pastor's column

Rev. Wilson Chan's Farewell Speech

2009-07-17T14:57:00.000-07:00

Rev. Wilson Chan's farewell report to the church council meeting 2009/7/15

For three years I have come and served in the Ottawa Chinese United Church. I believe strongly that God has a purpose for me here. I fulfilled it. His name has been glorified. I concede I have handicap and weakness. Nevertheless God’s will was done through my handicap and weakness. I have no regrets for these three years well spent. There were hard times for sure. But I praise the Lord and thank him all the more for these hard times. My feeling co-inside with Paul’s feeling when he shared his testimony with the Corinthians.
Paul said, “And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me.” II Cor.12:7.
There are so many handicapped people in God’s ministry we cannot count them all. Let us recall how Paul handled his. Paul prayed that his trouble be removed. He besought the Lord diligently that he be delivered. How much better that a man ask the Lord for help than to try defiantly to beat his way through life alone. It is no shameful thing to admit weakness. But you say, “God did not answer Paul’s prayer that his handicap be removed.” Indeed, you are right. But follow Paul. See him trudging along some lonely road on a missionary tour, that “thorn in the flesh” pricking him at every turn, furnishing irritation, suffering, and misery. Behold, there walks beside him the Savior, his comrade of the cross, saying in accents of infinite tenderness, “My grace is sufficient for thee” (II Cor. 12:9).
Paul not only prayed about his disadvantage; he kept plodding on in spite of it. He called it a “messenger of Satan to buffet” him. But in spite of all the buffeting, he battled on; he kept going. That is important. Perhaps you are someone who started out in the Christian life with much promise, but one by one the years seem to have stolen away your gifts; one by one your opportunities have vanished. You feel life has sadly handicapped you. Yet have you not one string on which you may play some melody of triumph? Play! Paul did. How we play is important. One man gets only discord out of his piano; another, harmony. No one claims the piano is at fault. Life has discord and harmony. Work hard to play it correctly; it will give forth beauty.
Paul not only prayed and kept going, but he also achieved a great triumph. He said, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.”(II Tim. 4:7-8.) This brave apostle carried his handicap with him through thick and thin to the end. The end was as glorious as the journey. Are you handicapped? Of course you are. So were Paul and countless other Christians who lived victoriously. Let us do as they did: pray, struggle on, and finally achieve the crown.
Yesterday I received a surprise letter in the email. It came from a lady called Cindy Kirk. When I first saw the name I had no idea who that lady was. But the first line refreshed my memory. She wrote:
Hi Pastor Chan

If you remember, I am Hayward's spouse and met you at the OCUC when you showed us (and Joanne) around the building when the daycare was but a dream.

I heard that you are leaving the OCUC and wanted to send you this email to thank-you for making a difference in the lives of the people in the Glebe community. You provided us, and Joanne, with great hope that the church would be open to the daycare idea and your support was greatly appreciated! Without that hope, I am not sure what would have happened. So although you may not realize it, you were the right person, in the right place, at the right time (perhaps a greater power made that possible). Now, because of some of your efforts, many children are enjoying their days in a secure, loving environment (including my son) within the church. This is a great accomplishment for anyone!

So on behalf of myself and my son, thank-you for making a difference in our lives.

Best Wishes,
Cindy Kirk
After reading it, I couldn’t help but reply her right a way. I said:
Dear Cindy,Thanks for this lovely letter. I am glad I can be of help to you and your dream. It wasn't me that make your dream come true. It was God's good will for you, for myself and for this church. Your service is a great blessing not only to the Glebe community but also to this church. I am going away to minister in the Winnipeg Chinese United Church. I will always remember you and Hayward and all the nice people in the daycare. God bless you.Wilson Chan
Three years was not a long time. But three years was long enough to achieve what I have achieved. It was not a happy three years. But I am happy for the achievement. Jesus spent also three years in his ministry. It was not a happy ministry. He had been wounded and bruised. But it was exactly because of his wounds and bruises that made him accomplish what he accomplished. “Because of his wounds we are healed; by his stripes we are made whole” (Isaiah 53:5) Jesus ministry did not make people happy. It made them angry instead. That’s why they shouted, “Crucify him! Crucify him!” But it was the wounded hands that once were nailed to the cross that heal the world today.
I hope you will remember me with this my last benediction to you all:
May the Christ who walks on wounded feet walk with you on the road.
May the Christ who serves with wounded hands stretch out your hands to serve.
May the Christ who loves with a wounded heart open your hearts to love.
May you see the face of Christ in every one you meet; and may everyone you meet sees the face of Christ in you.
Amen and God bless you.
End

Sermon Date: 2009/7/12

2009-07-17T14:56:00.000-07:00

DATE: 2009/7/12 Sermon:
SCRIPTURE READING: Matt. 18:21-22
SERMON: Our Story Has Not Finished…
講道題目: 我們的故事還沒有完…
Peter asked Jesus the question: “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Till seven times?” Peter was expecting Jesus to give him a limit so that he can terminate his relationship with his brother who sins against him. But Jesus answered: “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.” Jesus corrected Peter’s misconception. In Jesus understanding there is no limit for you to forgive your brother. In other words you can not terminate your relationship with your brother once he becomes your brother in Christ.
In another occasion Jesus said, “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you, do not insist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.” (Matt. 5:38-39) Christians are called to a style of life that is totally free of vengeance. A wrong done to you does not give you license to inflict a wrong on someone else. The wisdom behind this counsel is visible from many angles.
I. Vengeance is harmful to the avenger as well as to the avengee. (1) Jesus absolutely negates hatred as inhuman, and vengeance always rises out of hatred. Vengeance produces in the human heart a disorganizing anxiety and displaces those positive and constructive dispositions where our well-being lies. (2) For the man of vengeance, every sunset is bleached of color; every meal is rendered bland and tasteless; every dream is cankered; every relationship is soured. Vengeance stops prayer, represses joy, misdirects energy, robs the middle years of their productivity, and crowns old age with a thorny wreath of bitterness.
II. Vengeance is futile. Evil is not the true answer to evil. It never was and it never will be. Vengeance simply perpetuates the cycle of sin-against-hate; hate-against-sin; Better that we should meet the one who offends us with kindness, even on pragmatic grounds. As Paul rightly said, “Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Romans 12:17-22)
III. Vengeance reduces, when you think about it, to a denial of trust in God. When we take matters into our own hands and seek to execute judgment, we are in effect saying that we can’t trust God to do this for us.
IV. Vengeance is wrong because something else is right. And that something else is forgiveness. (1) Some people keep picking at their scar tissue so that the wounds will stay. Others massage their scars so that every trace may vanish. (2) “Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.” Not that there is a condition that God only forgives as we forgive. Rather, the assumption is that, unless we have learned how to forgive another, we haven’t learned to receive forgiveness for ourselves. Francis Bacon said: “By taking revenge a man is but even with his enemy; but by passing over it, he is supreme.
Today is the last day of my preaching in this church. After today my relationship with you will no longer be pastor and parishioners. But our relationship as brothers and sisters will go on for ever. The memories I leave with you will be those of love and forgiveness. There will be no grudges and bitterness. It is because our love story has just begun. I love you all. God bless you.
Amen.
Synopsis:
In Jesus understanding there is no limit for you to forgive your brother. Christians are called to a style of life that is totally free of vengeance.
I. Vengeance is harmful to the avenger as well as to the avengee.
II. Vengeance is futile. Evil is not the true answer to evil.
III. Vengeance reduces to a denial of trust in God.
IV. Vengeance is wrong because something else is right. And that something else is forgiveness.
After today I will no longer see you. The memories I leave with you will be those of love and forgiveness. Our love story has just begun. I love you all. God bless you.

講道大綱
在耶穌的教訓裏，我們饒恕我們弟兄的次數，是要無限量的。基督徒的生活方式是完全解除報復的心理。
甲．報復是有害的。無論對報復者或被報復者，害處都是一樣。
乙．報復是沒有用的。以暴易暴不是解決問題的答案。
丙．報復只能消極地表示我們不信任上帝。
丁．報復是錯，因為另外有一個對的做法，那就是饒恕。
今天之後，我要離開你們了。我留給你們的回憶，就是愛與饒恕。我們的故事還沒有完。我愛你們。神祐你們。
Pastoral Prayer:
Almighty God, gracious Father, in the presence of your bounty keep us humble, in the presence of all people’s needs make us compassionate and caring.
Give us faith in our praying and love in our serving, knowing that by your power all may find a new balance in living and a new victory in adversity.
We pray for all unhappy lives, those who are bitter and resentful, feeling life has given them an unfair deal, those who are sensitive to criticism and quick to take offense, those who desire their own way, whatever the inconvenience or cost to others. May your judgment and mercy be for their healing.
We pray for those who are lonely, who are shy and self-conscious, who find it hard to make friends; those who are nervous and timid, who ever feel themselves strangers in a world they can scarcely understand. May your presence inspire confidence and ensure companionship.
We pray for those who live with bitter regrets, for loving relationships brought to ruin, for opportunities freely given and woefully abused, for the bitterness of defeat or betrayal at another’s hand, or for failure in personal integrity. May your grace give new hope to find victory in the very scene of failure.
We pray for all in illness and pain, weary of the day and fearful of the night. Grant healing, if it be your will, and at all times through faith the gift of your indwelling peace.
Bless the company of Christ’s folk, the church in every land. Make her eager in worship, fearless in proclamation of the gospel, and passionate for caring.
Bless our country. Bless our leaders. Bless our children and grant us peace within our borders. Grant us a nation to be found effective in establishing peace throughout the world.
Bless us, each one, in the communion of the saints, and keep us ever mindful of the great cloud of witness that, following in their steps, as they did in the steps of the Master, we may with them at the last receive the fulfillment promised to your people.
Now, O great God, bless us also in the life and work of this church, in our fellowship and in our Christian education, in our outreach and in our pastoral ministries. Where we fail to be attentive to the voice of your Spirit even as we profess to be focused on you in worship, forgive us. Still, touch us this day so that we will feel the energy we need to press on in faithful discipleship in the week ahead. Lift our sight higher so that we can strive toward loftier goals in the coming days. Remind us of your abiding love and grace so that we can become beacons of love and grace to coworkers, neighbors, friends, fellow students. Anoint our eyes to see your image residing deep within each person we meet. Anoint our ears to hear the cries of all who surround us, especially the needy. Anoint our hands to do gospel work. Anoint our lips to speak gospel peace so that in all ways, in all times, in all places, we may glorify you.
Now teach us to pray like the way you taught your disciples praying...

Sermon Date: 2009/7/5

2009-07-17T14:50:00.000-07:00

DATE: 2009/7/5 Sermon:
SCRIPTURE READING: Luke 10:25-37
SERMON: The Good Samaritan is Jesus
講道題目: 好撒馬利亞人是耶穌
Introduction. (1) To speak of Jesus as a Samaritan is really a contradiction in terms. Jesus was a Jew, and the Jews had no dealings with the Samaritans. Yet both the Jews and the Samaritans traced their ancestry back to a common stock. Generations before, they had been one. (2) To speak of Jesus as a Samaritan is not to emphasize his genealogy. He was the only begotten Son of God. In one sense of the word, he was neither Jew nor Samaritan. He was a citizen of the universe. (3) To speak of Jesus as the Good Samaritan is to speak of him in reference to his own parable.
What did the Samaritan do?
I. He had compassion on the dying man. That is always the first step. Jesus had compassion on the multitudes. Out of compassion he wept over Jerusalem. Out of compassion he healed the sick, cleansed the lepers, restored sight to the blind. When Jesus lived in Galilee, he was the healer of men’s bodies and souls. He was the forgiver of their sins. He was the Good Samaritan; he is the Good Samaritan still.
II. The Samaritan poured oil and wine into the wounds of the man by the side of the road. The oil and wine may well represent justice and righteousness, medications that still heal the world’s ills. These can turn the world right side up once again.
III. The Samaritan put the wounded man on his beast. Justice and righteousness can never completely alleviate the sufferings of humanity. Mercy must be added. Mercy is best portrayed in the Cross of Jesus Christ. Just as the Samaritan put the man on his beast, so Christ took the sins and burdens of humanity and carried them to the Cross. On that Cross divine mercy made up for the lack of justice and righteousness in the world.
IV. The Samaritan took the wounded man to an inn and took care of him. The inn is the church. We are taken care of in the Church. When Jesus has called the sin-sick people, it is to his Church that he takes them. There they find asylum. There they can be taken care of, even though the “Samaritan” (Jesus) must needs be absent for a time.
V. The Samaritan had to leave before his patient was fully recovered, but he left him in the good hands of the inn-keeper. Jesus said to his disciples in the upper room, “It is expedient for you that I go away” (John 16:7). The inn-keeper is the Holy Spirit, the Comforter. And the innkeeper was just that to the unfortunate man-he comforted him and nursed him back to health. Even so the Holy Spirit works in and through the Church, continuing the work which Christ began while on earth. Today, the work of healing goes on in those people who open themselves to the indwelling of the Spirit.
VI. The Samaritan left two pennies for the innkeeper, till he should come. When Christ went away from the world, he left us Holy Baptism and the Holy Communion of his body and blood. Whenever rightly received, they minister to the healing of humanity. The Holy Communion is the seal of Christ’s perpetual presence in the Church through the Holy Spirit. These two pennies, given to the innkeeper, represented to the convalescing man the continuing presence of his benefactor. So are the Christian sacraments to us today.
VII. The Samaritan gave the money until he should come again. Here is another striking resemblance to the Communion. Paul said, “For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord’s death till he come” (I Cor. 11:26). Just as the Samaritan promised to return to the bruised man, so the Lord has promised to return to the world for a final healing. That healing of the world ought to be going on-yes, is going on-right now. It ought to be going on in your life and mine. Christ would be the Good Samaritan to you and me, and through us, to the world. He always works that way.
Conclusion. So we say, “May the Christ who walks on wounded feet, walks with you on the road. May the Christ who serves with wounded hands, stretch out your hands to serve. May the Christ who loves with a wounded heart, open your hearts to love. May you see the face of Christ in everyone you meet. And may everyone you meet sees the face of Christ in you.
Amen.
Synopsis:
Jesus was not a Samaritan. Jesus as the Good Samaritan is to speak of him in reference to his own parable.
I. He had compassion on the dying man.
II. The oil and wine may well represent justice and righteousness, medications that still heal the world’s ills.
III. Just as the Samaritan put the man on his beast, so Christ took the sins and burdens of humanity and carried them to the Cross.
IV. The Samaritan took the wounded man to an inn and took care of him. The inn is the church.
V. The Samaritan had to leave before his patient was fully recovered, but he left him in the good hands of the inn-keeper.
VI. The Samaritan left two pennies for the innkeeper, till he should come. When Christ went away from the world, he left us Holy Baptism and the Holy Communion of his body and blood.
VII. Just as the Samaritan promised to return to the bruised man, so the Lord has promised to return to the world for a final healing.
Conclusion: Christ would be the Good Samaritan to you and me, and through us, to the world. He always works that way.
講道大綱
耶穌不是撒馬利亞人。但耶穌是他自己所講的比喻中那個好撒馬利亞人。
甲．他對那個垂死的人動了慈心。
乙．油和酒代表了公平和正義，是這世界最需要的藥方。
丙．那個撒馬利亞人扶他騎上自己的牲口，基督也是把人類的罪擔背起擺在十字架上。
丁．那個撒馬利亞人帶他到店裏去照應他。這店就是教會。
戊．那個撒馬利亞人必需離開，便把他交託店主照料。
己．那個撒馬利亞人拿出二錢銀子來，交給店主。同樣基督離開世界時，他留給我們兩個聖禮—洗禮和聖餐。表示繼續與我們同在。
庚．那個撒馬利亞人答應必會再回來幫助受傷者。同樣主答應祂必再來，給我們完全的醫治。
結論：基督就是那個好撒馬利亞人，為你和我，也透過你和我，使世界得到完全的醫治。祂的工夫，往往都是用這方法達成的。
Pastoral Prayer:
O God, our heavenly Father, renew in us the sense of your gracious presence, and let it be a constant impulse within us to peace, trustfulness, and courage on our pilgrimage. Let us hold you fast with a loving and adoring heart, and let our affections be fixed on you, so that the unbroken communion of our hearts with you may accompany us whatsoever we do, through life and in death. Teach us to pray heartily; to listen for your voice within, and never to stifle its warnings. Behold, we bring our poor hearts as a sacrifice unto you: come and fill your sanctuary, and cast out any impurities to enter there. O God you are love, let your divine Spirit flow like a river through our whole souls, and lead us in the right way till we pass by a peaceful death into the land of promise.
O Jesus Christ, lover of all, you are the Good Samaritan who have compassion on the dying man, bring healing, bring peace to our world full of pain and suffering. Christ our Lord, long ago in Galilee, many who were sick and suffering needed friends to bring them to your side. Confident of your goodness, we now bring to you those who need your healing touch. We bring before you those who are ill in body, those who suffer restless days and sleepless nights. We bring before you those who are troubled in mind, distressed by the past, or dreading the future, those who are trapped and cast down by fear. We bring before you those for whom light has been turned to darkness by the death of a loved one, the breaking of a friendship, or the fading of hope. We ask your guidance for those who are engaged in alleviating pains in the world, that they may persevere with vision and energy; help us to live like the Good Samaritan, and bring hope and salvation to the world.
We pray for people who are departing from this church. Brother David Li and Sister Auyan Yan Hong, who will be traveling back to China. We thank you for Sister Amy Deng who has found a promising job and has started working for a week now. We pray for a new pastor for this church as the old pastorate will end within this month. As we continue our worship to Word and sacrament, encounter us with your very self. Be glorified in all we do. We pray it ever and only in Jesus precious name. Amen

Spiritual Thought for the Week 2009/7/5

2009-07-17T14:45:00.000-07:00

DATE: 2009/7/5
本周默想分享
有人曾經提出在好撒馬利亞人的比喻中，我們可以看到四種人生觀。（1）那個強盜相信，“你的就是我的。”（2）那個祭司奉行的哲學是，“我的就是我的，你的就是你的。”（3）那個客店主人期待的報酬是，“我的可以就是你的，只要你給我一個公道的價錢。”（4）好撒馬利亞人的看法是，“我的就是你的，並且我們可以有更多的分享。”
當我向我四周看時，我發覺有一樣東西可以令生命更深刻，更得著回響，更令我有大喜樂的。那就是把自己放在自己之外，而進入別人的自己和別人的品格之中。
我需要吃飯，對我自己來講，只是一個物質的問題。但我的鄰舍需要吃飯，這個問題，對我來講，就是一個靈性和宗教的問題了。
Spiritual Thought for the Week
Someone has suggested that in the story of the good Samaritan there are four ways to look at life. (1) The robber believed, “What is yours is mine.”(2) The priest acted on the philosophy, “What is mine is mine, and what is yours is yours.”(3) The innkeeper held the prospect that “What is mine is yours for a price.”(4) The Samaritan acted on the viewpoint that “What is mine is yours and more in sharing.”
As I look around me, I seem to find that one thing which deepens life, which gives it resonance, which brings it great joy, is the putting of one’s self outside one’s self into another self or personality.
The question of bread for myself is a material question, but the question of bread for my neighbor is a spiritual and religious question.

Spiritual Thought for the Week 2009/6/28

2009-07-17T14:38:00.000-07:00

DATE: 2009/6/28
本周默想分享
朋友你是否有感到灰心失望，徬惶無告的時候？每當我感到凄涼失敗，孤單喪志的時候，我會用聖經的說話，得著安慰。“我的心哪，你曾對耶和華說，你是我的主，我的好處，不在你以外。”（詩16：2）
世人都願意得到好處。並且竭力追求要得到好處。但甚麼是真正的好處呢？有人以吃喝玩樂享受為好處；有人以知識，友誼，愛情為好處；有人以名利地位為好處；有人以家庭，事業，成功為好處。但這一切有時是好處，有時卻成為害處。許多人為這一切終日奔忙，思慮，煩惱，這已經先受了害處。同時有這些情慾，愛好，渴望，就沒有平安和喜樂，這又是先得了害處。也許得了所想望，所追求的東西，但又怕失去，也是害處。其實得著了，心中仍不會滿足，得著還要再得，反而感到更加饑渴，否則會感到極為空虛，所以它的結果又是害處。何況就是真覺得快樂，但想到不久世界要改變，自己壽命也不長，一切終要歸於無有，這更能引起悲傷，痛苦，失望，哪裏會有什麼好處呢？
真正的好處，必須是使內心有長久的平安喜樂，沒有失去的危險。並且能永久的享受，那轉眼就消逝的好處都不是真正的好處。神愛我們，祂不會留下好處，不給我們（詩84：11），尋求神的甚麼好處都不缺（詩4：10）。若想在神旨意之外找好處，只是捕風捉影而已，毫無所得，得著了也是損失，將要為之後悔。我們當滿足於神所指定的，別無所求，這就是我們的好處。總之我們的好處不在神以外，如保羅所說的：“我將萬事都當作有損的”（腓3：7）。
其實有神就夠了，一切福分，快樂，好處都在神里面。在祂以外的確沒有甚麼好處，也不應當在神以外想有所得。凡在神以外，與神不合的東西都是有害的，我們當以神自己為中心，以神的旨意為範圍，以神的命令為衣歸。
Spiritual Thought for the Week
Have you ever felt despair and resignation? When I feel bad and sad, I turn to the Bible and seek consolation. “I said to the Lord, “You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing.””(Psalm 16:2)
People in the world want to have good thing. They try hard to get good thing. But what is good thing? Some think eat drink and be merry are good things. Others think knowledge, friendship and love are good things. Still some others think to have fame and prestige are good things. Still some others think family, career and success are good things. Although these good things bring good feelings nevertheless they bring bad feelings and bad results. For instance people pursuit these things so eagerly they cause them anxiety and stress. This is bad thing. The desire to get these things expel peace and joy in a person’s heart. Even if you get what you desire. The fear of losing it causes you worry. Even if you can secure it, you won’t be satisfied. You want some more. The feeling of empties still exists. And that is bad thing. Even if you can get all you can get, your limited life span will remind you all is vanity. So what good can these good things bring you?
The real good thing has to be one that gives eternal peace and joy. It should be one that no one can take away from you. It should be one that you can enjoy for ever. The temporal thing can never be the good thing. “For the Lord is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he with holed from those whose walk is blameless.” (Psalm 84:11) Only those who seek the Lord will have nothing to lose in their pursuit. Outside of God all our pursuit is like catching the wind and chasing after shadows. Let us be satisfied with what God has prepared for us. All the others are trash. Like what Paul said, “But whatever was to my profit I now consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him.”(Philippians 3:7-8)
It is sufficient to just have God. All blessings and joy are found in God. Apart from Him we can find nothing good. We should not think of things outside of God. Let us put God in the center. We live inside the bound of His good will. We take orders from Him alone.

--End—

Spiritual Thought for the Week 2009/6/21

2009-06-19T12:46:00.000-07:00

DATE: 2009/6/21
本周默想分享
在父親節的今天，我們不但要紀念父親，也要尊敬父神。正如瑪拉基書1章6節說：“兒子尊敬父親，僕人敬畏主人，我既為父親，尊敬我的在哪里呢？我既為主人，敬畏我的在哪里呢？” 人間的關係，和世界上的事物，能說明與神的關係，和靈界的事物。人世的一切如同影兒，屬靈的一切才是實體。對於信徒來說，應當更注意與神的關係和屬靈的事物。因為那是真實而永遠的，但以今生屬世的問題可以得教訓，神也常用此講明真理。
這段經文特別提到我們與神的關係，如父與子，主與僕的關係。這在聖經中說的很多，神是我們的天父，是我們的主宰，我們是祂的兒女和僕人。但事實上，許多信徒都沒有對神如同兒子對父親，僕人對主人一樣。因為沒有尊敬和敬畏祂，這使神時常不悅，甚至發怒。有的信徒對神還不如對世上的父親，和有權位的主人那麼尊敬和敬畏。對神沒有事奉，對神的話也沒有聽從，與神沒有親近，也不求討神的喜悅，這都叫神極為難過，正如以賽亞書上所說的。
“天哪，要聽，地啊，側耳以聽，我養育兒女，將他們養大，他們竟悖逆我。牛認識主人，驢認識主人的槽，以色列人卻不認識，我的民卻不留意。。。你們屢次悖逆，還要受責打嗎？”（賽1：2-5）又如耶利米書上說：“可見你離棄耶和華你的神，不存敬畏我的心，乃為惡事，為苦事”。（耶2：19）
如果我們不認識神的慈愛和恩典，真是牛驢都不如。若不尊敬，不敬畏神，不聽神的話乃是惡事，也是苦事。神今天在那裏尋找誰尊敬祂，要賜大恩典，福氣給他。
Spiritual Thought for the Week
On this Father’s Day Sunday, we honor not only our earthly father but also our heavenly father. God asks us the question, “A son honors his father and a servant his master. If I am a father, where is the respect due me?” (Malachi 1:6) Human relationship is parallel to divine relationship. Earthly relationships are shadows. But divine relationship is the real thing. As Christians we pay attention to our relationship with God. It is because it is real and eternal. Nevertheless earthly relationship reminds us of our relationship with God. Like today’s passage for instance God is making an analogy to us.
Our relationship with God is analytical to that of the father and his son or that of the master to his servant. The Bible tells us many times that God is our heavenly father. He is our lord. We are his children and servants. In fact many believers do not treat God like a son to his father, or a servant to his lord. We do not give him the fear and respect. This up sets God and causes his wrath. Some believers honor their earthly fathers and their company’s bosses more than they do to God. They do not serve God; they do not hear his words. They do not come close to God. They do not seek God’s favor. This makes God very sad. Just like what the prophet Isaiah said.
“Hear O heavens! Listen, O earth! For the Lord has spoken: I reared children and brought them up, but they have rebelled against me. The ox knows his master, the donkey his owner’s manger, but Israel does not know, my people do not understand…Why should you be beaten anymore? Why do you persist in rebellion?”(Isaiah 1:2-5) Prophet Jeremiah also said,: “how evil and bitter it is for you when you forsake the Lord your God and have no awe of me,”(Jeremiah 2:19)
If we do not recognize God’s mercy and grace, we are worse than ox and donkey. If we do not honor God, fear God, obey his words, we are doing evil and bitter deeds. God is searching everywhere today. He is looking for people who would respect him and fear him. When he finds them he blesses them with great gift of blessing and grace.

Spiritual Thought for the Week 2009/6/14

2009-06-11T15:17:00.000-07:00

Spiritual Thought for the Week
Have you ever thought of the characteristics of a Christian? Now that we are Christians, is there any distinction that makes us different from others in this world? Paul tells us a Christian is one who lives only for Christ. “If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord.”(Romans 14:8) The basic characteristic of a Christian is that he/she confesses Jesus Christ as Lord. We are saved by the Lord. We belong to him. We are no longer that old, self possessed person who belongs to himself and lives to himself only. We no longer use the Lord to meet our own ends, and to satisfy our own demands. For not letting Jesus be Lord is wrong. Our direction in life is wrong. This is because our past life has been crucified and we cannot live in the past any more.
The Lord’s salvation is to free us from the bondage of sin. In fact it is to rid us from the old person which is the old Adam. For that life was rotten corrupted and defiled. It was adversary to God. It was inconsistent to people. Only through dying together with the Lord on the cross we can find a new way out. This is the only route to righteous living before the pleasing sight of God.
If any one should believe in Christ let him live no longer for himself but live a life holy and acceptable to the Lord. Otherwise we can not call ourselves Christians. And our lives will lead to the wrong direction. It will give no meaning or value. All it can do is nothing but offending and showing unworthiness before God. But living for the Lord gives us peace and strength. We can bear witness to men and give glory to God.
Men are used to live for themselves only. Christians have to learn to live for the Lord. Our life belongs to him. He died for us. He rose from the dead for us so that we can live for him. It is only fair and right that we live a life that belongs to him. As Paul said, “For Christ’s love compels us,” (II Corinthians 5:14) And he admonish us, “You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.” (I Corinthians 6:20)
--End—

Sermon Date: 2009/6/14

2009-06-11T15:12:00.000-07:00

DATE: 2009/6/14
SCRIPTURE READING: Matthew 16:24-28
SERMON: What are the characteristics of a Christian?
講道題目: 甚麼是基督徒的特質
How do you spot a Christian in a crowd? What makes a Christian different from any other person in his behavior? If you were to make a list of things which are distinctive of a Christian’s behavior, what would they be? (a) We would eliminate from our list the habit of going to church, saying our prayers, and making our pledge, because these things we would take for granted as the normal activity of a Christian. (b) What we would want to indicate would be the things that this kind of religious activity might be expected to produce, the attitudes and qualities that are the natural result of such religious beliefs and practices.
These are the things which to me are most noticeable in Christian behavior and things which I should most like to cultivate myself.
I. There is a quietness about a Christian that you cannot miss. (1) By quietness I do not mean necessarily that he is any less noisy than other people, although he may be. By quietness I do not mean that a Christian is necessarily any more placid by way of temperament than any other person. He may be, or he may not be. I mean rather that he is less jittery, more at peace with himself, his world, and his God, less anxious, less fretful, less fearful of the future than the rank and file of people that he lives with. (2) There are two kinds of quietness. (a) One comes from resignation. It is really more like dumbness than quietness. You see it in people who have been so badly beaten by life that there is nothing left in them. They are silent because they have neither the strength nor the will to say anything more. (b) Another comes from a confidence in God. It is a willingness to trust in resources that are beyond your own and a certainty that after you have done your best there is God who will carry forward what you have begun, supplement your inadequate efforts, and correct your mistakes. It is the sense that whiles everything depends in you, nothing depends on you. Therefore, there is a stillness about Christians that is like the stillness of water that runs deep.
II. There is an unworldliness about a Christian that is very noticeable, particularly in our society which is worldly and materialistic to the extreme. (1) The average Christian has not withdrawn from the world, and he has not renounced the world; he loves the world because God loves it and gave himself for it. A Christian enjoys the food on his table, but he doesn’t live to eat but eats to live. He makes money to live on, but he doesn’t live for the money he makes. (2) The things God has given us to make life beautiful are not to be scorned and are surely too precious to lose. Yet you realize the minute you go into a Christian’s home that he is not smothered by things he doesn’t need, and that he has left himself room to be aware of the things that other people do need. If he should lose all his possessions tomorrow, he would have lost nothing essential to himself. (3) This is the kind of freedom from the things of the world that Jesus had. I suppose that is why he makes such an enormous appeal to the world at his particular time, because he moves through life traveling so lightly and so unencumbered by the things that weigh us down.
III. A Christian is gentle, not because he is weak and not because he doesn’t care one way or the other, but because he is strong and cares so much about another’s life that he would sooner die than violate, crush, or inhibit it. (1) He believes that love can do things that nothing else can do. He has learned that you can fight your way through a crowd, but you can never fight your way into another person’s life. You can only win your way. And that is love. (2) He believes that there is something stronger than physical force to bring about the things that he wants to bring about for the people that he knows and loves. He is not the kind of person who puts on pressure, who is high-powered and quick to resort to temper, force, and violence. He is the sort of person who tries to cultivate in himself the gentleness he sees in Jesus, the strong Son of God, yet who would not lay hands on another’s life, even to save his own, inasmuch as that life too is a child of God.
IV. A Christian is the kind of person that other people like to have around. (1) He quickens them. They are more alive when he is there. He draws something out of them that they didn’t know they had. He communicates to them something of his own extraordinary vitality, and they are aware of what they call his good character. (2) He possesses real joy, and he enjoys life. A person has real joy only to the degree that he is really unselfish. If you are trying to spot a Christian and you see someone glum and grim, casting a cold damp blanket on a group of people, you know he hasn’t the joy of the Lord Jesus. I cannot imagine the tax collectors, sinners, and people on the street wanting Jesus in their company if he hadn’t quickened them because of his own joy in them and in life.
V. Two things will help you to become more like a Christian. (1) Your relationship with God does not depend on the score you make. God accepts you even if you make a score of zero. Don’t be afraid and discouraged. If your relationship with God is what it ought to be, you should be improving from year to year. (2) You cannot improve by trying harder. You can do it only when and if God comes to you, as he will come in many different ways and in ways that you least expect if you are at the time ready to receive the light and life, the power and inspiration that come from another person who crosses your path, flashes that come from a book that you read, insights that come from an experience which plows you to the depths. If you are ready to receive this coming of God to you, this inflow of life, you will improve, and you will behave more like a Christina as the years go by.
Amen

Synopsis
How do you spot a Christian in a crowd? (a) We would eliminate the habit of going to church, saying our prayers, and making our pledge, (b) What are the attitudes and qualities that are the natural result of such religious beliefs and practices.
I. There is a quietness about a Christian that you cannot miss.
II. There is an unworldliness about a Christian that is very noticeable, particularly in our society which is worldly and materialistic to the extreme.
III. A Christian is gentle, not because he is weak and not because he doesn’t care one way or the other, but because he is strong and cares so much about another’s life that he would sooner die than violate, crush, or inhibit it.
IV. A Christian is the kind of person that other people like to have around.
V. Two things will help you to become more like a Christian. (1) Your relationship with God does not depend on the score you make. God accepts you even if you make a score of zero. (2) You cannot improve by trying harder. You can do it only when and if God comes to you, as he will come in many different ways.

讲道大纲
你能在人群中把基督徒找出来吗？（1）我们不会因他去礼拜堂，祷告，奉献，便说他是基督徒。（2）我们要问他在这些宗教活动後，有甚麽态度和品质表现出来。
甲．基督徒是安静的。
乙．基督徒不是一个世俗的人。
丙．基督徒是温柔的。
丁．基督徒是人人乐意亲近的。
戊．两件事帮助你更像基督徒：（1）你与神的关系不在乎你的表现。你的表现就算是零分神仍然接受你的。（2）你不能靠努力改变自己，当神来到你面前时，你就得到改变。

Sermon Date: 2009/6/7

2009-06-05T13:22:00.000-07:00

DATE: 2009/6/7
SCRIPTURE READING: Ephesians 4:11-16
SERMON: Speaking the Truth in Love
講道題目: 惟用愛心說誠實話

Many people claim that there is no such thing as Christian criticism. All would agree that criticism which is destructive of other person is completely inconsistent with the way of loving Christians. However Jesus himself was a critic of others. There is no way for you and me to live this life without criticizing others, but woe to us if we are not careful and loving in making our criticism to others.
(a) All criticism which is Christian must be made in the context of love for the person criticized. Paul uses the word “”edification.” (verse 12) That means “building up” other persons. Jesus never criticized any person except to lift and improve the other’s life.
(b) All Christian criticism is built on complete honesty and justice. You can never know all of the facts about another person. You have to be honest enough to get as many of the facts as you can if you truly desire to make any criticism Christian.
(c) Christian criticism always leaves the door open for the criticized to improve. No criticism that you and I ever make can be final. Only God can make final judgments. If your criticism is really to be constructive and helpful to other persons then it ought to challenge, to inspire those persons to newer and greater heights. Other persons will live up or down to the expectations we have of them.
(d) Christian criticism must always be in a spirit of humility. No matter what you may criticize in another person, you stand just as much in need of help as he does, even though perhaps in some other area of life. Christian criticism is never made from the level of superior to inferior. Christian criticism is always one sinner standing with another sinner on level ground beneath the cross.

It is difficult to criticize others in a Christian spirit in a constructive way, but how much more difficult it is to receive criticism in a Christian manner.
(a) Evaluate the criticism to see if there is anything valid in it at all, if there is any truth, profit from it. Use it as an experience of growth.
(b) Take your criticism, realizing that you are not on this earth to please men. It does not really matter whether you ever please another person, be he a critic or not. Paul said, “Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.” (Gal. 1:10)
(c) As criticism comes at you realize that by taking it you may be able to help those who criticize you. There are persons who need to get rid of the hostility which is in them. God’s spirit cannot work in the life of a man who is on the defensive. So if you can become like a blotter and absorb the critic’s hostility this may be opening the door for God to work in his life.
(d) As criticism is shot your way be certain you keep a sense of humor. Humor always cushions the shock of criticism. As Jesus faced his critics, the scribes and Pharisees, he tinged his replies with humor. In reality humor is the ability to get off and objectively look at self and laugh about it.
(e) When you face the criticism which comes to you in this society, don’t be surprised. Jesus has promised that you are going to be criticized. Take it in humility, but don’t take it with humiliation. Don’t let it crush you. Don’t let it agitate you. Stop to understand that Jesus has promised that all who live according to Christian convictions will be criticized. He even says that you will be happy or blessed when you are “persecuted for righteousness’ sake.”
(f) Even if you can follow all of these principles in facing criticism, there is one more important principle: pray for those who criticize you. (Matt. 5:44) Never forget that two wrongs do not make a right, two hates do not make a love, but sometimes when hate is followed by your love the result can be two loves.
Synopsis
Is there such thing as Christian criticism? Yes, if we speak the truth in love.
How do we give criticism in a Christian way?
(a) All criticism which is Christian must be made in the context of love for the person criticized.
(b) All Christian criticism is built on complete honesty and justice.
(c) Christian criticism always leaves the door open for the criticized to improve.
(d) Christian criticism must always be in a spirit of humility.
How do we receive criticism in a Christian way?
(a) Evaluate the criticism to see if there is anything valid in it.
(b) Take your criticism, realizing that you are not on this earth to please men.
(c) Realize that by taking it you may be able to help those who criticize you.
(d) Be certain you keep a sense of humor.
(e) Jesus has promised that you are going to be criticized.
(f) Pray for those who criticize you.

