每日默想 —— Santi Lalis
摘自上周主日的灵修

        今天是复活节主日！
复活节是纪念耶稣从死里复活的重要节日！
这是基督徒最喜乐、最值得庆祝的节期之一，因为耶稣不仅战胜了死亡和罪恶，更赐给信祂之人永生的盼望！
受难日（Good Friday）我们谈到那些妇女——她们回家预备香料和香膏，要膏抹耶稣的身体，以便埋葬。但因为安息日已经开始，她们未能完成这项准备工作。
所以在今天复活节主日的清晨，抹大拉的马利亚带领众妇女再次带着所准备的香料来到坟墓，结果发现墓门已开，耶稣的身体不见了！
她们见到两位穿着耀眼白衣的天使，天使告诉她们：“耶稣不在这里，因为祂已经复活了！”
妇女们起初难以置信，便跑回去把所见所闻告诉门徒。彼得和约翰赶来，只看见耶稣包裹身体的细麻布。他们惊讶困惑，便回去了。
但马利亚却仍站在墓外哭泣。忽然，她看见耶稣站在那里，但起初并没有认出祂。耶稣问她：“你为什么哭？你找谁？”
马利亚以为祂是园丁，就说：“先生，如果是你把祂移走了，请告诉我祂在哪里，我好把祂带回。”
耶稣叫她：“马利亚！”
她听见这个声音才认出是耶稣！
耶稣告诉她不要拉住祂，因为祂还没有升到父那里，并要她去告诉门徒。
抹大拉的马利亚是耶稣复活后第一个见到祂、与祂说话的人。
那天稍晚，耶稣还与两位前往以马忤斯的门徒同行，他们正谈论着在耶路撒冷所发生的事情，尤其是那“来自拿撒勒之人的被钉十字架”。
他们起初也没有认出耶稣，直到邀请祂一同住下并吃晚饭时，耶稣擘饼，他们才认出祂来。
在升天之前，耶稣还向许多人显现，包括祂那剩下的十一位门徒，并对他们说：“你们要往普天下去，传福音给万民听。”
那么，耶稣的复活对我们基督徒来说，有何意义呢？
耶稣的复活是基督信仰的核心真理！
若没有复活，就没有基督教，我们的讲道就毫无意义！
基督复活的教义基于这样的信仰：
耶稣在第三天从死里复活，并且藉着祂胜过死亡，所有信祂的人也将一同分享祂战胜罪与死的得胜！
祂的复活向我们表明：那使耶稣从死里复活的大能，也要叫我们复活，只要我们信靠祂！
若没有基督的复活，人类将活在纯粹的物质主义之中，没有永恒、没有指望。对信主的基督徒来说，人类历史上最伟大的事件莫过于基督的复活——因为这带来了我们的救恩！
复活为基督信仰带来权威和真实性。
若没有复活，我们就没有基督教、没有永生的盼望！
保罗在哥林多前书15章14–15节说得很清楚：
“若基督没有复活，我们所传的便是枉然，你们所信的也是枉然。”
没有复活，人类将永远活在罪恶与邪恶的捆绑下！但在复活中，我们与基督同死、同埋葬、同复活，就如我们藉着信心的洗礼归入祂的死，也与祂一同活出新生命！
复活意味着：罪不能再辖制我们，因为我们不在律法之下，乃在恩典之下！（罗马书6:14）
基督复活带来的最大福气之一就是：
有一天，纵然这世界充满苦难与痛苦，我们死后仍要复活，永远与耶稣同在天堂！
 复活节快乐！愿我们都平安、健康，满心欢喜地庆祝复活的基督！ 愿神赐福我们每一个人!

