[Please join me in praying for the Church on Sundays this year. This post is adapted from a post from July 7, 2009.]
I’ve been doing some musing (as usual) about living life in our times and in the midst of the huge geo-social-political changes going on. I’ve heard it said in the US there is a strong “culture war” between the more conservative (and often Judeo-Christian) elements and the not-conservative (including secular humanist) elements. And, of course if the story of Job teaches us anything, we know we do not see the spiritual war that is constantly going on.
I have come to wonder, though, even if we are living in the last, Last Days, even if the Evil is just going to strengthen and the AntiChrists gain power, even if the secular humanists largely have their way with our society, even if the radical Islamists continue to push for violence and bloodshed, even if…. you get the idea…. if we still have one weapon in our spiritual arsenal that they don’t have. We have empowerment by the Holy Spirit. We have a God who is our Provider and Protector. We have a firm foundation for eternity with Christ.
But the weapon I’m referring to when waging these spritual wars is one I don’t think other religions (including secular humanism) have. Love.
Sounds too simple? Maybe.
Maybe not.
What if we Christians really were known for loving each other and the people around us? What if we loved the unlovable? What if we loved our enemies enough to pray for them? What if we loved people enough that they made good choices for their lives? What if we Christians weren’t known for fighting gays and abortion, but were known for loving gays and people affected by abortion? What if, in the words of an old song, they really did know we are Christians by our love?
One of the songs at our church is Michael W. Smith’s “New Hallelujah.” The second verse especially caught me, and fits in well with our upcoming celebration of Pentecost:
Let us sing love to the nations [our nation!]
Bringing hope of the grace that has freed us
Make it known and make Him famous
Sing it out, sing a new hallelujah
Arise, let the church arise
Let love reach to the other side
Alive, come alive
Let the song arise*
Somehow, this whole LOVE – thing is wrapped up in our empowerment as the chosen, saved, loved, children and friends of God.
“If you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him.” (John 14:15-21 NIV)
I know this is a topic that we who have been around the Church awhile have heard plenty of times. Yeah, yeah, yeah, we should love each other, blah blah blah. Yes, I’m guilty of failing at that too. Or we find the word or action of “love” weighed down from baggage the world or our lives have attached to it. Not to dismiss any of these things, but maybe, just maybe (and me included) we need to hear this call again: “Jesus loves us, this we know….” Maybe, just maybe, it’s that simple. Go tell people God loved them so much, he died for them and wants to show them his love.
God of Love,
Show the wonder of your great love, you who save by your right hand those who take refuge in you from their foes. We’re leaping and singing in the circle of your love; you see our pain, you disarm our tormentors, Hour by hour we place our days in your hand, safe from the hands out to get us. Warm us, your servants, with a smile; save us because you love us. What a stack of blessing you have piled up for those who worship you, ready and waiting for all who run to you to escape an unkind world. You hide them safely away from the opposition. As you slam the door on those oily, mocking faces, you silence the poisonous gossip. Blessed God! Your love is the wonder of the world. Show us your unfailing love, O LORD, and grant us your salvation. Holy Spirit, empower us to love. Free us from guilt, pain, shame, or anything else that sidelines us from acting with love in this world. For your honor and glory and for the sake of your Name. Amen.
And a final thought from Psalm 31:4:
“Be brave. Be strong. Don’t give up. Expect God to get here soon.“
Maranatha; Lord Jesus Come….
Amen and amen.
“You, Lord, showed favor to your land;
you restored the fortunes of Jacob.
“You forgave the iniquity of your people
and covered all their sins.[b]
“You set aside all your wrath
and turned from your fierce anger.
“Restore us again, God our Savior,
and put away your displeasure toward us.
“Will you be angry with us forever?
Will you prolong your anger through all generations?
“Will you not revive us again,
that your people may rejoice in you?
“Show us your unfailing love, Lord,
and grant us your salvation.
“I will listen to what God the Lord says;
he promises peace to his people, his faithful servants—
but let them not turn to folly.
“Surely his salvation is near those who fear him,
that his glory may dwell in our land.
“Love and faithfulness meet together;
righteousness and peace kiss each other.
