phil 2:6

I remain amazed by what I have learned about Jesus recently from Philippians 2:6.
• “who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped” (NASB)
• “Though he was God, he did not demand and cling to his rights as God” (NLT)
• “他本有　神的形像，與　神同等，卻不認為這同等要抓住不放” (新漢語)

Isn't it human nature to assert (據理力爭) one's right or anything that rightly belongs to us? Is it because we're afraid that sacrificing our right may make a doormat out of us?

Yet, Jesus' not like that, and Paul teaches us to learn from Jesus' humility.

God's teaching is not lofty but so down to earth. I am amazed at who He is.

放下身段

與查經組長預查的腓2：1－11, 雖然是一段familiar的passage, 但用心查，每每有新的領受。

保羅勸勉腓立比教會合一是為福音的緣故（在上文第一章27節），並不是單為合一而合一 。 而達到合一是需要「謙卑」的 （第二章）。

經文提到主耶穌沒有「強奪」... 耶穌是神，當然有神的身份和地位、假若祂不願意放下，假若祂不願意成為人，假若祂不願意上十字架，是絕對理所當然的, 怎麼會是「強奪」呢？ He's not robbing something that doesn't belong to him. 英文翻譯有 “seize," "grasp"。

的確，Jesus did not insist on holding on to what he has. He gave it up, and he took the form of man.

Not only did he take the form of man, but he assumed the lowliest position of man.

Not only did he assume the lowliest position of man, but he gave up his life on the cross, the most humiliating form of death.


學習「謙卑」，我想，第一步可以學放下自己的身份、地位、特權。 Don't take oneself too seriously.

還債

神給我機會在同一所學校temporarily再執教鞭，打從學期頭，I wondered if my job appointment had anything to do with bringing this non-Christian person in the department to Christ? 這是一位很久以前從香港移民來的，在過去兩年她曾兩次應我邀請去過教會活動，但未有接受救恩。

雖然有這意念，但一開課，我覺得很難分配時間在工作、教會事奉、照顧家人以外再作別的事情。 It is perfect timing that after most of my academic workload has been over, 偶然得知有一個極輕鬆的福音聚會 conducted by 辛尼哥哥 (現應該是伯伯了），內容有唱歌、魔術、分享。我帶了這位非信徒朋友去，整整兩個小時沒有冷場，希望當中的message 可以在她心裡發芽生長。

算還了一點福音的債吧。

singleness

Came across this neat article, "Singleness with Purpose"; it looks like something that I'll come back to and read more carefully.

"... The bombshell Paul drops here is that marriage is not ultimately about the relationship between a man and a woman at all, but is about Christ's relationship to his church."

"For singles to live purposefully in their calling, God's meaning to singleness must be kept clearly in view. Knowing, then, that God intends the calling of singleness to communicate a message about his own superiority and sufficiency, and the love and devotion that the church should have towards him."

choosing one over the other

After several years of passive thinking, I seem to have a clearer idea of choosing between teaching piano full-time, pursuing university full-time, and 50-50 like what I'm doing now.

respectable sins

Intriguing title, isn't it?

I'm reading Jerry Bridges' Respectable Sins. Good stuff. Check out the reviews from Amazon.

sermon by a tiny little lady

Heard this simple sermon about 事奉 and was moved to tears.

Here's an excerpt:

為主做事，就是事奉，不一定在教會裡才是事奉 （太25：33－40）

人比一切更重要

團隊比個人更重要 （肢體的關係，我需要同工，同工需要我）

神知比人知更重要

盡心比成果更重要 （不要數算做了多少，而是有沒有盡心）

愛心比恩賜更重要

Question:

為甚麼耶穌問彼得是否愛祂，然後叫他牧養祂的羊？ 為甚麼主不問彼得是否愛祂的羊，再吩咐他牧養祂的羊？

bearing fruit

"I am like a green pine tree;
your fruitfulness comes from me."

Hosea 14:8b (NIV)

I had a chance to go over the four spiritual laws with mom's caregiver today, after she asked me to have my church people pray for my mom and her more.

Two weeks ago I brought a minister along to visit mom. Caregiver noticed that mom was able to sleep at night (which means that caregiver could herself rest better) after the minister prayed for mom. I told her that I would pray for mom and her before I left, while I also encouraged her to pray herself when she needed help.

She said she didn't speak well like others. I told her that God doesn't care for beautiful language, but sincerity and truthfulness. She then told me that she had tried it on her own already because of my mom's condition in the last two weeks, her father's terminal illness, her daughter's illness, and her grandchild's fever. She said that she noticed things changed after she prayed. She said she's believing in the power of prayer more and more.

I then told her a few things about praying and we went over the four spiritual laws together because even though she attended church before she still cusses and gambles once in a while. I want her to be clear what believing in Jesus means. (I happened to go to see a stage play with a non-believer friend today. Because of that, I inserted a Four Spiritual Laws pamphlet in my purse, which I didn't find the chance to use.) When we're at the fourth law, I found out that the caregiver had said the repentance/conversion prayer in the past. Even so, reviewing the four spiritual laws with her, she said, helped her understand what believing in and accepting Jesus mean. I left the pamphlets with her.

Isn't that amazing?

People often asked what bearing fruit means: does "fruit" refer to Christian virtue like the 9 spiritual fruits, or does it refer to a soul converted? But does it really matter? I think God the gardener can decide what fruit he wants; the branch only makes sure it's attached to the tree and is not barren.

the triune God

I trust in a triune God.

I trust the Father, believing that He has chosen me from before the foundations of the world; I trust Him to provide for me in providence, to teach me, to guide me, to correct me if need be, and to bring me home to His own house where there are many rooms.

I trust the Son. He is very God of very God--the man Christ Jesus. I trust in Him to take away all my sins by His own sacrifice and to clothe me with His perfect righteousness. I trust Him to be my Intercessor, to present my prayers and desires before His Father's throne, and I trust Him to be my Advocate at the last great day, to plead my cause, and to justify me.

I trust the Holy Spirit--He has begun to save me from my inbred sins; I trust Him to drive them all out; I trust Him to curb my temper, to subdue my will, to enlighten my understanding, to check my passions, to comfort my despondency, to help my weakness, to illuminate my darkness. I trust Him to dwell in me as my life, to reign in me as my King, to sanctify me completely, spirit, soul, and body, and then to take me up to dwell with the saints in light forever.

~Charles Spurgeon

tony

Tony is my first visually-impaired student.

I remember seeing him a couple years ago waiting in the music building for his class to begin. I had very little contact with him then because he's not enrolled in my class. He's my student this quarter. Today's the second session, which met in the library. Tony was a little late; it probably took him some time to feel his way with the walking stick from the music building to the library. Someone had to help him to find our room. When he arrived, another student sitting by the entrance quietly and courteously moved away to give Tony the seat.

After class Tony came up to ask me about the assignment due next week. Because of my lack of experience with disabled students, I might be more nervous answering him than he was asking me. But after 5 minutes of chatting, I was completely disarmed; Tony's no different than other bright students.

He's funny too. He sort of needed help to exit the room and the library. I learned from TV program that it's best to let the visually-impaired person hold your arm, and Tony asked if it's OK to hold mine. I said yes but also admitted quite frankly of my cluelessness how to do a good job. On the way back to the music building, I asked him how he could manage his classes (and I had in mind how he could manage my research techniques class that requires a lot of reading). He told me that his computer reads to him, and he wittily joked, "Don't worry. You'll get your homework!"