THREE GENERATIONS OF FAITH

(Mother’s Day Message by the Rev. Edward S. Yoshida - 5/11/08)

Scripture - 2 Timothy 1:1-7

Introduction -

In 1977, I & other pastors and members of the Canadian Nikkei churches participated in the centenary of Christian Missions to Japanese in N. America.  This event was hosted in San Francisco.  During the 3 or 4-day Conference some of the Nikkei Free Methodist pastors had a chance to meet one another for a denominational luncheon.  Among the honoured guests were Rev.  & Mrs. Yoshimasa Shigekawa-at that time was already in his 90’s.

Our subsequent visits to the L.A. area provided me with much additional information about out dear pastor.  Especially about how he came to the Christian faith.  Prior to the great San Francisco Earthquake of 1906, he was running a restaurant in the city.  When the earthquake devastated many of the buildings and businesses, he used what was left of his kitchen to make oatmeal breakfasts for the hungry folk, who were his customers and neighbours.  With their encouragement he was able to restore the business once more. 

Then he moved to L.A. to open a new restaurant.  Abut this time a Japanese Methodist preacher, Brother Kawabe, was mightily used of God to touch many Japanese lives.  He held revival meetings up & down the Pacific coast, even entering Canada at one time.  When he returned to the Kansai area, Shigekawa’s sister attended those meetings and was converted.  Then she wrote to her brother that he should make every effort to attend these revival meetings.

Yoshimasa took her advice seriously and attended several times. By the end of the 3^rd or 4^th day, he, too, received Jesus into his life.  He returned from one of those meetings, brought out those expensive Scotch whiskey bottles and drained them over his kitchen sink.  He never looked aback after that.  He attended a Bible school, became a Free Methodist pastor and served his Lord in the Pacific Coast Japanese Conference for the rest of his life– for many years beyond his retirement age.  Not only did her serve his pastorate, but he also passed on his faith to succeeding generations.

He and his wife had 7 children, 4 girls and 3 boys.  One son became a pastor and the 4 girls were married to active Christian laymen.  The other 2 boys  were also believers.  When I attended the Pan Japonica Conference of S. Calif. in the 90’s, I had an opportunity to preach at the Glendale J. Free Methodist Church.  What a wonderful surprise it was to have met the 4^th generation of the Shigekawa clan (Jill Aiello), who was carrying her first child.  I found out recently that Jill has two children, Akemi & Alexis, and is serving as the Children’s Director of the Phoenix J. Free Methodist Church in Arizona.

The title of the message today is:  THE THREE GENERATIONS OF FAITH.  It addresses the faith of three generations within one family:  I - Grandmother - Lois;    II - Mother - Eunice    III - Grandson - Timothy

(Although we do not find any lengthy section from the N.Testament about this family, we can pick up bits & pieces from Acts & the Timothy Letters.)

I - LOIS, THE GRANDMOTHER

The name is Greek.  It means desirable/agreeable.  She is the only grandmother in the Bible stated as such.  There were others in the Scriptures who were de facto grandmothers, but never stated as such.  She was probably a Jewess married to a Greek because their daughter had a Greek name, Eunice (will be explained in the next section)

She and her family lived in Lystra, a city in south central Turkey.  All of the Mediterranean countries were under Roman rule at that time.  There were not enough Jews in the city to even have one church/synagogue. The majority of the population was Greek.  Lois came to know Jesus as her Saviour during the first missionary journey of Paul and his co-workers (Acts 14:6-23).  We come to this conclusion because Paul in a later letter (IITimothy 1:5) speaks of her “sincere faith.” 

In his 2^nd missionary journey Paul & his co-workers re-visit Lystra and finds Timothy.  By then he is already a “disciple” with a good reputation.  In 2 Timothy 3:14, 15 he indirectly commends Lois when he says:” knowing from whom you have learned”  The Greek word, “whom” here is in the plural.  Which means that Lois had a part in the Christian training of young Timothy, and Paul gives her credit for it. 

The N. Testament could just as easily said his grandmother.  But Lois’ name is specified.  I wonder why?   Could it be that the Holy Spirit is telling the future generations of Christian not to under estimate the godly role and influence of grandparents?

