Live In the Pursuit of Love

Mk 12: 30-31 and you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these.”

The first and great commandment is you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind and to love your neighbor as yourselves. Our primary calling from God is to love Him passionately and to love people.

Loving God passionately involves spending time in His Presence in church or in our private time with the LORD. Spending time in prayer and fasting, worshiping Him and mediating His word are expressions of how much He really means to us, how much we value our relationship with God, how much we love Him.

When we love someone very much, we want to be with them. When I was courting my wife Lois, I would love to be with her though it cost me to drive all the way from Ampang to Taman Melawati.

Those who truly love God are hungry for more of Him. I sometimes wonder how it is possible for us to love God and not spending time with Him. It cannot be done. If you truly love Him, you will wait in His Presence and enjoy His love. But Christians who seldom pray or spend time with Him, they are not really in love with the LORD. Many believers have idols in their hearts; there is no longer space for God. Jesus warned us this as losing our first love for Him.

God wants to have a close, intimate relationship with us because He really and sincerely loves us. Jesus said “Those who love me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and my Father and I will come to them and live with them. If you love Him, He is so excited about your love and He wants to be with you and live with you. He runs to you and makes His residence in you and stay with you.

Those who love the LORD passionately will stay on course. They live to please the LORD. They are willing to give up everything because they love Him. People have difficulty committing their lives to the LORD because they don’t love the LORD the way they should.

Loving God passionately also implies that we seek total obedience to God. Jesus said if you love me you will keep My commandment. We express our love for God through our action in obedience. Jesus tells us to be perfect just as your Father is perfect. This is total 100% obedience to God and loving God with our whole heart. Total obedience is not trying to be sinless but a heart pursuit to live in perfect obedience to God because we love Him. There is a chasing after, to want to follow God from the heart.

Saying no to disobedience is how we can express love to God. The moment we refuse sin, we are saying to God, “I love you. I must not offend You because sin hurts You and You paid a heavy price for my sin.” Any person who sin willfully does not truly love the LORD from the heart.

Many believers love God the convenient way. If it is convenient, easy and comfortable then we will obey but if it demands a sacrifice, not many will want to follow. They will serve the LORD if they can get something from Him. When things get tough, they will not obey the LORD or totally abandon Him. Obedience requires us to respond in faith to what the Word teaches us and what the Spirit is saying from the heart whether it is easy or difficult. And if we pursue to obey God we are loving Him with all our heart.

If you read the stories of great man of God in the bible, this is how they show their love and devotion to God. The main goal in their lives is the pursue of God in total obedience.

David was found faithful before God because he was the man after God's heart. David sought for total obedience to God. David mentioned about his persuit for total obedience in the following psalm;

Psa 101:2-4  My conduct will be faultless. When will you come to me? I will live a pure life in my house and will never tolerate evil. I hate the actions of those who turn away from God; I will have nothing to do with them. I will not be dishonest and will have no dealings with evil.

Paul's main objective in his life was to win the prize of reaching total obedience. Paul used the illustration of running the race in such a way to win the price. This is his goal in life to pursue total obedience to God and to prove of his love for God.

The primary goal in life for Christians should be the pursuit of perfect obedience. Anything less is to love God less. Jesus loves us until the end and He deserve all our love.

We are to love our neighbors as ourselves. Whatever we do must be motivated by love, anything done without love will not profit us. In 1Cor 13  Paul wrote, “I maybe speak in different languages. I may have prophecies, I may give up everything but if I do not have love this does profit me.”

We may have done great ministry, help a lot of people, preach a great sermon or done a lot of things but if they are done for some selfish reasons, self fame and self gain it will not be rewarded in eternity. The motive for our service is so that the other person is blessed and we love the LORD.

I remember when I was a young Christian; I wanted to tell everyone that I have done good for a Christian brother. I wanted to share in the church service about this thing that I did for him and be proud of it. As I was about to do so, I felt an uncomfortable feeling in my chest telling me not to go out. I do not understand what this is but I decided not to go out anyway. Later I understood this is the Holy Spirit rebuking me for doing something because I wanted to be famous. Before this, I never know God can be so real and this is my first experience of God working in my life. I wanted to encourage people to do good but my motive was wrong. So God stopped me from embarrassment and making a fool of myself. Doing a good work can be wrong if our motives are not love.

The positive side is that we can do good works because of the love of God. It is not too difficult to do good works because of the love of God.  Believers have the love of God in them.

Rom 5:5  ...... the love of God has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit given to us.

2Cor 5:14 for the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died

The love of God in us becomes a force that compels us to do good to someone or show love to people. I find this to be true.

A few non Christians friends I know have been telling me that Christians are loving people and do many good works. I believe this is not coincidental that people just do good works for no reasons but the evidence of the Holy Spirit working in a believer, compelling, prompting or moving a person with compassion for others.

