Jean-Dominique Bauby’s memoir, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, describes his life after a massive stroke left him with a condition called “Locked-In Syndrome.” Although he was almost completely paralyzed, Bauby was able to write his book by blinking his left eyelid. An aide would recite a coded alphabet, until Bauby blinked to choose the letter of a word he was dictating. The book required about 200,000 blinks to write. Bauby used the only physical ability left him to communicate with others.
In 2 Timothy we read of Paul experiencing a different kind of “locked-in syndrome.” Under house arrest, the apostle learned that his execution might be imminent. With this in view, he told Timothy: “I suffer trouble . . . even to the point of chains; but the Word of God is not chained” (2 Tim. 2:9). In spite of his isolation, Paul welcomed visitors, wrote letters of encouragement, and rejoiced at the spread of God’s Word.
For some of us, circumstances may have isolated us from others. Lying in a hospital bed, serving time in a prison, or being a shut-in can make us feel that we are experiencing our own “locked-in syndrome.” If this is true for you, why not prayerfully reflect on some ways you can still reach out to others. — Dennis Fisher
Give me to serve in humble sphere,
I ask not aught beside!Content to fill a little place,
If God be glorified. —Anon.
No deed is too small when done for Christ.
http://www.rbc.org/odb/odb.shtml
读经: 提摩太后书2章1-10节
「我为这福音受苦难，甚至被捆绑……然而，上帝的道却不被捆绑。」（提摩太后书2章9节）
法国作家尚．多明尼克．鲍比（Jean-Dominique Bauby）在他的回忆录《潜水钟与蝴蝶》中，描述他在经历一次严重中风后所遗留的症状，称之为「闭锁症」。他在几近全身麻痹的状况下，仍靠眨左眼来写 书。他请一位助理为他诵读转成密码的字母，让鲍比以眨眼睛的方式选择字母，组成他所要的单字。为完成这本书，他共计眨眼20万次。鲍比运用全身上下仅存的 能力，来与他人沟通。
在提摩太后书，我们读到保罗也经历了一种不同的「闭锁症」。在被软禁期间，他意识到自己受刑的日子可能已迫在眉梢，于是便告诉提摩太：「我为这福音受苦 难，甚至被捆绑，像犯人一样；然而，上帝的道却不被捆绑」（提摩太后书2章9节）。他虽被孤立，却热切欢迎来访之人，并写信带给人鼓舞，且为上帝的道能传 扬开来而欢喜雀跃。
我们当中有些人，可能正处在与人隔绝的景况中，如卧病在床、在狱中服刑，或无法外出。这些景况都可能让我们感到自己正遭遇「闭锁症」。如果这正是发生在你身上的事，何不带着祷告的心，找出能让你去接触他人的方式。HDF
让我谦卑事奉主，其他一切无所求！默默无闻亦满足，唯主荣耀世间留。Anon.
为基督所做之事，没有一件是小事。
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
New chapter of BCCM KL in year 2010
We're moving out from Ampang Park to Sunway.
Thanks to all the hard work being done by Pastor Chou, and brothers and sisters in church, moving a church is never easy, but it was all done because no one believe it's difficult. With the strenght from Above, nothing is impossible. Although renovation wasn't completed, but we still had our first Sunday service on 3rd Jan 2010.
Praises to the Lord.
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?id=700131437&pid=4919762#/album.php?aid=186763&id=700131437
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?id=767427832&pid=3289236
Thanks to all the hard work being done by Pastor Chou, and brothers and sisters in church, moving a church is never easy, but it was all done because no one believe it's difficult. With the strenght from Above, nothing is impossible. Although renovation wasn't completed, but we still had our first Sunday service on 3rd Jan 2010.
Praises to the Lord.
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?id=700131437&pid=4919762#/album.php?aid=186763&id=700131437
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?id=767427832&pid=3289236
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
The starting of the 5th year of BCCM KL
5 years back, BCCM KL was a mess... things changed, people changed, a church become a place that people doesn't want to go anymore, pastor turn into some person that people worship instead of the Lord, and etc...
Pastor Chung Xi Min came to KL to clear up this mess and started the restructuring of BCCM KL. Time was hard, the restructured BCCM KL 1st service had no one turn up; 2nd service with 1 member only... Pastor Chung walked away from the hall after service, weeping and heart broken... until today he share this story, we could still hear his heart broken sound "piang"...
