Step Out and Find Out

No Eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what Gos has prepared for those who love him.

                               --- 1 Corinthians 2:9

 Perhaps God has been speaking to you about some changes in your life and you want  them,but you are afraid. I want to encourage you not to be afraid to step out. Even if you make a mistake, it won't be the end of the world.

Go through the doors He is opening. You may even have to take a few steps in some direction and see if a door previously closed will open as you approach it. Maybe you have a little direction from God, but you don't see the full picture. God leads step by step. He may never show you step two until you take step one. I am not advocating doing foolish things, but I do encourage you to find the balance between living in fear and living in wisdom.

God is progressive, and I have found that my faith is also. I may have a little faith, and so God shows me a little something to do. Then as I am faithful over the little thing, He shows me the next step, and by then, my faith has grown to be able to handle it.

Don't spend all of your life looking back and wishing you had tried different things or done things differently. Wondering what could have been is a lonely feeling. I can promise you that you will not enjoy everything you try. But at least you will have the personal experience of knowing. You won't have to live your whole life hearing about what everyone else is doing and wondering what it would be like. You are not going to be able to do everything, but step out in God's timing into the things you feel He is leading you into.

Oh,well

Cease from anger and forsake wrath;fret not yourself---it tends only to evildoing.
---Psalm 37:8

Whenever I find myself in a situation I can't do anything about, I have found that a good way to cast my care upon the Lord is simply to say ,"oh,well".

Take,for example,the morning that someone spilled his orange juice in the car and got a little of bit on your sweater. Immediately he said,"devil, I'm not impressed." and you said"oh, well." so that problem was solved, and we pressed forward with the rest of our day.

Some things just aren't worth getting upset about,yet many people do.unfortunately a large majority of Christians are upset,fretful,and full of anxiety most of the time.it is not the big things that get to them;it is the little things that don't fit into their plans.instead of casting their care and just saying,"oh,well," they are always trying to do something about something they can't do anything about. On more than one occasion that simple phrase"oh,well" has really helped to make it through.

The Holy Spirit as a Lifter

And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Comforter,that He may remain with you forever.

                     ---- JOHN 14:16

Do you know that even the ministry of the Holy Spirit is one of lifting up?Before Jesus ascended into heaven, He said to His disciples,'I am going to ask the Father to send the Holy Spirit upon you to be your Comforter.' The Greek word from which the word 'Comforter' is translated in this verse is parakletos, meaning 'called to one's side,ie.to one's aid.' In other words the Comforter is one who comes to stand alongside to encourage, edify, and exhort. Everything the Holy Spirit does is to keep us lifted up. He is our permanent' pick me up' to keep us from becoming depressed.

According to Webster's II new college Dictionary(1995), depress means: 1. To lower in spirits:SADDEN. 2.To Press down: LOWER. 3.To lessen the activity or the force of:WEAKEN.'

When Satan comes against you and me to depress us, he is trying to lower our spirits, sadden us, press us down, lessen our activity and force for God. He is trying to keep us from moving forward, because one of the synonyms of the word depressed is backward. Satan wants to use depression to 'pull our power plug.' to drive us backward, while God wants to empower us and propel us forward. The question is,are we pressing on or are we being pressed down?

Each one of us has to face and deal with disappointments and discouraging people and situations every day of our lives. However, we have been given the Holy spirit to help lift us up and see us through.

Keep Saing to Yourself

And there was a woman who had had a flow of blood for 12 years. And who had endured much suffering under many physicians and had spent all that she had, and was no better but instead grew worse. She had heard the reports concerning Jesus, and she came up behind Him in the throng and touched His garment. For she kept saying,If I only touch His garments, I shall be restored to health.
    --- Mark 5:25- 28

What about the woman with the issue of blood? She had been having the same problem for 12 years. She had suffered greatly, and no one had been able to help her. Surely this woman was being attacked with thoughts of hopelessness. When she thought about going to Jesus, surely she must have heard, 'what's the use?' But she pressed on past the crowd that was so thick on all sides that it was suffocating. She touched the hem of Jesus' garment, healing virtue flowed to her, and she was made well. But there is a part we don't want to miss:"For she kept saying, If I only touch His garments, I shall be restored to health."

She kept saying! She kept saying! Do you get it? She kept saying! No matter what she felt like, no matter how much others tried to discourage her, even though the problem was 12 years old, and the crowd looked impossible to get through, this woman got her miracle. Jesus told her that it was her faith that had made her whole. Her faith was released through her words. Faith has to be activated if it is to work, and one of the ways we activate it is through our words. Keep saying-- and don't give up hope!

Stay Supernaturally Relaxed

Come to Me, all You who labor and are heavy-laden and overburdened, and I will cause you to rest.
                            -- Matthew 11:28

The longer we know the Lord, the more relaxed we should become when we face situations that try to steal our peace. Previous experience with God is valuable because we learn that somehow He always comes through. Each time we face a new crisis, we can remember that even though He may not have done exactly what we wanted Him to do, He always did something that worked out. Relaxing in the face of trials helps us to maintain our peace with God.

