Autumn 2012

Dear Neighbor,

Stop by the “Autumn Weekends” booth for good food and company. Look for the blue signs in front of the red barn on Hawk Mountain Road. We’re open Saturdays and Sundays from 11:00 till 6:00, September 29 through October 28, with pork barbecue, hamburgers, soup, apple crisp and other good things. You are also welcome to worship at 10:00 a.m. any Sunday.

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What is the first step in learning to love our neighbors?

The first step is not to do evil things to our neighbor because evil is a sin against God. In Isaiah, Jehovah says: “Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes. Cease to do evil, learn to do good” (1:16-17). The Ten Commandments tell us the evil things we must not do: don’t worship other gods, don’t take His name in vain, don’t murder, commit adultery, steal, bear false witness, or covet anything that is our neighbor’s. Not doing evil is the foundation of love.

There are lots of reasons we might not do bad things. We don’t want to look bad, or get in trouble with the law. But these motives only repress evil desires. When we decide not to do what is wrong because it is a sin against God, we begin to work with God to pull up the roots of evil within us. We let the Lord make room in our hearts for love to grow. Only He has the power to replace selfishness with true love. “He who abides in Me and I in him, the same brings forth much fruit; for without Me, you can do nothing” (John 15:5).

So the first step in loving our neighbors is to let the Lord lead us instead of doing our own thing. And the way to open our minds to the Lord’s leading is by being careful not to do evil things because He commands us not to.

The path to heaven is not complicated. Resist doing and meditating evils, because they are sins against God, just once a week or twice a month, and you will notice a change. And the Lord will teach you to love your neighbors as yourself.

Enjoy the autumn!