林前4:1-4 (聖經裡使徒保羅寫給哥林多教會的書信--現代中文譯本)

4:1 你們應該把我們看作是基督的僕人，受命作上帝之奧祕的管家。
4:2 主人對管家所要求的就是忠心。
4:3 我被你們，或任何人評斷，都認為是一件小事；我自己並不評斷自己。
4:4 我覺得自己良心清白，但不能因此證明我沒有罪。惟有主才是審斷我的。


這是一個平衡的看法. 這段經文不是拿來為自己的過失找藉口

不要活在別人的眼光下

卻要從他人的話中聆聽和反省

要自我檢討和謙卑

卻不是為別人而活

因為真正檢定為人的只有主耶穌


在一個訪談的電視節目聽到一段非常有意義的話:

一位是基督徒的主持人, 一位是基督徒的受訪者


「如果真的有一天沒有人罵我們也不好

可是都是罵也不好

沒人罵也不好  全罵也不好


其實除了上帝  跟我們最親近的人

其實沒有人真正了解我們

有時候我們自己也不懂我們在做什麼

除了神


有一個人說一句話

"別人寫你好

你開心一個禮拜

別人寫你不好

你難過一個月

難道我們都成為別人筆下的奴隸嗎?"


連耶穌這麼神聖的上帝的兒子

都被釘在十字架

如果我們真是走祂的路

如果你今天要為祂做見證

主走過的路你也要走對不對?」


「所以在這個過程當中我覺得

我學到最大的功課就是

第一個就是勇敢

透過神的眼光看自己的勇敢

第二個就是更認識自己

從神的眼光認識真正的(-名字-)