When I worked for the government as a Probation Officer, I had a colleague who mother was Ms. Toronto in her youth.  His father was a famous football player with the Argonauts.  After his birth his mother became mentally ill (mildly), and the parents separated.  She took her 3-year-old son and returned her mother in Vancouver.  Both this grandmother and his aunt there were godly members of an evangelical church, and my little friend came under their influence

Later, however, he started to skip school & truancy became a problem.  Grandmother even sacrificed to send him to a Christian school in Vancouver’s east end.  By the time he was 15 the two ladies could not manage him any more, & he was sent to his father in Toronto by consent.  But his reception in Toronto was less than warm.  He was eventually “kicked out” and he lived on the streets for a period, sleeping in an abandoned auto for days at a time.  As a street kid he even hitch-hiked to Boston for adventure.  Unable to find what he wanted he found himself hungry & thirsty.  He even offered himself to wash dishes in a restaurant for meals while there.  It was during this “rock bottom” period of his life that he thought of his “Nanum” grandmother & returned to Toronto.  He resolved to finish college and enrolled at Waterloo Univ.  To make the longer story short, he married a Christian woman and became a social worker.  Now, retired like myself, he is passing his faith unto his grandson.  When this grandson was about 2.5 or 3 years old, my friend said to him, “Grandpa is tired.”  The curious grandson next asks,  ”Does God ever get tired?”  (Faith was being transmitted in the chit-chat of grandpa-grandson relationship)

Friends, grandmothers and mothers, let us not belittle the influence of grandmothers!  Your faith in God, your acceptance of Jesus into your life, your decision of salvation, these things are not done for yourself alone but they will always affect your posterity. 

II - EUNICE (Mother)

The name in Greek means “conquering well,” victory or victorious.  It is a derivative of the name of a Greek goddess, Nike, (made familiar with Nike shoes).

According to Jewish tradition, this marriage of a Jewess to a Greek was illegal.  Therefore, we can conclude that Eunice was not a practicing Jewess.  Along with her mother, Lois, she was converted to the Christian faith when Paul and his associates visited Lystra (Acts 14::6–23)

Then 2 Timothy 1:5 talks about his sincere faith, which was first in grandmother, Lois, and also in his mother, Eunice.  (Paul had so much respect for these two women that their names are mentioned in his final letter to Timothy & the N. Testament church shortly before his execution)

What is the “sincere faith”  that was in Eunice?  What kind faith was it?  It is genuine faith, without hypocrisy.  (How hard it is for a Christian to be without hypocrisy!)  Only Christ in us through the Holy Spirit can we have sincere faith)

II Timothy 3:15 says “from a child…”  The Greek word here is “brephos”  It could be translated “embryo” or “infant.”  In other words, Eunice was thinking about the child to be born while carrying him in the womb  Maybe singing to him.  Maybe praying to Jesus with the baby in thought.

Paul reminds Timothy in this verse: “you have known…”  The Greek word here is “Oide.”  It means innate/experiential knowledge-not head knowledge.  In other words, Timothy was intimate with the sacred writings of the O. Testament as a child even as Jesus was.   True to his name, Timothy was reared as “one who fears God.”  (Emerson once said:  “Men are what their mothers make them.”  (True of Moses, Samuel & Timothy)

Do you think that life was easy for widows & single parent families in the ancient world?  Definitely not!  They had no mother’s allowance, no subsidized housing & no tax credits for children. And unlike the 1^st church in Jerusalem, there was no provision for the special class in their church known as ” real widows.”

Therefore, notwithstanding the many negatives that were already present in his life and society, that two of Paul’s intimate letters were to him, that he was chosen as his   “intern” missionary, & that he was commissioned to pastor the church in the capital of Asia was no surprise at all!

