Living to Him

加2:19-20 我藉著律法，已經向律法死了，叫我可以向神活著。我已經與基督同釘十字架；現在活著的，不再是我，乃是基督在我裡面活著；並且我如今在肉身裡所活的生命，是我在神兒子的信裡，與祂聯結所活的，祂是愛我，為我捨了自己。 Gal 2:19-20 For I through law have died to law that I might live to God.I am crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live in faith, the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. 「所以，因著主的主宰，他容許保羅被猶太人逮捕，被羅馬人監禁，使他能寫完他最後的八封書信，以完成神聖的啟示，使召會對神新約的經綸，有更清楚、更深刻的看見。這遠比他為召會完成一些外面的工作更重要，更不可缺少」。 覺得今天讀的剛好是昨天晚上讀的信息的延續。我們奉獻給神後，神給我們不同的責任與任務。保羅當時被下在監裏了，外面好像什麼都不能做。但事實上，因著他是向神活著的人，即便他被下在監裏，他在監裏做的事就能服事神。我們有時也被下在監獄：可能我們的人生角色或工作很像是在監獄裏面。但只要我們是奉獻向神活著的人，即便是在監獄裏，也是服事神，對神有用。讚美主，我們所在的環境，就是最好服事神的機會！

Rom. 1:3-4 Concerning His Son, who came out of the seed of David according to the flesh, who was designated the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness out of the resurrection of the dead , Jesus Christ our Lord. When I read this verse, the phrase "the Spirit of holiness" caught my eye. As a son of men, Jesus is the seed of David; yet as a son of God, Jesus was designed in power according to the Spirit of holiness out of the resurrection of the dead .  It is not too difficult to relate "power" to the resurrection of the dead because indeed, in order for the dead to be resurrected, there needs to be a kind of power. However, I found it refreshing that the Spirit of holiness is related to power as well.  I kinda had this idea that holiness is a status, and of course, as a Christian, it is also a process in which God has been making us holy day by day with the infusion of His life and nature. But can you imagine that holiness also gives us this power o...

使徒行傳19：20   這樣，主的話便強有力的擴長，而且得勝。 Acts 19:20 Thus, the word of the Lord grew mightily and prevailed. 我們在信仰上也需要彼此幫補，幫助彼此更了解真理，因為真理讓我們得以自由。 亞波羅弟兄很有才幹，很有傳福音的恩賜。但他當時只知道「約翰的浸」，所以在他下面領受教導的聖徒，就只知道約翰的浸。後來百基拉與亞居拉夫婦聽到，就找亞波羅弟兄跟他家聚會，甚至亞波羅弟兄要旅行時，還安排當地聖徒們接待他。當亞波羅在哥林多召會時，就遇到保羅弟兄。保羅弟兄就進一步把「聖靈的浸」啟示給他們知道。亞波羅弟兄和其他們才受了聖靈的浸，有機會享受這「完整的救恩」，生命也有了改變。他們清理自己的舊生活，把邪惡的書燒掉等等。後來，神的話就有路擴增。

徒17:10-12 ｢弟兄們隨即在夜間打發保羅和西拉往庇哩亞去，二人到了，就進入猶太人的會堂。這裡的人比帖撒羅尼迦的人開明，他們熱切的領受這道，天天考查聖經，要曉得這些事是否這樣。所以他們中間多有信的，又有尊貴的希利尼婦女，男人也不少。」 Acts 17:10-12  "And the brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away during the night to Berea, who, when they arrived, went off into the synagogue of the Jews. Now these people were more noble than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so. Therefore many of them believed, and there were not a few Greek women of high standing and men."  覺得這些經節是很好的榜樣。當真理傳輸給我們時，也許我們剛開始不懂，但這些猶太會堂裡的人「...熱切的領受這道，天天考查聖經，要曉得這些事是否這樣。所以他們中間多有信的...」。願主也賜我們簡單的信，與對真理的渴慕。感謝主！

