Lamentations 1:9

Lamentations 1:9 - Her uncleanness is in her skirts; She did not consider her destiny; Therefore her collapse was awesome; She had no comforter. "O LORD, behold my affliction, For the enemy is exalted!"

It is absolutely true that those who does not consider their destiny is bound for a great and unexpected fall. The people of Israel at that time were consistently flooded with an ambience of tranquillity and prosperity. Their prophets were preaching "Peace, peace" to everyone, and the citizens believed them (Jeremiah 6:14, 8:11). They had the economical and political results to support their claims, and thus none of them considered the future, or the words of God's prophets. When Jeremiah sounded the alarm in the Temple, he was rebuked and mistreated. The blindness of their sins truly made them ignorant of the signs to God's accumulating wrath. Instead, they were giving much thought to their own ambitions - everyone according to their hearts desires (Isaiah 53:6). 

No wonder at the first blow from Babylon, the hearts of many fell! They were shocked (How could the 'people' of God be afflicted such?) They were confused (Where is God?)! They were angry (How can God leaven them?)! It is sad that they heeded not the Scriptures which told them the repercussions of their rebelliousness, many years in advance. 

Deuteronomy 28:36-37 - "The LORD will bring you and the king whom you set over you to a nation which neither you nor your fathers have known, and there you shall serve other gods--wood and stone.  (37)  And you shall become an astonishment, a proverb, and a byword among all nations where the LORD will drive you.

Are we living in similar days? I believe that we are. It is sad that so many people (ourselves included) have not considered our spiritual destiny and what happens if we are not responding to it properly. The Day of Judgement WILL come upon us suddenly. Will it be a shock, an awesome sight that will signal our failure to heed God's warning? Will we collapse unto the ground regretting that we had thrown whatever privilege we had of responding properly to it? Time will tell. The clock is already ticking!

Lamentations 1:5

Lamentations 1:5  Her adversaries have become the master, Her enemies prosper; For the LORD has afflicted her Because of the multitude of her transgressions. Her children have gone into captivity before the enemy.

I am always amazed in the forgetfulness of the human heart. My heart forgets this truth often, in the midst of living: justice will find us. It found out Judah in the days of Jeremiah. Even though for many years the city enjoyed prosperity and much external peace, the fact was this: their sins were accumulating. Judah was multiplying sins against the Lord. The problem was so hidden from their minds because it was festering in the depths of their heart. But God's silence is never an approval of the deeds of man (Psalm 50:21). In due time He will call for justice; Judah is judged and found wanting. The punishment for their rebelliousness and idolatry is bondage to their enemies. They thought they were victorious over their ancient enemies, but the tables were turned in a moment! The Lord delivered them up to their hearts' worst fears - they lose all their privileges and comforts of before. Here is the picture of judgement upon sinners - a realisation of their fears which they thought they could ignore or avoid. So many forget that vigilance upon our deceitful heart is necessary to bring us under constant humility to God's salvation. If we slack, or if we choose to indulge in the life of idolatry; be prepared to reap the fruits of our rebelliousness. Justice will meet us!

To Obey is Better than Sacrifice

The problem with modern evangelical Christians is the emphasis on a person's 'service' over 'obedience'. There are many professing Christians who are so eager to be in the limelight in singing, music, teaching & other 'works of services', but neglecting the more important things like being the 'salt of the earth & light of the world' (Matthew 5:13-14) at home, at work, at school & at leisure.

A person's Christianity has nothing to do with how much a person serves in the local church but how much change the Lord has done by grace through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. This warning is given by Christ in Matthew 7:21-23 - "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'"

Yes, there will be many on that Day who will claim zeal in all the external works but the declaration by Christ is - not only I never knew you, but you who practice 'LAWLESSNESS'.

Sadly, many believe that being a Christian is freedom to do as they like. This attitude is not found in the Bible at all. It was the attitude of the pagans. Instead the Christian believes what is written in 1 John 5:3 - "For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome" and in Romans 6:18 - "And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness".

Probably, the main reason why they like to do so is because 'external services' are easier to 'manage and control', but not their attitude and heart. The cry of the Christian should always be "Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me" (Psalms 51:10). Life experiences have shown how many so called 'zealous Christians' are so good at being at the limelight but at home, they have not even attempted to obey the 5th commandment - "Honour your father and your mother" (Exodus 20:12).

Why are so many continuing with 'service' over 'obedience'? Because to believe otherwise is INCONVENIENT.

