Category Archives: 牧者之言

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2/9/25 牧者之言

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关于张惠玲的见证
2025年1月29日早祷会分享
魏愛玲師母

你是否曾对某人的生活产生过积极或消极的影响，而你自己却浑然不知？

经文：歌罗西书 4:2-6

1990 年，我们刚搬到台湾台中一个新地方，准备建立教会。我们谁也不认识，我们知道必须从家里的圣经学习开始。一天早上，我一边读歌罗西书 4:2-6，一边祷告。那天我祈求上帝“给我们开传道的门，能以讲基督的奥秘” 。 我特别注意道要“用智慧与外人结交，并充分利用每个机会。” 然后我出去，走到市场买水果。当我走进市场时，一位女士在马路对面朝我走来，开始微笑着挥手，然后穿过马路，挽着我的胳膊，好像她认识我一样。在台湾，中国人通常不会对一个陌生人如此大胆——虽然总是微笑友好，但不会如此主动！我想，哇，上帝已经在回应我的祷告了！她和我聊天，并坚持要我去她家见她的女儿！虽然有些奇怪，但我不正是刚刚祷告求上帝开门并要抓住每个机会吗？于是我跟着她去了！一路上我都在祷告！我们悄悄地上楼，因为她说不能吵醒她的丈夫，否则他会非常生气！她突然打开了一个年轻女孩的卧室门……我微笑着为闯入她的私人空间道歉，并告诉她我的名字，邀请她来我们家参加英语圣经学习。她非常害羞，但还是笑了。我很快感谢了她的母亲并离开了。我想，我可能再也不会见到那个可怜的女孩了！
这是从我的角度看到的故事开头。现在，我将分享张惠玲对这次初次见面的回忆。这是她在十年后（2001年）为一次课堂作业写下的故事，我将按照她的原文分享。

“一个充满愛心的人”（这是她为故事起的标题）

当我告诉别人我曾经是一个害羞、安静、严肃且缺乏自信的女孩时，他们总是露出难以置信的表情。“你现在看起来非常独立和自信，我无法想象你以前的样子。”是的，我确实和以前不一样了。作为家中的长女，我从小就必须学会照顾自己。由于父亲的严格管教和母亲的精神病，我学会了压抑自己的自然情感。在我的脑海里，从来没有“我想做什么？”的问题，只有“我应该做什么？”。在遇到我的干妈Elinda之前，人们可能认为我是一个冷漠的人。

         我不知道被愛是什么感觉，因为我的父亲除了责骂之外从未向任何人表达过愛。我部分理解父亲的沮丧——他娶了一位患有精神病的妻子，被迫离开自己的祖国（中国大陆），并承担起家庭的所有责任。为了帮助父亲，我从5岁起就开始分担家务。我从小就非常成熟，但却失去了孩子般的天真。我不喜欢与人交谈，因为我觉得没有人能理解我的感受。我的态度非常消极和愤世嫉俗，因为我从未对生活的任何部分感到满意。

        大学二年级的一个夏日，我的母亲把一个陌生人带到了我的房间。“哦，不！我母亲又开始发作 。”我低声自语。每当母亲行为异常时，我都非常讨厌这种情况。突然，一位金发、面容姣好的中年妇女 Elinda当时42岁）出现在我面前。“你好，我叫Elinda。我在街上遇到你的母亲，她想告诉我哪里可以买到苹果。她坚持要我来见你，因为她说你喜欢学英语。”她用带有美国口音的中文向我介绍自己。我忍住没有对母亲发火，保持冷静。她注意到我的恐惧和戒备心。意识到自己可能打扰了我，她在友好介绍后没有再多说什么，只是留下一张纸条，告诉我如果想学英语可以打电话给她。几天过去了，那张纸条一直在我脑海中盘旋。一种奇怪的好奇心最终给了我勇气打电话给她。

        “嗨，我是惠玲。你还记得吗？你说如果我想学英语可以给你打电话。”“当然，我记得你。”我们约定了第一次见面的时间。我很少给陌生人打电话，但不知为何，一种未知的感觉促使我尝试了解更多关于这个女人的事情。到了她家后，我发现自己并不是唯一的客人，我立刻意识到这是一次团契活动。我的直觉告诉我要有礼貌。我保持安静，直到活动结束。那天晚上，我认识了七八个年轻学生。我们一起唱歌、吃点心、读圣经故事。结束时，Elinda问我下周一晚上是否有空，我点了点头。“你不如来我家，我们可以做你想做的事？”我答应了。我有些责怪自己相信她会教我英语，但我也感受到了一种从未有过的情感。这种新的感觉让我在团契中感到更加平静、快乐和美好，这是我以前从未有过的。

        那个周一晚上，我带着我希望Elinda帮我学习的英语书去了她家。我问她我应该付多少钱。她的回答让我震惊：“我不收你任何费用。如果你需要帮助，尽管问我。”与以往缺乏动力的我不同，我每周一晚上都会去Elinda家参加我们的私人聚会，每周二晚上参加团契。我注意到Elinda总是问我感觉如何，我的家人怎么样，我的母亲怎么样。我感到很感动，因为她真的关心我和我的家人，而不仅仅是出于礼貌。我很少向任何人透露我的家庭或我自己，因为我害怕别人会嘲笑我、甚至鄙视我。在与Elinda交谈时，我能从她的眼神中看到理解和关愛，我意识到她真的关心我。有时，她会给我看一些她家人的照片，或者分享一些有趣的故事。起初，我并没有完全准备好接受她的友谊，因为我很难轻易相信别人。我一直在等待，想看看她到底想从我这里得到什么，否则她怎么可能有如此耐心和愛心去给予别人？

        有一天，她邀请我参加一个派对。“你参加过派对吗？”“没有。”“你愿意今晚和我一起去参加一个派对吗？”“愿意。”她让我在派对前一小时到她家，如果我没有合适的裙子，可以从她的衣柜里选一件。我坐在椅子上时，她帮我梳头。这是第一次，我的第一次，有人帮我梳头。她的手指触碰我的头发时，仿佛有电流流过我的全身。我感动得几乎要哭出来。我问她为什么对我这么好，我应该如何回报她。她回答说，她不求任何回报，只希望看到我在幸福和盼望中成长。她告诉我，她的愛来自上帝。如果不是上帝的愛，她会感到软弱和疲惫。上帝的奇妙恩典给了她生活的热情和奉献，无论生活多么艰难。

       以前有很多人试图向我传福音，但他们都失败了，因为我拒绝相信上帝的存在。由于Elinda的愛心和耐心，我终于在大学四年级时接受了耶稣基督。有一天，我的一个同学告诉我，我看起来不一样了。当我问他有什么不同时，他说我看起来光彩照人，充满信心，我的微笑让我看起来比以前更友好。我始终感谢上帝让Elinda进入我的生活，改变了我的生命。如果没有她持续的愛心和友谊，我永远不会知道什么是愛，如何信任别人，如何向这个世界敞开心扉，以及如何接受耶稣进入我的生命。以前我不知道世界上有这么多美好的品质，但她让我体验到了生活的美好一面。Elinda提醒我，我可以把我的愛给予那些渴望愛的人。我仍然与她保持联系，因为每当我感到沮丧或烦恼时，她总是鼓励我。虽然我不像以前那样经常见到她，但她的言语和形象已经深深印在我的脑海中。（她的故事到此为止）

我和惠玲在她得救之前度过了很多时光。我们在1990年相识。她在2001年在美国学习时为一次课堂作业写下了这篇关于我的文章。她回到台湾后给了我一份副本。这篇文章深深触动了我，让我意识到我们的言语、行为、肢体语言，甚至是我们对他人所做的最微小的事，都可能产生积极或消极的影响。我非常感谢上帝在这位年轻女性的生命中引导我每一步。我深感谦卑和感激，因为祂允许我在带领她归向耶稣的过程中扮演了一个角色。她是魏牧师在我们新教会中施洗的第二个人。第一个是我们的幼子！已经过去了35年，她仍然称呼我们为“妈妈”和“爸爸”。

  • 注：感谢魏愛玲師母允许我们分享她的故事。她对自己被提及感到有些不好意思，但李春海牧师认为这是为了荣耀上帝，通过分享个人见证可以激励和鼓励他人更忠实地愛主爱人、并侍主侍人。

2/9/25 Pastor’s Word

A Testimony about Chang Hui-Ling
Sharing on January 29, 2025, Early Prayer Meeting
Elinda West

 

Have you ever impacted someone’s life in a positive or negative way and had no idea you did?