讲道大纲
究竟有没有基督徒的批评这回事呢？是有的！如果我们能够用爱心说诚实话。
如何以基督徒的爱心作出批评：
甲．一定要在爱的考虑范围中作出行动。
乙．要建立在诚实和公正的基础上。
丙．让被批评的人有改善的门径。
丁．要用谦卑的心互相提点。
如何以基督徒的爱心接受批评：
甲．评估那批评是否属实。
乙．接受批评因为你不是要讨人欢喜。
丙．接受批评因为你或者可以帮助这个批评你的人。
丁．最紧要保持幽默感。
戊．耶稣保证你一定会被人批评的。
己．为批评你的人祷告。
Pastoral Prayer:
Almighty and ever-living God, on this Trinity Sunday we praise you for the strong consolation that we find in your love. We rejoice in the thought of your aggressive grace, ever seeking us, ever giving us blessings if we open our hearts to receive them. We gather together to praise your name in this time of holy worship, to honor you as our living God and the God of the entire universe. We praise you in the name of our Savior who is the Lord of Lords and King of kings. We praise you in the name of the Holy Spirit dwelling in our hearts as comforter, strengthener, and friend and guiding us in the way of life.
We thank you fro the privilege of being called to be your colleagues in strengthening and advancing the holy cause of the kingdom of Christ in our time. Give us guidance and direction. Give us spiritual strength that we may see what is to be done and have the power to do it. Above all give us that deathless spirit of love which was in Jesus Christ and grant that as we love you and love our Savior we may learn to love one another and make this a world after the pattern of your holy will.
We ask your special blessing upon those of our fellowship who are sick. We thank you for the privilege of turning to you for healing and help, and now we ask that your blessings may come into the lives of those who have distress, who have physical illness, who have depression of spirit or problems of mind. Be a healer and helper to all, and through the very hours of trouble you bring the shining light of an eternal hope.
We pray for parishioners who are seeking for jobs or are in between jobs. May the blessing and promise of Jehovah Jireh be assured in their steadfast faith. May they know that your faithfulness will never fail them and that you promise them you the Lord of grace will provide. We pray for Sister Hao Shu Ge, as she had taken her nursing graduation test last Thursday. We look forward to her passing the exam and commencing her professional career soon.
We pray for China as we remember it was the 20th anniversary of the June 4 movement last Thursday. May the passion and warm blood of the patriotic students continue to prevail in China. May the spirit of liberty and democracy continue to grow in China despite the crack down of the up rising 20 years ago.
We pray for world liberation from tyranny and dictatorship. Yesterday we celebrated the liberation of Europe from the Nazi occupation through the invasion of Normandy by the Allies into France. We remember the courageous soldiers who gave their lives for the liberation. May the world continue to maintain and enjoy the peace they established through the sacrifice they made.
We would remember the faith that led our fathers to settle this country, establish its laws, fight its battles, share its goods, and declare its faith. Whatever was true in their lives, whatever was honorable, whatever was just, whatever was pure, whatever was lovely, whatever was gracious, whatever worthy of praise, let us think on these things and be thankful.
In Christ name we pray. Amen.

Spiritual Thought for the Week 2009/6/7

2009-06-03T08:56:00.000-07:00

本周默想分享
亞伯拉罕經歷了信實的神。神要他把兒子獻上，他就獻上。神預備公羊為燔祭代替他的兒子。亞伯拉罕給那地方起名叫耶和華以勒。意思就是耶和華必有預備。今天我們經歷不到耶和華以勒的福氣，究竟是甚麼原因呢？原來亞伯拉罕經歷神的信實，是因為他有信心。“耶和華說，你既行了這事，不留下你的兒子，就是你獨生的兒子，我便指著自己起誓說，論福，我必賜大福給你”（創22：16-17）
在宇宙中，實在說來，只有神和我們有真實的關係，永遠的關係。因為只有神是永存的，不變的，我們的一切都是從祂而來的，也都歸於祂。此外一切萬有，包括我們所在的世界和人物，都是因為神而發生某種暫時的關係，然而人常迷糊了，以為和別的甚麼關係是真實的，重要的，不可少的。卻不知神若收取，加以解除，就甚麼也不剩下，一切都不存在了。
我們所有的，無不是神所賜的，我們應當感謝祂，祂若取去，也當讚美祂。但祂願意向我們要，叫我們有機會自動地獻給祂，表示我們對神的尊敬，順服與愛心，來討祂的喜悅。神叫亞伯拉罕獻以撒就是這樣，好像祂所要求的太大了，太利害了，其實也不過要求將祂所賜的東西還給祂，叫我們從受造之物，歸向造物之主，從虛空的轉到真實的。
結果呢？是神自己預備了代替之物，並因著我們向著祂的敬畏和愛心，將加上千萬倍的賞賜還給我們。今生看不見，將來會得著。獻上給神不會是損失，只會是更豐富的得著，且得著神自己。神曾把祂的獨生子賜給我們，沒有留下甚麼不肯給我們的，我們還有甚麼捨不得的呢？神並不是真的要叫我們失去所最需要的，不過試驗我們對祂的信心和順服罷了！我們若真愛祂勝過愛一切，難道祂不會將最寶貴，最豐富的賜給我們嗎？
Spiritual Thought for the Week
Abraham experienced his faithful God. God asked him to give his son Isaac as an offering. He did as he was asked. Then God prepared a ram for him for the offering. Abraham killed the ram instead of his son. And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah Jireh meaning the Lord has provided. Today we find it hard to experience the blessedness of Jehovah Jireh and we ask why. In fact it took Abraham great faith to experience that faithfulness of God. “I swear by myself, declares the Lord, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you…”(Genesis 22:16-17)
In the whole universe, only our relationship with God is real and eternal. Only He exists from everlasting to everlasting. He never changes. We come from Him and one day we return to Him. So everything we do and have our being comes from God. All our temporal relationships are derived from God who is the ground of being. Foolishly men took the temporal as the eternal. We thought all relationships are real, important and indispensable, without knowing that if God wants to take back, and disband what He gave, everything will come to non existence.
Everything we have comes from God. We need to thank Him. Even if He takes everything away we still need to thank Him. However His holy will is that He wants to ask us to give voluntarily to Him. So that we have a chance to show our gratitude, respect, obedience and appreciations to Him. We can make Him happy. That’s the reason why God wanted Abraham to give Isaac to Him. One might say God is asking too much from Abraham. In fact God was only asking for things He gave us in the first place. This is a test to see if we the creature are willing to return to the creator things we were given by Him. If we pass the test we are moving from temporal to eternal.
Consequently, God provided for the substitution. And because of our willingness to love and respect He gives us a hundred million times more than what we originally offered. Although we may not see it here and now, yet we will see it in the future. Giving to God will never be a loss. It will pay off in abundance. The reward is God Himself. God gave His only son to us. There is nothing more important than this that He would not give. Do we have something which is more important than this that we can not give? God does not really want us to lose what we most need. But He wants to see our faith and our obedience. If we love Him more than anything on earth, He will give us the most precious thing He has in heaven for us.

Spiritual Thought for the Week 2009/5/31

2009-06-03T08:50:00.000-07:00

我离开这礼拜堂的日子已定了。我的心满有平安。因为觉得我在这里过去的三年时光，没有一分是浪费的。我爱惜光阴，过去如是，将来也如是。正如使徒保罗说的，"要爱惜光阴，因为现今的世代邪恶"（弗5：16）我们在世馀下的光阴实在有限，几乎只有一点点的时间了，或者主再来或者我们死去，都可能随时发生。所以机会并不常有，一旦错过，失去就在不能挽回，永远後悔莫及。今天的光阴就是机会，可能是最後的，每一分一秒的光阴，关系到永恒的的祸福，得失，这一分一秒该是何等的珍贵，无价可估，真是太重要了。
那末此时可能是最後一刻了，当怎样度过呢？首先当认罪，悔改，转变。那就是说，如果有甚麽心中不安的事，或明明知道是罪，是不合理的，神所不喜悦的事，对不起神，对不起人，对不起自己永生的事，都必须立刻解决，免得留到审判臺前受报。因为不彻底转变，就要过到那边被定型了，永远的前途没有了，那真是可怕的。
就在最後一刻，将自己完全献给神，放在死的祭坛上做活祭。绝对地对世界，对肉体和对自己死了，只有向神活着，让主在里面活着。这馀下的光阴，完全顺从圣灵的引导，照神的旨意而行，一刻不能放松，随己意而行。因为这可能就是最後的一刻，如果主来正遇见我们是在放纵，散漫，悠闲，那是何等的羞耻，损失，懊悔。每分钟的光阴都当爱惜，不是说要自己尽量的忙乱做事，而是要认真的活在神的面前，在祂的光中，遵行神的旨意，每一分钟都用得有永恒的价值。
Spiritual Thought for the Week
My time of leaving this church has been fixed. My heart is filled with peace, because I know I have not wasted one minute during my three years of tenure here. I treasured every moment in the past. I will treasure every moment in the future. Just like Paul said, “making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.” (Ephesians 5:16) Our remaining days on this earth are limited. There is not much time left. Either the Lord returns or we die will end this time. So opportunity is not always available. Once we lose it we can not retrieve it. Today’s time is our opportunity. It could be the last opportunity. Each minute and second are so preciously related to our eternity that we can not afford to look at it lightly.
Now is the time for the last opportunity. How do we make the most of it? First let us repent. If there is something in your heart that makes you uncomfortable, acknowledge it. Could it be things that you did wrong to God, to other people or to yourself? If you don’t face it now, you will have to face it before the judgment seat in eternity. Then it will be too late because your future in eternity will be all gloom and doom. What a terrible scene to behold.
Before it is too late, let’s offer up our bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God. We treat our flesh, our selves and our earthly desire as dead things. We are living things only to God who let Christ to live in us. In this way we are totally submitted to the guiding of the Holy Spirit. We can not lose sight but keep on guard always knowing that this could be the very last day. What if the Lord returns and finds us off guard, lazy and not doing anything productive? What a shame! Every moment has to be lived with dignity and integrity. This is not to say that we necessarily live in fear and panic. But we live with great care before God, walk in His light, and do His will. Then every moment we live will be a moment that brings meaning to eternity.

Spiritual Thought for the Week 2009/5/24

2009-06-03T08:44:00.000-07:00

Spiritual Thought for the Week
Have you ever felt lonesome? Jacob had had that experience before. We are told in Genesis 32:24, “So Jacob was left alone...” Being left alone makes us feel desolate, solitude and lonely. But it is in such time we think of God. When family members, friends and love ones have left, and we find no one we can turn to for help. It is time to turn to God. When things seem void and empty, God is there. We may forget God. We leave God. But God never forgets us or leaves us. He does not change. He is always faithful and He loves us to the end.
Being left alone may not be a bad time. Often it is the critical time in our life. When no one is there with us, it makes it easier for us to hear God’s voice, see His face and feel His mighty loving power. He has good will and nice plan for us. When He first came, we might not know it was Him. We thought He was our foe. We did our best to go against Him. We did not want to surrender. We wrestled with Him and wanted to win over Him so as to have things our way. But God gave us a big blow that quieted us down and we could do nothing but to yield under His power.
At this time we can not help but beseech Him for His blessing. We won’t insist on our way any more. Without God’s mercy everything will be finished. It is in moment like this that changes a man completely. From a man with cunning and selfish deceit Jacob changed to a man who no longer rely on the strength of his flesh but totally on God’s grace and blessing. Jacob lost himself but in return he found God. Jacob became Israel. This is a turning point not only for the well being of an individual but also for the beautiful future for the whole tribe of Israel. Today we the new Israelites of the new covenant are also blessed because of this faith. Being left alone is not a bad thing. It is an opportunity for us to see God. Once we see His face, everything will not be the same again.

Spiritual Thought for the Week 2009/5/17

2009-05-09T12:45:00.000-07:00

DATE: 2009/5/17
本周默想分享
朋友您有没有感觉孤独的时候？在圣经里雅各有过这种经历。创世记32章24节说"只剩下雅各一人"。当剩下一个人的时候，会感到孤单，凄凉，寂寞，然而也正是孤单的时候，才能使人想到神。亲人离开，朋友疏远，人都显得不可靠，抓不住的时候，才能促使寻找神。似乎甚麽都空了的时候，你的神，祂仍在那里。你可能忘记，离弃祂，祂仍不改变，依然对你忠诚，爱你到底。
只剩下一个人不是一件坏事，它常是我们生命的转折点。当没有人同在的时候，我们容易听见神的声音，看见神的面容，感到他的慈爱，伟大，能力，神在我们身上有他的美意和目的。祂初来的时候，可能我们并不认识，还以为是来与我们为敌，作对的。我们竭力争论，奋斗，不甘屈服，并想要得胜对方，使自己的意愿得成，直到神给我们极重的打击，叫我们再也站不住了，失去了依靠和力量，只有屈服投降了。
这时只有求神祝福，不能再凭自己挣扎，奋斗。神若不怜悯，甚麽都完了，也正在这时，是人有了彻底的改变。从一个善用心计，设法取巧，靠自己聪明，凭肉体奋斗的人，变为无计可施，无力可用，完全投靠神，只有求神祝福，否则就活不下去的人。失去了自己，得着了全能的主，雅各变成以色列，这一个转机不止关系他自己，也关系到整个以色列民族，以及对新约信徒也给以极大的教训。剩下一人不是一件坏事，是一个遇见主的机会，一见到主的面，甚麽都改变了。
Spiritual Thought for the Week
Have you ever felt lonesome? Jacob had had that experience before. We are told in Genesis 32:24, “So Jacob was left alone...” Being left alone makes us feel desolate, solitude and lonely. But it is in such time we think of God. When family members, friends and love ones have left, and we find no one we can turn to for help. It is time to turn to God. When things seem void and empty, God is there. We may forget God. We leave God. But God never forgets us or leaves us. He does not change. He is always faithful and He loves us to the end.
Being left alone may not be a bad time. Often it is the critical time in our life. When no one is there with us, it makes it easier for us to hear God’s voice, see His face and feel His mighty loving power. He has good will and nice plan for us. When He first came, we might not know it was Him. We thought He was our foe. We did our best to go against Him. We did not want to surrender. We wrestled with Him and wanted to win over Him so as to have things our way. But God gave us a big blow that quieted us down and we could do nothing but to yield under His power.
At this time we can not help but beseech Him for His blessing. We won’t insist on our way any more. Without God’s mercy everything will be finished. It is in moment like this that changes a man completely. From a man with cunning and selfish deceit Jacob changed to a man who no longer rely on the strength of his flesh but totally on God’s grace and blessing. Jacob lost himself but in return he found God. Jacob became Israel. This is a turning point not only for the well being of an individual but also for the beautiful future for the whole tribe of Israel. Today we the new Israelites of the new covenant are also blessed because of this faith. Being left alone is not a bad thing. It is an opportunity for us to see God. Once we see His face, everything will not be the same again.
--End—

Sermon Date: 2009/5/10

2009-05-07T12:55:00.000-07:00

DATE: 2009/5/10
SCRIPTURE READING: John 19: 25-27
SERMON: Behold Thy Mother
講道題目: 看！你的母親
John 19:26-27 recorded one of the seven words of Jesus from the Cross. At the moment of his greatest agony, Jesus looked down and saw the sorrowful face of his mother. He was on the mission to bear the pain of the world. But he still could not look lightly on the responsibility of being a son to his mother. He knew he can not provide for his mother any more. The only thing he can do is to entrust his mom to the care of John his beloved disciple. He said to his mother, “Dear woman, here is your son,” and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.
Today is Mother’s Day. It is the day to remember the love of our mother. Taking Jesus example we should look at our mother with a grateful heart and look at our children with a sense of mission and service.
While the white carnation has been taken as the symbol of motherhood, the cross is also a mother’s emblem. The carnation may express her purity and beauty, but the cross speaks her unselfish love. If we look at motherhood from the standpoint of the cross we discover the nearest natural expression of its thought. The secret of the cross is Divine Love; the secret of mothers care and self-denial is Love. As mother is the center of the home, so Christ is the center of the Church.
Today’s text suggests two wonderful themes: The Cross from the standpoint of a mother, and, Motherhood from the standpoint of the cross. The mother of Jesus standing before the cross saw more than a tragedy, she saw what love would do. She beheld a reflection of her own mother-love. And Jesus looking down upon his own mother, heart-broken at his suffering, beheld more than a weeping woman. He saw an imperishable type of Divine love.
Let us look at two of the parallels of the Cross and Motherhood.
I. First parallel: “Mother” suggests personal righteousness. One of the sayings of the old Jewish rabbis was: “God could not be everywhere, and therefore he made mothers.” I think their thought was that God was omnipresent in mothers. Even where God is unknown, and theology little understood, the voice of the Creator is speaking through mother-love. The relation of motherhood antedates that of the atonement and asserted itself in the very midst of the catastrophe of the crucifixion. “Behold thy mother” were almost the last words of the Son of God. A boy knows motherhood before he has a thought of Deity. In the thought of childhood, next to the omniscient God, should be the almost omniscient mother. One is meant to lead up to the other. “A little lower than the angels” is a good starting point for a child’s conception of his mother’s personality. Every true mother wants her child to be good. Mothers see evils that fathers sometimes overlook. She has an instinct for moral dangers. Her influence for righteousness is stronger than all the laws, all the education, and all the preachers. Of course, there are the wicked mothers, like Jezebel of old. There are the unnatural mothers, who sell their children into sin, there are the harlots, the depraved, the drunken; but these are the perversions that shame the name of motherhood. The number of women without the true mother-instinct is small. Even sinful women have numberless influences for good. It is this innate sense of right and wrong that makes women most susceptible to the preaching of righteousness. There are more women like the godly Hannah who lent her son Samuel to the Lord from his birth. The Christian mother leads all other forces in power for personal righteousness. “All that I am or hope to be,” said Lincoln, “I owe to my angel mother.”
II. Second parallel: “Mother” suggests Christian service. The unselfish devotion of motherhood to children is the truest illustration of the Christian ideal of service. Women of to-day feminist advocates tell of what they would do in the great world. But no achievement is greater than the simple, inconspicuous ministries of motherhood. How bravely mothers have borne the heavy burdens laid upon them! How courageously they have met every deprivation and pain! They are the types of Christian ministers and martyrs. To think of mother is to recall her unselfish devotion, her limitless, unfaltering love through good and evil report, never wavering, but growing stronger and stronger with the years; and to remember that she asks nothing in return for herself; she asks of us and for us that we be good citizens of the society. If we fail she does not love us less, but more. Wonderful, constant, miraculous mother’s love! It is up to us whether we make the life of our mothers worth while. She lives in vain if after pouring out her love and life to make us achieve, we grovel in the mire of sloth and sin. Let us honor her, both by kindness toward her and by deeds done in her name.
Conclusion: Jesus wants John to behold his mother. In actual fact Mary is not John’s mother. Jesus also wants his mother to behold her son. In actual fact John is not her son. But under the cross, human relationship is readjusted. That’s why in Christ we love not only our mother but other’s mothers too. We love not only our own children but other’s children also. That’s why Jesus said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.” (Mark 3:34-35)

Amen
Synopsis
Hanging on the Cross the only thing Jesus can do is to entrust his mom to the care of John his beloved disciple. He said to his mother, “Dear woman, here is your son,” and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” While the white carnation has been taken as the symbol of mother’s love, the cross is also a mother’s emblem.
I. First parallel: “Mother” suggests personal righteousness.
II. Second parallel: “Mother” suggests Christian service.
Conclusion: Jesus wants John to behold his mother. In actual fact Mary is not John’s mother. Jesus also wants his mother to behold her son. In actual fact John is not her son. But under the cross, human relationship is readjusted. That’s why in Christ we love not only our mother but other’s mothers too. We love not only our own children but other’s children also.
讲道大纲
在十字架上耶稣只有把他的母亲托付他亲爱的门徒约翰。他对母亲说："母亲，看你的儿子。"又对那门徒说："看你的母亲。" 白色的康乃謦可以代表母亲节，十字架也可以代表母亲。
甲．因为母亲代表了人应怎样行公义。
乙．因为母亲代表了基督徒应怎样服侍别人。
在十字架下，人的关系是重新调整了。所以在主里，老吾老，以及人之老；幼吾幼，以及人之幼。耶稣说："看哪，我的母亲，我的弟兄。凡遵行神旨意的人，就是我的弟兄姐妹和母亲了。"
Pastoral Prayer:
Father God, on this Mother’s Day Sunday we pray for the home and Christian family. O Lord, you set the solidarity in families, we lift before you the dear and sacred interests of our homes. Make our families radiant centers of joy and schools of character. Grant unto those who wed true love and loyalty; grant unto parents, for their children’s sake, the persuasiveness of good and faithful lives; grant unto youth the gladness that has no bitter fruit and integrity that need not be ashamed. We rejoice in memories of the dear and holy dead who live unto you in your house of many mansions; by their love, cherished in our hearts, may your love grow more real, and by their death may heaven become more homelike to our imagining. Make their remembered presence a hallowed shrine for our thought and their unfailing love a sacrament where we hold dear with you. O God, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, save us from betrayal of the great love wherewith our homefolk have loved us. For the nation’s sake, whose foundations are in the family, we pray for the homes of our people. From marriage vows lightly planned, carelessly plighted, and trivially broken, deliver us Lord. O Christ, you have called God Father and all men brethren, give us your spirit of goodwill and fidelity that we may build homes with the shadow of the Almighty for their covering defense; within their shelter may tranquility abide and joy abound; may Christian faith and fruitful character find there congenial soil; may the world’s vulgarity and selfishness cease at their peaceful door; and from them may the zeal of youth and the strength of maturity go forth to make at last the whole earth a home and all mankind one family.
We pray for the health and well beings of our parishioners. Lord keep us free from contracting disease especially during this time of swine flu epidemic widespread. We pray for people who are traveling and will be traveling. We thank you for Winson and Mary who are flying out of town this weekend to join with their children and enjoy the holidays. We thank you for Sun Jia Fu and Lin Li Ru who will be flying to California next week to live with their daughter and look after the grand children.
Almighty God, you have given us this good land as our heritage. Help us always to remember your generosity and constantly do your will. Bless our land with honest industry, sound learning, and an honorable way of life. Save us from violence, discord, and confusion, from pride and arrogance, and from every evil way. Defend our liberties and give those whom we have entrusted with the authority of government the spirit of wisdom, that there might be justice and peace in our land. When times are prosperous , let our hearts be thankful; in troubled times, do not let our trust in you fail.
Now teach us to pray like the way you taught your disciples…
Amen.

Sermon Date: 2009/5/3

2009-05-02T11:03:00.000-07:00

DATE: 2009/5/3
SCRIPTURE READING: II Sam. 11:1-5
SERMON: Moral Competency
講道題目: 誠實無偽的品格

At the very height of his career, at the moment of success, when power and riches are in his possession, David demonstrates a moral incompetence and falls flat on his face. He was a good shepherd; he was a skilled musician; he proved himself to be a good organizer; he was a brave soldier. But when power and wealth came to him, he showed stark incompetence and irresponsibility. The severest test of character is not on the fields of struggle, work, or danger. The real test comes when men are past the stage of battle and have in their possession power and riches.
How directly this principle speaks to our present age! It has been almost three thousand years since the time of David. The progress of these years has put power and wealth into our hands. The most serious question for our time is this: Do we have moral competency sufficient to use the power and wealth at this age to the glory of God and the good of man?
How can wee achieve a moral competency for the living of our days?
I. To be morally competent one must attain a unified personality with a clear vision of what is right. -- Jesus was never confused or oppressed with a sense of uncertainty. He was never found hesitant between two opinions. But he had achieved a state of mind in which his will was identified with the will of his heavenly Father. Acquiring this state of mind cost him dearly. He was conscious of the will of God for his life involving complete loyalty to the moral right and suffering and eventual death on the Cross. There were no tensions within his soul. He was a unified personality. A person with integrity. Becoming a unified person is always costly. Few people are willing to pay the price today for such a state of mind. Before one can have a self that is morally adequate to our time, one must pass through a soul struggle that will identify the self with the will of God.
II. To be morally competent one must have an informed and disciplined mind.-- In the temptations of Jesus it is clear that he was never caught off guard. It is significant that he met each temptation with a relevant Scripture verse. The childhood and youth of Jesus had been concerned with the learning of the Old Testament. Jesus was mindful of the great truths set forth in the law and the prophets. Moreover, he had anticipated the temptations and was ready to meet them with his own moral armor and spiritual skill. Jesus could be said to be educated for life. He had studied the great moral and spiritual experiences of the past set forth in the prophets. He had disciplined and prepared himself for all that life had to offer.
III. To be morally competent one must understand that God is the source and basis of moral right.-- Modern man has been told that it is expedient to do right, that honesty is the best policy, that one must be good to be socially approved, and that one should be righteous in life for health’s sake. These are all valid reasons, but they are not adequate. The one good and sufficient reason is that this is God’s world and we are God’s people and if we are to be at home in this world and fulfill our destiny and purpose in life, we must share the righteousness of God and fulfill his expectations. Morality is not custom or conventionality or taboo. It is the rule and way of God for us. The roots of morality are set in eternal reality.
IV. Conclusion. At the moment of greatest privilege and power, David proved himself morally incompetent; but the strong Son of God stands firm in the will of the heavenly Father and counters all that evil can beat against him because he understood the moral problems of life. His mind was made up to do the will of God. He knew that his peace and the fulfillment of his life were in the will of God.
Amen
Synopsis
At the very height of his career, at the moment of success, when power and riches are in his possession, David demonstrates a moral incompetence and falls flat on his face. How can we achieve a moral competency for the living of our days?
I. To be morally competent one must attain a unified personality with a clear vision of what is right.-- Jesus was never confused or oppressed with a sense of uncertainty. He was a unified personality, a person with integrity.
II. To be morally competent one must have an informed and disciplined mind.-- The childhood and youth of Jesus had been concerned with the learning of the Old Testament. Jesus was mindful of the great truths set forth in the law and the prophets.
III. To be morally competent one must understand that God is the source and basis of moral right.-- The one good and sufficient reason to do right is that this is God’s world and we are God’s people and if we are to be at home in this world and fulfill our destiny and purpose in life, we must share the righteousness of God and fulfill his expectations.
IV. Conclusion. Jesus achieved moral competency because he understood the moral problems of life. His mind was made up to do the will of God. He knew that his peace and the fulfillment of his life were in the will of God.
讲道大纲
当大卫事业最成功的时候，他在品格修养中却是个很无耻的人。现今的时代里，我们处於富庶的境况中，我们可以怎样保持诚实无伪的品德呢？
甲．诚实无伪的人，是个异象清析，人格完整的人。-- 耶稣常常都是一个有诚信，言行一致的人。
乙．诚实无伪的人，是个有修养有学问的人。-- 耶稣从少就熟读圣经，明白律法和先知的道理。
丙．诚实无伪的人，了解上帝的旨意是道德行为的源头和依据。 -- 我们有好的道德行为，唯一的原因是，因为这是上帝的世界，我们若要得生命的意义，就只有做公义的神所要求我们做的事。
丁．结论：耶稣能做我们诚实无伪的榜样，因为他知道我们在生命上道德的失败。他心无二志。他一心以完成上帝的旨意为目标。
Pastoral Prayer:
Gracious God, the heavens declare your glory. The whole earth proclaims your praise. Yet only man—of all your creation—is capable of discordance, prone to evil, and slothful in good. Hear our prayer of confession which springs to our hearts out of the tragedy and confusion which engulf us all. Our sins are ever before us , and we do not seem to discard them as we live our days before you..
The sin of hatred and prejudice is intensified by the fact that we have different colors of skin, and is unrestrained, even though we know that you have made of one blood all the races of men to dwell upon the face of the earth as brethren. The sin of idolatry is everywhere in evidence because we think more of possessing than of giving, more of security than of challenge, and more of power than of character.
We implore your forgiveness. We seek your promise that the burden of transgression will no longer be a hindrance to our progress to the city of God. We pray that you will enliven us with prophetic vision, that the days ahead of us may reveal a new Canada to the world: one that practices what it preaches, one whose citizens are men and women of integrity, and one which citizens are proud to be Asian Canadians. Let this Asian Heritage Month of May begin a journey of openness—in our senses, heart and soul, spirit and body—so that the colors already present in our lives are lifted and celebrated. Let this month begin a continual remembrance of our troubled roots and a celebration of the liberties we enjoy.
We pray for our parishioners’ concern. Give those who are eagerly seeking jobs, good opportunity and favor from the employer who interview them. May they find good industry that appreciates their skill. We pray for people who experience death in their family. Grant them peace and hope at the bereavement of losing their departed loved ones. We pray for people who are applying for visas to the US to visit their family members. Make their process smooth and effective. We pray for people who are bothered by the epidemic H1N1 flu that began in Mexico. We ask that the spread of the virus be stopped and that people can go on with their normal life again. We pray this in Jesus name
Amen.

sermon 2009/4/26

2009-04-25T11:01:00.000-07:00

DATE: 2009/4/26
SCRIPTURE READING: John 21:1-19
SERMON: The Dawn of another Day
講道題目: 新的一日又天明
After Jesus died on the cross, Peter lost hope in everything. He resumed to his former occupation which was fishing again. Peter and his fisherman friends vowed to follow Jesus. Now they were back to square one before they saw the appearance of the risen Lord. Here was a boatload of men on the Sea of Galilee. They were cold. They were hungry, for they had been out all night fishing. They were unhappy because “that night they caught nothing” (v. 3). But just at daybreak they saw a figure moving about on the shore. Presently a familiar voice called out and they recognized the voice, (see vv.4-7.) Jesus presence there and his personal interest in those men put another look upon the entire situation. The presence of the Divine Spirit in this troubled, bewildered, disappointed world of ours put new meaning into it.
I. His first word to those men was one of friendly interest: “Children, have you any meat?” (v. 5)—have you caught anything? (1) He knew the hunger, the weariness, the unhappiness in that boat. The people who think that the Lord of life does not concern himself with these bodily necessities of ours had better read their Bibles again. (2) How much it means that there is God, not far from any one of us, who knows and cares! How much it means to have God standing by not with scorn for our weakness but with words of friendly interest on his lips! “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Deut. 31:6.) The Lord of life stood there on the shore; he is always there. The eyes of Divine Love looked out upon the troubled sea of human life to show what daylight might bring. “The dawn of another day”—how many people are anxiously looking for it!
II. The Lord who stood there met the needs of these discouraged men. “Cast the net on the right side of the boat” (v. 6). He knew where to fish and how to fish. When they drew the net to land, there was a fire kindled by his hands, with fish broiling and bread toasting on the coals. “Jesus said unto them, Come and dine” (v. 12). (1) That divine readiness to help us with our physical problems reaches a long way. But his ministry did not stop there. Man does not live by bread and fish alone. The Master knew that heart and soul have their needs. When he had fed those men, he said, “Simon...do you love me?”(v. 15). He would restore a satisfying relationship between himself and that fickle, impulsive man who had fallen down. The man’s whole future would turn upon his attitude at that point. (2) “Do you love?” There is no other joy like love in this world, and without it there would be no joy in the world to come. It would not be worthwhile to live if we did not love people. “And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.” (I John 4:16.) (3) When those seven men had declared anew their loyalty to Christ, it was the dawn of a new day. When those men had eaten the bread and fish which he gave them and had assured him of their love, they faced the future with their heads up. They felt that hence-forth their lives would be “hid with Christ in God” (Col. 3:3). He had met their deeper needs.
III. He gave those men something definite to do. (1) Jesus knew full well the futility of any generous impulse which does not speedily find expression in wholesome action. Impression precedes expression, but the good impulse functions properly only where it is uttered in some form of useful effort. “If you know these things, happy are you if you do them” (John 13:17)—and only then. If you love me, do something about it. Feed my lambs. Feed my sheep. Tend my flock. (2) The men who had fished all night without catching anything were sent out to become “fishers of men.” They were to use the skill and patience they had acquired in that familiar occupation for higher ends. (3) Jesus sent them out to teach the nations what he had taught them, to make disciples of the nations as he had made disciples of them, and to baptize the nations into a richer sense of the divine helpfulness and into the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Here was work cut out for them and laid ready to their hands. He promised them his guidance and cooperation: “Lo, I am with you always,” in that high task, even unto the end of the world” (Matt. 28:20).
IV. Conclusion. Here in that scene by the lake we find the three basic interests of human life. (1) Something to eat: food, books, pictures, music, friends, the great outdoors, which feed and satisfies, strengthen and enrich the inner life. (2) Something to do: tasks worthy of our best powers, where we work out our salvation, knowing that God is working in us to accomplish his good pleasure. (3) Someone to love: worthy recipients of the best our hearts can offer, answering back in terms of affection. (4) “Now abide these three”: something to put into one’s life—faith; someway of expressing one’s life—hope; and someone to cherish within the heart—love.
Amen.
Synopsis
After Jesus died on the cross, Peter lost hope in everything. He and his fisherman friends resumed to their former occupation. Then Jesus appeared to them.
I. His first word to those men was one of friendly interest: “Children, have you any meat?” (1) He knew the hunger. (2) It means that there is God, not far from any one of us, who knows and cares!
II. The Lord met the needs of these discouraged men. “Cast the net on the right side of the boat” (1) When he had fed those men, he said, “Simon...do you love me?” (2) “Do you love?” “And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.” (3) When those seven men had declared anew their loyalty to Christ, it was the dawn of a new day.
III. He gave those men something definite to do. (1) Jesus said, “Feed my lambs. Feed my sheep. Tend my flock.” (2) The men who had fished all night without catching anything were sent out to become “fishers of men.” (3) Jesus sent them out to teach the nations what he had taught them.
IV. Conclusion. Here in that scene by the lake we find the three basic interests of human life. (1) Something to eat.(2) Something to do.(3) Someone to love.
Amen
讲道大纲
耶稣被钉之後，彼得对一切都失了信心。他和他的同伴们再次出海打鱼。那时耶稣显现在他们面前。
甲．耶稣第一句话就是亲切的问候： "小子！你们有吃的没有？" （1）他知道他们肚子饿。（2）神是关怀我们的。他离我们不远。祂知道也关心。
乙．主满足这群失望丧志之人的需要。“你们把网撒在船的右边，就必得着” （1）让他们吃饱之後，耶稣问西门彼得：你爱我吗？（2）“神爱我们的心，我们也知道，也信.” (3) 当这七个人宣告他们肯向耶稣效忠时，新的一天已见黎明。
丙．他派给他们工作。（1）耶稣说：你喂养我的小羊；你牧养我的群羊。。。（2）这班整夜劳苦一无所获的渔夫再一次成为得人的渔夫。（3）耶稣差派他们去传福音给万民听。
丁．结论。主在提比哩亚海边的显现，把人生最需要的三大问题都给解决了：（1）人需要食物。（2）人需要工作。（3）人需要爱和被爱。
阿门
Pastoral Prayer:
O God your mercy is over all, we beseech you for our brothers and sisters in every place, and most especially for those who are in any way distressed.
Visit the sick with your comfort and healing power. Come to the bereaved with your peace, and increase in them the faith that love is stronger than death. Hasten with your protection to those who are sorely tempted; make them strong to resist and conquer. Draw near to all who are lonely, all who are anxious, all who are cast down and discouraged, and to those who suffer in the suffering of those they love, that they may be strengthened with all power for all endurance and patience.
Look in your might upon those who have no helper. Defend the poor, and save the children of the needy. Make haste for the relief of those who know the pains of hunger and those who are persecuted and those who are discriminated against, exploited, and oppressed. Show your compassion to every victim of injustice, and to those who inflict loss and pain upon others show the demands of your righteousness and the inexorable working of your holy laws.
Reveal unto us, we beseech you, those things in ourselves which are adding to the sum of human misery. Help us to repent of these our sins, and give us grace to consecrate ourselves to your service, that we may be used by you to help one another and to set forward the blessed kingdom.
We thank you for the family of Huo Yan and Mu Ai. You give them a beautiful and healthy baby girl last week. The arrival of their daughter Kathleen（可磬）born on April 16 at Ottawa hospital has brought joy, hope and happiness to all who love them. May this child grow up full of grace and gain favor from God and men.
We pray for the in-law’s family of brother Tom Doon, (譚耀棟)，whose daughter in law’s grand mom passed away at the age of 101 years old. We ask for peace and comfort to the bereaved family who are experiencing grief and loss.
We pray for the joint Mandarin devotional meeting which is concluding this evening. Bless the speaker Rev. Felix Liu as he delivers the message that the glory of the Lord will be revealed. May we see more and more people come forward to make commitment to Christ. And may the healing and teaching ministry he involves receive heavenly benediction from you.
Now teach us to pray as you once taught your disciples how to pray… Amen.

