虔誠的測試

雅各書 1:27 在父 神看來,純潔無玷污的虔誠,就是照顧患難中的孤兒寡婦,並且保守自己不被世俗所污染。

你的虔誠多好?

我們的世界有太多污染。

汽車、機車、工廠、煙、等等,我們的世界充滿污染,你回家的時候會發現你衣服有玷污,我們的家內也有一層灰塵,這就是因為我們世界的污染跟著我們,而且我們也貢獻這個污染,意思是因為我們住在這個世界,所以我們生命有這世界的污染。

有污染是不好的事情因為它很髒、很醜、不好看、不健康,但是最重要的是污染讓我們不虔誠。

如果我們不虔誠我們對家人、朋友、自己、還有上帝不好,如果我們不虔誠我們不瞭解怎麼愛別人跟神,我們怎麼保守自己不被世俗所污染?

我們在雅各書 1:26 找到答案,"如果有人自以為虔誠,卻不約束他的舌頭,反而自己欺騙自己,這人的虔誠是沒有用的。"

約束我們的舌頭會讓我們的虔誠有用的,這包括八卦、髒話、傷人的話、還有不尊重的話,我們的舌頭會決定我們有沒有保守自己不被世俗所污染。

並且純潔無玷污的虔誠有很使用的動作,就是照顧患難中的孤兒寡婦,我們相信這些有非常複雜需要的人會讓我們變髒了,他們比較貧窮,他們需要錢、擁抱跟愛,好像如果我們照顧他們我們自己會有更多污染,其實我們的想法是相反的,如果我們去找他們、照顧他們、那時候我們會發現這世界的污染沒辦法貼在我們身上。

純潔無玷污的虔誠很奇妙,我們都需要考虔誠的測試,我們有約束我們的舌頭沒?我們有照顧患難中的孤兒寡婦沒?我們的虔誠多好?

我們一起加油,把這世界所有的污染消除吧。

What's Your Story?

Your story sounds like mine.

Tell me again how you gave up everything to be here.

I want to here how foolish it sounds from another person's lips.

Tell me about your trials.

I want to know I'm not alone when I face mine.

Tell me of all the cultural barriers you had to cross.

I want to hear how you maneuvered them.

Share your story with me once more.

More than what you like to do or any hobbies and interests you have...

I want to hear your story.

And maybe you'd like to hear mine once more, too.

Filled with the Spirit

Joy.

When I believe the truth of the gospel and acknowledge I have been redeemed by the mercies of God, I am absolutely ecstatic.

Everything is good and right when the fire of the Spirit fills me.

I want more.

We can choose joy, letting our hormones follow suit, but no one can control the Spirit, who blows like the wind.

Come Spirit, come.

If you see videos of church people who get filled with the Spirit, you may be confused and clueless to what is going on. You probably won't understand why those people came to participate in the service. You may not think they will come back over and over, never having enough.

What is it like to be truly forgiven and totally free?

Holy Spirit, come. Light a fire inside of us.

How do new mission movements start in places with no understanding of the church or Christianity?

The Spirit of Christ moves upon people who get filled with power, love, and extreme, raw joy.

Being filled with the Spirit is inexpressible, but I'm always wanting another encounter. It's too few and far between. The first time I thought it was enough to just be filled once. Only later did I realize I am so desperate for continual re-fillings. I need more healing, more grace, more forgiveness, and more power.

I need to be filled with the Spirit over and over again.

Have you ever been so filled with the Spirit that strange languages start flowing out of your mouth; languages you never heard or uttered before?

One time someone was sharing prophetic revelations for people to receive healing. He described someone who had a burning sensation in their throat. Suddenly I realized that I had that burning sensation. I didn't know what to do. I was frozen with fear. He said that person should come up to receive healing. He was calling me to go up.

But... I didn't go.

I thought he made my throat burn somehow. I thought it was just my imagination. I thought too much.

I acted too little: frozen with fear.

Holy Spirit, forgive me for resisting your power.

What are we dwelling on? What are our minds filled with? What do we fear?

Perfect love casts out all fear. The Spirit is perfect love. He will cast out All fear.

Come Lord Jesus, come.

The majority of my life I wanted to change my situation. Sometimes it was an object I wanted or a circumstance or situation. There is a burning inside of us to desire, to want, and to change for the better. What I wanted the majority of my life was what this world can offer me. Some of those things came to me and some of them didn't. Some of them made me happy, but some of them disappointed. Some, I'm still waiting for, unsure if they will ever come, but all, I'm certain, will never be enough.

