Archives for 9 月 2019

How Important the Mountain Is to Us

30 9 月, 2019 by Leave a Comment

Wang Zhi
“The Foolish Old Man Removes the Mountains” is a well-known ancient Chinese fable about an old man who was determined to dig away the two mountains in front of his house despite the impossibility of the task. Today, I’d like to tell a modern version of the story.

There was once a young man who lived in an isolated mountain village. A great mountain lay right in front of his house, making his travel very inconvenient. Whenever he went out, he had to take a path around it. Afterward, he got married and had three sons. As time went by, the young man turned old and frail, while his sons all grew up to be successful. The first son became a builder, the second one worked in business, and the third one was in charge of a logistics team. The only constant was the mountain in front of the house. Every time the old man traveled, he hobbled all the way circumventing the mountain. … One day, an idea suddenly occurred to the old man, so he called his three sons, saying that he wanted to have the mountain removed. Hearing that, his sons all advised him to give up the idea and live with them in the city. But the old man said, “I won’t go to the city, for I’ve already been used to the life in the village. The air is fresh, and there is no noise. The only problem is the mountain that stands in the way.” After discussion, the three sons decided to fulfill their father’s wish since they were capable of that. Then, the first son dispatched front-end loaders and excavators to the site, the second one paid the money, and the third one mobilized his logistics team. Having got everything prepared, they broke ground on the project. Instantly, the machines rumbled and kicked dust into the air. After a few months of operation, a 10-plus-meter-wide road was cut through the mountain and paved with asphalt. Besides, a pavilion was built in the yard, and the house looked literally like a villa. The old man was overwhelmed with joy as he saw the sight before him.

One day, high winds ripped through the newly built road to the house of the old man, sand smashing against the glass with noises. Immediately, the pavilion in the yard was blown askew, and the tiles were torn off the roof of the house. … After the wind passed, the onetime villa was left in ruins. The old man cried out in confusion, “Heavens! What did I do wrong? Why did this befall me? I’d never come across anything like this before. What’s going on?”

Why did this happen to the old man? God has given us the answer in His words. He says: “So what use is the mountain here? Is it somewhat like a filter for the wind? (Yes.) The mountain takes the fierce wind and cuts it down into what? (A slight breeze.) Into a slight breeze. Most people could touch and feel it in the environment where they lived—was it a fierce wind or a slight breeze that they felt? (A slight breeze.) Isn’t this one of the purposes behind God’s creation of mountains? Isn’t this His intent? What would it be like for people to live in an environment where the fierce wind blew around bits of sand without anything to block or filter it? Could it be that with sand and stones blowing around, people wouldn’t be able to live on the land? Some people might get hit in the head by the stones flying about, or others might get sand in their eyes and wouldn’t be able to see. People could get sucked up into the air or the wind could blow so hard they couldn’t stand up. Houses would be destroyed and all sorts of disasters would happen.” “such as mountains, mountain ranges, plains, hills, basins, valleys, plateaus, and rivers. God applies these different geographical environments to change an airflow’s speed, direction and force, using such a method to reduce or manipulate it into an appropriate wind speed, wind direction, and wind force, so that humans can have a normal living environment. Doing something like this seems difficult for humans, but it is easy for God because He observes all things. For Him to create an environment with a suitable airflow for mankind is too simple, too easy. Therefore, in such an environment created by God, each and every thing among all things is indispensable. There is value and necessity in all of their existence. However, Satan and corrupted mankind do not have such a philosophy. They keep destroying and developing, vainly dreaming of turning mountains into flat land, filling up canyons, and building skyscrapers on flat land to create concrete jungles. It is God’s hope that mankind can live happily, grow happily, and spend each day happily in the most suitable environment He prepared for them. That is why God has never been careless when it comes to dealing with mankind’s living environment.” “Why has man found himself in his current environmental predicament? Is it because of man’s greed and destruction? If man ends this destruction, won’t the living environment gradually right itself? If God does nothing, if God no longer wishes to do anything for mankind—that is to say, He doesn’t want to intervene—the best method would be for mankind to stop this destruction and return things to how they were. Putting an end to all this destruction means to stop the plundering and devastation of the things God has created. This will allow the environment where man lives to gradually improve. Failure to do so will result in further destruction of the environment and it will only become more serious.”

After reading God’s words, have you known who was to blame for the old man’s tragedy? What did he do wrong? Yes, he shouldn’t have “removed” the mountain that had protected him. Actually, God created all things and set boundaries and laws for them—all of this God has done is for us human beings to live happily. There is value in the existence of each and every thing among all things. For example, the mountain can block the wind and change its speed, so that the fierce wind is reduced to a mild breeze which can please people. Nonetheless, when we are blinded by greed and act contrary to God, for the sake of our own self-interests, trying to change the laws established by God for all things and wantonly damaging the homeland we rely on for our survival, can we still enjoy the pleasant breeze? When we believe we have led a cozy and comfortable life by changing the environment where we live, have we ever wondered the dire consequences of such willful destruction of the living environment God prepared for us? Considering the benefits the old man enjoyed from the mountain’s “removal,” we might approve of him; however, faced with the unexpected result of his house being destroyed by the strong wind carrying sand, we couldn’t help but heave a sigh: The old man, you are truly foolish!