Do you people remember the visit of Pastor Mitsuru Kato of Hino-shi, Tokyo some years ago?  The testimony of his mother is like that of Eunice.  Kato Sensei was brought up with his 3 brothers in a single parent family.  They were so poor that in the years after the war, the mother could offer an egg just to the oldest son.  However, they were all taken to Sunday school and the boys were taught the stories of Jesus as kiddies.  When Mitsuru came of age to attend college, the mother sacrificed much to send him to Aoyama Christian University.  However, Mitsuru was only interested in playing rugby and not Bible subjects.  When he suffered a serious accident on the rugby field, his mother prayed earnestly for his recovery. But Mitsuru did not return to Jesus.  Upon graduation he found employment in a large corporation and enjoyed the life of a single, carefree male in Japan.  During one Xmas he found himself in a bar and much intoxicated.  Then some Christmas music of his childhood wafted through the air.  He was then convicted and decided to return to Jesus of his childhood.   He next took biblical training privately and became a pastor in Kyushu. 

It so happened that his teacher-brother was leading a school excursion trip to Kyushu and had a night to spend with his pastor-brother.  He saw such a radical change in his brother, that he, too, committed himself to Jesus.  He resigned from his position and became a 2^nd pastor in the family.  Today, he is a pastor in Yamanashi Prefecture while his mother and one other brother are attending Mitsuru’s church in Hino.  Today, Mitsuru attributes his restoration to the godly example & prayers of his mother. 

Grandmothers and mothers, both Eunice and Sister Kato lived in different cultures and difficult times.  As Christians you are expected of God to model, train and invest in your child/children’s future.  These women could have chosen to invest in money and material success, but they chose to invest in God, in faith in God and in service for God.   Where are you planning to invest when you consider the future of your children & grand children?

III - (generation)  TIMOTHY

The name means “one who fears God.”  He became a missionary intern of Paul.  In I Timothy 1:2 he is called “my true child in the faith.”  In 2 Timothy 1:2 …he is called “my beloved son.”  In Acts 14 his grandmother and mother were converted to faith is Jesus during Paul’s 1^st  missionary journey.  In Acts 16 , when Paul & company returned to Lystra, they found young Timothy already a “disciple” (Christian).  He had a good reputation from among the brothers.  Paul wanted him to become his intern and had him circumcised not to offend the Jews in the community.  Since that time he became the traveling companion of Paul and his company.  He remained faithful for the next 20 years. 

As stated earlier, he was brought up in the  “sincere faith” of his mother and grandmother.  And from birth or even earlier he had an experiential knowledge of God & His word.  He was commissioned to pastor the large church of the capital city of Ephesus, centre of commerce and arts in the Roman province of Asia..  The two letters addressed to him by Paul are indicative of Paul’s personal fondness and interest in this young pastor.  Like some Christians and leaders of his day, Timothy too could have backslidden in that pagan society when ministry became tough & unbearable.  But he did not.  This comment made on Timothy has a ring of reality:  “Mothers write on the heart of their child what the rough hand of the world cannot erase.  So Timothy becomes the 3^rd generation of Christian witness, and Christianity spreads to Europe, N. America & to us. 

How many missionaries have gone to China since she opened up for Christian missions in the 19ty century?  Who was the greatest missionary to have evangelized China?  Without hesitation we could say that it was Hudson Taylor.  All told he spend 51 years in China, inspired 800 other missionaries to join him, built 125 schools worked in all of her 18 provinces and lead 18,000 Chinese to Jesus Christ.  One biographer makes this comment:  “No other missionary in the 19^th century, since Apostle Paul, had a wider vision.., more systematic plan of evangelism than Hudson Taylor. 

He was born as a son of a pharmacist & Methodist lay preacher and Amelia, his mother.  However, he put aside his faith in his teen years until the age of 17, when he read a tract in 12/1849.  Moved by this tract he discontinued his studies to be a medical doctor and volunteered for mission work in China.  This is what he said towards the end of his life:  “If I had a 1000 pounds, China should get them all.  If I had 1000 lives, China should get them all…No, not China but Christ.  Can we do enough for such a precious Saviour!” 

Little wonder that such faith inspired his posterity to follow in the footsteps of their great father for 4 generations to date.

Herbert Hudson Taylor was his oldest son.  He served in China for 50 years, imprisoned by the Japanese in occupied China along with 1500 other foreign missionaries & businessmen, and was the last 3 of the prisoners to leave the Weighing internment prison in western China after the war.  Today, in Hong Kong, the 3rd and 4^th generations of Hudson Taylor are still living missionaries to China.  They are J.H Taylor III and J.H. Taylor IV.

