Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
great commission
this is something that i've been thinking about.....
i've been involved in several different ministries to understand more about what ministry is about and what the needs are in taiwan. after working with 'em, my experience got me thinking....
what exactly is evangelism? what exactly is missions? what is being a witness? being the church? living it out?
i know people who only tell ppl that Jesus loves them (through words and actions) but never have invested time in anyone to disciple. i know people that only invest in people after they've come to church on a consistent basis.
19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. Matthew 28:19-20
i feel that God has called to do BOTH as said in the great commission.
MAKE DISCIPLES...maybe not the with same person, but to do both as a lifestyle. with the first, what happens after they believe and have no one to follow up? for me, i feel like i can't live with myself if i didn't help them try to find a church or someone to invest in them. i know that we can't invest in everyone. it's not practical, but it's also not pracitcal to think that this person can live the Christian life on a solo basis.
GO... when has God told us to stay at church and wait for ppl to come? why haven't we GONE OUT to them? what about those who have no interest because of the fear that overwhelms them?
TEACH....teaching's hard. i know. i majored in teaching. it's another form of investing other ppl. it doesn't require one-on-one investment, but it's a command nonetheless.
i realize that we all have gifts in different places, but i fear that we only use such gifts within the contexts of the church bc we think that's the only place where we can use them. be creative. such gifts can be used outside of the walls of the church. in fact, churches aren't supposed to have walls, figuratively speaking.
i guess some food for thought.....
we live in a SPIRITUAL battle between good and evil, YHWH and Satan. to win, we need to trust and obey what is says in God's word.
i've been involved in several different ministries to understand more about what ministry is about and what the needs are in taiwan. after working with 'em, my experience got me thinking....
what exactly is evangelism? what exactly is missions? what is being a witness? being the church? living it out?
i know people who only tell ppl that Jesus loves them (through words and actions) but never have invested time in anyone to disciple. i know people that only invest in people after they've come to church on a consistent basis.
19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. Matthew 28:19-20
i feel that God has called to do BOTH as said in the great commission.
MAKE DISCIPLES...maybe not the with same person, but to do both as a lifestyle. with the first, what happens after they believe and have no one to follow up? for me, i feel like i can't live with myself if i didn't help them try to find a church or someone to invest in them. i know that we can't invest in everyone. it's not practical, but it's also not pracitcal to think that this person can live the Christian life on a solo basis.
GO... when has God told us to stay at church and wait for ppl to come? why haven't we GONE OUT to them? what about those who have no interest because of the fear that overwhelms them?
TEACH....teaching's hard. i know. i majored in teaching. it's another form of investing other ppl. it doesn't require one-on-one investment, but it's a command nonetheless.
i realize that we all have gifts in different places, but i fear that we only use such gifts within the contexts of the church bc we think that's the only place where we can use them. be creative. such gifts can be used outside of the walls of the church. in fact, churches aren't supposed to have walls, figuratively speaking.
i guess some food for thought.....
we live in a SPIRITUAL battle between good and evil, YHWH and Satan. to win, we need to trust and obey what is says in God's word.
Friday, July 17, 2009
tentmaking
this is something that i feel could be a HUGE breakthrough in Taiwan. I wonder if anyone would read it...haha
tentmaking
think about it. Taiwanese people work 12 hour days normally. Working overtime is pretty common, without pay. If people leave work on time, it says to the boss that they're not working hard enough. The pressure of perfect performance in the workplace is too much! This translates into parents having high expectations of their children. There are children that do perform VERY WELL, but then their parents are never satisfied no matter how hard their children try.
the thing is that, even this christian company i know of makes their workers so tired that when they actually have ministry opportunities, they're too busy or tired to actually put any time/effort outside for it. or the expectations are so high that they take whatever "me time" they can get.
or some Christians that actually want to do more with and for the church can't or are struggling bc they're fear losing their jobs.
here's my hope for the workforce:
if Christian foreign people are willing to go to Taiwan to work in management positions and give their workers a chance for a healthy emotional life not just for themselves but also for their children, i really think things could get better. not just set proper expectations, but also to promote the Gospel in the workplace as well.
it's not going to be easy. many people are capable of taking advantage of grace, but i truly think this could work wonders with God's blessing, of course.
what do you think?
tentmaking
think about it. Taiwanese people work 12 hour days normally. Working overtime is pretty common, without pay. If people leave work on time, it says to the boss that they're not working hard enough. The pressure of perfect performance in the workplace is too much! This translates into parents having high expectations of their children. There are children that do perform VERY WELL, but then their parents are never satisfied no matter how hard their children try.
the thing is that, even this christian company i know of makes their workers so tired that when they actually have ministry opportunities, they're too busy or tired to actually put any time/effort outside for it. or the expectations are so high that they take whatever "me time" they can get.
or some Christians that actually want to do more with and for the church can't or are struggling bc they're fear losing their jobs.
here's my hope for the workforce:
if Christian foreign people are willing to go to Taiwan to work in management positions and give their workers a chance for a healthy emotional life not just for themselves but also for their children, i really think things could get better. not just set proper expectations, but also to promote the Gospel in the workplace as well.
it's not going to be easy. many people are capable of taking advantage of grace, but i truly think this could work wonders with God's blessing, of course.
what do you think?
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
appearances can be deceiving
y'know how as young people clean up their room, they try to take a shortcut and put all the dirty laundry in the closet so that as their parents glance in the room, they think it's clean? (i did that once, and my mom opened my closet in front of many aunties thinking it was clean only be undelightfully shocked. )
my point is, if we just glance, yea, it's not bad, but when we take a good look, we'll see that it's not as clean as we thought.
it's the same here in Taiwan.
from the 80s to now, the number of missionaries have dropped significantly. In the early 90s, there were at least 90 OMF missionaries total for Taiwan. now, there are only 30.
the Baptists decided that Taiwan was reached and so moved most of their resources and energies to China leaving their Taiwanese pastors with little spiritual support.
I can't speak for the other organizations, but i won't be surprised if they had a significant drop for Taiwan.
It's true, Taiwan is democratic government. We don't have to worry about getting twitter and youtube blocked from our computers. We don't have to worry about getting arressted and/or deported for passing tracts out to people on the streets. The Taiwanese don't have to worry about the government censoring sermons. Truth can be spoken without legal consequence.
but
most christians here have quite a lot of money and status. there are churches in Taiwan. You come to Taipei, you'll see crosses everywhere in the mix of religious symbols. I'm sure the big cities of Taichung and Kaohsiung have plenty of churches as well. but there's a problem
just because you see churches doesn't mean that they're all healthy. the Presbyterian Church here has been hurt by a certain political party so much that many won't be able to see someone from that party as a brother or sister in Christ. some would go as far to say that if you can't speak Taiwanese, they won't accept you.
unhealthy churches aren't the only problem. Statistics say that Taiwan is 5% Christian. Many missionaries would disagree because some will say they are, but they don't live a Christian life. If you asked a common citizen the difference between Protestant Christianity and Mormanism, they'd say they're the same exact thing. If we're going to give a more precise statistic, I'd say 2%, and most of this percent is made up of people in the middle-upper class economically.
the most unreached are the working class; the taxi drivers, the restaurant workers, the vendors, the sales reps at the mall, etc.
so to answer the question: is Taiwan reached?
the answer is NO.
appearances and be deceiving. we have churches, but many are unhealthy. the working class probably know this Jesus name, but have no clue what He has to do with us, and if and when they do, it'll take them a very long time to accept any of it becaus they've never experienced this Jesus, and they don't know people who've experienced this Jesus. Christian witness is very low.
