“城造在山上，是不能隐藏的”（马太福音5：14下）。我们祈祷，求主使用小石城以马内利华语浸信会，使“这座造在山上的城”能“如日头出现、光辉烈烈”（士师记5：31），在新时代中为主发大光，照亮周围的人，使荣耀归于上帝。

我们诚挚地邀请您来参加我们教会的各项活动！让我们一同认识主，在祂的愛里彼此搀扶，共走天路。以马内利！

    李春海牧师

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2024年8月18日 牧者之言

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将愛播撒在台湾：追忆彭蒙惠

注：上周看到许多牧者和同工在社交平台上提到“彭蒙惠”这个名字。我问我们教会的魏牧师和师母（他们曾在台湾作宣教士30多年）是否认识她。魏师母说:  “是的，我们认识她。一个非常敬虔的姐妹。她的机构/事工多年来遍布全岛各地。她为学校和公众做了一个非常出色的基督徒见证。”魏牧师也说：“她的电视英语课在台湾很受欢迎。她的基督教音乐团体在台湾和许多亚洲国家都很有名。他们会在美国巡回演出。她和裴斐老师（英文名：Faye Pearson, 我以前在南京神学院的教授https://lricbc.org/?p=1023）也很熟悉。这些年来我见过她几次。”在此，特从网上搜集她的一些见证与弟兄姐妹分享。
彭蒙惠（英语：Doris Marie Brougham，1926年8月5日—2024年8月6日）是一位美国教育家和传教士。她出生于西雅图一个德裔基督教家庭，家中有8个兄弟姊妹。12岁那年的暑期圣经夏令营里，中国布道家计志文面向一群美国人问到：“有谁愿意去中国，帮助那里人民的需要？”小彭蒙惠举起了手。身旁的大人都笑了，认为她不知道自己在做什么。
1948年于美国华盛顿大学主修远东研究毕业后，面对纽约伊斯特曼音乐学院全额奖学金将来可能成为小喇叭演奏家的梦想，诗篇2:8浮现在她脑海中：“你求我，我就将列国赐你为产业，将地极赐你为田产。”列国？地极？这是指中国吗？彭蒙惠踌躇着。最后，她回应神：“如果祢需要我，我愿意为祢去到地球最远的地方”。于是，彭蒙惠告别父母家人，以传教士身分从西雅图搭乘6个星期的船到上海。适逢中国第二次内战，她随差会逃往不同城市，1949年逃至英属香港；1951年到台湾后，彭蒙惠随即选择台湾东岸花莲县服事。在那里两个礼拜后，她妈妈得严重感冒，礼拜五生病，礼拜天去世。那时，她爸爸妈妈都不在了，她很难过。主安慰她说：“你放心好了，我会一直保守你”。当时那里信主的人还不到1%。她祷告，神就给她一个字“Radio”（广播）。神感动她在花莲开始第一个福音广播节目。她说：“为什么不作广播，广播很多人会听。神就讲，为什么你不做。你可以做，我帮你做。但是我没有做过。所以，神会帮助我”。
彭蒙惠学习到，要接触人，“你必须做一些事情来吸引他们的注意，你必须与人有连结，而不只是与人有沟通。”为了将福音传给更多人，她在1951年创办台湾第一个基督教广播节目。同年，在台湾刚开始出现电视机的时期，台湾只有一家电视台，彭蒙惠需要与佛教和天主教竞争宗教节目独播的时段。她的节目（包括儿童诗班和传统音乐、诗班颂歌、戏剧、讲道，以及她的小号演奏）总是有音乐，所以电视台选择了她。她还记得人们挤在寺庙所拥有的当时罕见的电视机旁，观看她制作的讲道和诗班演唱节目。“你能有多少机会在佛教寺庙里布道呢？”彭蒙惠说，“上帝早已计划好这一切的发生。”那时电视台时段每个月要付1000美金，对他们是很大的负担。她的薪水是200块。但是他们一直祷告，神就不断供应。有一次，礼拜六他们还没有钱。会计说：“下周一要付钱”。她说：“你为什么着急，今天才礼拜六，还有两天呢”。结果礼拜天有一个从加拿大来的中国人奉献1000块。她说：“神不要我们为他做什么，他就是要我们为他做他要我们做的事”。
1962年她成立《空中英语教室》广传福音，并以发行英语学习杂志闻名。她说：“我们不是教英文，我们是用英文看这个世界。我们叫他们打开他们的眼睛。所以很多人在全世界因为空中英文教室信耶稣。我想神用这个英文。不是因为英文，是因为我们跟他讲，你现在需要英文，但你更需要耶稣。所以，英文作为一个桥梁”。当年，她喜欢在节目播出的时段骑脚踏车到街上，听听各家各户和寺庙里的人收听她的节目。有一次，有个尼姑打电话给她，悄悄地问她哪里可以找到圣经。看到她的成功，远东广播公司邀请她开发更多中文节目，并在中国大陆播放。
她1963年创立天韵合唱团——第一个全职台湾人福音合唱团，创作华语福音歌曲传递福音。 她说： “其实神最愛中国人，因为他做了那么多中国人”。她说：“你若做神要你做的事，你不会后悔。你会在其中得到快乐”。2023年她接受CNA访问时说，“我来这里服事全是上帝的带领，我只是每一天都想着要服事祂。然后一天变成几个月，再变成几年，还后哇！72年后我还在这里！”
彭蒙惠像火柴照亮人。她去世前不久还在天韵合唱团吹小号。她说：“我们可以退休吗？圣经没有说可以退休。我不要退，因为退是backward(落后)，我们要往前走。”她说：“愛永不止息。要在别人的需要上看到我们的责任”。她得过无数奖项。她说：“心在哪里，家就在哪里，而我的心在这，台湾就是我的家”。2023年6月20日，由时任总统授予她中华民国国籍护照。她说：“我很不配，我是非常平凡的人”。她常用天国的护照作比喻邀请人信耶稣。刚庆祝完生日后一天，她被主接回天家，享耆寿98岁。那天，她的脸书上发布：“彭蒙惠老师于台北时间8月6日傍晚人生毕业了！现在已加入天堂的乐团，继续快乐的吹奏小喇叭！” 她被葬于基督教墓园。她一生没有结婚，没有房产，按其遗嘱，将其著作权和遗物捐赠给救世传播协会。她是一位值得我们效法的属灵前辈！

