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猴媽上《我可能不會愛你》片尾之三行情語（六集、九集）
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Article taken from Fatherly Talk

Submission – The Road of Humility


Dearly Beloved


Over the past few weeks and months we have been looking at
the theme of humility. We all know by now how important it is as an attribute

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Article taken from Fatherly Talks

The Test of Humility

Dearly Beloved



God does allow certain tests to distinguish between those
whose hearts truly follow the Lord from those who don't. These tests are
always designed in the area of love and humility. God tested Abraham's
love towards him in Genesis 22:1 and spoke of the ten trials (tests) which He
brought the Israelites through (Deuteronomy 8:16; Numbers 14:22). Every
Christian has a wilderness to go through just like Jesus. The key is not to
stay too long in the wilderness beyond God's perfect timing. It was God's

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Article taken from Fatherly Talks

The Humility of Paul

Dearly Beloved,

There is no doubt that Paul the apostle was a man who learnt the humility of Jesus. He spoke of the tears of humility in his farewell to the Ephesians (Acts 20:19). This was something he learnt as a follower of Christ for Paul, then known as Saul, was a proud man who persecuted the Christians. He was well taught at the feet of the best teacher in town, Gamaliel, and was always ahead of all his contemporaries (Acts 22:3;Galatians 1:14). Possibly a member of the Sanhedrin, he was well known to the council and obtained letters of authorization from the council to eliminate the Christians. Eloquent and highly skilled, he had so many reasons to be proud; and indeed, before Christ, he was proud. In his pride and zeal, he even thought that he was serving God (Acts 22:3). When pride and religion get together, the mixer is potent and destroys many lives. We do not know how many Christians were killed and imprisoned by Paul but it suffices to know that even after his conversion, he was greatly feared (less the conversion be false) by many Christians. Even today, Christians who are proud and highly religious would be the guilty ones who persecute other Christians. What a ridiculous notion - Christians persecuting Christians but that is so true of church history. Why do Christians do this? The only answer I can find is pride - purely pride and high religious status. Take away such and these persecutors will be begging for mercy. Who makes us a judge over one another? Who makes anyone a guardian and defender of the faith? I am not speaking of the reasonable place in Christianity where one can debate doctrine and principles for the sake of biblical accuracy like they did in the Jerusalem council (Acts 15). Such debates can be done without pride; it can be done in humility and respect so that every one's views are voiced out with the possibility of disagreement without being disagreeable. There are those who totally do not respect other people's viewpoints and have to either silence them or persecute them. Such do not have respect for others and would have taken the lives of others if they were not restrained by Christian morality.

Paul was a great defender of the faith and good at debating doctrine yet he always showed respect for other's differences. The main demonstration of humility in a debate is respect for others. To respect another person is to hold them in esteem despite the differences in doctrinal understanding or practices. In the Spiritual World, respect goes hand in hand with the demonstration of love. It is out of love that the various angels and higher developed saints do not push their greater and better understanding of God onto others less enlightened. Paul speaks about even acknowledging the weaker brother amongst us (Romans 14:21; 1 Corinthians 8:7-11) who does not have the revelation of dietary laws or of freedom from food offered to idols. He advocate the allowance of each person to walk and progress at their own level of understanding; even suggesting that to push the higher revelation would have gone against the personal faith of such and condemn their conscience. This is not to say that Paul had no temper for we see him quickly apologising when he was corrected for being out of line in attitude to the high priest (Acts 23:2-5). He did also publicly rebuke Barnabas and Peter over the withdrawal of eating of food with the Gentiles and had a dispute with Barnabas over Mark (Galatians 2:14). I wonder what Jesus would have done in such situations? The choice is either silent disapproval without withdrawal of love and perhaps a tolerance of a second chance to Mark - who knows? Only eternity will reveal who is right in such disagreements. The fact remains that despite the various disagreements that Paul had in his lifetime (the recorded ones to our knowledge), Paul continued to walk in humility with those he disagreed with. In his relationship with Peter, it continued on even after he had rebuked Peter and Peter put in a good word for Paul in his epistle (although recognising that some of Pauls' teaching are not easy to understand (2 Peter 3:15-16). And with Barnabas and Mark, the apocrypha records how they fell on each other's shoulders and wept and prayed as they parted (The gospel of Barnabas). It takes humility to be able to continue a relationship AFTER a disagreement. Pride huffs and puffs and walks away. Humility continues to respect and make room for one another especially if it is in an area which does not deny our Lord Jesus' lordship or the Bible. No one person in the world has total knowledge in everything; there are so many possible viewpoints in Scriptural knowledge of everything. Moreover, everyone sees Scripture from their own experiential context and background. Sometimes all variable differences are looking at the same truth from different perspectives and they both have a place in the economy of Christian doctrine. Paul with such a great intellect demonstrated humility. Many people of lesser intellect and capability get stuck in the pride of their own opinions that they considered vital doctrine - like a child holding on to the last drop of ice cream not knowing that the fridge has a container left to replenish their ice cream cone.

Pride is the hindrance to all intellectual understanding. To acquire revelation and knowledge, one must be prepared to be like a little child when one comes to the presence of God or the Spirit of Truth. Pride forms a wall of stupidity that prevents a person from further changes in his knowledge. The person of pride behaves like a stupid person who goes round and round the same belief systems that are sometimes extreme or lack better application and understanding. What can be done to such? Such people unfortunately in the Spiritual Word and in this natural world, have to be left to themselves until they knock themselves so often in the school of reality and experience that they realized that something is fundamentally wrong with themselves and they need to change both their attitude and then their understanding. Attitudes must be changed first before there can be a change in understanding. The word 'repentance' for the Greek word 'metanoia' conveys not just a 180 degree turn around of the mind but also a willingness of the mind to see and accept what it could not comprehend - meta in this case meaning beyond. How many times have we believed before we understand? Truth is determined by its spiritual nature before its intellectual qualities. The spiritual nature of truth is love, peace, joy, kindness and all the other fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22, 23). It is after we accept love that we begin to understand love. We can receive love beyond the comprehension before comprehension begins. Thus by this means we know truth before we understand truth. All truth will be in line with the fruit of the Spirit and the nature of Christ. Anyone who has any area of new revelation of truth will always be transformed proportionally by that portion of truth into Christlikeness before the person could even express that truth intellectually. In the end as we fully receive Truth and have the Truth (the Living Word) living in us, we would become fully Christlike. You can tell who is right or wrong by the attitudes and nature of the debater. You can tell right or wrong of a new revelation or principle or method by the nature that it produces in its receiver. All truth will lead to more Christlikeness and any thing opposite from truth will lead to less Christlikeness. The purpose of truth is to experience God with understanding - intellectual processes to understand truth is not just for the sake of giving all of us a big head full of pride. The goal of all true intellectual understanding of truth is to make us better people and more Christlike in God. Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life to lead us to God our Father. Intellectualism is not an end in itself. What good is a great intellect without a great heart in Christ Jesus? Note how Paul's great intellect did not lead him away from Christ but rather towards Christ. The next time you struggle to discern truth, don't do it just with your head but do it with the heart.

The apostle Paul regarded himself as a proud insolent man, a blasphemer and persecutor against Christ before his conversion to God (1 Timothy 1:13). He even regarded himself as the worst of the lot, the chief of sinners (1 Timothy 1:15). It takes humility to admit one's personal failure and the worst part of one's character. Every one of us has a bright side and a dark side. It is important to know what we are potentially capable of without Christ as much as to know what we can be and do in Him. To know one's weaknesses is half way towards overcoming it. Although in their positive faith mode Christians like to think the best of each other, we also need to know that behind every good character is the potential of the opposite at its worst. A good strong leader might end up a bad domineering dictator. A friendly social person might end up a man pleaser without backbone. A strong determination to work against the odds can become a stupid stubbornness on the wrong road. A detail worker can become a constant worrier. All strengths are potential weaknesses and all weaknesses can be potential strengths. For this reason we all need to learn to walk in the love of Christ for without it our worst characteristics come out. Paul learnt that his weaknesses can be opportunities for God's strength to be in him (2 Corinthians 12:8-10). When Paul and Barnabas clashed in Acts 15 over Mark, the strengths of both of them came to the fore. Barnabas has always and will always be the champion of the discarded, rejected and unknown. He was that way when he first helped Paul the unknown (Acts 9:27). Paul was a man of principle and cannot take unproven people who have failed into his team (Acts 15:38). He was not one who can accept untested teammates especially those who have already been given a chance and failed. In the end the very differences between them that made them a strong team became the force that separated them. We know that eventually they both looked past this event and Mark became a blessing to Paul in his latter years (2 Timothy 4:11). We note how Dr Luke remained a lifelong friend of Paul right to the end (2 Timothy 4:11).

All life is about relationships. If we are not able to make good strong relationships in this life, the problem is as much us as others around us. Some people who have zero friends around them. Or never could make lifelong friends because their weaknesses kept coming up and splitting them so throughout their entire life, they are always looking for new pastures to make new friends; one day there will be no more new pasture because they have hurt every potential person around them and no one wants to come near them because they are well known for being people who are vicious and hurtful. We need to examine the following areas introspectively before God at all times:

1. How is our relationship to our parents or adopted parents? The first relationships we build are those with our parents. No matter how imperfect they are, we must learn to love them unconditionally. Some of us from not so good backgrounds have more to struggle in this area than others but we are not responsible for the family we are born into, we are only responsible for our character and response to such families. No matter how hard it is and in some cases there might not be any possible close relationships, we must always walk in love and forgiveness and be able to think with unconditional love towards our parents.

2. How is our relationship with our spouses? The closest person to us is our spouse and if we have not learn to make our spouse our best friend and confidant, then we are completely incapable of having close friends. For those who have experienced separation and divorces, it is important that you also see your part and failure in the marriage and not just your opposing spouse. If you do not admit your own character flaws, then you will bring the same flaws into the next marriage and completely destroy another life. Humility is being able to admit your own flaws and mistakes. The secret to lasting marriage is unconditional love. Learning and cultivating the ability to love unconditionally is part of all successful marriages.

3. What types of friend do you have? If you have not been able to develop friends who can disagree with you or be brutal with you in their honesty, you do not have real friends – you possible might just have fans and not friends. How many of your friends can you count on that you can show up at midnight and know that they will take you in? If there are none and you are already in your latter years, something is very wrong with you. How can you not in 80 years of life on earth not developed at least some lifelong friends? Where have you been living, on Mars? It is time to admit that you are incapable of being honest about your own weaknesses and flaws (which might be the reason no one is a friend to you) otherwise you would have much to deal with when you meet Jesus face to face. If the only friend you have is Jesus, then your standards are too high and nobody in the world is going to meet that standard. If everyone is your friend including the devil and the world, then your standards are so low and your morality and principles non-existent that you do not truly know the meaning of having a good spiritual friend. The only reason why people have not developed true friendships is that they cannot accept other people's weaknesses nor their own flaws. No one is perfect and friendships are based on love and not perfection. Look around at those who truly love you and care for you (but who will not put up with your nonsense or excuse your flaws), those are the people you should make friends with even if they themselves have their own flaws.

Without humility, there is no possibility of forming true friendships and relationships in this life. We learn humility when we relate to others around us. May God teach us to be humble and walk in humility with our loved ones and all our extended family in Christ.

