The Leading of the Lover

Ｗe are grateful that we have completed the Song of Songs preaching series by the leading of the Holy Spirit and are now well prepared for the celebration of the birth of our Lover Jesus Christ in Sukkot.

In fact, Song of Songs had never been preached in our Sunday service. It was my debut to preach it since becoming a pastor in 1989. It started with the prompting of the Holy Spirit on C-Mo. When she first mentioned that to me, I was reluctant as I was totally clueless where to start. However, when I was willing to receive my wife’s help and support her proposal, God started working mightily in our midst.

Each of these six Sunday services was filled with surprises — each one who testified was hand-picked by God and not us. Peter and Daisy, the senior pastor couples of our Taipei branch church happened to visit us during the second message – the Lover’s invitation. Their experience was an excellent life illustration of the Scripture. The third message talked about the triumph of the warrior bride and our Pastor Ruby had just triumphed over cancers. C-Mo Sherry shared her story of finding the Lover on the fourth message. Adino, the senior pastor of one of our branch churches shared how to respond to the Lover in order to become a Tree of Life. MG leader Sam had been seriously moved by the series of Song of Songs so he was able to testify for the sixth message – the seal of the warrior bride. He remembered how he pursued his wife zealously before marriage. However, as soon as she became his wife over thirty years ago, he has treated her with coldness since. He is in deep remorse for how he has treated her. His testimony matched the message. By God’s leading, these testimonies helped us to enter the messages in greater depth and understand more about God’s will. Finally, when I preached on the sixth message, the Holy Spirit even stirred me to sing aloud love songs to Him which was totally unexpected. Thank God that many people were touched. All was God’s leading.

How deep and strong is the love of our Lover Jesus Christ for His Church! He has been waiting for the Church, His Bride to mature year after year. We find ourselves undeserving. However, when we were just a grain of sand, God has been nurturing us. Today 611 has grown to become a Tree of Life and a maturing bride, waiting for her Lover to come. How wonderful it is! Our church has walked through twenty-one years and C-Mo and I have been in deeper sync as the church has also matured. Now it is the time for God to release the truth in Song of Songs to us so that we will walk with Him in great intimacy as the bride with her Lover.

“I am my Beloved’s, and His desire is toward me.”(Song 7:10) God’s desire is toward us. He transforms us and turns curses into blessings. Let’s receive His love and follow Him with a willing heart.■【2022.10.09】