It is something that is impossible for the wretched sinner whose works of righteousness are like filthy rags. And that is right - for salvation is wholly by God's Grace upon unworthy, destitute sinners.

"Has 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 heed than the fat of rams" - 1 Samuel 15:22

Love... rejoices in truth

The prevailing thought in many people's mind concerning love and truth is this: white lies are necessary in maintaining a 'healthy' relationship. I use the term 'white lies' to refer to the notion of telling 'harmless' lies. The problem with this is - truth gets sidelined and replaced by un-truths. We are basically building a relationship, an environment that is 'made-believed' or conforms to 'what-you-want-to-see'. Whatever the excuses may be, lies are always easier to swallow then the pure truth of a situation. Truth exposes while lies cover up. This obviously shows how 'soft' our society has been. Truth hurts for it shows who we really are. Truth takes time and attention as it slowly peals off the layers of covers we put on ourselves. But the benefits of confronting truth is equally, if not more, powerful! Truth gives certainty. Truth leads us to God. Think about it, our reluctance to face the truth is truly a reluctance to come under God's All-knowing sight! We fear Him, though He already knows the depths of our heart. We try to run away, though there is no where that we can flee to. And yet truth ultimately drives poor, wretched sinners like us (who despair at our unworthiness and pile of sins) to turn to God for relieve and redemption. That is why true love, rejoices in truth. Truth always leads us back to the reality of God as the dealer of justice and dispenser of mercy. No wonder Jesus Christ uttered these words in John 14:6  - I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

On Pole Dancing & Other Worldly Practices...

When "professing Christian churches" are advocating pole-dancing & other forms of practices that arises from licentious origins, one have to wonder what kind of spirit dominates the church. All these talk of being 'relevant' is just an excuse for worldliness which the Holy Spirit does not condone, but less allow (Galatians 5:16). We are called to battle 'fleshly lust' not exult in it (1 Peter 2:11). Yet the spirit of our generation is one of 'glorifying in the flesh' and on our 'rights to show forth my body' - a far cry from submitting to the fact that Christian lives are no longer our own, but Christ', since it has been blood-bought. A true measure of one's spiritual maturity is never the exercise of 'liberty' but the exercise of 'self-control'. Judgement ultimately comes from the revealed Word of God; not our human sentiments.

Romans Chapter 3

We have considered in the first two chapters, the origin of sin and how it shows itself in the churched (Jews) and the un-churched (Gentiles). The Jews and Gentiles are not different in their natures. They are both judged unfavourably because of sin in them. The conclusion of that presents itself in the form of three arguments from verses 1-9 of Romans 3:

1) Is God unfaithful to His Covenant if some in the covenant are disobedient? (v.3)
Answer: No, for only those who are made obedient are in the Covenant - thus God is true and man is false in presuming upon their own faithfulness that is non-existent.

2) Is God unjust to condemn those disobedient, when it is the disobedient that is made righteous before Him? (v.5)
Answer: No, for all who are disobedient deserves death already. Obedience is given by grace, not by any action from the disobedient.

3) If God justifies the unjust/disobedient, should those justified not seek to increase God's grace by being more disobedient? (v.8)
Answer: No, for further disobedience would show that they are still in their trespasses and sin and not justified.

Therefore, all (everyone who has lived, are alive and will live) are under the power of sin - they are all guilty before God (v.9, 19). There is no advantage among sinners to justify themselves for sin breaks the Law (v.20) for there is nothing in them that is commendable (v.10-18). Rather, the only advantage to the Jews is the anticipation of salvation that comes from God apart from their own works (actions or merit) which is hidden and prophesied in the Law and the Prophets (v.21). How sad that the Law and Prophets were unheeded by the Jews in general because of their self-righteousness. Ultimately, true righteousness (which gives us salvation) comes through faith in Jesus Christ. We are made clean (justified) by God's free mercy and grace in the Person and Works of Jesus Christ.

The result upon those who are truly saved are these:

• They cannot boast of any advantage (v.27)
• They come from all the nations (v.29)
• They show a changed life in loving the law (v.31)

Lessons:

• Judgement upon men is just. It justly falls upon those who have a Christian background and on those who do not have such privileges. There are no arguments that can justify ourselves before the Holy God. Those who had the privilege of hearing this truth ought to come to Christ sooner. Unfortunately, it is usually the opposite case, as in the Israelites! Truly the first shall be last and the last shall be first. 
• Realisation of human depravity (hopelessness and helplessness) ought to throw us into the arms of God's saviour. However, in history and experience we see that men would rather believe in their own self-righteousness which promises salvation by good works. It is because of this belief that many reject the true righteousness that comes freely through God's grace! Instead they boast in themselves and discriminate others by their outward pretension of holiness; inwardly they remain condemned. 

