Ready Giver 甘心捐献的人

我读过一个故事说,有一个富翁非常吝啬.有一天,他跟教会的牧师谈话时间牧师说'何以人们总指摘我吝啬,虽然他们知道我在遗嘱上写明,我死后,财产全部播充善举?'

According to a story I read, a wealthy man had a reputation for being stingy with his money. One day as he talked to the pastor of his church, he asked' why do people accuse me of being a miser even though they know that I have stated in my will that when i die all my money will be given to charity?'


 牧师讲了一个关于猪和牛的寓言,来回应他的问题.猪埋怨说,他不明白为何人人喜欢牛多于猪.他说'我知道你们牛有奶可以给人喝,但我们猪能给予他们熏肉和火腿啊!' 牛回答:'不错,你说得对.不过有一个极大分别.我们牛在生存期间已乐意的供给奶,你们猪只是在死后才供给.'

The Minister responded by telling a fable about a pig and a cow. The pig complained that he couldn't understand why people liked cows more than pigs. He said' I know that you cows give milk to people. But we pigs give them bacon and ham.'  Yes'. said the Cow. 'that's true. But there's one big difference. We cows are glad to do our giving while we're living. You pigs only do your giving after you're dead.'

我们在遗嘱里,把有价值的东西在死后捐出,那是值得称赞的--但比不过上在今生就欢欢喜喜的捐献.倘若我们以为因为害怕生活方式有所改变,或对物欲的满足有冲突,而不肯慷慨捐献,我们便失丧神对我们的丰富恩宠.当日以色列人那样甘心的为建造会幕慷慨奉献,神一定是很喜悦,所以摩西吩咐他们不必在奉献了.

It certainly is commendable to include worthy because in our wills--but not at the expense of cheerful giving right here and now. If we fail to give generously because it would alter our lifestyle or conflict with our desire for things, we lose out on God's full favor. How pleased the Lord must have been when the Israelites gave so willingly and generously for the building of the tabernacle that Moses had to tell them not to bring any more!

请记住,神喜爱捐的乐意的人.你属于哪一类奉献者呢?
Remember, the Lord loves cheerful givers. What kind of giver are you?

Never Too Old 永不太老

求你使我们早早饱得你的慈爱,好叫我们一生一世欢呼喜乐.Satisfy us early with Your mercy, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days!

                                                                                                 -----Psalm 90:14

一些人年纪虽大,仍大有成就.祖母摩西在100岁时,仍然绘画.萧伯纳以94岁高龄写了一个剧本.鲁宾斯坦89岁的时候,尚在卡内基音乐厅做大型演奏,丘吉尔在82岁时,就写了一本'英语民族史'.

Look at what some people have accomplished despite advancing age. When Grandma Moses was 100, she was still painting. George Bernard Shaw wrote a play at 94. Arthur Rubinstein gave a great recital at Carnegie Hall when he was 89. And at 82, Winston Churchill wrote a History of the English--Speaking People.

圣经告诉我们,有许多敬虔的人,并没有因年事已高而停滞不前--像迦勒和摩西便是例子.迦勒在80岁的时候,奉派往迦南窥探.后来,他还蒙神准许进入应许地.摩西一直衷心带领以色列人,直至120岁.他们的成功秘诀,就在于衷心服事神,并且持着坚定不移的态度,直至神呼召他们归回天家.

The Bible tells of many godly people who didn't let the advancing years stop them-- Caleb and Moses, for instance. At 80, Caleb was one of the men sent to spy out the land of Canaan, and later he was allowed to enter the Promised Land. And Moses continued to lead the people of Israel faithfully until he was 120. The secret of their success was faith in God and an attitude of steadfastness until God called them home.

诗篇90:10说到,世上有不少人存活远超过70岁.借着鼓励别人以及一把精力用在事奉神方面,'他们年老的时候仍要结果子'(诗92:14).另一方面,有些十分年轻的人却希望可以不劳而获.


There are many people who have lived far beyond the 70 years mentioned in Psalm 90:10. They are still bearing 'fruit in old age' by encouraging others and using their energy in God's service. Others, however, far younger, have decided to coast home.


只要我们仍有力气,我们便要献上自己事奉主.这样,不管我们的年纪有多大,我们都能'欢呼喜乐'

As long as we have strength, we need to dedicate ourselves  to the Lord's service. Then, no matter what our age, we can 'rejoice and be glad'

It Hurts To Love 爱的伤痛

When Israel was a child, I loved him... My people are bent on backsliding from Me. 以色列年幼的时候,我爱他...我的民偏要背道离开我.