I believe God will do great things for Taiwan in the future. I hope that you will participate in this great work. I hope God opens your eyes to see that there is a HUGE need in Taiwan. don't let the surface deceive you. if you search deeper, you'll see a huge, dark, ugly void.
my point is, if we just glance, yea, it's not bad, but when we take a good look, we'll see that it's not as clean as we thought.
it's the same here in Taiwan.
from the 80s to now, the number of missionaries have dropped significantly. In the early 90s, there were at least 90 OMF missionaries total for Taiwan. now, there are only 30.
the Baptists decided that Taiwan was reached and so moved most of their resources and energies to China leaving their Taiwanese pastors with little spiritual support.
I can't speak for the other organizations, but i won't be surprised if they had a significant drop for Taiwan.
It's true, Taiwan is democratic government. We don't have to worry about getting twitter and youtube blocked from our computers. We don't have to worry about getting arressted and/or deported for passing tracts out to people on the streets. The Taiwanese don't have to worry about the government censoring sermons. Truth can be spoken without legal consequence.
but
most christians here have quite a lot of money and status. there are churches in Taiwan. You come to Taipei, you'll see crosses everywhere in the mix of religious symbols. I'm sure the big cities of Taichung and Kaohsiung have plenty of churches as well. but there's a problem
just because you see churches doesn't mean that they're all healthy. the Presbyterian Church here has been hurt by a certain political party so much that many won't be able to see someone from that party as a brother or sister in Christ. some would go as far to say that if you can't speak Taiwanese, they won't accept you.
unhealthy churches aren't the only problem. Statistics say that Taiwan is 5% Christian. Many missionaries would disagree because some will say they are, but they don't live a Christian life. If you asked a common citizen the difference between Protestant Christianity and Mormanism, they'd say they're the same exact thing. If we're going to give a more precise statistic, I'd say 2%, and most of this percent is made up of people in the middle-upper class economically.
the most unreached are the working class; the taxi drivers, the restaurant workers, the vendors, the sales reps at the mall, etc.
so to answer the question: is Taiwan reached?
the answer is NO.
appearances and be deceiving. we have churches, but many are unhealthy. the working class probably know this Jesus name, but have no clue what He has to do with us, and if and when they do, it'll take them a very long time to accept any of it becaus they've never experienced this Jesus, and they don't know people who've experienced this Jesus. Christian witness is very low.
I believe God will do great things for Taiwan in the future. I hope that you will participate in this great work. I hope God opens your eyes to see that there is a HUGE need in Taiwan. don't let the surface deceive you. if you search deeper, you'll see a huge, dark, ugly void.
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Ministry 101
Before moving here, my purpose was to 1) learn Chinese, 2) check out different ministries, and 3) get to know the people of Taiwan and their needs.
Something that God has been teaching me since moving here is how to do ministry.
1) Always, ALWAYS do ministry WITH PURPOSE. routine, popularity, and even fun, are secondary to the purpose set before us. all the components/activities of the day should serve that purpose: sm groups, games, crafts, etc.
2) the purpose should gear towards the needs of the people you are ministering. it sounds easy, but what i'm trying to say is that sometimes over time, we need to change our purpose according to the needs of the people. people change.
3) Sin boldly, make mistakes boldly...because that's when grace is even greater and we experience God's love, forgiveness, and grace (or let's hope that our co-workers can do the same)
4) If you're in a team, teamwork is ESSENTIAL. as a team, we need to know who's in charge, what is most important for what we want to teach that day, and to know each other as humans, individuals, friends. we need to trust each other's motives and hearts. but also be able to accept constructive criticism and be able to speak the truth in love.
5) Open and honest communication is important.
6) Be flexible.
7) Plan ahead. If you're in charge of a certain lesson, give yourself ample time to plan out what you will say and do and if unexpected things come up, how you'd respond. bring this lesson before God. Let him do the work. if you're nervous, ask God to calm your heart. Not planning ahead is not just a disadvantage to yourself, but you're cheating the people you're ministering out of some good things. but remember, God's grace is sufficient as well.
8) Let go. sometimes as leaders we don't feel like our coworkers can do the work; only we can do it effectively and right. this will lead to a burnt out soul. it's the same as not trusting God to work through them.
9) you don't need status to have an impact. we don't have to be on the forefront to be influential. we don't have to be on stage all the time or up front and center to have an impact on their life.
10) be teachable. granted we're doing the ministry of Jesus Christ, He still has stuff to teach us on how to teach and love like He does. our love for Jesus Christ is never perfect.
10 seems like a good number for now.
Something that God has been teaching me since moving here is how to do ministry.
1) Always, ALWAYS do ministry WITH PURPOSE. routine, popularity, and even fun, are secondary to the purpose set before us. all the components/activities of the day should serve that purpose: sm groups, games, crafts, etc.
2) the purpose should gear towards the needs of the people you are ministering. it sounds easy, but what i'm trying to say is that sometimes over time, we need to change our purpose according to the needs of the people. people change.
3) Sin boldly, make mistakes boldly...because that's when grace is even greater and we experience God's love, forgiveness, and grace (or let's hope that our co-workers can do the same)
4) If you're in a team, teamwork is ESSENTIAL. as a team, we need to know who's in charge, what is most important for what we want to teach that day, and to know each other as humans, individuals, friends. we need to trust each other's motives and hearts. but also be able to accept constructive criticism and be able to speak the truth in love.
5) Open and honest communication is important.
6) Be flexible.
7) Plan ahead. If you're in charge of a certain lesson, give yourself ample time to plan out what you will say and do and if unexpected things come up, how you'd respond. bring this lesson before God. Let him do the work. if you're nervous, ask God to calm your heart. Not planning ahead is not just a disadvantage to yourself, but you're cheating the people you're ministering out of some good things. but remember, God's grace is sufficient as well.
8) Let go. sometimes as leaders we don't feel like our coworkers can do the work; only we can do it effectively and right. this will lead to a burnt out soul. it's the same as not trusting God to work through them.
9) you don't need status to have an impact. we don't have to be on the forefront to be influential. we don't have to be on stage all the time or up front and center to have an impact on their life.
10) be teachable. granted we're doing the ministry of Jesus Christ, He still has stuff to teach us on how to teach and love like He does. our love for Jesus Christ is never perfect.
10 seems like a good number for now.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Learning the Hard Way
My Bible reading partner and I have been going through the book of Daniel, and we're at Daniel 5. After reading and listening to some of Chuck Swindoll's thoughts on this chapter, I am reminded of something a friend of mine said to me that i couldn't agree with, 覺得不以為然. she said, "I find it more meaningful if I learn something the hard way."
I remember clearly how I was telling her about my parents and how I (hopefully most of the time) heed their advice because for some reason they're pretty much right all the time. She looked at me and was nodding her head as if saying, "okay, i guess that works well for you, but not for me." And we don't just hear advice from parents, we hear it from other brothers and sisters in the Body. At such times, it's even harder to hear than the advice and exhortations of our own parents.
sure, learning something the hard way is effective in teaching you what you need to learn, but it also brings so much unnecessary baggage. I am reminded of the Israelites who lived 40 years in the desert. Learning the hard way meant that they would never get to see the Promise Land. And as I read Daniel 5, I am reminded that not heeding advice or not learning from the mistakes of others is not only something that disallows you from experience something great, but it is a mark of arrogance.
