George Cargill

Perhaps no command of Jesus is more difficult to put into practice than what he commanded His disciples in Luke 17:3-4,

“Be on your guard! If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. And if he sins against you seven times a day, and returns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ forgive him.”

It does not seem to be fair to us that someone can do or say something to hurt us and then just say, “I am sorry, forgive me,” and we just forgive them. Really? But it is worse than that. Jesus says that if they come back and offend again, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again (that is seven “agains”) and asks for forgiveness, I am to forgive. How could I be such a sap? But it is even more than that. Jesus spoke about a “brother”, that is, someone who is close to us and should love us and not be so hurtful and oblivious to our injuries. Why should I treat someone like that with mercy and forgiveness time after time after time? The answer comes to me in my spirit, “That is how Jesus treats me when I ask for forgiveness again, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again.” In fact, Jesus tells us after He taught his disciples to pray, “forgive our sins as we forgive those who sin against us,”

“For if you forgive others for their sins, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your sins.”  Matthew 6:14-15

O, that nasty two letter word, “if.” It is one of the most troublesome words in the Bible. It puts conditions on blessings that require our faithfulness and the making of a right decision. This flies in the face of a lot of people’s theology about personal responsibility. But time and time again Scripture teaches, “If we have faith, If we hold fast, If we repent,” and then “If we forgive.” But that “if” also puts the responsibility on the offender to repent. This involves not only a sorrow for sins but a decision to turn away from wrong action to right action. If someone truly repents and asks for forgiveness, Jesus says we must forgive.

If someone does not repent, are we required to forgive? I do not think that is what Jesus requires. But He showed us an even better way to peace of mind and release of corrosive anger. Forgive freely! From the heart. Jesus displayed the way to us by his example when He looked the people in the face who were nailing His hands to the cross and prayed, “Father, forgive them!” Jesus interceded in prayer with the Father in behalf of the people who were harming Him. When we pray this way, whether they have asked for forgiveness or not, it seems that the Holy Spirit works to heal our hearts and give us what the Bible calls the “peace that passes understanding.”

Free forgiveness does not seem to be a sensible thing to do for most folks. But those who have interceded with the Father asking Him to forgive those who have sinned against them and pleading with Him to never hold those things against the offender, find a blessed release from the anger and angst that comes from unforgiveness.

One more thing to guard our heart from the pain and guilt of unforgiveness. Be truly difficult to offend. Do not easily take offense at things. Let it slide. Not only will this give you peace of mind but will drive those who hate you to distraction. Be quick to forgive and hard to offend.

The English language has but one word to express the diversity of nuance in the word “love.” Context is everything in understanding it’s meaning. “I love ice cream” is different than “I love you.” “I love a beautiful sunrise”; “I love my cat”; “I love music”; “I love my spouse”; “I love sports”; “I love my children”; “I love Jesus,” all carry a different “love” emotion with them according to context. The New Testament was originally written in the common Greek language of the day. The koine (common) Greek language was spoken by most of the people in days of Jesus and the Apostles as a second language after their native language. It was also the language of the Old Testament translation the writers of the New Testament used.

There are several words used in Greek language that translators render as “love,” but two are primarily used in the New Testament. One is phile which carries the meaning of brotherly love where one loves something or someone because that person or thing brings us good emotions or some benefit. The other word is agape, which carries more of a sense of being unconditional. It can be understood by thinking about a verse of Scripture. “God so (agape) loved the world that He gave his One and Only Son that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16 Think of it! This is love that is unconditional; that seeks the good of others; that always does what is right. This kind of love has an emotional content but is primarily concerned with seeking a right relationship with God and others and taking appropriate action to find it.  I like to call agape love Divine love. When asked what the greatest commandment is, Jesus answered that every expectation for our actions that God has for us in the Ten Commandments can be fulfilled by agape love.

