Blessed Assurance 有福的確據

This is my story, this is my song, Praising my Saviour, all day long. https://youtu.be/rDeiy9-t2GE

Let us allow our thoughts to drift back to those days before we commit to Christ.

Back in my secondary school days, two of my classmates had repeatedly told me about the Christian faith and how happy they were because of their faith and how easy examinations appeared to be for them. I thought they were insane and kept my distance from them.

When I finished my Cambridge ‘O’ level, I worked as a Primary School teacher and went to the Teachers Training College. Again, Christians at the College brought me to their Christian group meetings and I was turned off by the fact that they offered free lunches and free bibles to entice people like me to join.

Then, I got a Government Scholarship to be trained as a Chartered Surveyor and my studies took priority. There were no interferences from religion during those days spending my time between studies and adapting to a different western lifestyle.

It was not until the working days as a young professional that the Lord touched me again when on many occasions I met with various difficulties that were resolved. Although there were unseen hands at work, I did not recognize them. I thought that I had developed my professional and social skills to overcome those difficult circumstances.

But then, almost as suddenly as I could care to remember, I had the best of friends ignoring me without any possible reason. Slowly, I was left alone, all by myself.

Then one day, the ego-deflated me dropped into a Church where I knew no one and the pastor’s sermon of Matthew 9:18-35 touched my heart.

“She was bleeding for twelve years,” the pastor reminded his congregation, “and by faith in Jesus Christ and the touching of the hem of Jesus’s garment, she was healed.”

The pastor went on to relate the other miracles within that several passages like the poor tax collector, the woman brought back from death, … that I burst into uncontrollable tears.

That happened to me in one of the days of the 1970s. I decided to be a Christian and prayed for my family to be Christians too - my widowed mother (I was her only child), my wife, and my four children. I studied the Bible in earnest.

Miracles appeared before my very eyes. Doors opened up. Prayers were answered.

The seven of us were accepted into New Zealand after two rejections and three appeals. We arrived in Auckland in May 1979.

Even after my arrival to the land of the long white cloud, my faith in the Lord was still tested. I fumbled, I stood up, again and again, each time becoming wiser and each time, my faith in Him grew stronger.

With God’s help, I self-taught myself the Chinese Language, and now, as a retiree, I am spreading God’s words in many non-traditional ways.

For instance, I know that the use of quotations from the Bible can easily turn non-believers off. So I began, some ten years ago, to use simple words and real-life examples to illustrate the kindness of God.

I mastered inter-religious dialogue and got a doctoral degree in that specialization so that I can relate now to my friends who have deep faith in Buddha, in Mohammed, or in Shiva.

I start to write stories and tales on the many topics that the Lord has trained me to master.

I start to draw to attract the attention of younger children.

In short, I have found, since 2015, a new ME.

I attach below an article in the Chinese Language entitled “The seven Types of extraordinary Faith” that I find of interest. I do not see the need to translate this at the moment. Suffice it to say that if anyone needs a brief summary of this article in English, just drop in a message from the comment page and someone will respond to your request.

Sir Lloyd Geering, one of two religious pastors I admire: http://<iframe title=”vimeo-player” src=”https://player.vimeo.com/video/220553431″ width=”640″ height=”360″ frameborder=”0″ allowfullscreen></iframe>

What is faith in Jesus Christ? https://youtu.be/driaQqo6ukg

Source: http://chs.goldenlampstand.org/glb/read.php?GLID=14601. http://chs.goldenlampstand.org/glb/read.php?GLID=14601

七种不正常的信心

何卫中

　　基督教的信仰完全是建立在信心上，约翰福音第三章16节是全部基督教信仰的精意及基础。福音的内容非常简单就是“相信”：相信上帝，相信耶稣，就可以不至灭亡，反得永生。不至灭亡是消极的，反得永生乃是积极的，因此信心就成为我们人生消极和积极的媒介。圣经说：“人非有信，就不能得神的喜悦，因为到神面前来的人，必须信有神，且信祂赏赐那寻求祂的人。”（来一一：6）因此，基督徒的人生就是一个信心的人生，但在信心的功课里面却发现有很多不正常的信心，圣经也有告诉我们，例如：

一．小信的信心（太一四：31）

　　有一天夜晚，主耶稣忽然在海面上行走，当彼得知道是主在海面上走，起了好奇之心，要求耶稣也让他从水面行走到主那边去，怎知因风浪太大，他行走在水面时便害怕起来，要沉下去，便大叫：“主啊！救我！”主赶紧拉住他，说：“你这小信的人哪，为什么疑惑呢？”这是对彼得的责备。彼得虽然有信心，却是小信，因为他看环境不看主，因风浪太大影响信心；其次是疑惑，疑惑是信心的大敌，一疑惑就下沉了。亚当因不信神的话，以致吃了分别善恶树的果子，结果给自己及人类带来了死亡。故此我们不可以小信。

