http://www.christianitytoday.com/le/2012/summer/transformedchristian.html?paging=off

Congratulations to my special friend who was baptized on 18/8 in Singapore.
This is really the most important decision in one’s life. Thank you heavenly father.

加拉太書 2:17-21 RCUV

“我們若求在基督裏稱義，自己卻還被視為罪人，那麼，基督是罪的用人嗎？絕對不是！ 如果我重新建造我所拆毀的，這就證明自己是違犯律法的人。 我因律法而向律法死了，使我可以向上帝活著。我已經與基督同釘十字架， 現在活著的不再是我，乃是基督在我裏面活著；並且我如今在肉身活著，是因信上帝的兒子而活；他是愛我，為我捨己。 我不廢掉上帝的恩；如果義是藉著律法而獲得，那麼基督就白白死了。”

發問：「同志基督徒」這詞彙對嗎？

http://blog.roodo.com/yml/archives/20051570.html

哥林多前6:9-11
“你們豈不知不義的人不能承受神的國嗎？不要自欺！無論是淫亂的、拜偶像的、姦淫的、作孌童的、親男色的、偷竊的、貪婪的、醉酒的、辱罵的、勒索的，都不能承受神的國。你們中間也有人從前是這樣；但如今你們奉主耶穌基督的名，並藉著我們神的靈，已經洗淨，成聖，稱義了。 “

“Here’s another way to put it: You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand. Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven” 

Matthew 5:14-16 (The Message)
http://www.youversion.com/bible/matt.5.16.msg#

“WITH EVERY HOOF I HAVE.”

If Satan cannot win an outright victory, he will attempt a compromise. As the showdown between Moses and Pharaoh was drawing to a close, Moses was offered two final compromises. “Go,” Pharaoh said, “and worship your God. But leave your women and children here with us.” Moses refused. “Then take them, too,” Pharaoh countered, “but leave your livestock.” Again Moses refused. “Not a hoof will be left behind,” he told Pharaoh. Deliverance was to be complete; not partial. Moses refused to compromise. When he left Egypt to worship God in the wilderness, Moses took every Israelite, man, woman and child, and every goat, cow and sheep that belonged to Israel. He wanted to worship God with every hoof he had! The only way you and I can truly worship God is with everything we have. Every possession. Every blessing. Every dream. Everything. Moses refused to offer God partial obedience and compromised worship. What would our lives be like if we did the same? Are you giving everything you have to God? Or are you only offering partial devotion, partial obedience, partial worship? What has your devotion to God cost you? David refused to furnish God’s temple with gifts that had cost him nothing. Moses refused to worship God with anything less than all he had. David knew, and Moses knew, that God asks for everything. C. S. Lewis said, “In love, He claims all. There is no bargaining with Him.” Are you succumbing to Satan’s temptation to love God with less than every hoof you have?

Little boy, 6 years old
A little too used to bein’ alone.
Another new mom and dad,another school,
Another house that’ll never be home.
When people ask him how he likes this place…
He looks up and says, with a smile upon his face,

“This is my temporary home
It’s not where I belong.
Windows and rooms that I’m passin’ through.
This is just a stop, on the way to where I’m going.
I’m not afraid because I know this is my
Temporary Home.”

Young mom on her own.
She needs a little help, got nowhere to go.
She’s lookin’ for a job, lookin’ for a way out,
Because a half-way house will never be a home.
At night she whispers to her baby girl,
“Someday we’ll find our place here in this world.”

“This is our temporary home.
It’s not where we belong.
Windows and rooms that we’re passin’ through.
This is just a stop, on the way to where we’re going.
I’m not afraid because I know this is our
Temporary Home.”

Old man, hospital bed,
The room is filled with people he loves.
And he whispers don’t cry for me,
I’ll see you all someday.
He looks up and says, “I can see God’s face.”

“This is my temporary Home
It’s not where I belong.
Windows and rooms that I’m passin’ through.
This was just a stop,on the way to where I’m going.
I’m not afraid because I know… this was
My temporary home.”

This is our temporary home.

Matthew 7:24-27
http://www.lifetime.org/2011/08/a-fairy-tale-come-true/

“It’s like the story about the three little pigs.” John paused and we paused. “If you build with straw or sticks, your work is going to be destroyed. If you build with bricks–stable materials–your work will stand.” 

It always surprises me how the Lord reveals insight into His written Word with such simple stories. John just added his “two cents” worth to the discussion and then we all were quiet because we were all pondering the metaphor he presented. 

We were talking about “how” to build on the foundation of Christ (I Corinthians 3:10-16). You’ll remember the choice we have according to that scripture: Wood, hay and straw, or gold, silver and precious stones. Jesus tells us about the wise man and the foolish man in the scripture above. In the children’s story it was the “wicked wolf” that came and in Jesus’ story it’s the wind, the rain and the floods. For us, it’s the world and how the insidious ruler of this world stomps and rants and raves and uses all his sadistic tactics and wisdom in his effort to destroy us. 

I wonder–has the wicked wolf been blowing on your house lately? Or have the rains and the floods come and your “house” has fallen? You thought you were so secure, but you didn’t know what was in your future. Believers all have the same “Foundation” through our salvation experience and that unshakable Foundation is Jesus Christ, but of what have we built our “house?” 

