The Art of Reading

Source: The Gospel Coalition

Reading is thinking. 

Of course there's a place for reading enjoyable books merely for fun. 

But for most of our reading, we seek to engage our minds. 

With engaged minds we position ourselves for discoveries into this world, 

into our own lives, and into worship with God in truth.
 

And no matter how many or few books you read, 

read those books in a discerning way. 

Read them in a way that operates out of the fear of God

 and read them out of gratitude to God,

 that he—for whatever reason determined in eternity past—has chosen 

to plant our brief little lives right in the middle of 

the greatest publishing boon the world has ever known. 

- Tony Reinke -

___________________

 May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart

 be pleasing in your sight,

 O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.

Psalm 19:14

Legacy of Sovereign Joy

How sweet all at once it was for me

to be rid of those fruitless joys
which I had once feared to lose...
 

You drove them from me,
you who are the true, the sovereign joy.
 

You drove them from me and took their place,
you who are sweeter than all pleasure,

though not to flesh and blood,
 

you who outshine all light,
yet hidden deeper than any secret in our hearts,
 

you who surpass all honor,
though not in the eyes of men who see
all honor in themselves......

O Lord my God, my Light, my Wealth, and my Salvation.

Aurelius Augustine
Confessions, IX,1

εὐαγγέλιον (euangélion)

Through out all these years, I realised that
I never bring someone to Christ.

Never was once I preach or share the gospel to someone
 and lead them to Christ.

I helped out in Alpha course,
I joined fellowship,
I leaded a small group,
 I shared my testimony.

But never was once anyone came through Christ.
Even I witnessed some people came to Christ,
and even get baptised,
yet I did nothing, nor contribute anything
in their conversion.

I never really evangelise,
I never really proclaim the Good News.
I never really become a living witness of Christ.

Salvation is rest upon the power of the Gospel,
So many times I wonder this question:

"Did I ever preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ before?"

Pilgrim’s Conflict with Sloth

Source: Desiring God

My name is Pilgrim. Yesterday
At dusk I met along my way
An enemy. His name was Sloth.
He tried to lure me, like a moth,
Exhausted, to his idle flames.
As always, he used other names:
Relief and Respite and Repose
And Rest, and Leisure. These he knows
Are worthy seasons in this age—
Worthy names to make a sage
Out of a scoundrel.
 

                             “Look,” he said
To me, affecting praise, “you've led
Your church for thirty years. And I
Am glad that you at last comply
With my advice. I'm willing still
To help you rest, though my goodwill,
I must admit, has withered from
All your unwillingness to come
When I've invited you before.”

But I replied, “I still deplore
Your ways and your deceitful snares.
What makes you think that all my cares
Would suddenly transform your mirth
And your amusements, as if worth
Were made of ease and emptiness?
My urgent prayers do not express
Compliance with your old advice.
No more today does it entice
Than it has ever done.” 
 

                                      “Then why,”
Said Sloth, “do you retire? Should I
Not hear this as a knocking at
My door? Come now. My welcome mat
Is out. Are you not standing there?”

“No,” I replied, “I’m not. And where
I stand you cannot comprehend.
I do not aim with you to spend
A single hour, though I confess
You are a subtle cheat, and dress
Your house with promises your name
Can never keep—Sloth! To my shame,
I visited your rooms enough
To know—you are not Rest. You bluff
Your way into the lives of drained
And weary men, with pity feigned,
And promise life—as if the soul
Of man were made to sit and roll
The dice until some happy pair
Make him a champ or millionaire.
You cannot understand my aims.
I do not live for wealth or games.”

Sloth felt the sting and said, “I know
Your kind, a workaholic. O,
Sleep not, play not, throw to the wind
God’s gift of leisure days. Rescind
The work of Christ who bought your rest.
O, yes, I know your kind: invest,
Invest, invest. And never take
Your dividends on earth. You make
Your way to heaven by your work,
Your precious work. O, do not shirk
A moment from your service of
This holy god, your life, your love.”

“Perhaps,” I said, “had I not heard
This censuring before, conferred
From better lips than yours, I would
Just thank you for the warning. Good
And useful outcomes flow from such
Rebukes, when love is in the touch.
But you have never loved. Along
With wrath and greed and pride and strong
Desires for sex and food and eminence,
You seven deadly sins dispense
Destruction everywhere, and then
You cover treachery again,
And smile as you condemn the heart
That wars to quench your flaming dart.
You cannot grasp in part or whole
The glory of a Christian soul
At work and rest.”
 