二．鬼魔的信心（可五：6-8；雅二：19）

　　鬼魔的信心是与主无关的，是属战惊惧怕，伤害自己，是无益的信心。魔鬼相信有神，但它却敌挡神；它也相信自己时日无多，故此变本加厉的犯罪，残害人类（启一二：12）。

三．太迟钝的信心（路二四：25）

　　这里记载在以马忤斯路上的两个门徒，虽然经历了整个救恩的故事，而且基督已经复活了，但他们脸上仍然充满着愁容，没有喜乐，以至主耶稣在路上与他们同行，并讲述许多奇妙故事给他们听，他们仍懵然不知，难怪主耶稣责备他们的心信得太迟钝。这就正如今日许多信徒，明明经历很多神迹恩典，却仍充满疑惑愁苦，信心迟钝不足。

Praise to the Almighty God https://youtu.be/fpQveHqA0bE

四．未经世界苦难的信心（约一六：31-33；彼前一：5-7）

　　即是没有经历试炼的信心，这样的信心不能胜过世界。他们的信心只是在知识的，头脑的，没经历的，人云亦云的。我们的信心，经历过苦难的磨炼，才能产生真正的信心，正如亚伯拉罕经历了神对他严酷的考验后，才能成为信心之父（创二二：1-18）。

五．没有忍耐的信心（帖后一：4；来六：12；雅五：7-8）

　　忍耐的信心是强调等候，等候是信心最难学习的功课。先知以利亚在基立溪旁的时候，一等就是三年，这是信心的功课，也是忍耐的信心。扫罗王因等不及撒母耳来到，就擅自勉强献燔祭，结果给自己带来了被废弃的命运。忍耐不单是信心的功课，也是圣灵的果子。忍耐的忍字是一把利刃插在心中，可想是何等的痛苦。主的兄弟雅各说：“弟兄们哪，你们要忍耐，直到主来。看哪，农夫忍耐等候地里宝贵的出产，直到得了秋雨春雨，你们也当忍耐，坚固你们的心，因为主来的日子近了。”（雅五：7-8）

讚美全能神 https://youtu.be/rTA2f8kqa6M

六．心怀二意的信心（雅一：5-8）

　　心怀二意就是又信又不信，又不信又信，总存疑惑，三心两意。存这样的信心，就不要想从主那里得到什么。

七．没有行为的信心（雅二：14-20）

　　主耶稣的亲弟弟雅各，原本不信他兄长就是基督，及至复活后显现给他看（林前一五：7），他就完全相信了；不单相信，还成为初期教会的柱石。他完全服膺基督的教训，是新约教会真理的实践者，最注重信徒的行为，他的名句是：“身体没有灵魂是死的，信心没有行为也是死的。”（雅二：26）

　　但愿我们都有着得神喜悦的信心！

you fu de que ju (hanyu pinyin) https://youtu.be/Qq_yL11RgUQ

让我们让思想回溯到我们对基督的承诺之前的那些日子。

回到我的中学时代，我的两个同学反复告诉我有关基督教信仰的知识，以及他们因信仰而高兴的程度，以及考试对他们来说多么容易。我以为他们疯了，让我与他们保持距离。

当我完成剑桥O级考试后，我担任小学老师，然后去了师范学院。再次，学院的基督徒们把我带到他们的基督徒团体聚会上，我为他们免费提供午餐和免费圣经来吸引像我这样的人加入而有叛逆的感觉。

然后，我获得了政府奖学金，被培训为特许测量师，我的学习被优先考虑。在那些日子里，我花时间学习和适应不同的西方生活方式，没有受到宗教的干扰。

直到年轻时的工作日，主再次感动了我，我遇到许多种种困难，但这些困难都得以解决。尽管有看不见的手在工作，但我没有认出来。我以为自己已经发展出专业和社交技能来克服那些困难的情况。

