10. Manna issue 95 - God's Enduring Love 神永遠的慈愛
John Alexander—Cerritos, California, USA 美國加州喜樂坡
In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, I testify.
奉主耶穌聖名，見證。
It brings me great joy to testify of God's amazing grace on my journey of faith.
My story does not contain any momentous miracles,
but this is not a question of whether God could perform these in my life.
Rather, God knew a better way for me.
I experienced His enduring love, which, to me, is miracle enough.
在我信仰之旅見證神奇妙的恩典，為我帶來了極大的喜樂。
我的故事沒有包含任何重大的神蹟，
但這並不是神可不可以在我的生命中實行這些事的問題。
相反的，神知道給我的更好道路。
我體驗了祂恆久的慈愛，而這對我來說，就已經足夠是種奇蹟了。
EARLY EXPERIENCES AS A CHRISTIAN 基督徒的早期體驗
From the beginning,
I was baptized into the Catholic faith and attended Catholic school.
However, our family's faith seemed to be based on tradition,
passed on from my grandparents,
rather than having a personal relationship with God,
where we looked to God daily.
I went to a public high school and did not pursue my faith.
I would only attend Catholic mass on holidays
or when we planned to eat out afterward.
I did not see the point of making an effort
because I already believed in God and thought I was a good person.
I felt my faith was good enough
even though I valued many things in life more than God.
從一開始就，
我就受洗加入天主教信仰，並就讀天主教的學校。
然而，我們家族的信仰似乎是根據傳統，
從我祖父母那裡流傳下來的，
反而沒有與神建立個人的關係，
是我們每天都會仰望神。
我去上了一所公立高中，並沒有追求自已的信仰。
我只會在參加天主教假日彌撒禮拜，
或是聚會後當我們有計劃要出去吃飯。
我沒有看到要付出努力的意義，
因為我已經信神了，並且認為自已是個好人。
我覺得自已的信仰夠好了，
儘管我看重生命中的許多事物勝過神。
By the end of high school,
I had started attending mainstream Christian churches,
which motivated me to build a relationship with God.
I started looking to God whenever I was sad or struggling.
Going to those churches always made me feel better about myself.
After high school, I was drafted to play minor-league baseball.
Touring with my team, I ended up attending churches all over the country.
My faith helped me overcome family issues and struggles in my baseball career.
I did not differentiate between denominations
—I would attend one church on Saturday night and another on Sunday morning.
I would also participate in Catholic services.
Little did I know that each church has a different set of beliefs.
Back then, I did not understand what doctrine was
and never thought of questioning each church’s beliefs.
I would stay if they had a good message and music band.
But still, going to church was not a top priority.
I would only go to church if I had had a bad week,
was going through a difficult time, or had nothing else "better" to do.
到了高中結束時，
我已經開始參加主流的基督教教會，
這行為激勵了我與神建立關係。
每當我憂傷或掙扎時，就會開始仰望神。
去參加那些教會總會讓我自我感覺更良好。
高中畢業後，我被徵召去打棒球小聯盟。
和我團隊一起去巡迴比賽，最終我去了全國各地的教堂。
我的信仰幫助自已克服了家庭問題和棒球職涯的掙扎。
我不會區分教派，
—星期六晚上我會去一間教會，而週日早上去另一個教會。
我也會參加天主教聚會。
我幾乎不知道每個教會都有不同的信條。
那時，我不知道教義是什麼，
也從未想過去質疑每個教會的信條。
如果他們有好的講道和樂團，我就會留下來。
但去教會仍然不是重要的任務。
我就會去教會，只有當我度過糟糕的一周時
就像是正經歷一段困難的時期，或是沒有其他“更好”的事情可做。
Spiritual Decline 屬靈硬心
The older I got, the more I felt satisfied with life.
My baseball career ended, so I decided to go to college.
I was coasting through life
—working and going to school
—but I had no idea I was slowly dying a spiritual death.
I had so much pride and based my self-worth on my academic and social status.
However, I started becoming obsessed and fearful of germs.
I was unconcerned about sin because I believed God loved me and would forgive me.
The Bible felt like a textbook;
I could not understand its deeper meanings.
I gravitated towards reading daily Christian devotionals and did not pray
—I thought God had already predestined my life, so what was the point?