                              The sun had set.
And sloth said, “Night comes, Pilgrim, let
Me now keep your book while you sleep.
Will not your tireless Jesus keep
Your going out and coming in?
Come, Pilgrim, rest, it is not sin
To sleep.”
 

                    “That’s true,” I said, “but it
Is sin to sleep for Sloth. I will not sit
Or lie while you are near, but stand
And take this book in my right hand,
And in my mouth, until you are
No longer in my way, nor bar
My path of industry in this
Next season of my life. You miss
The mark, Old Sloth. You do not know
What Jesus bought.”
 

                                  “O yes, I’ll show
You,” Sloth replied, “Come unto me
All you who labor now and see
The rest that I have bought for you—
That’s what he bought.”
    

                             “Quotes that are true,”
I said, “do not make truth. Old sins,
Like heretics, build vice on spins
From true, half-cited texts. How gives
The Lord this rest? As my God lives,
I’ll tell you, Sloth: he gives his rest
Under a yoke—his sweet bequest,
Blood-bought, and suited to the back
Of every weary saint. The knack
Of all our plowing: Jesus makes
The weighty burden light, and takes
The yoke-beams in his hand, and lifts
And carries us. Our works are gifts.
And Jesus is the giver. Grace
Bought and powers every pace,
And every enterprise. Sloth, we
Were made, and made again, to be
Co-makers with the Maker of
The world—to see the world above
And then to make the world below
More beautiful, to learn, to know,
And then to make, to shape, adorn,
Compose, produce, and turn a thorn
Into an etching tool—to write, to say
What never has been said that way,
To sing, to draw, to paint, to build,
To stitch and weave until we’ve filled
The world with truth. For this God spoke,
And Jesus died. This is our yoke.
Our happy yoke. You will not take
My work. Sloth, we were made to make.”

“So, Pilgrim,” Sloth replied, “you’ll earn
Your heaven with your arts? Go learn
Your Bible better. Saved by grace,
Not works, the book is clear. Go chase
Your heaven, laboring. That’s not my taste.”

“My heaven, Sloth” I answered, “chased
Me long before I found my way
To it. Grace, to be sure! The day
Will show again the half-text you
Left out. Sloth, we are made to do:
We are his workmanship in Christ,
Made for good works. He sacrificed
His life that we might live in them.
He the vine, and we the stem,
And they, the fruit. Is not the fruit
Of love our life?”
 

                             “Pointless dispute!”
Sloth muttered to himself. He turned
To go, and said to me, “You’ve spurned
My offer of sweet rest. Go waste
Your life. You are a fool. You’ll taste
Your sorrow. Mark my words.” And he
Was gone. 
 

                  And so, one victory
Obtained, my weary soul was kept.
And I lay down my head and slept.

                                John Piper
                                12-11-12

Read. Pray. Fellowship.

突然心血来潮，想把部落格的名字改成 

Read. Pray. Fellowship.

“我的心声” 这个名字用了四年了。

一直以来这个地方是我吐出我的心声的地方。

当然我还是会在这里写出我的心声，

因为不可能把我的心声写在面子书上。

但是我想调整我的方向，

那就是要述颂他的怜悯慈爱，

 述颂他的荣耀。

 所以还是会用回当初用的经文：

诗篇 六十六章十六节。

___________________

凡敬畏 神的人，你们都来听！

我要述说他为我所行的事。

诗篇 66:16 

Come and listen, all you who fear God,

let me tell you what he has done for me.

 Psalm 66:16

Conversion Charles Haddon Spurgeon (Jan 1850)

Source: The Scriptorium

    I sometimes think I might have been in darkness and despair now, had it not been for the goodness of God in sending a snowstorm one Sunday morning, when I was going to a place of worship. When I could go no further, I turned down a court and came to a little Primitive Methodist Chapel. In that chapel there might be a dozen or fifteen people. The minister did not come that morning: snowed up, I suppose. A poor man, a shoemaker, a tailor, or something of that sort, went up into the pulpit to preach. He was obliged to stick to his text, for the simple reason that he had nothing else to say. The text was, ‘Look unto Me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth.’ He did not even pronounce the words rightly, but that did not matter.

