keep the covenant of love
【KRC Love Good News】
Translated by Yu Guoliang
▲Andrew Chang and Joyce Yue were married by Pastor Xu Zhongyi of the West China Church in Xiaoston, USA, and vowed to build a family of love with Christ as the main body.
On Saturday, October 12, 2013, he preached at the wedding of Zhang Zixin and Yu Yunji in Houston.
Know therefore that the LORD your God is God, a faithful God, keeping His covenant and steadfast love to a thousand generations of those who love Him and keep His commandments. (Deuteronomy 7:9)
Zixin (Andrew): I am very grateful to be with you again and see God’s blessing.
Joyce: Nice to meet you. I remember your passion for God during the revival retreat.
I am honored to share this special moment with you two on your wedding day. I'm glad you invested your time wisely and attended premarital counseling. Because marriage is not just for one day, but for a lifetime, the process of marriage is full of challenges.
You have chosen this special passage from Deuteronomy for your wedding. Yes, it is wonderful to have the promise of an inheritance, but it also comes with a powerful enemy. The author of Deuteronomy used important blessings and warnings to remind the Israelites that they were God's treasured treasures and that they should never take blessings for granted or let them be lost.
Thanks to His grace, which comes from His own will.
“Know therefore that the Lord your God is God.”
He is the God who has put you together. Until now, in your journey of life, He is your God. You are blessed with His special grace, and receive grace upon grace. The numerous relatives and friends who visited the wedding in front of me were proof of this.
Zixin, please remember, this means that among all qualified men living in Houston, because of God’s sovereignty and grace, only you can become Yunji’s husband, love her, serve her, and enjoy her. You must make a promise before God: Put Yunji’s needs before your own needs. She is in special need of love and grace, and you are called by God to love and serve her. This is never a chore or a duty, but a privilege given to you by Jesus Christ for which you should be grateful.
Yunji, among all the young ladies, you are the only one who can become Zixin's wife, love him, serve him, and enjoy him. You must make a commitment before God: Put Zixin’s needs before your own. He especially needs respect and encouragement. Encourage him, honor him, serve him, build him up and respect him at home.
▲After the church wedding is completed, accept congratulations from relatives and friends.
Remember He is a faithful God, be loyal to Him
“He is a faithful God, keeping covenant and lovingkindness to a thousand generations of those who love Him and keep His commandments.”
You chose this verse for your marriage because you are grateful for the faith inheritance and holy work of your respective families (Editor’s note: Zixin’s parents are missionaries, and her maternal grandfather is a university professor and scientist. Testimony was published in the book “Biography to Chinese Students in North America”. The first issue of the evangelical bilingual publication "OK" magazine; Yun Ji has written articles in the 13th and 17th issues of this magazine. His father is the editor of the outreach unit Yu Guoliang) You know very well that the believers in the family have given you a lot. The intercessory prayer for cessation has been heard by the faithful God. You acknowledge that you are one of the thousand generations of covenant-keeping and loving-kindness narrated in this passage. So be loyal to God, to your Christian faith, and to both parties. In marriage, challenges, doubts, fears, hurts, and mistakes often arise, which again test whether you two can continue to love each other.
Don't let the pressures of life and worldly concerns take away this gift from you. Spend time together, spend time strengthening your marriage; spend time walking together, having long conversations together; spending time studying God’s word together, and spending time serving together. Let His faithfulness teach you to be faithful. He will be strong to protect your marriage and build your family.
Keep His loving covenant and grow in love
“Keep your covenant and show mercy to a thousand generations.”
The covenant of love includes the words "love" and "covenant" and has rich connotations: cord of love, unwavering love, reliable and unchanging love, faithful covenant, beauty and kindness, etc. These are two words that appear frequently in the Old Testament. In fact, these two words appear a total of twelve times in the Old Testament and are often used to describe God’s faithful and unchanging nature toward His people. You complete this love vow today. Its power does not come from self-determination but is rooted in God's larger covenant through His Son.
At this moment, I would like to say a few words to the relatives and friends here watching the ceremony. Dear guests, Zixin and Yunji’s prayer is that one day, you too can receive God’s love and blessing in Jesus Christ. It’s not about joining a religion, it’s about building life-changing relationships. Because Jesus came to the world and sacrificed himself on the cross to show his love, so that everyone who believes in him will receive eternal life and blessings! Finally, may your hearts always be open to His love, and may His lasting favor protect your hearts, minds, and marriages above any temptations and temptations. May your life together reflect God’s love, a glorious agreement that will never change, glorify His name, and be filled with joy all your life!
作者小檔案 許重一牧師，美國曉士頓西區中國教會的主任牧師。該教會非常重視文字及文化事工，多次邀請KRC團隊前去主領培訓，並將KRC列為該會所支持的文化宣教事工。