Living a Life of Love

I remember when I first became a Christian. I was a sophomore in high school, and my uncle fed me book after book by many Christian authors. I learned a lot about the Bible, but it was based on what those people told me it said. Rather than reading it critically for myself, I stood on the shoulders of others. Well, when I got involved with this ministry, I was amazed and impressed by how they helped me learn how to study the Bible for myself. I felt very empowered and confident in my ability to use the research tools that were given to me.

A few years later, one of my best friends was killed while serving in the Army in Afghanistan. The loss of my dear friend Brett was tragic and very painful. As I processed through this tough time, I was reminded of how much of a blessing he was to be around and how he lived his life for Christ. I joined many of Brett’s friends the night after his death to cry, tell stories, laugh, and remember our dear friend. There was story after story about how people just felt loved by Brett and that he was always joyful.

Two years later, I still remember Brett as an amazing example of a man who lived a life of love. His legacy convicts me to be more loving, more giving, and more focused on others rather than myself. I’ve been going back to the basics lately in my personal study time in the Word, and what could be more basic than loving God and loving others?

You may be familiar with the following verses, which are about as basic as we can get in understanding true Christianity:

Matthew 22:37-39
(37) Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’
(38) This is the first and greatest commandment.
(39) And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’

The man who came to Jesus asked him only for the first and greatest commandment. Why then did Jesus add the second in his answer? Because the two are inseparable, in that the only way to know the degree to which someone loves God is by how he treats people.

Along this line, I recently saw a couple of verses in 1 John that pierced my very soul. They lay out a little more clearly how the greatest commandment and the second work together.

1 John 4:20 and 21
(20) If anyone says, “I love God,” yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen.
(21) And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother.

These verses are very clear: The only way to measure one’s love for God is by how he deals with people. This may come as a harsh reality to you, as it did to me. If you were to ask the common Christian if he loves God, he would probably say, “Absolutely.” I know I would like to think that I always love God, but Scripture clearly says that if I do not love my brother, I do not really love God. What a tough standard to measure up to! Or is it?

Think about it. The entire Bible has an overarching theme that God has woven into its very fabric, and that is love. Sometimes I am not sure how I should show up in a particular situation, or what the will of God is therein, but I can be certain of one thing, I am always supposed to love.

So, do you really love God? Are you really loving people? Can others see the love of Christ in me? I ask you these tough questions because I am asking them of myself. For much of my Christian life, I focused on gaining as much knowledge of the written Word as possible, but what good is that knowledge if I’m not walking in love?

1 Corinthians 13:1-3
(1) If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.
(2) If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.
(3) If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.

Do you see that? God is not as concerned with how much knowledge you have or the greatness of your faith as He is with how you love others. I’m not downplaying the importance of knowing the written Word, but I am stressing the importance of loving people in words and in deeds.

1 John 3:18
Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.

I don’t want to just “say” that I love people; I want my life to be a life of love, proven by my actions. If you consider yourself a loving person, you might ask yourself: “What have I done today that is loving?” What have you done this month? I think that the famous “Golden Rule” gives every human being a benchmark to know what is love and what is not, in that we each know what feels like love to us, and we can use that as the standard for dealing with others. All of us can think back to a time we felt loved, even if it was in a very small way.

I challenge you to look closely at what it means to love people with true, biblical love. 1 Corinthians 13 is a great place to start.

1 Corinthians 13:4-8a
(4) Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
(5) It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
(6) Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
(7) It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
(8a) Love never fails…

As Christians, we are called to be witnesses for the Lord Jesus Christ, and whether we like it or not, non-believers will notice the way we live our lives. Many of them base their perception of Christianity on how they see Christians acting, and, in my opinion, Christians are one of the biggest reasons why some people reject Christianity. Many who profess to follow Christ do not love the way he did. Jesus told his disciples: “By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:35).

Love can do amazing things. It can fix problems, mend relationships, and change hearts.

The following are two verses that show the power of love:

Proverbs 10:12
Hatred stirs up dissension, but love covers over all wrongs.

1 Peter 4:8
Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.

To conclude this brief overview of some of the convictions living in my heart, I ask you to love. Love not out of guilt or obligation, but with a pure heart that knows what Scripture says and is committed to changing lives. My good friend Brett lived a life of love, and people remember him for the love he showed. I want that in my life, and I’m sure you do too. May we all strive to love God, and each other, all the days of our lives. He promises that it will be worth it.

The New Move on Immigration Reform

BY BEN LOWE
JANUARY 10, 2013
Ben Lowe is on staff with the Evangelical Environmental Network and also serves as the National Spokesperson of Young Evangelicals for Climate Action. A dedicated activist and organizer, Ben was born and raised a missionary kid in Southeast Asia, where he experienced firsthand the impacts of poverty and pollution. He now lives in a refugee and immigrant neighborhood in the Chicagoland area where he ran for U.S. Congress in 2010. Ben is the author of Green Revolution: Coming Together to Care for Creation (IVP 2009) and previously served as National Coordinator for the student creation care network, Renewal.
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Will the system overhaul be able to balance improved legislation with love for the stranger?

Our current immigration system is broken beyond repair, and we desperately need comprehensive reform at the federal level.

Like millions of others, this is not an abstract issue for me. My mother is an immigrant and only recently became a naturalized citizen after a long and complicated process. I’m now blessed to live as part of an intentional community in an immigrant and refugee neighborhood outside of Chicago. Our neighbors—many whom have become like family—come from all around the world and have overcome great adversity to be here, whether legally or not.

CURRENTLY, AROUND 11 MILLION PEOPLE LIVE IN THE SHADOWS WITHOUT LEGAL STATUS IN THE UNITED STATES.

