John 12:27 (NIV)
27 “Now my heart is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour.
On verse 27: Jesus was troubled by the prospect of dying, showing his real humanity (v27a). Yet rather than asking the Father to rescue him from having to die, Jesus reminds himself that that is why he came (v27b).
Taking a hint from Jesus, when I go through trouble or hardship, sometimes it helps to remind myself, “JB, it’s part of the calling. This is just part of living out the life God called you to live on this earth, so don’t cry and complain as if something strange were happening to you. This is what you were made for.” Let’s learn to boldly take on trouble Jesus’ way.
https://ocbf.ca/2019/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/21-0315.jpg300600meilinghttps://ocbf.ca/2019/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/greenlogo-1.pngmeiling2021-03-14 21:00:432021-03-14 17:34:24The Gift That Trouble Brings
今天我在「病弱殘疾者的詩歌」系列中要向大家介紹的這位聖詩作者，雖然出生於北歐之國 – 瑞典的一位女性，但她所寫的詩歌卻在十九世紀歐美各國先後興起的基督教復興運動中發揮了非常重要的作用。她本人也因此與同時代英國的夏洛特·埃利奧特（Charlotte Elliott）以及美國的芬妮.克羅斯比(Frances J. Crosby) 等著名聖詩作者一起，被列入教會史上傑出的女詩人行列。她就是莉娜·桑德爾（Lina Sandell 1832-1903 ）。下麵我就來講述她的生平，以及她的代表作「每一天所度過的每一刻」（Day By Day，and with each passing moment）（以下簡稱“每一天”）背後的故事。
儘管莉娜的一生體弱多病，但是蒙主的恩典和眷顧，她還是活到七十一歲高齡時才歸天家，比她的幾個弟兄姐妹都要長壽。在她生命的最後一年裏她所翻譯的一首詩歌是「我的耶穌，我愛禰，禰是我的」（My Jesus, I Love Thee, I Know Thou Art Mine”)。其中第三節是：「哦，沒有人，真的，沒有人像禰一樣地愛我；禰教我如何去愛，是的，以這樣的方式愛禰；沒有什麼能再把我們分開，無論是現在，還是一直到永遠。」
John 12:20-22 (NIV)
20 Now there were some Greeks among those who went up to worship at the Feast.
21 They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, with a request. “Sir,” they said, “we would like to see Jesus.”
22 Philip went to tell Andrew; Andrew and Philip in turn told Jesus.
On verses 20-22: Here we see not just Jews but Greeks wanting to see Jesus. It’s a reminder that Jesus didn’t just come to be the long-awaited Messiah the Jews were waiting for. Even more Jesus came to be the saviour that the entire world needs. Jesus himself showed this when he would talk about having “other sheep that are not of this pen” that he must bring in also (John 15:16). He would show this again and again when he reached out to a Samaritan woman in John 4, a Roman centurion in Luke 7, and a Canaanite woman in Matthew 15:22. After Jesus’ resurrection Jesus would commission his disciples to go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19). Praise God! No matter what your background, nationality or culture, Jesus is the saviour we need.
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John 12:12-16 (NIV)
12 The next day the great crowd that had come for the Feast heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem.
13 They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, “Hosanna!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Blessed is the King of Israel!”
14 Jesus found a young donkey and sat upon it, as it is written,
15 “Do not be afraid, O Daughter of Zion; see, your king is coming, seated on a donkey’s colt.”
16 At first his disciples did not understand all this. Only after Jesus was glorified did they realize that these things had been written about him and that they had done these things to him.
On verses 12-16: Here Jesus arrives in Jerusalem for the Feast of the Passover. His entrance is met with great fanfare from the massive crowd who were expecting him. Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem is eye-catching for a number of reasons. First, Jesus is riding on a donkey (v14). Second, the people were greeting him with palm branches (v13). Why a donkey and why palm branches? Let’s look at that now.
There are at least two reasons Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey.
https://ocbf.ca/2019/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/21-0312.jpg300600meilinghttps://ocbf.ca/2019/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/greenlogo-1.pngmeiling2021-03-11 22:00:162021-03-07 16:43:30Unstoppable Jesus
在印度有一句哲諺：“If you walk fast, walk alone ; If you walk far, walk together.”意謂一個人如果想走得快，只圖眼前近利，大可一個人獨來獨往或單打獨鬥；若想走得遠，走得穩，最好要有團隊（Team work）觀念，重視團隊精神，找一些志同道合的夥伴長期合作。如此，無論是個人事業或企業經營，皆能長久。 職場上也流行一句話：「二十歲到三十歲，靠專業、靠體力；三十歲到四十歲，靠朋友、靠關係；四十歲到五十歲，只能靠錢了。」這些都講到人與人之間的關係何等重要。
John 12:1-3 (NIV)
1 Six days before the Passover, Jesus arrived at Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead.
2 Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him.
3 Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.
On verses 1-3: At Bethany, a small village just outside of Jerusalem to the southeast, Jesus is at a dinner given in his honor less than a week before Passover. At the dinner, Lazarus reclines, Martha serves, and Mary worships. To me this is a good picture of the church. It’s a place where you can rest like Lazarus, serve like Martha and worship like Mary.
Also, notice what happens when Mary pours the perfume on Jesus’ feet and wipes his feet with her hair: the fragrance of the perfume fills the whole house.
https://ocbf.ca/2019/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/21-0311a.jpg300600meilinghttps://ocbf.ca/2019/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/greenlogo-1.pngmeiling2021-03-10 22:00:522021-03-07 16:39:02What opportunity do you have today that you won’t have tomorrow?
那是因為我認識的一位基督徒朋友看了我的文章後立刻給我打電話邀請我去教會；之後在他的建議下我完整地讀完了遠志明牧師的佈道十二講，接著便一個人決志禱告，願意接受主耶穌為我的救主。之後我又翻出家中多年前一位朋友送我的聖經，打開的正好的《馬太福音》第五章：耶穌登山向門徒論述天國的八福。當我讀到其中的第二福是「哀慟的人有福了，因為他們必得安慰」時（“哀慟”這個詞在英文版聖經是“Mourn”，牛津英漢雙解詞典的解釋是：“尤指因某人的亡故而引起的哀悼和悲傷”），我完全被震撼住了！…..而我心靈的創傷也從那時起得到了徹底的醫治。….