“’Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?’ And He said to him, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND. This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’ On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 22:36-40

The Apostle Paul spoke about many virtues of being a follower of Jesus Christ. He wrote about nine “fruit” of the Holy Spirit that should be growing in each believer. Agape love is the first one listed and Paul admonished each believer, “But now faith, hope, (agape) love, these three remain; but the greatest of these is (agape) love.” 1 Corinthians 13:13 He also said “(Agape) Love never ends; is never finished” I Corinthians 13:8 Agape love never ends! We will not need faith in heaven for we will have the object of our faith. There will be no need to hope because all our hopes will be realized. But our love for Jesus and His love for us is eternal; unperishable; remaining forever. Divine love remains eternally.

 

Fear and faith seem to gauge one another. When the fear meter is high the faith meter goes low. Alternately, when faith is strong the power of fear becomes weak.  The Apostle Paul mentioned some of the fears that he had. When he came into Corinth for the first time he was alone. He wrote to the Corinthians, “I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling…” 1 Corinthians 2:3 Later, the presence of the Holy Spirit calmed his fears and strengthened his faith,

“…the Lord said to Paul in the night by a vision, “Do not be afraid any longer, but go on speaking and do not be silent; for I am with you, and no man will attack you in order to harm you, for I have many people in this city.” Acts 18:9-10

Paul also expressed fear for the welfare of others. The Christians in Galatia had abandoned grace for the traditions of religion. Paul wrote, “I fear for you, that perhaps I have labored over you in vain.” Galatians 4:11 His fear was relieved when they again returned to grace with faith in the cross of Jesus rather than their own works. Paul wrote also to the Thessalonians, “…when I could endure it no longer, I also sent to find out about your faith, for fear that the tempter might have tempted you, and our labor would be in vain.” 1 Thessalonians 3:5 Their true faith was the antidote to Paul’s fear for them.

Fear is something that every person deals with. I have only met a couple of people who seemed to be totally fearless. They seemed to me to be foolish, tending to take too many risks. If we could look behind the mask of fearlessness, we would find that even they had fears to drive them. Faith in God; faith in His grace displayed in the cross of Jesus is the secret to conquering our fears. It is the way to function in the face of our fears and to go on despite every misgiving about the future.

Paul showed us by his example that we can endure and thrive in midst of terrible circumstances and frightening possibilities. We simply go on in the will of God and faith in our hearts, confident in His grace and our inheritance in Heaven.

George Cargill

August 21, 2018

The cross of Jesus Christ will forever be offensive to those who do not believe. Any symbol of the cross brings objection, whether it is worn as beautiful jewelry; a clean-lined cross on a church steeple; a stylized artistic or literary cross; or a crude splintery wooden cross. If it is in public place, legal action is almost guaranteed. It was not a symbol of the earliest church possibly because it unmasked the underground congregations who met in secret. The church adopted secret symbols such as a fish and a wreath around the two first Greek letters in “Christ”. But the cross soon became, for Christians, a universal sign of redemption and God’s love for the whole world. It has been cherished by believers; hated by unbelievers; used and abused as a symbol for armies; carried as a talisman; understood and misunderstood for two thousand years.

Paul, as an Apostle of the Lord, understood and preached the power of the cross. He wrote to the Corinthian church in inspired words, “For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” (1 Corinthians 1:18) Paul understood that it is the “word”, the message of the cross, that is to be cherished. There is more to the sacrifice of Jesus than mere death because the method of His death reveals the extent of the sickness of mankind. Jesus suffered the worst kind of death for our sins. Crucifixion showed the extent of the depravity and lostness of humanity. Jesus’ suffering is a suitable atonement for sin; the cure being appropriate to the illness.