As we learn to be obedient to the love of God operating in us, we can see more good works done to others that will glorify God. The more you yield to the force of the love of God in you, the more you can distinguish what is from God and from yourselves.

Some of you have thoughts of helping someone you know who have needs, coming to you again and again. Or when you have not seen a person for a long time you have this concern for that person and you want to call them and find out how they are doing. There is urgency in your spirit and recurring thoughts about doing something for the person. Only after you have said yes to help or reach out to them, there is relief in your spirit. This is the love of God compelling, prompting and touching you to respond to them.

Learn to yield to the love of God in you and you will be able to love people the way you never think you can. God wants to touch people with His love through you.

Eternal Rewards

2 Tim 4:8 finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing

Eph 6: 5-8 Servants, respectfully obey your earthly masters but always with an eye to obeying the real master, Christ. Don't just do what you have to do to get by, but work heartily, as Christ's servants doing what God wants you to do. And work with a smile on your face, always keeping in mind that no matter who happens to be giving the orders, you're really serving God. Good work will get you good pay from the Master, regardless of whether you are slave or free. (The Message)

Once there was this man who had a dream in his sleep. In his dream, Jesus was standing in front of him. Lo and behold, down at his feet was his life time work for the Lord. And suddenly a fire came from the LORD and burned everything on his feet. The fire was to test his work whether it would last or not. And to his great surprise everything was burnt up and nothing remained.

One day every believer will stand before the LORD to give an account on how he or she had lived and used whatever talents given to him or her. The bible teaches that Jesus is a very conscientious business owner. He is our Savior, Master, God and He is also our Boss. He owns everything we have and He expects a good return for every investment or opportunity given to us. Remember the parable of the talents. The Master expects a return from his servants with what was entrusted to them. The lazy servant was rebuked for not doing anything with what was given to him.

My boss is very particular about the bottom line with every business deal. He would ask us about the profit margin and as much we try to convince him to be more realistic in expecting profits, he still insist on making a reasonable gain. Business is all about returns and profits. There is no play play here.

Similarly, I believe Jesus is really serious on how we use His resources. He expects a return from what is entrusted to us. Though He loves us dearly, He views with great concern on our stewardship with what is His. And He doesn’t want us to be wasting away with His goods. And in return for our faithful service, Jesus blesses us with eternal rewards and a place of authority in the afterlife which is far more glorious that we could ever imagine. So we must be busy about God’s business.

As much we want to please God with our stewardship, there are rules that we must work on in order to earn eternal rewards.  God doesn’t see things the way we see. He is not impressed with merely the outward results. A person may have done alot just like the man who had the dream but not gain much reward at all. On the other hand a person may not have done much in the eyes of man but with a right attitude and diligence he or she is greatly rewarded by the LORD.

Firstly, God looks into our hearts first before He looks at our work. What motivates us to do something for Him? Is it because we love Him and people? Or is it for our personal pride, fame, enrichment and selfish gain? In 1Cor 13 the greatest motivation for service is love. Without love, our work is counted as useless, meaningless, nothing.

I remember when I was a young Christian, I wanted to tell everyone that I have done good for a Christian brother. I wanted to share in the church service about this thing that I did for him and be proud of it. As I was about to do so, I felt an uncomfortable feeling in my chest telling me not to go out. I do not understand what this is but I decided not to go out anyway. Later I understood this is the Holy Spirit rebuking me for doing something because I wanted to be famous. Before this, I never know God can be so real and this is my first experience of God working in my life. I wanted to encourage people to do good but my motive was wrong. So God stopped me from embarrassment and making a fool of myself. Doing a good work can be wrong if our motives are not love. So let us be motivated with God’s love when we serve Him and not other reasons.

Secondly, God only pays what He orders. Don’t do anything because it is a popular thing to do. But find out what is your God ordained place in ministry or work and remain faithful in it.

Everyone is called to fulfill the Great Commission and heal the sick. It is non negotiable. My wife Lois, is called to be a pastor. She should remain functioning as a pastor. Some are called into the full time ministry and some are not. God may call some to be in the limelight and some behind the scene. It doesn’t matter what you do for the LORD, as long God calls you into it. Don’t do anything which God didn’t call you into. It can be a struggle to keep up. Moreover, He will only reward you for what He calls you into.

Thirdly, God rewards faithfulness. To be faithful means that you will use your gifts responsibly. Some people are talented with computers but they use it to hack into people's bank account and that is not using your gifts responsibly. All gifts come from God and we are just stewards to use them to do good and be a blessing to others. Of course your gift will provide for you, you get a good pay for a job well done but never use it to break the law, selfish reasons or bring dishonour to God.