然後那個安全感就是從神而來的

自然而然就不會去在意別人的批評」


好消息是, 我們都能夠越來越像耶穌

越來越多的勇敢和認識

^___^
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        Jack
Deere’s best-selling Surprised by the Power of the Spirit is an
exposition of why God still works signs and wonders, and miracles in the church
today from the biblical perspective. The book is intended for both
non-charismatics and charismatics. Deere was a cessationist[1]
who taught at Dallas Theological Seminary as an associate professor of Old
Testament. In the late 1980’s, however, through various encounters, he began an
intense re-study of the Scriptures on the issues surrounding the miraculous
gifts and ministries of the Spirit. As a result, he became convinced that the
supernatural gifts of the Spirit were still valid, and that his former
theological views were based more on prejudices and lack of personal
experiences. Deere then became affiliated with the Vineyard movement and John
Wimber. He also formed close fellowship with the Kansas City Prophets,
especially Paul Cain, whom he identified as his mentor.[2]
The book is published during the time when the Vineyard movement and other
Restoration theologies are prevalent. Deere is often cited as one of the
leading exponents of Third Wave ideologies, along with Peter C. Wagner and
Wayne Grudem. In 1918, Counterfeit Miracles, a popular book arguing
against the continuation of present-day miraculous gifts of the Spirit by the
renowned cessationist Benjamin Breckinridge Warfield, was published. It is one
of the most cited cessationism literatures in Christendom that had influenced
many prominent church leaders and teachers even to this day. Seventy-five years
later, Surprised by the Power of the Spirit has been commented by some
as having “all the potential for neutralizing Warfield and his followers and
opening the Body of Christ to the full power of God’s Holy Spirit.”[3]
        Surprised
by the Power of the Spirit contains 14 chapters, an epilogue and three
appendices. It is divided into three major sections: “Shocked and Surprised”
(chapters 1-3), “Shattered Misconceptions” (chapters 4-11), and “Seeking the
Gifts and the Giver” (chapters 12-14 and epilogue). In the opening section,
Deere recounts his dramatic journey from a cessationist seminary professor to a
believer in contemporary miracles. This conversion was the result of a
re-evaluation of Scriptures coupled with witnessing a significant number of
divine healings, accurate prophetic utterances and demonic deliverances
firsthand. At the end of these experiences, Deere felt convicted by God. He had
to admit that he needed to “continue in the humility of a little child” in
order to “break the chains of some of [his] most arrogant prejudices about the
Christian life and ministry.”[4]
Finally, he came to the conclusion that the miraculous gifts of the Spirit have
not passed away. The second section, Shattered Misconceptions, takes up a large
portion of the book. In chapters four to six, he discusses the misunderstanding,
misgiving, and misuse of the miraculous gifts and healing from the Scriptures.
Deere starts by stating that there are three main reasons why Bible-believing
Christians do not believe in the miraculous gifts of the Spirit today. The
primary one is that the “majority of Christians believe what they believe
because godly and respected teachers told them it was correct” so that “experience
and tradition determine the majority of what church people believe, rather than
the careful, patient and personal study of the Scriptures.”[5]
The second most important reason is that people do not find New
Testament-quality miracles in church history. The third most common reason
stemmed from the abuse, or the perceived abuse, of the miraculous gifts in the
charismatic movements.
        Deere
asserts that the core problem of all three explanations is that their rationale
is not founded on Scriptural ground. Doctrines cannot be built on experiences,
traditions or church history, and the revulsion caused by spiritual abuses does
not prove or disprove whether the supernatural gifts have continued or not. In
response to the first cessation reasoning, the lack of personal experiences
will produce false assumptions. The first is that the apostles and other New
Testament miracle workers could heal the sick and operate other divine gifts at
their own will. The second false assumption is that the apostles’ healing
ministry, or the apostolic office of Eph. 4:11, is exactly the same as an
individual functioning in the gifts of healings.[6]
As for church history, Deere points out that the reason why spiritual gifts
have diminished is because the church has rejected them, not that God intended
them to cease. It is because of unbelief, apostasy and legalism that prevented
the gifts from functioning. He argues that since the Scriptures (the Pentateuch
or parts of it) have been lost some time after the death of Moses until the
reign of King Josiah (2 Kings 22:8), and also in the Middle Ages except among few
high clergies, it certainly does not mean that God has, hence, withdrawn the
Bible from the church. The church’s obsoleting of God’s divine gifts neither
implies His approval of their absence nor His removal of them. Furthermore,
many cessationists often explain away supernatural events in the past as either
“demonic” in origin or “inaccurate” because these people, in the first place,
do not believe that the gifts have continued.[7]
When commenting on spiritual abuses of gifts, Deere affirmed that it is not an applicable
argument for the cessation of gifts. Impurities in the church do not mean that
miracles are not from God, and this was the case with the Corinthian Church.
Wrong teachings do not imply that miracles are invalid, and this was the case
with the Galatian churches. Lastly, miracles do not support or confirm the
distinctive erroneous doctrines of a group of Christians, as in the case of the
churches at both Corinth and Galatia. Deere
also purports that common abuses in non-charismatic circles, such as legalism,
intellectualism and lukewarmness, are oftentimes more subtle and damaging than
gift exploitations.
        In
chapter seven, the author provides some general principles for testing to
reveal a genuine move of the God. The signs of an authentic work of the Spirit
are the fruit of the Holy Spirit, not the absence or abundance of physical
manifestations—they are not evidence for or against the validity of spiritual
gifts. Believers should shun fleshly emotionalism and refrain from attaching
spirituality to physical manifestations inasmuch as they should never be the
focus of one’s spiritual life. However, it is equally important to discern
genuine manifestations and not suppress them. Regardless of how strange or
atypical a manifestation may seem, the Bible exhorts God’s people not to judge
according to “outward appearances” (1 Sam.16:7).[8]
Chapter eight deals with the primary cessationist argument, which claims that
miracles authenticated the apostles to be trustworthy authors of the
Scriptures; therefore, when the Scriptures were written, miracles were no
longer needed. Deere refutes that miracles are the workings of apostleship, and
not the proof of it, and that the authority of Scripture does not rest on
miracles. Moreover, not all New Testament authors are apostles, which would
render the cessationist argument inconsistent. The subject of why God heals and
grants miraculous gifts, and also why God does not heal in some instances are
the themes in chapter nine to eleven. The Scripture shows that God heals due to
a variety of reasons, but primarily God heals due to His compassion and to
bring glory to His Son Jesus. On the contrary, healing will not flow if there
are unbelief, legalism, and lukewarm faith present. Besides these negative
spiritual forces, the mysterious and sovereign ways and timings of God make it
not possible to fully comprehend why some are not healed, or not healed
instantly. Spiritual gifts are given for the edification of the church, and the
church will always need to be edified before the Rapture or the Second Coming
of Christ.
        The
last few chapters of the book and the epilogue constitute the third major
section. In chapter twelve, Deere provides guidelines for identifying and
cultivating spiritual giftings. In chapters thirteen and fourteen, he urges the
readers to pursue the Giver of the gifts with passion and diligence. He ends
the book with an introductory discussion on discerning the voice of God, which
he later wrote an entire book on this topic: Surprised by the Voice of God.[9]
In appendix A, Deere further elaborates other reasons why God heals and works
miracles. Appendix B is a detailed theological treatise contending that the
miraculous gifts did not cease with the apostles. In fact, he argues that the
apostolic office still exists today, but present-day apostles do not have
divine authority to claim any revelations on a par with the closed written Word