    There was, I thought, a glimpse of hope for me in the text. He began thus: ‘My dear friends, this is a very simple text indeed. It says, “Look.” Now that does not take a deal of effort. It ain’t lifting your foot or your finger; it is just “look.” Well, a man need not go to college to learn to look. You may be the biggest fool, and yet you can look. A man need not be worth a thousand a year to look. Anyone can look; a child can look. But this is what the text says. Then it says, “Look unto Me.” ‘Ay,’ said he, in broad Essex, ‘many of ye are looking to yourselves. No use looking there. You’ll never find comfort in yourselves.’ Then the good man followed up his text in this way: ‘Look unto Me: I am sweating great drops of blood. Look unto Me; I am hanging on the Cross. Look: I am dead and buried. Look unto Me; I rise again. Look unto Me; I ascend; I am sitting at the Father’s right hand. O, look to Me! Look to Me!’ When he had got about that length, and managed to spin out ten minutes, he was at the length of his tether.

    Then he looked at me under the gallery, and I daresay, with so few present, he knew me to be a stranger. He then said, ‘Young man, you look very miserable.’ Well, I did; but I had not been accustomed to have remarks made on my personal appearance from the pulpit before. However, it was a good blow struck. He continued: ‘And you will always be miserable — miserable in life and miserable in death — if you do not obey my text. But if you obey now, this moment, you will be saved.’

    Then he shouted, as only a Primitive Methodist can, ‘Young man, look to Jesus Christ.’ There and then the cloud was gone, the darkness had rolled away, and that moment I saw the sun; and I could have risen that moment and sung with the most enthusiastic of them of the Precious Blood of Christ.”

 ___________________

 

 Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: 

for I am God, and there is none else.

Isaiah 45:22 KJV

Making the Best Use of the Time

In comes to the time of the year when some people will set resolution for this year. There are many things that we want to do, new things that we want to accomplish, but how many are those things accomplished when we come to end of the years?

In a medical handbook, these words were written: “If you want a job done quickly, give it to a busy man.” During this time of holiday, we have a lot of free time, but how many of us have used these few days wisely or fruitfully?

When things are not done, everyone of us tend to give the same excuse: “I don’t have time to do it.” But let us admit this one fact: We all have time to do the things that we want to do, but not the things that we ought to do. So it really depends much on how we us our time.

Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. (Ephesians 5:15-16 NIV)

Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. (Ephesians 5:15-16 ESV)

你们要谨慎行事，不要像愚昧人，当像智能人。要爱惜光阴，因为现今的世代邪恶。(以弗所书 5:15-16)

A chinese proverb says: 明日复明日，明日何其多，日日待明日，万事成蹉跎。“There is always a ‘tomorrow’ after ‘tomorrow’, there are a lot of ‘tomorrows’, if we are waiting things to be done tomorrow, nothing will be done”

"The time has come," [Jesus] said. "The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!" (Mark 1:15)

[耶稣]说:日期满了,神的国近了!你们当悔改,信福音! (马可福音 1:15)

When Jesus said, “The time has already come, the kingdom of God is near,” there is a sense of urgency in it.

For unbelievers, repent and believe.

For believers, continue to repent and believe, and do what we are called to do in our own vocation, either as a student or in our job.

So waste not our time, don’t wait for tomorrow.

Jesus said, "Behold, I am coming soon!"  (Revelation 22:7) 看哪，我必快来！ (启示录 22:7) So making the best use of the time, spend your time wisely, spend your time on doing the things that really matter.

Do you have things that you should be doing as one who is in Christ such as reading the Word of God, praying, fellowshipping with one another?

Do you have things that you should be doing in your occupation eg. as a students, you should be studying for lesson, preparing for your exam?

Don’t wait for tomorrow, do it today. Spend your time wisely.

If we have time doing things that are not really beneficial, eg. watching movies, watching video clips, engaging in social network; but don’t have time to do the things that we should be doing or things that are beneficial, we are making a very big mistake.

"Everything is permissible"—but not everything is beneficial.

"Everything is permissible"—but not everything is constructive.

(1 Corinthians 10:23)

凡事都可行，但不都有益处。凡事都可行，但不都造就人。(哥林多前书 10:23)

So are we spending time on things that are beneficial and constructive?

Since we are called to make the best use of the time, the second thing is that we should do our things on time, arrive to our meeting place on-time. Do not be late.

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. (Genesis 1:1)

起初 神创造天地。God is the one who created ‘time’. (创世记 1:1)

The very moment when heavens and earth formed, time starts (t=1), the history starts.

