The love of Christ compels me by Rev. Katherine Liu Bruce

Weekly Message: The love of Christ compels me                                          3222018

by Rev. Katherine Liu Bruce Christian Arts Ministries: Biblical Precepts & Gospel Music  

 The love of Christ compels me, not live unto myself but unto Christ who died for me.   Christian marriage vows will be established firmly, when the couple allow the love of Christ to intervene each stage, conflict and decision. Word of God is the lamp of their feet and light of their path. The sword of spirit will penetrate their mind and Spirit. To deny self, take cross, and live a life unto the Lord. God’s divine power strengthens the covenant and enable them to take care of each other. Once one willingly practices obedience, declares “As me and my household will serve the Lord and prays without ceasing in daily basis. Holy Spirit will act in exulting, encouraging, comforting one’s heart.  And modifies the decision that had made in flesh. Once one’s mind controlled by the Spirit, speaks the words of life,  and acknowledges Christ is head of household, let go the “self” and let “Christ” to be the central, the peace will be restored. Always pray together, and read the Word of God to your love one, a saved wife may save the unsaved husband by her obedience and submissive deeds to the Lord. For salvation reaches to a family, one saved, all families will be saved.  “For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.” (2 Corinthians1:19.

True faith in Christ, he or she will seek His face, leans on His strength, looks upon the Christ on the cross, and reminds self the meaning of crucifixion, and sacrificial love. Then, an obedience heart will choose to live a life to glorify the Lord, not for self. And inner man will resound a voice says, “For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead; And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again. (2 Corinthians5:14-15). In Chinese literary says, “原來基督的愛困迫我們...牠替眾人死是叫那些活著的人,不再像自己活,乃向那替他們死而復活者活” (2 corinthians5:14-15).

My friends, have you ever had experienced that love of Christ compels you to love someone for God’s glory without reasoning and murmuring. As brother Nee Tuo Sheng’s letter expressed as follows,

Brother Nee Tuo Sheng’s letter implicitly expressed his love and sacrifice for Christ was beyond and above.

Indeed, true love is sacrificial love, and never vindicate for self, nor count for self how much or how many things have done for Christ. And served the Lord without being noticed, nor be honored or be announced. Truth faith in Christ is to endure all things and forsake all things for Christ, and aware that God will wipe away all the secret tears. To be perfect as father and pursue the fullness life in Christ until mutuality, knowing that there will be a new man with a new name in New Jerusalem.

Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come. " (2 Corinthians 1:22).Therefore, my friends, let us keep encouraging each other. 原來基督的愛困迫我們 ...  牠替眾人死是叫那些活著的人,不再像自己活乃向那替他們死而復活著活”. " For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again."(2 Corinthians5:14-15). As Apostle’s encouragement in Roman 8:31-39, it says,
“For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he predestined, he also called those he called, he also justified those he justified he also glorified. (Rom.8:29-30). What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has Chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died more than that, who was raised to life is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written, “For your sake, we face death all day long, we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”  No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Chris Jesus our Lord.” (Roman8:31-39).

Bibliography,

Bauer, Walter. A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature. 3^rd Chicago: The University of Chicago press, 2000.

Brown, Robert, Philip W. Comfort and J.D. Douglas, ed. The New Greek English Interlinear New Testament. Carol Stream: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.1990.

Friberg, Timothy, Barbara Friberg, and Neva F. Miller et al., eds. Analytical Lexicon of the Greek New Testament.1^st ed. Victoria BC: Trafford Publishing, 2005.

 Lee, Witness. The New Testament (R.V.) Anaheim, CA: Living Stream Ministry, 1985.

Ryrie, Charles C. The Ryrie study Bible (NIV). Chicago, IL: The Moody Bible Institute, 1986. 

 Strong, James. Strong’s: the expanded exhaustive concordance of the Bible. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2010. 

