灵糧
恩典见证8. NB…
NBA首位美籍华裔球员林书豪（Jeremy Lin）自去年7月份与金州战士队（Golden State Warriors）签约后，人气急升，赢得美国华裔和台湾NBA球迷的爱戴。在将近一年的NBA生涯中，他经历过成败得失、荣耀羞辱，最终靠着信仰克服了黑暗的幽谷，重新得力勇往直前，并真正地领悟到人生的真理：要为天国的奖赏而活。
NBA生涯的起伏
在一片热烈的掌声和欢呼声中，站在台上大高个儿Jeremy没有丝毫的骄傲，以主内弟兄的身份坦诚地分享了自己的信仰历程和在近一年在NBA的职业生涯。
Jeremy说，去年刚刚与金州战士队签约的时候，他感到自己的生命彷佛在一夜之间改变了。他觉得好像站在全世界之上，一时间媒体争相采访他。起初，他感到这样的生活很酷、很有趣，也有自信来面对NBA的挑战。可是，在开始NBA的集训开始后，他很快垮了下来。在集训营中，Jeremy的表现不是很好，甚至比不上很多非NBA球员。虽然教练不断地鼓励他，但是他已经对自己失去了信心。他特别提到在去年12月底的一场分组赛事中，他竟然只得了10分。他满腹都是给自己的压力，担心1月21日淘汰截止的那一天他会因表现太差而被赶出来。他更加担心到时候不知道要如何面对一直支持他的家人和朋友们。当晚他彻夜无眠，在日记上写下了这句话：“这应该是我人生中最近乎忧郁的时候，我在球场上失去了信心，篮球对我来说再也不好玩了，我不想再参加任何的分组赛了。”1月21日淘汰截止的那一天，Jeremy又写道“我希望我从来没有签过金州战士队”。
Jeremy笑说，现在回头看真的觉得自己当时疯了，可是这确实是他那时候的状态。他给自己的压力已经多到一个无法承受的程度，他已经失去了打篮球的喜乐、热情和目标。NBA球星拥有的高等待遇、名誉地位和梦想抱负，这一切对他来说都不再有意义了。
信靠神重新得力
就在Jeremy频临崩溃的非常时刻，神的话语将他的灵唤醒，使他看到自己生命中的缺口，再次转眼定睛在神的身上。
Jeremy说：“我突然明白了，篮球已成为了我的偶像。篮球对我来说变得非常重要，甚至成为了我生命中的首位。”这就是为何篮球消耗了他的喜乐。当他的喜乐是基于打篮球的表现好坏时，他的情绪就会为此产生巨大的波动。Jeremy发出内心的呼求：“我开始发现，我需要信靠神。”
生长在基督化家庭的Jeremy从小就上教会，但他坦言自己是最坏的孩子，甚至试过把主日学老师气哭。直到9年级的时候，他加入了教会的青年团契，信仰才开始变得成熟，并受洗归主。即便如此，当时的他只是在头脑里知道要“信靠神”，但真正要在生活中实行出来还是非常困难。在NBA训练的低谷期，Jeremy回想过去神在他生命中留下的足迹，才发现自己不“信靠神”是多么不合道理的。
Jeremy开始记录神在他生命中一连串的奇妙带领，使他最终通往NBA职业球员的这条路。首先，他的父母、两个弟兄的身材都很普通，家庭中只有他一个人有1米91的身高，也是因为有这得天独厚的身段，他才可以入选NBA。虽然他的两个弟兄跟他一样很喜欢篮球，可是学校的教练特别赏识他的表现，并特别悉心栽培他，成为他的良师益友。此外，在选择大学的时候，虽然起初Jeremy错失了入学心仪已久的史丹福大学的机会，可是在神的带领下，他幸运的得到了哈佛大学的入学邀请。Jeremy感谢神，因为哈佛大学的优秀平台和资源让他有机会提升到NBA球员的水平。在成为了职业球员后，Jeremy也找到了一个很爱主的基督徒球友，并与他一起在球赛之间给予彼此属灵上的支持。
Jeremy形容说：“没有一个是靠着我的能力直接控制的，出现在我的生命中的这些事情、这些人，全都是神赐给我的祝福。”在明白了这个道理后，每次快要失去盼望和对神的信心时，他就会提醒自己，神曾经在他身上做过的工。
追求天国的奖赏
打NBA分组赛的期间，有一位牧师鼓励Jeremy每天花一个小时来亲近神。当他试着按照牧师的教导顺服去做的时候，他的生命也大大地被神的话语更新。
“岂不知在场上赛跑的都跑、但得奖赏的只有一人，你们也当这样跑、好叫你们得着奖赏。凡较力争胜的、诸事都有节制，他们不过是要得能坏的冠冕，我们却是要得不能坏的冠冕”（哥林多前书9：24-25）
Jeremy表示哥林多前书的这经文对自己产生了很深的影响，令他扭转了对人生的看法。“以前我是为‘能坏的冠冕’而打篮球，我一直为了好的比赛、好的得分、为金州战士队争光、为能续签球队合约、为了他人的期望打球，我为了我自己打球。”
“向着标竿直跑、要得神在基督耶稣里从上面召我来得的奖赏”（腓立比书3：14）
腓立比书的这段话也警醒着Jeremy。在基督耶稣里是有“从上面来的奖赏”的，这就是与耶稣基督一同享受永恒的同在。“我学会了，我们要追求的真正的奖赏是在天国的。”Jeremy见证说，“使徒保罗在哥林多前书所指的奖赏是指那永恒的奖赏，他为这个奖赏而活，所以他的生命变得有意义了。我学会了，我应该要停止追逐能坏的冠冕和个人的荣耀。我要学习向着神摆上我最好的，并且把结果交托给神。我要学习相信他的恩典、他伟大和完美的计划。我要学习把我的想法、我的欲望和我的梦想全都交给神，祷告说‘神啊，我要尽最大的努力，为你去打球，我把结果都交托给你吧。’” Jeremy从心里献上这样的祷告，他的灵就得到了释放，而他在球场上的表现也有了很大的进步，在短时间内打出了前所未有的高分，顺利通过了分组赛的考验。
Jeremy表示过去一年的NBA生涯的确是他所享受的、好玩的、梦想般的生活，他知道这对很多人来说也是梦寐以求的。跟队友坐私人飞机全美飞来飞去巡回比赛，吃的喝的应有尽有，娱乐生活也丰富多… 只是如今的Jeremy已经看透了这种属世的生活，并很希望告诉所有青年人“这些东西只能给你短暂的快乐，但不能带给你永恒的喜乐。”
对未信主与基督徒的呼吁
Jeremy分别对未信主的和已信主的朋友提出问题，挑战他们反思人生的意义。他对未信主的朋友说：“我邀请你来查看自己，你在为什么而活。你追求的是会朽坏的东西、或是天国的冠冕？每天起床的时候，你第一个想到的是什么？是学业吗？是金钱吗？是工作吗？是电子游戏吗？是色情信息吗？是女朋友吗？”
他鼓励未信主朋友不要放弃认识神的机会就离开了，首要的是好好地去认识神，并不需要立刻就成为基督徒。他希望每一位慕道友都能发现，是有神的拯救、神的计划、永恒的平安和喜乐在等待他们的。
同时，Jeremy也劝勉主内的弟兄姐妹要查看自己是否已经把神放在生命的首位。就像他过去一样，即使认识神却没有把神放在生命的首位，就会很容易跌倒。Jeremy也建议每位基督徒要每天持守去亲近神，主动向身边的人传福音，慷慨周济有需要的人，勇于向所爱的人表达爱。
Testimoni…
Listen for 3 min
At the age of 47, just because she “wanted to do something for the faith” and made the album after 17 years, Zhou Huimin (Vivian), known as the “head of the jade girl”, produced her first gospel album “HIM” before Christmas in 2014, “HIM” stands for “God”. And on New Year’s Day in 2015, the cover story of the January issue of “Angel Heart” was published “Grace is Waiting for a Person – Zhou Huimin”. The magazine details his experience of faith, and the full grace of God awaits everyone.
