2024年12月15日 牧者之言

国际宣教祈祷周
2024年12月5日晨祷分享

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！

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!