Wow how quickly this world can turn from grateful to hateful! It seems like the enemy is always trying to steal your joy, even on a Sunday! What should have been the Lord’s Day became a halftime headache and then heartache for me. I went from worshipping Him and being grateful for one more day, especially after just losing our editor to cancer this past week, to wondering how a halftime show could become so hated and controversial.

I had started my day “having church” but ended the day trying to convince people to “BE THE CHURCH.” It truly broke my heart to see that our country and so many who claim Christianity are falling into the enemy’s trap and losing compassion for people.

As I celebrated Elevation’s 20th year of ministry, I cried and couldn’t even put into words the gratefulness I felt that God loved me enough to give me one more day. I have survived many battles. So Sunday morning I couldn’t stop crying because I was so grateful to Him for pulling me out of the hell I had been going through, both mentally and physically.

As the worship leaders sang the song “One More Day” by Sons of Sunday every word rang true with my spirit man.

“I’m a sinner, grace is still healing. I’m a story, time is revealing. I’m all of these things but mostly I’m thankful. I’m a fighter, caught in a struggle. A survivor, rising above it. I’m all of these things, but mostly I’m thankful. ‘Cause You gave me one more day to say I love You. You brought me all this way to testify of Your grace. What more can I say, but Hallelujah! Thank You, Jesus… ‘Cause You gave me one more day.”

So as I prayed and worshipped I sang song after song uplifting my Father with the worship team. Then came the Super Bowl on Sunday evening, and a halftime show that divided people yet again. I wondered why so many people felt threatened by an American singing in his mother’s native tongue who tried to say love is greater than hate. Why could some only hear a foreign language but not feel and see the message of love because we are all God’s children?

Jesus is for everyone. He died for every skin color, every gender, and every nationality.

We are not “Making America Great Again” when we belittle others and choose hate over love.

I John 4:20 says “Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen.”

This is why I say “Come on, Church, be THE CHURCH!” Stop falling into the traps of the enemy because the devil is a liar and only wants to kill, steal and destroy. But Jesus came to give us life and that more abundantly.

I know Heaven will be full of every color and every tongue that confesses that Jesus is Lord! But I promise you, heaven won’t be full of liars and haters.

Like it or not this man spoke the truth “THE ONLY THING MORE POWERFUL THAN HATE IS LOVE.

God is LOVE! Not hate. Not one race. Not one nationality. Not a certain political party. Not a specific gender. Not even a certain denomination. Jesus is no respecter of persons. (Rom.2:11) So why tear down a man handing his Grammy to a little boy who might dare to believe that he too could one day stand on a stage in front of 135.4 million views with a message of love and hope?

Jesus was able to hate the sin and still love the sinner. Romans 5:8 says “But God demonstrated his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Christ could have chosen to condemn the whole world but He covered it instead.

1 Peter 4:8 says “Love covers a multitude of sins.” As the enemy divides everyone on everything in these last days, we are failing as a nation and as The Church.

If God says in Leviticus 19:18 “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself: I am the Lord” then I’m going to do my best to do it. If Jesus can show compassion not contempt, so can I.

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:34-35) It’s time we start being grateful and not hateful. It’s time to fight against the enemy not ourselves. Speak the truth in love and fight for each other, not against each other. Then Jesus will know that you are truly His.