Scripture: Colossians 4: 2-6

In 1990 we had just moved to a new area in Taichung, Taiwan to start a church. We knew no one and we knew we had to start with a Bible Study in our home.  One morning I was reading Colossians 4: 2-6 and praying. I was asking God that day to “open a door for our gospel message, so that we might proclaim the mystery of Christ.” I particularly paid attention to “Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity.” I then went out and made my way to the fresh market to buy some fruit. I was near the market when a lady was walking toward me on the other side of the road and started smiling and waving and came across the road and took my arm as if she knew me.  It was so unlike Chinese people in Taiwan to be THAT bold to a perfect stranger…. ALWAYS smiling and friendly yes, but not like that! I thought WOW! God is already answering my prayer.  She chatted with me and insisted we go to her house immediately to meet her daughter!  It was strange, but hadn’t I just prayed for an open door and to make the most of every opportunity! I went with her!  I was praying all the way there! We went up the stairs quietly because the lady said we couldn’t wake up her husband who would be very angry!  She opened the door suddenly to this young girl’s bedroom……I smiled and apologized for invading her privacy. I told her my name and invited her to our home for English Bible Study.  She was so very shy, but she smiled.  I quickly thanked her mother for the introduction and left.  I thought…. I will never see that poor girl again!!
This is how this story started from MY perspective.  Now I will share this story and that first meeting with Chang Hui Ling from HER perspective. I will share exactly as she wrote it down for an assignment for a class 10 years after it all happened!
“A Loving Person” (This is the title she gave her story)
People always look at me with incredulous expressions when I tell them I used to be a shy, quiet, serious girl who lacked self-confidence. “You look very independent and self-confident now.  I can’t imagine what you were like before.” Yes, it’s true that I am not the same person I used to be.  Being the eldest child in my family, I had to learn how to take care of myself when I was a small girl. I had learned to inhibit my natural emotions as a result of my father’s strict discipline and my mother’s mental illness. In my mind, there was no asking, “What would I like to do?” but only, “What should I do?” People probably regarded me as a callous person until I met my Godmother, Elinda.
         I didn’t know what it was like to be loved by someone because my father never showed his love to people except by scolding. I could partly understand my father’s frustration caused from his marrying someone with a mental illness, being forced leave his own country (mainland China) and trying to take care of all the responsibilities of my family. Trying to assist my father, I shared some housekeeping with my father since I was 5 years old. I was quite mature when I was young, but I lost the innocent nature of a child. I didn’t like to talk with people because I thought nobody could understand my feelings.  My attitude was very negative and cynical as I never felt satisfied with any part of my life.
          One summer day when I was a sophomore in college my mother brought an unexpected stranger to my room.  “Oh! No! My mother was acting up again.” I murmured to myself.  I hated the situation whenever my mother didn’t behave like a normal person. Suddenly, a middle-aged woman (Elinda was 42) with blond hair, good-looking features appeared in front of my sight. “How do you do? My name is Elinda. I met your mother on the street because she wanted to show me where to buy apples. She insisted I come to meet you because she said that you like to study English.” She introduced herself to me in Chinese with a soft American accent. I held myself back by not shouting at my mother and stayed calm. She noticed my fright and protectiveness.  Having realized that she might intrude into my space, she didn’t speak more after her friendly introduction.  She just left a note and told me that I could call her if I wanted to learn English. Several days passed by, the note kept whirling in my head. A strange curiosity finally gave me the courage to call her.
        “Hi, this is Hui-Ling. Do you remember? You said I could call if I wanted to learn English.”  “YES, sure I remember you.”
         We scheduled the time for our first meeting. I seldom called a stranger, but somehow an unknown feeling grabbed me and encouraged me to try to discover more about this woman. After I arrived at her house, I noticed that I wasn’t the only guest, and I immediately figured out that the meeting was a fellowship. My instinct told me to act politely. I stayed quiet until the meeting finished. During the night, I was introduced to 7 or 8 young students. We sang songs, ate refreshments, and read a Bible story.  At the end when people were dismissed, Elinda asked me if I was free the next Monday night, I nodded yes! “Why don’t you just come to my house, and we can do something you want??”  OKAY, I answered. I was kind of blaming myself for believing that she would teach me English. However, I also felt a different emotion which I never experienced before. This new feeling made me feel more peaceful, joyful, and wonderful during the fellowship than I had ever had.  I brought my English book that I wished Elinda to help me with on that Monday night. I asked how much I should pay her. Her reply made me stunned. “I don’t charge anything from you. Just feel free to ask me if you need help.” Instead of being unmotivated like I used to be, I kept going to Elinda’s house every Monday night for our private meeting and every Tuesday night for the fellowship. I noticed that Elinda always asked how I felt, how my family was doing and how my mother was.  I felt touched because she really cared about me and my family rather than just being socially polite. I seldom disclose my family or myself to anyone because I was afraid people would laugh at me or even despise me. While talking with Elinda, I could see understanding and affection in her eyes and I learned that she really cared about me.  Sometimes, she would show me some pictures of her family or share some interesting stories with me.  I was not quite ready to accept her friendship at the beginning because I couldn’t easily trust people. I waited and waited to see what she really wanted from me, otherwise, how could she have such patience and love to give to people? One day, she invited me to attend a party.  “Have you ever attended any party?”  “No!” “Would you like to go with me tonight to a party? “Yes.”  She asked me to come to her house one hour earlier than the party if I didn’t have a dress for the party. She let me choose any dress from her closet. While sitting on the chair, she helped me comb my hair. It was the first, MY first, that I had somebody comb my hair. It seemed electricity flowing all over my body from her touching my hair. I was so moved that I almost burst into tears. I asked why she treated me so well and what I should do to return to her. She answered that she didn’t ask for any return but to see me grow up in happiness and with hope. She told me the well of her love came from God. She would feel weak and exhausted if it were not for God’s love. God’s amazing grace had given her enthusiasm and devotion in her life no matter how difficult the life would be.  There were many times that people tried to evangelize Christianity to me, but they always failed by my rejecting God’s existence. Because of Elinda’s love and patience, I finally accepted Jesus Christ in my heart when I was a senior in college. One day, one of my classmates told me that I looked different. When I asked him what the difference was, he said that I looked glamorous with faith and my smile made me look friendlier than before, I’ve always thanked God that He had brought Elinda into my life and changed my life. Without her consistently give of her love and friendship to me, I would never have known what love is, how to trust people, how to open my mind to this world, and how to accept Jesus into my life.  Before I didn’t know there were so many good qualities in this world, but she made me experience the wonderful side of life. Elinda reminded me that I could give my love to people who are eager to love. I still keep in touch with her because she always encourages me whenever I feel down or frustrated. Though I don’t see her as often as before, her words and image have become embedded in my mind.    (End of her story)
Hui-Ling and I spent a lot of time together before she was saved. We met in 1990. She wrote this paper about me 10 years later in 2001 as an assignment for a class while studying in the U.S. She gave me a copy when she returned to Taiwan after her studies.  It has touched me so deeply and makes me aware of how our words, our actions, our body language, the smallest things we do around other people can have a positive or negative impact. I’m so thankful God was leading me every step of the way in this young woman’s life. I am so humbled and grateful that He allowed me to play a part in bringing her to JESUS.  She was the second person Wei Mushr baptized in our new church start.  The first person was our youngest son! It’s been 35 years, and she still calls us “mom” and “dad.”
  • Note: We are thankful for Elinda West’s permission to allow us to share her story. She feels a little embarrassed of mentioning herself, but Pastor Chunhai Li believes it is all about the glory of God by sharing a personal testimony, and this can inspire and encourage others to love and serve the Lord and others more faithfully.

2/2/25 牧者之言

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“荣神益人”
——华人基督徒如何过春节？

          1951年美国神学家莱因霍尔德·尼布尔 (Reinhold Niebuhur) 在《基督与文化》（Christ and Culture）一书中提到两者之间的五种类型。第一，基督反对文化(Christ Against Culture): 文化受了罪的玷污，基督徒应该避免、拒绝、并排斥文化。第二，基督属于文化(Christ of Culture): 文化是好的，与基督徒信仰没有任何冲突。第三，基督高过文化(Christ above Culture)：文化是好的，但要基督信仰对其做出最美的诠释。第四，基督与文化之间的张力 (Christ and Culture in Paradox): 基督徒与所处文化之间的互动始终存在一种紧张关系。第五，基督更新文化(Christ the Transformer of Culture): 基督徒努力寻求将文化的价值观和目的转化为服侍和荣耀上帝。由于篇幅所限，以上几点我不详细展开。多数福音派的基督徒赞同第五点，即根据耶稣的教导我们是 “世上的光，世上的盐” （太5: 13-16），我们在世界但不属世界（约17: 15-17），我们要以出世的心过入世的生活，不效法这个世界，只要新意更新而变化（罗12: 1-2）。
春节是华人第一大节日，是中国文化中很重要的一部分。在美国的华人基督徒面临三种文化：中国文化、西方文化及基督徒文化。华人基督徒如何平衡三者之间的关系，对于荣神益人至关重要。参照尼布尔所提出的第五种模式“基督更新文化”，按照保罗所说“所以，你们或吃或喝，无论做什么，都要为荣耀神而行“（林前10: 31）的原则，对于华人基督徒过春节，我和大家分享以下几点：
  1. 敬拜独一真神
        当尊上帝为大，绝不可祭拜偶像。《圣经》十条诫命（出20: 1-5; 申5:7-9）中的第一条和第二条明确规定，基督徒要敬拜独一真神，拜偶像是得罪神的。过年要杜绝各种形式接神，摆贡，贴财神画、门神画，或在微信里迎财神、抽签算卦等。我们不要提说或宣扬别神的名号（诗16: 4），更不要转发和传播。我们不要称呼人是“大神”，不要称呼某影视明星为“男神”或“女神”，不要把服侍神的仆人当成神（徒14: 14-18），也不要把天使当成神（启22: 8-9）。
在我们祷告时，基督徒称呼我们的神时不要说神是“万能的”（universal power），而要说神是“全能的”(almighty)。在和合本圣经翻译中，每逢提到神时都是说祂是全能者。顺便提一句，基督徒祷告时需要有谦卑认罪的诚实态度，然而在祷告结束时却无需自谦说“以上不配的祷告”，因为我们向上帝祷告的特权完全依赖于基督在十字架上做成的救恩，而不是我们自己的善工。基督徒可以张贴”福“字和有福音话语的对联，以及代表中国传统文化的服饰，比如唐装或少数民族服装等。
  1. 敬祖但不祭祖 Honor but not Worship Ancestors
         基督徒可以敬祖但不祭祖(We honor but not worship ancestors)。我们对祖先应予以“尊敬和记念”，却不应该“敬拜或祭祀”。华人说百善孝为先，圣经十诫的第五条人伦之首就是当孝敬父母。基督徒孝道的重点强调的不是在丧礼仪式上，而是在长辈活着时多与他们分享福音、多关爱体贴照顾、多分担家务，多以实际行动表达感恩之情。基督徒可以在传统节日时扫墓，藉此缅怀长辈留下的美好榜样，感激他们在世时所有的付出和辛劳。我们不磕头、不烧纸、不摆供品，但可以谦恭地扫墓，献鲜花，唱赞美诗。扫墓时，我们不为也不向死人祷告。我们是向上帝祷告，为活人求喜乐平安。这既荣耀主名，又向世人作见证。
  1. “从前属动物、如今属基督了”
        所谓生肖，既为华人之“十二属相：子鼠、丑牛、寅虎、卯兔、辰龙、巳蛇、午马、未羊、申猴、酉鸡、戌狗、亥猪”；它以十二种动物对应十二年或一天的十二个时辰。对基督徒来说，生肖只是标志，没有实在意义。
按着中国农历计算，今年是蛇年。基督徒对蛇这个标志持有特别看法，创世记中讲到始祖亚当受了蛇的引诱才偷吃了禁果、陷在罪中。我们认为，蛇本身并不是魔鬼，然而蛇却成了受撒旦所利用引诱人犯罪的工具。在蛇年时，基督徒如果想到要为主传福音、作见证，我相信上帝也是喜悦的。有位阿妮塔（Anita）姐妹在2024年华协新年庆祝的舞台上为主做了美好的见证。她说：“今年是龙年，但我们宣告今年要成为基督之年。愿基督得着所有华人！”我们同样宣告说：“今年是蛇年，但我们宣告今年要成为基督之年。愿基督得着所有华人！”
从谈论属相可以开启传福音的对话。有时中国人会问你是属什么的？从前你回答说：“我属羊、我属马、我属蛇”等。今天你可以说：“我从前属羊/属马/或其它属相，如今属基督了”。正如保罗所说：“只是我先前以为与我有益的，我现在因基督都当做有损的。 不但如此，我也将万事当作有损的，因我以认识我主基督耶稣为至宝” （腓3：7-8）。
  1. 吃喝要有节制
         新年时中国人会做很多菜，家人在一起享受团圆的日子。基督徒最好不要吸烟。吸烟有害健康。我们的身体是圣灵的殿，人不可伤害他人的身体，也不可伤害自己的身体（包括健康）。如果有吸烟的习惯，我们需靠圣灵的大能战胜烟瘾，为主做得胜的见证。比如：我的奶奶和我的美国妈妈都曾经历过戒烟的见证，她们曾抽过几十年的烟，但却借着主的大能戒掉了烟瘾。同时，基督徒“不可醉酒”（弗5: 18）。贪杯醉酒者难免失态。基督徒当竭力依靠圣灵竭力过分别为圣的生活，凡是容易使我们跌倒的事最好一概不作。分别为圣的生活，不是以不犯罪为标准，而是以合神心意为追求的最高目标。
  1. 抓住机会传福音
         传福音是基督徒的使命，无论得时不得时总要传福音（提后4: 2）。当给亲人打电话问候节日快乐时，可以与他们分享福音。当参加庆祝活动遇到人时，可以与他们分享福音，并邀请他们来教会参加活动。如果有人反对，我们也无需勉强，而应竭力与人保持良好的关系。
愿主赐福我们在新的一年里，力上加力，恩上加恩，荣上加荣，乐上加乐！主恩充溢，福杯满溢。愿平安如江河滚滚，愿福泽如洋海涛涛！以基督之名，阿门！

“Glorify God and benefit others”
——How do Chinese Christians celebrate the Chinese Lunar New Year?

