JUSTICE AND MARCY

If Jesus were to come from Heaven right now to speak to us about what is going on in our world today, He will speak to us about love and forgiveness. Jesus will use His life on earth and what He did for us on the cross to speak to us. His unconditional love that made Him come to this earth in the first place. He preached the good news of love, loving one another just as He has loved us, and forgiving one another when we get offended. Everyone of us deserves to be forgiven, irrespective of what we have done, because God first saved us from our sins and brought us closer to Himself.  The nature of God in us compiles us to forgive others for what they have done to us. 

Let us be careful not to seek justice because of how we feel or how we have been treated unfairly. Justice and mercy go together, justice without mercy or justice without Jesus is evil. Let do our best to control our feelings and anger for  Jesus has given us power over them. Let us remember that we are a community and a family. A community that becomes a family is more concern about what God is doing in our heart, and not what people are doing.

Jesus is a peace-maker, and He is our example. Let us walk in the footsteps of Jesus and be peace makers in the world that we live in. And remind our self that we  are the salt and light of the world and if we walk as peace-makers, our light will shine for all the world to see.

When we argue about who we are, we give the enemy the opportunity to use that against us. He will do his best to divide us. We are united in Christ. Unity makes us strong. Through unity we can celebrate our differences and give glory to God for His creativity. Our uniqueness or color demonstrates the beauty of our God, and that helps us to appreciate the creativity of our God. When we side with Jesus, we are able to see the world through His eyes, and that will help us to make better judgments. Judgments that will bless all people. Let’s  remember that we are a community and a family and love our neighbor as ourself. We have the spirit of redemption when we speak God’s truth.

We are a people with one heart, one spirit and one soul  made in the image of God to glorify Him. When we seek to honor each other in anyway that we can, we will unlock the doors of creativity which will bring us to a place of service. Creativity will give us the interest of serving one another and appreciating our individual gifts. Division will hinder us from seeing the creativity in others and stop the flow of service. When the flow of service stops, we will miss the opportunity to walk and create in the fullness of what we are made of. Our ability to create will lift and build each other up. “All nations will come and worship you, for your righteous acts have been revealed” Rev. 15:4.

Response:

• Does who I am makes me better than others?

• What can I do as a person to make my community better?

• What is a change, and what can I do to see change happen?

• Is it possible to live in a community without calling each others race?

• Does God think of race when He look at us?

LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR

The Holy Spirit reveals to me that God loved me not because I was lovable, but because it was in His nature to love. Now He commands me to show the same love to others by saying."Love one another as I have loved you"(John 15:12). God created us in His image, after His likeness. His nature is in us and He commands us to love each other. This nature of God has been in us since He created the perfect world which He put man in charge of it. We have buried that nature in us and embrace ME and MY. But during this pandemic, that nature in us has been resurrected and we have seen people caring for others - fellow church members, the elderly, and caring for neighbors, those most effected by the virus such as medical workers or those experiencing financial losses etc.

The purpose of the nature of God is being fulfilled in and around us each and everyday. People are being blessed, and we tell others, "You are not alone, We got this, We are in this together, We will prevail and We will get though it!"It is very powerful to see that MY and ME has now been buried and now it us US. What a joy to know that we have become what we were meant to be.

Our pride has been humbled as a nation. Indeed the entire world has been bumbled. Our comforts, materialism, selfishness, inequities in levels of care and access to basic needs, and political divisions are all being exposed. We are being humbled. As people of faith in God, will we "catch up with God" and become better salt and light of the world?

If we will walk in this new life we've found, caring for our neighbors and the people around us, our wold will be a better place. A place where we all know that we are in it together and that whatever comes we will go through it together.

We are to love each other as Jesus loved us, and He loved us enough to give His life for us. We may not have to die for someone, but there are other ways to practice sacrificial love: Listening, helping, encouraging and giving. Think of someone in particular who needs this kind of love today. Give all the love you can, and then try to give a little more.

The strength we need to love our neighbor will come from seeking a relationship with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Because the nature of love comes from Him and He knows the best way to love each other. He will teach us.

When our lives are intertwined with His, He will help us walk through adversity without sinking or becoming very weak and manage prosperity without moving into deceptive highs. The joy of living with Jesus Christ daily will keep us stay levelheaded, no matter how high or low our circumstances.

Response:

• Who is my neighbor and what does he need from me?

• What does it mean to sacrifice myself for someone?

• What is the nature of God in me like, and how do I know it's in me?

• How do I put the nature of God in me to work?

SHELTERING IN PLACE

What strange days we are living through now. We have new phrase, social distancing and sheltering in place. All through the Bible, Old and New Testaments, the Lord uses natural events wars, plagues, disease, famines, economic crashes, persecution and displacement (the biblical word is diaspora). He does not always send them, but He uses them to accomplish His purposes, and to remind us that He is in charge.

Like us, we are seeing the Lord using even this current pandemic. It is restoring care for our neighbor.  It is humbling us, and entire nations as economies sink into recessions. It is causing people to be less self-centered, and think about those around us instead of being self-absorbed. It is humbling us - turning us to call upon the Lord and trusting in Him, rather than living as if we are self-sufficient. 

In this time of crises, our trust in God will strengthen our hope for the future knowing that God is in control. One of the things we believers can look forward to is who God is to us, and who we are in Him. It is very important to remember this, and call upon God for help. The word of God tells us that "God will never leave us or forsake us".

The most important thing for us as believers is hearing the voice of God. Hearing the voice of God will build our confidence and hope as we pray for our country and other nations as well. And in all this remembering to give thanks to Him who made all things, even when we don't  see Him working right now as the world cries for help.

This is bringing us back to living out the gospel - how we love and treat others, and share the good news of life in Christ. It is bringing us back to the basics in life love God and love others.

Sheltering in place brings changes and challenges. Many of us are now literally in the same pace with spouses and family members. Cabin fever..... Limitations on exercise and socializing .....more time spent in front of screens and electronic devices..... and little or no structure to our day unless we put it there ourselves. We also need to put rhythms and structure into our day to day life now, including prayer, sabbath, hobby interests, work and intentionally stepping away from work. Sheltering in place is .....an adjustments.

Response:

• Where do I find my strengthen in this time of crises?

• Dose thinking about coronavirus makes me afraid?

• What do I spend my time on beside work?

• How can I overcome my fears?

• Is God saying anything to me that I am not listening?