In Christ's love


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Article from Fatherly Talk

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Dearly Beloved,

The victory of Jesus Christ at the cross and resurrection was all traced to His humility (Philippians 2:8-9). Humility is the key to permanent and eternal victory in life. At times, it looks like Jesus was losing when He went to the cross – His disciples fled and left Him, the crowds who used to follow Him dispersed, it looks like the end for Him at the Sanhedrin trial and the trial under Pontius Pilate, and He looked so helpless at the cross unable even to quench His thirst. Yet, because He humbled Himself, God the Father was watching every event and released all the resources of heaven to ensure that Jesus Christ of Nazareth was raised and crowned for His meekness and humility. The way of humility was not an easy road, but it is the only road that is sanctioned by God. If anyone wants to see 100% of God's help, they must relinquish 100% of their own defence allowing themselves to be humbled (humiliated). Yes, part of humility is being humiliated by others and not reacting in any way except love.

Humility is the doctrine of turning the other cheek (Matthew 5:39). It is not easy turning the other cheek because we all naturally want to fight back. In these days of independence and rights, everyone wants what they deserve and no one is willing to suffer wrong. There is a place and a time for such but even when that comes around, the attitude is never out of anger or reaction but rather from meditation and action. Paul in correction of the Corinthians spoke of the shame of Christians going before the unrighteous to pursue after worldly things (1 Corinthians 6:1-5). Paul was not against a negotiated settlement between believers but he was against brother going against brother before unbelievers (1 Corinthians 6:5-6). He clarifies that it was already a failure for them go after one another and went as far as to advocate that the meeker or stronger or more humble accept wrong unjustly (1 Corinthians 6:7-8). When Jesus was asked to be an arbitrator in an inheritance issue between brothers, He refused and instead warn against covetousness saying one's life does not consist of the abundance of things he possesses (Luke 12:15). This is a verse that many carnal Christians who are only after prosperity should re-read. In the natural, it was only right that the man's brother received his rightful inheritance but apparently to Jesus, suffering loss is no big deal.

In reading the doctrine of turning the other cheek and willingly being defrauded, I am sure many Christians are wondering how far they should go in this. There are two principles that are juxtaposed in balance. One is the principle of knowing our rights and inheritance in Christ, the other is the principle of not pressing for it when it comes to natural (and unimportant to Jesus) things. Are they really opposing? No. It is still important to know our rights and inheritance in Christ and all of our rights as Roman citizens (representative of citizens of any country). Even Paul learned to use his Roman citizenship to advantage (Acts 16:37; 22:25-29). The underlying harmony of when to exercise our rights and when to let it go in meekness and humility is as follows:

1. When it is a matter of no spiritual gain, let it go.

2. When it costs your sanctification and your holiness, let it go. (In other words, if you have to stoop down to the low level, below the belt, unethical and unedifying methods of getting what is your right, let it go).

3. When you have to stop walking in the love of God, let it go. (To retain the ability to walk in love to God and to all men is more important for eternity's sake).

4. When you have to destroy another person, let it go. (We should never destroy another person or life in the pursuit of our rights and gain).

5. When it does harm to God, our Lord Jesus and the Holy Spirit and to God's name, let it go.

6. When letting go endangers you and your family, hold your ground.

7. When letting go compromises the Word, ethics, morality and justice, hold your ground.

8. When letting go destroys the kingdom of God, hold your ground.

9. When letting go allows the devil and demons to reign, hold your ground.

10. When not doing right is sin including the sin of omission, hold your ground.

Having expressed some balance in the tension between the necessity to hold our ground when it is the right thing to do versus the ability to turn the other cheek, we should always make our default mode meekness and humility. It is only once in a while when occasion demands of us that we, the lamb, turn into the lion of God. We are sheep by default and nature not lions. Jesus was the Lamb of God and the Lion of Judah but it was Him as the Lamb of God that the fate of the Universe stands (Revelation 5:1-6). The praise and worship to Jesus was 『Worthy to the Lamb」 and not 「Worthy to the Lion」 (Revelation 5:12). It is better to receive than to grab. The Lamb of God received power, riches, wisdom, strength, honour, glory and blessings. It is RECEIVE and not TAKE. Jesus our Lord won it through His humility (Philippians 2:9-11).

Jesus could have taken it all unto Himself. He could have called on the Father and twelve legions of angels would come to His aid (Matthew 26:53). Jesus could have come down from the cross when they challenged Him. Jesus could have done many things to take His kingship and authority. But No, He chose to be a humble servant coming not to be served rather to serve (Matthew 20:28). Jesus conquered by His humility and His love, thus He truly won. If He had conquered by His might and His power, many more would have been destroyed. It was even much harder for Jesus to be humble than for us, for He actually had power, authority and might at all times yet He chose not to use it. The average human being would have quickly tried to conquer all the world if they had an ounce of the power, authority and might Jesus had. Moreover, most humans are forced by circumstances to be humble whereas Jesus was humble by choice. May we learn from His example. Sometimes, we are like James and John who, having learnt of the great power of Jesus and the name of Jesus, almost wanted to call down fire to burn the town that rejected Jesus and them. They were even polite enough to ask Jesus if He wanted them to call down fire to destroy the town (Luke 9:54). As if Jesus doesn't know how to do it Himself if He wanted to. Jesus rebuked them and said that they know not what spirit they are of (Luke 9:55). Give a little power to people without humility and they will destroy themselves and the entire earth. Give all power to a humble man or woman and they will use it only for the benefit of others and the whole world.

The way to be a conqueror in Christ and more than a conqueror in Him is by receiving and not by taking. We inherit the earth – not conquer the earth (Matthew 5:5). We cannot keep what is not given to us by God no matter how hard we try. We can only keep what is rightfully given to us by God and no man or devil can take that away from us. We cannot keep that which we have compromised our principles and heart to get. We can only keep that which we humbly and prayerfully have received from God through a lifestyle of love and humility. It is more blessed to give than to receive (Acts 20:35). Why is it more blessed? No doubt receiving the inheritance of God is a blessing. We must not just be blessed with the blessing, we must also receive it in a blessed way. The way we receive the blessings is as important as the blessing; if indeed, the blessing is of a spiritual and significant nature that has powerful blessings in the natural. Many people of God want the blessings of God but they would bend every rule and compromise every principle in order to have it. The end never justifies the means. Both the means and end must be right for it to carry the approval of Christ. Jesus was offered a short cut to the world of riches and power by the devil (Matthew 4:8-9). He did after all come to conquer the world back for God but it must be on God's terms and God's method. He chose the power of the cross to do it. The power of the cross symbolizes the triumph of humility over all the world. How much lower in humility can one go beyond the cross? Nil. The cross is the lowest point of humility personified. And God chose to glorify the cross so that we will always remember that it is by the cross of Christ that we conquer. Amen and Amen.

The cross has been the symbol of Christian armies throughout but it has been used wrongly. The true symbol of the cross is that of giving one's life to another as the conquest of another life; and then the world. By giving ourselves to others in humility, we conquer. We conquer by giving and not taking – that is the message of the cross. People who use the symbol of the cross to conquer by killing, taking and grabbing are no better than the devil incarnate. The true message of the cross is that we conquer by laying our lives one for another. May each of us never see the cross in the same way again. May each of us see that the cross was humility personified conquering through self-sacrifice. Jesus conquered us and the world when He gave Himself on the cross. Today we who are disciples of Jesus conquer by giving our lives at the cross for others. And as God raised Jesus and exalted Him above all name and power and might in heaven, earth and under the earth, so will God do so to us and cause us to reign over all the world in humility and truth. We shall be the head and not the tail through the power of humility. We shall conquer nation after nation in Christ and for Christ through the power of humility. The cross is a method and not just a message. It is the ultimate method of conquest of the world. It is the very symbol of the power of humility. Humility is a method and not just an end. The end is Christ and the road and methodology is the humility of love.

May God open the eyes of your understanding, beloved ones, and show you the power of humility. May you never ever feel ashamed to suffer wrong unjustly, to take the pain and sin of others unto Christ. The Spirit of glory is upon you when you partake of the sufferings of Christ (1 Peter 4:12-14). May we know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings (Philippians 3:10).

The blessings of humility and the methodology of humility be mightily demonstrated upon each of you.

In Christ Jesus


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Article taken from Fatherly Talk
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The Meek Shall Inherit the Earth

Dearly Beloved

Meekness has always been mistaken for weakness in human relationships. What exactly is meekness? In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word 'anav' has been translated both as 'meek' (Psalm 22:26; 25:9; 37:11; 76:9; 147:6; 149:4; Isaiah 11:4; 29:19; 61:1; Numbers 12:3) and also as 'humble' (Psalm 9:12; 10:12, 17; 34:2; 69:32). There are, of course, many other Hebrew words for humble. The Greek words for 'humble' (tapeinoo) and 'meek' (praos) are clearly differentiated. Humility and meekness are definitely related: the question is how are they related? Meekness is a fruit of the Spirit whereas humility is the effect of meekness upon the soul, thus we are told to humble ourselves - that is humble our souls and ego (Galatians 5:22, 23: 1 Peter 5:6). Humility being the result of meekness would be impossible unless one receive the impartation of meekness from the Spirit of God. There are many definitions of meekness but the most important understanding is that all the fruit of the Spirit are aspects of love (nine aspects – Galatians 5:22, 23; 1 Corinthians 13). Meekness is the ability to respond to all pressure and circumstances by loving restrain and kindness. Restrain being the fact that there is the potential to exercise great destructive power but it is withheld because of the object of one's love towards the antagoniser. Thus when power grows with meekness and humility, the possibility of the abuse of power is removed. Abuse of power only results when one has power without love thus in God's kingdom only the most loving will ascend into the most powerful of positions. He who is the servant of all is the greatest among us.

The fact that Jesus ties inheritance of the earth to meekness shows us that meekness is also a methodology of dominion over the earth. Humans have gathered together in tribes, nations and empires to conquer and rule over one another; to possess the power of control over resources and knowledge. In the natural world, the strong triumphs over the weak and enslave them. Humans lord over one another, killing, stealing and betraying one another for the right to rule and dominate. In the end, despite all the efforts of humans to be kings of their own over their own domain, it is God who gives permission for those whom He chooses to rule and reign (Daniel 2:21).

When our Lord Jesus Christ came to earth, He did not conquer by demands but He conquered by love and service (Matthew 20:28). Ultimately, Jesus gave Himself for us on the cross of Calvary and was lifted to the highest place (Philippians 2). Our Lord Jesus Christ has shown us the way that the key to conquest of the earth is through humility and meekness and not through power and might of the arm of flesh. There is inherent in every human being a desire to master the earth and be in control of all circumstances. That desire is good for it springs from the godliness that God has created into man. This desire must mature into a desire to exercise authority and power through meekness rather than by dependence on natural power. A dependence on God rather than a dependence on self.

The earth was never to be given as a wage; it was to be given as a gift. The promise of being heir to the entire world was given in the Abrahamic promise (Romans 4:13). It was a promise to be activated not by works but by grace through faith. God did not give Adam and Eve the garden of Eden as payment for their work; He gave it to them as His gift of love to them. God did not make Joseph the ruler of all of Egypt as a payment for his works; He made him the ruler of Egypt by His gift of mercy and grace. God did not make David to be king over all Israel because of the works of David. God gave it to him as a promise because of His love for David's heart. David had not done a single work yet when he was anointed king. In all of the stories of the Bible, God has never given power, riches, authority, lands, properties or fame because of the works of men or as wages, He has given it to men whom understood that it was a gift of God's mercy and grace. Why else do you think that God disciplined Nebuchadnezzar when he thought that he had gotten all his kingdom by his own might and power (Daniel 4). It was to teach him that 『the living may know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, GIVES it to whomever He will and sets over it the lowest of men' (Daniel 4:17). Wow, talk about learning a lesson of humility and meekness, Nebu really got it hard.