of God. Appendix C challenges John MacArthur’s view that there were only three
periods of miracles in the Bible. Deere notes that MacArthur’s idea originates
from B. B. Warfield’s popular cessationist argument, but even Warfield was more
careful than MacArthur in stating that there were four periods of revelation,
including the time of Daniel as the fourth period, not three.[10]
        Overall
speaking, it seems that Surprised by the Power of the Spirit is a highly
apologetic and valuable piece to the church world. The strengths of the book
are numerous. First and foremost, being a former cessationist professor of
theology at a distinguished seminary, the motivation of Deere’s own experiences
and journey into the miraculous would likely be intensely humbling and sincere.
The primary force of this dramatic change of theological position is a deep and
thorough re-study of the Scriptures with personal experiential knowledge.
Therefore, it is unlikely a prejudiced intellectual theory book trying to
defend a particular brand of theology, but rather an honest attempt to convey
certain truths. Secondly, Deere’s scholarly arguments dismantle cessationism to
the core. He clearly shows from the Bible that the miraculous gifts of the Holy
Spirit have not ceased and they are vital for the church today. The book
properly reveals that most Christians’ theological perspectives are not
obtained from a careful, patient, and personal study of the Bible. The majority
of Christians simply believe what respected Christian figures said to be true.
Personal examples are used to show that the cessationist standpoint is based on
theological prejudices due to experiences and historical precedence.
Consequently, those who are raised in an anti-charismatic environment will
likely become cessationists. In this light, it is easier to see why
cessationism is based more on traditions. When challenged by a more objective and
careful examination of the Bible, its main arguments are shown to be illogical
in interpretation and insensible in practices. Thirdly, Deere rightly urges the
readers back to loving the Giver of gifts in the concluding chapters of the
book. He reveals that there is a subtle danger in the over-focus and admiration
of doctrines and the words of the Bible in themselves above the Author of the
Bible. The believers’ spiritual vitality will be choked by this misplaced
priority. Hence, while validating the continuance of the miraculous gifts, a
life of passion and hunger for God must still be given precedence over all
doctrinal issues. These “last words” of the book are both insightful and
inspirational. They address not only to non-charismatics, but also to those who
only embrace the miraculous gifts in theory legalistically. These concluding
chapters serve to usher all readers to look beyond mere correct theology.
        One
notable weakness of Surprised by the Power of the Spirit concerns the
discussion of God’s will in healing. The majority of Deere’s Scriptural basis
for not receiving healings such as apostasy, legalism and unbelief is well-argued.
It is also true that sometimes it is not possible to identify the reasons why
some are healed while some are not.[11]
However, the manifestation of healing or the lack of one alone is irrelevant to
God’s will in regard to healing. Deere did not interact with verses such as
James 5:14-16, which seems to indicate that it is God’s will for all Christians
to be healed.[12]
He also did not point to the fact that all who came to Jesus and
the early church were healed (Matt. 8:16, Luke 4:40, Acts 5:16). One could
argue that just as there are no Scriptures to back up God’s intention of
withdrawing the miraculous gifts, there are also no Scriptural proof arguing
that it is not God’s will for every Christian to be healed. In a similar way,
not all are saved, but it is still God’s desire that “all should come to
repentance” (2 Pet. 3:9). Although Deere believes that one should always expect
God to heal, but he also believes that there could be times when God wills for
sicknesses and diseases to be part of one’s life. Besides having no Scriptural
support, this belief also has difficulties in real-life applications. The heart
of the matter is how could one be sure of God’s particular intention in each
specific case apart from the Bible? Christians could mistake their own thoughts
to be God’s. Furthermore, it will not be surprising if the Devil comes as an
“angel of light” and whispers deceiving words to Christians that are contrary
to God’s will. Doubtlessly there are redemptive values in enduring sicknesses
and diseases, but the question is whether this is God’s primary way of teaching
His children or not. Kids could really learn the danger of fire when they
experience severe burning; however, this surely does not imply that their
parents wish them to get burned in order to learn a certain lesson. Likewise,
many Christian ex-drug addicts could minister well to people with similar
problems that they once had, but God is merely working all things, good or bad,
for good to those who love Him (Rom. 8:28), thus, we cannot infer God’s
approval or divine will in drug indulgence. The bottom line is, ironically,
that doctrines should not to be built on experiences or facts, but solely on
the Word of God (which is the same line of thought that Deere is arguing
throughout the book).
        On
the other hand, God does place a higher value in many spiritual virtues over
physical comfort, which could be cultivated through bodily pains. Therefore,
although it is God’s will to heal all, He does not choose to heal everyone
immediately, or with the same method. One could simply not receive healing
within a short period of time because of God’s sovereign timing and ways, but
never His will. It is important to see that not all “failure” to receive
(instantaneous) healings can be attributed to the valid reasons that Deere
offers such as apostasy, unbelief, or legalism (cf. John 9:3). There could be
instances where one is not healed due to unbelief, but not all who are not
healed right away are unbelieving. There is also another similar area in which
Deere errs by placing martyrdom in the same category as physical illnesses as
an illustration of God exercising His sovereignty in refusing to heal. However,
it is worthwhile to consider that the cosmic rulership of God will never
contradict His Word. The working out of God’s sovereignty will always be in
accordance with His character and principles, which are revealed in the written
Word. From the different Greek words and usage, the Bible clearly distinguishes
“martyrdom” from “biological ailments”—the former is divine will, the latter is
not.[13]
It is a fact that many martyrs die by means other than diseases and sicknesses,
hence, there are nothing to be healed. Stephen was called a martyr in Acts
22:20, and his death was caused by stoning, not sicknesses. Also the martyrs
mentioned in Revelation were killed (Rev. 2:13, 6:9). Even in cases where
physical infirmities are the agents of one’s being persecuted unto death,
martyrdom remains altogether in a different category. Predestination is
involved in martyrdom, and it is possible to have an inner knowing of this call
as part of God’s plan for one’s life. The Apostle Paul knew this was the way
God chose for him to end his mission on earth as a testimony (Acts 20:22-24,
21:10-14, 2 Tim. 2:6-8). Jesus prophesied to Peter in John 21 that he was going
to suffer as a martyr. Revelation chapter two also shows that it is the destiny
for some to undergo tribulation that will result in death for their
faithfulness to Christ. Many theologians and historians share similar views
concerning martyrdom.[14]
It is true that the Bible does not give specific reasons why Peter was
delivered from prison in Acts 12, and lived many more years after, while James
was martyred earlier; however, this issue does not concern God’s will in
healing. God’s sovereignty is rightly exemplified here, but the analogy is
misleading.[15]
        In
summary, Surprised by the Power of the Spirit is a significant work. The
book grew out of the author’s heartfelt experiences and genuine concern for the
Bride of Christ. His argumentation for the continuance of charismatic gifts
makes tremendous biblical and practical sense. The inspirational chapters on
pursuing God and developing passion for Jesus give warmth to the readers and
ignite Christian affection towards God and people. While minor flaws exist in
the healing expositions, the book rightly presents the God of the Bible who
continues to bring physical wholeness to people miraculously. Most importantly,
Deere reveals the Father’s heart: He rejoices to see His beloved children enjoy
complete wellbeing—spirit, soul, and body. Surprised by the Power of the
Spirit is a profitable piece that will surely edify its readers if studied
with an open attitude. It is a must-read for all Christians, cessationists or
charismatics.


