Home News No. 110 December 2016

家訊 第一百一十期 二零一六年十二月出版

Contents 目錄

祂是救主 ……………………… 黃英杰牧師 …………… Page 1 聖誕禮物行動 …………………… 吳雨青 ……………… Page 8 賞花思母 ……………………… 劉蓉蓉 ……………… Page 11 一葉南國秋 …………………… 劉蓉蓉 ……………… Page 12 仲夏 …………………………… 陳冰 ……………… Page 15

七言絕句迎聖誕 …………………… 沈蔚 ……………… Page 17

我已得到豐盛的祝福 ……………… 白仁傑 ……………… Page 18

要我去愛敵人嗎?-受浸見證 ………… 鄭洪明 ……………… Page 19

Pastor Appreciation Cards

給牧師的感謝卡 ………………………

……………………………

Page 21

He is the Savior ………………… Pastor Ying Kit Wong …… Page 23

Immanuel, “God With Us” ………… Pastor Russell Williams … Page 29 Ruminate Circa 1988 …………… Donald Yu …………… Page 33 Operation Christmas Child ……… Nightingale Ngo ………… Page 37 Happy Thanksgiving ………………… Julie Liu ……………… Page 40 What Love Truly Is ……………… Kalung Man …………… Page 41 He Prepared My Heart ………… Nathalia Gonzalez ………… Page 43 His Abundant Grace ……………… Ni Xue ……………… Page 45 For His Glory …………………… Michelle Chong ………… Page 46 How He Wants Me To Live ………… Kevin Zhang ………… Page 47 I Have Been Blessed …………… Robin Belanger ………… Page 48

1

祂是救主

黃英杰牧師

約翰福音 1:1-5; 9-13

1 太初有道，道與 神同在，道就是 神。2 這道太初與

神同在。3 萬物是藉著祂造的；凡被造的，沒有一樣不

是藉著祂造的。4 生命在祂裡頭，這生命就是人的光。5

光照在黑暗裡，黑暗卻不接受光。 9 那光是真光，照亮一切生在世上的人。10 祂在世界，

世界也是藉著祂造的，世界卻不認識祂。11 祂到自己的

地方來，自己的人倒不接待祂。12 凡接待祂的，就是信

祂名的人，祂就賜他們權柄做 神的兒女。13這等人不是

從血氣生的，不是從情慾生的，也不是從人意生的，乃

是從 神生的。

時代的精神

請先看附圖，猜猜看是什麼物品？

那是一個木雕的頭像，滿頭都是許

多常見的工具和設備。看似一件近

代的藝術作品，對吧？其實是一件

1921 年的作品，由德國藝術家羅·

豪思曼(Raoul Hausmann)所創作，

標題是: 「這個時代的精神」，作

者想表達的是:人們已淪為工具的

奴隸。人有智慧，發明了許多工具，

但漸漸地做決定時就得依賴這些工具，結果人的頭腦就像這個

木製的頭，只能靠工具和設備生存，沒有自己的思想或創作力。

2

作者警告說，當代人所謂的「時代精神」根本不是什麼精神，

人與人之間已變得冷漠和機械化。

這件作品的寓意很有前瞻性，好像也預言出今天社會的現況。

看看大家手邊有多少不同的電子產品?與以前相比，肯定有過

之而無不及。

若讓你用一張圖片或一些字句來描述我們這個時代的精神，你

會如何表達？

混亂和黑暗，換句話說也就是邪惡，這是我形容我們時代的精

神。放眼望去，世界每個角落都充斥著動亂、恐懼和痛苦。就

算人們再怎麼改革法律、制度、政府和社會，想建立一個烏托

邦理想國的努力仍是徒勞無功，反而似是走向反理想國：反烏

托邦的國度;苦難、壓迫和疾病的社會; 一個沒有秩序的地方。

黑暗與光

「黑暗」不僅是指物質世界的現象，更是指人類內心的狀況。

是什麼造成了世界的黑暗? 是人心的黑暗。每個人心中都有黑

暗面，那是不爭的事實，普世皆是，舉凡人與人的關係、自己

的慾望、自我中心、嫉妒、驕傲等等，在在都看得到黑暗。也

許我們比較容易看到別人身上的黑暗面，但若誠實地自我省察，

自己內心也有黑暗啊!我們也想建立一個內心的理想國，但通

常只得到反烏托邦。

約翰福音談到的黑暗，有非物質的內涵和意義:是一個「離開

神的世界」;是靈性上的無知和盲目;是在撒旦掌管下的墮落和

罪惡。

3

“我到世上來，乃是光，叫凡信我的不住在黑暗裡。”

(約翰福音 12:46)

“4 生命在祂裡頭，這生命就是人的光。5 光照在黑暗

裡，黑暗卻不勝過/接受光。” (約翰福音 1:4-5)

雖然許多人知道這個世界是在黑暗中、充滿罪惡，卻不願意承

認自己是罪人，自己也有份讓這個世界行在黑暗中。有的人甚

至認為自己是好人，目前的混亂不是他們的錯。

有一個電視節目報導過可待因和海洛因，以及這些毒品如何摧

毀了美國許多家庭。製作單位曾遠赴南美洲哥倫比亞的一個村

莊，採訪當地貧窮的農民，他們以種植一種植物-罌粟-為生。

對當地人來說，種植罌粟與種其他草藥或蔬菜沒有什麼不同，

賺不了大錢，勉強糊口而已。他們萬萬沒有想到，這些罌粟花

最後會被提煉成鴉片或海洛因，讓人吸食成癮，摧毀人們的生

命及家庭。他們認為自己是好人，沒有作奸犯科，卻沒想到自

己是這邪惡生意的原始生產者。

黑暗需要什麼？ 光！ 正如小馬丁路德·金博士所說：

黑暗不能驅走黑暗：

只有光能做到。

仇恨不能驅走仇恨：

只有愛才能做到。

我們需要「光」。不幸的是，即使人們知道要靠光來驅走黑暗，

卻不願接受光，也不承認自己內心的黑暗，因為他們就在做著

邪惡的事。這正是人類的悲哀。正如約翰福音 3:19 和 1:10-

11 所示，當光來到他們當中，人們卻拒絕光。

4

“光來到世間，世人因自己的行為是惡的，不愛光倒愛

黑暗，定他們的罪就是在此。” (約翰福音 3:19)

“10 祂在世界，世界也是藉著祂造的，世界卻不認識祂。11 祂到自己的地方來，自己的人倒不接待祂。” (約翰福音 1:10-11)

「光」是指耶穌基督。耶穌來到世上，就像閃亮的「光」照在

黑暗中，這光不是普通的光，而是有生命的光（約翰福音

1:4-5）。這生命是永恆的生命，是豐盛的生命，是所有人的

光，因為它帶有摧毀黑暗的力量，它驅逐我們的罪和我們心中

的黑暗，這生命是要給世上所有的人。所以耶穌基督是賜生命

給眾人的那一位。耶穌就是光。

耶穌基督不僅是「光」，祂也被稱為「道」。這世上所有被造

之物都是藉著祂所造，是祂所賜的生命（約翰福音 1:3; 創世

記 1:1-3) 。

“1 起初，神創造天地。2 地是空虛混沌，淵面黑暗，神

的靈運行在水面上。3 神說:「要有光。」就有了光。”