Applications:

1. There are many people who accuse God of being unjust or unfair in His dealings with the peoples in the world. Is He too lenient on the Gentiles and too strict on the Jews? Explain your answers.
2. What is the biggest hindrances that people have to a salvation that is entirely given by God to undeserving sinners based on God's own pleasure and will? Can these hindrances in a person be detected in church? Give some examples of how they can be detected (identified) in church and any methods to take away these hindrances.

Love... thinks no evil

It might be slightly surprising to find the word 'evil' used here. Can love be 'evil'? Not unless you have a 'love' for depraved things like murder, robbery, adultery and the like. All reasonable persons who read this would think it surely cannot be relevant to them, since most people are 'law-abiding' people who are religious and perform their civil duties of paying taxes and of voting? However, we are thinking based on the 21st century definition of the word - which is narrow and limiting in its scope. "Evil" can mean anything from 'immoral' to 'harmful' and 'worthless'. Basically, anything that is negative in its motivation or effect. Anything that puts self, man and temporal pleasures at the fore speaks of such 'evil'. Think about it for a moment - when was the last time we looked at a loved one and we focused on their weaknesses? When was the last time we expect them to 'change' for 'the better'? The result of our thoughts are seen by our complaints, our nagging words, our disappointed tone, our superior view and many other ways. It is just so easy to see the other person's flaws and their broken promises, but we forget that the person who is in our life is a God-created creature that is fashioned in His-likeness (Genesis 1:27). Of course mankind is intrinsically flawed and without spiritual beauty, yet we cannot deny the value God placed upon His creatures by the token of life given freely to them! When we put others down, whether through our actions or by our mere thoughts, we are proclaiming our self-worth, which before God - does not exist! Consider this sobering truth in - Ecclesiastes 7:20 - For there is not a just man on earth who does good and does not sin, Isaiah 41:24 - Indeed you are nothing, And your work is nothing; He who chooses you is an abomination, and Job 25:6 - How much less man, who is a maggot, And a son of man, who is a worm?

Friend, love truly confers no evil or harm on others but seek their prosperity and blessings. If we are called in Matthew 5:44 to - ... love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you... how much more ought we to do with those who are our family members, friends, colleagues and acquaintances? Let us seek their spiritual good by blessing them. Let us show grace that would encourage them to the paths of righteousness. Let us truly be that 'friend' that reflects the deep love Christ gave to His 'enemies' - Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 - Two are better than one, Because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, For he has no one to help him up. Let us show Christ in our love, and expel all seeds of self-righteousness and moral superiority from our 'love for one another'. Amen!

Love is not... provoked

The original language of the New Testament is Greek and sometimes we come across a word that needs some extra background information. The word used at this juncture is "paroxunō", which is derived from two other words - sharpen alongside ('para' means 'next to' or 'near' and 'oxunō' means 'sharpen'). To capture the essence of what is conveyed, let us read it again - love is not 'to sharpen next to each other'. Provoke does convey some of that meaning, but so does 'irritate', 'frustrate' and 'exasperate'. 

In experience, irritation comes from insensitivity from one party and over-sensitivity of the other party. For one party it is a joke done in earnest love. For the other party it is an insult done with cruel intentions. Those who have been in friendships for years can attest to how practical this problem is. Of course it happens in seasons, but that is the point - true love should not irritate each other. The cure of this is the opposite of irritation - "like-mindedness". This is used by the apostle Paul in another letter as a remedy for rifts and conflicts between two believers; 

Philippians 2:1-4 - "Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy,  (2)  fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.  (3)  Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.  (4)  Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others." [this is the prelude advice to its application in Philippians 4:2 to the two believers mentioned - I implore Euodia and I implore Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord.]

Love in Christ truly covers a multitude of wrong-doings and sensitivities that we may have with our imperfect brethren on earth. If Christ' love for us forgives us of our wretched sins, shall not the minor sins of our brethren be quickly forgiven us?

Romans Chapter 2 (Part 2)

We are continuing in chapter 2, but from verses 17-29.