参考资料：
•    https://www.christianitytoday.com/news/2024/august/doris-brougham-missionary-taiwan-studio-classroom-zh-hans.html
•    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fL_57tDthH8
•    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OyaRIekVeFA
•    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbSlWat1fJY
•    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUnJAXPSHq4

2024年8月11日 牧者之言

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“寻求 十 寻找”

——记孟菲斯第一华人浸信会的家庭退修会
路10: 2  就对他们说：“要收的庄稼多，做工的人少。所以，你们当求庄稼的主，打发工人出去收他的庄稼。
感谢主奇妙的预备，受蔡炎康牧师邀请，我有幸于上周末（8月2日-4日）参加了孟菲斯第一华人浸信会的家庭退修会（First Chinese Baptist Church of Memphis），并担任中文组专题讲员。他们的退修会从1993年开始到2017年，今年是疫情后第一次恢复。主题：“寻求 十 寻找”。经文：路10: 2。从中受益匪浅，特将以下心得体会与弟兄姐妹分享。
第一，    历史的见证
这是一间有着70年历史的教会。“1944 年，一位名叫高保罗(R. Paul Caudill) 的年轻牧师被任命为孟菲斯第一浸信会的牧师。凭借上帝的恩典和他所热爱的乔治亚州奥古斯塔华人教会的介绍信，他迈出了建立华人教会的第一步。如今，该教会已发展成为第一华人浸信会”（https://en.fcbcmemphis.org/about/fcbc-history）。教会经历多位牧师。我们熟悉的黄日强牧师（Rev. Dr. Paul Wong）曾于1976-1991年在这间教会牧会。黄日强的师母Mrs. Frances Wong于2018年7月到2020年3月在小石城以马内利华语浸信会走完人生最后一程 (https://chinesebaptists.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Sharing-by-Rev-Chunhai-Li.pdf) 。2017年蔡牧师受主呼召担任此教会会牧，牧养主的群羊，直到如今。
第二，    美好的教会
这里有一群爱主热心服侍的弟兄姐妹。教会主要有英文、粤语和中文三种语言，散会前牧师以三种语言祝福。退修会有107位弟兄姐妹注册参加；周五晚在教堂举行，周六和周日在营会举行。他们的敬拜赞美团队很特别，由十位左右弟兄姐妹组成，各年龄层搭配，吉他钢琴伴奏，热情洋溢地赞颂主的圣名。
第三，    信息与专题
主题讲员Jack Moore牧师的信息是“求主教导我们祷告”（路11: 1-13），他分享了耶稣给我们的七个基本原则中的一些原则。七个原则包括：个人的原则、特权的原则、赞美的原则、目标的原则、供应的原则、洁净的原则、保护的原则。主日崇拜的信息是 “代求式的祷告”，挑战大家通过成为代祷者成为神的朋友，并要作牺牲和舍己的代祷者。他分享的许多生动活泼的生活见证对我们很有启发。
专题分中文、英文和青少年三个组。我在中文组分享了关于“传福音”的三篇信息，主旨是：福音就是生命；传福音就是改变生命！鼓励和训练弟兄姐妹操练以各种方式随时、随处传福音。第一篇“福音本是神的大能”（罗1: 1-17），第二篇“向知识分子传福音”（约3: 1-21），第三篇“向众人传福音”（约4: 1-42）。弟兄姐妹当场到台前演练传福音。
第四，    主里交通、建立连结
在与弟兄姐妹的交通过程中，得到许多祝福和恩典。其中，多数人几乎不知道我们教会。至此，我们便建立了连接，并期待今后能有更多彼此团契的机会。有位78岁的熊阿姨作见证说，她的外婆在山东因慕拉第（1840年12月12日－1912年12月24日，英文全名：Charlotte Diggs “Lottie” Moon）传教而信主，外婆和母亲都是虔诚的基督徒，她是第三代基督徒。作为歌剧演员，她曾受邀在纽约百老汇唱过半年。在疫情前，她到中国大陆和美国多间教会举办音乐见证会，为主作见证。奇妙的是，周六下午专题结束后，她与一位第一次来的慕道友传福音。之后，我们趁热打铁，当时就带领这位朋友作决志祷告，使他成为神的儿子。第二天，这位朋友有来参加教会崇拜。荣耀归于主。我们要继续为这位主里的新弟兄生命的成长代祷。
最后，孟菲斯第一华人浸信会的见证给我们的挑战是a. 要更积极祈祷预备我们教会能尽快有自己的教堂；b. 要在教会各项事工上计划更加周密，“凡事都要规规矩矩按照次序行”（林前14: 40）；c.更爱主敬虔，殷勤传福音，积极做主圣工。愿主继续赐福他们的教会，也赐福我们的教会，以基督之名，阿门。