Paul explained this hate and love for the cross to the Corinthians, “For indeed Jews ask for miracles and Greeks search for wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews an offence and to Gentiles an absurdity but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.” (1 Corinthians 1:22-25)

Why then, are crosses being taken down from church buildings? Why are there many churches which have not a single display of the cross, inside or out? Are we becoming ashamed of something so foolish? Or, desiring to be winsome, are we trying to take the offensiveness of the cross out of our message? It seems as though the cross has disappeared from our teaching and preaching; out of sight and out of mind. Seeking to be unoffensive to unbelievers, are we hiding the cross from those who must embrace its message to be saved?

If we cannot understand the cross of Jesus, we will not understand the necessity of carrying our own cross. Entire submission to the will of God and becoming a living sacrifice is the way we imitate Jesus on the cross. It is the path each must take to enter a deep and meaningful relationship with Christ. There is no shame in embracing the message of the cross of Jesus. It is the power of God unto salvation for everyone who believes.

George Cargill

 

 

 

There is a vast cemetery on the western slope of the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem. It is covered with concrete and sarcophagi of Jewish people who have died in anticipation of the arrival of The Messiah at the end of the age. They are buried with their feet facing the Eastern Gate of the Temple Mount. The gate has long been closed with blocks and mortar. They believe that when the Messiah descends on the Mount of Olives that they will arise and help Him through the gate. There is another cemetery of those of a rival religion that occupies a thin strip of ground along the wall of the Temple Mount and in front of the Eastern Gate. They too expect a champion of their faith at the culmination of time. They believe that they will rise up and help him over the gate. If the Apostle Paul could see this, I think he would remind us of what he wrote to the Christians at Philippi,

“…God highly exalted Him (Jesus), and gave to Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:9-11

 

According to the Apostle Paul, there will be great acclamation by everyone for the One who will arrive on the Mount of Olives. It will be for the King of Kings; the Messiah; the Anointed One of God, Jesus Christ. The name that every creature will shout will be Jesus, the Name that is above every name. All of those buried on Olivette and those in front of the Eastern Gate will rise and proclaim, “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!”

The elite of Paul’s day scoffed at such prophesies made in the name of Jesus. But to Paul, the name of Jesus brought the power of God into his life. The name of Jesus brought salvation and miracles of healing to the people that he encountered every day. It was in the name of Jesus that Paul lived every day of his life after being smacked down on the Damascus Road. Paul learned the power of that name when he asked who struck him blind to the ground, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.”

Those who follow Jesus are not deterred by the scoffing and ridicule that accompany such claims. We, like Paul, have learned of the power of the name of Jesus to transform lives and to give us hope of eternal life. That name brings us peace in our souls and healing of our spirit. Thank you, Lord, for the name that is above every other, JESUS!

George Cargill

What was the “thorn in the flesh” that Paul spoke of so cryptically in 2 Corinthians 2:7? The question is not settled among theologians, Bible scholars, or ordinary believers who read the Scriptures. No matter the education or intelligence of people who consider this, I think the opinion that people have is based on their own thorns. The problem comes down to the definition of the original New Testament word that Paul used and translators render to us as “flesh.” It can mean the blood, bone, muscle and nerves that we also call the body. He also uses the word in a spiritual way to indicate the sinful condition in which every human being is born. In Romans 7, Paul says, “I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing to do good is present in me but working good is not.” Paul wrote to the Galatians, “Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” Galatians 5:24 (NASB) The word “thorn” throughout the Bible is the image of difficulty and hardship. Combine these two words together and we can understand that Paul had a chronic, vexing, physical or spiritual problem of some kind that he could not deal with on his own. But Paul gave us the way that he dealt with this problem,

“Because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me—to keep me from exalting myself! Concerning this I implored the Lord three times that it might leave me. And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.” 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 (NASB)

The answer is in the grace of God in Christ Jesus in all its fullness. Paul taught us that grace justifies us before God (Romans 5:21-26); gives us the victory over sin (Romans 8:1-28, 31); teaches us to be godly (Titius 2:11); making us strong in weakness. We find that if we will give all our sin, weaknesses, difficulties, and personal problems to Jesus in faith, we will have the victory.