Have you ever tarried for the Spirit to come and fill you?

If you have, you know that sometimes nothing happens right away. Other times, we get filled without even asking, though. No one controls the Spirit. Just like the wind, He blows wherever He pleases and for some reason, we must tarry at times to be filled.

If you have ever experienced the power of the Spirit, you know it surpasses anything this world could ever offer. When you're baptized with fire from above, you forget about all those other desires you have. You don't care what you have or don't have. It doesn't matter how good or bad your life is. When you're in the Spirit, everything is right. There is a perfect peace. There is no fear. It surpasses everything else.

Spirit of truth, speak to us.

I feel sad for all the times I chose death instead of life. I have been deceived and deceived myself too many times. I promised myself pleasures and satisfaction, but I was left with regret and filthy stains.

I filled myself with endless knowledge and substances and ideas. I used people and I shrank back.

It's then, when it feels like we're closed in a little tank and there's no one there to help us that we feel we have to give in; give up. The doors are closing in on us and we already lost the war in our minds. It's that moment that can bring great victory. Saying yes to truth and standing firm in holiness in that time will bring a breakthrough and increased filling of the Spirit.

"But we are not those who shrink back and are destroyed, but those who have faith and are saved." Hebrews 10:39

I'm standing up today. I will not give up. I will not shrink back. I will not stop asking for more of the Spirit.

Jesus said ask and it will be given to you and how much more those of us who ask for the Holy Spirit.

Fill us, Spirit, more and more.

It will never be enough, and that's such a good thing, for we will never be left tired or bored or depleted. The Spirit is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

Come, Spirit, come.

I want more; more of You. Fill me up God.

你智慧來自哪裡?

馬太福音23章 1 那時,耶穌對群眾和他的門徒說: 2 “經學家和法利賽人坐在摩西的座位上, 3 所以凡他們吩咐你們的,你們都要遵守,但不可效法他們的行為,因為他們只會說而不去作。 4 他們把重擔捆起來,壓在人的肩頭上,但自己連一個指頭也不肯動。 5 他們所作的一切,都是要作給人看:他們把經文的匣子做大了,衣服的繸子做長了; 6 他們喜歡筵席上的首位、會堂裡的高位; 7 又喜歡人在市中心向他們問安,稱呼他們‘拉比’。 8 然而你們不要被人稱為‘拉比’,因為只有一位是你們的老師,你們都是弟兄。 9 不要稱呼地上的人為父,因為只有一位是你們的父,就是天父。 10 你們也不要被人稱為師傅,因為只有一位是你們的師傅,就是基督。 11 你們中間最大的,必作你們的僕人。 12 凡高抬自己的,必被降卑;凡自己謙卑的,必被升高。

在一輩子,我們都有很多老師跟輔導們,可能他們是你家人或許學校的老師,可能是幫你修理東西或者好朋友,我們都有很多老師。

耶穌說 '不要稱呼地上的人為父' 還有 ' 你們也不要被人稱為老師'。

為甚麼呢?

在耶穌的時刻經學家是非常尊重的,他們具有經文的智慧,不管是經文的翻譯或者傳統的做法,他們都知道而他們持續猶太人的宗教。

耶穌說,這些事情都是好的因為他們坐在摩西的座位上,很久之前, 猶太人被埃及當奴隸,摩西特別被神呼召的拯救他們然後他接受了神的誡命,在耶穌的時刻經學家繼續教一樣的誡命,這都是好的。

你覺得神的誡命難不難?非常難。

可能這些經學家好好教過他們的宗教可是他們自己連一個指頭也不肯動,意思是他們沒有慈愛,如果一個人做不到,他們沒有給他們恩典或者多個機會做得到,原因是因為他們也沒辦法做得到。

在外面, 這些宗教的領導很帥,他們經文的匣子很大,衣服的繸子很長,因為他們的地位很高,他們都坐在高位而別人都叫他們‘拉比’,拉比就是一個宗教的老師,大家都期待他們的生命會跟神的誡命一樣的,才不是這樣。

我們佩服很多人;名人,父母,運動員,成功的人,可能他們的才能不錯,可能他們很溫柔有很多慈愛,可能他們創作很特別影響你的故事,遊戲,或作品,他們講的不錯,穿的很帥,可是他們也有自己的矛盾,這就是他們說的跟做的的距離,我們尊重的人一定有很好的道德跟價值觀,但是他們真的會完全做得到嗎?當然不會。

為甚麼不要被人稱為老師?為甚麼不要稱呼地上的人為父?