I remember during a women’s retreat I had all of the ladies close their eyes then hold up their right hand with their fists clenched. Then I instructed them: “When I count to five, I want you to indicate to me how you would rate your marriage with five fingers indicating that it’s great or your closed fist meaning we’ve got big problems.” About six months later I met one of the women who was sitting in the room that day. She told me this sad story: “I held up five fingers that day–I was very happy in my marriage. I didn’t have any idea that my husband was having an affair and it was shortly after that he told me he didn’t love me any longer and wanted out of our marriage.” She didn’t know that the “wolf” was blowing on their house and he blew it down. So what does she do now? It depends: is her “house” built with wood, hay, and straw, or with silver, gold, and precious stones–her flesh, her strength, her way–or His strength, His way? 

So what’s the intent of my little story? To remind you that there is only one sure Foundation–one Rock that can’t be blown away or destroyed by the world’s problems: That Foundation is Jesus Christ. He is our Rock. He is there when the wolf starts blowing on your house and He will hold you fast during the floods and the winds and the rain. He promises to do that in John 16:33: “I have told you these things that in Me you may have perfect peace and confidence. In the world you will have trials, tribulation, distress, and frustration, but be of good cheer–take courage, be confident, certain, undaunted–for I have overcome the world. I have deprived it of power to harm, I have conquered it for you.” 

And how do you “take advantage” of this promise? How do you know that He has conquered the world for you? By believing Him. By showing Him by your actions and words that you are not afraid of the big, bad wolf, or the wind, the rain, and the floods. You are trusting Him to face this tragedy for you. You are secure in His love for you and you are confident because of who you are in Him. Does that mean that you will “live happily ever after?” No. There will still be car wrecks, and cancer, and divorces, and broken hearts. It means that He is with you no matter what. He is holding your hand. He will hold you in His arms and protect you from the world. 

http://getmorestrength.org/daily/our-co-pilot/

I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. —Galatians 2:20

The bumper sticker “Jesus is my co-pilot” may be a well-intentioned sentiment, but it has always troubled me. Whenever I’m in the driver’s seat of my life, the destination is nowhere good. Jesus is not meant to be just a spiritual “co-pilot” giving directions every now and then. He is always meant to be in the driver’s seat. Period!

We often say that Jesus died for us, which of course is true. But there’s more to it than that. Because Jesus died on the cross, something inside of us died—the power of sin. It’s what Paul meant when he said, “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me” (Gal. 2:20). We were essentially co-crucified with Him. With Jesus in the driver’s seat, the old destinations are off-limits. No more turning down the streets of self-centeredness, greed, or lust. No more off-road ventures into the swamp of pride or the ditch of bitterness. We were crucified with Him and He is at the wheel now! He died so that He alone can drive and define us.

So, if you’ve died and Christ lives in you, He’s not your co-pilot. Your joy is to let Him drive and define your life. There may be a few bumps in the road, but you can count on it—He’ll take you somewhere good.

Lord, I thank You for salvation,
For Your mercy, full and free;
Take my all in consecration,
Glorify Yourself in me. —Codner

Still at the wheel of your life? It’s time to let Jesus drive.

“But these things I plan won’t happen right away. Slowly, steadily, surely, the time approaches when the vision will be fulfilled. If it seems slow, do not despair, for these things will surely come to pass. Just be patient! They will not be overdue a single day!” (Habakkuk 2:3 LB)

Even as you make a decision to follow the dream God places in your heart, you can expect a delay. God will not fulfill your dream immediately, because this is another step toward building your faith.

In Habakkuk 2, God says, “These things I plan won’t happen right away. Slowly, steadily, surely, the time approaches when the vision will be fulfilled” (Habakkuk 2:3 LB).

When delay comes to your dreams, you’ll most likely start asking the question, “When, Lord? When are you going to answer my prayer?”

And we hate to wait. We don’t like to wait in a doctor’s office, in traffic jams, at restaurants, for Christmas presents, or for anything else. But what we hate worst of all is waiting on God.

We all have to go through these waiting periods. Even Jesus waited for 30 years in the carpenter’s shop before setting out on his public ministry.

Why do we wait? It teaches us to trust in God. We learn that his timing is perfect. One of the facts we have to learn is this: God’s delay never destroys his purpose.

A delay is not a denial. Children must learn the difference between “no” and “not yet,” and so must we. Many times we think God is saying, “No,” but he is really saying, “Not yet.”

http://purposedriven.com/blogs/dailyhope/index.html?contentid=10524

Running In The Right Direction

http://getmorestrength.org/daily/running-in-the-right-direction/

” One of the most difficult experiences in my years as a pastor was telling a member of our church that her husband, her son, and her father-in-law had all drowned in a boating accident. I knew the news would shatter her life.

In the days following their tragic loss, I was amazed as she and her family responded with unusual faith. Sure, there was deep brokenness, haunting doubt, and confusion. But when nothing else made sense, they still had Jesus. Rather than deserting Him in the midst of their desperately difficult days, they ran to Him as the only source of hope and confidence.

This reminds me of the reaction of the disciples to Jesus. After some of them “went back and walked with Him no more” because He was hard to understand (John 6:66), Jesus turned to His inner circle, and asked, “Do you also want to go away?” (John 6:67). Peter got it right when he responded, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life” (John 6:68).

Whatever you face today, be encouraged by the words of Peter and by the example of a family who went through the fire with their faith intact. As long as you’re running in the right direction—to Jesus—you’ll find the grace and strength you will need.

Jesus is the One to run to
When our lives bring grief and pain;
He provides His strength and guidance
With a peace we can’t explain. —Sper

When all is lost, remember that you haven’t lost Jesus. Run to Him. “