Here it deals with the hypocrisy of ALL man, regardless of their outward profession and knowledge. The Jews had the Word of God entrusted to them (as given to them at Mount Sinai in Exodus 20 onwards). They thought that having the knowledge and obeying the letter of the Law/Commandments were sufficient to make them righteous before God. The sad truth is this: they were no better than the Gentiles who were godless - they did not have the true spirit of obedience. An example given is in regards to circumcision. They thought that the act of circumcision makes them 'holy', yet read verse 28-29: true circumcision is not external, but internal - cutting off sin and rebelliousness from the stubborn heart. How sad it is if we are happy with an outward/superficial obedience to God's Word but missed out on the important part.

Lessons: 

• There is a difference between outward obedience that follows the letter of the Law and between inward obedience that follows in the Spirit. The former shows a form of religion. The latter shows true religion!
• Hypocrisy is a damning sin which purposely makes us feel good about ourselves by making others seem useless. It is often seen in religious groupings who are zealous over their 'works' and over their 'traditions'. 

Applications:

1. Do these lessons apply to the modern church as well or are they only applicable to the Jews in Paul's time? In what ways do we see churches obeying only the outward forms of religion, but not having true inward religion?
2. Do we acknowledge the hypocrisy that exist in us? Are we honest about our faults (as it is described by Paul in verses 21-23)? Humility is the 'fruit' of such honesty before God. Can we dare to consider that we are 'broken' and 'humble' before God? Let us take comfort in this verse from Isaiah 66:2 -“But on this one will I look [upon]: On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, And who trembles at My word".

Romans Chapter 2 (Part 1)

There are two parts to this chapter, the first from verse 1 - 16 and the second from verse 17 - 29.

The first part deals with the standard of God's demand on man. This is important because God is the judge of our souls, since He is our Creator. Just as it is with us and our belongings (where we decide what to do with our own belongings), so it is with God (in a more perfect sense) to judge His creatures which He had given life to. Let us be mindful of this, lest we think ourselves too highly and judge others. Instead, let us understand that God is the One true Judge - He punishes those who are rebellious and unrighteous in going against God's Word (verses 5, 8,9). In contrast, He rewards those who are good and who glorifies God by their actions (verses 7, 10). This is not only applicable to 'churched' people who have known God's Law, and are able to have the moral grounding that is seen in civilised nations, but also to those who are uncivilised (e.g. lost tribes in the world that have not met with modern civilisations). They too have the knowledge of God and the need to worship Him hidden in their hearts (alluded to in Romans 1:18-20). Thus, God will judge all men, whether churched or unchurched, by Jesus Christ (who is the Judge to come) and according to His gospel (that there is no other saviour besides God's way).

Lessons: 

• We must be very careful NOT to judge (condemn) others in our hearts (see Matthew 7:1). This does not mean we cannot have an 'opinion' on them or to 'weigh up their attitudes' (see Matthew 7:6), but it means we cannot condemn a person with no pity in our eyes, for we are NOT the ultimate judge.
• We must acknowledge that God has standards in His Judgements. This is nothing about what 'we think', but everything to do with what He has set. Condemnation to hell for those who do not meet His righteousness (fitting since defective creatures have no place in a perfect dwelling) while a Heavenly Reward for those who do meet His righteous standard (heaven is fit for those who are perfect, see Matthew 5:48). 

Applications:

1. There are many in the world who rejoices to see others who are 'worse sinners' than themselves. It somehow gives them a comfort that 'they are not as bad as others'. The opposite is also true, that there are those who don't think their sins are 'a big thing' since everyone sins. What is your position on this? What ought we to think when we are confronted with sin?
2. The destiny of our souls really are according to the condition of our hearts. God is just in His judgements. We ought to fear His judgement since He sees everything. Why are we sometimes not fearful of His judgements? What are some ways to bring back the 'fear of God' into man (and of course, ourselves)?

