Highly Recommended - Poetry: Food for the Mind

Highly recommend to youngster who seeking the answer of life. Those who like poetry, this is a book for you, as it encourage you to think and seeking the core & only answer of a purposeful life.

The book is written in Chinese language, and translated into English language.So the books comprising both languages. It's a good book for you to kick off your very first lesson to learn Chinese- English or vv. Quoted from the translator humbly, " It might not be the perfect one, but we are improving in coming edition if we do. All comments are welcomed to make us better next time."

The translator of this poetry is a close friend of mine, a dear sister of mine - Louise Ngoi. We attended same church - Sheffield Chinese Christian Church, when we studied in Sheffield.

You may contact me to purchase for this book and it is not on shelve in public store. You email to ruth.ph.chua@gmail.com to place your order (while stock last). This book is free, but you are encouraged to give a love offering to the author/ translator of the book, to cover the cost of the book - RM18 each. I've got one extra on hand!!! Hurry! ~ ~

What does the Bible mean that we are not to judge others?

What does the Bible mean that we are not to judge others?

Shared via AddThis

Question: "What does the Bible mean that we are not to judge others?"

Answer: This is an issue that has confused many people. On one hand, we are commanded by the Lord Jesus, “Do not judge, or you too will be judged” (Matthew 7:1). On the other hand, the Bible also exhorts us to beware of evildoers and false prophets and to avoid those who practice all kinds of evil. How are we to discern who these people are if we do not make some kind of judgment about them?

Christians are often accused of "judging" whenever they speak out against a sinful activity. However, that is not the meaning of the Scripture verses that state, "Do not judge." There is a righteous kind of judgment we are supposed to exercise—with careful discernment (John 7:24). When Jesus told us not to judge (Matthew 7:1), He was telling us not to judge hypocritically. Matthew 7:2-5 declares, "For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye." What Jesus was condemning here was hypocritical, self-righteous judgments of others.

In Matthew 7:2-5, Jesus warns against judging someone else for his sin when you yourself are sinning even worse. That is the kind of judging Jesus commanded us not to do. If a believer sees another believer sinning, it is his Christian duty to lovingly and respectfully confront the person with his sin (Matthew 18:15-17). This is not judging, but rather pointing out the truth in hope—and with the ultimate goal—of bringing repentance in the other person (James 5:20) and restoration to the fellowship. We are to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15). We are to proclaim what God's Word says about sin. 2 Timothy 4:2 instructs us, "Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage — with great patience and careful instruction." We are to "judge" sin, but always with the goal of presenting the solution for sin and its consequences—the Lord Jesus Christ (John 14:6).

Wait

Desperately, helplessly, longingly, I cried;
Quietly, patiently, lovingly God replied
I pled and I wept for a clue to my fate,
And the Master who gently said,
"Child, you must wait."

"Wait You say wait!" my indignant reply.
"Lord, I need answers, I need to know why!
Is your hand shortened? Or have you not heard?
By faith, I have asked, and am claiming your Word

"My future and all to which I can relate
Hangs in the balance, and YOU tell me to WAIT?
I'm needing a 'yes' a go-ahead sign,
Or even a 'no' to which I can resign.
"And Lord, You promised that if we believe
We need but to ask, and we shall receive.
Lord, I've been asking and this is my cry;
I'm weary of asking! I need a reply!"

Then quietly, softly, I learned of my fate.
As my Master replied once again, "You must wait."
So, I slumped in my chair, defeated and tout
And grumbled to God, "So, I'm waiting. . . for what?"

He seemed, then to kneel and His eyes wept with mine,
And he tenderly said, "I could give you a sign.
I could shake the heavens and darken the sun.
I could raise the dead and cause mountains to run.

"All you seek I could give and pleased you would be.
You would have what you want — but you wouldn't know Me.
You'd not know the depth of My love for each saint;
You'd not know the joy of resting in Me
When darkness and silence were all you could see.

"You'd never experience that fullness of love
As the peace of My Spirit descends like a dove;
You'd know that I live and I save . . . (for a start),
But you'd not know the depth of the beat of My heart.