This rule of God over the nations of the world, over all business empires, over riches and gold, fame and fortune continues even in our modern times. Politicians may think that they got through by their own might or power or by merely the votes of men but actually it is the Lord who gives to whomever He chooses. If God did not so choose, then it will not happen no matter how hard a person may try. When Pontius Pilate thought that he had Jesus in the corner and proudly spoke of his power and authority in response to the silence of Jesus, saying 『Do you not know that I have power to crucify you and power to release you?』 Jesus answered him and said, 「You could have no power at all against Me unless it had been GIVEN you from above」 (John 19:11). All power and authority of humans, nations and armies are only temporarily given to people and can be as easily taken as it was given. This includes fame and popularity which exercises a type of power and influence over people. Sometimes, for reasons to do with God's predestination for a greater good, like the time of the endtimes, He even allows for a short season the saints to be given into his hand (Daniel 7:27). Many people who think that God is not in control has completely no idea of the fact that God has everything perfectly in His control and is working out predestined events towards His purposes and Will.

This gift of God to inherit the world includes the call of various ministers in the fivefold office. Each minister must learn the dominion in which God has gifted them to be in; they must not transgress into a calling that is not theirs. Uzziah the king tried to be a priest and died of leprosy (2 Chronicles 26:18-21). We see this sad Old Testament case repeated again and again in modern ministries who have no idea of the limitations of their domain and anointing. Just because one is successful as a king does not mean that one can be successful as a priest. All dominion, even spiritual dominion and influence, comes as a result of the Lord GIVING it to whomever He wills. The day that we think we need to protect our own tuff instead of relying on the God who gave us the tuff in the first place, is the day we have become like King Saul. King Saul received his kingdom as a gift from God for he was a nobody. When he became king, he did everything in the natural to preserve his kingdom even going against God many, many times; the God who gave him the kingdom in the first place. King Saul would even go to the extent of trying to kill the next generation after him (David) to preserve his own lineage. How sad to see him not recognize that we do not really own anything in this life – all things are only loan to us to make use of until we leave this earth naked as we came. We take nothing with us from the earth except for the change (supposedly for good) of our character as we learn to be faithful with whatever our lot in life – whether it be great or small, well known or unknown.

How does God GIVE such dominion and authority over the world? The key is meekness. Meekness involves a fruit of the Spirit in understanding total dependence on God. Meekness is love resting upon the lover, assured that one is protected and shielded by the God of love and mercy who is being 100% relied on. Meekness does not react to abuse and threats because meekness knows that the source of all authority is in God. Meekness knows that we are nothing in God and that everything we are is God and God alone. Meekness is the cry of Paul who said, 「when I am weak, then am I strong' (2 Corinthians 12:9-10). Blessed are the meek for they WILL inherit the earth.

How does one grow in meekness, since meekness is the key to possess all the earth (or rather inherit or have it GIVEN unto us)? You can't. It grows in you and not you grow in it. There is not a single verse in the Bible that speaks about growing in meekness. Why is this so? Try to understand it mathematically. Meekness is like a zero. How can you grow a zero? Meekness is learning to be nothing in God and allowing God to be your everything – the fullness of John 15:5. Meekness is learning to be supple and nothing before the Almighty God. We learn to be nothing once and then learn to maintain it no matter how much God uses us – that is meekness.

In the light of this understanding, we can comprehend why the Pentateuch records Moses as the meekest man on earth (Numbers 12:3). There was nothing that Moses could do when his older sister and older brother challenged his authority as a prophet and man of God. How can he answer when they find fault with him and look for weaknesses in his life to attack? They attacked his wife and criticized him. They were neither interested in Moses nor in his wife. They were only using those things as an excuse to challenge his authority with God. In truth, they actually thought that they were equal with Moses in their walk and authority with God when they used the statement, 「Has the Lord indeed spoken only through Moses?」 They proclaimed themselves to be prophet and prophetess on par with Moses, if not even greater than him (after all they were indeed much older in age to Moses). Guess what? One of them ended up with leprosy, too like Uzziah. It was the mercy of God and Moses' love and forgiveness to them that brought them restoration. Moses prayed for his sister to be healed. The worst thing is that God actually got angry at them and not Moses. Who was Moses? He was nothing without God so there was zero and no reaction from him. Oh the power of knowing that we are nothing without God but everything in Him.

The key passage on understanding meekness is John 15:1-5. Meekness is allowing the fruit of Jesus and God to grow in us. Meekness is the 100% percent yieldedness of the branch to the vine. Meekness is when each time we bear fruit, we allow God to lope us off and prune us until we are nothing but a bare branch again, ready to bear the next lot of fruit. Meekness is 0% of ourselves and 100% of Jesus. Ministry is a fruit and not a work. True Christian business is a fruit and not a work. Christian life is a fruit and not a work. It is being more than doing. The doing only follows the being and not run before it. If you understand this, you will never again be weary in your Christian life, ministry life, business life or at any time in your life. Every day is just a life of Christ in you more and more each day.

We inherit the world in direct proportion to our meekness. Let us learn the secret of recognizing that when we are weak, then is He strong in us.

The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you. Every day is the seeking of the pleasure of the Lord, the shining of His face is all that matters. We live to please God and Him alone.

In Christ Jesus


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Article taken from Fatherly Talk

The Blessings of Humility



Dearly Beloved,



The history of mankind and civilizations is filled with
stories of conquerors and world empires. The desire to dominate the world and
environment is sometimes also filled with sad stories of the inhumanity of man

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Article taken from Fatherly Talk

The Call to Humility


Dearly Beloved,



One of the most often quoted revival passages in the Bible
is 2 Chronicles 7:14 which states 「If My people who are called by My name
will humble themselves and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked

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Article taken from Fatherly Talk


Dearly Beloved

In this modern age of pomp and display, rights and power, fame and publicity, it is very easy for people to forget that to God and to all that are in the Spiritual World the character of humility and love is highly valued above all other values. It is even valued higher than knowledge and wisdom. For only humility attracts the loving attention of God whereas pride, which is opposite of humility, attracts the severe dealings of God. God will always resist the proud and give grace to the humble (1 Peter 5:5).

Why do humans want to feel proud when every one of us came into the world with nothing? Those born rich or powerful have nothing to boast for everything they had is only circumstantial. Those who achieve what they have and are also have nothing to boast for along the way they would have been helped both by men and angels to be where they are. Thus those born with privilege circumstances and those who earn their privilege circumstances have nothing to boast. Deep within each human heart there is a distaste of those who are proud and haughty. Such distaste does not just come naturally but it is also the same distaste that angels feel towards pride. There are angelic watchers over all of earth's powers, whether it be powers of wealth, authority or fame. The ruler of the empire that the Bible pictured as the golden empire was Nebuchadnezzar and even he was humbled when he became proud (Daniel 4). It was pride when Belshazzar took the holy vessels of the temple to drink his wine (Daniel 5). It was pride when Herod accepted the adulation of the people calling him god (Acts 12:22). It was pride when Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses (Numbers 12:1-2). It was to ease his wounded pride that Saul ask Samuel to turn back with him (1 Samuel 15:30-31). It was pride and recognition that Ananias and Sapphira sought when they lied about their offering (Acts 5:1-10). It was pride that led the Pharisees to make known their charity, their long prayers and their fasts (Matthew 6:1-18). They loved long robes, greetings in the market places, the best seats in the synagogues, and the best places at feasts (Luke 20:46).

We might look at the Pharisees in the Bible and laugh at their foolishness for now all that they have and are have passed away for they missed the best opportunity to know the riches of eternity by coming to Jesus when He was manifest. What about the modern churches and ministers? Have we replaced the long robes with our liturgy and long robes; the greetings in market places with worldly fame; the best seats in the synagogues with membership to exclusive clubs and the best places at feasts by hob knobbing with the rich, the famous and the influential? How do you explain the desire of Christians to have luxury items, drive the best cars, join the best clubs and have the best of all things? Let me make it clear that I don't think everyone who owns a good car, lives in a mansion or owns luxurious things are necessarily proud for there are good and humble people who have all these things and it does not bother them. The test is whether anyone of these feel ashamed if they were to be seen in a beat-up old car, or sleep at a manger once in a while, or go feed the poor in a soup kitchen.

Most Christians cannot handle wealth and fame and the moment they have either or both of these, pride starts creeping in and they subconsciously do things to that flaunt their success. God help us if success is only measured in dollars, cars, bricks and mortar. These are not measurements of success at all. True success is measured in one's growth in love and in godliness. At the same time, we also need to educate Christians to be comfortable with wealth and not feel guilty when God blesses them with the stewardship of it. Jesus was both comfortable with wealth as He was with poverty. It made no difference to Jesus whether He was talking to the elite in society at the feasts or the poor on the streets. The key to handling wealth, fame and power is to know that one is only a steward of God for these areas. We take back nothing from the earth except for our character development in handling these things. We must not swing to one extreme such that we are afraid or guilty of being wealthy, famous or powerful; or to the other opposite of being pro-luxury in all things such that we forget the poor, the unknown and the powerless. It is pride when one flaunts one's wealth, fame or power before others.

There is also another hidden pride which can be as dangerous as the outwardly show of pride. That is the pride of intellect, the pride of self-sufficiency, the pride of selfishness that can be displayed even in poverty, the pride of self achievement and the pride of self independence. There is no end to the many possible human ways of displaying hidden pride but all of them have common denominators and manifestation: the prideful person is selfish, uncaring, unloving, unteachable, rebellious, unsubmissive, a lone-ranger. We can judge whether a person has pride or humility by whether the person has all the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness and temperance (Galatians 5:22, 23). All the works of the flesh stem from pride: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries and the like (Galatians 5:19-21). Yes, all sin stems from pride. Sometimes, it is this hidden pride that is more dangerous and subtle than those with outward pride which can be seen by all. For the one with hidden pride can even think of themselves as being humble. When one is conscious that one is humble, one is no longer humble.

We have shown through the above that all of us have pride and it is not a question of whether we are proud or not, we all are and need to learn the art of humbling ourselves before God every day to keep us humble. If up to this sentence you cannot admit your pride but only sees pride in others, then only God can show you in eternity and you might have to face the consequences of God resisting you for the rest of your life. It is time for repentance. We all suffer from pride for to be self aware in itself gives us a consciousness separate from God. If we no occasion for natural pride, then we might have spiritual pride or soul pride. Pride can come in through being proud of the body and all things in the natural environment, through being proud of things in our soul and its qualities that we have or have developed, or through being proud of things spiritual or religious. And all pride must be dealt with. The Bible tells us to humble ourselves and before we can do it, we need to first realize that we need to humble ourselves. If we don't think that we have to, we are on dangerous ground. Dying to self is a daily event and not just some old event in our past (1 Corinthians 15:31; 2 Corinthians 4:16; Luke 9:23).

The lesson of humility is one of the most difficult to learn but yet it is the lesson that rewards its learner with great blessings both natural and spiritual. God loves to exalt those who are humble to positions of wealth, fame and power (Daniel 2:20-22; 4:17). The problem is not God exalting or promoting a humble person; the problem is in the ability to keep the position God gives. Almost every human being fails once they have received God's promotion. Saul forgot totally that it was God who made him a king. He spent his entire life trying to preserve his position of wealth, fame and power by his own hand. He died a failure both in the natural and in God's sight. There are the rare human beings who receive exaltation and keep themselves humble. Of such, is the prophet Daniel who succeeded because he was a man of prayer who learnt to bow his knees to God three times a day (Daniel 6:10). If you have never bowed your knees before God or have not done so in a long time, do so for it helps to put us in the position of submission to God. The word 『worship' in the Greek (proskuneo) contains the meaning of bowing down and prostrating before God (Matthew 8:10; 9:18; 14:33; Revelation 5:14). All will bend their knees and worship Jesus as Lord in eternity. We might as well get used to bowing down on our knees while on earth (Philippians 2:10). Of course, we do know that people can outwardly bow to Him but their hearts are not humble, thus it is more important to be humble in our heart. Humility of heart will produce humility of action.