IV - CONCLUSION

            The title of the Message is THREE GENERATIONS OF FAITH.  Hudson Taylor returned to Jesus at the age of 17 and dedicated his life for Missions in China.  The 4 generations of the Taylor’s are a powerful testimony to what faith in God can do for one family.  Yoshimasa Shigekawa gave his heart to Jesus in L.A. many years ago.  Today, his 5^th generation is serving God through the Phoenix Free Methodist  Church.  On this Mother’s Day, when your family & friends gather to honour you, grandmothers & mothers, what kind of legacy do you wish to leave for your descendants?  Something material or financial that can be easily misused or misspent?  Or, something that can benefit each generation and bring glory to God? 

Amen.       

(Message by the Rev. Edward S. Yoshida - 5/18/08)

Scripture - I Peter 3:13-18

INTRODUCTION -

We continue our series on Rick Warren’s THE PURPOSE DRIVEN LIFE.  The 5^th Purpose is:  “You Were Made For  Mission.”  Under this title we learn today that SHARING YOUR LIFE MESSAGE is part of that Mission. There are 4 parts to sharing one’s life as a testimony:

• 1. Your life message includes your testimony.
• 2. Your life message includes your life lesson
• 3. Your life message includes sharing your godly passion
• 4. Your life message includes the Good News.

I YOUR LIFE MESSAGE INCLUDES YOUR TESTIMONY

The essence of witness is to share one’s personal experience.  I Peter 2:9 -…who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.”

Acts 1:8 - But you shall receiver power after that the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea…& unto the uttermost parts of the earth.”

The role of the witness is sharing one’s own experience.  Just like in a court of law.  He does not judge or condemn or charge-like the Crown Attorney.  Recently we had a visitor from Banff, Ms. Hayashi.  At 78 she was recently saved at the Sunnyside Bible Camp near Calgary.  She is still a “baby Christian.”  But when she visited Toronto, she came to our church & just shared what happened to her-formerly a Buddhist.

Rick Warren gives 2 reasons why personal testimony is so important.

1. Because your testimony is so unique.  Yes, it may have similarities with others, but they are not the same.  Since you have authority over your own life, your testimony is more effective than any sermons.  Most non-Christians shy away from professional pastors/ministers. But your testimony is like a statement of a satisfied customer.  People love them and remember them more than a pastor’s sermon.

The story of the Samaritan woman is a good example.  (John chap. 4).  She has had 5 husbands in her life.  The present man was not her husband.  With a sense of shame she could only come to draw water when no other women came to the well.  When she met Jesus & received his living water, she went into town & broadcast all that Jesus said to her & did for her.  That was her testimony.  This brought out the whole town to hear Jesus.           

2 - The 2^nd reason why personal testimony is so effective is that it bypasses any prejudice or arguments that might arise over God’s existence, Evolution, the authority of the Bible and the variety of translations-which is superior.  (These are some issues which non-believers love to pursue as a defence mechanism.) 

Your personal testimony has 4 essential parts:

1 - Your life before you met Jesus.

2. How you realized your need of Jesus
3. How you committed your life to Jesus
4. The difference Jesus had made in your life. 

Rick Warren says every Christian has a testimony.  Some are more dramatic like the Apostle Paul or others are more quiet & natural, like Timothy.  But each testimony is unique. When is the last time you shared your testimony to a seeker or a non-Christian?

II - YOUR LIFE MESSAGE INCLUDES YOUR LIFE’S LESSON

These are the truths that God taught you, from your experience with Him.  These are the lessons you learned in your relationships, your problems, your sufferings, your temptations, etc.  (Over my life I had some unpleasant times with my two sisters, one older the other younger.  I could have chosen to server my relationship with them, but Jesus in me would not permit.  Without expressing my anger & discontent I was able to enjoy a happy relationship with them until both passed away.)  This was one big lesson I learned in life & I am sharing it with you today. 

When we reflect on the history of Israel, she failed to learn from the 40 years of wandering in the wilderness.  At each crisis they murmured, complained, disbelieved and disobeyed.  Until that generation perished in the desert.

