Rules vs. Love

Yes!  You're here.  Question for you?  You ever feel like you were judged for not following the rules?  Ever been frustrated with the moral police?  Has it kept you from church or avoiding certain family members?  This is your episode.  Here you go...Rules.  Okay, rule followers, yes, we do need structure.   Structure does help.  Society and order are nice to have.  You know who else has a lot of rules and order?  North Korea, China, Iran, Saudi Arabia.  Do you want more rules or do you want more heart?  Do you enjoy being married to an a-hole that needs to be right all the time?  Who in the right mind wants to go to a church or family where they feel belittled?  Are you really passionate about Jesus?  Then you will love like Jesus.  You will follow his most two important commands:  Love God, Love Others.  All the other rules that you may be passionate about mean nothing if you don't get those first two right.  So religious elite, put that in your spiritual pipe and smoke it.  And for those that feel/felt belittled, you are now empowered with Truth.  Strange Love works.  Love is greatest of all.  If you are versed, you know that.  Let us all, including myself, practice that more.  For those confused, here's a prayer for you.  God, I may not get all of this.  I do know I want and need more love.  Can you open my eyes to this Jesus love you promised me.  I choose to accept.  And for those that chose to accept it already, will you show me them how to better love and less judge.  In Jesus Name I pray, Amen.Ending on a song note, HotRod suggested 'All you Need is Love', fitting.  Yes the Beatles are flawed.  We are flawed.  I'm getting the pull to another song that you have never heard before.  Another secular?  Rule alert, rule alert.  Some of your rules say we should end on a Christian song.  We don't.  In fact, I love to find and connect God's Light via secular sources.  Case in point.  I'm certain most of you have never heard this song.  And if you just heard it without context you would ask, what is up with that song and how does it fit?  In fact she uses the f word!  Rule alert.  Rule alert!    Here is the context.  Listening to this song it reminded me of Gomer, the former prostitute that married Hosea.  It made me think of what she could have been telling herself before Hosea forgave and rescued her back.  She screwed so up many times.  She f'd up.  She feels likes a loser.  Doesn't feel worthy.  Now feeling lonely.  This is Supalonely by Benee.  Please give her some love and add it to your playlist.  BTW, shout out to NZ!  Benee is from NZ.  I bet she never thought her song would be promoted via a Christian men's group.  Shout out to NZ Emily!  One of our favorite listeners and authors of one of the nicest reviews written about us on Apple Podcasts.  Extra challenge, when you hear this song, Google or get yourself a Bible and actually open the book of Hosea and read about Gomer.  Or if you feel like you have been judging too much lately.  Go back to the Strange Love episode on July 4th.  No matter how much you have screwed up, God loves you.  You don't have to be lonely.  You don't have to feel like a loser.  God will have mercy on you just like God did with Gomer and even Hosea.  Love works.  Jesus works.  Now go, serve, forgive, judge less and love more...