The whole New Testament period is the dispensation of grace. And the key to all grace is humility (1 Peter 5:5). Even though grace and knowledge is multiplied by the knowledge of Christ and God (2 Peter 1:2), the fact is that we can never know Christ and God without God's help and revelation (Luke 10:21-22). We cannot even do any works except the works of grace that He has prepared beforehand that we could walk in them (Ephesians 2:9-10). And let us never forget that the works that God has given us to do are given because of His loving kindness, His riches mercy and love towards us (Ephesians 2:4-6).

Progressive life in the natural and in God consists of up-curves followed by plateaus. The plateaus are periods of consolidation and learning. Some people plateau-out and never progress any further either naturally or spiritually. Others lived and died without even entering the first phase of their lives destined by God. All up-curves are not humanly achieved, they are done through the grace of God that imparts a new and higher dimension of understanding, revelation, empowerment or gifting that takes us to the next level. Each up-curve is preceded by a period of pruning in which we are humbled as all the old fruitful branches are trimmed away so that we can produce even more fruit (John 15:1-3). Pruning is the work of God humbling us. Moses did not achieve his status as the meekest man on earth overnight (Numbers 12:3). He had gone through the wilderness for forty years; he had died to his calling and vision such that he spoke of his former oratory in broken terms of his inability; he had died to all ambition that he had formerly when he asked God to send another person; he had constantly been challenged rebellious ones and exercised great patience with the ungrateful Israelites. Like a rough stone washed smooth over years and decades of flowing waters, his pride has been dealt with numerous times until by the time Aaron and Miriam challenged his calling, he remained humbled.

We are who we are because of God. We can be what we want to be because of God. We receive all the help we have because of God. God is the source, the strength and the only one who has helped us from start to finish. He gave us life, created us, gifted us and allowed us to participate in His Will. Let us be grateful to God and always walk a daily life of humility before Him. Pride comes before a fall but promotion comes before great exaltation.

Let us humble ourselves before God on our knees each day and learn that without Him, we are absolutely nothing (John 15:5).

In Christ Jesus


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Article taken from Fatherly Talk.

Note: highly recommend every Christian minister (fivefold), lay leader, and people involved in any positions of service to read. "Love" and "humility" are the essence and the highest degree of all true beauty and power in the sight of God and Heaven, for God's central attribute is Love (1 John 4:7-8). To love is divine. Where love is found, there divinity is found, for there God is found (1 John 4:16).


Dearly Beloved,

We live in an era in which what people believe and what they are may not be the same. People have their convictions but if their convictions are not back up by their life than such convictions are nothing but mental gymnastics. No doubt what we believe is part of the process of becoming what we are. Sadly in this modern world where knowledge is abundant but wisdom is lacking, many people are in pursuit of acquiring knowledge rather than in pursuing a lifestyle of holiness and love. As Paul declares knowledge puffs up but love edifies (1 Corinthians 8:1).

Many Christians have watered down the full understanding of what it means to believe which James correctly points out. Even demons believe and tremble (James 2:19). The key is believe with a change in character and nature – faith with works (James 2:26). The works that James speaks about is not an outward form of works for that would be contradictory to not earning our place in God through our own works (Ephesians 2:8-10). There are two types of works, one which is done before there is a change of nature and character and one that is done from the change of nature and character. One is the works of the flesh seeking to earn merit which is wrong whilst the other is actually a fruit of a life and nature. For example, a good tree produces good fruit and a bad tree produces bad fruit (Matthew 7:17-20). It is the natural result of the nature of a tree. Thus the Pharisees, who were by nature serpents and dead spiritually, can never produce good fruit for their natures were evil and covetous (Matthew 23:33; Luke 16:14). Yet the Pharisees had a set of belief system which they teach and adhere to.

We are warned of the leaven of the Pharisees by Jesus (Matthew 16:6). Entrance into heaven is not based on just what we believe but rather by who we are! People go to heaven not because of their good works or their beliefs, they go to heaven because their natures and character are in line with the nature of heaven and they belong there. For this reason a person has to be born again. And the various stages of God's heavens and glory are the dwelling places for those whose natures belong to those realms. Progress in heaven and in spirituality is not based on what one knows but what one is. It is based on love and character and not mere knowledge. Thus on earth we should not just seek to have knowledge, although correct knowledge is part of that transformation process. The best and most accurate knowledge is that which has been proven in a life and not just mere concepts and theories. Jesus said that He is the Way, the Truth and the Life (John 14:6). It was not just Jesus' words that moved us, it is His life!

Jesus did not have a problem with the belief system of the Pharisees for they originate in the law of Moses but Jesus had a problem with them being leaders and guides to others (Matthew 5:20). They might have some concept of the truth but truth is not just a concept. Truth involves concepts, methods, lifestyles, implementations, etc. A concept that has not been tested and proven is full of raw sharp edges which will hurt and injure as many people as it helps. It takes a lifestyle to deliver a truth and methods are born out of experience and not mere theories. And usually, when one implements a concept, one finds many areas of adjustments to be made to the original theory. For example, before my wife and I had children, we read every child training book we could and digested concepts and theories from many diverse authors. When we had our own children, we found that much of the theories were not workable because of the differences in context plus some of them had a lack of Scriptural basis for their theories. In the Baptist seminary, I found it unhelpful to hear lecturers teach about church planting who had never planted churches, teach evangelism who had never evangelized, etc. In the end, through studying the Scriptures and testing them out in our thirty years of ministry experience, we have come out with more practical concepts and understanding of some of these areas. When they are taught, they are not taught from a position of a Scriptural theory that has been untested but from experience.

Just because one reads a book or heard someone else preach about it and one comprehends it intellectually does not mean that one has got it. The last person who should teach on a subject is one who has heard it from someone and not tested it themselves! Would you allow yourself to be operated by a surgeon who has not had actual experience? Would you allow yourself to be treated by a doctor who has never had practical experience and training? Would you allow an architect or an engineer who has no experience to build your building project? Would you trust a lawyer who has no experience to defend you on an important life and death matter? If we don't allow that in the temporal natural, why should we lower the standard when it comes to eternal things?

Many people who are inexperienced in ministry, no matter how young or old they are, have a habit of telling others what they think they know better. No doubt some of them could actually have far reaching ideas and callings but the first place to start is humility and not pride. They have no humility and that is where grace begins. On the other hand, you have those who are very experienced in life and have success in various areas of life but not in the area of ministry that they seek to be in. In these areas, again humility is required. It is sometimes even harder for the older with fixed habits and lifestyles to change than those who are young. Sometimes you have one who is experienced in those areas but their past methods and lifestyles no longer can serve the present generation and they will no longer succeed until they humble themselves and learn the new Spirit-way to reach the present generation.

What is the fastest way to progress in fivefold ministry? The first and foremost quality is humility. For without humility nothing else matters. The entire ministry is by ministry grace which comes as one is humble before God and before man (1 Peter 5:5-6). Without the grace of God there is no ministry. And grace comes only by humility before man and at the throne of God. If one has to choose between a very capable man or woman without humility and the grace of God and a half capable man or woman who is humble, choose the humble one. For in humility, they will grow and learn better than the one with pride. Money cannot buy ministry, intellect cannot buy ministry and all humans and organizations cannot make one a minister. Ministry comes from God and God alone but even if one is called into ministry, one will never be recognized until one is humble and serving.

It is important not only to teach what one should not be but also what one should be. Progression in ministry can be accelerated in the following ways:

1. All ministry is based on love. Unless one is established in love and the motivation is love, the foundation is wrong. We are not just concerned about ministry performance (although that is important as a measuring yardstick for organizational evaluation) but about the eternal reward and the quality of a ministry. The quality of a ministry is always measured by the level of the love of Christ that is flowing through the individual and the standard of Scriptural dependence used.

2. Humility is a key requirement. Without humility nothing else can be received. A person has reached their plateau and going downhill when pride fills their heart and mind. Part of the ministry training is mentoring; pride prevents a person from being mentored and trained by others.

3. Character comes through experience. There is no other way to gain character except through tribulation, perseverance than character (Romans 5:3). You can feel the power of the cross in the words and life of a person who has been through tribulation from one who has not. Every one of us has our cross to bear but many people run from their own cross and still seek to be a disciple and minister of Christ. There is always the cross before the resurrection power is demonstrated. Also it has to be the right type of experience. Some experiences make people more bitter, hurt, resentful and this hinders future ministry. Once in Malaysia, Ps Teoh and I tried to help a senior minister by giving him an opportunity to minister and pastor in a church with all the support that we could give both material and spiritual. Every time the minister stood up at the pulpit to speak hurt and bitterness would come out no matter what topic is covered. Sadly, we had to let this minister go as he could no longer be anointed by God unless he overcame his own internal hurts from his bad experiences. Another good minister I know whom we tried to help in Malaysia also was given the opportunity to preach. Every time he preached he always judged others and criticized from the pulpit. We had to stand him down after several chances were given because he had too much anger and unforgiveness towards others which was coming out through his preaching. In the end, he died prematurely and never saw his ministry took off. No one can help you if you do not want to grow in love. The only thing that should come forth from our lives at all times whether it be in an informal one to one fellowship or small gathering or at the pulpit is love, peace and joy and the pure Word of God. People should feel that they have been deeply loved by God after every word we speak. Yes, even when we do corrective teaching, it is always done in love and humility (1 Timothy 5:1; 2 Timothy 2:24-25). For any correction given that is not done in love and humility is done only out of pride and self-recognition or superiority; and it will destroy rather than build up the person being corrected.

It is important that we differentiate between what we know and what we are; what we think we know and what we truly know; who we are and not just what we think we are. Our character speaks louder than words. People will not receive our words if we do not have the character that backs up our words.

And heaven measures us not by what we know but who we are. Heaven measures us by our heart's love for people and not our mind's knowledge of things. The best place to always be anywhere in the world in any profession is to be humble. Seek to be the most humble person on earth and you will be the greatest person on earth in the sight of God.

Being is better than knowing for being includes knowing but knowing does not always include being. To be completes the knowing and knowing is only the first of many processes towards being. Our lives are an epistle which others read better than our words.

Be disciples. Be loving. Be humble.

In Christ Jesus


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主題: 神最看重的事

經文: 申命記34章

 
https://youtu.be/DJL9XfReVHw
 

神最看重的事 - 申命記34章

上帝愛你、賜福你！

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信仰立場：基於基督教聖經，認同普遍基督教福音信仰、使徒信經。

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元若藍 - 愛x無限大 (有夠笨舞蹈)
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超可愛吧!  Wink




Article taken from Fatherly Talk

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The Loveliness of Every Soul in God's Eyes

Dearly Beloved

In order to comprehend the width, length, depth and height of God's love we need to be able to see through God's eyes and heart. All our ability to love has been limited by our experiences in this life (from foetus to adulthood). Until and unless we break free from our own experiential limitations, we will never be able to fully comprehend God's love.

