Choices submitted by Jane

 

Life is all about choices. 

 

From the moment we wake up every morning, we choose when to jump out of bed, what to have for breakfast, when to leave the house, which route to drive, when to stop for the lights and so on ..... 

We  have a choice of words, to greet or to complain, to sympathize or to gossip, to dictate or to encourage.  A choice of attitude.... towards others, towards our Father in Heaven and towards the work of the Holy Spirit. 

 

Every time I read about the last supper, it never failed to impress upon me the choices that Judas made (to betray Jesus) compared to Jesus' (your Will be done and not mine).

 

Indeed, God gave us the freedom of choice, way back in days of creation of Adam and Eve.

 

However, take heart in the saying that:

 

"We are free to choose .....

        but NOT free to choose the consequences of our choices."

 

There are "natural" consequences, God intended consequences (discipline included), which all point towards God's Will in our life, with or without our recognition of it. 

 

How open am I to God's calling when I make decisions (important or trivial) in my daily life?

How submissive am I to the work of the Holy Spirit in everything that I do?

How accountable am I, especially on Judgement day? 

 

 

Jeremiah 29:11 

 

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

 

 May the Lord grant us wisdom to follow His Way in making the "right" decision at this crossroad of our church life.

 

 

"decisions/decisions"

並求別人喜悅以度此歲。

Quotable Quotes from Walter

讓我愛而不受感戴，
讓我事奉而不受賞賜；
讓我盡力而不被人記，
讓我受苦而不被人睹。


只知傾酒，不知飲酒；
只想擘餅，不想留餅。
倒出生命來使人得幸福，
捨棄安寧而使人得舒服。


不受體恤，不受眷顧，
不受推崇，不受安撫；


寧可淒涼，寧可孤苦，
寧可無告，寧可被負。


願意以血淚 作為冠冕的代價，
願意受虧損 來度旅客的生涯。


因為當你活在這裏時，
你也是如此過日子，
欣然忍受一切的損失
好使近你的人得安適。


我今不知前途究有多遠，
這條道路一去就不再復原；
所以，讓我學習你那樣的完全，
時常被人辜負心不生怨。


求你在這慘淡時期之內，
擦乾我一切暗中的眼淚；
學習知道你是我的安慰， 
並求別人喜悅以度此歲。

"心裡火熱" Romans 12:11

感謝主! 藉著各位弟兄姊妹昨天晚上 (羅12:11a) 的分享, 令我更深深的領受到"心裡火熱"的源頭和動力.  下面這些有關經文, 願與大家共勉.  謹望父神籍著衪的話語, 大大的呼召和教導我們, 完成衪愛子耶穌基督在世上的事工.  深信聖靈必在我們心裏作工, 指引我們怎樣去活出真理的見証.

jane

心 裡 火 熱

1. 使 徒 行 傳 Acts

18:25

這 人 已 經 在 主 的 道 上 受 了 教 訓 、 心 裡 火熱 、 將 耶 穌 的 事 、 詳 細 講 論 教 訓 人 ．

 怎樣能夠"心裡火熱"??   它從何而來?  它有何用途?  對你有什麼新的了解或影晌?

2. 路 加 福 音 Luke

24:32

他 們 (門徒) 彼 此 說 、 在 路 上 、 他 (主耶穌) 和 我 們 說 話 、 給 我 們 講 解 聖 經 的 時 候 、 我 們 的 心 豈 不 是 火 熱 的 麼 。

 門徒當年"心裡的火熱"又是從何而來?  你喝望嗎?  你有沒有經歷可以與我們分享?

3. 撒 迦 利 亞 Zechariah

1:14

與 我 說 話 的 天 使 對 我 說 、 你 要 宣 告 說 、 萬 軍 之 耶 和 華 如 此 說 、  我 為 耶 路 撒 冷 為 錫 安 、 心 裡 極 其 火熱 。

耶和華曾為 SMSL "心裡火熱"?  為何?  衪希望 (expect) 你心裡的火熱在那裏?

