We should invite God into our new year plans to stir up our fervor, a church said.
Beijing Gangwashi Church held a live Chinese New Year evangelistic meeting from February 15 to 17, with the themes on Caring Neighbors, Aaron's Blessings, and Making New Year's Plans.
Pastor Liu Lu preached how to plan for this new year from three angles during the last day's sermon: count grace, draw a new year's plan, and take the opportunity to dedicate themself.
Liu claimed that some people said that retrospection meant missing the past, but the more significant effect of recalling the past was to prepare for the future and make more substantial progress.
"When time flies, what is gradually settling down? It is God's grace, blessing, and His love," she added.
The first grace we received from God was His forgiveness of all our sins and redemption from Jesus' death, according to Psalm 103:2-5. God sent his only beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to come to us. In despise of innocence, he was willing to be crucified on a cross for us sinners, blot out our transgressions with his blood. We could live because of his death.
The pastor stated that the second grace was the healing of diseases. Not only the physical conditions but, more importantly, God could heal the pain in our hearts. God also satisfied us with all kinds of good things as he created the heavens and the earth for us so that people could enjoy all sorts of delicacies.
The fourth grace was the Bible God gave us. "How could we learn His words and spiritual lesson if He hadn't given them to us? So it was also God's grace that we could read His terms in the Bible."
"When we can still see a ray of sunlight spilling into our window, this is God's grace. When we still have clothes to keep us warm and a room to live in, this is God's grace. Often we think we deserve a lot of things to which we are accustomed, but when thinking about it carefully, these are all God's grace and rewards he prepares for us," Liu said.
"The Bible says, 'We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him.' Experiencing the coronavirus pandemic in the past year, we find something positive out of what seemed to be wrong, and God's dressed up a blessing in them. As long as people are willing to believe and obey, God's promise will not fail, and we can benefit from His beautiful guidance."
She continued, "In the new year, in order not to be lukewarm, we must invite God into the plans to re-invigorate our inner passion. We can't be lukewarm but strive to pursue God. A person who is neither hot nor cold and indifferent to spiritual matters is often in the most dangerous state. So we can invite God into our plan to let Him lead this year and walk in front of us."
"As long as you put God in the most crucial part of your life and give the best, purest, and most perfect things to Him, he is very pleased. God values the heart, which is sincerely relying on Him. To deny yourself is to accept Christ, to reject the past, and to dedicate yourself completely. We should grasp this opportunity to break and devote ourselves so that God would bless us."
The pastor urged, "Wherever your feet tread upon, at home, in the workplace, or on the road, as long as you have the heart to work for God and devote yourself completely, you are serving Him and people."
(The original article is published by Gospel Times.)
- Translated by Abigail Wu
2月15-17日，北京基督教会缸瓦市堂进行了连续三天的网络直播新年礼拜。礼拜的主题分别是《有爱心的邻居》《亚伦的祝福》《新年新打算》，最后一天的《新年新打算》由刘璐传道分享，从数算恩典、计划新的一年和抓住机会完全献上三个方面，分享了新的一年该有怎样新的打算。
一、数算恩典
我的心哪，你要称颂耶和华！不可忘记他的一切恩惠！他赦免你的一切罪孽，医治你的一切疾病。他救赎你的命脱离死亡，以仁爱和慈悲为你的冠冕。他用美物使你所愿的得以知足，以致你如鹰返老还童。(诗篇 103篇2-5节 )
有人说回顾意味着留恋过去，但回顾更大的作用是为了迎接明天，是为了更好地去前进。当时间在我们身边一闪而过、匆匆而逝的时候，那些渐渐沉淀下来的是什么呢？就是神的恩典、神的祝福和神的爱。
四节经文中彰显的第一重恩典是赦免一切罪孽。救赎生命，脱离死亡。神差遣他独生的爱子耶稣基督，来到了我们中间。原本无罪的他为了我们这些罪人，甘心情愿被钉死在残酷的十字架上，用他的宝血涂抹遮盖了我们一切的过犯，因着他的死，我们得以活。
第二重恩典是医治一切疾病。不仅是在身体上、肉体上的，更重要的是我们在心理层面的，医治了我们心里的伤痛。
第三重恩典是用各样的美物使我们饱足。神创造了天地万物赐给人们，使得人们可以吃到各样佳肴，所以当我们在领受着一餐一饭、一粒米的时候，都要晓得这是神给我们的恩典。
第四重恩典就是神把圣经赐给了我们。试想，如果上帝没有把他这样的一种话语、属灵的教训，通过这本书告诉我们，我们如何能知道呢？所以今天我们能够去读圣经，去领受他的话语，这就本身就是一种恩典。
证道中分享道：当我们仍然可以睁开眼睛看到第二天的一缕阳光，洒进我们窗前的时候，有没有觉得这是神的恩典呢？当今天我们仍然可以有衣穿、可以蔽体、可以取暖、有房，仍然可以躺睡的时候，有没有想到这是神的恩典呢？生活当中很多习以为常的事物便觉得是我们应当得到的。但当我们仔细思想的时候，其实这些都是神给我们莫大的恩典，是他的赏赐。