In 1951, American theologian Reinhold Niebuhur mentioned five types of culture in his book Christ and Culture. First, Christ Against Culture: Culture is tainted by sin, and Christians should avoid, reject, and exclude culture. Second, Christ of Culture: Culture is good and does not conflict with Christian faith. Third, Christ above Culture: Culture is good, but Christian faith should interpret it in the most excellent way. Fourth, Christ and Culture in Paradox: There is always a tension between the interaction between Christians and the culture they live in. Fifth, Christ the Transformer of Culture: Christians strive to transform the values and purposes of culture into serving and glorifying God. Due to space limitations, I will not elaborate on the above points. Most evangelical Christians agree with the fifth point, that according to Jesus’ teachings we are “the light of the world and the salt of the world” (Matthew 5:13-16), we are in the world but not of the world (John 17:15-17), and we should live an out-of-worldly life, not conforming to this world, but being transformed by the new mind (Romans 12:1-2).
The Chinese Lunar New Year (also called as “The Spring Festival”) is the largest festival for Chinese people and is a very important part of Chinese culture. Chinese Christians in the United States face three cultures: Chinese culture, Western culture, and Christian culture. How Chinese Christians balance the relationship between the three is crucial to glorifying God and benefiting people. Referring to Niebuhr’s fifth model “Christ Renews Culture” and following Pau’s principle of “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31), I would like to share with you the following principles about Chinese Christians celebrating the Spring Festival:
  1. Worship the Only One True God
God should be honored as the greatest, and idols should never be worshiped. The first and second of the Ten Commandments in the Bible (Exodus 20: 1-5; Deuteronomy 5:7-9) clearly stipulate that Christians should worship the one true God, and idolatry is an offense to God. During the Chinese New Year, we shall put an end to all forms of welcoming gods, offering tributes, pasting paintings of the Wealth god or Door god, or welcoming the Wealth god on WeChat, drawing lots, etc. We shall not promote the names of other gods (Psalm 16:4). We shall not call people “big gods”; we shall not call certain movie stars “male god” or “goddess”; we shall not regard servants of God as gods (Acts 14:14-18); and we shall not regard angels as gods as well (Revelation 22: 8-9).
When we pray, Christians should not call God “universal power” but “Almighty.” In the Chinese Union Version of the Bible, whenever God is mentioned, He is called the Almighty. By the way, Christians need to have an honest attitude of humble confession when praying, but there is no need to modestly say “the above prayer is unworthy” at the end of the prayer, because our privilege to pray to God depends entirely on the salvation accomplished by Christ on the cross, not on our own good works. Christians can post the word “Fu” and couplets with gospel words, as well as clothing representing traditional Chinese culture, such as Tang suits or ethnic minority costumes.
  1. Honor but not Worship Ancestors
Christians can honor but not worship ancestors. We shall “respect and remember” our ancestors, but we shall not worship or offer sacrifices to them. Chinese people say that filial piety comes first among all virtues. The fifth of the Ten Commandments in the Bible, the first of of human ethic, is to honor one’s parents. The emphasis of Christian filial piety is not on funeral ceremonies, but on sharing the gospel with elders, caring for them, sharing housework, and expressing gratitude with practical actions when they are still alive. Christians can visit or sweep graves during traditional festivals to remember the good examples left by their ancestors and to appreciate all their efforts and hard work when they were alive. We do not kowtow, burn paper, or place offerings, but we can humbly visit graves, offer flowers, and sing hymns. When visiting graves, we do not pray for or to the dead. We pray to God and ask for joy and peace for the living. This not only glorifies the Lord’s name but also bears witness to the world.
  1. “I once belonged to animal, but now I belong to Christ”
The Chinese zodiac is the twelve Chinese zodiac signs: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig. The twelve animals correspond to the twelve hours of a year or day. For Christians, the zodiac is just a symbol and has no actual meaning.
According to the Chinese lunar calendar, this year is the Year of the Snake. Christians have a special view on the symbol of the snake. The Book of Genesis says that the first ancestor Adam was tempted by the snake and ate the forbidden fruit and fell into sin. We believe that the snake itself is not a devil, but the snake has become a tool used by Satan to tempt people to sin. In the Year of the Snake, if Christians think more about preaching the gospel and bearing witness for the Lord, I believe God is also pleased. Sister Anita gave a beautiful testimony for the Lord on the stage of the 2024 Arkansas Chinese Association New Year Gala. She said: “This year is the Year of the Dragon, but we declare that this year will be the year of Christ. May Christ gain all Chinese!” We also claim: “This year is the Year of the Snake, but we declare that this year will be the year of Christ. May Christ gain all Chinese!”
Talking about your zodiac sign can start a conversation about evangelism. Sometimes Chinese people will ask you what your zodiac sign is. In the past, you answered, “I belong to a sheep, or a horse, or a snake, etc.” Today, you can say, “I once belonged to a sheep/other zodiac sign, but now I belong to Christ.” As Paul said, “But whatever gains I had, I now counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord” (Philippians 3:7-8).
  1. Eat and Drink in Moderation
During the New Year, Chinese people will cook a lot of dishes and enjoy the reunion with their families. It is better for a Christian to avoid smoke. Smoking is harmful to health. Our bodies are the temples of the Holy Spirit. People should not harm the bodies of others or their own bodies (including health). If we have the habit of smoking, we need to rely on the power of the Holy Spirit to overcome the addiction and bear victorious witness for the Lord. For example: My grandmother and my American mother had both experienced the testimony of quitting smoking. They had smoked for decades, but they quit smoking through the power of the Lord. At the same time, Christians “should not be drunk on wine” (Ephesians 5:18). Those who are drunk will easily lose control. Christians should strive to rely on the Holy Spirit and live a sanctified life. It is best not to do anything that can easily cause others to fall. The sanctified life is not only based on not committing sins, but on the highest goal of pursuing God’s will.
  1. Seize Every Opportunity to Share the Gospel
We should always preach the gospel in season and out of season (2 Timothy 4:2). When wishing our relatives or friends a happy new year, we can share the gospel with them. When meeting people at celebrations, we can share the gospel with them and invite them to church. If someone objects, we do not need to force them but should do our best to maintain a good relationship with them.
May the Lord bless us in the new year with more strength, more glory, and more joy! May the Lord’s grace overflow and the cup of blessing overflow. May peace roll like a river and blessings flow like the ocean! In the name of Christ, Amen!

1/26/25 牧者之言

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我们生命中的属灵标记

魏师母

•    经文：诗篇77:11-14
•    2025年1月16日晨祷会
1 月 10 日是我父亲的忌日，1982 年他去世了，享年 55 岁。今年和每年，我和姐妹们都会分享爸爸，分享他和妈妈对我们的意义，分享我们多么感激在一个基督徒家庭中长大！我以前在晨祷会上分享过一些这方面的事情。对我们所有人来说，失去父母是我们生命中意义重大的时刻，也是悲伤的时刻。1979 年 6 月 17 日，父亲节的第二天，我和魏牧师离开了美国。我们家乡的教会举行了一次差遣礼，我们将被差遣到台湾担任传教士。后来，当我要和父母道别的时候，我给了爸爸一张父亲节贺卡。在那张贺卡里，我告诉他，正是通过他的愛，我才意识到天父的愛是什么样的。我告诉他，在我成长的过程中，他一直愛着我、关心着我、引导着我，并为我祈祷。
我的父母总是带我去教会，我决志信靠耶稣，并在 9 岁时受浸礼。我在父亲节卡片上说了更多的话来表达我对爸爸的感激和愛。我告诉他我的祈祷是希望我的生命能反映出他对我的愛！这让我爸爸哭了。直到那天我 31 岁，我才第一次看到爸爸哭。听到我对他说出这些感受，爸爸很高兴。他为我感到骄傲，但也为我们即将离开很长一段时间而感到难过。
上周，当我想起我的父亲时，我开始思考我们生命中都有的“属灵标记” 。它们并不常见。这些属灵记忆在我们的基督徒生活中至关重要。我们生命中的这些时刻确定了我们知道上帝以圣灵的力量清楚地引导我们，或给我们一个明确的呼召服侍的时刻！属灵标记提醒我们上帝的力量！（当我们回顾他过去如何引导我们时），它们给我们信心去面对今天的争战。（当我们与孩子们分享上帝在我们生命中的工作时），它们给我们的孩子信心为明天争战！它们见证上帝大能的手！记住上帝所做的一切有助于我们将所有的荣耀归于他！我们从这些经历中走出来，成为一个比以前更强大、更好的人。我们可能不会在某个事件或某个阶段结束后立即感到更强大，但随着时间的流逝，我们回首往事，发现上帝在我们的生活中用它来加强我们对他的信仰和信任，为此我们赞美他！
我和魏牧师经常和我们的孩子和孙辈分享我们的属灵标记，因为我们认为这样做很重要。他们需要听到这些故事，并受到挑战，自己去信靠上帝。我们希望他们看到与主紧密同行的价值和祝福！在向他人讲述属灵标记的过程中，我们自己获得了对今天的信心和勇气以及对未来的盼望！这些标记具有属灵意义，就像以色列人的逾越节和我们的主餐礼、保罗在去大马色的路上、摩西和燃烧的荆棘。我和魏牧师分享过，我们自己的属灵标记包括我们对罪的认识和得救的经历、我们的婚姻、我们对传教服侍的呼召，以及我们与所认识的一切和每个人分离……在另一个国家生活 30 多年。
我们刚到台湾两年半时，我爸爸就得知自己得了癌症，之后他只活了四个月。我无法回到美国支持我的母亲、姐妹和其他亲人、以及参加葬礼。我们当时正在台湾参加一个中国教会，牧师想为我们一家举行一场礼拜。他们唱了“耶稣的胜利”这首歌，因为在美国的礼拜仪式上唱过这首歌。他们准备了一幅爸爸的大画像，并在教堂前面放了一个用真花制成的十字架。牧师以《创世纪》第 12 章讲道，上帝告诉亚伯兰“离开本地，本族和父家，往我要指示你的地去”…… 他继续读到第 3 节…… “地上的万族都要因你得福。”我知道他讲了很多话来安慰我，所有人都一个接一个地来握住我的手，我看到了他们的眼泪！他们根本不认识我的父亲，但他们愛我们一家人，我们只在那间教会待了两年。我深受感动。我们的传教士家庭也为我们举行了一场礼拜。它让我们如此亲密地聚在一起，分享这份悲伤，我的悲痛。在那些日子和几个月里，我心中建立了更坚定的信心。这些可愛的弟兄姐妹们用他们的愛心、他们的关怀、他们自己的属灵标志和他们的祈祷建立了我的信心……我们在日常生活中一起前行和工作……时间就这样流逝着。
当我们彼此分享属灵标记时，我们都会得到坚固并充满盼望！你知道，尽管我很伤心我的父亲去世得很早，但我学会了无论发生什么都要信靠上帝。我拥有上帝奇妙的平安和同在。上帝从不无情。他用他的愛厚待我们。他的道路比我们的道路更高。也许你们中的一些人还记得在另一次晨祷中我分享了我在成为传教士初期与家人分离的挣扎。在这种艰难的悲痛和伤心中，主告诉我，在他呼召侍奉他的地方他为我准备了另外两个美好的家庭……我的传教士同胞家庭和我的中国教会家庭！回首往事，我被他的信实所折服。在爸爸离开我们的同一年，上帝赐给我和魏牧师另一个儿子。我们非常激动，并感谢上帝对我们的仁慈，他在我们生命中的那段时间拯救了我们。
今天在晨祷中，我分享了我生命中的一个属灵标记！你的属灵标记是什么？想一想！我们是一家人，所以让我们一起分享我们的生活、我们的祷告、主对我们祷告的回应，并得到祝福和鼓励！！！
亲愛的上帝，请帮助我们识别我们生命中的属灵标记，这样，在我们这样做的同时，请帮助我们在与你同行的过程中建立属灵的记忆。当我们记住生活中的这些事件帮助我们持续增强我们的信心，并让我们持续走在正路上。帮助我们与他人分享，以便我们相互鼓励。谢谢天父，你一直在我们生命中工作，这些标记提醒我们，我们属于你，我们的未来在你那里是安全的！谢谢耶稣赐予我们基督的身体……我们的教会大家庭！ 奉耶稣的名，阿门。

