叉住條腰

When I was golfing last week with 2 friends, there was a group of 3 behind us - 1 guy and 2 ladies. This guy was constantly 叉住條腰 and staring at us because he must have thought that we were playing too slow. So for the next few hours he was 叉住條腰 and staring at us. There is a rule in golf that as long as you keep up with the group in front, you are fine and the course marshal will not chase after you. We were keeping up the pace and we were really not that slow. This went on throughout the whole golf game.

"After Job had prayed for his friends,
the Lord made him prosperous again and gave him twice as much as he had before."   (Job 42:10)

How many of you noticed this Bible verse while reading through the suffering of Job?
Does it not sound like a wonderful deal?  An easy way to receive blessings from above? 
Is our Lord's reward system to his human creation too worldly? 
Is Albert's famous quotation of 市儈 in line with this Bible teaching?

"Do you truly love me more than these?"  (John 21:15)

Imagine Jesus asking you the very same question, what would your answer be?  Would it be different from 5 years ago?  20 years ago?

This answer has never been easy for me.  Before I truly accepted Christ, I think my answer was:
- to give up sleeping in on Sundays to attend church.
- to find time to study His words daily.
- to serve in church.
- to bring my children up according to Bible teachings.
- to ensure my spouse is baptized before marriage.

“在指望中要喜樂”  (羅12:12a)


指望:

1. 信就是所望之事的實底, 是未見之事的確據.  (希11:1)
2. 如今常存的, 有信, 有望, 有愛; 這三樣, 其中最大的是愛. (林前13:13)
3. 他(亞伯拉罕)在無可指望的時候, 因信仍有指望. (羅4:18)
4. 忍耐生老練, 老練生盼望, 盼望不至於羞恥. (羅5:4-5)
5. 也要堅守我們所承認的指望. (希10:23)

Creation of Adam Within the Sistine Chapel Ceiling

Michelangelo delicately expressed the marvellous unity of body and spirit in the figure of Adam in Creation of Adam (1508-12), a striking and incomparable vision of God's omnipotence and the godly potential of humans.

Many years ago, when I first set foot in the Sistine Chapel and saw this famous painting of Michelangelo, a Bible verse registered in my mind from Matthew 11:28:
 "Come to me ...."
 In the past two weeks, I came across two passages that seemed to relate very closely to this same message:
 - In order to get to the pain or hurt in life, you either take the pain to Jesus or take Jesus to your pain.  (How People Grow by Dr Henry Cloud & Dr John Townsend).
 - Personal Contact with Jesus changes everything. (My Utmost for His Highest daily devotion by Oswald Chambers).
 When our Lord and Creator reaches out to our worries and troubles with open arms, all that is required of us is to make contact to find the promised "rest".  Try it, it is fail proof.
 by Nonsense


Creation of Adam beautifully depicts the unity
between the body and soul. This painting
(ceiling 130 feet 6 inches x 43 feet 5 inches)
by Michelangelo is in the Sistine Chapel.

我必成就

正如約10:10, 羅12:12 (RHG 分享), 林前13:13, 約14:14 也排列在我喜歡的經文中.  主要原因是它的章節比較容易記憶, 對一把年紀而善忘的我, 印象深刻一點.  今天早上, 當我重溫約14:14 的時侯, 發覺上一節的經文非常相似, 卻亦有不同的地方.  願與各位分享....

約14:13 你 們 奉 我 的 名 、無 論 求 甚 麼 、我 必 成就, (叫 父 因 兒 子 得 榮 耀) 。
   

約14:14 你 們 若 奉 我 的 名 求 甚 麼 、 我 必 成 就 。

表面看來, 這兩段經文完全一樣, 分別只在"無論" 和"若".  當我們相信神的話語一點一畫都不可廢去的時侯, 這兩節似是重複卻是不同的經文, 莫非關建在乎:

1. 無論- 我祈求的內容, 若是能夠榮神益人, 衪必親自成就.
2. 若- 假若我們願意去祈求, 不是白白等侯, 衪必親自成就.

不知你的看法又如何? 你心中的禱告是否奉主而求? 你有沒有信心去求? 有沒有確信衪為你成就?

抹茶

Peter Chapman sermon on April 18

Peter and Paul
Acts 9: 1-19 and John 21:1-19
April 18, 2010

Could there be two more different personalities than St. Peter and St. Paul. It is worth considering who they were, along with James, the brother of Jesus, because these three men were central figures in the establishment and growth of the early church.

Psalm 25


Reading through Psalm 25 this week, I noticed the exact same Chinese phrase repeated four times in the short 22 verses of this chapter.  The different English translations of that phrase are "Shows" (vv4), "Instructs" (vv8), "Instruct" (vv12) and "Make known" (vv14).  As most of us remember from Alpha, God leads and guides through the 5C's (Circumstantial Signs, Commanding Striptures, Common Sense, Compelling Spirit and Communion of Saints). This chapter focuses not on HOW but on WHO God leads.  The Lord shows, instructs and make known His ways to: