Your Love Never Fails

1 Corinthians 13:13 -- Now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is LOVE.

Jealous

Ever heard of the statement that God is a jealous God? What is He jealous for? He's God and He owns everything, so why is he still jealous?

The word 'jealous' rhymes with 'zealous'. Zeal is the highest form of passion and love, the extreme kind that would go any length for the object of love. And jealous, as defined by Merriam-Webster dictionary, is (1) intolerant of rivalry or unfaithfulness, or disposed to suspect rivalry or unfaithfulness, (2) hostile toward a rival or one believed to enjoy an advantage, and (3) vigilant in guarding a possession.

What is God intolerant about? Why is He hostile and wrathful? What is the possession that He is guarding?

God is jealous for you. He's not jealous of you; He's jealous FOR you. He is intolerant about your sin, hostile and wrathful towards Satan, and He is constantly in vigilance to guard you as His very own possession. This is the highest zeal. This is how much God loves you and me.

It's two sides of a coin: God loves you and He hates your sin. He doesn't hate you, but He hates sin and He loves you. Why does He hate sin? Because that's what will destroy you and He doesn't want that to happen; He is intolerant of Satan who snatches you away, hostile toward him who enjoys destroying your life, and vigilant in guarding you as His precious one -- all because of ... LOVE.

Our parents are quite capable of protecting us this way. They nag us, advise us, urge us, warn us, scold us, and (when we were young and naughty) cane us. They will do all they can and everything they know to protect us, yet sometimes they are over protective and we become even more rebellious. That's because they really love us, even though the way they express it may not be perfect and right sometimes.

But God's perfect love is not limited like how our parents are. While our parents are limited in their resources and solutions, God isn't limited. He is the solution to our unfaithfulness and rebellion. His solution to our sin is to give His only begotten Son to die for us on the cross. His love is fully manifested in this: that while we did not know Him, while we sinned against Him, while we rebelled against Him, while we were destroyed by our sin, He loved us even though we were unlovable. Romans 5:8 -- But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Zeal is passion, and passion means sacrifice. For what cause? That we will one day be united with Him again in heaven and in His presence be completely satisfied with the fullness of joy. Does this challenge your mind to ask why? (like, "Why do we need to enjoy His presence? Why heaven?") Because the alternative is a place of eternal destruction and suffering. Hell is what God is guarding you against, knowing that He created you, and you belong to Him. You are the object of His love, passion and zeal.

God loves you.

Words to Remember:

1 John 4:9, 18-19 -- In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. We love Him because He first loved us.

How He Loves Us

God love you. Yes, you, reading this and listening to this song. He wants to encounter you. Just open up your heart and let Him saturate you with His love.

For Chiann

My dear friend, Melbourne has claimed you citizen, but your veins flow the Malaysian blood, still firmly rooted in your Chinese origins.

Time has passed us by, how we have grown! How our paths have separated! How we have parted in our ways! Yet, our paths have crossed again, despite the many times they have went where destiny beckons.

I thank God for every time that we meet again, fellowshiping and praying together, watching the stars at night, counting the meteors, pillow talks... And I thank God for this friendship that flourishes despite the distance and difference of our destinies. Who can understand this mystery, but the Lord who brings all things good together for His glory?

Lord, I pray, please bless this life. Wherever You lead, may she be given wisdom and understanding of Your divine destiny for her. And wherever You lead us, let us meet again, not only in heaven forever, but here on this earth. May Your beauty and glory be upon her, that she would shine for You, the way You have destined for her to be. Crown her with righteousness and bless her with grace everlasting.

And as Your words says that You have thoughts of peace amd not evil for us, that You will bless us with a good future and hope, that as we seek you with all of our heart we will find You, Lord, let it be true for us both.

Chiann, I miss you... God loves you. ^_^

Jesus, I love You

Last year, a brother in church composed this song he named "More than anything". It's a very simple song with simple lyrics and simple chords, composed in the simplicity of heart, I believe. Yet it's such an impactful song. It has touched my heart countless times when I sang it or played it. It's a song that sings that cry of my heart, that desire to love the Lord more, more than anything. It's a song that speaks of the crave for Jesus, that I really need Him.