God is the Father and Creator of all life, all souls and all spirit beings. There is a tenderness that one has when one is the source and creator of life. A tiny, tiny measure is seen in the sacrificial love that parents have for their children. In the eyes of many mothers, the most wicked criminal if it were their own son still has some qualities worth redeeming. The ability of parents and lovers to see good in their object of love is beyond comprehension. In the eyes of God, every human soul has some good qualities and beauty yet unlocked. For God has seen the end of all evil in our future and thus dare to allow evil to exist alongside good. We humans find it difficult to keep a loving attitude towards the most hideous of human monsters who show evil in their lives especially when they destroy millions of others. Yet God alone can see some good there that He still would have sent His son if they were the only ones left in the world.

God loved us while we were yet sinners (Romans 5:8). We were not just sinners, we were enemies in the sight of God (Romans 5:10). We were evil and sinners in His sight, yet He loved us! Many of us cannot understand this unconditional love of God in the same way that Jonah did not understand God's love and mercy. The Assyrians were the most wicked and evil of all the people who had conquered Jerusalem. Some of their deeds according to historians were the skinning and flaying of people while still alive, killing of babies and children, pregnant women pierced alive with the sword, and various other methods of evil and torture that are not even imaginable in our modern days. Their wickedness came right up to the throne of God (Jonah 1:2). Yet God sent Jonah to warn them and when they responded to Jonah's preaching and repented, God forgave them. Jonah hated them so much that he did not take delight in God's pardoning them and God had to teach Jonah through a plant (Jonah chapter 4). Many of us would have been displeased with God and even angry like Jonah was (Jonah 4:1). This is how we feel towards all those evil people in our recent history. Jonah would rather die than see them forgiven by God (Jonah 4:3).

Many Christians feel what they call righteous indignation such that some extreme ones have even advocated taking the law into their own hands. Foolish ones, how can they make a right with two wrongs? Others advocate that the law severely punish and remove such dirt life from the face of the earth. Now I do realize that this imperfect planet needs the law and a system of good government that deals severely with lawlessness in proportion to its wickedness (Romans 13:1-7). It is only right that for society and civilization to exist and grow to its height, the evil and the lawless must be dealt with and put away. Such principles are righteous and right and even applied in the Spiritual World where God banishes and imprisons spirits that disobey (2 Peter 2:4; Jude v6). However, there is a big difference between God meting out judgment and humans judging. With God His anger is only on the surface to show His displeasure but His heart is always full of love. With humans, the anger is deep within (sometimes the only force felt) and most of the time there is a complete absence of love.

Judgment in condemnation and vengeance is NOT our right. We are told not to judge and that vengeance is the Lord's (Matthew 7:1-3; Romans 12:19). This is not referring to judgment of things, teachings and prophecy (1 Corinthians 2:15; 14:29; Philippians 1:9), it is referring to judging and condemning another human being eternally. For everyone makes judgment in life and situations in order to make the right decisions. We judge things, situations, doctrine, practices, etc. but not people. Only God has the right to judge people eternally. Those who work as judges or magistrates would have to do their jobs righteously but none of them are eternal judges. Only Christ is the eternal judge of finality (Acts 17:31). Even an earthly judge, being human, can feel disgust or some anger at the crimes, evil and lawlessness that they judged but then at the end of the day, they must not judge based on their feelings, they must judge based on the law without fear or favour. Feelings of anger at other humans can be real but we must never let the sun go down on our anger (Ephesians 4:26). This both means never to let the anger become our attribute but to let it pass quickly before the day is out. Our attribute should always be love, love and love.

Love feels disgust at sin and evil and even anger but love is not the natural attribute feeling for us. Neither is God's anger and hatred of evil His attribute. Jesus loved righteousness and hated lawlessness (Hebrews 1:9). Yet, the attribute of Jesus is never hate, only love, love and love. The great difference between humans and God is that humans completely lose their love for those who are evil in their midst. God never loses His ability to feel and show love to those who are bad and evil. The Lord Jesus Himself showed great love to Judas even when He knew that He was dishonest and going to betray Him. And if the Lord Jesus had not kept loving Saul who was kicking at Him by persecuting His disciples, we would not have the story of Paul the apostle. Stephen, filled with love, prayed that Saul and the others responsible for his death would be pardoned (Acts 7:60). Stephen was so full of love that they saw the glory of God on Stephen for his face shone like an angel (Acts 6:15). Stephen saw the glory of God and was experiencing 2 Corinthians 3:18 (Acts 7:55).

It is only natural for us to feel hatred towards evil and disgust at wickedness for we were made to only see beauty in righteousness and holiness. It is however not right for us to feel such feelings to the entire abolition of all feelings of love towards any creature of God. Should the feelings become part of our attribute, then we have actually allowed ourselves to become imperfect. How could God keep having love for all His creation even in the midst of such terrible evil and wickedness?

1. God can see the potential while all of us have given up.

2. God still feels ownership over His creation while we are totally divorced from evil.

3. God knows the future and will keep on reaching towards His creation until all is perfected.

4. God's love has no end but ours have an ending.

5. God's love is unconditional while ours is conditional.

We must raise our ability to love to the level of God. We must acquire the ability to see beauty where all is ashes, to see good where all is evil, to see love where all is hate. Only then can we love as God loves. Also what we are able to see is limited by who we are. A covetous person will notice others who are covetous. A greedy person will see greed in others. A proud person will see only pride in others. What we noticed most in others are the things that we secretly treasure in ourselves. Also what we hate within us is also that which we tend to see and hate in others for love and hate are closely linked in its ability to attract the similar things within us. What do we love? What do we hate? We become conscious of what we love or hate. Negative emotions are as powerful in its ability to manifest as is positive emotions. What we like in ourselves, we will also like in others; what we love, we will love in others; and what we hate, we will hate in others. Our very ability to love and relate to others is equal to the same ability that we have relating to ourselves. We are limited by our very own selves and not by God. Thus we must cast aside all these limitations that grow into our lives through the natural mind and flesh and take on the limitless quality of the Spirit of God.

How can we be perfect and loving like God unless we also find the power of love within us even when we are drowned with raw emotions of hate towards sin and wickedness? Never ever let the sin, evil and imperfection in others around you rob you of the ability to keep a loving attitude towards them. Instead let love always be your default attribute. Then will we be perfect like our Heavenly Father is perfect. We must seek to find good where there is only evil, love where there is only hatred and joy where there is only pain and suffering. The day we can discover these, then are we on our way to becoming more like God. Never ever, ever, ever let hate, bitterness, disgust and all such negative feelings become a part of our natural and default attribute. To do so is to have lost the greatest battle for personal transformation.

If God's love is even in the lowest hell, surely we can experience His love anywhere else in this present life no matter how bad it seems (Romans 8:38-39). Look for love and you will find it. Look for beauty in others and you will see it. Look for attachment to them by love and you will feel the love that God feels for them. Every soul who has come to this earth is lovely in the sight of God. Even one of them would have been worth more than the whole world (Mark 8:36). They are all precious to God. God still feels connected to each soul in the same way that we all will always feel connected to our physical body. We would not cut of our own hands or our own legs, thus God would not cut off His love to all those of His creation no matter how imperfect they seem to be.
Let us feel and see this unconditional love that God perpetually has with His own creation. God is patient, kind, longsuffering, joyful – all the attributes of love. He feels this love intensely towards each one of us as much as He feels it towards all His creation. We need to grow in our intensity of God's love. Let there never be a moment when love does not breakthrough.

Keep meditating on the purest and final display of love in Christ. Meditate on the supreme picture of love – Christ at Calvary. May we be able to love every single human on the earth without reservation and unconditionally. Be discerning in your love but always know that the glory of God, the power of God and the wealth of God flows only through the pathways of love.

In Christ Jesus
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《Christian Apologetics Series》

The Case for the Bible - Part 1 of Series (Youth Service)

 
 
https://youtu.be/m8M7VYCgUcM

*Note: I inadvertently said that the earliest biblical book was written 1,500 years ago, but what I meant was 1,500-year is the time-span in which the Bible was written. So since the latest biblical book is written towards the close of the first century, it's 1,500 years before that, which makes the earliest biblical book around 1,500 B.C. Some scholars date it even earlier, and believe that the Book of Job was written between 1,900 - 1,700 B.C. In any case, these much older dates just make it more amazing of the harmony and continuity of the uniqueness of the Bible.   : )
 

God Bless and Love!

Contact Info:
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Basic Beliefs: Evangelical Christianity and the Apostles' Creed

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Article taken from Fatherly Talk

Dearly Beloved

Of all the prayers prayed in the Bible, none in my mind occupies the most significant place as the prayer of Jesus in John 17. This prayer was prayed before Jesus went to Calvary yet it covers the whole church age and in a sense eschatologically sets in concrete the fact that one day, the church of Jesus Christ all through the ages, of every tribe and tongue, of every culture and language, of every denomination and governmental style will be one! Of course, since Jesus prayed this prayer, we can expect that it will definitely come to pass. We highlight certain portions of this prayer which is in line with our theme of God's love. Jesus prayed for the following:

1. That the unity of the believers in Him would become like the oneness of the Father, the Lord Jesus and the Holy Spirit (John 17:21).

2. That the glory that He had with the Father would be given to us that we may be one as He and the Father are one (John 17:22).

3. That the church would be made perfect in one, that the world may know that God sent Jesus and that God the Father loved us as much as He loved Jesus (John 17:23).

4. That we may where Jesus is and behold the glory which Jesus had before the foundation of the world (John 17:24).

5. Jesus had declared to us His name that the love with which the Father loved Jesus may be in us and Jesus in us (John 17:25).

The Scripture clearly says that we are to be made perfect in one. This oneness will come because the glory that Jesus had is given to us. It is the glory which makes us one and not our oneness that brings the glory. What is this glory? In the Old Testament, when Moses asked to see God's glory, God's glory passed by through the Lord proclaiming His mercy, graciousness, longsuffering, goodness and truth – all qualities of God's love for us (Exodus 33:18; 34:6-7). The Lord constantly affirms His love towards the Israelites (Deuteronomy 7:7-11). The New Testament is a new testament of glory, which is also a new testament of the love of God (John 1:14; 3:16). We are changed into the same image of God from glory to glory (2 Corinthians 3:18). God is love therefore the image of God is the image of perfect love, which is the image of Christ (1 John 4:8; Romans 8:29, 39). The greatest is love (1 Corinthians 13:13). It is obvious from all these Scriptures and many more, that the glory of God and the love of God are two sides of the same coin! They are the very substance from the person and presence of God. To grow in love is to grow in the glory of the Lord! When love is perfected, the glory of God would also be perfected in our life.

In Ephesians chapter 3, Paul's prayers for the growth of the spirit man began with a prayer for the inner man to be strengthened so that the presence (or glory) of Christ might be increased in us (Ephesians 3:16-17). The dwelling of Christ within us is directly related to our growth in love, culminating with the fullness of God's presence within us (Ephesians 3:17-19). There is indisputably a direct link between the love of God and the presence or glory of God. Our final transformation in this life is that the glory of God would be seen upon us (Isaiah 60:1; 2 Corinthians 3:18). Since the glory of God and the love of God are one and the same, this final transformation is also speaking about our perfection in the love of God.

What does it mean to be perfect in love (1 John 4:18)? It means that we are exactly like Him in glory and nature. When Jesus prayed that we might be one by the glory that will be revealed to us, the glory He spoke is the love of God from the foundation of the world (John 17:22, 23; Ephesians 1:4). When we are perfected in love, our heart beats with the heartbeat of God, our mind flows with the mind of Christ and our souls resonate with the compassion of Christ. We are perfectly one in Him. It is not our love but the love or glory of the Father that transforms us.