                                                                                       Hosea 何11:1,7

你若想在你的生命路途中,尽量减少忧伤和痛楚,你就不要爱上任何人.每逢你让自己去爱,你便要打开苦痛之门.人恋爱结婚可能会因配偶患病或死亡,洒下眼泪.爱自己儿女父母,看着儿女成长时,必然会忍受不少伤痛.

If you want to go through life with as little sorrow or pain as possible, don't love anybody. Every time you let yourself love,you open the door to pain. A person who falls in love and marries may shed many tears over the illness or death of the spouse. Parents who love their children will suffer many hurts as they watch them grow up.

我们若不让自己在情感与任何人连上关系,必可免去很多痛苦.不过,者也使我们失丧人生的最大快乐.诚然,我们爱的越深,痛苦也更深.不过,无私之爱,也同样是得到最大快乐的途径.

We can spare ourselves much pain if we don't let ourselves become emotionally attached to anyone. But we will also miss out on some of the greatest joys in life. The more we love, the more we suffer. That's true. But the path of selfless love is also the path to some of our greatest joys.

在何西阿书第11章,神将出他对以色列的爱.他将自己比作一位照顾幼儿的慈父.可是原该使他喜乐的以色列人,反令他痛苦.他们拒绝他的爱和引领,不尊敬他.神说,他要整治他们;然而他的怜爱顿生,他应该不会毁灭这个国家.

In Hosea 11, God spoke of His love for Israel. He compared Himself to a father caring for a child.(vv3-4). But the people who should have brough Him joy caused Him pain instead. They rejected His love and guidance and did not honor him(vv5-7). God said He would discipline them,yet His sympathy was stirred and He promised He would not destroy the nation(v.9)

爱别人虽然使我们容易受伤害和失望,但那份赏赐却是巨大的.因此我们应选择去爱,即使爱会带来痛苦.

Loving others makes us vulnerable to hurt and disappointment,but the rewards are great. Let's choose to love in spite of the pain it may bring.

为刺而感谢 Thanks For Thorns

我为基督的缘故,就以软弱...困苦为可喜乐的

I take pleasure in infirmities,....in distresses, for Christ's sake.

                                                                            (林后12:10)


我们很难在各种境遇下都心存感谢.当我们的身体被疾病毁坏,或刚刚获知我们染上不治之症,或正在失业,又或一种深刻的关系已告破裂,我们就不会觉得感恩了.但我们可以学习感谢神,因他在我们软弱之时赐给我们力量.

To give thanks in every situation is sometimes very difficult. When our bodies are wracked by pain, or we have just learned that we have a physical problem for which there is no cure, or we have lost our job, or a cherished relationship has been broken, we don't feel grateful. But we can learn to thank God because He gives us strength when we feel weak.

这就是为什么使徒保罗说'我为基督的缘故,就以软弱...困苦为可喜乐的'.作为信徒,我们能够心存感恩,是由于透过这些经验,神正成就对我们最好的事务.甚至借着受苦,神仍是为着我们的益处而工作.

That is why the apostle Paul could say, 'I take pleasure in infirmities,...in distresses, for Christ's sake.' and as believers, we can be grateful that through such experiences God is accomplishing what is best for us. Even through suffering He is working for our good

一位苏格兰的传道人兼作家马席孙,他虽然失明,仍发出这样的祷告'我曾为生命的玫瑰和欢乐向神感谢千万次,却从未为我的刺感谢一次...请指教我,懂得我所付十字架的荣耀;教导我懂得'刺'的价值.请让我看清楚,在痛苦的路上我一步一步爬近你.请让我看清楚,我的眼泪已造成了我美丽的彩虹.

Scottish author and preacher George Matheson,who was blind,expressed this prayer:'I have thanked Thee a thousand times for my roses, but never once for my 'thorn'....teach me the glory of my cross; teach me the value of my 'thorn'. Show me that I have climbed to Thee by the path of pain. Show me that my tears have made my rainbow.'

当我们将自己向主降服,并记得他所做的每一件事情都是为了达成我们最终的益处;我们就能感谢神,甚至在我们被刺戳伤的时候.

As we surrender ourselves to the Lord and remember that He is working in everything to accomplish our ultimate good ,we can thank Him when we are pierced by 'thorns'