The story is well worthy for us to deliberate. In real life, how can we save the land our lives depend on—the earth, where there has already been widespread devastation? The only answer is that we should stop the destruction, return things to how they were, gain knowledge of the Creator’s sovereignty and return to His side. …

Filed Under: Inspirational Stories

Bible Verse–Matthew 5:7

28 9 月, 2019 by Leave a Comment

Matthew 5:7

Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

Filed Under: Bible Verses

Bible Verses–Romans 1:16-17

24 9 月, 2019 by Leave a Comment

Romans 1:16

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God to salvation to every one that believes; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

Romans 1:17

For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.

Filed Under: Bible Verses

How Can We Have a Normal Relationship With Other People?

20 9 月, 2019 by Leave a Comment

By Chen Rui, China

The lost lamb:

Hello everyone! I have a question, hoping you can help me. I’m a pushy person with a bad temper. When interacting with others, if they don’t do things according to what I’ve said, I can’t stop myself from getting angry and chiding them. Consequently, they are unhappy with me and even avoid me; my relationship with others, especially with my mother-in-law, is embarrassing and becoming more and more estranged. Faced with this, I feel very upset. Every time I think of the teaching of the Lord Jesus, “Have salt in yourselves, and have peace one with another” (Mark 9:50), I feel distressed, for I can’t live out His words. I do want to improve my relationships with others, but I have no idea what to do. Do you have any suggestions? Please gimme a hand.

Poster: The lost lamb

Response:

Chen Yu: As the saying goes, “Absence makes the heart grow fonder.” When you contact with others, you just speak little and do much. As to dealing with your mother-in-law, you can live separately and then there will be no more conflict.

Hu Qiang: The contemporary society advocates “Nice guys finish last,” so no matter whom we deal with, we have to be pushy; as long as we’re delighted to our satisfaction and not taken advantage of, who cares if our relationships with others are estranged. This is called “Bully others instead of being bullied.”

Zheng Xin: Well, I don’t think so. As Christians, we should obey the Lord’s teachings and put His words into practice; when interacting with others, we should live out a normal humanity and get along with them, which is the manner a Christian should have; only in this way can we be after God’s will. If others keep us at a distance, that means our living out isn’t in accordance with the Lord’s will. We must solve this problem in time. Otherwise, we’ll be loathed by the Lord.

Sisi: I agree with you. The Lord Jesus taught us that we should be the light and the salt of the earth, and live in harmony with others. As Christians, we should conduct ourselves in accordance with the Lord’s requirements. But sometimes I, just like The lost lamb, require others to listen to me, and get angry with them, which causes my family and colleagues to either avoid me or be cautious when interacting with me. I hate my bad temper, feeling sorry about acting that way, and I also want to improve my interpersonal relationships, but I don’t know what to do. Now that The lost lamb has brought up this issue, let’s discuss it together.

Sister Yang: Hello everyone! Glad to meet you here. Your discussion reminds me that I once had the same problem as you do. When interacting with others, I spoke from a position higher than them, and forced my own opinions upon them, requiring them to act according to my will; if they didn’t do as I had told them to, I would lose my temper. Just like you, I also attributed this to my bad temper. Later, on a gospel website, I hit upon a passage of words in Sermons and Fellowship on Entry Into Life. Only then did I realize that bad temper is just what we reveal outwardly, not the basic cause. Actually, the basic cause is our arrogant disposition.

The lost lamb: Our arrogant disposition? What does this mean? Can you explain it in more details?

Sisi: Yeah, please tell us!

Zheng Xin: I also want to know how the Sermons and Fellowship on Entry Into Life says.

Sister Yang: Ok, I’m glad to share it with you. The Sermons and Fellowship on Entry Into Life says: “Since the wildly arrogant man is puffed up with conceit and looks down his nose at others, he is not friendly to others and is unable to treat others as equals, and he can never live in harmony with other people. … The man with a wildly arrogant disposition always thinks that he stands head and shoulders above all others and is unwilling to be under the control of others, rather he wants to control other people. The man with a wildly arrogant disposition always regards himself as better than others and no one is his equal. He is unable to see the strengths and good points of others and even if he does see them, he does not accept them at all and only steps up his attacks, and denigrates them. He sees the faults and shortcomings of others with unusual clarity, and he spreads these around at will. He likes, in particular, to talk about his own strengths, he particularly likes to compliment himself, to exalt himself while denigrating others. The man with a wildly arrogant disposition is always extremely conceited, inclined to be self-centered, making others hold him in high esteem and gather around him. Regardless of what he says and does, others must listen to him and pay close attention to him.”

Zheng Xin: Oh, these words are so clear. The reason why we require people to listen to us and act as we’ve said is that we have arrogant disposition. Am I right?