Israelites were hesitant to go in because they were fearful. They didn't believe in God's promise that this was it. In another way, Belshazzar knew of his grandfather Nebuchadnezzar's 7 years of turmoil (see Daniel 4). He knew of all the warnings that God gave to Nebuchadnezzar in dreams. I'm not sure if Belshazzar knew this, but the fall of Babylon to the Medes and Persians was recorded in both Jeremiah and Isaiah, YEARS before Babylon was ever established. Nevertheless, he was forewarned.
Yet in the midst of being attacked, he still held a banquet for 1,000 as if being under seige was nothing serious. He even fearlessly took vessels that were meant to worship YHWH and use it in his boisterous and shameless party. Talk about not giving any heed to anything he's seen since childhood. He's seen and heard of the Most High God's acts and deeds. He's seen how God did certain things to show of his omnipotent power. Yet he still acted as if the God Most High didn't exist, as if he was the "master of his own fate, the captain of his soul."
Not heeding advice is like saying,"Yea thanks for telling me, but I think I'll still do it my way because I know better and you have no clue what you're talking about. It is a possbility you're right, but I'll still do it my way thank you very much." There's so much arrogance in these words. We say and feel this stuff many times, and yet we're still deaf and blind to our own arrogance.
O Lord, open our eyes and ears. May we receive your Word with open hearts, may we heed your warnings, may we hear it as an act of love and not condemnation.
I remember clearly how I was telling her about my parents and how I (hopefully most of the time) heed their advice because for some reason they're pretty much right all the time. She looked at me and was nodding her head as if saying, "okay, i guess that works well for you, but not for me." And we don't just hear advice from parents, we hear it from other brothers and sisters in the Body. At such times, it's even harder to hear than the advice and exhortations of our own parents.
sure, learning something the hard way is effective in teaching you what you need to learn, but it also brings so much unnecessary baggage. I am reminded of the Israelites who lived 40 years in the desert. Learning the hard way meant that they would never get to see the Promise Land. And as I read Daniel 5, I am reminded that not heeding advice or not learning from the mistakes of others is not only something that disallows you from experience something great, but it is a mark of arrogance.
Israelites were hesitant to go in because they were fearful. They didn't believe in God's promise that this was it. In another way, Belshazzar knew of his grandfather Nebuchadnezzar's 7 years of turmoil (see Daniel 4). He knew of all the warnings that God gave to Nebuchadnezzar in dreams. I'm not sure if Belshazzar knew this, but the fall of Babylon to the Medes and Persians was recorded in both Jeremiah and Isaiah, YEARS before Babylon was ever established. Nevertheless, he was forewarned.
Yet in the midst of being attacked, he still held a banquet for 1,000 as if being under seige was nothing serious. He even fearlessly took vessels that were meant to worship YHWH and use it in his boisterous and shameless party. Talk about not giving any heed to anything he's seen since childhood. He's seen and heard of the Most High God's acts and deeds. He's seen how God did certain things to show of his omnipotent power. Yet he still acted as if the God Most High didn't exist, as if he was the "master of his own fate, the captain of his soul."
Not heeding advice is like saying,"Yea thanks for telling me, but I think I'll still do it my way because I know better and you have no clue what you're talking about. It is a possbility you're right, but I'll still do it my way thank you very much." There's so much arrogance in these words. We say and feel this stuff many times, and yet we're still deaf and blind to our own arrogance.
O Lord, open our eyes and ears. May we receive your Word with open hearts, may we heed your warnings, may we hear it as an act of love and not condemnation.
Saturday, March 28, 2009
God's always on our side, but the real question is...
are we?
Joshua is about to go take the promise land back from Jericho. In his past experience, it's always been about war whoops, swords, horses, and bloodshed, just like any other war. but Jericho seems impossible. They've got the thickest walls that anyone has ever seen. How could they ever penetrate that monster of a wall?
Then this dude comes up to him while he's alone, and this dude's got his sword drawn. my first thought would be, "shoot. i'm gonna die." the other would be "is he on my side or Jericho's?" Joshua asks this question to this man (which i think is kinda brave of him, and the angel says "neither."
neither....
normally, a man like that would say his or his enemies, but he says neither and proceeds to say he's a commander of the army of God....
neither...
i mean, why would he say that? it's so strange. i've never really known the meaning of it until this past week when Vickie shared from the pulpit.
the question shouldn't be whether God is on our side, but if we are on His.
God will always be on our side. He always has been. We may not think so bc of the wars, poverty, famine, and broken hearts, but y'see...it's bc we don't choose him. It's bc we as a human race are not on His side. The scary thing is is that what happens if we choose to be on His side? will we get what WE want?
my question is, does that really matter? how long will that last you? most likely just this lifetime you have here on earth, but we have a chance to have something GREAT that will last for eternity.
nothing is ever more important that our relationship with God.
Joshua is about to go take the promise land back from Jericho. In his past experience, it's always been about war whoops, swords, horses, and bloodshed, just like any other war. but Jericho seems impossible. They've got the thickest walls that anyone has ever seen. How could they ever penetrate that monster of a wall?
Then this dude comes up to him while he's alone, and this dude's got his sword drawn. my first thought would be, "shoot. i'm gonna die." the other would be "is he on my side or Jericho's?" Joshua asks this question to this man (which i think is kinda brave of him, and the angel says "neither."
neither....
normally, a man like that would say his or his enemies, but he says neither and proceeds to say he's a commander of the army of God....
neither...
i mean, why would he say that? it's so strange. i've never really known the meaning of it until this past week when Vickie shared from the pulpit.
the question shouldn't be whether God is on our side, but if we are on His.
God will always be on our side. He always has been. We may not think so bc of the wars, poverty, famine, and broken hearts, but y'see...it's bc we don't choose him. It's bc we as a human race are not on His side. The scary thing is is that what happens if we choose to be on His side? will we get what WE want?
my question is, does that really matter? how long will that last you? most likely just this lifetime you have here on earth, but we have a chance to have something GREAT that will last for eternity.
nothing is ever more important that our relationship with God.
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Since mailing out the newsletter, i've realized that it's been a while since i've posted something. I have some random thoughts here and there.
I read Joshua 7 this past week because the church I've been attending has been going through the book of Joshua these past several weeks. It was depressing chapter. Achan (everytime i read that name i think of 啊強. hahaha i guess only Chinese speaking people would understand that) had just stolen some stuff that God specifically told the Israelites to destroy. Because of this, Joshua and his army were defeated at Ai. Before Achan was found out, everyone knew that the culprit for their defeat rested on a man who disobeyed God and that this man would be stoned and burned along with everything that was his (including his family). One could see that God was giving Achan a chance to come out and confess, but he waited until the end, confessed, and met his surmise.
Normally, when reading something like this, people would rather have a happy ending where the people and God forgive Achan and they defeat the people of Ai and everyone lives happily ever after. But when i read that Achan and Achan's children were stoned and burned by the very people he lived with and has known for his entire life, my heart sunk. I thought to myself, "well, this isn't a very good ending." But as I was trying to collect my thoughts, God told me that holiness is more important. A right relationship with God is more important than anything in this world. While I hated the fact that lives had to be lost, but it was for the sake of holiness. I wonder what it was like for the Israelites that had to throw down rocks to kill Achan and his family. I wouldn't be able to do it....
