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20.4.14
- DEVOTIONAL, EASTER, SOULFOOD
+ PERFECT LOVE BEHIND THE CROSS +
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| Photo courtesy of Ipoenk Graphic. |
"He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities. The punishment that brought us peace was upon Him and by His wounds we are healed." (ISAIAH 53:5)
Happy Good Friday blessed readers ♥ I really apologize for the lack of posts lately. Currently there are so many assignments waiting to be handed in by next week on my end and I'm starting to realize that this mid-semester break isn't really a "break" after all...it's just a way to give us more time to finish off our assignments. *scratches head like crazy*
I really hope all of you have been well. Melbourne's having its long-awaited cool change from autumn to winter and it's really strange to see how everything is already pitch black by 6.30pm. I'm pretty sure 9pm was the perfect time to behold a lovely rich red sunset a couple of weeks ago. Time sure flies fast! Today we celebrated or rather remembered a special, gratifying day in the entire history of Christianity - Good Friday ♥ It's a sacred day where we remember and thank Jesus for all that He has done on the cross. We should do this everyday but I guess today's the right time to share something about Good Friday and why it's truly significant to our lives as children of God.
Some people believe that Easter and Good Friday are more important than Christmas. While you wouldn't technically have a "Jesus" if there is no Christmas, I do agree that Easter and GF are more significant. It's not about which days are more popular or more often celebrated in Western Culture (as Christmas way dominates Easter celebrations...) but it's the meaning behind it - the grappling truth about Christ's work on the cross as an everlasting mark of a new covenant. What really moves my heart even till now is how God's plan of reconciliation comes with a heavy sacrifice, and He is willing to pay that for our future sake. Who are we before Christ? Humans. Fickle humans. Weak men and women. Sinful. Easily tempted. Wily. Often feeling dejected. Rejected, and for some, abandoned. At some point in our live, we will experience a heart break, may it be from our families, friends or from our dearly loved ones. But whatever the cause, our lives are not complete. Our hearts without Jesus will always show a big crack which widens up over time, creating a massive fissure of hollowness.
When we fall into a fresh relationship, say a romantic one with a dear beloved, we would haste and try to use all of our efforts to make the other person feel "special" (because in doing so, we know we have achieved the right thing and in-turn, we also feel warm and special...you know that tingly love feeling? If you don't, you'll have your time soon~). However whatever crack of hollowness or gap of imperfection in our hearts will prevent us from truly loving them from the "deepest of our hearts". We will never feel satisfied because instead of giving our heart to them, we are absorbing the beautiful art of love to fill up the hollowness in our hearts. That's why there are so many problems to relationships these days, and it's not strictly limited to husband-wife, girlfriend-boyfriend relationships but also parent-child, sibling to sibling within the home, friendships and between colleagues. The question is not whether we try hard enough to please our loved one, but whether we can love others fully in the first place. It does not talk about our capabilities, but our origin. Our status. Things we can't fix with our own broken hands and blinded eyes. Now this might sound cliche, but yes Jesus did come down to Earth to mend the broken hearted and the sick. To restore hope and to elevate courage and faith in the dejected. To embrace the neglected and to clothe the naked. To feed the hungry and to mentor the young. In other words, Jesus came down to Earth to form a new beginning in our relationship with the Father.
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| Photo courtesy of Bobby Bong. |
Jesus is the only way of reconciliation between us and the Father, and so will the Father see only Jesus in us when we face Him on Judgment Day. Now why the title "Perfect Love"? What does perfect love mean? Now you would know that man-created love is imperfect. It has holes, gaps, all sorts of prejudice, discrimination, pride, snobbishness, selfishness, coveted and evil desires, etc. etc. This is due to the gaps of hollowness that we have lived with for so many years. When Jesus came to the Earth, He offered us a new heart. It is an open invitation where we could simply receive His gift by faith or reject it. It's one way or the other and He isn't forcing it on us due to our free will (which He so lavishly created in order to make us "fully human" according to His image and character). To complete this transaction, Jesus must make a compensation. God is fair and just. He is the emblem of justice and although the depth of His love is beyond anything, it just so happens that the depth of His justice is also infinite. There's no way around it. God is God and He just can't go back on His words. So guess what He did?
Most of us here probably are not parents...yet. As a young woman, I am still unfamiliar with the concept of a mother's great love at heart.Theoretically I can speak a ton about why a mother's love is so abundant and nurturing for her children, and what pure love can truly do in realizing the child's fullest potential but I haven't really experienced it myself. But do you know why most parents, if not ALL parents, would die if it meant for their children to live? Mothers have an unbreakable bond of love with their children and this powerful love allows mums, our mothers, to be one of the finest and most courageous heroes we would ever witness. If my dad is the upright hero of the family, my mom would be atmosphere that binds everything together and in balance. She would be my guardian, one who truly understands and empathizes with me, one who shares endless compassion. She may not be the strongest on the outside but you can never deny a mother's love and courage. It's in your blood. The same thing applies to Jesus. You may never know or have never experienced how deep His love is for you, but you can never deny it. He sacrificed His own comforts and endured separation from the only Father, His only source of hope for our forgiveness. Just like our parents who would do anything for us, Jesus gave us the greatest gift- everything He could offer to the best of His ability, His life ♥
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| Photo courtesy of Jaewoon U. |
"We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God was making His appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf. Be reconciled to God [for] God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 CORINTHIANS 5:20-21)
So this Easter, are we ready to turn a fresh new page in life with Christ? Always remember that nothing you've done and nothing you'll ever do can ever change how much and how deep His love is for you. I am going to make some fresh commitments myself to God, such as making sure that this site gets updated and not neglected from time to time. It's difficult but if He has planted me a desire to share the Truth via online networks, it is my responsibility to manage my time well and use it to proclaim and spread His glory. Please pray that this blog will grow in its impact, spreading the good news to more people throughout the world. Always hoping on the positive ♥