(創世記 1:1-3)

“萬物是藉著祂造的，凡被造的，沒有一樣不是藉著祂

造的。” (約翰福音 1:3)

新約中的一個主題是:基督在創世之先就已存在，而且祂創造

了萬有。

“16因為萬有都是靠祂造的，無論是天上的，地上的，

能看見的，不能看見的，或是有位的，主治的，執政

的，掌權的，一概都是藉著祂造的，又是為祂造的。17 祂在萬有之先，萬有也靠祂而立。(歌羅西書 1:16-17)

5

但為什麼耶穌基督有能力在創造中賜生命，在救贖中賜新生命？

耶穌基督是神

「1 太初有道，道與 神同在，道就是 神。2 這道太初與 神同

在。」(約翰福音 1:1-2) 這兩節經文非常重要，因為這些關

於耶穌的真理，在我們信仰中佔有很重要的地位。

•首先，耶穌基督在萬有之先就已存在，祂不是被創造的，

祂在永恆中與 神同在（起初是道，道與 神同在）。

•其次，耶穌基督是 神（聖父，聖子和聖靈）。

耶穌基督是 神，這是重點所在。為什麼這很重要？因當我們

談到救世主（祂是光，可以摒棄黑暗，賜給人永恆的生命），

就必須知道祂從哪裡來，為什麼有能力。假如耶穌基督不是神，

祂如何能賜給人生命呢？怎麼可能在黑暗中發光，驅逐邪惡？

美國流行文化創作出相當多的超級英雄，像蝙蝠俠、蜘蛛俠和

超人，雖只存在於虛擬世界，人們仍把盼望投射在他們身上:

拯救人類脫離黑暗，帶來希望。反觀在華人圈子中，並沒有創

出太多漫畫英雄，倒是把一些歷史人物提升為傳奇人物，歌功

頌德一番，像是黃飛鴻、葉問等。只是這些英雄人物本身都有

過犯、有缺失，自己也需要被救贖。但耶穌基督不同，祂是

神，祂不需要救贖自己。

道成肉身

認識到耶穌基督是 神，讓我們理解「道成肉身」-神降世為

人的含義。

「道成肉身」的含義:

6

•真理：耶穌基督是完美無缺的，因為祂是 神，祂就是真理。

祂的一言一行都表達了祂的真實。

•恩典：我們是罪人，我們不配得 神的救恩。然而耶穌基督願

意來到世上為我們而死。這就是恩典 - 我們不值得，但

祂仍給我們了。

•愛：羅馬書五章八節說：「唯有基督在我們還做罪人的時候

為我們死，神的愛就在此向我們顯明了。」 神賜恩典是因

為祂愛我們。

•謙卑：腓立比書二章六至八節：「 6 祂本有 神的形象，不以

自己與 神同等為強奪的， 7 反倒虛己，取了奴僕的形象，

成為人的樣式； 8 既有人的樣子，就自己卑微，存心順服以

至於死，且死在十字架上。」耶穌是 神，卻從天上寶座下

來，自我卑微，降世為人，成就了救贖人類的大計畫。

給未信朋友的禮物

朋友們，聖誕節是慶祝耶穌的誕生，這是 神賜下的珍貴禮物，

你想接受這美好的禮物嗎？你想讓這「光」進入你的內心，使

你成為新造的人嗎? 你想有永生嗎？神已應許我們：「12 凡接

待祂的，就是信祂名的人，祂就賜他們權柄做 神的兒女。13

這等人不是從血氣生的，不是從情慾生的，也不是從人意生的，

乃是從 神生的。」(約翰福音 1:12-13) 要收到這個禮物很

容易，只要接受耶穌基督做你的救主，讓祂管理你的一生。

給基督徒的禮物

主內的弟兄姊妹們，我們慶祝聖誕節，是記念耶穌的誕生，請

謹記耶穌基督為你所做的，盼望你也會這樣做。請你把「道成

肉身」的真理彰顯在生活之中:

•真理：在日常生活中，把 神的真理告訴周圍的人。站起來維

護真理，因真理正是「道成肉身」的意義。

7

•恩典：我們也應該向 神感恩，並恩待別人。記住 神是如何

待你，你也要如此待人。

•愛：沒有愛，就不可能有恩典。求 神賜下祂的愛，使你有能

力去愛 神，愛他人。

•謙卑：講到謙卑，就是服事。要看到他人的需要，並願意跪

下來服侍他們。

聖誕佳節，普天同慶，希望你真正了解聖誕節的意義、耶穌基

督是誰、光的意義和道成肉身的含意。讓我們同聲宣告：

耶穌基督是我們的救主

8

聖誕禮物行動

吳雨青

一 九 九 三 年 夏 天 ， 葛 福 臨 (Franklin

Graham)接到一通由英國打來的電話，一位

男士向他求助，希望能幫忙收集一些鞋盒，

裝滿禮物後，在聖誕節送給被戰火蹂躪的波

斯尼亞孩子們。因當時離聖誕節還有幾個月，

葛福臨只把它放在心上，並沒有立即採取行動。直到感恩節臨

近了，那位男士又來電，詢問收集到多少鞋盒，因他近期將出

發到波斯尼亞去。葛福臨其實忘記了這件事，但他答應到時會

把鞋盒禮物準備好。於是他立刻致電給一位朋友，就是北卡羅

來納州夏洛特城的各各他教會的主任牧師，請他在禮拜天向會

眾宣佈這件事，要收集鞋盒禮物送給波斯尼亞的孩子們，看看

反應如何。結果一週內，會眾共收集了一萬一千個鞋盒禮物。

從此以後，「善普施」(Samaritan’s Purse)機構共收集了

超過一億三千五百萬個鞋盒禮物。

我們教會於一九九零年代後期開始參與「聖誕禮物行動」

(Operation Christmas

Child），當時邁阿密地

區的第一個鞋盒禮物收

集站在邁阿密岸(Miami

Shores)剛開始運作。非

常感我們教會大家庭成

員的愛心，每年慷慨捐

獻數百個鞋盒禮物，今

年捐出的總數是 818 個!

