Questions For The New Year – 新年的反思问题

QUESTIONS FOR THE NEW YEAR
新年的反思问题

Happy New year everyone.
大家新年快乐！

Growth in grace is an ongoing thing: 2 Peter 3:18.
在恩典中成长是一个持续的过程：彼得后书3:18。

Have you grown in grace this past year?
过去这一年，你在恩典中是否有长进？

It’s time to examine your life: 2 Corinthians 13:5.
是时候省察自己的生命了：哥林多后书13:5。

Here are some questions to ask ourselves.- Be honest with yourself and God
以下是一些我们可以问自己的问题——要对神和自己诚实

DO YOU LOVE GOD’S WORD MORE?
你更爱神的话语了吗？

Psalm 119:97 – ‘O how love thy law! It is my meditation all the day.’
诗篇119:97——“我何等爱慕你的律法，终日不住地思想。”

Do you have a passion for the word of God?
你对神的话语有火热的喜爱吗？

I am not asking if you read it more.
我不是只问你是否读得更多。

Has it become like honey to you?
它对你来说是否像蜜一样甘甜？

Every time you read it, does God speak directly to you?
每次读经时，神是否亲自对你说话？

Can you say the same words above?
你能像诗篇作者一样说“我何等爱慕你的律法”吗？

I mean when you are slogging through Leviticus or the first ten chapters of 1 Chronicles, can you say Oh how I love to read the bible
我的意思是——即使你在硬着头皮读《利未记》或《历代志上》前十章的时候，你还能说：“哦，我多么爱读圣经啊！”

DO YOU LOVE SPENDING TIME IN PRAYER?
你更爱花时间祷告了吗？

Now here is a biggie! I struggle here, I must admit.
这可是个大问题！我必须承认，我自己在这里也很挣扎。

One minute spent praying is worth a hundred doing anything else.
花一分钟真实祷告，胜过做一百分钟其他任何事。

Prayer is the Christian’s vital breath; it is his lifeblood.
祷告是基督徒的生命气息，是他的命脉。

We just talk to our heavenly Father. We talk to the ones we love.. Amen!
我们只是在和天父说话，我们会和所爱的人说话……阿们！

If we love God, then we will spend more and more time with Him.
如果我们爱神，就愿意花越来越多时间与祂相处。

How much time do we spend communing with God?
我们每天花多少时间与神相交？

The average daily time is 7-10 minutes for the average Christian, I ask myself, why is that?.
一般基督徒平均每天祷告只有7-10分钟，我问自己：为什么会这样？

Would you give your wife ten minutes per day?
你会每天只给你妻子十分钟吗？

ARE YOU MORE INVOLVED IN SPIRITUAL WARFARE?
你更积极参与属灵争战了吗？

If you hadn’t noticed, the Christian is a warrior.
如果你还没察觉，基督徒就是战士。

He/she is engaged in a desperate battle.
他/她正处于一场生死争战中。

In Ephesians 6, we are told to arm ourselves with spiritual weapons that will overcome the devil, etc.
以弗所书6章告诉我们要用属灵的军备武装自己，好胜过魔鬼。

We need to be in hand-to-hand combat.
我们需要近身肉搏。

The Roman soldiers whom Paul saw were always ready to fight.
保罗看到的罗马士兵随时预备打仗。

They obeyed their Commanding Officer and would go anywhere to fight for his cause.
他们服从指挥官，愿意为指挥官的缘故去任何地方作战。

There is no let-up brothers and sisters; let’s be engaged in warfare.
弟兄姊妹，争战没有喘息的机会，让我们投入战场吧！

Let’s say like Paul at the end of his life.. I HAVE FOUGHT A GOOD FIGHT!!!
愿我们像保罗在生命终点时能说：那美好的仗我已经打过了！！！

DO YOU LOVE GOD AND YOUR FELLOW BELIEVERS MORE AND MORE?
你越来越爱神、越来越爱弟兄姊妹了吗？

Jesus said the two greatest commandments were to love God and love your neighbour.
耶稣说最大的两条诫命就是爱神和爱人如己。

Is God our first love or just one of many?
神是我们唯一的初恋，还是众多“爱”中的一个？

This was the problem with the children of Israel. They loved God, but He was just one of many loves.
以色列人的问题就在这里——他们爱神，但神只是他们众多“所爱”中的一个。