Spiritual Markers in our Lives
Elinda West

  • Scripture: Psalm 77:11-14
  • Early Prayer meeting January 16, 2025
         January 10th is the anniversary of my father’s death in 1982.  He was 55 years old.  This year and every year my sisters and I talk about daddy and what he and mother meant to us and how thankful we were to grow up in a Christian home! I’ve shared a little about this event before in Early Prayer meeting.  For all of us losing our parents is a significant time in our lives and a sad time. Wei Mushr and I left America the day after Father’s Day on June 17, 1979. There was a Commissioning Service at our home church for us to be sent out as missionaries to Taiwan.  Later, when it was time to say good-bye to my parents I gave daddy a Father’s Day card. In that card I shared with him that it was through his love that I realized what the love of God the Father must be like. I told him he had loved and cared for my needs and guided me and prayed for me as I grew up.
My parents always took me to church, and I professed my faith in Jesus and was baptized at 9 years old. I said more things in that Father’s Day card expressing my gratitude and love to my daddy and I told him my prayer was that my life might reflect the same love that he had shown to me!  It made my daddy weep. I had never seen my daddy cry until that day and I was 31 years old. It was good for my daddy to hear me say those feelings to him. He was proud of me but sad we were going away for a long time.
As I was thinking about my dad this past week I began to think about the “Spiritual Markers” we all have in our lives. They don’t happen often. These Spiritual memories are crucial in our Christian life. These times in our lives IDENTIFY A TIME we know God clearly GUIDED US by the power of the Holy Spirit or gave us a CLEAR CALL to service! SPIRITUAL MARKERS REMIND US OF THE POWER OF GOD!  THEY GIVE US CONFIDENCE TO FACE TODAY’S BATTLES (as we look back on how He led us in the past). THEY GIVE OUR CHILDREN CONFIDENCE TO FIGHT TOMORROW’S BATTLES! (as we share with them God’s work in our lives). THEY WITNESS TO THE MIGHTY HAND OF GOD! REMEMBERING WHAT GOD HAS DONE HELPS US GIVE HIM ALL THE GLORY!  We go away from these experiences as a stronger and better person than we were before.  We might not feel stronger immediately after the event or season, but with the passing of time we look back and see that God used it in our lives to strengthen our faith and trust in Him AND FOR THAT WE PRAISE HIM!
Wei Mushr and I often share our Spiritual Markers with our children and grandchildren because we think it is important for us to do that. They need to hear these stories and be challenged to trust God themselves. We want them to see the value and blessing of walking closely with the Lord!  In the process of telling others about Spiritual Markers we ourselves receive confidence and courage for today and hope for the future! These markers have spiritual significance, like the Passover for the Israelites and The Lord’s Supper for us, Paul on the road to Damascus, Moses and the burning bush. Wei Mushr and I discussed that our own spiritual markers include our conviction of sin and salvation experience, our marriage, our call to missionary service and separation from everything and everyone we knew… to live in another country for 30 plus years.
We had been in Taiwan for only 2 1/2 years when my dad learned he had cancer and only lived 4 months after that. I could not return to the U.S. to support my mother and sisters and other close family members and attend the funeral.  We were attending a Chinese Church in Taiwan and the pastor wanted to hold a service for our family. They sang the song “Victory in Jesus” because it was sung at the service in America. They prepared a large portrait of daddy and had a cross of real flowers at the front of the church. The pastor preached from Genesis 12 where God told Abram to “leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you”… and he read on through verse 3… “and all the peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” I know he shared many words to comfort me and all the people came one by one to take my hand and I saw their tears! They didn’t know my daddy at all but they loved our family and we had only been in that church 2 years. I was touched so deeply. Our missionary family also held a service for us. It brought us so close together to share this sadness, my grief. A stronger faith was established in my heart in those days and months. These loving brothers and sisters built up my faith by their love, their care, their own spiritual markers and their prayers…. as we walked and worked together in daily life… and time went on.
When we share our spiritual markers with each other we all are strengthened and have hope!  You know, even though I was so hurt that my daddy passed away so young I learned about trusting God no matter what. I had God’s wonderful peace and presence.  God is never unkind. He lavishes us with His love. His ways are higher than ours.  Maybe some of you remember another time in Early Morning Prayer I shared about my struggle with separation from my family in the early days of being a missionary.  The Lord showed me during this difficult grief and sadness He had prepared 2 other wonderful families for me in the place he called me to serve Him……My fellow Missionary Family and My Chinese Church family! I look back and am overwhelmed with His Faithfulness. In the same year daddy left us.. God gave Wei Mushr and I another son. We were so excited and grateful for God’s Goodness to us which He saved for that time in our life.
Here in Early Prayer today I’m sharing a Spiritual Marker in my life! What are your Spiritual Markers? Think about it!  We are FAMILY so let’s share together our lives, our prayers, our answers to prayers and be Blessed and Encouraged!!!
Dear Lord, help us to identify the spiritual markers in our lives and as we do that help us develop spiritual memory in our walk with you. As we remember these events in our lives help them to continue to strengthen our faith and keep us consistently on the path. Help us share with others so we can encourage each other. Thank you Father that you are constantly working in our lives and that these markers are reminders to us that we belong to You and our future is secure in You! Thank you Jesus for the Body of Christ ….Our Family! In Jesus’s Name Amen.

1/19/25 牧者之言

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 1/19/2025

欢迎新朋友

 
希伯来书13:2 不可忘记用爱心接待客旅，因为曾有接待客旅的，不知不觉就接待了天使。教会要对每位新朋友热情友好，使他们感受到家的温暖。

近日我在一个偶然的机会读到一封信。这封信是一间达拉斯教会牧者写给我们教会一位弟兄全家人的，弟兄一家人去年曾于复活节到他们教会参加过一次崇拜。信的内容大致是这样的：

“当有人选择加入我们敬拜上帝时，我们 xx （教会）总是认为自己是受祝福的。所以非常感谢你们在过去的复活节赐予我们这些祝福。你们走了这么远的路。希望你们回家时安全愉快。我们希望你们与我们在一起的时间能帮助你们度过这一周，帮助你们将上帝赐予你们的祝福带给所有与你们相遇的人。下次来达拉斯时，请再次与我们分享对上帝的赞美。愿他的平安与你们同在。我，在主的爱中属于你们……”

这封信给我很大启发，让我看到这位牧者和他所牧养的教会重视每个新朋友，并将新朋友的到来视为上帝对他们教会的祝福。他在复活节后第二天专门花时间给新朋友写信这一举动也提醒我和我们教会需要更多关爱新朋友。

我在网上搜了“七句话帮助教会留住新朋友”的信息，转引自生命之道基督徒资源中心（LifeWay）主席Thom S. Rainer博士所说的话。以下是我们可以对新朋友说的七句话：

1.“谢谢你来！” 这是最基本的，我听过无数的新朋友愿意再度造访教会，只因为有人对他们的莅临表示感激。

2.“让我来帮你吧。” 如果你看到有人雨伞打不开、小孩在哭闹、手上拿了很多东西，伸出援手帮助他们吧！当然弟兄姐妹之间彼此这样互相帮助也是很重要的。

3.“你要不要坐这个座位？” 当我去一间教会讲道时，我听到这句话两次。其中一次是有一个五人的家庭正在找位子坐，有位会友对他们说的。

4.“这是我的Email，如果有什么可以帮得上忙的，都可以联络我。”当然不能随便给任何人自己的Email，总要谨慎。但这样的动作能让新朋友感受到我们的热情和温暖。

5.“需要帮你带路吗 ？”就算在小教会里，新朋友也可能找不到幼儿室、厕所或大堂等地方。而如果我们看到有人在东张西望，通常也猜得出来他正在找路。

6.“让我介绍这位给你认识。”新朋友回访率通常会因为他有认识教会中其他人而提高。会友如果有机会，就可以介绍牧师、全职同工或其他会友给新朋友认识。

7.“要不要和我们一起吃午餐？” 这句话被留到最后一点有两个原因。第一，说这句话要视情况而定，如果状况合宜才提出邀请。第二，比起其他方法，这个方法对于提升回访率是最有效的。而且邀请新朋友一起吃饭负担其实没有很大，又能带出效果。

假设一个教会每周有两位新朋友，一年大约就会有100位新朋友。如果大部分的基督徒都能真诚地欢迎新朋友，搞不好一半的新朋友就会愿意留下来。突破教会人数瓶颈重要的第一步，正是和新朋友的良好互动（参https://blog.creaders.net/u/7254/201506/223279.html）

注意：千万不要向新朋友推销你个人产品或卖东西给他们，更不能搞传销。若有新朋友是来自异端（比如“耶和华见证人会”）或异教（比如“法轮功”），我们则要捍卫真道，指出他们教义上的错误，确保福音纯正，以免教会受到不必要的搅扰。

我们期待新朋友再来我们教会的目的并非为了多拉一个人入教，而是为了使我们能有更多机会与他们分享主的恩典和慈爱。愿主赐福带领我们教会今后在欢迎新朋友上能做得更好！

1/19/25 Pastor’s Word
Welcoming New Visitors

Hebrews 13:2 Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.

The church should be warm and friendly to every new friend, so that they can feel the warmth of home. Recently, I read a letter by chance. This letter was written by a pastor of a church in Dallas to the family of a brother in our church. The brother and his family went to their church to attend a worship service at Easter last year. The content of the letter is as follows:

“We of  x x (church) do always consider ourselves blessed when others choose to join us for the worship of God. So thank you ever so much for bestowing this blessings upon us this past Easter Day. You came such a long way. Do hope your return home was safe and enjoyable. And we hope that your time with us is providing to be an aid for you as you journey through this week, helping you to be a blessing from God to all those others with whom He is crossing your path. When next in Dallas, please share with us again in God’s praise. His Peace be with you. I am, yours in the love of Our Lord…”

I searched online for information on “Seven words to help the church retain new friends” and quoted from Dr. Thom S. Rainer, president of LifeWay Christian Resource Center. Here are seven words we can say to a new friend:

1. “Thank you for coming!” This is the most basic. I have heard countless new friends willing to visit the church again just because someone expressed gratitude for their presence.

2. “Let me help you.” If you see someone with an umbrella that can’t be opened, a child crying, or holding a lot of things in their hands, lend a hand to help them! Of course, it is also important for brothers and sisters to help each other like this.

3. “Do you want to take this seat?” When I went to a church to preach, I heard this word twice. One of the times was when a family of five was looking for a seat, and a member said to them.

4. “This is my email. If there is anything I can help you with, you can contact me.” Of course, you can’t give your email to anyone casually, and you must always be cautious. But such action can make new friends feel our kindness and warmth.

5. “Do you need help finding your way?” Even in a small church, a new friend may not be able to find the nursery, bathroom, or lobby. If we see someone looking around, we can usually guess that he is looking for his way.

6. “Let me introduce this friend to you.” The return rate of a new friend is usually higher because he knows other people in the church. If a member has the opportunity, he can introduce the pastor, full-time staff or other members to the new friend.

7. “Would you like to have lunch with us?” This word is saved for the last point for two reasons. First, it depends on the situation. Only make an invitation when the situation is appropriate. Second, compared with other points, this point is the most effective in increasing the return rate. Inviting new friends to eat together is actually not a big burden, and it can bring results.

Assuming that a church has two new friends every week, there will be about 100 new friends a year. If most Christians can sincerely welcome new friends, maybe half of the new friends will be willing to come back. The first important step to break through the bottleneck of church attendance is to have good interactions with new friends (see https://blog.creaders.net/u/7254/201506/223279.html)

Note: Never sell your personal products to new friends and never engage in pyramid selling. If new friends come from heresy (such as “Jehovah’s Witnesses”) or cult (such as “Falun Gong”), we must defend the truth, point out their doctrinal errors, and ensure the purity of the gospel to prevent the church from being disturbed unnecessarily.

The purpose of expecting new friends to come to our church again is not to attract more people to join a religion organization, but to give us more opportunities to share the grace and love of the Lord with them. May the Lord bless and guide our church to do better in welcoming new friends in the future!

1/12/25 牧者之言

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《路得记》中人名与地名意思参考

Reference to the meanings of names and places in Ruth

 

  • Bethlehem: Beth-lehem = “house of bread (food)”, a city in Judah. 1. birthplace of David; 2.a place in Zebulun; 3. birthplace of Jesus Christ 

伯利恒：“面包（粮食）之家”，在犹大的一座城。1.大卫的出生地，2.西布伦的地方；3.耶稣的出生地

  • Ephrathite = “ashiness: fruitfulness.” 1.an inhabitant or descendant of Ephraim, 2. an inhabitant of Bethlehem

以法他人：“灰白：丰收”。1. 以法莲的居民或后代; 2.伯利恒的居民

  • Moab: “of his father.” 1.a son of Lot by his eldest daughter, 2.the nation descended from the son of Lot, 3. the land inhabited by the descendants of the son of Lot

摩押：“他父亲的”。1. 罗得和他长女所生的儿子，2. 罗得儿子的后代，3. 罗得儿子后代居住的土地

  • Elimelech: “my God is king.” Naomi’s husband

亚比米勒:“我的上帝是王”。拿俄米的丈夫

  • Naomi: “my delight”

拿俄米：“我的喜乐”

  • Mara: “bitterness,” a name that Naomi called herself due to her calamities

玛拉： “苦”，拿俄米因所遭受的灾难自称的名字

  • Mahlon: “sickness,” “weakness,” or “man of sickness”

玛伦：“生病”、“软弱”或“病人”

  • Chilion: “pining,” “completion,” “ending,” or “wasting away.” Chilion’s name suggests a sense of finality or completion, perhaps foreshadowing the tragic events that befall him and his family. The name’s connection to “wasting away” could also be interpreted as reflecting the family’s decline and struggles in Moab.

