Saturday, February 27, 2010

~~The REAL pastor~~

Happened to read this realistic perspective on pastoring by Charles Jefferson. How true yet how difficult to do it:

"The shepherd's work is a humble work; such it has been from the beginning and such it must be to the end. A man must come down to do it. A shepherd cannot shine. He cannot cut a figure. His work must be done in obscurity. The things which he does do not make interesting copy. His work calls for continuous self-effacement. It is a form of service which eats up a man's life. It makes a man old before his time. Every good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. If a man is dependent on the applause of the crowd, he ought never enter the ministry. The finest things a minister does are done out of sight, and never get reported. They are known to himself and one or two others, and to God. His joy is not that his success is being talked about on earth, but that his name is written in heaven. The shepherd in the East has no crowd to admire him. He lived alone with the sheep and the stars. His satisfactions were from within. The messengers of Christ must not expect bands of music to attend them on their way. Theirs is a humble, unpretentious, and often time unnoticed labor, but if it builds souls in righteousness it is more lasting than a stars. "

An anonymous writer vividly captured the essence of pastoral stewardship before the Lord with the following exhortation to do God's work God's way according to God's Word:

'Stick with your work. Do not flinch because the lion roars; do not stop to stone the devil's dogs; do not fool away your time chasing the devil's rabbits. Do your work. Let liars lie, let sectarians quarrel, let critics malign, let enemies accuse, let the devil do his worst; but see to it nothing hinders you from fulfilling with joy the work God has given you."

Keep at your work. Let your aim be as steady as a star. You may be assaulted, wronged, insulted, slandered, wounded and rejected, misunderstood, or assigned impure motives; you may be abused by foes, forsaken by friends, and despised and rejected of men. But see to it with steadfast determination, with unfaltering zeal, that you pursue the great purpose of your life and object of your being until at last you can say," I have finished the work which Thou gavest me to do."

My little whispering to Abba Father:

Father, though it is extremely difficult to renounce my worldly view of pride and fame, I pray that You continue carve in me a shepherd heart, a shepherd mind and a sherpherd soul according to Your will in Your time. Help me not only be a listener but a doer of Your Word. (Luke 1:37 For nothing is impossible with God.) I pray that You continue keep the fires of religious life burning brightly in my heart and in the inmost core of my being. May I continue draw enlargement of heart, elevation of Spirt and adoring delight in You - the Maker and Savior. I believe strongly believe every soul seeking God honestly and earnestly find Him, and, in finding Him, finds the way to Him. Amen!

Monday, February 22, 2010

~~全然为你~~

你是否有尝试过或正处于梦幻破灭,进退两难,人生低潮,连呼吸也会让你想要哭泣,欲罢不能的状况?愿这小小则的散文在圣灵的陶冶及上帝话语的洁净下发挥舒缓及疗伤的作用。这心意是奉靠耶稣基督得胜的名所求。

原以为上帝终于听见我多年苦苦的祷告在祂美好的安排及圣灵的撮合下,我们相遇了。

* 原以为有着共同的嗜好是默契,却万万没想到这也包括了争吵。。。
* 原以为大家的差异有着互补的作用,没想到那是个无法弥补的缺。。。
* 原以为情侣之间应该坦诚相待,原来接受需要更大的勇气。。。
* 原以为争吵斗嘴是情趣,原来言语的伤害早已扩越了底线。。。
* 原以为他处事稳重,没想到感情线上他一窍不通。。。
* 原以为冷战是不甘示弱的过渡期,没想到也是感情冷冻的开始。。。
* 原以为他就是梦寐以求可以共同厮守的另一半,原来是单程恋爱。。。
* 原以为他会爱我一生一世,他却移情别恋了。。。
* 原以为他会一直守护照顾我至到年华老去,他却在还没正式行道别礼就与世长辞了。。。
* 原以为他强壮如牛,索命的病魔却偏偏缠上他。。。

面对如此无奈的局面,有谁会舍得放手?放手的杀那,有谁又能够强忍着泪水?
肉眼上看来是如此美好,充满瞳景的美事不是每个人都能如愿以偿。人生无常,伤心事十之八九,分别在于你是从自己或是上帝的角度来看事物。我们对上帝的信任及信心又有多大?我们是否选择怨天尤人又或者是坦然面对?我们能否凡事感恩谢主?