Spiritual Thought for the Week 2009/4/19

2009-04-15T15:48:00.000-07:00

DATE: 2009/4/19
本周默想分享
受难节过了，复活节来了。受难节那天耶稣的祷告还言犹在耳："然而不要照我的意思，只要照你的意思。"（太26：39）复活节的今天，主旨得成，原来已经实现了。
我们走属灵道路的时候，常遇见一个难处，就是自己的意思与神的意思不同而发生干扰。当神的旨意是叫我们遭遇损失和痛苦的时候，就不容易顺服或者别有自己的欲望和喜好，而不是神的旨意所许可的，这就发生了矛盾和冲突。如果不肯放下自己的意思去遵行神的旨意，在属灵的路上就无法前进，甚至跌倒後退了。
许多信徒就是在这里发生了问题，如果神的旨意与自己的意思相合，就愿意遵行。否则就要坚持自己的意思，不肯照神的旨意行。并且要求神成就自己的意思，否则对神感到不满和不服，这实在是可怕的光景。如果神真的让我们成就了自己的意思，後果岂不是很危险。
我们应当相信，神的旨意比我们自己的意思好，比我们的目的高，对我们最有益，且有永恒的价值。自己的意思是目光短浅，只顾眼前的利益。而且神常不让我们自己的意思成就，因为那样心中必没有平安，喜乐，信心和盼望，将来的损失更不必说了。主耶稣在最艰难困苦的时候，仍然求父说，不要照他的意思，只要照父的意思。
凡愿意放下自己的意思，只求神的旨意成就，这是神最喜悦的。神绝不会将对我们无益的旨意强加在我们身上，乃是预先计划决定的，为我们拣选最好的，最高的，最美的事。我们要安息在神的旨意中，并要欢喜迎接那按神旨意临到我们身上的事。
Spiritual Thought for the Week
Good Friday has gone. Easter has arrived. While Jesus words of prayer still resonate in our ears, “Yet not as I will, but as you will”, the realization that God’s will be done is already a fact before our eyes in this Easter season.
In the spiritual journey, we often come across such difficult times when our will is different from God’s will. When God’s will makes our days miserable we tend to move away from his cause and go our own ways. While we insist on our likes and desires, God’s will become a hindrance. If we let this conflict continue without giving up any of our interests, our spiritual journey can not proceed.
Many believers find themselves stuck in this problem. They go along with God’s will only when it makes them happy. If it doesn’t they go against His will. They want God to comply with their thoughts. Otherwise they feel discontent towards God. This is a dangerous undertaking. Say if God does everything according to our likes, wouldn’t the consequence be disastrous?
We need to believe that God’s thoughts are higher than our thoughts. God’s way is wiser than our ways. His plans have everlasting value. Our eye sight is narrow-minded. We often look at the temporal while God looks at the eternal. God doesn’t let our will be done because God knows we won’t get peace, joy, faith and hope if we get only what we want. While we lose life in the eternity, what good do we get even if we gain the whole world? That’s why we see Jesus Christ in his time of greatest sorrow still says the words, “Yet not as I will but as you will.”
Whoever puts down his own will for the fulfillment of God’s will will be most pleasing in God’s sight. God will not impose harmful things on our life. Everything to Him is planned. He wants the best for us. So let us rest in His will. Let us accept and enjoy whatever things in life He has prepared for us.
--End—

Sermon Date: 2009/4/12

2009-04-11T08:13:00.000-07:00

DATE: 2009/4/12
SCRIPTURE READING: John 20:11-18
SERMON: Tears turn to joy
講道題目: 眼泪变成喜乐
The angels and Jesus asked Mary Magdalene on Easter morning, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She explained that she was weeping because she could not find the body of Jesus. These were tears of sorrow. But when Jesus revealed himself to her, her tears turned to tears of joy as she exclaimed, “Rabboni,” meaning “Teacher.” Her day began with tears but ended with smiles. Easter makes us shed tears of joy. As in the case of Mary, tears of sorrow are transformed into tears of joy.
I. As Mary was asked on the first Easter, “Woman, why are you weeping?” so we are asked on this Easter Sunday why are we weeping. We might say these are tears of joy.
(1) These tears of joy result from the victory Christ won over death. We cannot appreciate this victory until we realize the horror and finality of death.
(2) Death is man’s worst enemy. Death takes away the meaning of life. If death is the ultimate, life is absurd. Then, we can say with Paul, “Let us eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die.”
(3) It took God to gain the victory over death. God caught death on the Cross in the person of Christ. There was a cosmic battle between life and death. When Jesus died, the strife was over and the battle was won. The paradox of the situation was that God used Jesus’ death to defeat death. When Jesus came out of the tomb under the power of God, death instead of swallowing up everything as in the past was now itself swallowed up by the grace of God. Never was there a victory like this.
(4) Easter, therefore, is a day for the blowing of trumpets, the singing of alleluias, the crashing of cymbals, and the beating of victory drums.
(5) This victory has personal implications. It means that a Christian funeral has a note of triumph about it. Of course, the body is dead, but because of the resurrection we know the soul, spirit, or mind of the departed is alive with Christ. There is no need to feel sorry for the deceased. He is more alive than we are.
II. On this Easter day, why are we weeping tears of joy? The Christian answer is, “Because of the assurance of the truth the resurrection brings.”
(1) The resurrection assures us that Jesus is the Christ, Lord and Saviour. If there had been no resurrection, Jesus would have been just a man. Indeed, he would have been considered a martyr to a good cause, but that is all. Now we know for sure that Jesus was more than an ordinary man. True, he was all man, but he was a God-man. On Easter you are sure that this Jesus of the Cross was the very Son of God whose death was a vicarious sacrifice for the sin of the world. Because of the resurrection, we know he shares in the Godhead and is worthy of our worship, devotion, and our very lives.
(2) Easter assures us that good will ultimately overcomes all opposition. Sometimes we wonder whether good is as strong as evil. Easter assures us that life will outlast death. Truth is greater than lies. Love is stronger than hatred. The righteous will finally succeed, and the wicked will come to nothing.
III. Why are we filled with joy?
(1) The resurrection comforts us with the knowledge that we have a living Christ here and now. This was the good news for Mary Magdalene. She came to the tomb which she expected to be filled with a dead body. The empty tomb meant to her only that Jesus’ body was stolen. Then Jesus came to her and called her by name. At once she saw him alive and she rejoiced.
(2) We too can rejoice that Jesus is alive, for it means that we have a living Christ who knows our very name. You are that important, that valuable. It shows his interest and concern in you and what happens to you.
(3) We have a living Christ right now to forgive us. We need forgiveness daily. Without this forgiveness, we get farther and farther apart from Christ. Life gets tied up, and our minds and hearts get into knots of tension. Christ daily comes to us upon our invitation and forgives us and by this forgiveness brings us life and freedom to live as a person.
(4) This living Christ who came to life again on Easter comforts us by his presence. He comes to us and asks our help. Christ asks us this Easter Sunday to be his witnesses. He wants us to go to all the world and tell the good news that death has been conquered, that truth is eternal, that he is really alive. Amen.
Synopsis
Easter makes us shed tears of joy. As in the case of Mary, tears of sorrow are transformed into tears of joy.
I. As Mary was asked on the first Easter, “Woman, why are you weeping?” so we are asked on this Easter Sunday why are we weeping.
(1) These tears of joy result from the victory Christ won over death.
(2) Death is man’s worst enemy.
(3) It took God to gain the victory over death.
(4) Easter, therefore, is a day for beating of victory drums.
(5) This victory has personal implications.
II. We are weeping tears of joy because of the assurance of the truth the resurrection brings.
(1) The resurrection assures us that Jesus is the Christ, Lord and Saviour.
(2) Easter assures us that good will ultimately overcomes all opposition.
III. Why are we filled with joy?
(1) The resurrection comforts us with the knowledge that we have a living Christ here and now.
(2) We have a living Christ who knows our very name.
(3) We have a living Christ right now to forgive us.
(4) He wants us to go to the entire world and tell the good news that death has been conquered, that truth is eternal, that he is really alive.
讲道大纲
复活节叫我们流出喜乐的眼泪。正如马利亚伤心的眼泪变成喜乐的眼泪一样。
甲．马利亚被问：妇人你为甚麽哭？今天我们也要被问：你为甚麽哭？
（1）我们流喜乐的眼泪因为基督胜过死亡。
（2）死亡是人的大敌。
（3）只有神能打败它。
（4）复活节就是击鼓庆祝胜利的日子。
（5）这胜利对个人尤其意义深长。
乙．我们喜极而泣因为复活真实的确据。
（1）复活肯定耶稣是基督，是主，是我们的救主。
（2）复活肯定好人最後必能克胜所有反对的势力。
丙．我们为甚麽充满喜乐？
（1）复活安慰我们，叫我们知道活着的基督时刻与我们同在。
（2）活着的基督记得我的名字。
（3）活着的基督今天饶恕我的罪。
（4）祂要我们到世界宣扬好消息，死亡已被征服，真理是永远可靠的，祂是真正活着的主。
Pastoral Prayer:
Almighty Father, for the beauty of the earth, for the joy of living, and for all the good things which are ours, we give you hearty thanks and praise. We are glad for the springtime when all the out-of-doors is awakening to begin anew the process of growth. We rejoice in the blooming flowers, the budding trees, the singing birds, and the thousand voices that proclaim the fact that spring is in the air. But even more do we rejoice in the fact that above and beyond this manifestation of life at our feet there is within us a life that is eternal and everlasting. Father, be gracious unto us and quicken this divine life so that we may be raised up in the image and likeness of the Man of Galilee, the One who was not defeated by death but came forth from the open tomb to live forever with you.
Merciful Father, separate us from all false delusions and remove from us all vain desires so that the life of the Son of God may have full sway within our hearts. Kindle anew within us the joy of your salvation. Grant unto us the joy of finding the stone rolled away from the tomb of our dead selves. May the discarded garments of all our vain desires be left behind as mute evidence that we have been released from all that hampers and restrains.
O Lord God, grant that this life of faith may become a growing power, able to surmount all barriers, re-creating itself in the hearts of men and women of every race and every creed. In the providence of God, may all the difficulties that delay the coming of your day be removed, so that your spirit may exercise its full power over death and destruction. May the voice that was once stilled be heard again in amplified form, and may the message of salvation, declared on Calvary’s mountain, find prophets to declare it. So, may the kingdoms of this world become indeed the Kingdom of our Lord, Jesus Christ.
We pray for our parishioners well being. We pray for May Wong’s recovery from her flu last Sunday and that her coarse voice be resumed to normal. We pray for Bruce Newman’s safe travel as he is vacationing in Florida now. We thank you Lord for Wudi’s mother who’s heart valve repairs itself naturally and does not need a heart surgery. We thank you for our life together with Xu Dunqi and Zheng Xiangfei who have spent several months worshipping with us during their stay in Ottawa last year. Next week they are flying to Vancouver to stay with their other children and grand children. We ask for your continue blessings for their future. We pray for Mu Ai’s smooth delivery this week as she is expecting her baby to be born in a few days. We thank you for the baptism of Huo Yan and David Li this morning. May their new life in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior find abundance and fulfillment in your Kingdom.
Now teach us to pray as you once taught your disciples how to pray… Amen.

Sermon Date: 2009/4/10

2009-04-11T08:10:00.000-07:00

DATE: 2009/4/10
Good Friday Evening Service
SERMON: Meaning of the Cross
講道題目: 十字架的意義
For a long time in Christian history there was a quest to define the meaning of the Cross.
I. So there arose the traditional theories of the atonement.
(1) There was the ransom theory (suggested by early church fathers like Irenaeus, Origen, Augustine, and others), which held that the death of Jesus was a payment to Satan to obtain the release of mankind from hell, where man was sentenced for the sin of Adam.
(2) In the eleven century Anselm, in his satisfaction theory, the first systematic theological statement of the atonement, interpreted that Christ’s death met God’s requirements of punishment of man for his sins.
(3) There was also the moral influence theory (suggested by Abelard), which said that Christ’s death moves man to moral transformation, thus making him acceptable to God.
(4) A more modern view of the Cross is that Christ’s suffering reveals the suffering God experiences because of the sins of the world.
(5) Preceding all of these ideas is Paul’s declaration, “God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself” (II Cor. 5:19). Paul stressed not how or why but what God had worked through Christ, acknowledging the overwhelming place of the Cross in the work of Christ: “”May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.” (Gal. 6:14)
II. We should always be seeking to find the meaning of the Cross, and we should appreciate and apply the rich insights about the Cross which our fathers in the faith have passed on to us. But the need now is not so much for the defining of the meaning of the Cross as it is for the understanding and accepting the meaning of the Cross.
(1) The Cross means that Jesus is greater than all the powers that oppose him. For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. (I Cor.1:18)
(2) The Cross made it forever clear that we are precious to Christ. God so loves us that he gave his only begotten son to us. (John 3:16)
(3) The Cross tells us the principle of sacrifice. The role of suffering is the means by which Christ manifests his dedication to save us. Thus He furthered the Kingdom of God in the world.
Amen
Synopsis
For a long time in Christian history there was a quest to define the meaning of the Cross.
I. So there arose the traditional theories of the atonement.
(1) There was the ransom theory
(2) There was the satisfaction theory
(3) There was the moral influence theory
(4) There was the suffering God theory
(5) Paul’s declaration, “God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself” precedes all the theories.
II. But the need now is not so much for the defining of the meaning of the Cross as it is for the understanding and accepting the meaning of the Cross.
(1) The Cross means that Jesus is greater than all the powers that oppose him
(2) The Cross made it forever clear that we are precious to Christ.
(3) By his sacrifice Jesus furthered the Kingdom of God in the world.
讲道大纲
自基督教历史开始以来，人不断的寻求十字架的定义。
甲．於是开始了古典的赎罪论
（1）付赎金的理论
（2）满足神要求的理论
（3）道德感动人的理论
（4）上帝受苦的理论
（5）保罗说：神在基督里，使世界与祂复和。
乙．今天我们应少谈十字架的定义，而多谈明白和接受十字架的意思。
（1）十字架表示耶稣胜过一切对抗祂的权力。
（2）十字架清楚的告诉我们，在神的眼中，我们非常宝贵。
（3）藉着基督的牺牲，把天国带到人间。
Pastoral Prayer:
Let us pray, brothers and sisters, for the holy church of God throughout the world that God may guide it and gather it together so that we may worship God in peace and tranquility.
Almighty and eternal God, you have shown your glory to all nations in Jesus Christ. Guide the work of the church. Help it to persevere in faith, to proclaim your name, and to offer salvation to people everywhere.
Let us pray for our pastors and other lay ministers, for all servants of the church, and for all the people of God.
Almighty and eternal God, your Spirit guides the church and makes it holy. Strengthen and uphold our pastors and our leaders; keep them in health and safety for the good of the church, and help each of us to do faithfully the work to which you have called us.
Let us pray for those preparing for baptism, that God may make them responsive to God’s love and give them new life in Jesus Christ.
Almighty and eternal God, you continually bless the church with new members. Increase the faith and understanding of those preparing for baptism. Give them a new birth as your children. Keep them in the faith and communion of your holy church.
Let us pray for those who do not believe in Christ, that the light of the Holy Spirit may show them the way of salvation.
Almighty and eternal God, enable those who do not acknowledge Christ to receive the truth of the gospel. Help us, your people, to grow in love for one another, to grasp more fully the mystery of your Godhead, and so to become more perfect witness of your love in the sight of all people.
Let us pray for those who do not believe in God, that they may find the God who is the author and goal of our existence.
Almighty and eternal God, you created humanity so that all might long to know you and have peace in you. Grant that, in spite of the hurtful things that stand in their way, all may recognize in the lives of Christians the tokens of your love and mercy and gladly acknowledge you as the one true God of us all.
Let us pray that the almighty and merciful God may heal the sick, comfort the dying, give safety to travelers, free those unjustly deprived of liberty, and rid the world of falsehood, hunger, and disease.
Almighty and eternal God, you give strength to the weary and new courage to those who have lost heart. Hear the prayers of all who call on you in any trouble that they may have the joy of receiving your help in their need. We ask this through Christ our Savior. Amen.

Sermon Date: 2009/4/5

2009-04-07T15:14:00.000-07:00

DATE: 2009/4/5
SCRIPTURE READING: Luke 19:28-40
SERMON: Walk with God and cry out for Christ
講道題目: 與神同行向主歡呼
Apart from Easter, no day is more joyous than Palm Sunday. Yet we hear other noises sounded in this event of Christ’s life. Luke tells us that when Jesus entered the city, some of the Pharisees urged him to keep his disciples quiet. Then Christ answered in the words of the text which seem strange even to this day. “Jesus said, I tell you, if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”(Luke 19:40)
The words reveal that underneath all of the outward commotion, Jesus saw something else. He knew that time was running out. There were decisions which had to be faced and made. Is there really anything in the Christian faith that is as urgent as Jesus expressed it?
I. There is urgency in the fact that your life is always changing one way or the other. Every day character is in the process of becoming better or worse. There is urgency about the direction in which it is going. How urgent it is that we look to those things that make for an expanding, unfolding life as against the things that close it and keep life from its fullness.
II. There is urgency in our personal relationships. They do not stand still either. If we are really acclaiming Christ in our hearts today, it could well lead us to re-evaluate the way in which we have given ourselves or neglected ourselves in the basic relationships of life.
III. There is urgency to acknowledge our walk with God. Today is Palm Sunday. It marks the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. People were waving palm branches to welcome him. Christians should do the same today even though the unbelief world tried to stop us from doing so. Those who walk with God can not help it but to cry out their salvation from Jesus Christ. “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his son, purifies us from all sin.”(I John 1:7) Thank God that since we are saved we have fellowship with God. Before, we merely had fellowship with people. People could be selfish, hypocritical and unintelligent. They hurt us more then they comfort us. But having fellowship with God gives us the assurance of love and heavenly benedictions. Many Christians lose sight of this blessing. We are too occupied with relationships in worldly things. Even though we spend time with God, it becomes nominal and superficial. We only ask what we want in our prayers and don’t bother to wait for an answer. We don’t worship in spirit and in truth. Thus we never experience the joy, peace, grace and blessedness. To have real fellowship with God takes certain pre-requisites. If we can not speak from heart to heart with God, there must be some obstacles which have to be cleared out of the way. Light and darkness; holiness and filth; honesty and deceit etc. are contradictory terms. If we still walk in darkness, filth and deceit we can not walk with God. Only when we walk in true light and under the guidance of the Holy Spirit we can walk with God. If our life, deeds, thoughts and words were not in accordance with God’s word in the Bible, we are walking in darkness. Especially when we know we have sinned and we don’t want to confess our sin, God’s fellowship can not prevail, not to mention fellowship with other Christians. No wonder when the world stops us from crying out for Christ we become silent.
IV. The need to shout for joy for Christ has hope in it. Why was it so urgent that Christ should be proclaimed? It was because in him God was bringing a new life, a new way of living, a new world for the sons of men. The alternative to Christ’s way becomes unthinkable, so God confronted us with the decision in the clearest way possible in One who came and said, “Follow me.”Surely it must have been the very grace of God that made it possible for all of us to understand the answer to the urgent decisions with which we are confronted. To see the hope that is in Christ means that we cannot keep silent, for even the stones would cry out.
Amen
Synopsis
The Pharisees urged Jesus to keep his disciples quiet. Then Christ answered in the words of the text which seem strange even to this day. “Jesus said, I tell you, if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”(Luke 19:40)
I. There is urgency in the fact that your life is always changing one way or the other.
II. There is urgency in our personal relationships.
III. There is urgency to acknowledge our walk with God.
IV. The need to shout for joy for Christ has hope in it.
To see the hope that is in Christ means that we cannot keep silent, for even the stones would cry out.

讲道大纲
耶稣荣耀的进耶路撒冷，人们夹道欢迎。法利赛人对耶稣说："夫子，责备你的门徒吧！" 耶稣说："我告诉你们，若是他们闭口不说，这些石头必要呼叫起来。"（路19：40）
甲．有一种催逼告诉我们生命每一刻都在改变中。
乙．有一种催逼叫我们正视人的关系。
丙．有一种催逼要我们立志与神同行。
丁．向基督欢呼包含了一个盼望。

当我们看见基督给我们希望时，我们不能闭口，否则石头也要呼叫起来了。

sermon 2009/2/29

2009-03-31T07:33:00.000-07:00

In this time of Lent, let us learn the lesson of remaining silent, trusting, obeying, and waiting on the Lord. As the Psalmist said, “I was silent; I would not open my mouth, for you are the one who has done this.”(Psalm 39:9) What God has done is love. But love demands a terrible burden.
I. Consider this demand which love makes: “Love bears all things.” Another way of articulating this truth is: “Love can overlook faults.” Still another way of saying this is: “Love is not quick to anger and slow to expose wrongs” The idea suggested here is that love is intelligent. It knows that there is a time to expose and a time to refrain from exposing, a time to speak and a time to refrain from speaking. Love is sensitive. It knows how to be silent in moments of great suffering.
(a) To say that love knows when to remain silent is not to belittle speech. Words are the vehicles for feelings and ideas that link soul to soul. I have the greatest admiration for those who are skilled in the gift of the right use of words. But words are powerful and can be dangerous. There are emotionally charged words that can excite to violence or that can rob another human being of his will to live. And there are great empowering words which, spoken at the right time, can heal and inspire.
(b) Paul tells us that love knows how to overlook faults, to keep silent in those moments when it would be far easier to form words to vent our anger or disappointment. Every parent knows that there are times in relationship to the growing child when the temptation to speak in anger is great. And surely everyone must fail, perhaps many times, to live up to the high standard. But after each failure love will rededicate itself to the high resolve: bear all things; overlook faults, slow to expose. “Ah, the terrible burden of love!”
(c) This dimension of love that calls upon us to bear all things is a hard saying, but then the best things of life are bought with a price. As one psychiatrist says, “It is easier to hate, but healthier to love.” What is needed is a religion that knows how to be firm without being inflexible; that hates the sin but loves the sinner; that is able to forgive and trust and respects the person who is different from us. This is the love that bears all things.
II. There is a further dimension to love that we must consider: “Love hopeth all things” In other words, “Love is always hopeful.” It never gives up. The good father is always hopeful that the prodigal son will come home again. Man cannot live without hope. He must always be able to hope that in any difficulty things will right themselves.
(a) No wonder that the other name we have for God is love. For love is the spirit of hope brooding over the darkness, coaxing light out of the shadows, giving form to that which is without form and void. It is the force that holds the world together, the organizing principle.
(b) Love is the positive force, playing over the darkness, yet never giving up. Even over the grave love never ends. After everything visible has been telescoped into the invisible, three things abide, faith, hope, love, but the greatest is love. It never gives up; it always begins again.
(c) When the wholeness of life is threatened love is the silent cohesive force that is always hopeful. It is the greatest force for good in the world. In the language of John the loving disciple of Christ, it was said, “Love is of God, and he who loves is born of God and knows God.” So we confidently say, “Our hope is in God,” for God is love and love never ends.
Amen
Synopsis
What God has done is love. But love demands a terrible burden.
I. Love bears all things. Love is sensitive. It knows how to be silent in moments of great suffering.
(a) To say that love knows when to remain silent is not to belittle speech.
(b) Paul tells us that love knows how to overlook faults, to keep silent in those moments when it would be far easier to form words to vent our anger or disappointment.
(c) It is easier to hate, but healthier to love.
II. Love is always hopeful. It never gives up.
(a) It is the force that holds the world together, the organizing principle.
(b) Three things abide, faith, hope, love, but the greatest is love.
(c) Love is of God, and he who loves is born of God and knows God.
讲道大纲
上帝为人所作的都是爱。但爱的负担是很沉重的。
I. 爱是凡事包容。它懂得在最痛苦的时候，默然不语。
甲．默然不语不是贬低言语的能力。
乙．不计算人的恶，就是不因人的错动怒。
丙．憎恨叫你发泄，但爱叫你健康。
II. 爱是凡事盼望。它永不放弃。
甲．它是把整个世界维系和组织的原则。
乙．如今长存的有信望爱，其中最大的是爱。
丙．上帝是爱，爱的人都是由上帝而生的并且认识上帝。

Sermon Date: 2009/3/22

2009-03-22T12:14:00.000-07:00

DATE: 2009/3/22
SCRIPTURE READING: I Corinthians 13:1-6
SERMON: Do What the Word Says
講道題目: 聽道行道
The Bible said, “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.”(James 1:22) God’s word is for us to do. Not for us to hear only. Paul said, “If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.”(I Corinthians 13: 1-3) We heed what the word says by doing what love demands.
I. Paul tells us that love is faithful to the end. “Love is patient, long suffering and is kind.” It never gives up. It is the eternal spirit brooding over life’s brokenness, bringing light out of darkness, reducing chaos to order. Paul does not say that love is never discouraged, never makes mistakes; he simply says, “Love never ends.” It is deathless.
(a) During the excavations of the ruins of Pompeii it is reported that the workers came upon the skeletal remains of a mother and her child, with the mother’s arm under the child. There in the darkness and the dust, through centuries and centuries they lay, symbolic of the unending love of a good mother. “Ah, the terrible burden of love!”
(b) In the story of the prodigal son the father knew the dreadful burden of love. After months and months of wandering in a foreign environment, spending his resources foolishly against his father’s wishes, the lad came to himself. We are told that in the travail of his soul he decided to go back home, and hopefully he might be accepted as one of his father’s servants. What happened upon his return? The father saw him at a distance and went out to meet him. The love that had suffered long was patient and kind. What an opportunity to have chastised the lad! But there was not a word of bitterness. “Love keeps no score of wrongs.” For love it was a time to rejoice. “This is my son who was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.” The family once broken was made whole again. And that which made it whole again was the endless love of a good father who had suffered long and was patient and kind. “Ah, the terrible burden of love!”
II. Let us note another dimension of love: “Love believes all things.” To some this may seem like credulity. The person who literally believes all things must be confused; a weak mind that is easily exploited. In the original Greek it helps us to a clearer understanding of Paul’s thinking. “Love is always eager to believe the best.” That makes sense.
(a) Admittedly this is a difficult standard to embrace. Psychologists have shown us that there is something within our nature which makes it easy for us to believe the worst. We have an appetite for bad news. At worst we may become scandalmongers and gossipers, dispensers of half- truths. There is something within human nature that makes it easy for us to rejoice in the failure of another human being. It was against such temptation that Jesus directed his warning, “Judge not lest you be judged.”
(b) This tendency to believe the worst has more than individual application. There are some who look at the whole of life in this manner. It is a destructive approach to life. But love, not blind to the failures and weaknesses of man, is always eager to believe the best. This is the creative force in life. Love begets love; it evokes good will and trust. Jesus was aware of the creative nature of love. He encouraged his disciples to take the tiny seeds of love and faith and hope and to nurture them so that they could multiply and conquer the evils of hate and discord.
(c) When Jesus selected those who would be most closely associated with him in kingdom work, he looked for people with obvious weaknesses as well as strength. Peter, a rough, impulsive man, under the love and teachings of the master blossomed into greatness of character. Love that is eager to believe the best is the redemptive force that often saves us from surrendering to the beast that is within us. We draw strength from those about us who are eager to believe the best about us.
A good and genuine Christian is distinguished from a bad and false one not by how much word he listened but by how much love he practiced. God’s word is not just knowledge that comes out from our mind. It is love from within that comes out through faith and through help from the power of the Holy Spirit. One day when we come before God, he will ask us not how much word we have heard but how much love we have practiced. Amen
Sermon Synopsis:
The Bible said, “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.”(James 1:22) Paul said, “If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal。” We heed what the word says by doing what love demands.
I. Love is patient, long suffering and is kind.
(a) Symbol of the unending love of a good mother.
(b) In the story of the prodigal son the father knew the dreadful burden of love.
II. Love believes all things.
(a) It is easy for us to believe the worst
(b) Love, not blind to the failures and weaknesses of man, is always eager to believe the best.
(c) We draw strength from those about us who are eager to believe the best about us.
One day when we come before God, he will ask us not how much word we have heard but how much love we have practiced.
讲道大纲
圣经上说，"只是你们要行道，不要单单听道，自己欺哄自己。"（雅1：22）保罗说，"我若能说万人的方言，并天使的话语，却没有爱，我就成了鸣的锣，响的钹一般。"（林前13：1）我们听道後，是要用爱把它行出来的。
I. 爱是恒久忍耐，又有恩慈。
甲．母亲的爱永不止息。
乙．浪子的父亲忍耐到底。
II. 爱是凡事相信。
甲．我们都喜欢信最坏的事情。
乙．爱不是盲目的不看人类的失败和弱点，而是凡事相信人的好处。
丙．我们是在相信我们的人面前得到力量的。
有一天我们站在上帝面前，上帝不会问我们听了多少道，却会问我们行了多少爱！
Pastoral Prayer:
O almighty God, from whom every good prayer comes, and who pours out on all who desire it the spirit of grace and supplication, deliver us, when we draw nigh to you, from coldness of heart and wanderings of mind, that with steadfast thought and kindled affections we may worship you in spirit and in truth.
In this time of global economic recession we pray for patience of endurance. Experts predict that the recovery time may take months to a year or two. This is scary and we pray for your peace that can drive away fear. As more and more people are being laid off, and more and more people are desperately looking for jobs, we pray Lord that you would open up the resources so that they can find what they look for. We know many of our parishioners are seeking jobs. Give them guidance and directions that they know where to get hold of their opportunity. And when it takes time for them to see results, let them not be in despair but fill their hearts with hope and perseverance.
O Lord, open our eyes, that we may see the needs of others. Open our hearts, that they need not be without help. Let us not be afraid to defend the weak because of the strong, not afraid to defend the poor because of the rich. Show us where love and hope are needed, and use us to bring them to those places. Open our eyes and ears, that this day we may do some work of peace for you.
We pray for the new leadership of this church. We are thankful that new council is formed, and new ministries are starting out. We pray for the new Sunday school English adult class led by Brother Miguel Stack. We look forward to the young adults having more opportunity of receiving spiritual nourishment in this new program. We pray for the new series of home fellowship, where upon a systematic Bible study and discipleship training course will be launched. We are thankful that younger Sunday School children are having good religious training and they are presenting what they’ve learned and share with us through their songs in the service. We are excited about all these and many other programs and ask that God will bless our leaders to continue equipping our members in this meaningful way.
We are thankful Lord for keeping our parishioners safe during their travel. We are happy that the family of Joe Wong and Xu Dunqi have finished their vacation and are worshipping with us again in the service. As we travel in a world that sometimes seems a trackless, hostile wilderness, we ask that your Spirit sustain, encourage, and enable us to go on.
Let us recite the Lord’s Prayer now…
Amen.

Sermon Date: 2009/3/15

2009-03-14T12:57:00.000-07:00

DATE: 2009/3/15
SCRIPTURE READING: Matthew 28:18-20
SERMON: Who should go out into the world?
講道題目: 誰要出去進入世界?

By now you should have been very familiar to the words I use when pronouncing the benediction. “Go out into the world in peace…” These words have a lot to say about you as a member of the church. A church does not cease to exist when the benediction is pronounced Sunday morning and the congregation leaves the sanctuary for home and return to the routine activities of the week.
(1) A church is as real when she is scattered as when she is gathered. She is as real when she is an invisible corporate body as when she is a visible congregation worshipping inside a beautiful building.
(2) When the church is scattered, when she is invisible, she is doing the work to which Christ sends her. This is implicit in Christ’s analogy of his disciples as salt: “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.”(Matt. 5:13) and seed: “The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one.”(Matt. 13:38) Salt and seed are useless in their gathered form. When they are put to use they are scattered, and they disappear—salt into food, seed into soil.
(3) Awareness and acceptance of this reality are pressing needs among believers today. Most of our thinking, talking, planning, and programming presupposes the church in her gathered, visible, corporate form. Her influence in the world is measured on this basis by result-oriented and result-obsessed administrators, and failure to see “success” in these terms intimidates and discourages the whole church.
(4) This inadequate view of the church and her mission should be readjusted to the right understanding of the great commission.
I. The focus of the commission traditionally has been on the word “go.” The emphasis, the challenge, the pressure, the mandate has been “go!”
(a) The measure of a congregation’s commitment in mission has been the number of people who have gone out into the world to preach and teach in a far off land, or it has been the amount given to those who go out into far off land to preach and teach.
(b) The word “go” has been identified almost exclusively with a relatively few professionals (the missionaries), who take specialized training for a work somewhere else. Generally speaking lands beyond an ocean have been thought of as the primary mission field, the place where those who are sent out into the world “go”.
(c) “Go” is not the only big word, the mandate, in the great commission. Nor was it intended that a relatively few “professional missionaries” be the only ones to take it seriously, unless we assume it was intended only for the Eleven. The mandate in the great commission is “make disciples…teaching them to observe all that I have commanded.” The measure of our response is in terms of making disciples, not the number of converts or baptisms which are recorded in our book.
II. The word “go” as it is used in the great commission (Matt. 28:19) is for all the people of God, as demonstrated in Acts 1:8, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witness in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” And in Acts 8:1, 4. “On that day a great persecution broke out against the church at Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria…Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went.”
(a) The word “go” is addressed to all the peoples of God with reference to their dispersion. It is as if Jesus said, “Go back out into the world” or “Wherever you are…make disciples.”
(b) Here is the exciting strategy of our Lord Jesus Christ. He scatters his church like salt and seed everywhere to accomplish his purposes. And everywhere she is dispersed she is enlisting and teaching followers of Christ. This is the work of the church, and it involves every single member.
(c) You are not alone, for Christ has promised to be with you with all authority. Christ has equipped you his servant with all that you need to do his work in the person of the Holy Spirit.
III. Why are you there? Is it not to make disciples?
(a) As a witness to Jesus Christ you are to share his reconciling, redemptive love. As an ambassador of Christ you are to beseech those nearby, in Christ’s stead, to be reconciled to God. You are there to share all you know and have experienced with others, that they might receive the benefits of the love of God for the world and conform to God’s will.
(b) This is something each and every one of you can do. As you learn you transmit your knowledge to another; as you grow you share your life with another. Think of the network of believers at any given moment scattered everywhere. Literally encircling the earth, penetrating all the institutions like salt in food, like seed in soil.
(c) In the economy of God every believer is called to full time service for Jesus Christ. You should accept your daily task as your holy vocation and accept the place you are in as the place where you are to do it. The work of the ministry belongs to all believers, and those who are professionals, such as apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, or teachers, are to equip them for this work. Paul said, “As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received…But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. This is why it says: When he ascended on high, he led captives in his train and gave gifts to men…It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up.” (Eph. 4:1-12)
Who should go out into the world? You and I. Each and every one called by our Lord Jesus Christ. What are we to do when we go there? We make disciples for Christ. Amen..
Sermon Synopsis:
讲道大纲
一個教會並不是在主日崇拜祝福後散會就不再存在的。
（1）教會在分散時和聚集時都是同樣真實地存在著。
（2）當教會分散時，她是隱形地做基督要她作鹽作種籽的工作。
（3）我們設定教會工作只限於有形的看得見的事工。
（4）這個不完整的設定，須由大使命的真義去改正。
I．以往我們把大使命的焦點放在那個【去】字。
甲．以往我們捐錢和派人【去】世界外面傳福音。
乙．【去】成為了海外宣教士的任務。
丙．【去】不是大使命的唯一中心。【誰】和【做甚麼】才是。
II．【去】是指所有神的子民都要去。
甲．【去】是對所有分散的神的子民說的。
乙．耶穌把他的教會分散在地上，作鹽作種籽來完成他的旨意。
丙．你不會孤單，因為主把權柄賜給了你。
III．【去】是使人做主門徒。
甲．作為主的見證人，你可以與人分享主救贖的愛。
乙．這是每一個人都可以做的事。
丙．神預算所有信徒都是全時間的牧者。誰要去？你和我！去做甚麼？去叫人信耶穌。

sermon 2009/3/8

2009-03-06T09:46:00.000-08:00

SCRIPTURE READING: Matthew 6:5-9
SERMON: When You Pray
講道題目: 你们祷告的时候
Lent is the time for praying and fasting. We often want to ask why praying? Why fasting? Jesus never answered the question why but always answered the question when. Jesus often says when you pray…when you fast… That means praying and fasting are not questions of should we? Or would we? But they are questions of how we can do praying and fasting when we try.
I. We pray because we cannot help to do otherwise. We have a basic need as real as our need for food. Not to eat is silly. It is likewise silly not to pray, for as Jesus said, “Man does not live by bread alone” (Matt. 4:4). We never forget to eat when it is time to eat. But we often forget to pray when it is time to pray. Fasting is a way to remind us, do we yearn for praying as much as we yearn for food? If so we would easily skip one meal time and devote it to praying. No one can keep himself from the innate longing to be in touch with God, to know him to be close to him, and to seek to do His will. God searches us out; he yearns for us as we yearn for him.
II. Jesus’ disciples made the simple request, “Lord, teach us to pray” (Luke 11:1). That is our plea too. Jesus leads us into the wonder of prayer, ever deepening, ever widening, ever growing as we persist and as we mature. Childish prayers are a good beginning, but as grown-ups we should know how to pray as mature men and women, never satisfied with merely asking for favours. We are content only when we can offer our total selves to God as a living sacrifice. This we do, first, through prayer, and secondly, we follow up our prayer with effective action.
III. Prayer is not an option in life. Prayer is not a panic button to press only when in extreme trouble. Prayer is conversation with God, presenting ourselves honestly before God. Prayer is listening as we hear what God wants to tell us. Prayer is practicing the presence of God in every moment.
(a) Jesus revealed that God is a loving friend as well as eternal judge. So prayer should be as easy and as natural and as irresistible as conversation with a friend whom one knows and trusts.
(b) One can pray anywhere and at any time, but it is only in the fellowship of faith that we hear God’s Word and respond to God’s initial acts of undeserved kindness. We Christians are protected from our whims of devotion by regular worship through the life of the church.
IV. There is much about prayer that we do not understand. Most puzzling is the question many people ask, “Why are my prayers not answered?” We dare not assume that there is only one answer to prayer, the answer we want to hear. God does not always deal with us that way. Nor do we give our children everything they ask for. Sometimes we must say “No.” Sometimes we must say, “Perhaps later, but not yet.” I believe that God does answer our every prayer, though it may not be in the way we expect or desire.
V. Surely God must yearn for conversation with us not only when we ask him for the necessities of life but also when we are thankful, when we are joyous, when we are filled with adoration and praise, and often when we must say we are sorry.
(a) The best way I know to begin to grow in the life of prayer is to pray for someone in particular who needs help. Pray for the sick, the afflicted, the troubled and the lonely. Quickly you will see how blessed, how fortunate you must be by comparison and how much more appropriate is your prayer of thanksgiving rather than one more request for yourself.
(b) It has been said that anyone who spends more time before a mirror than he spends on his knees in prayer is in love with himself. And that is a rejection of what the Christian religion is all about. The complication and troubles of life begin to get sorted out and straightened out when we can put God first, others second, and ourselves last.
This is not easy. But we can try. Here’s a good suggestion. 2009 Joint Mandarin Devotional Meeting will be held April 24-26 (Friday to Sunday) evenings 7:30 pm at the Emmanuel Alliance Church Ottawa. Theme title: “And the glory of the Lord will be revealed.” Theme speaker Rev. Felix Lau encourages us to enter into a program of fasting and praying relay which last 40 days starting from March 15 and ending on April 23. You can fast one meal per week. With another 20 people signing up one form we will cover every meal with a person praying and fasting for the devotional meeting. Please pray for personal need, church revival, families, seekers to the faith and all others that have specific needs when you fast. Please come to me after service for the sign up sheet. Amen
Sermon Synopsis:
Praying and fasting are not options but imperatives in this time of Lent.
I. We pray and fast because we cannot help to do otherwise.
II. We are content only when we can offer our total selves to God as a living sacrifice.
III. Prayer is practicing the presence of God in every moment.
IV. God does answer our every prayer, though it may not be in the way we expect or desire.
V. The complication and troubles of life begin to get sorted out and straightened out when we can put God first, others second, and ourselves last.
Let us enter into a program of fasting and praying relay which last 40 days starting from March 15 and ending on April 23. You can fast one meal per week. Please come to me for the sign up sheet.
讲道大纲
祷告和禁食是大斎节所强调，我们所须要做的事：
甲．我们祈祷禁食因为我们别无他法。
乙．我们心里没有满足除非我们把自己献上当作活祭。
丙．祷告是每时每刻与上帝同行。
丁．上帝必听祷告，虽然祂的答案不一定是我们想要的答案。
戊．我们的问题必得解决，如果我们把神放在第一，人第二，自己第三。
让我们实践一个40天连锁接力禁食祷告的活动。你可以一周禁食一餐，加上其他弟兄姊妹的努力，每天每餐都有人为培灵会祷告了。请向我索取签名表格。
Pastoral Prayer:
Lord Jesus Christ, you fasted and prayed forty days in the wilderness, teach us how to pray in this time of Lent.
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. We draw near to you with all holy reverence and confidence, coming as children to a father able and ready to help us as we pray together and for others. Enable us and others to glorify you in all that we do as we live and work in the creation that displays your power and mercy, and be pleased to dispose all things to your own glory.
Your kingdom come. We pray that Satan’s kingdom may be destroyed and that the kingdom of grace may be advanced, ourselves and others brought into it, and kept in it, and that the kingdom of glory may be hastened.
Your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. We pray that you, by your grace, would make us able and willing to know, obey, and submit to your will in all things, as the angels do in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread. We pray that of your free gift we may receive a sufficient portion of the good things of this life, and enjoy your blessing with them.
And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. We pray that you, for Christ’s sake, would freely pardon all our sins—and we are encouraged to ask this because by your grace we are able from the heart to forgive others.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. We pray that you would either keep us from being tempted to sin, or support and deliver us when we are tempted.
We pray for our parish concerns. As the 2009 Joint Mandarin Devotional Meeting will be held April 24-26 with entitled: “And the glory of the Lord will be revealed” help us to enter into a program of fasting and praying relay starting from March 15 and ending on April 23. Encourage us to fast at least one meal per week. While we fast inspire us to pray for personal need, for church revival, for families, for seekers to the faith and all others that have specific needs.
We pray for our parishioners. We thank you for looking after Lin Li Ru during the past months when she is recuperating from her heart condition. We thank you for keeping Lai Wei Chee and her husband Richard healthy and strong and that they are starting a restaurant business again in the spring. We thank you for watching over Joe Wong and his wife En Wei while they are having vacation in Hai Nan Dao for a month. We pray that you will watch over XuDunQi and his wife ZhengXingFei as they are leaving town with their son’s family for vacation for two weeks. We pray for Cui Guang Ming as he is doing some work in China now. We pray for his wife Ge Qin and son who are continuing to work and study in Canada. We continue to pray for Peter Lee as his Parkinson is giving him a hard time but is doing quit well lately.
We take our encouragement in prayer from you only, and in our prayers we praise you, ascribing kingdom, power, and glory to you. Let us recite the Lord’s prayer now…
Amen.