 
Notes
 


[1] The term “cessationist” as defined by Deere is “someone who believes
that the miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit ceased with the death of the last
apostle or shortly thereafter. Jack Deere, Surprised by the Power of the
Spirit (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1993), p. 267.

 



[2] However, in April 2005, Deere, along with Mick Bickle and Rick
Joyner, issued a public statement regarding Paul Cain’s moral failures.
Afterward, Paul has agreed to undergo a restoration process. But in January
2007, Deere, Bickle and Joyner, again issued another public notice regarding
Paul Cain’s refusal to comply with the original restoration team. Paul has
moved and came under another restoration team, which has declared Paul as being
restored. For the public statements, see http://www.morningstarministries.org/feature/sb/2005/SB04_05.htm
(Rick Joyner’s official ministry website), and http://www.jackdeere.com/thoughts/an_update_on_pa.html
(Jack Deere’s official website), and http://www.paulcain.org/
(Paul Cain’s official website).

 



[3] Quoted from Peter C. Wagner’s endorsement in Deere’s book. Besides
Warfield and Counterfeit Miracles, Deere’s book also deals with John
MacArthur and his anti-charismatic book Charismatic Chaos (Grand Rapids,
MI: Zondervan, 1992).

 



[4] Deere, Surprised by the Power of the Spirit, pp. 29ff.



 

[5] Ibid., pp. 47 and 52.

 



[6] See 1 Corinthians 12:9 “To another faith by the same Spirit, to
another gifts of healings by the same Spirit,” 1 Corinthians 12:28 “And
God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third
teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps,
administrations, varieties of tongues,” 1 Corinthians 12:30 “Do all have gifts
of healings? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret?” (Emphasis mine, NKJV).

 



[7] Deere also appeals to many church fathers’ writings as evidence
that the miraculous gifts did not cease after the death of the last apostle. It
is especially interesting that he mentions Augustine. From his earlier
writings, he believed that miracles have ceased. But in The City of God
(Book 22:8), one of his later writings, he retracted his former belief and said
that he knew more than seventy verified miracles in his city of Hippo in less
than two years (Deere, Surprised by the Power of the Spirit, p. 74).

 



[8] Deere also cites the various physical reactions to the Holy
Spirit’s visible and less visible works from the Scriptures such as “trembling,
shaking, and trances, to even illness (probably physical weaknesses and exhaustion
but not a sickness) and physical collapse.” He believes that it is not uncommon
for God’s people to tremble, weep, or even be in a state that appears to be drunkenness,
in the presence of God. This supports that “physical reactions to the work of
the Spirit may occur in a wide variety of ways” (Ibid., pp. 87-93).

 



[9] Jack Deere, Surprised by the Voice of God (Grand Rapids, MI:
Zondervan, 1996).

 



[10] Deere, Surprised by the Power of the Spirit, pp.290-291. However,
Deere does not believe that the Bible supports Warfield’s view either.

 



[11] This means the divine and mysterious wisdom of God may not be
evident to finite human understandings; hence it may appear as if there are no
apparent reasons behind a miracle or the lack of it. However, one needs to be
cautious not to label every single miracle or the lack of one as being “mystical.”
God’s desire is that His people would know His ways (Jer. 31:33). Therefore, it
would not be unusual for God to reveal the specific reasons behind miraculous
incidents. Deere appeals to the healing of the paralytic in Luke 5 (p. 146) as
one of the supporting texts for the “unexplainable” type of miracles.
Nevertheless, the Bible actually gives the rationale behind this healing. Verse
20 shows that it was the faith of the paralytic and their friends (the
plural pronoun “they” indicates not just the faith of the paralytic, but also
those who brought him to Jesus) that appropriated the power that was present to
heal in verse 17. At least on the human level, we could say that “faith” was
one of the reasons why God decided to grant Jesus the power to heal at that
meeting (it would also not be wrong if the forgiveness of sin of the paralytic
was also one of the reasons in this particular case). It is also important to
see from this passage that sometimes healings are brought about by the prayers,
faith, and deeds of others, whom we may or may not know personally. This
explains why some are healed without earnestly seeking the Lord—because others
sought the Lord for them instead.



 

[12] James 5:14-16: “Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for
the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in
the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord
will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Confess
your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be
healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much” (emphasis
mine, NKJV).



 

[13] The New Testament Greek word for “martyr” is μάρτυς (martus). Thayer's Greek-English
Lexicon gives the following definition:

 

1) a witness

1a) in a legal sense

1b) an historical sense

1b1) one who is a spectator of anything, e.g. of a
contest

1c) in an ethical sense

1c1) those who after his example have proved the
strength and genuineness of their faith in Christ by undergoing a violent death



 

Not once was μάρτυς used to connote sicknesses or physical infirmities in the New
Testament.

