《《對基督徒非常有幫助的29條建議》》

1.下次如果覺得自己了不起時，試試行在水上。
2.當魔鬼提起你的過去時，請提醒牠的未來。
3.你不是幸運，是蒙福。
4.若想要真正活著，得先徹底死去。
5.機會也許只敲一次門，但試探卻總是在按門鈴。
6.我們常在強壯時，忘了神。
7.那些只在星期天呼喚”天父”的人，在一星期餘下的日子裏活得像孤兒。
8.不要以自我為中心，要以基督為中心。
9.沒有基督，沒有平安；認識基督，得到平安。
（No Christ, no peace; know Christ, know peace）
10.為什麼我們不常向朋友提起神？因為我們不常向神提起我們的朋友。
11.當把你的一切獻給基督，因為祂把祂的一切都給了你。
12.你現在所追求的，值得基督為它死嗎？（好問題…）
13.使你向神靠近的人，是你真正的朋友。
14.神愛我們，不是因為我們是怎樣一個人，而是因為祂是怎樣一位神。
15.神的應許像夜空裏的星星。夜越深，星星的光芒越亮。
16.沒有基督的生命，是無望的盡頭。有基督的生命，是無盡的盼望。
17.我雖不知道未來掌管著什麼，但我知道誰掌管著未來。
18.把你的重擔交給主，讓它留在主那裏。
19.不要畏懼明天，因為上帝已在那裏。
20.當你除了神，一無所有時，你將知道神就是你全部的需要。
21.放手交給上帝，別再向神講述你的風暴有多大，當向風暴講述你的神有多大。
22.能夠滿足人心的，是造人心的那一位。
23.請常常保持著你心裏的光，因為你不知道，誰會藉著這光走出黑暗。
24.當我們只顧工作的時候，我們獨自工作；當我們祈禱的時候，神工作。
25.神無所不在，所以我們可以隨處禱告。
26.一個沒有需要的人永遠見不到神跡。
27.敬拜提醒我們生命的價值，但世界卻使我們忘記它。
28.步履艱難的時候，別一味的禱告，卻不邁向神要你走的路。
29.禱告會為我們作很多事，憂慮同樣可以。

愛心忍耐

如果要來票選最受大家讚賞的優點，我想「做得快」一定會比「做得好」獲得更高票。世上大多數人似乎都對速度著了迷。然而，為速度而瘋狂，往往得到的是「欲速則不達」！

「如今，我們對速度的著迷正面臨著挑戰，卡爾‧歐諾黑在他的《慢活》一書中提到：「快速並非總是上策」。

根據聖經教導，卡爾的看法是對的。使徒彼得就曾警示在末世人們會因上帝遲遲未再來，而質疑祂的應許。但他也指出這一切看似耽延，其實是另有美意。上帝耐心地給予更多的時間，讓人人都能悔改（彼得後書3章9節），並宣告說：「耶和華，是有憐憫、有恩典的上帝，不輕易發怒」（出埃及記34章6 節）。

我們也不應當輕易發怒，要慢慢地說（雅各書1章19節），根據雅各的說法，該快的是用耳傾聽，我們應當要快快地聽。想想看，我們只要學會在說話前先聆聽，就能事先避免多少是非之事，而這是指在說話前要真正地傾聽，而非閉口不言。

當我們倉促行事，趕著要在期限內完成目標時，也應謹記：要多加聆聽、緩和情緒，在遣詞用語上也應婉轉而柔和。

我心安靜！務求耐心等候；
千古聖賢，也曾這般經歷；
要在靈命，稍作調正安靜；
力求凡事，達到神的心意。

　

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如要發脾氣時，想想上帝對你的耐心。

價值觀

在一趟去芝加哥的旅途中，我看到一則關於企業管理研討會的廣告。廣告詞趣味盎然：一個領袖的價值與他本身的價值觀有直接的關係。這段話真是一針見血。我們的價值觀影響我們的品格，最終也將決定我們的領導方式，以及是否有領導能力。然而，這卻不僅只適用於領導者。