As a Hong Kong female singer and actress, Zhou Huimin grew up in a Christian family and participated in campus fellowship, but in the ups and downs of life, she brushed shoulders with faith many times until she truly received this grace and returned to the arms of her Heavenly Father in 2009.
After the faith, Zhou Huimin’s life was completely renewed and changed, she was enthusiastic about her faith, and even made a comeback, returning to the entertainment industry, not only releasing her first gospel album “HIM”, singing for God, but also joining the new movie “Waiting for a Person’s Coffee” in 2014, and the theme song “Coffee is Waiting for a Person” is also a song of the gospel disc.
On January 1, 2015, “Angel Heart” published the cover story of the January issue, entitled “Grace is waiting for a person – Zhou Huimin”, in which she explained the ups and downs of her life and how to meet the wonderful experience of grace, which is tortuous and wonderful.
Spend your childhood in worry
In the magazine, Zhou Huimin mentioned her childhood, which was supposed to be the happiest and carefree period, but Vivian was the opposite, she was a girl with a lot of worries when she was a child. Since she was a child, she would worry about her mother’s health and practical problems in life and spent her childhood in anxiety.
When her father died of a heart attack, Vivian had not yet been born, so she never saw her father and the whole family was supported by her mother alone. In the washing and polishing of the cruel reality, Zhou’s mother became serious, not smiling, stubborn, and played the role of the head of the family, while Vivian’s grandmother played the role of a mother, not only very gentle but also laughed with her, so the optimistic part of her personality was influenced by her grandmother.
However, when Vivian was less than 10 years old, her mother fell ill and needed surgery urgently, which could be life-threatening, which made her very panicked, during the long wait for her mother’s surgery, she thought about many things: Will she never see her mother again after the operation? Grandma is old, if her mother has any strengths and weaknesses, who will take care of herself? and so on.
Fortunately, the surgery was a success and her mother gradually recovered, but Vivian still worries about her health from time to time. She knows that her mother works hard, so as not to worry about her mother anymore, she will automatically do her homework consciously after class, go to bed very early at night, and gradually develop a stubborn character behind self-discipline.
Because there is no man in the family, when she grows up, the responsibility of supporting the family gradually falls on the seemingly weak Vivian, but she is very stubborn in her bones. Because she doesn’t want anything wrong, people like her tend to be more anxious than the average person.
Since she was a child in a Christian school, Vivian has always participated in school fellowship, but she does not know much about the faith and does not take it too seriously, because of the difficulties she will encounter in life, she gradually develops the habit of prayer, although she is not sure whether God is listening, but she has no one to talk to, so she has to express her heart in prayer.
First time going to church: Heavenly Father, I’m home
Vivian, who has always been accustomed to relying on herself, went out to work in her teens after graduation and felt that she could not be bullied and must be self-reliant, so she was in a state of “fighting” for a long time. In a testimony she wrote on Christmas Day 2013, she said that relying on others or religion is an act of weakness.
Until one day in 2009, a casual conversation with a friend turned her life around. “That day, I had a casual conversation with a friend who had no religious beliefs, and he said that many religions focus on personal cultivation, but those self-imposed standards are indicators that are difficult for mortals to achieve. Christianity emphasizes ‘salvation by faith,’ but I have a hard time accepting this argument because this kind of free salvation is completely contrary to my usual beliefs.
But when I think deeper, if what the Bible says is true, then no matter how good my cultivation is, because I have not accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior, I am still a sinner; even if what the Bible says is not true, I have no loss after reading the Bible, and my cultivation will only improve, not regress. I shouldn’t judge what I don’t understand, but I am only qualified to judge when I read the whole Bible and go back to church to hear the pastors preach. ”
It was this mindset of learning a little more that suddenly swelled up in Vivian’s heart, wanting to understand this belief that she had previously held biases. At the same time, she also told her husband Ni Zhen about this idea and received support.
Vivian’s first visit to church was at the Easter service in 2009, when she was so excited that she struggled to suppress her tears. She turned to God in her heart and said, “Father, I’m home!
Witness to faith through music
When she got to know God again, Vivian knew that her singing gift came from God, so she was willing to sing for God, hoping to interpret God’s faith through her music. When she conceived the gospel album, the words of the Bible became her inspiration, and she knew that the gospel disc was made for “God”, so the album was titled “HIM”, which means God. In this album, each song conveys a different theme: judgment, gender relations, life and death, and the heart of a child.