I had this imagination (or impression) some time ago, where I was a young girl, and my Lover was the Lord Jesus. We were sitting together by the stream, our bare feet soaking in the cool water. He was holding me in His embrace, just loving me tenderly. We were silent all through, just watching the waves in the stream, enjoying the beautiful scenery, oblivious of time and space. My worries melted, my burdens lifted, and that joy as He kissed my forehead and smiled at me...

There are many times in life when we face challenges, difficulties, struggling through quicksands, having great waves coming; when we are distressed, upset, depressed, hurt, angry, disappointed -- it's times like this that we always tend to ask a lot of questions of why's. But it's also times like these that we really need to tell God, "Lord, I love You", to just worship Him and tell Him how much you really miss Him and want to be with Him.

Someone once said that there are some questions in life that no matter how many times you have asked it or much you try to find the answer, there just isn't an answer to it. So quit asking and give it a rest! The Lord doesn't owe us any explanation. He just wants us to trust Him that He will lead us through any situation, and through it all, to grow in faith and to be more like Him. He wants us to reflect His strength so that others would experience Him the Almighty.

There will be times when God doesn't answer us the way that we want to. He doesn't tells us the things we want to hear, but what He wants to tell. He doesn't answer us the way we want it to come, but the way He wants it to be answered. Many times, He won't tell us 'yes' or 'no'; He'll just be silent or say 'wait'. Many times we will need to be the ones making the final decision, especially if the decision will not cause us to love Him less, but to trust Him more.

Joyce Meyer said: we have no testimony without a test (Beauty for Ashes). I learned (am still learning) that God really does make things work out for good, even when we go through times that we don't fully understand what was happening. He makes things work out for good, because He wants to give us the opportunity for testimony -- to glorify Him.

Really, if our lives are made to glorify Him and to make manifest His glory, to witness of Him and preach His love and greatness, how will we do it if we don't have a personal experience of His glory? And how will we experience His glory if we refuse to let go of ourselves to let Him have His way in our lives? How will we experience Him if we keep asking 'why' and not rest in Him? How can we say that we love Him if we don't want to be intimate with Him in worship?

Tell Him that you love Him. Tell Him, singing, "Jesus, I love You, more than anything..." so that you can tell others that He loves them.

When Love Takes You In

This is one song that makes me want to say:

Lord, take me in to Your love, to the place where I belong, where You are embracing me in Your arms and never let me go. Take me to the place where I belong, right there in Your arms, where every burden is lifted from me.

Love that line that sings, the loneliness ends and a new life begins...

I'm like that little girl in the song, running to the open arms of my Father...

Will You still love me?

She sat on the floor in her darkened room, broken and grieved, feeble and unspeaking. She could hear voices in the living room, her family chatting and laughing together, joy in their hearts. She didn’t want to join them. She wanted to withdraw herself, to be alone. Yet at the same time, she also wanted to cease this feeling of loneliness inside her; she wanted people to be around her, to comfort her, to understand that she was in depression.

Depression was an old enemy, a fiend who would haunt her with negative thoughts, pulling her down… down… down… There was no reason or explanation to justify why it was here, dominating over her, or why there was so much unanswered questions in her mind. But she knew it well, this pain inside her. She has come to the point where she has no strength left to resist it, no will to fight against it.

Tears rolled down her cheek as she thought about her life – full of rejection, hurts, failure, emotional setbacks, unloved… Why do they keep coming back? Haven’t all these been taken away when she believed in Jesus? Haven’t it been put to a stop? Why doesn’t she have joy?

She cried silently. She didn’t want her family to hear her sobs. But she knew her tears will not soothe her heart or bring the peace that she longed for. She knew deep down that she couldn’t allow herself to be pulled any lower, but how to let out the pain inside of her?

She drew out the blade from the box of stationeries, and her heart sank ever so low as she stared at the sharp edges of the blade. Fear rushed over her. She knew that she had warned herself against it time and time again, and even now. But the pain in her heart was so compelling…

Don’t do it. She told herself mentally. Don’t do it, Clare. Just don’t do it. DON’T!