For a short time, I believed Christians should not eat pork,
and I even denied the existence of hell.
I only knew one dimension of God, which was love,
because I was living in the darkness of the world.
I look back and realize that
my understanding of God was based on how I wanted to perceive Him.
My idea of God was created by my own wants, logic, and opinions.
Moreover, my beliefs would change as time went on, influenced by the words of others.
I had a wavering faith that was easily swayed.
Yet, I never looked to the Bible for answers
because that would have been too much effort.
年紀越大，我對生活越感到滿意。
我的棒球生涯結束了，所以我決定去上大學。
我在生活中隨波逐流
—工作與上學，
—但我卻不知道，自已的精神正在慢慢死亡。
我非常的自豪，是基於我學術和社會地位所建立的自我價值。
然而，我對細菌開始變得痴迷和恐懼。
我並不關心罪，因為我信神會愛我、會原諒我。
聖經感覺就像一本教科書；
我無法理解其更深層的含義。
我傾向於閱讀每日基督教靈修作品，而不是禱告，
—我以為神已經註定了我的一生，而那還有什麼意義呢？
有一段時間，我認為基督徒不應該吃豬肉，
我甚至否認地獄的存在。
我只知道神的一個面向，那就是愛，
因為我活在黑暗的世界。
我回首往事，才意識到，
我對神的理解是基於我想要如何看待祂。
我對神的看法是由我自己的需求，邏輯和觀點所導致的。
而且，隨著時間的流動，我的信仰會受到別人話語的影響而改變。
我的信心很容易動搖。
然而，我從未面向聖經尋求答案，
因為那樣會花費很多心力。
COMING TO THE TRUE CHURCH 來到真教會
In the spring of 2017, I met Kelly, who told me she was a Christian too.
Meeting a Christian who cared more about her faith than I did was rare
—I was the most "Christian" out of everyone I knew.
Kelly shared about the True Jesus Church (TJC),
and I was curious about seeing this church she cared so deeply about.
2017 年春天，我遇到了凱莉，她告訴我她也是基督徒。
遇到一個比我更關心自己信仰的基督徒是很少見的，
—我是比我所認識的所有人中，最「基督徒」的一個。
凱莉分享了真耶穌教會（TJC），
我很好奇想知道有關，她如此深入關心的這間教會。
During my first Sabbath service, I discovered this church sings hymns.
Previously, music worship was a big part of my faith.
I enjoyed attending churches with loud praise bands
because the music stirred my emotions;
I would use these strong emotions as motivation.
On this occasion, I could not join in singing the hymns
because I did not know how to read music.
But the simplicity of the lyrics deeply touched me.
在我第一次去安息日聚會時，我發現這間教會一起唱讚美詩。
以前，詩頌是我信仰的重要部分。
我喜歡參加有吵鬧讚美樂團的教會，
因為音樂會激起了我的情感；
我會用這些強烈的情感當作動力。
這次我卻不能一起唱聖歌，
因為我不知道怎麼讀樂譜。
但歌詞的簡易卻深深打動了我。
Even though I intended to continue with my other church,
I never returned after that first service at the TJC.
It was not that I accepted everything about the TJC that first Sabbath,
but rather, I felt a deep urge inside me to keep coming back.
儘管我打算繼續參加我其他的教會，
在真耶穌教會的第一次聚會之後，我就再也沒有回去過。
並不是說在第一個安息日，我就接受了關於真耶穌教會的一切，
相反的，我內心深處有種想要繼續回來的感動。
I was eager to study and learn
why TJC was so different from all the other churches I had attended.
I could also see a future with Kelly,
so I knew if I wanted to be with her,
I needed to find out if God was in this church.
I had my doubts, but Kelly never pressured me to believe.
She would answer any questions I had and simply supported me throughout.
我渴望去研究和學習，
為什麼真耶穌教會，與我去過的所有其他教會如此的不同。
我還可以看到與凱利交往下去的希望，
所以我知道，如果我想和她在一起，
我需要找出，神是否在這間教會。
我有自已疑問，但凱莉從未強迫我去相信。
她會回答我的任何問題，並只是全程支持我。
Understanding the Sabbath 明白安息日
The Sabbath day was a concept I found difficult to accept.