9

原本是一項送禮物給波斯尼亞孩子們的事工，擴大成為全球的

「聖誕禮物行動」，現已累計超

過一億三千五百萬個鞋盒禮物，

送到超過一百五十個國家和地區

的孩子們手中。「善普施」機構

今年的年度目標是收集一千二百

萬個鞋盒禮物。

每個鞋盒禮物裝著新玩具、學校

文具、裇衫、襪子、衛生用品等，

送給沒有機會拿到聖誕禮物的孩子，這也許是他們拿到的第一

個聖誕禮物。

每一個禮物盒代表著一個傳福音的機會。

當這些鞋盒禮物分送給孩子們時，當地的

教會和「善普施」機構的同工夥伴，將透

過門徒培訓課程，讓這些孩子有機會在基

督耶穌裡成長。所以這些不單單只是鞋盒

而已，更是「傳福音機會」的盒子。據估計，每三個收到鞋盒

禮物的孩子裡，就有一個孩子接受了耶穌成為他們的救主和生

命的主。

我們教會於每年九月至十一月之間收集鞋盒禮物，之後全數送

到本市當地收集站，再送

到亞特蘭大處理中心，那

是全國八個處理中心之一。

在那裡，義務工作人員會

檢查盒內的物品，以確定

符合目的地國家的入境規定。當這些禮物盒可

10

以運出，就送上卡車或海運貨櫃運往目的地。根據送達國家的

情況，當地的運送工具可能是卡車、汽車、單

車，甚至是駱駝、大象、狗拉的雪橇等。今年

經由亞特蘭大中心處理的鞋盒禮物將運往下列

國家：安哥拉，貝寧，布基納法索，喀麥隆，

中非共和國，查得，剛果，剛果民主共和國，

圭亞那，牙買加，馬里，菲律賓，蘇里南，坦

桑尼亞，千里達和多巴哥，以及未署名的

敏感國家。

「善普施」機構在當地的同工夥伴會把鞋

盒禮物交到他們社區裡孩子們手中。收到

鞋盒禮物後，當地的同工將邀請這些男孩

和女孩們參加一個為期十二課的門徒訓練

課程，名稱是「最偉大的旅程」，通過分享耶穌基督的愛，與

孩子和他們的家庭建立起長期的關懷關係。

請繼續為即將收到這些鞋盒的孩

子們禱告。欲知「聖誕禮物行動」

事 工 詳 情 ， 請 上 網 查 看 ：

www.samaritanspurse.org 。

11

賞花思母

劉蓉蓉

蝶蘭不知別離哀

深秋依舊繽紛開

賞花人兒今猶在

不見澆花慈母來

遙問天國是何季

可似人間百花栽

12

一葉南國秋

劉蓉蓉

久居天涯海角的南國佛州，一年四季綠樹環繞，除了天氣轉涼，

空調不再一天到晚哄哄叫，真是感覺不到秋天的到來。每年秋

天一到，北方的人們爭先恐後曬秋葉，那個斑斕美麗、萬紫千

紅，我只能望葉興嘆，也想著找個秋天去看落葉，感受一下那

種久違的感動和震撼。

搬到這個新家有一點年頭了，發現圍牆外有三棵類似梧桐的樹。

前天去散步仔細看了看，回家後又上網查，應該就是，樹下的

草地上居然還躺著一片紅彤彤的葉子。一直以為梧桐只有在冷

一點的地方才有，而其實在中國的海南都有種植的，所以我們

這裡有，一點都不奇怪。當然這裡的梧桐到秋天也不落光葉子，

只是葉子憔悴稀疏了許多，頗像中年男人的頭髮，少了，還開

13

始有雜色了。只是梧桐的葉子明年春天就又長回來，而那頭濃

密的黑髮卻是一去不返了。

造物主讓大自然生生不息地孕育著我們，我們卻是這塵世中匆

匆一瞬的過客。所幸我們的靈魂不像那黑髮，可以信靠主勝過

歲月這把殺豬刀。外體雖然毀壞，內心卻可以一天新似一天。

14

梧桐樹被古人賦予許多美好的寓意。梧桐高大挺拔，又是製琴

良材，傳說鳳凰非它不棲。所以鳳凰與梧桐代表忠貞高潔的愛

情。所以有詩：「栽下梧桐樹，自有鳳凰來。」又：「鳳翱翔

於千仞兮，非梧不棲﹔士伏處於一方兮，非主不依。」再者，

北方的梧桐秋天落葉早，葉片又大又美麗，引得無數古人詠嘆

不已，因此梧桐頻頻出現在各種淒美的吟秋詩詞中。比如：

梧桐一葉落，天下盡知秋。

一聲梧葉一聲秋，一點芭蕉一點愁。

無言獨上西樓，月如鉤。寂寞梧桐深院鎖清秋。

且借這片梧桐葉，也來詠嘆一下吧！

誰道南國不知秋

一葉梧桐凝秋意

秋去春來心不移

滿樹蔥蘢鳳凰棲

15

仲 夏

陳冰

仲夏的蟲蟬

在赤焰般的鳳凰花中

焦燥不安地長鳴

仲夏的烈日

彷彿一支弗拉明戈

熱情放縱地狂舞

仲夏的思緒

捲進這熱浪漩渦

頓時迷失了方向

仲夏的夜幕

那泛光的樹葉

在微風中搖移

仲夏的雲朵

在星光下

傾聽著我的鄉愁

專注仰望

仲夏的繁星

不正是神的應許

在照亮人生

不死的夢

16

《仲夏》這首詩用了仲夏比喻人在地上的生活，聽到繁雜俗事

如蟲蟬鳴叫，看到各樣誘惑如艷麗的鳳凰花、也如熱辣的舞蹈。

處在這樣一個嘈雜、混沌的世上，常會讓人焦躁而迷失方向，

這是否就只是人生的寫照？做為基督徒需要安靜下來，去專心

仰望 神，如同我們專注仰望夏夜的繁星，我們的心便不再迷

茫，夢不再漂浮，我們便會聽到 神的呼喚、神的勸誡，便會

感到 神的慈愛、神的祝福。我們仰望從上而來的恩典，仰望

十字架的光芒！

「你當仰望耶和華，因祂有慈愛，有豐盛的救恩。」

（詩篇 130：7）

17

七言絕句迎聖誕

沈蔚

黃牧師在今年 11 月 27 日的講道中，強調基督徒在生活中要以

神為中心；以基督為中心；以聖靈為中心。所以在聖誕節期間，

我們教會弟兄姊妹之間互相禮尚往來，祝賀節日愉快，主要以

紀念耶穌基督的誕生為中心。

讀路加福音 2:1-20 及馬太福音 2:1-12 有感。

仰望神星行路遙，

尋求救主到駒槽。

恭迎聖子佳音報，

敬拜基督頌樂繚。

18

我已得到豐盛的祝福

白仁傑

我生長的家庭，有著獨特的基督教傳統。

父親是天主教徒，母親是新教徒(基督

教)，他們覺得這沒什麼問題，因為彼

此非常相愛，所以支持對方去選擇自己

喜歡的敬拜方式。我覺得自己很得祝福，

在青少年時期參加過許多不同的崇拜，

有天主教的，也有基督教的，並曾在天主教教會受過嬰兒洗禮，

後來在二零一六年六月十日接受了浸禮。

從我有記憶以來，一直相信有聖父，聖子和聖靈。記得十幾歲

時曾邀請基督進入我心。但我必須承認，我不是一個模範基督

徒。有時藉著我的所做所為，別人很難能看得出我是基督徒。

二零零三年秋天，當我向主禱告時，神以很大聲、很清晰的方

式向我說話：「你已得到了豐盛的祝福：有健康，好妻子，和

樂家庭以及輝煌的事業。但你應多花一點時間去幫助別人，成

為成熟的基督徒」。當下我才醒悟到，身為基督徒的我，屬靈

生命並沒有長進，只是徒有基督教的觀點而已。

我感到自己需要多學習聖經，就選修了聖經課程。聖經知識增

加了，我也更有自信能隨時、隨地、向任何人分享福音。很多

年以前，為了取得私人飛行員執照、商業駕駛員執照和航空運

輸飛行員執照，我修完所有相關課程並自航空學院畢業。現在

我又回到大學，修讀聖經研究的學士學位，將於二零一七年五

月從穆迪聖經學院畢業。主讓我有心關懷中國文化，我也能以

普通話與世界各地的人以中文交流。若主願意，求主使用我。

19

要我去愛敵人嗎? - 受浸見證

鄭洪明

以前，基督教對我來說是很陌生的。我在

香港生活多年，一直很少接觸教會，身邊

的朋友亦很少有基督徒。我從未閱讀聖經，

所以對聖經故事也一無所知。可是基督教

給我的印象還是好的，因為偶然也會聽聞

基督徒樂意助人，比較有愛心等等。加上

我女兒自小就讀基督教學校，有時她也會

提及一些聖經故事及道理。我還記得有一次她跟我說，聖經教

我們要愛我們的敵人。我當時很自然地回答:要我去愛敵人，

怎麼可能？

自從我來到邁阿密，生活步調和在香港大不相同，也沒有很多

朋友。感謝主讓我在一次偶然中認識張志建執事，他常關心我

和女兒一家，異鄉他國遇到同鄉，倍感親切。後來他邀請我參

加教會活動，我開始接觸到一些基督徒，他們給我的印象大都

是平易近人，樂於助人。每月一次在張執事家中的廣東話查經

班及每星期在教會的主日學及證道，讓我開始認識救主耶穌。

對聖經的教導及 神認識多了，漸漸啓發了我，我現在知道我

們都是罪人，需要救恩。我願意接受耶穌基督的救恩，把今後

一生交托給主，求 神保守及帶領。

自信主後，我覺得心情比較平靜，學懂了寬恕和釋懷，加上對

聖經認識多一些，我比之前學懂更加包容，學懂放下。靠自己

也許未必已經做到去愛敵人，但至少心裡不存在仇恨。

20

我希望可以繼續學習，不斷提升自己的修養，多一些關心和幫

助別人，將福音傳給更多朋友。靠著主的力量，做一個識 Do

的基督徒。(10.30.2016)

(識 Do: 廣東話俚語，意思是: 知道該怎麼做。)

21

Pastor Appreciation Cards

給牧師的感謝卡

22

23  

He Is The Savior By Pastor Ying Kit Wong

John 1:1-5; 9-13

1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was with God in the beginning. 3Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.4In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. 9The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world.10He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—13children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

Spirit of Our Time

would like to show you a weird picture. This piece is a collection of many common tools and devices on a wooden head. Does it look like a

recent art work? Actually, it was made in 1921 by a German artist Raoul Hausmann. The title of this artwork is: Spirit of Our Time. Hausmann tried to use this artwork to show that people in his time have become slaves to the devices around them. They have become dependent on these things to make decisions. People were more like the wooden assemblage, relying solely on tools and devices to survive and not being able to let anything into their minds. He created this piece to warn that the “spirit” of his time was not really a spirit at all. People had become cold and mechanical. I would say that this piece is pretty prophetic. It is still relevant in our time. And it is even truer than before. Just think of how many electronic devices people own now.

I

24  

If you can use a picture or some words to describe the spirit of our time, what would it be? Darkness and Light