Thoughts of the Day— by Santi Lalis
The devotional was from last Sunday.
Today is Easter Sunday! It commemorates Jesus’ resurrection from the dead! This is one of the most festive events among Christians because Jesus not only conquered death and sins but gives believers hope to have eternal life!
We talked yesterday, Good Friday that the women who went home to prepare for spices and oil to anoint Jesus’s body for burial were not able to finish the job because the time for Sabbath had started. So, very early this Easter Sunday morning, the women led by Mary Magdalene came back with their prepared spices and oil but found that the tomb was already opened and Jesus’ body was not there. They saw two angels dressed in dazzling white clothes and told them that Jesus was not there because He had risen! The women could not believe it so they ran back and told the disciples what they saw. Peter and John came and found only the linen cloths that was wrapped on Jesus’s body. Bewildered and confused, they went home, but Mary Magdalene stayed outside the tomb crying. Suddenly she saw Jesus standing but did not recognize Him at first. Jesus asked “Why are you crying! “Who are you looking for.” Mary thought He was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have taken Him away, tell me where, I will take Him.” Jesus said, “Mary.” Then by that voice, she recognizes it was Jesus! Jesus warned not to cling to Him because He has not yet return to the Father. Jesus told him to tell His disciples.
Mary Magdalene was the first person Jesus saw and talked to after His resurrection. Then later that day he joined walking with two people who were talking about what latest happening in Jerusalem especially the crucifixion of the “man from Nazareth”. They did not recognize Jesus not until He broke the bread when He was invited to spend the night and eat supper with them. Jesus, met many other people before ascending to heaven, the ones was when He met His 11 remaining disciples and told them,” Go into the world and preach the Gospel to every creature.”
But what is the significance of Jesus’ resurrection to us Christians?
The resurrection of Christ is the central doctrine of Christianity! Without resurrection, there is no Christianity, and our preaching is in vain!
The resurrection is based on the belief that Jesus was raised from the dead on the third day of His resurrection and that through His conquering of death, all believers will subsequently share in His victory over sin and death!
On His resurrection, Jesus is showing to us that the power that raised Him from the dead is the same power that will raise all of us, if we believe in Him!
Without the resurrection of Christ, humanity will live in the realm of materialism!
For the believers in Jesus Christ, the greatest event in human life is the resurrection of Christ because it led to our salvation!
The resurrection gives credence and authenticity to the Christian faith. For without resurrection, there is no Christianity to talk about, there is no hope of eternal life!
If there is no resurrection from the dead, then Christ is not risen, and if Christ be not risen, then our preaching is in vain, and our faith also in vain (1 Corinthians 15:14-15).
Without the resurrection, humanity will perish under the yoke and bondage of sin and wickedness! In resurrection, we are buried with Christ in the baptism of faith as Christ was raised from the dead to walk in the newness of life! Resurrection means that sin shall not have dominion over us, for we are not under the law, but of grace! (Romans 6:14). One of the greatest benefits of the resurrection of Christ is to know that someday, despite the sufferings and anguish of this world, we will resurrect after death and live with Jesus forever in paradise!
Happy Easter to us all! Stay safe and healthy! Celebrate fully the Risen Christ! God bless us all!