To be faithful also means spending effort and time to use and develop your gifting. Some people may have talents but they do not use or develop them. There are people who are lazy and refuse to spend time to brush up their skills. They use their time to do other things which are not beneficial to their gifting and talents. The servant with the one talent should have spent time to do business with the one talent he had but he chose to hide his talent and spent his time doing other things not related to his talent. And he got the nerve to give excuses and blame his master for not doing his job.

I know people who are good in singing but they do not bother to join the worship team because it a hassle for them. Some are good in sales but they never venture into their own business because they are lazy to enrol into business management classes or spend time to study. To be good in your talents you must be willing to learn more and practice regularly.

Athletics may be good at running or playing games but they must spend many hours in training in order to be a champion. If you want more rewards in heaven, be good with what you do and it will bless more people.

To be faithful means to persevere and continue on the job or ministry. Don’t give up easily when you face difficulties or problems, whether you are working or serving in the church

The benefit of staying longer and persevere is that you will learn the trade or ministry better and you can be skillful in your job or ministry. Good working knowledge comes from years of experience and solving problems as they come along. If you are the people who easily give up, you will not learn much and there is not much promotion for you. Remember, in the ministry or in your job, keep doing it despite difficulty or problems. You will gain valuable experience and know how and become a better worker for the LORD.

And lastly faithfulness is always giving thanks to God who has given you the talents. Never forget He is the one who helped you.

A faithful husband or wife will always stick together in good or bad times. If a husband or wife leaves we call them unfaithful. This is how some Christians treat God. Sometimes when we are successful and prosperous we forget about God, we spend a lot of time and effort in our work or talents that we do not come to church, pray to Him or serve Him.

Our talents become our God instead of Father God. It is sad to see Christians when they have nothing, they pray and fast for success and recognition in their business and jobs but when God gives this to them they are no longer in the church. God is looking for faithful people who will continue to seek Him in spite of their success so that He can give them more they can ever dream of.

Let us remain faithful to Him whether we have little or much. Keep on moving with Him and use all our gifts to glorify Him. Be motivated by love for Him and people. And surely when we meet Him we will hear His words whispered into our ears, “Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.”

Please read also the posting Serving God in Our Working Place

A Visit to Hell

John 3: 16 For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that He [even] gave up His only begotten (unique) Son, so that whoever believes in (trusts in, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish (come to destruction, be lost) but have eternal (everlasting) life.

The subject on Hell has caught my attention these past few weeks. I managed to get hold of a few articles about Hell and recently someone posted on YouTube of a lady who shot herself and died. She was sent to hell and came back alive to tell her story. You can check it out by going to the link http://www.godtube.com/watch/?v=KDPPZ7NX.

I know the topic on hell has been hotly debated by religious scholars and scientists; Christians and non Christians alike. Most people would avoid the subject on hell; no one likes to talk about death or the afterlife. Hell has become a subject of ridicule and a joke to many. People take hell lightly as though it is not real or superstition. And some Christians don’t even believe hell is real. But the topic on hell is a very important topic in the bible. In fact there are over 400 scriptures in the Bible in reference to Hell, the suffering there and also the final destination of the dead or the afterlife.

Jonathan Edwards the great revivalist of the 18^th century had mass conversion from preaching the sermon, “Sinners in the hands of an angry God”. He spoke about hell and judgment for sinners. And many would repent and cried out to God for mercy. Today not many preachers preach about hell and the judgment of God because it is unpopular. But Jesus didn’t stop preaching about hell just because it was unpopular. In fact Jesus spoke more about hell than heaven. He spoke the truth to warn people about the horrors of hell and eternal judgment so that many will come to repentance.

Many people doubt the existence of hell but it doesn’t make hell less real. Jesus Himself taught hell as a real place. If we say hell is just imaginary or a state of the mind and not to be taken literally then we make Jesus a liar. And He cannot lie.

Hell is a place of punishment and torment. It is a horrible place to be in. The Chinese folks believe hell is a homecoming for close relatives and friends. My non Christian relatives don’t mind going there because they believe that when they die they will have a reunion with the ancestors in hell.

Each year during the Cheng Beng festival, the Chinese folks will burn paper notes, clothes, modern gadgets made from paper so that the ancestors receive them in hell. This is a deception of the devil. I don’t see how one can enjoy life in hell when everyone is in pain and anguish.Yes, God is good to all, both the good and evil in this life. But in hell, the goodness of God is no longer there. No love, peace, joy, hope, nothing. Someone said it appropriately the only heaven for unbeliever and the only hell for a believer is in this life.

The bible tells us that in hell the soul of dead people will be tormented with fire throughout day and night for all eternity. A couple of years ago, I burnt my hand while trying to handle the hot pot. The burning pain lasted for a few days and it really hurts. Those trapped inside a building during a fire would rather jump off from the roof than having to be burned alive. It must be extremely painful to be burned alive. One could imagine how painful it can be with hell fire.