To me, the spirit of our time is chaos and darkness. This is just another way to describe the evil of this world. We do not need to look hard in order to see the turmoil, fear and suffering in every corner of the world. People are trying to build a kingdom of Utopia, a place of ideal perfection, especially in the laws, government, and social conditions. But it seems that we are heading to a Dystopia empire: anti-utopia; a society characterized by human misery, oppression, and disease; a place without order. Of course, darkness is not just about the condition of the material world. It is also about the condition of human hearts. Because of the darkness of human hearts, we have the darkness of the world. The darkness of human hearts is universal. If you look at our relationships with others, our own lust, our self-centeredness, our jealousy, our pride and so on, you will see the darkness. Maybe it is easier for you to see the darkness in others, but if we honestly look at our hearts, we will find the darkness within. We want to build up a utopia in our hearts, too. But too often, we see dystopia.

The book of John also talks about darkness. And it carries this non-physical connotation/meaning of the darkness. Darkness to John is “the world estranged from God”, spiritually ignorant and blind, fallen and sinful dominated by Satan. For example, John 12:46 and John 1:4-5.

“I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness” (John 12:46).

“4In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome or understood it” (John 1:4-5).

Although many people recognize that this world is sinful and in darkness, they are not willing to acknowledge that they are sinners, nor will they recognize that they contribute to the darkness of this world. Probably many people would consider themselves good people and current chaos is not their fault.

25  

There is a TV program talking about codeine and heroin and how the drugs destroyed many families in America. The production team visited a village in Colombia where poor farmers grow plants called “poppies”. To the local people, growing poppies is no different from growing herbs or other vegetables. Farming is a mean to provide for their families and they only get little profit. Little do they know that these poppies will produce opium or heroin which destroyed people’s lives. And as good people as they think they are, they are a part of the evil business. What does darkness need? Light! Just as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said:

Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that.

Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.

We do need the light. Unfortunately, even though people know that darkness needs light to drive it away, they do not want to accept light, nor will they admit the darkness in their hearts, because they are taking part in the evil deeds. Just as verses in John 3:19 and 1:10-11 indicate. This is the tragedy of human race. People reject the light when the light comes to them.

“This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil” (John 3:19).

“10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him” (John 1:10-11).

The light is referring to Jesus Christ, according to John. When Jesus came to the world, it was like the light shining in the darkness. But this light is not a common light. The light has life (John 1:4-5). This life is eternal life, the abundant life. This life is the light for all people because it carries the power to cast away the darkness, driving away our sins and the darkness of our hearts. It provides for all people. So Jesus Christ is the life giver. Jesus is the light.

Jesus Christ is not only referred to the light, he is also referred to the Word. Everything in the creation owes its existence to the Word. He gives life in the creation (John 1:3). In the book of Genesis 1:1-3,

26  

“1In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. 3And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and it was light.”

That the pre-existent Christ created everything is a common theme in the New Testament (Col 1:16-17). But why does Jesus have the power to give life in the creation and salvation?

“16 For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together” (Colossians 1:16-17).

Jesus Christ is God

“1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was with God in the beginning”(John 1:1-2). These two verses are very important because they tell us a few things about Jesus that are significant in our faith.

• First, it tells us the pre-existence of Jesus Christ. That means Jesus Christ is not created. He is always with God in eternity (“in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God.”)

• Second, it tells us that Jesus is part of the Godhead (the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit).

Jesus Christ is God. This is the main point. It is important because when we talk about the Savior (he is the light that can cast away the darkness and the one who can give eternal life), we have to know where he is from and why he has the power. If Jesus Christ is not God, how is it possible that he can give life? How is it possible that he can shine in our darkness and cast away the evil?

In American pop cultures, people have created quite a few super heroes to save them from the darkness and bring hope to them, like batman, spider man and superman. In Chinese pop cultures, they do not have many comic heroes. Instead, some historical figures were made as heroes. But these heroes themselves are all at fault. They are humans and also need their own redemption for themselves. But Jesus Christ is different. He is God. He does not need redemption for himself.