Rick Warren says that while it is wise to learn from one’s own experience, it is still wiser to learn from the experience of others.  We can still avoid the pitfalls, pains & consequences from bad judgments by learning from others.  This is what Paul says in Romans 15:4

While the knowledge of the Bible alone does not save, it has much to teach, guide & encourage us in our walk of faith.

Friends, some of you are still young Christians. Others are veteran Christians.  But if you learned something from God in your poverty, your weaknesses, your sicknesses & your disappointments, that is your life’s lesson & part of your life’s message.  God loves to use our life’s lessons to touch other lives.

III - YOUR LIFE’S MESSAGE INCLUDES YOUR SHARING YOUR GODLY PASSIONS

Rick Warren says that God is a passionate Being.  He loves passionately & He hates sin passionately.  As one matures in faith, he should get more passionate about God & His kingdom.  David showed much zeal for the house of God (Psalm 69:9) (This verse was quoted by Jesus as He cleansed the temple (John 2).  Jeremiah was so passionate about the Word till it was “burning within his bones.”  (Jeremiah 20:9).  Eric Wong from our church had a passion to keep the grounds of our church tidy & beautiful.  After he was gone it took many volunteers to organize a Working Bee to clean the yard…  Not everybody has the same passion.  God gave me a passion for Japanese souls, but our girls do not share the same passion.  Yes, they love the Lord, & are serving in two other churches, but they don’t have the same passion as their father. 

The founder of the famous Peoples Church is Dr. Oswald Smith.  He authored the book,  PASSION FOR SOULS.  As a young man he was keen for foreign missions, but his healthy kept him going abroad.  He then did the next best thing for Missions.  He & his congregation bought an old Methodist church near Bloor E.& Jarvis, & began to emphasize Mission.  He is gone now but his church is the most famous Missions church in Canada.  They have over 300 missionaries on their “payroll” & supporting each one more than $300.00 per/month.  Are you a passionate Christian?  Are you a committed Christian?  Then you need to become passionate about Jesus & what He commanded us to do. 

IV - YOUR LIFE’S MESSAGE INCLUDES THE GOOD NEWS

Someone said there are really 5 Gospels-Matt., Mark, Luke, & John.  Then there is the Gospel According to You.  Oswald Chambers writes:  Sacrament of your life.” 

Paul in 2Corinth. 5:19 says:  Christians are committed with the Word of Reconciliation.  And that we are all ambassadors of Christ. 

2 Peter 3:9 says that God is not willing that any should perish.   God has never made people He doesn’t love.  As long as there is one more person who does not know God, He loves him, & we need to pray for him, & serve him & share with him. 

I invited a Christian lady in her 80’s for our Mother’s Day Service.  But she could not attend.  And this was the reason why.  On that day she had invited 4 other seniors who were older than she & could not prepare any dinners.  They included her sister, Mitzi, her friend, Jack, Billie the Irish woman & Maria, a Portuguese.  Why was she doing all this?  She was sharing the Good News with her kindness & voluntarily missed the chance to attend the Mother’s Day Service.  She was simply obeying the words of Colossians 4:5, making available every opportunity to spread the Gospel. 

CONCLUSION

Rick Warren says that eternal salvation is more important than money and material things.  They do not last forever; only people do.  Therefore, sharing the Good News is the most important thing you’ll achieve in this life.  Of the 5 purposes of life, only sharing the Good News could be done on earth.  The other 4 purposes could still be fulfilled in eternity.

Friends, your life is your message.  How are you sharing it? 

At the moment we have four children for whom we are very much hoping to find sponsors.  If you can help, and feel called to act, please contact us as soon as possible. 

The Cost (Be a Hero!)

Teen Testimony - Making a Difference! (Testimony From Young Adults)

Kids Mission to Haiti (Kids Can Make a Difference Too!)

Think Smaller (Aim Lower, Think Smaller, Give Up, and Go Have a Cup of Coffee!)

SCRIPTURE - I John 4:15-20

INTRODUCTION

When my g/daughter, Rachel, was just a toddler, she would accompany her father to transport her older brother from Newmarket to Toronto, where he was attending J. Language School.  When she was ready to go home, I would help her to put on her boots.  She seemed always happy & smiling, at least at Grandpa’s.  To test her language skill, I nonchalantly asked her, Do you like Grandpa?  A big Yes!  Then came my nextquestion, Why?  Because you love me, was her spontaneous reply.  Unaware of the Scriptures at her age, she was making a profound statement.  I John 4:19 also says:  “We love Him because He first loved us.”  In other words, God should be the object of our Valentine love!

