How Far? How Long?

During a memorial service after the tragedy of September 11th 2001, U.S. President George W. Bush quoted these verses from the Bible.
"Can anything ever separate us from Christ's love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or are hungry or cold or in danger or threatened with death?

No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ (!), who loved us. And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from his love.
Death can't (!), and life can't (!). The angels can't (!), and the demons can't (!). Our fears for today, and our worries about tomorrow, and even the powers of hell can't keep God's love away. Whether we are high above the sky or in the deepest ocean, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from *the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:35,37-39 NKJV.

I believe it took a leader to say those words. A man of God to stand before his country, his administration, his fellow countrymen, aliens, critics and even his enemies, to proclaim, to declare aloud in those moments of extreme grief and anguish that God is still in control. That nothing, absolutely nothing can separate God's love from those who believe in Him. At the deep end of loss, a leader of his nation steered his nation towards faith, rest and comfort in God. Above answers, defense and trauma, people needed hope. And a man of God declared the source of Hope.

(*"This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn't go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again." John 3:16-17 The Message.)

A disciple of Jesus found himself on the hilltop of regret. Having betrayed his master to his enemies for thirty pieces of silver, Judas was too laden with remorse and self-condemnation to give himself another chance. As a result, he sought the way out to silence his pain. He found a rope and hung himself from a tree. Because he couldn't forgive himself, he never had a chance to receive forgiveness from the One who loved him. I often wonder what it would have been like if Judas had asked Jesus for forgiveness. Perhaps his life would have been radically changed. Perhaps he would have lived to tell of the God of second chances.

Everyone fails at one point or another. I, for one, can use second chances. To learn to forgive myself of my mistakes. To accept that I am not perfect, yet know that I have hope in Jesus. I would appreciate and feel encouraged if those closest to my heart can paint a new picture of me with me. With new paint and new brushstrokes. Humanly, it's hard work. But in Christ, all things are possible. There is no life apart from Christ, and there is no hope without Christ! Just ask Simon Peter. He denied Jesus on three separate occasions yet Jesus returned to restore him when He came back to life having overcome death.

Keep walking,
Sv ",+

20/05/2008 08:37

Made For God

I was made to praise You
I was made to glorify Your name
In every circumstance
To find the chance to thank You
.
I was made to love You
I was made to worship at Your feet
And to obey You, Lord
I was made for You

That's why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good.
God knew what he was doing from the very beginning. He decided from the outset to shape the lives of those who love him
along the same lines as the life of his Son. The Son stands first in the line of humanity he restored. Romans 8:28-29 The Message.

At the heart of worship is our purpose in God. When we understand that, we begin to appreciate living out His purpose in our lives.
Demands and expectations from the people around us will change. There will be times when we will fail. Times when we will not understand.
But God remains at work. And He will continue to do His work in us till our very last breath.

Take heart,
Sv ",+

07/04/2008 13:16

Poignant Notes

You laid aside Your majesty,
Gave up everything for me.
Suffered at the hands of those You had created.

You took away my guilt and shame,
When You died and rose again.
Now today You reign,
And heaven and earth exalt You.

I really want to worship You my Lord
You have won my heart and I am Yours
Forever and ever, I will love You.

You are the only one who died for me,
Gave Your life to set me free.
So I lift my voice to You in adoration.

[Easter Sunday] His love affirmed in this song broke down the wall of silence around my heart.
That afternoon, I received a note from a friend. Mate, if I may......
"Dear Shou Vien, may the joy of the risen Christ fill your heart and touch every part of your life. The Lord has risen, alleluia."

Unlike folks who always do the right things and say the right words so that the order of the universe as we know it will not be disrupted,
I tend to fair badly in the "social-political landscape". I must admit that I do have my character weaknesses and areas that I need to work on.
And these do handicap the relationships in my life. Aspirations await fulfillment. Love desires expression. Sincerity expects demonstration.

Finding solace in solitude allows me to be turned around by Him and thus find rest for the soul.
Let Him wash away the stains of pain and shame, and soften a hardened heart before returning to face the world and its poignant fluidity.
Perhaps then I will bring lesser pain and disappointment into a world that is already so full of them.

I do not know any other way except to trust that God will turn things around and even the hearts of those I have wounded.
Some say that trust has to be earned but perhaps it can also be entrusted, so that it may be received, hence empower and liberate.
Perceiving does not set me on a higher pedestal than the next person. On the contrary, it highlights the lack in my walk.

O LORD, You have searched me and known me. You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thought afar off.
You comprehend my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways. Psalm 139:1-3 NKJV.

Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence?
If I ascend into heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there.

If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there Your hand shall lead me,
and Your right hand shall hold me. Psalm 139:7-10 NKJV.

Matheses,
Sv ".+

01/04/2008 17:49