A Thing Called Love
This three-year-old orangutan's parents died and he was so sick and depressed that he would not eat; they thought that surely he would die. At the same time the orangutan arrived at the zoo's treatment center, an old sick dog arrived. The two lost souls met and have been inseparable ever since.
"And now these three remain: faith, hope and love.
But the greatest of these is love."
The orangutan and the old dog are together 24 hours a day in all their activities. Together, they found that joy and laughter in life, and most especially, the value of friendship. Our Lord Jesus Christ called us friends and He gave everything He had for us. He went to the cross willingly; He could have called millions of Angels to His side at any time, but He didn't. He could have stopped the whippings and the niagara-like flow of His blood, but He didn't. He could have spoken up in His own defense, but He didn't. He came to earth as God in the flesh and He came for a purpose to be fulfilled ... and He did it!
"Greater love hath no man than this,
that a man lay down His life for His friends."
(John 15:13)
The Lord Jesus Christ gave us an example of love that some of our wonderful soldiers follow on the battlefield today; they throw themselves in front of the other troops to protect them and many come home missing legs and arms; all we can say is, "there is no greater love than this." We don't have to be exactly alike to love one another; in fact we can be from one end of the world to the other, and come together in unity for a cause greater than ourselves. "What is that cause?" you ask. It is the greatest cause in earth, the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. But, we must replace "hate" with "love." How can we hate someone we do not know? How can we despise one we have never met, talked with, or even seen, in some cases? The love of our Lord Jesus Christ transcends oceans, continents, dialects, and every other barrier we put up to stop unity.
"Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man,
though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die."
(Romans 5:7)
How can such broad differences, such diverse customs, such opposing beliefs come together? That's a two million dollar question, and perhaps only Jesus Christ, our Lord, has the answer. People come together most often for a common goal, or a common cause; only in this case, there is nothing common about it! Jesus Christ our Lord did the most "Royal," the most beautiful, the most phenomenal, the most humble and glorious action of all; He gave His life for His friends. Life is really short, when you think about it; and time in earth seems to be moving faster and faster.
It is an amazing and powerful thing Jesus Christ did for us, isn't it? And, He didn't do it just for us, but for the whole world. He has a boundless depth of love for every Nation, kindred and tongue; His love is North, South, East and West, and keeps going; it encompasses the universe and settles back in a "City" built upon foundations of love. The Apostles of Jesus Christ died martyrs' deaths because of their love for the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
We could learn a little something from Roscoe, the loving three-year-old orangutan and his forever friend!
By Sheryl Fowler
(Visit promiselandchurch.net and theexperience238.com. PromiseLand
Church, Austin, Texas, Pastor Kenneth Phillips)
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