SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINE


SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINE FOR LENT SEASON 2020

The Lent season begins from Ash Wednesday and lasts till Easter, for a period of 40 days excluding Sundays (Sundays are not included in the 40 days because Sunday is always remembered as the day of Christ’s resurrection). Since the old days, believers would fast and pray, repent and reflect on the sufferings and death of Christ.

During this period, the Sunday sermons of the liturgical churches would usually mention such personalities like Moses, Elijah and Jesus. For Moses, he fasted 40 days and 40 nights on Mount Sinai before receiving the Law and Commandments; Elijah, who challenged the false prophets, ran away to a broom tree when he was pursued by Jezebel to be killed. When the angel of the Lord strengthened him with food, he travelled 40 days and 40 nights without food and water.

As for Jesus, he was led into the desert where he fasted 40 days and 40 nights; he drew close to the Father and was filled with the power of the Holy Spirit before he was tempted by the devil. With them as our examples, let us therefore learn to fast and pray during this season of Lent.

It is hoped that through the meditation of the scriptures, remembrance of the cross - his salvation and sacrifice during this
40-day Lent season discipline, would bring about repentance and renewal of lives. And with hope, we prepare our hearts to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus.
2020 预苦期四十天灵修操练

 预苦期（Lent：春天之意）从圣灰日（Ash Wednesday）至复活节（Easter）期间的四十日（主日不计算在内：因每主日都是记念主基督复活的日子）。自古以来，信徒在此期间多会禁食祷告，悔改自省，思念基督的受苦受死。

 1-12 章 关于犹大和耶路撒冷的信息，有多处提到亚哈斯王。
13-23章 关于临近列国的信息，有一处指向亚哈斯王。
24-27章 关于全地的信息，没有特别针对哪个君王。
28-39章 关于犹大和耶路撒冷的信息，多处提到希西家王。
40-55章 关于犹大和耶路撒冷的信息，多处提到古列/居鲁士王。
56-66章 关于犹大和耶路撒冷的信息，没有特别针对哪个君王。

 亚哈斯王约在公元前736-715年在犹大作王 。希西家则在公元前715-686年作王。耶路撒冷在公元前587年倾覆，君王被带去巴比伦。古列王原是波斯王，在公元前539年击败巴比伦帝国，然后许可允许犹大人离开巴比伦，回去原居地重建圣殿。所以40-55章所描述的大部分是关于这段历史的应许，而56-66章所写的，应该是回归到耶路撒冷之后的事。

 当这些名字与年份逐渐成为我们记忆的一部分，在阅读《以赛亚书》的时候，这种陌生感就会逐渐散去。请各位记得，无论你熟悉与否，这些信息是上帝向他的子民说的话。而上帝说过的话，就如雨雪降下，必然临到地上，不会徒然返回。上帝的子民在一段日子里曾经对待先知漫不经心，并不认为他们是上帝派来的代言人，后来当他们发现了自己的错误，就开始留心听、收集各种来自上帝的信息，并将之汇集成书。

 我们是有书的人，可能因为不了解这书的来历，因此不知道该怎么去读。但每一年的降临节和预苦期，我们希望透过手头的灵修材料，带着大家走一条虽然陌生，但其实有圣灵来引领我们的路，因为——“这是正路”。

 愿每一位读者因着打开了先知书，能开始走上一条崭新的路，面向上帝，也敬畏上帝。

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Day 41 April 12

Image
Day 41 April 12 Passage: Isaiah 55:6-13 Just how trustworthy are the words that God speaks? Are His promises as true as the purity of gold? The Creator-God has answered these questions Himself. “The rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater” (verse 10). As the LORD had designed this world that is capable of sustaining life, we can also learn much from it by observing its natural wonders. Since God governs the order in nature by means of His spoken words, the rain or snow shall surely accomplish their divinely ordained purpose. These elements in nature strongly testify to the trustworthiness of the words that the LORD has spoken. When the LORD keeps silent, the world will still continue to revolve but its motion would then be aimless and non-meaningful. However, the moment the LORD utters, “Let there be…” whatever things that ar...
Read more

Day 36 April 07

Image
Day 36 April 07 Passage: Isaiah 52:13-53:3 Servant of God (I) Who is the Servant of God? Is it Israel? Is it one of the Prophets? Both are possibilities. But what is important is not focusing on a particular subject, but in expressing the inspired effects from what happened to such a servant. And because of such effects, when it came to the New Testament times, such a theological understanding can also point towards Jesus, as well as the Church (see 1 Peter 2:21-22). This effect is that the Servant was able to fulfill God’s entrusted mission according to God’s way and insight. The Servant’s mission was to reconcile men to God. Not only did the Servant accomplish this, the effects startled many nations. He was like a priest of the nations, spattering them with blood and cleansing them. They used to ignore God. But upon seeing how God’s Servant was exalted, they were silenced (see Psalm 2). This is a heart-rendering story that is beyond imagination. So the story went viral, and...
Read more

Day 38 April 09

Image
Day 38 April 09 Passage ： Isaiah 54:1-10 Isaiah 54 depicted Jerusalem as a barren woman who was desolate. In a patriarchal culture, a barren woman who was unable to produce an offspring for her husband was a shame both to herself and to her clan (verse 4). She had no standing in the community, and hence being barren was often a source of shame and worry to the female. However in verses 4 – 8, Jerusalem was consoled and told not to worry that such shame would persist for long. The shame of being desolate resembled widowhood, as if her husband had left her for a few decades and she lived without support from her clan. The shame resembled being abandoned by the entire community and it was long hurting. How on earth could a childless woman ever dream of having a large household? The answer is “impossible”, yet this impossibility highlights the significance of the vision in today’s passage. Israel was reminded that their ancestor Sarah was an old lady beyond child-bearing age, yet...
Read more