Foreigner: "I Want to Know What Love Is"

The eighties certainly had some great songs. One poignant hit by this American group struck a chord with so many listeners, including myself. Check it out here:

The best definition of love is found in the Bible. John 15:13 (Bible in Basic English) quotes Christ as saying, "Greater love has no man than this, that a man gives up his life for his friends."

Love is further defined in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (BBE). "Love is never tired of waiting; love is kind; love has no envy; love has no high opinion of itself, love has no pride; Love's ways are ever fair, it takes no thought for itself; it is not quickly made angry, it takes no account of evil; It takes no pleasure in wrongdoing, but has joy in what is true; Love has the power of undergoing all things, having faith in all things, hoping all things."

Of course there is romantic love but agape love goes light years beyond physical attraction. John 13:34 (BBE) shows it's an act of obedience and emulation. "I give you a new law: Have love one for another; even as I have had love for you, so are you to have love one for another."

Romans 13:8 (BBE) shows how agape love fulfills the Law. "Be in debt for nothing, but to have love for one another: for he who has love for his neighbour has kept all the law."

We also read in 1 Peter 1:22 and 23 (BBE) that we mustn't fake our love for Christ's siblings. "And as you have made your souls clean, being ruled by what is true, and loving one another without deceit, see that your love is warm and from the heart: Because you have had a new birth, not from the seed of man, but from eternal seed, through the word of a living and unchanging God."

And to be a fake follower of Jesus is a serious affront to the body of Christ. Look at what 1 Corinthians 16:22 (BBE) says. "If any man has not love for the Lord, let him be cursed. Maran atha (our Lord comes)."

If Christ hasn't arrived by Monday, I hope to point out which crowd we should run with.

Canned Heat: "Let's Work Together"

 This is one band which played at the Woodstock music festival in 1969. Sadly, they didn't have many hits as a result of playing at such a legendary event.

Even so, listen to one of their songs here:

cooperation is the hallmark of Christianity. We see it in action when the Holy Spirit came upon people. Acts 2:44 and 45 (Bible in Basic English) reads, "And all those who were of the faith kept together, and had all things in common; And exchanging their goods and property for money, they made division of it among them all, as they had need."

The basis for this cooperation is in the Command Christ gave his disciples in John 13:34 (BBE). "I give you a new law: Have love one for another; even as I have had love for you, so are you to have love one for another."

And as Paul wrote in Romans 12:10 (BBE), there's no room for egos and pride. "Be kind to one another with a brother's love, putting others before yourselves in honour;"

In the next chapter, he tells his readers not to keep score. Romans 13:8 (BBE) says, "Be in debt for nothing, but to have love for one another: for he who has love for his neighbour has kept all the law."

We also must do as Hebrews 10:24 (BBE) says. "And let us be moving one another at all times to love and good works;"

As we cooperate in the work of spreading the gospel, we need to keep in mind the seriousness of this work. Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 6:1-3 (BBE), "We then, working together with God, make our request to you not to take the grace of God to no purpose. (For he says, 'I have given ear to you at a good time, and I have been your helper in a day of salvation: see, now is the good time; now is the day of salvation):' Giving no cause for trouble in anything, so that no one may be able to say anything against our work."

Provided that Christ hasn't returned by Monday, I hope to post about the anniversary of the world's worst nuclear power plant disaster.

Saturday Song: Klaatu, "We're Off You Know"

The new year always brings the promise of fresh adventures and opportunities. Though everything outside is more or less the same as last year, it's natural to feel an inward optimism.

A Canadian band named Klaatu recorded an optimistic song on their second album which was released in 1977. Hear it here.

When Christ lived in the flesh, a new era was ushered in. And for this new epoch of history, he changed the focus of The Ten Commandments. John 13:34 (BBE)quotes Christ as saying, "I give you a new law: Have love one for another; even as I have had love for you, so are you to have love one for another."

Jesus also sent out his disciples in order to train them in evangelism. Matthew 10:5-7 (BBE) reads, "These twelve Jesus sent out and gave them orders, saying, "Do not go among the Gentiles, or into any town of Samaria, But go to the wandering sheep of the house of Israel, And, on your way, say, The kingdom of heaven is near."

We also see this new era proclaimed in the words of Christ himself. Luke 16:16 (BBE) quotes him as saying, "The law and the prophets were till John: but then came the preaching of the kingdom of God, and everyone makes his way into it by force."

When Christ rose from the dead, he sent his disciples on the greatest earthly adventure of all. Matthew 28:19 and 20 (BBE), called The Great Commission, tells us about this. "Go then, and make disciples of all the nations, giving them baptism in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit: Teaching them to keep all the rules which I have given you: and see, I am ever with you, even to the end of the world."

But the greatest adventure awaits all of us who have placed our trust in Christ. We see it explained in 1 Corinthians 15:51 and 52 (BBE). "See, I am giving you the revelation of a secret: we will not all come to the sleep of death, but we will all be changed. In a second, in the shutting of an eye, at the sound of the last horn: for at that sound the dead will come again, free for ever from the power of death, and we will be changed."

How exciting it will be for us who anticipate our Lord's return. The epoch of human government will be ended for good and a new eternal era of the Father's rule will begin.

On Monday, if Christ doesn't return before then, I'll post about whom hell is intended for.

Which Religion is the Peaceful One?

One objection I often hear from atheists is that Christianity promotes war. People claim that most of the wars in the world were started by Christians. But is this really true? And which sort of "Christians" waged war?

This assumption of Christian culpability is based on an erroneous belief that all who call themselves Christians are Christian. The truth is  that genuine followers of Christ obey his commandments. The second-most important one is given by Jesus in John 13:34 (BBE). "I give you a new law: Have love one for another; even as I have had love for you, so are you to have love one for another."

But somebody might ask, "Don't all religions teach that?" It is true that religions teach that one should love their families and friends. But Christianity goes much further by teaching we should love our enemies. As Jesus said in Luke 6:35 (BBE), "But be loving to those who are against you and do them good, and give them your money, not giving up hope, and your reward will be great and you will be the sons of the Most High: for he is kind to evil men, and to those who have hard hearts."

"But what about the crusades?" somebody will ask. Those happened two-hundred years after Islamic warriors invaded Europe. Many Christians were martyred for their faithfulness to Christ. And while many Christians went to help their siblings, others were unconverted glory-seekers. They lacked the love of our Saviour.

We know also that the Inquisition and the wars between Catholics and Protestants were political. In fact, many martyred saints who were called apostates were actually true followers of our Lord. As Jesus aptly put it to his disciples in John 16:2 (BBE), "They will put you out of the Synagogues: yes, the time is coming when whoever puts you to death will have the belief that he is doing God's pleasure."

Christ also gave a parable about a farmer whose field was contaminated with tares. Matthew 13:37 and 38 (BBE) says, "And he made answer and said, 'He who puts the good seed in the earth is the Son of man; And the field is the world; and the good seed is the sons of the kingdom; and the evil seeds are the sons of the Evil One;'"

So we know that our churches are infiltrated with false Christians. They do their best to make us look our worst. I'll write about this in my next book called You Think You're Going to Heaven? Far too many churchgoers aren't born again and therefore they sin out of the sight of real believers.

On Thursday, I'll post about what it means to be born again.