27  

Incarnation

Once we recognize that Jesus Christ is God, we can then understand the implications of incarnation—God became flesh/man. The Implications of Incarnation

• Truth: Since Jesus Christ is God, he is perfect. He is the truth. Everything he says and does is the expression of His truthfulness.

• Grace: We are sinners. We do not deserve God’s salvation. However, Jesus Christ is willing to come to die for us. This is called grace—we do not deserve it, but he gives us anyway.

• Love: Romans 5:8 says, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” God’s grace is because of His love for us.

• Humility: Philippians 2:6-8, “6Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; 7rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!”

A Gift for non-believers

Friends, Christmas is the celebration of Jesus’ Birth. It is a great gift from God. Do you want to receive this wonderful gift? Do you want to have this light coming into your heart to make you new? Do you want to have eternal life? God gives us a promise, “12Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—13children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God” (John 1:12-13). It is easy to receive this gift. All you need to do is to receive Jesus Christ as your savior and let him manage your lives. A Gift for Believers

For the believers, at this Christmas time, I hope you remember what Jesus Christ has done for you and you will do the same. I pray that you will carry the spirit of incarnation in your lives.

• Truth: In your lives, you will show God’s truth to those people around you. Stand up for the truth because that is what incarnation means.

28  

• Grace: We should also be grateful to God and be gracious to others. Remember how God has treated you and you treat others the same way.

• Love: Without love, grace is impossible. You need to ask God to empower you with His love so that you can love God and others.

• Humility: Humility is all about serving. You need to focus on people’s needs and be willing to kneel down to serve them.

During Christmas time, I hope you will truly understand the reason for the season, who Jesus Christ is, the meaning of light and the implications of incarnation. And we can all proclaim that:

Jesus Christ is our Savior

29  

Immanuel, “God With Us” By Pastor Russell Williams

hen we think about Christmas, many images come to mind. For some people, presents are what come to mind first. For others, its gatherings with family and friends. Some tend to think about the

wonderful foods that the Christmas season is known for. And finally others think of snow, thick coats and fireplaces…although that scene probably doesn’t come to mind for too many people in South Florida. While these are all wonderful things to think about and be glad for, ultimately our attention should turn to the greatest gift of all and why we celebrate the Christmas season: Jesus! There’s a lot of talk about keeping “Christ” in “Christmas”, and for followers of Christ we should keep Him at the center of all things year round—especially at Christmas! But with all the activities this time of year it can be easy to lose sight of why we are celebrating. Indeed, many people (believers and non-believers alike) end up going through the Christmas season and missing the birth of Jesus altogether. I don’t know if you’ve been around many people who are ready to have a baby, but it is an exciting time. It can also be a very stressful time, but nonetheless a very exciting time. It’s a day the parents and other family members are looking forward to. It’s always a joyous occasion to welcome a new baby into the world and it’s something you don’t want to miss. I know a pastor who completely missed the birth of one of his children. He and his wife knew the time was coming but they went to the doctor and he said they still had a few more weeks. The pastor was living in Florida at the time and he was scheduled to preach a revival in Tennessee, so a few days later he flew to Tennessee because the doctor assured him it would be alright. After the first night of the revival the pastor got a message to call his wife because the baby was about to come. This was in the early 1980’s (of course several years before cell phones), so after making his way to a pay phone to contact his wife he went to the airport to catch the first flight out. He got on a plane as quick as he could, but as he was somewhere in between Tennessee and Florida the baby

W

30  

was born. The pastor was heartbroken that he had missed the birth of his child, so for the rest of his children he made sure to be in town when the time was approaching. But as I had mentioned, a lot of people go through the Christmas season and miss the birth of Jesus amongst all the busyness. A lot of people miss the entire reason why we celebrate this time of year. This is a key event in all of history—in fact Jesus’ birth, life, death and resurrection changed history. Jesus’ birthday is even what we use to arrange history: B.C. and A.D. The year of YOUR birthday is based on Jesus’ birthday, and the story of Jesus’ birthday is found in Matthew 1:18-25:

18 This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. 19 Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. 20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23 “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”). 24 When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. 25 But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.

There are many important things in this passage, but I want to focus on just one. Actually, it is just one word—Immanuel. The Bible tells us that Immanuel means “God with us”. Immanuel is a Hebrew word, and it is a Messianic title. Jesus (which means “the Lord is salvation”) is His name because as verse 21 states “He will save His people from their sins.” Immanuel is the title because it is the fulfillment of the promise of “God with us”. In the person of Jesus humanity was able to see God because He had come to us. The first thing I want to look at is GOD with us. Immanuel (Jesus) is God. That is the meaning of Christianity and of Christmas. Jesus is the Son of God and He is God the Son. He is 100% God and 100% man. Just as much man as

31  

if He weren’t God and just as God as if He weren’t man. Jesus came to identify with us, but not to be identical to us. Verse 23 says Jesus was born of a virgin—you might wonder does that really make a difference. Yes, it does…it is the difference between heaven and hell, life and death, salvation and no salvation. If Jesus were from earthly parents He’d have human, sinful blood going through Him. All people have sinned, so He would be sinful as well and unable to pay for our sins on the cross. Jesus in His humanity related to us, and as God He came to die for us to do what we couldn’t do ourselves. The miraculous incarnation makes the miraculous resurrection possible. Without the deity of Christ, Christianity wouldn’t exist. Christianity isn’t a set of ideas or a creed, it’s a person. It’s Immanuel—Jesus—God with us. The Bible tells us several times that Jesus is God…not lower than God or less than God, but God Himself. Through His miracles, teachings, life, death and resurrection, people realized that Jesus is God. John 1:14 says Jesus “became flesh and made His dwelling among us”. In John 14:9 Jesus said, “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father”. Several times throughout the Bible we see Jesus’ divinity; we see that Jesus is God—GOD with us. The second thing is God WITH us. Daily we walk with Jesus and He walks with us. It’s been said before that Christmas isn’t about presents, but about Jesus’ presence, and that is certainly true when we consider the title Immanuel. Jesus—Immanuel—came to be WITH you. While from time to time we all experience difficulties in life, as followers of Christ we aren’t alone. Jesus knows and cares about what you’re going through. He might not keep you from the fire, but He’ll be in there with you, just like Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. You can trust Jesus and find comfort in Him. He knows about betrayal, rejection and temptation, yet He cares and understands. Hebrews 4:15 says He “has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet He did not sin”. Isaiah 41:10 says, “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand”. This is the very real promise of Immanuel—God WITH us.

32  

Finally, consider God with US. Each of us has a choice to make concerning Jesus. The old Christmas song asks, “What Child is This?”, and that is a question all of us have to answer at some point in our lives. The proper response is to welcome, worship and walk with Immanuel—God with US. He is the greatest gift this Christmas season. Each of us know people who don’t understand the true meaning of Christmas. We all know people who will go from one activity to the next, one party to the next, one gift to the next, and miss out on the real meaning of Christmas. Jesus—Immanuel—came for US. He came to make salvation possible for all who would call upon His name. He came to forgive us of our sins and to fix the brokenness in our lives. Jesus loves all people and the message of Jesus needs to be told to all people. If you know the true meaning of Christmas—if you know Immanuel—then the best thing you could do is tell others about the wonderful Savior we serve. Tell them about the healing and salvation that is only found in Jesus. Tell them about the life change that can only come through Jesus. Tell them about the personal relationship they can have with Jesus who is a constant companion. Tell them about Immanuel—God with us.