He wants and demands your undiluted love.
祂要的是纯全、不掺杂的爱。

Do we also have pure love for our brethren, whoever they are?
我们是否也纯全地爱弟兄姊妹，无论他们是谁？

I am in China and can’t understand much of what people say and likewise they also of me; but we love each other.
我在中国的教会，很多时候听不懂他们说什么，他们也听不懂我，但我们彼此相爱。

There is a powerful and pure love between us.
我们之间有强大又纯洁的爱。

Do you show it to your fellow believers, not just in words but in actions?
你是否不仅口说，也用行动向弟兄姊妹表明这份爱？

DO YOU LOVE TO HEAR GOD’S VOICE?
你更爱听神的声音了吗？

Before Adam and Eve fell, they loved to hear God’s voice.
在亚当夏娃犯罪之前，他们爱听神的声音。

It is so sad to hear God’s words in the garden.. God calls to them when they are hiding.
园子里神呼唤躲藏的他们，那声音听来多么令人心碎。

This year when God speaks, let us not say like Adam:. “I am afraid because of some sin,”
今年当神说话时，愿我们不要像亚当那样说：“我因犯罪就害怕”，

but like Samuel, who said: “Speak Lord for thy servant hears.”
而要像撒母耳一样说：“耶和华啊，请说，仆人敬听。”

When God speaks to us, may we have open ears and eager hearts.
当神对我们说话时，愿我们耳朵开通、心被恩感。

Jesus says “My sheep hear My voice and they love to hear it..”
耶稣说：“我的羊听我的声音，也爱听我的声音。”

HOW SWEET IS THE VOICE OF GOD TO THE BELIEVER.? AMEN.
对信徒来说，神的声是何等甘甜！阿们！

HOW SWEET IS IT TO YOU MY FRIEND?
朋友，对你来说甘甜吗？

DO YOU SHARE THE GOSPEL MORE?
你更积极传福音了吗？

The Great Commission is to share the gospel with people in our locality.
大使命就是要我们把福音传给身边的人。

Some of us, like me, have been called to China.
有些人像我一样被呼召到中国，

You may not be called to some far country.
你可能没有被呼召去遥远的国度，

You may still live in the same neighbourhood that you were born in, but the Commission remains the same.
你可能一辈子住在出生的小区，但大使命依然不变。

Go out and share the gospel!
出去传福音吧！

We are not to stay in our comfortable churches and expect people to come to us.
我们不能只待在舒适的教会里，等人自动上门。

Remember. what we do is a CO-MISSION, between you and God.
记住，我们所做的是与神同工（Co-mission）
。
It is God’s power filling weak vessels like us.
是神的大能充满我们这些软弱的器皿。

Have you spoken to anyone about the gospel this year?
今年你有没有跟人讲过福音？

Have you invited anyone to church this year?
今年你有没有邀请人来教会？

DO YOU LOVE THE WORLD LESS?
你更不爱世界了吗？

1 John 2:15 –“ Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.”
约翰一书2:15——“不要爱世界和世界上的事。人若爱世界，爱父的心就不在他里面了。”

Do we obey this command?
我们有没有顺服这条命令？

To obey this command, we truly need to be loving Jesus more.
要顺服这条命令，就必须更深地爱耶稣。

In the words of the chorus:
正如那首诗歌所说：

TURN YOUR EYES UPON JESUS
要定睛在耶稣身上

LOOK FULL IN HIS WONDERFUL FACE
定睛看祂奇妙慈容

AND THE THINGS OF EARTH
世上事物

WILL GROW STRANGELY DIM
在祂荣耀恩典光中必变模糊

Do we love the world less or more than we did last year?
比起去年，我们更爱世界，还是更不爱世界了？

What do you spend your time doing?
你把时间主要花在什么上？

Do you spend more time on worldly or heavenly things?
你是花更多时间在属世的事，还是属天的事？

ARE YOU IN FULL CONTROL OF YOUR WORDS?
你的舌头更被管住了吗？

The tongue is called an unruly evil in James 3.
雅各书3章说舌头是个“不服管束的邪恶”。

Are you more in control of your tongue than you were last year?
比起去年，你更能管住自己的舌头了吗？

One of the evidences of a growing Christian is that you are in control of your tongue.
基督徒成长的一个明显证据，就是舌头越来越被管住。