I've come to notice that we as human beings try and justify things that the Bible says are clearly wrong, pushing themselves to the edge of moral behavior. They say, "eh, this doesn't really matter. What harm could it REALLY do?" the answer is, a lot. It starts to add up and become a disaster. and slowly but surely, you will be pulled so far from God, you won't know who he is anymore.
or it maybe a friend that has a bad influence on you. because they were present in your life through thick and thin, or maybe they just give you a good feeling every now and then, it's hard to leave this person behind saying,"i just can't be with you anymore because it's pulling me away from God." i bet it'll feel kinda similar to stoning your friend, and sometimes, you just aren't able to do it...
I hated to see Achan go, considering that he is a human being and that he eventually confessed, but God is still in control. God is still good, and God desires us to be holy just as he is holy so that we can have a right relationship with him. i know that to attain this level of holiness is impossible, and i know that those people who seem to have it all together disgust at times because we can't get it together. truth be told, they don't have it all together. none of us do. we all have our small moments where we disobey like Achan. but you see, the good news, the great news, is that God made a way for us to be holy so that we can once again have that same relationship with Him as Adam and Eve once had. All it takes is the simple faith that Jesus Christ was that way, and the only way. The most important thing in this world is to have a right relationship with our Creator, our God because it's the only thing that lasts beyond our lifetime here on earth. I hope that those that read this would understand that or at least contemplate on what's written here.
I read Joshua 7 this past week because the church I've been attending has been going through the book of Joshua these past several weeks. It was depressing chapter. Achan (everytime i read that name i think of 啊強. hahaha i guess only Chinese speaking people would understand that) had just stolen some stuff that God specifically told the Israelites to destroy. Because of this, Joshua and his army were defeated at Ai. Before Achan was found out, everyone knew that the culprit for their defeat rested on a man who disobeyed God and that this man would be stoned and burned along with everything that was his (including his family). One could see that God was giving Achan a chance to come out and confess, but he waited until the end, confessed, and met his surmise.
Normally, when reading something like this, people would rather have a happy ending where the people and God forgive Achan and they defeat the people of Ai and everyone lives happily ever after. But when i read that Achan and Achan's children were stoned and burned by the very people he lived with and has known for his entire life, my heart sunk. I thought to myself, "well, this isn't a very good ending." But as I was trying to collect my thoughts, God told me that holiness is more important. A right relationship with God is more important than anything in this world. While I hated the fact that lives had to be lost, but it was for the sake of holiness. I wonder what it was like for the Israelites that had to throw down rocks to kill Achan and his family. I wouldn't be able to do it....
I've come to notice that we as human beings try and justify things that the Bible says are clearly wrong, pushing themselves to the edge of moral behavior. They say, "eh, this doesn't really matter. What harm could it REALLY do?" the answer is, a lot. It starts to add up and become a disaster. and slowly but surely, you will be pulled so far from God, you won't know who he is anymore.
or it maybe a friend that has a bad influence on you. because they were present in your life through thick and thin, or maybe they just give you a good feeling every now and then, it's hard to leave this person behind saying,"i just can't be with you anymore because it's pulling me away from God." i bet it'll feel kinda similar to stoning your friend, and sometimes, you just aren't able to do it...
I hated to see Achan go, considering that he is a human being and that he eventually confessed, but God is still in control. God is still good, and God desires us to be holy just as he is holy so that we can have a right relationship with him. i know that to attain this level of holiness is impossible, and i know that those people who seem to have it all together disgust at times because we can't get it together. truth be told, they don't have it all together. none of us do. we all have our small moments where we disobey like Achan. but you see, the good news, the great news, is that God made a way for us to be holy so that we can once again have that same relationship with Him as Adam and Eve once had. All it takes is the simple faith that Jesus Christ was that way, and the only way. The most important thing in this world is to have a right relationship with our Creator, our God because it's the only thing that lasts beyond our lifetime here on earth. I hope that those that read this would understand that or at least contemplate on what's written here.
Saturday, January 24, 2009
我最好的朋友
上禮拜， 我的老師叫我們寫一片文章。她叫我們寫的題目是 “我最好的朋友。” 這跟我們念的課文完全沒有關係，不過她覺得是滿簡單的題目，所以叫我們寫。
這是我的文章：
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吳慧苓 01.21 我最好的朋友
我最好的朋友是誰？ 一個最好的朋友應該是怎麼樣子？ 我最好的朋友永遠在我的身邊，會了解我， 也會為我做很多的事。我最好的朋友比我父母請還要關心我。 如果我有甚麼困難，他會幫助我。 雖然有的時候我對他不好，或是我忘記我以前跟他做的承諾，他還會原諒我。 不過對人家來說我最好的朋友比較奇怪因為他是無形的。他兩千年以前降生到世界上。 我最好的朋友是耶穌基督。
他怎麼是我最好的朋友？ 我不能跟他一起去逛街。我也不能跟他一起丟飛盤。不過我做錯，他會透過聖經跟我講，讓我改變。 因為他，我現在能跟上帝有關係。 這不是因為我住在美國受到西方的想法。我相信耶穌是因為我覺得他所說的是真理的。因為他， 如果我這世界上沒有別的任何的朋友，我不會孤單。如果我遇到困難的情況，我不會怕。
我知道這一定要很大的信心。耶穌是神，我怎麼幫助他？因為我是人，我沒有辦法。 不過我沒辦法，他還是這麼愛我。 太美好了！所以我全生命在他的手中。如果他要去哪裡我會去那裡。 如果他要我做甚麼事情，我會做。 雖然有的時候我會擔心，不過祂永遠不會改變。 他說甚麼，祂就會做。 我很希望全世界可以知道我所有一切的幸福是因為我相信耶穌基督是我的救主。因為祂，我沒必要犯罪，因為祂給我能力避免誘惑。 雖然我給祂的愛不完美，不過祂此給我的愛是完美的而且永遠不會改變。
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然後，這讓我想起來一首歌：
＿＿＿＿＿＿
祂了解你， 在意你的感受，
祂關切你，不曾須臾遠離
祂真愛你， 為你分擔苦憂
他是耶穌，你最好的朋友
無論在何處，何時，何地
祂都願意輿你為伴，不讓你孤單
你或憂，或苦，或愁，
祂都了解你心，為你分擔，
祂了解你， 在意你的感受
祂關切你，不曾須臾遠離；
祂真愛你，為你分擔苦憂
他是耶穌，你最好的朋友
這是我的文章：
＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿
吳慧苓 01.21 我最好的朋友
我最好的朋友是誰？ 一個最好的朋友應該是怎麼樣子？ 我最好的朋友永遠在我的身邊，會了解我， 也會為我做很多的事。我最好的朋友比我父母請還要關心我。 如果我有甚麼困難，他會幫助我。 雖然有的時候我對他不好，或是我忘記我以前跟他做的承諾，他還會原諒我。 不過對人家來說我最好的朋友比較奇怪因為他是無形的。他兩千年以前降生到世界上。 我最好的朋友是耶穌基督。
他怎麼是我最好的朋友？ 我不能跟他一起去逛街。我也不能跟他一起丟飛盤。不過我做錯，他會透過聖經跟我講，讓我改變。 因為他，我現在能跟上帝有關係。 這不是因為我住在美國受到西方的想法。我相信耶穌是因為我覺得他所說的是真理的。因為他， 如果我這世界上沒有別的任何的朋友，我不會孤單。如果我遇到困難的情況，我不會怕。
我知道這一定要很大的信心。耶穌是神，我怎麼幫助他？因為我是人，我沒有辦法。 不過我沒辦法，他還是這麼愛我。 太美好了！所以我全生命在他的手中。如果他要去哪裡我會去那裡。 如果他要我做甚麼事情，我會做。 雖然有的時候我會擔心，不過祂永遠不會改變。 他說甚麼，祂就會做。 我很希望全世界可以知道我所有一切的幸福是因為我相信耶穌基督是我的救主。因為祂，我沒必要犯罪，因為祂給我能力避免誘惑。 雖然我給祂的愛不完美，不過祂此給我的愛是完美的而且永遠不會改變。
＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿
然後，這讓我想起來一首歌：
＿＿＿＿＿＿
祂了解你， 在意你的感受，
祂關切你，不曾須臾遠離
祂真愛你， 為你分擔苦憂
他是耶穌，你最好的朋友
無論在何處，何時，何地
祂都願意輿你為伴，不讓你孤單
你或憂，或苦，或愁，
祂都了解你心，為你分擔，
祂了解你， 在意你的感受
祂關切你，不曾須臾遠離；
祂真愛你，為你分擔苦憂
他是耶穌，你最好的朋友
Why do I serve?