The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9)

主所应许的尚未成就，有人以为他是耽延，其实不是耽延，乃是宽容你们，不愿有一人沉沦，乃愿人人都悔改。(彼得后书 3:9)

God, who is eternal, who is not bound by time, has created time. Although as One who is the Creator of time, who is not bound by time, He is not slow in keeping His promises. What He said, what He promised, He will bring it to pass.

Since our heavenly Father does everything on-time, even though He is infinite, even though He is not bound by time, how much more, we, as finite creatures, as creatures that are bound by time, should keep our promises, and do everything on-time.

For it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy." (1 Peter 1:16)

因为经上记着说：“你们要圣洁，因为我是圣洁的。”(彼得前书 1:16)

So in the same way, be on time, since He is always on time, since He is not slow in keeping His promise.

Some of you might say that nowhere in the Bible is stated that we should arrive to our meeting place on-time, or being late is wrong. "You shall not steal.” (Exodus 20:15)  不可偷盗。(出埃及记 20:15)

Being late is equivalent to stealing other people’s time. So let us not steal other people time by being late.

Some might ask: Does it really matter? Does time really matter since those who believe in Jesus will not perish but have eternal life? Isn’t the kingdom of God a matter of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, rather than manage our time well? Aren’t there weightier matters of the law like justice, mercy, and faith? Let us consider what R.C. Sproul said: Unless we are faithful in little things, it is very unlikely that we're going to be faithful in the weightier matters of the law.

So brothers and sisters, let us keep in mind 2 things:

(1) look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil, spend time on things that are beneficial and constructive, even though many thing is so-called permissible for us,

(2) be on time in whatever we do, because the Lord is not slow in keeping his promise.

2 + 3 = ?

Just read an article written by Kevin DeYoung (is great to know that a godly man share the same first name with you ^^) about how to pray using Scripture with 3R's—Rejoice, Repent, Request. I also read an article written by John Pond about how to disciple students, and he mentioned about the need of praying for your students daily. This morning I also just read an article written by David Murray about how to organise your church meeting well.

Jehovah Jireh! My Provider! I really thank God that He provides us who are living in the hostel to have this fellowship once again, like how He once provided few years back. Now only I feel the importance and the need of fellowshipping with brothers and sisters. When I was still in my first and second year, there are so many brothers and sisters, and some of them are so mature in their faith in God and so committed in it, yet I simply took it for granted to have this fellowship. 

As years passed many of them graduated, and the fellowship getting weaker, new leaders didn't lead the fellowship well, and it almost come to a point that it will break down. I tried do something about it, but that time I felt really reluctant to do it, because I don't see that I am the one who is responsible to uphold it (which is wrong). Eventually this fellowship gone, when only 2 brothers left in the hostel.

However God is faithful and He brings a revival to this fellowship. He gives me this internal calling to start this fellowship again. I confirm this calling with my pastor, and by his help and guidance this fellowship revived, with some concrete plan. Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed. (Proverb 15:22) Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed. (Proverb 16:3) 

Indeed God is faithful, and now the calling is to uphold it, by the grace and power of God. Though I don't see myself as a leader or elder or teacher or whatever title for a leader (and I am not qualified to be one), but I do hear this calling to guide this flock, even for these few months. And the first step is very simple and basic: pray for them daily. 

Second step is also very simple and basic: trust God, pray that He will equip me to guide them. The arm of flesh will fail you, ye dare not trust your own (George Duf­field Jr.).

The following steps: too much to be described ><. Anyway this article by John Piper should be helpful.

O Lord, please uphold this fellowship, even though there are only five of us. You says, "For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them." (Matthew 18:20) O Lord, let Thy spirit be with us, whenever and wherever we are. Amen.

____________________  

 

Trust in the LORD with all your heart 

and lean not on your own understanding,

in all your ways acknowledge him,

and he will make your paths straight. 

Do not be wise in your own eyes,

fear the LORD and shun evil.

This will bring health to your body and 

nourishment to your bones. 

Proverbs 3:5-8

The Pineapple Story

Source: Otto Koning the Pineapple Missionary Fan Page

Otto Koning was a missionary in New Guinea. He worked among a native tribe that had known only their village ways. One of those village ways was stealing from others. When Otto and his wife arrived and moved into a hut, the natives often came by to visit. The Konings would notice that after the natives left the missionaries' home, various household items had disappeared. They saw these items again when they went to preach in the natives' village.

