20190610
Dear all,
How are you doing? May God's Word enrich your life.
各位代禱勇士：
願神的話語滋潤您的生命。
Dear all,
How are you doing? May God's Word enrich your life.
各位代禱勇士：
願神的話語滋潤您的生命。
What a booty in the Bible!
Last Friday was our Dragon Boat Festival. My church had a Bible-reading festival instead. What caught my eyes was a word saying "God's word lifts up my heart as if I got the booty." Nowadays, the word "booty" might make one think of going shopping. But in the age of the Bible, booties are part of the parade of the triumph that not only means material satisfaction but also abundant glory shared all nation wide.
《經中自有戰利品》
上個星期五是端午節，我的教會舉辦聖經朗讀營會。我讀到最讓我耳目一新的一句話意思是「我得到上帝的話語就歡欣，如同得到戰利品一樣。」在現今物質豐富的地區，戰利品令人聯想到逛街購物。但在聖經時代，那是整個軍隊光榮凱旋隊伍裡面的一部分，其中的歡欣不只是物質上的滿足，而且是全國民眾上上下下分享的榮耀。
Widowology
When I first went to PNG in 2011, God told me to take myself as poor widows in the Bible that had nothing at all and had to rely on God's daily provision. Since then, I have paid extra attentions to scriptures about widows. That's the way God has taught me the Missiology beyond Missiology. I would like to call it "Widowology".
《寡婦神學》
2011年第一次到新幾內亞時，神教導我「宣教士要把自己當做聖經中的窮寡婦，自己是一無所有的，要向神支取每日的恩典。」從此，我就開始注意聖經中有關寡婦的教導。就這樣，神教了我一門宣教學沒有教的宣教學，姑且稱它是「寡婦神學」吧！
A widow and her neighbors
Last week I was invited to give a talk at a prayer meeting. I as usual had my lecture and ppt ready. As people are arriving, I ask them what they would like to know from me. One would like to know how we can deliver messages in the mission field, another how a small church with very limited resource can participate in the Great Commission.
As we were singsing worship songs, God would like me to put away my sermon and talk about something about a widow that had visited Elisha the prophet.
She said, " My husband died and the debtors have threatened to take my sons away."
"What can I do for you? ....What do you have in your house?" asked Elisha.
"I have nothing but a bottle of oil." she answered.
"Go and ask your neighbors for all their empty containers. Go back home and work with your sons, pouring the bottle of oil into those empty containers, filling them one after another." instructed Elisha.
The widow did as what the prophet said. Right at the time she had filled the last container will oil, the bottle turned empty.
As I was telling the story, I stepped to the audience, asking for empty containers, and they all said, "Yes, you may have all my empty containers"
《寡婦與寡婦的鄰居》
上個星期，Sandy到一個教會的10人禱告會分享信息。照例我事先準備了講章與投影片。當大家陸續到來時，Sandy向幾位先到的人詢問今天他們想要從我這裡知道什麼。有人想知道宣教士在禾場如何傳遞訊息、有人想知道一個資源不多的小教會可以在宣教的事上做些什麼......。唱詩歌敬拜時，神就要我把準備的講章擱著，這天就來講講窮寡婦的事情吧！--- 有一位寡婦去找先知以利沙：「丈夫死了之後，我欠了很多錢。債主要來把我兒子們抓去抵債了。」以利沙問：「我能為妳做什麼？妳家裡還有什麼東西？」她回答：「我家裡只有一瓶油。」以利沙要寡婦向鄰居借來所有的空瓶、空罐、空桶子。回到家裡關上門，和兒子一起把她家中那瓶油倒滿借來的空瓶、空罐、空桶子。寡婦照著先知講的話去做，當所有的空瓶、空罐、空桶子都裝滿油的時候，她那瓶油才倒空。講這個故事的時候，Sandy到台下問大家可不可以把空瓶、空罐、空桶子借給我，大家都說願意。
Working with God
This story answered the two questions asked by the audience: 1. The best way for a missionary to deliver messages in the field is to bring the audience into the Bible story and allow the scriptures to talk to their heart through the roles in the stories. 2. God didn't "need" the bottle of oil or the neighbors to practice this miracle, just as He didn't "need" missionaries or churches to fulfill His plan for His worldwide glory. But He "wants" His people to work with Him--- missionaries to offer their bottle of oil, and the church all empty containers.
