The Sign That You Follow Christ

In John 13:34-35 Jesus states, "A new command I give you: Love one another as I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." The sign that you followed Abraham was circumcision. The sign that you followed Moses was keeping the Sabbath. The sign that you followed John the Baptist was that you were baptized. The sign that you follow Jesus Christ is that you love one another. A message that I heard some years ago and using the letters as an acronym, defined love as Listening - what the other person has to say is just as important as what you have to say. The O was for Overlooking - everyone has things in their life that we should look past, and simply love them as they are. V was for Value - we demonstrate love when we affirm the other person's value as one for whom Christ died. The E is simply Expression - that love finds tangible ways to meet needs, show concern, convey encouragement. If love is the sign of a true disciple how vivid is this sign currently in your life? Is it plainly visible for others to see? Or is it distant, unclear, and not much of a sign at all?

Medical note: One of my concerns has been loss of weight, and I am glad to report that after a weight loss of 50 pounds, my weight has stabilized, and in fact I have gained 5 pounds back. Blood work is still done weekly, and the last one showed that enzyme levels are continuing to improve. My saliva is greatly improved, for which I give daily thanks and praise! I continue to counsel, teach, and am scheduled to preach May 24th. As chairman of the National Day of Prayer in our community, which is the first Thursday in May, please join us or a group in your area to pray for our nation on May 8th.