But she couldn’t. Her hands wouldn’t obey. She gripped the blade tightly in her left hand and placed it lightly on the smooth skin of her right inner forearm. She didn’t want to die; that was not the point. She knew this feeling, depression, and she just wanted to channel it out. If only she could hurt herself physically to siphon out the pain from inside… If only it would help...

Clare closed her eyes and she knew that God was watching her. Don’t do it, Clare… But the fiend that overpowered her: It’ll be quick. This is what you wanted. Satisfy me.

Her left palm was sweating, making her grip slippery. It'll be quick. You've done it before. Let it be quick. Quick!

She pressed the sharp edge of the blade into her skin, but she knew not to do it too deep. She didn't want to die, but she didn't want to be in deep physical pain either. The blade drew a thin one-inched long cut across her pale skin. It wasn't deep; blood was barely visible.

And she pressed it down into her skin again a second time, a little stronger this time... Deeper! Quicker! The fiend was instructing her.

And a third time, faster stroke with more force. A deeper cut. The blood surfaced, but not much. Yet the pain was there. Deeper! Quicker! It demanded.

The fourth, she deliberately stabbed her skin and slashed the blade across it rapidly to give it a satisfying cut. Immediately, her inner forearm was crimson with blood, and the fiend in her savoured every moment of pain...

She broke down in tears again, holding her bleeding right forearm with her left hand, leaning on the edge of her bed. That emotional pain was still there, perhaps even more intense than before she had cut herself. Her heart was in excruciating pain.

She knew that there was only one way, but she has sealed it with the blade. She knew that only God could save and deliver her from this suffering, but she has rejected it, and she has no right to ask of it now. She knew that only God's love could heal her of this pain, but she was unworthy and an ugly sinner.

The moon cast a strip of silver light through the window onto the floor where she knelt. The night was cool and silent, broken only by her sobs. She gazed up to the starless black sky through the window. I have fallen short of Your glory...

She took a glance at her right arm, where the crimson stains were still glowing and in pain. Now I have done this... Lord, I have done this. I don't love myself anymore. Do You still love me? Will You still love me? Now, will You come and heal me? And would You hear my selfish desires? Do you hear me? Jesus... Jesus!

Clare did not know how long she was on the floor, crying and sobbing until she barely had strength left to climb into bed. She did not know how she fell asleep, but she woke up to a day that she didn't want to face for the first time.

"Clare, we'll be late for church!" her mum called outside her room.

"Ok. I'm up," she called back, remembering that it was Sunday, and there was no escape, no excuse to say that she won't turn up.

How on earth am I going to do this? Me? Going to church like this? She asked herself as she gently washed away the dried blood over her wound. The slashes on her arm singed as the cold water ran over it. She forced herself not to think.

She quickly got dressed and they got to church. As the praise celebration started with worship, she reminded herself mentally not to raise her hands too high, or people might see her scars. What if they do see it? What would they say? The fiend said, luring her to crave for attention. Clare tried hard to tug the thought away. Keep your hand low, Clare.

The worship ended and the pastor went up for the word as they settled comfortably on their chairs. Clare was thankful that she was sitting alone. She glanced at her right arm.

"Great grace of God," said the pastor. "is the title of today's message," he looked around the church hall. "Let's say together, 'grace'." The congregation echoed "Grace!"

She stared at the notes on her lap and the intense, excruciating pain struck her heart all over again.

"The Apostle Paul prayed for the church in Ephesus that 'Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God'," he preached.

"How will you be filled with the fullness of God? It's by comprehending and having understanding of Jesus' great love for you."

And tears started to well up in Clare's eyes. She bowed her head so that her hair covered her face. She suddenly realised that she did not understand the love of Christ for her.

"Thank God that He didn't say He loves you, because you are qualified, or you are worthy, or you are with high position in the society. He didn't say, 'Oh, you've won many souls, therefore I love you more.' Nor did He say, 'Oh, you are smarter, more beautiful or holier, therefore I love you more'.

"No! God loves you, even when you are yet a sinner, even when you think you are unworthy, even when you are imperfect. He. Just. Loves. You!" he emphasised.