Yes, before we can love others as God expects, we need to know that God loves us.  And not only know, but we must feel His love & experience His love.  And this love of God for humanity has been expressed since the dawn of creation.

I - It was expressed to Adam, our 1^st human forefather

II - It was expressed to Abraham, founder of the Israelite nation

III - It was expressed to Andrew & the disciples

IV - It was expressed to All of us on the Cross

I - It was Expressed to Adam & Eve in their Call

After the original pair disobeyed God & sinned (sin is disobedience to God), they lost their intimacy, their fellowship, with God.  Then He took the initiative & came calling for the pair, Where are you?” in the Garden of Eden.  (Not that God didn’t know where they were, but He wanted the couple to reflect on what they did).

Romans 5:12 makes this fundamental statement.  “For as by one man sin entered the world & death by sin…”  What happened to the first couple?  Genesis chap. One says God created the heavens & the earth.  He created the light and darkness, the day & the night, the 4 seasons, the plants and animals.  Last of all He created man & woman in His image as His crowning creative achievement.  (In His image means that man-with his intelligence, emotions and will power-can respond to God’s love in worship, fellowship & discipleship). 

But the original pair disobeyed.  They ate the forbidden fruit (not necessarily an apple).  They failed His test of their freedom-to choose between obedience and disobedience.  Genesis tells us that there was another factor to this moral failure.  It was Satan, that evil factor already present in the Garden even before they were planted there.  He led them to question His Word.  He led them to twist His Word.  He led them to totally dismiss His Word.  He finally appealed to their pride-you can be as wise as God.  This single act of disobedience brought upon them shame, guilt and tainted human nature.  It brought death-separation from God & His intimacy.  When God created man, he was made perfectly  except that he was untested.  God took a risk when He gave man the freedom of choice, & man failed miserably. 

God’s Valentine is seen in the initiative that He took to descend into the Garden, walk in the Garden in the cool of the day (if the scholars are right, the Garden was located at the confluence of 4 rivers, including Tigris & Euphrates-probably present day Iraq), and offer to the original pair the word of love and forgiveness.

II - It is Expressed in the Call to Abraham some 4000 years ago - (Genesis 12:1)

In order to understand this call of Abraham we need to return to the earlier chapters of this book.  Chapters 6-9 deal with Noah and the Flood, God’s “Rainbow Covenant” with mankind, the disbursement of the human race from Noah’s three sons.  Chapter 11 is the story of the Tower of Babel, when man’s secular civilization wanted to reach heaven with his fired brick tower of enormous height.  Since man decides to erase God from his life, God orders a confusion of languages so that people were no longer able to work together. (Biblical explanation of the world’s languages). 

Abraham’s father, Terah, lived not too many generations from the flood.  We know from the Bible that people were idol worshippers, as was Abraham and his tribe (albeit he had an indirect awareness of the true God).  The evidence of this tribal idolatry is found in his nephew, Laban’s, keeping of portable household idols, which Rachel stole when she fled with Jacob from her father’s home.  It is further confirmed in Joshua 24:2, where he says that “your forefathers worshipped other gods beyond the River (understood as Euphrates).  (Had Abraham remained with his tribal relatives, he could not have served the true Creator God of the Bible.  He had to be called out from idolatry to become a new community for God.  Just like I had to be called out of Steveston village in Richmond during the war to become a Christian and a servant of the Lord)

Therefore, the God of Valentine expressed His love and initiative to Abraham in this call.

III - It is Expressed to Andrew and the Disciples

They were the first Christians, they were the first church and they represent the Christians today. 

When John the Baptist first met Jesus, the latter was introduced as “the Lamb of God which takes away the sin of the world.”  One of the first two disciples of Jesus came from this introduction.  He was Andrew, the brother of Peter.