Sister Yang: Mm, you’re right. From the Sermons and Fellowship on Entry Into Life, we can see that our interpersonal relationships are abnormal mainly because we have arrogant disposition. Due to our arrogant and conceited disposition, when interacting with others, we speak and act with a condescending attitude, and often show off ourselves, thinking that we are better than them. We are self-centered, and want others to do things according to our will; once they do something that is not to our liking, we would denigrate them and even lose our temper and chide them, showing that we are more capable than them. For example, when getting along with our colleagues, if our professional skills are better than theirs, we’ll look down upon them and find fault with them; if they don’t meet our requirements, we’ll get angry with them. When getting along with our families, we consider ourselves the head of the house; if anyone, be it our mother-in-law, husband, or child, says or does something that doesn’t conform to our own ideas, we’ll force him or her to do according to our own thoughts. We don’t have any understanding or forgiveness for others. What corrupt dispositions bring to us and others is constraint and harm, and they make our interpersonal relationships worse and worse so that we’re unable to get along with each other normally.

The lost lamb: I used to think it was because of my bad temper that I often got angry with others and my interpersonal relationship got worse. Now I understand that it’s mainly due to my arrogant disposition. When I got along with others, I always thought I was better, cleverer, and more capable than them, so I always made demands of others based on my own standards, and if they couldn’t meet my standards, I would let temper flare out of control, and even disdain and belittle them. My mother-in-law is a slow person who does everything slowly, so I fully ignored her; whatever she did, I always had things to say, demanding her to do according to my way; if she didn’t listen to me, I would get angry with her. This not only caused a lot of pain to me but also to the people around me. Now I see that I’m so unreasonable and inhumane to speak and act by arrogant disposition.

Sisi: Your words do make sense. It seems that the root of this problem is our arrogant and conceited nature. We always think we’re superior to others and go off on them with haughty contempt; we actually have no reason at all and what we’re living out is entirely the likeness of the devil. Then how can we solve this arrogant disposition and obtain a normal interpersonal relationship? Sister Yang, please communicate with us more about this issue.

Sister Yang: Thank God! If we want to improve our interpersonal relationships, we must practice the truth rather than live by arrogant disposition. We should learn to let go of ourselves, consider others more, and see more their merits and strengths.

I once read one passage of fellowship in a book, and here I’d like to share it with you: “We should treat others properly, neither overestimating nor underestimating any of them. No matter they are stupid or smart, of good caliber or bad, poor or rich, we should not have prejudices against them or rely on affections to treat them. We should not impose our preference on others, much less force others to accept what we dislike—this is not making others do things they are unwilling to do. When doing things, we should take account not only of our own interests but also of others’. Besides, we should learn to be more considerate to others, to benefit them…. Do not ask too much of others, and do not expect to gain any benefits from others—this is also a principle of treating others properly.”

After we were corrupted by Satan, our conscience, sense, and humanity become unsound, and we have no love, understanding or tolerance for others; we tend to treat others based on our personal preferences, and hold a high position to control others and make them listen to us, losing the original likeness of just being created. As we humans are all deeply corrupted by Satan, we’re not, in fact, better than anyone else. How can we be qualified to demand or lecture others? So, if we want to have a normal relationship with people around us, we should practice the truth and no longer live by arrogant disposition; we should learn to let go of ourselves and never make demands of others according to our own ideas; we should care for others, be concerned about them, and be considerate of them so that they benefit in everything. Just as when the Lord Jesus did His work, He often sat at the table with sinners and tax collectors and preached sermons to them; He never demanded them to listen to Him or follow Him because He is Christ, nor did He lose His temper or keep His distance from them because they didn’t listen to or follow Him; instead, He preached sermons to enlighten people, allowing them to understand the truth, so that they could admit to their sins and repent. All of this shows God’s humbleness and hiddenness, and His love and mercy for man. We are corrupted by Satan, and cannot stand up to comparison with the Lord Jesus, but we can imitate Him, standing in an equal place with others and benefiting them.

The lost lamb: Sister Yang, after listening to your fellowship, I really feel ashamed. I always demanded my mother-in-law to do as I wanted her to; if she didn’t listen to me, I would lose my temper. I’m so arrogant. Now I understand I should imitate the Lord, let go of myself, and act as a person with conscience and sense.

Sister Yang: Thank God! It is thanks to God’s enlightenment and guidance that you have this kind of understanding. Now I’d like to share my personal experience with you. My mother-in-law is a slow-tempered person and always does things slowly, while I’m a quick-tempered person and do everything quickly. When we did things together, I always urged her to do quickly, but she carried on as if she hadn’t heard me, and then I would lose my temper with her. Gradually, she became estranged from me; sometimes, when she returned home, she didn’t greet me but directly went into her bedroom. Although we lived under the same roof, we were like strangers, which made me feel very uncomfortable.

