'' Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.''
Not everyone agrees on what love means or how it works.
Life is not easy, and neither is loving.
But love is the issue. It's the heart of how we are intended to relate to each other and to God.
The Bible says that love is hard work, takes sacrifice, and demands that we live out our tough side as well as our sentimental side. Of course, the Bible assumes we want real love, deep love —— not just some temporary emotional high.
When we understand that real love is the issue, then we look at sin not merely as a wrong act but as a relational barrier. Sin gets in the way of loving God. Sin changes our abilities to connect with God.
When we understand that, let's us aim to do whatever we can in God's strength to keep those barriers out of life. That's why God gave us his commandments, which are not just about us, but about God with us. What we do with those commandments shows how serious our love are.
KNOWING GOD'S CHOOSING-- We know,brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you.. ----1 Thessalonians1:4
Monday, December 26, 2011
Sunday, December 25, 2011
Saturday, July 16, 2011
GOD in minute detail
Formed at God's command... what is seen was not made out of what was visible.
Hebrews 11:3
When we look up into the star-filled sky, we cannot help wondering at the greatness of creation by Almighty God. Thinking about stars, planets, and galaxies leads us to think about worlds that escape our perception and comprehension.
I think about the universe of atoms and cells, particles and tiny living things —— many of which are not seen by the naked eye, things that are part of the animal kingdom, the plant kingdom, and the mineral kingdom.
God created all this, and every bit of it is important, whether it's big or small. Everything is important because the big things are made up of smaller things: the great sea is formed by small particles of water, the vast desert is formed by tiny particles of sand.
God is concerned with the eternity of all mankind and even the seconds of my own life. God cares about the great happenings in the world, and he cares about my private problems and daily difficulties as well.
We might think we shouldn't bother God with our petty problems and daily plans—— or perhaps we even think we don't need to—— because God is the great God who has planned life itself and all eternity. But God also cares about the small details of our lives (Matthew 10:29-31). To God, each of us is a very distinct and special person. So let's speak to him!
Hebrews 11:3
When we look up into the star-filled sky, we cannot help wondering at the greatness of creation by Almighty God. Thinking about stars, planets, and galaxies leads us to think about worlds that escape our perception and comprehension.
I think about the universe of atoms and cells, particles and tiny living things —— many of which are not seen by the naked eye, things that are part of the animal kingdom, the plant kingdom, and the mineral kingdom.
God created all this, and every bit of it is important, whether it's big or small. Everything is important because the big things are made up of smaller things: the great sea is formed by small particles of water, the vast desert is formed by tiny particles of sand.
God is concerned with the eternity of all mankind and even the seconds of my own life. God cares about the great happenings in the world, and he cares about my private problems and daily difficulties as well.
We might think we shouldn't bother God with our petty problems and daily plans—— or perhaps we even think we don't need to—— because God is the great God who has planned life itself and all eternity. But God also cares about the small details of our lives (Matthew 10:29-31). To God, each of us is a very distinct and special person. So let's speak to him!
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Where is GOD?
You will find if you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul.
Deuteronomy 4:29
Carreia Junior, a Brazilian poet,writes,
One day a child asked his father:
—Dad, where is God? My eyes have never seen him. Why is it I can only imagine him on the earth, in heaven, in the flowers, in the bird's nest? I feel his presence in the prairies, in the ocean, in the sunlight, in all living things. But I don't know where he is?
—Dad, why doesn't God appear like the moon on the horizon, the fruits on the trees and the birds in the nest?
The father replied: Son, sow peace and understanding, love and forgiveness. Flee from envy and evil. Then you'll see God, right in the bottom of your heart.
Science cannot prove or disprove the existence of God.
What's more, the Bible doesn't even go out of its way to prove God's existence. It simply states,
"In the beginning God..." (Genesis 1:1) and calls us to faith by teaching about God's accomplishments in the universe and among humanity. So we either believe in God, or we doubt and try to believe God doesn't exist.
But we cannot change the truth. We must live by faith in God, who always cares for us.
We must obey in times of peace and trust God to help in times of trouble.
PRAYER
O great God, in our personal battles we sometimes doubt your existence.
In our imperfection we cannot see your face. Help us, Lord, to have steadfast faith in you.
In the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen.
Deuteronomy 4:29
Carreia Junior, a Brazilian poet,writes,
One day a child asked his father:
—Dad, where is God? My eyes have never seen him. Why is it I can only imagine him on the earth, in heaven, in the flowers, in the bird's nest? I feel his presence in the prairies, in the ocean, in the sunlight, in all living things. But I don't know where he is?
—Dad, why doesn't God appear like the moon on the horizon, the fruits on the trees and the birds in the nest?