When we walk in this measure of oneness love, we will be able to demonstrate all the works of Jesus and greater works (John 14:12). We dwell in the secret place of the Most High when our hearts are set in love towards Him (Psalm 91:14). We are shown secret things which God does not show any others because of this perfection of love in Him (1 Corinthians 2:9). The love of God (the glory of God) within us would have made us accustomed to the brilliance of His light of glory and we can behold what others cannot behold. The goal in this life (for our soul) is thus to become a lover of God. Love and glory can only be received in measures and is a step by step process (2 Corinthians 3:18; Ephesians 3:14-21). Knowing that we all are refracting different measures of love and glory directly proportional to our own inner soul transformation, we should also learn to walk only in the degree of light and love that we have received. It is possible to overstrain our physical muscles through too much exercise. It is also possible to overstrain our spiritual and soul muscles through walking beyond our faith level, beyond our love level and beyond our glory level. From glory to glory He is changing us with grace upon grace (2 Corinthians 3:18; John 1:14).

Walking in the perfect love of God is also complete freedom from consciousness of sin with just pure consciousness of God (Hebrews 10:2). The consciousness of God, of course, also includes the consciousness of His love flowing to and through us. This perfect flow is achieved by all believers at various moments in their lives. The key is not to just have it for a moment but as a life style and default consciousness. From the Spiritual point of view, we are also shining at our brightest when we are at our most loving (for the love of God and the glory of God are one and the same substance). At the peak and height of this same love and glory is also the peak and height of the greatest signs and wonders. In the book of Acts, the love of God in the Jerusalem church peaked at the point when they were one heart and one soul (Acts 4:32). Everyone was so moved by love that all things were shared in common and there was no poverty in their midst (Acts 34). It was at this height that a simple untruth caused the death of Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:1-11). The light of glory was so strong in the church in Acts that even the shadow of Peter passing by brought healing to all who came (Acts 5:15). The Scriptures also record that everyone was healed (Acts 5:16).

Understanding that the love of God and the glory of God are one is paramount to flowing in the miraculous and in signs and wonders. The more love we have, the more glory we demonstrate. Even more important from an eternal point of view, to the degree that we have been transformed into the glory of God, to that degree will be able to live closest to God in eternity. Even on earth, when our spirits and souls are filled with the glory of God, a heavenly presence will always reside around us. All demons and even Satan himself is afraid of the glory and the love of God. Perfect love casts out fear (1 John 4:18).

Where do we begin in this walk of perfect love? We begin by loving others, including our enemies, like Jesus did. Then will we be perfect in mercy like our Heavenly Father is perfect (Matthew 5:48; Luke 6:36). Learn to love those around you and those who are in the circle of your life's path. Give love to all for that is the true path to glory. Christians who walk not in love do not understand this path and are mere believers but not disciples. By THIS shall all man know that we are disciples of Christ, that we love one another as He had loved us (John 13:34-35). There are many believers but not many disciples. The only mark of being a disciple of Christ is LOVE. Signs and wonders, power gifts, success, prosperity, provision, etc. are all side effects and not signs. The one and only mark that Jesus said that will differentiate those who are HIS DISCIPLES from those who merely believe in Him is the mark of love. Loving our neighbour is loving those who happen to be along our life's path. We do not have to traverse sea and land to demonstrate God's love to others. We do so right now by loving those who are in our immediate circle of life and then also those further out in our life's path. The Good Samaritan did not ask for nor did he looked for someone along the road to care and love; the poor man attacked by robbers happen to be along the same road he took (Luke 10:33-34). Both the Levite and the priest on that same path purposefully changed the side of the road they were walking to avoid helping the poor man (Luke 10:31-32). There are none more blind than those who will not see. For the Levite and the priest, they chose not to see or know the poor man lying along the roadway. They are a disgrace to their Levitical and priestly heritage for they are supposed to be the cream of the religious crop. Similarly, ministers and Christians are a disgrace to the Lord Jesus Christ whom they proclaim if they do not walk in the love of God. In trying to follow their ten thousand spiritual and religious commandments and rules, they neglect the most important commandment of them all – love one another as Jesus loved us.

Knowing that we grow in love and glory by degrees, Christians should not feel too discouraged if they find themselves not walking perfectly in love all the time. Be patient with yourself and others as God is patient with you and others. Yet, the desire and the urge to do so must be the strongest desire we ever feel for the pursuit of God is achieved by the pursuit to walk in love. The answer to every prayer, the key to every open door, the breakthrough moment for every area is found in one main principle – love God with all of your entire being and let His love flow through your entire being for those around you. Feel His heartbeat of love. Meditate on the love of Christ through His life as recorded in the gospels. See every breath of Jesus and every thought of Jesus as one filled with the fullness of love; for Jesus is indeed love personified. The glory of Jesus when He walked on earth was powerful because His love was powerful.

In the depths and pain of His cosmic redemption death and atonement for us on the cross, Jesus took time for a very personal matter – the taking care of His mother by the apostle John (John 19:25-26). There is always time for love whether it be to one or to an infinity of God's creation. If we don't take time to love, to grow in love and to be loving; we have missed the most important point to all of this life. Growing in love and growing in the glory of God are priorities that we must schedule our time for. We will always give time to what we deem the most important in our lives. Understand that Jesus left us one great commandment, and that is the commandment to love one another as He loved. We must take time to cultivate that into our lives and schedule, starting with those around you.

May the love of God in Christ and the glory of God from the foundation of the world be your daily experience.

In Christ's Love


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https://youtu.be/xqJcld3Ph5Q
 
 

舊約讀經和應用 - 申命記15-17章

上帝愛你、賜福你！

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Article taken from Fatherly Talk 5.19


Dearly Beloved

I was meditating on the love of God throughout this week and realized that all our tears are caused by love. For example, we know that humans cry when they are sad or hurt but behind the sadness or hurt is either the parting (temporal or permanent) of a loved one or the loss of a loving relationship (rejection). Sorrow only came after the fall of mankind and will be eliminated in heaven (Genesis 3:16; Revelation 21:4). Imagine living in a world (heaven) where there is no sadness or tears. Only in perfection of love can such be possible.

We can examine scientifically the experience of sorrow but let us take some Bible examples to prove the point that all tears and sorrow are related to love (or the loss of it). There are implications of sorrow expressed in various places (eg. in the deaths of people) but we take only those where there is a direct mention of weeping or tears:

1. Hagar wept for she had just experienced rejection (partly her fault for despising her mistress) and alienation from Abraham's family plus the potential loss of her child, Ishmael, whom she loved (Genesis 21:16).
 
2. Jacob had just left his home, possibly in his mind permanently, and having experienced rejection from his brother, lifted up his voice and wept when he saw Rachel (Genesis 29:11). He must have missed his mother, Rebekah who loved him exceedingly (Genesis 25:28). Loss of love and the finding of new love in Rachel brought forth tears to Jacob.
 
3. Joseph missed the love of home and father exceedingly and asked about his father when he saw his brothers (Genesis 43:27). He had some loved for his half brothers but when he saw his brother Benjamin, his family love was stirred and he rushed into his chamber to weep (Genesis 43:30). Joseph experienced anguish of soul when he was torn away from his family and sold by his brothers (Genesis 42:21). He especially named his son Manasseh (meaning making forgetful) because it took until he had a family in Egypt for him to forget all the loss of love of his family in Canaan (Genesis 41:51). Joseph suffered the loss of family love and especially his father's favourite love over him when he was rejected and sold by his brothers; he must have cried many tears. When the possibility of love loss to at least be partially regained in his brother Benjamin, he was moved to tears. Indeed, we cry when we lose love and we cry when we find love. Love is the true reason we cry.
 
4. It is natural to cry at the loss of a loved one but when Aaron was freshly anointed for the Old Testament priesthood, he lost his sons Nadab and Abihu in one day at the temple sacrifice (Leviticus 10:1-3). Moses did not forbid Aaron from crying but he forbade him from leaving the tabernacle and joining the funeral of his sons lest he dishonoured the anointing oil upon him and died (Leviticus 10:6-7). Aaron was so sad that he and his remaining sons could not eat of the ritual sacrifices commanded of him (Leviticus 10:19). Aaron suffered the loss of love – the loss of his sons whom he loved dearly. Aaron refrained from food but in modern times some people are the opposite and turned to the love of food when they lose love. As if in a sub-conscious manner, the eating of foods they love would replace the love they lost. Aaron lost the love for and of his sons and it led to the loss of appetite for food. Sometimes people who lose love start losing the love for other things around them as well. Humans react in both extreme pendulums when they lose love – they either channel their lost love to the lost of interest in all things they loved or they subconsciously try to gain back the lost love by seeking to gain things as if they are a replacement of love lost. All the strange behaviours of human characters can be explained by these two extremes: an attempt to parallel the lost love by losing interest in all things or the opposite attempt to gain lost love by accumulating things, friends or environment to subconsciously gain back lost love or to hold to what little of love that is left, even if it is temporal things or circumstances. Humans were made to exist in an environment of love – receiving love and giving love. For that reason, any changes to this environment, whether it be a temporal loss of love or a physically permanent lost of love through the home-going of a loved one, will produce a measure of suffering and tears.
 
5. David was a man of great passion and love. Much as his own son, Absalom had tried to kill him, David still could not refrain from weeping uncontrollably when Absalom died (2 Samuel 18:33). He was in an emotionally fragile state for he had experienced the rejection of his son in his attempt to betray and overthrow David as king. He lost the love of his son and this lost of a love of a child for the parent is one of the most painful any parent (father or mother) can experienced. His son died without reconciliation and that lost of love becomes physically permanent for David. David lost the love of and from his son and it almost cost him the lost of the love of his army. In this imperfect world, we must accept our losses and continue living. Those who fail to do so become permanently disabled in their heart. There is physical disability which some people suffer from birth while others in life but such people continue on to be heroes in the eyes of God and in their own eyes and their loving families because they are wrapped in an environment of love. In society, those who overcome great physical disability and triumph over them are highly admired because they are an inspiration to others. However, such people would not have been able to do so without the loving help of others. Others are born mentally disabled and yet when placed in an environment of love are able to excel to a great extent. The worst is that of the disability of the heart of love. That is when the heart cannot accept the loss of love and drowns itself in extreme behaviour of the pendulum in rejecting all love for people and things or in settling for the shallow love of things or people. Not only will they experience the lost of love greater but they will also create new losses of love which will further damage their already crippled heart of love. Thank God, that King David was refrained from his excessive sorrow and did not suffer the further loss of the love of his loyal subjects.

Having established the understanding that all human suffering arises from the lost of love, we need to understand that when God chose to create and loved us, God also suffered each time we reject His love and walked in our own way. The heart of God was literally torn when He grieved over the state of mankind in the years before the flood (Genesis 6:6). If God could weep, the statement 『God grieved' would have been equivalent to God shedding tears. Why did God grieved? After all, if a child made plasticine toys and it broke, a child can rub it altogether and start again. How much more God the creator of the universe! God grieved purely because He loved us. When one chooses to love, one potentially puts oneself in the position where that love can be rejected (loss of love) or where that love can be responded to with love (gain of love – joy).

God did cry! Through His son, Jesus when He was manifested in the flesh. Jesus was a man of tears (Hebrews 5:7). He was also known by people as the prophet Jeremiah because He is known to shed copious tears (Matthew 16:14). When He saw Jerusalem the last time as He approached it in His final days, He lamented over the city crying 『O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who killed the prophets and stone them, how I would have gathered the children like a mother hen gathering the chickens under her wings' (Matthew 23:37; Luke 13:34). In other words, how Jesus longed to hug the whole of His people in Jerusalem in spite of her rejection of His love for them. God the Father suffered because He loved us. Jesus suffered on the cross for our sin because He loved us. The Holy Spirit is grieved and suffers because He loves us.

