Love? Patient. (I)

"Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act becomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails." - The excellencies of love (1 Cor 13:4-8 NASB)

I've always remembered what one of my youth leaders once said, that love, is first of all, patient. Maybe it just sounds really appropriate, y'know, like that kinda of stuff that you could readily agree to because, well, it just sounds plain awesome?

Being patient involves more than just waiting. I'll love to jump right in talking about how this phrase relates to BGR stuff but i shall resist the temptation, seeing how God's love easily overshadows any kind of love that i as a puny human could give. God's love for us is patient, it involves Him being slow to anger, able to bear offenses and injuries of others (Strong's G3114).

To sinners, His patience is perfect, as demonstrated in the live of Paul. Before Paul, there was Saul, a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor, he takes joy in hunting down christians and sending them to jail or sometimes certain death. Yet he was shown mercy, because he acted ignorantly in unbelief (1 Tim 1:13). Aren't we all like that before we came to know Christ? We did not even know that some of the things we do on a daily basis are sin in the eyes of God, well because we don't even know God in the first place. Yet just as God shown mercy to Paul, we too saw His perfect patience displayed in Jesus.

To saints, His patience is perfect. We struggle with issues, a certain habitual sin, a certain flaw in our character, etc. Read Psalm 32. It's an interesting psalm which starts off celebrating the forgiveness of ones' sins by God, then talks about the consequences of keeping silent of ones' sin, and when sin is finally acknowledged and confessed, God speaks in first-person of how He will instruct and guide. (Note: verse 9 is a verse easily overlooked due to its "chim" nature but it carries deep meaning, very beneficial when studied and pondered on.) So choose not to run away nor hide but confess and trust God, for He shall tutor us the way of holiness if we trust in Him.

Knowing God.

I've embarked on reading Knowing God by J.I Packer and i find it totally essential to any Christian who yearns for true knowledge of God's character and attributes (not that it should replace the Bible, period). It's really well written, a solid theological read, but now now, please do not let that word "theological" scare you away, theology is but a study of who God is according to His Word.

"And if Jesus said that eternal life is to know God (John 17:3) then shouldn't theology be for everyone?"

It'll be awesome if i could read and study this book with like-minded people to the aroma and ambience of starbucks (Mmm Mmm :p). The book's topical, each of God's character or attribute is written as a chapter which makes it even easier to study and discuss. But i guess the ultimate outcome of this study should be the application of what we've learned into our private lives and so, much of the time will be devoted to sharing the hows and outcomes. I think it'll be preeetty encouraging. ;)

I dont think i have a big readership but if anyone's interested, give me a heads-up thru facebook! :D

Love Like Fire.

<3 the electric parts in this song + awesome lyrics too!

Sin Leads to Death.

"..., sin leads to death. Jesus died for your sin. You are in a war. Be a man. Put your sin to death." -Mark Driscoll (in his ebook, "Porn Again Christian")