The father replied: Son, sow peace and understanding, love and forgiveness. Flee from envy and evil. Then you'll see God, right in the bottom of your heart.
Science cannot prove or disprove the existence of God.
What's more, the Bible doesn't even go out of its way to prove God's existence. It simply states,
"In the beginning God..." (Genesis 1:1) and calls us to faith by teaching about God's accomplishments in the universe and among humanity. So we either believe in God, or we doubt and try to believe God doesn't exist.
But we cannot change the truth. We must live by faith in God, who always cares for us.
We must obey in times of peace and trust God to help in times of trouble.
PRAYER
O great God, in our personal battles we sometimes doubt your existence.
In our imperfection we cannot see your face. Help us, Lord, to have steadfast faith in you.
In the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen.
Friday, May 13, 2011
It all starts with God.
For everything, absolutely everything,
above and below, visible and invisible, ...
everything got started with him and finds its purpose in him.
-Colossians 1:16
It's not about you.
The purpose of your life is far greater than your own personal fulfillment, your peace of mind,
or even your happiness.
It's far greater than your family, your career, or even your wildest dreams and ambitions.
If you want to know why you were placed on this planet, you must begin with God.
You were born by his purpose and for his purpose.
The search for the purpose of life has puzzled people for thousands of years.
That's because we typically begin at the wrong starting point- ourselves.
We ask self-centered questions like What do I want to be? What should I do with my life? etc.
But focusing on ourselves will never reveal our life's purpose.
The Bible says,'It is God who directs the lives of his creatures;everyone's life is in his power.'
I once got lost in the mountains.When I stopped to ask for the directions to the campsite, I was told,
"You can't get there from here.You must start from the other side of the mountain!"
In the same way, we cannot arrive at our life purpose by starting with a focus on ourselves.
We must begin with God,our Creator.
How,then, do you discover the purpose you were created for?
There is an alternative to speculate about the meaning and purpose of life.
It's revelation.
We can turn to what God has revealed about life in his Word.
The easiest way to discover the purpose of an invention is to ask the creator of it.
The same is true for discovering your life's purpose: Ask God.
The Bible says,'God's wisdom...goes deep into the interior of his purposes...
It is not the latest message, but more like the oldest-what God determined as
the way to bring out his best in us.'
God is not just the starting point of our life; he is the source of it.
To discover our purpose in life we must turn to God's word,not the world's wisdom.
The Bible says,
'It's in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. Long before we first heard of Christ and got our hopes up, he had his eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living, part of the overall purpose he is working out in everything and everyone.'
This verse gives us three insights into our purpose.
1. You discover your identity and purpose through a relationship with Jesus Christ.
2. God was thinking of you long before you ever thought about him.
His purpose for your life predates your conception.
He planned it before you existed, without your input.
You may choose your career,your spouse,your hobbies,and many parts of your life,but you don't get to choose your purpose.
3. The purpose of your life fits into a larger,cosmic purpose that God has designed for eternity.
Unless you assume a God,the question of life's purpose is meaningless. - Bertrand Russell,atheist.
above and below, visible and invisible, ...
everything got started with him and finds its purpose in him.
-Colossians 1:16
It's not about you.
The purpose of your life is far greater than your own personal fulfillment, your peace of mind,
or even your happiness.
It's far greater than your family, your career, or even your wildest dreams and ambitions.
If you want to know why you were placed on this planet, you must begin with God.
You were born by his purpose and for his purpose.
The search for the purpose of life has puzzled people for thousands of years.
That's because we typically begin at the wrong starting point- ourselves.
We ask self-centered questions like What do I want to be? What should I do with my life? etc.
But focusing on ourselves will never reveal our life's purpose.
The Bible says,'It is God who directs the lives of his creatures;everyone's life is in his power.'
I once got lost in the mountains.When I stopped to ask for the directions to the campsite, I was told,
"You can't get there from here.You must start from the other side of the mountain!"
In the same way, we cannot arrive at our life purpose by starting with a focus on ourselves.
We must begin with God,our Creator.
How,then, do you discover the purpose you were created for?
There is an alternative to speculate about the meaning and purpose of life.
It's revelation.
We can turn to what God has revealed about life in his Word.
The easiest way to discover the purpose of an invention is to ask the creator of it.
The same is true for discovering your life's purpose: Ask God.
The Bible says,'God's wisdom...goes deep into the interior of his purposes...
It is not the latest message, but more like the oldest-what God determined as
the way to bring out his best in us.'
God is not just the starting point of our life; he is the source of it.
To discover our purpose in life we must turn to God's word,not the world's wisdom.