Later, in Luke 5:11 we have the “call of Peter and his partners, the sons of Zebedee, John and James.”  We read that they left their boats, nets and everything to follow Jesus.  This was their “call.”  Luke 6:12 gives us a summary and a formal list of the 12 disciples, after Jesus spent a night in prayer.  All 12 of these men were hand-picked, and He loved them to the end, knowing that some would deny, betray and abandon him in the end (John 13:1).  They were not educated, they were not rich, they were not powerful, but Jesus loved them and took the initiative to call them. 

How did they respond to that kind of love in the end?  Most of them became martyrs for Jesus.  They laid down their lives for Him, save for Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Him.  James, the brother of John, was slain with the sword in the early days of the church.  Peter was first imprisoned for his faith, and later crucified upside down in Rome.  Andrew was crucified. Matthew was speared to death. Nathaniel was beaten and crucified.  Philip was crucified.  Thomas went to India and speared.  Simon the Zealot was crucified.  The second James was stoned to death.  The second Judas was stoned.  John was exiled to Patmos, but freed later and died naturally in Ephesus.  John 15:13 says:  “No greater love has any man than this that he lays down his life for a friend.”  The response of the disciples for the God of Valentine was nothing less than the surrender of their lives-in this case physical-for this loving Jesus.

IV - It is Expressed to All of us - John 3:16  “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son…”

After Peter’s denial and Jesus’ death and resurrection, they rendezvoused in Galilee.  It was here that Jesus asks Peter three times-parallel to his three denials-”Do you love me more than these?”  (This was not a comparison to other disciples who were there but a comparison to things that Peter loved on earth-fishing and other selfish interests)  Weepingly Peter now affirms his love for this God of Valentine with a strong affirmative answer, and he ends his life in martyrdom. 

Today, most Christians are not expected to offer their lives as physical martyrs, but all are expected to make Jesus their number 1 Valentine.  Who is our number one Valentine today? 

When I became a Christian at the age of 15, there was a girl two years younger than I.  She and her two brothers gave their hearts to Jesus about the same time in Grand Forks, B.C., where we lived during the war.  She became a teacher and remained single for many years-until she could be called a spinster.  But she loved Jesus and would not consider any male relationship unless he was a born-again Christian.  When she visited her relatives in Toronto, I introduced her to a new Christian about her age.  Thinking that they made a good match, I encouraged them towards engagement, which was celebrated in the church.  But when the wedding date edged closer, the “ghost” of his old mental illness returned.  He became paranoiac, accusatory and judgmental.  My friend was heartbroken.  But she waited more years until Jesus sent another Christian.  He was a teacher-farmer, who had recently become a widower with 4 little girls living with him on a strawberry farm in Wash. State.  Again, I acted as the match-maker and brought two together.  It was Providential in that they married shortly after a period of courtship by correspondence.  She entered into this relationship knowing that she will become a step-mother to these 4 girls.  But she loved them as her own and she cared for them as if she gave them birth.  Today, all these girls are happily married to Christian partners, they all worship together and they make their step-mother the centre of their family gatherings.  This is the last Xmas Letter she wrote:  “My family is all doing well. The 4 daughters all married Christian men and they are all active in their churches.  I have 7 g/children, ranging in ages from 5-16.  I have lived on Vashon exactly 30 year, arriving here 12/77.  Tomorrow on Christmas Day our family will be gathering at my daughter’s.  Then on N.Y’s Day they will all come over here for our traditional Japanese meal.  We will have over 20 people gathered here. A wonderful way to start the new year.

(Why is my friend so blessed & rewarded today?  Because she loved Jesus “more than these.”  She made Jesus her #1 Valentine.)

CONCLUSION -

Until we make God & Jesus our #1 Valentine, we all have our own Valentine, or our several little valentines.  Your Valentine could be your only child, your favourite son, or some relationship you cannot release.  It could be your habit, your favourite pleasure, your sports, your money or your assets.  What will you say to Jesus when He asks, do you love me more than these?

I John 4:19:  “We love Him because He first loved us”      

Sinner’s Prayer - What the Bible Says About Sin
Sin, according to the Bible, is any action that violates the law given by God in the Ten Commandments. The law was given by God to show us what it means to live a life deserving of God’s love. It was also given to show us that none of us can live that kind of life. God knew that in advance, and that is why He sent His Son Jesus to be that perfect life for us. Jesus, God in human flesh, voluntarily laid aside His God-hood to connect with us, to show us He understands us and to give us a way to be reconciled to the Father, since none of us can keep the law to its letter. “For all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).

