How do we love?
1 Peter 3:8 “Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble.”
Last week, 1 John told us why we should love. Not for personal gain, or out of obligation, but because that is God’s command to us, to love others as Jesus loved us.
Today’s verse deals with what that love should look like. Agreeability with each other, sympathy and understanding, compassion and humility. Key traits in the love that we Christians should exhibit to everyone around us, no exceptions.
In the context of the verse, Peter says that this love should be shown to those who oppose us and are evil, and to repay evil with blessings. 1 Peter 3:17 “For it is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.”
This is the kind of love and understanding we are to show to everyone, for it falls upon us to be blessings during times of evil.
Appreciating Cultures, Practising Contextualisation
EAST is a seminary with faculty, staff and students hailing from several nations. We learn to appreciate and recognise the uniqueness of different cultures around the world. The picture above shows us having a session of intercultural appreciation and prayer for different nations.
As part of being an intercultural community, we also learn how to communicate with each other with patience, sensitivity and adaptability in different cross-cultural situations.
The message of the Gospel needs to go out far and wide throughout the world. Having an awareness of how to be effectively cross-cultural in spiritual conversations helps in bringing this message of God to the ends of the earth.
#EASTCommunity #EASTCrossCultural #GreatCommission
Faculty Matthew Winslow & the Manchurian Revival
Matthew Winslow & Family (wife Sijie, children – Hudson, Amber, Alethea & dog Caspian)
Mr Matthew Winslow joined EAST as an adjunct faculty in 2010 and served as a resident faculty two years later. From 2014-2016, he was our Dean of Students and mentored the Student Council. He and his family (wife Sijie, and three children Hudson, Amber and Alethea) then left for the US to pursue his PhD in Church History at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He is almost at the tail-end of his research and completion of his dissertation. Lord willing, Matthew should be returning with his family to EAST by next July in 2022. Below is an interview to find out more about his dissertation, church ministry and family.
Prayer Pointers – 16 September 2021
“Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God”. Ephesian 5:1-2, – ESV.
To imitate God is to be Christlike in our being and doing. Nothing delights Him more than seeing His beloved children act redemptively and sacrificially like Christ did in reaching out and loving others with the gospel.
Christ’s love as an example to us
“We love because he first loved us.” 1 John 4:19, NIV
Note here, that the verse instructs us to love. Not “love specific people who have been good to you” or “love those who are convenient to love”. The verse says be loving, for He loves us.
Christ’s love is sacrificial and unconditional. Our love should be the same, but as loving as we can be, many of us don’t live up to these expectations most of the time. Our love is conditional, and not always sacrificial.
Keeping with this month’s theme of loving thy neighbour, look at those around you, your church, class, CG or MG. Is there someone you haven’t spoken to or caught up with for a while? Start by striking up a conversation with them, ask them how you can pray for them, and do so.
Be loving, because he first loved us.
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