Lately, I feel like I need to ask myself, why do I feel compelled to serve the Lord? And I sit here in this cafe watching this man worshiping something with incense and closed eyes, I feel even more compelled to continue in the work that God has called me to do, but I feel like I need to understand these people and that's why I'm here.
I need to clarify what I'm doing here in Taiwan, because I've been constantly asked,"How's teaching?" when I'm not here to teach.
I'm here to learn Chinese, to know it well enough for people to think I'm from Taiwan, to be able to express my feelings, and me to understand them when they do. I'm here to understand the Taiwanese people, to understand why they feel so compelled to burn "spirit money" outside or to wave incense in front of a statue. I want to know what it is they treasure the most, and show them that there's something better.
I do have a student, but that's to supplement my income.
So, back to the question, why do I serve? I'm beginning to see that some people just make up different ministries without really thinking how this ministry would benefit the public or a vision of how this ministry could be used by God. They just open it bc other churches have it, or it sounds great, and they want to have in their church as well. But without a clear vision, a clear calling, it's not going to work. you can have the man power, the gifts, or even the praises of other men, but without God's blessing, how could it possibly work?
I'm beginning to see that there's a line between going forward in something with courage, and stupidity. as long as you have God's calling and faith that He'll provide everything, that's going forward with courage. stupidity is when you go with it when it feels right, but don't have God's blessing or calling. The thing is, when people nowadays base so many decisions on their emotions, it's hard to distinguish whether this "high feeling" is God's calling or the result of something you ate 30 minutes ago. This is where we come before the Throne of God. Where we say, "God, I don't know if this is from you or the result of what i ate 30 minutes ago, but guide me. Show me what it is you want." This is when we read the Word like we should everyday. This is when we allow the Lord to speak to us.
I have a clear calling, that's why I do what I should do. And that's why I don't do what I could do. I could stay in Dallas, but God's called me here. God gave me this burden for this country to truly know Christ. I could serve at DCBC with the choir and youth group and do other stuff that I've been known to be gifted in and have been praised for, but God's told me to come here away from it all.
I'm here simply because I'm called. I try to live everyday under God's graceful guidance to see the needs here.
I do miss it in Dallas. Even as I am trying to find a new church now, I am all the more wanting the sort of fellowship I had among my brothers and sisters in Texas. A church with great preaching and gifted members who seek to follow and imitate Jesus Christ. It's hard to find here, I have to admit. I haven't been to a church that's anything like the ones in the States. I know there's never such thing as a perfect church, but each one I've attended have been lacking in something that I find to be KEY to any God-loving church.
So, I guess a prayer need for me is to find a church but to also be gracious to the flaws of that church God has called me to wherever that may be. And to catch a better glimpse of the work that He has for me here.
I need to clarify what I'm doing here in Taiwan, because I've been constantly asked,"How's teaching?" when I'm not here to teach.
I'm here to learn Chinese, to know it well enough for people to think I'm from Taiwan, to be able to express my feelings, and me to understand them when they do. I'm here to understand the Taiwanese people, to understand why they feel so compelled to burn "spirit money" outside or to wave incense in front of a statue. I want to know what it is they treasure the most, and show them that there's something better.
I do have a student, but that's to supplement my income.
So, back to the question, why do I serve? I'm beginning to see that some people just make up different ministries without really thinking how this ministry would benefit the public or a vision of how this ministry could be used by God. They just open it bc other churches have it, or it sounds great, and they want to have in their church as well. But without a clear vision, a clear calling, it's not going to work. you can have the man power, the gifts, or even the praises of other men, but without God's blessing, how could it possibly work?
I'm beginning to see that there's a line between going forward in something with courage, and stupidity. as long as you have God's calling and faith that He'll provide everything, that's going forward with courage. stupidity is when you go with it when it feels right, but don't have God's blessing or calling. The thing is, when people nowadays base so many decisions on their emotions, it's hard to distinguish whether this "high feeling" is God's calling or the result of something you ate 30 minutes ago. This is where we come before the Throne of God. Where we say, "God, I don't know if this is from you or the result of what i ate 30 minutes ago, but guide me. Show me what it is you want." This is when we read the Word like we should everyday. This is when we allow the Lord to speak to us.
I have a clear calling, that's why I do what I should do. And that's why I don't do what I could do. I could stay in Dallas, but God's called me here. God gave me this burden for this country to truly know Christ. I could serve at DCBC with the choir and youth group and do other stuff that I've been known to be gifted in and have been praised for, but God's told me to come here away from it all.
I'm here simply because I'm called. I try to live everyday under God's graceful guidance to see the needs here.
I do miss it in Dallas. Even as I am trying to find a new church now, I am all the more wanting the sort of fellowship I had among my brothers and sisters in Texas. A church with great preaching and gifted members who seek to follow and imitate Jesus Christ. It's hard to find here, I have to admit. I haven't been to a church that's anything like the ones in the States. I know there's never such thing as a perfect church, but each one I've attended have been lacking in something that I find to be KEY to any God-loving church.
So, I guess a prayer need for me is to find a church but to also be gracious to the flaws of that church God has called me to wherever that may be. And to catch a better glimpse of the work that He has for me here.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Daniel 1
In reponse to the last post, that was written by my mother. i tried rendering a translation only to get very stuck in the first paragraph, and i kinda gave up. hahahaha! the google translation didn't help either. they changed my mom's name at least 3 times in it, and my dad's name in the translation was "cape sun" hahahaha. it took me a while to realize what/who "cape sun" was.
anyways....
i'm reading the book of Daniel with my bible reading partner, and since she's gone to Taichung (台中), and i'm up here in Taipei, we're going to communicate our thoughts thus far in our reading via blog. Since, it's hard for me to write this sort of stuff in Chinese, i'm going to write it all out in English first...and since i'm writing in English first, might as well post it for the world to see as encouragement. ;)
Daniel 1
Daniel 1 is pretty short, and i've read it before, but there's always something new to learn from the Lord. Daniel 1 introdcues Daniel and his compadres and the beginning of their journey in a new kind of world, a new kind of environment, an environment that is void of God-loving people.
A thing I observed when i first read this passage was that Nebuchadnezzar invaded Judah during Jehoiakim's reign. Seeing as I have not studied 1 or 2 Kings in a while, i looked back to see just what Jehoiakim did. Little did I know, it wasn't all of Mr. Jehoikim's fault.