Then I reflected on myself and realized: I was too arrogant. I always asked my mother-in-law to do things as I required her to, and if she didn’t listen to me, I would be out of temper, which imperceptibly made her feel restrained and created a barrier between us. Even though we lived together, we had nothing to say to each other. Not until that moment did I see that I was too unreasonable, that my arrogant disposition not only put constraints on others but brought a lot of pain to myself, and that if I continued to live that way, it was impossible for me to get along with others. I also understood that I should no longer conduct myself relying on arrogant disposition. Afterward, I saw the words I shared just now: “When doing things, we should take account not only of our own interests but also of others’. Besides, we should learn to be more considerate to others, to benefit them…. Do not ask too much of others, and do not expect to gain any benefits from others—this is also a principle of treating others properly.” After understanding this, I consciously practiced putting myself aside, understanding others and caring for them, no longer treating them by arrogant disposition.

One day, our family went to harvest the corn. I noticed that my mother-in-law was husking the corn layer by layer and then broke off corncobs. At the sight of this, I exploded with anger, thinking: Why does she husk corn in that way? As I was about to urge her, I suddenly realized it was my arrogant disposition coming out, and that I again wanted her to do according to my way. Thinking of how God required us to set ourselves aside, and learn to show consideration to others and care for others, I suddenly remembered that my mother-in law’s hands were hurt not long ago and hadn’t recovered yet. I thought if I were her, I definitely wouldn’t be able to work. But she still tried her best to help do the farm work. At that moment, I felt guilty for distaining her. From then on, I no longer control her or make demands of her according to my ideas, nor do I lose my temper with her. Now we get along in harmony with each other. After this experience, I realize that if we want to have a normal relationship with others, we should practice the truth, understanding others, caring for them, and doing whatever beneficial to them.

Zheng Xin: Your fellowship is so great! I believe that if we practice the truth, we’ll also be able to get along with others.

The lost lamb: Thank God! I have benefited a lot from Sister Yang’s fellowship. It seems that as long as we practice the words of the Lord, learn to let go of ourselves, be considerate of others’ difficulties, and show a little more understandings, tolerance, and love toward them, gradually we’ll find the people, matters, and things around us are not as bad as we imagine, and that what God arranges for us is the best. Thank the Lord! I finally have a path to solve my problem.

Filed Under: Interpersonal Relationships

Bible Verses–Luke 24:46-48

17 9 月, 2019 by Leave a Comment

Luke 24:46

And said to them, Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day:

Luke 24:47

And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

Luke 24:48

And you are witnesses of these things.

Filed Under: Bible Verses

What Was God’s Will to Make Coats of Skins for Adam and Eve?

16 9 月, 2019 by Leave a Comment

Han Xiao

From the Genesis of the Bible, I saw that God created light in just one sentence, and He also created air, the earth, seas and all sorts of plants on the land and so on in one sentence. It made me realize that God speaks, and it will be accomplished; He commands, and it will stand firm. He uses His word to accomplish everything, and commands all things through His thoughts. God is indeed so almighty and so lofty! His deeds are so wonderful! Therefore, whenever reading this scripture, “To Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them” (Gen 3:21), I believed that God made coats for Adam and Eve by a thought or simply by performing a sign. But only after I read God’s words did I realize that God had actually made the coats for them personally rather than doing it through the thought or miraculous methods as I had imagined, which greatly countered my conceptions and imaginations.

God says, “God created these two people and treated them as His companions. As their only family, God looked after their living and also took care of their basic necessities. Here, God appears as a parent of Adam and Eve. While God does this, man does not see how lofty God is; he does not see God’s paramount supremacy, His mysteriousness, and especially not His wrath or majesty. All he sees is God’s humbleness, His affection, His concern for man and His responsibility and care toward him. The attitude and way in which God treated Adam and Eve is akin to how human parents show concern for their own children. It’s also like how human parents love, look after, and care for their own sons and daughters—real, visible, and tangible. Instead of putting Himself in a high and mighty position, God personally used skins to make clothing for man. It doesn’t matter whether this fur coat was used to cover their modesty or to shield them from the cold. In short, this clothing used to cover man’s body was personally made by God with His own hands. Rather than creating it simply through the thought or miraculous methods as people imagine, God had legitimately done something man thinks God could not and should not do. This may be a simple thing some might not even think as worthy of mentioning, but it also allows all those who follow God but were previously full of vague ideas about Him to gain an insight into His genuineness and loveliness, and to see His faithful and humble nature.”

Each line of God’s words struck my heart. At the very moment, I came to realize that although I had believed in the Lord for many years and was familiar with the Bible and could even recite it, I did not know God at all. Simply based on the letters of the verses, I knew that God has authority, and as His word issues forth, then the matter is finished. Yet, except for admiring God in my heart, I had no knowledge or understanding of Him. Only when I read God’s words today did I know that after creating man, God did not only treat them as created beings and provide for them, but also treated them as His family, and as His own children to look after and care for. From God’s words, I could see that He showed concern for mankind and had a responsibility to them. Hence, despite that God has authority to solve all the problems simply through the thought, He practically made coats for Adam and Eve with His own hands. Just like our parents who concern and care for us day and night, God loves, looks after, and cares for us as His own family. God indeed loves us so much. On this matter that I thought God could not do, I saw His genuineness and His humbleness. I even more felt, at that moment, God is so lovely and worthy of our praise and worship.