 

[14] See, for example, Cyril C. Richardson, “The Way of Martyrdom,” in Early
Christian Fathers (Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1953); Thomas Aquinas,
“Of Martyrdom (Five Articles),” Summa Theologica, (Benziger Bros.
edition, 1947), Public Domain, retrieved from http://www.ccel.org/ccel/aquinas/summa.SS_Q124.html;
Philip Schaff, “Persecution Of Christianity And Christian Martyrdom,” History
of the Christian Church, Volume II: Ante-Nicene Christianity. A.D. 100-325,
3rd ed. (Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997), Public
Domain, retrieved from http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/hcc2.v.iv.html;
C. Peter Wagner, Your Spiritual Gifts Can Help Your Church Grow, 2nd
ed. (Ventura: Regal Books, 1994), pp. 60-63. Simply put, common sense and word
usage necessitate languages to define “martyrdom” and “sickness” as two
different concepts.

 



[15] Some even hold that martyrdom is a gift from passages such as Acts
7, 1 Cor. 13:3 and 2 Cor. 11:23-28. For example, Peter Wagner defines martyrdom
this way:

 

“The gift of martyrdom is a special ability
that God has given to certain members of the Body of Christ to undergo
suffering for the faith even to death while consistently displaying a joyous
and victorious attitude that brings glory to God” (Ibid., p. 61).

 

Wagner placed martyrdom side-by-side with the other gifts from the
lists in 1 Cor. 12, Rom. 12 and Eph. 4:11. However, there do not seem to be
enough Scriptures to establish martyrdom as a gift in the same sense as the
other gifts such as the gift of prophecy or the gifts of healings. Martyrdom is
a special and privileged calling of God, but not a spiritual gift in the
specific sense.


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萬聖節是西洋的鬼節, 但基督徒卻可以有真平安.
獻上璽恩的平安璽.
陳璽恩 -- 平安璽
     [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZcifvbCAGQ&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0x5d1719&color2=0xcd311b&border=1]


作詞：陳璽恩　作曲：Ewen Chow　編曲：鍾興民

寂寞的冬季　冰冷的空氣
你和我心跳　失去了默契
習慣了這樣的關係　疲憊了就失去熱情

我依然相信　愛需要勇氣
真愛不過一隻手距離
別封閉自己　跨過去就能前進
這是我渴望發出幸福訊息

I will be there　to hold you　在平安夜裡
讓我的愛　跨越所有冷漠的回應
只為你　不在意　什麼樣的距離
讓逝去感動甦醒

I will be there　to hold you　在平安夜裡
整個世界　期待真愛　永不停息
想為你　解開封印　蓋上平安璽
代表我堅定的愛情　永不會放棄
就讓所有的愛全都匯集　
讓我所有感動　在此時此刻
和你一起　全心感應

I will be there　to hold you　在平安夜裡
整個世界　期待真愛　永不停息　我只為你
蓋上平安璽　代表我堅定的愛情　永不會放棄
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「我已經與基督同釘十架．現在活著的、不再是我、乃是基督在我裡面活著．並且我如今在肉身活著、是因信　神的兒子而活、他是愛我、為我捨己。」(加2:20)
天父的愛不只是一種對普世的博愛
也是一種對個體極私人極度親密的愛
體會著祂對我的愛慕
是改變生命的大能
因為愛    所有都變可能
陳璽恩 -- Love is Power
   [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCGqa4Np8qM&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0xcc2550&color2=0xe87a9f&border=1]
Love is Power
當我遇見你 開始學會相信 相信著愛情 相信愛裡的勇氣
我沒有懼怕 也不東張西望 有人笑我傻 卻看見愛的力量
Love is the power Love is so sweet
去愛你 是我每一天的第一個決定
Love is the power and You'll never let it be broken
不管有多冷 不管傷多深 因為愛 所有都變可能
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王藍茵 - 惡作劇 (惡作劇之吻浪漫片尾曲) 
  [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_Aly5GT368&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0x402061&color2=0x9461ca&border=1]

這是搭配我2006七夕－新郎的朋友的手紙歌曲. 哈, 誰能忘記這首超好聽浪漫片尾曲還有湘琴和直樹呢! 這個MV裡是電視劇裡沒有的花絮, 真的還不錯而且很好笑, 我今天才看到, 我真的還蠻喜歡林依晨的說. 還有啊, 我都還記得裡面有說到一個成語叫「蕙質蘭心」, 那蕙質蘭心就要送給霖啦! 加油!!! 禱告!!! 爸爸愛霖!!! ^__^

然後這是另一個林依晨演的東方茱麗葉片尾曲, 由她自己演唱, 是Tank寫的, 後來Tank自己也有唱, 也曾是我手紙的配曲.

林依晨 - 非你莫屬 (東方茱麗葉片尾曲)
  [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=77kgAb7rXQY&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0xcc2550&color2=0xe87a9f&border=1]

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  • Oct 29 Wed 2008 17:12

  • 國片

周杰倫 - 不能說的秘密 (電影不能說的秘密OST)
  [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WP1xgkt_u-g&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0x5d1719&color2=0xcd311b&border=1]
看了海角七號之後讓我想再多看點國片
接下來我要看不能說的秘密
聽說也不錯
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寫首歌沒有我想像的容易

無論是詞曲現在能想出的橋段

都不確定適不適用

如何拼湊

但我已經選定了歌名

一個從很久很久以前就想用來做歌的名子

我需要的是種衝動  是種感覺  是個感情

在家寫有時還真的會整個卡住

難道真的要我去海邊寫嗎

但是冬天要到了海邊都好冷喔

想念也有很多種


海角七號的國境之南是一種

南拳媽媽Lara的下雨天是一種

宇多田光的First Love是一種

卓文萱的永不消失的彩虹是一種

林宥嘉的神秘嘉賓是一種

小宇的想你的習慣是一種

光良的勇氣是一種

林依晨的非你莫屬是一種

張韶涵遺失的美好是一種


我... 到底要寫哪一種感覺??


無論如何今天晚上就到此為止

我的腦已經罷工了

如果沒有放進真感情  我還真的寫不出來


可惡  我總會寫出來

自然的寫出來

最簡單也最可怕的方法

再說吧
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Relish cleaning the toilets and dirt as though that was the most beautiful job in the world and call it all a tribute to God. To some we are wasting our precious life and burying our talents.
Yes, our lives are utterly wasted if we use only the light of reason. Our life has no meaning unless we look at Christ in His poverty.
Our beautiful work with and for the poor is a privilege and a gift for us. I think that if we go to the poor with that love, with only the desire to give God to them, to bring the joy of Christ (which is our strength) into their homes, if they look at us and see Jesus and His love and compassion in us, I think the world will soon be full of peace and love.
Truly, the tenderness of God's love is most extraordinary. When we look at the cross, we know how much Jesus loved us then. When we look at the tabernacle, we know how much He loves us now. Be alone with Jesus. Then your hearts will feel the joy that only He can give.
Try to put worship into practice in your life. You will notice a change in your life, in your family, in your parish, and in your environment. The Church is each one of us--you and I
"I have called you by your name," Jesus said. "You are mine. You are precious in my sight. I love you." If you love Christ, it will be easy for you to fully belong to Jesus and to give Jesus to everyone you find.
God loves me. I'm not here just to fill a place, just to be a number. He has chosen me for a purpose. I know it.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Prayer by John Henry Newman
(One of Mother Teresa's favorite prayers, said every day by the Missionaries of Charity.)
Dear Lord:
Help me to spread your fragrance wherever I go.
Flood my soul with your spirit and life.
Penetrate and possess my whole being so utterly that all my life may only be a radiance of yours.
Shine through me, and be so in me that every soul I come in contact with may feel your presence in my soul.
Let them look up and see no longer me, but only you, O Lord!
Stay with me, then I shall begin to shine as you do; so to shine as to be a light to others.
The light, O Lord, will be all from you; none of it will be mine; it will be you shining on others through me.
Let me thus praise you in the way you love best, by shining on those around me.
Let me preach you without preaching, not by words but by my example, by the catching force, the sympathetic influence of what I do, the evident fullness of the love my heart bears to you.
Amen.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life." (Jesus, John 8:12 RSV)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Excerpt taken from "No Greater Love" by Mother Teresa; published by New World Library, 2001, pp. 156-159.
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１。題目：一邊……一邊……
小朋友寫：他一邊脫衣服，一邊穿褲子。
老師批語：他到底是要脫還是要穿啊？
 