Thereafter with Pastor Chong Shu Chong came to take over the responsibilities of growing BCCM KL again, things become better and better... Those were the hard times, we actually made our pastors cried... nobody knows where we were heading to, no answer for the questions we had... were this the right way? were those people wrong by leaving BCCM KL? God knows why and how and what went wrong...
On the 25th December 2009, this was the day we celebrate our 5th year anniversary. The new generation of BCCM KL, we had dinner in the Green View Restaurant, PJ with 180 people turn up. We might be short handed, not so interesting program for the night, but it's the day for God. We cherish because God allow us to, we become God's children because He has chosen us to be.
There will be more than just once 5th year anniversary celebration for BCCM KL.
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?id=1184351900&pid=998178#/album.php?aid=49521&id=1184351900
Pastor Chung Xi Min came to KL to clear up this mess and started the restructuring of BCCM KL. Time was hard, the restructured BCCM KL 1st service had no one turn up; 2nd service with 1 member only... Pastor Chung walked away from the hall after service, weeping and heart broken... until today he share this story, we could still hear his heart broken sound "piang"...
Thereafter with Pastor Chong Shu Chong came to take over the responsibilities of growing BCCM KL again, things become better and better... Those were the hard times, we actually made our pastors cried... nobody knows where we were heading to, no answer for the questions we had... were this the right way? were those people wrong by leaving BCCM KL? God knows why and how and what went wrong...
On the 25th December 2009, this was the day we celebrate our 5th year anniversary. The new generation of BCCM KL, we had dinner in the Green View Restaurant, PJ with 180 people turn up. We might be short handed, not so interesting program for the night, but it's the day for God. We cherish because God allow us to, we become God's children because He has chosen us to be.
There will be more than just once 5th year anniversary celebration for BCCM KL.
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?id=1184351900&pid=998178#/album.php?aid=49521&id=1184351900
HE is always willing to listen; HE is always here for you
You are welcome to post your comments here, anything, everything you'd like to share including your happiness, sadness, stressful complaints and etc... there's no restrictions as long as you're willing to share, HE is willing to listen...HE is always here for you...
为什么良善的上帝容许苦难存在？
这是个非常古老的问题。在四千多年前，有一个人就曾在自己、家庭和财物惨遭不幸时，对着沉默的苍天呼喊道：「不要定我有罪，要指示我，你为何与我争辩。你手所造的，你又欺压，又藐视，却光照恶人的计谋，这事你以为美吗……你的手创造我，造就我的四肢百体，你还要毁灭我？」（约伯记10章2-3节，8节）今天，依然有人在问同样的问题：「上帝是不是讨厌我？祂是不是因为厌弃我而让我受苦？为什么偏偏是我而不是别人？」这些问题是有答案的。虽然这些答案未必答得彻底，但足以帮助我们正确地看待苦难，也足以告诉我们如何让苦难在我们身上产生效益。在这本小册子中，作者科特·狄汉（Kurt De Haan）告诉我们，虽然信仰并没有回答所有关于苦难的疑问，但它所给予的答案，已足够让我们以信靠和爱来回应那在我们身处苦难时，呼召我们就近祂的上帝。──马汀·狄汉二世（Martin R. De Haan II）
为什么良善的上帝容许苦难存在？403-zh-hans.pdf
为什么良善的上帝容许苦难存在？403-zh-hans.pdf
「从岁首到年终，耶和华你上帝的眼目时常看顾那地。」（申命记11章12节）
一去不返
美国加州的资深牧师司德曼（Ray Stedman）有一次对会众说：「比起一年中的其他日子，我们在除夕时，特别能感受到时间一去不复返……我们可以回顾和回忆，但是我们无法把逝去的任何一刻追回来。」
司德曼接着提到当以色列人在旷野流荡了四十年之后，来到应许之地的边界，正面对一个新的开始。然而，新的一代可能会怀疑自己是否真有足够的信心与毅力进到应许之地。
于是，他们的领袖摩西提醒群众，他们曾经「亲眼看见耶和华所做的一切大事」（申命记11章7节），而且他们的目的地是「耶和华你上帝所眷顾的，从岁首到年终，耶和华你上帝的眼目时常看顾那地。」（12节）
在除夕夜，我们可能会因为过去发生的事，而对未来感到害怕。不过我们不必被过去的记忆困绑，因为我们能靠主向前迈进。如同过去上帝看顾那地以及祂的百姓，祂的眼目现在也必看顾我们。
上帝在新的一年中，每一日都必信实地看顾我们。我们可以信靠这个应许。DCM
上帝恩手掌管明天，
每日赐下够用恩典；
凡事祂都温柔引领，
只要按照祂心意行。Rohrs
我们的未来如何，永恒上帝全掌管。
http://chinese-odb.org/zh-hans/
Point Of No Return
Longtime California pastor Ray Stedman once told his congregation: “On New Year’s Eve we realize more than at any other time in our lives that we can never go back in time. . . . We can look back and remember, but we cannot retrace a single moment of the year that is past.”