Later I read another passage of God’s words, which made me realize what God’s will was in making clothing for Adam and Eve with His own hands. God says, “I hope when you understand the real side of God you will grow even closer to Him and be able to even more truly appreciate His love and care for mankind, while at the same time also give your heart to God and no longer have any suspicions or doubts toward Him. God is quietly doing everything He is for man, doing it all silently through His sincerity, faithfulness, and love. But He never has any apprehension or regret for all that He does, nor does He ever need anyone to repay Him in any way or have intentions of ever obtaining anything from mankind. The only purpose of everything He has ever done is so He can receive mankind’s true faith and love.” From God’s plain and simple words, I understood the will of God: God loves man, and would like to do all things and expend everything for us. God, however, only wishes to gain our true faith and love for Him. It was because Adam and Eve were possessed of neither true faith nor love for Him that they trusted in Satan’s lies, thereby falling into its cunning scheme, and ate the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, committing a sin. Subsequently, what they faced was a life filled with strength labor and sorrow and they ended in death. Adam and Eve had sinned, yet they were still the men created by God’s hand, and God did not turn His back on them or pay heed to them due to their sins. Still, He treated them as His family, and used animal skins to make coats for them with His own hands, which conveys His expectations of man: He hopes we can truly believe in and love Him, and never have any suspicions or doubts toward Him.

So from the thing that God personally used skins to make fur coats for Adam and Eve with His own hands, we can see God’s love and care for man. And from the fact that God created all things, holds sovereignty over all things, governs and supplies all things, and created a favorable living environment for mankind to live and multiply, we can also see that God truly pays every minute and second for man. However, He never justifies Himself or demands anything from man, but only asks us to have true faith in Him. Similarly, God has never ceased His work of management of saving man regardless of whether we have knowledge of Him or understand His intention. He started His plan to save mankind after Adam and Eve had been corrupted by Satan. From the work of the Age of Law done by God recorded in the Old Testament to the work of redemption that God personally became flesh to perform recorded in the New Testament, and then to the work in the last days prophesied in the Revelation, we can see God’s work of saving mankind is so real and true. As long as we believe in Him, follow His footsteps, experience His words and work, we will be able to know His amiableness and loveliness.

Filed Under: Bible Study

Abraham Offers Isaac

15 9 月, 2019 by Leave a Comment

Abram Named Abraham
(Genesis 17:1-8)

And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said to him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be you perfect.

And I will make my covenant between me and you, and will multiply you exceedingly.

And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying,

As for me, behold, my covenant is with you, and you shall be a father of many nations.

Neither shall your name any more be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made you.

And I will make you exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come out of you. And I will establish my covenant between me and you and your seed after you in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God to you, and to your seed after you. And I will give to you, and to your seed after you, the land wherein you are a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.

The Covenant of Circumcision
(Genesis 17:9-22)

And God said to Abraham, You shall keep my covenant therefore, you, and your seed after you in their generations. This is my covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you and your seed after you; Every man child among you shall be circumcised. And you shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant between me and you. And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is not of your seed. He that is born in your house, and he that is bought with your money, must needs be circumcised: and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant. And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant.

And God said to Abraham, As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall her name be. And I will bless her, and give you a son also of her: yes, I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of people shall be of her. Then Abraham fell on his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall a child be born to him that is an hundred years old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear? And Abraham said to God, O that Ishmael might live before you! And God said, Sarah your wife shall bear you a son indeed; and you shall call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him. And as for Ishmael, I have heard you: Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation. But my covenant will I establish with Isaac, which Sarah shall bear to you at this set time in the next year. And he left off talking with him, and God went up from Abraham.

Abraham’s Celestial Visitors
(Genesis 18:1-15)

And the LORD appeared to him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day; And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, see, three men stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground, And said, My LORD, if now I have found favor in your sight, pass not away, I pray you, from your servant: Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree: And I will fetch a morsel of bread, and comfort you your hearts; after that you shall pass on: for therefore are you come to your servant. And they said, So do, as you have said. And Abraham hastened into the tent to Sarah, and said, Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes on the hearth. And Abraham ran to the herd, and fetched a calf tender and good, and gave it to a young man; and he hurried to dress it. And he took butter, and milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree, and they did eat.

And they said to him, Where is Sarah your wife? And he said, Behold, in the tent. And he said, I will certainly return to you according to the time of life; and, see, Sarah your wife shall have a son. And Sarah heard it in the tent door, which was behind him. Now Abraham and Sarah were old and well stricken in age; and it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women. Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also? And the LORD said to Abraham, Why did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, which am old? Is any thing too hard for the LORD? At the time appointed I will return to you, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son Then Sarah denied, saying, I laughed not; for she was afraid. And he said, No; but you did laugh.

The Birth of Isaac
(Genesis 21:1-7)

And the LORD visited Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did to Sarah as he had spoken. For Sarah conceived, and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him. And Abraham called the name of his son that was born to him, whom Sarah bore to him, Isaac. And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac being eight days old, as God had commanded him. And Abraham was an hundred years old, when his son Isaac was born to him. And Sarah said, God has made me to laugh, so that all that hear will laugh with me. And she said, Who would have said to Abraham, that Sarah should have given children suck? for I have born him a son in his old age.