基连：“渴望”、“完成”、“结束”或“消逝”。基连的名字暗示着一种终结或完成的感觉，也许预示着他和家人将遭遇的悲惨事件。这个名字与“消逝”的联系也可以解释为反映了这个家族在摩押的衰落和挣扎。

  • Orpah: “gazelle” or “back of the neck.” Some say the name implies “stiff-necked” because Orpah chose to leave Naomi after her husband died.

俄珥巴：“羚羊”或“后颈”。有人说，这个名字暗示着“硬着脖子”，因为俄珥巴在自己的丈夫死后选择离开拿俄米。

  • Ruth: “friend,” “friendship,” or “compassionate friend”

路得：“朋友”、“友谊”或“富有同情心的朋友”

  • Boaz: “strength” or “swiftness.” 1. ancestor of David, kinsman-redeemer to Ruth, daughter-in-law of Naomi; 2. name of the left of two brazen pillars, 18 cubits high, erected in the porch of Solomon’s temple

波阿斯：“力量”或“敏捷”。1. 大卫的祖先，路得的近亲救赎者，路得是拿俄米的儿媳；2. 所罗门圣殿门廊上竖立的两根铜柱左侧的名字，高 18 肘尺    

       参：https://www.blueletterbible.org/ 等

1/5/25 牧者之言

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1/5/25 牧者之言

“喜乐事奉”：同工们的分享

诗100: 2 你们当乐意事奉耶和华。

         保罗说：“就如身子是一个，却有许多肢体；而且肢体虽多，仍是一个身子；基督也是这样”（林前12：12）。上周日（12-29-2024）是同工分享日，我们教会有10位同工热情洋溢地分享了教会各项事工的进展及代祷需要。

         承慧讲到：“主的话是我脚前的灯，是我路上的光”（诗119：105）。教会周日主日学查考《使徒行传》，周五晚查考《出埃及记》，新旧约共同学习相得益彰、光中见光。“路灯读经微信小组”每日打卡读经，弟兄姐妹互相监督、共同长进。每周三晚6点的“赞美操”既可敬拜主，又可操练身体。

         魏师母概括儿童事工时提到，王艺颖是儿童事工联络人，王雪、魏师母、莎莎师母是老师。她强调这项服侍值得投入时间和精力。她特别祝贺小朋友们圣诞演出成功！2025年我们需要为更多人加入服侍，以及暑期圣经学校（VBS）祷告。她挑战说，“上帝是否呼唤你担任VBS联络人？弟兄或姐妹都可以。上帝是否呼唤你今年在 VBS 服侍？上帝是否呼召你教导儿童主日？你可以直接问上帝。不要害怕或觉得自己没有资格以这种方式参与教会服侍。上帝呼唤谁……他就有资格！你将获得巨大的祝福，你也将成为祝福！”

          宏岚总结食物组的服侍：教会每年6-7次大型聚会，每次弟兄姐妹踊跃带美食来，使大家有丰盛的宴席。青少年们积极服侍，家长教导有方。同时，每周日弟兄姐妹轮流带茶点，如有人不在名单里而愿意参与者，可以告诉她。2025年马上来临的中国农历新年和复活节，大家若有好的建议欢迎提出来。

          张琨分享教会晨祷和举牌事工。对于晨祷会他说：“曾经的晨祷会也逐渐变成了中美合一祷告会，众弟兄姐妹一起从清晨到晚上，将我们的忧虑交托给主，口也被神打开，可以说出赞美神的话。在为肢体的代求中，我自己渐渐体会到了别人的痛苦和挣扎，也体会到了代祷蒙应允后与肢体一起体会到的喜乐和平安。个人主义当道的今天，这一点点的信徒之间的相同（圣徒相通）带来的喜悦显得尤为宝贵”。对于举牌，他说：“圣诞前教会在华人超市门口进行了3次为主举牌传福音活动，大人孩子一起，给陌生人讲解福音，为他们祷告。出乎意料，神赐给了一些孩子们特别的勇气和爱心，追着陌生人发礼物，给他们讲福音，使大人蒙激励。神可以使不愿出头的华人把脸舍去为主举牌，神一样可以引领处在属灵低谷中的信徒重新抬起头来仰望为我们信心创始成终的耶稣基督。求主带领我们在新的一年里能有更多举牌服侍”。另外，他祈祷盼望能有更多人兴起爱主，教会能安排更多领主餐，使众肢体藉主餐礼更深对付罪、更多经历十字架救恩。他引用潘霍华的话结束：“廉价恩典是教会致命的仇敌。今日我们得为昂贵的恩典而战。廉价恩典像把恩典拿到旧货摊上贱卖。廉价恩典就是传扬不须悔改的饶恕之道，传讲不须遵守教会纪律的受浸之道，传讲不须认罪的擘饼仪式，传讲不须个人忏悔的赦罪之道。廉价恩典就是不须要作门徒的恩典，是缺了十字架的恩典，是没有复活和道成肉身的耶稣基督之恩典。”

       磊宏在分享青少年事工时提醒大家：1. 家长不能只是孩子的朋友，而是主安排的带领者，他们有责任带领孩子走神的道路。2. 同工和家长要保持沟通。家长不是只把孩子托付给他人，而是要与同工配合，一同做主工。3.多鼓励孩子们参与教会活动和事奉。

       财务方面，史保罗（Paul Spann）代表教会感谢每位家人通过教会奉献给主的每一分钱。奉献是敬拜的行动。在过去一年里，尽管有一个月出现赤字，但圣诞月奉献很好。关于有人提出建堂基金的问题，他解释到：教会有建堂基金。教会普通收入的所有结余都将归于建堂基金。若弟兄姐妹在十一奉献之外有感动作建堂奉献，欢迎在支票备注或信封左下角处注明：“Building Fund”。

       魏牧师说：“希伯来书告诉我们，不可停止聚会，祷告和团契。我们每日清晨在Zoom上见面，但我们千万不要忘记周三晚上祷告会，我们可以面对面分享代祷需要，彼此祷告。当我们一同祷告时，我们在基督里真正成为弟兄姐妹。祷告是教会合一的关键”。他特别要感谢教会为Sweetie姐妹的代祷和奉献支持，感谢上帝已为Sweetie预备了助教工作，使她可以明年顺利毕业，荣耀归主名！

       12岁的吴天柔小姐妹说：“我最喜欢的经文是约翰福音3：16节。当我第一次在教会司琴时，我心里非常兴奋。心想，我终于可以在教会司琴了。在轮到我第2和第3次司琴时，我心里想，怎么又轮到我弹琴了。但当我想到上帝为了爱我们，将他的独生儿子都为我们舍弃了生命时，我就甘心乐意地服侍主了”。

       慕道班/基础班是由Vivian和凌雯带领。Vivian说：“这个班介绍信仰基本要道，学习基本专题，包括：神(三位一体)、耶穌、圣灵、人、罪、救恩、圣经、教会，为信仰打好基础”。她请大家祷告有更多慕道友愿意来学习, 求圣灵帮助她们的带领, 也求圣灵挪开慕道友的一切的拦阻、使他们早日决志接受耶穌为救主和生命的主。同时，她感谢帶領崇拜的领詩和献詩的弟兄姐妹。她鼓励弟兄姐妹：“务要坚固, 不可摇动, 常常竭力多做主工, 因为知道你们的劳苦在主里面不是徒然的”（林前15：58）。

       最后，子钧分享学生学者团契，尽管这个团契的人数不太多，但主却看为宝贵，因为“若有人服侍主，主就必尊重他”。他希望新的一年里能有更多人参加，并愿意在事奉上更加竭力。

       此外，还有许多事工没有提到，比如每周主日教会提供同步英文翻译，耳机设备等。“麻雀虽小，五脏俱全”。感谢主赐福教会，感谢主兴起那么多同工一同服侍，求主兴起更多同工服侍。愿在新的一年里，教会不是依靠势力、不是依靠才能，乃是依靠神的灵方能成就大事！以基督之名，阿门！

 

1/5/25 Pastor’s Word

“Joyful Serving:” Sharing from Co-workers

Psalm 100: 2 Worship/Serve the Lord with Gladness.

        Paul said, “For just as a body is one and has many members, and all its parts, though many, are one body, so also is Christ” (1 Cor 12:12). Last Sunday (12-29-2024) was our Co-worker’s Sharing Day, and 10 co-workers from our church enthusiastically shared the progress of various ministries in the church and the need for prayer.

        Chenghui said: “The word of the Lord is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Ps 119:105). The church is studying the Acts of the Apostles on Sundays and Exodus on Friday evenings. The New and Old Testaments complement each other and light shines in the light. The “Street Light Bible Reading WeChat Group” checks in every day to read the Bible, and brothers and sisters supervise each other and grow together. The “Praise Exercise” at 6 pm every Wednesday night can both worship the Lord and exercise the body.

        When summarizing the children’s ministry, Mrs. Elinda West mentioned that Wang Yiying is the children’s coordinator, and Wang Xue, herself, ad Mrs. Shasha Li are teachers. She emphasized that this service is worth investing time and energy in. She especially congratulated the children on their successful Christmas performance! In 2025, we need to pray for more people to join the service and the Summer Bible School (VBS). She challenged, “Has God called you to serve as a VBS coordinator? Either a brother or a sister can do it. Has God called you to serve in VBS this year? Has God called you to teach children on Sunday? You can ask God directly. Don’t be afraid or feel that you are not qualified to participate in church service in this way. Whoever God calls… He is qualified! You will receive a huge blessing, and you will be a blessing!”

         Honglan summarized the service of the food committee: The church held 6-7 large gatherings every year. Every time, brothers and sisters brought delicious food, so that everyone could have a rich feast. The young people actively serve, and the parents teach them well. At the same time, brothers and sisters take turns to bring refreshments every Sunday. If someone is not on the list and is willing to participate, you can tell her. In 2025, the Chinese Lunar New Year and Easter are coming soon. If you have any good suggestions, please feel free to let her know.

         Zhang Kun shared the church’s morning prayer and sign-holding ministry. Regarding the morning prayer meeting, he said: “The morning prayer meeting has gradually become a China-US United Prayer Meeting. Brothers and sisters come together from early morning to night, entrusting our worries to the Lord, and our mouths are opened by God to speak words of praise. In interceding for the members, I gradually experienced the pain and struggle of others, and also experienced the joy and peace that I experienced with the members after my prayers were answered. In today’s world where individualism is prevalent, the joy brought by this little bit of similarity between believers (the communion of saints) is particularly precious.” Regarding holding signs, he said: “Before Christmas, the church held three sign-holding evangelism activities in front of the Chinese supermarket. Adults and children explained the gospel to strangers and prayed for them. Unexpectedly, God gave some children special courage and love. They chased strangers to give gifts and shared the gospel to them, which encouraged the adults. God can make the Chinese who are reluctant to stand up put down their faces and hold signs for the Lord. God can also lead believers who are in a spiritual trough to raise their heads and look up to Jesus Christ, the author and finisher of our faith. May the Lord lead us to have more sign-holding services in the new year.” In addition, he prayed that more people would be raised up to love the Lord, and the church could arrange more Lord’s Suppers so that all members could deal with sin more deeply and experience more of the salvation of the cross through the Lord’s Supper. He concluded by quoting Bonhoeffer: “Cheap grace is the deadly enemy of our church. We are fighting today for costly grace. Cheap grace means grace sold on the market like the cheap jackwares. Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, Communion without confession, absolution without personal confession. Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate.”

        Leihong reminded everyone when sharing about youth ministry: 1. Parents cannot just be a friend to their child, but leaders arranged by the Lord. They have the responsibility to lead their children on the path of God. 2. Co-workers and parents should maintain communication. Parents should not just entrust their children to others but cooperate with co-workers to do the Lord’s work together. 3. Encourage children to participate in more church activities and services.

