“Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects…” -1 Corinthians 13:6-7 (NIV)

Every day there is a Christian somewhere in the world undergoing persecution or hardship for their stand in Christ. Living in countries where corruption and tyranny are rampant, they must endure unspeakable torment and everyday is a fight against injustice and oppression. Some of their cases are reported by the mainstream media, but countless others are never brought into the light. However, there are organizations which fight to make sure that the stories and voices of these persecuted Christians are not silenced by the iron fist of their governments. Out of their love for the truth of Christ, and for those who stand up for it, these organizations risk much to bring awareness to the plight of the persecuted church. They assure them through tangible action that they have a voice and are supported by those who are praying for them and care about defending their right to exist and follow Jesus.

By the definition Paul gives in 1 Corinthians 13:6-7, love is not some passive feeling that keeps silent when trouble is brewing. Rather it will get itself involved and take the side of truth. When we have allowed Christ to enter our hearts and seek to know Him, He will give us a love for Him, which will then lead us to love His truth and to love those who speak His truth. What are we doing to defend our brothers and sisters when they encounter opposition for their stand in Christ? Do we remain silent, content with preserving our own reputation in the eyes of the crowd? Or will we join our voices with those who will do anything to speak life into the lives of others. Granted, it can be a hard decision at times for our instinctive human reaction is to lean toward the former. But when we lean on Christ and allow Him to strengthen us, He will give us the confidence to speak the truth in love so that we may be an encouragement and blessing not only to those who are thirsty to hear, but to those who are working towards the same goal as well.

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

“I do not hide your righteousness in my heart; I speak of your faithfulness and your saving help. I do not conceal your love and your faithfulness from the great assembly.” –Psalm 40:10 (NIV)

Does a volcano ever hold back when it erupts? We would be hard-pressed to convince ourselves that it does. I have seen footage of major volcanic eruptions and I do not believe it to be a stretch to say that volcanoes are not of the self-conscious sort. On the contrary, a volcano is not afraid to allow the magma it has stored beneath its rocky surface to be expelled into the sky and into the surrounding area. It does not say to itself that perhaps it should hold back a little and practice some self-control. Rather, it allows its lava to overflow from within and to freely pour itself over the landscape. Granted a volcanic eruption is devastating and never pleasant. But there is much to learn from its boldness.

We as humans are so unlike volcanoes. Too often we keep things to ourselves and shy away from expressing what God has done and is doing in our lives. Perhaps we fear of becoming an eyesore to others if we show His love and tell of his righteousness, and thus we resign ourselves to going with the crowd; making sure that no one knows of the work which Christ is doing within us. But when we do this, we deprive ourselves of the chance to grow in our faith and see God at work in the lives of others. When we have allowed Christ to enter our hearts and seek to abide with Him, He will cause His love and righteousness to overflow from within us. As Paul wrote to Timothy in 2 Timothy 1:7 “…God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love…”  His Spirit will embolden us to show His love to others, tell them of His righteousness with our lives, and speak of His faithfulness to us. Unlike a volcano, the overflow that will come from within us when we allow Christ’s Spirit to carry out His work will not destroy. Instead, it will only bring healing and life to all as He is made manifest in our words and actions.

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

“I love the house where you live, O Lord, the place where your glory dwells.” -Psalm 26:8 (NIV)

What is a home? We often use it interchangeably with the word” house”. However, the two words have quite different connotations. A house is a building in which we are assured a place to rest and are protected from the elements. I have seen many beautiful houses which would be wonderful to live in. But a home is what gives a house life. A home consists of the people who make a house worth coming back to. When we are surrounded by the unconditional love of family, we find our sense of belonging and comfort and this gives us the strength and joy to endure all sorts of hardships. I know that even if – found myself “houseless” I will never be “homeless” as long as the love of my wonderful family continues to bring warmth to my soul.

Yet not even the bonds of family can claim to be unbreakable for all of us are fallen and mortal. If sin will not break our family ties, then death certainly will. When faced with total loneliness, where can we find that sense of belonging which we seek to regain? The wonderful truth is that in Christ we will always have a home. His love knows no bounds and it will never fade away for He is eternal. When we have allowed Christ to enter our hearts and carry out His restorative work in our lives we are adopted into His family. Through this adoption we become His precious sons and daughters; joining our brothers and sisters around the world who acknowledge Him as their Father. Immersed in His love we will find a home that can never be taken away from us; making His love tangible to us as He proves His faithfulness when we surrender our lives to Him. Knowing that we forever belong to Him, we will have the strength to overcome anything resting in the knowledge that we are loved and find our sanctuary in the Creator of the Universe who watches over and cares for us.

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

“In your unfailing love you will lead the people you have redeemed. In your strength you will guide them to your holy dwelling.” –Exodus 15:13 (NIV)

Children are immensely carefree. I remember my childhood being full of wonderful memories where I would be running and playing without a care in the world. Worry is almost absent from a child in large part because of total dependence on their parents. This also makes them extremely trusting. A child does not question where his next meal comes from, nor does he have any doubts when he goes out with his parents. He knows that because his mother and father care for him deeply that they will watch over him and provide for his needs. With the assurance of knowing that the loving gaze of his parents will always be behind him, the child is able to walk confidently and without fear unquestioning in his parent’s love to guide and protect him without fail.

