Jeff: What I'd like to speak with you about is, we'd like to talk about love, brotherly love in the body of Christ. The over theme, if you will, if we need a theme for this, is about unity. Unity in the body of Christ. And we want to look into the brotherly love that God has given to us. Those of us, who are called of the Lord Jesus Christ, we want, also, to speak of the accuser of the brethren. And we wanta begin to show that we need to go on and not slander one another. We need to speak about unity in the body of Christ.

You know, the Word of God says in John 13:34, A new commandment I give unto you, that you love one another. As I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are My disciples, if you have love one for another.

Now, the Scripture doesn't say, If you all look the same; if you all act the same; if you stand up and preach the gospel; and go to the city square, get on a soapbox and talk about Jesus; then, everyone's gonna know that you're My disciple. It doesn't say, If you all run around, shave your heads, and sell flowers at the airport; then, everybody is gonna know that your My disciples. The Word of God says, You are to love one another. By this, says the Word of God in John 13, shall all men know that ye are My disciples, if you love one another. Now, in the book of Romans chapter 12, it says, Let love be without dissimulation. Which means not to pick and choose. We cannot choose . From my background, I can't say, 'Well, I'm saved now. And the only people that I'm gonna hang with, and the only people that I'm gonna love, have to be rock'n'rollers. I'm only gonna hang with this guy, or that guy. Or find people that are saved, that are like head-bangers or rock'n'rollers. I'm only gonna hang with these guys. Because they're long haired, and they look like me; come from the rock scene, and only white, ya know?' That's not the Word of God. The Word of God says, Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor evil. Cleave or cling, if you will, to that which is good. Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love, in honor prefer one another. That means, we're to prefer one another. And love our brothers and sisters, without picking or choosing, without dissimulation. That's one of the wonderful things about being in Christ Jesus, ya know?

If you want to talk about race relations...The answer is Jesus Christ. The answer is brotherly love, that comes from the knowing the Word, hearing the Word. And from receiving Jesus as our Lord. And being kindly affectioned one to another. You know, I'm thinking on my friends, African-American friends, Eric Morrison, and different friends of ours that have been involved in things. Eric wouldn't mind me sharing that he'd been into racism, before he was saved. Or Michael Jackson, not the singer, but a friend of mine; his name is Michael Jackson. He was a follower of Malcom X. And actually was, apparently, he did body guard work for him? I don't know the exact position he had there, but he had a high standing. Or a brother up in northren California, who was a follower and one of the heavies in the Black Panthar organization, with people who were pervaders of Black Power, and hatred against white people. And yet to sit down with these brothers now, and to know that there are problems, there are tensions in the world. We're not deaf; we're not dumb; we're not stupid; we're not blind. We see the problems; we know the troubles. And I sit down with Leon Isaac Kennedy and we talk. We're aware that people are fighting. And that there are black people in the world calling white people names, and this and that, and another thing. But the reason that doesn't take root in our conversation, even though we can talk about it openly, is because we are kindly affectioned one to another. Honoring and preferring one another. Not because they're black. I love them because they're brothers in Christ Jesus. That's why I love them. It's a difference; it's something the world doesn't understand; it's something the world doesn't know. There's always that wall in the world. But we're to be kindly affectioned one to another.

The Word of God says, Let us love one another, for love is of God. And everyone that loveth is born of God and knoweth God. For God is love. That's I John 4:7. The Word of God says in I John 3, Let us not love in word, neither in tongue, but in deed and truth.

There are so many inadequacies in the body of Christ. There are so many short comings in the body of Christ. There are so many times that we fail one another. There are so many times that areas of the country here, or inner city here, or the suburbs; that, churches, and brothers and sisters in the Lord, fail one another. It happens. But, this is not God's plan for us. Communism said that all men were gonna be the same. Nobody was gonna be higher; no one was gonna be lower. What it wound up doing was making everybody low, literally trashed everybody. And, as we have seen, communism doesn't work. God didn't call for communism, but He called for love to be without dissimulation. And let everyone be the same, no leaders. Well, there are going to be shepherds, people shepherding the flock. But no one exalted to a position of, A-A-A-H. :) See? There is only one who is righteous, and His name is Jesus Christ. If you have not love, you know not God. That's in the Word of God.