       In terms of finance, Paul Spann thanked everyone for every penny they gave to the Lord through the church. Giving is an act of worship. In the past year, although there was a deficit in one month, the Christmas month giving was very good. Regarding the question of the building fund, he explained: The church has a building fund. All surpluses from the church’s general offering will go to the building fund. If brothers and sisters are moved to give to the building fund in addition to their tithe, please write “Building Fund” on the check memo or in the lower left corner of the envelope.

        Pastor Ron said: “The book of Hebrews tells us we should not avoid meeting together for worship, prayer and fellowship.  We are meeting together on Zoom in the mornings, but we must not forget our Wednesday night prayer meeting where we can meet face to face to share prayer needs and answers to prayers.  As we pray together, we become true brothers and sisters in Christ. Prayer is the key to unity in the church.” He especially wanted to thank the church for our prayers and support for Sister Sweetie and thank God for having prepared teaching assistant job for Sweetie so that she will be expected to graduate successfully next year, glory to the Lord!

        12-year-old sister Tina said: “My favorite scripture is John 3:16. When I played the organ for the first time in the church, I was very excited. I thought to myself, I can finally play the organ in the church. When it was my turn to play the organ for the second and third time, I thought to myself, why is it my turn to play the piano again? But when I think about how God loves us so much that he gave up his only Son for us, I am willing to serve the Lord.”

         The Seekers/Basic Class is led by Vivian and Ling Wen. Vivian said: “This class introduces the basic doctrines of faith and learns basic topics, such as: God (Trinity), Jesus, Holy Spirit, man, sin, salvation, the Bible, and the church, to lay a good foundation for faith.” She asked everyone to pray that more gospel seekers would be willing to learn, and asked the Holy Spirit to help them teach, and also ask the Holy Spirit to remove all obstacles from the seekers, so that they can decide to accept Jesus as their Savior and Lord of life soon. At the same time, she thanked the brothers and sisters who led the worship and sang offertory songs. She encouraged the brothers and sisters: “Be steadfast, immovable, always striving to do more in the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain” (1 Cor 15:58).

       Finally, Zijun shared about the student and scholar fellowship. Although the number of people in this fellowship is not large, the Lord considers it precious because “if anyone serves the Lord, the Lord will honor him.” He hopes that more people will participate in the new year, and he is willing to work harder in serving.

       In addition, there are many ministries that have not been mentioned, such as the provision of simultaneous English translation and headphone equipment every Sunday. “Although the sparrow is small, it has all the necessary organs.” Thank the Lord for blessing the church, thank the Lord for raising so many co-workers to serve together, and pray that the Lord will raise up more co-workers. In the new year, may the church not rely on power or talent but rely on the Spirit of God to accomplish great things! In the name of Christ, Amen!

 

2024年12月22日 牧者之言

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 “从婴孩儿的口中……”

       我有机会在孙女生命的前四年里帮助她成长。泰勒·摩根和她妈妈艾米住在我家，这是一种荣幸和快乐。我们度过了一段美好的时光，泰勒·摩根是最聪明、最有趣，我所认识的最美丽的小女孩（那是典型的格莱美奖得主，还是什么！）
我需要告诉你，我是一个从不骂人的人……等一下，我无意冒犯那些骂人的人。我的母亲从小就从不说俚语或脏话。她会说，“女士们不会说那种话……尤其是小女士们。”所以，我不骂人。这就是事情变得有趣和有点搞笑的地方。在我离开家结婚后，我学会了一个我知道我妈妈不赞成的词，但它却成了我的“常用俚语”。就是这个……“废话！”不太像女士的说话方式，但当“这个词”适合某种情况时，我还是会说。泰勒的妈妈艾米让我不要在泰勒旁边说那个词，她学会了，下次她说那个词时，艾米说：“我会打她屁股”（那时，你可以打你的孩子屁股，而不会有人指责你是坏父母）。我告诉她我不会再说那个词了。我不想让泰勒因为我和我不明智地选择“废话”这个词而挨打。
还记得几年前我们去银行的时候吗？对我来说，那是 28 年前的事了；他们过去常常给你那些五颜六色的水果味棒棒糖，上面有柔软的扭绳。银行的那位女士知道我有个 2 岁的孙女，每次我开车经过时，她都会给我 2 个棒棒糖。我回家时总是把它们送给泰勒·，她很喜欢我去银行的日子！
在我下一个银行日，那位女士果然给了我 2 个送给泰勒的棒棒糖。我回到家后，把它们给了泰勒，然后离开房间去做晚饭。艾米在房子后面。我回到客厅，发现糖果棒的绳子和包装纸被撕碎，扔在客厅的地板上。我说：“泰勒·，那是什么！？”她用她可爱的小脸看着我，说： “奶奶，在我看来，这简直是垃圾。” 然后我听到走廊那头艾米的声音说： “她说了什么？！”我说：“哦，没什么，她什么都没说。”同时我手忙脚乱地捡起地板上的杂物，并迅速把它藏在垃圾桶里。
这个故事的寓意是，不要说任何你不想从你宝贵的小“宝贝”嘴里听到的话。
今年圣诞节我们会为你们每个人祈祷。祝你们圣诞快乐……注意你在孩子面前说的话，否则你可能会被列入圣诞老人的淘气名单！

大卫、桑迪和雷特

“天哪，我真是费了好大劲儿才学会这段经文！”
“污秽的言语，一句都不可出口，只要随事说造就人的好话，叫听见的人得益处。”
（弗 4:29）
*注：今年我（李春海）家收到的第一封圣诞信仍是奥克拉荷马的老朋友桑迪姐妹寄来的。感谢主，我在征求了她的同意后，将封这封信的小故事与弟兄姐妹分享。
“Out of the mouths of babes…”
I had the opportunity to help raise my grandchild for the first four years of her life.  It was a privilege & joy to have Tayler Morgan & her mom, Aimee in my home.  We had some wonderful times & Tayler Morgan was the smartest,  funniest, most beautiful little girl I have ever known (is that a typical Grammy, or what!)
I need to tell you that I am a person that never curses…..now wait a minute, no offense to anyone that does.  I was raised by a Mom that never said any slang or curse words.  She would say, “Ladies do not say those kinds of words… especially little ladies.”  So, I didn’t.  This is where it gets interesting & a little bit funny.  After I left home, & got married, I picked up a word that I know my Mom didn’t approve of, but it became my “go to slang word.”  Here it is… “Crap!”  Not very lady like but, I said it anyway, when the “word” fit the situation.  Tay’s mom, Aimee asked me to stop using that word around Tay, she was picking it up & the next time she says it, Aimee said, “I will spank her” (those were the days that you could actually spank your child without anyone accusing you of being a bad parent).  I told her I would not say that word again.  I did not want Tay to get a spanking because of me & my unwise choice of the word, “Crap.”
Do you remember back when we went to the bank, years ago, for me it would have been 28 years ago; they used to give you those multi-colored fruit  flavored suckers with the looped soft, twisted strings on them.  The lady at the bank knew I had a 2-year-old granddaughter, & she used to give me 2 suckers every time I went through the drive thru.  I always gave them to Tayler Morgan when I went home, & she loved banking days!
On my next banking day, sure enough the lady gave me 2 suckers for Tayler Morgan.  When I got home, I gave them to Tay & then I left the room to make some dinner.  Aimee was in the back of the house.  I came back into the living room & there were the sucker strings & wrappers torn up & tossed on the living room floor.  I said, “Tayler Morgan, what is that!?”  She looked at me with her sweet little face & said, “Looks like Crap to me, Grammy.”  Then I heard Aimee’s voice from down the hallway saying, “What did she say?!”  I said, “Oh, nothing, she didn’t say anything,” as I was scrambling to pick up the mess in the floor & hide it quickly in the trash.
The moral of this story is, don’t say any words that you would not want to hear coming out of the mouths of your precious little “babes.”
We will be praying for each of you this Christmas.  Have a very Merry Christmas…..and watch what you say around your little ones, or you could end up on Santa’s naughty list!
David, Sandi & Rett
                “Boy, did I learn this scripture the hard way!” 
Ephesians 4:29
“Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth,
but that which is good to the use of edifying,

2024年12月15日 牧者之言

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国际宣教祈祷周
2024年12月5日晨祷分享

魏师母
路加福音 2:8-11; 17-18；马太福音 28:18-20

在全美各地的南方浸信会教会中，这一周（12 月 1 日至 8 日）被指定为国际宣教祈祷和慕拉蒂圣诞献金周。这项奉献支持国际宣教部 (IMB) 的传教士前往其他国家与迷失的人们生活在一起并传播福音！这是美南浸信会教会每年一次的纪念活动，为传教士、他们的事工和他们的家人祈祷，并收取奉献来支持传教士。这项奉献支持了我和魏牧师在台湾生活和工作 32 年。这项奉献以慕拉蒂的名字命名，她是一位在中国服侍的单身女传教士。1873 年，她 33 岁时被任命为传教士。她在中国生活了 39 年。我最喜欢的她的一些名言是：

  • “我们拥有永生之道，我们必须说出来……”
  •  “还有多少百万灵魂在没有听到耶稣的名字的情况下永远离世？”
  • “如果主的喜乐成为他们的力量，工作的幸福将远远弥补工作的艰辛。”

慕拉蒂是一位非凡的女性。她并不完美，但她留下的遗产教会了我们很多关于追随耶稣和传扬福音的知识。我深深钦佩这位传教士的勇气和毅力。她在 33 岁时被任命为传教士。我在 1978 年 31 岁时被任命为传教士。她在中国度过了近 39 年的艰苦岁月，在返回美国的途中饿死。她被称为“饼干女士”，深受孩子们的喜爱。我是“蛋糕女士”。我为所有来参加圣经学习的大学生做生日蛋糕。 如果圣经学习班有两个学生过生日，我就给他们每人做一个蛋糕。我带着蛋糕走遍了台湾台中！我想让每个学生都感到被爱和特别。不仅对我而言是特别的，对全能的上帝而言也是特别的！慕拉蒂 (Lottie Moon) 穿着中式服装。我也穿着中式服装，甚至在今年回去的路上，我还买了一些衣服，准备在 ICBC 参加特别庆祝活动时穿。
我和魏牧师很蒙福，也很感激上帝召唤我们成为传教士。我们觉得舍己与我们生命中的祝福相比微不足道！我们万分激动能够回去看看我们的同工、教会和亲爱的弟兄姐妹们仍在忠实地侍奉主的持续工作。很高兴有机会鼓励他们、并为他们祈祷。这不是一件容易的工作，因为那里的人心硬，对耶稣的真理视而不见，导致那里的偶像崇拜和黑暗。美国有自己的偶像崇拜和心硬，缺乏对上帝的敬畏，我们住在这里的人很清楚！传教士不得不离开中国和中东部分地区以及其他国家，因为他们不被许可！
本周提醒我们，要始终为我们的传教士祈祷。有些人生活在非常偏远和艰苦的地方。我们信徒是基督的大使……哥林多后书 5:20 “所以，我们作基督的使者，就好像神借我们劝你们一般；我们替基督求你们与神和好”。我们在地上代表耶稣。我们被授权代表我们的主说话和行动。我们要把神的国带给那些还不认识他的人。我们要继续为家人、朋友、同事、邻居，甚至我们永远不会知道的国家的人的得救祈祷！在我们几分钟前读到的经文中，我们看到，牧羊人一听说救主诞生了就去找他，然后去“传扬天使对他们所说的关于他的话！马太福音 28:18-20 告诉我们要去传扬福音。慕拉蒂说：“我们有永生之道，我们必须说出来“。这是我们的挑战和号召！去告诉别人吧！要祈祷、要支持！

 

12/15/24 Pastor’s Word

Week of Prayer International Missions
At Early Morning Prayer Sharing on December 5, 2024
Elinda West

Luke 2: 8-11; 17-18; Matthew 28:18-20

In Southern Baptist churches across America this is the week (Dec 1-8) that is designated the Week of Prayer for International Missions and Lottie Moon Christmas Offering.  This offering supports International Mission Board (IMB) missionaries to go and live among the lost people in other countries and share the gospel!  This is an annual observance where Southern Baptist Churches pray for missionaries, their ministries and their families and take an offering to support the missionaries. This offering supported Wei Mushr and I for 32 years while living and working in Taiwan.  This offering is named for Lottie Moon (Mu La Di), a single lady missionary who served in China. She was appointed as missionary at the age of 33 in 1873.  She lived in China for 39 years. Some of my favorite quotes from her are:

  • “We have the words of Eternal Life and we must speak them…”
  •  “How many million more souls are to pass into eternity without having heard the name of Jesus?”
  • “If the joy of the Lord be their strength, the blessedness of the work will more than compensate for its hardships.”