Family Retreat at the First Chinese Baptist Church of Memphis
“Reach up 十 Reach out”:

Luke 10:2 “Pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” 

Thanks to the Lord’s wonderful preparation, at the invitation of Pastor Vincent Choi, I received the honor to attend the Family Retreat of the First Chinese Baptist Church of Memphis last weekend (August 2-4) and serve as a Chinese workshop speaker. Their retreats started from 1993 to 2017, and this year is the first time they have resumed after the epidemic. Theme: Reach up 十 Reach out. Scripture: Luke 10:2. I have been blessed a lot by it and would love to share the following insights with brothers and sisters.

First, the testimony of history
This is a church with a 70-year history. “In 1944, a young pastor named Dr. R. Paul Caudill was called to pastor First Baptist Church of Memphis. Armed with the grace of God and a letter of introduction from the Chinese congregation he so lovingly ministered to in Augusta, Ga., he took his first steps to develop a Chinese church, which today has blossomed into First Chinese Baptist Church” (https://en.fcbcmemphis.org/about/fcbc-history). The church has experienced many pastors. The pastor Dr. Paul Wong, who we are familiar with, pastored this church from 1976 to 1991. The pastor’s wife Mrs. Frances Wong spent her last journey at our Little Rock Immanuel Chinese Baptist Church from July 2018 to March 2020 and returned to heaven (https://chinesebaptists.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Sharing-by-Rev-Chunhai-Li.pdf). In 2017, Pastor Vincent was called by the Lord to serve as the pastor of this church until now.

Second, a wonderful church
It is a group of brothers and sisters who love the Lord and serve enthusiastically. The church mainly speaks English, Cantonese and Chinese. The pastor did the benediction in three languages. 107 brothers and sisters registered for the retreat; it was held in the church on Friday night and in the camp on Saturday and Sunday. Their worship team is unique. It consists of about ten brothers and sisters of different ages, with guitar and piano accompaniment, and they praise the Lord passionately.

Third, Messages and Workshops
The message of the keynote speaker, Pastor Jack Moore, was “May the Lord teach us to pray” (Luke 11:1-13). He shared some of the seven basic principles Jesus gave us:
the personal principle, the privilege principle, the praise principle, the purpose principle, the provision principle, the purification principle, and the protection principle.
The Sunday message is “Intercessory Prayer”, which challenged everyone to become God’s friends by becoming intercessors and to be sacrificial and selfless intercessors. The many lively testimonies he shared were very inspiring to us.

