Love letter rom the Father

Dear Lxxx:

Thank you so much for sharing this love letter from our Heavenly Father. Everyday we need to feel anew the great love He has for us so our love for Him grows and flows out of our hearts. We love Him for He first loved us is such an important revelation, as well as the understanding that he who is forgiven much, loves much.

Loving the LORD is the essence of law, but being loved by the LORD is pure grace; how we love Him is not nearly as precious as why we love Him, and the good fruits of faith, peace, joy and obedience naturally spring forth when we are immersed in the sweet sweet nectar that is His complete and sacrificial love.

How great is your love for us, LORD? It can only be measured by how much you love your son Jesus Christ. He was with you in the beginning, and is with you in the end; He is your beloved son, in whom you are well pleased. Yet it pleases you to crush Him in judgment and punishment in order to save us from the wages of sin, and hang Him on the tree to die for us, receiving all the pain and suffering to spare us from Hell's fury. Great is sacrifice of self, but greater is the offering of your only begotten child, without blemish, to be the propitiation for a sinner like me. How great is that love for us the price you paid to take away our pain and dry our tears? What more can we do to deserve salvation but to receive with grateful hearts and open arms all you have given us, and can't help but to love you back with all our heart, all our soul, all our mind and all our strength! Amen

James


將不同經文組合成一封信，說來很容易，但其實並不簡單，這封信是天父寫給所有兒女的情書，讀的時候，你會感受到前所未有的震撼力，雖然對大部份的經文都不陌生。天父真的很愛你,即使你未曾出生,祂已愛了你
為你寫下祂對你的情書,請細心看每一個字,求父在當中向你說話.
天父給你的信

我的孩子：
你或許不認識我，我卻認識你的一切。詩 139:1
你坐下，你起來，我都曉得，詩139:2
我也深知你一切所行的;詩139:3
就是你的頭髮也都被數過了。太10:29-31
你是照著我的的形像所造的，創1:27
你生活、動作、存留，都在乎我，徒17:28
你也是我所生的。徒17:28
甚至在你尚未成形以先，我已曉得你，耶1:4-5
在創立世界之前，我已揀選了你。弗1:4
你不是個錯誤，你所有的年日都寫在我的冊上，詩139:15-16
我定準你的年歲和所住的疆界，徒17:26
你的受造，是極其奇妙可畏！詩139:14
我在你母腹中塑造你， 詩139:13
領你由母腹中出來。詩71:6
我被不認識我的人所誤傳，約8:41-44
我並非冷漠而憤怒的，乃是完全的愛。約壹4:16
我願在你身上揮霍我的愛，
只因為你是我的孩子，我是你的父親。約壹3:1
我能給予你的，遠超過地上的父親所能給予你的，太 7:11
因為我是完全的父。太5:48
你所領受各樣美善的恩賜，都是從我來的，雅 1:17
因為我是你的供應者，我必供應你需的一切。太6:31-33
我向你所懷的意念是要叫你末後有指望，耶29:11
因為我以永遠的愛愛你。耶31:3
我向你的意念其數比海沙更多，詩139:17-18
我因你歡欣喜樂，番 3:17
我決不停止施恩與你，耶32:40
因你是我的珍貴的產業。出19:5
我全心全意栽培你於此地，耶32:41
我要將偉大奧秘的事指示你，耶 33:3
如果你一心一意尋找我，就必尋見。申4:29
以我為樂，我就把你心裡所求的賜給你，詩37:4
因為是我在你心裏動工，使你心裡能立志行事。Philippians 腓 2:13
我能為你成就一切，遠超過你所求所想的。Ephesians 弗 3:20
我是你最佳的鼓勵者，2 Thessalonians 帖後2:16-17
也是在一切患難中安慰你的父親。2 Corinthians 林後1:3-4
你傷心的時候，我靠近你，Psalm 詩34:18
如同牧人懷抱羊羔，我懷抱你在我胸前，Isaiah 賽 40:11
有一天，我要擦去你一切的眼淚並帶走你在世上的一切苦楚。啟 21:3-4
我是你的父，我愛你如同我愛我的兒子─耶穌一樣，約17:23
因為在耶穌裡，就顯明我對你的愛，約 17:26
祂是神本體的真像，來 1:3
祂來是表明我要幫助你，不是敵對你，羅 8:31
並告訴你：我不追究你的過犯。林後5:18-19
耶穌受死，使你可與我和好，林後5:18-19
祂的死，是我愛你最極致的表達.約壹4:10
我為你捨棄了我所愛的一切，使我或許能得著你的愛。羅8:31-32
你若接受了這份禮物.我的兒子耶穌，你就接受了我。約壹2:23
無論任何事都不能叫我的愛與你隔絕。羅8:38-39
回家吧！讓我為你預備一個天上所見過最大的宴席，路15:7
我一直是父親，也永遠是父親，弗 3:14-15
問題是…，你願意成為我的孩子嗎？約1:12-13
我在等著你。路15:11-32