The letter to Philippians by Apostle Paul (Phil.1-4) by Rev. Katherine Liu Bruce

Weekly message: The letter to Philippians by Apostle Paul  (Phil.1-4)                                      

By Rev. Katherine Liu Bruce Christian Arts Ministries: Biblical Precepts & Gospel Music

  In A.D.61 Apostle Paul’s letter to Philippians explicitly stated the problem of the church in Philippi and expressed a thanksgiving heart for their gifts. It was most personal letter to the church, when Paul was imprisoned. Some scholars think he was in Caesarea, some think in Ephesus, but they assured that he has been in Rome. Paul sent Ephphroditus back with this letter, while Epaphroditus had become almost fatally ill. “The most important doctrinal passage in the New Testament is Philippians 2:5-8, which presented the doctrine of the kenosis-the self-humiliating, or self-emptying of Christ. Important verses on prayer are 4:6-7, a significant autobiographical sketch appears in 3:4-14.”[1]  Apostle Paul’s heart is to magnify Christ by living Him, and for the sake of Christ, he counts all things loss and consider them rubbish in order to gain Christ. He says,

        “According to my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I will be put to shame, but with all boldness, as always even now Christ will be magnified in my body, whether through life or through death. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.”

         “But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things… I consider them rubbish that I may gain Christ…But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead. I press on toward the goat to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. (Phil. 1:20-21; 3:7-8;13-14).

 In the letter implicitly stated the conflicts, and disagreement occurred in the church.

 First problem of the Philippians described in 2:1-2 is the issue of dissension, church without unity in one mind and one spirit. He says, “if then there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from love any sharing in the Spirit, any compassion and sympathy, make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.” (Greek-English INT Phil.2:1-2).       

In Greek συμψυχος (soom'-psoo-khos); interprets as “same mind”, “one joined in soul”, “of total agreement in attitude united in spirit, in full agreement, harmonious.”[2]  φρονέω  fron-eh'-o means “thinking, as relating to the quality of one’s thinking resulting from insight wise, intelligent, sensible.” [3] Chinese says, “思念相同的事”.  So it’s correct to interpret as  “if there is therefore any encouragement in Christ, if any consolation of love, if any fellowship of spirit, if any tenderheartedness and compassion, make my joy full, that you think the same thing, having the same love, joined in soul, thinking the one thing.”(R.V.)  

“The dissension among the Philippians was resulted by them not being joined in soul, and not thinking the one thing in their mind. The Philippians problem was not with their spirit but with their soul (mind). They had Christ in their spirit through regeneration but they didn’t have Christ in their soul through transformation, only by having Christ saturate in Chinese literally says, 浸透Jin`Tou` and occupy their entire soul could they be made one in soul.” [4]

 Second problem described in Phil.2:14-15 the issue of murmuring, complaining, arguing, and reasoning among of the church. He says,

“Do all things without murmuring and arguing, so that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse  generation, in which you shine live stars in the world.” (Greek-English INT Phil.2:14-15)

“Murmurings or complaining are of our emotions and come mainly from the sisters. Reasoning or arguing are of mind and come mainly from the brothers. Both frustrate us from carrying out our salvation to the fullest extent and from experiencing and enjoying Christ to the uttermost. The context here indicates that murmuring and reasoning are due to disobedience to God. Obedience to God slays all murmurings and reasoning.”[5]

 Third problem described in Philippians2:3-11is the issue of selfish, untransformed mind, self- interesting, and lack meekness.

 The dissensions among the Philippians were doing things out of selfish ambition or vainglory, both of which cause dissensions among believers. The dissensions of Philippians were a matter of their untransformed mind. They needed to have the mind that was in Christ and be humbled.  Lowliness is in contrast to both selfish ambition and vainglory. This must be not our natural lowliness but the lowliness of Christ, as illustrated in vv.7-10,                                                          “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus. Who being in every nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made  himself nothing taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man he humbled himself and became obedient to death, even death on a cross. Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above ever name that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven  and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Chris is Lord, to  the glory of God the Father.  

Apostle Paul, therefore, urged Euodia and Syntyche to agree with each other in the Lord and help these women who have contended at his side in the cause of the gospel, along with Clement and the rest of his fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life. (4:2-3).

 Apostle Paul’s letter lights up the pattern of the Christian life: the humility of Christ, and encourages the saints to exercise of humility, be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. And live a life of peace with others, self and circumstance.

Bibliography,

Bauer, Walter. A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature. 3^rd Chicago: The University of Chicago press, 2000.

Brown, Robert, Philip W. Comfort and J.D. Douglas, ed. The New Greek English Interlinear New Testament. Carol Stream: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.1990.

Friberg, Timothy, Barbara Friberg, and Neva F. Miller et al., eds. Analytical Lexicon of the Greek New Testament.1^st ed. Victoria BC: Trafford Publishing, 2005.