Perhaps I could add a personal example, as Paul did for us. When I finally came to full repentance in Jesus Christ, I was a middle-aged supervisor for a food distribution company. My language was harsh and vulgar, reflecting the environment where I worked. When Jesus saved me, my language changed immediately, almost. The words that I used were so ingrained into my mind that occasionally, when I was squeezed just right, out would come foul, sinful, hurtful words. It was embarrassing, because some my fellow workers delighted in my failures. But I read of Paul, who pleaded with the Lord to solve the problem. I received the same answer as Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you.” That is when I learned what it meant to give the problem to Jesus and rest in the grace of the Lord. I persisted in prayer for the solution to this problem. As time went on, my failures became fewer and farther between. Finally, evil words seemed to be foreign to my mind and I got the victory though Jesus Christ. There have been many other weaknesses in my life where Jesus has been faithful to be strong in me. Praise His name!

We should encourage one another with these words. We all have weaknesses. But the grace of the Lord Jesus is with us. Like Paul, we can share these experiences of strength through weakness in the firm conviction that if grace is sufficient for us, it is sufficient for all.

George Cargill

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What about the women in The Apostle Paul’s life and ministry? I am not speaking of the wife that he may or may not have had. Nor am I referring to anyone to whom he may have had an unfulfilled romantic attraction. These are matters of speculation and not our business, anyway, but grist for novels. Who were those females who were his associates and partners in ministry? This is an important question because the answer goes a long way to defining the role of women in the ministry of the church. The answer also helps us interpret and reconcile some of the seemingly inconsistent statements of the Apostle in his letters to the churches. In the 16th Chapter of the Book of Romans, Paul talks about the role that women have had in his ministry as he sends greetings to individuals in the church at Rome. One of the greetings is to two people, “Salute Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen, and my fellow-prisoners, who are of note among the apostles, who also were in Christ before me.” Romans 16:7 (KJV)

Who is this woman, Junia, that Paul refers to as an apostle? The great preacher of the early church, John Chrysostom, wrote of Junia, “Oh! how great is the devotion of this woman, that she should be even counted worthy of the appellation of apostle!”[1] Theodoret of Cyr also, including the other men and women mentioned by Paul in his greetings, says, “…he (Paul) says that they are men and women of note, not among the pupils but among the teachers, and not among the ordinary teachers but among the apostles.”[2] According to Paul, Phoebe was a deacon (diakonos), and a protective leader of many (prostatis)[3], and to “myself as well.” Priscilla put her neck on the line for Paul, and in Acts, taught a preacher named Apollos about the Holy Spirit. Do we really think that Paul ordered these women to be silent in church? Do we suppose that Paul believed that these women could never teach spiritual things to men? Do we think that when he refers to Junia as a person “of note among the Apostles,” that it was meaningless flattery or a mere eulogy?

The King James Version got it right this time. The modern translations of Romans 16: 7 give us a man’s name, “Junias”, instead of Junia, with only the NIV correcting the translation in their 2011 update. This is despite the fact that the name is spelled the same way in almost every Greek manuscript that is known.[4] However, sometimes the name is not accented and becomes, according to some, masculine and not feminine in form. (Sorry to bore you with Greek, but it is the original language of the New Testament and the basis of our English translations.) The early church considered that the person to whom Paul referred was a woman, “Junia.” I do also.