 宝血

魏愛玲師母– 2025年4月10日早祷

          复活节庆祝活动即将到来，我已经开始思考并做好了庆祝一年中最重要的节日的心理准备。我知道你们也在准备！我们教会的庆祝活动是为了敬拜，并提醒我们耶稣死而复活时为我们做了什么！在我们清晨的祷告和教会里，我们常常祷告感谢耶稣在十字架上为我们流出的宝血！我无比感谢上帝的愛和恩典！我们的言语不足以表达我们对衪的感谢吗？！我想是的。我们必须为衪而活！
魏牧师经常去我们城市的血库献血。他这样做，就是为了救活另一个人，献出自己的一部分生命。我们刚刚在经文里读到：“血里有生命。”如果一个人的血管里没有血液，他就没有生命。有时，当血库血液短缺时，就会举行献血活动，让人们自愿献血。耶稣知道，衪的血将以比献血活动更伟大的方式被奉献。
祂的宝血不只是赐给一人或少数人生命，而是赐给所有接受祂的人生命。我最喜欢的三首赞美诗都谈到耶稣的宝血。其中一首歌词是：“什么能洗净我的罪？唯有耶稣的宝血；什么能使我完全？唯有耶稣的宝血。” 我喜欢的另一首赞美诗是这样的：“羔羊的宝血里有力量，力量，奇妙的大能。” 我正在思考的第三首赞美诗是在我父亲的葬礼上唱的，歌词是：“耶稣，我永远的救主，我的得胜。他寻找我，用衪救赎的宝血赎买了我。”
耶稣宝血的大能是什么？我们为什么要歌颂它？如果你思考耶稣宝血在基督信仰中的意义——它无所不包。希伯来书9:22提醒我们，若不流血，罪就不得赦免。如果耶稣没有死在十字架上，没有为我们的罪流出宝血，我们就没有蒙赦免的盼望。这意味着耶稣所流的宝血有能力洗净我们的罪，对我们信徒来说，这宝血的意义重大！今天我们来看耶稣宝血的四大功效。
第一，耶稣的宝血赐予生命（利未记 17:11）。耶稣的宝血洁净我们，使我们与主和好。正是这宝血换来了生命，才使洁净成为可能。以弗所书 1:7 说：“我们藉这愛子的血得蒙救赎，过犯得以赦免，乃是照他丰富的恩典。”
第二，耶稣的血是必需的（歌罗西书1:20，马太福音26:28）。我们回想当年，法老不肯放走以色列人，灭命天使要带走埃及的长子。为了保护长子免于死亡，纯洁动物的血是必要的。这预示着基督有一天会在十字架上流出宝血，保护我们所有接受祂的人……免于永恒的死亡。
第三，耶稣的宝血赐予我们自由（启示录 1:5）。祂愛我们，并用祂的宝血将我们从罪中释放出来！我们不再活在罪的捆绑和定罪之下。耶稣的宝血将我们从罪的惩罚中释放出来。因为祂已经得胜，跟随祂的人也分享祂的胜利！我们不再惧怕与神分离。
第四，耶稣的宝血是完美的（彼得前书 1:18-19）。耶稣的宝血若要发挥功效，祂必须是完美的。因为祂是完全的神，也是完全的人，祂是完美的！罪人需要一位无罪的救主。耶稣用祂完美的宝血洁净了我们，使我们比雪更白。约翰福音1:29说：“第二天，约翰看见耶稣来到他那里，就说：‘看哪，神的羔羊，除去世人罪孽的！’” 所以……祂的宝血赐予我们生命，这是必要的，它赐予我们自由，而且是完美的。因着祂舍命的大愛，我们可以相信祂，信靠祂，并拥有永恒的盼望，因我们已被神的羔羊遮盖！我们今天以及在即将到来的复活节庆典中，都应当满心喜乐、满怀鼓舞、充满感恩——因为耶稣为我们流出宝血，战胜了死亡，我们因此得着了生命！哈利路亚！！

The Resurrection celebration is coming, and I’ve already been thinking about and preparing my heart for celebrating the most important holiday of the year. I know you are preparing, too! Our church celebration is about worship and reminding us of what Jesus did for us when He died and then rose again!  Here in our Early Morning Prayer time and in our churches, we often pray thanking Jesus for His precious blood shed for us on the cross! I’m so thankful for God’s love and grace!  Can our words thank Him enough?! I don’t think so.  We must live our life for Him!
Wei Mushr often goes to the blood bank here in our city to donate blood. When he does that, he is giving part of his life so that another person might live. We just read in our scripture that “the life of the body is in its blood.” If a person has no blood running through his veins, he has no life. Sometimes when there is a shortage of blood at the blood bank there will be blood drive so that people will come to volunteer to give their blood.  Jesus knew that His blood would be given in a greater way than a blood drive.
Rather than giving life to one or a few other people, His blood gives life to all who accept Him. There are three favorite hymns of mine that talk about the blood of Jesus. In one of them the words say, “What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus; What can make me whole again? Nothing but the blood of Jesus.” Another hymn I love says, “There is power, power, wonder working power, in the precious blood of the Lamb.”  The third hymn I’m thinking about was sung at my father’s funeral, the words say, “O victory in Jesus, My Savior forever. He sought me and bought me with His redeeming blood.”
What is the power of the blood of Jesus and why do we sing about it? If you think about the meaning of the blood of Jesus in Christianity–it is EVERYTHING. In Hebrews 9:22 we are reminded that without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sins. If Jesus did not die on the cross and shed his precious blood for our sins, then we have no hope of forgiveness. That means this blood that Jesus shed has POWER to wash away sins and should mean EVERYTHING to us believers! Today we look at four things the Blood of Jesus can do.

1. THE BLOOD OF JESUS IS LIFE-GIVING (Leviticus 17:11)

Jesus’ blood purifies us, making us right with the LORD. It is the blood given in exchange for a life that makes purification possible. Ephesians 1:7 says, “In Him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s Grace.”

2.  THE BLOOD OF JESUS WAS NECESSARY (Colossians 1:20, Matthew 26:28)

We think about the time when the angel of death was going to take the first-born sons of Egypt because Pharaoh would not let the Israelites go. Blood from a pure animal was the NECESSARY action to protect the first born from death.  This was the foreshadowing of the blood that Christ would one day shed on the cross to protect all of us who accept Him…from eternal death.