Our great commission?

Each time the brothers gather on the first Sundays I am stirred by the subject at hand. This morning, we finished up on "The Purpose Driven Life," discussing the commissions a believer is asked to perform by Christ. Mainly, the topic centered on spreading the Gospel and bringing back to the LORD His lost sheep.

I have always been impressed by the genuine love and caring -- often at great personal peril and sacrifice -- exhibited by Christians throughout the ages, how dedicated they are to the missionary work. And the torch continues to be carried on in the churches today that love Christ.

I have also heard in some circles that in accepting Christ Jesus into our hearts we are guarantees salvation; but it is our work (or fruit) from that point forward that determines our ultimate reward upon final judgment.

I feel that such belief when applied to our great calling leads to much stress and deviation from the "rest" Christ sacrificed His life to redeem for us. From the brief group discussion (and other similar conversations), there is a common theme of believers who find themselves struggling with their strength, faith, priority, knowledge and individual gift to do God's work up to a standard they deem worthy of a true disciple.

What I am offering may be controversial, but I believe that when Jesus was brutally beaten, nailed to the cross and died of a most painful death, he paid in full ALL the blessings our heavenly Father has in store for us. Nothing more can we earn by our effort and performance. A lowly person like me who has done nothing of significance has the same standing in Christ as giants of the faith like Paul and Peter, not through the same influence and fruitfulness for which I have none, but by the strength of a simple faith that Christ is my savior. For it is only faith and complete dependence on Him that pleases God, and He is assured that fruits born of faith is the sweetest.

God gave each one of us different gifts and burdens; the only measure of equal is our hearts. One who does the most work is not placed in front of the line of blessing and healing...nor the most eloquent of words, angelic of voice, and so on. When one worships Him, and offers himself or herself to the LORD in the name of Christ, God's embrace is complete and boundless. For that is the only way we acknowledge His sacrifice for us, that not one ounce of our effort is worthy but only He is.

Instead of earning more blessings, the Holy Spirit living in us bears fruits in our being joy, peace and love that are the most fragrant offerings we have for Him. And it is in our love and gratitude that we naturally and insistently want to please Him no matter the obstacle and circumstance. We may keep and compare records over fear or vanity, but God does not but only sees our hearts; so focus on Jesus Christ and His finished work for us on the cross, and not on how much work we need to do for Him.

For the more His love is revealed to us, and how our love for Him is stirred, the more willingness and strength we have to offer our time, effort and resources to follow His great commission!

James

最痛的時候

The worship song "最痛的時候" was performed by the church choir yesterday. There is a youtube link that included scenes from "Passion of Christ."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OnPCtcrRLMY

How does one come to Christ? Why is it some finds strength to follow Him through the harshest of circumstances? Is it the promise of eternal life and glorious kingdom awaiting us? It is that... and yet so much more. Christianity is a religion of blood, each one who convicts to the LORD and Christ Jesus with all his soul and all his heart comes to the belief through experiencing His suffering on the cross. It is by the organic union of His blood and our tears that brands our hearts with unshakable faith; the love flowing red on the cross stirs our passion and moves our soul, knowing that each scourging on His body and flesh torn from His bones is love manifest to redeem and heal our form and spirit.