So, at this point, what difference does it make? It is time for most of the churches to reevaluate the role of women in ministry. The objections that are raised by some, because of the statements of Paul in his other letters, can be solved by a careful analysis of the language together with the words of this passage in Romans 16. A big difference can be seen in our churches and institutions. As a novelist writing about Paul’s sojourn into Corinth, I have confidence writing, in a speculative way, about the women that were in Paul’s life, and his attitude toward them. Truly, we could make the prophesy of the Bible come alive, “Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy.” (Joel 2:28-32; Acts 2:14-18)

George Cargill

January 6, 2018

[1] Homily XXXI on Rom.xvi.5

[2] Interpretation of the Letter to the Romans

[3] A leader, ruler, manager, patron

[4] The Greek New Testament, ed Barbara Alund, etc., Scholar’s Edition, 1994 Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, D-Stuttgart

George is writing a book of devotions based on his series of audio devotions at Following the Book Ministries. Would you be so kind as to participate in a short four question survey to help in producing the book? Click here for the survey. 

COMMENTS:

Redemption and the Apostle Paul

We live in schizophrenic times.  The culture does not seem to be able to differentiate between what is real and what is imaginary.  “Virtual reality’ is plunging us into a sewer of depravity.  Many have fallen into a great delusion preferring robotic dolls to a flesh and blood relationship with an actual human being.  People prefer keeping their head down to their smartphone rather than have a conversation with another person, or opening their eyes to their surroundings.  “Fake news” is presenting us with facts that are not facts at all, but mere propaganda promoting some political or social agenda.  A fact is something that truly happened and not anyone’s idea of what may have happened.  These things are taking away our ability to make judgments about what is true and what is a lie; what is a real relationship and what is a fantasy; what our eyes see and what is an illusion.  Many are beginning to prefer lies, fantasies, and illusions over truth, reality, and common sense.

Witness the current wave of alleged and confessed acts of sexual misconduct and predation among male celebrities and politicians.  For years, the Hollywood and advertising media has entertained and allured us with sensuality of every kind.  In the movies, the heroine rarely says “no” to the hero, willing to bed with him before a proper introduction, portraying even “good girls” as being easy.   Men are urged to feed every appetite and come to believe that they are entitled to satisfaction of every urge.  Many men who have power over other people, whether in the workplace or in the government, think that they have a way open to force their will on others.  Because famous people have evaded consequences when their deeds have become public, many abusers are living with the illusion that they are invulnerable.  But we are seeing that the words of the Apostle Paul are painfully true, “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.” Galatians 6:7-8 (NASB)

Before I continue sounding so high and mighty, be reminded that Paul also wrote, “…all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23) Paul himself confessed to condemning people to death unjustly.  I confess that I am a sinner, even though my offences are not like Paul’s.  I have sinned against God and others, if not with physical violence and abuse, with emotional wounds and other kinds of harm.  We all have a part in the problem. Although society needs to bring the abusers to account, and everyone must acknowledge their own sins, these actions will not provide an excuse for wrong doing or solve the problem.  People must be changed.  I must be changed.

What makes a bad man “good?”  It is when he ceases doing that which is harmful to others and begins “doing the right thing,” permanently.  He also will try to repair the wrong that he has done to others, as much as possible.  When Paul wrote about the universal condition of sinfulness in mankind, he also wrote of those sinners who had received Jesus, “But because of God, you are in Christ Jesus who has become to us the wisdom of God, bringing righteousness, holiness, and redemption.”  1 Corinthians 1:30 (Author’s translation) Redemption is the answer!  We are slaves to the desires of our own mind and flesh, only being restrained by fear of the laws of men and the norms of society.  Redemption from this slavery is only found in Jesus Christ.  It is the only way to truly change from the inside out.

I will give Paul the last word, “For the grace of God has appeared, offering salvation to all men, instructing us who have denied ungodliness and worldly passions to live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present time.  We are awaiting the blessed hope of the appearing of the glory of our Great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us that He might purify for Himself a special people, who are zealous to do what is right.” Titus 2:11-14 (Author’s translation)

 

George Cargill

December 1, 2017

 

 