This was the first time Vivian had written a song for God, and she wanted to write about the title “Ribs” from the very beginning. “God created Adam first, saying that it was not good for the man to live alone, and decided to create a spouse to help him, and I realized that this woman was created to fulfill Adam, and in other passages of the Bible, the husband is described as the head of the wife, so I understand that a wife needs to be wise to submit to her husband’s leadership. And how did God make the woman? He put Adam to sleep and took out a rib to create a woman, and Adam woke up and said, “This woman is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh, so husbands should love their wives as they love their bodies.” As I studied this passage in detail, I gained a deeper understanding of the roles of men and women and how partners treat each other. ”
In addition, she composed a song “A Love Like This”, which counted the grace in her life. On January 8, 2015, she wrote on Weibo, “After writing the song “A Love Like This” last year, my intuition is very compatible with the English lyrics, writing about grace and faith to change my life, and the music part is conceived to tie Him, fresh and simple arrangement so that the vocal’s feelings can be highlighted. ”
Vivian put a lot of effort into making this gospel disc. She mentioned the creative team in a video posted on Weibo on January 9, admitting that although the creative team is not all Christians, the requirement for choosing a lyricist is that she must be familiar with the Bible, because ordinary unbelievers may feel that Christianity, like other religions, leads people to goodness. But in fact, many Christian values are not universal values, so as the creative supervisor of the whole album, she must make sure that the lyrics are correct and do not misinterpret the Christian faith. To this end, Vivian spent a lot of time writing the concepts behind each track, and communicating with the lyricists.
It took a whole year from the preparation to the production of the gospel album, and Vivian admits that she has experienced a lot of waiting and a lot of struggle. On January 9, 2015, “Zhou Huimin Idea Studio” Weibo posted a video of Genesis TV’s interview with Love Earth Observatory “Zhou Huimin Sings for HIM”, in which Vivian talked about her process of recording the album. “I want each song to be produced by a different person, to be able to record in different studios, so that I can learn to let go of the old way of recording over the years and open myself up to work with the team instead of being the controller. I have experienced a lot of struggles in the process, because I am a very demanding person, and I have to let go of myself and accept other people’s opinions humbly in teamwork, so when there is a break in the studio, I will calm down and pray, and give everything to God, because I don’t want to be a disc that makes a singer, this is a disc that makes someone else. ‘HIM’, or God, is the protagonist of this disc. ”
She also talked about how to face criticism after public belief because she is an artist, “Since I have faith, I have found that I don’t worry too much about people’s criticism of me, and I won’t pursue it according to world values or universal values, because I won’t measure it according to this ruler.” I don’t use my own standards to ask others, which is a big change for me. ”
At the same time, she also mentioned that one of the songs in the gospel album, “Stone Rain”, is precisely about the judgment of the world, inspired by a well-known biblical story: the story of a woman who committed adultery and was stoned by people. “A lot of people say I’m an artist, will I be hypocritical? Some people will say that an artist is a hypocritical person. Sometimes I think about this story, I think people who believe in the Lord understand very well that everyone is full of a lot of sin, and if we are all full of a lot of sin, what right do we have to comment on others? So in the title of each song, you can bring out a lot of thinking. Vivian added.
In the final video, it says, “May Vivian be able to use her gifts to do more beautiful testimonies.” I believe that this is also the expectation and blessing that God and every Christian expect from her.
Testimoni…
Listen for 4 min
Sun Yat-sen has both a strong, holy, and great side, as well as the limited and fragile side of our ordinary human nature. Throughout his bumpy and colorful life, he has not only been zealous in serving the Lord, but also has been tested by temptations, low tides in faith, and has experienced successes and countless difficult tests, and even the cruel blows of many failures, and has borne all kinds of heavy and painful crosses. From a historical and practical point of view, as well as from a religious point of view, the Christianity he pursued had a profound impact on his spiritual life, revolutionary pursuits, and ideological concepts, and has given a beautiful testimony to the faith he pursued.
After being baptized in Hong Kong in his early years, Dr. Sun Yat-sen devoted himself to church ministry and spared no effort to spread the Gospel of Christ to his fellow citizens. While in secret custody in London by the Qing embassy in Britain, he prayed fervently to the Lord and relied on Him with all his heart. He once recalled to his friend the prayer life in prison and the change in grace he received: “My brother is in prison, and he will die. At this time, the only way to do this is to repent and pray earnestly. For six or seven days, he prayed day and night, and the more he prayed, the more earnest he became. On the seventh day, there was a sudden comfort in my heart, and I was completely carefree, and unexpectedly, I answered this prayer and received God’s favor. This is a natural, genuine expression of the feelings of a devout Christian.
Sun Yat-sen denounced superstitious elements and bad habits in religion, including rejecting the idolatry of witch culture in folk beliefs in his youth, and in the anti-imperialist patriotic movement and the first “non-Christian movement” in the early 20th century, he criticized the church system as a politician and denounced the words and deeds of some people in the church who were tainted with colonialist and imperialist ideology. As the founding head and political leader, it was also inconvenient for him to go out in public and attend public congregational services in churches or prayer halls, and to attend public liturgical services of the church community every Sunday. He may have even had periods of confusion, disappointment, and coldness away from the church. However, this was not enough to lose his Christian status, and future generations have no right or denial of his Christian status.
Standing in the long river of human history, today we should take a fair, objective, and inclusive attitude to examine the people including Sun Yat-sen, the founding father of the nation, and the difficult history of the Chinese nation, as well as his radical words, behaviors, and attitudes towards religious circles, including folk beliefs and churches. Even today, the utilitarian words and deeds, superstitious colors, and religious extremist fanaticism that exist in religious circles should still arouse the attention of all sectors of society, including religious circles, and resolutely reject and bitterly criticize them, and thoroughly eradicate them.
As a Christian and the father of the nation, Sun Yat-sen loved the church respected the religious community after entering politics, and established friendships with religious circles. In 1912, he donated 3,000 silver dollars to the Nanjing YMCA as the initial funding for its establishment, and in 1919, he also donated 10,000 taels of silver to Nanjing Qixia Temple to assist in its repair. Sun Yat-sen’s concern and support for religious circles without discrimination and his tolerance are worthy of appreciation and commemoration.