Lee, Witness. The New Testament (R.V.) Anaheim, CA: Living Stream Ministry, 1985.

       

Ryrie, Charles C. The Ryrie study Bible (NIV). Chicago, IL: The Moody Bible Institute, 1986. 

 Strong, James. Strong’s: the expanded exhaustive concordance of the Bible. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2010. 

---

[1] Charles C. Ryrie, the Ryrie study Bible (NIV). (Chicago, IL: The Moody Bible Institute, 1986),1622.

[2] Timothy Friberg, Barbara Friberg, and Neva F. Miller et al., eds. Analytical Lexicon of the Greek New Testament.1^st ed. (Victoria BC: Trafford Publishing, 2005.),363.

[3] Timothy Friberg, Barbara Friberg, and Neva F. Miller et al., eds. Analytical Lexicon of the Greek New Testament.1^st ed. (Victoria BC: Trafford Publishing, 2005.),402.

[4] Witness Lee, the New Testament. (Anaheim, CA: Living Stream Ministry, 1985),903.

[5] Witness Lee, the New Testament. (Anaheim, CA: Living Stream Ministry, 1985),905.

朋友你追求的是甚麼國? 屬天的永恆的還是屬地的？by Rev. Katherine Liu Bruce

朋友 你追求的是甚麼國? 屬天的永恆的還是屬地的？                                                       3/2/2018 
By Rev. Katherine Liu Bruce Christian Arts Ministries: Biblical Precepts & Gospel Music    
 

這一 生的道路 扶持代禱 與祝福,從受浸到今天的基督福音職事,耶穌親自帶領,藉著聖靈的引導, 經歷恩上加恩, 力上加力, 基督勝了又勝. 在基督裡保守那 靈 的一, 除了跪地禱告的堅持, 聖徒們的同在 及身體的扶持是格外重要. 基督徒的生活不能單獨 聖靈的運行亮光都會在教會中, 家中, 社區中,國家中,顯出 祂的旨意和目的. 救恩是以“家”為單位, 我們相信救恩能 臨及每家, 禱告呼求主耶穌的名及受浸就必得救. 除他以外別無拯救,因為在天下人間沒有賜下別的名,我們可以靠著得救.”(使徒行傳4:12).

耶穌是愛,他的誡命是同心合一怶此相愛及愛人如己. 只有”愛” 才能建造家, 聖徒要用 “愛” 同心合一建造國家. 耶穌的愛, 是靠著聖徒們的怶此交通,扶持,照顧,怶此相愛,才能建造完全. 家庭生命的建造是教會根基, “家合一” 是教會的祝福, 家扶持家, 家家怶此代禱, 供應 ,怶此分擔需要,在愛上分享祝福,喜樂,分賜生命的靈在過程中也堅顧了基督的身體跟基督教會的執政.聖徒們的 同心合一,使教會得剛強,國家也就剛強.

主耶穌基督是”愛”與”生命”. 在愛裡沒有懼怕, 愛裡使我們得完全, 愛能勝過仇敵, 愛能勝過仇恨, 赦免的能力來自”愛”.這愛可勝過黑暗 建造永生的國. 在祂的國裡沒有黑暗,仇恨,罪惡,辱罵,痛苦,流淚哭泣, 只有安慰,平靜,愛,亮光及生命的永恆. 屬地的我們都不完全,愛也有限,但在耶穌基督的愛裡,使我們能同心合一, 勝過仇恨及建造得完全 .神就是愛.祂的誡命是“怶此相愛”及“愛人如己”.  

朋友 你追求的是甚麼? 屬地的都是短暫的,但屬天的是永恆的. 錢財是生外之物, 有養身的就當滿足, 在天國不重吃什麼, 喝什麼, 重在神的義, 主耶穌已成就我們的義, 並讓我們穿上義袍,信主得永遠生命的盼望. 若沒有基督的生命 一切都是短暫的,基督所給賜 我們的生命 是永恆.在耶穌裡愛不敗落 , 有神的愛,就能走完全的道路, 你所求及建照的就能存留到永遠. 

蒙恩的話 

Listen to video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lItSqpE9vxs&t=27s

 By Rev. Katherine Liu Bruce Christian Arts Ministries: Biblical Precepts & Gospel Music