《與神同工》
這個故事回答了兩個問題：一、宣教士在禾場傳遞訊息最好的方式就是把會眾帶入聖經故事的情境當中，讓經文透過聖經人物與聽眾的心對話。二、神大可靠祂自己的能力完成普世宣教，如同這個神蹟其實可以不用那瓶油和那些鄰居。但是，神的心意是宣教士拿出那瓶油，也要眾教會拿出空器皿來。人與神同工，使上帝在普世得榮耀。
A church proving Jesus' visit
My sending church is located in a rented factory house. Averagely we have 45 members attending Sunday Service. We always cut off any unnecessary expense from our end. But beside increasing our donation for Christian organizations year by year, we gather all we can give to send a missionary as well as support 20 children in need through ICCM. One of our pastors is blind, but his monthly sermon proves he can "see" well; one of our sisters is lack of a leg, but she is so loved by God that He made her liver-transplantation possible. Her hard working also proves that she can "walk"; we don't have much but we are so "wealthy" that we can give; each Sunday morning a deaf old brother would stand at the front door with a list of names, trying to remember all our names...such an imperfect small church is proving to all who are weary with their burdens: Jesus Christ has been to the world and we are all waiting for His second coming.
《證明耶穌來過的教會》
我的差派教會座落在一個租來的工廠鐵皮屋。主日聚會人數有45人。教會一切的開銷總是能省則省，省到不能再省。然而，除了每年增加對福音機構的奉獻，我們上上下下，有人一百、有人兩百...，除了差派一個跨文化宣教士、還資助20個海外貧童。我們其中一位牧師是盲人，他每個月的講道證明他「能看見」；我們教會有缺一支腿的姐妹，神給她的愛使她等到配對的肝臟移植，她的積極工作證明她「能行走」；教會裡再貧窮的人都給得出去、耳聾的人每個主日拿著名單在門口認識每一位弟兄姐妹....，一個不完美的小小教會向所有勞苦擔重擔的人證明：耶穌基督來過了。我們正在等祂第二次降臨。
Little neighbors of the widow
Raising fund for my ministry, I have to work day and night. It's so tiring but rewarding. Especially our Sunday school students are also making five-color-bean crafts for raising fund for cross-cultural ministries too. Look at these pictures. Shouldn't I keep going, pouring out my bottle of oil?
《寡婦的小小鄰居》
面對跨文化宣教的龐大開銷，Sandy的確需要日夜趕工。身體雖然疲憊，內心十分甘甜。尤其這個主日學學生也在趕工做五色珠手環與吊飾，月底要用來義賣支持宣教士。看到這些畫面，您說，我的這瓶油是不是得繼續大膽地倒出來？
Your heart and our booty
For this week, why don't we pray for ourselves: May God guide us to find our bottle of oil or our empty container. Where it is, there is our heart. And let's pray for all Chinese churches in the world. May God make us one in His Word, working with God and fulfilling the Great Commission that is about all nations.
This letter is to invite you to participate in cross-cultural ministries. Your participation might make one of the people group in the world rejoice in God's Word as if they got the booty, and God's heart satisfied.
《您的心與「我們的」戰利品》
這星期，請您為自己禱告：求上帝指引您，您的一瓶油，或者您的空瓶、空罐、空桶子，它在哪裡，您的心就在哪裡。也請為全球華人教會禱告，求神使我們在真道上合一、與神同工實踐萬族萬民的大使命。
僅以此信邀請您一起參加跨文化宣教，因為您的參與，世界上多一個族群因上帝的話語而歡欣，如同得到戰利品。讓上帝的心意得滿足。
All for Him
願榮耀歸神
主內末肢
Sandy 20190610