這幾週都在讀 J.I. Packer 的 Knowing God 。原因，本來只是因為放得太久沒有讀完而已，想在令會裡完成而已。
在令會內的讀書進度不太理想。後來在令會後發生了些事，面對著自我的陰暗面、面對著前路，我對神的認識是如何的不足。這不是指書本上教條式的知識（如果是這個，我想我並不缺──至少，暫時並不缺），而是指在靈裡真實的認知和洞見。實如書中引述 J.B. Phillips 所言：Your God Is Too Small。
Hymn: Hast thou heard Him, seen Him, known Him?
This hymn is known as 《求奪我心》 or something like《你的靈豈非已見過他》, depends on which hymn book you use.
Hast thou heard Him, seen Him, known Him?
Lyrics: Miss Ora Rowan (1834-1879) [MP3]1
Have thou heard Him, seen Him, known Him?
Is not thine a captured heart?
Chief among ten thousand own Him,
Joyful choose the better part.2
Idols once they won thee, charmed thee,
Lovely things of time and sense;
Gilded thus does sin disarm thee,
Honeyed lest thou turn thee thence.3
What has stripped the seeming beauty
From the idols of the earth?
Not a sense of right or duty,
But the sight of peerless worth.4
Not the crushing of those idols,
With its bitter void and smart;
But the beaming of His beauty,
The unveiling of His heart.5
Who extinguishes their taper
Till they hail the rising sun?
Who discards the garb of winter
Till the summer has begun?6
‘Tis the look that melted Peter,
‘Tis the face that Stephen saw,
‘Tis the heart that wept with Mary,
Can alone from idols draw:7
Draw and win and fill completely,
Till the cup o’erflow the brim;
What have we to do with idols
Who have companied with Him?
Summer Camp Countdown
Count down to church summer camp. With the chaos in my family, I shall thank God for this passage I have read today:
As they were going along the road, someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” To another he said, “Follow me.” But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” And Jesus said to him, “Leave tthe dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” Yet another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home.” Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.” (Luke 9:57-62)
Cost is to be expected.
Unbelievably Good
I think I do believe the perseverance of the saints as a truth. Yet when the God acts according to his will, he always shows how little I have believed.
Our God is good.
Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen. (Eph 3:20-21)
…and the riches of his glory is to be praised.
Mercy of God
Once again, when I was wondering how can I get enough money for this month’s living, I found some unexpected — pocket-money back from the Chinese new year time.
This is not the first time I experience things like this. Yet, this is always noteworthy when this happens when I was weak and weary.
I hope I can have a better use of this money — and I do have something in mind.
Hymn: I Asked My Lord That I Might Grow
A hymn from John Newton. Deep — that’s the only comment I can give.
I Asked the Lord to Grow in Grace and He Almost Drove Me to Despair
Lyrics: John NewtonI asked the Lord that I might grow
In faith, and love, and every grace;
Might more of His salvation know,
And seek, more earnestly, His face.’Twas He who taught me thus to pray,
And He, I trust, has answered prayer!
But it has been in such a way,
As almost drove me to despair.I hoped that in some favored hour,
At once He’d answer my request;
And by His love’s constraining pow’r,
Subdue my sins, and give me rest.Instead of this, He made me feel
The hidden evils of my heart;
And let the angry pow’rs of hell
Assault my soul in every part.Yea more, with His own hand He seemed
Intent to aggravate my woe;
Crossed all the fair designs I schemed,
Blasted my gourds, and laid me low.Lord, why is this, I trembling cried,
Wilt thou pursue thy worm to death?
“’Tis in this way, the Lord replied,
I answer prayer for grace and faith.These inward trials I employ,
From self, and pride, to set thee free;
And break thy schemes of earthly joy,
That thou may’st find thy all in Me.”
HT: Justin Taylor
Resignation
Submitted the resign letter.
When I was preparing to write it, I searched for some example on the web. Most of the samples are much shorter then I have expected.
It is too easy, yet it is so uneasy.
On Christian Communion
How does a christian communion look like to an outsider?
People gather together, say something about a dead person was, sing some songs, weep for some common human nature and hope for something impossible — ain’t all these just crazy?
But, as for us christian, we all do these for a reason — our Lord God is alive, and he is our savior. When the living God died for us, every service become reasonable.
When Everything is Out of Control
When we fall into despair with nobody understanding, to whom shall we shall put our faith on?
Keep on Believing 堅定相信
Lyrics: Frank C. Huston1.
有時黑影來遮掩，煙霧隱蔽前路；
有時黑雲增無已，白晝竟亦似暮。
當記得我們天父，祂慈愛的看顧，
神仍愛祂的兒女，且垂聽禱告。
Sometimes the shadows gather, and mists obscure the way;
Sometimes, the clouds grow heavy, and darken all the day.
How precious to remember our Father’s loving care,
That He still loves His children, and He answers prayer.2.
有時道路甚荒涼，似覺孤單獨行；
已忘記慈悲天父，看顧屬祂的人。
多少憂傷冤枉受，都因信心失掉，
神仍愛祂的兒女，且垂聽禱告。
Sometimes, the way is dreary, we seem to walk a lone.