對於基督的跟隨者，價值觀更是意義重大。當保羅寫信給歌羅西的信徒時，他說：「你們要思念上面的事，不要思念地上的事」（歌羅西書3章2節）。他指出：只有當我們的價值觀受永恆的（而不是暫時的）價值驅使，並被其塑造時，我們才能成為基督在世上最有力的大使。我們必須瞭解我們在世上是為主而活，而不是遊戲人生。如此一來，我們才能保持清晰的視野而不致於分心，才能更好地服事我們的救主。

很多人說，我們所處的是個清楚一切價格，但卻不知任何價值的世代。在這樣一個「只看今生」的世界，基督的跟隨者要將我們的價值觀建立在永恆的事上。也就是說：基督徒事奉的果效與他本身的價值觀有著直接的關係。

求主鑒察我內心，
無事能向祢隱藏；
助我活出此生命，
誠實正直與良善。

　 永恆事物緊握住，短暫事物可放手。

與主獨處

「聯繫」這個字揭示了現今生活的普遍經歷。多數人會隨身攜帶手機、iPod、筆記型電腦，或傳呼器，讓人24小時隨時都能找得到。有些心理學家認為與人聯繫的渴望是一種癮，但也越來越多人刻意限制對科技的使用。這些「對科技說不」（tech-no）的人透過限制資訊的流入，來保留生活中的片刻安寧。

很多基督的跟隨者發現，每日閱讀聖經和禱告是信心之路的必要功課。每天一段安靜的時間，遠離外界紛擾，可讓我們與上帝聯繫。詩篇23篇2節的「青草地」和「安歇的水邊」不僅僅是詩情畫意的田園風光，也是說明與上帝交通時，他將使我們的靈魂甦醒，並引導我們走義路（3節）。

我們都能花時間與上帝親近，但我們做到了嗎？在羅伯．福斯特的《與主同在七分鐘》小冊中，他建議以簡短的禱告開始，然後讀聖經數分鐘，再以讚美、認罪、感恩和代求為結束禱告。每日花時間與生命之主聯繫是極重要的。

時間分配出，
讀經與祈禱；
傾聽聖靈言，
天路主引導。

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與主獨處，分秒有益。

God's Provision: Maintain Integrity by Rick Warren

God cares about honesty in the workplace; your business is his business. Proverbs 16:11 (MSG)
God promises to meet all your financial needs, if you (1) ask him for help; (2) learn to be content; (3) practice giving in faith; and (4) maintain your integrity --

God doesn't bless dishonesty. Proverbs 16:11 (NLT) says, "The Lord demands fairness in every business deal." That includes wages, sales and taxes.

If you want God's blessing on your finances, you've got to be honest. You can't rip people off. Profit made dishonestly always brings trouble. Always.

"The blessing of the Lord brings wealth and he adds no trouble to it." (Proverbs 10:22, NIV) Have you ever known anybody who made money, and it just brought trouble? You will always reap what you sow. If you are dishonest with others, it will be returned to you. If you think you haven't been caught, understand that the clock is still ticking. You cannot mock God and get away with it.

Be honest. Be honest with your finances: "It is the Lord's blessing that makes you wealthy." (Proverbs 10:22, TEV)

Tomorrow we'll look at trusting God, another condition for answered prayer.

放棄？

你是否曾有要放棄的念頭？先知以利亞曾經有過。上帝剛剛使用他向全以色列人顯明：唯有耶和華是真神（列王紀上18章）。他卻因害怕皇后耶洗別的威脅，而逃到100哩以南的別是巴去（19章3節），又往南走了150哩到達何烈山，那是上帝的山。 上帝兩次問以利亞他在那裡做什麼（9，13節）。他兩次的回答都一樣：「只剩下我一個人，他們還要尋索我的命」（10，14節）。他深深地陷入了恐懼，以致他忘記上帝曾透過他在迦密山所行的事。雖然以利亞經歷過極大的勝利，卻在這之後陷入極大的沮喪當中。反觀我們自己，我們不也常常如此嗎？ 上帝沒有接受以利亞要放棄的求告。相反的，祂差派他疲倦的僕人來承接三大任務（15-17節）。其實以利亞錯了，他並非是唯一跟隨耶和華的人，上帝已經留下了從未向巴力下拜的七千人（18節）。 也許你像以利亞一樣，對自己生活的處境感到絕望，讓上帝對你說話吧（12節）！祂不但不要你放棄，反而會向你顯明，你靠著他所賜的力量所能行的事。

