我相信很爱我们的天父很愿意赐福给我们，让我们在地上的生活无忧无虑。。。但物质上再怎么蒙福，那些也都是短暂的！因此让我们不要在很“蒙福”的时候而迷失方向，开始体贴肉体，只追求舒适生活，最后选择走宽敞道路，失去纪律，而忘记了主耶稣的警告。。。

^“你们要进窄门。因为引到灭亡，那门是宽的，路是大的，进去的人也多；引到永生，那门是窄的，路是小的，找着的人也少。”
～太7:13-14～

I believe our Heavenly Father who loves us very much is very willing to bless us, so our lives on earth are free of worries and anxieties… but no matter how blessed you are materially, it is still temporary! Therefore, let us not lose our direction while being very “blessed” and start pleasing our flesh and desiring a comfortable life only, ending up choosing the wide and easy road, losing discipline and forgetting the warning of our Lord Jesus…

“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”
~ Matthew 7:13-14 ~

今天是一年一度全国教会一起为国家禁食四十天的第一天，这一次我们没有“全禁”，我们教会选择每天只吃一餐，而那一餐也不吃我们通常爱吃的肉类与淀粉类食物。神没有强迫我们一定要禁食，禁食也跟个人救恩无关，所以尽管你今生从未禁食过一次，只要是真实悔改信主，你依然是得救的。

然而，圣经却也让我们清楚看到禁食的属灵原则，它仿佛是上帝预备给基督徒的其中一个特别福份与神迹，不强迫你一定要拿的额外好处，其属灵效果是无法否认的，耶稣也从没否决禁食的重要。所以，我们虽不强迫弟兄姊妹禁食，但会兴奋鼓励大家参与，它是一个特别的学习经历，当中可以有很多体会和领受。其中一个就是学习顺服神，以及拒绝自己的一些渴望和享受，这样遇到一些试探和考验时，也能靠上帝的恩典站得稳，当然对身体健康也很有帮助。。。

^“于是，耶稣对门徒说：“若有人要跟从我，就当舍己，背起他的十字架来跟从我。”
～太16：24～

Today is the first day of our annual national 40-day fast when we fast together with all the other churches in the country to pray for our nation. We are not on a “total fast” this time, our church has chosen to eat just a meal a day, and for that meal, we do not eat meat and starchy food which are normally our favourites. God does not compel us to go on a mandatory fast, fasting has nothing to do with your personal salvation as well. So even if you have not fasted once in your entire life, you are still saved as long as you have truly repented and believed in the Lord.

However, the Bible does show us clearly the spiritual principle too. It is as though one of the special blessings and miracles God has prepared for Christians, a bonus reserved for you though you are not forced to take. You cannot deny its spiritual impact, Jesus never disregarded the importance of fasting too. So, even though we do not compel brothers and sisters to fast, we excitedly encourage them to participate. It is a very special learning experience, we can have many realizations and revelations in the midst of it. One of which is to learn obedience to God, and to reject some of our own desires and enjoyment, so that by God’s grace we may be able to stand firm when trials and temptations come, and of course it is a great help to our health as well…

^“Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.”
~Matt 16:24~

第二天：10月4日(二)
早上领受的经文：
耶穌說：”你們上去吧。。。我現在不上去，因為我的時候還沒有滿。” ~約7：8~

＊＊体会到有很多事情，尤其是重要的决定，包括事奉神、该做的事、很好的事情等等。。。我们都要等候上帝的时间，有时候不能等待反而会破坏好事，也破坏了神原本的计划。。。

Day 2 : Oct 4th (Tue)
The verse that spoke to me in the morning:
Jesus said : “You go… I am not yet going, because for me the right time has not yet come.” ~John7:8~

** This makes me realize that for many things, especially important decisions, including serving God, things ought to be done, good things etc… we need to wait for God’s timing. Sometimes our inability to wait would spoil something good, and even God’s original plan for us…

中午领祷告时的感动：
与其一直想着“还要挨饿几天”，我们当思想及求这40天我们要经历什么，求每一天都经历新的事情、经历神的真，和让他透过各种方式跟我们说话，有这样的期待就不会被肉体的饥饿影响。。。
也向神求这40天成为我们这一辈子每天进入神同在的开始～

The conviction I received while leading the noon-time prayer today:
Instead of thinking all the time about “how many more days of hunger do I still have to go through”, we should think about and pray as to what we want to experience these 40 days, pray that we experience everyday something new and God’s reality, and that He will speak to us in all sorts of ways. With this kind of expectation, you will not be affected by the hunger of your flesh…
And ask God to make these 40 days the beginning of our life-long entering into His presence everyday~