Lottie Moon was an extraordinary woman. She was not perfect, but her legacy teaches us much about following Jesus and spreading the Gospel. I deeply admire this missionary’s courage and perseverance. She was appointed a missionary at the age of 33.  I was appointed a missionary in 1978 at the age of 31. She was in China during great hardships for almost 39 years and died of starvation on her way back to America. She was known as “the cookie lady” and was loved by children.  I was “the cake lady.” I made birthday cakes for all my college age students who came to Bible Study. If two students were having a birthday in the bible study, I made each one a cake. I carried cakes all over Taichung Taiwan! I wanted each student to feel loved and special. And not only special to me but special to Almighty God!  Lottie Moon wore Chinese style clothing.  I also wore Chinese style clothing and even on my trip back this year I bought some clothes to wear to the special celebrations at ICBC.
Wei Mushr and I are blessed and thankful to be called by God to be Missionaries.  We feel the sacrifices did not compare to the blessings of our life! We are so moved and overwhelmed to get to go back and see the ongoing work of our co-workers, the churches and the dear brothers and sisters still faithfully serving the Lord. It was good to have a chance to encourage and pray for them.  It is not easy work because of the hard hearts and blind eyes to the Truth of Jesus which results in idolatry and darkness there.  America has its own idolatry and hard hearts and lack of fear of God, as we who live here know very well!  Missionaries have had to leave China and parts of the Middle East and other countries because they are not welcome!
This week is our reminder to always pray for our missionaries.  Some live in very isolated and difficult places.  We believers are ambassadors for Christ….2 Corinthians 5:20 “Therefore , we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God”.  We represent Jesus on Earth. We are authorized to speak and act on behalf of our Lord. We are to bring the kingdom of God to those who do not yet know him.  We are to keep praying for the salvation of family, friends, co-workers, neighbors, even people in countries we will never know! In the scripture we read a few minutes earlier we saw that as soon as the shepherds had heard that a Savior had been born to them, they went to find Him and then went to “spread the word concerning what the angels had told them about Him!  We are told in Matthew 28:18-20 to GO and TELL the GOOD NEWS.  Also, Lottie Moon said, “We have the words of Eternal Life and we MUST speak them.  This is our challenge and our call!  Go and Tell! Pray and support!

2024年12月8日 牧者之言

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神的话临到（拿1：1-3）

上周12/1-7日 是教会第二次禁食祷告周，特摘录12/1日的灵修和代祷与家人们分享：
默想：

  1. 经文描述：约在公元前800多年前，神的话临到亚米太（“信实”之意）的儿子约拿（“鸽子”之意）。约拿住在靠耶稣长大之处拿撒勒约十里的迦特希弗。神吩咐他到亚述国首都尼尼微城传悔改的信息，那里的恶达到主的面前。尼尼微人十分邪恶，以残忍著称。从迦特希弗到约帕96公里。约拿没有听从神的吩咐去距离约帕东北1100公里的尼尼微，却恰巧买了船票（尽管当时一票难求），逃往距离约帕3200公里的他施。约拿宁可选择远两倍的路躲避神，也不愿去距离较近的尼尼微去传道。
  2. 学习教训
  1. 要寻求神的话语临到（1：1）。我们要每日读经查考神的话（约5：39，徒17：11）。有神话语的指示，我们才敢行动。
  2. 要寻求明白神的心意（1：2）。神是圣洁的神，神恨恶罪恶，喜愛良善，他恨恶尼尼微城的罪恶。先知要传讲指责罪恶、劝人悔改的信息。
  3. 要顺服神的心意（1：3）。约拿的意思是鸽子，这里他是一只不听话的鸽子，他对神“放鸽子”，他不仅逃避神的工作，更是逃避神的面。求主怜悯我们，借着禁食祷告寻求神的面，不要与主的心意背道而驰，而要借着耶稣的宝血时刻就近神。

祷告项目：为教会2025年未来事工
包括：小石城教会（未来聚会场所）、伯特利教会（未来方向）及众牧者同工的服侍

祷词：
亲愛的天父，我们感谢你将约拿书赐予我们。求你一路带领我们祷读经文，禁食祷告的过程，使我们放下自己的意思，专心寻求你，一心归向你，见到你的面，好过讨你喜悦的生活。
主阿，神的话是我们脚前的灯，路上的光。求你帮助我们每日坚持读你的话，在读经中有亮光，并靠主遵行主的话，将主的话活在我们生命中。愿你的话通过我们读经、默想和祈祷临到我们。只要有你话语的指示，我们就有勇气敢于迈向前进。
主阿，我们要将小石城教会2025年的事工交托在你的手中。

  • 求主为我们预备未来的聚会场所。我们自己住在天花板的房屋，神的教会却还没有长久的居所（该1：4，9）。我们要向主认罪，求主赦免我们的自我中心。求主为我们教会开出路。我们为神家焦急如同火烧的心，求主按着你圣善的美意为我们预备合你心意的居所。求你按着你时候，赐予我们完全合一的心，让我们全然摆上，在这件事上遇见你的大能和作为。主阿，我们等候你。当你将“云彩从帐幕收上去，我们就起程前往”（出40：36）。
  • 我们要为2025年具体事工代祷，求主带领举牌传福音事工；求主预备暑期圣经学校（VBS）日期、联络人、选用材料、能有45个儿童和青少年参与，并有足够的成人义工。求主预备儿童青少年沙龙营地的报名和安排；求主预备秋季特会讲员、地点等；求主预备能将每季度守主餐礼调整为每月一次；求主安排常青团契的带领同工和日期；求主赐福教会不浪费每次节日（新年、受难节、复活节、父亲节、母亲节、感恩节、圣诞节等），利用机会大大为主传福音。愿主的名在我们中间得荣耀，使更多人归到主的名下。

我们要将中国的伯特利教会 2025年事工交托：

  • 求主带领以圣灵所赐智慧和恩赐服侍
  • 求主安排聚会的安全和平安，各聚会点都兴旺
  • 求主带领牧者、同工有能力和权柄，继续大大作主圣工
  • 求主赐福学习乐器同工有智慧聪明
  • 求主兴起更多弟兄火热事奉主
  • 求主带领开展下一代圣工，将我们的子孙带到主面前。

我们要为每一位主的仆人和同工代祷：

  • 求主使我们凡事将上帝放在首位（路17：5-10），从主领受使命和异象
  • 求主使我们愛慕真理、学习真理、坚持真理、宣讲真理（箴2: 3-4，约8：32）
  • 求主使我们关愛群羊（结34章）
  • 求主赐我们口才，将福音尽都传明
  • 求主使我们不做瞎眼守望者，不作哑巴狗不能叫唤、不贪食好酒寻求自己的利益（赛56：10-11），使我们天天死于旧我，活出基督，高举十字架救恩，竭力荣耀主的名。以上祷告是奉基督之名，阿门！

The Word of God Comes (Jonah 1:1-3) 

Last week, December 1-7, was the church’s second fasting and prayer week. I would like to share with our church family the excerpts of the spiritual meditation and intercession on December 1.

Meditation:

  1. Scripture description: About BC 800 years ago, the word of God came to Jonah (meaning “dove”), the son of Amittai (meaning “faithful”). Jonah lived in Gath-hepher, about ten miles from Nazareth, where Jesus grew up. God commanded him to preach the message of repentance in Nineveh, the capital of Assyria, where the evil had reached the Lord. The people of Nineveh were very evil and known for their cruelty. It is 96 kilometers from Gath-hepher to Joppa. Jonah did not obey God’s command to go to Nineveh, which is 1,100 kilometers northeast of Joppa, but happened to buy a boat ticket (although it was hard to get a ticket at the time) and fled to Tarshish, which is 3,200 kilometers away from Joppa. Jonah would rather choose a twice-long route to avoid God than to preach in Nineveh, which is closer.
  2. Lessons Learned
  1. We need to seek God’s word (1:1). We need to read the Bible and study God’s word every day (John 5:39, Acts 17:11). Only with the guidance of God’s word, can we dare to act.
  2. We must seek to understand God’s will (1:2). God is a holy God who hates sin and loves goodness. He hates the sin of Nineveh. The prophet must preach a message that denounces sin and urges people to repent.
  3. We must obey God’s will (1:3). Jonah means a dove, and here he is a disobedient dove. He “released a dove” from God (A Chinese slang, meaning “stand God up”). He not only avoided God’s work, but also avoided God’s presence. May the Lord have mercy on us, seek God’s face through fasting and prayer, and not go against the Lord’s will, but always approach God through the precious blood of Jesus.

Prayer Items: Future Ministry for the Church in 2025
Includes: Little Rock Immanuel Chinese Baptist Church (future meeting place), Bethel Church (future direction), and the service of pastors and co-workers

Prayers:
Dear Heavenly Father, we thank you for giving us the Book of Jonah. Please lead us through the process of praying and reading the scriptures, fasting and praying, so that we can put aside our own ideas, seek you wholeheartedly, turn to you with all our hearts, seek your face, and live a life that pleases you.
Lord, Your word is the lamp before our feet and the light on our path. Please help us to persist in reading your word every day, to have enlightenment in reading the Bible, to obey your word by relying on you, and to live out your word in our lives. May your word come to us through our daily reading of the Bible, meditation and prayer. As long as we have the guidance of your word, we have the courage to move forward.
Lord, we commit the ministry of Little Rock Church in 2025 into your hands.

  • May the Lord prepare us a suitable meeting place. Almost every family of our church lives in a house with a ceiling, but the church family of our Lord does not have a long-term place (Hag. 1:4, 9). We must confess our sins to the Lord and ask You to forgive our self-centeredness. May the Lord open a way out for our church. We are anxious for the house of God, and may the Lord prepare a place for us according to Your holy will. Please give us a united spirit, so that we can give ourselves completely and encounter Your power and work in this matter. Lord, we are waiting for You. When You take up “the cloud from the tabernacle, we will set out” (Exod. 40:36).
  • Specific ministries in 2025: Ask the Lord to lead the ministry of evangelism with holding sign for Jesus; to prepare the date, coordinator, materials, 45 children and teenagers to participate, and enough adult volunteers for the Vacation Bible School (VBS); the registration and arrangement of the Children and Teenagers for Camp Siloam; the speakers and location of the Fall Retreat; to adjust the Lord’s Supper from quarterly to monthly; to arrange the coordinator and date of the Evergreen Fellowship ; to bless the church not to waste every holiday (Chinese Lunar New Year, Good Friday, Easter, Father’s Day, Mother’s Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas), and make a good use of the opportunity to preach the gospel for the Lord. May the name of the Lord be glorified among us, so that more people will come to the Lord.

We would like to entrust the ministry of Bethel Church in China in 2025 to our Lord:

  • Ask the Lord to lead them to serve with the wisdom and gifts given by the Holy Spirit.
  • arrange for the safety and peace of the meetings, and that all the gathering points will prosper.
  • lead the leaders and co-workers to have the power and authority to continue to do evangelism.
  • bless their coworkers who learn musical instruments with wisdom and intelligence
  • raise up more brothers to serve Him fervently
  • carry out the next generation ministries and bring our children and grandchildren to the Lord.

We pray for every leader and co-worker of the Lord:

  • Pray that we will put God first in everything (Luke 17:5-10) and receive mission and vision from the Lord.
  • make us love the truth, learn the truth, uphold the truth, and preach the truth (Prov. 2:3-4, John 8:32)
  • help us to care for the sheep (Ezekiel 34)
  • give us the ability to speak and spread the gospel
  • keep us from being blind watchmen, dumb dogs that cannot bark, or greedy eaters and drinkers who seek our own interests (Isaiah 56:10-11). May we die to our old selves daily, live out Christ, uphold the salvation of the cross, and strive to glorify the Lord’s name.

