FOR JESUS’ LOVE 4
Leadership Traits
By
Dr. Gale A. Ragan-Reid (July 7, 2017)
“So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs. He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep. He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.” (St. John 21:15-17, King James Version [Christ’s charge to Peter]}
Greetings in the Holy Name of Jesus,
My sisters and brothers, Jesus is real. For Jesus asked Peter, Do you love me? For God gave King Saul a new heart yet and still he disobeyed the voice of the LORD which ended his reign over Israel. He was disloyal to the voice of God coming through Prophet Samuel. “And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king” (I Samuel 15:22-23, KJV [Saul rejected for disobedience]). For Job was a man of integrity who waited on the LORD to turn---to take him out of Satan’s captivity and restore unto him what he had, twice over returning him to health. For Job prayed for his friends and in praying for his friends Job received deliverance from Satan and God blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning (Job 42:10, 12, KJV). For Moses a goodly and proper baby grew up in the palace of Egypt, was raised up and became a man in Pharaoh’s house led his people out of slavery---out of Egypt, “Thus the LORD saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians; and Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the sea shore. And Israel saw that great work which the LORD did upon the Egyptians: and the people feared the LORD, and believed the LORD, and his servant Moses” (Exodus 14: 30-31, KJV [Passage of the Red Sea]).
Interestingly enough, out of the house of Jacob---Joseph was raised up in Pharaoh’s house to leadership and Moses out of the house of Levi was raised up in Pharaoh’s house (Exodus 2:1-10, KJV). For Abraham’s leadership trait was that he was a blessed man. For Abraham a blessed man whose grandson Jacob’s leadership trait was a man of power was himself a father of many nations, for Jacob wrestled with God until the day break; Jacob did not die and God named him Israel (Genesis 32: 24-29, KJV). For Abraham’s son Isaac blessed Jacob. For Isaac said, ”…God give thee of the dew of heaven, and the fatness of the earth, and plenty of corn and wine. Let people serve thee, and nations bow down to
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thee: be lord over thy brethren, and let thy mother’s sons bow down to thee: cursed be every one that curseth thee, and blessed be he that blesseth thee.” (27:28-29, KJV [Jacob deceiveth Isaac]). For Jacob was not called Israel until since he wrestled with God for God touched the hollow of Jacob’s thigh. For as David killed his ten thousands (I Samuel 18:7, KJV), Jacob his forefather was wounded in the hollow of his thigh when he wrestled with God receiving power with God and men[32:28, KJV].
There was a man who came by to help me who said he was also a minister. I did not evaluate a snap shot of a meet/greet between us to see if he was a Peter of love, a king Saul of disloyalty and disobedience, a Job of integrity, an Abraham of blessedness or a Jacob of power. I knew I could not pick up on his leadership traits with one communication in as much as he appeared to be honest and forthright with his intentions to protect the snake---an advocate for the snake. For he was known for his skill with snakes. He advocated for not killing snakes.
This man of apparent support for the snake spoke to me saying things that happened to me as if he knew me and knew of my circumstances and situations in my life and I felt he needed to know just how much I knew, so when he spoke of the gospel and Jesus I responded until he said, “you know.” For many in the deep south are as he said when he left, “ignorant.” He told me that many people called him a racist because he told them he did not like the Jews. I responded that it was cultural for he did as his family did and as his family practiced telling and asking him at the same time and he agreed.
Of course we did not need to discuss that Jews were of a religious sect not a race for he was satisfied that I did not feel he was a racist. I just did not want to get into any confrontations with a man of the wildlife office that came to take snake away. He left the snake but finally he said the snake I described could be a dangerous snake. For he climbed on his ladder and looked on the roof of the porch and when he said he saw it, I was so relieved that he saw it I laughed and at that moment he said he did not see it. Now, I knew he was accustomed to practicing the culture of the deep south, “to agree to disagree” and “no good deed goes unpunished” and all the other adages and sayings of the deep south in the United States of America---the bible belt.
I understand it as hate, for my cousins practiced hate--- such a shame---a low down dirty shame and such a discredit to Jesus, our Savior. I did not want to discuss hate or his dislike of the Jews for many Negroes now African-Americans and Black Americans practice hate. I just knew he would reference black-on-black crime rates across the USA. So, I did not say many Jews do not like Jews for we all know the story of Jesus and how his family---his own family insisted that he die as a sacrifice to save his people even after he already received 40 stripes-whipped and beaten before the people for his supposed offense. I refused to get into the cultural practices but I enjoyed listening to him speak of his military experience in Germany, a place he did not know he came from until he returned to the USA---left the military for not until then did he find out his family were German immigrants to the USA. I think he wanted me to be shocked or reference Hitler but hate was discussed when God warned his children at the time when he gave them the ten commandments not to practice hate yet they disobey and they do
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practice hatred of God after they received the Law of Moses, “Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me:” (Exodus 20:5, KJV [The ten commandments]).even though Jesus said, “This is my commandment, that ye love one another, as I have loved you” (St. John 15:12, KJV).
Most importantly, the fire department’s wildlife man---a minister took out the time to educate me more so on the nature of the snake than anything else what they do and do not do; how many dangerous types are in the State of Georgia---just to leave them alone. He told me—prophesied that when I see the snake just back away. So, the same day I cut the grass and a few days later, snake appeared outside the gate where I walk to go get the mail but it was as if I went into a vision as I stood on the porch --- I saw a crooked stick by the plum trees near the gate but I felt it was a vision that snake was near so I went out towards the gate walking slowly---the crooked stick was gone so I knew it was a vision and there was snake stretched out—outside the gate to let me see the length of itself and I did as the wildlife minister recommended I backed up and left the snake to go its way. My cousin said I should have stayed and watched which way the snake went but my cousin always knows what’s best for someone else.
My cousin is good at practicing hate for he has practiced hate for all his life but I did as recommended and survived to fight another day. When I went out to cut the grass in the ditch and swell area snake was not there---gone his way and I thank God, for not letting snake stay at my family’s estate. LORD, have mercy. Christ have mercy. Amen.
