Living to Him

A Monday in Kenya. Upon preparing my viva for Wednesday, the Lord uses a sweet way to encourage me to love Him deeply.  Humanly, this is a strange feeling. I've worked so very hard for many years (in many ways, not just academically) and finally have come to the final stage of my PhD. I am preparing to defend them, yet feel a bit not sure what else needs to be prepared. I have revised some potential viva questions, and I have read through the thesis once after submission. And now, I seem to just need to enjoy Christ to fill me with all the reality.  1) Being brought back to Christ and not be distracted by many things  When we visited the church in Nairobi, they were on this morning revival concerning "labouring on Christ as the good land". As I was listening to their sharing, I realised so many things can distract me from Christ. When the children of Israel entered into the good land, their manna ceased and they had to labour on the goodland. However, we later came across...

 "for this matter is of Me" (1 Kings 12:24, RCV)  My child, I have a message for you today; let me whisper it in your ear, that it may gild with glory any storm clouds which may arise, and smooth the rough places upon which you may have to tread. It is short, only five words, but let them sink into your inmost soul; use them as a pillow upon which to rest your weary head. This thing is from Me. Have you ever thought of it, that all that concerns you concerns Me too? For, “he that toucheth you, toucheth the apple of mine eye” (Zech. 2:8). You are very precious in My sight. (Isa. 43:4) Therefore, it is My special delight to educate you. I would have you learn when temptations assail you, and the “enemy comes in like a flood,” that this thing is from Me, that your weakness needs My might, and your safety lies in letting Me fight for you. Are you in difficult circumstances, surrounded by people who do not understand you, who never consult your taste, who put you in the background...

I was enjoying some hymns and this one "virgins we must be wise and pure" stood out to me.  In stanza two:  Not only my lamp, Lord, but my vessel too, Redeeming the time to be filled up with You. I’m going forth to meet You, my Bridegroom so dear. I know then at midnight You’ll soon, Lord, appear. (Chorus) Lord, I love You above all, Watching hourly lest I fall. We would buy the oil today. Lord, prepare us, oh, get us ready! I think one thing I realised more and more in the marriage is that, no matter what you do and try to improve, your spouse has a way to disappoint you. Even when you adjust your expectations again and again, this still happens. This evening I got really exhausted and disappointed again. I didn't want to feel like a victim or being trapped in my feeling so I came forward to Him. I hid my face in my palms to pray. Pray to Him concerning all discouragement and bitterness to Him. When I felt released, I went to cook a proper meal for myself and at the...

So prior to getting sick, I was bothered by some comments that my supervisors gave me. I was quite disappointed, and yet on that evening, a truth conference was taken place right away. I had to be serving at the reception desk. Fast forward, I finally finished all sorts of services and the conference ended. The messages were lovely - it's all about loving God and loving one another. I feel it's a practical way for the church to go on. It also applies to my personal married life, and I'm glad my husband who's been so busy could be refreshed by the messages again as well.  Despite all these, I do remember that during the conferences, the comments of supervisors bothered me a lot. I didn't know what to do. All my thinking was "should I delay my thesis submission or not?", and at the same time, I felt a sense of disorientation. I didn't know where to seek the Lord's feelings. On the one hand, my faith seemed to say to me "trust the Lord, you can m...

Rm 5 :11  And not only so, but also boasting in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation. The season for election is near in Taiwan. I've been following up on the news concerning some candidates. Recently, there are scandals about a candidate in Hsinchu exploiting money from the public. Of course, I am like many others who feel upset about the unrighteous deeds that she had done and tried to get away from these via lies.  However, this morning when I read the verse in Romans 5:11, I realised that I am also not qualified to judge people. In judging these people, I'm putting myself in a position where I am morally higher or better than this candidate in Hsinchu. This is to exalt me and I am not willing to do this. If there is anything that I should boast about, I boast in God through the Lord Jesus Christ. Through this wonderful One, I have reconciled to God. Through this wonderful One, I have received a divine life that can live a...

Col. 1:18 And He is the Head of the Body, the church; He is the beginning , the Firstborn from the dead, that He Himself might have the first place in all things .  In my Christian walk, I realised and acknowledged the Lord is the beginning of many decisions and things that I encounter. Let it be the decision to believe in Him, to go to the UK, to start the PhD, and to marry my husband.  However, despite such acknowledgement, it still happens to me a lot - I do not necessarily take the Lord as the first place in all things. Dear Lord, I repent. I confess that I do not take you as the first place in all things. When many things come to me, I still exercise my own capability and understanding to respond to these things and forget that "Jesus is Lord".  Jesus is Lord, He is the Lord over all things, and He has the first place in all things. May I also be the positive factor to let You be the first place in all things! 

Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus, a called apostle, separated unto the gospel of God. (Rom 1:1) Brothers, I do not account of myself to have laid hold; but one thing I do: Forgetting the things which are behind and stretching forward to the things which are before, I pursue toward the goal for the prize to which God in Christ Jesus has called me upward. (Phil. 3:13-14 ) ---- I had a couple of nightmares in the past two weeks. This is not normal, and I guess the reason is probably that my enjoyment of the Lord has been distracted by a lot of things I'm handling with. At the same time, I didn't work as productive as I would like to in the past two weeks. Therefore, I was kinda in a panic state subconsciously. I repented to the Lord, and ask for more enjoyment of Him.  I am a vessel just to be filled with the Lord Therefore this morning, I re-picked up an old reading schedule that was temporarily postponed due to one sister delivering a newborn and another in an intensive work projec...