徒16:25-34 「保羅和西拉在監裡，正禱告唱詩讚美神的時候，忽然地大震動，監門立刻全開，眾囚犯的鎖煉也都鬆開了。禁卒醒來，看見監門開了，以為囚犯已經逃走，就拔刀想要自殺。保羅大聲呼叫說，不要傷害自己，我們都在這裡。禁卒叫人拿燈來，就衝進去，戰戰兢兢的俯伏在保羅、西拉面前；又領他們出來，說，先生們，我當怎樣行才可以得救？他們說，當信靠主耶穌，你和你一家都必得救。他們就把主的話，講給他同他全家的人聽。當夜，就在那時，禁卒把他們帶去，洗他們的傷，他和屬乎他的人，立即都受了浸。於是禁卒領他們上去，到他的家裡，給他們擺上飯，他和全家因為信了神，就都歡騰。」 我們在難處裡的禱告、唱詩、讚美神有極大的收穫。不是心理學上的得到安慰而已，而是「我們和眾囚犯的監門和鎖鏈都鬆開了！」並且「獄卒與他們的一家都得救了」。主日時唱到一首詩歌Once I was bound by sin’s galling fetters很有感覺。很多時候，我們外面是自由人，裡面卻是自己製造的囚犯。我們可能被罪惡的事、自己的軟弱，或憂傷的回憶與自憐綑綁。但神希望把我們從各樣的綑綁中拯救出來，使我們有自由的喜樂！並且使我們身邊一樣被綑綁的人都自由歡騰！ 主，謝謝祢來就是要使我們得自由，使我們從愁煩苦悶中得釋放！ 附上詩歌： (音樂) https://soundcloud.com/william-jeng/glorious-freedom-w-titus-michael?si=b4011ff3403a45fa9d6bdbed4a828f86&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing (歌詞) https://www.hymnal.net/en/hymn/h/310

徒16:25「約在半夜，保羅和西拉禱告唱詩讚美神，眾囚犯也側耳聽他們。」 Act 15:25 And about midnight Paul and Silas, while praying, sang hymns of praise to God; and the prisoners were listening to them. 被誣告而下在監裡、兩腳都被束縛的保羅和西拉，卻在半夜裡禱告、唱詩、讚美神！監裡的半夜一定讓人感到很絕望，但保羅和西拉好像忘記他們的難處很大，只記得比他們難處更大的神。在難處中，他們享受神，發出讚美的歌聲。眾囚犯也沒有說「很吵耶，趕快睡覺」，反而是側耳認真地聽。 信主跟不信主的人都會遇到誤會和絕望的監獄，但愛主的保羅和西拉把眼光從難處挪開，將目光定睛在主身上。他們這樣做，不但沒有攪擾眾囚犯，反而讓平安與喜樂的聲調充滿在絕望的環境裡。平常覺得很冤枉睡不著的囚犯們，也側耳聽。 讚美主，今天也讓我們定睛在主身上，發出喜樂跟讚美的聲調！😊

So, on this day last year, you travelled to Belgium to get yourself ready for the bridegroom. And one year later, you are still learning how to be a proper wife in God's economy.  Keep learning sis, keep your faith in Him. Even though things might not be always easy. Keep moving forward.  Happy 21st birthday! May the Lord enrich your life with Himself.  Finish your PhD, and be happy. Most important of all, just enjoy the process of whatever you do. 

I have been catching up with some reading this morning. Funny enough, I think this passage that I read from the morning revival concerning David's desire to build a temple for God might have answered some of my questions concerning marriage life.  The background concerning this reading is that I really don't know what to do with my husband. I take up the housework willingly and cook two meals a day for my husband. hundreds of meals have been cooked during our 1st year of marriage. However, my husband is still grumpy (!?) and it seems that whatever I do can offend him. He even asked me not to cook for him anymore (!?) so I've been feeling quite confused. (It is not related to my cooking skills though). I also read and listen to the biblical teaching concerning marriage and attend gatherings that teach me to be a proper wife in a marriage.  However, even though I have been applying these principles, my husband is still not happy. The following passages seem to indicate I shal...