Starting in 2 Kings 21, Manasseh, King of Judah, Son of King Hezekiah, started leading his country into idol worship, to a path that led far from the LORD. Therefore the LORD put a curse on him:
10 The LORD said through his servants the prophets: 11 "Manasseh king of Judah has committed these detestable sins. He has done more evil than the Amorites who preceded him and has led Judah into sin with his idols. 12 Therefore this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: I am going to bring such disaster on Jerusalem and Judah that the ears of everyone who hears of it will tingle. 13 I will stretch out over Jerusalem the measuring line used against Samaria and the plumb line used against the house of Ahab. I will wipe out Jerusalem as one wipes a dish, wiping it and turning it upside down. 14 I will forsake the remnant of my inheritance and hand them over to their enemies. They will be looted and plundered by all their foes, 15 because they have done evil in my eyes and have provoked me to anger from the day their forefathers came out of Egypt until this day."
After that his son Amon did the same exact thing as his dad, so his cabinet killed him, but Josiah was different. Josiah destroyed all that was wrong, but that wasn't enough to supress the Lord's anger, and every king afterwards, even after Jehoiakim, were described as "evil in the eye's of the Lord." That's why kids like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were placed in Nebuchadnezzar's palace.
So, even in this event, idolatry has such GRAVE consequences. In this day and age, idolatry doesn't come in the form of graven images or worshipping nature. Nay, our idolatry comes in the form of other people, friends, family, celebrities; posessions, materials, our jobs, our time, philosophies; i would even say our own Spiritual gifts could be a form of idolatry! Jesus in His Sermon on the Mount said,"No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money (my note: or maman)." Maman is the Greek word that's used in the text, and it means stuff that's important to us. most of the time it's money, so that's why it's used in the English translation.
Darrell Johnson pointed out that Maman's in and of itself aren't bad things, but they are unstable. Therefore, it's useless to put them first place in your life, and there are grave consequences to worshipping such things, for placing these things first place in your life. Look what happened to Judah because of Manasseh! Daniel and his crew did nothing wrong, and yet they had to suffer the consequences of his actions. (kind of like Adam and Eve too...sux0rs)
But despite Manasseh's mistake, Daniel and his compadres were still faithful to the LORD. granted their education was first class, but they still knew what was right in the eyes of the Lord. They were able to say no when something was wrong, and try and correct it. Which is the example they gave us in the rest of the first chapter.
These rookies come to Babylon, and they just started living there, and they're already asking for changes. But God's gracious; He really gave Daniel a way out. Instead of being scolded and kicked out, they actually gave them a chance to have the diet that they requested! What if it didn't work? man...Ashpenaz would've been killed or something! hahaha
But because Daniel really wanted to live the life that God wanted for him, Daniel was blessed. God has laws that go over every aspect of life, even what we eat because WE are the temple of God.
also, in Daniel it says "God GAVE them learning and skill in all literature and wisdom, and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams...And in every matter of wisdom andunderstanding about which the king inquired of them he found them TEN TIMES better than all the magicians and enchanters tha were in in all hs kingdom." ESV (emphasis mine) God GAVE!! even in this Daniel and his friends didn't take credit for their awesome ability. They knew that it was because of the LORD that they had the ability to perform better than their classmates and superiors.
i'm starting to get pretty excited as to how God will teach us through Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.
May we worship the ONE TRUE GOD, YHWH!
May we do what is right and holy in the midst of an unholy world.
May we realize that all our great abilities and posessions are only from the Lord!
anyways....
i'm reading the book of Daniel with my bible reading partner, and since she's gone to Taichung (台中), and i'm up here in Taipei, we're going to communicate our thoughts thus far in our reading via blog. Since, it's hard for me to write this sort of stuff in Chinese, i'm going to write it all out in English first...and since i'm writing in English first, might as well post it for the world to see as encouragement. ;)
Daniel 1
Daniel 1 is pretty short, and i've read it before, but there's always something new to learn from the Lord. Daniel 1 introdcues Daniel and his compadres and the beginning of their journey in a new kind of world, a new kind of environment, an environment that is void of God-loving people.
A thing I observed when i first read this passage was that Nebuchadnezzar invaded Judah during Jehoiakim's reign. Seeing as I have not studied 1 or 2 Kings in a while, i looked back to see just what Jehoiakim did. Little did I know, it wasn't all of Mr. Jehoikim's fault.
Starting in 2 Kings 21, Manasseh, King of Judah, Son of King Hezekiah, started leading his country into idol worship, to a path that led far from the LORD. Therefore the LORD put a curse on him:
10 The LORD said through his servants the prophets: 11 "Manasseh king of Judah has committed these detestable sins. He has done more evil than the Amorites who preceded him and has led Judah into sin with his idols. 12 Therefore this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: I am going to bring such disaster on Jerusalem and Judah that the ears of everyone who hears of it will tingle. 13 I will stretch out over Jerusalem the measuring line used against Samaria and the plumb line used against the house of Ahab. I will wipe out Jerusalem as one wipes a dish, wiping it and turning it upside down. 14 I will forsake the remnant of my inheritance and hand them over to their enemies. They will be looted and plundered by all their foes, 15 because they have done evil in my eyes and have provoked me to anger from the day their forefathers came out of Egypt until this day."
After that his son Amon did the same exact thing as his dad, so his cabinet killed him, but Josiah was different. Josiah destroyed all that was wrong, but that wasn't enough to supress the Lord's anger, and every king afterwards, even after Jehoiakim, were described as "evil in the eye's of the Lord." That's why kids like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were placed in Nebuchadnezzar's palace.
So, even in this event, idolatry has such GRAVE consequences. In this day and age, idolatry doesn't come in the form of graven images or worshipping nature. Nay, our idolatry comes in the form of other people, friends, family, celebrities; posessions, materials, our jobs, our time, philosophies; i would even say our own Spiritual gifts could be a form of idolatry! Jesus in His Sermon on the Mount said,"No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money (my note: or maman)." Maman is the Greek word that's used in the text, and it means stuff that's important to us. most of the time it's money, so that's why it's used in the English translation.
Darrell Johnson pointed out that Maman's in and of itself aren't bad things, but they are unstable. Therefore, it's useless to put them first place in your life, and there are grave consequences to worshipping such things, for placing these things first place in your life. Look what happened to Judah because of Manasseh! Daniel and his crew did nothing wrong, and yet they had to suffer the consequences of his actions. (kind of like Adam and Eve too...sux0rs)
But despite Manasseh's mistake, Daniel and his compadres were still faithful to the LORD. granted their education was first class, but they still knew what was right in the eyes of the Lord. They were able to say no when something was wrong, and try and correct it. Which is the example they gave us in the rest of the first chapter.
These rookies come to Babylon, and they just started living there, and they're already asking for changes. But God's gracious; He really gave Daniel a way out. Instead of being scolded and kicked out, they actually gave them a chance to have the diet that they requested! What if it didn't work? man...Ashpenaz would've been killed or something! hahaha
But because Daniel really wanted to live the life that God wanted for him, Daniel was blessed. God has laws that go over every aspect of life, even what we eat because WE are the temple of God.
also, in Daniel it says "God GAVE them learning and skill in all literature and wisdom, and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams...And in every matter of wisdom andunderstanding about which the king inquired of them he found them TEN TIMES better than all the magicians and enchanters tha were in in all hs kingdom." ESV (emphasis mine) God GAVE!! even in this Daniel and his friends didn't take credit for their awesome ability. They knew that it was because of the LORD that they had the ability to perform better than their classmates and superiors.
i'm starting to get pretty excited as to how God will teach us through Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.
