Desert Stream Anglican Church

Now the mixed multitude who were among them yielded to intense craving; so the children of Israel also wept again and said: “Who will give us meat to eat? We remember the fish which we ate freely in Egypt, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic; but now our whole being is dried up; there is nothing at all except this manna before our eyes!” (Numbers 11:4-6) The people of...

There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. (1 John 4:18) Fear is a destiny robber. It obstructs us from entering into God’s best for us. The opposite of fear is love, God’s perfect love. And through the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were done among the people. And they were all with on...

He who hates, disguises it with his lips, and lays up deceit within himself; when he speaks kindly, do not believe him, for there are seven abominations in his heart; though his hatred is covered by deceit, his wickedness will be revealed before the assembly. (Proverbs 26:24-26) Sometimes we read or watch in the news certain hate crimes committed against certain group of people. We are appalled by...

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.” (Matthew 5:14) A city is a place where people do transactions. People gather in a city to find refuge, rest, supplies, make homes, do business, etc. City welcomes visitors. It is meant to be seen, to be visible. Jesus in the same passage in Matthew 5, went on to say that it makes no sense to light a lamp and put it under a ba...

For thus says the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel: “In returning and rest you shall be saved; In quietness and confidence shall be your strength.” But you would not, and you said, “No, for we will flee on horses”— Therefore you shall flee! And, “We will ride on swift horses”— Therefore those who pursue you shall be swift! (Isaiah 30:15-16) God in creating mankind, designs that six days we shall w...

Then all the people answered together and said, "All that the LORD has spoken we will do." So Moses brought back the words of the people to the LORD. And the LORD said to Moses, "Behold, I come to you in the thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with you, and believe you forever." (Exodus 19:8-9) This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the...

Then the LORD answered me and said: "Write the vision and make it plain on tablets, that he may run who reads it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time; but at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry. "Behold the proud, his soul is not upright in him; but the just shall live by his faith. (Habakkuk 2:2-4) Have...

And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write,'These things says He who is holy, He who is true, "He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens": "I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name. (Revelation 3:7-8) When automatic doors w...

On your walls, O Jerusalem, I have set watchmen; all the day and all the night they shall never be silent. You who put the Lord in remembrance, take no rest, and give him no rest until he establishes Jerusalem and makes it a praise in the earth. (Isaiah 62:6-7) At times when we are confronted with challenges beyond our strength and understanding, we cry out to God. Whatever our relationship with G...

He found him in a desert land and in the wasteland, a howling wilderness; He encircled him, He instructed him, He kept him as the apple of His eye. As an eagle stirs up its nest, hovers over its young, spreading out its wings, taking them up, carrying them on its wings, so the LORD alone led him, and there was no foreign god with him. (Deuteronomy 32:10-12) The Bible describes God as an eagle, who...

For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” When Jesus heard it, He marveled, and said to those who followed, “Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel! (Matthew 8:9-10) The faith of the Centurion who came to Jesus,...

My beloved has gone to his garden, to the beds of spices, to feed his flock in the gardens, and to gather lilies. I am my beloved's, and my beloved is mine. He feeds his flock among the lilies. (Song of Songs 6:2-3) We often ask the Lord to grant us favourable environment or circumstance for us to thrive and succeed. We long for a sort of “utopia” for us to be fruitful and feel safe. Our Heavenly...

The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!”...The crowd that had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to bear witness. The reason wh...

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. (Psalms 23:4) The Old Testament often pictures God of Israel as Shepherd. The Shepherd is the one who would guide, lead, protect, feed and comfort the flock. On the other hand, sheep are rather frightful animals; easily startled. The Psalmist (David) is...

Now the first day of the week Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. Then she ran and came to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and said to them, "They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him." (John 20:1-2) But if there is no resurrection of the...

你们既听见真理的道，就是那叫你们得救的福音，也信了基督，既然信他，就受了所应许的圣灵为印记。这圣灵，是我们得基业的凭据，（原文作质）直等到神之民（民原文作产业）被赎，使他的荣耀得着称赞。（以弗所书1：13-14） 当你决定把生命交给耶稣做出交换的那个时刻起，你已经踏上了一段激动人心的旅程，去发掘和领受上帝将在你生命里成就的应许。上帝与你立约，是受了所应许的圣灵为印记。那在你里面和感动你的圣灵，就是 “定金”...

并且仰望神的应许，总没有因不信，心里起疑惑。反倒因信，心里得坚固，将荣耀归给神。且满心相信，神所应许的必能作成。所以这就算为他的义。（罗马书4：20-22） 我们当中有许多人喜欢从商家那里收集兑换积分，因为它们最后可以兑换成免费礼物。只有承诺赠送礼品的商家值得信赖，兑换券才有价值。只有当这些可赎回的礼物确实存在，可以被赎回和被占有时，兑换卷才是成立的。 当某样有价值的东西被‘锁定’和需要被赎回的时候，就是时...