Stedman then referred to the Israelites as they stood on the edge of a new opportunity. After four decades of desert wanderings by their people, this new generation may have wondered if they had the faith and fortitude to possess the Promised Land.
Their leader, Moses, reminded them that they had seen “every great act of the Lord which He did” (Deut. 11:7) and that their destination was “a land for which the Lord your God cares; the eyes of the Lord your God are always on it, from the beginning of the year to the very end of the year” (v.12).
On New Year’s Eve, we may fear the future because of events in the past. But we need not remain chained to our old memories because we can move ahead focused on God. Just as the Lord watched over the land and His people, so His eyes will be upon us.
God’s faithful care will extend to every day of the new year. We can count on that promise. — David C. McCasland
God holds the future in His handsWith grace sufficient day by day;Through good or ill He gently leads,If we but let Him have His way. —Rohrs
The “what” of our future is determined by the “Who” of eternity.
http://rbc.org/devotionals/our-daily-bread/2009/12/31/devotion.aspx
美国加州的资深牧师司德曼（Ray Stedman）有一次对会众说：「比起一年中的其他日子，我们在除夕时，特别能感受到时间一去不复返……我们可以回顾和回忆，但是我们无法把逝去的任何一刻追回来。」
司德曼接着提到当以色列人在旷野流荡了四十年之后，来到应许之地的边界，正面对一个新的开始。然而，新的一代可能会怀疑自己是否真有足够的信心与毅力进到应许之地。
于是，他们的领袖摩西提醒群众，他们曾经「亲眼看见耶和华所做的一切大事」（申命记11章7节），而且他们的目的地是「耶和华你上帝所眷顾的，从岁首到年终，耶和华你上帝的眼目时常看顾那地。」（12节）
在除夕夜，我们可能会因为过去发生的事，而对未来感到害怕。不过我们不必被过去的记忆困绑，因为我们能靠主向前迈进。如同过去上帝看顾那地以及祂的百姓，祂的眼目现在也必看顾我们。
上帝在新的一年中，每一日都必信实地看顾我们。我们可以信靠这个应许。DCM
上帝恩手掌管明天，
每日赐下够用恩典；
凡事祂都温柔引领，
只要按照祂心意行。Rohrs
我们的未来如何，永恒上帝全掌管。
http://chinese-odb.org/zh-hans/
Point Of No Return
Longtime California pastor Ray Stedman once told his congregation: “On New Year’s Eve we realize more than at any other time in our lives that we can never go back in time. . . . We can look back and remember, but we cannot retrace a single moment of the year that is past.”
Stedman then referred to the Israelites as they stood on the edge of a new opportunity. After four decades of desert wanderings by their people, this new generation may have wondered if they had the faith and fortitude to possess the Promised Land.
Their leader, Moses, reminded them that they had seen “every great act of the Lord which He did” (Deut. 11:7) and that their destination was “a land for which the Lord your God cares; the eyes of the Lord your God are always on it, from the beginning of the year to the very end of the year” (v.12).
On New Year’s Eve, we may fear the future because of events in the past. But we need not remain chained to our old memories because we can move ahead focused on God. Just as the Lord watched over the land and His people, so His eyes will be upon us.
God’s faithful care will extend to every day of the new year. We can count on that promise. — David C. McCasland
God holds the future in His handsWith grace sufficient day by day;Through good or ill He gently leads,If we but let Him have His way. —Rohrs
The “what” of our future is determined by the “Who” of eternity.
http://rbc.org/devotionals/our-daily-bread/2009/12/31/devotion.aspx
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