There is a reason as to why Jesus said that we much approach Him with the faith of a child. It means to completely surrender ourselves to Him and trust in His love. However, too often we are afraid to give ourselves entirely to Him. Perhaps we have been let down by man many times before and we equate God with that same fallibility. But if we allow our experiences with fallen man to cloud our perception of God’s love and faithfulness, we deprive ourselves from experiencing the blessings which come from abiding in Christ. We can trust God for He is perfect in His love and goodness. In Him there is no evil and He therefore can never break His word. When we have allowed Christ to enter our hearts and carry out His work in our lives, we will know how great His love is for us. Constantly choosing to entrust every area of our lives to Him, we will be able to walk with the carefree attitude of a child as we bask in the joy knowing that God in His never-failing love will always prove Himself faithful according to His perfect will and timing.

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

“Many waters cannot quench love; rivers cannot wash it away.” –Song of Solomon 8:7a (NIV)

The concept of an eternal flame has found its place in many countries around the world. Placed before memorial sites it is supposed to be a symbol honouring the legacy of fallen soldiers or representative of the nation’s commitment to remember a significant event in their history. In Japan for example, an eternal flame burns in a memorial park in Hiroshima. Being the first city to experience the horrors of nuclear warfare when it was bombed in August 1945, the eternal flame is to be extinguished only until the complete abolition of nuclear weapons has been achieved. No amount of water can put out this fire for it is constantly maintained and fuelled by propane or natural gas; thereby signifying the unwavering resolve of the people to never forget no matter the cost and work towards the goal it represents.

Is our love for others like an eternal flame? If we are truly honest, we can think of times when our love has been extinguished by the waters of anger and frustration. We allow situations to take control of our minds and snuff out our love, instead allowing our anger to rear its head. An extinguished fire cannot provide warmth and hope to other. Likewise when we have allowed our circumstances to overwhelm our love, we become cold and unable to provide that warmth which people need. It is only when Christ dwells within us that the fire of our love will keep burning despite what we face. When we have allowed Him to enter our hearts, His love will overflow from within us. Nothing, neither situations nor people, will be able to prevent the love of Christ from shining forth from our lives when we seek to abide in Him. With our security rooted in Christ, He will enable His love to radiate from us regardless of what we face, bringing hope and life to others.

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

“Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.” –Ephesians 4:15 (NIV)

We do not like confrontation. It is messy, uncomfortable, and often creates conflicts that we would rather avoid. When faced with the destructive lifestyle or erroneous thoughts of a loved one, we may know deep down that something is amiss and want to speak up. Yet we refrain from doing so out of fear that we will create unnecessary tension and end up hurting the other person. We try to justify our silence by saying that it is an act of love; that refusing to say anything about the behaviour of the person we love is proof of our concern and sympathy for them. However, in truth it is the exact opposite. It is not an act of love to remain silent for we will simply be letting them go down a road that will bring them pain and misery.

True love will warn someone when they are going in a direction that will end with regret and despair. Such love goes beyond a simple concern for the other person’s feelings, and finds itself caring for their well-being. When driven by such love we will not cease to speak the truth to our loved ones, even if they ignore our words and find us annoying, because we do not want them to go down that path to total oblivion. However, if we try to do this on our own we will find ourselves lacking the courage to speak boldly and the wisdom to use our words well. It is only when we are enabled by Christ’s Spirit that we will find the wisdom and courage to act in love. When we have allowed Him to enter our hearts and seek with humility to abide by His Spirit, we will be careful to walk according to His leading. Guided by Him we will find that He will give us the strength and tact to boldly speak the truth in love so that those who hear may find life abundant.

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

“But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen and protect you from the evil one.” -2 Thessalonians 3:3 (NIV)

When London was being bombarded by Nazi Germany during the Second World War, the city’s inhabitants would use the famous London Underground as a massive air raid shelter. As the sirens would ring throughout the city informing them that the planes of the Luftwaffe were near, the people of London would rush to the nearest subway stations for protection. There are pictures of entire families sleeping on the platforms as they waited for the bombs to stop. These underground sanctuaries kept them safe from the bombs pounding their city and they were able to rest knowing that as long as they took refuge in these subterranean shelters, they would not fear being killed. Outside the shelter death was waiting for them, but inside there was life.

Where do we turn to find protection and strength from temptation? Often to all the wrong places. If we do not willingly go forth into it, we try to seek refuge and strength in shelters that will not stand firm against the relentless assault of sin. It could be philosophies that claim to a strong moral foundation that will protect us from destroying ourselves in wickedness. Perhaps we think our own willpower will give us the strength to fight temptation and protect us from becoming ensnared. However, when temptation strikes, these shelters crumble like a building before a falling bomb. Where then can we turn to for sanctuary? It can only be found in Christ who has conquered sin and death. Through His blood the penalty for our sin is paid in full and by His resurrection we find shelter and hope in the promise of a life that is secure. When we have allowed Him to enter our hearts, He will empower us by His Spirit to fight against temptation. As we walk closely with Him, rooting ourselves in His Word and allowing Christ to train us in His righteousness, we will be safe from sin and its consequences. Should we choose to remain outside Him, we will be led along the path to a death far worse than the physical. But when we choose to remain in Him, we will find life everlasting and a peace that will never be taken away.

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.