For God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil. Ecclesiastes 12:14
Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 5:10, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.” Everything a Christian has done must fall into one of two categories—good or bad. There is no neutrality. Every act that is not performed in faith and obedience for the glory of God, is unacceptable to God and therefore bad. All these works will be judged when Jesus returns. However, this would not be a judgment of condemnation but one of reward (1 Cor. 3:11-15). So how will Jesus judge believers when we stand before Him?
(1) According to our RELATIONSHIP with Him (Matt. 7:21-23). There are some professing Christians who only have a head-knowledge about Jesus, but have never had an experiential intimate relationship with Him. These people will not stand the test of fire in that day.
(2) According to our OBEDIENCE (7:24-25). The man who hears and obeys God is likened to one who builds his life on a solid foundation which will stand the test of storms in life.
(3) According to our FAITHFULNESS (24:45-46). God wants us to be faithful at all times and in every situation, even when it is inconvenient; or when no one is watching; or when it is dangerous to be faithful. Faithfulness is the cornerstone of character. And God is more committed to building our character than our comfort.
(4) According to our FRUITFULNESS (25:21). God wants us to be faithful so that we will be fruitful. Jesus has chosen us to go and bear fruit—fruit that should remain (John 15:16). Everything that bears fruit, God will prune so that it will bear even more fruit. But everything that does not bear fruit, God will take away (15:1-2). This shows the importance of fruitfulness in God’s eyes. (5) According to our motives (Rom. 2:16). God judges our thoughts and intents, the deepest motives and impulse of our minds and hearts.
Knowing this, let us live our lives circumspectly and judge ourselves in these five areas so that our works will stand as we come before the judgment seat of Christ one day.
2009年11月12日星期四
Sowing In Difficult Time
He who observes the wind will not sow, and he who regards the clouds will not reap. Ecclesiastes 11:4
For some reason, the fear of insufficiency tends to overshadow our faith in God. When we see the storms coming, we tend to withhold our seeds. In 1 Kings 17, a woman almost brought about her own financial collapse because of this fear. Her barrel of meal was nearly empty, so she stopped giving to God. Though she was under divine command to feed the prophet Elijah, she decided to disobey the Lord’s command (17:9-12). The fear of insufficiency had gripped her. When Elijah realized the problem, he immediately addressed the issue. He encouraged her to give toward her future harvest and not from her past shortages. “So she went away and did according to the word of Elijah; and she and he and her household ate for many days. The bin of flour was not used up, nor did the jar of oil run dry, according to the word of the LORD which He spoke by Elijah” (17:15-16). Her victory came swiftly. The seed she planted resulted in a miracle harvest for herself, her son and Elijah. If you are willing to take God at His word, no matter what situation you may be in, God can perform His word.
In Genesis, we read of how Isaac was living in a difficult time of famine. He was overcome by the fear of insufficiency and made plans to leave the Promised Land, the land of God’s provision. He was heading to Egypt, the land of man’s provision. But God appeared to Isaac and said: “Do not go down to Egypt; live in the land of which I shall tell you. Dwell in this land, and I will be with you and bless you; for to you and your descendants I give all these lands, and I will perform the oath which I swore to Abraham your father” (Gen. 26:2-3). Isaac obeyed. In the next few verses, you will find that he sowed precious seeds into the famine-parched land. How foolish he must have seemed to the unbelievers. It looked like a total waste to plant good seeds then.
But Isaac used his faith as a shield against bad news and the advice of the best minds of his day. He boldly obeyed God. He knew that if he sowed no seed, there would be no hope for a harvest. “Then Isaac sowed in that land, and reaped in the same year a hundredfold; and the LORD blessed him. The man began to prosper, and continued prospering until he became very prosperous; for he had possessions of flocks and possessions of herds and a great number of servants. So the Philistines envied him” (26:12-14). Again you see that if a person is willing to obey the voice of God no matter how bad the economy may seem, God is going to perform what He promised. Similarly, we can put away every fear of insufficiency and start sowing toward our future today!
