I greet you in Jesus’ precious name! It is Monday morning, the 26th of February, 2024, and this is your friend, Angus Buchan, with a thought for today. 

We start in the Gospel of John 13:34-35: 

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” 

Then we go to 1 John 2:9: 

“He who says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness until now.” 

People will know us by the love that we have for one another. A few years ago, I went to a maximum security prison in our nation of South Africa, and I spoke to inmates who were there for various crimes; these were serious crimes. I asked if I could have an orange overall to put on because I wanted to identify myself with the prisoners, and they gave me one. When I stood on the platform and I had finished preaching, I felt such a love towards these men who were serving their sentences. Yes, they had made mistakes, but they were paying for their mistakes.  

The warden said to me, “Don’t get off the platform and walk among them because it is dangerous -” but I just couldn’t help myself. I jumped off the platform and started walking among them, shaking their hands, telling them that Jesus loves them and that I love them, not their deed but the person, and when I came right to the end, there was one particular man - a very notorious criminal but he had come to know Jesus Christ as his Lord and Saviour. I walked up to him to shake his hand and congratulate him, and as I was about to shake his hand, I felt the Lord say, “Don’t shake his hand, hug him.” And so I just walked up to him and put my arms around him and hugged him and said, “I love you and Jesus loves you too.”

My dear friend, it is a commandment, it is not a suggestion, that we have to love one another. We don’t have to love the deed that they committed, but we have to love the person. Love people - that is a sign of a believer.

Jesus bless you and have a wonderful day,
Goodbye.