John 3:16-17 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
Dearly Beloved: May God’s peace, love, understanding and mercy flow through you all.
Today is Sunday, June 12th, 2016 and it is a very sad day indeed. Let me offer my heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims of the Orlando, Florida nightclub massacre. My prayers are with you, the city of Orlando, the nation, the gay community and the family of the perpetrator. I condemn the actions of any persons, especially those claiming to be Christian, who spew hate on others based on their sexual preferences or for any reason. Let me be clear that, as a follower of Christ, I do not agree with or condone homosexuality. It goes against my Christian principles; however, I cannot judge any human being and I do not love people any less because of their lifestyle choices. They are still my fellow human beings.
The Bible is clear that ALL SOULS MATTER !
Mark 16:15 And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.”
He didn’t say preach only to heterosexuals. He didn’t say preach only to whites or people of color. He said preach to every living creature.
My daughters have friends who identify as gay. In fact, one of their roommates identifies as a gay man. And you know what? I am proud to know my children don’t hate people because they are different. I happen to think their friends are okay, I just don’t agree with their lifestyle and my children understand that. I instilled in them compassion and understanding. They understand that just because you don’t agree with someone doesn’t mean you should hate them.
What happened in Orlando was wrong. Hate is wrong. No matter how you slice it. Let’s put aside their lifestyle choices and focus on the fact that they were human beings and American citizens. They have families who love them. Thousands of people have been affected by this awful tragedy. I for one am tired of hearing a black person was killed or a white person or a gay person. Those are all schisms. Let us focus on the fact that they are people – living, breathing, flesh and blood like the rest of us and their bodies contained a soul just like ours do. Let us pray that this division be bridged by what we all have in common. We are all loved by Jesus Christ and to Him – ALL SOULS MATTER !
Take a good look in the mirror and ask yourself, “Who am I to judge?” Is one sin any better than another? Not in God’s eyes. To Him, sin is sin. For those of us who know JESUS as our Lord and Savior, we are just as guilty as any non-believer – it is only our faith in CHRIST that shall save us from eternal separation from God.
2 Peter 3:9-10 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is long-suffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.
If you believe in JESUS then hate should not dwell within you. Oh yes, it is true that the corrupted flesh which encases our spirit contains the residue of hate; but our spirit and soul are cleansed when we accept the Lord and thus by His grace we are afforded the power to overcome the sin nature of our flesh. Hate is poison. Hate leads to destruction. Don’t hate people because they are different. Love them in spite of their differences. Our duty is not to judge. Our duty is to love and bring people the saving knowledge of Christ. How can we ever do that if we walk around hating people because they are different? Hate divides. We will never be united by hate, but we can be united by Love. God is Love and Love is God.
I am asking you, my beautiful Christian brothers and sisters, to show compassion and love to the victims and their families. I am asking you to be united in Love and make a stand against hate. After all, that is exactly what Jesus would do and we are meant to emulate Him. I LOVE ALL OF YOU regardless of what the world has labeled you. JESUS loves you! For, to Him – ALL SOULS MATTER !
James 5:19-20 Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.
May God bless and keep you! May His love overflow out of you and on to all of mankind! May you know and understand that ALL SOULS MATTER !
Love in Christ,
Randall
(A man who knows in his heart that all souls matter!)
Click to watch this music video entitled “All Souls Matter” from www.RLMuzic.com