Spiritual Thought for the Week 2009/3/8

2009-03-04T07:19:00.000-08:00

DATE: 2009/3/8

本周默想分享
耶稣说：虚心的人有福了，因为天国是他们的。意思是说：肯虚心承认自己是灵性贫穷的人是有福的，因为天国，即灵性丰富的地方，是他们的。在路加福音第六章20-26节，耶稣更直接地说：你们贫穷的人有福了，因为神的国是你们的！你们饥饿的人有福了，因为你们将要饱足！你们哀哭的人有福了，因为你们将要嬉笑！人为人子恨恶你们，拒绝你们，辱骂你们，弃掉你们的名，以为是恶的，你们就有福了。当那日，你们要欢喜跳跃，因为你们在天上的赏赐是大的！他们的祖宗待先知也是这样。很明显这些话是对信耶稣的人讲的。因为信耶稣的人都是灵性贫穷的人。
但对於灵性丰富的人，耶稣有另一翻话对他们说。耶稣说：但你们富足的人有祸了，因为你们受过你们的安慰！你们饱足的人有祸了，因为你们将要饥饿！你们嬉笑的人有祸了，因为你们将要哀恸哭泣！人都说你们好的时候，你们就有祸了，因为他们的祖宗待假先知也是这样！很明显这些话是对不信耶稣的人，比如那些法利赛人讲的。
法利赛人所信的上帝和耶稣所信的上帝有一个很大的分别。法利赛人信的上帝是一个富足人的上帝，饱足人的上帝，嬉笑人的上帝，人都说他们是好人的上帝。但耶稣所信的上帝是一个贫穷人的上帝，饥饿人的上帝，哀哭人的上帝，被人恨恶，拒绝，辱骂，身败名裂的人的上帝。旧约时的真先知，就是这样被人对待的。
今天不少的信徒，去教会只想找那个富足人的上帝，饱足人的上帝，嬉笑人的上帝，灵性上被人称赞的人的上帝。他们不想找那个贫穷人的上帝，饥饿人的上帝，哀哭人的上帝，灵性上身败名裂的人的上帝。他们认为自己是强者，只能找那个配做强者的人的上帝。他们不能容忍，也不能接受一个弱者的上帝做他们的上帝。这样的信徒，一天不改变他们的上帝观，一天他们都不会找到耶稣所信的上帝的。
灵性贫穷的人有福了，REV.GERRY FULLER 领查经班的时候，曾说灵性贫穷的人就是承认自己是一个灵性破产的人。让我们在大斋节的期间，向神谦卑，忏悔，认罪。让我们放胆的，真诚的对神，也对人这样的说：我是一个灵性破产的人，你可以饶恕接纳我吗？

Spiritual Thought for the Week
Jesus says: Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. What he means is this: Blessed are those who humbly admit they are spiritually poor, for the kingdom of heaven which is the dominion of spiritual richness belongs to them. In Luke 6:20-26, Jesus says it even more plainly. He says, “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. Blessed are you when men hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their fathers treated the prophets.”Obviously these words were said to the people who believed in Jesus. They were people who were spiritually poor.
But for those who were spiritually rich, Jesus had some other words to say to them. “But woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort. Woe to you who are well fed now, for you will go hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep. Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for that is how their fathers treated the false prophets.”Obviously these words were spoken to those who did not believe in Jesus, like the Pharisees for instance.
The God the Pharisees believe and the God Jesus believes have a lot of difference. The Pharisees believe in a God who belongs to the rich, the well fed, the laughing, and the ones who are well spoken of. But Jesus believes in a God who belongs to the poor, the hungry, the weeping, the ones who are hated, excluded, and insulted, and the ones whose names are rejected as evil. In Old Testament times, the true prophets were treated like wise.
Today many believers go to church to find the God who belongs only to the rich, the well fed, the laughing and the ones who are well famed spiritually. They do not want to see the God who belongs to the poor, the hungry, the weeping and the ones who are spiritually incompetent. They think they are strong and deserve to have a God who is comparatively strong. They can not accept a God who belongs to the weak. Such believers will never find the God Jesus believes until they are willing to change their understanding of God.
Blessed are the poor in spirit. In one of our Bible study sessions Rev. Gerry Fuller paraphrased this line by saying this. Blessed are those who admit they are spiritually bankrupt. In this Lenten season, let us humble ourselves, repent our sins and ask God for forgiveness. Let us concede boldly but sincerely, both to God and to men and truthfully say, “I am spiritually bankrupt. Please forgive me. Will you please accept me?”

sermon 2009/3/1

2009-02-27T10:04:00.000-08:00

DATE: 2009/3/1
SCRIPTURE READING: Col. 3:5-14
SERMON: Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
讲道题目: 主怎样饶恕了你，你也要怎样饶恕人。
Today’s scripture talks about the transformation of the Christian in character and conduct. Paul here uses the method of contrast to make his point; he contrasts the old and the new, the good and the bad. His point is that the gospel completely transforms the believer, making him a new person.
I. Being a Christian requires a “putting off.”This is a foundation of everything Paul understood by the Christian faith. He believed deeply that one who becomes a Christian must put some things behind him. Christianity is a new way of life. It means giving up some former practices or attitudes, a change we call “conversion.”However obvious this may seem, it is often at this point that the church fails. When someone comes to unite with the church we welcome him, we congratulate him, and surely we should do this. But how often do we confront him with the real and difficult demands of the gospel? How often do we say, “There are some things you have to leave behind”? We hardly ever speak so bluntly. We don’t wish to offend. Paul was not timid about this. He spoke plainly and clearly: “seeing that you have put off the old nature.” We should be so blunt with ourselves. Have we put off some things? Are we done with the type of things Paul lists: anger, slander, foul talk? Paul is right in saying that those who are Christians ought to be rid of these things.
II. Being a Christian requires a “putting on.”Paul was not content to be negative. He was not concerned with only reminding Christians what they must give up. He said also that the Christian must “put on the new nature”. He must become a new person in Christ. There is an important lesson here. We tend to define Christianity in terms of what we don’t do. We don’t curse, we don’t cheat on our spouses, we don’t steal from our customers, and we don’t ell lies. This misses the whole point. The Christian should be known by the positive things his life stands for. His life should be an indication of the freedom that was evident in Jesus, the freedom from the law that Paul constantly referred to. To put on the new nature was, to Paul, a positive thing. What are the positive evidences of the new birth? Paul lists some of them: compassion, kindness, lowliness, meekness, patience, and love. These are the things by which the Christian ought to be known.
III. Being a Christian requires forgiving one another. Paul’s point is that putting on the new nature has great results. Those who are truly changed will give evidence of it is their relationship with others. Because they are Christians they will regard other brothers and sisters in an entirely different light. What is the result of becoming Christian? It is brotherhood. For the Christian such distinctions as Jew and Greek, slave and free man do not hold any longer. In our time the Christian looks at another without seeing a Chinese man, or a Caucasian man, or a Latino man, or a black man, or a poor man or a foreign man. He sees a brother. The classifications so casually applied are no longer valid. Christians see their brothers and sisters as people whom Christ has forgiven. “Christ in All,” in Paul’s words. Paul pointed to what we ought to see, what we need to see, but often what we often refuse to see. The relationship of men to Christ overcomes all human relationships and destroys the barriers we have built to separate us from our brothers.
“Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.”(Col.3:13-14) In this season of Lent let us confess our sins to God and receive God’s forgiveness so that we can forgive one another too.
Let me be the first one to make a confession. Dear Brothers and sisters in Christ. In the past I have sinned against you. I told you a lie. I said I dreamed one day I will fill up the pews in this church. I was boasting when I said those words. I was glorifying myself and not glorifying God when I said those words. I am sorry. I cheated you. Will you forgive me? I sincerely ask you for your forgiveness. Will you forgive me? Those who will, please, raise up your hands. Thank you. Now I am speaking to those who do not put up their hands. I want you to know I confessed my sin to God. And God told me He had forgiven me. So I am not worry even though you do not forgive me today. I pray that you will go home tonight and ask God for forgiveness. God will forgive you if you ask sincerely. Then next week you will come back and tell me, you can forgive me. Then we will all work together as one church to deal with this corporate sin of the church.
Before I end this sermon I want to step down from the pulpit and receive that blessing of forgiveness from you. Can those of you who just raised their hands come out and give me a hug to tell me you have forgiven me? I want to hear those words of forgiveness once again from your own mouth... Amen.

Sermon Synopsis:
Today’s scripture talks about the transformation of the Christian in character and conduct.
I. Being a Christian requires a “putting off.”
II. Being a Christian requires a “putting on.”
III. Being a Christian requires forgiving one another.
Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

讲道大纲
今天的经文讲到基督徒品格和行为的改变。
甲．基督徒要脱去旧人。
乙．基督徒要穿上新人。
丙．基督徒要彼此饶恕。
倘若这人与那人有嫌隙，总要彼此包容，彼此饶恕；主怎样饶恕了你们，你们也要怎样饶恕人。在这一切之外，要存着爱心，爱心就是联络全德的。

sermon 2009/2/22

2009-02-21T10:55:00.000-08:00

DATE: 2009/2/22
SCRIPTURE READING: Hebrews 10:32-39
SERMON: Be a Man of Integrity
讲道题目: 做个有诚信的人
A man of integrity is one who is true to himself; to his God; and to his fellow men. He prays like the Psalmist did, “let the Lord judge the peoples. Judge me, O Lord, according to my righteousness, according to my integrity, O Most High.”(Psalm 7:8)
Integrity is a searching word. It probes us at every level of our personal, social, and religious life. The high summons of God is that we become truly integrated personalities.
I. A man of integrity is emotionally true to himself. Emotional integrity is an imperative. Parents and teachers alike have been too little concerned about this aspect of life. The disciplines of home and school have been aimed to promote social behavior but have neglected the emotions which determine behavior. Children have been taught how to think but not how to feel. As a result the emotional life of an individual is in anarchy. Love and hate, fear and confidence, desire and aversion are in perpetual conflict. Only a man of integrity can acknowledge the true feelings to himself.
II. A man of integrity is intellectually true to God. Intellectual integrity is too often neglected if not scorned. We use our minds to discover the facts which please us and ignore those which disturb our complacency. We put interpretations on our experiences which inflate our spiritual pride but which are not justified by critical intelligence. We do not set our wits to work on a problem at all, trusting God to guide us. We fail to realize that God has never offered to be a guide to lazy minds. Loving God with all our minds means using our minds to discover truth. Unless we love truth we do not love God, for God is truth. Unless we accept our responsibility to learn his truth for ourselves and to receive truth from whatever source we do not love God, for all truth is God’s truth. Frightened obscurantism and blind faith are not integrity but the absence of it.
III. A man of integrity is morally true to others. Moral integrity is often less realized though perhaps more appreciated. We are all sinners. Some find it difficult to admit that. The Pharisee is still among us: “God I thank thee that I am not as other men.” However others of us are ready to confess moral failure. That confession is both intelligent and honest. But it also means that we have not achieved integrity; a part of us condemns what another part of us indulge, and that is a wretched state of soul. No one is as miserable as the man who must point an accusing finger at himself. No scorn wounds like self-scorn. No accusation slays like self-accusation. Abraham Lincoln knew the transcendent importance of moral integrity: “I desire so to conduct the affairs of this administration that if at the end I have lost every other friend on earth, I shall at least have one friend left, and that friend shall be down inside of me.” When one is his own friend, when one can be at home with himself, all of him, then one knows the true meaning of integrity. Then one can be a friend both to God and to men.

A man of integrity is a man who is sincere and trustworthy. He knows what he is doing. When he starts a job he will not leave it undone until it is completely finished. A Christian is a man who by the grace of his saviour Jesus Christ does the will of God until his life purpose is accomplished. In Hebrews 10:36, it says, “You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.” The mission of a Christian is to accomplish the will of God. This is the way to heaven, the fulfilment of the covenant and the assurance of blessedness. Such undertaking is not easy because selfish desire always gets in the way. Pride and self centeredness may not seem to be obvious sins. But when we recognize they are derived from the flesh, we know they are in conflict with the will of God. Do we listen to the voice of our earthly nature or do we listen to the voice of the Divine will? This is a stern and hard spiritual war we have to fight everyday. If we don’t stand up against the foe, we will never be able to advance in our spiritual pilgrimage.
The foremost important procedure is to recognize that God’s way is the best way. God’s will is the best will. Even though sometimes our way seems to prevail over God’s way, yet eventually we reap failure and disaster. The outcome produces nothing for us in this life. Not to mention in the life after. So lets not pray for our own will be done. Pray for God’s will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Why wouldn’t we pray for God’s will be done? The reason is not because we don’t know His will. It is because we don’t want His will be done. We do not want to surrender our will under God’s will. It is time we should ask the Holy Spirit to intercede for us and grant us that willingness. In Romans 8:27, it says, “And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will” If we surrender our will to Jesus, then he would, “equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him.” (Hebrews 13:21)
A man of integrity will see to it that God’s will be done. He will not rest until he finishes his job. “For when David had served God’s purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep; he was buried with his fathers and his body decayed.” (Acts 13:36)
Amen.
Sermon Synopsis:
A man of integrity is one who is true to himself; to his God; and to his fellow men.
I. A man of integrity is emotionally true to himself.
II. A man of integrity is intellectually true to God.
III. A man of integrity is morally true to others.
A man of integrity is a man who is sincere and trustworthy. He knows what he is doing. When he starts a job he will not leave it undone until it is completely finished. A Christian is a man who by the grace of his savior Jesus Christ does the will of God until his life purpose is accomplished.

讲道大纲
一个有诚信的人是一个对自己，对神，对别人，都绝对真诚的人。
（一）一个有诚信的人能够在情感上面对自己。
（二）一个有诚信的人能够在理智上面对上帝。
（三）一个有诚信的人能够在道德上面对别人。
一个有诚信的人是一个忠实可靠的人。他知道自己在做什么。他开始了一件工作，一定把它做完才会离开。一个基督徒就是靠着救主耶稣基督的恩典，贯撤始终，完成上帝在他生命中要完成之旨意的人。

Pastoral Prayer:
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Help us to really know you, to bless, worship, and praise you for all your works and for all that shines forth from them: your almighty power, wisdom, kindness, justice, mercy, and truth. Help us to direct all our living—what we think, say, and do—so that your name will never be blasphemed because of us but always honored and praised.
Your kingdom come. Rule us by your Word and Spirit in such a way that more and more we submit to you. Keep your church strong, and add to it. Destroy the devil’s work; destroy every force that revolts against you and every conspiracy against your Word. Do this until your kingdom is so complete and perfect that in it you are all in all.
Your will be done on earth as in heaven. Help us and all people to reject our own wills and to obey your will without any back talk. Your will alone is good. Help us one and all to carry out the work we are called to, as willingly and faithfully as the angels in heaven.
Let us pray for those who suffer from illness, Elderly Sister Wu Huang Mei Jin, Elderly Sister Zhu Ying, the family of Brother Pan Wen. People who suffer from the pain of memory, from torture, from victimization, especially those hurt by the church or its members…
Let us pray for those who are hungry, or homeless, or poor, and for those who are unemployed, like people in the oil industry in Alberta, people in the auto industry in the US, or people who are exploited…
Let us pray for the coming of justice in the world, assured by the recent visit of the US President Barack Obama, that USA and Canada will continue to lead the world in freedom and democracy, we offer what we have, and receive what we need of the earth’s beauty…
Let us pray for peace that is a just reconciliation, in the Middle East, in Afghanistan, in Iraq etc.,
Let us pray for the earth on which we walk and to which we will one day return…
God our creator, you made all things in your wisdom, and in your love you save us. We pray for the whole creation. Overthrow evil powers, right what is wrong, feed and satisfy those who thirst for justice, so that all your children may freely enjoy the earth you have made and joyfully sing your praises.
Now teach us how to pray by reciting the Lord’s prayer…

Sermon Date: 2009/2/15

2009-02-14T14:41:00.000-08:00

DATE: 2009/2/15
SCRIPTURE READING: Phil. 2:1-8
SERMON: Same Attitude as Christ’s
讲道题目: 以基督的心為心
Paul challenged us to have the same attitude in us which was in Christ Jesus. As we think of these things three persistent questions demand our honest consideration.
I. Who are we?
(a) In every area of life it is important to know who you are. Nothing is as important as when you seek to fulfill your purpose in life.
(b) What a heartening faith—that we are creatures made for God, that our spirits are restless until they find their rest in him, that only in God’s will is our peace, that we carry the image of God as we live our earthly life.
(c) The clue to understanding who we are is not to be found in the world of nature beneath us but in the world of God above us. When we look to Christ we see mirrored in his eyes of love the person we are meant to be. When we know whose we are we know who we are.
II. Why are we here?
(a) There is sometime in every man’s life, when he is a philosopher and ask himself the question “why?” We are not content just to make a living; we also want to make a life. We sense that life holds a purpose even though the purpose is sometimes not clear to us.
(b) We come from God, we live for God, and we return to God. God has a purpose and plan for everyone. Not the years in our life, but the life in our years, is of supreme importance. When we live for God we find life illumined by the wonder of his friendship and we know why we are here.
III. Where are we going?
(a) Does life have a destination as well as a direction? Is our activity purposeful in the sense that we are going somewhere or is it like the scrambling of little feet in a squirrel cage, much energy but no progress?
(b) If we live for God we know that heaven is our destination. God not only lifts a standard beneath which we march; he also flings before us the vision of his eternal world where the good life finds fulfillment in the perfect fellowship of moral love.
(c) To understand earth we must know heaven. It is the light of eternity that lights our pilgrimage in time. This is a good world, and our life in it has a glorious goal. That goal is when Jesus returns we have the same attitudes as Christ has.

Today is Annual Congregational Meeting Sunday. We hold this meeting year after year. Is it a formality we have to go through or is it a vision we have to affirm every year? Paul knew what he was doing in the church when he admonished Titus in these words: “while we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ,” (Titus 2:13). Without vision and hope, a man will run without any aim. He will work but lacks incentive. Many believers turn into neither hot nor cold followers because they miss this vision. They go after success which promises them worldly results. They end up in vanity. They feel deceived. They thought they came with a noble reason. But now they leave with their worldly purpose not being realized.
What advice can we give to such unfortunate people? The Bible gives us a very clear direction. It calls us back to the vision. If we grab hold of this vision, other pieces will fall into place. This vision is nothing but the waiting for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ. If we have this vision and hope, we are the most blessed believers of Christ. When we have hope, our fear is gone, our path is straightened, our spiritual life has direction, our destination is focused and our strength is renewed.
Let us ask ourselves these questions every day. Are we hoping for Christ’s glorious appearing? Are we welcoming His return? Are we ready any time for His return? Or are we caught up with another endeavor for another hope? Is that other hope taking up all of our time and energy leaving us no time for Christ’s return? If we lose our vision, our loss will be great and irreversible. Regrets will not get us anywhere. But repentance will. There is not much time left. We will never have enough time to get ready for Jesus’ appearing. Why bother wasting time on other hopes and goals?
Whenever we lose the hope of Christ’s return, our problems arise, our progress stop, our spiritual life decline. Let us have the same attitude that Christ has which attracts us like magnet attracts iron. The vision is to have the same attitude in us which was in Christ Jesus. Let us put aside things that get in our way and strive on the journey until one day we meet our Lord face to face.

Amen.
Sermon Synopsis
讲道大纲
能够做到以基督的心为心,首先要回答三个问题:
I. 我是谁?
(甲) 我是一个要找人生意义的人.
(乙) 我是为了神而被造的.
(丙) 当我们知道自己是属於谁的时候,我们就知道自己是谁了.
II. 我为甚麽在这里?
(甲) 我不甘心只渡日子而不是活着做人.
(乙) 上帝对每个人都有计画和目的.
III. 我往哪里去?
(甲) 生命是有方向和目的的.
(乙) 我们若为神而活,我们就知道天堂是我们的目的地.
(丙) 要明白地上的事,必须首先明白天上的事.
保罗知道自己在做甚麽,他说:等候所盼望的福,并等候至大的神和我们救主耶稣基督的荣耀显现.(提多书2:13)我们每天都要这样问自己,是否有这个盼望.倘若有的话,我们就可以以基督的心为心,快乐平安的度日,直到见主面.

Pastoral Prayer:
Our most gracious heavenly Father, your spirit meets us in the valley of shadows as well as on the mountaintop of triumph, we come before you in this hour of worship, praying that you would sustain our spirits this day.
Sustain us as we seek to understand ourselves. We pledge ourselves to be the cause for which your Son gave himself, but then in unguarded moments we reveal attitudes and actions that are unworthy of his love. Speak to our hearts of your forgiving grace, set our minds on the lofty heights of fulfillment, and send us on our way.
Sustain us, O Lord, in our relationships with our fellow men. Plant within our hearts the seeds of trust that will allow us to reach out unafraid to those around us. Give us vision to see the refinement that is a part of every heart, though it might not be perceived at first glance. Remove from us, O Lord, feelings of suspicion, bitterness, mistrust, and cynicism that rise against our souls like waves that pound the rocky shore.
Sustain us, O God, in life at home with our families. As it was Valentine’s Day yesterday we pray for husbands and wives and for intimate lovers. So often we leave our loved ones at home when we enter the sanctuary which in fact is our dwelling place for love. Alert us, we pray, to the intimate needs that go unnoticed day after day because we are preoccupied with less important concerns. Let love flow unchallenged through the dry, parched land that we might glimpse what it means to speak of the redemptive love of Christ to our family love ones.
Sustain this nation, our father, we pray. When Canada as well as other countries in the world is plunging into the economic depression we ask for God’s mercy and deliverance from our predicament. As the US president has signed a new law to stimulate economic growth, we ask that it will benefit Canada too. We pray that Americans will buy not only from America but also from Canada. Remove the weeds of bitterness that have strangled our sensitivity to the needs of other people. Show us what reconciliation really means and help us to understand it when we see it.
Sustain the church we pray. As we are having the annual congregational meeting today, we pray for loyalty and faithfulness of all the members in this congregation. Help us to prepare ourselves for the other that lies ahead within your vineyard. Hold our tongues when we would speak pious but empty words. Let actions and attitudes stand side by side so that others will know that the church is indeed alive and at work in this world.
Sustain our spirits now as we come before your altar in prayer. Hear our innermost thoughts and bring your healing spirit forth to meet the uncountable needs that are ours this day.
We thank you Lord, for answered prayers that Brothers Yan Jian’s grand daughter Xia Ming Yu has had a very successful heart operation last week in Tian Jin. We pray for Sister Zhai Xiao Mei who had a car accident two weeks ago. Lord you protected her from physical injury. Although monetary loss was substantial, we thank you Lord for watching over her with your guardian angels. We thank you Lord for looking after Sister Au Yang Yan Hong after her fall on the ice last Saturday night. We pray for her continue healing.
And now teach us how to pray by saying the Lord’s Prayer together…

Sermon Date: 2009/2/8

2009-02-07T09:23:00.000-08:00

SCRIPTURE READING: Gal. 5:1-15
SERMON: Faith and Freedom in Christ
讲道题目: 信耶穌，得自由

Paul wrote a letter to the Galatians when Christians there were facing a crisis in the faith. Paul said, “Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ.” (Gal. 1:7) These people insisted that although salvation was accomplished by Jesus Christ, Christians still had to follow certain rules and regulations before they would be accepted as completely saved. To denounce such misleading teaching Paul said these words in today’s Scripture lesson, “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.”(Gal. 5:1)
Misleading teachings occurred in the churches of Paul’s time. Misleading teachings also occur in the churches of our time. We are in the midst of challenges in the faith. We are in the midst of conflicts in the church. This is the tension in which we live. Where do we take our stand? How are we responding?

I. We must really listen to the challenges that are being raised.
(1) The scribes and Pharisees refused to listen to Jesus. He came to them with the truth that would have liberated them from their error and brought them to God and eternal life. They did not like what they were hearing, so they silenced his voice by crucifixion.
(2) Is anybody listening today? Are we listening? Surely not all challenging voices are speaking the truth. Some are vomiting filth that can only be sourced in the Devil himself. Many protest voices are motivated by sheer negative emotions and self-centeredness. But we must keep on listening, discerning as best we can truth from error. By remaining sensitive to the truth, we will repent when sin and hypocrisy are exposed in us; we will be willing to change when change is needed; we will do what is right where injustice prevails; and we will provide enlightened opinion leadership within the circles of our influence. We must listen to the voices that are now being raised, for we know not when nor from where the voice of truth will be speaking.

II. We must live by established principles. These are difficult days in which we live. Time and time again we are confronted with the necessity of making a decision. How do we stand fast in this kind of a world? The principles that brought us to faith and freedom under God have not changed.
(1) There must be a personal commitment to Jesus Christ as personal Saviour. What does this mean? It means we are cleansed, pardoned, and set free from the guilt of all past sins by the virtue of God’s grace and not our own works, no matter how good they may appear. God’s grace is in Jesus Christ, crucified and risen. When our eyes are opened to behold this wondrous love and by faith, we respond to him and accept him as Saviour. Then and only then do we come into the glorious liberty of the children of God.
(2) Lest your commitment to Jesus Christ becomes too subjective and becomes sentimentalized, too easily moulded and adapted to the accepted life styles which are typical of the 21st century, remember that you are committed to Jesus Christ as he is revealed in the Scriptures. The most memorable and the most important legacy for freedom was Martin Luther’s declaration: “My conscience is captive to the word of God. Here I stand, I cannot do otherwise.”
(3) A Christian is called by God to live as a man for others. This is the “universal priesthood of all believers.” This affirms, not only that each Christian believer had freedom to pray to God directly, through Jesus Christ himself, but also to serve others through love. The pastor has no privilege on God when it comes to intercessory prayer, and surely when one intercedes on behalf of another at the throne of grace, he is performing the function of a priest.
(4) As Christian freedom is not license to do as I please in the indulgence of my flesh, so Christian freedom is not freedom to do as I please irrespective of the welfare of my neighbour. Thus Paul said, “You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.” (Gal. 5:14) Love cannot exploit a neighbour for selfish or personal reason.

Our faith and freedom under God is established by our commitment to Jesus Christ as personal Saviour, our serious acceptance of the Scriptural norm, our obedience to God’s call to live as a man for others and to live in obedience to God’s will. Amen.

Sermon Synopsis
“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.”(Gal. 5:1) We are in the midst of challenges in the faith. Where do we take our stand?
I. We must really listen to the challenges that are being raised.
(1) The scribes and Pharisees refused to listen to Jesus.
(2) We must keep on listening, discerning as best we can truth from error.
II. We must live by established principles.
(1) There must be a personal commitment to Jesus Christ as personal Saviour.
(2) You are committed to Jesus Christ as he is revealed in the Scriptures.
(3) A Christian is called by God to live as a man for others.
(4) Christian freedom is not license to do as I please in the indulgence of my flesh.
Our faith and freedom under God is our obedience to God’s call to live as a man for others and to live in obedience to God’s will.

讲道大纲
"基督释放了我们,叫我们得以自由,所以要站立得稳,不要再被奴仆的轭挟制"(加拉太书5:1).我们生活在一个信仰受挑战的时代里.我们怎样才能站立得住呢?
I. 我们要听挑战的声音.
(1) 法利赛人和文士都不肯听耶稣的.
(2) 我们要听下去,才能分辨是非.
II. 我们要建立原则.
(1) 要接受耶稣基督为个人救主.
(2) 要向圣经所启示的耶稣基督委身.
(3) 基督徒被神呼召为别人而活.
(4) 基督徒的自由不是放纵情欲.
信耶稣得自由我们便能够顺服神为别人而活.

Pastoral Prayer:
When the day breaks and the shadows flee away, our hearts awake, O God, in gratitude to you. Your peace is our enduring treasure, and your presence our delight. What are we that you have taken knowledge of us and redeemed us by the gift of your beloved Son! Uphold our strength that we may labor joyfully as children in the free service of the Father’s house. Remember us in your merciful kindness every hour of the day that we may be content in you. Show us yourself in even fuller measure that our peace may flow as a river and our joy endure forevermore. Holy Spirit be the Helper of the friends whom you have given. Make our homes glad with your presence. You have filled our lives with cheer; help us to carry it to others by true witness of your power in cheerful days. And for your love in Jesus Christ our Lord, the love that brightens all our days, our hearts shall bless you evermore.
As election day is coming in one week’s time, we pray for the leadership of this church. We thank God for the faithful service of last year’s church council under the leadership of chairman Brother Frank Pan. We pray for continued wisdom, discernment and intelligence for members in the new council. We pray for economy recovery for our nation as well as for the world. Unemployment rate has risen to an unprecedented high this month. We pray for families whose bread winners are in search of jobs or in between jobs. Eternal God, you knew us before we were born and will continue to know us after we have died. Touch all who suffer in this job market depression time. Anoint them with your grace and presence. As you give your abiding care, assure them of our love and presence. Assure them that our communion together remains secure, and that your love for them is unfailing.
We pray for those who need healing. O Christ, our Lord, in times past many servants of yours brought their friends and loved ones to your side, that they might be blessed and healed. So today we bring to your attention those who need your loving touch. For Sister Yang Yu’s allergy rash, for Elderly Sister Wu Huang Mei Jin’s eye sight after cataract operation, for Sister Amy Yi’s eczema in the fingers, and for Brother Yan’s grand daughter’s heart condition. We lift them up before you. Please look on our faith, small as it is, bring your healing and your peace upon them. Almighty and everlasting God, you can banish all affliction both of soul and of body, show forth your power upon those in need, that by your mercy they may be restored to serve you afresh in holiness of living.
And now teach us how to pray by saying the Lord’s prayer together…

Spiritual Thought for the Week 2009/2/1

2009-01-28T08:31:00.000-08:00

本周默想分享
以色列王国的分裂是始於罗波安和耶罗波安的对抗。罗波安在耶路撒冷的圣殿，神的面前，领导国家。耶罗波安却在伯特利和但铸造了两个金牛犊，对众民说，以色列人哪，你们上耶路撒冷去，实在是难。这就是领你们出埃及地的神。。。这事叫百姓陷在罪里。因为他们往但去，拜那牛犊。（王上12：20-33）
主耶稣来到世上的目的，不但是将人从罪恶救出来，也是将人带到神面前，完全归给神。祂钉十字架流血，复活，升天，就是为人开创一条到神那里去的路。神舍去祂的独生子，为了要得着我们，在他面前成为圣洁，毫无瑕疵。但今天有多少信徒是真的来到神面前，也把人带到神面前，完全归给神呢？
我们的教会只将人领到十字架那里，求恩，得救是不够的。我们还要将人领到神的宝座前，否则我们还没有完成使命。因为主的宝血是为我们亲近神，开了一条又新又活的路。我们的教会必须带领信徒追求良善，勿以恶报恶，勉励灰心的，扶助软弱的，常常喜乐，不住地祷告，凡事谢恩，与弟兄姊妹彼此和睦，活在神的面前，让神得到喜悦和荣耀。
正如保罗劝勉歌罗西教会的信徒说，“劝诫各人，教导各人，要把各人在基督里完完全全引到神面前。”（西1：28）
到神面前是人最需要的。神是宇宙的中心，万有的主宰，万福的泉源，找到了别的东西而没有找到神，那是太可惜了。谁能与神相比呢？祂是真神，也是永生。在祂那里有永远的福分，无穷的喜乐，今生既可以预尝，将来更要完全得着。
所以将人带到神的面前，是我们教会也是每一个教友，唯一追求的路径和目标。牛年已到，我们有甚麽新春大计吗？唯愿我们不要学耶罗波安，只把人带到喜欢拜金牛犊，不喜欢重返圣殿的罪恶里。要学罗波安归回耶路撒冷的圣殿，来到神的面前。

Spiritual Thought for the Week
The split of the kingdom of Israel began when Rehoboam combated with Jeroboam. Rehoboam led the country by presenting the Lord in the Jerusalem temple to the people. In the mean time Jeroboam made two golden calves. One he set up in Bethel, and the other in Dan. He said to the people, “It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Here are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.” And this thing became a sin; the people went even as far as Dan to worship the one there. (I Kings 12:28-30)
The purpose of Jesus Christ coming to this world is not only to deliver man out of the bondage of sin but also that He can present God to man and lead man back to God. He was crucified, bled, died, resurrected and ascended to heaven for the sole purpose that He can present us the love of God. God gave His only begotten Son to us for the sole purpose that we can come back to Him and worship Him. I wonder how many Christians really know their mission to present God to others so that others will present themselves to God.
Our church may bring people to the cross to seek blessings and get salvation. But this is not enough. We have to bring people to come before the throne of our gracious God Otherwise our job is only half way done. The blood of our Lord has opened up a new way of coming before God. Our task is to present the love of God to people so that people will respond to his love in a lively way. They will live in peace with each other. They will encourage the timid, help the weak, and be patient with everyone. They will make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else. They will be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances. Because this is God’s will for them in Christ Jesus.
This is the task of the church. Paul defined our task in his letter to the Colossians, “We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ.”(Colossians 1:28)
Bringing man to come before God is the best work we can do to man. Man needs God. God is the source of all goodness, happiness and blessings. Bringing man to come before another man will only bring idol worship which leads to nothing but vanity and disappointment.Let us follow the example of Rehoboam who led his people to return to Jerusalem and worship the Lord. Let us refrain from following the example of Jeroboam who led people into idol worship which brings nothing but vanity and futility.