力量盼望在於主， 主話堅定賜安息， 縱然有時似絕望， 知主眷顧總不離。

為耶穌工作，絕不輕言放棄。

Serving from the Heart by Rick Warren

From now on if you listen obediently to the commandments that I am commanding you today, love God, your God, and serve him with everything you have within you, he'll take charge of sending the rain at the right time .... Deuteronomy 11:13-14 (MSG)

Repeatedly, the Bible says to "serve the Lord with all your heart." God wants you to serve him passionately, not dutifully. People rarely excel at tasks they don't enjoy doing or feel passionate about. God wants you to use your natural interests to serve him and others.

How do you know when you're serving God from your heart?

The first telltale sign is enthusiasm. When you're doing what you love to do, no one has to motivate you, or challenge you, or check up on you. You do it for the sheer enjoyment. You don't need rewards, or applause, or to be paid, because you love serving in this way.

The opposite is also true: When you don't have a heart for what you're doing, you're easily discouraged.

One characteristic of serving God from your heart is effectiveness: whenever you do what God wired you to love to do, you get good at it. Passion drives perfection. If you don't care about a task, it is unlikely that you'll excel at it.

On the other hand, the highest achievers in any field are those who do it because of passion, not duty or profit.

We've all heard people say, "I took a job I hate in order to make a lot of money, so someday I can quit and do what I love to do." That's a big mistake. Don't waste your life in a job that doesn't express your heart.

Remember, the greatest things in life are not things. Meaning is far more important than money. The richest man in the world once said, "A simple life in the fear-of-God is better than a rich life with a ton of headaches" (Proverbs 15:16, Msg).

Don't settle for achieving "the good life," because the good life is not good enough. Ultimately, it doesn't satisfy. You can have a lot to live on, and still have nothing to live for. Aim instead for "the better life" -- serving God in a way that expresses your heart.

Figure out what you love to do -- that which God gave you a heart for -- and then do it for his glory!

Bible Reading and Devotion 读经与灵修

Read Whole Bible In A Year 一年读完圣经一遍

Bible Plan

Online Bible 网页圣经
E-Sword

Online Subscription 电子邮递订阅

My Daily Bread 每日灵粮

Daily Hope

Discover your spiritual gifts by serving by Rick Warren

Since we find ourselves fashioned into all these excellently formed and marvelously functioning parts in Christ's body, let's just go ahead and be what we were made to be. Romans 12:5 (Msg) The best way to discover your spiritual gifts and abilities is to experiment with different areas of service. For instance, when I was younger, I could have takena hundred tests to determine my gifts and abilities; yet, they would have never told me was gifted at teaching. It was only after I began accepting opportunitiesto speak that I saw the results, received confirmation from others, and realized,"God has gifted me to do this!" Many people get the discovery process backwards. They think, "Once I discovermy spiritual gifts, then I'll know my ministry." It actually works the exactopposite way. Until you're actually involved in serving, you're not going to knowwhat you're good at. The thing to do is just start serving and experimenting with different ministries; only then will you discover your gifts. You have dozens of hidden abilities and gifts you don't know about becauseyou've never tried them out. So I encourage you to try doing some things you'venever done before. No matter how old you are, I urge you to never stop experimenting. Over the years, I have met many people who discovered hidden talents whenthey were in their seventies and eighties. In fact, I know a woman in her nineties who runs and wins 10K races; she didn't discover that she enjoyed running until she was seventy-eight! Don't try to figure out your gifts before volunteering to serve somewhere. Just start serving. Try teaching or leading or organizing or playing an instrumentor working with teenagers. You will never know what you're good at until you try. When it doesn't work out, call it an "experiment," not a failure, becauseit will help you eventually learn what you're good at.