"The glow of My comfort late into the night.
The faith that I give when you walk without sight.
The depth that's beyond getting just what you asked
Of an infinite God, who makes what you have LAST.

"You'd never know, should your pain quickly flee,
What it means that 'My grace is sufficient for Thee.'
Yes, your dreams for your loved one overnight would come true,
But, Oh the loss! If I lost what I'm doing to you!

"So be silent, my child, and in time you will see
That the greatest of gifts is to get to know Me
And though oft' may My answers seem terribly late
My most precious answer of all is still, "WAIT".

Author Unknown

Busy

Satan called a worldwide convention of demons. In his opening address he said, "We can't keep Christians from going to church."
"We can't keep them from reading their Bibles and knowing the truth."
"We can't even keep them from forming an intimate relationship with their saviour."
"Once they gain that connection with Jesus, our power over them is broken."
"So let them go to their churches; let them have their covered dish dinners, BUT steal their time, so they don't have time to develop a relationship with Jesus Christ.."
"This is what I want you to do," said the devil:

"Distract them from gaining hold of their Saviour and maintaining that vital connection throughout their day!"
"How shall we do this?" his demons shouted.
"Keep them busy in the non-essentials of life and invent innumerable schemes to occupy their minds," he answered.
"Tempt them to spend, spend, spend, and borrow, borrow, borrow."
"Persuade the wives to go to work for long hours and the husbands to work 6-7 days each week, 10-12 hours a day, so they can afford their empty lifestyles."
"Keep them from spending time with their children."
"As their families fragment, soon, their homes will offer no escape from the pressures of work!"
"Over-stimulate their minds so that they cannot hear that still, small voice."
"Entice them to play the radio or cassette player whenever they drive."
To keep the TV, VCR, CDs and their PCs going constantly in their home and see to it that every store and restaurant in the world plays non-biblical music constantly."
"This will jam their minds and break that union with Christ."
"Fill the coffee tables with magazines and newspapers."
"Pound their minds with the news 24 hours a day."
"Invade their driving moments with billboards."
"Flood their mailboxes with junk mail, mail order catalogs, sweepstakes, and every kind of newsletter and promotional offering free products, services and false hopes.."
"Keep skinny, beautiful models on the magazines and TV so their husbands will believe that outward beauty is what's important, and they'll become dissatisfied with their wives. "
"Keep the wives too tired to love their husbands at night."
"Give them headaches too! "
"If they don't give their husbands the love they need, they will begin to look elsewhere."
"That will fragment their families quickly!"
"Give them Santa Claus to distract them from teaching their children the real meaning of Christmas."
"Give them an Easter bunny so they won't talk about his resurrection and power over sin and death."
"Even in their recreation, let them be excessive."
"Have them return from their recreation exhausted."
"Keep them too busy to go out in nature and reflect on God's creation.
Send them to amusement parks, sporting events, plays, concerts, and movies instead." "Keep them busy, busy, busy!"
"And when they meet for spiritual fellowship, involve them in gossip and small talk so that they leave with troubled consciences."
"Crowd their lives with so many good causes they have no time to seek power from Jesus."
"Soon they will be working in their own strength, sacrificing their health and family for the good of the cause."
"It will work!"
"It will work!"
It was quite a plan!

The demons went eagerly to their assignments causing Christians everywhere to get busier and more rushed, going here and there.
Having little time for their God or their families.
Having no time to tell others about the power of Jesus to change lives.
I guess the question is, has the devil been successful in his schemes?
What do you think?

Does "BUSY" mean: B-eing U-nder S-atan's Y-oke?