They have three workshops: Chinese, English and youth. Three messages on “sharing the gospel” were given in the Chinese group. The main theme: The gospel is indeed life; sharing the gospel is indeed to change life! Our brothers and sisters are encouraged and trained to practice sharing the gospel at any time and in any places in various ways. The first one is “The gospel is the power of God” (Romans 1:1-17), the second is “share the gospel with intellectuals” (John 3:1-21), and the third is “share the gospel with everyone” (John 4:1-42). Some brothers and sisters came to the stage and practice sharing the gospel on the spot.

Fourth, fellowship and establish connections in the Lord
In the fellowshipping with brothers and sisters, I received more blessings. Most of them knew little about our Little Rock Immanuel Chinese Baptist. So far, we have established a connection and look forward to more opportunities for mutual fellowship in the future. A 78-year-old aunt Debra Pan testified that her grandmother in Shandong Province was converted to the Lord by our Southern Baptist missionary Lottie Moon (from December 12, 1840 to December 24, 1912). Both her grandmother and mother were devout Christians. She is a third-generation Christian. As an opera singer, she was invited to sing on Broadway in New York for half a year. Before the epidemic, she went to many churches in mainland China and in US to hold special music testimony meetings for the Lord. Amazingly, after the workshop on Saturday afternoon, she shared the gospel with a first-time gospel seeker. After that, we led this friend to pray right away and make a decision to accept Jesus as his Savior. The next day, this friend came to worship. Praise the Lord and we will continue to pray for his growth in the Lord.

Finally, the challenge given to us by the testimony of the First Chinese Baptist Church of Memphis is a. To pray more actively to prepare our church to have our own church building soon; b. To plan more carefully in various ministries of the church, “But everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way” (1 Corinthians 14:40); c. To love the Lord more fervently, share the gospel diligently, and serve the Lord actively. May the Lord continue to bless their church and bless our church as well, in the name of Christ, Amen.

2024年8月4日 牧者之言

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超越眼见的视野

那是真光，照亮一切生在世上的人 – 约翰福音 1:9

我们每年都会在自家的地盘边缘露营，地盘与邻居的树林接壤。我抱着三岁的孙女，指着月亮对她说：“看月亮在树丛间偷看我们。”过了一会儿，我听到她爸爸安慰她说没什么好怕的——没有意识到，爷爷是她害怕的罪魁祸首。但她一直坚持说有东西在树丛间偷看我们。

我们需要谨慎使用比喻性语言，尤其是对小孩子，因为它可能会产生误解。当然，很容易看出这个小事幽默的一面，但对于一个相信爷爷、从未考虑过月亮可能在偷看她的小女孩来说，这并不好笑。然而，没有造成任何伤害，一个解释解决了这个问题。

这件事让我想起了耶稣引用的以赛亚的预言。“你们听是要听见，却不明白；看是要看见，却不晓得”（马太福音 13:14）。耶稣用比喻来教导许多事情，除非我们理解它们的意义并正确应用它们，否则它们对我们来说就没有什么价值。今天的圣经阅读就是一个很好的例子。

我们的理解力应该更进一步。我们能否超越我们自己的自然视角，感知到上帝透过我们的情况所发出的光芒？保罗写道：“那吩咐光从黑暗里照出来的神，已经照在我们心里”（哥林多后书 4:6）。我们需要那神圣的光芒充分照耀；否则，我们就会像我的小孙女一样，因为她只看到了字面意义上的东西便感到害怕。