The Offering of Isaac
(Genesis 22:1-19)

And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said to him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am. And he said, Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and get you into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering on one of the mountains which I will tell you of. And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and split the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went to the place of which God had told him. Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off. And Abraham said to his young men, Abide you here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you. And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it on Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together. And Isaac spoke to Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering? And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.

And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar on the wood. And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son.

And the angel of the LORD called to him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I. And he said, Lay not your hand on the lad, neither do you any thing to him: for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son from me. And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son. And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovahjireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the LORD it shall be seen.

And the angel of the LORD called to Abraham out of heaven the second time, And said, By myself have I sworn, said the LORD, for because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son: That in blessing I will bless you, and in multiplying I will multiply your seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is on the sea shore; and your seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; And in your seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because you have obeyed my voice. So Abraham returned to his young men, and they rose up and went together to Beersheba; and Abraham dwelled at Beersheba.

Filed Under: Bible Stories

Hillsong Young & Free – Wake (Lyrics Video)

15 9 月, 2019 by Leave a Comment
Filed Under: Videos

Bible Verse–Matthew 5:6

14 9 月, 2019 by Leave a Comment

Matthew 5:6

Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

Filed Under: Bible Verses

Bible Verses–Matthew 28:18-20

10 9 月, 2019 by Leave a Comment

Matthew 28:18

And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, All power is given to me in heaven and in earth.

Matthew 28:19

Go you therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

Matthew 28:20

Teaching them to observe all things whatever I have commanded you: and, see, I am with you always, even to the end of the world. Amen.

Filed Under: Bible Verses

I Know How to Pray Rationally

10 9 月, 2019 by Leave a Comment

By Bai Wei, China

One day I got a call from my daughter, and she said, “Mom, the relocation certificate of my residence has been sent here from the hinterland, but my work is keeping me busy. Please help me get it registered at the relevant local department….”
In order to make it a success, I prayed to God, “Oh God! Tomorrow I want to get my daughter’s residence registered. Please help me make it. Oh God! There is much red tape to do this matter, because I need to go to several government departments to have the relevant certificates. I ask You to help me make it smooth. Amen!” And the next morning before I left, I gave the same prayer. I thought that since I had prayed to God, He would surely help me and open up a path for me, and that. everything would go all right.

However, the fact was totally beyond my expectation. I went to three government departments and all met with failures. At the end of the day, I was tired but accomplished nothing. I thought in my heart: The Lord Jesus said, “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you” (Matthew 7:7). God promised that as long as we pray and call out to Him, He will provide us with everything we need and open up a path for us. I had prayed to God in this matter, but why didn’t it go smoothly? Why did God not listen to my prayers?” I felt very puzzled about this. In my search, I saw God’s words saying, “Some people take the wrong position when they pray, and regardless of whether it conforms with God’s will or not, they demand God to bestow what they ask for upon them. … this word ‘ask’ carries an element of force, and is like exerting pressure on God to make Him do it. Moreover, you predetermine your own matters.”

God’s words touched me. I finally knew the reason why God did not listen to my prayers was that I was not seeking His will but was demanding things of Him. My prayers carried my forcing God to do things according to my will. That I made such kind of prayer showed I took the wrong position. I couldn’t help but think of my thought in my prayer: As long as I prayed to God, He would help me, and this thing would surely go well. That means after I prayed to God and told God what I want to do, He must make a good arrangement for me, so that I could make it smoothly. Was I not asking God to do things according to my will?

I saw the words of Sermons and Fellowship on Entry Into Life: “People always make demands of God, asking God to satisfy them and treat them this way or that way, but they never consider what requirements God has of them. Does this kind of person have sense? They always make demands of God and always want extravagant desires. Are they pursuers of the truth? Those people who don’t pursue the truth are definitely those who are not honest; the honest people have conscience and reason and are willing to satisfy God. If people always ask God to satisfy themselves but do not live for satisfying God, such people are dishonest, too deceitful and too selfish.” At this time, I realized I was so selfish and despicable. Dominated by my selfish nature, I always wanted to gain grace and blessings from God and to make Him satisfy my requirements and desires. I also realized my previous prayers were all for my own flesh. For example, several months before my daughter took the college entrance examination, I began to pray for her, asking God to help her enter a good college; each time I encountered troubles at home, I prayed to God for help and asked Him to solve them; when it came to my daughter’s residence, in my prayers I still wanted God to do things according to my intentions. My prayers were indeed too unreasonable and I hadn’t treated God as God, and always had requirements for Him. I was so selfish and arrogant. God is the Creator, and I am just a small created being. Does a created being have the qualification to make demands of God? How could God listen to my impure prayers?

