The essence of discipleship can be summed up by the lyrics of one of my favorite hymns, “Jesus, I My Cross Have Taken”. “Jesus, I my cross have taken, All to leave to follow Thee; Destitute, despised, forsaken, Thou from hence my all shall be. Perish every fond ambition, All I’ve sought and hoped and known! Yet how rich is my condition, God and heaven still my own. // Man may trouble and distress me, ‘Twill but drive me to Thy breast; Life with trials hard may press me, heaven will bring me sweeter rest. O ‘tis not in grief to harm me, While Thy love is left to me; O ‘twere not in joy to charm me, Were that joy unmixed with Thee!”.  I really hope this kind of teaching would not be lost from our Christian heritage. As disciples of Christ, are we willing to be obedient to Him regardless of the cost? What is our value system? What makes us grieve? What brings us joy? Why do we think God should bless us? Dr. John MacArthur, Pastor of Grace Community Church, said, “What do we really mean when we invoke God’s blessings on our nation? I don’t hear anyone asking, ‘What do we need to do to be blessed?’ The sentiment sometimes seems to be, ‘Don’t tell us what to do; just bless us.’” God is holy and unchangeable. To be Christ’s disciples we must trust and obey Him with our whole heart.

牧師工作其中一項最困難的, 就是幫助人去重建破碎的關係. 我目睹許多的人長久以來不停地彼此傷害, 因為他們不願意承認自己的錯誤. 在人的性情中有一樣非常頑固的特性, 我們可以稱之為自義. 自義使我們看不見自己的過錯. 自義也可以使我們變得心硬. 自義的罪使我們不願意向人認錯, 或不願意向對方說“對不起, 請你原諒我!” 在他的著作 “回歸聖潔”裡, 費格力牧師如此說, “許多作為神兒女的人, 都不知道閉口不認罪會不知不覺地侵蝕了基督在我們生命中的大能. ” 雖然上帝樂於幫助我們恢復人與人之間破碎的關係, 但是我們必須首先要向神認罪. “耶和華的膀臂,並非縮短不能拯救, 耳朵並非發沉,不能聽見, 但你們的罪孽使你們與神隔絕,你們的罪惡使祂掩面不聽你們. ” (賽59:1-2)  假使我們學會了做錯事之後向我們的配偶說聲“對不起”, 我們的婚姻將會更加的美滿.  假使我們學會做錯事之後向我們的家人說“對不起”, 我們的家將會是個更加可愛的地方.  假使我們學會在得罪人的時候馬上就說“對不起”, 我們的教會將會變得更加聖潔.  願神憐憫我們!