33  

Ruminate Circa 1988 By Donald Yu

ome may know that the CBYF (Chinese Baptist Youth Fellowship) is the oldest fellowship in our church. How old? Old enough that some of its formerly youthful members (whom I like to call the senior CBYF) have

now graduated on to having children in the CBYF, like myself. As a former member and current parent I would like to thank the leadership of Pastor Russell and Steve and Iva Ho Sang for continuing to teach our teenagers how to serve. From packing food for underprivileged kids at a local school, to singing monthly during worship services, to serving fellowship lunch and cleaning up afterwards, these may not seem like big things, but they are lessons and habits that once learned will stay with you for a lifetime. There is much that I have thankfully forgotten about my teenage years in the CBYF (all my haircuts from age 12-17, though I’m sure there is photographic evidence floating around out there) but there are some events where I can remember nearly every detail. Two CBYF activities stand out particularly clear because they were the first instances where I was able to connect the concepts I had been learning about in the Bible with a real life experience. These were instances where knowledge became wisdom. When you are 13 years old, you think you know everything and that the entire universe revolves around you. Everything that happens to you is either the best thing ever or the worst thing ever. Though Centrifuge is a Christian youth camp, the primary motivation for a 13 year old to attend is, of course, to have fun. I certainly was no different. However one afternoon during free time someone arranged for our group to visit a nearby home for the severely disabled. Our task was to spend some time with the patients. Some of us were asked to wheel patients around in a wheel chair while others stayed in the patient’s rooms as those patients could not be moved from their beds. My guy sat contorted in his wheelchair with his head permanently cocked back and to the left. I started our walk around the idyllic grounds in silence, pushing the wheelchair under the large shady trees, enjoying warm sun and the cool mountain breeze. After a few minutes of silence I started to speak to him, though I knew very well that he could not answer. I told him a little bit about

S

34  

myself, I asked him questions about himself, we talked about the weather and the Miami Dolphins. He gave no response. When I ran out of things to say I started to repeat myself. I mixed in some Chinese and some Spanish for variety. Still no response. So I continued to walk and talk until the time was up and I returned him to his room. Upon handing him back into the care of the nurse I seemed to detect a small smirk on his face. Perhaps it was normal expression, but I’d like to think that he was smiling, because he too thought Dan Marino is the greatest quarterback ever. By the time we made our way back to the camp, I had learned the seed of a very important lesson, be humble and be thankful. We naturally focus on the things we don’t have instead of the things we do have. My teenage self could only see the things I had to do that others might not have to: play piano, work weekend/summer jobs, do chores, etc. I could not yet see the things I didn’t have to do that others had to: endure conflict, go hungry, suffer physical ailments. My afternoon with my buddy in the wheelchair gave me some much needed perspective. That afternoon, I was able to be thankful for the opportunity to be there, for my family and for the luxury of travelling. An honest assessment for most of us will find that our hardships are very few and our blessings are many. It is a challenge to remember “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God” (Philippians 4:6). However, being among the blessed, we must beware not to gorge on our blessings like a teenager at a buffet (at least me as a teenager anyway). It is not enough to be thankful that you are better off than the other guy. Each person has their own set of challenges. For my buddy in the wheelchair his challenge was just making it through the day. For those of us who are of good health, our challenge is what we will accomplish with that gift. God issues blessings with a warning and an expectation; “…from everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked” (Luke 12:48). Once you are able to have a thankful and humble heart, then you will be able to take the next step and put your humility into action. This brings us to the second service activity I remember vividly. One Saturday the activity on the schedule was to come to church and setup the Christmas tree. We arrived a little after nine and set up the artificial tree. We strung up the lights and placed

35  

the ornaments as usual. There were probably eight of us and most of the time was spent either talking or messing around. The tree was decorated in a fashion that can only be described as haphazard. It would be some years until my trademark sense of urbane style would fully develop. Among the alternative activities we engaged in during this time included but was not limited to who could jump head first over the highest hedge, something having to do with karate kicking projectile ornaments, and discussing at length the merits of having lunch at Pizza Hut versus Sizzler? When it was time to leave around 1 PM I remember asking who would lock up the church? (for those of you counting that would be 32 man hours to decorate a Christmas tree). We were told by Uncle Fu Chin, whom everyone called “Fu Bok” that he would be there for a few hours yet and that he would lock up. Only as we were leaving did it dawn on us that when we arrived in the morning he was already there mopping the floors. As we put up the Christmas tree and continued to goof around, he moved on to cleaning the bathrooms and vacuuming the sanctuary and the fellowship hall. As with most 13 year old kids, when something gets done, I never really questioned how it gets done and by whom. This was the first time it really occurred to me that someone had to actually clean the bathrooms at church. Fu Bok who was already over 70 at that time just went about his business serving. I would later find out cleaning the inside of the church was the easy part. Fu Bok was also the gardener, mowing the lawn, trimming the hedges (that we just used as a high bar), and doing the rest of the yard work. I like most kids that age would naturally make a big show about every task that I would do around the house. Making sure my parents knew that it was me, and not either of my brothers, who washed the dishes or mopped the floor. Every chore I had to do was a lost video game opportunity. Why would someone volunteer to do work? Wouldn’t Fu Bok rather be watching TV or playing golf or something else befitting of a retiree? I did not realize at the time that our church, as with all churches, was built by the unheralded work of countless people. My work consisted of haphazardly decorating a Christmas tree or making a Father’s day bookmark by sticking a hand drawn picture of a

36  

scary looking baby between two sheets of contact paper, and we as kids would always be acknowledged for our efforts. I started to realize, however, that God’s work is not always fun and games. Actual sacrifice needs to be made in order to go and make disciples. I began to understand what it meant when Jesus said, “But many who are first will be last, and the last first” (Mark 10:31). We aren’t always going to get a pat on the back or a thank you for doing the right thing, or the difficult thing. The things we do for the Lord may never be acknowledged by others. We are, however, to remain faithful and serve as we are called. Some will serve by cleaning like Fu Bok, others may give their lives to foreign missions. We will each be called to do something different. Despite hardships or weariness, we need to remember that we “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal…for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:19, 21). The lessons learned in your youth have a way of shaping the way you perceive the world. By the time the current CBYF reaches my age many details regarding their formative years will become hazy. However, with guidance from elders and a lot of prayer, my hope is that the things remembered will be the lessons that are worth remembering… and not merely the differences in battle properties between a Zekrom and a Kyogre.

