Monday, 31 May 2021
People Need The Lord
Richard YW Yeoh

Mark 7: 21-22 (ESV) ”For from within, out of the heart of men, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness.”

I recall an old song by Steve Green entitled “People Need The Lord” – the poignant last line goes “when will we realize, that we must give our lives, people need the Lord”

We live in a fallen world. There’s no limit to human evil and cruelty. Left to our own devices, there’s no limit to the sins that our hearts can conceive.

Throughout history, we come across untold cruelty perpetrated by humans upon other humans, something almost unique to man, unseen even in the animal kingdom.
Humans devise the most cruel and painful tortures imaginable.

This is true of ancient China, of the Mongol era, and even of supposedly civilized cultures of the west (eg England) and the east (eg Japan).

We were reminded of this in recent years when the Islamic State movement (ISIS) brought their terror to bear in the Middle East where thousands (including minority Christians) were beheaded, burnt alive, raped and skewered etc. Just read the latest news, and we find torture and murder happening, even within families, across all spectrum of society – whether in wealthy countries like the US or poorer countries like India. Even young children are not spared abuse and death at the hands of their own parents.

I believe that sin is within us as fallen creatures, and only God’s Holy Spirit within us can give us a conscience and the strength to do good and eschew evil.

The Word of God as contained in the Bible, a fundamental life manual for all Christians, has guided God’s children for millennia. As Christians we need to daily walk with Jesus, in our thoughts, our worship, our prayers, our repentance, and our words and actions, as these are the only sure ways to keep us right with God and help us hold fast to his perfect plan for our lives.

Without God in our lives, there is no telling how far we may stray and how deep we may fall. Let us start each new day asking God for his guidance and direction and end each day showing gratitude and expressing our thanks for the day about to end. Seek God’s direction in every important decision and do not depend upon our own wisdom.

Prayer: Our Father in Heaven. We pray for the abused and hurting in our midst. We pray for your protection upon the oppressed in all communities. We pray Lord for your Spirit to spark a revival throughout the world and open men’s hearts to see the cruelty around them and reach out to the needy. Lord, help us, even in our own local community, to reach out and make a difference in the lives of others. Make us living testimonies of your glorious saving Grace in our lives.
In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

每日灵粮
星期一，2021年5月31日
标题：人们需要主
讲员：杨勇伟弟兄
翻译：陈劲年姐妹

【马可福音7:21-22】（和合本） 因為从里面，就是从人心里发出恶念、苟合、偷盗、凶杀、奸淫、貪 婪、邪恶、诡诈、淫荡、嫉妒、谤讟、骄傲、狂妄。

我回想起史蒂夫•格林（Steve Green）的一首老歌，标题为 “人们需要主”- 最后的那句凄美的歌词写着 “ 我们何时会意识到，我们必须献出生命，人们需要主”

我们生活在一个堕落的世界，人类的邪恶和残酷无穷无尽。任由我们自己摆布，我们内心所能孕育的罪恶是没有止境的。

纵观历史, 人类对其他人犯下无数的难以言表的残酷对待。这几乎是人类独有的，即使在动物界也看不到；人类能想出最残忍和最痛苦的酷刑。

这在古代中国、蒙古时代是真实的，甚至在所谓的西方文明（例如英国）和东方文明（例如日本）也是如此。

我们忆起近年来，伊斯兰国家运动（ISIS）在中东制造了恐怖行动，数千人（包括少数基督徒)被斩首、活活烧死，被强奸和刺死等。只要看看最新的新闻，我们就会发现酷刑和谋杀发生在社会的各个阶层，甚至在家庭中 – 无论是在富裕的国家如美国，或是贫穷的国家如印度。即使幼童也不能幸免于虐待至死于亲生父母之手。

我相信我们既为堕落的受造物，罪就在我们里面，只有上帝的圣灵才能给我们良心和力量去行善，远离邪恶。

圣经所载上帝的话语，是所有基督徒的基本生活手册，数千年来一直引导着上帝的儿女。作为基督徒，我们需要每天在我们的思想、我们的敬拜、我们的祷告、我们的悔改以及我们的言语和行为上与耶稣同行。因为这是能使我们与上帝保持正确关系并帮助我们坚守祂对我们生命完美计划的唯一可靠方法。

没有上帝在我们的生命中，我们就不知道我们会迷失多远，会陷得多深。让我们在每一天之始，向上帝祈求祂的指引和方向，并在每一天结束时向上帝献上感恩，对即将结束的一天向祂表示我们的感谢。在每一个重要的决定中都寻求上帝的指引，而不依靠我们自己的智慧。

祷告：我们的天父。我们为我们中间遭受虐待和伤害的人祈祷。我们祈求祢保护所有社区中的被压迫者。我们祷告，主，求祢的灵在世界各地引起复兴，并打开人的心，让他们看到周围的残酷行径，并向有需要的人伸出援手。主啊，即使在我们自己的社区里，也帮助我们伸出援手，改变他人的生活。让我们在我们的生活中为祢荣耀的拯救恩典作活的见证。
奉主耶稣的名，阿们。