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| How deep the Father's love for us,
How vast beyond all measure
That He should give His only Son
To make a wretch His treasure
How great the pain of searing loss,
The Father turns His face away
As wounds which mar the chosen One,
Bring many sons to glory
Behold the Man upon a cross,
My sin upon His shoulders
Ashamed I hear my mocking voice,
Call out among the scoffers
It was my sin that held Him there
Until it was accomplished
His dying breath has brought me life
I know that it is finished
I will not boast in anything
No gifts, no power, no wisdom
But I will boast in Jesus Christ
His death and resurrection
Why should I gain from His reward?
I cannot give an answer
But this I know with all my heart
His wounds have paid my ransom
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| So here is my long-awaited yearly public update.
The hardest people for me to love are not the inadequate ones - not the slow, delightfully dumb people, not the shy and socially awkward, not the child in the quiet corner. The hardest people for me to love are the smart alecs - the pretentious pricks, the talented individuals who have a certain affinity for the stage, the showy ones, the office hour kids, the outgoing, popular "natural leader" type, the firsts to volunteer for everything - do you know what i mean? The ones who, unlike the untalented and awkward (but so very sincere) kids, have questionable motives behind the things that they do. I have problems with those people. But when it comes down to it, whether or not they have the wrong heart, so do I. Who am I to discern other people's motives? Moreover, I figure that these very talented people bug me so much only because it challenges my own pride, in a sense. In any case, I realize that I have been becoming a very judgmental individual, and all this hating and criticizing takes away from my ability to live and love. A good friend of mine offered me a verse in 1 Corinthians when dealing with pride and talents in the context of service.
"Therefore do not go on passing judgment before the time, but wait until the Lord comes who will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of men's hearts; and then each man's praise will come to him from God. Now
these things, brethren, I have figuratively applied to myself and
Apollos for your sakes, so that in us you may learn not to exceed what is written, so that no one of you will become arrogant in behalf of one against the other. For who regards you as superior? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?"
1 Corinthians 4:5-7 (NASB)
Always look up; don't dwell on what is down here, or you'll miss the big picture.
Anyway, here is what summer has been looking like for the past week:
...but it will not look like this for long.
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| Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or
distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?Just as it is written,
"FOR YOUR SAKE WE ARE BEING PUT TO DEATH ALL DAY LONG; WE WERE CONSIDERED AS SHEEP TO BE SLAUGHTERED."
But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:35-39 (NASB)
then why are we still afraid? | | |
| If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. I Corinthians 13 (NIV) | | |
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tomorrowland.
香港智能身份證. i want. | | |
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