Thursday, December 01, 2005
I just heard a beautiful sermon by Pastor Josh Harris.
It's not just the message that was beautiful.
The beauty lies in God's love for us.
1 john 4:10-11 says :"In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation (the atonement) for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another."
Yes God, there shouldnt be any spirit of fear in expressing our love for one another. Not just towards our sisters in Christ, or our girlfriends, but even to our brothers in Christ!
Romans 12:9-11 speaks of how God wants us Christians to love each other!
" Let love be without hypocrisy (sincere, genuine.. let love be real love!). Abhor (Hate)) what is evil. Cling (Hold tight) to what is good. Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly(& sisterly for the gals..haha) love, in honor giving preference to one another; not lagging in digilence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord.."
Yes! As so many things happened around my life, so many thoughts came into my mind.. be it from leaders, friends, myself etc.. I stopped short to think.. surely there is a God way of loving each another? If God's love is so strong, then surely He must have told us in the Word He has specially written for us about the Godly way, the right love to express and act on for each other?
I was really thinking..If I'm an Asian, does it mean that I'm to express my love more conservatively? Then if I'm a Concausian, I'll be entitled to be more expressive forms of love?
NO!! It just does not connect!
I'm not bound by the cultures I'm place in! It's not the Asian values, nor the Asian cultures that should refrain the way anyone should express their love! I'm a child of God! Surely the Kingdom of God shall reign above and take precedence over any other culture!
Expressing real love is not just a European, American thing! IT'S A GOD THING!
The sermon refreshed what I knew as love. Everyone should not feel awkward expressing their love towards brothers and sisters in Christ simply because they are of the opposite sex,or they're afraid of starring eyes and suspision! No.
But just like what Romans 12:9 said, we must be SINCERE & GENUINE in our love.
we must HATE what God HATES, inorder to ensure that our love is Godly, it is pure!
WE must HOLD TIGHT to what is good and keep feeding on it!
Oh man.. This sermon really brought to light my fears of ministering to brothers in my cg.
Indeed, "to the pure,all things are pure"! The pure love that I give out to the brothers in church, coupled with God's wisdom and grace, will be received and understood as being pure!
I go forth with the authority of Christ and the love of God in building Godly friendships and relationships with both sisters and brothers in Christ! In Christ, there is liberty! There is freedom in real love! Amen!!!!=D
### click on the word "Link" at the bottom of this entry.. It is the wonderful sermon. It will change your perspective of what it means to show God's love. God is good.. All the time.=)
It's not just the message that was beautiful.
The beauty lies in God's love for us.
1 john 4:10-11 says :"In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation (the atonement) for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another."
Yes God, there shouldnt be any spirit of fear in expressing our love for one another. Not just towards our sisters in Christ, or our girlfriends, but even to our brothers in Christ!
Romans 12:9-11 speaks of how God wants us Christians to love each other!
" Let love be without hypocrisy (sincere, genuine.. let love be real love!). Abhor (Hate)) what is evil. Cling (Hold tight) to what is good. Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly(& sisterly for the gals..haha) love, in honor giving preference to one another; not lagging in digilence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord.."
Yes! As so many things happened around my life, so many thoughts came into my mind.. be it from leaders, friends, myself etc.. I stopped short to think.. surely there is a God way of loving each another? If God's love is so strong, then surely He must have told us in the Word He has specially written for us about the Godly way, the right love to express and act on for each other?
I was really thinking..If I'm an Asian, does it mean that I'm to express my love more conservatively? Then if I'm a Concausian, I'll be entitled to be more expressive forms of love?
NO!! It just does not connect!
I'm not bound by the cultures I'm place in! It's not the Asian values, nor the Asian cultures that should refrain the way anyone should express their love! I'm a child of God! Surely the Kingdom of God shall reign above and take precedence over any other culture!
Expressing real love is not just a European, American thing! IT'S A GOD THING!
The sermon refreshed what I knew as love. Everyone should not feel awkward expressing their love towards brothers and sisters in Christ simply because they are of the opposite sex,or they're afraid of starring eyes and suspision! No.
But just like what Romans 12:9 said, we must be SINCERE & GENUINE in our love.
we must HATE what God HATES, inorder to ensure that our love is Godly, it is pure!
WE must HOLD TIGHT to what is good and keep feeding on it!
Oh man.. This sermon really brought to light my fears of ministering to brothers in my cg.
Indeed, "to the pure,all things are pure"! The pure love that I give out to the brothers in church, coupled with God's wisdom and grace, will be received and understood as being pure!
I go forth with the authority of Christ and the love of God in building Godly friendships and relationships with both sisters and brothers in Christ! In Christ, there is liberty! There is freedom in real love! Amen!!!!=D
### click on the word "Link" at the bottom of this entry.. It is the wonderful sermon. It will change your perspective of what it means to show God's love. God is good.. All the time.=)
what i look forward to, 6:44 PM.