After realizing all of this, I prayed to God, “Oh God! My prayers were at odds with Your will and I’m willing to change. May You lead and enlighten me and allow me to understand how to practice so that my prayers can conform to Your will. Amen!” Afterward, I saw God’s words saying, “In fact, prayer is mainly about speaking what is in your heart, just like a normal conversation. However, some people take the wrong position when they pray, and regardless of whether it conforms with God’s will or not, they demand God to bestow what they ask for upon them. As a result, the more they pray the duller it becomes. When praying, whatever your heart asks for, desires, and requests, or when you wish to take care of some matters that you don’t fully understand you ask God for wisdom, strength, or enlightenment, you must be reasonable in the way you speak. … You should seek and submit in your prayers; for example, if a matter came upon you that you didn’t know how to handle, then you say: ‘Oh God! This matter has come upon me, and I don’t know how to handle it. I am willing to satisfy You in this matter, I am willing to seek You, I desire for Your will to come to pass, I desire to do according to Your intentions, and not according to my own. You know that the intentions of man are in violation of Your will; they resist You and do not conform with truth. I only desire to do according to Your intentions. I ask You to enlighten me and guide me in this matter, so that I won’t offend You….’” From God’s words I knew that true prayer was not as simple as what I had thought before. It doesn’t mean simply telling God our own problems and difficulties, nor does it mean merely begging God to satisfy our own requirements. Instead, the most important thing about praying is to speak our hearts to God and to recount to Him about our difficulties and problems in life. Meanwhile, in prayer, we must take the right position, seek God’s will as well as what we should practice and enter in with a searching attitude instead of making demands of God. Only such kind of prayer can be approved by God. I remembered when Job underwent his trials, his possessions and his daughters and sons were taken away, and he had sore boils all over, he neither sinned with his lips nor said offensive words about God; he also did not pray to God to remove his pains. Instead, he submitted to God, sought His will standing in his place as a created being, and bowed down to Him praising His name. From Job’s prayer, we could see Job was a sensible person, and his prayer was approved by God. After understanding these, I found the path and decided to enter into true prayer in my later practice.

In the following several days, I pondered the truth regarding prayer: “How can I pray reasonably and have a godly attitude in prayer?” I consciously practiced this truth. A few days later, before I went to get the residence registered again, I came before God and prayed with a submissive heart, “Oh God, I’m going to have my daughter’s residence registered. I entrust this thing to You. No matter how You design and arrange, I’m willing to accept and obey it. I believe Your arrangement is best …” And then, I went to the local police station first to get a certificate and scanned the QR code. It went smoothly. I then took a car to the neighborhood committee and got another certificate. However, when I returned to the stateroom and give my daughter’s relocation certificate to the clerk, she said it didn’t work because it had been overdue for more than 20 days, and I needed to go back to the hinterland and get a new one. Learning this, I was a little worried and thought: “What am I to do then? It is so inconvenient to go to the hinterland and get a new relocation certificate.” At this time, I had requirements of God again and wanted God to let the clerk register the residence. But on second thoughts, didn’t this show that I still had demands of God? It was a manifestation of my irrationality. I should entrust this thing to God and obey His sovereignty and arrangements. So I prayed to God in my heart, “God, You preside over everything and orchestrate all things. My daughter’s relocation certificate has been overdue for more than 20 days, and whether her residence can be registered or not depends on You. No matter what the result is, I’m willing to obey Your arrangement….” After finishing my prayer, I packed all the credentials. When I was about to leave, the clerk stopped me, telling me to wait a moment and she would discuss it with her leader. After a while, the clerk and her leader came. He looked at the relocation certificate, and said to the clerk, “For this once, and register it.” Hearing his words, I thanked and praise God from the bottom of my heart. Everything in the universe is controlled by God’s hand, and He has the final say in how things will play. When I was willing to obey the environment that He orchestrated and had a submissive prayer, the wonder happened.

Through this experience I appreciated that all the people, event and things that God orchestrates are good, and there are His earnest intentions in them. Although I had some setbacks the first time I went to have the residence registered, through them I gained a lot. Not only did I understand some of the truth regarding praying, but I also saw God’s salvation and love for me. Had it not been for the setbacks, I wouldn’t have realized my failings in my prayers, and I would have continued to pray and call out to God unreasonably, which would bring me farther and farther away from God. Only when we stand in our places and seek and submit in our prayers, can our prayers be after God’s heart. These setbacks are a change in fortune for me. All the glory be to God!

Filed Under: Prayer

Bible Verse–John 15:11

7 9 月, 2019 by Leave a Comment

John 15:11

These things have I spoken to you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.

Filed Under: Bible Verses

Bible Verses–Matthew 5:5、9-10

3 9 月, 2019 by Leave a Comment

Matthew 5:5

Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.

Matthew 5:9

Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.

Matthew 5:10

Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Filed Under: Bible Verses

The Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah – Bible Story

1 9 月, 2019 by Leave a Comment

Abraham Begs for Sodom
(Genesis 18:16-33)

And the men rose up from there, and looked toward Sodom: and Abraham went with them to bring them on the way. And the LORD said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do; Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring on Abraham that which he has spoken of him. And the LORD said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous; I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come to me; and if not, I will know.