Witnessing the King of kings and Prince of peace being trampled under foot of indignity and suffering, silent and meek like a lamb, with only tenderness in His eyes pleading for our forgiveness -- for we so often don't know how we hurt Him -- I am covered with shame and aching over how great His love is for me that my heart can't help but to reach out to Him in desperation. My love for Jesus is like countless strands of silk inextricably wrapped around His, and forever belonging to Him is this black heart of stone and soot washed soft and clean by the glory of His boundless sacrifice.

Yes, His love lives in the freshly pierced wounds...

James

Restless heart

I was watching TV and Fulton Sheen (an imminent Catholic priest) was on. He talked about how man resolved conflicts within through the ages. A couple of poetic quotes I'd like to share:

"Passions made me live; passions made me die." This was said by Jean-Jacques Rousseau of the Romantic movement, who is a primary philosophical foundation of the modern self-based conscience. It has such deep appeal to me as does for many, I am sure...though like wine only dulls the despair.

Before that Sheen also quoted the following by St. Augustine: "Our hearts are made for Thee O LORD, and restless until they rest in Thee." I am so moved by the resonance in my heart that the restlessness is not filled by worldly passions, but by the loving hands of the eternal father it is made by and tenderly held in.

Still...I stand at the edge and passion will not die.

James

God is the promise of a rainbow

The monthly meetings of brothers provide a chance for deep and spirited discussion on our relationship with God. The current theme by Rick Warren's "Purpose Driven Life" certainly does not lack for interesting topics. A question asked by brother Victor that first appeared to be a little odd by a believing Christian was "what is God?" Why would a Christian question the familiarity with the foundation of our faith, and seemingly not to know it -- at least not well enough?

It is an aspect of our belief that is often overlooked, and even taken for granted...at least in my case until the simple question was raised. The world has many definitions for the term "god," but our LORD is far beyond the generic description of an all-powerful and supreme creator. Yes, He is truth, spirit, life, justice and love; and the source of healing, provision and protection. But it all seems pointless unless we are somehow intimately connected to those attributes -- that we are part of God's essence and not set apart from an academic distance. Only then does He come alive in our minds and sets fire to our hearts.

And upon further reflection, it dawned on me that, although God is ultimately unknowable in our current capacity, still we must continually and daily search out His many manifestations meaningful to us. We may not comprehend him fully in our minds, but when our hearts are moved to love Him so dearly, "what God is" then is everything we need and desire.

Yesterday, I heard my daughter, Ariel, humming the song, "Somewhere Over the Rainbow." It quickly brought me back to the summer of 2007 when music filled the air with Eva Cassidy singing this song, then repeated with an rendition by Israel Kamakawiwoʻole, the Hawaiian singer as the dove released from my mother's hands soared to heaven with the spirit of Grace (my youngest sister).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ccCnL8hArW8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ltAGuuru7Q

Not knowing then the meaning of the dove and rainbow as I do today a reborn child of God, He was there with us, comforting the grieving hearts. When the dove came back in the evening time with a newly plucked olive branch, it symbolized the deliverance of salvation from the wrath of God by the death of Jesus Christ, and He painted a rainbow across the sky with the covenant that, no matter the gathering storms in our midst, destruction shall not befall us -- so long as a rainbow is seen. Today I take comfort in Christ, the beautiful, multi-colored rainbow, which renews the promise of God each time a little raindrop dampens my spirit, that the nights will be followed by sunny days...and shall never cease.

For this precious moment, my god is the promise of a rainbow...

James

Dove's tear

I am sure Gxxxx will notice the time this email is written. ;-) It does seem that I am up in the middle of night a lot given some of the previous writings and last night's testimony for the LORD. For those who have no clue what I am talking about, I apologize; I tried to filter the email to those who were present but gave up.

I want to thank Rxxx for the invitation and encouragement, and also Pxxxx and Sxxxx for helping out with the song and slide presentation. More than a mere account of the LORD's transformational work in my heart and my life, I am surprised at how the cathartic impact from sharing aloud moments of my life -- especially the loss of loved ones -- lingers on my mind. I remember Tammy's emotional description of her father's passing, and saw Cxxxx with us back from Taiwan, along with surely many more of the brothers and sisters who experienced similar losses, it is a pain cruelly etched in our hearts that never quite completely heals...doesn't need to and really don't want to. The cuts on our hearts are not subject to time's passing but bring sweet remembrance each time tears flow.