Some say that sin is two letters, “s” and “n”, with “I” in the middle. We elevate ourselves, and certainly we live in a time when that thinking is being promoted. Sin may be something we can’t be free of, but the good news is we can be free of its penalty. “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23)

Sinner’s Prayer - Become a Sinner Saved by Grace!
What’s the key to the Sinner’s Prayer? As long as we are content to live in sin, the Bible says we are separated from God. That condition may seem fine for a while, but it ultimately leads to misery and then to eternal separation from God. “There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.” (Proverbs 16:25). The good news is that God Himself has made a way for us to be reconciled to Him, and He has done this through His Son, Jesus Christ (Romans 5:6-15).

What about you? Are you content to live for yourself, get the most toys, and die anyway? Or do you want a life of purpose and hope? God, the One who created you, has a purpose for your life and wants to give you a new beginning. If you are ready to admit your need for a clean slate in life, the God of second chances is waiting to give it to you. All you have to do is start with the Sinner’s Prayer.

Sinner’s Prayer - Recognizing the Need
The “Sinner’s Prayer” is a term that describes the words spoken by a person when he or she has recognized their sin and their need for a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. It goes something like this:

“Father, I know that I have broken your laws and my sins have separated me from you. I am truly sorry, and now I want to turn away from my past sinful life toward you. Please forgive me, and help me avoid sinning again. I believe that your son, Jesus Christ died for my sins, was resurrected from the dead, is alive, and hears my prayer. I invite Jesus to become the Lord of my life, to rule and reign in my heart from this day forward. Please send your Holy Spirit to help me obey You, and to do Your will for the rest of my life. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.”

If you decided to repent of your sins and receive Christ today, welcome to God’s family. Now, as a way to grow closer to Him, the Bible tells us to follow up on our commitment.

• Get baptized as commanded by Christ.
• Tell someone else about your new faith in Christ.
• Spend time with God each day. It does not have to be a long period of time. Just develop the daily habit of praying to Him and reading His Word. Ask God to increase your faith and your understanding of the Bible.
• Seek fellowship with other followers of Jesus. Develop a group of believing friends to answer your questions and support you.
• Find a local church where you can worship God.

And even as we fail in our daily life, as we find ourselves looking inward and cringing at what we see… it is only by the continuous act of sanctification, of constantly applying our will to turn away from sin, to turn around from the path to condemnation that we find ourselves with that inner warmth and peace that lends comfort to the troubled soul and allays the mortal primal fears that resonate like an echo after each last breath.

In Him we find our peace, our comfort, our shelter and our protector.  Knowing what is right is not the same as accepting what is right, and in accepting justice we accept judgement.  What plea comes from a rational response other than that of guilty… and knowing the wages of sin, what plea comes with a plea of guilty?  A plea of mercy.  Forgiveness of sins, to allow us to be re-unified with God.  The alternative being separated and cut off.  That moment’s contemplation of absolute space and time, in all the cold and darkness that oblivion can be… and yet through mercy and compassion it turns into only a glimpse - contrasted instead by what our Father would have for us…. not oblivion, but eternity.  Eternal life…. life, light, energy, warmth, comfort, peace, and oneness.

The path?  The path you are on each day sways towards sin and the eventual promise of oblivion.  Look instead to His path.  The roadmap found in the book that is His word.  The message delivered in person that speaks of Good News.  Look to hope and light and know that there is a way that does not lead to oblivion, but leads to the promise of eternal life.  Know that the truth is more than mere words written or spoken, but takes the form of spirit and can be a part of you if you invite it in.  Acceptance, obedience, love, faithfulness, willingness and desire and praise.

Repent, turn away from where you once were headed, and walk instead in stride with the one who promises to be the good guide.  The one who will not only reveal to you the map, but will walk along side of you every step of the way, measuring step for step and lighting the path step at a time as it unfolds before you in the darkness of the wilderness.

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• The Prophecy of Our Messiah