4.  撒 迦 利 亞 Zechariah

8:2

萬 軍 之 耶 和 華 如 此 說 、 我 為 錫 安 心 裡 極 其 火 熱 ．  我 為 他 火 熱 、 向 他 的 仇 敵 發 烈 怒 。

當耶和華為 SMSL 心裡火熱的時候, 我們會看到什麼異象? 當我們發現自己"心裡的火熱" 再不是基于 SMSL 的時侯, 應該採取任何的方法去求問神?  回應神?

Life little lessons - 11

In Western culture, marriage comes with dream and expectation.  We marry because we are attracted by the appealing qualities of our soul mate.  When honeymoon period is over and our expectation on one another failed, many choose separation or divorce and move on.   In the global village we live today, it is interesting to know that more than half of the marriages in the world are arranged marriage.  In arranged marriage, two persons are united together without much expectation except try to make the marriage works.  Judging from the marriage failure rates in Western culture, it appears that arranged marriages work better for the intended purpose of marriage. 

                       I don’t expect arrange marriage will gain favour in our society.  Before we discount the merit of arranged marriage, let consider the spirit of an arranged marriage.  In an arranged marriage, two unrelated individuals try to work out a meaningful relationship and to make it works.  They start with little expectation from one another.  They learn to accept and love one another over time.  There is no guarantee that the marriage is a happy marriage, they have no choice but to make it works.  Arranged marriages are not romantic, but many do succeed through perseverance and mutual respect. 

                       If we believe God has a role in marriage, Christian marriage can be considered as arranged marriage.  God put two persons together for a purpose.  It is not by chance or by choice.  Two people are called by God to build a God centred family.  A God centred family is built on God’s value.  The foundation of a marriage will be weakened if we allow family value being changed from God centred family to world centred family.  We need to rediscover the hidden treasure in a God ordained marriage.  God did not design a failed marriage.  A failed marriage is result of our unwillingness to let God to be the centre of our lives.

                       

                        Walter

Life little lessons - 10

How can we build a closer relationship with God?  Relationship with God seems to be more complicated than other relationships because we are dealing with God almighty and He is invisible.  We are still trying to know Him better and at times we don’t know exactly how to approach Him.  Building up a closer relationship with God is an on-going process and that process starts with:

Observing God – Observe what He did.  Ponder of His greatness.  God did amazing things in people lives.  Take note of what God did in your life.

Understanding God – Most of our problem is that we don’t really know God.  Knowing about God is not the same as knowing God.  Our understanding of God shapes the way we approach God.  Are we approach God as mighty king, as a father, or as a friend?  As we struggle to understand the relationship we have with God, we are also confront with the issue of Trinity. Our God is a triune God.  Bible discloses to us that out God is described as three persons but one God.  The feeling of God not close to us is our own problem and not His.  The fundamental truth is that God is love.  His character is love and He is always close to us.  God never abandons us.  It is our own doing to be the boss that we often cause us to drift away from God.

                        When we are struggling with our relationship with God, it is fruitful to examine how wrongful we are in our attempt to build a relationship with God.

a. It is important to ask ourselves what emotional trappings we have brought into our relationship with God.

b. We must ask ourselves what prejudices and insecurities we have brought into our relationship with God.

c. We must ask ourselves what indiscipline we brought into our relationship with God.

d. We must ask ourselves what wrong ideas about God we have brought into our relationship with God.

                        Appreciating God – Too often we take our relationship with God for granted.  We act like a spoiled child, with expectation that God will honour our requests on demand.  We will complain to God if we do not get what we want.  When we receive the same treatment from our demanding children, we soon learn to appreciate what God has done for us.  Appreciate God for His thoughtful intervention in our life, His non-conventional dealing with sinners like us, His sense of humour in guiding us through our life journey and His unconditional love for us is how we can cultivate a mature relationship with God.  

                        Walter