New believers who do not have personal examples on which to build their confidence in God must be more dependent on examples in the Bible of God's faithfulness. The testimonies of other believers can also greatly encourage them. Remember, Jesus said that we are to come to Him when we have problems,and He will give us rest.

Jesus wants us to live in a relaxed state, not tense, uptight, worried, or anxious about yesterday, today, or tomorrow. We can stop reasoning and trying to figure out what we need to do. And the Lord doesn't want us to be upset with other people who aren't doing what we want them to either.

Jesus wants us to trust Him and relax. I call this being supernaturally relaxed, because in the natural we may have difficulty learning how or finding time to relax. But when God adds His super to our natural, we end up with supernatural. We can have supernatural relaxation!Jesus was saying, 'Come to Me about anything, because I always want to help you with everything.' There's nothing too little and nothing too big to take to Him. You can't take too much. You can't have too many requests.

Finish What You Start

For We have become fellows with Christ and share in all He has for us, if only we hold our first newborn confidence and original assured expectation firm and unshaken to the end.
                                    ----- Hebrews 3:14

Do not, therefore, fling away your fearless confidence,for it carries a great and glorious compensation of reward.
                                          --- Hebrews 10:35


But we do desire for each of you to show the same diligence and sincerity in realizing and enjoying the full assurance and development of hope until the end.
                                               --- Hebrews 6:11

All of the scriptures above should be meditated upon and taken very seriously. God is not interested in our starting things that we never finish. It is easy to begin, but it takes great courage to finish. In the beginning of a new thing we get all excited. We have a lot of emotions( Ours and everyone else's) to support us. When the emotions wear off and all that is left is a lot of hard work and the need for extreme patience, we find out who really has what it takes to truly succeed.

In God's mind we are never successful if we stop somewhere along the way. He wants us to finish our course and do it with joy!If you have been tempted recently to give up-- DON'T!If you don't finish the thing you are currently involved in, you will face the same challenges in the next thing you start. Some people spend all their lives starting new things and never finishing anything. Let us make a decision that we will be more than people who never reached their full potential.

不要迷失在人群里

 在这广大的世界里,我们常觉得自己只不过是群众中一个微不足道的小人物罢了.世界的趋势是要除去我们个人的特质,要我们认同周围的人.然而,神以他独特的方式来爱我们.

耶稣正前往耶路撒冷的路上,要完成他在十字架上的任务.群众蜂拥而至包围他,矮小的撒盖 非得爬上一棵树,才看得到耶稣.撒该原想,只想看最伟大的教师一眼,就心满意足,但耶稣居然停下来,抬头直视他!那时撒该在人群中根本不受注意,就这样,撒该开始一段与耶稣同处的时光,而这个际遇彻底的改变了他的生命.

耶稣会以独特的方式与你相交.他知道你的过去,你将会面对的将来,以及你生命的每个细节,他赐给你的话语会完美的切合你生活的环境.你可能处于一群聆听神话语的基督徒当中,也可能是你周遭唯一听见神话语的人.如果旁人并没有像你一样因神的真理兴奋激动,不要感到灰心失望.如果他们没有像你一样,把神的话语应用在自己的身上,不要没有耐性.神会使他的话语个人化.他会以他的方式,满足你每个朋友的需要.

Laughter: Good Medicine 笑是良药

喜乐的心乃是乃是良药. A merry heart does good, like medicine.

                                                                  Proverbs 17:22


嘎尼克 所著的'美好家园'一书中,有一篇题为'常笑豁达得健康'的文章,对几千年前所罗门在箴言中所写的做了回应.嘎尼克说:'医学研究显示,幽默谐趣是良药--的确可以帮助你保持健康的身体.' 他又说到有位叫做弗莱的医生,形容人的笑是'内部的缓步跑'. 对人的心血管系统非常有益.

Nick Gallo, in his better Homes and Gardens article titled ' Laugh Your Way to Good Health.' makes an observation that echoes what Solomon wrote thousands of years ago. Mr. Gallo said,' New research shows that humor is good medicine.-- And says that it's good for a person's cardiovascular system.

他把笑与运动做了比较,指出人痛快的笑,对身体有好几方面的益处:血压暂时降低,呼吸率下降,紧张的肌肉得以松弛.他说很多人都感受到这种'松弛的余劲'.嘎尼克概括的写道'内心有一种持久的幽默感,特别是与内在的信念和乐观的情绪相结合,是构成健康的重要动力.'

Comparing laughter to exercise, Gallo points out that when a person laughs heartily, several physical benefits occur. There is a temporary lowering of blood pressure, a decreased rate of breathing, and a reduction in muscle tension. He reports that many people sense a 'relaxed afterglow'. Gallo concluded, 'An enduring sense of humor, especially combined with other inner resources such as faith and optimism, appears to be a potent force of better health.'

我们基督徒大有理由满心喜乐,我们应该比其他人更能因笑而受惠.我们对神有坚定的信心,我们因为有神智惠的掌管,心里踏实而无比乐观.