Sun Yat-sen attached great importance to the contribution of religion in moral construction, believing that “morality begins with the country, and morality begins with the world”, and introduced religious ethical values that are beneficial to the nation and the state. He was the first to advocate the separation of church and state and freedom of religious belief in China. On the occasion of the 150th anniversary of Sun Yat-sen’s birth, all sectors of society, including China’s religious circles, should remember, cherish, and practice.
At the same time, as a zealous Christian, Dr. Sun Yat-sen strongly identified with the spirit of “freedom, equality, and fraternity” based on Christianity. On the basis of the spirit of “concomitant love” of benevolence and Mozi in traditional Chinese ethics and morality, and the gospel of Christ’s unconditional compassion, love and service to one another, Sun Yat-sen put forward the ideological concept of “fraternity” in the context of traditional Chinese culture, and advocated the concepts of “the world is for the common good” and “the world is in harmony”.
He believes that the “benevolence” in traditional Chinese culture is a concrete manifestation of “fraternity” in the three dimensions of “benevolence to save the world, benevolence to save people, and benevolence to save the country”. In terms of the concept of governing the country, he put forward the concept of “fraternity and benevolence”, regarded “fraternity” as “the treasure raft of mankind, the extreme rule of politics”, and further took the concept of “fraternity, the world for the common good, and the world harmony” as his motto, and gave many inscriptions to comrades and friends to encourage him, taking it as his ideal and life pursuit. He integrated the values of Christianity into his political concept of salvation and survival, led the Chinese people to overthrow thousands of years of feudal imperial system, brought hope of democracy and freedom to the Chinese nation, and tried to build a society where everyone is equal, rich and poor, free of oppression, no exploitation, no war, freedom, democracy, fraternity, and the common good, and fought for it all his life.
On his deathbed on March 11, 1925, he dictated the “Fourth Testament” to his comrades, family, and close friends on his sickbed: “I am a Christian, commanded by God to declare war against the evil spirits! In some historical periods under the special political background, this “fourth will”, which could not be publicized publicly and would not be taken seriously, proved that Sun Yat-sen was a true Christian.
His son, Sun Ko, also testified to his father’s affectionate teaching to his children in his family letter: “The day before my father died, I proved that I was a Christian and had struggled with the devil for more than 40 years. Sun Yat-sen witnessed the Gospel of Christ in his words and deeds, lived out the true meaning of Christianity, and was worthy of the identity and title of a devout Christian. Sun Yat-sen’s persistent pursuit of life goals, religious beliefs, and revolutionary ideas, his unremitting struggle, his tremendous contributions to the survival of the nation, national unity, prosperity, and world peace, as well as his noble character of selflessness, are models for political leaders in the three regions of the Taiwan Strait, as well as for all the people and religious circles, including Christians, to emulate and learn from today.
恩典见证 39.上…
作为香港女歌手、演员的周慧敏，从小在基督教家庭长大，也参与过校园团契，但在人生起起伏伏过程中多次与信仰擦肩而过，直到2009年真正得着这个恩典，回到天父怀抱。
信仰后的周慧敏，生命彻底更新改变，为信仰大发热心，甚至重新复出，回归娱乐圈，不仅发行首张福音专辑《HIM》，为上帝而唱，而且在2014年加盟了九把刀新电影《等一个人咖啡》，主题曲《咖啡在等一个人》也是福音碟的歌曲，“等待”这题目既切合电影情节，亦道出了人生路上、信仰路上，许多的等待。
2015年1月1日《天使心》登出1月号封面故事，题为《恩典在等一个人——周慧敏》，她在此次专访中道尽了自己人生的酸甜苦辣，以及如何邂逅恩典的奇妙经历，曲折而精彩。
在忧虑中度过童年