At this point, she couldn't stop the rivers of tears that flowed. Oh, stop. Stop! She wailed silently to herself. It's not even half the sermon.

"And if you would understand the width and length and depth and height of the love of Jesus Christ, the Lord said you will be filled with the fullness of God -- that means, you will be empowered in your life. That means, you will experience the abundance of God in all sense, all areas of your life!

"The fullness of God is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control. The fullness of God is great power and --"

But Clare didn't know what else did the pastor was preached, for she was already trembling uncontrollably from crying so hard and trying to keep back her sobs.

She was loved, now she knew, certain as the sun that rises in the east. She was not unloved. She was deeply loved, treasured more than precious jewels, valued above gold and silver. She was the apple of God's eye.

Clare, I will still love you. whispered the still, gentle, small voice in her. I still love you, like no one else, like no other on this earth. I love you.

And she knew that Jesus was hugging her, embracing her tightly, giving her the courage to stand up again, to fight the victorious battle against the fiend.

Lord, I need you. Clare said. Come, Lord Jesus.

神是爱

（第一次写华语的部落，希望还可以吧。。）

看了一篇朋友写的部落，很有意思，很感动。其实不是不知道她所写到圣经里的精句，只是我从来没有联想到原来是可以酱的。。。。。。

约翰一书4 章16节说道： 神爱我们的心，我们也知道也信。神就是爱。住在爱里面的，就是住在神里面，神也住在他里面。

神就是爱。很简单的四个字，可是意义涵盖实在是太深、太美妙了，有时甚至是接受不了。怎么可能神那么大，那么圣洁，那么正义，但却也同时那么地爱我们这班渺小、恶行、不义的人们，赐给我们祂的一切，让我们得着永生？怎么可能让一位君王为了救赎百姓而受死？然而，祂就是如此地爱我们，神要住在我们里面。

哥林多前书 13章4 - 8节续说： 爱是恒久忍耐，又有恩慈。爱是不嫉妒。爱是不自夸。不张狂。不作害羞的事。不求自己的益处。不轻易发怒。不计算人的恶。不喜欢不义。只喜欢真理。凡事包容。凡事相信。凡事盼望。凡事忍耐。爱是永不止息。13节： 如今常存的有信，有望，有爱，这三样，其中最大的是爱。

如果说神是爱，那么把 “神”字代替“爱”就会变成： 神是恒久忍耐，又有恩慈。神是不嫉妒。神是不自夸。（神）不张狂。（神）不作害羞的事。（神）不求自己的益处。（神）不轻易发怒。（神）不计算人的恶。（神）不喜欢不义。（神）只喜欢真理。（神）凡事包容。（神）凡事相信。（神）凡事盼望。（神）凡事忍耐。神是永不止息。13节： 如今常存的有信，有望，有爱（神），这三样，其中最大的是神。

感谢主，当我们有缺陷的时候，神仍然是爱，不计算人的恶。祂虽然不喜欢不义，但祂还是包容我们、相信我们和盼望我们能返到祂的面前，能再次成为祂的喜悦。神是永不止息，祂不会缺乏权威和力量，祂不会失败。

神是爱。从一开始已经是爱你了。打从你我都还没出世时祂也已经爱你了。到天荒地老祂的爱也不会变质，不会熄灭。

朋友，如果你在看这一篇，不要犹豫，不要质疑祂的爱。约翰 3章16 节说： “神爱世人，甚至将祂的独生子，赐给他们，叫一切信祂的，不至灭亡，反得永生。” 约翰一书也说： “神差他独生子到世间来，使我们借着他得生，神爱我们的心，在此就显明了。”

让祂的爱充满你的心吧。邀请祂进入你的心吧。透过以下祷告你就可接受祂的爱了：

上帝啊，我需要袮。我承认我是一个罪人，我现在愿意打开心门接受耶稣，作我的救主和生命的主。感谢袮为我的罪受死，并从死里复活，赦免了我的罪。求袮引领我一生，掌管我的生命。奉主耶稣的名祷告，阿门。

耶稣爱你。