Currently, around 11 million people live in the shadows without legal status in the United States. Being undocumented means living in a constant state of fear and being vulnerable to abuse and exploitation (as without legal status, they have few rights or options here, whether at work or at home). There are numerous stories I could share here, but the bottom line is this: A lot of good people—both citizens and immigrants—are struggling because of the broken status quo, and pressure has reached the boiling point, especially in border states, such as Arizona and California.
This problem won’t be easy to fix, but it’s certainly possible.

Comprehensive immigration reform (CIR) needs to strike the right balance between upholding our laws while protecting the rights of our immigrant neighbors. Good reform will include three basic tenets:

More focused and consistent immigration enforcement, through improved border security and making it harder to forge social security cards and numbers.
A modernized visa system that meets the changing job demands of our market economy and makes it easier to immigrate legally.
A path to legal status for undocumented immigrants who are already here and have been contributing to the well-being of our communities and economy. We can’t keep 11 million people living in the shadows, and it would be both morally wrong and financially unfeasible to try to deport everyone.
CIR has been a politically toxic subject for years now. But in less than a month, it’s skyrocketed from a third-rail issue to a bipartisan priority. President Obama and congressional leaders from both political parties have indicated that Washington may begin working out the details of an immigration reform proposal soon after the presidential inauguration in January.

This good news is long overdue.

The most significant reason for this remarkable shift was the result of the 2012 presidential election. Governor Mitt Romney, who endorsed a policy of “self-deportation” in the Republican primary campaign and hailed Arizona’s controversial approach to immigration as “a model” for the nation, received a mere 27 percent of the Latino vote. In some swing states, such as Colorado and Nevada, he fared even poorer, earning 10 percent and 17 percent of the vote respectively.

In contrast, former President George W. Bush, who attempted valiantly but unsuccessfully to pass comprehensive immigration reform in his second term, earned a full 44 percent of the Latino vote nationally. Asian voters—once a reliably Republican constituency—voted for Romney at an even lower rate than Latinos. According to a survey conducted by the Asian Pacific American Legal Center, more than 80 percent of Asian voters said the candidates’ positions on immigration influenced their vote.

Faced with the stark reality that the above voting demographics are growing, many Republicans are finally realizing they desperately need to “evolve” on immigration or risk going the way of the Whigs.

However, this isn’t just a special-interest issue for minorities. It’s also a moral concern and a justice issue for all Americans. We are, after all, a nation of immigrants. As such, traditionally conservative faith leaders, along with business leaders and law enforcement, have been playing a significant role in pressuring politicians to do the right thing and support CIR. To date, more than 150 prominent evangelical leaders have endorsed the Evangelical Statement of Principles for Immigration Reform. Signatories to that statement include Sojourners president Jim Wallis, Wheaton College president Phil Ryken, Focus on the Family president Jim Daly, prominent Southern Baptist Convention spokesperson Richard Land and many other leaders from across the political spectrum.

Younger people are another passionate constituency propelling the push for CIR forward. Polls have consistently found that those of us between the ages of 18 and 29 are very supportive of allowing undocumented immigrants to earn American citizenship. The age cohort most opposed to this is the 65-and-older crowd. Millennials are also more likely than those of older generations to personally know undocumented immigrants, and these relationships are decisive in shaping our views.

At the intersection of these two key supportive constituencies—evangelical Christians and young people—is a growing movement that is actively organizing and advocating for comprehensive reform that is consistent with biblical values of justice, compassion and hospitality. The G92 movement—which takes its name from the 92 references to the Hebrew word “ger” (the immigrant) in the Old Testament—began at Cedarville University in Ohio in October 2011, where more than 1,000 students from across the country gathered to look at immigration from a distinctly biblical perspective. Subsequent conferences have been hosted at Samford University in Alabama and Concordia University in Oregon, with more events planned for the coming months.

Beyond simply becoming aware, young Christians are also taking action to challenge their peers and their legislators to think more biblically about both immigrants and immigration policies. Many of us are mobilizing to meet tangible needs in immigrant communities, helping to teach English and much more. Young evangelicals are also lobbying our elected officials: writing letters, making telephone calls and visiting their offices in person.

It still remains to be seen whether immigration reform will happen in 2013. Despite numerous promises, politics can be fickle, and the apparent broad interest in reform could dissipate once Congress begins to debate the actual details. If “the devil is in the details,” though, the Church in particular should remain committed to praying for and advocating before our political leaders, that they may find the courage to do the right thing. We young Christians are well positioned to help lead that charge.

*Thanks to my good friend and neighbor Matthew Soerens, coauthor of Welcoming the Stranger (IVP, 2009), for help with this article.

LAWS THAT HAVE BEEN PASSED

WELL AS YOU KNOW THERE WAS A PARTIAL DREAM ACT THAT WILL END SOME TIME IN FEBRUARY

http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.eb1d4c2a3e5b9ac89243c6a7543f6d1a/?vgnextoid=f2ef2f19470f7310VgnVCM100000082ca60aRCRD&vgnextchannel=f2ef2f19470f7310VgnVCM100000082ca60aRCRD

A NEW LAW WAS PASSED ON JANUARY 2ND

http://www.regulations.gov/#!documentDetail;D=USCIS-2012-0003-3739

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Woman beheads 11-month-old child in Annotto Bay

A 40-year-old woman is now in custody after beheading her 11-month-old son in Annotto Bay, St. Mary this morning.

It is understood that the woman who has a history of mental issues, carried the child to the Annotto Bay Police Station yesterday and asked officials to take the child, however this was not done and she was sent back home. This morning the woman committed the act by severing the child’s head and arm, Irie FM News reported. She later turned her self into the police. An investigation is now being done

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