牧师继续将其他奇迹联系在一起，比如穷人收税员，那个从死里复活的女人……等等，让我流下了无法控制的眼泪。

那件事发生在1970年代的一天中。我决定成为一名基督徒，并祈祷我的家人也成为基督徒-我的丧偶母亲（我是她唯一的孩子），我的妻子和我的四个孩子。我认真研究圣经。

奇迹出现在我眼前。门开了。祈祷得到了回答。

经过两次拒绝和三项上诉，我们七个被接纳进入新西兰。我们于1979年5月到达奥克兰。

即使我到达了那片长长的白云之地，我对主的信心仍然受到考验。我摸索着，一次又一次站起来，每一次变得更聪明，每次，我对他的信仰就变得更坚定。

在上帝的帮助下，我自学了中文，现在，作为退休人员，我以许多非传统的方式传播上帝的话。

例如，我知道使用圣经中的引文可以轻易地关闭非信徒。因此，大约十年前，我开始使用简单的单词和现实生活中的例子来说明上帝的仁慈。

我精通宗教间对话，并获得了该专业的博士学位，因此我现在可以与对佛，穆罕默德或湿婆神有深切信仰的朋友们建立联系。

我开始写关于主训练我掌握的许多主题的故事。我开始画画以吸引年幼儿童的注意力。

简而言之，自2015年以来，我发现了一个新的我。

我在下面附上我感兴趣的英文文章“耶稣的召唤与同情”。我认为目前无需翻译此内容。只需说一下，如果有人需要用中文简要介绍本文，只需在评论页面中插入一条消息，然后有人会响应您的请求。

Source： https://www.christianity.com/bible/commentary.php?com=mhc&b=40&c=9

https://www.christianity.com/bible/commentary.php?com=mhc&b=40&c=9

THE CALL AND COMPASSION OF JESUS

Matthew 9:9-13; Matthew 9:18-26

1. The Call of Matthew

(Matthew 9:9-13)

Wherever we live, under whatever regime, tax collectors are unpopular. It was no different in first century Israel, where Matthew’s trade involved collaboration with the Romans, and the constant suspicion of theft. Matthew was a man alone, and Jesus called him alone.

Yet within this account of the call of one man is included the call of every one of us. Jesus says, “Follow me” (Matthew 9:9), and like Matthew - putting all argument and debate aside - we must quietly obey. As is later explained, Jesus came not to call the “righteous” but “sinners” to repentance (Matthew 9:13).

Not only did Matthew follow Jesus, but he took Him home. Hospitality is not only a common courtesy, but a means of sharing Jesus with others. It is inevitable that the people around our table are going to be people like ourselves, but this is as good a place as any to begin our evangelism.

The other guests at Matthew’s table inevitably met with the disapproval of certain religious teachers. These “Pharisees” addressed their narrow-minded comments to Jesus’ disciples (Matthew 9:11), trying to undermine the believers’ new-found faith. It is Jesus’ answer, however, which embraces us all: He did not come for those who THINK they are righteous, but He came to bring those who KNOW they are sinners to repentance (Matthew 9:13).

2. A story within a story

(Matthew 9:18-26)

In this particular section Matthew presents us with a ‘story within a story’ – and, as you might expect with such a literary device, there are both similarities and dissimilarities. First, we see the contrast in status of Jesus’ two petitioners. One was a “ruler” (Matthew 9:18); the other was a ritually unclean woman (Matthew 9:20). Second, we observe that both showed faith (Matthew 9:18; Matthew 9:21-22).

When the ruler came to Jesus, our Lord arose and followed him, and so did His disciples (Matthew 9:19). Earlier Matthew had arisen and had begun to follow Jesus (Matthew 9:9), so now Matthew continued to follow our Lord all the way to the house of the ruler. Much of the account is firsthand, and it is Matthew alone of the evangelists who mentions the “minstrels” (Matthew 9:23). By the time they got to the house, the wake had already begun!

The poor woman who had interrupted their journey had been suffering for “twelve years” (Matthew 9:20). It turns out that the girl who had died was ‘the age of twelve years’ (cf. Mark 5:42). All that girl’s life, the woman had been suffering; for the one it was too long for her to suffer, for the other it was too young for her to die!

I say the woman was ‘poor’ both out of sympathy to her condition, and because she had actually spent all her substance on ineffectual doctors (cf. Mark 5:26). This serves as a contrast to Jesus’ efficacious and holistic healing.

The touch was very daring because it theoretically rendered Jesus ceremonially unclean. Yet Jesus is willing to reach out and touch us, or to be touched, whatever our infirmities (cf. Hebrews 4:15). His words to the woman are very reassuring to those of us who hardly dare approach Him (Matthew 9:22).

It is interesting to notice that Jesus addressed the woman, who interrupted His journey to the ruler’s daughter, as “Daughter” (Matthew 9:22). Rulers and outcasts are all made one in Christ Jesus (cf. Galatians 3:28), and God is a Father to us all (cf. 2 Corinthians 6:18).

When Jesus arrived at the ruler’s house, the mourners were inclined to laugh at Jesus’ comment (Matthew 9:24). “Sleep” is an acceptable Christian euphemism for death (cf. 1 Corinthians 15:20).

Touching a dead body (Matthew 9:25) would also have rendered an ordinary man or woman ceremonially unclean – but Jesus is no ordinary man! Jesus has power over disease (Isaiah 53:4-5). Jesus has power over death (Acts 2:23-24). Jesus has power over sin (Matthew 9:2).

That power is ours to receive, if we will put our trust in Him.