Sermon Date: 2009/1/25

2009-01-28T08:28:00.000-08:00

Sermon 1/25/09
SCRIPTURE READING: Romans 14:13-19
SERMON: Do not let your goodness be damaged as evil.
讲道题目: 不可叫你的善被毀謗為惡
Paul said, “Do not allow what you consider good to be spoken of as evil.” (Romans 14:16) What does this mean? Paul was explaining the eating rules to the brothers and sisters in Rome. What he meant was this. If you insist on the things you think is right without taking into consideration the principle of love, and do things your way, you will be seen by others as doing evil, and you are putting a stumbling block to make your brother fall. Paul was not suggesting that his Christian brothers and sisters lower their moral standards in order to win a cheap popularity. He understood thoroughly Jesus’ admonition in Luke 6:26. “Jesus said, “Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for that is how their fathers treated the false prophets.” The point Paul is making is simply this: a Christian’s goodness may caricature his religion and do Christ great harm. When goodness is spoken of as evil, outsiders will be prone to say, “Well, if that’s what Christianity means, we don’t want to be involved in it.”
When is our goodness spoken of as evil?
I. Goodness is spoken of as evil when it is proud of itself. That is, when righteousness becomes self-righteousness; when we think that all is well in our moral life; that we are splendid examples for others to emulate; and that if only everybody was as good as we are, we would be perfect in our community or church.
(1)It is always a peril in the moral life that each conquest over evil will make us more satisfied with ourselves. As humility, our greatest virtue, arises from our sense of sin and unworthiness, so self-righteousness, our greatest defect, comes from our sense of goodness. “To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: ‘God I thank you that I am not like other men—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” (Luke 18:9-14)
(2)When we pride ourselves on our goodness, it is very likely that we are confusing sin with vice—adultery, drunkenness, theft, and such obvious evils. But according to Jesus the worst sins are not of this type at all, but are sins of the spirit, such as envy, pride, selfishness, resentment, and hatred. It is easier to make a saint out of a libertine than a prig.
(3)Self-righteousness inevitably leads to censoriousness. It sits in judgment over others, as the Pharisees over the adulteress woman, forgetting that we are all sinners in the eyes of God and that only God can compute our comparative merits.
II. Goodness is spoken of as evil when it is mainly negative.
(1)In Hebrew ethics much of the emphasis was altogether too predominantly “Thou shall not.” A man was good if he refrained from doing such and such a number of wrong things. The fact that he may not have had any positive virtue was largely overlooked. It was enough that was not a transgressor.
(2)To Jesus goodness was positive in character. He summed up the law and the prophets in two great commandments. “Jesus replied: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbour as yourself.” (Matthew 22: 37-39) In the parable of the Good Samaritan, the priest and the Levite were no good because they did nothing. In the final judgment, said Jesus, those who will be cast into outer darkness will be those who have committed the sin of doing nothing positive.
III. Goodness is spoken of as evil when it is strained. That is, when it is a sweaty, un-natural, great effort kind performance.
(1)There are people who set themselves up to the joyless task of achieving goodness by super human effort and salvation by works of righteousness. They do not understand that true moral growth, like physical stature, does not come by anxious thought and strain, but by an inward surrender and receptivity to the grace of God.
(2)Jesus’ goodness did not come out of lots of sweating. It came logically and easily from a great resource within his soul. He was good without trying to be good.
IV. Goodness is spoken of as evil when it is served in a pint by pint measure. Then it becomes the mere performance of defined duty and not the expression of divine grace. There is something lacking in goodness that never rises above the obligations imposed upon us. It is a legalistic, rigid, and stingy thing.
(1)The Pharisees represented this kind of damaged morality. They were faithful to duty but never went beyond the call of duty. They were faithful to the letter of the law but did not understand that real goodness does not appear until the law has been transcended. Jesus said, “For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.
(2)Christian morality is an extravagant eclipse of the demands of law and reason and duty. It is never a calculated arithmetic. It is something which overflows and outruns reasonable expectations and legal contracts. Jesus asked his followers, “What do you do more than others?” Others will go the one mile demanded, but you should go two miles. Others will forgive a man once, thrice, or even seven times, but you should forgive him seventy times seven. Others will obey the call of duty, but you should take up your cross and follow me. The one who was excessive in his goodness and went beyond the call of duty.
(3)I think it is clear why Jesus seemed to prefer the company of sinners to that of the “saints” of his day. The “saints” were dutiful, calculating, and cautious. The sinners were not only indulgent in badness but had their moments when they were indulgent in goodness. People of characters like that are not only more interesting than narrow minded souls but they are actually more lovable. And there is more hope for such scamps than for the “saints”

Do not allow what you consider good to be spoken of as evil. For in Jesus Christ we have the challenge of divine goodness. In him we have the only valid motive for morality: we are to be good because God is good. In him we have the grace which can make us “more than conquerors” ((Romans 8:37) Apart from his mercy we can do nothing, and even our best achievements in virtue will be seen as soiled and ragged works of our human frailty.
Amen
Sermon Synopsis
Paul said, “Do not allow what you consider good to be spoken of as evil.” What he meant was this. If you insist on the things you think is right without taking into consideration the principle of love, and do things your way, you will be seen by others as doing evil, and you are putting a stumbling block to make your brother fall.
I. Goodness is spoken of as evil when it is proud of itself.
(1) As humility, our greatest virtue, arises from our sense of sin and unworthiness, so self-righteousness, our greatest defect, comes from our sense of goodness.
(2) When we pride ourselves on our goodness, it is very likely that we are confusing sin with vice
(3) Self-righteousness inevitably leads to censoriousness.
II. Goodness is spoken of as evil when it is mainly negative.
(1) In Hebrew ethics much of the emphasis was altogether too predominantly “Thou shall not.”
(2) To Jesus goodness was positive in character.
III. Goodness is spoken of as evil when it is strained.
(1) There are people who set themselves up to the joyless task of achieving goodness by super human effort and salvation by works of righteousness.
(2) Jesus’ goodness did not come out of lots of sweating.
IV. Goodness is spoken of as evil when it is served in a pint by pint measure.
(1) The Pharisees were faithful to duty but never went beyond the call of duty.
(2) Christian morality is an extravagant eclipse of the demands of law and reason and duty.
(3) I think it is clear why Jesus seemed to prefer the company of sinners to that of the “saints” of his day.
In Christ we have the grace which can make us “more than conquerors” ((Romans 8:37) Apart from God’s mercy we can do nothing, and even our best achievements in virtue will be seen as soiled and ragged works of our human frailty
讲道大纲
保罗说，"不可叫你的善被人毁谤"。他的意思是这样解释的：你以为善的事，不理会爱心的原则，自以为是的去做，很容易被人视为恶，这样便会叫人跌倒。
I. 当人骄傲地行善时，善就被视为恶了。
（1）谦卑是最好的品德，自义是最坏的性格。
（2）当我们把自己的善看成好品格时，我们是把坏习惯与灵性的罪混为一谈。
（3）自义的人常常查禁别人。
II. 当人只做消极的事时，善就被视为恶了。
（1）在希伯来人的伦理观，他们要守甚麽是不可做的事情。
（2）耶稣的善，是一个积极的品格。
III. 当人要满身大汗才行出善来时，善就被视为恶了。
（1）许多人痛苦地勉强自己靠禁戒行为称义，谁不知好品德是靠释放和鼓励得来的。
（2）耶稣的善不是强迫出来的行为。
IV. 当人要斤斤计较的行善时，善就被视为恶了。
（1）法利赛人谨守岗位却从来不肯做超过岗位以外的事。
（2）基督徒的善，是昂贵的，它令律法，学问，和岗位显得暗然失色。
（3）这就是为甚麽耶稣喜欢与罪人同伍，而不喜欢与那些"圣人"同伍的原因。
在基督耶稣里，我们有恩典和怜悯，我们可以"得胜有馀"（罗8：37）地行善。因为离了神的怜悯，我们的善，就只能被毁谤成为恶罢了。

Spiritual Thought for the Week 2009/1/25

2009-01-28T08:22:00.000-08:00

本周默想分享
作为这间礼拜堂的牧者，我常常自我反省。我问自己说：我有没有作过甚麽贡献使礼拜堂得着益处呢？神给我一句话，就是使徒行传3章6节"彼得说： "金银我都没有，只把我所有的给你。我奉拿撒勒人耶稣基督的名，叫你起来行走！""神告诉我不但是陈伟甡，就是最大的使徒彼得，他能给礼拜堂甚麽呢？金钱固然没有，他只不过是一个小民，甚至是破碎的瓦器而已。他所有值得爱慕的只有一件事，那就是基督的救恩，他能把耶稣基督给人，这是人最需要的，其他东西都不能解决人的问题，满足人的需要。
我们是因自己得着基督，才能将基督介绍给人。我们认识基督的大爱，才能领人到主那里。我们认识基督的能力，才能带领吸引人到主耶稣基督那里得着救恩。我们若对救主没有真正的信靠，人在我们身上看不见基督的同在，我们就不能给人甚麽帮助。
若将人带到自己的面前，结果必叫人失望。若将人带到基督面前，必定不会叫人失望。因为他是一切的泉源，能叫跛子行走，瞎子看见，死人复活，使无变有。今天耶稣基督虽然不在世上，但祂将祂的名赐给祂的门徒，这名是那超乎万名之上的名（腓2：9），是包括天上地下一切权柄的（太28：18），这名包括祂所成就的一切救赎，这名是父神所最喜爱尊重的，奉祂的名无论向父求甚麽，神都必成就（约14：13）。
是的，靠着主的名，我把我最好的给了礼拜堂。主应许说：“信的人必有神迹随着他们：就是奉我的名赶鬼。”（可16：17），让我们凭信心奉主的名，事情就必成就，我们原本一无所有，但主成了我们的万有，就足够了。

Spiritual Thought for the Week
As the minister of this church I always keep watch on my work here. I ask myself, “Have I given this church anything worthwhile during my service here?” God gives me a Bible verse in Acts 3:6 which says, “Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” God makes me realize that not even the greatest apostle Peter can give silver or gold to the church, not to mention Wilson Chan. Peter had no money, he was just an ordinary citizen, and a non glamorous earthen ware. But he possessed something very valuable. It was the salvation in Jesus Christ. He gave that to man. That was the thing man needed most. Other things can not solve man’s problem or meet man’s need. But this one can.
Only when we have found Jesus, we can introduce Him to others. Only when we know the love of Christ, we can lead others to Him. Only when we experience Jesus’ power, we can show people the way to Christ’s salvation. If we have not the saving power of Christ, people will not see the presence of Christ in us. Then we have nothing valuable to give them.
Bringing people to ourselves will eventually make people disappointed. Bringing people to Christ will never disappoint people. Jesus is the source of all power. He makes the lame walk, the blind see and the dead come back to life. He causes the ones who have nothing to be the ones who have everything. Today Jesus does not live on earth. But He gives His name to His disciples. This is the name which God exalted to the highest place and it is the name above all names. (Phil. 2:9) This is the name that “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to” (Matt. 28:18). This name represents all the credits He has achieved while accomplishing the act of salvation. This is the name that the Father God most loves and honors. “And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father.” (John 14:13)
Yes, In His name I have given my best to this church. The Lord promised, “And these miracles will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons…” (Mark 16:17) By faith and in His name, we work signs and wonders. He is able. We are nothing. But with the Lord we have everything. In His name we are everything. That is sufficient for me.

Sermon Date: 2009/1/18

2009-01-16T12:49:00.000-08:00

Sermon 1/18/09
SCRIPTURE READING: I Corinthians 16: 5-13
SERMON: The Open Door
讲道题目: 開了的門
2009 marks the third year of my ministry in the Ottawa Chinese United Church. At the threshold of a new beginning I asked God, “Lord do you have need of me here or shall I move on?” The Lord showed me this Bible passage and I had no more questions to ask. When Paul wrote these words to the Corinthians, he was nearing the close of three years’ residence and ministry in Ephesus. In his heart was a desire to move on into Macedonia and then to visit Corinth. But while these other fields of service were beckoning him, he could not escape the sense of burden that God had given him for the city of Ephesus. To him an open door was God’s call to live, teach, and preach the Gospel.
I. A door of opportunity: “A great door for effective work has opened to me,” (v. 9).
Historians have described Ephesus as the “Vanity Fair” of Asia Minor. To anyone who did not have a vision for the lost and a burden for souls, Ephesus was a city to escape from, but to Paul Ephesus was a door of opportunity.
(1) The magnitude of the open door: “great” Paul believed in capturing the great cities as centers of evangelistic endeavor. Next to Rome, Ephesus was such a center. Geographically, it was the link between East and West. Commercially, it was known as “the treasure house of Asia.” Legislatively, it was an assize town, and here the Roman governor came to conduct the major trials and exercise justice. Recreationally, the Pan-Ionian games held here were attended by thousands of spectators and competitors. Religiously, the glory of Ephesus was the temple of Artemis, considered to be one of the Seven Wonders of the World.
(2) The ministry of the open door: “for effective work.” Acts 19 reveals the many activities in which Paul was engaged during his three years in Ephesus: (a) laboring as a preacher, evangelizing not only in the city but also in the whole area of Asia Minor, (b) laboring as a teacher, lecturing in the school of Tyrannus for a period of two years, (c) laboring as a pastor, shepherding the believers, so that the strongest church of the first century was located in Ephesus, and (d) laboring as a writer and writing what we know today as I Cor.
(3) The miracle of the open door: “has opened to me.” There was a time when Ephesus was closed to the apostle (Acts 16:6). For reasons not known to us, he was forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the Word in Asia. In the meantime, Paul had been prepared by a deepening work of grace and by heavy persecution for a task that now awaited him in Ephesus. So he recognized that the open door now before him was just a miracle of God.

II. A door of obligation: “Has opened to me.”
(1) An individual obligation. The tragedy with so many of us is that we never seem to realize our own personal involvement in the task of evangelism. Paul never expected anyone to shoulder his area of responsibility. Whenever Paul found himself, it was always the same. “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains.” (Col. 4:2-3.) Each one of us is held responsible for the area of the world that we represent. The home, the school, or the office is an open door both of opportunity and obligation.
(2) An inescapable obligation: “to me.” When the risen Christ sets before us a door, he intends that we should use the opportunity. “I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name…I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown.” (Rev. 3:8, 11.) Not to do so is to lose our crown of reward in the day to come. We are not only responsible to our Lord but also accountable. Paul also had a vision of the open door in heaven. One day he was going to stand before his Master and answer for every hour he had spent in Ephesus. “So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.” (Rom. 14:12.) How will you fare when you stand before the judgment seat of Christ?
III. A door of opposition: “and there are many who oppose me.” (v. 9).
If you have no opposition, you had better move on and find the places where you can get them. There is not much in Christian service if we do not know the power of opposition beating against us. To understand something of the opposition with which Paul was confronted, read Acts 19. There were at least three stubborn oppositions that Paul had to face at Ephesus. Each was arrayed in a religious mask, disguising under the satanic force of the opposition.
(1) The opposition of nominal religion. (Acts 19:1-2.) Certain disciples were followers of John the Baptist. They knew something of the baptism of repentance but nothing of the baptism of regeneration. Such nominal religion would have weakened the whole cause of Christ in Ephesus had not Paul dealt with it.
(2) The opposition of religious antagonism. (Acts 196-9.) When the message of the Gospel cuts across religion without regeneration or dead orthodoxy, there is always antagonism. Paul turned from the synagogue and rented his own lecture hall to preach and teach the Gospel.
(3) The opposition of religious professionalism. (Acts 19:23-35.) The worship of the goddess Artemis attracted tens of thousands of worshipers who invariably took home with them little model shrines as souvenirs. But it was the power of the Gospel that this trade of religious exploitation was being threatened. So Demetrius created a riot in which Paul could almost lost his life, but once again God vindicated the honor and message of his servant and a tremendous victory was won for Christ and the church in Ephesus.
Satan is not going to retreat so long as the door stands wide open, but like Paul we can say, “We are not ignorant of his devices”(II Cor. 2:11), and what is more, “The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds”(II Cor. 10:4).
Last Sunday after I preached the sermon, “A New Person in Christ” a parishioner asked me this question, “What living example if any has our pastor shown believers on how to live out the new life in Christ?” My answer to the question is this. In the past three years I have lived, taught and preached sincerely, genuinely and honestly the Gospel of Jesus Christ to you. If you still don’t see the example, may be this is the reason why the Lord wants me to continue to live, teach and preach the Gospel here for a while longer. Paul admonished his people with these words, “Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” (I Cor. 15:58.)
Amen

Sermon Synopsis
Paul worked in Ephesus for three years. God opened a door for him to stay a little longer for the work of ministry there.
I. A door of opportunity.
(1) The magnitude of the open door was great.
(2) The ministry of the open door was effective.
(3) The miracle of the open door was real.
II. A door of obligation.
(1) An individual obligation.
(2) An inescapable obligation.
III. A door of opposition.
(1) The opposition of nominal religion.
(2) The opposition of religious antagonism.
(3) The opposition of religious professionalism.

Paul admonished his people with these words, “Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.”

讲道大纲
保罗在以弗所工作了三年。上帝才为他开一道门，叫他在那里传道服务再多一段时间。
I．一道机会的门。
（1）蕴藏无限契机的门
（2）大有果效的门
（3）上帝行神迹奇事的门
II．一道义不容辞的门。
（1）个人的责任
（2）不可逃避的责任
III．一道反对的门。
（1）有名无实信徒的反对
（2）有宗教势力之人的反对
（3）迷信群众的反对

保罗决定再逗留在以弗所，做信徒的榜样。他说，"所以，我亲爱的弟兄们，你们务要坚固，不可摇动，常常竭力多作主工，因为知道你们的劳苦，在主里面不是徒然的。"

Sermon Date: 2009/1/11

2009-01-16T12:44:00.000-08:00

Sermon 1/11/09
SCRIPTURE READING: II Corinthians 5:14-19.
SERMON: New Being In Christ.
讲道题目: 新造的人
We have entered into a new year. We all wish each other a happy new year. Is happy New Year that easy to achieve? Yes as Christians we are assured by God that we can achieve it. The question is: Do you really want to be a Christian? If you do I have good news for you. The Bible said, “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new person. All old things have passed and everything is changed to new ones.”In other words, if you are a Christian, you are a new person. Your old days are gone. Everything you have will begin from scratch once again. But what are Christians who can be so assured by God? How can I become one so that I can enjoy the blessed assurance for the New Year? Before I talk about what a Christian is, I want to talk to you first of all, what a Christian is not.
1. A Christian is not any person who lives in a country founded by Christians. Canada is a country founded by people from Europe who professed themselves as Christians and not heathens. But being a Canadian does not make you a Christian.
2. A Christian is not any person who belongs or not belongs to a certain denomination. Our church belongs to a denomination called the United Church of Canada. But belonging or not belonging to the UCC has nothing to do with making you a better or worse Christian.
3. A Christian is not any person who accepts a certain creed or form of belief. It is perfectly true that Christianity, from one point of view, is a way of believing about God, about Jesus Christ and his death and resurrection of Christ, about sin and the forgiveness of sin, the Christ like life, and heaven and hell. Yet we all know how easy it is for many people to assent to all these articles of belief with their minds and repeat them with their lips, while their real character and their daily life show plainly that the spirit of Christ has never taken hold of them, never captured them.
4. A Christian is not any person who observes a certain worship format or rite. Our church performs worship services to Christians week after week on Sundays. Some are appreciative about the format while others are critical about it. Nevertheless our format does not make you a Christian. You may, like the dying thief on the cross, have none of this thing and still be a Christian. “But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man has not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.”(Romans 8:9)
5. A Christian is not any person who strives to live the good life. People can not make themselves Christians by efforts of their own, by building up a kind of reservoir of virtuous deeds, and then saying to God, “In view of all these good things I’ve done, don’t you think I deserve to be called a Christian?” “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost.”(Titus 3:5)
6. A Christian is not any person who says in his lips that he believes in Jesus. If your belief in him is just an attitude of mind or a disposition of reverence, it is never enough. The important questions are: What does your will say? Do you give yourself up to his will and his way? There are people to whom Christ must still speak the words found in Luke 6:46. “And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?”
So much has been said about what a Christian is not. What is a Christian then? My definition of a Christian is this: A Christian is a person who, realizing that he is a sinner and therefore not right with God, trusts Jesus Christ as his Savior and, united to Christ by faith, devotes himself to a life of loving obedience to God.
How does a Christian realize he is a sinner?
1. We begin with something unpleasant, something ugly. We begin with a sense of need, a feeling of failure. It may be your keenest feeling will be that of guilt. It may be that it will be a sense of unrest and a longing for peace. It may be that it will be the desire for strength to break out of the shell of an old self into the clean, open space of a new self.
2. Whatever feeling is uppermost, one thing will be true: you will see and confess that it is you—not simply your past deeds—who are wrong. You have tried to live with your thoughts, desires, and decisions as the center of your life, when all the while it is God’s thoughts, desires, and will that should be the center.
3. Where do you and I begin to be Christians? At the point where we take sides with God in what he says about us! “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.”(Romans 3:23.) “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availed anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature.”(Gal.6:15.) C.S. Lewis once said, “If I’m a field that contains nothing but grass seed, I can’t produce wheat. Cutting the grass may keep it short, but I shall still produce grass and no wheat. If I want to produce wheat, the change must go deeper down than the surface. I must be ploughed up and re-sew.” Admitting that marks the beginning of being a Christian.
How does a Christian trust Christ as his Savior?
1. The word “Gospel” means “good news.” What is there about Jesus Christ and his Cross that make good news? Telling people that they ought to try to be good is not good news. Telling people to recite the statement of faith is not good news. You give them the good news only when you stop talking about what they are to do and begin to show them what God has already done in his great mercy to provide for their salvation. “Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.”(Romans 3:24-26.)
2. God, in the death of Jesus Christ, has dealt with your sin and mind, judged it, condemned it, made atonement for it. He has borne the cost of salvation—the cost of forgiveness, the cost of cleansing, the cost of the new life he imparts—in himself. And he forever wears the scars of his sacrifice.
3. This being so, forgiveness of sins is yours if you will receive it. A new life is yours if you will take it. And faith is trusting Jesus Christ to do in you what he has already done for you.
Let us welcome the happy New Year with the blessedness of being a Christian. Confess that your need of Christ is like the need of a bankrupt businessman for new capital with which to pay off his old debts and start his business anew. Trust him as a child trusts a father into whose arms the little one jumps with laughing confidence. Begin to witness before others that you have made this choice of Christ and that henceforth and forever you belong to him. “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold all things are become new.”(2 Corinthians 5:17.) Amen.

2008-12-20T11:24:00.000-08:00

Spiritual Thought for the Week
And Mary said: “My soul glorifies the Lord and my sprit rejoices in God my Saviour.” (Luke 1:46-47)
Mary had found favour with God because she glorified the Lord and she rejoiced in God her saviour. Anyone who glorifies and rejoices in the Lord will receive reciprocal favour from God. For the Lord is the source of all blessings and favour. Apart from Him we can not get any blessings. God is searching everywhere to see if there is anyone who gives Him the glory, love, faith, fear, trust and obedience He deserves. When He finds one He blesses him/her with all His favour.
This is the difference between glorifying God and glorifying men. We like glorifying ourselves and the people and things we favour on earth. We want to find favours our way. When God gets in our ways, we ask Him to go away, so that we get what we want without His involvement. How foolish! We will never get real favours if we forget to give glory to God. The favours promised by this world are temporal. But the favour promised by God is eternal. If we trade worldly favour with God’s favour we are like picking up a piece of sand while abandoning the owner of the universe. We win a battle but lose the war.
Mary made the right choice when she said her soul glorifies the Lord. We will never glorify God enough because He deserves the most glory. We will never rejoice enough in the Lord because His joy in us will never end.

本周默想分享
马利亚说："我心尊主为大；我灵以神我的救主为乐。"（路1：46-47）
马利亚之所以成为蒙大恩和最有福的女子，是因为她的心尊主为大，她的灵以神为乐。尊重神的，神必尊重他；以神为乐的，神必使他喜乐。我们一切福乐，都在乎对神如何。因为他是一切福乐的根源，想在神以外求得甚麽，只是妄想。神不住地在那里寻找，察看有甚麽人尊他为大，以他为乐，爱他，敬畏他，信靠他，顺服他，他就把大的福分，恩典赐给他们。
这可能是人与神之间最大的差别，也是我们自己生命中最大的转折点。我们本来是尊自己为大，以世事为乐，凡事要成就我们自己的意思。想在神以外找到安乐，甚至以神为我们的拦阻，损失，这是太愚昧错误了。我们是何等渺小，怎能自尊为大呢？任何人，事，物所能给我们的是何等微小，肤浅，怎能以那些为乐呢？可能得了一些，但转眼就过去成空了。
这就要看人的智慧，正确的选择，有谁像马利亚一样，选择上好的，真实的，永恒的福乐。若是选择渺小的，短暂的，虚幻的世事与世人而丢弃神，就好像拾起一粒沙土而丢弃宇宙万有一样。但选择主的，却比得着宇宙万有还要大得无数倍的福气。
要尊主为大。无论尊他为大到甚麽程度，仍是对的。要以神为乐，无论以他为乐到甚麽地步，都不为多。他配尊为大，他也实在是人的喜乐。

2008-12-20T11:18:00.001-08:00

Spiritual Thought for the Week
Last Sunday the second Advent candle of peace was lit. Do we experience that peace as promised by Jesus’ coming? If not, we better ask ourselves why.
Jesus said, “No one who puts his hand to the plough and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.” (Luke 9:62)
Jesus’ word is both candid and scrutinizing. Let’s look at the different kinds of Christians who profess they are followers of Jesus. Some run the course diligently. Others turn back only half way through. Some follow with great determination. Others follow superficially, with their eyes looking back every now and then. There is a kind of Christians called the un-determined Christians. They expressed desire to follow the Lord. They accepted the call. They have put their hands on the plough already. But they still can not let go the past. The world’s value is still in their mind. That’s why they can not help to look back repeatedly.
People who look back are people who can not genuinely follow the Lord. What they really want are the things they possessed before they accepted the call. In other words their hearts are still tied down by the things in this life. They still love the world. Thus their vow is untrue. They are not faithful. They are deceiving God, others, and themselves. They are willing to receive what will be promised them in the future. But they are unwilling to let go of what they are possessing here at the moment. They want to enjoy the glory and rewards in heaven like all the saints do. While at the same time they want to indulge in worldly pleasures with their temporal friends. They want to fly to the sky without leaving the ground. Their minds are walking on one path while their bodies are walking on another. They want to get benefits from both paths.
Will they make it? Lord Jesus Christ tells us clearly today. No way! These people are not fit for service in the kingdom of God. Our Lord is not to be taken lightly. Our Lord is not to be deceived. No wonder even though our Lord promises he is coming, we still don’t have peace in our heart.

本周默想分享
上主日平安的将临节烛光已经燃点，您心中的平安有没有燃亮呢？倘若没有，会不会是因为我们的心仍然爱世界，一心一意爱主的平安，还没有来？
"耶稣说，手扶着犁向後看的人，不配进神的国。"（路9：62）
主耶稣说的是何等的真实，又是何等的值得我们警惕。让我们观看在基督徒的行列中有多少不同的表现和情况，有的在努力奔跑灵程，有的却转身後退了。在跟随主的人中，有的紧紧跟随，一心向前，有的表面跟从，却常向後看。这说明有一种人是心怀二意的，虽然有意跟从主，甚至已经蒙召作主工，手扶着犁了，然而他们却怀念过去，有所留恋，没有完全撇下一切所有的，世上事物仍然抓住他们的心，以致他们不能不时常回头看。
回头看的人是无心向前跟随主走道路的。他们真正所要的，仍然是蒙召前所离开的，那也就是说他们的心仍然爱世界，被今生的事所抓住。所以跟从主是假的，是不忠实的。他们在那里欺骗主，欺骗人，也欺骗自己。他们想得着将来的，却不肯舍去现今的。他们希望和其他主的门徒一样，想得到将来的荣耀和赏赐，却也希望和世人一同享受暂时的快乐。要想得着天，却不想离开地。他们的外面和里面在走两条路，想要同时得着两面的好处。
这样行不行呢？主耶稣在这里清楚地说，这样的人不配进神的国。主是不容轻慢的。主是不受欺骗的。怪不得耶稣来了有些人的心仍然没有平安。

2008-12-20T11:18:00.000-08:00

Sermon Date: 2008/12/07

2008-12-07T11:51:00.000-08:00

Sermon DATE: 2008/12/7

SCRIPTURE READING: John 16:33
SERMON: How to interpret life in light of God’s word.
讲道题目: 如何在生命中解讀神的話

I. Last week we talked about the Bible being the greatest treasure in our life. Our greatest treasure does not lie on possessions for they will deteriorate. Our greatest treasure does not come from our relationship with love ones, for love ones will depart from us one day. But the Bible will never deteriorate. The Bible is the word of God. It confirms our relationship with God which will go on long after our relationship with love ones ends. The Bible helps us to understand the meaning of our life.
The Bible is our greatest treasure that promises us life abundant. Sometimes people find a treasure chest but can’t open it because they can’t find the key. Sometimes people find the Bible but they can’t find hope and future in their life because they don’t understand the plans of God. In fact God has good plans for us. Unfortunately we don’t read His word careful enough to understand it. “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11) Today let’s talk about the key to that treasure chest. It is the way to read and understand the Bible so that we get the key to abundant life.
II. Everybody in the world wants to have life and have it more abundantly. But what does abundant life means? We Chinese look at abundant life as having health, longevity, wealth, success, filial piety from the children, benevolence to the public, contribution to the society and most importantly refrain from sickness and suffering. If you possess most or all of the above people will say you have achieved abundant life in this world. Nowadays, in order to prove the blessedness of their life people tend to show off their abundance in front of others. They want to compare and even compete with one another to show how abundant their life is. In the past people just wanted to keep up with the Jones (i.e. their neighbour’s family). Now they are not satisfied just to keep up with the Jones. They want to do better than the Jones. There is nothing wrong with being motivated by this driving incentive for proof of abundance in life. But as Christians and children of God, do we just do what others do without a nobler and Godly reason for the purpose of our existence?
We all have experienced attending to our frail sick elderly love ones at their death bed. We prayed for their restoration of health and for prolongation of their life. When they turn for the better, we praised the Lord for listening to our prayers, not knowing that as the psalmist said, no matter how long your life is, “we finish our years with a moan.” (Psalm 90:9) Our hearts go out with the new immigrant parishioners who are struggling to find jobs in this new land. We pray for them and with them to get a good job that will give them good prospect and security to settle down and bring up their family. When they get a job, we thank and praise the Lord. We say the Lord has listened to our prayers. We then continue to pray for more stability and prosperity for their life and work. Unconsciously, we pray for promotion in the job, we pray for increase in salary for the position, we pray for larger houses, we pray for more possessions… until in the end we ask for materialistic things more than any thing else. I am not saying we should not praise the Lord with parishioners who have found a good job, moved into a bigger house, have a raise in salary, or have bought a new car etc. We should thank God for them and with them. What I am saying is this. What about in times of trial and tribulations? What about the time when brothers and sisters have lost their jobs. In this time of economic depression being laid off is not something uncommon. Is it? Do we have the trust, courage, faith and enthusiasm to pray with the parishioners who have lost their job as much as we do with the parishioners who have found a good job?
III. I do not want to give you a hard time. But I have to challenge you to face some issues you are afraid to face. Although it is a taboo, yet it is a reality. How do we pray to God in faith and thanksgiving when life doesn’t seem to be giving us what we ask for? What is your take for God’s word when life seems to be overcome by suffering? I pray the Lord to give us wisdom to solve this problem by the power of His word.
1. Suffering is a reality in the world.—Since Adam sin had entered the world. All creation has to suffer and toil until this day. The result of sin is that our flesh has to perish. “Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned.” (Romans 5:12) Sin has ruined men’s body, mind and soul. It has ruined the relationship between men and men. It has ruined the environment where men live. This is the reality of our life on earth. Thank God we Christians do not live in a life that ask for refrain from sickness and suffering. We do not ask for longevity and prosperity. We ask for eternal life through our belief in Jesus as the Christ.
2. Suffering moves us to hunger and thirst for eternity.—Looking straight to the reality of suffering, we recognize in the first place that we are living in a meaningless world. If we chase after fame, it is meaningless. If we chase after health and longevity it is meaningless also. It is wise to look at the Bible which says, “Meaningless! Meaningless!” says the Teacher. “Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.” (Ecclesiastes 1:2) Here the Bible awakens us to put our focus on things that are eternal rather than things that are temporal and meaningless. God has used suffering and meaninglessness to lead us back to His eternity. That’s why the writer of Ecclesiastes said, “I have seen the burden God has laid on men. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men. I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live.” (Ecclesiastes 3:10-12)
3. Suffering enhances our relationship with God in the deepest level.—Our life should be a life of faith. It should be established after the relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ. Our relationship with Christ is founded on our experience in life which involves us with Christ’s great love and faithfulness. Upon this foundation we dedicate ourselves to him and give our best to him. Yes we usually know we have to give thanks for most everything in life. When we see beautiful sunshine, abundant supplies for our daily needs, warmth and love in the family, opportunity to work… we thank the Lord for we have experienced his love for us. Please excuse me for saying it candidly. Such experience of the love of God is only superficial. We are experiencing the Lord’s blessings but not the Lord himself. We are weak human beings. When we see our blessings have changed into something not so promising, we begin to question the Lord. When we see suffering instead of blessing is coming its way, we start to doubt the love of the Lord.
Job has a great awakening word to say in this. He said, “My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you.” (Job 42:5) Job experienced losing everything men count as the most valuable on earth—wealth, health and family. But because of the love of the Father, Job experienced the presence of God in his most difficult times. In times of his most desperate need God is with him. In times of tribulation the company of God gives us experience of the most genuine part of life. In the midst of trial and tribulations, with the experience of the Lord’s presence, we establish the faith to overcome hardship. As a result we experience the privilege of seeing God with our own eyes. This is the real blessing of staying together in the presence of the Lord.
God uses suffering to build up faith hope and love in Christians. He let them experience His grace more deeply. There we find the love of God. Like the apostle Paul who walked with God in times of trial and tribulations. He said these victorious words, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons…will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:35-39)
IV. This morning you and I are facing a big dilemma. On the one hand we envy the relationship that Job and Paul experienced. But on the other hand, we say to ourselves, “this is too much for me. I don’t think I can pass the test.”Let’s hear once again the promises that come from the Bible—the precious word of God: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28) “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.” (I Corinthians 10:13) “But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” (II Corinthians 12:9)
Jesus was preparing his disciples for the time when he would not be with them. He knew that things would be very difficult for them, and he was urging them to have faith that he would be with them always.
So much of what the disciples faced after Jesus' crucifixion is reflected in today's world.
Therefore Jesus encouraged them, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
May we all have abundant and victorious life knowing that our Lord Jesus Christ has overcome the world. Amen

Sermon Synopsis
I. The Bible helps us to understand the meaning of our life.
II. What is abundant life? Is it health, longevity, wealth, success…or is it trial and tribulations?
III. What is your take for God’s word when life seems to be overcome by suffering?
1. Suffering is a reality in the world.
2. Suffering moves us to hunger and thirst for eternity.
3. Suffering enhances our relationship with God in the deepest level.
IV. We say, “This is too much for me. I don’t think I can pass the test.” But Jesus said, “Take heart! I have overcome the world.”