3. THE BLOOD OF JESUS GIVES FREEDOM (Revelations 1:5)

He loves us and has freed us from our sins by His precious blood! We no longer live under the bondage and condemnation of sin.  Jesus’ blood sets us free from the punishment of sin. Because He has the victory, we who follow Him share in His victory! We have no fear of separation from God.

4. THE BLOOD OF JESUS WAS PERFECT (1Peter 1:18-19)

In order for Jesus’ blood to make a difference, He needed to be perfect. And because He is fully God and fully man, He is perfect! Sinful people need a SIN-LESS Savior. Jesus purified us whiter than snow with His perfect blood. John 1:29 says, “The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, ‘Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” So …His blood gives LIFE, it was NECESSARY, it gives us FREEDOM and it was PERFECT. Because of His great love to lay down His life, we can believe and trust in Him, have Eternal Hope that we have been covered by the Lamb of God! We need to feel so Joyful, so Encouraged, so Thankful today and in the coming Resurrection celebration … for the life we have because Jesus shed His precious blood for us and had victory over death! Halleluia!!

On December 21, 2024, while our church was holding gospel signs and evangelizing at a Chinese supermarket, a Filipino brother in Christ saw us and was deeply moved. The next day, during our Christmas celebration, he came specifically to our church to join the celebration. Since then, he has often sent me his personal devotionals. His testimony is as follows:
“My name is Santiago Lalis, but my friends call me Santi. I was born of the 11 siblings of one of the poorest families in one of the remotest areas in Southern Philippines. My parents were farmers (sharecroppers). My father was orphaned from an early age. He and his 2 siblings grew up with relatives who never sent them to school. My mother grew up taking care of a blind mother who did not have resources to send her to school either. My parents were denied inheritance from both sides. My parents had to buy 1/2 acre of barren land from my mother’s uncle so we could build a little hut and to have a little space for our animals to roam around. At age 5, I was already helping in the field and at the same time trying to avail myself of the basic free public education offered in the community. I remember our family had a rough time growing up, we could hardly meet both ends meet. Despite of the hardship I encountered, however, through the help of our almighty God, I graduated on top of my class in 1958! But then, I could not enroll in high school because of extreme poverty! I had to stop 6 years trying to find help even to the extent of writing to our congressman but to no avail. And when I found out the inherent impossibility, I had to run away to Manila, the capital city of the Philippines and ended up washing dishes in a marketplace little restaurant that caters food for early shoppers. I was able to enroll at Manila high night school, but I had to wash dishes for 15 hours. My high school journey was even tougher, I could not read books or use the library because of the limited time. I had to memorize everything the teachers taught inside the classroom to stay combative! And you what? It worked for me! Our almighty God let me graduate again on top of my class in 1968! After graduating as a Valedictorian, I was free to enroll in any university of my choice and the rest was my story!
In my quest to enjoy the free educational opportunities offered to me when I graduated Valedictorian, I was focused on serious studies without knowing that I did not enjoy having a girlfriend. My best friend in the college of law who was a Prosecutor in the city of Manila at the time, introduced me to the cousin of his wife named Rose who happened to be a Registered Nurse recruited by Baptist Medical Center in 1972, who was still single at the time. We exchanged communication by letters and eventually got married in Manila when we met for this first time, during her vacation to the Philippines in 1985! When she came back to the States, she petitioned me and 6 months later I joined her in Arkansas! Our marriage happened without a long courtship! Both of us didn’t plan about it! To me this is another miracle from God! My wife and I don’t have any children, but we are blessed to have a lot of nephews and nieces, some of them grew up in our house!
I remember, growing up in that tiny village, because of our extreme poverty, no one could expect that one of the 11 siblings could go to high school. But our almighty God is a God of Miracle! He can move mountains to show us His power! Who would ever think I could become a “Born Again Christian”? I thought all along I was already a good Christian and did not have to be “born again”, only to find out, among other things, that
1. There is a big difference between Christianity and religion.
2. That the issue is not religion but Jesus Christ!
And finally, 3. That unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he or she cannot enter the Kingdom of God (John 3:5)! I responded to the call of Evangelist Billy Graham during his crusade here in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1989 and since then, I believe I have been a “Born Again Christian”!
I began my journey as a licensed lawyer in the Philippines before immigrating to the U.S., where I started working as a server at the former Holiday Inn West in Little Rock, Arkansas. In 1986, I was honored to be voted as the First Employee of the year. At that time, I juggled three jobs: Waiter at Holiday Inn, Waiter at Little Rock Hilton, and Realtor in between shifts.
Later, I transitioned into real estate full-time while also attending nursing school. Eventually, I became a Registered Nurse at Baptist Medical Center. During this period, I was also named co-winner of the “My Everest” challenge for climbing thousands of steps—from ground to 10th floor and back—during my break times while on duty as a nurse. One special highlight: I had the opportunity to take a photo with the future 42nd President of the United States, who was then serving as Governor of Arkansas.
Now I am 81-year-old. I extremely boast my almighty God for navigating my life this far! It’s not about me, it’s all about Him! I have grown much by numbers but feel much richer and even much younger in heart and spirit! This is my story—an illustration of life watered by tears of sufferings and perseverance, a veritable saga of human survival against seemingly insurmountable odds. Summing it all up, my overcoming the hardships and successes both in schools and workplaces was designed and ordered by the Lord. I did not do it “my way” as I claimed before. It was all through God’s grace! May the readers be able to learn something of what I have been through. I am extremely grateful for all the adversities which have crossed my path for they have taught me tolerance, sympathy, self-control, perseverance, sagacity and all other virtues I might never have known!”