And the men turned their faces from there, and went toward Sodom: but Abraham stood yet before the LORD. And Abraham drew near, and said, Will you also destroy the righteous with the wicked? Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city: will you also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein? That be far from you to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from you: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right? And the LORD said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes. And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have taken on me to speak to the LORD, which am but dust and ashes: Peradventure there shall lack five of the fifty righteous: will you destroy all the city for lack of five? And he said, If I find there forty and five, I will not destroy it. And he spoke to him yet again, and said, Peradventure there shall be forty found there. And he said, I will not do it for forty’s sake. And he said to him, Oh let not the LORD be angry, and I will speak: Peradventure there shall thirty be found there. And he said, I will not do it, if I find thirty there. And he said, Behold now, I have taken on me to speak to the LORD: Peradventure there shall be twenty found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for twenty’s sake. And he said, Oh let not the LORD be angry, and I will speak yet but this once: Peradventure ten shall be found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for ten’s sake. And the LORD went his way, as soon as he had left communing with Abraham: and Abraham returned to his place.

Lot Welcomes the Angels
(Genesis 19:1-23)

And there came two angels to Sodom at even; and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom: and Lot seeing them rose up to meet them; and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground; And he said, Behold now, my lords, turn in, I pray you, into your servant’s house, and tarry all night, and wash your feet, and you shall rise up early, and go on your ways. And they said, No; but we will abide in the street all night. And he pressed on them greatly; and they turned in to him, and entered into his house; and he made them a feast, and did bake unleavened bread, and they did eat. But before they lay down, the men of the city, even the men of Sodom, compassed the house round, both old and young, all the people from every quarter: And they called to Lot, and said to him, Where are the men which came in to you this night? bring them out to us, that we may know them. And Lot went out at the door to them, and shut the door after him, And said, I pray you, brothers, do not so wickedly. Behold now, I have two daughters which have not known man; let me, I pray you, bring them out to you, and do you to them as is good in your eyes: only to these men do nothing; for therefore came they under the shadow of my roof. And they said, Stand back. And they said again, This one fellow came in to sojourn, and he will needs be a judge: now will we deal worse with you, than with them. And they pressed sore on the man, even Lot, and came near to break the door. But the men put forth their hand, and pulled Lot into the house to them, and shut to the door. And they smote the men that were at the door of the house with blindness, both small and great: so that they wearied themselves to find the door.

And the men said to Lot, Have you here any besides? son in law, and your sons, and your daughters, and whatever you have in the city, bring them out of this place: For we will destroy this place, because the cry of them is waxen great before the face of the LORD; and the LORD has sent us to destroy it. And Lot went out, and spoke to his sons in law, which married his daughters, and said, Up, get you out of this place; for the LORD will destroy this city. But he seemed as one that mocked to his sons in law.

And when the morning arose, then the angels hastened Lot, saying, Arise, take your wife, and your two daughters, which are here; lest you be consumed in the iniquity of the city. And while he lingered, the men laid hold on his hand, and on the hand of his wife, and on the hand of his two daughters; the LORD being merciful to him: and they brought him forth, and set him without the city. And it came to pass, when they had brought them forth abroad, that he said, Escape for your life; look not behind you, neither stay you in all the plain; escape to the mountain, lest you be consumed. And Lot said to them, Oh, not so, my LORD: Behold now, your servant has found grace in your sight, and you have magnified your mercy, which you have showed to me in saving my life; and I cannot escape to the mountain, lest some evil take me, and I die: Behold now, this city is near to flee to, and it is a little one: Oh, let me escape thither, (is it not a little one?) and my soul shall live. And he said to him, See, I have accepted you concerning this thing also, that I will not overthrow this city, for the which you have spoken. Haste you, escape thither; for I cannot do anything till you be come thither. Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar.

The sun was risen on the earth when Lot entered into Zoar.

The Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah
(Genesis 19:24-29)

Then the LORD rained on Sodom and on Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven; And he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew on the ground.

But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.

And Abraham got up early in the morning to the place where he stood before the LORD: And he looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the plain, and beheld, and, see, the smoke of the country went up as the smoke of a furnace.

And it came to pass, when God destroyed the cities of the plain, that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the middle of the overthrow, when he overthrew the cities in the which Lot dwelled.

The origin of the Moabites and the Ammonites
(Genesis 19:30-38)

And Lot went up out of Zoar, and dwelled in the mountain, and his two daughters with him; for he feared to dwell in Zoar: and he dwelled in a cave, he and his two daughters. And the firstborn said to the younger, Our father is old, and there is not a man in the earth to come in to us after the manner of all the earth: Come, let us make our father drink wine, and we will lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our father. And they made their father drink wine that night: and the firstborn went in, and lay with her father; and he perceived not when she lay down, nor when she arose. And it came to pass on the morrow, that the firstborn said to the younger, Behold, I lay last night with my father: let us make him drink wine this night also; and go you in, and lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our father. And they made their father drink wine that night also: and the younger arose, and lay with him; and he perceived not when she lay down, nor when she arose. Thus were both the daughters of Lot with child by their father. And the first born bore a son, and called his name Moab: the same is the father of the Moabites to this day. And the younger, she also bore a son, and called his name Benammi: the same is the father of the children of Ammon to this day.

Filed Under: Bible Stories