信息大纲
I. 圣经帮助我们明白生命的意义。
II. 甚麽是丰盛的生命？是健康，长寿，财富，成功。。。还是试探和磨炼？
III. 当生命被痛苦所煎熬时你怎样看神的话？
1. 痛苦是世界的现实。
2. 痛苦推动我们饥渴地爱慕永恒。
3. 痛苦把我们带到与神最深层的关系。
IV. 我们说，“这个试炼太难熬了，我顶不住。”但耶稣说，“你们可以放心，我已经胜过世界了。”

Spiritual Thought for the Week 2008/12/7

2008-12-03T10:17:00.000-08:00

Spiritual Thought for the Week
Last Sunday we lit the first candle of Advent which represents hope. I wish this light brings hope to your life when you are challenged by darkness and difficulties.
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11)
When a believer encounter difficulty, it is very easy for him to doubt God’s love. May be God is giving him a hard time deliberately. God does not sympathise his hardship. God does not care his misfortune. To others God is more lenient. But to him God is harsh. In disappointment he wants to blame God. This is a big misunderstanding. Contrary to what he thinks, it is because God loves that He allows hardship to come to His children. It is because of His good will that He let tribulations to happen to His love ones. Hardship and tribulation are angels from God sent to bring grace and gifts to us. But they don’t appear to be pleasant looking. And we are scared away by them.
God has a lot of grace and blessings to bestow upon us His people. But often they come in a disguised costume. A life without trial and tribulations may not be a life with grace and rewards. Such life only leads to superficial and artificial hope. This hope promises us a world with no sins or sufferings. It causes us to think that life is not a battle ground, or a pilgrimage to the promise land. We think the earthly home is the eternal home, and that human relationships are permanent relationships. We think our ideals can be achieved and that our desires can be actualized. A person who lives such an uneventful life will never learn to see things beyond the horizon. He will not look up to the sky. He will not feel he needs God. He will grow old and die inside his self made little circle. He wastes all his life in countless meaningless days.
But God has a higher goal for us. He has a more prosperous plan in store for us. In order to make it work, He has to first of all, break down our unrealistic plans. He has to wake us up from our self deceiving dreams. He has to let us meet with apparently unfortunate happenings. In the long run He will let us discover the spiritual blessings and peace that come along in the end. He will not give us instantaneous results right a way. But He will give us the fruits of good hope and the happiness in the future. Just like Joseph who was sold to slavery in the beginning, but in the end he became the prime minister of Egypt. Similarly after tribulations a believer will find himself coming out a more mature, Godly, spiritual and instrumental person. He will be pleasing to God and useful to men. Eventually, in the heavenly kingdom, he will receive unfathomable glory and rewards.

本周默想分享
上主日当将临节代表希望的蜡烛被燃点起来的时候，您漆黑的心情有没有也被燃亮呢？它有没有把您拉近神的意念，叫您生活更有指望？
"耶和华说，我知道我向你们所怀的意念，是赐平安的意念，不是降灾祸的意念，要叫你们後来有指望。"（耶29：11）
一个受苦遭难的信徒，容易怀疑到神的爱。可能想到神故意降灾祸给他，不体贴他的困苦，不顾念他的艰难，似乎对别人还好，对自己却不留情。同时容易灰心抱怨，这实在是对神的误会，不明白父的心。正是由於他的爱，才允许苦难临到他的儿女身上，正是由於他的美意，才叫他们遭到意外的事。苦难和风波都是神的使者所带来的恩赐和礼物，可是外表看来是不受欢迎的，起初倒是觉得可怕的。
神有许多恩典和福分要赐给属他的人，但常是化装来的。毫无苦难与风浪，并不一定是恩典与赏赐，只会给人轻浮和幻觉。似乎还以为这世界并不是罪恶苦海，人生也不是战场，征途，地上的家是永久的居所，亲人是不变的关系，自己的理想是真实的，欲望是可以达到的。平安无事的人是不会想得很远的，不会仰望天，不觉需要神。他可能就这样老死在自己的小圈子里，消逝在虚度的岁月中。
但是神有更高的目的，更大的祝福，要赐给一个人。就只有打乱他的迷梦，破灭他的幻想，叫他遭遇到似乎是不幸的灾祸。其实是要赐给他真正属灵的平安，不是得到目前的利益，乃是叫他後来有指望。正如约瑟的被卖为奴，後来却成为宰相。信徒受苦之後，生命变作圣洁，成熟，敬虔，属灵，讨神的喜悦，有益於人，将来在国度和永世里，必得到无比的荣耀和赏赐。

Sermon Date: 2008/11/30

2008-11-28T10:57:00.000-08:00

Sermon DATE: 2008/11/30

SCRIPTURE READING: Psalm 119:97-105
SERMON: The most precious treasure.

We have entered into the season of Advent which is a period of four weeks of anticipation. During this period we hope for the best and prepare for the worst in the midst of darkness and desperation, knowing that the dawn of brightness and deliverance is at hand. Winter Solstice, the darkest and shortest day of the year as well as the longest and deepest night for the northern hemisphere inhabitants, is pressing on us in the next four weeks before it will leave us for the brighter happier days. US president elect Barack Obama spoke to his hopeful Americans last week. The people are anticipating for a quick recovery from the current financial stressful situation. Barack Obama said, “This situation will become worse before it will become better.” And he is right. If you look only to the dark side of the world, you will not have patience to wait for the bright days to return. If you read the news everyday only to focus on how much your possessions have depreciated in the dismay economy you may not anticipate that there will be light at the end of the tunnel. You will not be there when the happy days return.
We all have possessions in this world. Our possessions help us to sustain our life while we live here on earth. When our possessions suffer substantial depreciation with the bad economy what resource do we draw from to remain tranquil? The Bible is the answer and the wisdom. The Bible teaches us not to put too much emphasis on our possessions. The value of our houses, our RRSP, our investments, fluctuates abruptly with the stock market. But not the words that comes from the mouth of God. Earthly possessions are not reliable. But the word of God is. Although possessions provide us with security and necessities for our earthly life, the Bible on the other hand provides us with treasures that keep us wise and happy for our eternal life. The Bible teaches us at least three wisdom about our possessions:
1. Do not crave for money—“People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many grieves.”(I Timothy 6:9-10) Craving for money can either ruin us or destroy us. Gently speaking it can ruin us by piercing us with many grieves. Seriously speaking it can cause us to wander from the faith.
2. Trust that the Lord will provide—“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?”(Matthew 6:25-27) We should not rely on treasure that fluctuates. We came to this earth naked, so we will leave this earth in the same way. When we have food to eat, clothes to wear, we ought to be content.
3. Store up treasures in heaven—“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.”(Matthew 6:19-20)

As Christians and children of God, we receive gift and grace from God. We have the assurance of God’s promise of abundant life through our love, faith, and hope towards Him. However as saved Christians we have to continue our journey to sainthood. We have to ask for more blessings and strive for more abundance in the life eternal. And the way to do it, is to value the most precious treasure given to us from God—which is the Bible.
Everyone of us is seeker for the higher goal in life.—It is for this reason we migrate to north America. We study here, we work here, and we make the treasure hunt here.
1. In Matthew 13:44 Jesus said, “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.” Here Jesus tells us the kingdom of heaven is a hidden treasure. It takes a man’s determination to sell all he has to trade for it. This treasure is most valuable because the kingdom of God is the place where God’s will is done. It is the place where human beings’ ultimate blessing and hope rests. It is the place where God is to be with us. He is to be our God, we are to be his people. Jesus says the kingdom of God is in our heart. If we let the will of God be done in our heart, and let the life of our Lord Jesus Christ shine through from there, then we will find the kingdom of God there. It is worth laying down all that we have in search of this treasure. Let us pray and ask for God’s help. Through repentance and enlightenment from the Holy Spirit we receive new life and become a new being in Christ Jesus. We will seek holiness, righteousness, and love. We will bear fruits of kindness humbleness and joy. I pray the Lord to plant this seed of the kingdom in our heart. So that we will extend our root deep down into the soil, and make flower to bloom and fruit to produce above the ground.
2. Psalm 119:97-104 “Oh, how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long. Your commands make me wiser than my enemies, for they are ever with me. I have more insight than all my teachers, for I meditate on your statutes. I have more understanding than the elders, for I obey your precepts. I have kept my feet from every evil path so that I might obey your word. I have not departed from your laws, for you yourself have taught me. How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! I gain understanding from your precepts; therefore I hate every wrong path.”
a. This part describes vividly the psalmist’s attitude to the word of God. He loves God’s law. He meditates on it all day long. He treasures it in his heart. He keeps it. He obeys it. He practises it. He lives it out without infringing any part of it. As a result he becomes wiser than his enemy. He understands and observes it more readily than his elders. Thus he walks on the right path naturally. He loves what is true and hates what is false. He won’t go astray or fall out of track from the statute even when he is not conscious. Confucius not until the age of 70 said, “I am happy that after all these years of living and learning, I can now walk freely within the track, without much difficulty. 七十而從心所欲不逾舉。How lucky are the Christians who can achieve what Confucius achieved at the age of 70 by taking the word of God seriously and by believing the truth as promised in the Bible.
b. But we haven’t reached the most valuable part yet if we do not continue to read on. Let’s look at the next line. “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.”(Psalm 119:105) We are living in a world overcome by darkness. We need a lamp to our feet. We need a light for our path so that we know and see which way we are going. We need the light of life to show the direction. Lacking faith sometimes, we can not see that light, not to mention finding the right direction. How do we find that light? I pray that brothers and sisters will pray with me. Together we treasure the word of God like the psalmist did. Together we learn to obey the Bible which gives us directions. Together we take the lamp to our feet and light for our path to discern right from wrong on our path way through this dark world.
Recently, one of our brothers shared with me how the word of God helped him to walk on the right path. Like what most people do, this brother puts his savings in stocks and bonds. When the stock market melt down he suffered considerable loss just like everybody else. Two months ago Dow Jones index reached 9,000 points. One of the world famous investors gave advice to the public and said this is the best time for stock exchange investors. When stock market re-bounces, it is opportunity for investors to make money. The former Hong Kong minister of finance Mr. Liang Jin Song 梁錦松 also said this was the golden time for people who would like to take advantage of the bottom speculation. On hearing the news, this brother’s heart was moved. He wanted to gain back what he had lost in the last transaction. He said to himself, “If I can get back what I lost, I will give more to the Lord in thanksgiving. Wouldn’t it be nice to both God and me?” Thank God on the next morning while he was doing his morning devotion he read I Timothy 6:9-10. “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many grieves.” The word of God gave this brother great enlightenment. He controlled himself within the bounds of righteous living. He retained himself in pious and Godly life. He did not fall into the trap of greed. The word of God is not an empty saying. It is a practical guiding light for our life.

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ. Do you know what your most valuable possession in life is? It is not your money. It is not your worry about money in this world wide financial difficult times. It is the Bible which is the living word of God.

Spiritual Thought for the Week 2008/11/30

2008-11-27T09:42:00.000-08:00

Spiritual Thought for the Week
The past Sunday was the last Sunday in the church calendar year. It was called Christ the king Sunday. It helps us to reflect on what we have learned from attending worship week after week throughout the whole year. Have we grasped the blessing as promised us in the Bible-- to reign with Him?
“If we endure, we will also reign with Him” (II Timothy 2:12)
Men from ancient times had tried hard and wanted to be kings. They press on to their quest. They fight against a lot of hardship. They strive with all their might. Eventually many failed bitterly. A few got what they wanted by paying a high price. Some would even pay what ever the cost through unjust means. The glory of being a king is the envy of everybody though not everybody is entitled to that privilege. Even if one manages to be king, how long can his glory last?
In the Bible, we realize that all believers have the promise and possibility to be kings. All the redeemed have the right and reign as kings. (Revelation 5:10, 20:6). There are some requirements and qualifications though which apply to those who actually reign and assume power. Like the loyalty and faithfulness of the servant as in Luke 19:17; or the ability to drink Christ’s cup and receive Christ’s baptism as in Mark 10:37,38; or the ones who were the only victors as in Revelation 2:20, 3:21.
Paul in today’s passage says, if we endure, we will also reign with Him. Endure means we persevere in all trials and tribulations. We carry out God’s will until the very end. This is not easy. But this is the condition we must meet. We have to trust God and get help from Him. Otherwise we can never endure to the end.
Since beginning of Christian tradition, many believers can endure pain, hardship, danger, persecution. They wouldn’t say one word of complain. They did not feel self pity. They wouldn’t run from trial. They welcome the cross. They would rather be put in jail, be mocked or beaten to bleed than to betray their Lord. Just like what is described in Hebrews. Some faced jeers and flogging, while still others were chained and put in prison. They were stoned; they were sawed in two; they were put to death by the sword. They went about in sheepskin and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated—the world was not worthy of them. (Hebrew 11:36-40) These are the people who will reign with Christ the king.

本周默想分享
上主日是教会年历最後一个主日称为基督为王主日，提醒我们在教会里崇拜生活又过了一年，我们在灵命长进上有甚麽体会？我们有没有把握圣经的应许，与基督一同作王呢？
"我们若能忍耐，也必和他一同作王。"（提後2：12）
古时人想作王，不知要费多少心血，经历多少艰辛，作多少努力。而且不容易成功，常是极大的危险，还多是不义的企图和妄想。然而作王的荣耀，却是人人都羡慕，但不是每个人可得的，而且世上的王能作多久呢？
在圣经中我们都看到，对於每个信徒来说，都有作王的应许和可能，一切被救赎的人都有作王的的权利（启5：10，20：6）。不过实际作王，掌权，却还有一定的条件和资格的。就如主有关神国的比喻，根据仆人的忠心和工作，而决定他们掌权的範围（路19：17）。坐在主的左右边的，必须能喝主所喝的杯，受主所受的洗（可10：37，38）。在启示录的七封信中，也讲到唯有得胜的，才能与主同坐宝座和得权柄治服列国（启2：20，3：21）。
这里保罗说，我们若能忍耐，也必和他一同作王。忍耐是指我们在一切苦难中有心忍受，遵行神的旨意到底，这并不容易。然而是作王所必须的条件，要靠主追求，才能达到此目的。
自古以来，多少圣徒宁愿忍受极多的痛苦，艰难，危险，磨练，而始终不发怨言，不会自怜，不愿逃避，而是欢迎十字架，宁受监禁之苦，甚至受羞辱，被践踏到全身流血为止。正像希伯来书上所说的，他们忍受戏弄，鞭打，捆锁，监禁等各种的磨炼。披着绵羊，山羊的皮各处奔跑，受穷乏，患难，苦害，在旷野，山岭，山洞，地穴，漂流无定，本是世界不配有的人（来11：36-40）。这些人就是将来要与主一同作王的人。

Sermon DATE: 2008/11/23

2008-11-23T11:33:00.000-08:00

Sermon DATE: 2008/11/23

SCRIPTURE READING: Colossians 2:6-10
SERMON: How to be rooted in Him
讲道题目: 怎樣在祂里面生根

1．When the Taliban leader challenged the US president elect Barack Obama by saying he has betrayed his African roots which traced back from the Muslim tradition, he was ignorant about what Christ can do to Barack Obama, a born again Christian. Our church’s theme for this year is, “Rooted and built up in Him”. What does that mean? It means as born again Christians we have to die and be buried with Christ. Paul said, “For you have died, and your life is hid with Christ in God.” (Col. 3:3) Jesus also said, “I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.” (John 12:24) Christ died, he was buried, but on the third day He rose. Similarly if we die with him, buried and rooted in Him, we are born again when he rises.
2．When a Catholic monk entered into the Benedictine order, he went through a ritual which signified his passage of dying and being born again with Christ. On that occasion he prostrated himself before the altar of the chapel in the very spot where his coffin will be set when he dies. Covered in a funeral pall, the death bell that tolls at the earthly parting of a brother sounded the solemn gongs of death. Then there was silence—the silence of death. The silence of the gathered community was broken by the singing of the Colossian word: “For you have died, and your life is hid with Christ in God” (Col. 3:3). After that powerful word, there was more silence as the monk reflected on his solemn vow. Then the community broke into song with the words of Psalm 118, which is always a part of the Easter liturgy in the Benedictine community: “I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the Lord” (Ps. 118:17). After this resurrection proclamation, the deacon shouted the word from Ephesians: “Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will give you light” (Eph. 5:14). Then the bells of the Abbey rang loudly and joyfully, the monk rose, the funeral pall fell off, and the robe of the Benedictine order was placed on him. He received the kiss of peace and was welcomed into the community to live a life “hid in Christ.” This great liturgy of death and resurrection is a symbolic re-enactment of the Christian experience. Paul gave powerful witness to this experience when he said: I have been crucified with Christ; I am now alive in him.
3．To be a Christian is to change, to become new. It is not simply a matter of choosing a new life style; it has to do with being a new person. The new person does not emerge full-blown. Conversion, passing from life to death, may be the miracle of a moment, but the making of a saint—presenting oneself perfect in Christ—is the task of a lifetime. The dynamic process of saint-making is to work out in fact what is already true in principle. In position, in our relation to God in Jesus Christ, we are new persons. Now our condition, the actual life that we live, must be brought into harmony with our new position.
Two things happened in the fall, and in our own fall: 1. we became estranged from God; 2. His image within us was broken, distorted, defaced.
Two things happen in our salvation: 1. we are reconciled to God; our estrangement is dissolved by the justifying grace of God in the cross of Jesus. Our status is changed; we become friends of God, accepted by Him as though we were without sin. 2. There is the recreation of the image of God in the life of the believer.
Nothing less than a new creature “perfect in Christ Jesus” (Col. 1:280, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness” (Eph. 4:24), renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him” (Col. 3:10) is the aim.
Paul uses a striking word to describe our new life in Christ—that word used in the liturgy of the Benedictine monk’s commitment. “For you have died, and your life is hid with Christ in God” (3:3). A number of sentences in Colossians 2 and 3 combine to add to the powerful impact of this image. You have “died” with Christ and have been “buried” with Him in baptism (2:12). You were also “raised” with Him through faith in the working of God (2:12). God “has made” you alive together with Him” (2:13); you have been raised with Christ” (3:1).
A dramatic reality has been accomplished here. It is a settled fact that we are dead with Christ. There is no question we are risen with Him. We have died to all Christ died to; we are raised to all He was raised to. We now have to live out in practice what has already happened in fact.
The Christian is a new person united with Christ. The two overwhelming events through which Jesus passed into the power of an endless life were death and resurrection. Those who are united with Him must reproduce in their personal spiritual histories these two events. To be in and with Christ is to be identified with Him in death and resurrection. That is what it means to live a life “hidden with Christ in God”.
4．But what does that mean in our empirical life situation? It means this. Sometimes in our life there are such things called doubt, fear, despair and resignation. They are very real things. But they are the things Jesus died to for us. The opposite of these are the things Christ was raised to for us.
Melissa Fung a CBC journalist was kidnapped in Afghanistan for 28 days before she got finally released. After the event, everybody say she is intelligent, positive and tranquil. In the interview afterwards when asked how she could make it through the ordeal, she answered, “I know I am not going to die. I said to myself, dying is not an option here. Help is on the way.” Doesn’t Melissa have fear, doubt, despair and resignations as we all do when tribulation comes? Yes. But Melissa said she prayed with the Rosary to Mary and Jesus all the time. The fact is that Christ has destroyed the power of sin—together with its link to fear, doubt, despair and resignation… Now, sharing in the death of Christ, she reckon herself dead to sin, and is empowered to become what she potentially is. Let me say that again. Sharing in the death of Christ, we reckon ourselves dead to sin, and are empowered to become what we potentially are.
5．Rev. Maxie Dunnam in one of his e-sermon dynamic preaching testimonies tells about how one of his parishioners witnessed the power of Christ in the following letter:
“Dear Maxie: I am writing you this to let you know I heard your sermon on Christmas. God has done a great miracle for me everyday. This past fall I attempted suicide. I thought life was not worth living and that I had no purpose for being alive. But since then I have had people come forward and tell me how I have shown them to go on when things get tough. They have told me I have courage that many people don’t have. And these people knew nothing about my attempted suicide. And God has given me friends that each day watches out for me. I still don’t know why I am here but I know that God has a plan and a purpose for me or else He would have let me die this past fall. He would also not have sent friends to me that told me they love me and that I make a difference in their lives. So I thank God for working a miracle in my life by saving it and for giving me the miracle of friends. So God does exist and He does come through when you need Him the most. I had rather not leave my name, but I am a Christian that is fighting for life with the help of God. The past is dead, the future is alive—and I praise God!”
To live a life hidden with Christ in God means we are united in Christ’s death.
How to be rooted and built up in Him? We do that by living a life hidden with Christ in God.

Amen

Spiritual Thought for the Week 2008/11/23

2008-11-18T16:56:00.000-08:00

Spiritual Thought for the Week
Last week in the pulpit I talked about the gift of giving. This week let us explore this gift deeper in light of Abraham’s story.
“I swear by myself, declares the Lord, that because your have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore.”(Genesis 22:16-17)
When God tested Abraham by asking him to offer Isaac up as a sacrifice, He was giving out a test as well as a great revelation. He foretold He would give his only begotten son to sacrifice for our sake and at the same time He expected us to do the same for Him. He did not want blemished or second best offering. He wanted only the best and the dearest ones from our hearts. He wanted to know if we would be willing to give up our most dearly beloved persons or things to Him. God did not just pick anyone to test. He let only those who loved Him, respected Him and belonged to Him to take the test. When God had favour on a certain person, He chose him to take the test so that he had a chance to show his love and affection to God.
The offering of Abraham’s only son is an example to show that human beings can give to God. And they should give to an extant like Abraham. Some believers think themselves as doing God a great favour by giving or sacrificing some little things that they have. In fact this is not giving God the honour due Him. God deserves our total love, our total surrender, our total giving. No matter how much we give, it is still not enough compared to what God gives us. Some believers give little to God but expect God to give them much in return. No matter how much God gives them in return they say God is not giving them enough. They say God owe them much. This is not only foolish but also ungrateful.
When Abraham gave, he never expected God to give him much in return. Nevertheless eventually he got rewards more than hundreds of thousands of times pay off. By willingness to give up one son, he got descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Therefore, let us not be afraid to give God too much, too expensive, too dear a sacrifice. God will never under pay us. Let us give of our time, energy, will, mind and everything dear in our life. As long as it makes God happy we will give it to God. Do you have anything so precious or anyone so dear that you can not let go and offer them to God? You need to give them up now! You need to do it today.

本周默想分享
上週講道我提到甘心奉獻本身就是一種恩賜。本週讓我們再從亞伯拉罕甘心奉獻的事蹟，得到蒙福的亮光。
“耶和華說，你既行這事，不留下你的兒子。就是你獨生的兒子，我便指著自己起誓說，論福，我必賜大福給你，論子孫，我必叫你的子孫多起來。”（創22：16，17）
當神試驗亞伯拉罕，叫他獻上獨生子以撒的時候，是一次極大的試驗，也是一次極大的啟示。這不但預表神將他自己的獨生子為我們捨了，也說明神對信他的人所發出同樣的的要求和期望。他不喜歡不好的，或次好的，乃是喜歡唯一的，上好的，我們最心愛的。他要看人究竟肯不肯，捨不捨得。神這要求不是對隨便一個人的要求，乃是對屬神，敬神，愛神之人才有的要求。神看重那個人，就給他這種試驗和機會好讓他能表現他對神的心意。
亞伯拉罕獻獨生子的事，說明人是可以，而且應當對神奉獻。人要敬愛，順服神到如此地步。有的信徒認為奉獻一點錢，為神做一點事，放棄某些利益，已經是了不起，足夠有餘了。這實在是不尊重神，以為神就值得他們那一點的奉獻，那一點的愛戴。神是值得我們完全的奉獻，完全的愛。獻多少，獻甚麼，都不會太過，而是不夠不足的。可是有些信徒奉獻很少，卻想從神那裏得很多。神給他們幾多都不滿足，好像是神欠了他們的，這不但是太愚昧，也是太忘恩了。
亞伯拉罕在奉獻的時候，雖沒有指望得到神的賞賜和報答，然而結果卻得到千萬倍的賞賜和報答。捨去一個兒子，得到如天上的星星，海邊的沙那樣無數的子孫。所以讓我們不要怕奉獻給神太多，太寶貴，太心愛了。神絕不會虧待愛他的人。讓我們把光陰，精力，意志，理性，以及我們所有寶貴的東西，只要是神所喜歡的都完完全全地獻給他吧。你現在有甚麼東西或心愛的人不肯獻給神嗎？應當立刻擺上，並且在今天行動。

Spiritual Thought for the Week 2008/11/16

2008-11-18T16:51:00.000-08:00

Spiritual Thought for the Week
Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me.”
In this world we have many relationships with people, things and events. Some are so close to us that we can not let go. They occupy our thought, our life, and our time. However, they are no big deals. They can be changed and lost any moment and can cause us stress, trouble and misery. They create so much pain that we ought to let go of them without any regret.
Only Jesus’ relationship with us is reliable. His relationship with us is like that of a good shepherd and his sheep. It will never change. This relationship is deeper and closer than any kind of worldly relationships. In fact all other relationships come into being because of Jesus. All the principles, arrangement and placement of relationship lie under the deployment of Jesus. If Jesus wants it change and perish, it would be gone and have no trace of existence.
Therefore our main duty and concern in life is to have good relationship with Jesus. If we do that well, other things will fall into place. If we do not make it right with Jesus, everything else will have problem. Yes, only Jesus is my good shepherd. He knows me and I know him. He is the only God in the whole world that matters to me.
How I wish I can be released from all the earthly relationships; the fight between humans; and the trivial happening of events. For all these things will come to pass. All the unresolved problems will be over. Only our relationship with Christ remains the same in this life and in the life to come. There is nothing that can separate our relationship with the Lord. There is nothing that can separate us from his love. For this love is in our Lord Jesus Christ. (Romans 8:38-39). We have to take this relationship seriously. Let's treasure it; maintain it; and grow in it deeply.

本周默想分享
耶稣说：我是好牧人。我认识我的羊，我的羊也认识我。
在世界上与我们有关系的人，事，物很多，有的似乎很密切，放不下，离不开，缺不了，不住地占据着我们的思想，生活，时间。然而那一切并不是真的有甚麽了不起的关系，不可分解的关系，其实是没有真正常存的意义。因为都可以随时发生变化失去的，以致那些关系成为重担，麻烦，痛苦，所以就是那些关系改变了，解散了，也不足可惜。
只有耶稣与我们的关系，好像好牧人与羊的关系，才是真正永远不改变的，这种关系比世上任何的关系更深，比任何的事物更近。实在说来，其他一切的关系，也是由耶稣而来。是由耶稣所规定，安排，赐给的，都是附属在与耶稣的关系里，甚麽时候耶稣要是改变，消逝，就变得无影无踪，毫不存在了。
所以唯一的责任和目标，是保持和耶稣有正当美好的关系，其他问题就解决了，和耶稣的关系不对，别的也会出问题。啊！真的，只有耶稣是我的好牧人，他认识我，我认识他，他是那唯一与我有关系的神。但愿能割断一切属地的关系，人间的纠缠，世事的烦琐。不必为任何人，事的关系操劳，烦恼，因为早晚都要完全解除，脱离，只有和主的的关系是确定不变的，今生不变，永远不变。也没有任何事物能使我们与主的关系改变，正如谁也不能使我们与他的爱隔绝一样，这爱是在我们的主基督耶稣里的（罗8：38，39）。我们要极其珍重，保守，加深与主的关系。

Spiritual Thought for the Week 2008/11/9

2008-11-05T06:12:00.000-08:00

Spiritual Thought for the Week
Last week a parishioner wrote me an email which he circulated to others. He asked if I supported the “liberal theological stand” or not. He wanted just a yes or no answer. When I tried to explain my position, he said, “No, Rev. Chan you have still not answered my question. Just say yes or no!” Having no other resort but this opportunity I am now using this column to answer to his question in a serious and honest way. I do not belong to the liberals, but the liberals belong to me. Just like I do not belong to the evangelicals, but the evangelicals belong to me. As a United Church minister I know the United Church does not belong to the liberals but the liberals belong to it. Just as the United Church does not belong to the evangelicals, but the evangelicals belong to it.
As Christians, we do not say we have to be loyal to any sects or to declare faithfulness to any persons. We only need to be loyal to our Lord and remain faithful to him. Colossians 1:10 said, “And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way.” Christians have a fundamental principle in life. It is to live a life worthy of the Lord, and please him in every way. Because we belong to the Lord, we are beneficiary of his great salvation and grace. We no longer belong to ourselves. We no longer belong to any other persons. We do not owe anybody anything. We do not have to please anyone other than the Lord. Often times we get misunderstood by others. But even then we can bear the injustice because we know we are doing it for the Lord. To live a life worthy of the Lord should be our number one concern. It is also our duty and our call.
Therefore no matter what work we are doing, the first thing we have to ask is thus. Is this worthy of the Lord? Is this worthy of His name? Can this bring glory to the Lord? Do we live a life that pleases the Lord? Have we made Him happy? Do not ask I ought to do this, I ought to do that! Can I do this? Can I do that? Especially do not ask, “How would people think if I do this?” What we need to ask first of all is to ask the Lord who loves us. What does He think? Does He think this is right?
We do know what He thinks because we have the Bible that teaches us, and we have the Holy Spirit that anoints us. If it makes the Holy Spirit worry, it is the thing we can not do. Though it seems not a big deal—like following the mob and doing foolish things that hamper unity. Or it may be things that people say it won’t hurt to do. But when we know it doesn’t please the Lord, we should not do it. If we do not live a life that is worthy of the Lord, and pleasing in His sight, how can we stand in front of Him when we have to meet Him face to face one day? Not to mention we lose communication with Him here and now. What a great pity it is to live in disconnection with the Lord. Our heart will have no peace or joy. And we will have to be disciplined by Him sooner or later. Live a life that is worthy of the Lord. We are not living under whatever doctrines, traditions, rites and rules we find in the church. We are not declaring whatever theological stands, preaching, ideology, school of thoughts we find in the seminary. We are serving a true and living Lord. What matter most is to live a life worthy of Him and please Him in every way.

本週默想分享
上週有一位教友用公開的電郵信件問我一個問題，要我明確的表態。他說，“陳牧師你支不支持自由派神學的立場？”他堅持地說他只想知我說，‘是’或‘不是’，我說其他解釋的話，他都說我沒有回答他的問題。我沒有辦法，只有用這個地方嚴肅和謹慎地回答他。我不屬於自由派，但自由派是屬於我的。正如我不屬於福音派，但是福音派是屬於我的一樣。作為聯合教會的牧師，我知道聯合教會不屬於自由派，也不屬於福音派，但自由派是屬於它的，正如福音派也是屬於它的一樣。作為基督徒，我們不能說我要效忠於甚麼派別，要對得起甚麼人。我們只需要效忠於主，對得起主。歌羅西書1章10節說，“好叫你們行事為人對得起主，凡事蒙他喜悅。”基督徒有一個基本行事為人的原則，就是要對得起主，凡事蒙祂喜悅。因為我們是屬主的人，蒙了主極大的恩典和拯救，我們不再是屬自己的人，也不是屬乎別人，不欠任何人的債，也不要討任何人的喜悅，除非是為了主的緣故，受了委屈，也無所謂。怎樣做才能對得起主，是我們第一要考慮的事，也是我們唯一的責任和本分。
所以我們做任何事，要問一問是不是對得起主，與主的名相稱嗎？能夠使主得榮耀嗎？我們行事為人是叫主喜悅嗎？讓主心滿意足嗎？不管我們自己覺得應不應該，可不可以，也不管別人以為如何，首先的是要問愛我們的主。祂的意思如何？祂看為是對的嗎？
我們是可以知道的，因為不但有聖經明文的教訓，我們裏面也有恩膏的教訓。若叫聖靈擔憂，那就不能做，即或不是甚麼罪，如盲從附和，人云亦云的去搞分裂。或者人以為你沒有錯，但我們知道主不喜悅，就不應當做。我們若行事為人對不起神，不討祂的喜悅，將來怎能見他呢？就是現在失去和主的交通，也是極為可惜。心中必沒有平安喜樂，而且還要受主的管教。行事為人要對得起主。我們不是守甚麼教條，傳說，禮儀，規矩，也不是對待甚麼道理，講論，組織，制度，乃是一位又真又活的主，對得起祂，討祂喜悅。

Spiritual Thought for the Week 2008/11/2

2008-10-28T18:06:00.000-07:00

Spiritual Thought for the Week
As I was approaching the end of my medical leave, I had a preparatory meeting with the brothers and sisters in the church council. They asked me a question, “Rev. Chan, we don’t know why you got sick, and you left us just like that. Now you are back and we don’t know what we can do for you!” I said, “You do not need to do anything for me. You only need to listen to God and do the job for Him.” For the Lord had given us a job, while he found no one to do it he was appalled. It was recorded in Ezekiel 22:30 thus: “I looked for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found none.”
The issue is not because God does not have a mission for us. The issue is because God can not find us willing to do the job. Many of us like to build high towers and walls. But few of us like to do the job of filling the gaps and repairing the walls. Many people want to speak on a high platform. But few are willing to intercede for others and bow down before the Lord. Yet, these are the people God has been looking for. He wants to find people who intercede for the land so that God will not destroy it.
To finish a big project like building a new city is not something anyone can do. But to repair the wall and fill the gap is a job you and I can do. To speak eloquently in front of a congregation may be something only great preachers can do. But to pray for others before the Lord is something you and I can do. In fact this is one of the most significant, accomplishable and effective jobs we are supposed to do. You can not say you don’t find any such job in our church! Can you? Look at the life and work in our church; the life and work of our brothers and sisters at home, in schools and in the offices; have we bore good Christian witness to others… has God’s name been glorified in our deeds…these are some of the things we can pray for one another before the Lord.
God is searching for people like these to do the job. Who is willing to do this job? This job costs time and commitment. But the pay off is great. It involves the everlasting value of eternity. So if you want to work and find out there is not much work opportunity out there. Come here, there is a lot of work opportunities. If you see no prospect in the job you do. Come here. There is great prospect that promises you bright future. Come and share your joy with the Lord. You can come and have intercessory prayer for the church, for our ministry, for brothers and sisters; for believers and non believers. With your petition and supplications you see how God will bestow his grace upon us, works on his mighty act and accomplishes his good will for us.
Do we have a gap to fill and a wall to repair in this church? Oh yes, we do. Not only that we have one, we have many that need our attention. If we have gaps to fill and not fill them. They will grow bigger and bigger as days go by. This will create weak points and unprotected spots for Satan to launch attacks on. We put up considerable amount of time to care for our families and love ones. But who care for the house of God? Who care for the work of the kingdom? God is perplexed when he see his people have no one who cares, no one who do intercession for others. And the consequence is detrimental. “So I will pour out my wrath on them and consume them with my fiery anger, bringing down on their own head all they have done, declares the Sovereign Lord.” Ezekiel 22:31
The Lord is looking for someone who will watch and pray for others. Are you willing to do this job?

本週默想分享
在我病癒之後，第一次與堂會弟兄姊妹開會的時候，他們問我，“陳牧師，我們不知道你為甚麼突然因病告假，你現在回來了，我們也不知道我們能做甚麼來幫助你。”我說，“你們不需要做甚麼來幫助我，你們只須要聽神的話，願意做神要你們做的工作就成了。”神已經在聖經上說過嚴厲的話：“我要尋找一人重修牆垣，在我面前為這國站在破口防堵。。。，卻找不著一個。”（結22：30）
神不是沒有使命和工作，乃是找不到一人肯作，願意作。許多人願意建築高大的城樓，卻不願意修堵破口。許多人願意在人面前居高談論，卻不願意在神面前俯伏代求。然而這正是神所要尋找的人，要作的工。
我們要作大的工，造一個新的城，可能是辦不到。但修理墻垣，堵住破口卻有可能作成。我們在人面前講，可能機會不多，但到神前代禱卻常可實行。其實這是更重要，更有把握和效果的工作。難道神今天沒有墻垣修補嗎？沒有破口可堵嗎？神的家是什麼情況，神的兒女們是什麼光景，神的見證在那裏表明，神的榮耀在那裏顯出。。。你們都應該比我更清楚你們要為教會代求的事。
神現在就是尋找這樣的人，有誰願意作這樣的工作呢？是要付出代價的，然而卻是有永恒價值的。所以當我們有心為主工作，而沒有機會的時候，這裏有極多的機會。沒有出路的時候，這是更好的出路。到神那裏去吧！與神同樂，為我們的教會，為許多信徒來獻上代禱，祈求，讓神賜下恩典，顯出大能，成就祂的旨意。今天我們的教會破口不但有，而且很多，若不堵住，會越來越大。撒但就有更多藉口攻擊我們，欺騙我們。我們都顧念自己的家，想自己的事。有誰以神家的事為念，為神的國勞苦呢？神見無人拯救，無人代求，甚為詫異。“所以我將惱恨倒在他們身上，用烈怒的火滅了他們，照他們所行的，報應在他們頭上。這是耶和華說的。”（結22：31）
神要尋找守望代求的人，你肯去嗎？

Sermon 2008/10/26

2008-10-28T08:52:00.000-07:00

Sermon 2008/10/26
SCRIPTURE READING: Psalm 96:1-6
SERMON: Eight things I love about this church
講道題目: 我愛這禮拜堂的八個原因

On this church anniversary Sunday, it is most appropriate to ask ourselves why I love this church.. For me there are eight things I love about this church.
1. God’s strength is found in our sanctuary—When ever I enter the sanctuary I feel the strength of God working in my spirit. Strength is power in action.. Strength which is found in our sanctuary is the power of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit makes us understand the Bible. The Holy Spirit makes us understand who Jesus Christ is. The Holy Spirit makes us understand the meaning of the Holy Sacrament celebrated here. The Holy Spirit works in the heart of each individual member, and making each believer a living stone. He unites and builds up these living stones until the whole grow into a holy temple of the Lord.
2. God’s beauty is enjoyed in our sanctuary—When ever I come to our church I can sense beauty in the sanctuary also. Like King David said in Psalm 96:6, “Strength and beauty are in His sanctuary. There is beauty in the sanctuary as well as strength. What is this beauty? Beauty is the abstract term to denote any resemblance of grace. It is used in the Bible to signify holiness. It is constantly associated with that word as the human expression of divine perfection. For holiness is but another name for wholeness, and signifies that to which nothing can be added, but which blends in itself all moral perfection in its utmost harmony and completeness. Holiness is God’s beauty, and when we pray with the writer of the 90th Psalm, “Let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us,” we pray that God may be present with us in his holiness, and impart to us the blessings which result from that holiness. So when we say, “Strength and beauty are in his sanctuary,” we mean by the term “beauty” to declare that God’s holiness—the perfection and glory of the divine Being—is to be seen and enjoyed in his sanctuary.
3. The Bible is the center of our belief.--I find a Bible placed at the center of our sanctuary. It reminds us that our church is built from a belief that God speaks to us. We come here to hear God speaks. This is a house where one comes to listen to God. This is a fundamental doctrine of our faith—that God speaks to us. Our church testifies to that.
4. We have an organ, hymn books, a choir and a place to pray here—That means our church testifies to the complimentary fact that not only does God speak to us, but also we can speak to God. This is a place where we can come, and out of our joy and prosperity praise God, or out of our sorrow and adversity call upon him for comfort and strength. Here we can confess our sins to our Father or can ask him for the wisdom that is not of this world. This church is an eloquent testimony to the fact that we can speak to God and that God will hear and answer.
5. We have a pulpit –We testify to the fact that there is a Gospel in this world. Our pulpit means, not a study about truth, but a message from the truth, which is something to be proclaimed, a gospel. Our church testifies to the reality of this gospel. It might be summed up thus: God the Eternal Father; we his children; we are meant for God; God loving us and saving us when he departs from the Father; Christ the means of this salvation, bring grace and life from God freely to all mankind; the life, the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ the revelation of the eternal heart of God and the goal of mankind; the immortality of the soul; the coming of the kingdom of God whose law is love and service; the final brotherhood of mankind. These are the things I treasure in my pulpit.
6. We have a communion table—While Catholic churches have an elaborate altar, our church has a table. But whatever it is, it is a sign of the presence of Christ. When we gather about this table we expect to meet Christ face to face. Christ is there. This communion is always a testimony to the present Christ. We are a testimony to the world of the living Christ. Our Christ is not a dead prophet who wonderfully taught and beautifully lived and heroically died in Palestine; but he is the triumphant, living Christ, the eternal companion of our way to Emmaus, the One who is alive forevermore.
7. We have a Sunday School—We meet on Sunday mornings to study the truth. We have children and adults who meet to study the Word of God. This means our church is dedicated to the truth.
8. We are an assembly of God’s people—We the people are the real church, the organized body of believers—not the building, but the souls within the building. The little flock which has built the church building has dedicated ourselves to the service of the world. Our church exists to serve the world from the strength and beauty in our sanctuary. Our church stands for service. Our church will begin with the neighbourhood. We will try to reproduce ourselves throughout the whole community. We will touch every interest of the community—physical, as well as spiritual. We will address ourselves to poverty, intemperance, vice, corruption of all sorts. Our boys and girls, our men and women are all our brothers and sisters (even the foreigners) and we will welcome them and care for them all. With God’s help we will make it.