Thoughts of the Day—by Santi Lalis on 4/6, 2025
Some Bible Verses for all of us to Memorize, Meditate, and put into Practice all the days of our lives:
1. Proverbs 3:5-6: This verse encourages us to RELY SOLEY on GOD’S WISDOM and GUIDANCE, rather than on our own, in ALL ASPECTS of LIFE!
2. Isaiah 41:10: This verse offers comfort and assurance, reminding us that God is always present to support us, especially in times of troubles and difficulties!
3. Psalm 23: This passage is a beautiful expression of God’s care and provisions, describing Him as a shepherd who guides and protects His flocks! Consider reading this passage slowly and reflecting on the imagery and promises it contains!
4. John 3:16: This is a “foundational” verse for all Christians, emphasizing God’s love and the gift of salvation that can be obtained only through faith in Jesus Christ!
5. Matthew 11:28: This verse offers comfort and invites those who are struggling to find relief that can be found only in Jesus Christ!
6. Philippians 4:6-7: Key Takeaways on Philippians 4:6-7:
1) Replace fear and anxiety with prayer! Meaning, instead of dwelling on worries, we are encouraged to pray and express our needs to God!
2) God’s peace as a protector: God’s peace is presented as a powerful force that guards believers’ hearts and minds!
3) Trust in Christ: The assurance of our peace is tied up to our faith with Christ Jesus!
7. Romans 8:28: This verse assures believers that God is working for their good even in difficult circumstances! We need to be sure, however, that our love for God is demonstrated through obedience to His Word and aligning our will with God’s will in order to experience the fullness of this promise!
8. Joshua 1:9: This verse encourages us to be strong and courageous knowing that our God will be with us whatever we do, wherever we go! Have a blessed day everybody! May our almighty God guide, protect, and bless us all always!
This Saturday, April 19, our church will once again go to the entrance of the Chinese supermarket to hold gospel signs. We pray that the Lord will lead us to meet more brothers in Christ like Santi, so that we may encourage and serve one another. More importantly, we pray that the Lord would use us to proclaim and share His gospel with people from every nation and every people group. In the name of Christ, Amen!