Luke 16:23-24 and being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. “Then he cried and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.

And all of a sudden, something grabbed me and pulled me out of this cell.  I know it was the Lord, but then I didn't know that.  I was there as an unsaved person, so I didn't know these things.  I just went there as if I had never accepted the Lord.  I was placed over next to the fire that I had seen.  I was standing alongside that pit.  I was beneath a cavern, like a giant cave, with a tunnel going up. 

Alongside the fire I could see through the flames, just enough to see bodies, people in the fire screaming, screaming for mercy, burning in this place!  And I knew I didn't want to go in there.  The pain I'd endured already was bad enough, but the heat from that flame I knew was worse.  These people were begging to get out.

There were these big creatures lined all around the edge of this Pit, and as the people crawled up trying to get out, they would be shoved back in to the fire and not allowed to get out. I thought, "Oh, this place is so horrible, so horrible and horrendous." 

All this was going on at the same time.  You're thirsty, you're hungry, and you're exhausted.  You don't get to sleep in Hell either.  You need sleep just as you do now.  Your body needs sleep.  Rev 14:11 says, and the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night, you never get to sleep.  You can imagine how that is, never sleeping. Regarding the water, in Zechariah 9:11   I have sent forth thy prisoners out of the pit wherein no water is. Absolutely there is no water in Hell.  (A testimony by Bill Wiese)

Some religion believes that hell is only a temporary holding cell for sinners until the time when they have fully been instructed for heaven. And then they will be transported to heaven. But the bible teaches that there is no salvation for dead people who refuse to believe in Christ when they were alive.  

The moment a person accepts Christ he or she becomes a new person from the inside. Though he or she may still struggle with old sins in this life yet has God’s life inside. When the believer dies he or she is freed from the flesh and attains perfection in the spirit.

But an unbeliever is spiritual dead. Spiritual death is the absence of God’s life in the spirit. When the unbeliever dies, he or she remains spiritual dead and retains his or her fallen state e.g. If the person is lustful, he or she remains lustful still in the afterlife. In hell, the rich man is as selfish and demanding as he was alive. He even had the audacity to ask Abraham to send Lazarus on an errand for him. It is impossible for a person to enter heaven with its present condition. He or she must be born again. Jesus came to give us a new life.

John 3:3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

Once there was an evil man who died and entered into the spirit world. He was cursing and reviling God by saying “God is altogether unjust. He has prepared heaven for His saints but cast the rest of mankind into hell. Yet the saints call Him God is love.” As he was doing this suddenly there was a sweet voice of an angel speaking to him, “God has given permission for this man to enter heaven.” So the man stepped forward and accompanied by two angels into heaven. When they reached the door of heaven and saw the holy and glorious heaven with the blessed saints, he began to feel uneasy. The angel said to him, “See how beautiful heaven is. Go a bit further and look at the LORD sitting on the throne.” From the door he looked and as the light of the LORD revealed his impure estate and sin defiled life, he started to be in agony of self loathing, fled with such ease and threw himself into the bottomless pit. (Excerpt from the Spiritual World by Sadhu Sundar Singh)

The worse thing in Hell, the worse thing, worse than all the torments, was I understood that, first of all, that there was life going on up here on the earth.  And that people up here, most people, had no idea that this world even existed down here!  They don't even know this is a real world down here and there's billions of people suffering and begging for one chance, if they had an opportunity to get out.  But they never get a chance to get out, and being mad at themselves for not taking the opportunity to have received Jesus, that they are stuck there forever. 

This is the worst thing about Hell, that there was absolutely no hope of ever getting out.  I understood that.  I grasped eternity.  I could understand eternity.  Here on earth, we can't quite, can't get a hold of it.  But there I understood it.  I knew I would be there forever and ever, and had no hope of getting out. 

I thought about my wife.  I could never get to my wife!  I've always told her that if we were ever separated by any kind of earthquake or something horrible, I said "I'll get to you.  I will find you.  I'll get to you if we're ever apart."  But here I couldn't get to her.  I could never see her again.  She would never have any idea where I was, and I just could never ever talk to her again.  That thought just absolutely bothered me terribly!  To not be able to talk to her, get to her, and for her not to know where I was, and have no hope to ever get out!  You understand, you never get out of here, ever!  See on earth there's always hope.  Even people in concentration camps had a hope of getting out, or dying at least, to get out of it.  But we've never experienced a totally hopeless situation.  In Isaiah 38:18 it says, "Those who go down to the pit cannot hope for Your truth." (A testimony by Bill Wiese)

Heaven and Hell are real. There is a heaven to gain when we believe Jesus died for our sins. So if you have not accepted Him as your personal Savior why not receive Him now before it’s too late. I have never been to hell before and I don’t have to. Jesus has saved me from hell. How awesome is Your grace for me LORD.