在杂志中，周慧敏提到了自己的童年，原本最应该快乐、无忧无虑的时期，Vivian却刚好相反，她小时候是一个有很多担忧的女孩。自小她便会担心妈妈的健康，担忧生活上的实际问题，在焦虑中度过了她的童年。
父亲因心脏病去世时，Vivian尚未出生，所以她从未见过爸爸，整个家庭只能靠妈妈一个人支撑。在残酷现实的冲刷、打磨中，周妈妈变得严肃、不爱笑、倔强，担当一家之主的角色，而Vivian的嫲嫲则担当着妈妈的角色，不仅很温柔，会与她说笑，所以她性格中乐天的部分都是受嫲嫲影响。
然而，在Vivian不到10岁那年，母亲生病急需动手术，可能还会有生命危险，这让她十分惊慌，在母亲手术时漫长的等待中，她想到许多事情：会不会手术后再也见不到妈妈？嫲嫲年纪大了，若妈妈有什么三长两短，谁来照顾自己？诸如此类的恐惧，油然而生。
好在这次手术很成功，妈妈渐渐康复，但Vivian仍不时会为她的健康而忧心。她知道妈妈工作辛苦，为免妈妈再为她担心，所以下课会自动自觉做功课，晚上很早睡觉，自律的背后，渐渐生成倔强的性格。
因为家中没有男人，所以长大后，养家的责任便渐渐落在看似柔弱的Vivian身上，但她骨子里却非常倔强。由于做事不希望有任何差错，像她这类人会比一般人容易焦虑。
由于自小就读基督教学校，Vivian一直有参与学校团契，但她对信仰却是一知半解，没太当回事，但因为生活中会遇到各样困难，她渐渐培养出祈祷的习惯，虽然不确信是否真有上帝在听，但苦于无人倾诉，只好把心事抒发在祷告里。
第一次去教会：天父，我回家了
向来习惯依靠自己的Vivian，毕业后十几岁便出去工作，觉得不能被人欺负，一定要自强，所以长期处在“战斗”状态。她在2013年圣诞节撰写的一篇见证中说，依靠他人或宗教是软弱的行为。
直到2009年的某一天，一次与朋友的闲谈，扭转了她往后的人生。“那天，我与一位没有宗教信仰的朋友偶然间谈论宗教，谈到很多宗教都着重个人修为，然而那些自我要求的准则，其实是凡人很难达到的指标。基督教强调‘因信得救’，我却很难接受这论调，因为这种白白的救恩与我平时靠自己的信念完全相违背。
但当我想深一层，如果《圣经》所讲的是真实的，那我即使个人修为有多好，因没接受耶稣基督为救主，我仍是罪人；就算《圣经》所讲的非属实，我读了《圣经》其实也没半点损失，个人修为只会提升，不会退步啊。而且我不应该去判断自己不理解的事情，只有当我读完整本《圣经》、回到教会多听牧者讲道，才有资格去判断。”
就是这种多学一点知识的心态，Vivian内心忽然涌起一股渴慕，想去理解这个她之前抱有偏见的信仰。同时，她也把这种想法告诉丈夫倪震，获得了支持。
Vivian第一次到教会，是2009年的复活节崇拜，那天她的心情异常激动，要努力抑压自己感动的泪水。她心里面向上帝说：“天父，我回家了！我回家了！”
通过音乐见证信仰
当重新认识上帝后，Vivian知道她的歌唱恩赐是从上帝而来，所以她愿意为上帝歌唱，希望通过她的音乐解读上帝信仰。当她在构思福音专辑时，《圣经》话语便成为她的灵感源泉，她很明确这张福音碟是为“上帝”而作，所以专辑命名为《HIM》，意指上帝。在这张专辑中，每首歌都传递不同主题：论断、两性关系、生离死别、赤子之心等。
这是Vivian第一次为上帝写歌，她在构思最初，便很想写《肋骨》这个题目。“上帝先造亚当，说那人独居不好，决定要造一个配偶帮助他，我意会到这女人是为了成全亚当而造的；在《圣经》其他章节内，也都形容过丈夫是妻子的头，那么我理解一位太太实在需要有智慧地去顺服丈夫的领导。至于上帝怎造女人呢？祂使亚当沉睡，拿出一条肋骨去造成女人，亚当醒来后说这女人是我骨中的骨、肉中的肉，因此丈夫要爱太太如爱自己的身体一样。当我抽丝剥茧地研读这段经文，我便对男女之间的角色、伴侣如何相待，有更深切的领悟。”
另外她还作了一首《A Love Like This》，内容数算了她生命中的恩典。2015年1月8日，她在微博上写道，“去年写了《A Love Like This》的曲后，直觉很配英文歌词，写恩典和信仰给我生命的改变，而音乐部分构思以结祂为主，清新和简单一点的编曲效果，令vocal的感情可以突出一点。”
在制作这张福音碟时，Vivian非常用心，付出了很多。她在1月9日微博公布的视频里提到创作团队，坦言虽然创作团队不全是基督徒，但自己选择填词人的要求是必须要熟悉《圣经》，因一般未信的人或会觉得：基督教与其他宗教一样，都是导人向善。但其实基督教很多价值观都不是普世价值，因此作为整张大碟的创作监督，她必须要好好把关，确保歌词信息正确，不会令人错误解读基督教信仰。为此，Vivian花了很多时间撰写每首曲目背后的概念，与填词人作出充分的交流和沟通。
由筹备到制作福音专辑，足足花了一整年，Vivian不讳言经历过很多等待、很多挣扎。2015年1月9日，“周慧敏主意工作室”微博发布了创世电视访问——爱地球观察站《周慧敏为 HIM 唱歌》的视频，其中，Vivian谈到自己录制这张专辑的过程。“我希望每首歌都由不同的人去监制，能在不同的录音室录歌，从而学习放下自己过往多年来的一套固有录音模式，开放自己去配合团队，不要成为操控者。过程中经历过很大的挣扎，因为我是一个很高要求的人，团队合作中必须要放下自我，谦卑地去接受别人的意见，所以在录音室当一有break，我便会静下来祷告，把一切交托给上帝，因为我不要做一张造就歌手的碟，这是一张造就别人的碟。‘HIM’，即上帝，才是这张碟的主角。”
她还在视频中谈到由于自己是艺人，公开信仰后遭到批评如何去面对，“自从有了信仰之后，我发觉自己不太担心人对我的批评，也不会按照世界的价值观或者普世价值来追求，因为也不会按照这把尺子来量度。我也更加不会用自己的准则要求别人，这是我很大的一个改变。”
同时，她还提到福音专辑中的一首歌《石头雨》，正是说世界的论断，灵感来于大家都熟悉的一个《圣经》故事：一个犯奸淫的女人被人们投石的故事。“很多人都说我是艺人，会不会虚伪呢？有人会说艺人是否虚伪的人呢？有时候我也会想到这个故事，我觉得信主的人，很明白每个人都充满很多罪，如果我们都充满了很多罪，还有什么资格评论别人呢？所以在每首歌的题目里面可以带出很多的思考。”Vivian补充说道。
最后视频中说，“祝福Vivian能够用她的恩赐，做更多美好的见证。”相信这也是上帝和每位基督徒对她的期待和祝福。
恩典见证10. 孙…
音频 4 分钟
孙中山既有坚强、圣善、伟大的一面，也有我们普通人性的有限及脆弱的一面。纵观其坎坷和丰富多彩的一生，他既曾热心事主，也曾受过诱惑、信仰有过低潮的考验，还历经过成功和无数次的艰难考验，甚至多次失败的残酷打击，背负过各种沉重而痛苦的十字架。无论从历史和现实的角度，还是从宗教视野来看，他所追求的基督信仰曾深刻地影响了他的灵性生命、革命追求及思想观念，并为他所追求的信仰做了美好的见证。
孙中山早年在香港领洗后，热衷于教会事工，不遗余力地向同胞们传播基督福音。在伦敦被清廷住英使馆秘密关押期间，他热切向主祈祷，全心依靠上主。他曾向朋友这样回忆其狱中的祈祷生活及获得恩宠的改变：“弟身在牢中，自分必死。此时唯有痛心忏悔，恳切祈祷而已。一连六七日，日夜不绝祈祷，愈祈愈切。至第七日，心中忽然安慰，全无忧色，不期然而然，自云此祈祷有应，蒙神施恩矣。” 显然这是一位虔诚的基督徒信仰感情的自然、真情流露。
孙中山的确曾经痛斥过宗教中的迷信成分及陋习，包括青年时期拒绝民间信仰中含有巫文化的偶像崇拜，并在20世纪初期反帝爱国运动和第一次“非基督教运动”中，曾以政治家身份诟病过教会体制，痛斥教会中某些沾染殖民主义和帝国主义思想者的言行。作为开国元首及政治领导人，他也确有不方便公开经常出入教堂或祈祷聚会所，每个主日参加教会团体的公开礼仪崇拜。他甚至可能也有过迷茫、失望及远离教会的冷淡时期。不过，这些并不足以丧失他的基督徒身份，后人也无权、无法否认他的基督徒身份。
站在人类历史的长河中，今日我们应该以公正、客观和包容的态度来审视包括国父孙中山在内的国民及那段艰难的中华民族史，还有他对包括民间信仰和教会在内的宗教界的过激言辞、行为、态度。其实即使今日，宗教界中存在的功利主义言行和迷信色彩以及宗教极端狂热主义思想，仍然该引起包括宗教界在内的社会各界的关注，坚决予以严词拒绝、痛批，彻底涤除。
作为基督徒和国父，孙中山在从政后既热爱教会，也尊重宗教团体，并与宗教界建立了友谊。他曾在1912年为南京基督教青年会捐出3000银元作为其成立伊始的开办经费，也曾在1919年向南京栖霞寺捐献万两白银协助其修缮。孙中山对宗教界一视同仁的关心和支持及包容胸怀值得欣赏、纪念。
孙中山重视宗教在道德建设方面的贡献，认为“有道德始有国家，有道德始成世界”，并引进有益于民族和国家的宗教伦理价值观。他最早在中国主张政教分离，宗教信仰自由。在孙中山诞生150周年之际，包括中国宗教界在内的社会各界，应当缅怀、追念、珍惜、践行。
同时，作为一名热心的基督徒，孙中山非常认同建基于基督信仰的“自由、平等、博爱”精神。在融会贯通中华传统伦理道德中的仁和墨子的“兼爱”精神，及在基督无条件的慈悲大爱、彼此相爱与彼此服务的福音基础上，孙中山提出了中国传统文化语境下的“博爱”思想观，并主张“天下为公”、“世界大同”的理念。