37  

Operation Christmas Child Nightingale Ngo

n the summer of 1993, Franklin Graham received a call from a man in England asking for help to collect shoeboxes filled with gifts to deliver to children in

war-torn Bosnia during Christmas. Since Christmas was still a few months away, Graham put it in the back of his mind. However, when Thanksgiving rolled around, the man called Graham again to see how many boxes he had collected, as he was planning to travel to Bosnia soon. Graham had forgotten about the project, but promised him he would have boxes ready. Quickly, he called a friend who was the senior pastor of Calvary Church in Charlotte, North Carolina and asked him to announce to the congregation on Sunday that they were collecting gift-filled shoeboxes for children in Bosnia,

and see the response. Within a week, the congregation had collected eleven thousand gift-filled shoeboxes! Since then, the Samaritan’s Purse organization has collected over 135 million gift-filled shoeboxes. Our church began participating in OCC in the late 1990s, around the

same time Miami’s first Drop-Off location opened in Miami Shores.We are so grateful for the generosity of our church family, who donate hundreds of gift-filled boxes every year. This year, we collected 818!

What began as a ministry to bring gifts to children in Bosnia has expanded worldwide and OCC has distributed more than 135 million boxes to children in over 150 countries and territories. This year, Samaritan’s Purse hopes to collect enough boxes to

I

38  

reach over 12 million children. Each box contains brand new toys, school supplies, t-shirts, socks, and toiletries for children who might not otherwise receive Christmas gifts. Many times, this is the first gift the child has ever received! Each gift represents an opportunity for the Gospel to be shared. As children are presented with the boxes, local churches and Samaritan’s Purse ministry partners offer opportunities for the children to grow in Jesus Christ through their discipleship program. These are not merely shoeboxes, but GO Boxes – “Gospel Opportunity” Boxes. It is estimated that one in every three children who receives a box comes to accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior.

Our church collects boxes from September—November. Once collected, the boxes are delivered to local drop-off locations, then the boxes are sent to 1 of 8 Processing Centers around the country. Ours go to the Atlanta Processing Center. There, boxes are inspected by volunteers to ensure the contents meet the destination countries’

regulations. After preparing the boxes for shipment, they are placed on trucks and sea containers for their destinations. Depending on the destination country, local transport of the boxes can include trucks, cars, bicycles—even camels, elephants, and dog sleds! This year, boxes processed through the Atlanta Center will go to the following countries: Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Guyana, Jamaica, Mali, Philippines, Suriname, Tanzania, Trinidad and Tobago, and unnamed sensitive countries.

39  

Samaritan’s Purse’s local ministry partners distribute the shoeboxes to children in their communities. After receiving shoeboxes, many boys and girls are invited to enroll in The Greatest Journey, a 12 lesson discipleship program where local ministry partners are able to establish long term, caring relationships with children and families by sharing the love of Jesus Christ.

Please continue to pray for the children who will receive these boxes. For more information on Operation Christmas Child, please visit www.samaritanspurse.org.

40  

Happy Thanksgiving By Julie Liu

Giving Thanks in Thanksgiving

Cooking, Rejoicing, Fellowshipping

Unceasingly Praying

Singing, Praising, Happy Gathering

Jesus Christ is Leading

Everybody in the Lord’s Body

Away Goes the Worry

Cheerfully Comes the Merry

Set Your Minds Upon Christ All Mighty

Victory Upon Victory

Glory Upon Glory

In the Blinking of an Eye

The Lord is Coming

41  

What Love Truly Is -My Salvation Testimony By Kalung Man

rowing up I always felt that there was a higher being in life. Through my childhood I was lost in sin and different ways. From the time I started junior high through high school I

met my best friends who introduced me to Christ. I started to attend St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church in Miami but was never fulfilled with my life. I attended service and prayed in the weekends then sinned during the week. After starting college, my girlfriend at the time guided and introduced me to her Baptist church in Alabama. In a month I learned more about Christ than I did in a year at my Catholic church. My heart was fulfilled. At this time I prayed, “Lord, I am a sinner. Please forgive me for all I have sinned and those who I have hurt.” This is when I accepted Christ as my Lord and Savior. Through Christ I felt I could do anything, and my education and career sprung forward. A couple of years passed and I was heavily invested in my career. Church on Sunday was here and there due to long hours at work. My relationship broke apart due to my selfish career goals and not being able to love. In many ways I was lost. Through school and work I’ve met Vince, one of the most memorable gentlemen who introduced me to Wayside Baptist Church. This is where my faith flourished. God is my number one priority in life. I read my Bible during the week, attended Sunday school, and attended service. I felt fulfilled again and my life was back on track. After going through a couple of relationships I met my wife while vacationing with my father in China. In this journey I prayed every day and asked the Lord, “If this is my wife to be, please guide us both through the righteous path.” In my eight years of marriage it was a roller coaster ride. Although we have different beliefs, I introduced Christ to her and took her to Chinese Baptist Church of Miami. After attending marriage counselling and finally divorcing, I had lost all hope. I was angry at the world and felt everything is crumbling. Through six months of hard emotional times God has chosen many people to communicate with

G

42  

me. Her friends guided me to believe in my heart, have faith in the Lord, and watch the movie Fireproof. My coworker who is in a different department told me to read the Bible. The air conditioner maintenance contractor talked to me for three hours about relationships. I don’t have a personal relationship with this contractor. These are all people I don’t communicate with normally. In this time I spent many hours with my daughter and learned what unconditional love from Christ meant for me. I prayed and finally understood that my priorities are out of alignment. Through God I was able to salvage my relationship. God is my priority and I shall love my family like he loves me. Christ never gave up loving me and I shall never give up loving others. My Lord has and will always be there for me through my ups and downs. Now I know what love truly is. This journey made me realize that actions speak louder than words, that commitment is forever and it takes time and heart. Through my gracious heavenly Father I can do all things. (10.30.2016)

43  

He Prepared My Heart - My Salvation Testimony

By Nathalia Gonzalez

'm very grateful to my grandmother's sister who since I was 6 or 7 years old insisted teaching me about God and made my heart

open and ready to receive all of Jesus’ instructions. I was always a very obedient girl, always thinking first what would God think about all the things that I do. I went to a Catholic school and I took religion classes very seriously, but at some point I started to disagree with some practices and traditions that church has. I started to feel obligated to attend everything related to the church because I was a kid and I had no other option. When I graduated high school I stopped going to church and started to enjoy my new life in college. All that I was involved in distracted me, and at some point I started to accept invitations from other denominations, but I didn't like any of them. I decided just to have my own relationship with God my own way. Years passed, I got married. My husband started asking me questions about the Bible he thought I knew since I went to a religious school. But I didn't know the answer. I felt so ignorant and we started attending the only church I knew. One day we couldn’t go to church for some reason, and later we became lazy and stopped going. Years later I was hungry to learn more about the Bible but I didn't know where to go. Additionally, my daughters were babies and I had limited time, so I accepted a Bible study from Jehovah’s Witnesses who came to my house for about two years. One night while praying I really felt bad for every time I had offended God with my sins, because I did them already knowing I shouldn't. I cried from my heart and asked the Lord for forgiveness. Since receiving my salvation that day I really want to follow Jesus. (10.30.2016)

I

44  

Nathalia’s husband Jorge Gonzalez was baptized on the same day with her. He went home to be with the Lord two weeks later. Jorge Gonzalez

