Psalm 97:10 says : those who love the lord hate evil
If you equate this "Love" to the kind of "Love" that you and I are accustomed to, then it will be very confusing to understand the meaning.
Let me ask you this: Do you think the prodigal son hated his father? Neither do I. I am sure the son loved his father as much as the "good" son did, but he just loved himself more. You cannot apply that kind of love to the Lord.
There was a pastor that I was told somewhere in the states. Well spoken, charismatic, funny. He was a senior pastor of a mega church with 30 - 40 thousands congregation. People loved him and they flocked to wherever church he came to speak and most gave their life to the Lord at the end of the service. It was a manifestation of John chapter 1: "In him (the word of God) was life and that life gave light to the world". The lord surely used him as a medium to transmit that light. He also wrote books that promptly went on the bestsellers list.
But unbeknownst to his family, friends and the church, he loved evil. You see he was addicted to crack cocaine and in order to satisfy his expensive addiction, he depleted his bank account, his family's saving and when that was not enough, he helped himself from the church donation to the point where the mega church nearly filed for bankruptcy.
But the word of God is like a double edged sword and the same chapter (John 1) says "The light shines through the darkness and the darkness could not contain it". The pastor was exposed. The church sued and he was indicted and was thrown in jail.
An old friend of his (a pastor of a smaller church) went to visit him. After a brief conversation he asked him that one million dollar question. The question that everybody, even you while reading this wonder about. "When did you stop loving the Lord?" to which the fallen pastor replied "What do you mean? I never stopped loving the Lord" and after a moment of silence he added "I just stopped fearing him".
How can you say you love the lord and not fear him? To love the Lord is to reverence him, to respect and honour him. Otherwise you are equating him to a mere mortal father.
If you equate this "Love" to the kind of "Love" that you and I are accustomed to, then it will be very confusing to understand the meaning.
Let me ask you this: Do you think the prodigal son hated his father? Neither do I. I am sure the son loved his father as much as the "good" son did, but he just loved himself more. You cannot apply that kind of love to the Lord.
There was a pastor that I was told somewhere in the states. Well spoken, charismatic, funny. He was a senior pastor of a mega church with 30 - 40 thousands congregation. People loved him and they flocked to wherever church he came to speak and most gave their life to the Lord at the end of the service. It was a manifestation of John chapter 1: "In him (the word of God) was life and that life gave light to the world". The lord surely used him as a medium to transmit that light. He also wrote books that promptly went on the bestsellers list.
But unbeknownst to his family, friends and the church, he loved evil. You see he was addicted to crack cocaine and in order to satisfy his expensive addiction, he depleted his bank account, his family's saving and when that was not enough, he helped himself from the church donation to the point where the mega church nearly filed for bankruptcy.
But the word of God is like a double edged sword and the same chapter (John 1) says "The light shines through the darkness and the darkness could not contain it". The pastor was exposed. The church sued and he was indicted and was thrown in jail.
An old friend of his (a pastor of a smaller church) went to visit him. After a brief conversation he asked him that one million dollar question. The question that everybody, even you while reading this wonder about. "When did you stop loving the Lord?" to which the fallen pastor replied "What do you mean? I never stopped loving the Lord" and after a moment of silence he added "I just stopped fearing him".
How can you say you love the lord and not fear him? To love the Lord is to reverence him, to respect and honour him. Otherwise you are equating him to a mere mortal father.
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