２。題目：其中
小朋友寫：我的其中一只左腳受傷了。
老師批語：你是蜈蚣嗎？
４。題目：難過
小朋友寫：我家門前有條水溝很難過。
老師批語：老師更難過。
５。題目：又 又
小朋友寫：我的媽媽又矮又高又胖又瘦。
老師批語；你的媽媽 是變形金鋼嗎？
６。題目：你看
小朋友寫：你看什麼看！沒看過啊
老師批語：沒看過
７。題目：欣欣向榮
小朋友寫：欣欣向榮榮告白。
 老師批語：連續劇不要看太多了！
 
８。題目：好吃
小朋友寫：好吃個屁。
老師批語：有些東西是不能吃的。
 
９。題目：天真
小朋友寫：今天真熱。
老師批語：你真天真。
 
１０。題目：果然
小朋友寫：昨天我吃水果，然後喝涼水。
老師批語：是詞組，不能分開的。
１１。題目：先……再……，例題：先吃飯，再冼澡。
小朋友寫：先生，再見！
老師批語：想像力超過了地球人的智慧 。
 
１２。題目：況且
小朋友寫：一列火車經過，況且況且況且況且況且況
老師批語：我死了算了 (火)
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我啊, 昨天晚上居然傻呼呼的睡著而忘了調鬧鐘. 哈哈.

結果, 還用問嗎? 我是睡豬, 當然是整個昏倒睡到上司打電話來囉, 之後還有學生偷偷的打給我, 是一位很貼心的學生.

到達差不多晚了一個點鐘, 結果進去後的那一幕場景真是好一言難盡好溫馨.

當下我外表並沒有特別表現出內心的感動, 因為要忙這善後, 但這個我一定要寫, 下面我所形容的都是在一眼瞬間所發生的事.

因
為我們ESL是在教會的地下室, 到達時我一下樓就看見茶點都準備好了. 是一位在教會以前也教一班ESL的老師弄得. 她呢, 是一位非常負責任,
做事周到完善, 細心專業. 所以呢, 她準備的點心當然是鉅細靡遺.
很快的經過廚房轉個彎就看到我們中高級班的老師已把所有的學生都招集起來在賣力教課, 絕大部分是我的學生.
我本來想像我那一團阿媽阿姨學生一定在口沫橫飛像菜市場般的「抬槓」(台語的「聊天」)著, 等著她們的老師. 結果局然已經在上課了, 很安靜,
很有次序. 這位老姊妹呢, 以前是專業的老師, 不過更勝於她技能百倍的是她的性情. 真是愛神愛人的生命, 人超好,
那是一個已經與主同行一生的見證. 她最後看見我走進去的時候剛好到了休息時間, 對我親切的微笑著. 還有呢, 早一點學生先看到我,
很多都在偷笑, 還有人差點要鼓掌歡迎我, 我真是快昏倒. 因為啊, 我那些成人學生真是太可愛, 平時和他們的互動很好很個人. 有的開玩笑糗我,
有的很認真的說小事別放在心上, 但都可以感覺他們絲毫沒有半點責怪, 只有關心(因為我沒有打電話過去有人擔心我是出事了),
那真是一個很棒的氣氛. 哈哈, 平常沒有白愛他們喔.



最後啊, 我一定要說(臉紅臉紅...). 一位S大姊走過去(大S? 哈哈), 看見我說了一句又把我打敗的話. 她走過去短短的,
整個過程大概不到五秒吧. 不知道為什麼在趕來的路上, 我就有預感這世界上會不會有那麼體貼的人會說這樣的話, 結果, 還真的是從她的口中而出.
她啊, 我說這個大姊啊, 我真的是沒白欣賞愛慕她了. 她啊, 她才不像是40歲的人, 她是30歲的美麗漂亮, 讓我想抱抱親親她臉頰.
她說什麼呢? 幾個字而已, 卻是一些必須真的認識我又疼愛我才會說的字句. 唉, ... 她真的是太棒了.

之後上完課,
又有另一位打掃教會的姊妹幫我洗了大部分的杯子(那是應該我要洗的), 她以前也幫我洗過. 剛好她也是一位我偷偷欣賞的大姊(為什麼要偷偷的??),
人很溫良柔順, 哈哈. 我要說啊, 上述的每一位天使呢, 今天都讓我看到她們隱形的翅膀囉(張韶涵, 張韶涵!!!).
她們在那裡當然都是有她們自己的工作, 卻默默的分工合作幫著我. 而這些東西呢, 她們都沒有特別和我說是她們做的, 要不是後來從別人口中知道的,
要不是就是因為要告訴我讓我不要擔心. 今天早上我感受到的, 是很溫馨, 很溫馨的感覺.

我看見這每一位神的女兒的愛心是實際的,
生命是真實的. 沒有人是完美的, 基督徒當然也是, 甚至有些還會做一些很誇張沒有愛的事. 但卻也有這些也許沒有很多頭銜主裡的姊妹,
讓我在她們身上看見耶穌. 在神和真正認識神的人眼中, 她們是最大最棒的. 她們都是普通人, 在路上這樣的走過也不會有風, 平凡的與人擦肩而過.



很多時候人說「路遙知馬力, 日久見人心」, 通常是負面形容. 但我卻要說, 如果真是從神來的愛, 那種能改變人生命的大能, 日子一天一天的過你會發現, 這份愛這個不一樣的生命是真的, 而且還在不斷的蛻變, 越來越美麗, 越來的越有深度.

這個天路歷程, 有時幸福會有如波濤洶湧, 激情般的沖在身上. 但多半的時間, 在周而復始的生活步調裡, 卻可以是有種淺淺淡淡. 很簡單的幸福感覺.



作一位基督徒真的是全世界最幸運的事. 有時想想, 真是一種狂喜的感覺.



我說啊...



嘻嘻...!!!



^___^





「神愛我們的心，我們也知道也信。神就是愛；住在愛裡面的，就是住在神裡面，神也住在他裡面。」(約壹4:16)



"And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is
love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him" (1 John
4:16).