Christians, above all others, should benefit from laughter because we have the greatest reason to be joyful. Our faith is firmly planted in God, and our optimism is based on the assurance that we are under His wise control.

不要害怕好好的笑一顿--因为笑是良药!

Don't be afraid to enjoy a good laugh-- It's good medicine!

Who Do You Wrok For? 你为谁工作?

 两千多年前,有一位雕塑家在希腊一座庙里树立了一个塑像,他费了许多时间以期做的尽量完美.有人为他为什么在塑像背部人们看不到的位置,也要如此精心细琢,跟做前面一样认真?他的回答说'我做工的方式就是这样.人可能永远不明白背面,但我相信神看得见.'

More than 2000 years ago a sculptor erected a statue in a Greek temple. He had spent much time perfecting it. When asked why he gave the same painstaking care to the back, which wouldn't be seen, as he did to the front, he replied,'that's the way I always work. Men may never see it , but I believe the gods do !'

基督徒应该有更充分的理由自觉的去做好自己的工作!他们勤劳做工不是为了博得喝彩,也不仅是因大功告成而得的喜乐,而是为了得到救赎我们,创造我们的主的赞许,为了造福人类.

How much greater reason Christians have for doing their work conscientiously! They labor not for applause nor merely for the joy of accomplishment, but they strive for the approval for their Creator and Redeemer, and for the blessing of mankind.

神造人时既创造人的身体,也赐给人思想.人们如果竭力而为,必得到最佳的运作.罪还没有进入这个世界之前,神已经派亚当担任负责管理伊甸园的工作.由于亚当的犯罪使这项事工越来越苦难,但始终这是一项光荣的工作.即或最卑微的事工,也应该以最崇高的动机去完成--那就是一切都是为了荣耀神.为荣耀神而勤奋作工,就是卑微普通的苦差事也能转化为美妙无比的时机,带来满足和喜乐.

God created man with a mind and a body, and they function best when occupied with fruitful endeavor. Even before sin entered the world, He assigned Adam the task of tending the Garden of Eden. Work has become more difficult because of Adam's sin, but it is always honorable. Even the lowest type of service can be performed with the highest motive--that of honoring God. Labor done for His glory transforms common drudgery into a wonderful opportunity that brings joy and satisfaction.

现在我们就可以停下来想想保罗在这方面的训诲,从新决意用信心做好每一天的工作--'不要只在眼前事奉,像要讨人喜欢的,总要存心诚实敬畏主.'

Today, pause to consider Paul's admonition and determine anew to perform your daily tasks faithfully--'not with eye service, as men-pleasers, but in sincerity of heart,fearing God.

The Big Piece 大的一片

你或许听过这样的故事:两个朋友在餐馆相遇,便一同用晚餐.两个人各自要了一份鱼排.过了一会儿,侍应生把他们点的食物端了上来--就是2片鱼,一片大的和一片较小的.盛在一只大盘子里.其中一个人就先拿给他的朋友.他把那片小的放在一只碟子里,送到桌子对面去.

You may have heard the story of two friends who met for dinner in a restaurant. Each requested filet of sole, and after a few minutes the waiter came back with their order. Two pieces of fish, a large and a small, were on the same platter. One of the men proceeded to serve his friend. Placing the small piece on a plate, he handed it across the table.

他的朋友惊叫起来:'这样嘛,你的确厚面皮!'另一个反问:'是什么正困扰你呀?' 对方回答'请看看你自己做了什么?你竟然把小的一片给我,而自己却保留大的.'那人再问他的朋友:' 那你会怎么做?' 这位朋友回答:'如果由我来分,我必定会把大的给你.' 那人便回答说'那么,我已经拿到这片大的了.可不是吗?'到此,两人都笑了起来.

'Well, you certainly do have nerve!'. exclaimed his friend. ' What's troubling you?' asked the other. 'Look what you've done.' he answered. 'You've given me the little piece and kept the big one for yourself.' 'How would you have done it ?' the man asked. His friend replied, 'if I were serving, I would have given you the big piece.'  'Well,' replied the man.' I've got it, haven't I?' At this, they both laughed.

不过,天生自私是不值得笑得.当雅各和约翰向耶稣要求天国里的卓越地位时,其他的10个门徒听后都表示愤慨.我们当然可以推测,他们也是想坐在掌权的位置上.

Innate selfishness, however, is no laughing matter. When James and John asked Jesus for a prominent position in His kingdom, and the other 10 disciples heard it, they were indignant. We may presume that they too wanted to sit in the places of authority.

那么常见的乃是我们的旧性情,争要那片大的或争夺要显赫地位!我们往往尝试用策略去争取权力和领导地位.其实相反的,我们必须跟随我们主的榜样:'不是要受人的服事,乃是要服事人.'

How often our old nature demands the big piece or the prominent place! We try to maneuver for positions of authority and leadership. Instead, we must follow the example of our Lord, who 'did not come to be served, but to serve'