Romans Chapter 1

The following are an ongoing study which I am writing to help some people to go through the book of Romans. This is obviously a difficult book where one can spend a lifetime preaching from it and yet it is also a simple book that fundamentally preaches a simple message concerning faith and salvation in Jesus Christ. I hope you will find these short studies beneficial (for whoever who stumbles upon this):

Chapter 1:

We are creatures that are made by God. We have evidence and proof of this if we only pause and think about it (v.19-20). But the problem is, we do not pause except to dwell on our hurts, our emotions, our own self-pity/indulgence. Instead, we fill our whole lives with man-made things and achievements to the extent that the things that God has made is clouded by our own things. Nevertheless, all of Creation bears testimony to the One God who created all things (not only nature, but also our own lives. Have we not wondered the complexities that make up our lives?). By definition of Him being our Creator, God demands to be worshipped for He is the only one worthy of it. Because we disobey that clear command, we progress deeper into our sins (v.24-32). That is why the more stubborn a person is in their disobedience, the more sinful and blinded they become; they sit in a perpetual spiritual darkness that they are happy with (Luke 1:79a).

Lessons:

The problem with many who profess (call themselves) to be Christians is their inconsistency. At times, they are moved by much affection (feeling) that they confess that they are sinners before God. But as time goes on, we find that these 'professing Christians' begin to lose sight of their sin. They begin to find confidence in their achievements and their experience. In fact, they begin to accept that they are sinners and that it is OK to be one. Excuses are usually given when others point them to God and their need to really understand their spiritual condition.

Applications:

1. What are some of the things in the life of 'professing Christians' that take away their belief that God alone ought to be worshipped? 
2. Where do these 'distractions' come from? 
3. Do we secretly keep such distractions in our lives, especially during times when we ought to worship God? 

Love does not... seek its own

It is common to find a self-centred preoccupation in our generation. This is advocated mainly from the West, in its marketing of 'human rights' and 'human worth' which comes out strongly in the mass media imported to the East. In the East, the preoccupation is more on the family unit... the social good, rather than on the individual. We cannot deny the penetration of Western ideals into our society as young children are now insisting on them exercising their 'individual rights'. I am not referring to political or even societal issues, but down to the practical relationships. More and more conflicts are arising due to the over demanding tone of people insisting for their own 'happiness' and 'pleasures'. This is reflected in the way people are responding to their wants not being fulfilled - they complain, demonstrate, vent out their frustration and seek attention of others to soothe their bruised ego. It is surprising that this behaviour is labelled as 'love' in our generation. It seems that 'love' is what happens when someone fulfils our heart's desire. How sad.

True love seeks the good of others. It insists on what is important and condescends to fit the person's need. Love does not seek its own greatness, attention, ego and everything that is derivative of those mentioned. Rather, true love seek others good, takes care of their predicament, considers their weaknesses. No greater example is shown than Jesus Christ' own in Romans 5:8 - But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. While we were still sinners, Christ obeyed His Father's Will - dying for unworthy sinners by bearing their sins upon His body. He looked not for His own prominence. In fact, He often withdrew Himself from unwanted attention. He chose to seek the good of others - sinners! How cheap our worldly love is in comparison to the Son of God's love? Best part? Jesus Christ did this not on account of any good that is in us or any potential good in us. It is out of His sovereign mercy and grace.

Love does not... behave rudely

One of the things that I remember from my uni Christian fellowship days is the fondly used term - "Radical Love". This was in the late 90's when many people were trying to be 'radical' and 'different' especially in enticing the young people into churches or para-church organisations. While the more liberal styled professors of Christianity tend to view radical love in emphasis on social works, we have the conservative believers who view it as 'speaking the truth in love' (Ephesians 4:15). Unfortunately for them, in their minds, it is more like "speaking the truth... in love" (emphasis mine). Here are Christian believers believing that it is all right to be blunt and rude - to slap sense to their 'beloved' brethren. The sad truth is that in family lives, there are many who speak to each other in an abusive, rude manner. Name-calling and even at the spur of the moment, cuss words are uttered. All these are justifiable by the one who utters them with the claim - "I did it for love". Friends, if the Lord Jesus Christ controls Himself in His rebukes and rejection of the high and mighty Pharisees and tempers His own anger by showing mercy to His enemies, what more should we do for our brethren if we declare ourselves His disciples? Let love truly be with politeness and care rather than the harsh tones of arrogance and pride. Let love be not rude!

Love does not... parade itself

In the ancient world, or maybe even 100 years ago, man put lesser significance on dates and numbers to their personal lives than the average Joe does today. Aside from religion-influenced culture, we find many fixing dates that are 'significant' or 'auspicious' to them for their marriage, child-birth and baptism. The modern rational justifies it as commemorative in purpose - but it is fundamentally attention-seeking. Such preoccupation almost certainly centres the attention to self - giving and making opportunities for one to be 'puffed-up'. Thus, the world is abuzz on Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, Father's Day and what-other-relationships-Days one may have.