Are your words sweeter than last year?
你今年说的话比去年更甘甜吗？

We ask what is the defining quality of a Christian?
我们问：基督徒最显著的标记是什么？

In my estimation, it is the ability through the Holy Spirit to control his/her tongue
我认为是靠着圣灵管住自己的舌头。

ARE YOU MORE OBEDIENT TO GOD?
你更顺服神了吗？

Jesus says ”If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.”
耶稣说：“你们若爱我，就必遵守我的命令。”

Obedience to God is one of the greatest characteristics of the Christian.
顺服是基督徒最显著的特征之一。

As we said earlier, Paul talks about the Roman soldier.
正如前面所说，保罗拿罗马士兵做比方，

These soldiers obeyed their Commanding Officer.
这些士兵完全服从他们的指挥官。

Are you obeying your Commander? – God himself?.
你是否顺服你的元帅——神自己？

Obedience to the commands and call of God is essential to progress in the Christian life.
顺服神的命令和呼召，是基督徒生命长进的必要条件。

Has God called you to do something this year and you are still refusing?.
今年神有没有呼召你做某件事，而你至今仍在抗拒？

It is time to obey that call, don’t make excuses like Jonah and Moses did…
是时候顺服了，不要像约拿和摩西那样找借口……

IS THERE A GREATER EXCELLENCE IN ALL YOU DO?
你做每一件事都更追求卓越了吗？

Ephesians 6:5-9 and Colossians 3:17 give us a blueprint for living:
以弗所书6:5-9和歌罗西书3:17给了我们生活的蓝图：

We are to do all for the glory of God.
凡事都要为荣耀神而做。

Whether it is washing up or preaching, we are to do everything for His glory.
无论是洗碗还是讲道，一切都要为祂的荣耀。

If we are washing, we should wash up as if Jesus was going to drink out of that cup or glass.
我们洗碗时，要像耶稣要用那个杯子喝水一样认真。

Is our work done in a more excellent way than it was last year?
我们今年的工作是否比去年做得更卓越？

DO YOU WEEP FOR SOULS MORE AND IN REPENTANCE?
你为灵魂、为自己的罪更多流泪了吗？

I love Jeremiah; he wept so much.
我爱耶利米，他流了很多眼泪。

But he is not the only one who weeps in scripture.
但圣经里不止他一人流泪。

Our Saviour weeps at the grave of Lazarus.
我们的救主在拉撒路的坟前也哭了。

We need to cry over our sin…
我们需要为自己的罪痛哭，

we need to have compassion like Jesus had for a world that is dying..
需要像耶稣一样为这将亡失的世界怜悯痛哭。

He wept over Jerusalem.
祂为耶路撒冷哀哭。

Look at Paul in Romans 9:1-3, and his pain for his own people, Israel.
看罗马书9:1-3，保罗为以色列同胞的痛心。

Do you have the same pain for your community and country?
你为你的社区、你的国家有同样的痛心吗？

When was the last time you cried in repentance?
你上次为自己的罪悔改流泪是什么时候？

When was the last time you cried to God in prayer for your family, community and country?
你上次为家人、社区、国家向神哭求是什么时候？

DO YOU HAVE A DEEPER WONDER ABOUT YOUR SALVATION?
你对救恩的惊叹更深了吗？

It has been 50 years since I first trusted Christ.
我信主已经50年了。

It is incredible to me that God loves me and that He sent His Son to die for someone like me.
神竟然爱我，差祂的儿子为我这样的人死，这对我来说仍是不可思议。

Has the wonder of your salvation grown in the last year?
过去一年，你对救恩的惊奇和感恩有没有加深？

Ever wonder why God should pour his love, mercy and grace upon you? I do.
你有没有想过：神为什么要将祂的爱、怜悯、恩典倾倒在你身上？我常想。

David prayed that he wouldn’t lose the joy of his salvation.
大卫祷告求神不要让他失去救恩的喜乐。
I hope you still have the wonder of a little child when it comes to your salvation.
愿你在救恩的事上仍像小孩子一样，永远保持那份惊奇与喜乐。

There are other questions you can ask yourself, but these are a good way to start.
你还可以问自己其他问题，但这些已经是一个很好的起点。

When we get to the end of 2026, may we be able to answer all the questions, by saying “YES I have.”
愿我们在2026年底回顾时，能对每一个问题都说：“是的，我做到了！”

God bless you,
愿神赐福你，