May we worship the ONE TRUE GOD, YHWH!
May we do what is right and holy in the midst of an unholy world.
May we realize that all our great abilities and posessions are only from the Lord!
Monday, January 12, 2009
2008 年信
親愛的諸位弟兄姊妹：主內平安！
「你跟從我吧！」(約翰廿一22) 這是約翰福音記載耶穌基督對彼得說的最後一句話。二OO八年我們一家，卻因為這句話，敲開了我們生命的另一個樂章。甚至在許多朋友還未清楚我們是如何被呼召的時候，我們已開著旅行車，裝著有限的家當，朝向加州聖荷西的海外神學院疾駛而去。當您收到這封信時，我們正帶著戰兢喜樂的心跨向第二個學期的課業。喜樂是因神給我們這麼好受教的機會和環境，戰兢乃深恐力有所不殆以至頑固無法調教。
一九九六年當我們搬到達拉斯還不到一年時，在教會舉辦的宣道年會中，我們夫婦不約而同的在焦源廉牧師的呼召下受感獻身，後蒙教會的不棄，在許多的事工上使我們受造就，使我們的靈命稍有成長。鶴孫的工作雖時有變動，但深知緊緊抓住不變的主，並且樂於在主日學及三福事工中專心服事。雲華也有機會先後跟著兩位女傳道，在姊妹會中學習事奉，受教良多；最近三年又有機會在角聲佈道團達拉斯分會學習，開拓眼界。
鶴孫的工作在二OO七年初告一個段落後，藉著回台北處理家務的機會，到不同的教會四處走動，慨嘆台灣教會普遍對聖經教育的不重視，返美後，常對雲華提起若有可能，希望對那片地土有所效力；但每當問他是否聽見呼召，卻總是不十分肯定地回答"再等等吧！"。雲華看的既納悶又著急，禱告時不免問主"這人將來如何?"，腦中就出現了約翰福音廿一22的經文 "這人將來如何與你何干? 你跟從我吧! "心想“好咧！多管閒事，被主罵了！專心你自己吧！如果那一天鶴孫要進神學院，你是否也準備好了呢？”
二OO六年底，那時雲華在達拉斯的角聲，負責癌症關懷事工半年多，總覺得缺少一份能夠提供給北美的華人癌友使用的中文資料，因此建議總部癌症的事工主任，編譯一本中英對照的癌症手冊，不料建議提出之後，達拉斯的角聲就榮膺重任，經過同工、義工一年多的蒐集資料、翻譯、編寫設計、向醫者、癌友請益之後，總算在眾人的努力之下，於二OO八年四月完成。這本中英對照的癌症療程手札，主要是在幫助甫患癌症的朋友，提醒他們在治療過程中，應該注意的事項及方法；幫助癌友使用手札，記錄自己的治療過程，藉此可以和醫護人員做有效的溝通。我們深知人在遭遇困境之時，唯有神的話語才能真正的作全人的醫治，因此這本手札的每一個頁底，我們特地節錄了聖經經文，求神親自安慰鼓勵正在進行治療的朋友。現在這本“癌症療程手札”已放在角聲的網站http://cancer.cchc.org/main/，隨時可以下載，若有須要也可以向各角聲的癌症關懷事工索求。
幾乎就在這件工作完成的同時，一日雲華在開車途中，聽到Chuck Swindoll 的一篇講道，提到他當初被呼召進神學院的時候，院長問他“孩子，有沒有什麼事比你讀神的話更吸引你呢？”Chuck想了一下說“沒有！”雲華當時感動不已，回家之後就和鶴孫分享此事，他竟然回答說“ 好吧！我去上神學院！”你們可以揣摩雲華當時的反應。鶴孫的感動是因為前幾個禮拜，牧師在主日講台的內容，講到彼得在主復活之後，重操舊業回去打魚，就在整夜毫無所獲之時，主出現在彼得的眼前堅固他的信心，並囑咐他“你跟從我吧！” 鶴孫覺得那篇講道就好像在對他說“你一年多來找不到工作，就如彼得整夜打魚毫無所獲，來跟從我吧！”竟然感動他的經文也是約翰福音廿一22 ！
達拉斯神學院(DTS)離我們家約五十分鐘，加州的海外神學院坐飛機要三個半小時，為何要捨近求遠？只能說是神的感動和帶領。當我們考慮要到那裡進修的時候， 和一位平素常為我們禱告的傳道人分享我們的想法，DTS絕對是上好的神學院， 在達拉斯居住十二年，看見這個學校培養出不少優秀的人才，但是如果鶴孫一面在教會服事，一面一科兩科的慢慢修，可能真是要修到齒搖髮白，那麼回台服事的負擔就不知什麼時後才會成行；同時我們覺得神學的知識固然重要，屬靈領袖的榜樣， 更是我們要學習的。這位屬靈的長者就說“去海外吧！去跟曾霖芳院長學習吧！”
六月中到海外神學院拜訪之前，我們並不知道曾霖芳院長已有九十高齡，也不清楚他因病已有兩年沒有過問學校的事情，這些事直到他接見我們的時候，我們才被他親口告知；可是院長思路清楚、記憶特佳，他在香港創辦海外神學院迄今，已有四十個年頭，被造就的學生少說有六百人，然而院長不但記得學生是何時畢業，也記得該生的特長；說起神給他的託負，以及神如何成就神學院的工作，其中神奇的經歷聽得我們只有眨眼睛的份。若是弟兄姊妹願聞其詳，不妨上他的網站親自經歷吧！www.ots-johntsang.net 。上學期老院長復出教學，雖然身體並不康健，卻依然堅持站在講台，有時一口氣講個九十分鐘，這是神的恩典，也是我們的福氣，他的心志和榜樣都活化在我們的面前。
我們應該算是學院中的老學生，師長都比我們年輕，我們常被冠以兄姊的稱呼，實在令人汗顏；只是老師並不因此而優惠我們，不過時常勉勵有加，提醒有時。聽說去年有一位比我們再年長的一位弟兄，三年半畢業時掉了七顆牙，平均每半年掉一顆，不可思議的是他還是位牙醫哩！足見是有壓力的。幾位老師一直在鼓勵我們讀原文，我們的心也怦怦然，若是如此我們勢必要多花一年的時間，請繼續為我們代禱，求神給我們清楚的帶領。
慧苓回台近半年，她的中文大有進步，通電話時多用中文表達，偶還用中文禱告，更叫爸媽吃驚的是，我們用Skype通話時，雲華用電腦傳去的中文，她竟然都看懂了。去年底，她的乾爹乾媽請她去九寨溝玩了五天；回來之後，她寫了一篇報告交給老師，用字遣辭還有模有樣。恩苓在感恩節、寒假時都到San Jose來相聚，接機時母女相擁，久久不能放手，那種感覺實在很溫暖。她這學期已開始在學校的旅館工作，深得上司的喜愛，雖然Part-time的工作才兩個月，老闆就給她加薪鼓勵；令父母欣慰的是，她沒有單顧自己，還能將部份的所得去幫助有需要的人。願孩子們在這個後現代思潮充斥的社會裡，能夠緊緊抓住基督的信仰，活出愛神愛人的好見証。
