The Love Of God

A Mural in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, Jerusalem

'For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.' John 3:16

Christians understand the love of God as that love that compels the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross for our salvation. While this atoning love of Christ's sacrifice is indeed the greatest love of all, many Christians have a very narrow, almost self-serving understanding of God's love; the love of God is all about us and our salvation. But God's love is far more than just for our salvation. It is timely for us to understand how deep and how wide, how ubiquitous and permeating the Love of God is not only to us but for the whole world.  

Allow me to share with you a remarkably tender video. This past week, my grandchildren were down with Covid. The eldest, James came down with Covid-19 and he kept himself to his bedroom, resting all day. Now the family has two pet cats who are lovingly close to the family, especially with our three grandchildren, James, Eleanor and Luke. The cats seem to know that the children are sick. Auri, one of cats, went to my daughter, meowed and then led her to James' bedroom beckoning her to open the door. She then got on to his bed and started comforting him.

What do you think of it? My first thought was that of reciprocal love. Pets are capable of empathy and often return the love and care expressed to them. Pets are especially sensitive and endearing towards their caring owners. Love and care received translate to love and care returned.

Another lingering thought is that this gesture by animals show the love of God expressed in all creation. So like all of God's creatures, humans are also capable of expressing God's love in the most loving and tender-hearted manner. Unfortunately. it is most tragic that sin prevents some of us from expressing that innate love of God.

The Psalmist extolled the Love of God manifested in all creation; inanimate and animate, physical and biological Nature

'Your unfailing love, O Lord, is a vast as the heavens; your faithfulness reaches beyond the clouds. Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your justice like the ocean depths. You care for people and animals alike, O Lord. How precious is Your unfailing love, O God. All humanity finds shelter in the shadow of Your wings. ' Psalms 36:5-7

O the depths and the ramifications of God's love. Thus, to see this love only from the perspective of salvation, however important it may be, is to miss this love altogether. We need to unpeel the camouflage that Satan and sin imposes on this love. We need to realise that The Love of God Is Greater Far than we can ever conceive.

The love of God is greater far

  Than tongue or pen can ever tell.

It goes beyond the highest star

  And reaches to the lowest hell.

The guilty pair, bowed down with care,

  God gave His Son to win;

His erring child He reconciled

  And pardoned from his sin.

O love of God, how rich and pure!

  How measureless and strong!
It shall forevermore endure

The saints’ and angels’ song

When hoary time shall pass away,

  And earthly thrones and kingdoms fall;

When men who here refuse to pray,

  On rocks and hills and mountains call;

God’s love, so sure, shall still endure,

  All measureless and strong;

Redeeming grace to Adam’s race—

  The saints’ and angels’ song.

Could we with ink the ocean fill,
  And were the skies of parchment made;
Were every stalk on earth a quill,
  And every man a scribe by trade;
To write the love of God above
  Would drain the ocean dry;
Nor could the scroll contain the whole,
  Though stretched from sky to sky.

This love is anchored in us and St Paul boldly said that nothing can separate us from God's love.  

'For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.' Romans 8:38-39 

We have come in full circle, the Love of God seen externally and beyond us eventually leads to the Love of God felt within us; leading to our full salvation

'Your roots will grow down into God's love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should how wide, how long, how high and how deep His love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully.' Ephesians 3:17-19 (NLT)

Lionel  

Look On Nature

‘When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; What is man, that thou art mindful of him?  And the son of man, that thou visitest him?’  Psalms 8:3-4 (KJV)

Bishop Robert Solomon opined that one of the spiritual disciplines is to train the soul by immersing oneself in nature like taking quiet walks in the picturesque countryside.

We had a family holiday in Wales once, Pat, Debbie, John and I in Oct 2004. I insisted on making a detour to visit the ruins of Tintern Abbey. I needed to see the hills that rise up from the valley of the River Wye. This was the nature scene that captivated the poet William Wordsworth when he wrote the poetic essay ‘Tintern Abbey.’ I studied the poem in school when I was 15 years old. It so inspired me that I had an urge to stand in awe of the natural surroundings, as viewed from the ruins of Tintern Abbey.

Since reading ‘Tintern Abbey,’ I have learned to view nature enrapt by worshipful thoughts and attitudes. Wordsworth wrote:

“For I have learned

To look on nature, not as in the hour

Of thoughtless youth; but hearing oftentimes

The still, sad music of humanity,

Nor harsh nor grating, though of ample power

To chasten and subdue. And I have felt

A presence that disturbs me with the joy

Of elevated thoughts; a sense sublime

Of something far more deeply interfused,

Whose dwelling is the light of setting suns,

And the round ocean and the living air,

And the blue sky, and in the mind of man;

A motion and a spirit, that impels

All thinking things, all objects of all thought,

And rolls through all things. Therefore am I still

A lover of the meadows and the woods,

And mountains; and of all that we behold.”