PS: 為什麼我會知道S大姊幾歲啊???? Anyways, hee hee, I love you!!!
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        And
Jesus asked her for a drink, and then He used His natural thirst to go on talking
about a spiritual thirst that is present in this woman. This woman, for
whatever reason, tried to hide her feelings from this stranger, a man, a Jew,
of course. But Jesus then went on to reveal her true condition, about her
marriage, and He was so precise to know the details of her life. From here we
see that Jesus was someone who was very, very, extremely approachable. I don’t
know what your idea of God, or Jesus is, but from the Word of God, from His own
Word, we see very unambiguously that God is someone who is very approachable.
In fact, I would say that He is the most approachable person you and I will
ever know. He knows you and my life and all the details, because He is
omniscient. He’s also omnipresent and omnipotent. These three omni’s simply
means all-knowing, all-present everywhere, and all-powerful. Here Jesus was
operating certain gifts of the Spirit called the Word of Knowledge, trying to
help the woman. The purpose of Jesus’ revealing was not to show off. If He’s
already God and all-knowing, there would be nothing to show off. He was merely
showing the lady that He is the Christ, the Savior, He is the Messiah that they
had been waiting and looking for, He was the Son of God, that is why He could
know her life detail without her telling forth. Jesus also described a
condition in which you and I are probably very familiar with. In verses
thirteen and fourteen, He said that the water we drink will not satisfy our
bodies forever, we need to keep on drinking and drinking. But the spiritual water,
the spiritual satisfaction that He gives, will make us full and satisfied. By
the natural water example, Jesus is implicitly referring to all the things and
pleasures in the world that may give us some happiness and satisfaction for a
time, but they do not last. It’s not infrequent to hear people say that life
feels or is empty, meaningless, and they don’t know what the purpose of life
is, if it had any to begin with. Are we accidents, is there absolutely no
meaning in this life, all sorts of questions like these. Jesus was being very
practical here. Besides being God and all-knowing, He had lived and walked on
this earth, He knew what it’s like to live the earthly life with its various
trying challenges and difficulties that you and I face today. Here’s the Good
News. He said, He came to give this woman, and to give us today, a different
kind of drink, a living water, a satisfaction that will truly satisfy our lives
and give us meaning. As a result of this close encounter with Jesus, this
Samaritan woman’s life was completely changed. She went into the town and told
many people, and the townsfolk begged Jesus to stay with them. After two days,
many more believed because of Jesus’ own words. So we see here that it is not
just with this Samaritan woman, but many more who have had a genuine encounter
with Jesus, their lives were changed.
        So,
what did Jesus give to her? What was the spiritual living water that Jesus
promised? Jesus gave her respect. Jesus gave her love, a very different kind of
love that she has experienced in her life with her past marriage troubles.
Jesus gave her a revelation of truth of reality. Jesus revealed to her that God
is all-knowing, He knows her, and He loved her. And Jesus gave her a restored
relationship with God. Jesus gave her life, not a religion, not some rules and
regulations, not some do’s and don’ts, not just a moral code, not some
cold-hearted doctrines. Jesus broke the social norm and showed her that there’s
nothing wrong with approaching a woman in His days. Jesus gave her respect. She
knew that Jesus knew very well about her past, but He still regarded her highly
and was sincere in offering true life and hope to her. Jesus came to tell her
the Good News. Jesus has shown her the power of God and His omniscience, but most
importantly, He has shown her that God is not concerned with His own power, but
His concern is for her heart. How she feels, how she is doing in her life, and
He knew this Samaritan was thirsty, and nothing in this temporal world could
ever satisfy her heart apart from Himself. And this was not unique with this
woman at the well only, many in the town also came to the source of life and
believed and drank it. Lastly we see that as Jesus talked to His disciples when
they came back with their lunch, bringing people truth and life and love is
what brings pleasure and joy to Jesus—it was like His food. Jesus pointedly
said that it is the will of the Father. It is the Father’s will to give you
life, to give you true and lasting happiness, to give you meaning and purpose
of this life, to give you love, joy, and peace that this world can never offer
nor take away.
        I
think probably many of us could relate to this Samaritan woman. I’m not sure
what your concept of God is. Jesus is the fullness of God, the exact representation
of God, and in the same Gospel of John, it explicitly says that, in fact, Jesus
is God Himself as one of the Godhead members of the Trinity. We don’t have time
here to explain what the Trinity is, but it’s ok. The Word of God, and the
passage today, clearly tell us what God is really like and who God is. He is
not a set of doctrines, not a religion, He is not something but someone, a
personal someone who lives and loves you today, tomorrow and forever. Jesus is
with us right now right here, and He is loving each one of us now. How can we
respond and relate to Him. You see, in verses twenty-three and twenty-four,
when He was discussing the place of worship in the Old Testament times with the
Samaritan lady, He further elucidated that the temple of God
was only in effect in Old Testament times because revelation of God is
progressive. The real purpose that God has set up the temple worship in Old
Testament times was because Jesus hasn’t came and Jerusalem was the chosen
place that represented the presence of God, although God’s presence was also
everywhere in Old Testament times. So the purpose of the Jerusalem
Temple was to teach and reveal to us
certain aspects and working of God, and God’s special presence did manifest in
the Temple
before. However, Jesus now is making this revelation of God complete. He said
God is Spirit, therefore, He is not confined to a geographical region or
building, and although He chose the Jews to carry out His purposes on this
earth in the beginning, it is never exclusive nor intended for specific chosen
people only, but it’s for all and everyone. Hence, the way to respond to Him
and have a relationship to Him is to what Jesus referred here to approach Him
in “spirit and truth.” To put it simply, this means to approach God with a
sincere heart and the right attitude. Whether you are a Christian for years and
years or do not really know who Jesus is yet, God looks at our hearts. Our
heart is the most important. If there’s a yearning in your heart, if there’s a
hunger in your heart, if there’s a thirst in your heart. If you feel that
nothing in this world is giving you eternal meaning, if you feel that this life
is not all that there is, God is here, He knows your heart, and he sees your
heart. Don’t be alarmed by this fact when He knows the deepest pain and secrets
of our hearts, because He still loves you the same, He still loves you truly,
madly, and deeply, and He knows that I am not exaggerating here. This church
and what we do here every Sunday is not a religion. Yes, we may classify “Christianity”
as a “religion” in terms of library and human philosophical categorization, but
in its essence, it’s not a religion in the sense of just a bunch of rules and
regulations. Jesus did not come to give just some rules and a good moral code.
He is a Person, He is alive today. It’s a relationship. He came to give you
life. Have you noticed that in the same verse twenty-three that the Father is seeking those who will come to Him and
worship in spirit and truth? He is right now seeking after you much more than
us seeking Him, because He cares for you and He loves you. He is not someone
distant and angry. No a million times, and no. Contrary to popular belief or
whatever this society tells you, it’s the exact opposite. God is near and loving.
And He’s so near and loving that He is here right now, and we can come to Him
anytime because it’s our hearts that matters. This service will end pretty
soon, but He is not bounded by this building or only on Sunday. He is there for
you twenty-four-seven, all the time, at all places, at all circumstances. You
don’t have to know all the theology and doctrines in order to have an intimate
relationship with Him. Yes, there are truths and theology in the Bible that we
need to know so we can know Him and relate to Him even better, we’re not
playing down our intellects nor theology, but to show that those kind of things
in themselves are not synonymous with God or having a relationship with Him.
        As
the worship team comes up the stage, I invite you to seek Him and just to bring
whatever is in your hearts to Him. He knows and He understands even if you
don’t know what you’re feeling deep inside your heart. Maybe it’s pain, maybe
it’s something that you don’t know how to say to others, or can’t say it, or
don’t have anyone to say it. Whatever is in your heart and life, He is there to
meet you and listen. He is there to help. Prayer is not a set of pious words,
but it is simply our heart communicating with God. I can sense the love and
compassion of God in my heart right now, that He feels for you, His deep, deep
love for you. You don’t need to be good to earn this love. It is exactly
because we’re not perfect, that we’re all sinners, that He came to take our
place of guilt and shame and in exchange to give us love and life. He wants to
speak to us right now. Let’s take some time now as the musicians play, and
close our eyes and wait on Him and commune with Him now. If this is something
you feel is important, don’t let how others see you hinder your coming to know
God and the truth, whether you’re a Christians or not. Let’s just take a moment
to close our eyes and wait on Him.
(After about 2 minutes of
waiting, as I sensed the presence of God and the Spirit of God moving and
touching people’s hearts, I signaled the worship team to start leading us into
worship to give room for the Spirit to work further. I continued some closing
remarks for the service as the worship approach an end.)
        Let’s
pray. “Dear Father, You are seeking us this morning. Because of You love us, this
love is what compelled and drove You to seek us ceaselessly and tirelessly. As
a lover searches for his or her lost love, so You’re seeking us, only with a
much greater intensity. I pray that You would open our eyes and see that You
are embracing each one of us even right now. I ask that You would open our ears
to hear the sound of Your voice, speaking tenders words to our hearts right
now. Whether we see it or not, or feel it or not, we know that this love is
here for us. I pray as we leave this place, we know that You are still with us.
In our homes, workplace, school, whenever and wherever. Oh we love Your
presence and You being with us. Thank You for who You are and Your presence and
all Your goodness and blessings, as we never, never take anything for granted. Father,
keep us strong in Your grace, so that we also live like Christ to the people in
our lives. Help us to live and love like Jesus did and does today. Help us to
be transformed to His image in our character more and more. Help us to be like
Jesus. This day we do not ask for blessings of material or raise or our desires
for more materialistic or financial success. It’s not about that although we
know You are a good God intending for us to prosper in all areas of life. But
Father, we ask to know You more and to have a closer relationship with You, so
that we carry Your presence and live like You do. I ask that Your love will
just increase and abound and flow in our hearts and spirits, and melt our
hearts, so that we fall in love with You over and over and over again, day by
day, it’s such a joy and blessed state to know You Father. My Father, our
Father, dear Heavenly Father, we love You, with all our heart, soul, mind and
strength. Thank You Jesus.”
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Audience Description and the Message/Topic Rationale
        I
intend to write a word-for-word evangelistic sermon for a typical Sunday
morning service in a church in Vancouver,
Canada, where I
reside currently. The date is June 15, 2008. I am the senior pastor of a
congregation of about one hundred, and I preach regularly on Sundays. This area
is mostly populated by the middle class. The church is composed of all age
groups from seniors, elder and younger adults, teenagers, and kids. The people
have an average educational background ranging from technical school diplomas
to college degrees. Most of the church attendees are Christians, about
one-third have been to this church since her inception three years ago, some a
shorter period of time, but most of them are members. This was a special Sunday
where many non-Christian new friends were invited to come and there are quite a
number of them present. A few of these newcomers have been to this church a
couple of times before, some of them are first-timers, and there are always
those seekers who have attended this church for years but have not come to a
personal relationship with Christ yet. Among them are about half Caucasians and
half Asians. I do not know each of their particular spiritual background. Their
religious views could range from a general belief in a non-personal god or
gods, Eastern religion, ancestor worship, plain atheism espousers, or those who
are so occupied with earthly affairs that they have never considered
spirituality issues before. Most of these non-Christians are adults, but there
are also some teenagers.
        The
host has led us in warm greetings with one another; I tried to shake hands with
as many new faces as possible during this time. The host then made some
announcements and prayed before the worship and offering. I focused on God
wholeheartedly especially during the worship and waited on Him in my heart. I
tried not to be so concerned with my preaching in just a moment but listened to
God and asked for grace so that Christ would minister through me by the power
of the Holy Spirit. I had waited on God a few days ago on what He wanted me to
share this coming Sunday. I believe the Spirit has impressed on my heart to
share on Jesus’ encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well in John 4. He
wanted me to share that Jesus came to give us life and not to establish a
religion. It has been my practice to hear what God’s will is in every message I
preach or teach. Therefore, as the worship ended and I stepped up the platform,
my heart rested in God as it is He who will now take over and I am just a
yielded instrument. I have named my sermon topic “Jesus Came to Give us Life.”
The tone of my voice is mostly friendly. It is compassionate and empathetic at
places, and firm and pleading during other parts. Since these nuances of tone
are very hard to convey in written words, or even impossible especially with
the work of the Spirit moving in actual services, some imagination of emotions
may be needed on the part of the reader in order to feel the overall impact of
this sermon. I actually speak fairly fast especially when I am explaining the
Bible, so there may be a lot of words being written, but I may speak slower and
even slow in places where I feel the Spirit wants me to emphasize a particular
point or simply to slow down so the people can absorb the impact of His
presence and Word.