For some reason, the fear of insufficiency tends to overshadow our faith in God. When we see the storms coming, we tend to withhold our seeds. In 1 Kings 17, a woman almost brought about her own financial collapse because of this fear. Her barrel of meal was nearly empty, so she stopped giving to God. Though she was under divine command to feed the prophet Elijah, she decided to disobey the Lord’s command (17:9-12). The fear of insufficiency had gripped her. When Elijah realized the problem, he immediately addressed the issue. He encouraged her to give toward her future harvest and not from her past shortages. “So she went away and did according to the word of Elijah; and she and he and her household ate for many days. The bin of flour was not used up, nor did the jar of oil run dry, according to the word of the LORD which He spoke by Elijah” (17:15-16). Her victory came swiftly. The seed she planted resulted in a miracle harvest for herself, her son and Elijah. If you are willing to take God at His word, no matter what situation you may be in, God can perform His word.
In Genesis, we read of how Isaac was living in a difficult time of famine. He was overcome by the fear of insufficiency and made plans to leave the Promised Land, the land of God’s provision. He was heading to Egypt, the land of man’s provision. But God appeared to Isaac and said: “Do not go down to Egypt; live in the land of which I shall tell you. Dwell in this land, and I will be with you and bless you; for to you and your descendants I give all these lands, and I will perform the oath which I swore to Abraham your father” (Gen. 26:2-3). Isaac obeyed. In the next few verses, you will find that he sowed precious seeds into the famine-parched land. How foolish he must have seemed to the unbelievers. It looked like a total waste to plant good seeds then.
But Isaac used his faith as a shield against bad news and the advice of the best minds of his day. He boldly obeyed God. He knew that if he sowed no seed, there would be no hope for a harvest. “Then Isaac sowed in that land, and reaped in the same year a hundredfold; and the LORD blessed him. The man began to prosper, and continued prospering until he became very prosperous; for he had possessions of flocks and possessions of herds and a great number of servants. So the Philistines envied him” (26:12-14). Again you see that if a person is willing to obey the voice of God no matter how bad the economy may seem, God is going to perform what He promised. Similarly, we can put away every fear of insufficiency and start sowing toward our future today!
2009年11月10日星期二
The Rod Of Correction
The words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious, but the lips of a fool shall swallow him up. Ecclesiastes 10:12
Solomon, having shown the benefit of wisdom and of what great advantage it is to us, exposes the folly of a fool here in Ecclesiastes 10.
(1) Fools talk a great deal with no purpose. They show their folly by the multitude of their words. The words of a fool not only expose him to ridicule, but also bring him to ruin. Adonijah foolishly spoke against his own life (1 Kin. 2:23).
(2) Fools have little control over their emotions. Ecclesiastes 10:13 states, “The words of his mouth begin with foolishness, and the end of his talk is raving madness.” The fool speaks foolishness and ends up in great anger and fury. No one seems to be able to talk sense to him.
(3) Fools never know when to stop talking. Ecclesiastes 10:14 says, “A fool also multiplies words. No man knows what is to be; who can tell him what will be after him?” A fool speaks endlessly and never knows when to leave off. Many who are empty of sense are full of words, and those without substance are the noisiest.
(4) Fools toil a great deal to no purpose. Ecclesiastes 10:15 says, “The labor of fools wearies them, for they do not even know how to go to the city!” The foolish tire themselves in endless pursuits and never bring anything to pass. Proverbs 22:15 reads, “Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child; the rod of correction will drive it far from him.” The way to drive foolishness out of our hearts is through the rod of correction. Hebrews 12:1 says, “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.” How do we lay aside every weight as well as the sin that easily ensnares us?
The answer is found in Hebrews 12:5-6, “And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons: ‘My son, do not despise the chastening of the LORD, nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; for whom the LORD loves He chastens, and scourges every son whom He receives.’” We all need to be disciplined and to endure the hardship of the rod of correction. But to learn, you must be willing to be taught. Therefore, if you want to be wise and drive foolishness away; then as children, submit to your parents, listen to them and honor them. As believers, submit yourselves to your spiritual leaders so that they may train you to be a true disciple of Christ (13:17).
Solomon, having shown the benefit of wisdom and of what great advantage it is to us, exposes the folly of a fool here in Ecclesiastes 10.
(1) Fools talk a great deal with no purpose. They show their folly by the multitude of their words. The words of a fool not only expose him to ridicule, but also bring him to ruin. Adonijah foolishly spoke against his own life (1 Kin. 2:23).
