Tag Archive - 属灵功课,spiritual lesson

2012 禁食日记 – 第19天: “老化” 2012 Fasting Diary – Day 19: “Aging”

 

 

第十九天(25/08/12)

担心衰老是人之常情,但老化却是无法改变与避免的事实。。。
人再怎样照顾健康、运动、保养,人终久敌不过岁月的摧残,尽管外在保养得宜,里面的器官和身体操作能力也会逐渐衰残。

但年纪大或老化并不表示你一定要“人老不中用”,圣经给我们清楚看到:我们这些蒙恩得救的义人,若成长在神的同在里,常与主亲密,我们依然可以很有效率,依然可以结出很多生命的果子祝福身边的许多人。所以我们身为主的门徒的,年纪越大不应当倚老卖老、哀声叹气、无奈等待痴呆症的到来!我们是可以到死都结满果子的!

“12 义人要发旺如棕树,生长如黎巴嫩的香柏树。
13 他们栽于耶和华的殿中,发旺在我们神的院里。
14 他们年老的时候仍要结果子,要满了汁浆而常发青”
~ 诗篇 92:12-14 ~

Day 19 (25/08/12)

It is quite normal for ordinary people to worry about growing old, but aging is a fact we cannot change or avoid…
No matter how one takes care of his health, exercises, preserves, he still cannot fight the cruel reality of time; even if the outward appearance is well-taken care of, the organs inside and functioning of the body will deteriorate still.

But as you get older or age does not mean you must becomes a “useless old man”, the Bible shows us clearly: For us, the righteous saved by grace, if we grow in the presence of God and always keep our intimacy with God, then we can still be very productive, and we can still bear a lot of fruit of life to bless many people around us.So, as the disciples of the Lord, we should not be whining about getting old and complaining about old age or waiting helplessly for senility to set in! We can still be bearing much fruit till the day we die!

12 The righteous will flourish like a palm tree,
    they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon;
13 planted in the house of the Lord,
    they will flourish in the courts of our God.
14 They will still bear fruit in old age,
    they will stay fresh and green”
~ Psalm 92:12-14 ~

2012禁食日记 – 第18天: “不会忘记” 2012 Fasting Diary – Day 18: “Not forgotten”

 

 

第十八天(24/08/12)

“15 皮袋的水用尽了,夏甲就把孩子撇在小树底下, 16 自己走开约有一箭之远,相对而坐,说:“我不忍见孩子死!”就相对而坐,放声大哭。17 神听见童子的声音,神的使者从天上呼叫夏甲说:“夏甲,你为何这样呢?不要害怕,神已经听见童子的声音了。 18 起来,把童子抱在怀[a]中,我必使他的后裔成为大国。””
~ 创 21:15-18 ~

夏甲从奴隶变富贵却不谦卑感恩,她的孩子以实玛利也傲慢自大。。。他们因自己的罪而掉入惨痛境遇,然而神却记念这是他忠心的朋友与仆人,亚伯拉罕的骨肉,所以施援手拯救还赐福。

所以,我们作父母的若真爱孩子,就当有智慧忠心于神与常尊荣他,他必记念你的后裔;我们身为亚伯拉罕的后裔又本身自己会忠心于神的,更要有把握神绝对不会忘记我们。

Day 18 (24/08/12)

“15 When the water in the skin was gone, she put the boy under one of the bushes. 16 Then she went off and sat down nearby, about a bowshot away, for she thought, “I cannot watch the boy die.” And as she sat there nearby, she[c] began to sob.17 God heard the boy crying, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, “What is the matter, Hagar? Do not be afraid; God has heard the boy crying as he lies there. 18 Lift the boy up and take him by the hand, for I will make him into a great nation. ””
~ Gen 21:15-18 ~

Hagar was raised from a slave to an honourable position but she was not humble and grateful, her son Ishmael was also arrogant and proud… Because of their own sins, they fell into a terrible situation, however God remembered this was His faithful friend and servant Abraham’s flesh and blood, so He stretched out His merciful hand to rescue and even bless.

Therefore, as parents, if you truly love your children, you should have the wisdom to be faithful to God and always honour Him, He will surely remember your descendants. And we, as Abraham’s descendants and if we ourselves are faithful to God too, all the more we must be fully assured God will never ever forget us.

2012禁食日记 – 第十七天: “效法世界” 2012 Fasting Diary – Day 17: “Conforming to the world”

 

 

第十七天(23/08/12)

身为一个基督徒,甚至教会,我们很容易被过去的观念、现今世界局势、潮流和价值观影响;可能因面对压力、为了生活、个人利益关系、要讨人喜欢或怕得罪人等等。。。有时候不知不觉,或者想都没想就妥协了真理的教导或神的旨意。。。

日子久了,就会分辨不出到底是自己的意思、随波逐流,或神的旨意!
难怪保罗会提醒我们:

“不要效法这个世界,只要心意更新而变化,叫你们察验何为神的善良、纯全、可喜悦的旨意。”
~ 罗12:2 ~

“更新而变化”是一个持续的过程和行动,所以唯愿我们时刻警醒,常常在主面前诚实检讨与求主光照、鉴察我们的心思意念与动机。

Day 17 (23/08/12)

As a Christian or even church, we can be easily influenced by our past thinking, the current situation, trend and values of the world, probably due to pressures, daily living, self-interests, wanting to please others or not wanting to offend people etc… sometimes without realizing, or without thinking much, we have already compromised the teaching of God’s truth or His will…

After time goes by, we will not be able to discern what is our own will, following the world or God’s will!
No wonder Paul reminded us:

“Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is —his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
~ Romans 12:2 ~

“Be transformed by the renewing of” is an ongoing process and action, so hopefully we will always be alert, to always examine ourselves honestly before the Lord, and asking Him to reveal to us and search our hearts and thoughts and motives.