“城造在山上，是不能隐藏的”（马太福音5：14下）。我们祈祷，求主使用小石城以马内利华语浸信会，使“这座造在山上的城”能“如日头出现、光辉烈烈”（士师记5：31），在新时代中为主发大光，照亮周围的人，使荣耀归于上帝。
我们诚挚地邀请您来参加我们教会的各项活动！让我们一同认识主，在祂的愛里彼此搀扶，共走天路。以马内利！
李春海牧师
最新信息
4/6/25 牧者之言
H同学的见证
上周日3月30日教会主日学讨论关于传福音，
这周一3月31日下午2: 47，我收到一条老朋友（我之前的导师；我们一起同工多年）
“你还记得曾帮助H同学找房子并为他祷告吗？他已经信主，
我听到这个消息非常好奇。怎么会有这样的事呢？
我听说他受了浸礼感到非常兴奋，马上打电话给我的老朋友和H，
- 以下是他受浸礼前的文字见证：
我一直在寻找正确的生活方式，我曾经相信金钱、科学、哲学、
但最终它们都失败了，现在我明白了，那是因为这些都是人的东西，
然而，神爱我，把我带到了这里，向我展现了真理——
起初，我带着怀疑开始学习圣经，但我渴望知道真理，
我很幸运，神安排我遇到了一位朋友，他成为了我的老师，
终于，在上周六，当我躺在床上时，脑海里突然响起一个声音：“
我知道，那是耶稣在呼唤我。
那一刻，所有的怀疑都消失了，我相信了圣经中的一切。
我感受到前所未有的平安和喜乐，我感觉我的罪被完全洗净了。
我开始感谢神，并且为我的家人和朋友祷告。
我的信心正一天天地增长，我会继续读圣经，
- 周二晚进一步分享
周二晚上我和H有个Zoom 会议，听到他更多的分享；并同时给他一些鼓励和劝勉。
“首先，我5岁时奶奶带我去教会。我清楚记得当时背诵主祷文。
后来，在我上大学时选修一门课程《西方历史》。
去年10月来到美国，
- 生命的转变
他一路走过来，特别感谢老朋友的陪伴、鼓励、
- 传福音中上帝的工作
我们为H见证基督的生命而感恩，他能够信主，
Testimony of Student H
On Monday, March 31st, at 2:47 PM, I received a text message from an old friend (my former mentor; we had served together for many years):
“Do you remember helping Student H find a house and prayed for him? He came to Christ and was baptized 2 weeks ago. Amazing!!”
I was very surprised when I heard this news. How could this happen? Some people spend so much time sharing the gospel with others, yet they still don’t believe. But this student was baptized so quickly.
I vividly remember that in early October last year, H went to my university in another state that I graduated from to study music. At that time, he was struggling to find housing. Through his teacher’s introduction, he called me. I told him, “I left the city more than six years ago, and I have lost touch with most of my connections.” After talking with him for a while, I asked, “Can I pray for you? May the Lord prepare a place for you.” He said, “Okay.” After I prayed, God quickly provided for him. He later told me, “Thanks to your prayer, I rented a house close to school at a very affordable price yesterday!” Later, he testified, “Your prayer was really effective!” I responded, “Thank the Lord! It’s not that my prayer was effective—every Christian’s prayer is powerful. It’s just that God had prepared me at that moment to pray for you. If I hadn’t prayed for you, the Lord would have arranged someone else to do the same thing.”
Hearing that he had been baptized, I was extremely excited. I immediately called my old friend and H to ask where he had been baptized. My old friend told me, “In our simple house church’s swimming pool.” My friend shared that this morning, he had taken H to meet a pastor. Coincidentally, this pastor had just visited our Little Rock Immanuel Chinese Baptist Church last Friday. When the pastor mentioned my name, H immediately said, “I know him! He prayed for me.” It was amazing that the Lord arranged for me to share in the joy of H’s baptism in such a way.
H told me that he plans to return to China in two weeks. He has decided to become a pastor (or an evangelist). He said, “Music cannot save people—only the gospel can. What the Chinese people need most right now is Jesus.” He further explained, “The Lord will still allow me to use my music to praise Him or to earn a small income, but my main goal will be to preach the gospel to others.”
Below is his written testimony before his baptism:
I’ve been trying to find the right way to live my life all the time, I have believed in many ways such as money, science, philosophy, music and so on.
But they all ended up failing, now I know it’s because they are all human stuff which are not solid or reliable, they have inadequate foundation, but God loves me and brought me here, and showed me the truth that Jesus Christ is the only path.
I started learning the Bible with suspicion, but I want to know the truth so I’ve always been seeking, I am so lucky that God arranged me to meet a friend who became my teacher and always answers my questions with patience and love.