Forgetting that the Father keeps watch above His own.
How many needless sorrows the faithless have to bear,
For, God still loves His children, and He answers prayer.3.
你若愁苦壓心頭，背負重擔難受；
路途雖崎嶇難走，記住神必護佑。
祂恩典必夠你用，足可忍受煩惱，
神永遠愛祂兒女，且垂聽禱告。
O soul, weighed down with sorrow, beneath a heavy load.
Remember God will help you, however rough the road.
His grace is still sufficient for every load of care,
God ever loves His children, and He answers prayer.Refrain:
堅定的相信，神垂聽禱告；
堅定的相信，不要失望；
你擔子雖然極重，愁苦又壓心頭，
要記住神仍愛你，祂垂聽禱告。
Keep on believing, God will answer prayer.
Keep on believing, never despair.
Though you be heavy laden, and burdened down with care
Remember God still loves You, and He answers prayer.
On Death and Resurrection of Jesus
This morning, when I was reading Matthew 28, I remembered this hymn from Margaret E. Barber.
Fellow-pilgrims, art thou numbered with the men the world calls dead?
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從伯利恆我們動身 (Via Bethlehem We Journey)
詞：和受恩 (Margaret E. Barber)1.
從伯利恆我們動身，
Via Bethlehem we journey,
學習耶穌的忠貞，
We whose hearts on God are set;
跟著祂要完全歸神，
Babelike souls of Jesus learning,
但是臉上滿淚痕；
While our cheeks with tears are wet;
因為馬槽那樣寒陋，
For the manger and the stable
並非我們所愛視；
Are not pleasant to our eyes,
但是腳須與祂同走，
But our feet must follow Jesus,
如果手要接賞賜。
If our hands would grasp the prize.2.
經拿撒勒，這條道路，
Via Nazareth! the pathway
我們越走越窄小，
Narrows still as on we go,
多年勞碌無人領悟，
Years of toil none understanding,
常受羞辱，常無聊。
Yet God teaches us to know
但神藉此教訓我們：
That the servant is not greater
如此苦難，是因為
Than the Lord, who through long years
僕人不能大於主人，
Hid Himself from this world’s glory,
所以當同祂流淚。
Follow Him! Count not the tears.3.
經加利利，我們見祂
Via Galilee, we see Him!
被人厭棄，被人詛；
Stones are hurled, and curses hissed
祂路豈非走錯了麼？
By the men who gather round Him,
不然那有許多苦？
Has He not the pathway missed?
不！不！這段雖然崎嶇，
No! unharmed the Savior passes,
祂仍前進平安過；
And this rough bit of the way
我們若要同祂高舉，
We must travel, since like Jesus,
也得前進不畏禍。
Nothing can our purpose stay.4.
隨後就在客西馬尼，
Via too, the awful anguish
園中孤單受磨煉，
Of the hours beneath the trees,
撒但全軍都來攻逼，
Where the hosts of Satan linger,
這樣光景真難遣！
Awful hours of anguish these!
但是我們並不失敗，
Yet we fail not, for God’s angels
因有天使來服事，
Minister to us, and say,
並說：『應當注目賞賚，
“Look, beloved, at the glory,
爭戰不過此一時。』
Conflict is but for a day!”5.
十架到了！因為所有
Then the Cross! for via Calvary
忠魂都當經加略；
Every royal soul must go;
我們在此同祂蒙羞，
Here we draw the veil, for Jesus
不肯自憐，不退卻；
Only can the pathway show;
因為不過一點時候，
“If we suffer with Him,” listen,
我們如此感苦痛；
Just a little, little while,
將來見祂，一切憂愁，
And the memory will have faded
要消在祂笑容中。
In the glory of His smile!6.
隨到墳墓，親友環泣，
Then the grave, with dear ones weeping,
知道已經無希望；
Knowing that all life has fled;
（親愛旅伴！世人對你，
(Fellow-pilgrims, art thou numbered
是否算為已經亡？）
With the men the world calls dead?)
我們從此與祂同升，
Thence we rise, and live with Jesus,
遠離屬地的追求，
Throned above the world’s mad strife,
心裡歡然失去世人
Gladly forfeiting forever,
所謂生命和富有。
All that worldlings count as life.7.
我們努力向竿而前，
On we press! and yonder gleaming,
日近一日仍追隨；
Nearing every day, we see
我們已經彷彿能見
The great walls of that fair city,
天城四射的光輝；
God has built for such as we;
我們已經隱約可聞
And we catch the tender music
天樂悠揚的清音；
Of the choirs that sing of One
耶穌在彼迎接我們，
Who once died to have us with Him
要慰百創的這心。
In His kingdom, on the throne.8.
不過，再過幾里，朋友！
Just a few more miles, beloved!
腿要不酸，身不累，
And our feet shall ache no more;
不再有罪，不再有憂，
No more sin, and no more sorrow,
主要擦乾你眼淚；
Hush thee, Jesus went before;
聽祂正用柔聲說道：
And I hear Him sweetly whispering,
『勿恐，勿餒，仍力前，
“Faint not, fear not, still press on,
因為也許明朝未到，
For it may be ere tomorrow,
旅程就已到終點。』
The long journey will be done.”