哥林多后书 2 Corinthians 5:7
因我们行事为人,是凭着信心,不是凭着眼见。
For we walk by faith, not by sight

虽然表面上看来美好的事就像琳琅满目,包装华丽,颜色诱人,
看了叫了垂涎欲滴的甜食。。。(魔鬼的试探不也是如此?)
是孩子们梦寐以求,渴望拥有越多越好的诱惑品。。。
只有天父晓得吃多了会坏肚子,会蛀牙,会对身体不好。。。
所以哪怕你哭着哀求,哪怕你会怨恨天父,祂也会把“它”从你手中夺走
从而把更好的献给你。 祂知道,祂也晓得什么是最好的礼物。祂这样做也
是全然为你。。。阿门!
路加福音Luke

11:11
你们中间作父亲的,谁有儿子求饼,反给他石头呢?求鱼,反拿蛇当鱼给他呢?
If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent?

11:12
求鸡蛋,反给他蝎子呢?
Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?

11:13
你们虽然不好,尚且知道拿好东西给儿女。何况天父,岂不更将圣灵给求他的人吗?
If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?

Saturday, February 20, 2010

~~信心的路~~

能否自由地在辽阔的天空中漫游往往在于你是否有展翅的勇气。。。
要到达终点,今天就要起程。。。
“马太福音14:27-31 “耶穌連忙對他們說 、你們放心 .
是我 、不要怕 。。。耶穌趕緊伸手拉住他 、說 、
你這小信的人哪 、為甚麼疑惑呢 。”
“以賽亚书40:29-31
疲乏的、他賜能力 .軟弱的、 他加力量 .
就是少年人也要疲乏困倦 、強壯的也必全然跌倒 .
但那等候耶和華的、必從新得力 、他們必如鷹展翅上騰 、
他們奔跑卻不困倦 、行走卻不疲乏。”

套用一行我曾经听过却忘了歌名的歌曲。
“想到达明天,今天就要起程。。。”可不是吗?如果今天不深呼吸,鼓起勇气,挺起胸膛踏出那第一步,一切依然照旧,生命不会因你的懦弱而有所更改和突破。每当困难重重,思绪复杂,前途茫茫,信心渺小,自卑懦弱的时候,我都会不断地提醒自己神是信实刚强永不食言的上帝。祂从新约到旧约一而再,再而三地应许会与我们同在(創世记21:22;48:21;出埃及记 3:21;撒母耳记上10:7;历代志上 28:20;历代志下13:12;诗篇 46:7;46:11;以賽亚书8:10;45:14;西番雅书3:17;马太福音19:26;马可福音10:27;启示录21:3)。
很高兴能够跟大家分享一首激励我心,坚强我灵,感动我思绪的一首歌 =)懂我者是耶稣基督也。祂知道每每我在赶报告,忙考试时都会压力及变得懦弱无比。哪怕是简单,没想像中难的事都会顿然变得如此的艰辛,如此的难行。感觉就像处在高山深海中,迷失方向,惊慌失措。很难想象平时信心满满的我也会如此不堪一击吧?人性难逃啊!我也是凡人一个,很平凡的那种 ^.^ 哪怕前方看起来好像毫无去路,毫无方向并且困难汹涌而至,唯一让我站得住脚的是永久不变的事实- 耶稣爱我,很爱很爱我。因为主,我有信心去走这条信心的路。愿神的话语,圣灵的感动及同工的勉励一直与大家同在直到永远。阿门。

哥林多后书 2 Corinthians 5:6-9
5:6
所以我們時常坦然無懼、並且曉得我們住在身內便與主相離。
Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord:
So, then, we are ever without fear, and though conscious that while we are in the body we are away from the Lord,
5:7
因我們行事為人、是憑著信心、不是憑著眼見。
(For we walk by faith, not by sight:)
(For we are walking by faith, not by seeing,)
5:8
我們坦然無懼、是更願意離開身體與主同住。
We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.
We are without fear, desiring to be free from the body, and to be with the Lord.
5:9
所以無論是住在身內、離開身外、我們立了志向、要得主的喜悅。
Therefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him.
For this reason we make it our purpose, in the body or away from it, to be well-pleasing to him.
凡事都能做
专辑:深触我心
歌手:赞美之泉
信是未曾看见 依然仰望十架
信是完全交托 深知主已掌权
我靠着那加给我力量的 凡事都能做
或风浪或低谷 主平安在我心
我靠着那加给我力量的 凡事都能做
行在主的旨意 我凡事都能做