Such is this moment in the quiet of the night I replay the times with my father and sister, accompanied by the angelic singing of "Pie Jesu" from her farewell, I am comforted in the embrace and beauty of my Lord. Like the white dove released from our mother's trembling hands, Gxxxx is no longer imprisoned but soars above the clouds, carrying away her tears and hurts to rest in the arms of the One who heals.

I thank you Father, Abba, your love is complete; in you is sufficient. Have compassion on your children. Heal the afflicted and in pain; comfort the lonely and broken hearted. Embrace us as a hen gathers her chicks; carry us on your strong shoulders. You will answer us when we call upon you, and rescues us because we love you. Show us your salvation. We pray and offer our praise in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Forgiveness

This is a dilemma Christians (and good people in general) often face --  how to forgive, yet still preserving justice? To forgive one's trespasser is to walk in Christ for that offense; but it gets morally less clear if in one's forgiveness it leads to further offenses against others. In this respect, it seems easier to be God than to be man. All offenses we commit against one another we commit against God, but He allows our free will to hurt one another without apparent consequence or interference. Although God's forgiveness is the ultimate gift of love, it mostly does not prevent our suffering at the hands of others. He left it up to us to devise an earthly justice system based on the moral conscience we were given, therefore it is our godly responsibility to recognize and stop evil whenever possible.

When Jesus Christ died on the cross, it is the crucible where God's justice (horizontal beam) and love (vertical beam) perfectly integrated and gloriously manifested. How is it justice without punishment, and where is the love if there is no forgiveness? He answered both and sanctified us with the sacrifice of His body, justification in his suffering, and love in his willing...yet all the power to grant us eternal life cannot be for an unbeliever. In that regard, He sets a principle we can follow.

Forgiveness only has redeeming value if sought and answered; although a forgiving heart is liberating and glorifies God, it becomes complete and even transformational when given in love and received in gratitude. In that, just as God sees our sins no more, neither should we see our trespasser's. Only then is he deserving of no punishment, and a chance to repent of his old ways. Short of that, it remains our moral duty to protect innocent sheep from wolves.

Unaccountable forgiveness, like free money, only leads to moral decay and more sin. The die-hard pacifists against all wars and capital punishment misinterpret and misrepresent the concept of moral forgiveness. Culturally, they undermine ethical standards; socially, they take away personal responsibility; politically, their idea of forgiveness and tolerance often lead to untold death and suffering by unrepentant evil.

You are too hard on yourself, Carol. I talk a good talk, but fall short just as much as the next person. If Christ's death on the cross was to keep us from sinning, then He had failed miserably. Jesus died to wash away our sin yesterday, today and tomorrow that we will commit as surely as the day is long. But as His love is the hand that gives mercy, it is the palms of our faith that receive, reaching out only when there is repentance, which if of the mind will need to be repeated, but if of the heart once is sufficient for all times.

Lastly, He loves not just everyone...He loves YOU especially and faithfully!

God bless!

James

花了一個 多小時寫兩行字

剛剛裝上打中文的功能。非常謝謝 Pxxxx and Gxxxx 有力的帶領與教導，感覺得了好多的收穫！

每一個弟兄姊妹都有很美好的見解。對不起就我一個人打攪了兩次！神的言就是這麼的深澳與動人，每一句都有一層又一層的意義何教訓，只要細想，每每受益。真恨不得有更多倍的時間來討論！

我看到Mxxxx準備了好多頁的筆記，真想要知道他的靈感與奧解，XX以一句點破了耶穌對約翰懷疑的啟示，讓我頓時誤開，再一次領受到神奧妙的精神。我感覺到神的智慧與愛心充份的流露在每一位兄弟姊妹，以牠為中心，感謝主！

我花了一個 多小時寫上面兩行字，不知道有沒有打破什麼慢速計錄！中文不好，只會用注音符號一個一個字拼起來，有些時候拼了半天也拼布起來！我想一定也有用錯的字，請不要笑。


許佩仁
James