Receiving and giving the forgiveness through the Faith

Biao Chen
Have you sensed that you are part of STM2010 as you pray for them, giving for them, and work with them for preparation of the work and participate the fund raising activities? In the next two weeks, our Mission deacon brother Yuanyuan and I will write a short spiritual formation prayers for them to you from time to time.  Sometimes we will write as we were with them as eyewitness with first hand information, other times, we more or less like the rest of church acting by the faith not by sight.  More importantly, we all trust, “Thy Word is the lamp of my feet and the light of my sight”, so that we will use our daily scripture readings to guide all of us in the frontier of Shangxi’s towns and the base in Orlando.

Let us read the portion of today’s Scriptures first:
Mar 11:20  As they passed by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered away to its roots. 21  And Peter remembered and said to him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree that you cursed has withered.” 22  And Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God. 23  Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. 24  Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. 25  And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.”  26  [But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father who is in heaven forgive your trespasses.]

Many times you will heard someone in a church who is trying to encourage others to have faith in prayer. He will often use Mark 11.22-23.  Wow, our faith can move the mountain, that is awesome, people think initially.  But very quickly people can be more discouraged in prayer than before. They may tell themselves that nothing happens after I pray this and that.  I believe that we need to read this faith promise in the context Jesus was setting.  I think the broad context is that Jesus is acting as God’s covenant Prophet to urge self-righteousness Israel to repent and to receive the forgiveness of God at eschaton, the end of time.  That is why Jesus give a curse on the fig tree (representing Israel) as sign of consequence of un-repent people. And more specifically, verses 22-24 need to read together with verses 25-26.  In this way, we will see that faith Jesus referred on the received undeserved grace to believe the covenant promise of forgiveness.  Only people who truly receive the this undeserved forgiveness will become people who will not regard themselves as self-righteousness but imputed righteousness of Christ.  I believed this is the first mountain that need to be moved by faith.  Only then, you and I can move the second mountain mentioned in verse 25-26, forgiveness of others who is wrong or again us.  Christians sometimes will tend to deal with some sins more seriously than other. In most of the time, we would leave those respectable sins, such as un-forgiveness in the heart undone or not deal with.  If you act like this way for long time, please think twice.  have you forgotten the petitions in Lord’s Prayer (Matt 6.9-13) ?  Please remember that to be forgiven by the Father will always tie to become a forgiving person to the others.

I know our STM team members are young and consist of brothers and sisters from several churches, they are redemptive-sinners.  As they work together and play together, I can grantee you that they will have disharmony and step toes on one another.  So brothers and sisters in the base, would you join me to pray for STM2010 in the light of Mark 11.20-26? Ask God to help them to know the fact that they are forgiven in Christ, so that they can gain the strength from His grace to forgive others who may intentional or unintentional to wrong them.

In addition, as you all know from Hongjun’s report that God has been very gracious to STM’s logistic:   Both Sophia in BJ and Diana and Alan who arrived SH a week ago have already arranged the train and air-ticket for team in BJ and SH, respectively.  He answers His children’s plea.  Today I want to you pray for three items for them as deacon Yuanyuan named in yesterday’s email ( Omitted intentionally)

Have a pleasant national holiday and see you on Sunday!