The Bishop and I know the secret that God is present in nature. Let us go out of our way to find those sublime moments that awaken our hearts and reach our souls. When surrounded by the simple beauty of the woods or the splendid panoramas of the Grand Canyon we will sense the subtle presence of God. It is a sweet and gentle presence. We come out of that experience matured, elevated, chastened and subdued.

When nature confronts us, we also sense the infinite gap between man and God; just how miniscule we are and how infinitely great God is. Like the Psalmist who contemplated the cosmos, we are left to wonder just why God would even consider us. 

"Reading about nature is fine, but when a person walks in the woods and listens carefully, he experiences more than what is gathered from books, for they speak the voice of God." This quote from George Washington Carver, repeats the same realisation as found in Job, 

'But ask the beasts, and they will teach you; the birds of the heavens, and they will tell you; or the bushes of the earth, and they will teach you; and the fish of the sea will declare to you. Who among all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this? In his hand is the life of every living thing and the breath of all mankind.' Job 12:7-10

Yes, nature brings the realisation of the presence of God so we can confidently declare, "All things bright and beautiful; all creatures great and small, all things wise and wonderful, the Lord God made them all!” Listen to this lovely song by John Rutter!

 

All things bright and beautiful,

All creatures great and small,

All things wise and wonderful,

The Lord God made them all.

Each little flower that opens,

Each little bird that sings,

He made their glowing colours,

He made their tiny wings.

The purple-headed mountain,

The river running by,

The sunset and the morning,

That brightens up the sky;

The cold wind in the winter,

The pleasant summer sun,

The ripe fruits in the garden,

He made them every one;

He gave us eyes to see them,

And lips that we might tell

How great is God Almighty,

Who has made all things well.

All things bright and beautiful,

All creatures great and small,

All things wise and wonderful,

The Lord God made them all.

Lionel

Updated article. 1st Published 27 Jul 2009

Financial Security is not Eternal Security

Rembrandt 1627,  The Parable of the Rich Fool

'Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.' Luke 12:15

There is a unique slang in the Hokkien dialect which has come into use in the Singaporean-Malaysian Chinese community to welcome prosperity, 'Huat Ah!' It has also become a greeting among friends, much like the US battle cry 'Hooah!' We now use 'Huat Ah!' when we toss the customary Chinese New Year dish/salad, 'Yu Sheng.' 

Yu Sheng is a dish made of ingredients with symbolic meanings to usher in prosperity at the start of the Chinese New Year. It is served on the seventh day of the New Year which is everyone's birthday renri (人日everyman’s birthday). Because this dish is so popular, it is now served from the eve to the 15th day of the New Year. The symbolism and meaning of the ingredients, unfortunately, may underlie our obsession with material wealth. 

• The greetings at the start of dish gongxi facai (恭喜发财 wishing you wealth and good fortune) and huat ah (prosperity)
• Raw fish with the words which nian nian youyu (年年有余 abundance through the year)
• Dried orange peels over the fish daji dali (大吉大利 which is luck and auspicious value)
• Liberal dash of pepper and 5-spice powder over the ingredients zhaocai jinbao (招财进宝  greater prosperity and fortune)
• Pour oil, circling the ingredients with words yibenwanli (一本万利)and caiyuan guang jin (财源广进) to wish profit and money flowing in from all directions.
• Add carrots and green and white radish to the fish, indicating hongyun dangtou (鸿运当头 ), feng sheng shui qi (风生水起), bubu gaosheng (步步高升) to bring blessings of good luck, prosperity in business and promotion at work
• Dust ground peanuts on the dish, jinyin manwu (金银满屋 a household filled with gold and silver)
• Sesame seeds follow, symbolising growth in business shengyi xinglong (生意兴隆)
• Finally abundance of pillow-shaped deep-fried flour crisps to literally mean that the whole floor would be filled with gold, biandi huangjin (遍地黄金)

In an age of affluence and plenty, want has become need and luxury a necessity. Although the Chinese may be very dramatic in their wishes for wealth and materialism, it is the same for almost all the modern cultures living in cities. Enticed by consumerism and fueled by avarice, we buy and spend much much more than we need. 

Jesus Christ warned, a man may store up things for himself but is not rich toward God. We are in danger of becoming the rich fool mentioned in the Gospel of Luke.