Christians are given a perpetual concept that surpasses them all in John 13:34 - A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. Love everyone in our circles as often as you are able, everyday, every time and extend your circles for your neighbour is any one who is in need (Luke 10:36-37). True love is fundamentally hidden from the world, but it is consistent, passionate, willing and unrelenting. Even though true gracious love was shown at the cross, some two thousand years ago, when the Just dies for unjust men, yet that love visits the heart of sinners in every generation in an invisible manner spurring those to in turn love others and not self. What blessedness is this for the one who heeds this warning and guards his heart from loving in a wrong, worldly manner?

Love does not... envy

There is a fundamental difference between envy and jealousy. The former comes out of a desire for something that is not the person's while the latter comes out of a desire to prevent what a person has from lost.

Christian love perpetuates the joy and faith of the other person. This is in contrast to the worldly notion of fighting and competing with others for things (whatever form or shape it may come in, e.g. friends, job, results, approval and much more). Evolution teaches and gives a reason for the 'survival of the fittest' - only the strong receives more.

By contrast, God not only teaches about loving others but shows how we should love other by sending His only Begotten Son into this fallen world to save a people for Himself. Creatures of sin cannot bear others in their joy, and thus seek to 'share' or 'possess' the same spoils for themselves. This gives rise to hypocrisy and manipulation as they (spurred by fleshly desires) seek to gain from other people's loss.

Instead, true love rejoices in people's achievements and joy - we do everything to perpetuate and grow their joy. Love is truly without envy but is full of loving others as we love our own bodies (Matthew 7:12). Let us consider our love towards our Christian brethren rightly, and love them in a way that God is glorified even further in their rejoicing!

Love is... kind

This may be obvious to us. Kindness is an act of love or favour shown to another. We expect this from a loved one, but it is a rare trait amongst those whom we live with day to day, week to week or even month to month. Familiarity breeds contempt and this statement is more often true than false.

Modern day love is very big on the grand scale of things, but very poor in the other days of the year. Instead of kindness, we are rough and at times abusive in speech and behaviour. We expect certain things to be done in a particular way, and when it is not, we are angry. It is more believable if it was written - 'love is fearful or angry'. But the Lord Jesus Christ, in His earthly ministry, showed much kindness even to his enemies. Even the demons knew the power and authority that Jesus Christ had to immediately throw them into everlasting torture (Matthew 8:29) if He so wished. But to the Scribes, particularly to the Pharisees, He was gentle in His rebukes.

This is what we need in our lives - true kindness that is not contingent (dependent) on circumstances which suits us. Love is truly kind. Love one another rightly!

Love is... longsuffering

There are many who like to quote 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 - Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up;  (5)  does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil;  (6)  does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth;  (7)  bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.  (8)  Love never fails. It is for all intent and purposes, a good definition of love although not an exhaustive one. In light of the world's preoccupation with Valentine's day, which is pagan in origins (contrary to what some may say - http://goo.gl/AGsDW), true Christian believers ought to keep in mind the core principle of separation and consecration to the Lord as outlined by Paul in Romans 12:2 - And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. The world's love is sadly generic, sexual, provocative and self-centred by nature.

In the first instance, we are told that Christian love (I deliberately contrast the love described in Scriptures with the world's definition) 'suffers long'. Some translations have the word 'patient'. It is rightly understood in the sense of bearing up with wrong-doings, as God does when dealing with sinners. See 2 Peter 3:9 - The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. It is love that withholds His justice from being meted out immediately upon sinners. His delay in punishing evildoers is not dependent on any sinner's 'good works' but rests entirely on His longsuffering. It is this aspect of God's love that was shown in Jesus Christ' incarnation, where the Son of God condescended to dwell among sinners. It is much like the richest and noblest man who willingly sets aside his status and rights, instead living with the wicked, poor and detestable people. It is sad to see that modern love is not longsuffering - instead, it is always conditional and quick to be broken. For Christians believers, the truth in Proverbs 10:12 - ...love covers all sins is an experiential truth. May we learn to bear up with one another, in a love that reflects God's longsuffering to sinners like us.

Inauguration

A blog (informal writing space) for me to put down into words the things that have been digesting in my mind. It is a more personal space that is reserved for friends to ponder, discuss and hopefully, be edified by the postings. Spiritual reflections only; expect nothing else.