A snapshot of scriptures about Love and my gut response vis a vis the Church
1. “Love is patient, love is kind…” (1 Corinthians 13)
The Church needs to rid itself of gossip.
2. “Love does not keep a record of wrongs.”
The Church needs to forgive — its leaders and its congregants.
3. The GOD of love commands, “Love the LORD your GOD with all your heart, soul, mind and strength, and love your neighbour as yourself.”
Who is our neighbour? Are we not each other’s neighbour? The body of Christ, aka the Church, needs to love GOD with all passion and love our brothers and sisters in Christ too. Then, we need to embrace our fellow man, with the same love, grace and mercy of GOD that we have received.
4. Amos 5:15 indicts us to “Hate evil, love good; Establish justice in the gate.”
Let us hold neither grudges nor offences.
5. “He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8)
Let us be ready to welcome all into church services and events, giving the best places to those of the most humble estate, showing no favouritism to the wealthy nor those of social position.
6. Let us practise “Fear not” which recurs in scripture so many times!
Let us be transparent… with GOD and with one another. That takes courage but it is what we need to be prepared for revival, for a huge influx of new believers, and for Jesus when He calls us or comes for us.
I pray we can change… for we are the Church.
1 John 3: 18-23 says, “My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. And by this we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him. For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things. Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God. And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight. And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment.”
When we are operating in this way, simple, earnest, loving, surrendered, then we are a ready Church indeed!