'And He told them this parable. The ground of a rich man yielded an abundant harvest. He thought to himself, "What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops." Then he said, "This is what I'll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones and there I will store my surplus grain. And I'll say to myself, You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat drink and be merry." But God said to him, "You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?" This is how it will be for whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.' Luke 12:16-21  

Like that rich fool, misled by the comforts and satisfaction riches can bring, we equate financial security with eternal security. That would be a mistake.

A man who understood what it means to live life depending on God’s faithfulness rather than financial security was Thomas Chisholm. Rev Chisholm wrote more than 1200 poems, many were written into hymns including Great is Thy Faithfulness.

In a letter dated 1941, Mr. Chisholm wrote, “My income has not been large at any time due to impaired health, but I must not fail to record here the unfailing faithfulness of a covenant-keeping God, for which I am filled with astonishing gratefulness.”

Thomas Chisholm, living in a state of “just enough” learned a lesson of dependence on God’s faithfulness which the rich fool in the parable did not.

Why is that farmer in Jesus' parable such a fool?

• He sacrificed living for God by living for himself.
• He confused surplus for security
• He lived for time and not eternity
• He assumed he had lots of time

In contrast, we should live our lives dependent on the blessings of God, a useful lesson as we step into 2022.

'The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for Him.' Lamentations 3:24

Thomas Chisholm's lyrics were derived from Lamentations 3 and were set to music by William Runyan. From the heart of a Methodist minister, 'Great is Thy Faithfulness' has inspired countless believers to trust their faithful God.

'Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.' Lamentations 3:21-23

Great is Thy faithfulness O God my Father,

There is no shadow of turning with Thee;

Thou changed not, Thy compassions, they fail not 

As Thou hast been Thou forever wilt be.

Great is Thy faithfulness! Great is Thy faithfulness!

Morning by morning new mercies I see;

All I have needed Thy hand hath provided

Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord unto me

Summer and winter, and springtime and harvest,

Sun, moon and stars in their courses above,

Join with all nature in manifold witness

To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,

Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;

Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,

Blessings all mine with ten thousand beside! 

How many times have we stood in church and along with the congregation sang this great hymn? Did we not feel warmness of heart and realise that our life is abundant only by God's great faithfulness?  

Lionel

Updated 1st Published 19 Mar 2007

A New Day Dawning

A New Day with Vivid Colours

'Your new day is dawning. The glory of the Lord shines brightly on you. the earth and its people are covered with darkness, but the glory of the Lord is shining upon you. Nations and kings will come to the light of your new dawning day.' Isaiah 60:1-3 (Contemporary English Version)

Today, 1 Feb 2022 is the first day of the Chinese New Year. Following tradition most Chinese would wear new clothes, usually in red. We will give away as gifts 'Ang Pows' or red packets containing fresh new crisp dollar notes. The children are especially excited as they don their new Chinese-styled garments (most times only worn once), make their CNY greetings to receive the ang-pows.

Chinese New Year is also known as the Spring Festival, an excitement is in the air as in the rural farming area, the farmers eagerly wait for the Spring to sow and reap a bountiful harvest. It's a new cycle of new beginnings.

The same is true of Christianity. When we first become Christians, there is a crisp freshness to life. This is the sheer joy of being restored to a relationship with the creator God through Jesus Christ, His Son. It is very aptly expressed in this song, New! Ev'ry Morning It's New, which we sang in our youth fellowships 

New! ev'ry morning it's new!
The love of God to me is wonderfully new!
New! ev'ry morning it's new!
The mercy of the Lord is wonderfully new!
Great is His faithfulness,
Constant is His love,
Great is His saving pow'r
Coming from above!
New! ev'ry morning it's new!
The mercy of the Lord is wonderfully new!

New! ev'ry morning it's new!
The love of Calvary is wonderfully new!
New! ev'ry morning it's new!
The mercy fresh outpoured is wonderfully new!
He is our daily strength,
He's our daily guide
If we will wait on Him
And in Him abide!
New! ev'ry morning it's new!
The mercy of the Lord is wonderfully new!

Unfortunately I am unable to locate a video of this song on the Internet. But just looking at the lyrics with its many exclamation marks indicate the exuberance when we first received salvation. There is a freshness of spring and there is rejoicing every morning as the love and mercy of God flow towards us.

Kevin and Lynette Teo wrote in their article New Beginnings (Ref 1), there is a new road to travel.

