Samuel asked Jesse, "Are these all the sons you have?" And Jesse answered, "There is still the youngest; he is tending the sheep."
According to some theologians, David was between 16 and 20 years old when he was anointed as king. Since he was a boy, he was given the responsibility of looking after the family's sheep. In the eyes of his family and many other people, it was an insignificant job. However, judging by what David wrote in the psalms, those were possibly the best years of his life. He learnt responsibility and accountability as a shepherd boy. He had plenty of time to be quiet before God in the desert and to know Him in an intimate way.
God is preparing many young ‘Davids' in His church today. In recent years, missions leaders have seen the importance of the ‘4/14 Window'. Thus there is a call for the church to pay attention to children between the ages of four and 14 both in the church and in the mission field.
I believe that just as important as preparing this group of Christian children and youth is preparing their believer-parents to see the potential in their children and allow them to answer God's call in their lives. Parents need to prepare themselves to release their children to whatever plans the Lord has for them. We send our best to the mission field - our best according to God's standard and not man's.
I remember what Ross Paterson has said: "If you are in the place that God wants you to be, you will be blessed and He will bless the work of your hands." One missionary doctor who was in the mission field for 20 years said this, "Very often what I need here is not highly qualified people, but just ordinary people, like aunties, for example, who can come and teach the people how to cook nonya food, etc."
Let us make this our major prayer point - that we would pray for the children and youth of our churches in Singapore. Pray that they will be nurtured to love the word of God, hear His voice and be prepared to meet the needs of the nations. There are many aging missionaries in the field now; we need more ‘Davids' to join them. Let's pray for more young men and women to respond to God's call in their lives.
Sharon Lee
Pray for the children and youth in your church to be good disciples of Jesus.
Pray that they will go and make disciples of all nations.
Pray for their parents to be willing to dedicate and release their children to God.
Pray that more young people will go out to the mission field and reach out to the children of other nations.
撒母耳对耶西说:"你的儿子都在这里吗?"他回答说:"还有个小的,现在放羊。"
根据某些神学家的看法,大卫受膏为王的时候,年纪在16至20岁之间。因为他是个孩子,因此他负责照顾家里的羊群。在他家人和其他许多人的眼中,这是一个不起眼的工作。然而,根据大卫在诗篇里所写的,那段时间可能是他一生中最美好的时光。他以牧羊童之姿学会负责任。他有大量时间,可以在旷野里安静在神面前,亲密地认识祂。
神正在今日的教会中预备许多年轻的"大卫"。近年来,宣教领袖看到"4/14窗户"的重要性。因此有人对教会发出呼吁,要留意年龄在4至14岁之间的孩子,包括在教会中,以及在宣教禾场上。
我认为和预备这一群基督徒儿童和青少年一样重要的是预备他们同为信徒的父母,让他们看到孩子身上的潜力,并允许他们去回应神对他们生命的呼召。父母必须预备自己,放开自己的孩子,让他们顺服主为他们做的计画,无论那个计画是什么。我们差派最优秀的人进入宣教禾场──根据神的标准,而不是人的标准。
我记得Ross Paterson曾经说过:"如果你站在神要你站的地方,你就会受到祝福,祂会祝福你手所做的工。"有一位在宣教禾场事奉超过20年的宣教医师这样说:"我需要的往往不是高度专业人士,而只是普通人,例如一些阿姨,可以来教人如何烹煮马来食物等等。"
让我们把这件事列为重要祷告事项──为新加坡教会中的儿童和青年人祷告。求主使他们能够被教导为喜爱神的话、听祂的声音,并且预备自己去满足万国的需要。现在有许多高龄的宣教士;我们需要更多"大卫"加入他们的行列。让我们一起恳求神,兴起更多年轻人来回应神在他们生命中的呼召。
李美娟(Sharon Lee)
新加坡的活动
五月份巴柝声牧师会在新加坡,他将会在怀恩堂(Grace Bible Presbyterian Church)、Church Arise、Rock of Ages还有东岭圣经学院(Tung Ling Bible school)讲道及教导。
诚挚地邀请您参加五月四日(周六)于YWCA@Fort Canning与巴牧师茶聚,如果您想要参加这个聚会,欢迎您来致电或email到办公室。
为你的教会中的儿童和年轻人祷告,使他们成为耶稣的好门徒。
为他们祷告,让他们能够去使万民做主的门徒。
为他们的父母祷告,能够愿意将儿女献给神。
求主兴起更多年轻人投入宣教禾场,向其他国家的儿童传福音。
撒母耳對耶西說:「你的兒子都在這裡嗎?」他回答說:「還有個小的,現在放羊。」
根據某些神學家的看法,大衛受膏為王的時候,年紀在16至20歲之間。因為他是個孩子,因此他負責照顧家裡的羊群。在他家人和其他許多人的眼中,這是一個不起眼的工作。然而,根據大衛在詩篇裡所寫的,那段時間可能是他一生中最美好的時光。他以牧羊童之姿學會負責任。他有大量時間,可以在曠野裡安靜在神面前,親密地認識祂。
神正在今日的教會中預備許多年輕的「大衛」。近年來,宣教領袖看到「4/14窗戶」的重要性。因此有人對教會發出呼籲,要留意年齡在4至14歲之間的孩子,包括在教會中,以及在宣教禾場上。
我認為和預備這一群基督徒兒童和青少年一樣重要的是預備他們同為信徒的父母,讓他們看到孩子身上的潛力,並允許他們去回應神對他們生命的呼召。父母必須預備自己,放開自己的孩子,讓他們順服主為他們做的計畫,無論那個計畫是什麼。我們差派最優秀的人進入宣教禾場──根據神的標準,而不是人的標準。
我記得Ross Paterson曾經說過:「如果你站在神要你站的地方,你就會受到祝福,祂會祝福你手所做的工。」有一位在宣教禾場事奉超過20年的宣教醫師這樣說:「我需要的往往不是高度專業人士,而只是普通人,例如一些阿姨,可以來教人如何烹煮馬來食物等等。」
讓我們把這件事列為重要禱告事項──為新加坡教會中的兒童和青年人禱告。求主使他們能夠被教導為喜愛神的話、聽祂的聲音,並且預備自己去滿足萬國的需要。現在有許多高齡的宣教士;我們需要更多「大衛」加入他們的行列。讓我們一起懇求神,興起更多年輕人來回應神在他們生命中的呼召。
李美娟(Sharon Lee)
新加坡的活動
五月份巴柝聲牧師會在新加坡,他將會在懷恩堂(Grace Bible Presbyterian Church)、Church Arise、Rock of Ages還有東岭聖經學院(Tung Ling Bible school)講道及教導。
誠摯地邀請您參加五月四日(週六)於YWCA@Fort Canning與巴牧師茶聚,如果您想要參加這個聚會,歡迎您來致電或email到辦公室。
為你的教會中的兒童和年輕人禱告,使他們成為耶穌的好門徒。
為他們禱告,讓他們能夠去使萬民做主的門徒。
為他們的父母禱告,能夠願意將兒女獻給神。
求主興起更多年輕人投入宣教禾場,向其他國家的兒童傳福音。