To love is to suffer the potential of the loss of love. Yet it is better to have loved than to have never loved at all. It is the fear of rejection of love that prevents many people from walking in love towards others. Having been hurt so much, they choose to no longer love to their eternal loss. It is because of rejection that people fear to love God and trust Him with their entire lives. Having not seen unconditional love amongst humans, it is difficult for them to believe that God so love us unconditionally. Also people have wrong concepts of the nature of God, which is why they don't love God dearly. God will never and cannot ever reject you. For God is love (1 John 4:16). You cannot flee from the presence of God's love. If you ascend to the heavens, He is there and even if you make your bed in hell, He is there (Psalm 139:7-9). We must be persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ our Lord (Romans 8:38-39). There is no way God will ever stop loving us and there is no place we can go where His love cannot reach us. It is always us who reject God's love. It is always us or other humans who separate us from God's love. It is never God but we, ourselves, things, circumstances, people, demons and the devil who separates us from the love of God. But if we choose to always respond to His love, we will find love every where. But remember this, to love is also to suffer the potential of loss of love from others but never from God. So if there is any one whom we should always keep loving, it is God. Once divinely connected to a permanent state of love in God and towards God, we will find an everlasting supply of love. For we will never suffer the loss of love from God and this truth in itself should sustain our ability to love throughout our entire lives. It should undergird every pain and suffering that we need to endure when we choose to love unconditionally.

The greatest, yes indeed, the greatest is love (1 Corinthians 13:13).

In Christ's most precious love.




F.I.R. - 後樂園
  [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3yN2q8fBYxQ&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0x234900&color2=0x4e9e00]


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Article taken from Fatherly Talk 5.17


To Love One is to Love Many


Dearly Beloved



When the Lord Jesus was speaking about the two greatest commandments
(to love God and to love one's neighbour) and He had elicit the correct
answer from a learned lawyer of His time, He was asked the question as to 『who
was one's neighbour?』 Jesus answered by giving the parable of the
Good Samaritan (Luke 10:27-37). Our neighbours are those who are in our

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July 12, 2009 主日信息

平衡的基督徒生活

雅各書第四章 -- http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=James%204;&version=50;22;49;31;45;

1. 平衡的聖潔觀– v.1-6
2. 平衡的屬靈爭戰觀– v.7-10
3. 平衡的話語能力觀 – 11-17

發展: 心 (聖潔觀)  =>  思想意念 (屬靈爭戰觀)  =>  口舌 (話語能力觀)


《平衡的聖潔觀》 – v.1-6

 
https://youtu.be/kUvazlIE3A0


《平衡的屬靈爭戰觀》 – v.7-10

* 基督徒屬靈爭戰觀的第一個極端, 就是不明白或忽視魔鬼的作為、迴避討論關於屬靈惡者和牠們的工作. 有些是出於不知情, 有些出於害怕, 認為提到魔鬼和邪靈就會「不吉祥」, 會帶來負面的東西.

聖經真理: 第七節, 雅各在聖靈的感動下卻提到魔鬼的工作, 並且告訴信徒要如何有效去抵擋這些黑暗權勢的作為. 魔鬼就是墮落的天使路西弗(賽14:12--「明亮之星」在希伯來原文發音就是「路西弗」), 淪落為撒但(啟20:2). 牠極度詭詐狡猾, 最擅長欺騙亞當的後裔(林後11:3), 甚至會偽裝成光明的天使(林後11:14), 也是這個「世界的神」(林後4:4), 全世界都臥在那惡者手下(約一5:19). 故此, 保羅也提醒信徒不讓魔鬼勝過我們的方法是從明白牠的詭計開始(林後2:11). 不明白仇敵的詭計的後果就是, 受到攻擊都不知情, 造成屬靈生命的虧損和軟弱, 也無法有效幫助其他信徒勝過黑暗的權勢. 這些人會被利用成為仇敵的工具, 因為人對不瞭解的靈界事物會有自然的恐懼, 而人的懼怕和懼怕所帶來的錯誤言語行為就會給魔鬼地步工作.

* 基督徒屬靈爭戰觀的另一個相反極端, 就是給魔鬼太多的注意和焦點, 成天談論魔鬼的作為, 過度屬靈化把任何壞事都推卸於魔鬼. 這類的基督徒理性上也許承認神比魔鬼大, 實踐生活上卻是高舉了魔鬼過於高舉神. 特別很多不成熟的靈恩基督徒或教會, 會認為屬靈爭戰就是要不斷的提及魔鬼綑綁祂, 個人靈修或是聚會都是圍繞在魔鬼和祂的作為.

聖經真理: 第七和第八節告訴我們屬靈爭戰的得勝秘訣, 不是無止境的提及魔鬼和出於害怕的發號施令「綑綁牠」(如果牠真的被綑綁了, 為什麼還要一直綑綁牠呢?), 而是先要來「順服神」, 就能有效的抵擋魔鬼, 所以焦點總是在神而不是撒但. 因為魔鬼沒有辦法侵犯人的自由意志, 牠無法隨心所欲的對人類攻擊, 但牠對人的把柄就是「罪」, 所以當人順服神不在罪中時, 魔鬼自然而然沒有地步. 這就是為什麼第八和第九節說到要親近神、悔改, 因為才是抵擋魔鬼的方式. 親近神清心的人, 魔鬼不但沒有辦法勝過這人, 還要驚慌的離開逃跑(「離開逃跑」希臘文根字就是後來翻譯成英文的「phobia」, 「恐懼」的意思).

* 結論: 平衡的屬靈爭戰觀, 就是要去明白仇敵的詭計, 卻總是把焦點放在神和祂的話上. 在神學和實踐都應該是要這樣. 屬靈爭戰的得勝方式是藉著順服親近神, 魔鬼不會想也沒有辦法待在一個順服親近神的人生命中的! 因為神就是光就是愛, 在光中不需要刻意抵擋黑暗, 黑暗自然就會消失, 在愛裡沒有懼怕, 神完全的愛一來到, 懼怕就會離去(約8:12; 約一4:18). 事實上, 會有黑暗是因為沒有光, 會有懼怕是因為沒有完全的愛. 在以弗所書6:11說要穿戴「神」的全副軍裝, 而這個全副軍裝是指披戴上主自己和神的話. 彼得前書5:9說到要用堅固的信心抵擋魔鬼, 而羅馬書10:17說到真信心是從神的話而來. 可見當神的兒女瞭解魔鬼的計謀但卻全然專注於神和祂的話時, 這就是屬靈爭戰的得勝, 因為魔鬼早因耶穌的十架工作而徹底失敗了(來2:14). 當有時在聖靈的感動下需要施行權柄, 也是出於真正的信心, 而不是懼怕, 並且重點永遠都會是在榮耀得勝、萬王之王萬主之主耶穌的身上.


《平衡的話語能力觀》 – 11-17

* 基督徒話語能力觀的第一個極端, 就是忽略話語的重要性. 這類的人認為, 既然神最看重的是心, 人一生的果效也是由心發出, 所以我們說出來的話就毫無關係. 這些基督徒常常口無遮攔, 隨意批評論斷、說短道長, 跟著世俗一樣說很多負面消極、沒有信心不恭敬上帝的話.

聖經真理: 第十一、十二節說到基督徒要謹慎口言, 不要把自己當成審判官的角色, 去惡意論斷批評人. 這裡「判斷人」就是「審判」的意思, 就像是一位法官判定人有罪無罪. 只有上帝才是最終的審判者. 在對的情況下, 基督徒可以用愛心說誠實話, 糾正錯誤, 但卻不能以上帝的姿態定他人的罪. 前一章雅各也提到百體中最小的舌頭能造就或是破壞的極大潛力. 通常對自己口言很隨便的基督徒, 他們心裡面也是很混亂的. 因為「善人從他心裡所存的善、就發出善來．惡人從他心裡所存的惡、就發出惡來．因為心裡所充滿的、口裡就說出來。」(路6:45). 這些負面批評的話, 不帶來造就, 反而會誤導非基督徒和影響信心軟弱的弟兄姊妹.

* 基督徒話語能力觀另一個相反的極端, 就是太過強調話語的本身, 而忽略了話語的能力是出自於心. 這些人對一字一句的話律法化, 常常作表面字句上的大聲宣告、對表面用詞上吹毛求疵, 訂出許多超出聖經人的規定, 喜歡挑語病、禁止任何對人生苦難試煉實際情況的描述、或是適宜的說笑幽默. 他們迷信於話語的本身, 常常是出於害怕而不敢題及某些言詞, 不明白人心才是所有影響力的源頭.

聖經真理: 這極端的基督徒, 通常帶出來的是如法利賽人的律法形式主義、帶給自己和旁人許多束縛、壓抑、恐懼、並忽略了人的內心才是一切生命果效的能源(箴4:23). 他們不明白話語之所以會有能力是取決於一個人的心. 在第十三到十七節裡說到有一些誇口的人所說的話就毫無能力權柄, 因為他們的心並沒有與神的話、就是神的旨意相輔合, 所以不管他們再怎麼的說再怎麼宣告也不會有果效. 路6:45說, 先是心裡所充滿的, 口裡才說出. 特別許多靈恩的基督徒或教會, 受到70-90年代信心神學運動的極端教導影響, 視口中的言語為偶像, 而忘了信心運動神學的始祖所提倡的主要經文馬可福音11:22-26節, 心裡要先相信, 要不然口裡所說的也不會成就. 聖經也教導我們要用愛心說誠實話(弗4:15), 在對的條件情況下也需要適當的勸勉糾正罪惡和錯誤偏差的教導(提後4:2-4). 對於人生的苦難, 也可以帶著正確的心態描繪事實, 就如耶穌帶著全備的信心, 知道拉撒路會復活, 卻也沒有避諱, 明明的告訴門徒們說, 拉撒路已死去的事實(路11:14).

* 結論: 平衡的話語能力觀, 是要明白人口裡說的話會帶著心裡的東西而影響自己和他人. 所以要謹慎自己的言語, 避免說消極負面世俗的虛談. 有時在憂傷難過軟弱時可以向神和對的人訴苦, 卻不要停留在那. 另一方面, 我們要瞭解, 話語本身的能力是出自於心, 不要過度把話語的本身過度屬靈化. 要先從擁有基督的心, 到基督的思想意念, 最後再從口說出基督的話, 才是聖經話語權柄的正確教導. 神的話會帶有莫大的能力是因為神的心就是完全的愛. 神話語的力量能夠創造了世界, 是因為祂所創造的一切都是出於愛. 因為愛, 祂創造了我們, 創造了世界. 耶和華本為善, 祂的慈愛永遠長存! 天地都要廢去但神的話會永遠常存, 因為愛是永不止息(林前13:8). 神的話就是祂愛的表達, 神的愛最極緻的表達就是耶穌, 而耶穌就是神的道(話)成為肉身. 祂全身上下都是神的愛(心), 神的旨意(意念), 和神的話(口舌). 雅各書第四章也說到了我們要在這個順序內求得平衡.
 