Reeni: You know, Jeff and I have six children. So you know, sometimes there's arguments, and fighting that starts up. But, you know, one of the things that I repeat to my kids is, 'If you can't say something good about your brother or sister, then don't say anything at all.' And I believe that is something we can all learn from. You know the Bible says that we're suppose to bridle our tongue. And if you really can't say anything good; if there's nothing you can think of that's good about somebody....I don't care who they are, or what they've done even. Maybe you feel that there are things about them you don't like...

Jeff: Maybe they deserve it.

Reeni: Maybe they even deserve it.

Jeff : Maybe they desrve it in some ways, but...

Reeni: But it is better off to just, if you can't think of even one thing good about your brother or sister; then, don't say anything at all. Just don't say anything at all. And the Bible says, Speak not evil, one to another, brethren. He that speaks evil of his brother, and judges his brother, speaks evil of the Law. So, the Bible is saying, don't even do it. Don't even partake in that. And it says, If you do, then you're not a doer of the Law, now you're a judge. And it goes on to say, There is only one judge. God's the only judge. So, you're setting yourself up in a position that none of us are suppose to be in. So, we need to just be doers of the Word. Let's be doers of the Word. And, maybe you feel justified, even. Maybe, you even felt hurt by someone. Well, we've all been hurt. [Jeff: That's true.] We've all been hurt by somebody. But let's not focus in. You know? We're brothers and sisters in the Lord. Let's try to focus in on the good things. Say something good about a brother; say something good about a sister. If someone comes up, maybe you're at a Bible study; or maybe you're at church; or maybe you're just at home on the phone; and, somebody starts in on a brother or sister. 'Did you hear about that? You know, don't become a part of it. If anything say, 'Gee. Let's pray for that person. If it is true, let's pray for that person.' But, don't say negative things. Don't get caught up in that. That's what the enemy wants us to do.

Jeff: Well, there are Biblical ways to bring correction. Ways which lead to healing and not destruction of a person. For instance, there are denomination supervisors; there are panels of ministers that can review disputes. And it should be done privately. There are church leaders though, who boldly challenge other leaders. And cassette tapes that are critical of various ministries. And they're circulating, like poison, throughout the body of Christ. This has to stop. There are ways to deal. The Word of God tells us ways to deal, when we have problems with people. The major concern that I have is that, first of all, the world is out to take Christians out. There's an anti-Christ spirit in the land, that's just licking its chops. The Word of God says, I believe it's, I'm not sure where, but there is actually a reference in the Scripture to where it says, Hell is licking its chops, like it's a morsel. To receive one who has fallen, or one who is in sin. Hell is just waiting to bring people into its crasp. But, we, as Christians, are pointing people towards the Lord Jesus Christ. The devil comes to steal, kill, and destroy. And he's trying every way possible to discredit a Christian. It's not up to Christians to call a news conference when we get dirt on someone else. We have got to learn to pray. Not to prey on one another, but we have got to learn to pray for one another, in Jesus' name.

You know, there are so many people out there that have been hurt. And the Word of God says that, In the last days there will be terrible times. It says, There will be men and women, who will have a form of godliness, but deny the power therein. In II Timothy, the beginning of chapter three, it says, In the last days, there will be those having a form of godliness, but denying the power therein. Have nothing to do with them. What are we talkin' about? We're talkin' about people who will profess to be a brother, or sister, or a Christian. We've seen them on television. There's a man, who stands up for political causes. And he says he used to be, or is an ordained minister. Yet people don't even bother to check the credentials. There was a person, maybe I'm speaking from a very subjective or personal position here, but just about a year ago there was some rumor that started on me. And it was printed in a Christian publication, that was circulated to over 100,000 people. And when we went to try to get the editor of this Christian publication to meet with us and with his pastor. We found out that he didn't even have a pastor; that he didn't have a church; that he had abandoned his wife and four children; that he had run off with some women from some place else. And there was no where for us to go. And yet the lies and attacks continued. So that's somebody who is parading as a wolf in sheep's clothing.

I want to talk again, I want to reiterate what Reeni said. Which, I believe, you were talking out of the book of James, chapter four. Where it says that, God opposes the proud, in verse 6, God opposes the proud. But He gives grace to the humble. Submit yourselves then to God. Not to the devil, you know? When you see someone slandering a brother, or sister, or coming against someone, or repeating gossip. It's time to with draw from that discussion. And it's time to just speak up for that person, that Christian that's being talked about. And say, 'I will not receive this, brother or sister.' And you'd be surprised how quiet a table will become. Where people will be convicted. The Word of God tells us not to entertain idle chatter.