45  

His Abundant Grace - My Salvation Testimony By Ni Xue

he first time I heard the Gospel was in Philadelphia in 2015. When I heard Jesus’ parable about The Vine and Branches, I

was really moved. I felt like that it was about the truth of life. I raised up my hand when the preacher asked, “Who would like to believe in Jesus?” I was so grateful that I had the chance to hear the gospel. Praised the Lord! This year I really got a deeper understanding of the truth of Bible and the Gospel. In April I had some misunderstandings and fear. I was eager to know more about our Lord Jesus. After listening to some sermons, I have a deep understanding of what sin is. As humans we tend to be self-righteousness. But in fact we all have sinned and we cannot save ourselves. We all missed our targets and I am a sinner. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). God is love! I was so deeply moved by the love of Jesus, our Savior. His is the great sacrificial love, in which we have no fear and we have faith, hope and love. Our Heavenly Father makes us unique and brings us true wisdom. His abundant grace makes us more peaceful and faithful. I met some challenges during the process of applying to schools. I was so thankful that God brought me to Miami and let me meet so many kind and helpful people. I also had a lot of pressure when I started here in Miami. If I still tried to struggle by myself, I would be going in the wrong direction. I always feel that our Heavenly Father is leading me and helping me learn to be better under his grace. I was so thankful that our Heavenly Farther granted me sunshine, air, nature, gifts, family, friends, and so on. I know who I should be thankful towards now. Jesus, you are the light of the world, and I am willing to follow the path of life and light! (10.30.2016)

T

46  

For His Glory -My Salvation Testimony By Michelle Chong

have been attending church for as long as I can remember. I grew up in a Christian family, so all I ever knew was to do the

“Christian things”—pray before meals, go to church, treat others with love and respect, and so on. I never really knew the purpose of everything I did at church, except that it was all done for a God I knew very little about. It was not until I became a member of CBYF that everything started to click in my head. This past summer at Fuge, an annual youth camp that CBYF attends, the theme was “Unashamed”. The pastor, Rob Turner, was preaching about the different Jesus we may be worshipping, and that the devil disguises himself as an angel of light. It really occurred to me then that I want to be a person who wholeheartedly follows the one true God, since Christ sacrificed himself to redeem us from our sins so that we would spend eternity with him in his kingdom. I knew that I was living a life without a purpose, yet I was a daily sinner without even realizing it. Forgiveness was what I needed, and I put all of my faith into trusting Jesus. On June 21, 2016 I accepted Jesus Christ as my personal Savior, and God called me to be baptized. Since then, I have noticed the blessings God has provided me, whether it has been big or small. My family had already set a solid foundation for me at a young age, but I did not know how to act upon it. Now I know completely of the things Christ has done for me and I strive to be the best person I can be for His glory. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus” (Romans 3:23-24). (10.30.2016)

I

47  

How He Wants Me to Live My Salvation Testimony

By Kevin Zhang

ver since I moved to Miami, which was about ten years ago, I have always gone to church. I was fortunate enough to have

parents who would bring me to church every week, and who served actively in the Church. I feel as though that is one big reason why it took so long for me to accept Christ. All my life, I had always been taught how God wanted us to act through songs and games, but since I didn’t understand fully who God was and what the Bible really is, I didn’t have a personal relationship with Jesus. I had always thought that I needed to believe that Jesus died on the cross, and that was all there was to it. I knew there was more, but I really didn’t want to go nor try to find out what that was. I knew people were called to live by the Bible and act as Christians, but I assumed that if I just went by the Ten Commandments, then I would be fine. The first time I really felt like I was taking the first step into becoming a Christian was this summer at my second year at Fuge. Fuge is a camp that CBYF goes to every year, and it’s to get away from our problems so we can solely focus on God. Every year there is a theme at Fuge and this year the theme was “Unashamed”. The purpose was to tell people to be unashamed of being a Christian and not to be afraid when people ask you about your faith. It was the first time I really realized that, even though I knew Jesus because I had the knowledge of the Bible, I didn’t really know Jesus. I knew that He died on the cross, and I knew that He was the Son of God, but I wasn’t living my life like how He wants me to live my live. After talking with some adults, I have decided to start living my life the way He wants me to, and I want to get baptized because of that. (10.30.2016)

E

48  

I Have Been Blessed By Robin Bruce Belanger

was raised in a family of unique Christian traditions. My father was Catholic and my mother was

Protestant. My parents never had a problem with that because they loved each other very much and supported each other in their preferred styles of worship. I was blessed because I attended both Catholic and Protestant services at various times throughout my youth and I was baptized as an infant in the Catholic Church. I was later baptized by immersion on June 10th, 2016. I have always believed in the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit as long as I can remember and I remember asking Christ to come into my life as a teenager. I must confess I was not a model Christian…in fact by my actions at times it would be difficult for others to even know that I was a Christian. In the fall of 2003, as I was praying to the Lord, I heard Him speak to my heart and mind in a very loud and clear concise manner: “You have been blessed with good health, a wonderful wife and family and a tremendous career. You need to strengthen your Christian walk by giving more of your time to others.” It was then that I realized I was not maturing in my Christian growth but rather just maintaining the Christian views that I had. I felt the need to study the Word and this led to the study of Bible classes. This has given me more knowledge and confidence to share the Gospel with anyone, anywhere, at any time. Even though I graduated from all my aviation college classes many years ago in pursuit of a Private Pilot License, a Commercial Pilot License and an Airline Transport Pilot License, I find myself back in college now pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Bible Studies and will graduate from Moody Bible Institute in May 2017. The Lord has given me a heart for Chinese culture and my Mandarin language skills enable me to communicate with Mandarin speakers around the world. May the Lord will use me as He wills. (10.30.2016)

I

發行人：美亞美華人浸信教會 黃英杰牧師

總編輯：吳許珊珊

執行編輯：吳雨青

中文打字：黃碩明

封面：麥辛夷

審稿：黃英杰牧師，唐詩絮師母

Publisher: Pastor Ying Kit Wong

Chinese Baptist Church of Miami

Editor-in-Chief: Nora Ngo

Editor: Nightingale Ngo

Chinese Typist: Shek Ming Wong

Cover Artist: Sonia Mak

Reviewers: Pastor Ying Kit Wong, Nancy Wong, Pastor Russell Williams

稿 例

(一) 本刊歡迎投稿。內容包括靈修，分享，見證，生活隨筆，詩詞等皆宜。因篇幅

有限，每篇以不超過一千四百字為佳。

(二) 本刊一年出版四期，即三，六，九，十二月。稿件請在出版前一個月交給本

刊，請以電郵寄往CBCMHomeNews@gmail.com。

(三) 本刊有刪改權，如果不合宜的稿件，本刊恕不刊登。

1. Home News welcomes your articles - including devotion, sharing, testimony, daily

thoughts, poems, and so on. It is preferable if each article is less than 1400 words.

2. Home News will be published quarterly for four issues a year, in March, June,

September and December. Please submit your article one month prior to the publishing

month. Please send articles to CBCMHomeNews@gmail.com

3. Home News reserves the rights to edit and publish articles.

聯絡地址 Contact: 595 SW 124th Ave, Miami, FL 33184

電話 Tel: 305-551-0138 傳真 Fax: 305-221-0595

網址 Web site: www.cbcmiami.org