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，使弟兄姐妹对基督福音的本质及传福音的方法等方面有许多深入反思。
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）给我发来的短信：
“你还记得曾帮助H同学找房子并为他祷告吗？他已经信主，并在两周前受了浸礼。太奇妙了！”
我听到这个消息非常好奇。怎么会有这样的事呢？有的人弟兄姐妹花多少时间给他们传福音，他们都不信。这位同学怎么这么快就受了浸礼。我清楚记得，去年10月初H去我从前毕业的学校学习音乐。当时他找房子找不到，经他的老师介绍打电话找到我。我和他说：“我离开那里已经6年多了，之前的联络都找不到了。”我和他沟通了一下，然后对他说：“我为你做个祷告可以吗？求主为你预备。”他说：“好的”。祷告完后，神真的很快就预备了。他说：“幸亏您的祈祷，我昨天租到了离学校很近而且很便宜的房子！”后来，他见证说：“你祷告真灵啊！”。我回答说：“感谢主，不是我祷告灵，每个基督徒祷告都灵，只是神在那个时间预备我来为你祷告。如果不是我为你祷告，主也会预备别人的”。
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，问H在哪里受的浸礼？老朋友告诉我：“在我们简单家庭教会的游泳池里（Our simple house church in a swimming pool）”。老朋友分享到，今天上午我带着H去见一位牧师。恰巧这位牧师上周五刚来我们小石城教会分享。那位牧师提到春海时，H马上说：“我认识他。他给我祷告过”。太神奇了，主居然以这种方式让我可以有份与分享H受浸礼的好消息。H告诉我说，他打算过两周回国了。他决定将来去作牧师（或传福音的人）。他说：“音乐不能救人，只有福音能。中国人现在最需要的是耶稣。” 他进一步说：“主依然让我用音乐赞美他或赚一点儿微薄的收入，但我的主要目标将是给别人传讲福音”。

• 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、音乐等等。
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，它们并不坚固可靠，根基不够稳固。
然而，神爱我，把我带到了这里，向我展现了真理——耶稣基督才是唯一的道路。
起初，我带着怀疑开始学习圣经，但我渴望知道真理，所以一直在寻求。
我很幸运，神安排我遇到了一位朋友，他成为了我的老师，总是耐心而充满爱地回答我的问题。
终于，在上周六，当我躺在床上时，脑海里突然响起一个声音：“耶稣，我相信你，耶稣，我愿意跟随你。”
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，并努力向更多的人传扬福音。

• 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。我请他分享一下他的信仰之旅。他说：
“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。奶奶有一次为我祷告，求主赐予我智慧和聪明。此后这么多年来，我在心里一直寻求智慧。
后来，在我上大学时选修一门课程《西方历史》。讲到宗教这个部分时，老师给我们放“耶稣生平”影片。我看影片时流泪了。我当时有点儿信，也曾参加过2-3次聚会。 之后就没有再继续。
去年10月来到美国，经一位师姐介绍我去参加校园里的浸信会大学事工(Baptist Collegiate Ministry，简称BCM)认识了A姐妹。A姐妹将我介绍给老朋友。老朋友今年1月份开始带领参加每周二晚上的查经称为“圣经探索小组”(“Bible Discover Group”)，这个小组学习的优点是学习采用的不是灌输式的，而是在一起读经，以启发的方式鼓励每个同学自己发现真理。经过8周的学习，我自己读圣经，主使我的心慢慢被打开。主让我清楚地看到，圣经真是有智慧，绝对不是人能编出来的。有一天晚上我听《以弗所书》，这本书的冲击力实在是太大了。那天我听到耶稣的呼唤，便决志信主，完全跟随耶稣”。

• 生命的转变

他一路走过来，特别感谢老朋友的陪伴、鼓励、耐心回答我各样疑问、请我喝茶、关心我。他还补充说到，他两岁时父母离异。他和奶奶、爸爸、妈妈的关系都非常不好，而且已经很长时间不说话了。他管自己的亲妈不叫妈，叫“老娘”。他信主后第二天就与奶奶、爸爸和妈妈和好了。他也开始管亲妈叫“妈”了。感谢主，是圣灵改变了一个人的生命，让人学会了饶恕。

• 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，一路上经历许多人曾和他分享福音：他奶奶、他老师、老朋友。前面的人都是撒种者，老朋友是耕耘和收割者。在传福音这件事上，不是我们能作什么，是神能作。神自己呼召人做工。神就是这样安排，这人撒种、那人收割。“早晨要撒你的种，晚上也不要歇你的手，因为你不知道哪一样发旺；或是早撒的，或是晚撒的，或是两样都好”（传11：6）。我们要将荣耀归于主，因为做工的在我们，结果子在乎主！哈利路亚，主的作为奇妙、奇妙、真奇妙！让我们继续为H的信仰和未来事奉计划代祷祝福，求主继续引导保守他。以基督之名，阿门！

On Sunday, March 30th, during our church’s Sunday school, we had a discussion about evangelism. It led the brothers and sisters to deeply reflect on the essence of the gospel of Christ and the methods of sharing the gospel.
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!