Jesus Came to Give Life
        I
want to welcome you all warmly again to the house of God this morning. It is
good to be in the presence of God and seeing you all here. I especially want to
welcome those who are here for the first time. I hope you’ll also sense God’s
love, joy and peace with us as well. And feel free to write down your prayer
requests in the friendship cards in the pews, and we’ll pray for your needs—we
always love to pray with you.
        This
morning we’re going to look at the Gospel of John. So if you have your Bibles,
please turn with me to John chapter four, verses one to forty-two. The Gospel
of John, chapter four, verses one to forty-two. If you don’t have a Bible,
there are Bibles in the pews in front of you. Ok, now let me read this passage
to you, and it is also displayed on the screen:
“1 Therefore, when the Lord knew that the
Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John 2
(though Jesus Himself did not baptize, but His disciples), 3 He left Judea and
departed again to Galilee. 4 But He needed to
go through Samaria.
5 So He came to a city of Samaria which is called Sychar, near the plot
of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. 6 Now Jacob’s well was there.
Jesus therefore, being wearied from His journey, sat thus by the well. It was
about the sixth hour.
7 A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to
her, “Give Me a drink.” 8 For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy
food.
9 Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, “How is it that You,
being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” For Jews have no dealings
with Samaritans.
10 Jesus answered and said to her, “If you
knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you
would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.”
11 The woman said to Him, “Sir, You have
nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. Where then do You get that living
water? 12 Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and
drank from it himself, as well as his sons and his livestock?”
13 Jesus answered and said to her, “Whoever
drinks of this water will thirst again, 14 but whoever drinks of the water that
I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will
become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.”
15 The woman said to Him, “Sir, give me this
water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw.”
16 Jesus said to her, “Go, call your
husband, and come here.”
17 The woman answered and said, “I have no
husband.”
Jesus said to her, “You have well said, ‘I
have no husband,’ 18 for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now
have is not your husband; in that you spoke truly.”
19 The woman said to Him, “Sir, I perceive
that You are a prophet. 20 Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you Jews
say that in Jerusalem
is the place where one ought to worship.”
21 Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me,
the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father.
22 You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is
of the Jews. 23 But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers
will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to
worship Him. 24 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit
and truth.”
25 The woman said to Him, “I know that
Messiah is coming” (who is called Christ). “When He comes, He will tell us all
things.”
26 Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am
He.”   
27 And at this point His disciples came, and
they marveled that He talked with a woman; yet no one said, “What do You seek?”
or, “Why are You talking with her?”
28 The woman then left her waterpot, went
her way into the city, and said to the men, 29 “Come, see a Man who told me all
things that I ever did. Could this be the Christ?” 30 Then they went out of the
city and came to Him.
31 In the meantime His disciples urged Him,
saying, “Rabbi, eat.”
32 But He said to them, “I have food to eat
of which you do not know.”
33 Therefore the disciples said to one
another, “Has anyone brought Him anything to eat?”
34 Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the
will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work. 35 Do you not say, ‘There are
still four months and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up
your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest! 36
And he who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, that both
he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together. 37 For in this the saying is
true: ‘One sows and another reaps.’ 38 I sent you to reap that for which you
have not labored; others have labored, and you have entered into their
labors.”  
39 And many of the Samaritans of that city
believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified, “He told me all
that I ever did.” 40 So when the Samaritans had come to Him, they urged Him to
stay with them; and He stayed there two days. 41 And many more believed because
of His own word.
42 Then they said to the woman, “Now we
believe, not because of what you said, for we ourselves have heard Him and we
know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world.”
        Let’s
pray before we begin.
        Dear
Heavenly Father, we come to You this morning, we know that You are with us, and
You are speaking to us through Your Word and Spirit. Father, help us to hear
and to understand Your Word even now. We don’t want to rush things, and we know
that this is not just another Sunday and another message. I pray that our
hearts would be soft and pliable this day. I ask that You would continue to
grant us the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that it is not human wisdom
that will unfold Your Word, but let Your Spirit flood our hearts with the light
of Your revelation so we can know You and experience You this day. Father You
love each one of us here. You know our names and You know us so intimately and
deeply and You care for us so much. I ask that we would have eyes to see and
ears to hear the gentle whisper of Your love to us even this morning. Let Your
love come, and make us whole. Help us by Your grace to see once again that
Jesus came to give us life, and not to establish a religion. It is never about
a religion, but a relationship. A relationship with You because You’re alive today
and is here with us now. I ask as we share this message, that we’ll see more
about the purpose of why You came, never to condemn, but to love and heal,
that’s why You took our place and sacrificed Yourself and Your life for us. May
this love establish and ground our hearts and souls this morning. And in this
precious name of Jesus we pray, amen.
        My
sermon topic this morning is, as you might have seen on the screen already,
“Jesus Came to Give Life.” The Pharisees in verse one are the top religious leaders
of Jesus’ days. However, they are legalistic people whom Jesus calls
hypocrites, because they add extra man-made rules, and they seldom practice
what they teach. They have a very systematic form of religion, but not a true
relationship with God, although they speak of His name and Word all the time.
But Jesus wanted to show His disciples that He was different, that God is not
like that, a dead religion of mere rules, regulations, and do’s and don’ts. In
verse four it says Jesus needed to go
through Samaria while heading to Galilee. Judea is where Jerusalem
is, and Galilee is up far north. In between
was a province called Samaria.
Jesus was born in Bethlehem, Judea, but His
hometown was Nazareth, Galilee;
He grew up there. Now verse four was not saying that it’s the only route to Jerusalem, because it is
not. Samaria
was a special province where its residents are not pure Jews, but they are sort
of a half-breed of Jews and Gentiles. And the Jews despised them utterly, and
they have no dealings with one another. To call someone a Samaritan, to the
Jews, was a big insult. Therefore, most Jews who are traveling north or south
never take the routes passing through Samaria; it would be something like
unclean to them, although we know there’s nothing unclean about passing through
certain geographical area, it’s just what they believed in prejudice. Jesus
needed to go through Samaria
because He has something to do there, and the Father wanted to use this
incident to show to us something very important. Jesus, as the Son of God, was
revealing that He shows no personal favoritism, regardless of race, gender,
skin color, ethnicity, socioeconomic or religious statues, because God created
everyone of the same value and worth—all in the very image of God. In walking
through the area the Samaritans, Jesus was not afraid to offend the Jewish
religious leaders.
        Now
in verse seven, Jesus was tired and He meets a Samaritan lady there. We also
notice that Jesus in His full humanity, besides being fully divine God Himself,
do also feel physically tired while on earth. Now talking with a Samaritan
woman was something very unusual to both the Jews and Samaritans, as we’ve
explained. Men and women also don’t relate to one another very openly in those
days and culture. So the woman in verse nine says, “’How is it that You, being
a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?’ For Jews have no dealings with
Samaritans.” Now Jesus was showing again that He was not afraid to approach
those people whom the society may dislike. He was not someone who tries to
please the top religious or political figures for personal gain or popularity.
His main concern was and is always with people. How people feel, and the truth.
The truth is that everyone is equal, everyone is precious, everyone is valuable,
and there need not be any kind of hatred between people. He is concerned with
how I feel, He is concerned with how you feel, each one of us here. His
disciples were absent, went away to buy food. Now in later verses, we’ll see
that the reason Jesus was here talking to this Samaritan lady was exactly the
Father’s will for Him. And if Jesus is the Son of God, that means He is God,
what He does is what the Father’s will and heart is. God is concerned with your
feelings and He cares for you. Jesus asked for a drink, and then they had a
dialogue concerning the place of the temple worship. The Jews have always
believed that the place that God has specially chosen for the temple worship is
Jerusalem. The
Samaritans did not believe that it’s Jerusalem,
and they later had their own temple on Mt. Gerizim.
If we check back the Book of Deuteronomy and the Old Testament, we see that the
Jews are right, Jerusalem
was the place that God has chosen. Furthermore, He has pointed out that
“salvation in of the Jews” in verse twenty-two, meaning, the Jews were the
God-chosen people from whom the Messiah, namely Himself, would come from the
earthly perspective. Jesus was of the tribe of Judah. The Samaritans did not read
the entire Old Testament, but only the Pentateuch, which is also called the
Book of Moses, because they were traditionally believed to be written by Moses.
But moreover, their Pentateuch was a different version than the Jews’
Pentateuch or our Old Testament Pentateuch. Our Pentateuch is the Jews’
Pentateuch, but theirs’ is called the Samaritan Pentateuch, with some
variations. Now we believe the Jewish Hebrew Bible, that is our Old Testament
is the inspired correct Bible, we as Christians just have an addition of the
New Testament because we believe in Jesus is the Christ, while the Jews do not
believe Him to be the Messiah yet, Messiah means “Savior,” they’re still
looking for their Messiah even this day. So in a strong sense, this Samaritan
lady would be someone we might classify as a cult member, believing something
about Christianity, but don’t have the complete Scriptures or core doctrines
that evangelical Christians believe in. In any event, this shows forth very
clearly, that regardless of what religious background, you don’t even need to
be a Christian for God to care and love you. That’s true, for God so loved the
world, that is everyone. That’s exactly why the Father had Jesus approached and
ministered to this Samaritan lady.
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