平衡的基督徒生活 - 雅各書4章

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Article written by the dearly loved Ps Peter


The Commandment to Love

Dearly Beloved,

Christians do not really have the option not to walk in love as it is a commandment that Jesus Christ left with us through His disciples. Jesus said that as He had loved us, we are to love one another (John 13:34). We all know that Jesus gave His life for us on the cross, so we are supposed to be willing to die for one another in the Lord. Although there are testimonies that we hear once in a while of Christians giving their lives to another, such are so rare that one is regarded as heroic in such acts. It is suppose to be the 『norm' in Christianity! Those who have been in Christ long enough have probably their share of stories of how Christians behave like non-Christians to one another and to others. What has happened to Christianity? Why is love so lacking in many churches? There could be many reasons but perhaps we can highlight some of them:

1. We have replaced the greatest commandment to love with other priorities

In many churches today the most important thing seems to be learning how to be a success. This is the driving goal of the leadership and also instilled upon the followers. While we recognize the need of being successful both in the spiritual and the natural realm, it must never replace the greatest commandment to love one another. We need to restore the commandment of Jesus to love into its rightful place at the centre of every church and every Christian heart. We were born out from the love of God the Father, through the love of His son into a loving relationship with God and with all around us. Let us never forget that in all of religiosity and church services, the greatest commandment is and will always remain that which tells us to love God and to love our neighbour as ourselves (Matthew 22:37-39). This is more important than our programs and activities. If we succeed at everything else but fail in love, we fail for eternity. Love is everything in heaven and all of the spiritual realms of God. God is love (1 John 4:16).

2. We need more leaders of love to produce disciples of love

The problem with love is that it cannot just be taught but must be caught by example and experience. If God did not sent His only begotten Son to us, we would not have known that God loved us that much (John 3:16). If Jesus had not laid down His life for us while we were yet sinners, we would not have known the greatness of His love for us (Romans 5:6-7). Love must be demonstrated and not just intended and spoken (Romans 5:8). Jesus intended that His disciples would continue the lasting demonstration of God's love for others through their lives by giving us His new commandment to love (John 13:34). In fact our Lord Jesus said that it is the ONLY means and method by which everyone will know that we are His disciples (John 13:35 – By THIS shall all man know that we are His disciples!). Sadly, through two thousand years we have replaced the sign of discipleship with our other man-made creeds and doctrines. We need to return again to the original sign and method by which all will know that we are truly the disciples of Jesus – that we love like He loved. No other disciple understood the love of Jesus closely and affectionately as the apostle John. John wrote in His epistle that just as Jesus laid His life for us, we need to also be willing to lay down our lives for the brethren (1 John 3:16). Yes, beloved ones, those who received John 3:16 must continue on and practice 1st John 3:16. The world does not need more leaders, rather the world need more leaders full of the same love that Jesus had. The church does not need more apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers, rather it needs more fivefold ministers filled with the same love that Jesus had. The church and the sheep will never learn to love unless the leaders themselves learn to love. We need more leaders of love rather than leaders of doctrine or faith or power. For all the doctrine, faith and power will come to nothing without the love of God (1 Corinthians 13:1-2, 13).

3. We need to see people through the eyes of God's love

The only thing preventing us loving people is that we have set in our minds those that we find hard to love an image in our mind of their ugliness of character or soul. Such images could have come from cultural prejudices, family prejudices, bad experiences or warnings from others who also have bad experiences and ugly images of such people. Those in our human mind we see some people as good, some as bad and some as ugly. We naturally find it hard to love such people because we have no relationship with such people and seek to keep it that way. Although it would be true that we cannot always work together or fellowship closely with some people because of differences of methods, beliefs or character, it should not prevent us from feeling God's love towards them in our hearts. We must always have the ability of God to be loving to all no matter who they are. True agape love is not based on who people are, it is based on who God is. Human love is based on who people are but God's love is based on His very nature and being to love – for God is love (1 John 4:16). Human love is conditional but God's love is unconditional. God did not love us only when we were good or beautiful in His sight. While we were yet sinners, God loved us and Christ died for us (Romans 5:7, 8, 10). We were ugly, sinful, even enemies of God and yet He loved us and washed us clean and made us His children. If God has loved us in such a manner, surely we cannot love anyone with any lesser standard than that by which we have been loved.  We need to love as God love and see as God sees. Don't allow your human heart and human mind stop the agape love of God from flowing through you. Open your spirit heart and let the love of God flow through you. The first thing that took place when we were born again was that the shedding and overflowing of God's love in our hearts (Romans 5:5). Let that love already placed within our heart help us to see beauty in ashes, hope in darkness and faith beyond impossibilities. Even in hell, the love of God cannot be stopped (Romans 8:38-39). The vilest creatures in hell are there not because God did not loved them, they are there because they did not receive the love of God so freely available to them. We are not able to love not because God could not love through us; rather we have shut our hearts from the love of God flowing through us (1 John 3:17).

4. Love is a commandment

Our Lord Jesus Christ did not suggest that we love one another; knowing our infirmities of human frailties, He made love a commandment (John 13:34-35). Like a loving Father who dispenses necessary medicine to a dying sick child (where the medicine does not taste nice), the Father commands that the medicine of love be continually dispensed because He knows that it is the only way for the child to be healed and whole. Likewise Jesus, knowing our natural dislike of people who are not good to us or ugly in character in our sight and our ease of not walking in unconditional love, placed before us a commandment to love one another the way He had loved us. The only other option is to walk in disobedience and not to love others. We have a choice to obey or to disobey and nothing in between. Everyone who does not walk in love is walking in disobedience! It is a commandment! Walking in love will bring all the blessings of the law because walking in love keeps every commandment of the Old Testament that produces the conditions for health, wealth and spiritual life (Deuteronomy 28:1-2; Romans 13:8-10). Christ has paid all the penalty of the law in order that His grace of blessings might come upon us (Romans 5:17; Galatians 3:14-15). The method by which all the blessings of Christ is received is through faith (Romans 4:16; 5:1). Yet why do so many Christians not receive all these blessings? Such blessings are not automatic; they are conditioned upon faith being energized by love (Galatians 5:6). God cannot force us to love Him nor can He force us to love one another. Love cannot be coerced. We must by free choice choose to love God and love one another! God can provide the power, the means and the method to enable us to love but we must choose to love. He does not rob us of the free choice to choose. God did provide us with the power to love for He has shed (Greek word – poured) His love into our hearts (Romans 5:5). God did provide the means to love, for He has given His Holy Spirit to empower us to love (Romans 5:5 – by the Holy Spirit given to us). God has provided us the method to love for He has given us all of us ministries and gifts by which we can serve and love one another (Ephesians 4:15-16).

Yes, all the ministries of God and every office and service of God available in the Body of Christ was purely given as a method by which we could expressed our life's destiny in love towards God and others! They were not given that we might lord over one another but that we might live and die for one another (Matthew 20:25; Mark 10:42; Luke 22:25; 1 John 3:16). When the disciples fought with each other to be at the right hand of God and to be greater over one another, Jesus clearly stated that He Himself came not to be served but rather to serve and to give His life to others (Matthew 20:28). Sadly in our modern churches, ministries and offices have become positions of pride and pomp rather than that of servitude. We have become no better than the Pharisees who used their religious positions to better themselves and to enrich themselves. Woe to those who devour widows houses, exploit the poor, deceive the sheep and are lovers of money rather than lovers of God and people (Matthew 23:13-29; Luke 16:14). Jesus condemned all such to hell (Matthew 23:33). Those who neglect the love of God and true love towards all are neglecting the most important foundational and fundamental principle of Christianity. The greatest and most important of all the commandments of Jesus. Anyone who does not walk in love walks in darkness (1 John 3:14). The apostle John even went as far as to say that such do not even have eternal life in them (1 John 3:15). Not everyone who comes and say 『Lord, Lord' will enter the kingdom of heaven for Jesus said that they have not done the Will of the Father (Matthew 7:21). The Will of God the Father and the Will of Jesus our Lord is that we love God and love one another. Anyone who says that they love God and does not love another is a liar for one who loves God truly love one another (1 John 4:20-21).

Beloved, let us love one another for love is of God and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God (1 John 4:7).

In His love.


王若琳 Joanna Wang - I Love You （陶喆「愛很簡單」英文版）
  [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DfiE82FJwEw&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0x5d1719&color2=0xcd311b]


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經文: 尼希米記6章

 
https://youtu.be/WSC1zxoZDCk


大綱:

1. 禱告的動機 -- 神的愛

2. 禱告的策略 -- 神的策略

3. 禱告的安息 -- 神的榮耀
 
 

合神心意的禱告 - 尼希米記6章

上帝愛你、賜福你！

聯絡信箱：
spiritword@gmail.com

 

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出於「國度復興報」351期: http://www.kingdomrevival.com.tw/no351


健康教會 必培育優秀神國工人

　【記者黃銘嫥台北報導】由中華基督教浸信會聯會與「香港教會更新運動」聯合舉辦的「自然教會發展導師訓練」，於三月十六至十七日在台北浸信會懷恩堂舉行，由「香港教會更新運動」總幹事胡志偉牧師主講。

　講員胡志偉牧師除了傳達「自然教會發展」的基本概念，也談到如何進行「健康教會診斷」問卷調查，及問卷後的跟進。胡牧師表示，「自然教會發展」是一套教會增長的思想範式（Paradigm），注重「質」，而非「量」；它不是一種保證教會增長的方法，也並非要取代神賜予每間教會獨特的異象。

　胡志偉牧師在接受本報訪問時表示，港澳地區的華人教會經評估後，普遍最弱的項目為「靈性」。胡牧師說，這是因為華人教會看重「人數」，牧養的重點放在「來參加聚會」，但更重要的是信徒的「屬靈生命」究竟如何、是否活出所信，這才是重點。

　胡牧師也說，不要陷入迷思，以為大的教會就是復興、健康，從他長期進行培訓事工來看，他發現在宣教工場上非常優秀的宣教士，常常是由小教會所培訓出來的。他呼籲教會要看重教會是否健康，而非人數，因為健康的教會，對神國有極大的貢獻。

　胡志偉在會中指出，「健康教會診斷」可避免教會投錯資源。他說，有的教會投注心力舉辦特會，使信徒疲於奔命，而未能建立信徒的屬靈生命，或是花錢提升教會軟硬體，卻無法確知信徒的靈命是否更新；有的是成功吸引人進入教會，但卻不能轉化他們成為門徒。胡牧師表示，透過準確的評估，可以校正教會的異象、目標與策略，確定重要事工的價值，並適切地運用教會資源。他說，港澳地區每年九至十一月是教會診斷的「旺季」，因教會想瞭解本身強項與弱項，以擬定隔年行事曆。

　胡牧師強調，不要認為教會的弱項，是牧者個人的問題，這是「全教會的事」，大家要一同面對改善。不過，對於那些內部已有紛爭的教會，他並不鼓勵進行診斷，以避免衍生更多問題。

　自然教會發展（Natural Church Development，簡稱NCD），原為德國教會研究學者施瓦茨（Christian A. Schwarz）在一九九四年至一九九六年，以全球上千間教會為研究對象，針對教會成長原理進行研究，歸納出增長教會必備的八種優良特質，分別為「使人得力的領導」、「嗯賜為本的事奉」、「充滿熱忱的靈性」、「發揮功能的結構」、「激勵人心的崇拜」、「整全發展的小組」、「需要為本的佈道」及「相親相愛的關係」。「健康教會診斷」乃依據這八種特質，作為八個向度進行趁斷與評估，「香港教會更新運動」是「國際自然教會發展」正式授權代理港澳教會診斷的單位。（351期／2009.3.22）


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「外貌讓別人認得你，內在讓別人記得你。」

「上帝為每個人都預備了一個家，如果你感覺沒有家，那只是你還沒發現而已。」

「即使祂不再垂聽我任何一個祈禱，我也要愛祂到永永遠遠。」