他认为中华传统文化中的“仁”，在“救世之仁、救人之仁、救国之仁”三个幅度上均为“博爱”的具体表现。在治国理念上，他提出“博爱仁行”，视“博爱”为“人类宝筏，政治极则”，并进一步把“博爱、天下为公、世界大同”的理念作为座右铭，多次题字赠与同志和友人共勉，将其视为自己理想和人生追求。他将基督信仰的价值观融进了自己救亡图存的政治理念中，带领中国人民推翻了数千年的封建帝制，给中华民族带来了民主、自由的希望，尝试努力建设一个人人平等、不分贫富贵贱，没有压迫，没有剥削，没有战争，自由、民主，博爱，以天下为公的大同社会，且为之奋斗了终生。
1925年3月11日在其临终之际，他在病榻上对同志、家人及挚友语重心长地口授了“第四份遗嘱”：“我是一个基督徒，受上帝之命，来与罪恶之魔宣战！我死了，也要人知道，我是一个基督徒。” 在特殊政治背景下一些历史时期，无法公开宣传，也不会受到重视的这“第四份遗嘱”，实事求是地证明了孙中山是一名名符其实的基督徒。
其子孙科在其家书中亦证明了其父对儿女们的亲切教导：“父离世前一日，自证我本基督徒，与魔鬼奋斗，四十余年，尔等亦当如是奋斗，更当信仰上帝。” 显然孙中山以言以行见证了基督福音，活出了基督信仰的真谛，无愧于一名虔诚基督徒的身份及称呼。孙中山对人生目标、对宗教信仰、对革命理念的执著追求、不懈奋斗，为民族存亡、国家统一和繁荣富强与世界和平的巨大贡献及其大公无私的高尚品质，是今日两岸三地政治领导人和包括基督徒在内的全体人民及宗教界效法学习的楷模。
恩典见证2.一趟改…
音频 4 分钟
感谢赞美主！使我得以完成多年来的期望，来到以色列！当飞机降落特拉维夫机场时，我的心激动的想哭。
在彼得受职堂时，导游分享，在这里，复活的耶稣曾三次问彼得说：「你爱我吗？我的心也再一次问我自己说：主啊！我爱你吗？主啊！我知道我真的爱你不够，求你帮助我更多的来爱你。我们这次在以色列，大部分去的教堂都是天主教堂，其中在八福山有一个耶稣被钉在十字架上的雕像，导游带着我们在雕像前唱诗歌，其实我们在蛮多地方都有唱诗歌，但是在这里，唱诗歌的时候，就在耶稣被挂在十字架的雕像面前，我流泪，我说：主啊，我这么渺小，这么不堪，这么不配，你还是为了我，被钉十字架上，我能拿什么来报答你的救恩呢？除了感谢！还是感谢！
来到约旦河受洗，是我到以色列一个非常重要的目的。可是由于前两天蛮冷的，所以就有点退缩。但是因为我们的导游是个非常感性的人，她分享了一些之前带团的见证，说曾有一个团来到这里的时候，因为天气很冷，导游就劝他们不要下水，免得水温很低会生病，但是他们整团的人都说，无论如何，他们是一定要下水的。这段话，触动了我的心，让我也决定要下水，虽然，我本来准备的东西都没带，但是感谢主！万事神都有预备，使我还是在约旦河受洗了。真的非常感谢主！那天我们受洗时不但看到了鸽子[预表圣灵]，受洗完还出现了彩虹[立约]，[还附赠了水鸭子]，导游说，这是她带那么多的团来约旦河，第一次看到彩虹。受洗后，在更衣室，再一次向主献上感恩，因我知道，如果我这次没有下水受洗，一定会非常后悔的。
耶稣被卖的那一夜，来到客西马尼祷告，对着彼得、雅各、约翰说，我的心里甚是忧伤，几乎要死，跪下祷告说：『父啊！你若愿意，就把这杯彻去；然而，不要成就我的意思，只要成就你的意思。有一位天使从天上显现，加添他的力量。耶稣极其伤痛，祷告更加恳切，汗珠如大血点滴在地上。 』[路22:42-44]。当我们来到客西马尼园，在那里我真实的、深深地感受到耶稣当时那种充满恐惧害怕，但是又顺服的心，我再次的哭泣，向神认罪说：主啊！对不起，求你赦免我的罪，因在某些事上，我目前还是做不到，我还是无法顺服。求主怜悯，将更多的爱加添给我，让我可以把爱真实的活出来。
来到哭墙，就是祷告。在祷告的过程中神感动我，用诗篇23篇来祝福同行的Jessica、我和我的家人。那一天晚上领队再次带着甜甜和我陪着Jessica来哭墙，[因为Jessica白天不舒服留在车上]Jessica得安慰，甜甜有意外的收获，我感觉平静安稳。从哭墙出来，领队带我们来到「万王之王亚洲祷告殿祷告，这本是领队自己的行程。他们祷告的时间是晚上六点到九点三个小时，我们到的时候已经较晚了，在这祷告殿里，真实的可以感受到那灵里的不同。我们三个人跪下来祷告，在过程中，我感受到神对以色列百姓的爱，渴望他们回转的那种心情，不由自主地嚎啕大哭，恳求主再多给点时间。在祷告中我也更清楚地知道为以色列祷告，为耶路撒冷求平安，已是刻不容缓的事。
最后的行程是大屠杀纪念馆，整个的心情真的是很沉重。不明白为什么同样是人怎么可以如此残忍无情的虐待毒杀人，求神赦免我们的罪。
这次的以色列之旅，虽然疲惫，但收获却是满满的。哈利路亚！感谢赞美主！也感谢留在教会的弟兄姐妹为我们的代祷，使我们满有平安，出也蒙福，入也蒙福。愿心中被主点燃的爱火，能继续燃烧，也能影响周围的人，一起起来预备自己，成为装饰整齐的新妇，好迎接主的再来。愿将一切感谢与爱戴都归给爱我们的主！
Testimoni…
Listen for 3 min
Thank you and praise the Lord for making it possible for me to fulfill my long-awaited wish and come to Israel! When the plane landed at Tel Aviv airport, my heart was so excited that I wanted to cry.
At Peter’s ordination, the tour guide shared that here the resurrected Jesus asked Peter three times, “Do you love me?” and my heart asked myself again, “Lord, do I love you?” Lord, I know I don’t love you enough, please help me to love you more. This time we were in Israel, and most of the churches we went to were Catholic churches, among which there was a statue of Jesus crucified on the Beatitudes, and the tour guide took us to sing hymns in front of the statue we sang hymns in many places, but here, when we sang hymns, in front of the statue of Jesus being hung on the cross, I wept, and I said, “Lord, I am so small, so unbearable, so unworthy, you are still crucified for me, what can I use to repay your salvation?
Coming to the Jordan River to be baptized was a very important purpose for my visit to Israel. But because it was quite cold two days ago, I was a little withdrawn. But because our tour guide is a very emotional person, she shared some testimonies of leading a group before, saying that when a group came here, because the weather was very cold, the tour guide advised them not to go into the water, so as not to get sick if the water temperature was very low, but the whole group of them said that no matter what, they must go into the water. This passage touched my heart and made me decide to go into the water, even though I didn’t bring anything I had prepared, but thank God that God was prepared for everything and was baptized in the Jordan River. Thank you very much, Lord! When we were baptized that day, we not only saw doves [a type of the Holy Spirit], but also a rainbow [covenant]after baptism, and a water duck [with a water duck], and the tour guide said that this was the first time she had seen a rainbow when she brought so many groups to the Jordan River. After being baptized, in the locker room, I once again gave thanks to the Lord, because I knew that if I didn’t get baptized this time, I would regret it very much.