(2) Fools have little control over their emotions. Ecclesiastes 10:13 states, “The words of his mouth begin with foolishness, and the end of his talk is raving madness.” The fool speaks foolishness and ends up in great anger and fury. No one seems to be able to talk sense to him.
(3) Fools never know when to stop talking. Ecclesiastes 10:14 says, “A fool also multiplies words. No man knows what is to be; who can tell him what will be after him?” A fool speaks endlessly and never knows when to leave off. Many who are empty of sense are full of words, and those without substance are the noisiest.
(4) Fools toil a great deal to no purpose. Ecclesiastes 10:15 says, “The labor of fools wearies them, for they do not even know how to go to the city!” The foolish tire themselves in endless pursuits and never bring anything to pass. Proverbs 22:15 reads, “Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child; the rod of correction will drive it far from him.” The way to drive foolishness out of our hearts is through the rod of correction. Hebrews 12:1 says, “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.” How do we lay aside every weight as well as the sin that easily ensnares us?
The answer is found in Hebrews 12:5-6, “And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons: ‘My son, do not despise the chastening of the LORD, nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; for whom the LORD loves He chastens, and scourges every son whom He receives.’” We all need to be disciplined and to endure the hardship of the rod of correction. But to learn, you must be willing to be taught. Therefore, if you want to be wise and drive foolishness away; then as children, submit to your parents, listen to them and honor them. As believers, submit yourselves to your spiritual leaders so that they may train you to be a true disciple of Christ (13:17).
2009年11月9日星期一
Bad Things Do Happen To Us
I returned and saw under the sun that—The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to men of understanding, nor favor to men of skill; but time and chance happen to them all. Ecclesiastes 9:11
We are often disappointed by circumstances and challenges in life. There are so many events that do not always make sense even with the most rational prospects and probabilities. Life very often happens not according to one’s expectations. Here in Ecclesiastes, Solomon gives instances of disappointments.
We would think that the lightest of foot should, in running, win the prize; and yet the race is not always to the swift. Some accidents may happen that could retard them; or they might feel too secure, therefore becoming careless, letting those who are slower get ahead of them. We would think that in fighting, the most numerous and powerful army should always be victorious.
But the battle is not always to the strong. A host of Philistines was once put to flight by Jonathan and his men (1 Sam. 14). “Five of you shall chase a hundred, and a hundred of you shall put ten thousand to flight; your enemies shall fall by the sword before you” (Lev. 26:8). We would think that men of sense should always be men of substance, and that those who have understanding should have abundance. Yet it does not always prove so. Many talented people who were likely to thrive in the world, have strangely gone backward and come to nothing.
This may be a surprising thought to you but God is not the cause of everything that happens in our lives. There are things that happen in the course of life which are results of us living in a broken down world. Everyone who breathes faces problems. We need to know sometimes that bad things do happen to good people. But in Christ we have the power to overcome every storm of life. “For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God” (1 John 5:4-5)?
The prophet Habakkuk resolves to rejoice no matter what happens. “Though the fig tree may not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines; though the labor of the olive may fail, and the fields yield no food; though the flock may be cut off from the fold, and there be no herd in the stalls—Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation. The LORD God is my strength; He will make my feet like deer’s feet, and He will make me walk on my high hills”
(Hab. 3:17-19).
When the disappointments are enormous, when the blows are relentless, when all expectations are dashed, that is when we need to say, “I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation!”
We are often disappointed by circumstances and challenges in life. There are so many events that do not always make sense even with the most rational prospects and probabilities. Life very often happens not according to one’s expectations. Here in Ecclesiastes, Solomon gives instances of disappointments.
We would think that the lightest of foot should, in running, win the prize; and yet the race is not always to the swift. Some accidents may happen that could retard them; or they might feel too secure, therefore becoming careless, letting those who are slower get ahead of them. We would think that in fighting, the most numerous and powerful army should always be victorious.
But the battle is not always to the strong. A host of Philistines was once put to flight by Jonathan and his men (1 Sam. 14). “Five of you shall chase a hundred, and a hundred of you shall put ten thousand to flight; your enemies shall fall by the sword before you” (Lev. 26:8). We would think that men of sense should always be men of substance, and that those who have understanding should have abundance. Yet it does not always prove so. Many talented people who were likely to thrive in the world, have strangely gone backward and come to nothing.