These are the reasons why I love this church. And these are also the reasons why I know this church loves me. During the time of my infirmity the devil tried hard to talk me into not loving this church. But I rebuked the devil by telling him I love this church and this church loves me. No one can separate me from the love of God revealed in this church. Praise the Lord I won my battle over the devil. I hope you all can win the same battle too when the devil tempts you not to love this church.
Amen

A Synopsis of the message
On this church anniversary Sunday, it is most appropriate to ask ourselves why I love this church.. For me there are eight things I love about this church.
1. God’s strength is found in our sanctuary
2. God’s beauty is enjoyed in our sanctuary
3. The Bible is the center of our belief
4. We have an organ, hymn books, a choir and a place to pray
5. We have a pulpit
6. We have a communion table
7. We have a Sunday School
8. We are an assembly of God’s people
These are the reasons why I love this church. And these are also the reasons why I know this church loves me. During the time of my infirmity the devil tried hard to talk me into not loving this church. But I rebuked the devil by telling him I love this church and this church loves me. No one can separate me from the love of God revealed in this church. Praise the Lord I won my battle over the devil. I hope you all can win the same battle too when the devil tempts you not to love this church.

信息大綱
在堂慶主日的今天，我們要問“是甚麼東西使我愛這禮拜堂？”
1. 在這裏我找到神的力量
2. 在這裏我找到神的榮美
3. 聖經是我們信仰的中心
4. 我們可以唱詩祈禱神
5. 我們可以聽到神的道
6. 我們可以守聖餐
7. 我們可以參加主日學
8. 我們知道自己是被神的愛所呼召出來的子民
正是這些原因，使我愛這禮拜堂，也使這禮拜堂愛我。魔鬼常常用謊言欺騙我，說：“你不配愛這禮拜堂，這禮拜堂也不會愛你。” 但我對牠說：“我愛這禮拜堂，這禮拜堂也愛我。你不能把我和禮拜堂的愛分開。”各位親愛的弟兄姊妹，倘若您遇到魔鬼給你這樣的試探，請您能夠像我一樣，有相同的決心和信心，把魔鬼趕走。

Spiritual Thought for the 2008/10/19

2008-10-16T18:16:00.000-07:00

Spiritual Thought for the Week
Four months ago I fell ill and had to rest at home. People asked me, “What have you been doing at home for so long?” I told them, “I have been praying in my home everyday.” I prayed for all of you; I prayed for the church; I prayed for myself. In the prayers God told me you guys were praying for me also. The church had been praying for me too. I heard God telling me through the Bible as recorded in Acts 12:5 that “So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him.”
God often puts his children and servants in difficult situations. The situations become so miserable that we find there is no way to go except the way to prayer. There is no one to turn to except to turn to our Father God. There is no strength we can rely on but the strength of our Creator.
Therefore no matter how unbearable the hardship; no matter how unfair life treats us; no matter how unjust the world has been to us, if we care enough to come before the Lord on our knees, problems will turn to solutions; impossibilities will turn to possibilities again. Solutions and possibilities often come by way of either one of the two following scenarios: 1. When we pray ourselves as in the case of Paul and Silas praying in the prison cell as recorded in Acts 16:25-26, “About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everybody’s chains came loose.” 2. When others pray for us through intercession on our behalf. Like Peter’s miraculo0us escape from prison as recorded in Acts 12:5-6. “So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him. The night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries stood guard at the entrance. Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared” to lead him out of prison… And the rest was history. Prayers are never said in vain when they are said in earnest trust and belief. The church during Peter’s imprisonment was praying earnestly for Peter. Prayers have to be said earnestly. Otherwise you won’t see the obvious result. For if you pray earnestly, it means you are not only desperately in need of help, but you are also in sheer reliance that God will deliver you. You know His power and His might will prevail in the end.
Hardship to a believer is like good medicine to his soul. It pushes him to come before God. There is no help at hand except the help of prayer. There is no one to call upon except to call upon God. It is then time to bring us closest to God. We will then see the priceless value of prayer. When we are alone with God, and free from the entanglement of the world and human relationships, we find life’s new possibility, and we see God never so real revealing himself to us. So no matter what problems you have. It may be large or small. No matter what situations you face. It may be hard or easy. Please bring them before the Lord. As long as you pray earnestly, God will never ignore your plea. God will exercise His power of mighty act. He works miracles for you. Since the beginning of history, God has listened to thousands of millions of people in their prayers. Especially when the church prays earnestly together, the earth will shake, the prison doors will fling open, God’s servant will be set free, the gate of the Gospel will be spread wide open.
I have gained my strength back. I am well now. I have been set free. Thanks be to God. Let us go together again and fight the good fight for God.

本週默想分享
四個月前我病了，須在家休息。許多人在問，我這四個月在做甚麼？我每天都在切切的禱告。我為您們禱告；我為教會禱告；我為自己禱告。在禱告中神告訴我，原來你們也在為我禱告；教會也在為我禱告。我聽見神藉著使徒行傳12：5告訴我“教會都為他切切的禱告神”
神有時讓祂的兒女和僕人陷到患難中，環境那樣惡劣，遭遇非常不幸，自己無能為力，似乎只有任憑惡人逼害，或者眾叛親離，再也無路可走了。然而卻有一條通天道路，就是禱告。還有一種無窮的力量，就是神自己。
所以，不管境遇如何艱難，緊逼，危險，只要到神的面前來切切禱告，困難就能得到解決。這種解決有時是藉著自己的禱告，如使徒行傳16：25-26 所記載的，約在半夜，保羅和西拉禱告唱詩讚美神，眾囚犯也側耳而聽。忽然地大震動，甚至監牢的地基都搖動了，監門立刻全開，眾囚犯的鎖鏈也都鬆開了。。。有時卻是藉著教會和別人的代禱，如彼得在使徒行傳12：5-19天使救彼得出監的事件一樣。無論如何，禱告是不會落空的。當時教會是切切的為彼得禱告。禱告不懇切，效果就不明顯。切切禱告，不但表明需要的急逼，也表明信心的把握，知道禱告必定能成就。
信徒遇見難處，是他屬靈的益處，催逼他到神面前來。因為沒有別的依靠和辦法，就只有禱告。只剩下神，這樣就把我們帶到和神更親近，將禱告看為更寶貴。而脫離世界和人的各種阻攔，又一次得著生命的轉機，更認識神自己。無論遇見甚麼事，環境多麼難，只要禱告，切切禱告，神不會不聽，祂要顯出祂的大能，行出神蹟來。自古以來，神聽了千萬人的禱告，特別是教會的懇切禱告。地會搖動，監獄的門開啟，神的僕人得釋放，福音之門大開。
我的病好了，我得釋放了，讓我們繼續為福音打美好的勝仗。

Rev Chan is on medical leave as of June 12, 2008

2008-06-28T11:34:00.000-07:00

Dear friends,
Since I am on medical leave, I will not be writing in this column weekly as I did before. But I will still write on an irregular basis. Hope to talk to you again soon.
各位親愛的弟兄姊妹，
因為我现在正放病假，這個專欄我不會像以前每周向各位分享信息了，但在不定期的形式，我還會在這裏跟您們通信的，請密切留意下次我的消息。
Wilson Chan 陳偉甡啟

Message From The Pastor for June 15

2008-06-12T17:14:00.000-07:00

Message from the Pastor for Father's Day Sunday
Today is Father’s Day. We fathers need to remind our children to love not only their earthly fathers but also their Heavenly Father. They have to please not only their earthly fathers but also their Heavenly Father.
“What I mean, brothers, is that the time is short. From now on those who have wives should live as if they had none; those who mourn, as if they did not; those who are happy, as if they were not; those who buy something, as if it were not theirs to keep; those who use the things of the world, as if not engrossed in them. For this world in its present form is passing away.”(I Corinthians 7:29-31)
“But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare.”(II Peter 3:10)
“The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.”(I John 2:17)
Men thought the world is for ever. Life is real. Things in the world are reliable. While the end time is approaching, only spiritual men can discern what is eternal, real and reliable. “The spiritual man makes judgments about all things, but he himself is not subject to any man’s judgment: “For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him?”(I Corinthians 2:15-16)
If we really believe in God, we will not be bogged down by the things of this world. Let us concentrate on matters that are holy, pure, Godly and pleasing in the sight of the Lord. For only these are things that will make our heavenly Father happy.

牧者信息分享
今天是父親節。我們在地上做父親的，要常常提醒兒女們，不要單愛地上的父親，更重要的，是愛天上的父。不要單討地上父親的喜悅，更要緊的，是討天父的喜悅。
“用世物的，要像不用世物；因為這世界的樣子將要過去了。”（林前7：31）願神開我們的眼睛，看見世界的樣子將要過去了，時候減少了，有一天，地和其上的物，都要燒盡了，天必大有響聲廢去，有形質的都要被烈火銷化了（彼後3：10）。現在這末世的時候，可以說，那有妻子的要像沒有妻子，哀哭的要像不哀哭，快樂的要像不快樂，置買的，要像無有所得；用事物的要像不用世物的，因為全世界要過去了。（約壹2：17）人將站在何地呢？一切都要被火燒盡，還能剩下甚麼呢？在大災難的時候，人還盼望甚麼呢？
人本來以為世界是永恒的，人生是真實的，世物是可靠的。但在天地都要改變的前夕，徵兆已經顯露的時候，萬物都會有異樣的感覺，可是人不都能感覺到那要來的極大變化，只有屬靈的人，能看透萬事（林前2：15）。真相信神話語的人，才能參考聖經的預言，有所察覺。有許多的預兆正在應驗，外界的情形和人心的光景都會有現象。
如果相信神的話，有屬靈的眼光，看到世界的樣子，將要過去，時候不多了。那麼就要無所掛慮，牽連，無可愛慕留戀。神既然決定除去舊造換成新造，為甚麼要和舊的世界一同過去呢？一切事物都要成為被提的障礙和累贅。還是追求聖潔，敬虔，殷勤，使自己沒有指摘，安然見主。其它都可有可無，甚至越少越好，可以專心為主，討主的喜悅。

Message From The Pastor for June 8

2008-06-04T06:29:00.000-07:00

Message from the Pastor for Third Sunday after Trinity
“And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.” (Luke 22:32)
Because Peter denied his Lord three times, only he needed to turn back. Right? No, not right! We also need to turn back too! Have we denied our Lord in words and in deeds? Have we denied our Lord in ways that make people unable to see who we are as Jesus’ disciples? Even though a person never denies his Lord verbally and always admits he is a Christian, yet his behaviour which is contradictory to Jesus’ teaching will cause people to stumble and fall just as bad.
Because of the Lord’s abundant grace and love, Peter turned back. He went out and cried. He realized his unworthiness and recognized his weakness. He could not face his Lord. He knew he was utterly wrong. And the Lord forgave him and accepted him. This became the biggest turning point in his life. He turned back. Once he denied his Lord. He ran away from Him and betrayed Him. Now he turned back to the Lord. He followed Him and walked with Him again. It was only after he turned back that he could lead others to turn back and he strengthened them. There are many brothers and sisters out there who need to turn back. They have drifted away from the Lord and fell into the snare of the devil. Who will go out to rescue them? You and I are the ones to do the work. But you and I have to turn back first before we can go and strengthen others.
There are some brothers and sisters who after they fall become so discouraged they doubt if the Lord would take them back any more. They can not get back on their feet again. They feel so ashamed they do not want to turn back. This is a big misunderstanding to the Lord. The Lord never forsakes us. He loves us still. He wants to lift us up. He wants to make good use of us again and start from the beginning once more. Therefore whenever we feel weak we should turn back and be strengthened. The Lord is waiting for you and me!
牧者信息分享
“你回頭以後，要堅固你的弟兄。”（路22：32）
彼得因為三次不認主，是需要回頭的。但我們就不需要回頭嗎？我們有沒有在人的面前不認主，或者在口頭上或者在行動上，我們有沒有否認主，叫人看不出我們是耶穌的門徒，即或有人外表是沒有否認主，別人也知道他是基督徒，然而在行為上卻不能見證是一個屬基督的人。因為他的行事為人不對，與耶穌的教訓不合，就不能叫別人認識基督反而叫人跌倒。
因為主豐盛的恩典和不變的大愛，彼得回頭了，他出去痛哭了，他深深感到自己的虧欠，軟弱和失敗，對不起主，他大錯特錯了。然而主沒有丟棄他，仍然收納他，這是他一生最大的轉機。他回頭了，從一個否認主，遠離主，背叛主的地位上回頭了，他轉向神，再親近主，跟隨主，重新走在主的路上。
他回頭了以後，能夠堅固弟兄，能帶領別人回頭。也只有當他自己回頭以後，才能帶領別人回頭，才能堅固弟兄。需要回頭的人很多，許多軟弱的弟兄否認主，遠離主，落到撒但的網羅中。有誰去拯救挽回他們？只有你，和我，自己先回頭才行，你，和我，自己回頭了，才能去堅固別的弟兄。
可是我們有些人，跌倒以後，灰心了，覺得被主丟棄了，再也爬不起來了，甚至慚愧不肯回頭，這是誤會了主。祂並沒有丟棄我們，忘記我們，仍然愛我們，要扶起我們，並要重新使用我們。所以甚麼時候軟弱，甚麼時候就要立刻回頭，主在等候你，和我呢！

Message From The Pastor for June 1

2008-05-27T11:18:00.000-07:00

Message from the Pastor for Second Sunday after Trinity
“This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart.” Matthew 18:35
While we live amongst people, inevitably we encounter people that wrong us, persecute and hurt us. Sometimes we wrong them first. Other times both have wronged each other. But even when others are completely wrong, according to the Lord’s teaching we should still forgive. Do not remember other’s wrong. Do not bear grudges or try to revenge. The reason is very clear. It is because the number of times we wrong God, and sin against God, exceeds the number of times others wrong us and do injustice to us. Just like the parable in Matthew 18:23-35. Comparing the ten thousand talents with a hundred denarii is the difference of one million times. The Lord has forgiven us thousands of wrongs, cancelled us thousands of debts. We should do like wise to others. God forgives us not just seven times, or seventy times seven, but countless of times. As such we should not count the number of times we forgive others.
If we do not forgive others God will not forgive us. The consequence is like what is said in the parable. His master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. Since the ten thousand talents can never be re-paid we have to forgive all those who owe us so that our Father in heaven will forgive us. This way our prayers will be heard. Often times our prayers are not heard. It is because when we do not forgive others, God also do not forgive us and do not listen to our prayers. On the one hand we bear grudges; remember other’s wrongs and refuse to forgive. But on the other hand we ask God to forgive our wrongs, cancel our debts, have mercy and listen to our prayers. Something obviously absurd and contradictory is going on here. Proverb 19:11 says, “A man’s wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offence.”
牧者信息分享
“你們各人若不從心裏饒恕你的弟兄，我天父也要這樣待你們了。”馬太18：35.
我們活在世上人們中間，難免有人得罪我們，對不起我們，甚至逼迫，傷害我們。雖然有時是我們先得罪人，對不起人，又或者互相都有錯。但就算完全是對方的錯，按主的教訓，也應該饒恕人。不可記住人的惡，懷恨人，甚至報復人。這原因很清楚，因為我們得罪神，對不起神，遠超過人得罪我們，對不起我們。正如馬太福音18：23-35 的比喻說，一千萬銀子和十兩銀子相比，是差一百萬倍，神既饒恕了我們一千罪過，赦免了我們一千虧損，我們也當照樣饒恕人。神饒恕我們不止七次，或七十個七次，而是無數次。所以我們也不當計較饒恕人的次數。
如果我們不饒恕人，神也不饒恕我們的過犯。那結果就像這比喻所說的，要被交給掌刑的，等還清所欠的債，那一千萬銀子是無法歸還的。所以要饒恕一切得罪我們的人，好叫天父也饒恕我們。這樣我們的禱告才蒙垂聽。許多禱告不蒙主應允，是因為不饒恕人。因此神也不肯饒恕我們，不肯聽我們的禱告了。我們一方面恨人，紀念人的惡，不肯饒恕人。另一方面卻到神面前求赦免，饒恕，求神施恩，應允所求，顯然是有矛盾的，不相配的。箴言19：11說“人有見識，就不輕易發怒，寬恕人的過失，便是自己的榮耀。”

Message From The Pastor for May 25

2008-05-21T20:31:00.000-07:00

Message from the Pastor for First Sunday after Trinity
Once a sweet young thing going out of church said to me, “Doctor, you make me feel like a worm.” Well, who knows, perhaps she needed to feel like a worm! My sermons often make me feel like a worm, too. Partly because I know my life does not measure up to them. But if I could practice everything I preach, it would not be worth the preaching. It is not the church’s job to make sinful men and women feel cocksure and self-satisfied in the presence of the eternal God. The minister seeks to love people, to respect them as individuals, but not to pamper their prejudices or coddle them or tell them they are right when they deny God’s truth. His business is to see people as they really are, and to put them in vital touch with God in Christ.—William H. Hudnut, Jr.
牧者信息分享
一次一個小家伙在聚集後對我說，“博士，你令我覺得自己像條蟲那麼沒用。”或者她真的需要有這個感覺才成呢！我的講道有時也令我自己覺得像條蟲一樣。部分原因是因為我知道我的生活還達不到講道要求的標準。但如果我能完全做得到它要求的標準，那麼講道就是多餘的了。教會的責任不是去令有罪的人在永生的神面前自豪和自義。牧師是要愛人，尊重人，但不是去奉承人，嬌縱人，或當人否定了神的真理時仍說他是對的。他的職責是看見人的本相，把人帶到基督的面前得到神的接觸。--作者William H. Hudnut, Jr.是一位堂會牧師。

Message From The Pastor for May 18

2008-05-15T10:48:00.000-07:00

Message from the Pastor for Trinity Sunday
Today is Trinity Sunday. It reminds us the God we believe in is a triune God. In fact every Sunday at the end of worship we hear the threefold blessing from our triune God:
1. “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.” The first Christians realized that the world needed saving, changing, and being made right with God. They began with God going out to meet men in love, in redemption, God trying to establish reconciliation and personal relationship. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ is the Eternal breaking into time, the Supernatural intersecting history, Heaven coming down to earth, God living, suffering, dying, and triumphing over sin and evil.
2. “The love of God.” If you have experienced god’s active, living love getting hold of you, then you are certain of the love of God. If you had never heard of Jesus Christ and his grace, would you have thought for certain that God is a God of love? The grace of Christ guarantees the love of God beyond all shadow of doubt.
3. “The fellowship of the Holy Spirit.” The Holy Spirit is discovered best in fellowship. Just as God is a relationship of love—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, a kind of triangular personal relationship—so we not only discover God’s love in our own hearts by the Holy Spirit but we are united by that same Holy Spirit to other people who call Christ Lord. Christianity is a shared fellowship of believers, all of whom are certain that they know God’s love in Jesus.
牧者信息分享
今天是三一主日，提醒我們所信的是三位一體的上帝。其實每次崇拜結束時我們都接受著三一真神的祝福：
（一）“我主耶穌基督的恩惠”初期基督徒都知道這世界需要拯救，改變和與神和好。他們一開始就記得是神首先出去和人建立復合的關系。是主耶穌基督的恩典把永恒的，超自然的，屬神的天堂，帶進這個痛苦的，死亡的，有罪的世界。
（二）“上帝的慈愛”倘若沒有耶穌的恩典，我們可能永遠也不知道神是愛。凡經歷過神的愛而認定神是愛的人，一定是因為透過耶穌的恩典，使他確實的相信這位又真又活的神是這麼的慈愛。
（三）“聖靈的團契”聖靈是在團契中被感受到的—聖父，聖子，聖靈，就是一個團契。凡在自己心裏相信耶穌的人，靠著聖靈的聯合，在別的有同樣信仰耶穌為主的人心裏也結成團契。基督徒的團契就是一群信耶穌的人，他們確實知道神在基督裏將愛表現出來。

Message From The Pastor for May 11

2008-05-09T06:32:00.000-07:00

Message from the Pastor Pentecost Sunday and Mother's Day
Today is Mother’s Day. We salute to all mothers. Do you know who makes a mother great besides her children? The answer is her husband. On the occasion of his retirement from the Riverside Church, Harry Emerson Fosdick said he had been puzzled all his life by the fact that, on the whole, women have not accomplished as much in a public way as has been accomplished by men. Why is this true? Obviously the brains of women are as good and perhaps better than the brains of men. Yet the sober truth is that there have been relatively few women in the list of composers, artists, scientists, and statesmen. “At last,” said Dr. Fosdick, “I know the answer. No woman ever had a wife!” On this Mother’s Day let us fathers and husbands salute to our wives.

牧者信息分享
今天是母親節。我們向母親致敬！你可知道除了她的兒女之外誰令母親這麼偉大嗎？答案是她的丈夫。Harry Emerson Fosdick牧師在他從Riverside Church退休時於感恩宴會上說，他一生感困惑的是為甚麼女人在公職上通常都比男人遜色呢？女人的腦袋與男人有過之無不及，為甚麼在傑出的作家，藝術家，科學家，和政治家名人榜上還是男多於女的呢？“最後，”他說，“我終於明白了。因為女人少了一位太太。”在母親節的今天讓我們做父親的和做丈夫的向我們的太太致敬！

Message From The Pastor for May 4

2008-05-06T09:01:00.000-07:00

Message from the Pastor Seventh Sunday of Easter
What is Easter? Easter is God telling us He is living and is present with us. When a man is desperate he cries to God. But sometimes God seems so far away He does not hear. Theologian Paul Tillich said, “It is the spirit of God that removes God from our sight.” But if we cry to Him in faith, He will return and take the empty space within us which is His space. On the first Easter day the disciples were scared and afraid. They locked themselves up in the upper room. But Jesus appeared and pronounced peace to be with them. He broke bread and shared Holy Communion with them. Their eyes were opened and their hearts were filled with joy. This is only one part of the story. The other part consists of all those other times in between when God seems to have evaporated from our lives. We find ourselves insecure and sometimes afraid. We sense the uneasiness like that of a child who suddenly has lost her mother in the crowded super-market. We are tempted to panic. Jesus understands. He finds it necessary to explain, “A little while and ye shall not see me, and again, a little while and ye shall see me.” No parent, including God can pamper his child if the youngster is to develop. God is never far away from us. Our loving parents who have left us at home alone for the first time have not abandoned us. He still loves us and cares for us, and underneath are his everlasting arms. What is Easter? Easter is the promise that God will never leave us and his promise has been fulfilled.
牧者信息分享
復活節是做甚麼的？復活節是告訴我們上帝活著並且離我們不遠。古語有云：人窮則呼天，痛則呼父母。但有時候，上帝好像離我們很遠聽不見我們的呼聲。神學家保羅田立克說：神的靈令我們見不到祂。若我們肯在靈裏呼求祂，祂會回來填補我們的空虛。復活節證實了耶穌沒有拋棄門徒。他們躲在樓房瑟縮懼怕，復活主來到他們中間，賜他們平安並與他們擘餅分享聖餐。但在此之前和之後，覺得上帝離開我們的感受還是常有的。好像小孩在超級市場失去了媽媽一樣。這個時候我們就要知道，我們並不孤單。耶穌了解，所以祂說：等不多時，你們就不得見我；再等不多時，你們還要見我。神暫時離開我們是要叫我們學習獨立。沒有父母終日抱著孩子可以叫他成長的。第一次父母離家留下孩子時，孩子要知道父母保護的手還是一直在托著他們。有時候上帝暫時離開我們，不愉快的事發生，我們就以為是不是自己做錯事，或者是上帝對我們不好，形成自咎，自責或自憐。這都是不必要的。我們應該用喜樂和信心來渡過這些日子。復活節是甚麼？復活節就是上帝答應我們，祂必不離開我們的事實，已經得到證明了。

Message From The Pastor for April 27

2008-04-23T11:11:00.000-07:00

Message from the Pastor for sixth Sunday of Easter
One day a man was walking along a dangerous path on a hill where both sides sank abruptly into a deep valley. Suddenly a big serpent appeared and chased after him. He ran for his life only to find in front of him a fierce tiger was trying to catch him. In dilemma he found a long thick rattan that led down into the valley below. He grasped it hoping to escape to the bottom of the valley. Unfortunately when he looked down he discovered a crocodile was waiting for him with jaws wide open. As he was sweating and pondering whether to advance or retreat, he heard sound of biting. There were two rats, one white another black biting into the rattan he was holding. It could break any moment now. He screamed at the top of his lungs, “God help me!” A voice came back from afar, “Son I am here!” In horror he returned to his senses. It was just a nightmare. This is a famous religious fable. It’s meaning is worth our deep thought. The serpent behind represents men’s sins in the past. The tiger in front represents men’s difficult situations in the present. The crocodile in the valley represents men’s judgement in the future. White rat represents day and black rat represents night. Both are eating us up giving us anxiety day and night. Life gives men a lot of hardship. In desperation we cry to God. Men know we can not face life all by ourselves. Therefore we need God. We need a saviour. We need Jesus.

牧者信息分享
一天，有個人在一條僻靜的山路走，愈走愈覺險要，兩旁竟是千丈的深谷，突然後面出現一條大毒蛇向他追來，他拼命向前走，逃走中又遇見前面一隻兇惡的老虎，張牙舞爪正追著他，當進退兩難時，看到路邊有條很粗很長的樹藤垂向谷底，他趕快抓緊樹藤向下溜，希望跳進谷底逃生。怎料，他向下一望，令他毛骨悚然，因為下面有條鱷魚正張大口等著他，他全身呆在半空發抖，向上不得，向下也不得，抱住樹藤不知要捱多久，正在沉思之時，忽然傳來咀嚼之聲，原來是黑老鼠和白老鼠各自咬著他死抱著的樹藤，看來樹藤快要咬掉了，他大聲呼喊：“上帝啊，救命！”遠處傳來上帝聲音：“孩子，我在這裏。”在惶恐中，他醒來了，原來是一場噩夢！
這是個著名的宗教寓言故事，頗值得我們深思：後面的蛇代表人過去的罪惡；前面的兇惡老虎代表人生的困難；谷底下的鱷魚代表將來的審判；白老鼠代表白天，黑老鼠代表夜晚，天天催逼著人，令人不安。人生確實有不少的困苦，人在絕望中，自然會呼求神，人自知靠自己不能面對生命的一切，因此需要上帝，需要救主，需要耶穌。

Message From The Pastor for April 27

2008-04-23T10:49:00.000-07:00

Message From The Pastor for fifth Sunday of Easter
What Is Easter?
Easter is many things.
1. It is a sleeping sentinel waking to find that the corpse he has been guarding has disappeared.
2. It is Mary Magdalene, bewildered, standing with her arms full of spices, but with no body to anoint.
3. It is a young man in white uttering the greatest words of hope ever spoken to men: “He is risen!”
4. It is a breathless sprint to the cemetery by John and Peter.
5. It is a conversation that burns during an afternoon walk on a road leading to Emmaus.
6. It is a prayer meeting in the Upper Room, suddenly broken up by the entrance of the Saviour.
7. It is a thousand church bells in a thousand cities.
8. It is a day vibrant with faith, song, and worship around the world.
9. It is a new light in the eyes of a discouraged pastor as he sees a full church before him.
10. It is ribbons and sweetmeats in the simplicity of a Christian orphanage in China.
11. It is the glorious emergence of a butter-fly from a cocoon.
12. And, of course, Easter is Christ bringing us eternal life.
牧者信息分享
甚麼是復活節？復活節是很多東西。它是
一．一個睡著了的哨兵一覺醒來，發覺他所看守的屍體不見了。
二．抹大拉的馬利亞疑惑地站著手拿著香料卻沒有身體可以膏抹。
三．一個年青人身穿白衣說出了人類歷史上最有希望的一句話：“祂已經復活了！”
四．彼得和約翰一口氣的疾跑到墳地去。
五．那個下午在以馬忤斯的路上令人心裏火熱與主同行的對話。
六．那個晚上在樓房上門都關了，門徒聚在一處。耶穌來站在當中對他們說：“願你們平安！”
七．在千萬的城市有千萬教堂的鐘聲響起。
八．一個喚起全世界興起活潑信仰，歌頌和崇拜的日子。
九．氣餒的牧師眼前一亮，因看見禮拜堂坐滿了人。
十．在中國一間基督徒辦的孤兒院裏佈置絲帶吃甜肉簡單而隆重的慶祝。
十一．一隻蝴蝶光榮的從蝶蛹蛻變出來。
十二．當然它是基督帶來永恒生命。

Pulpit Message Introduction for April 13

2008-04-09T07:34:00.000-07:00

Pulpit Message Introduction for fourth Sunday of Easter
What is Easter? Easter is many things. It is the time of singing birds and blooming of flowers. It is the promise of dawn—the watching for sunrise. It is the light heart of a little girl dressed in pink spring clothe or a little boy munching chocolate candy. Easter causes all creation to burst forth in the singing of a grand antiphonal, “Up from the grave he arose!” It provides the basis for the sermon regarding the fact and the significance of the resurrection of Christ from the grave.
Easter always brings with it the renewal of hope to gladden the heart of mankind. It is the wellspring of zeal on the part of the church. It motivates the conversion of the sinner. It maintains the faithfulness of the saint.
The eternal vindication of Jesus Christ as the Son of God, the saviour of the world, the lord of life, the judge of all creation—this is Easter. Easter changes things. He lives! And because he lives we too shall live. Easter changes everything. It changes your past. It changes your present. It changes your future. Your future in eternity has just begun.

講壇信息介紹
甚麼是復活節？復活節是很多東西。它是鳥兒歌唱和花朵開放。它是黎明的應許—旭日初昇。它是快樂的女孩子穿了粉紅色的春天衣裳，或是一個小男孩嘴嚼著巧克力糖。復活節喚起了宇宙萬物加入唱和，輪流呼應偉大的復活頌歌，“祂從墳墓裏復活了！”它提供了復活講章的基本材料，那就是耶穌從死裏復活的事實和意義。
復活節常常能帶給人類新生的希望和心裏的喜樂。它是活水泉源，它使教會大發熱心見證主。它促使罪人悔改，堅固聖者強壯信心。
它是鐵證—證明耶穌基督是上帝的兒子，是世人的救主，是生命之主，也是宇宙的審判者。因他活著我們也要活著。因他活著，改變了一切，我們的過去，現在和將來都改變了，永恒的將來現在才剛開始呢！

Pulpit Message Introduction for April 6

2008-04-03T07:57:00.000-07:00

Pulpit Message Introduction for third Sunday of Easter
Last Sunday after service, a member asked me if there are more roads a Christian needs to walk in addition to the four I preached. I replied yes! The story has not finished. Let’s continue it today. In the beginning of the journey on the road to Emmaus, the two followers were sad, discouraged and slow in believing. The risen Lord came and walked with them. He encouraged them, explained the Bible to them, and reminded them about the prophesise of himself. Then their hearts were rekindled with fire. Their despair was changed to hope again. They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scripture to us?”
They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together and saying, “It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon.” Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread.
After his suffering, Jesus showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my father promised which you have heard me speak about.”
So the fifth road is the road back to Jerusalem where the disciples wait for the coming of the Holy Spirit to carry out the Great Commission.

講壇信息介紹
上個主日我講完了基督徒要走的四條路後。有教友問我基督徒要走的路就只有這四條嗎？我說不，我的故事還沒有講完。
今天讓我接續上次第四條路再講下去吧。當門徒走在以馬忤斯路上的初時，他們是悲傷失望，臉帶愁容，眼睛迷糊，信心遲鈍的。復活的主耶穌看見他們，就親近他們，與他們同行，在靈裏開導他們，鼓勵他們，並開他們的心竅，講解聖經給他們明白。於是他們火熱了。他們不再憂愁，不再灰心，乃是剛強起來。他們立時起身，回耶路撒冷去，把路上所遇見的見證出來。耶穌受害之後，用許多的憑據將自己活活的顯給使徒看，四十天之久向他們顯現，講說神國的事。耶穌和他們聚集的時候，囑咐他們說：“不要離開耶路撒冷，要等候父所應許的聖靈。”門徒走返回耶路撒冷的路。與主同行四十天，等候聖靈降臨，好叫他們能完成基督的大使命。

Pulpit Message Introduction for Mar. 30

2008-03-26T09:53:00.000-07:00

Pulpit Message Introduction for second Sunday of Easter
Now on that same day two of the followers were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; but they were kept from recognizing him. He asked them, “What are you discussing together as you walk along?” They stood still, their faces downcast. They described what happened 3 days ago. How Jesus was crucified and buried. But this morning the tomb was empty. As they approached the village they urged him to stay. So he went in to stay with them. When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him. Walking with Jesus will eventually lead us the way to God. For Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one goes to the Father except through me.” There are four roads a Christian travels in order to walk with the Lord, to go to the Father and recognize Jesus.
1. the road to Damascus—road to faith.
2. the road from Jerusalem down to Jericho—road to serve and help others.
3. the road to Golgotha—road to suffering and the cross
4. the road to Emmaus—road to eternal fellowship.
講壇信息介紹
正當那日，門徒中有兩個人往一個村子去；這村子名叫以馬忤斯，離耶路撒冷約有二十五里。他們彼此談論所遇見的這一切事。正談論相問的時候，耶穌親自就近他們，和他們同行；只是他們的眼睛迷糊了，不認識他。耶穌對他們說：“你們走路彼此談論的是甚麼事呢？”他們就站住，臉上帶著愁容。他們把耶穌三天前被釘，被埋葬，今天墳墓空了，的事情說一遍。到了村子，他們請耶穌同他們住下。到了坐席的時候，耶穌拿起餅來，祝謝了，擘開，遞給他們。他們的眼睛明亮了，這才認出他來。跟從耶穌就找到上帝，因耶穌說：我是道路，真理，生命，若不藉著我沒有人能到父那裏去。作為基督徒我們要學習走擺在我們面前的四條路，才稱得上與主同行，到父那裏，認出他來。
（一）通往大馬色之路—信仰之路。
（二）從耶路撒冷下耶利哥之路—服務，助人之路。
（三）各各他之路—通往痛苦的十字架道路。
（四）以馬忤斯之路—永恒團契之路。

Pulpit Message Introduction for Mar. 23

2008-03-19T07:51:00.000-07:00

Pulpit Message Introduction for Easter Sunday
On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: ‘The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’”
From this passage we know Jesus really died and really came back to life. His death and resurrection are not there for remembrance only once in a year. They are there to be the blue prints for our daily living. We have to die with Christ and live with Christ every day. Death must occur before the bondage of sin can be broken. Resurrection must occur before abundant life in God’s kingdom can be realized. We have been Christians for quite a while now. Have we really been dying and living with Jesus Christ our Lord. I pray the Holy Spirit to help us not to look for the living among the dead any more.
講壇信息介紹
七日的頭一日，黎明的時候，那些婦女帶著所預備的香料來到墳墓前，看見石頭已經從墳墓滾開了，她們就進去，只是不見主耶穌的身體。正在猜疑之間，忽然又兩個人站在旁邊，衣服放光。婦女們驚怕，將臉伏地。那兩個人就對他們說：“為甚麼在死人中找活人呢？他不在這裏，已經復活了。當紀念他還在加利利的時候怎樣告訴你們，說：‘人子必須被交在罪人手裏，釘在十字架上，第三日復活。’”
從這段經文，可以知道耶穌真真正正的死了，又真真正正的復活。祂的受死與復活，並非只叫我們每年紀念一次就算了，乃是要做我們的榜樣，叫我們與他同死同復活。因為必定要死，才可以脫離罪惡的綑綁；必定要復活，才可以享受天堂的永福。我們做了基督徒的人，曾否與耶穌同死同復活呢？聖靈幫助我們不再在死人中找活人啊。

Pulpit Message Introduction for Mar. 16

2008-03-13T07:35:00.000-07:00

Pulpit Message Introduction for Palm Sunday
I Corinthians 1:22-25, it is written, “Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength.” Jews want miracles. They want to see exciting things to happen before their eyes. Greeks want wisdom, they love knowledge. But Paul told us we preach only one fact one message i.e. Christ crucified.
Many people preach about Christ and say they are following Christ. But some want Christ of their own taste only. They do not preach the Christ crucified or the Christ in the Bible. I pray God to help us understand what Christ we preach. In I Corinthians 15:3-4 Paul said, “For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scripture, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.” To Paul nothing is more important than Jesus crucified. On this Palm Sunday let us recall that important event that Paul talked about.
Luke 23:33-46: When they came to the place called the Skull, there they crucified him, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left. Jesus said, “Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.
The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Christ of God, the chosen one.” The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar and said, “If you are the king of the Jews save yourself.” There was a written notice above him, which read: This is the king of the Jews. One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Christ? Save yourself and us!” But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Jesus answered him, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.” It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour, for the sun stopped shinning. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” When he had said this, he breathed his last. God help us treat this event the most important message in our life.

