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!