On the night of Jesus’ betrayal, he came to Gethsemane to pray, and said to Peter, James, and John, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, and I am almost to death, and I knelt and prayed, saying, ‘Father, if you will, take this cup away, but not my will, but do your will.'” An angel appeared from heaven and strengthened him. Jesus was in great pain and prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground. [Luke 22:42-44]. When we came to the Garden of Gethsemane, where I felt the fear and fear of Jesus, but also the obedient heart, I wept again and confessed my sins to God, saying, “Lord, I’m sorry, forgive me for my sins, because there are things I can’t do at the moment, I still can’t obey.” May the Lord have mercy and add more love to me, so that I can live out my love truly.
To come to the Wailing Wall is to pray. In the process of prayer, God moved me to bless Jessica, me, and my family with Psalm 23. That night, the team leader took Tian Tian and me to accompany Jessica to the Wailing Wall again [because Jessica was uncomfortable staying in the car during the day.]Jessica was comforted, sweet, and unexpected, and I felt calm and secure. Coming out of the Wailing Wall, the team leader took us to the “King of Kings Asian Temple of Prayer to pray”, which was the tour leader’s itinerary. They prayed for three hours from 6 to 9 p.m., and when we arrived late, we could feel the difference in the spirit in this prayer hall. The three of us knelt in prayer, and in the process, I felt God’s love for the people of Israel, the longing for their return, and I couldn’t help but weep and beg the Lord to give me more time. In prayer, I also knew more clearly that it was urgent to pray for Israel and pray for the peace of Jerusalem.
The last trip was to the Holocaust Memorial, and the whole mood was heavy. I don’t understand why the same people can be so cruel and merciless to abuse, poison, and kill, and ask God to forgive us for our sins.
This trip to Israel, although tiring, but full of rewards. Hallelujah, thank you and praise the Lord, and thank you to the brothers and sisters who remain in the church for their intercession, so that we may be full of peace, blessed when we go out, and blessed when we enter. May the fire of love ignited by the Lord in our hearts continue to burn, and may it also influence those around us to rise and prepare ourselves as well-decorated brides for the Lord’s return. May all thanks and love be given to the Lord who loves us!
Testimoni…
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To be able to testify for the Lord again on Thanksgiving is in itself a thanksgiving thing, at least to show that we are alive and powerful, breathing, and experiencing God’s grace and works!
I especially like to sing “Amazing Grace.”
The poem. The lyrics in it touched my heart deeply, especially this year after going through the process of Mr. Jimmy’s illness. Whenever I sing, “I have passed through many dangerous trials and snares, and by the grace of the Lord, I am not afraid of safety, and I am led back home.”, I am full of emotion In the song, I saw how God’s hand was leading Jimmy out of the valley of the shadow of death, restoring his health, and allowing him to return to our midst, what a great grace!
