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Spiritual Dashboard

2026-01-22 in /by

Is there anything in your life that needs to be removed? Any impediment to the impression of God’s Spirit? We can grieve the Spirit with our angry words and resist the Spirit in our disobedience. We can test or conspire against the Spirit in our plottings. We can even quench the Spirit by having no regard for God’s teachings.

But here’s something that helps us stay in step with the Spirit. It’s in Galatians 5:22: “We know that the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” These are indicators on our spiritual dashboards. So whenever we sense them, we know we are walking in the Spirit. Whenever we lack them, we know we are out of step with the Spirit. Keep in step with the Spirit.

为耶稣画一张定装像

2026-01-21 in , /by

以赛亚书 53:2-3   祂在耶和华面前生长如嫩芽，像根出于干地；祂无佳形美容，我们看见祂的时候，也无美貌使我们羡慕祂。 祂被藐视，被人厌弃，多受痛苦，常经忧患。祂被藐视，好像被人掩面不看的一样，我们也不尊重祂。

我于一九七七年到巴勒斯坦去参加一个「圣地研习班」，在受难圣周中，收到的一些资料里，有耶稣钉十字架的画像。但我看了以后，感到排斥及不
舒服。因为耶稣的画像与平时常见到的完全不同。钉在十字架上的耶稣不但矮小猥琐，而且其貌不扬。回异于教会中常见的慈譪悲悯的耶稣像。研习班的教授内博士解释说，这张画像是根据耶稣时代，当地原住民的一般形像绘成，并没有特别将耶稣的画像加以美化或神圣化，而是一张当地人普通的脸。
这张耶稣的画像让我困惑了许久，我开始想像主耶稣到底应该是甚么样子，十分确定的祂是「取了奴仆的形像，成为人的样式」（腓2:7），主耶稣的时
代还没有照相的技术，而画像却是有的，但主并没有留下画像或雕塑，现在置身在教会中的主的画像，都是画家凭自己的想像绘制出来的。因为流传得
久远与普遍，所以似乎已经成了信徒们心目中的定装照。如再出现不同的造型，人们便很难接受了。然而，耶稣的形象却的确是一个值得深思的问题。

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.

人生不重来，选择要正确

2026-01-20 in , /by

帖撒罗尼迦前书5:16-18   要常常喜乐， 不住地祷告， 凡事谢恩，因为这是神在基督耶稣里向你们所定的旨意。

人生不重来，因此我们要学习做正确的选择。自从患上巴金森病以来， 我每天都要面对一些问题，例如：因僵硬而无法转动的颈背，因肌肉僵痺而引起的无法咀嚼、无法吞咽的困难，以及口水不断流出来的难堪。最令我感到受挫折的，则是因口吃而无法与人沟通的痛苦。

每天早上醒来，我都要做选择：我要如何面对今天? 若是任由情绪支配，那我肯定会有一个非常忧郁，非常不快乐的一天。

因此每天早上我都要强迫自己做一个正确的选择，并且祈求圣灵来做我这天的主人。当我让圣灵做主时，祂就会引导我的情绪、感觉及思想。但是我明白，在肉体与圣灵奋战之际，我先要克服许多的障碍。

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

诗篇 90:15    求祢照着祢使我们受苦的日子，和我们遭难的年岁，叫我们喜乐。

传道书 5:20  他不多思念自己一生的年日，因为神应他的心使他喜乐。

农场有一只小驴每天早上出门，朋友们和牠打招呼时，牠总是轻快地回答：

「早啊！我很快乐。」日子久了大家都很纳闷，为什么小驴总是那么快乐，于是大家过来问小驴：「为什么你总是那么快乐？」

小驴说：「因为我很幸福。」

公鸡说：「为什么你那么幸福？」

小驴回答：「为何不？」

母鸡抢著回答：「农场里大家都有工作，母鸡要生蛋，牛要耕田，连最轻松的公鸡都要天天报时，工作是那么辛苦，当然不幸福啊！」

公鸡问：「那你为什么那么幸福？」

小驴摇晃着大耳朵回答站在牠背部厚茧上的公鸡：「呃！我也不晓得。」

一天早上，公鸡哀怨地喔啼，牛才很不情愿地走向麦田，母鸡胀红著脸生第一颗蛋，没有人看见小驴，而小驴呢？小驴载着主耶稣进入耶路撒冷。

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?

祢用油膏了我的头

2026-01-18 in , /by

诗篇23:5在我敌人面前，祢为我摆设筵席，祢用油膏了我的头，使我的福杯满溢。

牧羊人为羊涂抹膏油并非是一种仪式或装饰，而是因为羊很脆弱，容易受伤，无法保护自己免受未知伤害。涂油是一种关爱，是个人行为，是保护，也是牧羊人每日的例行公事。

在古代，牧羊人会将橄榄油与草药和香料混合，轻轻涂抹在羊的头部、鼻子、耳朵，有时甚至全身。这种油用途广泛：它可以治愈被岩石划伤的伤口；可以舒缓因炎热干燥而受到刺激的皮肤；最重要的是，它可以保护羊免受寄生虫和昆虫的侵害。苍蝇或蚊虫会在羊的鼻子或耳朵里产卵，导致感染、痛苦，甚至死亡。油形成了一道屏障，让曾经带来刺激和危险的因素再也无法侵入。

羊不会自己涂抹油，它们不会因为表现良好而获得这种待遇，也不会因为绝对服从而请求这种待遇。牧羊人察觉到羊群的需要，并以关怀回应。油并非奖赏，而是供应。

这幅画面意义深远，因为圣经常常将上帝比喻为我们的牧者，将我们比喻为祂的羊。大卫写道：“你用油膏了我的头”，他并非在吟诗作赋，而是在描述牧羊人对我们生命中脆弱之处的悉心关怀。油象征医治、保护和同在。

说服一个人最好的办法

2026-01-16 in , /by

〈箴言〉 17:17 朋友乃时常亲爱．弟兄为患难而生。
〈箴言〉19:6    好施散的、有多人求他的恩情．爱送礼的、人都为他的朋友。

一个牧场主养了许多羊。他的邻居是个猎户，院子养了一群凶猛的猎狗。这些猎狗经常跳过栅栏，袭击牧场里的羊羔。牧场主几次请猎户把狗关好，但猎户不以为然，口头上答应，可没过几天，他家的猎狗又跳进牧场横冲直闯，咬伤了好几只小羊。忍无可忍的牧场主找镇上的法官评理。

听了他的控诉，明理的法官说：” 我可以处罚那个猎户，也可以发布法令让他把狗锁起来。但这样一来你就失去了一个朋友，多了一个敌人。你是愿意和敌人作邻居呢？还是和朋友作邻居？ ”

” 当然是和朋友作邻居。 ” 牧场主说。

” 那好，我给你出个主意，按我说的去做。不但可以保证你的羊群不再受骚扰，还会为你赢得一个友好的邻居。 “