Saturday，8 May 2021
Title: The service of Anna the prophetess
Author：Pastor Johnson Chong
Translator: Irene Hong

Luke 2 :37 “and then was a widow until she was eighty four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying.”

Every person who is redeemed by the Lord, who is a child of God, should serve God. We often think that going out to preach and work for the Lord is serving God, just like the prophets of the Old Testament and the apostles of the New Testament, but the priests of the temple and the angels before God are also serving God. The priests in the temple offering a sacrifice in the outer courts are also serving Him, and burning incense in the sanctuary is also considered as serving God. If only toiling away outside His temple is considered serving, then some people will never have the opportunity and strength to serve.

When the Lord Jesus came to the world for the first time, there was a prophetess Anna who was eighty-four years old. She was still serving God and waiting for the Lord to come. How did she serve? She never left the temple, fasted, prayed, and served God day and night. Indeed! How holy, true, and precious is this kind of service. Although no one saw it, no sacrifice was given, no praise was received, but God saw and commended her, and it was enough for her to do her part. For ministries conducted outside the church, there may be many people working together, and it is easy to see the results of the work. The ministry in the temple is done alone, with no immediate results seen. The light is not as bright as the one under the sun, but the presence of God is particularly felt, and the effect is profound. The light is not only from the lamp stand, but also from the face of God.

Dear brothers and sisters who are seniors, perhaps you feel that you are old, weak, or living alone with no one to rely on, remember 1 Timothy 5:5 “The widow who is really in need and left all alone puts her hope in God and continues night and day to pray and to ask God for help.”

Or perhaps you are restricted by your family environment and cannot go out for more activities. But you have an inner room, this inner room is the sanctuary in your heart, 1 Corinthians 3:16 “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you?” This door is closed to the world, and you can fast and pray to serve God. Not only during the day, but also at night, day or night may never be silent. This kind of service is most pleasing to God, and most needed by men, just as what is said in Revelation 7:15 “Therefore, they are before the throne of God and serve Him day and night in His temple; and He who sits on the throne will spread His tent over them” . This kind of service is a foreshadow and a sign of eternal service.

Prayer：Dear Heavenly Father, we want to thank you and praise you. We come before you to surrender ourselves totally into your hands. Lord, we are so petty and lowly, we are really not complete before you. Lord, may you renew and change us, and build up our lives. Thank you Lord for hearing our prayer, may our service be pleasing to you. In Jesus name we pray, Amen!

每日灵粮
星期六，2021年5月8日
标题：女先知亚拿的事奉
作者：张胜牧师

路加福音2 :37 “现在已经八十四岁，并不离开圣殿，禁食祈求，昼夜事奉神。”

每一个被主救赎的人，神的儿女们都应当事奉神。我们常以为出去传道为主工作是事奉神，如同旧约的先知和新约的使徒一样，然而圣殿的祭司，和在神面前的天使也是事奉神。圣殿中的祭司在外院献祭是事奉，在圣所内烧香也是事奉。如果在外面奔走用力才算事奉，那么有的人就没有机会和力量事奉了。

当主耶稣第一次到世上来的时候，有一个女先知亚拿已经八十四岁了，她仍在那里事奉神，等候主来。她怎样事奉呢？就是不离开圣殿，禁食祈求，昼夜事奉神。啊！这种事奉何等圣洁、真实、可贵，虽然没有人看见，没有分到祭物，没有得人称赞，但是被神看见，也被主称许，她做她的分就够了。在外面的事奉，可能有许多人在一起，也容易看到工作的果效，但在圣所的事奉，却是单独的，看不到什么立即的果效。光线不像日光之下那样明，然而却格外感到神的同在，果效是深远的，那里不只有灯台的光，更是有神的面光。

亲爱的年长的主内弟兄姊妹，可能你觉得自己年老、体弱，或者独居无靠，提摩太前书5：5 “那独居无靠真为寡妇的，是仰赖神，昼夜不住地祈求祷告”，又或者可能你受家庭环境的约束，不能出去多作活动。但你却有一个内室，这个内室就是你心中的圣所 (林前3：16 “岂不知你们是神的殿，神的灵住在你们里头吗？”），这个门是向世界关闭，你可以藉著禁食祈求事奉神。不仅白天可以，夜间也可以，昼夜都可以不静默。这种事奉是神最喜悦的，也是人最需要的，正如在启示录7：15 所说的 “所以他们在神宝座前，昼夜在他殿中事奉他。坐宝座的要用帐幕覆庇他们。” 这种事奉就是在永世里事奉的小影和先兆。

祷告：亲爱的天父，我们要感谢和赞美你。我们来到你的面前，再一次将我们自己全然的交在你的圣手中。主啊，像我们这样一个卑微渺小的人，我们在你面前实在是不完全。主啊，求你亲自更新改变建造我们的生命。感謝主垂聽我们的祷告，愿我们的事奉是神你所喜悦的。奉主耶稣基督的名求，阿們！