LOVE FROM THE HEART

Peter Chao

The evidence that we have been cleansed by Christ is deep love from our hearts to others.

Peter was writing to Christians undergoing persecution, yet were filled with joy. Their experience of God’s love lifted their spirits despite trials, and extended spontaneous love to others.

Now that you’ve cleaned up your lives by following the truth, love one another as if your lives depended on it. (I Pet.1:22 MSG)

In the early days when the church was persecuted, Roman Emperor Hadrian sent out a spy named Aristides to find out about these strange people called Christians. Aristides concluded his mixed report with immortal words that have echoed down through history: “Behold! How they love one another.”

Today, public opinion castigates Christians: “Behold! How they hurt, or judge, or fight with one another!”

Andrew Jackson was a major general in the Tennessee militia before he became the 7th President of the United States. During the war of 1812, then a general in the militia, he addressed his troops who had reached an all-time low in morale, bickering and fighting among themselves: “Gentlemen! Let’s remember, the enemy is over there!”

That is an appropriate reminder to us today. The Enemy is over there! Stop your infighting! Love one another as if our lives depended on it!

Peter gives us 3 reasons why we need to love each other:

1. We have the same Father
We have all been adopted into God’s family through Jesus Christ. Our backgrounds or credentials are irrelevant. No one is better than another. When we fight, we hurt ourselves and drag God’s Name through the mud of public opinion.

2. We have the same source of instructions
Peter tells us that the seed that brought eternal life to us is the Word of God. We all get our instructions from this common authority, which should unite and join our hearts.

3. We have the same challenges
We all face the same challenges that threaten love in our fellowship. Peter lists 5:

Malice: A wickedness that purposes to hurt and injure others.
Guile: The word means having 2 faces to describe deception or trickery to attain one’s own end – a hidden agenda.
Hypocrisy: Hiding behind a mask; appearing to be someone we are not.
Envy: A hidden resentment over another person’s advantage or privilege that we desire.
Slander: A vicious evil-speaking of others, when the victim is not there to set the record straight. It is often passed off as news or even a prayer item. But it is disparaging gossip that destroys credibility, confidence and reputation.

It’s time for us to pause and look inside our hearts. Is there love for others residing in there? Or am I negative and critical? Snippy and judgmental?

A sign that we have been forgiven by God is the love that comes from our hearts. Only then can we point a world that is desperately looking for love to God.

MINISTRY HIGHLIGHTS

Journeying with Jesus – Studies in the Gospel of Luke
On Jan 18, 2020, Ms Seah Jiak Choo took us on a road trip with Jesus – figuratively, of course. As our spiritual tour guide, she brought the 221 participants to see the historical, geographical and cultural data from Luke’s account of the Gospel.

The Gospel of the Gentiles – as the only Gentile amongst all the authors of Bible, Luke documented the life of Jesus without many Jewish references and ‘insider knowledge’.

The Gospel of Prayer – Luke shows Jesus at prayer before significant moments: His baptism, conflict with Pharisees, choosing the twelve, the transfiguration, and on the cross.

The Gospel of Women – In the days when women were lowly regarded, Luke includes Elizabeth, Anna, the widow of Nain and the wealthy women who supported Jesus’ ministry. He also records women weeping for Jesus as He carried the cross.

The Gospel for the Underdog – Jesus Christ is for all people without disctinction: The Samaritans, the poor, the despised tax collectors, the penitent thief, and the prodigal son.

The Gospel of Praise – Praising God and rejoicing keep recurring.
Luke opens with three wondrous songs of praise: The Magnificat (magnify) by Mary, The Benedictus (blessed) by Zechariah, and The Nunc Dimittis (now dismiss) by Simeon, and he ends with the disciples praising God.

Be sure to hop in and enjoy the rest of the journey with us. Find out more and register at www.eagles.org.sg/er.

UP NEXT – SAVE THE DATE

EPPI Conference 2020
Fri – Sat, Jul 31 – Aug 1, 2020 at Faith Methodist Church Singapore
Speakers: Ken Shigematsu, Paul McGee, Raymond Fong, Philip Lyn, Scott Lindsey, Joseph Chean, Ho Boon Tiong, Edric Sng

EPPI Conference is equipping, enabling, encouraging and empowering preachers and Bible teachers to commmunicate more effectively.

Ken Shigematsu is the Senior Pastor of Tenth Church in Vancouver, BC, one of the largest and most diverse city-center churches in Canada. He is the recipient of the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Medal awarded to Canadians in recognition for their outstanding contribution to the country. Before entering pastoral ministry, he worked for the Sony Corporation in Tokyo and draws on both eastern and western perspectives in writing and speaking.

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