The Bible says,
'It's in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. Long before we first heard of Christ and got our hopes up, he had his eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living, part of the overall purpose he is working out in everything and everyone.'
This verse gives us three insights into our purpose.
1. You discover your identity and purpose through a relationship with Jesus Christ.
2. God was thinking of you long before you ever thought about him.
His purpose for your life predates your conception.
He planned it before you existed, without your input.
You may choose your career,your spouse,your hobbies,and many parts of your life,but you don't get to choose your purpose.
3. The purpose of your life fits into a larger,cosmic purpose that God has designed for eternity.
Unless you assume a God,the question of life's purpose is meaningless. - Bertrand Russell,atheist.
Friday, March 25, 2011
Never give up. ^^
第一幅漫画中有许多的人，每个人都背负着一个沉重的十字架，在缓慢而艰难地朝着目的地前进。
途中，有一个人突然停了下来。他心想：这个十字架实在是太沉了，就这样背着它得走到何年何月啊!?
于是，他拿出刀，作出了一个惊人的决定：他决定将十字架砍掉一些。
他真的这么做了，开始砍十字架......
砍掉之后走起来，的确是轻松了很多，他的步伐也不由得加快了。
于是就这样走啊走啊走，又走了很久很久很久很久很久。
他又想：虽然刚才已经将十字架砍掉了一块，但它还是太重了。
为了能够更快更轻松的前行，这次，他决定将十字架再砍掉一大块。
他又开始砍了......
这样一来，他一下子感觉轻松了许多。
于是，他毫不费力的走到了队伍的最前面。
大家看：当其他人都在负重奋力前进时，他呢，却能边走边轻松地哼着歌。
走着走着，谁料，前面忽然出现了一个又深又宽的沟壑！
勾上没有桥，周围也没有路。
这时候也没有蜘蛛侠或超人出来解救他......
他该怎么办呢!?
后面的人都慢慢赶上来了。
他们用自己背负的十字架搭在沟上，做成桥，从容不迫地跨越了沟壑。
他也想如法炮制。
只可惜啊，他的十字架之前已经被砍掉了长长一大截，更本无法做成桥帮助他跨越沟壑。
于是，当其他人都在朝着目标继续前进时，他却只能停在原地，垂头丧气，追悔莫及。
这个时候，在他的脑海里回响着一句话：
曾经有一个完整的十字架扛在我的肩上，我没有好好珍惜，
知道需要它的时候，我才后悔莫及。
人世间最大的痛苦莫过于此啊......
其实我们每个人每一天都背负着各种各样的十字架，在艰难前行。
它也许是我们的学习，也许是我们的工作，也许是我们的情感，也学是我们必须承担的责任和义务。
但是，正是这些责任和义务，构成了我们在这个世界上存在的理由和价值。
所以，请不要埋怨学习的繁重，工作的劳苦，责任的重大。因为真正的快乐，是挑战后的结果。没有经历深刻的痛苦，我们也就体会不到酣畅淋漓的快乐。
有些黑暗，只能自己穿越；
有些痛苦，只能自己体验；
有些孤独，也只能自己品尝。
但是，
穿过黑暗，我们一定能感受到阳光的温度；
走出痛苦，我们一定能企及成长的高度；
告别孤独，我们也一定能收获灵魂的深度。
What Does a Pencil Tell Us?
The Pencil Parable
In the beginning, the Pencil Maker spoke to the pencil saying, "There are five things you need to know before I send you out into the world.Always remember them and you will become the best pencil you can be."
First:
You will be able to do many great things, but only if you allow yourself to be held in Someone's hand.
Second:
You will experience a painful sharpening from time to time, but this is required if you are to become a better pencil.
Third:
You have the ability to correct any mistakes you might make.
Fourth:
The most important part of you will always be what's inside.
Fifth:
No matter what the condition, you must continue to write. You must always leave a clear, legible mark no matter how difficult the situation.
The pencil understood, promising to remember, and went into the box fully understanding its Maker's purpose.
*Now replacing the place of the pencil with you; always remember them and never forget, and you will become the best person you can be.
One:
You will be able to do many great things, but only if you allow yourself to be held in God's hand. And allow other human beings to access you for the many gifts you possess.
Two:
You will experience a painful sharpening from time to time, by going through various problems, but you'll need it to become a stronger person.
Three:
You will be able to correct mistakes you might make or grow through them.
Four:
The most important part of you will always be what's on the inside.
Five:
On every surface you walk, you must leave your mark. No matter what the situation,you must continue to serve God in everything.
Everyone is like a pencil...
created by the Maker for a unique and special purpose.By understanding and remembering, let us proceed with our life on this earth having a meaningful purpose in our heart and a relationship with God daily.
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