“夜间，每逢交更的时候要起来呼喊，在主面前倾心如水。你的孩童在各市口上受饿发昏。你要为他们的性命向主举手祷告。” （耶利米哀歌2：19） 从我们成为基督徒的那一刻起，我们拥有的其中一个盟约祝福就是世代相传的祝福。上帝与亚伯拉罕立约，“于是领他走到外边，说，你向天观看，数算众星，能数得过来吗？又对他说，你的后裔将要如此。（创世记15：5）。然后上帝也对亚伯拉罕说：“当那日，耶和华与亚伯兰立约，说，我已赐给你的后...

你若留意听从耶和华你神的话，谨守遵行他的一切诫命，就是我今日所吩咐你的，他必使你超乎天下万民之上。（申命记28：1） 你若不听从耶和华你神的话，不谨守遵行他的一切诫命律例，就是我今日所吩咐你的，这以下的咒诅都必追随你，临到你身上，（申命记28：15） 申命记28章总结了人民若听从或违反上帝盟约的后果。有时，一些善意的基督徒向我建议，我们不应该太担心这一点，因为这段经文明确指向以色列人、犹太人和亚伯拉罕的后裔...

那时，我在亚哈瓦河边宣告禁食，为要在我们神面前克苦己心，求他使我们和妇人孩子，并一切所有的，都得平坦的道路。（以斯拉记8：21） 大斋节期间，我们应当寻求上帝，反省自己的生活，以及和上帝的关系。这是一个让我们静止并且为我们的灵、我们的力量得到更新的时节，也要把我们的生命重新聚焦于耶和华。这是一个为我们与主的信心和亲密之旅的下一个阶段作准备的季节。 我们透过研读和默想上帝的话语，禁食和频繁的祷告的属灵操...

“你要大声喊叫，不可止息，扬起声来好像吹角，向我百姓说明他们的过犯，向雅各家说明他们的罪恶。他们天天寻求我，乐意明白我的道。好像行义的国民，不离弃他们神的典章，向我求问公义的判语，喜悦亲近神。他们说，我们禁食，你为何不看见呢？我们刻苦己心，你为何不理会呢？看哪，你们禁食的日子，仍求利益，勒逼人为你们作苦工。你们禁食，却互相争竞，以凶恶的拳头打人。你们今日禁食，不得使你们的声音听闻于上。（以赛亚书58...

耶稣却回答说，经上记着说，人活着，不是单靠食物，乃是靠神口里所出的一切话。（马太福音4：4） 禁食通常被描述为停止进食，禁止身体的欲望。以赛亚书58章似乎更进一步地指出，禁食既是否认肉体的欲望，也是无视肉体的欲望。 无视肉体的欲望意味着，我们刻意选择与肉体对立，做与肉体的欲望相反的事。肉体孕育自我中心，可是我们施予祝福他人, “你心若向饥饿的人发怜悯，使困苦的人得满足。你的光就必在黑暗中发现，你的幽暗必变...

耶稣说，是因你们的信心小。我实在告诉你们，你们若有信心像一粒芥菜种，就是对这座山说，你从这边挪到那边，它也必挪去。并且你们没有一件不能作的事了。至于这一类的鬼，若不祷告禁食，他就不出来。（或作不能赶他出来）（马太福音17：20-21） 耶稣的门徒（不包括彼得、雅各和约翰），需要让一位被鬼附的男孩得到释放。然而，他们却无法把鬼赶走。同一个时候，耶稣，彼得，雅各和约翰在山上经历着非凡的天国经历，有时也被称为基...

耶稣被圣灵充满，从约但河回来，圣灵将他引到旷野，四十天受魔鬼的试探。那些日子没有吃什么。日子满了，他就饿了。。。 耶稣满有圣灵的能力回到加利利，他的名声就传遍了四方。他在各会堂里教训人，众人都称赞他。（路加福音4：1-2，14-15） 当耶稣在约旦河受洗过后，祂就被圣灵充满了。圣经记载圣灵把耶稣引到旷野去。耶稣在这40天受魔鬼的试探。那些日子祂都在禁食。在马太福音和路加福音详细记载耶稣受魔鬼试探的事件乃是，魔...

以利沙打发一个使者，对乃缦说，你去在约旦河中沐浴七回，你的肉就必复原，而得洁净。乃缦却发怒走了，说，我想他必定出来见我，站着求告耶和华他神的名，在患处以上摇手，治好这大麻疯。大马色的河亚吧拿和法珥法岂不比以色列的一切水更好吗？我在那里沐浴不得洁净吗？于是气忿忿地转身去了。（列王记下5：10-12） 叙利亚军队的元帅乃缦得了大麻疯。在那个时代是不治之症。以利沙是上帝受膏的仆人并以行神迹而闻名，因为他的名声...