梅尔文·布鲁贝克——宾夕法尼亚州特雷弗顿港

凭借信心的眼睛，灵魂可以看到许多对于肉眼来说完全隐藏的东西。

—— 译自《溪水边》第九日, 阿米什人灵修

   A View Beyond the Visible


That was the true light, which lightenth every man that cometh into the world. -John 1:9
We were having our annual family camp-out at the edge of our property, which borders our neighbor’s woods. While holding our three-year-old granddaughter, I pointed out the moon to her and said, “Look how the moon is peeking at us through the trees.” A little later I heard her dad reassuring her that there was nothing to be afraid of— not realizing that Grandpa was to blame for her fear. But she kept insisting that something was peeking at us through the trees.
We need to be careful about figurative language, especially with little ones, because of the misunderstanding it can generate. Of course, it was easy to see the humorous side of this little happening, but it wasn’t funny to a small girl who believed Grandpa and had never considered that the moon might be peeking at her. Yet no harm was done, and an explanation settled the issue.
This incident reminded me of the prophecy of Isaiah that Jesus quoted. “By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive” (Matthew 13: 14). Jesus used parables to teach many things, and unless we understand their figurative meaning and apply them correctly, they hold little value for us. Today’s Bible reading has a good example.
Our comprehension should go even further. Can we see beyond our own natural view and perceive the light from God that is peeking through our circumstances? Paul wrote, “For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts” (2 Corinthians 4: 6). We need that divine light to shine through abundantly; otherwise, we will be like our little granddaughter who feared because she saw things only in a literal sense.
                      

Melvin Brubaker – Port Treverton, PA
With eyes of faith, the soul can see many things that are completely hidden to the natural eyes.

Cited from Day 9, Beside the Still Water, Amish Devotion.

2024年7月28日 牧者之言

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3-P时代

 “人非有信就不能得神的喜悦, 因为到神面前来的人必须信有神,
且信他赏赐那寻求衪的人”。 ——希伯来书 11:6

有人恰当地指出，现在这一代人可以称为 3-P时代：“百事可乐、披萨饼和享乐”（Pepsi, pizza, and pleasure）。鉴于如今餐馆数量众多、种类繁多，美国人似乎变得自我放纵，过度喜欢享受美味。也许我们的味觉和肚腹已经成为我们的上帝，正如《腓立比书》 3:19 中所提到的。
在《但以理书》中讲到的四个希伯来奴隶有“特权”享用国王的美食。但他们拒绝了国王餐桌上的食物和美酒，而是要求“素菜”和白水。为什么？因为吃素菜符合旧约饮食规矩，而且更健康、更有营养。因此，除了信仰意义之外，希伯来人选择的饮食反映了自我约束、自律和节制，与自我满足和“吃喝玩乐”的心态形成了鲜明的对比。
他们在异国他乡不敬虔的人中间表现出的忠诚是高尚而鼓舞人心的榜样。同样，作为后世的朝圣者和寄居客，我们不应采用世界放纵的生活标准，其中包括“酗酒、荒宴”（彼得前书 4:3）等。让我们持守古道，包括在家吃简单的饭菜，在餐桌旁享受有益的家庭时光。
《但以理书》 1:15-21 总结了上帝对这四个年轻人的认真顺服和节制生活方式的赏赐。上帝赐予他们非凡的智慧和在国王面前的恩惠。事实上，我们今天仍然侍奉同一位上帝！确实，主仍然保佑那些勤奋寻求他、并愿意以纯洁的心遵守圣经教义和教导的人。
斯蒂芬·莱因巴赫 – 肯塔基州, 埃尔克顿
暴食和放纵使朝圣者和寄居客堕落。
—— 译自《溪水边》第七日, 阿米什人灵修。

     

The 3-P Generation

       But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. – Hebrews 11:6 
Someone aptly observed that the present generation could be called the 3-p generation: “Pepsi, pizza, and pleasure.” In light of the large number and variety of restaurants today, it appears that Americans have become self-indulgent and overly fond of eating things because they taste good. Perhaps our taste buds and our belly have become our God as mentioned in Phillipians 3: 19.
The four Hebrew captives had the “privilege” to eat of the king’s delicacies. But they refused the food and wine from the king’s table and requested “pulse” and water instead. Why? The “pulse,” or vegetables, was in keeping with Old Testament dietary laws, and it was also more wholesome and nutritious. So besides the religious implications, the Hebrews’ chosen diet reflected self-restraint, self-discipline, and temperance, in contrast to the mentality of self-gratification and “eat, drink, and be merry.”
Their faithfulness among godless people in a foreign land is a noble and inspiring example. By the same token, it behooves us as latter-day pilgrims and strangers not to adopt the loose living standards of the world. Which include “excess of wine, revellings, [and] banquetings” (1 Peter 4:3). Let us rather maintain the old paths, which include eating simple meals at home and enjoying profitable family time around the table.
Daniel 1: 15-21 sum up the rewards that God bestowed upon these four young men for their conscientious obedience and their temperate lifestyle. God blessed them with notable wisdom and with favor before the king. Truly we still serve the same God today! Truly He still blesses all those who diligently seek Him and who willingly obey the doctrines and precepts of the Word, out of a pure heart.

Stephen Leinbach- Elkton, KY
Cited from Day 7, Beside the Still Water, Amish Devotion.