“God’s love Letter to...”

Hebrews 8:10

Pastor Manny Ojeda

What if you received a letter that read like this; I write you this letter to tell you that I despise you. Yes, that’s right, you are what I loath. I loath you because of who you are and what you represent. Let me be more detailed as to how I feel about you. I noticed that you watch 4.5 hours daily of television. That’s right, I’m counting, I noticed that when you’re favorite programs are not on, that you either watch Pay Per view or you go out to rent a flick. Well let me give you more opportunities to enter into an alternate world and entertain yourself from reality. But you do get tired of watching T.V. and movies so let me give you more opportunities to entertain yourself. If you are a young person, then go and spend time with your friends. I know that the friends that your parents want you to have are boring and don’t ever do anything risky and exiting, so in order that you can have a little fun in your life I will provide them for you. I will always put you in an environment that you can have fun in. Now remember, some feel that doing your own thing when you want it and the way that you want it is a bad thing. Let me tell you that the world is all yours to do what you please. Your probably thinking that you cannot do these things because you are a religious person well let me tell you that now I have made it to where religious people can enjoy life too. Now you have the option of going to any church that you want, as a matter of fact I have worked it out to where there are churches that are centered on entertainment. You can actually send your kids to a church that tickles their fancy. I know of a couple of churches

that have substituted good old fashion fun, for bad old fashion Bible study. Come on, your kids are only kids and shouldn’t be stressed out with all those formalities. Let’s face it, people have trouble believing the Bible now days, is it even possible to obey all those things that the Bible tells us to do. I think the best thing that God should offer you is a positive place where there is no pressure, come as you are and leave as you are, just be yourself. Look, why change when you are fine the way you are? So many religions and so many beliefs!

I also noticed that you are a little down on the way that you look. Well I can help you shape that belly so that you can finally show it off. Having problems with those wrinkles, well use that credit card and go to the doctor, he’ll make you look like new. Your children, well they are not happy with their image either. I can help change that, just buy them all the latest fashions and they’ll be happy. Look, clothing companies spend millions of dollars a year designing stuff that will bring out the natural bodies that your kids have, they’ll have more attention from others and be happier. It’s all in appearance and I can help. I know some kids are too fat, then tell them that their bodies are just fine and keep them happy with more food and more junk, if they get sick, then today’s medicine works wonders, drug them up.

I noticed that you have trouble relating with your kids, I noticed that you kids have trouble with your parents and all the nagging that they do. I think you are way too much into each other’s business. The less talking you do, the less spending time together you do, the least amount problems you will have. It is obvious that you will get on each other’s nerves, so ignore each other. When problems come up, just don’t make a big deal out of them. Just remember parents that your kids learn from you, their relationship with you depends on the kind of friends that they will have in the future and today. So make the best out of it and let them learn from others rather than you.

I want you to remember that I never forget about you and that I will do anything to keep you mine so this is why I have written this letter to you; as a matter of fact this is my love letter to you.

We have just read a portion of Satan’s love letter to the world, and I believe that this is very watered down, because his hatred for us is more passionate than I could ever illustrate with words. I do want to tell you that God has also written us a love letter, as matter of fact it is older and greater than that of Satan. In Hebrews 8:10 we read, “ For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people.” God has also written us a love letter

God expresses Himself in many means and ways. His love letter to us can be read and seen in all the things that he has done. We can clearly say that he has done a lot so the next question is what is He doing for us now? Well in John 14:1-4, God’s love letter informs us that Jesus at this very time is preparing a place so that we may be with him. I think that this is the center of any love letter, being in the presence of your lover. As a matter of fact in verse 1 of John 14, we read that we should not let our heart be troubled. God’s presence brings peace and calm. The love of God is a condition of the heart, not a physical manifestation in the form of a possession or wealth. God’s manifestation of love for us today is a hope of a better future and a kingdom to come. Our great lover God is tired of being apart from His children, are we tired of being far from Him? That is God’s love letter to us.

God has shown His letter to us personally and it is found in Genesis 1:26,27. They are simple words with a deep profound meaning. Would you believe me if I told you that these deep profound words are the solution to conditions such as low self esteem, low self worth, and even depression? Well let me tell you what this deep profound statement is. “And God said; let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.” God’s love letter clearly outlines that we are made in his very image. Are we gods? By no means, only God is God, but the purpose of relationship is to give the ultimate gift, and that ultimate gift is you. God gave of Himself to us when he created us in His image. As a matter of fact, we are living tributes to the God of the universe; we are living tributes to the one who sent Jesus to die for us on the cross. The Bible explains this further in the book of 1^st Corinthians 6:19-20 which states, “Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have received form God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore, honor God with your body.” To be God’s image is to be the place where he seeks to dwell, yes my friends, God seeks to dwell with His Children like a lover that cannot stand being away from His bride. As having children is the ultimate expression of love between two people, being made in the image of God is God’s ultimate way of saying that he wants to be with us and relate with us. He seeks to dwell with us so much that he hasn’t only made us into His image, but our bodies are His temple. I am not saying that we worship ourselves and hold ourselves up as an idol, but that we take care of our lives, our hearts, and our bodies because we are fearfully and wonderfully made by God. That is God’s love letter to us.

Let me direct you to the book of John Chapter 1:1. In it we read that “In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God.” I love breaking down the words in the love letters that my wife sends me, actually I remember when we were dating how I used to exegete and over analyze all the words that came in her letters of love. To me they were gold. What would have happened if the word kiss would have come out of the page and landed itself on my cheek? Wow, can you imagine, well in John 1:1 we are told that God’s word, did just that, He came out of the pages and out of the heavens into earth to be with us. What love! That is the beginning and the end of God’s love letter to us. The first aspect of God’s love letter to us is His presence. God is with us. That is why in Isaiah 7, and 8 we are told that His name will be Immanuel, ‘God with us’. From what we have talked about, God’s ultimate expression of love is the earthly incarnation of Jesus Christ. “For God so loved the world, that he gave His only Begotten son…” (John 3:16) God’s love letter to His children became a physical manifestation and dwelt with us. What happens when the letter of a lover is not enough? Well the lover himself or herself comes and loves that person personally. That is what happened when Jesus came to this world. God loved us personally with the presence of Jesus Christ. This is God’s love letter to us.

Image, entertainment, relationships, money, religion, all these are forms of a supernatural letter that sends to us a great message of our place in this life. I have merely touched the tip of a great iceberg my friend, because God seeks to find every opportunity possible to write us a love letter. In Psalm 51, we see that God’s love letter invites us to be cleansed from our sin, in Matthew 6:19-34 Jesus helps us not to worry, in Psalm 91we have the assurance of God’s protection, and in Joshua 1 God’s love letter gives us courage and hope.

My friend, you are so precious that there are great forces competing for your love and attention. On the one side, Lucifer, or Satan seeks to make you his with the enticement of this cruel harsh world and it’s temporary pleasure, on the other hand, we have our heavenly father who has written a powerful love letter so that we may remember that His is deeper and more powerful than that of the fallen angel. Choose you this day who shall be your lover, whose letter of love will you accept?