*By fwd email

攀登信心最高点

『我父所给我那杯，我岂可不喝呢？』（约十八章十一节）

亲爱的读者，你可知道说这句话，比平静风和海、叫死人复活更伟大吗？先知和使徒能行许多神迹奇事，却不能事事遵行忍受神的旨意。遵行忍受神的旨意是最高点信心，是基督人所能作到的最高一点。

有时候你光明的希望了永久的毁灭；每天所背负的重担永得不着轻减；当你渴望有充足的财力能使所爱的过些幸福舒适的生活时，反遭到了贫穷拮据；或者竟被身体上不治的病症捆锁拘禁在病榻上；赤裸裸地被剥夺了一切所爱的人们，剩下你独自一人孤孤单单地去抵御一切外来的袭击－在这种试炼之下，你依然能说：『我父所给我的那杯，我岂可不喝呢？』－这就是最高点的信心！这就是最高点属灵的成功！

最大的信心不是在行为上呈露出来的，乃是在忍受上呈露出来的－巴赫司脱（Dr.Charles Parkhurst） 要有一个同情的神，必须先有一个受苦的主；一个没有尝过同样痛苦的心，对于别人不会发生真实的同情。 我们自己不出代价，就不能帮助别人；我们的痛苦就是我们所付的代价，叫我们以后能同情于他人的难堪。要作一个帮助人的人，必须先作一个受苦的人。要作一个救人的人，必须先经过十字架的对付；我们若不喝主所喝的杯，受主所受的苦，就不能享受救助人的那种人生最高的喜乐。

大卫的诗篇中最能安慰人的几篇，乃是在苦难中压出来的；如果保罗没有一根刺加在他肉体上，在他许多的书信上一定会失去多少温柔！

亲爱的读者，你现在的受压的环境，就是父神手里用以雕制你的一件最合式的工具。不要去推开祂－恐怕你一动，就会弄坏了父的工作呢！

转载自考门夫人之《荒漠甘泉》

Life without Limbs

為何上帝會讓此等悲劇發生？

“为什么”是我们很喜欢问的问题。我们不止问别人为什么，也很喜欢问上帝为什么。

愿这个真实对白给你带来答案。

美國著名牧師葛培理的女兒安妮，於911後被美國某電視台邀請出席節目。

主持人單刀直入問：「為何上帝會讓此等悲劇發生？」
她以神的睿智，道出一番見解︰

我深信神跟我們一樣，為此事極度痛心。
但美國人在這些年來，將神從學校中趕走、將祂從政府內踢走、將祂從我們生活中剔走。
我相信神只有默默地從我們的生活中無奈淡出。
當初是我們自己叫神離開，為甚麼現在又要問祂到底在那裡？
為甚麼我們有權質問神，為何不保護美國人？
不如讓我們回顧美國這幾年的道德發展，好嗎？

某年，有人提出，學校內不可祈禱，因為學校應宗教中立，學校無權要求學生祈禱。
我們說︰「無問題！」
某月，有人覺得教導人「不可殺人、不可偷盜、要愛鄰舍」的聖經落伍，不如把它從學校中拿走。
我們說︰「無問題！」
某日，有人說︰「孩子的自尊心很脆弱，我們不應使用體罰。」（說這話的人，他的孩子最終自殺身亡。）
我們說︰「無問題！」
某刻，有人說︰「時代變了，老師、校長不應責罰學生 ，學生承受太大壓力了。」因怕惹怒家長，引起傳媒報導，學校不敢處罰學生。
我們說︰「無問題！」
又有人說︰「孩子有人權，他們有權接受墮胎手術，更沒有責任通知父母。」
我們說︰「無問題！」
他說︰「與其閃閃縮縮，不如主動教孩子如何使用安全套。反正孩子都是好奇嘛，婚前性行為，沒甚麼大不了！」
我們說︰「無問題！」
有人說︰「工作跟私人生活應分開，只要那總統能搞好經濟.....我們幹嗎要管人家的私生活？！人人都有私隱嘛！」
我們說︰「無問題！」
有人說︰「瀏覽色情網站是個人自由，即使是兒童色情網站又如何？這都是個人言論自由，關你甚麼事！」
我們說︰「無問題！」
有人說︰「現代人應有開放思想，電視、電影的色情、暴力，只不過在反映社會實況。關於毒品、強姦、謀殺、惡魔的歌詞，也不過是宣洩情緒、紓緩壓力......為何要大驚小怪？想做就去做嘛！」
我們說︰「無問題！」
成年人為社會訂下以上種種「社會制度」後，我們又要追問︰為甚麼現今孩子沒有良知？為何孩子持槍殺人？為何13歲的孩子已為人父母？為甚麼911慘劇要發生？

