新年更新 Renewal in the New Year（1）

在年終歲首的時刻，回想過去的一年，難免有遺憾，傷心，悔恨；展望新的一年，心中有不免忐忑不安：新的一年真的會有更好嗎？身體會更健康嗎？關係會更和睦嗎？工作、學業會更順利嗎？社會會更和諧嗎？世界會更有和平嗎？

 作為神的兒女，我們知道，這些答案不能從我們本身來找，不能從人類本身來找。答案在上帝。世界無論如何變化，最終要成就上帝的旨意。上帝對世界，人類，祂所有創造的旨意，便成了我們今天生命的指南針，也是我們帶著盼望面對2013年的真實的基礎！

 上帝對世界，人類，祂所有創造的最終的旨意是甚麼？

 使徒約翰曾看到異象，聽到上帝的宣告：

 那位坐在寶座上的說：“看哪，我把一切都更新了！”祂又說：“你要寫下來，因為這些話是可信靠的，是真實的。” （啓21:5）

上帝要讓我們可以肯定，無論我們看到多少邪惡，多少苦難，我們的努力多麼無助於事，祂要將“一切都更新”！ 這是祂對這個世界、人類最終的心意，在永恆中的心意。

 而且祂的話語“是可靠的，是真實的”！ 儘管歷史反反復復，人類抗拒反叛， 上帝的旨意不能因著人類的反叛而改變。 作為這位信實而大有能力的上帝所愛的兒女，我們因此可以對2013年有信心，我們可以昂首迎接新年！

上帝要更新甚麼？答案在從啓示錄22:1-4。親愛的朋友，你要不要思考一下，我們下次再談。

Give Thanks To The Lord - Hodu La'Adonai

Here is a beautiful song - Psalm 136:1-3 in Hebrew and English.

Here is the links:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YU5SBqnk3FY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6WtFr8JQMA

Psalm 136:1-3

1 Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for His love endures forever.

2 Give thanks to the God of gods, for His love endures forever.

3 Give thanks to the Lord of lords, for His love endures forever.

136:1 - 3   תהלים

w{D.s;x ~'lw{[.l yiK bw{j-yiK h'why;l .Wdw{h

w{D.s;x ~'lw{[.l yiK ~yih{l/a'h yeh{lael .Wdw{h

w{D.s;x ~'l{[.l yiK ~yin{d]a'h yen{d]a;l .Wdw{h

Advent Meditation: His Love Endures Forever

Psalm 136:1-3

1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.
His love endures forever.

2 Give thanks to the God of gods.
His love endures forever.

3 Give thanks to the Lord of lords:
His love endures forever.

136:1 - 3   תהלים

w{D.s;x ~'lw{[.l yiK bw{j-yiK h'why;l .Wdw{h

w{D.s;x ~'lw{[.l yiK ~yih{l/a'h yeh{lael .Wdw{h

w{D.s;x ~'l{[.l yiK ~yin{d]a'h yen{d]a;l .Wdw{h

Psalm 136 is unique. Its refrain is repeated 26 times:  “His love endures forever.”  The closest thing to this one is Psalm 118:1-4, where the phrase, “His love endures forever,” is also repeated.

Why does the psalmist proclaim 26 times the theme that God’s love endures forever? It’s because we are forgetful people, and because the Enemy wants us to doubt it, especially when trials hit.

Especially in times like now:

- when many in our church and our communities are facing challenges with financial hardships, job insecurity, marital and family conflicts, relationship challenges, loneliness, uncertainty about the future, all compounded with physical, psychological, emotional, and spiritual ups and downs;

- when many of the Hurricane Sandy victims are wondering how they will rebuild their home in this harsh winter;

- when the situations in many regions of the world, especially the Middle East, grow more unsettling –

This is the time when we, the people of God, need to proclaim once again this vital truth:

His love endures forever!

That’s why King David chose a special group of people whose job was to sing at the Tabernacle:  “Give thanks to the Lord, for His love endures forever” (1 Chron. 16:41). Then God promised David, a former shepherd boy, that his throne would be established forever (1 Chron. 17).

That’s why, when the ark of God was brought into the newly completed temple, Solomon designated singers to sing: “He is good, for His love endures forever” (2 Chron. 5:13).  God’s response was to fill the temple with the cloud of His glory (2 Chron. 5:13b-14).

A few generations later, facing the threat of foreign invasion, Jehoshaphat and the people of Judah designed a military strategy that seemed so naïve and even hopeless – they got a team of singers to lead the army of Judah into battle, singing, “Give thanks to the Lord, for His love endures forever” (2 Chron. 20:21). The Lord defeated the enemy of Judah!

This special season of Advent is once again a reminder of God’s ultimate goodness to all God’s people, as the apostle Paul reminds us:

“But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Rom 5:8)

This ultimate act of goodness brings us the assurance that God will provide for all our needs, because,

“He who did not spare His own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will He not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?” (Rom 8:32)

Therefore, no trials, however severe, can ever separate us from the love of God, that is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Rom 8:28-29)!

As we wait eagerly for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, may we be filled with gratitude as we praise the One who gives us hope this season:

“Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for His love endures forever” (Ps 136:1).