 Something I enjoy from the morning revival reading today is the following.  "On the day of His wedding, Christ will marry the one who has been fighting the battle against God’s enemy for years. This means that Christ will marry the overcomers, who have already overcome the evil one, the devil (Rev. 12:11)."  How beautiful the story is! I appreciate that the overcomers who fight against God's enemy for years must be out of their loving hearts for Christ (instead of following religious concepts). Over the years, they resisted any temptations and distractions, just to follow Him absolutely.  It is not because these lovers of Christ have nothing else to do so they initiated wars with the enemy. The reason they have to fight constantly is that they've made this loving choice to follow Christ. This loving decision caused the enemy to arise in various situations against these lovers of Christ. In order to stand firmly on Christ's side, these lovers of Christ need to fig...

1 Sam. 25:28 Please forgive the transgression of your female servant, for Jehovah will no doubt make a sure house for my lord, because my lord fights the battles of Jehovah; and no evil will be found in you throughout your days. This verse came from Abigail. During the time she spoke this, she was the wife of Nabal. Nabal didn't know the way he insulted King David would bring danger to him and his family. However, when Abigail heard the report from her servant, she realised that the danger was coming, and she had to do something.  Several things about Abigail shed some light concerning how to be a wife.  Didn't she know her husband is cruel with a terrible temper? She definitely did. However, she didn't ask to leave her husband. Instead, she was being such a great helper to save the family of Nabal. She didn't waste her time complaining about what kind of husband she had and felt pitiful. She simply acted according to her wisdom.  I think this is really what we need tod...

 「把約瑟下在監裡....但耶和華與約瑟同在....耶和華使他所作的盡都順利」。（聖經創世紀卅九章20、23節） 如果神應許我們因為事奉祂的緣故被下在監裡的話，祂必與我們同在；這樣，監獄反成了世上最幸福的地方。約瑟知道這個。所以他在監獄裡並不憤懣，並不沮喪，也並不反叛。如果他有一點點不甘心的表示，司獄也決不會這樣信任他了。約瑟連自憐的心也沒有一點。 讓我們記住：什麼時候我們容讓自憐的心進來，什麼時候我們就完了。約瑟把所有的事情歡歡喜喜地交託神，所以司獄把所有的事情交託約瑟。主耶穌啊，當我被囚在監裡的時候，求你叫我能信靠、能喜樂。求你藉著我在監獄裡完成你的工作。──選 我已經學會了喜愛黑暗；因為處境越黑暗，主的臉越光明。──蓋恩夫人（MadameGuyon） (Source-http://ce.fhl.net/desert/october/01012.htm)  It's been REALLY annoying to deal with the local commune. These days I've been thinking about strategies to respond to the commune. I even spent money and time to get another seemingly irrelevant document legalised just to give some more evidence.  However, I realised more and more that whatever situation we are in is one matter, and whether in that situation we can experience the presence of God is another. May I be happy wherever He is; and I know wherever I am, as long as I open to His very dispensing, He is surely sufficient to meet our every need.  I love You and I rest in You, Lord!...

「把約瑟下在監裡....但耶和華與約瑟同在....耶和華使他所作的盡都順利」。（聖經創世紀卅九章20、23節） 如果神應許我們因為事奉祂的緣故被下在監裡的話，祂必與我們同在；這樣，監獄反成了世上最幸福的地方。約瑟知道這個。所以他在監獄裡並不憤懣，並不沮喪，也並不反叛。如果他有一點點不甘心的表示，司獄也決不會這樣信任他了。約瑟連自憐的心也沒有一點。 讓我們記住：什麼時候我們容讓自憐的心進來，什麼時候我們就完了。約瑟把所有的事情歡歡喜喜地交託神，所以司獄把所有的事情交託約瑟。主耶穌啊，當我被囚在監裡的時候，求你叫我能信靠、能喜樂。求你藉著我在監獄裡完成你的工作。──選 我已經學會了喜愛黑暗；因為處境越黑暗，主的臉越光明。──蓋恩夫人（MadameGuyon） (Source-http://ce.fhl.net/desert/october/01012.htm) 

Matt. 13: 23 But the one sown on the good earth, this is he who hears the word and understands, who by all means bears fruit… These past two days, I notice that I've been quite wrapped up in my own thoughts. Yet this morning when I pray-read the verse, I feel the need to set my eyes on the things above. I want to be the one who hears the word and understands. Many times we thought we understood, yet in reality, we are veiled by many things so that the Word of God doesn't seem applicable to our situation. However, this indeed shows us that "we do NOT understand". I pray that the Lord take all veils away, so I can not only hear His Word, but also have this understanding so that I can cooperate with Him for Him to grow Himself into me.  Who by all means bears fruit.... This is what I need as well. More and more I realised that bearing fruit is not what we normally think (e.g., preaching the gospel and gaining new believers). Of course, preaching the gospel for the Lord ...

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...