神無奈地答︰「孩子呀！是你們不許我踏入你們的生命。」
若細心思索，不難發現這一切是我們自己做成的，我們親手摧毀了自己所栽種的。
人們離棄神，卻又質問神為何整個世界正走向地獄的門口。
有趣的是，我們相信報紙所說的，卻質疑經上所說的。
你可以透過電郵發出笑話，並且很快被廣傳，但當你發出與神有關的信息時，人們卻猶豫。
不雅及色情的文章在網上自由地發放；但在學校及工作環境中，對於神的公開討論卻被抑制。

你正在想什麼呢？

*Taken from forwarded mail.

Chicken soup of the Soul

雖然鬧鐘響時我會懊惱，會拉棉被蓋住頭。
我要感謝上帝，因為我能聽得到。有好多人耳聾。

雖然我還是閉著眼睛，厭惡清晨的陽光，
我要感謝上帝> ，因為我能看到。有好多人眼瞎。

雖然我賴床不想起身，
感謝上帝我有能力站起來。好多人需終生睡在床上。

雖然這一天剛開始就一塌糊塗，襪子找不到，稀飯溢得到處都是，小孩又吵又鬧，每個人火氣都很大。
感謝上帝，我有一個家。孤寂的人到處都是。

雖然我們的餐桌從來沒有像雜誌的圖片那樣，早餐也是拼拼湊湊。
感謝上帝 賜給我們食物。飢餓的人是那麼多。

雖然我的工作枯燥乏味，常常千篇一律。
我還是要感謝上帝，我有工作機會。失業的人好多好多。

雖然我常抱怨、感嘆命運不好。
感謝上帝賜給了我生命。

* Taking from the book of "Chicken soup of the Soul".

China Earthquake Comic based on Real Story 3

China Earthquake Comic based on Real Story

What Say You?

Said also don’t listen Listen also don’t understand Not understand also don’t ask Ask also don’t do Do also do wrong Wrong also don’t admit Admit also don’t correct Correct also not happyNot happy also don’t say

* Author unknown

Building Your House

An elderly carpenter was ready to retire. He told his employer-contractor of his plans to leave the house-building business to live a more leisurely life with his wife and enjoy his extended family. He would miss the paycheck each week, but he wanted to retire. They could get by. The contractor was sorry to see his good worker go & asked if he could build just one more house as a personal favor. The carpenter said yes, but over time it was easy to see that his heart was not in his work. He resorted to shoddy workmanship and used inferior materials. It was an unfortunate way to end a dedicated career. When the carpenter finished his work, his employer came to inspect the house. Then he handed the front-door key to the carpenter and said, "This is your house... my gift to you." The carpenter was shocked! What a shame! If he had only known he was building his own house, he would have done it all so differently. So it is with us. We build our lives, a day at a time, often putting less than our best into the building. Then, with a shock, we realize we have to live in the house we have built. If we could do it over, we would do it much differently. But, you cannot go back. You are the carpenter, and every day you hammer a nail, place a board, or erect a wall. Someone once said, "Life is a do-it-yourself project." Your attitude, and the choices you make today, help build the "house" you will live in tomorrow. Therefore, build wisely!

Touching Story from Forwarded Mail

I receive this story somewhere on the webby. Although the ending part is a bit sad. He doesn't need to commit suicide though.

As long as you still have a breath, do not give up your life...

But why he wanted to use the name of his friend? He should know parent will never let him down, no matter how. His friend is not his parent's flesh of flesh. Of cox she may doubt. This may happen to anyone, if your son say such thing to you, most of us might doubt... includes me. Why? ... doubt, the answer might be "yes", might be "no".

You decide!

Instead of saying it is a touching story, i should name it as sad story!