Finally on last Saturday, a voice came out of my mind while I was lying on my bed, “Jesus I believe you, Jesus I want to follow you”, I knew that was Jesus calling me. Then all the suspicions were gone and I believed in all the things in Bible. I felt so much peace and joy, I felt all my sin was washed to clean, I started to thank God and I started to pray for my family and my friends.
My faith is growing stronger and stronger day by day, I will keep reading the Bible in the future and try to send the gospel to more people.
Further Sharing on Tuesday Night
On Tuesday evening, I had a Zoom meeting with H, where he shared more of his story. I also gave him some encouragement and counsel. I invited him to share his faith journey, and he said:
“First of all, when I was five years old, my grandma took me to a church. I clearly remember reciting the Lord’s Prayer. One time, my grandma prayed for me, asking the Lord to give me wisdom and understanding. Since then, for all these years, I have been seeking wisdom in my heart.
Later, when I was in college, I took a course on ‘Western History.’ When we studied the religious section, the professor played a video about ‘The Life of Jesus.’ As I watched, I was moved to tears. At that time, I had a bit of faith and even attended two or three church gatherings. However, I did not continue.
Last October, when I arrived in USA, a senior schoolmate introduced me to the Baptist Collegiate Ministry (BCM) on campus, where I met Sister A. She introduced me to a friend. In January this year, this friend invited me to join a study group called ‘Bible Discovery Group,’ which met every Tuesday night. One thing I really appreciated about this group was that the study method was not about being indoctrinated. Instead, we read the Bible together and were encouraged to discover the truth on our own. After eight weeks of study, as I read the Bible myself, the Lord gradually opened my heart. He allowed me to see clearly that the Bible is truly full of wisdom—it is absolutely not something humans could have made up. One night, I listened to the book of Ephesians. The impact was so powerful that it overwhelmed me. That night, I heard Jesus calling me, and I decided to fully commit myself to Him and follow Him completely.”
A Life Transformed
Looking back on his journey, H is especially grateful for that old friend’s companionship, encouragement, patience in answering his questions, inviting him for tea, and showing him care.
He also shared that his parents divorced when he was two years old. He had a very poor relationship with his grandma, father, and mother, and he had not spoken to them for a long time. He did not even call his biological mother “Mom” but instead referred to her as “Old Lady.” However, the second day after he became a Christian, he reconciled with his grandma, father, and mother. He also started calling his mother “Mom.” Praise the Lord! It was the Holy Spirit that changed his life and taught him to forgive.
The Lord’s Work in Evangelism
We are grateful for H’s testimony of Christ’s transformative power. Along the way, many people shared the gospel with him—his grandmother, his teacher, and my old friend. Those who came before were sowers, and my old friend was the one who nurtured and harvested. When it comes to evangelism, it is not about what we can do—it is about what God can do. God Himself calls people and does the work. He arranges everything so that one sows, another waters, and another reaps the harvest.
“Sow your seed in the morning, and at evening let your hands not be idle, for you do not know which will succeed, whether this or that, or whether both will do equally well.” (Ecclesiastes 11:6)
Let us give all the glory to the Lord, for though we labor, it is He who produces the fruit! Hallelujah! The Lord’s work is marvelous, wonderful, and truly amazing! Let us continue to pray for C’s faith and his future ministry plans. May the Lord continue to guide and protect him. In the name of Christ, Amen!
3/30/25 牧者之言
葡萄树
我们或许可以为小石城以马内利华语浸信会2025版更新的电子相
耶稣说：“我是真葡萄树，我父是栽培的人。
葡萄树没有棕树的四季常青，没有松树的傲骨耐寒，
这果子是圣灵的果子，是生命的流露， 是得人如得渔的事工，是虔诚祈祷所发出的力量，是天国的影响力。
天父有美好的计划。
耶稣是真葡萄树，天父是栽培的人。耶稣道成肉身，
圣灵供应葡萄树的养分，并适时修剪。圣灵如一把锋利的剪刀，
主给这颗葡萄树唯一的命令是：要常住在主里面——
感恩，这颗葡萄树的标语是：“见证基督，影响世界！”
感恩，这颗葡萄树的异象是：“但圣灵降临在我们身上，
感恩，这颗葡萄树的使命宣言是：“忠于圣约、敬虔崇拜、
感恩，这颗葡萄树的核心价值是：“家庭、下一代、祈祷、
感恩，这颗葡萄树正在以前所未有的活力继续传扬福音、建立教会，
我们有信心、我们有愛心、我们有盼望，因为我们是天父所栽种、
约瑟是多结果子的枝子，是泉旁多结果子的枝子，
小石城以马内利华语浸信会是多结果子的葡萄树，
The Vine
Perhaps we could name the 2025 updated digital album of Little Rock Immanuel Chinese Baptist Church “The Vine.”
Jesus said, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful” (John 15:1-2).
The vine does not have the evergreen nature of the palm tree, nor the proud resilience of the pine, nor the opportunity to become the beams of the temple like the cedar. With its intertwining roots and sprawling branches, the vine grows under the lush shade with only one purpose—to bear fruit.
