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To Save and Sustain

2026-01-21 in /by

I believe we make the mistake the Welsh woman made. She lived many years ago in a remote valley and felt it worth the cost to have electricity installed in her home. Several weeks after the installation, the power company noticed she’d barely used any electricity. A meter reader went to see her. “Is there a problem?” he asked. “Oh no, we’re quite satisfied. Every night we turn on the electric lights to see how to light our lamps.”

We’re prone to do likewise. Depend on God’s Spirit to save us but not sustain us. We turn to him to get us started and then continue in our own strength. It is possible to have the Spirit, but not let the Spirit have us. Scripture urges us “keep in step with the Spirit.” Plug in to his power, and leave the switch turned on.

God’s Power in Us

2026-01-20 in /by

We look at other believers and ask, “Why is her life so fruitful and mine so barren? Why is his life so powerful and mine so weak? Aren’t we saved by the same Christ?”

The answer may be found in the first chapter of the book of Acts where Jesus told Peter and the other followers, “Wait here to receive the promise from the Father. John baptized people with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 1:4-5 NCV).

During Jesus’ earthly ministry Jesus lived near the disciples. The Holy Spirit, however, would live in the disciples. Jesus taught; the Spirit teaches through us. Jesus comforted; the Spirit comforts through us. The Holy Spirit is a year-round resident in the hearts of God’s children. As God’s story becomes our story, his power becomes our power.

人生不重來，選擇要正確

2026-01-20 in , /by

帖撒羅尼迦前書5:16-18   要常常喜樂， 不住地禱告， 凡事謝恩，因為這是神在基督耶穌裡向你們所定的旨意。

人生不重來，因此我們要學習做正確的選擇。自從患上巴金森病以來， 我每天都要面對一些問題，例如：因僵硬而無法轉動的頸背，因肌肉僵痺而引起的無法咀嚼、無法吞嚥的困難，以及口水不斷流出來的難堪。最令我感到受挫折的，則是因口吃而無法與人溝通的痛苦。

每天早上醒來，我都要做選擇：我要如何面對今天? 若是任由情緒支配，那我肯定會有一個非常憂鬱，非常不快樂的一天。

因此每天早上我都要強迫自己做一個正確的選擇，並且祈求聖靈來做我這天的主人。當我讓聖靈做主時，祂就會引導我的情緒、感覺及思想。但是我明白，在肉體與聖靈奮戰之際，我先要克服許多的障礙。

Not the Final Chapter

2026-01-19 in /by

Death is not the final chapter in your story. John 11:25-26 assure us that in death we will step into the arms of the One who declared, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die” (NIV).

Winston Churchill believed this. The prime minister planned his own funeral. Two buglers were positioned in the dome of St. Paul’s Cathedral. At the conclusion of the service, the first played Taps, the signal of a day completed; the second played Reveille, the song of a day begun. Death is no pit but a passageway, a corner turn. Isaiah wrote, “Your dead will live…All you dead and buried, wake up! Sing!…The earth is bursting with life, giving birth to the dead” (Isaiah 26:19 MSG).

So play on, bugler, play on!

幸福的理由

2026-01-19 in , /by

詩篇 90:15    求祢照著祢使我們受苦的日子，和我們遭難的年歲，叫我們喜樂。

傳道書 5:20  他不多思念自己一生的年日，因為神應他的心使他喜樂。

農場有一隻小驢每天早上出門，朋友們和牠打招呼時，牠總是輕快地回答：

「早啊！我很快樂。」日子久了大家都很納悶，為什麼小驢總是那麼快樂，於是大家過來問小驢：「為什麼你總是那麼快樂？」

小驢說：「因為我很幸福。」

公雞說：「為什麼你那麼幸福？」

小驢回答：「為何不？」

母雞搶著回答：「農場裡大家都有工作，母雞要生蛋，牛要耕田，連最輕鬆的公雞都要天天報時，工作是那麼辛苦，當然不幸福啊！」

公雞問：「那你為什麼那麼幸福？」

小驢搖晃著大耳朵回答站在牠背部厚繭上的公雞：「呃！我也不曉得。」

一天早上，公雞哀怨地喔啼，牛才很不情願地走向麥田，母雞脹紅著臉生第一顆蛋，沒有人看見小驢，而小驢呢？小驢載著主耶穌進入耶路撒冷。

Covered in Christ

2026-01-19 in /by

The Apostle Paul says, “For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ” (Galatians 3:27 NIV). When you make God’s story yours, he covers you in Christ. You wear him like a vest. Old labels no longer apply. How about these new labels: Royal priest. Free from condemnation. Secure. God’s coworker. God’s temple. God’s workmanship. Now you’re dressed in a new wardrobe.