Do you know, everyone that is on Christian television, we get, we hear all kinds of garbage. But you know, it doesn't stop with those that are in front of millions of people. I go into churches and I, sometimes, will have a youth pastor or an associate pastor pick me up at the airport. And on the way to the church, they'll say something about, 'Well, you know, the pastor and I don't agree on this. This and that. We try to do this, but the pastor...' And right away, you know what I do? I don't dismiss the senior pastor; I dismiss the associate. I dismiss the word of the youth pastor or whoever is doing the talking about the one that's in authority, or the one that he works with. Because, I believe, if they're going to talk about a pastor like that, then how can I trust what they're going to say about me when I leave. Plus the fact, we don't even have to go that far. All we have to do is go to the Word of God. The Word of God says, Come near to God, and He will come near to you. Humble yourselves before the Lord and He will lift you up. Most of the slander that's goin' on in the body of Christ, most of the attacks, I beleive, have to do with jealousy. Has to do with an Absalom spirit. Where people have risen up and say, 'We know what the doctrine is of the day. We know the way the winds are blowing here in the Christian circles. We have the answers for today.' I tell you, brothers and sisters, if you have anything, and take on anything, but the full gospel of Jesus Christ...You don't have all the answers; all the answers are right here; all the answers are found in Jesus Christ. The Word of God says, Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another. And it says, you're not to slander or come against a brother. And you're not to speak against them. You know, this is so clear. And yet, so many of us are doing that. We need to repent of that.

Reeni: You know, we can find fault with anybody. There's no one; there's no minister; there's no one in what you may think an exalted position in the ministry; or anything; that, if you went delving into their personality, even, that you can find fault. You can find fault with anybody.

Jeff: That's true. If you've been slandering, or you've been part of a ministry that has set itself up to be a watchdog of brothers and sisters in Christ, you need to repent and come out of that. And you need to begin to turn your guns toward the devil, in Jesus' name.

Reeni: And, also, members of a church that have, maybe, you've slandered you own pastor, or been party to a split, or something like that. Where you've hurt a man or woman of God deeply. And we really need to, I think, we need to pray. I think there's people being convicted right now, Jeff, to just repent. And, maybe, after you pray, you can even call a pastor, or somebody that, maybe, you were a party to this. Where you can say, 'Brother, I was wrong. And I do love you.' Turn it into a blessing.

Jeff: Let's pray here. Just a prayer, a very simple, very succinct prayer. I want you to repeat after me. I want you to say, 'Father God, I repent of pride. And I repent of attacking those who have loved You, and those who do love You. I repent of my sins. And I pray, in Jesus' name, that I will not speak ill of any brother or sister in Christ Jesus from this day forwards, in Jesus' name. I am clean. Amen.' Praise the Lord. I receive that for myself. There's always growth. People, if you're not growing in the Lord, then you're just what? You're vegging out, I guess. And I would like to think, anyway, that Reeni and I are continuing to grow. And I know, that sometimes out of zealousness, maybe that's a poor choice of words, but sometimes out of our own fears....When we're first doing this, or doing that, I remember when I first started witnessing the gospel. I was looking all around. Man, I was seeing all kinds of wild stuff going on out there. Boy, I was just full blown goin' ahead. And I'm gonna do it this way. And, boy, this is right. And I look back on it now and realize, to be perfectly honest with you, a lot of that was just, I was kinda unsure of the chart I was going. And maybe not trusting God the way I'm trusting Him now for all things. And hopefully, there's been growth there. And I'm not going to be a party to slamming Baptists, 'cause they're not praying in tongues. I'm not goin' to slam Catholic people, because the doctrine of the church says that they can pray to Mary, and this and that. I'm gonna focus on the blood of Jesus. I'm gonna focus on the good things, people that truly love God. If there's a pastor that's failed and goofed up; messed around with a woman, like we had here in southren California recently; I'm not going to focus on his indiscretions. What I'm gonna look at is the twenty years he served the Lord Jesus Christ, and pray for him to come back, in the name of the Lord Jesus. And for you, if you're showing mercy to someone today, I believe someone's gonna show you mercy down the road. And I know His name is Jesus Christ. God bless you.

My Deepest Love,
Jeff
Studio, California, Winter, 1992