Jimmy has been meeting at Bread of Life for three and a half years, and everyone knows him and knows that his health has always been okay. We have a physical examination every year, and all his physiological indicators are normal, he has no history of high blood pressure, no heart problems, and no high cholesterol. The blood item has always been good. No one would have thought that on the first day of February this year, he would have a heart attack. Due to the suddenness of the onset, he lost consciousness, and in the process of fainting, his head hit a 90-degree angle on the counter, causing a traumatic fracture of the left head, external bleeding, and intracranial hemorrhage. Lives are at stake!
When he was sent to the emergency center of the hospital by 911, his heart stopped beating twice, and after many rescues, the doctor told us that there was no value in continuing the rescue, advised us to give up, and told us that the three major arteries that came out of Jimmy’s heart were 100% blocked, one was 80% blocked, and one was 40% blocked. Although the blockage was relieved by the stent treatment, the brain was deprived of oxygen due to the cessation of the heart beating and the cessation of blood supply, resulting in brain damage, brain cell necrosis, acute failure of multiple organs, hydrops in the lungs, and kidney failure. And told me that even if I was saved, I might never wake up with a breath. Even if you wake up, you may not be able to recover your intelligence, you may never be able to breathe on your own, and you may need dialysis for life because of kidney failure, maybe. Possible. The doctors told us that they did what they had to do, what they could, and the rest was up to God!
Life is so fragile, how limited what doctors can do in the face of death, and we are full of too many questions and worries about what will happen to Jimmy in the next minute!
Thank the Lord that our God is loving, merciful, and omnipotent! Our breath of life is given by God, so what man says does not count, but what God says!
Just when Jimmy was rushed to the emergency room of the hospital for emergency treatment, and I was so frightened that I almost fainted, our Pastor Mo was the first to rush to the ER after hearing the news. God’s love and peace came into my heart through the pastor’s comfort, encouragement, and prayer, calming my heart and seeing hope in the midst of despair!
At the same time, our two churches in California also initiated church-wide prayers for Jimmy, and our daughter May’s church in Bangladesh, Heatton Chinese Church, Arcadia Chinese Baptist Church and many other churches, as well as our relatives and friends, joined in praying for Jimmy.
It was the unanimous prayer of the heavens and the earth, the shaking of God’s hand, and the miracle happened! God used His supernatural method to turn Jimmy’s condition very much around in a very short period of time – the fever subsided, the heart function gradually recovered, the blood pressure and breathing stabilized, the kidney function index gradually decreased, the hands and feet began to move, although not yet fully awakened, Jimmy began to respond to external stimuli. Until one day he woke up, his limbs could move (he was not paralyzed), and although he could not speak, he could hear our voices and respond accordingly. The hydrops in the lungs gradually faded, and they were able to breathe on their own, without the help of the ventilator, their kidney function completely returned to normal. Jimmy was discharged from the hospital, his swallowing function gradually recovered, he could eat liquids, he could urinate normally, could regain the function of speaking, and he could write, draw, stand, walk, and eat a normal diet. Every day Jimmy progresses by God’s grace! Every day we see the miracles of God’s hand in Jimmy!
In less than three months, God brought Jimmy back from death healed him, and restored the function of his body’s major organs. Now Jimmy is basically normal in all aspects except for his short-term memory, which needs to continue to recover. We believe that since God has already begun His work to bring Jimmy back from the dead, He will also heal Jimmy 100% and make his memory fully healed shortly!
When Jimmy was finally discharged from the hospital and we were rejoicing that his body had recovered greatly, we faced another difficulty – that is, his medical expenses totaled more than $1 million! More than $1 million is an astronomical amount for us! Our hearts are overwhelmed by this medical debt, and we know that we will work two jobs in our lives, and we will not be able to finish working until we meet the Lord, what should we do? The pastor’s wife knew our difficulties, prayed for this matter in prayer meetings many times, and called everyone to pray for us in various ways, and told us not to worry, but to cast our worries on God.
Allelujah, thank God that we believe in is a true and living God, our God is a God of love and mercy, our God is a God who hears prayers, and our God is mighty and omnipotent!
WHEN WE LOOK TO THE LORD WITH ALL OUR HEARTS, HE ONCE AGAIN PERFORMS MIRACLES AND DOES GREAT THINGS! THEN WE RECEIVED VARIOUS NOTICES OF FEE REDUCTIONS ONE AFTER ANOTHER, THE BIGGEST OF WHICH IS HIS HOSPITALIZATION FEE OF MORE THAN 320,000 YUAN, UT PHYSICIAN $7516, SYNERGY $3978, REHABCARE $569, ALL WAIVED, BALANCE IS 0! AND SEVERAL OF THEM ALSO GIVE US A 50% REDUCTION!
What a great blessing of grace! Once again, the Lord has delivered us from the bondage of debt and given us financial freedom! Our God is great, He is truly worthy of our great praise, the One we believe in and rely on all our lives! God knows every word of our tongue that He has prepared for us for all our needs, He is so loving, and He understands our weakness. Thank you again for the miracles that have risen from the dead, the miracles that have walked alone, and the God who has loved and married!
In this season of thanksgiving, in addition to thanking God for all the glory and praise to Him, we also want to take this opportunity to thank pastors, Mrs., and the brothers and sisters of the church for their love, encouragement, support and help in every stage of Jimmy’s recovery when we were in danger, and thank you for your prayers for us! You are amazing! It is because of God’s grace and hope that you have given us, and because of your love and support, Jimmy and I have the confidence and courage to persevere to this day. We are so blessed and happy to have this spiritual home, and to have you, our dearest family in Christ! We love you so much!
In addition, I would like to say a few more words to those of us who have not yet come to know the Lord Jesus. No one knows what tomorrow will bring, but if we know that the Lord is in charge of tomorrow, we will have peace and hope in our hearts when the storm comes. Therefore, we should seek God while He can be found, and do not delay! Because money, fame, status, and learning are all meaningless in the face of death, and only the Lord Jesus is our life’s reliance and hope! Knowing the Lord Jesus and becoming God’s children is the greatest thing in our lives, not only to bless us in this life, but also to have eternal happiness because of Jesus! Please don’t miss this opportunity to be blessed!
Hallelujah! Thank God, God’s name is worthy of great praise!