The only fruit Otto could grow on the island was pineapples. Otto loved pineapples, and he took pride in the pineapples he was able to grow. However, whenever the pineapples began to ripen, the natives would steal them. Otto could never keep a ripe pineapple for himself. This was a frustration, and he became angry with the natives. All during the seven-year period in which this took place, Otto preached the gospel to these natives, but never had a conversion.

The more the natives stole, the angrier Otto became. Finally, one day Otto had a German Shepherd dog flown in from another missionary to protect his pineapple garden after other frustrated efforts failed. This only further alienated the natives from him.

Otto took a furlough to the United States and attended a conference on personal rights. At this conference, he discovered that he was frustrated over this situation because he had taken personal ownership of his pineapple garden. After much soul searching, he gave his garden to God. Soon the natives started having problems among their tribe. They discovered that Otto was the reason for their problems because he gave his garden to his God. The natives saw a correlation between what Otto had done and their own lives being affected by calamities in their village. When Otto gave his garden to God, he no longer got angry and was free from worry. The natives started bringing him fruit from the garden because they didn't want any more calamities to come into their village.

The light came on one day when a native said to Otto, "You must have become a Christian, Otto. You don't get angry anymore. We always wondered if we would ever meet a Christian." They had never associated Otto with the kind of person he was preaching about because his message did not line up with his life. Otto was broken in spirit when he realized he had been such a failure.

At the end of seven years, he witnessed his first conversion, and many began coming to Christ once he fully gave his garden to God. The fruit grew so abundant that Otto began exporting it and growing other types of fruit, such as bananas. His village became the most evangelized in the whole region, yet for seven years he had not one convert.

Otto realized something each of us must realize: To gain your life you must lose it, along with your possessions. It was only when he gave all his possessions to God that he became free from them. God measured back to him manifold once He had complete ownership.

Do you have some possessions that you need to give up to God today? Let God have all that you have. Become a steward, not an owner. You will be surprised at how well God can take care of His possessions.

____________________

Whoever finds his life will lose it, 

and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

Matthew 10:39

I have hidden Your Word in my heart

Found something from a friend. Added some biblical basis for it.

1. 下次如果覺得自己了不起時, 試試行在水上。
If you think you are so great, try walk on the water.

Matthew 14:22-32  Jesus walks on the water

2. 當魔鬼提起你的過去時, 請提醒牠的未來。
If Satan mentioned about your past, remind him his future.

Revelation 20:10  And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

3. 你不是幸運, 是蒙福。
You are not lucky, you are blessed.

Matthew 5:3-12  The Beatitudes

4. 若想要真正活著, 得先徹底死去。
If you really want to live, you have to die thoroughly first.

Mark 8:35  For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it.

5. 機會也許只敲一次門, 但試探卻總是在按門鈴。
Opportunity might knock only once, yet temptation is always pressing the doorbell.

Genesis 4:7  ...sin is crouching at your door, it desires to have you, but you must master it.

6. 我們常在強壯時, 忘了神。
When we are strong, we always forget about our God.

2 Corinthians 12:9-10  ...Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me...

7. 那些只在星期天呼喚"天父"的人, 在一星期餘下的日子活得像孤兒。
Those who only call upon "Heavenly Father" on Sunday, the rest of the week, they are like orphans.

Romans 8:15-17  ...but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father."...

8. 不要以自我為中心, 要以基督為中心。
Do not focus on yourself, focus on Christ.

Hebrews 12:2  Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith...

9. 沒有基督, 沒有平安; 認識基督, 得到平安。
No Christ, no peace; know Christ, know peace

John 14:27 "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives..."

10. 為什麼我們不常向朋友提起 神？因為我們不常向 神提起我們的朋友。
Why we seldom mention to our friends about God? because we seldom tell God about our friends.

Acts 1:8  "...and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

11. 當把你的一切獻給基督, 因為祂把祂的一切都給了你。
You should give everything of yours to Christ as He gave you everything He has already .

2 Corinthians 8:9   For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.

12. 你現在所追求的, 值得基督為它死嗎？
What you want to own, worth Christ to die for it?

Philippians 3:8   What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ...

13. 使你向 神靠近的人, 是你真正的朋友。
Those who lead you toward God, are your real friends.

Isaiah 52:7, Romans 10:15  "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!"