因為只有一位是我們的父,就是天父,因為只有一位是我們的老師,就是基督。每一個人都不是完美的但是我們的天父是的。如果我們叫別人老師我們只聽者模糊的真理,如果我們做不到,他們會幫助我們呢?

我們現在所知道的有限可是神都知道,他的智慧是完全的。因為人也有錯誤所以我們應該去找智慧的起源,我們應該叫神老師因為每一個人所有的智慧都來自祂,只有祂值得所有的榮耀,稱頌,和名譽,而只有我們的天父會提升我們,幫我們站起來,領導我們走在對的走路。

阿們

The Pencil

It's amazing what can be done with a pencil.

With a simple instrument I can speak to the world.

With a piece of lead bound in wood that was once alive, I can release what is bound in my own heart, things even I do not know.

I don't know the history of the pencil or the changing of it or its importance in times past, but for me, the pencil was the beginning of dreaming.

At first we are always receiving; learning about others' dreams and ideas. We're inspired and enthralled yet nothing is uniquely ours. The world around us shapes us and our minds invariably so and yet we retain the urge to create something that is uniquely us.

Although it may turn out to be uninteresting or unseen or forgotten, we try still, not because we are ignorant of this reality, but despite it. We must try because there is a seed within us that is watered with every heroic story we hear and with every act of love we witness.

Then one day it grows beyond what we can contain in our hearts any longer and we're forced to produce, share, and unlock. And the key to open our own hearts and our own ideas and our own dreams is the pencil.

It records and reveals what we're always surprised even ourselves to see, and we'll wonder later who wrote such a piece or how that inspiration came about. All the while it is us ourselves who harnessed the seed for so many years that grew into something worth sharing; something beautiful.

The art of writing: holding the pencil properly; finding the right lead, and shape to fit your hand, and design to fit your eyes. And then there's the act of writing. This is what the pencil does. It can write poetry and story; draw pictures and doodle. It can spread hate or love; write a death threat or a love letter. It communicates through time and space. It records regrets and good memories. It can imprint the language and shape of our souls on paper.

You cannot merely listen to fully communicate. You must read. You must write. Explore the wonders of this ancient and overlooked instrument. Share your ideas in a most basic way. Use it to communicate to your friends and even strangers. Pick up a pencil; write something down; share the imprint of your soul.

It's in your hand.

Write. Draw. Dream.

Should I stay or should I go?

Do

Go

There is hope and adventure embedded into these words. It is a call to go out into the world to see it, experience it, love it, and win it for the gospel. But after you try to go and do, these simple commands filled with adventure and action get replaced by new ones.

Keep

Stay

These seemingly less appealing commands are perhaps more important, showing that the fight to persevere is harder than the initial calling to start. There is a nomadic desire in my heart to keep on the move and never stay in one place too long. This new call to keep doing the hard labor I've already been called to and to stay where I am conflicts with that desire. The conviction to stay, though, was confirmed by a quote from a desert father, Anthony, who said, "...in whatever place you live, do not easily leave it."

The blemishes within me that I always ran away from before are now confronting me head on with these new standards to persevere in location and work. If I am to persevere, any spirit of fear within me must be eradicated by the perfect love from the Father. After that, there will be a new calling birthed out of persevering in this area. I'm looking forward to receiving those new words as well as the encouragement from the Lord, "Well done, good and faithful servant."

Amen.

What were you made for?

The depth of the question, which first asked, brings an instant connection deep within the soul.

What was I made for?

That thing, whatever it is, will bring me complete satisfaction. It is the will of God for me.

What was I created for?

It's in doing that thing that I will live out my calling. It is what I will be or become to be natural at.

What was I put here to do?

How lost I would be without finding it. But how joyful will I be in knowing it.

What were you made for?

The answer is the thing that you can give your life to and never look back in doubt or regret.

What were you created for?

The sigh of relief from finding it and the endless hours you'll gladly spend on it.

What are you here to do?

Let's seek the one who can reveal it to us, the maker of even our souls.