership was going in did not favor your traits---maybe the very leadership traits they needed for the long term you were weak in like love and loyalty but you could stand for the short term in an acting or even permanent leadership position yet you knew you were not the one they needed for the job---the future of the job.