The above prayer is made in the name of Christ. Amen!

2024年12月1日 牧者之言

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“警醒感恩”

——2024年小石城以马内利华语浸信会数算主恩
李春海

上周二晨祷会上，王牧师讲到我们要“警醒感恩”（西4：2）。圣经中提到，我们要警醒祷告，警醒谨防异端，警醒预备主再来。同时，我们也要警醒感恩。“警醒”是在强调我们要留意，要小心，要在乎，要将此事放到重要日程上。在过去的11个月里小石城以马内利华语浸信会经历无数恩典，我在此数算其中的12样。
第一，从1月2日起教会开始晨祷会，每日有10多位，最多次有30多位弟兄姐妹参加。自从11月份起，上帝奇妙地将晨祷会变成了中美联合祷告会，使许多国内的弟兄姐妹加入。它成为属灵连结的桥梁，主内弟兄姐妹共同在主里守望代祷，在神国里一起争战。参加的弟兄姐妹来自美国的小石城，奥克拉荷马、特克萨卡纳、沃斯堡、休斯顿；在中国的鹤岗、佳木斯、深圳、北京。祷告是主吩咐依靠主的方式。主正在借着祷告“扩张我们帐幕之地，张大我们居所的幔子，不要限止，要放长我们的绳子，坚固我们的橛子；因为我们要向左右开展，我们的后裔必得多国为业，又使荒凉的城邑有人居住”（赛54：2-3）。我们要靠圣灵坚持祷下去！
第二，在3月24日10位弟兄姐妹接受浸礼；韩涛、吴红夫妇为主作见证。这次浸礼人数是自教会成立以来最多的一次，包括7位儿童青少年和3位成人。这些孩子能接受浸礼为主作见证是多年来教会主日学老师和各位同工流泪撒子、欢呼收割的果实。我们将荣耀归于上帝！韩涛、吴红夫妇经历了很大的神迹。在韩涛住院期间，无数华人倾注了愛心。最重要的是，主的大能借着众人祷告的力量彰显出来，使韩涛经历死荫幽谷，获得重生；吴红也经历主的医治，得享基督里的平安。此后，他们坚持参加主日崇拜。
第三，4月7日复活节庆祝，我们教会和安提阿教会（Antioch Church）联合崇拜，共同掰饼领主餐，在教堂操场举行街区拖车派对(Block Trailer Party)，烧烤，有200多人参加，是教会历史上参加人数最多的一次。明芳阿姨为59位小朋友发放绣有十字架的精美香囊。教会借此高举十字架，见证基督，影响社区。
第四，5月24-27日教会支持大人孩子有26位参加明日之光营会，我们录制视频作为纪念（参：https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJwUyfuEZOk）。
第五，6月10-14日教会2位辅导员同工带领11位小朋友第一次参加西罗亚营会（Camp Siloam），其中1位小朋友决志信主。他们在6月16日父亲节为主作见证，分享学习心得，荣耀主圣。
第六，从6月18日到21日举行第二次暑期圣经学校。主题：“海底探险”（SCUBA）有32位小朋友和青少年志愿者，成人义工32位。有3位小朋友决志信主。暑期圣经学校为“巴西亚马逊河宣教项目”(Brazil Amazon River Mission Project)做了愛心奉献。
第七，教会同工分别于5月18日、6月3日、6月6日、11月23日组织到食物银行（Food Bank）进行社区服务活动。11月22日那次服侍有27位弟兄姐妹参加。可愛的一岁多宝宝清泉也帮助拿土豆。
第八， 9月23日常青团契举行聚会，有20多位弟兄姐妹和慕道友参加。我们要继续为长辈们的身心灵健康，更加愛主，慕道友长辈早日归主代祷祝福。
第九，10月18-20人教会举行秋季特会。这次特会以“活出基督”为主题，傅凯彬牧师带来新鲜活泼的信息，Justice Dundas带领青少年，三位UALR学生带领儿童。琼斯博罗和康威的弟兄姐妹及慕道友有来参加，琼斯博罗的米国瑞牧师和Grace姐妹分别分享蒙召事奉见证和非洲短宣见证。弟兄姐妹收获甚丰。
第十，11月24日教会举行感恩节崇拜、见证和聚餐。有四位弟兄姐妹为主作感恩见证。申田生分享她人生之路犹如贵人（上帝）相助，一直到今天。她于2020年参加哥城华人基督教会（Columbus Chinese Christian Church）查经班，2023年11月5日决志信主，今年3月24日浸礼。她感谢上帝，也感谢亲人们和教会家人一路陪伴。刘美英阿姨分享“人的道路不由自己，行路的人也不能定自己的脚步”（耶10：23），尽管再次来美经历挫折，但凡事都有主的美意。约书亚分享他从小信主，父亲在中国传道遇到的艰难，以及他求学路上几经周折，蒙神保守能来美国求学的过程。他于8月18日接受浸礼，加入教会，作主门徒。薛飞弟兄分享在开车的小事上学习忍耐等候的功课，蒙主眷顾避免了祸患。有许多慕道朋友来与我们一同参加崇拜或聚餐。
第十一，感谢主使用每位同工在每周五团契尽心服侍，使儿童、青少年、学生学者和基督徒都能在主里成长。有几次弟兄姐妹敞开家门，愛心接待众人到家里共享美好团契时光。
第十二，教会同工合一，竭力服侍主。主日敬拜诗歌实现现场音乐，儿童青少年司琴服侍。母亲节由弟兄们服侍。每次教会聚餐时大部分青少年参与发放食物。等等。
王牧师还提到：人的忘恩是罪性的特点之一，需要不断对付。没有感恩就没有未来。越感恩越蒙恩。感恩不是将恩典画上句号，感恩是一把钥匙，为我们开启那更大的恩典之门。愿主继续带领我们教会在数算主恩中迈向更美的未来！

 

“ Being Watchful and Thankful ”
——2024 Counting Blessings at Little Rock Immanuel Chinese Baptist Church

         At the morning prayer meeting last Tuesday, Pastor Wang talked about how we should “Be Watchful and thankful” (Col. 4:2). The Bible mentions that we should be watchful to pray, be watchful to guard against heresy, and be watchful to prepare for the Lord’s return. At the same time, we should also be watchful and thankful. “Be watchful” emphasizes that we should pay attention, be careful, carefully put this matter on the important agenda. In the past 11 months, Little Rock Immanuel Chinese Baptist Church has experienced innumerous blessings, and I will count 12 of them here.
First, the church has started morning prayer meetings since January 2nd. Every day, there were more than 10 brothers and sisters, and at most more than 30 brothers and sisters participated. Since November, God has miraculously turned the morning prayer meeting into a joint prayer meeting between China and the United States, allowing many brothers and sisters in China to join. It has become a bridge of spiritual connection. Brothers and sisters in the Lord watch and pray together and fight the spiritual battle together in the Kingdom of God. The brothers and sisters who participated came from Little Rock, Oklahoma, Texarkana, Fort Worth, Houston in the United States; while Hegang, Jiamusi, Shenzhen, Beijing in China. Prayer is the way the Lord has commanded to rely on Him. The Lord is using prayer to “Enlarge the place of our tent, stretch our tent curtains wide, do not hold back; lengthen our cords, strengthen our stakes. For we will spread out to the right and to the left; our descendants will dispossess nations and settle in their desolate cities.” We must rely on the Holy Spirit to persist in praying!
Second, on March 24, 10 brothers and sisters were baptized; Han Tao and Wu Hong testified for the Lord. This baptism was the largest since the church was founded, including 7 children and teenagers and 3 adults. The fact that these children were baptized and testified by the Lord is the result of the Sunday school teachers and co-workers of the church who have sown seeds with tears and harvested with joy over the years. We give glory to God! Han Tao and Wu Hong experienced a great miracle. During Han Tao’s hospitalization, countless Chinese people poured out their love. Most importantly, the power of the Lord was manifested through the power of everyone’s prayers, allowing Han Tao to experience the valley of the shadow of death and be reborn; Wu Hong also experienced the Lord’s healing and enjoyed peace in Christ. Since then, they have insisted on attending Sunday worships.
Third, on April 7, Easter was celebrated. Our church and Antioch Church held a joint worship service, broke bread and took the Lord’s Supper together, and held a Block Trailer Party and barbecue in the church playground. More than 200 people attended, which was the largest number of participants in the church’s history. Sister Mingfang distributed exquisite sachets embroidered with cross to 59 children. The church held high the cross, witnessed Christ, and impacted the community.
Fourth, from May 24 to 27, the church sponsored 26 adults and children to participate in the Pioneers Conference. We recorded a video as a commemoration (see: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJwUyfuEZOk ).
Fifth, from June 10 to 14, two church counselors led 11 children to participate in the first Camp Siloam, and one child made a decision to follow Jesus. They shared their testimonies on Father’s Day of June 16, talking about their learning experiences, and glorifying the Lord.
Sixth, the second Vacation Bible School (VBS) was held from June 18 to 21. The theme was “SCUBA.” There were 32 children and youth volunteers and 32 adult volunteers. Three children made a decision to follow the Lord. This year our VBS made a loving contribution to the “Brazil Amazon River Mission Project.”
Seventh, our coworkers organized community service activities at the Food Bank on May 18, June 3, June 6, and November 22. 27 brothers and sisters participated in the service on November 23. The adorable one-year-old baby Seth also helped to get potatoes.
Eighth, on September 23, the Evergreen Fellowship held a gathering, with more than 20 brothers and sisters and gospel seekers attending. We must continue to pray for the physical, mental and spiritual health of our elders, and for them to love the Lord more and pray for the salvation of the gospel seekers.

Ninth, October 18-20, the church held a fall retreat. The theme was “Living Out Christ.” Pastor Fu Kaibin delivered several fresh and lively messages, Justice Dundas led the youths, and three UALR students led the children. Brothers and sisters from Jonesboro and Conway and seekers of the truth also came to participate. Pastor Greg Meeks and Sister Grace from Jonesboro shared their testimonies of being called to serve and short-term missions in Africa respectively. The brothers and sisters gained a lot from the retreat.
Tenth, on November 24, the church held Thanksgiving worship, testimony and dinner. Four brothers and sisters gave thanksgiving testimonies. Shen Tiansheng shared that her life journey was like a noble person (God) helping her until today. She attended the Columbus Chinese Christian Church Bible study class in 2020, decided to follow the Lord on November 5, 2023, and was baptized on March 24 this year. She thanked God, thanked her relatives and church family for accompanying her along the way. Aunty Liu Meiying shared that “the way of man is not in himself, and it is not in the man who walks to determine his own steps” (Jer 10:23). Although she experienced setbacks when she came to the United States again, everything has the good intention of the Lord. Joshua shared that he believed in the Lord since he was a child, the difficulties his father encountered in preaching in China, and the process of his going through many twists and turns on his way to school and being protected by God to come to the United States to study. He was baptized on August 18, joined the church, and became a disciple of the Lord. Brother Xue Fei shared that he learned the lesson of patience and waiting in the small matter of driving and was favored by the Lord to avoid disaster. Many gospel seekers came to worship or have meal with us.
Eleventh, thank God for using every coworker to serve wholeheartedly in the Friday evening fellowship, so that children, teenagers, students, scholars and Christians can grow in the Lord. There were several times when brothers and sisters opened their homes and lovingly welcomed everyone to share the beautiful family fellowship.
Twelfth, the church coworkers are united and strive to serve the Lord. The Sunday worship songs have live music, and the children and teenagers serve as pianists. The brothers serve on Mother’s Day. Most of our youths participate in distributing food during every church fellowship dinner.
Pastor Wang also mentioned: Human ingratitude is one of the characteristics of sinfulness, which needs to be dealt with constantly. Without gratitude, without a future. The more grateful we are, the more grace we will receive. Gratitude is not the end of grace, but a key that opens the door to greater grace for us. May the Lord continue to lead our church to a better future by counting His grace!