This fruit is the fruit of the Spirit—it is the outflow of life, the work of winning souls like fishers of men, the power of devout prayers, and the impact of the kingdom of heaven.
The Father has a wonderful plan. In 1998, He planted this vine at Immanuel Baptist Church, establishing it as a “Mission Church.” On November 14, 2021, she officially became an autonomous church under the full name Little Rock Immanuel Chinese Baptist Church. On July 3, 2022, the church moved to Markham Street for worship.
Jesus is the true vine, and the Father is the gardener. Jesus became flesh, accomplished salvation on the cross, and rose from the dead on the third day, becoming the foundation of the vine. The Great Commission—to preach the gospel and make disciples of all nations— is the goal that the Church strives to pursue. The Lord’s return is our motivation and source of encouragement to remain watchful in prayer, diligent in preparation, loving one another, and exhorting each other.
The Spirit provides nourishment to the vine and prunes it at the right time. The Spirit is like a sharp pair of shears—He lovingly yet firmly prunes us so that we may bear even more fruit. He removes our self-righteousness, weakness, pride, arrogance, greed, and impurity. When we sin, He convicts us; when we are lost, He enlightens us; when we grieve, He comforts us; when we stumble, He upholds us—all so that we may glorify the name of the Lord.
The Lord gives only one command to this vine: Remain in Him, that is, to remain in His Word, and remain in His love.
With gratitude, we proclaim that this vine’s motto: Witness Christ & Impact the World!
With gratitude, we uphold this vine’s vision: But we will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on us; we will be the Lord’s witnesses in Little Rock, and in Arkansas and the United States, and to the world!
With gratitude, we embrace this vine’s mission statement: Keeping the Covenant Faithfully, Worshipping the Lord Sincerely, Having Fellowship Harmoniously, Loving Each Other Genuinely, Making Disciples Continuously, and Sharing the Gospel Passionately.
With gratitude, we cherish this vine’s core values: Family, Next Generation, Prayer,
Love Caring, Service, Godliness, Holiness, and Truth
With gratitude, we witness this vine moving forward with unprecedented vitality—spreading the gospel, building up the church, magnifying the Lord’s name, and preparing to take next step boldly into the future.
We have faith, we have love, and we have hope, because we are a vine planted by the Father, established by Jesus, and nurtured by the Spirit. Spring has come to Little Rock—the flowers are blooming, the white birds are singing, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land. The fig tree ripens with its early fruit, and the vine blossoms, spreading its fragrance. The time of great opportunity has arrived!
Joseph is a fruitful vine, a fruitful vine near a spring, whose branches climbed over the wall.
LRICBC is a fruitful vine, a fruitful vine near a well, and its branches extend beyond the walls, bearing abundant fruit!
3/23/25 牧者之言
工作中的偶像崇拜
阅读经文：哈巴谷书2:6-20
今天我们可能不会用贵重的材料来制作偶像，在其面前跪拜。
如果我们雄心勃勃的想要获得权力和影响力，是因为以为离了智慧、
摘自：https://zh-hant.
Idolatrous Work
Faithfulness is not a superficial matter of uttering praises to God while we work. It is the act of putting God’s priorities first in our work. Habakkuk reminds that “the Lord is in his holy temple; let all the earth keep silence before him!” (Hab. 2:20). This silence is not merely a religious observation, but a silencing of our own broken ambitions, fears, and motivations, so that the priorities of God’s covenant can become our priorities. Those who exploit others’ vulnerabilities bring judgment on themselves. Work that oppresses or takes advantage of others ultimately brings about its own downfall.
Today we may not be literally crafting idols of precious materials before which we bow down. But work may also be idolatrous if we imagine that we are capable of producing our own salvation. For the essence of idolatry is that “its maker trusts in his own handiwork” (Hab. 2:18, NASB), rather than trusting in God by whose guidance and power we are created to work.
If we are ambitious for power and influence because we think without our wisdom, skill and leadership, our work group, company, organization, or nation is doomed, then our ambition is a form of idolatry. In contrast, if we are ambitious for power and influence so that we can draw others into a network of service in which everyone brings forth God’s gifts for the world, then our ambition is a form of faithfulness. If our response to success is self-congratulation, we are practicing idolatry. If our response is thankfulness, then we are worshiping God. If our reaction to failure is despair, then we are feeling the hollowness of a broken idol, but if our reaction is perseverance, then we are experiencing the saving power of God.
Prayer: Jesus, when I am tempted by the idols of pride and self-sufficiency in my work, help me instead to remember with thanksgiving that I have freely received all gifts from you. Thank you for making fruitful work possible. Amen.
For Further Exploration: Read Idolatrous Work (Habakkuk 2:1-20; Zephaniah 1:14-18) from the Theology of Work Bible Commentary.
Cited from: https://zh-hant.