'Behold, I will do a new thing, Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.'  Isaiah 43:19 

• A Restored Relationship.  'Therefore, since we have been made right in God's sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God's glory. ' Romans 5:1-2 (New Living Translation)

• A Renewed Vision. 'I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope He has given to those He called - His holy people who are His rich and glorious inheritance.' Ephesian 1:18 (NLT)

• A Revitalised Life - 'For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so that we can do the good things He planned for us long ago.' Ephesians 2:10 (NLT)

The Apostle Paul declared

'Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold all things have become new.' 2 Corinthians 5:17

The Prophet Isaiah also spoke of this transformation as a new day dawns,

'Then your light will break out like the dawn, and your healing (restoration, new life) will quickly spring forth. Your righteousness will go before you, the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.' Isaiah 58:8 (Amplified Bible)

In the celebration of Chinese New Year, we recognise the dawning of a new day with the freshness of Spring. We celebrate the Chinese New Year with exuberance, with feasting and lion and dragon dances.

In that same way we can celebrate our new life in Christ! King Solomon declared  

'How pleasant to see a new day dawning' Ecclesiastes 11:7 (NLT)

Indeed enjoy this piano solo 'New Every Morning' composed by Cindy Berry and use it for your early morning reflections. 

Gong Xi Fa Cai! Happy New Year!

Lionel

Inspired by articles posted by Kevin and Lynette Passion with Purpose New Beginnings (A New Day Dawning) Jan 2022

Maranatha

'For the Lord Himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God and the the dead in Christ will rise  first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them to meet the lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.' 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17

Maranatha, מרנאתא is an Aramaic word which means Our Lord, Come. It is occurs in the Bible only once in the closing chapters of the book of 1 Corinthians, 1 Cor 16:22. It is understood to be an early prayer for the early return, otherwise known as the second coming of Jesus Christ.

Many people use this word as a mantra in their meditation in the tradition of John Main. John Douglas Main, OSB (1926 - 1982) was a Benedictine monk and Roman Catholic Priest who taught a way of meditation which used a simple prayer-phase or mantra repetitively. He taught, "Not only is this one of the most ancient Christian prayers, in the language Jesus spoke, but it also has a harmonic quality that helps to bring the mind to silence." (Ref 1). This practice lives on in the ecumenical network of Christian meditation groups known as the World Community for Christian Meditation led by another Benedictine monk, Father Laurence Freeman, OSB. 

The prayer-phrase, Maranatha, expresses the longing for the second coming of Jesus Christ. The closing verses of Revelation, the last book of the Bible, reveals this expectation,

'He who testifies to these things says, "Yes, I am coming soon." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.' Revelation 22:20  

Today, the second coming of Jesus Christ, is not often taught in the churches but in the early days of Christianity, the church expected an imminent return; a relief to the severe persecutions they faced from the Jews and the Romans. Since then at times of depravity, hardships, crisis and persecutions, Christian circles have often prayed this prayer, Maranatha!

One of the best sermons on the topic was given by Billy Graham. This was a no-holds-barred sermon on the second coming of Christ given in 1990 in Albany, New York. This is a sermon worth listening to, it's thorough and given with the passion and honesty that was Billy Graham's. 

When we pray 'Come Lord Jesus' and when we meditate 'Maranatha' we should, just as Billy Graham warned, be ready at all times for His coming again. The Bible says

'But the day of the Lord will come like a thief...what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming.' 2 Peter 3:10a, 11b and 12. 

Jesus spoke of His second coming warning us to be on our guard, that is, to be ready. Many will be oblivious towards God and living in debauchery as in the days of Noah. We are told to be different.

'But about that day or hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, not the Son but only the Father. As in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.'  Matthew 24:36-39 

Jesus' warning that many will not be ready in Matthew 24:40-41 was put into a song written by Larry Norman, 'I Wish We'd All Been Ready' 

Life was filled with guns and war

And everyone got trampled on the floor

I wish we'd all been ready

Children died the days grew cold

A piece of bread could buy a bag of gold

I wish we'd all been ready

There's no time to change your mind

The Son has come and you've been left behind

A man and wife asleep in bed

She hears a noise and turns her head, he's gone

I wish we'd all been ready

Two men walking up a hill

One disappears and one's left standing still

I wish we'd all been ready

There's no time to change your mind

How could you have been so blind

The father spoke the demons dined

The Son has come and you've been left behind

You've been left behind

We are told to keep watch,

'Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.' Matthew 24:42

Saint Paul interpreted this readiness as keeping the faith, practicing love and keeping hope in God. Instead of debauchery St Paul urged us all to be sober,

'Let us be sober, putting on faith and love as breastplate, and the hope of salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our lord Jesus Christ.' I Thessalonians 5:8-9

Do not be left behind! Be sure of your salvation!

Lionel

Ref 1: John Main, Biography, theschoolofmeditation.org.