14. 神愛我們, 不是因為我們是怎樣一個人, 而是因為祂是怎樣一位 神。
God loves us, not because what kind of people we are, but He is that kind of God.

1 John 4:8, 10, 16 ...God is love...  This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.... God is love...

15. 神的應許像夜空的星星。夜越深, 星星的光芒越亮。
Gods promises are like the stars in the sky, the darker the night is, the more shine the stars are.

Genesis 15:5  He took him outside and said, "Look up at the heavens and count the stars—if indeed you can count them." Then he said to him, "So shall your offspring be."

16. 沒有基督的生命, 是無望的盡頭。有基督的生命,是無盡的盼望。
A life without Christ is no hope. A life with Christ has hope without ending

John 6:68   Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life..."

17. 我雖不知道未來掌管著什麼, 但我知道誰掌管著未來。
Although I do not know what future will handle. But I do know who is handling the future.

Jeremiah 29:11   For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

18. 把你的重擔交給主, 讓它留在主那。
Give your burden to Lord & leave it there with Him.

Matthew 11:28-30  "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest..."

19. 不要畏懼明天, 因為上帝已在那。
Do not be afraid of Tomorrow, because God is already there.

Matthew 6:25-34   ...Look at the birds of the air, they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? ...Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

20. 當你除了 神, 一無所有時, 你將知道神就是你全部的需要。
If you have nothing else besides God, then you will know God is all you need.

Philippians 4:11-13  ...for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances...  I can do everything through him who gives me strength.

21. 放手交給上帝, 別再向 神講述你的風暴有多大, 當向風暴講述你的神有多大。
Do not tell God how big is your problem, just leave it to Him. Do tell your problem how great is your God.

2 Corinthians 12: 9-10  But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."....

22. 能夠滿足人心的, 是造人心的那一位。
The only one who can satisfy your heart is the one who created it.

Psalm 16:11   You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.
Ecclesiastes 3:11 ...He has also set eternity in the hearts of men, yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.

23. 請常常保持著你心中的光, 因為你不知道, 誰會藉著這光走出黑暗。
Please keep the light in your heart, because you do not know who will use this light to get out of the darkness.

Matthew 5:14-16  "You are the light of the world... let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. "

24. 當我們只顧工作的時候, 我們獨自工作; 當我們祈禱的時候, 神工作。
If we care only about work, we work ourselves alone. When we start praying, God works .

Isaiah 65:24   Before they call I will answer, while they are still speaking I will hear.

25. 神無所不在, 所以我們可以隨處禱告。
God is everywhere, so we can pray everywhere, anywhere.

Psalm 139:7-10  Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? ....If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.

26. 一個沒有需要的人永遠見不到神跡。
If one has no need, he will never see miracle.

Matthew 13:57-58   ...And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith.
Matthew 16:4   "...A wicked and adulterous generation looks for a miraculous sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah."...

27. 敬拜提醒我們生命的價值, 但世界卻使我們忘記它。
Worship remind us the value of our life, yet the world let us forget about it.

Psalm 90:12   Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.

____________________

 

I have hidden your word in my heart 

that I might not sin against you.

Psalm 119:11

17 Tips for Better Church Meetings

Source: David Murray

 

1. Be prepared:  

Get well organized beforehand by having all the relevant documentation, and by getting to the meeting in time to get everything set up for a prompt start.

2. Start with prayer and a short Bible reading:  

Do not skip this nor skimp on it. But don’t prolong it either with a long chapter, prayer, or mini-sermon. Set the tone of the meeting with a relevant reading and a prayer that asks for wisdom and guidance.

3. Agree the agenda:  

Agree the agenda, the timetable, and the priorities. It’s best not to start with complicated or controversial matters, but its best not to leave them until the end either. Ask if anyone has any major items for “Any other competent business,” or “Customary Questions,” so that sufficient time can be left for such items.

4. Stick to the agenda and timetable:  

Ask someone to remind you of the time targets you have set. This gives you extra motivation to move the meeting along and also allows you to be more objective when interrupting or shortening discussion. Group short and less important items together and make sure they don’t push out the far more important matters. After 90 minutes, meetings usually start going downhill. Google staff meetings have a large clock on the table!

5. Know the rules of order and keep to them:  

Every meeting should have an agreed procedure for proposing an item for discussion, discussion, counter-proposals and voting.  Make sure you know the rules, or make them and agree them if there are none – and stick to them consistently.