講壇信息介紹
哥林多前書一章22-25節說：“猶太人是要神蹟，希臘人是求智慧；我們卻是傳釘十字架的基督。在猶太人為絆腳石，在外邦人為愚拙；但在那蒙召的，無論是猶太人，希臘人，基督總為神的能力，神的智慧。因神的愚拙總比人智慧，神的軟弱總比人強壯。”這裏說，猶太人要的是神蹟，他們要看得見，讓人興奮的事物。希臘人追求智慧，研究學問，但使徒保羅說：我們卻傳一件事，不是傳一個道理，而是傳‘那一位釘十字架的基督。’
很多人傳基督，講基督，追求基督，然而很遺憾地，有些人所要的基督，不是釘十字架的基督，也不是聖經裏的基督。我們何等需要主幫助我們知道，我們所追求的是甚麼。哥林多前書十五章3-4節說：“我當日所領受又傳給你們的，第一，就是基督照聖經所說，為我們的罪死了，而且埋葬了，又照聖經所說，第三天復活了。”第一原文是第一要緊的意思。保羅說他所領受，要傳給我們的，最要緊的是甚麼呢？就是照著聖經所記載，基督為我們的罪死了，埋葬了，而且第三天復活了。在保羅的心目中，沒有一件事比主耶穌被釘十字架更緊要。
路加福音二十三章33-46節記載當時的情況：到了一個地方，名叫髑髏地，就在那裏把耶穌釘在十字架上，又釘了兩個犯人：一個在左邊，一個在右邊。當下耶穌說：“父啊，赦免他們！因為他們所做的，他們不曉得。”兵丁就拈鬮分他的衣服。百姓站在那里觀看。官府也嗤笑他，說：“他救了別人；他若是基督，神所揀選的，可以救自己吧！”兵丁也戲弄他，上前拿醋送給他喝，說：“你若是猶太人的王，可以救自己吧！”在耶穌以上有一個牌子寫著：“這是猶太人的王。”那同釘的兩個犯人，有一個譏誚他，說：“你不是基督嗎？可以救自己和我們把！”那一個就應聲責備他，說：“你既是一樣受刑的，還不怕神嗎？我們是應該的，因我們所受的與我們所做的相稱，但這個人沒有做過一件不好的事。”就說：“耶穌啊，你得國降臨的時候，求你紀念我！”耶穌對他說：“我實在告訴你：今日你要同我在樂園裏了。”那時約有午正，遍地都黑暗了，直到申初，日頭變黑了。殿裏的幔子從當中裂為兩半。耶穌大聲喊著說：“父啊！我將我的靈魂交在你手裏。”說了這話，氣就斷了。但願這個事實成為我們一生中最要緊的信息。

Pulpit Message Introduction for Mar. 9

2008-03-05T07:40:00.000-08:00

Pulpit Message Introduction for fifth Sunday in Lent
Lenten period is a period for Jesus followers to practice Christian piety. Our observance of the season of Lent has its roots in the early church. Two early church fathers, Augustine and Tertullian, related that the Lenten fast originated with the Apostles. However, the fast of which they wrote was neither the season nor the fasting that we know. What the fathers were undoubtedly referring to was the desire of the early Christian community to sense anew the deep sorrow and pain they experienced during the period that our Lord lay in the tomb. The time was calculated as forty hours and was suggested, therefore, to be the appropriate span for fasting. There also appears to be some evidence that even prior to the suggested forty-hour fast, Christians fasted on Wednesday and Friday. The first fast was a reminder of our Lord's betrayal, and the second the remembrance of his crucifixion.However, each Sunday was regarded as the Lord's Day, a little Easter, in which both the crucifixion and the resurrection of our Lord were observed. In time, however, as people fixed more and more on the need to consider why our Lord was crucified, the stress was placed on the need for contrition and repentance. Soon the Lenten period was extended to a week, then to two weeks. Ultimately, the forty hours were extended to forty days. At one time this was a period of eight weeks of five days of fasting. By the seventh century the time was calculated as six weeks, not counting the Sundays, which were excluded as days of fasting. That is how we still reckon the period for our observance which began 5 weeks ago with Ash Wednesday.

講壇信息介紹
大齋節是跟隨基督的人用來操練敬虔最好的時間。大齋節溯源自初期教會。奧古斯丁和特土良兩位教父都提及大齋節禁食是緣起於使徒。那時使徒和信眾為紀念耶穌被放進墳墓裏的悲傷，實行四十小時的禁食。有證據顯示基督徒在此之前是逢星期三和星期五禁食的。第一個禁食是紀念我們的主被賣；第二個禁食是紀念祂的被釘。
但每一個星期天都是主日，是一個小的復活節，是慶祝主復活的日子。慶祝時禁食可以暫停，漸漸信徒卻又問為甚麼我們的主要被釘呢？原來是因我們的罪過，我們實在需要悔改和自省。於是禁食延長由一週延長至兩週；最後由四十小時延長到四十天。在第七世紀時大齋節確定為期六個星期，減去其中的主日，就是我們現在奉行的主被釘前四十天的大齋節了。

Pulpit Message Introduction for Mar. 2

2008-02-27T07:14:00.000-08:00

Pulpit Message Introduction for fourth Sunday in Lent
Last Sunday we heard Jesus calling us to carry our cross daily and follow him. This call has a lot to do with our spiritual growing. Jesus wants us to carry our own cross. Our own cross demands our acceptance to accusation, condemnation, and abandonment from other people. Carrying our own cross means we willingly give up our right to defend ourselves even when others do such unreasonable things to us. But unfortunately due to our self righteousness, lack of love, mercy and forgiving, we often times force others to carry their cross instead of us carrying the cross ourselves. Carrying our own cross means we crucify our own sinful nature with its passions and desires all together. By the power of the Holy Spirit we put to death our old self. We condemn our old sinful nature. This is a lesson we have to learn everyday and practice for life.
Crucifying ourselves on the cross also involves a total change of our value, outlook, and relationship to the world. Paul said, “May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.” (Galatians 6:14) It is therefore of crucial importance that when brothers and sisters set off to preach the gospel, they do not mix up the value of the world with the value of the Kingdom. We should not use prosperity and success in this world to prove God’s faithfulness. God is our Father in heaven. We are His children. We are His inheritance. We are called to be set apart from the world. As such we crucify our own value, our self interests, and our world onto the cross.
Thus the cross gives us four meanings: 1. the cross reminds us of the horror of our sin, 2. the cross reminds us of the heart of God’s love, 3. the cross heals the broken relationship between us and God, and 4. the cross leads us home to God.
講壇信息介紹
上星期我們聽到耶穌對我們說“天天背起自己的十字架來跟從我”。這話與我們的靈命長進有密切的關係。主耶穌首先要求我們背起自己的十字架。十字架是公開的定罪，嚴懲和棄絕的意思。背自己的十字架是要自己肯公開的被人定罪，嚴懲和棄絕。不是叫別人公開的被人定罪，嚴懲和棄絕。可惜的是我們可能因自義，沒有愛心，憐憫的心和包容的心，把別人的罪公開的定了，並且把別人釘在十字架上。
背自己的十字架是把自己和自己的邪情私欲同釘在十字架上。是依靠聖靈治死老我；對付自己個人的罪性。這是我們既是終生也是天天要學習的功課。
把自己釘在十字架上，還包括我們對世界的價值觀，我們所追求的目標，並且與世界之關係的徹底改變。保羅說：因這十字架就我而論，世界已釘在十字架上。就世界而論，我已釘在十字架上。（加拉太書6：14）為此傳福音的弟兄姊妹，要分清楚甚麼是世界的福音和甚麼是天國的福音。千萬不要用世界的福去證明神的信實。因為神是天父，我們是天父兒女，是天國的子民。我們是神從世界上呼召出來的，是捨己，把個人，世界都釘在十字架上的人。
十字架今天給我們四個意義：1.十字架告訴我們罪的可怕。2.十字架告訴我們神的慈愛。3.十字架恢復我們與神的關係。4.十字架帶我們回家。

Pulpit Message Introduction for Feb. 24

2008-02-20T08:12:00.000-08:00

Pulpit Message Introduction for third Sunday in Lent
The time was close to the time when Jesus was crucified. The Scripture tells us that Jesus had just told the disciples that he was going to have to suffer and be put to death. Peter couldn’t stand that idea and told him, "This shall never happen to you" (Matthew 16:22b). Jesus told Peter that he was thinking the way people thought rather than the way God thought. Then Jesus told his disciples what the Christian life was all about. It is one of the recurring themes of Jesus’ teaching. He said these things over and over again. He said if we really wanted to be his disciples, this is what we would have to do: "If anyone wants to come with me, he must forget himself, carry his cross, and follow me" (Matthew 16:24). So today in our Scripture we have a challenge issued to us if we are really going to be with the Savior. Three things are required: 1. We must forget ourselves; 2. We must carry our cross; 3. We must follow Jesus.The cost of discipleship is high. Is there a cheaper way to discipleship? The answer is no. For whoever wants to save his own life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for my own sake will find it’ " (Matthew 16:24-25).
講壇信息介紹
耶穌被釘十字架的時候越來越近了。聖經記載耶穌剛跟門徒講過祂必須上耶路撒冷去，受長老，祭司長，文士許多的苦，並且被殺，第三日復活。彼得就沉不住氣，他拉著耶穌說，“主啊，萬不可如此！這事必不臨到你身上。”耶穌告訴彼得他的想法是人的想法而不是神的想法。於是耶穌告訴門徒跟隨祂究竟是怎麼一回事。這是耶穌重覆又重覆的教訓，也是做主門徒的人，必須事先計算清楚的代價。祂說，“若有人要跟從我，就當捨己，背起他的十字架，來跟從我。”今天每個基督徒都要計算清楚這三個的代價：1.捨己，2.背十字架，3.跟隨主。
這三個代價都是很重的。究竟有沒有比較便宜的方法呢。答案是沒有，因為凡要救自己生命的，必喪掉生命；凡為基督喪掉生命的必得著生命。

Pulpit Message Introduction for Feb. 17

2008-02-14T07:58:00.000-08:00

Pulpit Message Introduction for second Sunday in Lent
Nicodemus came to Jesus and said to him: “Rabbi, you must be a teacher who has come from God because no one could do the signs and wonders you do apart from the presence of God.” And Jesus responded to Nicodemus by saying to him: “You can’t see the Kingdom of God without being born again. You must be born from above.” This means that you can’t become a Christian by making a few minor adjustments to your life. It must be a complete turn around, a radical re-birth, a re-birth from above, which, of course means a new life from God.
There is a fascinating thing to notice here about Nicodemus. He knew his scriptures well. But for him, being religious meant knowing what to do and especially what not to do. The emphasis of his Bible study was on what people do. But Jesus changed all of that. He said that in order to see the Kingdom of God, the emphasis must shift to what God does. The new Testament makes it clear that this “new birth” is not our doing. We are “born from above”; it is God’s gift. We can’t earn it. We can only accept it in faith: So, “To Be Born From Above” means to come alive to the Bible by falling in love with Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.

講壇信息介紹
尼哥底母來見耶穌，問他說：“拉比，我們知道你是由神那裏來作師傅的，因為你所行的神蹟，若沒有神同在，無人能行。”耶穌回答說：“我實實在在地告訴你：人若不重生，就不能見神的國。”意思是說，你不能只在生活上作一些調整，便說你已見到神的國了。見神的國要求人完全的回轉，徹底的再生，從上面來的再生，由神而來的新生命。
在尼哥底母身上我們看見一個奇怪的現象。他很熟聖經。但他仍然沒有見到神的國。他以為宗教就是一堆應該做和不應該做的規條。他只知道聖經要求人要做的事。卻不知道神為人作的事。耶穌完全改變他的觀念。祂說你如果要見上帝的國，你首先要看神所做的事。新約聖經很清楚告訴我們，重生不是靠人能做到甚麼，而是靠神為我們所完成的一切。我們是從上面再生的。這是神的恩典和禮物。是我們不能賺取回來的。我們只能靠著信心領受。從上而來的重生就是活讀聖經。叫我們把愛耶穌的愛活現在信仰的生命中。

Pulpit Message Introduction for Feb. 10

2008-02-07T15:54:00.000-08:00

Pulpit Message Introduction for first Sunday in Lent
Our 40 days of inner testing in the season of Lent are like Jesus’ 40 days in the wilderness. After Jesus committed himself to the mission God intended, and expressed his commitment through baptism, the gospel of Mark says the Spirit “drove him out into the wilderness.” (Mark 1:12)
It’s really not so different for us. The Spirit drives us into wilderness, too, where we contemplate God’s call and reflect on our responses to events and emotions which test us. We’ve seen the holy in Jesus’ ministry; we’ve chosen to take up the cross and become Christ’s disciples. Now as Lent moves us from the mountain to the valley; we start to feel the implications of that decision. What are we being asked to learn? Where is this journey going to lead? What will we have to give up? Whom are we invited to become? The Lenten season is a time of focused contemplation and reflection in light of our faith.

講壇信息介紹
四十天的大齋節，是要我們在這個節令中，能在內心裏澈底的反省自己。我們心靈的試探與耶穌在曠野四十天的試探有異曲同工之效。耶穌受洗之后，委身作神的事工，祂便被聖靈催到曠野去。我們的靈性旅途，又何嘗不是要經歷同樣的過程？。聖靈把我們催到曠野，叫我們認真思想神對我們的呼召，究竟是怎樣一回事。我們在情感上和遭遇上，都要面對很多的試探。我們曾見過耶穌神聖的顯現，我們曾決志要背起十字架來跟從主，我們願意做基督的門徒。現在是時間我們從山峰回到山谷了。我們要好好地思想，這決定要求我們所付出的代價。我們要學習甚麼是背起十字架：我們要知道，跟隨基督這條路將引領我們到甚麼地方？我們要放棄的是甚麼東西？我們被邀請變成主的門徒，究竟怎樣是主的門徒？大齋節就是信心的曠野，它叫人在此反省與默想。

Pulpit Message Introduction for Feb. 3

2008-01-31T18:42:00.000-08:00

Pulpit Message Introduction for last Sunday of Epiphany
Christ-light spreads as Christ’s power and presence are made known in the world. On Transfiguration Sunday, we remember the mountain-top experience of those closest to Jesus, for whom holy light blazed into a blinding revelation of who Jesus actually is. In a vision, they see Jesus “transfigured” before them, standing with Moses and Elijah—suggesting that both law and prophesy affirm the mission of Jesus as the long-awaited Messiah.
Jesus is affirmed on the top of a mountain. Then he comes down from the mountain to enter once more into the suffering and sin of the world. Jesus looks down from his mountain-top glory and sees into the valley of shadow. Ahead lies Jerusalem where Israel’s prophets have been betrayed, and where Jesus’ own role as the “suffering servant” comes into play.
Jesus has already begun to speak with his disciples about his sorrow-filled path down the mountain. The unavoidable question for the disciples—and for us—is “Will we follow?” Will we “save our life” or “take up the cross”? Will we stand before the rage of the world bearing only our love? What do we fear?

講壇信息介紹
基督的光輝在基督顯能力和與人同在的生活中不斷彰顯。今天易容顯光的主日，我們看見基督如何在山上向祂最愛的門徒變像，榮光把他們的眼睛也弄瞎了，他們就了悟到耶穌真正是誰。在異象中他們看見摩西，以利亞同耶穌說話。意思是說耶穌完成彌賽亞使命是得到律法和先知的印證的。
耶穌在山上得到肯定後，便下山返回這個痛苦和罪惡的世界。從榮耀的山峰到死陰的幽谷。在祂面前是耶路撒冷，是以色列先知被出賣的地方，也是耶穌擔當受苦僕人角色的場所。
耶穌已經開始對門徒講解下山所要走的痛苦之路。門徒和我們今天要面對的，就是這些不可避免的問題：“我們願意跟從嗎？”“我們要救自己生命”還是“背起十字架”？我們願意只憑著愛面對這個兇殘的世界嗎？我們害怕的是甚麼？

Pulpit Message Introduction for Jan.27

2008-01-25T08:53:00.000-08:00

Pulpit Message Introduction for 3rd Sunday after Epiphany
This Sunday we meditate on Jesus’ miracle of feeding the five thousand with five loaves and two fish. After people had all had enough to eat, the disciples gathered the pieces. They filled 12 baskets with the left over. This was Jesus’ fourth miracle as recorded in the Gospel of John. It was the time of the Jewish Passover Feast. The theme of the feast has to do with life and salvation. The angel of the Lord “passed over” the Jewish household but entered the Egyptian household to kill their first born. Thus Pharaoh had to let the Israelite go. The Jews were then set free from the land of slavery. This story involves our understanding on the meaning of sacrifice and deliverance. That day a little boy sacrificed his small meal and the whole multitude had enough to eat. Later Jesus sacrificed His life and the whole mankind was saved. The multiplying of loaves and fish is still happening today. There is more than enough food to feed everyone who hungers in the world. The problem is that are we willing to sacrifice and distribute God’s abundance to the world?
Jesus steps into our lives and brings the Old Testament past to present life situations. He is the Law and Prophets incarnate. When Jesus knows that people want to make him king by force, he withdraws. His crown is not made of gold but thorns. What we learn from Jesus is that at times we are confronted with small resources, but God can turn a small fact into a big miracle. He does this because he is the real messiah, God’s anointed One to save us.
講壇信息介紹
本主日我們思想的，是環繞著約翰福音所記載，耶穌所行的第四個神蹟—以五餅二魚餵飽五千人，而且所剩下的零碎還裝滿了十二個籃子。耶穌行這神蹟時正值逾越節。逾越節的主題乃生命與救贖。耶和華的使者【逾越】以色列的家戶，保存他們兒子的生命，因耶和華擊殺埃及家庭的長子，令法老王准許以色列人離開埃及為奴之地。因此逾越節包含了犧牲和拯救的意義。現在，耶穌以一位小孩所犧牲和奉獻的餅和魚，餵飽五千人；日後，祂更犧牲自己的生命，拯救全人類。
五餅二魚是小孩子的一個小午餐，但當耶穌把它祝謝之後，卻成了五千人的食糧。我們日常所享受的都比這小午餐豐富，我們可曾以感恩和信靠的心懷去回應上帝這麼豐盛的賜予呢？耶穌在餵飽五千人後，因為知道群眾要強迫祂作王，他便退到山上去。耶穌知道祂作王的冠冕不是用金造成的，而是用荊棘編作成的。祂來世界的目的是要完成舊約預言彌賽亞的工作。祂確實是我們的救主。

Pulpit Message Introduction for Jan.20

2008-01-17T10:01:00.000-08:00

Pulpit Message Introduction for 2nd Sunday after Epiphany
According to the Gospel of John, Jesus’ third miracle is the healing of an invalid for 38 years. John 5:2-17. Why is this man an invalid for 38 years before he gets healed? His explanation is that when the water is stirred no one helps him into the pool. While he is trying to get in some one else goes down ahead of him. The Jews believe that when the water is stirred, the first one into the pool will be cured of whatever disease he has. Is this an excuse for the invalid for not getting healed? Although being invalid for such long time is no fun, yet he feels comfortable lying on his mat doing nothing. The mat has been an obstacle to him for 38 years. It keeps him from getting well. For this reason, when Jesus heals him, Jesus needs say one word: “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” At once the man is cured; he picks up his mat and walk. Are we like this invalid for 38 years? Are we afraid of situations we don’t feel comfortable with? Do we make all sorts of excuses to avoid challenges?
When Jesus sees us, he will command us to pick up our mat and walk. He will urge us to live up to life’s challenges. No matter what our situations may be, we can face them courageously. We don’t need to escape with excuses.
Our God is always at work. Jesus works miracles. He heals the 38 years invalid for this reason. That’s why he says, “My father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working.” As Christ followers, God expects us to work like Jesus does. Let us join in his work of healing, of helping and of saving all mankind.
講壇信息介紹
根據約翰福音，耶穌第三個神蹟是醫好一個患病長達38年的人。約5：2-17.那人為甚麼病了38年才被醫好？他解釋說每當池水動的時候，總有人比他先進去（猶太人相信畢士大池水動的時候可起治療的功效），這是否只是他的藉口呢？雖然長期病倒了並不好過，他卻習慣了躺在褥子上。原來那褥子成了阻礙那患病38年的人，使他不能康復。為這原故，當耶穌醫治他的時候，只用了一句說話：“拿起你的褥子走罷。”那人果真照耶穌的吩咐起來，並且立刻痊愈了。我們是不是那個長年患病的人？我們是否害怕自己不習慣的境況，以各樣藉口逃避不去面對？
然而當我們與耶穌相遇時，祂便好像吩咐那個38年患病的人拿起他的褥子站起來一樣，催促我們要好好地活出我們的生命。無論我們的境況如何，我們都可以勇敢面對，不需作任何推搪。
我們所相信的神是一個作事的神，耶穌施行神蹟，醫治那個患病38年的人，正要表明這道理：“我父作事直到如今，我也作事。”作為基督徒，神也期望我們好像耶穌一樣，參與祂在這世界上繼續不斷的醫治人，幫助人，拯救人的工作。

Pulpit Message Introduction for Jan.13

2008-01-10T08:34:00.000-08:00

Pulpit Message Introduction for 1st Sunday after Epiphany
In the Gospel according to John Jesus’ second miraculous sign was performed in the healing of the son of a royal official. This is recorded in John 4:46-54. We all need healing. If we want healing from Jesus we have to have faith in Him. Faith in God gives us life. It is life restored and renewed by the power of God. In the story we see how the royal official had faith in Jesus. He was a man of high position and authority. He could have sent for the best doctor to heal his son. But he trusted no one but Jesus. He went a long way to see Jesus. Not to order Jesus around but to beg Him to come and heal his son, who was close to death. Jesus did not go right a way but said, “You may go. Your son will live.” The man took Jesus at his word and departed. He later found out his son was healed at exactly the time Jesus said his son would live. So he and all his household believed. Jesus works miracles not for any other reasons but for the fact that He is God. When God acts miraculous signs are manifested. Blessed are those who see the acts of God and believe. Are you one of them?
講壇信息介紹
約翰福音所載第二個神蹟是耶穌醫好一位羅馬大臣的兒子（約翰四章46至54節）。故事中有一點值得我們反思的：我們都需要醫治，若我們要得到耶穌的醫治，對耶穌的信心是不可少的。對上帝的信心可使我們的生命獲得重整，重新得力。
在這醫治的故事中，我們首先看到那位大臣對耶穌的信心，貴為有權有勢的人，他可邀請醫術精湛的醫生去醫治他的兒子。可是他卻獨自信靠耶穌，親自到耶穌跟前，不是吩咐耶穌，而是請求耶穌到他家中醫治他病重的兒子。然而，耶穌沒有照大臣所求前往他的家，只是對大臣說，“你回去吧，你的兒子活了”。大臣相信，便趕回家，果然在耶穌說話的時候，他的兒子便痊愈了，於是他和他全家都信了耶穌。耶穌施行神蹟不為甚麼，只因為祂是掌管一切的主，所以祂所行的，就是神蹟，是上帝的作為。那些看見耶穌的神蹟而信的人有福了。你是其中一個嗎？

Pulpit Message Introduction for Jan.6

2008-01-02T14:22:00.000-08:00

Pulpit Message Introduction for Epiphany Sunday
Epiphany is the season to celebrate the good news of Christ’s birth being spread to the ends of the earth. Jesus’ birth is part of God’s plan. God comes and works among us to bring about His glory. God in Jesus does many wonders and signs. The miracle in Cana turning water into wine is the first of His miraculous signs. Jesus cares about people’s feelings both in their times of sadness as well as in their times of happiness. The guests in the wedding need wine. So Jesus provides them with good wine. Jesus can change ordinary water into extraordinary wine. To make the ordinary into the extraordinary is the nature of Jesus’ work. When we see people with needs, do we just ignore them by making excuses that it is not our custom to do such uncomfortable things? Or do we try the hard way and respond to the request? Sometimes traditions and customs restrain us from doing things we want to do. But Jesus addresses people’s need and take it as His first priority, even preceding customs and traditions. Epiphany is the time to preach the good news of Jesus’ work. Jesus can do works of extraordinary goodness despite constraints from traditions and human limitations. Can we?
講壇信息介紹
顯現節是慶祝耶穌降生的好消息已向全世界的人傳揚開了。耶穌的降生乃上帝工作的一部分，上帝要親臨人間工作以彰顯祂的榮耀。上帝在耶穌基督裏做了許多神蹟奇事，迦拿婚筵以水變酒，是耶穌所行的頭一件神蹟。耶穌重視人在憂傷時也在快樂時的需要，這需求重要過人的制度與習慣。婚筵的賓客需要酒，耶穌便為他們提供好酒。耶穌把普通的水變成不普通的醇酒。把普通的變成不普通的，是耶穌施行神蹟的方式。當我們遇到需要幫助的人，我們是否總喜歡以沒有時間或不習慣為藉口，拒絕施以援手呢？即使我們定意回應，卻發現沒有足夠的能力，因為我們被傳統所牽制而無所作為。我們是否尊重傳統過於人的需要呢？顯現節是一個傳揚與見證的節期，我們所傳揚，所見證的，乃是主耶穌—祂能夠在任何境況中有所作為，因為祂決心跨越人的限度，而不是只顧退縮於人關心的範籌與限制。

Pulpit Message Introduction for Dec.30

2007-12-26T08:21:00.000-08:00

Pulpit Message Introduction for 1st Sunday after Christmas
The center message of Christmas is the Word made flesh. God took the form of a man and lived amongst us. In human history human beings had desecrated the image of God which was put in them during creation. God could not refrain Himself from this disaster. He had to do something. He got Himself involved in the depraved humanity. He worked out His process of re-creation. This Sunday guest speaker Rev. Dr. Gerald Fuller Adjunct Professor of Environmental Engineering Department, University of Regina and Chaplain of the Gideon camp is preaching at our pulpit. He will speak on Isaiah 55:11. This verse has a great influence on his life. We thank God for his message.
講壇信息介紹
聖誕節的核心是道成了肉身，上帝親自取了人身降臨在我們中間。在人類歷史中，人不斷把他俏乎神的形像削弱。上帝再不能袖手旁觀，祂要親自介入人類的歷史，修補破損了的人性，在人類中施行再創造。本主日嘉賓講員Rev. Dr. Gerald Fuller Adjunct Professor of Environmental Engineering Department, University of Regina and Chaplain of the Gideon camp將蒞臨擔任講道，他用以賽亞書55章11節與我們分享神如何改變他的生命。感謝主今天給我們這美好的信息。

Pulpit Message Introduction for Dec.23

2007-12-19T09:06:00.000-08:00

Pulpit Message Introduction for 4th Sunday of Advent
The fourth Sunday of Advent is also known as Mary’s Sunday. When the angel told Mary she was going to bear the child of God and call his name Jesus, Mary was troubled. She said, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” After the angel explained, she understood and said, “I am the Lord’s servant, may it be to me as you have said.
In order for God to fulfill His will, Mary did not care too much about her own reputation. In order to protect our own name we so often don’t want to do the thing that Mary did although it will benefit others.
Then Mary sang the famous song called the Magnificat saying this:
My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me—holy is his name. His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. He has bought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever, even as he said to our fathers.
Because Mary humbled herself, she saw the great works God was going to do through Jesus. This is the lesson Christians and leaders of the church nowadays need to learn--the lesson to humble ourselves and obey.

講壇信息介紹
將臨節第四主日又稱為馬利亞主日。當天使向馬利亞報信，傳遞上帝要她懷孕生耶穌的訊息時，她非常惶恐，“我是一個還沒有出嫁的閨女，這樣的事怎能發生呢？”。經過了天使的解釋，馬利亞答應了，她說：“我是主的婢女，願你的話成就在我的身上。”
為了成全上帝的旨意，馬利亞並不計較自己的名聲。多少時候，我們為了保住自己的名聲，不肯做一些有益於別人的事。
馬利亞唱出著名的尊主頌說：我心尊主為大；我靈以神我的救主為樂。因為他顧念他使女的卑微，從今以後，萬代要稱我有福。那有權能的，為我成就了大事，他的名為聖。他憐憫敬畏他的人，直到世世代代。他用膀臂施展大能；那狂傲的人正心裏妄想就被他趕散了。他叫有權柄的失位，叫卑賤的升高；叫饑餓的得飽美食，叫富足的空手回去。他扶助了他的僕人以色列，為要紀念亞伯拉罕和他的後裔，施憐憫直到永遠，正如從前對我們列祖所說的話。
因著馬利亞自甘卑微，她看到了耶穌將要施行的奇妙作為。今天的基督徒和教會領袖所當努力學效的，正是馬利亞的謙卑和順服。

Pulpit Message Introduction for Dec.16

2007-12-12T13:05:00.000-08:00

Pulpit Message Introduction for 3rd Sunday of Advent
John the Baptist is in prison about to be beheaded by King Herald. Jesus seems helpless in the situation. He is disappointed with Jesus. He sends some of his followers to talk to Jesus, to ask him if he is really the Messiah they have been waiting for, or if they should keep looking. Rather than getting into a bunch of theological jargon, which God's Son could probably do even better than most preachers, Jesus simply tells them to look around at what they see going on and decide for themselves. What they see is amazing; the blind are receiving sight, people who haven't walked in years are dancing, untouchable lepers are hugging and kissing their children, deaf people are listening to Jesus stories, some dead people are up walking around, and the poor are hearing a sermon that makes them smile. The book of Isaiah has predicted the coming of this reign of God. “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned… For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” This Jesus most definitely is the Messiah! To the people whose hearts are filled with disappointment they will see nothing but disappointment. But to the people whose hearts are filled with love, they will see everything God is doing to fulfill his promise on Christmas day.
講壇信息介紹
施洗約翰在監裏很快就要被希律殺頭了。耶穌對這個情況好像是無能為力。施洗約翰對耶穌大失所望。他打發他的門徒去問耶穌說：那將要來的彌賽亞是你嗎？還是我們等候別人呢？耶穌回答說：你們去把所聽見所看見的的事告訴約翰。就是瞎子看見，瘸子行走，長大麻瘋的潔凈，聾子聽見死人復活，窮人有福音傳給他們。其實先知以賽亞早已經預言過，這個上帝要治理祂國的情況：在黑暗中行走的百姓，看見了大光。住在死陰之地的人有光照耀他們。。。因有一嬰孩為我們而生，有一子賜給我們。政權必擔在他的肩頭上。他名稱為奇妙，策士，全能的神，永在的父，和平的君。這耶穌就正是這個彌賽亞了。對於那些心裏大失所望的人，他們永遠只會看見失望。但對那些心裏有愛的人，他們很快就要看見上帝在今年的聖誕節裏，如何把祂答應過我們的諾言一一應驗出來。

Pulpit Message Introduction for Dec.9

2007-12-05T09:45:00.001-08:00

Pulpit Message Introduction for 2nd Sunday of Advent
Once a frustrated parishioner asked his pastor “is Christmas coming? How come I don’t feel it coming?” The pastor replied, “Christmas means peace. Do you have peace? If you don’t have peace, you can not feel peace even though it is coming your way.”
This is precisely what happened to George Frederic Handel. Before he wrote the Messiah he was an angry man. Before Christ brought peace to his anguished spirit, he was frustrated with himself, cut off from other people, and at odds with god. He was sick; his eyes were beginning to fail him. He was out of money. He felt empty, dejected, lonely, hopeless and miserable, his creativity had disappeared. Then one day Christ was born anew in his heart and Christ stilled those storms in his life that were tearing him apart, and he became a new person. Where there had been strife, now there was peace. Where there had been fear, now there was courage. Where there had been emptiness, now there was incredible creativity. He grabbed his pen and paper and composed one of the most beloved pieces of music ever written—the Messiah.
Christmas has some wonderful things to say to us. Christmas has some wonderful things to do to us. Christmas has some wonderful things to give to us. But we have to have the ears of faith to hear them, the eyes of faith to see them, the heart of faith to feel them, and the grace and peace of Christ to accept them.

講壇信息介紹
一個很失意的教友到他牧師面前發問：聖誕是不是又要來了？為甚麼我一點也不感覺它來臨的呢？牧師回答說：聖誕代表平安，你有沒有平安？如果你沒有平安，就算平安來到，你也不會感覺到它的。
這正是佐治佛德烈韓德爾的生活寫照。在他未寫彌賽亞神曲之前，他是一個非常失意的人。在基督把平安帶進他那憤怒的靈魂之前，他對自己憤恨，對人割絕，對神敵視。他生病；他的眼睛模糊；他的錢快用光了。他覺得空虛，沮喪，寂寞，失望和痛苦。他的創作能力已經消失凈盡。這樣之後，有一天基督在他的心裏再次新生出來，基督使那曾弄到他生命撕裂的驚濤駭浪平靜下來。他於是成了一個新造的人。以前他爭戰，現在他和平；以前他懼怕，現在他勇敢；以前他空虛，現在他充滿創意。他拿起筆和紙，寫成了舉世不朽的音樂傑作--彌賽亞神曲。
聖誕有一些奇妙的事情要告訴我們。聖誕有一些奇怪的事實要做在我們身上。
聖誕有一些奇特的事件要賞賜給我們。但我們要有信心的耳朵去聽這些事，我們要有信心的眼睛去看這些事，我們要有信靠的心去領受這些事，再加上基督的恩典與平安，我們就必能感覺到聖誕的確是來臨了。

Pulpit Message Introduction for Dec. 2

2007-11-28T07:46:00.000-08:00

Pulpit Message Introduction for 1st Sunday of Advent
Christmas is coming. Are we anticipating it with hope or are we enduring it with despair? Look at Mary. She has so much to teach us about real hope. The mission God chose her to fulfil was not an easy task. What she went through was incredibly difficult. She was just a teenage girl from a poor family who lived in an obscure village in a tiny nation. Then one day an angel came to her with a message from the Lord: “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favour with God. And behold you will conceive and bear a son and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great. He will be the Messiah, the Son of God, and the Saviour of the world…” And all this was going to happen when she was still a virgin. It was a tough situation for Mary. If we were she most of us would have asked the Lord to find someone else to do this job. But not Mary. Her answer to the angel was a model of real faith and real hope. She said, “I am the Lord’s servant; let it be to me according to your word.” Here in Mary we see the powerful witness of Christian hope.

講壇信息介紹
聖誕節快來臨了。我們是用一個仰望的心去期待它，還是一個失望的心去應付它呢？請看馬利亞。她給我們一個很好學習仰望的功課。上帝給她的差使是一個不容易的差使。她所經歷的是不好受的經歷。她是一個十多歲的女孩子，在一個小國窮鄉長大。一天天使帶來上帝的信息，對她說：“馬利亞不要怕！你在神面前已經蒙恩了。你要懷孕生子，可以給他起名叫耶穌。他要為大，他要做彌賽亞，是神的兒子，是世界的救主。。。”而這一切事成就是要在她還沒有出嫁之前發生的。這是一件令馬利亞最難接受的事。如果我們是她，很多人會叫神另找賢能，我就無能為力了。但馬利亞並不是這樣。她的回應能夠顯出真信心和真仰望的品質，她對天使說：“我是主的使女，情願照你的話成就在我身上。”在馬利亞身上我們看見了基督徒仰望神最有力的見證。