Psalm 103:12 reminds us not to mess with the old clothes any longer. “As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us” (NIV). When God sends your sins to the east and you to the west, you can be sure of this: he sees his Son and not your sin. In fact, Isaiah 43:25 says he “remembers your sins no more.” How do you like that outfit?

祢用油膏了我的頭

2026-01-18 in , /by

詩篇23:5在我敵人面前，祢為我擺設筵席，祢用油膏了我的頭，使我的福杯滿溢。

牧羊人為羊塗抹膏油並非是一種儀式或裝飾，而是因為羊很脆弱，容易受傷，無法保護自己免受未知傷害。塗油是一種關愛，是個人行為，是保護，也是牧羊人每日的例行公事。

在古代，牧羊人會將橄欖油與草藥和香料混合，輕輕塗抹在羊的頭部、鼻子、耳朵，有時甚至全身。這種油用途廣泛：它可以治癒被岩石劃傷的傷口；可以舒緩因炎熱乾燥而受到刺激的皮膚；最重要的是，它可以保護羊免受寄生蟲和昆蟲的侵害。蒼蠅或蚊蟲會在羊的鼻子或耳朵裡產卵，導致感染、痛苦，甚至死亡。油形成了一道屏障，讓曾經帶來刺激和危險的因素再也無法侵入。

羊不會自己塗抹油，它們不會因為表現良好而獲得這種待遇，也不會因為絕對服從而請求這種待遇。牧羊人察覺到羊群的需要，並以關懷回應。油並非獎賞，而是供應。

這幅畫面意義深遠，因為聖經常常將上帝比喻為我們的牧者，將我們比喻為祂的羊。大衛寫道：“你用油膏了我的頭”，他並非在吟詩作賦，而是在描述牧羊人對我們生命中脆弱之處的悉心關懷。油象徵醫治、保護和同在。

說服一個人最好的辦法

2026-01-16 in , /by

〈箴言〉 17:17 朋友乃時常親愛．弟兄為患難而生。
〈箴言〉19:6    好施散的、有多人求他的恩情．愛送禮的、人都為他的朋友。

一個牧場主養了許多羊。他的鄰居是個獵戶，院子養了一群兇猛的獵狗。這些獵狗經常跳過柵欄，襲擊牧場裡的羊羔。牧場主幾次請獵戶把狗關好，但獵戶不以為然，口頭上答應，可沒過幾天，他家的獵狗又跳進牧場橫衝直闖，咬傷了好幾隻小羊。忍無可忍的牧場主找鎮上的法官評理。

聽了他的控訴，明理的法官說：” 我可以處罰那個獵戶，也可以發布法令讓他把狗鎖起來。但這樣一來你就失去了一個朋友，多了一個敵人。你是願意和敵人作鄰居呢？還是和朋友作鄰居？ ”

” 當然是和朋友作鄰居。 ” 牧場主說。

” 那好，我給你出個主意，按我說的去做。不但可以保證你的羊群不再受騷擾，還會為你贏得一個友好的鄰居。 “

麵包店老闆的控訴

2026-01-15 in , /by

路加福音6:31  你們願意人怎樣待你們，你們也要怎樣待人。

一位麵包店的老闆氣沖沖到法院，控告長年供應他鮮奶油的農場主人詐欺。

法官開庭審理這個案件，麵包店老闆提出控訴，指稱農場主人在供應鮮奶油時，短少鮮奶油的斤兩這件事，詢問農場主人是否有什麼答辯。

農場主人莫名其妙地被法院傳訊，直到此時才搞清楚是怎麼一回事，他不服地對法官說，每次所運用的鮮奶油，重量都事先自行秤過，絕不會有斤兩短少的事情發生，他認為這應該是一場誤會。

麵包店的老闆聽到這樣的辯詞，馬上提出有力的證據，將農場主人前一天剛送到、猶未開封的鮮奶油，呈上堂前交給法官。法官見到這罐鮮奶油的包裝上寫著重量是一公斤，但實際秤出來，卻只有八百多公克的重量。

Keep Your Mind on Heaven

2026-01-15 in /by

Do you feel as if your best years have passed you by? Hogwash! You’ll do your best work in heaven. Do you regret wasting seasons of life on foolish pursuits? So do I. But we can stop our laments. We have an eternity to make up for lost time.

Colossians 3:1 (NKJV) is a great reminder to “seek those things which are above, where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God.” Seek heaven the way a sailor seeks the coast or a pilot seeks the landing strip. Colossians 3:2 (NCV) says, “Think only about” it. Other translations say, “Keep your mind on” it. Pursue the things over which Christ presides.

In other words, obsess yourself with heaven. Open your eyes, Christ invites. Lift up your gaze. You were made for more than this life.