6. Read the meeting:  

Try to look out for negative and positive signs in the course of a meeting. Try to interpret the tone of voices, the facial expressions, and the body language. Anticipate potential flash points and personality clashes, and take the heat out of situations before it gets too hot.

7. Listen patiently:  

Try to listen carefully to everyone that speaks. Try not to lose concentration and miss something important. Don’t switch off when certain people speak. Try not to read documents relating to other business, when someone else is speaking. Rather, ask for time to read before that item is introduced.

8. Involve everyone:  

Obviously some are going to take more prominent roles than others. However, we should make every effort to involve everyone in the meeting. Sometimes you might sense that someone has something to say, but is hesitant. Encourage them to speak. Ask people for their opinions.  Be aware of the different characters you will run across and devise strategies to make their contributions profitable.

9. Don’t abuse your position:  

The pastor will usually enjoy a degree of status in the group. He will oftentimes be more educated and more fluent in speech. He will gradually gain a lot of experience in church meetings. Elders will often want to prove their loyalty to the pastor. All this combines to create the potential for a huge abuse of power. If you do abuse your advantages and privileges, some people will detect it right away and you will lose respect.

10. Defuse tension:  

There will be tense meetings and even hot meetings. Prayer can often be useful to relieve tension and cool temperatures. Humor can also be used in this way, if used sparingly and carefully. Or you can take a short break, or suggest a change of subject and come back to it again at another time, when passions are cooled.

11. Press towards decisions:  

While allowing sufficient time for discussion, you have to avoid just wandering around in circles. Try to detect when the discussion has run its course and press towards clear decisions.

12. End meetings at the agreed time:  

Unless the circumstances are exceptional, end the meeting on time. That will build discipline for future meetings, allow office bearers to plan their time, and also prevent late-night decisions that may be regretted.

13.  Submit to decisions:  

In exceptional matters it may be necessary to register a conscientious dissent to a majority decision. However, that should be really a last resort. If at all possible, submit to the decisions you disagree with by casting yourself upon the Lord, acknowledging your own ignorance and lack of wisdom, and your own pride and need of forgiveness. Try to avoid a confrontational “me versus them” attitude

14. Assign work:  

Before the meeting ends, make sure that ongoing work is assigned and that everyone understands who is doing what, and when the deadlines are. Pray for the Lord’s blessing on what has been decided and for help with assigned work. As someone once said: “Nothing matters until it gets a budget, a deadline, and an owner.”

15. Ensure minutes are quickly written up and agreed:  

It is best for someone other than the chairman to be clerking the meetings. Try to get someone who is competent, efficient, and reliable. And try to ensure that minutes are written up promptly and emailed out to everyone for adjustment as soon after the meeting as possible. This mailing could also include the specific tasks assigned to each person.

16. Follow-up with relationship issues:  

If you have been involved in any significant disagreements with anyone at the meeting, make sure you contact them later or the next day and make sure all is well between you, and that there are no hard feelings. Try to make sure others do the same with each other.

17. Have non-business meetings
Make sure that you sometimes meet without any business to discuss. Have prayer meetings, seminars, training, brain-storming sessions. Such meetings encourage social interaction, keep everyone in the loop, and make people feel valued.

The Doctrine of the Wrath of God

Source:  Desiring God

God responds to me in wrath because of my sin.
God responds to me in love because of who He is.

God loves me not because I'm so lovable, or because I'm so cute, 

or intelligent, or faithful or anything of that order. 

He loves me because He is love.

But if He is wrathful towards me is not because He is wrath 

but because I am guilty, sinful, and rebellious, and irreverence,

 and blasphemous, and unloving, and 

He responds out of His holiness toward me in wrath.

 

And there are some people, in every generation, 

and sometime almost entire generation, 

who are so offended by the truth, 

that is the truth that guarantees that they will not believe. 

And then what is your option, tell them lies?

Whether people receive it or not, 

you must preach the whole council of God, 

and in this case to preach the whole council of God 

is actually warning people against the wrath to come, 

well also announcing how glorious the gospel of God is, 

how wonderful the love of the Saviour is, 

in that He meets this wrath.

The same God that stands against us in wrath because of our sins, 

stand over against us in love because of who He is.

- D.A. Carson -

 ___________________

He said to them: "You brood of vipers! 

Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?"

Matthew 3:7