Advent Is Here!

It's time of the year again! This weekend, we are entering a special season of the year. To many people in the world, it’s a season of busy shopping and spending, exhausting parties, and frantic activities. Yet for the church of Jesus Christ, this is the wonderful season of Advent, looking forward to the glorious morning of Christmas.

What is “Advent”? What do we do during Advent?

Advent is a word that means “coming” or “visit”. In the Christian season of Adventwe prepare for the “advent” of Christ at Christmas. Our preparation includes many things:

• We remember Israel’s hope for the coming of God’s Messiah to save, to forgive, and to restore them.
• We remember our hope for the second coming of Jesus.
• We remember our need for a Savior to save us from our sins.
• We prepare to welcome Christ at Christmas into our world . . . and into our hearts.
(from Scot McKnight, http://www.patheos.com/blogs/jesuscreed/2011/11/27/first-advent-candle-2/)

This Advent, we are encourage our entire church to read the selected texts from Scripture (see below) together with our family each week, as many of us did last year. Let's pray that the Spirit of the Lord will be our teacher and guide as we wait eagerly for the coming of the Lord!

Advent 1C 將臨期第一主日 Dec 2, 2012

Jeremiah 耶利米書 33:14-16

Psalm 詩篇 25

1 Thessalonians 帖撒羅尼迦前書 3:9-13

Luke 路加福音 21:25-36

Advent 2C 將臨期第二主日 Dec 9, 2011

Malachi 瑪拉基書 3:1-4

Luke 路加福音 3:68-79

Philippians 腓立比書 1:3-11

Luke 路加福音 3:1-6

Advent 3C 將臨期第三主日 Dec 16, 2011

Zephaniah 西番亞書 3:14-20

Isaiah 以賽亞書 12:2-6


Philippians 腓立比書 4:4-7

Luke 路加福音 3:10-18

Advent 4C 將臨期第四主日 Dec 23, 2011

Micah 彌迦書 5:2-5a

Luke 路加福音 1:47-55 (or 或) Psalm 詩篇 80:1-7

Hebrews 希伯來書 10:5-10

Luke 路加福音 1:39－45, (46-55)

Christmas Eve/Day 聖誕夜/節

Dec 24/25, 2011

Isaiah 以賽亞書 9:2-7; 62:6-12; 52:7-10


Psalm 詩篇 96-98


Titus 提多書 2:11-14; 3:4-7; Hebrews 希伯來書 1:1-12


Luke 路加福音 2:1-20; John 約翰福音 1:1-14

Christmas 1B 聖誕節第一主日

Dec 30, 2012

2 Samuel 撒母耳記下 7:1-11,16

Psalm 詩篇 148


Colossians 歌羅西書 3:12-17


Luke 路加福音 2:41-52

Watch Night/New Year 迎接新年 Dec 31-Jan 1, 2013

Ephesians 以弗所書 3:1-13

Psalm 詩篇 8


Revelation 啓示錄 21:1-6a

Matthew 馬太福音 25:31-46

Healing Begins 醫治開始

Here is a video presentation Pastor Kathy (UMBC) used in her sermon on the Homecoming Sunday (Sept 9, 2012).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qe1yKciSlT4

Healing Begins

So you thought you had to keep this up

All the work that you do

So we think that you're good

And you can't believe it's not enough

All the walls you built up

Are just glass on the outside

So let 'em fall down

There's freedom waiting in the sound

When you let your walls fall to the ground

We're here now

This is where the healing begins, oh

This is where the healing starts

When you come to where you're broken within

The light meets the dark

The light meets the dark

Afraid to let your secrets out

Everything that you hide

Can come crashing through the door now

But too scared to face all your fear

So you hide but you find

That the shame won't disappear

So let it fall down

There's freedom waiting in the sound

When you let your walls fall to the ground

We're here now

We're here now, oh

This is where the healing begins, oh

This is where the healing starts

When you come to where you're broken within

The light meets the dark

The light meets the dark

Sparks will fly as grace collides

With the dark inside of us

So please don't fight

This coming light

Let this blood come cover us

His blood can cover us

This is where the healing begins, oh

This is where the healing starts

When you come to where you're broken within

The light meets the dark

The light meets the dark

醫治開始

所以，你以為可以繼續這樣做

做你所有做的事

這樣，我們就認為你不錯

你不相信這還不夠

你所立的全部的牆

從外面看來只是玻璃

所以，讓它們全倒下

倒下的聲中有自由等候

當你讓你的牆全到下，

我們就在這裡.

[副歌]醫治從這裡開始

醫治從這裡開始

當你心靈破碎時，

光明與黑暗相遇

光明與黑暗相遇

害怕你的秘密透露

你所有的隱藏

此時會衝出這門。

但是太害怕而無法面對你所有的懼怕，

所以你隱藏，但你發現

這羞愧不會消失。

所以，讓它倒下

倒下的聲中有自由等候

當你讓你的牆全到下，

我們就在這裡，

我們就在這裡。

[副歌]

當恩典與我們內心的黑暗衝撞的時候，火花飛舞

所以，請不要抵抗這光明。

讓這血遮蓋我們

祂的寶血遮蓋我們

[副歌]