待續. . . Living the Sequel

1.圣诞节有续集 Christmas has a sequel 10 论到这救恩，那预先说你们要得恩典的众先知，早已详细的寻求考察。 11 就是考察在他们心里基督的灵，预先证明基督受苦难，后来得荣耀，是指着什么时候，并怎样的时候。 12 他们得了启示，知道他们所传讲的一切事（传讲原文作服事），不是为自己，乃是为你们。那靠着从天上差来的圣灵，传福音给你们的人，现在将这些事报给你们。天使也愿意详细察看这些事。 10 Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, 11 trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. 12 It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things -彼得前书 1 Peter 1:10-12

愿颂赞归与我们主耶稣基督的父神，他曾照自己的大怜悯，借耶稣基督从死里复活重生了我们，叫我们有活泼的盼望， 4 可以得着不能朽坏，不能玷污，不能衰残，为你们存留在天上的基业。 5 你们这因信蒙神能力保守的人，必能得着所预备，到末世要显现的救恩。 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade--kept in heaven for you, 5 who through faith are shielded by God‘s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. -彼得前书 1 Peter 1:3-5

你们也要听见打仗和打仗的风声，总不要惊慌。因为这些事是必须有的。只是末期还没有到。 7 民要攻打民，国要攻打国。多处必有饥荒，地震。 8 这都是灾难的起头。（灾难原文作生产之难）。 9 那时，人要把你们陷在患难里，也要杀害你们。你们又要为我的名，被万民恨恶。 10 那时，必有许多人跌倒，也要彼此陷害，彼此恨恶。 11 且有好些假先知起来，迷惑多人。 12 只因不法的事增多，许多人的爱心，才渐渐冷淡了。 13 惟有忍耐到底的，必然得救。 14 这天国的福音，要传遍天下，对万民作见证，然后末期才来到。 You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 7 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of birth pains. 9 "Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. 10 At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, 11 and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. 12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 13 but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. -马太福音 Matthew 24:6-14

因为圣诞节有续集 , 我们可以忍耐 Because Christmas has a sequel, we can persevere 6 因此，你们是大有喜乐，但如今，在百般的试炼中暂时忧愁。 7 叫你们的信心既被试验，就比那被火试验，仍然能坏的金子，更显宝贵。可以在耶稣基督显现的时候，得着称赞，荣耀，尊贵。 8 你们虽然没有见过他，却是爱他。如今虽不得看见，却因信他就有说不出来，满有荣光的大喜乐。 9 并且得着你们信心的果效，就是灵魂的救恩 6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7 These have come so that your faith--of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire--may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 9 for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls. - 彼得前书 1 Peter 1:6-9

循着真理前行 - 王彦超 Testimony - Yanchao Wang 直到去年，我来美国之后，开始更加全面的学习圣经，开始认识主基督。通过查经、教会礼拜、观看网上视频资料，开始慢慢被主基督的事迹所感动。也经常与远在澳洲的大学同学讨论圣经和主耶稣的故事。对救主认识的越深，越发现自己的卑微。随着对主基督的认识越来越深刻，过去盘踞内心的很多困惑逐渐得到回答。我相信只有全能的主才可以构建这一切，也只有主才是完美的。我开始发自内心的反思和忏悔，不断回想自己的经历。一路走来，若非有主的恩典，我难以走到现在。感谢主，感谢主的恩典！虽蒙恩，而未识恩，主并未加罪而是一如既往的爱着我。我也深信，主再次降临的日子近了，求主赦免我的罪，在未来的日子里，继续看护我，让我能够与主同行，向着真理的道路前行。 在以后日子，我将会不断阅读圣经，聆听上帝的智慧，跟随神的脚步，不断完善和超越自我，走向完美，走向至善。  When I came to United States, I began a more comprehensive study of the Bible, and got to know Christ more. Through Bible study, Church, watching online videos, I slowly began to be touched by the story of Christ. With students as far away as Australia, I regularly discussed the Bible and the story of Jesus. The deeper we understand the Savior, the more we discover his humility. With awareness of Christ more and more deeply entrenched inside, a lot of past confusion has been answered. I believe that only the Almighty can have created it all, and only God is perfect. With introspection and repentance, I constantly reflected on my own experiences. Along the way, I realized that apart from the grace of God, I can't go further. Praise the Lord and thanks to God's grace! Despite my ignorance and my enmity, still He, as always, love me. I also firmly believe that second coming day of the Lord is near, and ask the Lord to forgive my sins. In the coming days, and He continues to watch over me, I am able to walk with the Lord along the path of truth.

“I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials and tribulations. Some of you have come fresh from narrow jail cells. Some of you have come from areas where your quest for freedom left you battered by the storms of persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality. You have been the veterans of creative suffering. Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive. . . knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed. Let us not wallow in the valley of despair. . . . I have a dream today. I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together. This is our hope. This is the faith that I go back to the South with. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day. This will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with a new meaning, "My country, 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrim's pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring.“ - Excerpt, Martin Luther King, Jr, “I Have a Dream”

因為我们是续集裡的主要演员，我们必须约束我们的心，以行动延续耶稣的故事 Because we are the main characters of the Christmas sequel, we must ready our live to continue the story with action. 13 所以要约束你们的心（原文作束上你们心中的腰），谨慎自守，专心盼望耶稣基督显现的时候所带来给你们的恩。 14 你们既作顺命的儿女，就不要效法从前蒙昧无知的时候，那放纵私欲的样子。 15 那召你们的既是圣洁，你们在一切所行的事上也要圣洁。 16 因为经上记着说，你们要圣洁，因为我是圣洁的。13 Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. 14 As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. 15 But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16 for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.“ -彼得前书 1 Peter 1:13-16

凡接待他的，就是信他名的人，他就赐他们权柄，作神的儿女。 13 这等人不是从血气生的，不是从情欲生的，也不是从人意生的，乃是从神生的。 14 道成了肉身住在我们中间，充充满满的有恩典有真理。我们也见过他的荣光，正是父独生子的荣光。 15 约翰为他作见证，喊着说，这就是我曾说，那在我以后来的，反成了在我以前的。因他本来在我以前。 16 从他丰满的恩典里我们都领受了，而且恩上加恩。 17 律法本是借着摩西传的，恩典和真理，都是由耶稣基督来的。 18 从来没有人看见神。只有在父怀里的独生子将他表明出来。 Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God-- 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God. 14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. 15 John testifies concerning him. He cries out, saying, "This was he of whom I said, 'He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.' " 16 From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only,, who is at the Father's side, has made him known. - 约翰福音 John 1:14-18

圣诞节有续集 Christmas has a sequel 因为圣诞节有续集 , 我们可以忍耐 Because Christmas has a sequel, we can persevere 因為我们是续集裡的主要演员，我们必须约束我们的心，以行动延续耶稣的故事 Because we are the main characters of the Christmas sequel, we must ready our live to continue the story with action. 崇拜 爱 服务 祷告 庆祝 原谅 相信 安慰