即便过去一年中有疫情的挑战，但神说万事互相效力，叫爱神的人得益处。那些看似对我们不好的事情中一定会获得一些积极正面的意义，一定会在其中看到神那化了妆的祝福。只要人们顺服，只要人们甘心乐意的去相信，这一定是神在我们生命当中美好的带领。神的应许一定不会落空，神一定会让人们在其中有所学习和得着。
二、计划新的一年
在新的一年的计划当中，要邀请神加入在这个计划里面。看一看神在这一年当中要怎样去带领，让神来走在自己的面前。新的一年，我们的灵命一定不能是不冷不热的，应该要竭力去追求我们的神。一个人不冷不热的、对属灵事满不在乎的人，往往处在最危险的状态。刘传道分享说，“新的一年，我们不要不冷不热，一定要好好安排和打算，邀请神进入到你的计划当中，重新挑旺我们内心的火热。”
三、抓住机会，完全献上
人们对神的态度取决于神在人们心中的地位。只要把神摆在生命当中最重要的位置，把那最好的、最纯的、最完美的献给我们的神，神都是非常喜悦的。神所看重的是人的心，真诚仰赖他的心。主说若有人来跟从我，就当舍己，背起他的十字架来跟从我。舍己就是否定自己接受基督，拒绝过去，把自己完全的摆上。这种摆上，这种破碎神一定是祝福的，只要抓住机会，一定会有这样的机遇的。
最后，刘传道说：“只要在你脚掌所踏的地方，或在家庭、职场，或在路上，只要怀着一颗为神去做工，把自己完全献上的心，就是在服事了，既是在服事神，也是在服事人。”
北京基督教会缸瓦市堂新年网络聚会：新年新打算
We should invite God into our new year plans to stir up our fervor, a church said.
Beijing Gangwashi Church held a live Chinese New Year evangelistic meeting from February 15 to 17, with the themes on Caring Neighbors, Aaron's Blessings, and Making New Year's Plans.
Pastor Liu Lu preached how to plan for this new year from three angles during the last day's sermon: count grace, draw a new year's plan, and take the opportunity to dedicate themself.
Liu claimed that some people said that retrospection meant missing the past, but the more significant effect of recalling the past was to prepare for the future and make more substantial progress.
"When time flies, what is gradually settling down? It is God's grace, blessing, and His love," she added.
The first grace we received from God was His forgiveness of all our sins and redemption from Jesus' death, according to Psalm 103:2-5. God sent his only beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to come to us. In despise of innocence, he was willing to be crucified on a cross for us sinners, blot out our transgressions with his blood. We could live because of his death.
The pastor stated that the second grace was the healing of diseases. Not only the physical conditions but, more importantly, God could heal the pain in our hearts. God also satisfied us with all kinds of good things as he created the heavens and the earth for us so that people could enjoy all sorts of delicacies.
The fourth grace was the Bible God gave us. "How could we learn His words and spiritual lesson if He hadn't given them to us? So it was also God's grace that we could read His terms in the Bible."
"When we can still see a ray of sunlight spilling into our window, this is God's grace. When we still have clothes to keep us warm and a room to live in, this is God's grace. Often we think we deserve a lot of things to which we are accustomed, but when thinking about it carefully, these are all God's grace and rewards he prepares for us," Liu said.
"The Bible says, 'We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him.' Experiencing the coronavirus pandemic in the past year, we find something positive out of what seemed to be wrong, and God's dressed up a blessing in them. As long as people are willing to believe and obey, God's promise will not fail, and we can benefit from His beautiful guidance."
She continued, "In the new year, in order not to be lukewarm, we must invite God into the plans to re-invigorate our inner passion. We can't be lukewarm but strive to pursue God. A person who is neither hot nor cold and indifferent to spiritual matters is often in the most dangerous state. So we can invite God into our plan to let Him lead this year and walk in front of us."
"As long as you put God in the most crucial part of your life and give the best, purest, and most perfect things to Him, he is very pleased. God values the heart, which is sincerely relying on Him. To deny yourself is to accept Christ, to reject the past, and to dedicate yourself completely. We should grasp this opportunity to break and devote ourselves so that God would bless us."
The pastor urged, "Wherever your feet tread upon, at home, in the workplace, or on the road, as long as you have the heart to work for God and devote yourself completely, you are serving Him and people."
(The original article is published by Gospel Times.)
- Translated by Abigail Wu
Beijing Church Urges Christians to Invite God into Our New Year Plans