This may be a surprising thought to you but God is not the cause of everything that happens in our lives. There are things that happen in the course of life which are results of us living in a broken down world. Everyone who breathes faces problems. We need to know sometimes that bad things do happen to good people. But in Christ we have the power to overcome every storm of life. “For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God” (1 John 5:4-5)?
The prophet Habakkuk resolves to rejoice no matter what happens. “Though the fig tree may not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines; though the labor of the olive may fail, and the fields yield no food; though the flock may be cut off from the fold, and there be no herd in the stalls—Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation. The LORD God is my strength; He will make my feet like deer’s feet, and He will make me walk on my high hills”
(Hab. 3:17-19).
When the disappointments are enormous, when the blows are relentless, when all expectations are dashed, that is when we need to say, “I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation!”
2009年11月8日星期日
纯真的心
有一个小镇很久没有下雨了，令当地农作物损失惨重，於是牧师把大家集合起来，准备在教堂里开一个祈求降雨的祷告会。
众人中有一个小女孩， 因个子太小，几乎没有人看得到她，但她也来参加祈雨祷告会。
就在这时候，牧师注意到小女孩所带來的东西，激动地在台上指着她说：「那位小妹妹真叫我感动！」於是大家順着他手指的方向看了过去。
牧师接着说：「我们今天来祷告祈求上帝降雨，可是整个会堂中，只有她一个人今天带着雨伞！」大家仔细一看；果然，她的座位旁挂了一把红色的小雨伞;这时大家沉静了一下，紧接而来的，是一阵掌声與泪水交织的美景。
有时我们不得不说：小孩子其实一点都不「小」，他们其实很「大」！他们的爱心很大！他们的信心更大！
众人中有一个小女孩， 因个子太小，几乎没有人看得到她，但她也来参加祈雨祷告会。
就在这时候，牧师注意到小女孩所带來的东西，激动地在台上指着她说：「那位小妹妹真叫我感动！」於是大家順着他手指的方向看了过去。
牧师接着说：「我们今天来祷告祈求上帝降雨，可是整个会堂中，只有她一个人今天带着雨伞！」大家仔细一看；果然，她的座位旁挂了一把红色的小雨伞;这时大家沉静了一下，紧接而来的，是一阵掌声與泪水交织的美景。
有时我们不得不说：小孩子其实一点都不「小」，他们其实很「大」！他们的爱心很大！他们的信心更大！
2009年11月5日星期四
A Life Of Commitment
When you make a vow to God, do not delay to pay it; for He has no pleasure in fools. Pay what you have vowed. Ecclesiastes 5:4
Making a vow or a commitment has always been God’s way of relating to His people. The kingdom of God is a kingdom of commitment. God is a commitment-making and commitment-keeping God. More than 300 times in the Bible, He says, “I am a covenant-keeping God!” A covenant is an agreement confirmed by oath between two parties. In His relationship with Abraham, God gave a promise (Gen. 17:7). As we look at the history of the Jewish people, we see God’s faithfulness in keeping His covenant with Abraham no matter how impossible the circumstances seemed to be.
When we make faith promises, God wants us to keep our word. In the book of Judges, Jephthah made a vow to offer whatever comes out of his house to meet him as a burnt offering to the LORD (Judg. 11:30-31).When he came to his house at Mizpah after the victorious battle, his daughter came out to meet him with timbrels and dancing. It was a tough call. The Bible records, “and he carried out his vow with her which he had vowed” (11:39). Jephthah kept his promise.
God is looking for men and women who would swear to their own hurt and keep their vows. Why? Because character is built through commitment. If we don’t value commitment, everything in our life will fall apart. Nothing great ever happens without making commitments. There are three life commitments that we must make:
(1) Commitment to people. We are commanded to “love your neighbor as yourself” (Matt. 22:39). It takes commitment to love people because “love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things” (1 Cor. 13:4-7).
(2) Commitment to spiritual fitness. “Spend your time and energy in training yourself for spiritual fitness. Physical exercise has some value, but spiritual exercise is much more important, for it promises a reward in both this life and the next” (1 Tim. 4:7-8, NLT).
(3) Commitment to our life’s purpose. “But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God” (Acts 20:24). The apostle Paul was totally committed to his purpose and he allowed nothing to distract him. This is the kind of life God wants us to live—a life of commitment.
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