Not everyone was thrilled when I decided to follow Jesus Christ.  My co-workers thought that I had cracked under the pressure.  They were amused that I had, “Got religion real bad.”  I have always been an outspoken person and that did not change when I was born again.  What was altered were my character and words.  Although they still poked fun at my new-found “halo”, they saw a new man; a better person, transformed by the grace of God.  Family members were also skeptical.  But over time, they became gratified living with the new me, imperfect but much better.  It was the same problem with the Apostle Paul.  His former colleagues were angry to the point of murder.  There is nothing in the Scripture about how the family of Paul reacted.  The silence indicates that there was trouble at home.  Whatever happened on the domestic side, Paul was hounded by his new-found enemies.  Paul never backed off his testimony or diluted his message to assuage his adversaries.  It has been this way for Christians ever since Jesus began preaching the good news in Galilee two thousand years ago.

One time, Jesus brought sight to a blind man.  The Authorities, who hated Jesus, were angry about the miraculous change that come about in the man.  They were furious that the man gave the glory to Jesus for supernatural healing.  Their hatred of Jesus was transferred to a blind man who could now see by the grace of God.  The Scripture is found in John 9.

“So…they (the Authorities) called the man who had been blind, and said to him, ‘Give glory to God; we know that this man (Jesus) is a sinner.’

He then answered, ‘Whether He is a sinner, I do not know; one thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see…’

…They reviled him and said, ‘You are His disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where He is from…You were born entirely in sins, and are you teaching us?’  So, they put him out (of the synagogue).”  Excerpts John 9:24-34 (NASB)

The formerly blind man was kicked out of the social order.  The synagogue was his “safety net” for survival.  He lost just about everything.  So it would be for most of the followers of Jesus.  The Apostle  Paul was constantly harassed by those who hated Jesus.  There is joy with people who truly understand what is going on within us when Jesus brings a new birth.  But with most, there is trouble for following Jesus.  This is what we know: when we confessed our sins to God; when we came to Jesus in real faith, something happened to us that we cannot deny.  We were transferred from blindness to sight; from darkness to light.  Our testimony endures even through the opposition, ill-will, and slander of the world.

The Apostle Paul was a man who endured such things with joy.  He was thankful for the transforming grace of Jesus Christ.  It meant more to him than any career; any possession; any goodwill the world could offer.  He was astounded about what God had done in his life.  Paul’s testimony gives us his attitude from his own pen, “More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ.”  Philippians 3:8 (NASB)

A prayer…“Father in heaven, thank you for Your transforming grace in Jesus Christ.  I pray that you would help me be a witness for Jesus.  I am astounded by what you have done in my life!  Help me, today, to speak gracefully to those who really do not understand what happened.  Support me now, O Lord, to speak with kindness to them, no matter what they may say against You, or do to me.  In Jesus name, Amen.”

George Cargill

 

 

All the people of the world are being subjected to unspeakable acts of violence.  On every continent, there are people who murder, rape, and oppress others who do not share their religion, politics, world view, or whatever else that drives men mad.  We pass laws, increase the numbers of police, debate the issue, and elect new leaders.  But still, with all our laws, the problem persists.  Laws exist because of law-breakers, who by definition, scoff at laws.  Something is wrong with humanity.  All we have to do to understand this is to open our eyes and ears to what is happening in the world around us.  We have just emerged from a century that was the bloodiest in history.   People, wondering about the causes of mass murder, scratch their heads with foreboding at the coming century.  Jesus told us where the problem exists.  It is in the hearts of people.

“For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders.” Matthew 15:19 (NASB)

The story is as old as humanity.  The problem resides in the heart of every individual who comes into the world.  Each one of us must admit that we have a sin problem.  We must do our part to stop the violence.  Each one must repent and surrender to Jesus to be born anew and be filled with Holy Spirit.  When the love of Christ motivates us, there is no room for hate.  Any person, who receives Jesus in true repentance and faith, ceases to be a part of the problem.  Receive Jesus today, surrender all anger, malice, and hatred to Him.  Hatred will be replaced by love.  The human condition will be improved by one heart changed by Christ.

Pastor George