使徒行傳15:8-9 知道人心的神，也為他們作了見證，賜聖靈給他們，正如給我們一樣；又藉著信潔淨了他們的心，並不分他們我們。 Acts 15:8-9 And God, the Knower of hearts, bore witness to them, giving them the Holy Spirit even as also to us; And He made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith. 主是知道人心的神。神注重的還不是外面的規條，祂更注重我們裡面的潔淨。覺得我們常常對主有「不信的惡心」，所以神潔淨我們心的方法，是藉著信。 主耶穌，今天也讓我們將眼光從難處轉到祢身上，讓祢信的成分更多傳輸到我們裡面，讓裡面的「不信」被驅除；使基督藉著「信」更多安家在我們裡面！

Hebrews 12:4-7 You have not yet resisted unto blood, struggling against sin, And you have completely forgotten the exhortation which reasons with you as with sons, “ My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor faint when reproved by Him ; For whom the Lord loves He disciplines , and He scourges every son whom He receives.” It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons . For what son is there whom the father does not discipline? In order for the Lord to work His divine characters into us, there is a need for us to be disciplined. This does not sound like a pleasant word for Christians in general, but for those who are experiencing the discipline of the Lord, it is a comfort because regardless, we are in the hand of the Lord!  We all want to be conformed to the image of His son. But seriously, this desire can only be accomplished when we submit to the environment that the Lord has given us, remain there, and learn to take the cross.  Whe...

Psalms 86:13  For Your lovingkindness is great toward me, / And You have delivered my soul from the lowest Sheol.   The Lord's loving kindness is abundant to us. In the midst of distress, we need to acknowledge a couple of things that enable us to go on in Him.  First , He is gracious to us and thus regardless of what kind of situation we are in, He is near and willing to uphold us. Even if our soul is down to the lowest Sheol where despair and lies dwell. There, we can find His promise for us - His presence, peace, and hope.  Second , after acknowledging His lovingkindness never fails, what else can we do? We continue to do what we have to do with a single heart fearing the Lord.  Psalms 86:11-12 Teach me, O Jehovah, Your way; / I will walk in Your truth. / Make my heart single in fearing Your name. I will praise You, O Lord my God, with all my heart; / And I will glorify Your name forever. What we need to do doesn't change. We cling to God to learn His way and...

Psalm 84:6-7  Passing through the valley of Baca, / They make it a spring; / Indeed the early rain covers it with blessings. They go from strength to strength; / Each appears before God in Zion. I think married life is indeed difficult. Sometimes things seem to get better for a while. I thought it was because I followed the Biblical principle. However, my husband is not one of the common kinds, and many times I am indeed very frustrated by his peculiarity.  With tears, I come to Thee, confessing that nothing that I can do to save my marriage as well as my PhD final stage. The pain in my heart dwells and got worse. I hide my tears before my husband but when he's away, tears fall down like streams of water. I found it difficult to make sense of what I can do now. To be honest, Lord, I want to give up my trying.  I tried to make the food my husband likes. I tried to speak well of him between us and before others. I tried to initiate intimacy with him. I tried to make the hou...

New Beginnings  The Lord has given us each day, each month, each season and each year as a new beginning. To me, our Creator God has provided all these "new beginnings" to give us a new reminder: We can hope because we are given new beginnings all the time.  Yesterday we visited the commune and to be honest, it was annoying to have to explain the documents in detail once again, and we have been doing a lot of the work in explanation to justify our documents requested by the government throughout the entire year. It was frustrating, and when I finally got home and had time to work on my thesis, the triggered emotions disabled me to do what I need to do. My mind was racing. I tried to take a break, and when I got back to work, my mind was racing again. To me, a pitiful human being, when something was not going so well, I felt the entire day was ruined. However, I forgot that my Lord is giving us so many new beginnings so we can always start afresh. Things that went wrong in the...