Love One Another
In this letter, Peter writes to 5 regions in the Roman empire, and he addresses his audience as exiles who have been dispersed. 1 Peter 1:1 “To those who are elect exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia.”
It can be surmised that he is writing to groups of Christians facing persecution and or trials. Peter goes on to remind them of the truth of who they are: children of God who have been born again through Christ’s resurrection from the dead. As such they should rejoice, for whatever trials they are currently facing, God has kept an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, in heaven for them.
Therefore, his audience is also reminded of their call to be holy and leave their ignorant ways behind, 1 Peter 1:14-15 “As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct.”
Part of this call to obedience is to love wholeheartedly, sacrificially and selflessly.
Loving God Completely
Photo: Ben White. Design: Jonathan Yao.
“4 Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 5 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” ~ Deuteronomy 6:4-5 (NIV)
Deuteronomy 6:4-9 is one of the most notable biblical passages named as the shema (Hebrew for “hear” as found in v. 4) and viewed as the “classic” confession of faith for the Hebrews. Verses 4 and 5 are seen as positive restatement of the first command in the Ten Commandments (Deut. 5:6-21). (Guzik, Enduring Word Commentary or EWC)
Alumni: We came to the right place
When Baatarsuren “Baataraa” Buyanmandakh (Mongolia), came to Singapore in Dec 2012, he was “heart-broken.” His younger son, Munhuul, three and a half, had passed away the year before. He and his wife Zulaa have another son, Odko, 12. Before the tragedy, the former Mongolia Campus Crusade campus leader had already planned to go for theological training. “We want to build future church-planters for the 200 unreached villages and towns in my country,” he says.
At first, the Buyanmandakhs were offered places, with free housing, to study in the USA. “But after visiting two schools there, we felt that their teaching contexts may not be relevant to our future ministries,” says Baataraa. “So we came to EAST. As soon as we settled down, we knew we’d come to the right place.”
At EAST, Your Marriage Matters
Yes, especially for people in ministry, the health of our marriages matter. We must make the time and put in the effort to build up our spouses, and sow into our relationship with one another. This is how married couples continue growing as healthy partners in ministry.
Our faculty, Jacob and Josephine Li, are teaching the Christian Marriage course online where our married students and other couples in ministry enroll for a season of marriage-building. This course has recently been offered with the Free8Online promotion. As a result, we have a dozen couples from Canada and Singapore who have joined the course for an intentional season of building their marriage.
We praise God that the reach of this important course is now expanded through online means. Truly COVID-19 is not just a disruptor but also a teaching ministry accelerator!
#EASTChristianMarriage
Alumnus: New Confidence through Love and Patience
“At EAST, I see God restoring my confidence to serve Him on the mission field,” says Peter Lee, an EAST alumnus. “My wife and I were both totally exhausted after serving for ten years in East Asia.”
Read on to find out why Peter feels that EAST has provided the shelter for him to renew his strength to serve, and courage to lead in his life, family, and ministry.
EAST Library Catalogue
EAST Populi
National Library Board eResources
The Digital Theological Library