謝謝呂牧師、鄭孫文、盧瑞雲、王俊英、葉名功夫婦抽空來San Jose為我們打氣。每看見您們所贈的相簿，主裡親愛的感覺就浮上心頭。願主的愛使我們彼此激勵，不論環境如何變遷，我們都要立志作神誠實無偽、明光照耀的好見証。
敬祝
主恩滿溢！新春蒙福！
主內
鶴孫
雲華 率慧苓，恩苓敬上
「你跟從我吧！」(約翰廿一22) 這是約翰福音記載耶穌基督對彼得說的最後一句話。二OO八年我們一家，卻因為這句話，敲開了我們生命的另一個樂章。甚至在許多朋友還未清楚我們是如何被呼召的時候，我們已開著旅行車，裝著有限的家當，朝向加州聖荷西的海外神學院疾駛而去。當您收到這封信時，我們正帶著戰兢喜樂的心跨向第二個學期的課業。喜樂是因神給我們這麼好受教的機會和環境，戰兢乃深恐力有所不殆以至頑固無法調教。
一九九六年當我們搬到達拉斯還不到一年時，在教會舉辦的宣道年會中，我們夫婦不約而同的在焦源廉牧師的呼召下受感獻身，後蒙教會的不棄，在許多的事工上使我們受造就，使我們的靈命稍有成長。鶴孫的工作雖時有變動，但深知緊緊抓住不變的主，並且樂於在主日學及三福事工中專心服事。雲華也有機會先後跟著兩位女傳道，在姊妹會中學習事奉，受教良多；最近三年又有機會在角聲佈道團達拉斯分會學習，開拓眼界。
鶴孫的工作在二OO七年初告一個段落後，藉著回台北處理家務的機會，到不同的教會四處走動，慨嘆台灣教會普遍對聖經教育的不重視，返美後，常對雲華提起若有可能，希望對那片地土有所效力；但每當問他是否聽見呼召，卻總是不十分肯定地回答"再等等吧！"。雲華看的既納悶又著急，禱告時不免問主"這人將來如何?"，腦中就出現了約翰福音廿一22的經文 "這人將來如何與你何干? 你跟從我吧! "心想“好咧！多管閒事，被主罵了！專心你自己吧！如果那一天鶴孫要進神學院，你是否也準備好了呢？”
二OO六年底，那時雲華在達拉斯的角聲，負責癌症關懷事工半年多，總覺得缺少一份能夠提供給北美的華人癌友使用的中文資料，因此建議總部癌症的事工主任，編譯一本中英對照的癌症手冊，不料建議提出之後，達拉斯的角聲就榮膺重任，經過同工、義工一年多的蒐集資料、翻譯、編寫設計、向醫者、癌友請益之後，總算在眾人的努力之下，於二OO八年四月完成。這本中英對照的癌症療程手札，主要是在幫助甫患癌症的朋友，提醒他們在治療過程中，應該注意的事項及方法；幫助癌友使用手札，記錄自己的治療過程，藉此可以和醫護人員做有效的溝通。我們深知人在遭遇困境之時，唯有神的話語才能真正的作全人的醫治，因此這本手札的每一個頁底，我們特地節錄了聖經經文，求神親自安慰鼓勵正在進行治療的朋友。現在這本“癌症療程手札”已放在角聲的網站http://cancer.cchc.org/main/，隨時可以下載，若有須要也可以向各角聲的癌症關懷事工索求。
幾乎就在這件工作完成的同時，一日雲華在開車途中，聽到Chuck Swindoll 的一篇講道，提到他當初被呼召進神學院的時候，院長問他“孩子，有沒有什麼事比你讀神的話更吸引你呢？”Chuck想了一下說“沒有！”雲華當時感動不已，回家之後就和鶴孫分享此事，他竟然回答說“ 好吧！我去上神學院！”你們可以揣摩雲華當時的反應。鶴孫的感動是因為前幾個禮拜，牧師在主日講台的內容，講到彼得在主復活之後，重操舊業回去打魚，就在整夜毫無所獲之時，主出現在彼得的眼前堅固他的信心，並囑咐他“你跟從我吧！” 鶴孫覺得那篇講道就好像在對他說“你一年多來找不到工作，就如彼得整夜打魚毫無所獲，來跟從我吧！”竟然感動他的經文也是約翰福音廿一22 ！
達拉斯神學院(DTS)離我們家約五十分鐘，加州的海外神學院坐飛機要三個半小時，為何要捨近求遠？只能說是神的感動和帶領。當我們考慮要到那裡進修的時候， 和一位平素常為我們禱告的傳道人分享我們的想法，DTS絕對是上好的神學院， 在達拉斯居住十二年，看見這個學校培養出不少優秀的人才，但是如果鶴孫一面在教會服事，一面一科兩科的慢慢修，可能真是要修到齒搖髮白，那麼回台服事的負擔就不知什麼時後才會成行；同時我們覺得神學的知識固然重要，屬靈領袖的榜樣， 更是我們要學習的。這位屬靈的長者就說“去海外吧！去跟曾霖芳院長學習吧！”
六月中到海外神學院拜訪之前，我們並不知道曾霖芳院長已有九十高齡，也不清楚他因病已有兩年沒有過問學校的事情，這些事直到他接見我們的時候，我們才被他親口告知；可是院長思路清楚、記憶特佳，他在香港創辦海外神學院迄今，已有四十個年頭，被造就的學生少說有六百人，然而院長不但記得學生是何時畢業，也記得該生的特長；說起神給他的託負，以及神如何成就神學院的工作，其中神奇的經歷聽得我們只有眨眼睛的份。若是弟兄姊妹願聞其詳，不妨上他的網站親自經歷吧！www.ots-johntsang.net 。上學期老院長復出教學，雖然身體並不康健，卻依然堅持站在講台，有時一口氣講個九十分鐘，這是神的恩典，也是我們的福氣，他的心志和榜樣都活化在我們的面前。
我們應該算是學院中的老學生，師長都比我們年輕，我們常被冠以兄姊的稱呼，實在令人汗顏；只是老師並不因此而優惠我們，不過時常勉勵有加，提醒有時。聽說去年有一位比我們再年長的一位弟兄，三年半畢業時掉了七顆牙，平均每半年掉一顆，不可思議的是他還是位牙醫哩！足見是有壓力的。幾位老師一直在鼓勵我們讀原文，我們的心也怦怦然，若是如此我們勢必要多花一年的時間，請繼續為我們代禱，求神給我們清楚的帶領。
慧苓回台近半年，她的中文大有進步，通電話時多用中文表達，偶還用中文禱告，更叫爸媽吃驚的是，我們用Skype通話時，雲華用電腦傳去的中文，她竟然都看懂了。去年底，她的乾爹乾媽請她去九寨溝玩了五天；回來之後，她寫了一篇報告交給老師，用字遣辭還有模有樣。恩苓在感恩節、寒假時都到San Jose來相聚，接機時母女相擁，久久不能放手，那種感覺實在很溫暖。她這學期已開始在學校的旅館工作，深得上司的喜愛，雖然Part-time的工作才兩個月，老闆就給她加薪鼓勵；令父母欣慰的是，她沒有單顧自己，還能將部份的所得去幫助有需要的人。願孩子們在這個後現代思潮充斥的社會裡，能夠緊緊抓住基督的信仰，活出愛神愛人的好見証。
謝謝呂牧師、鄭孫文、盧瑞雲、王俊英、葉名功夫婦抽空來San Jose為我們打氣。每看見您們所贈的相簿，主裡親愛的感覺就浮上心頭。願主的愛使我們彼此激勵，不論環境如何變遷，我們都要立志作神誠實無偽、明光照耀的好見証。
敬祝
主恩滿溢！新春蒙福！
主內
鶴孫
雲華 率慧苓，恩苓敬上
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