“Faithfulness springs forth from the earth,
and righteousness looks down from heaven.
“The Lord will indeed give what is good,
and our land will yield its harvest.
“Righteousness goes before him
and prepares the way for his steps.” (Psalm 85 NIV)
“Hear me, Lord, my plea is just;
listen to my cry.
“Hear my prayer—
it does not rise from deceitful lips.
“Let my vindication come from you;
may your eyes see what is right.
“Though you probe my heart,
though you examine me at night and test me,
you will find that I have planned no evil;
my mouth has not transgressed.
“Though people tried to bribe me,
I have kept myself from the ways of the violent
through what your lips have commanded.
“My steps have held to your paths;
my feet have not stumbled.
I call on you, my God, for you will answer me;
turn your ear to me and hear my prayer.
“Show me the wonders of your great love,
you who save by your right hand
those who take refuge in you from their foes.
“Keep me as the apple of your eye;
hide me in the shadow of your wings
from the wicked who are out to destroy me,
from my mortal enemies who surround me.
“They close up their callous hearts,
and their mouths speak with arrogance.
“They have tracked me down, they now surround me,
with eyes alert, to throw me to the ground.
“They are like a lion hungry for prey,
like a fierce lion crouching in cover.
“Rise up, Lord, confront them, bring them down;
with your sword rescue me from the wicked.
“By your hand save me from such people, Lord,
from those of this world whose reward is in this life.
“May what you have stored up for the wicked fill their bellies;
may their children gorge themselves on it,
and may there be leftovers for their little ones.
“As for me, I will be vindicated and will see your face;
when I awake, I will be satisfied with seeing your likeness.” (Psalm 17 NIV)
“I run to you, God; I run for dear life.
Don’t let me down!
Take me seriously this time!
Get down on my level and listen,
and please—no procrastination!
Your granite cave a hiding place,
your high cliff nest a place of safety.
You’re my cave to hide in,
my cliff to climb.
Be my safe leader,
be my true mountain guide.
Free me from hidden traps;
I want to hide in you.
I’ve put my life in your hands.
You won’t drop me,
you’ll never let me down.
I hate all this silly religion,
but you, God, I trust.
I’m leaping and singing in the circle of your love;
you saw my pain,
you disarmed my tormentors,
You didn’t leave me in their clutches
but gave me room to breathe.
Be kind to me, God—
I’m in deep, deep trouble again.
I’ve cried my eyes out;
I feel hollow inside.
My life leaks away, groan by groan;
my years fade out in sighs.
My troubles have worn me out,
turned my bones to powder.
To my enemies I’m a monster;
I’m ridiculed by the neighbors.
My friends are horrified;
they cross the street to avoid me.
They want to blot me from memory,
forget me like a corpse in a grave,
discard me like a broken dish in the trash.
The street-talk gossip has me
“criminally insane”!
Behind locked doors they plot
how to ruin me for good.
Desperate, I throw myself on you:
you are my God!
Hour by hour I place my days in your hand,
safe from the hands out to get me.
Warm me, your servant, with a smile;
save me because you love me.
Don’t embarrass me by not showing up;
I’ve given you plenty of notice.
Embarrass the wicked, stand them up,
leave them stupidly shaking their heads
as they drift down to hell.
Gag those loudmouthed liars
who heckle me, your follower,
with jeers and catcalls.
What a stack of blessing you have piled up
for those who worship you,
Ready and waiting for all who run to you
to escape an unkind world.
You hide them safely away
from the opposition.
As you slam the door on those oily, mocking faces,
you silence the poisonous gossip.
Blessed God!
His love is the wonder of the world.
Trapped by a siege, I panicked.
“Out of sight, out of mind,” I said.
But you heard me say it,
you heard and listened.
Love God, all you saints;
God takes care of all who stay close to him,
But he pays back in full
those arrogant enough to go it alone.
Be brave. Be strong. Don’t give up.
Expect God to get here soon.” (Psalm 31 MSG)
*By Debbie Smith, Michael W. Smith, and Paul Baloche 2008 Smittyfly Music (Admin. by Word Music Group, Inc.) Word Music, LLC (a div. of Word Music Group, Inc.)