The Argentinian pastor Juan Carlos Ortiz stood up to preach one Sunday and read three words of Jesus, “Love one another.” Then he sat down. After a few minutes Ortiz got up and again said, “Love one another” and sat down. The congregation began to stir nervously. So, Ortiz got up a third time and said, “Love one another” and sat down.

A man in the front row leaned over to the next man and said, “Is there anything I can do for you?” Gradually people from across the congregation began to reach out to one another to share and pray and cry and give to one another’s needs. They were loving one another.
For the next six months, Ortiz preached on the one theme: Love One Another, until they not only understood it but were doing it. Juan Carlos Ortiz believed in the POWER OF REPETITION.
Interestingly, so important were these three words, Love one another, that Jesus repeated them to His disciples on three occasions during His last supper. He didn’t want them just to be hearers of the word, but doers of the word as well. He said it was “Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me.” John14:21

Jesus was aware of the forgetfulness of those who would follow Him and to remind them of the cross He instituted the Lord’s Supper to be celebrated “in remembrance of Me.” 1 Corinthians 11:25 Jesus was aware of the POWER OF REPETITION.

One of Jesus’ disciples, Peter, learned the lesson of the power of repetition with his words in his second letter. “Therefore, I WILL ALWAYS REMIND YOU about these things – even though you already know them and are standing firm in the truth you have been taught.” 2 Peter 1:12
“This is my second letter to you, dear friends, and in both of them I have tried to stimulate your wholesome thinking and REFRESH YOUR MEMORY.” 2 Peter 3:1  Peter was aware of the POWER OF REPETITION.

All through the Bible we find that one of the main problems God has had with His people is that they were forgetful. Time and time again we read, “My people have forgotten me.” Jeremiah 18:13 They continually needed to be reminded of all that God had spoken to them.

Having said all this, beware of the following assumptions:

• Just because people have heard it, don’t automatically assume that they are doing it.
• Just because people have been doing it, don’t automatically assume that they will always continue doing it.
• Just because people are teaching it, don’t automatically assume that they are modelling it.

Twenty-two years ago, I had the privilege of listening to Pastor Wayne Cordeiro teach the four step SOAP Bible Study method – Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer. By following this plan, I have been able to study God’s Word each subsequent year – once through the Old Testament and twice through the New Testament. Each day I receive fresh insight from God’s living word. I too, am thankful for the POWER OF REPETITION.

Be reminded of Moses’ warning to the people of Israel who had seen God’s great acts of judgement exercised against Egypt and God’s great deliverance of them through the Red Sea and God’s great provision for them of food and water: “But watch out! Be careful never to forget what you yourself have seen. Do not let these memories escape from your mind as long as you live! And be sure to pass them on to your children and grandchildren.” Deuteronomy 4:9
Moses too, was aware of the POWER OF REPETITION.