Every church I had ever known or heard of worships on Sunday.
Even Chick-Fil-A,
a well-known US chicken shop chain founded by a Christian, closes on Sundays.
How could everyone be getting this wrong?
安息日是一個我發現難以接受的概念。
我以前所知道或聽過的每一間教會，都在星期日作禮拜。
就連福來雞速食店，
是美國一家有名的雞肉速食連鎖店，由基督徒創辦，週日關門。
大家怎麼都會犯這個錯誤呢？
I learned that the Jews observe the Sabbath, and the Catholics observe on Sunday,
which they call the "Lord's Day."
So, I concluded that
even the Catholic Church recognizes that the Sabbath is on Saturday;
they choose to worship on Sunday based on their own reasoning.
No one refutes any of the other Ten Commandments,
so why should we skip the Fourth Commandment?
When I read Genesis 2：2,
I am encouraged that God rested as an example for us to follow：
我了解到猶太人守安息日，天主教徒守星期日，
而他們稱之為“主日”。
所以，我得出的結論是，
即使天主教會也承認安息日是星期六；
他們根據自己的理由選擇了主日崇拜。
沒有人會反對其他十誡的任何一條誡命，
那我們為什麼要跳過第四條誡命呢？
當我讀創世記 2 章 2 節時，
令我感到鼓舞的是，神為我們設立了效法的榜樣：
And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done,
and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done.
到了第七天，神結束了祂所做的工作，
到了第七天，他就歇了祂所做一切的工作。
What I appreciate about the TJC
is that we research history and question human tradition
to ensure we follow the truth of the Bible, not man's thinking.
我欣賞真耶穌教會的部份，
就是我們研究歷史，並質疑人的傳統，
來確保我們遵循聖經的真理，而不是人的想法。
Letting Go of Ego and Pride 拋棄自我和驕傲
Kelly explained the Holy Spirit to me
before I attended church for the first time.
However, I was apprehensive.
My only knowledge of speaking in tongues
was that it happened inside cults and "weird" churches.
I quickly realized
the TJC was the farthest thing from any of those institutions.
When members spoke in tongues,
they were fully aware of what was happening.
They could stop at any time.
No one was falling backward or losing control.
Even knowing all of this,
it took me a few months to muster the courage
to pray and ask God for the Holy Spirit.
凱利向我解釋聖靈，
在我第一次去教會之前。
然而，我很擔心。
我只了解說靈言，
是它發生在邪教和“奇怪的”教會之內。
我很快就意識到，
真耶穌教會根本就不是任何這些機構。
當信徒說靈言時，
他們完全知道正在發生的事情。
他們隨時都可以停下來。
沒有人會向後倒下，或是失去控制。
即使知道了這一切，
我花了幾個月的時間才鼓起勇氣，
開始禱告並向神祈求聖靈。
This delay had a lot to do with my pride, ego,
and wanting to maintain control over my life.
I had built up walls to protect myself mentally.
I did not want to think of myself as a fool
or someone who would be laughed at by people of this world.
At the time, this was what mattered most to me.
I believed in science and trusted in my own abilities.
As time passed, I realized that
even though science appears absolute, it is not.
It changes when new studies are conducted
and new information is discovered.
In this light, I could now accept the Bible as absolute truth.
這種耽延有很大關係是與我的驕傲，自我，
及想要保持控制自已的生活。
在精神上我已經築起圍牆來保護自己。
我不想把自己視為傻瓜
或是某個會被世人所嘲笑的對象。
那時，這就是對我來說是最重要的事。
我相信科學，並相信自己的能力。
隨著時間流逝，我了解到，
儘管科學看起來是絕對的，但科學卻並非絕對。
它會改變，當有新的研究進行，
且有新的資訊被發現時。
在這種情況下，我現在可以接受聖經是絕對的真理。
I had to surrender my prideful ego
—the part that wanted to know it all.
The walls I had built to protect me kept God out.
Just as it says in 1 Corinthians 3：18–19：
我必須放棄驕傲的自我，
—就是那想要了解一切的部分。
我為保護自己而建造的圍牆將神拒之門外。
正如哥林多前書 3 章 18-19 節所說：
Let no one deceive himself.
If anyone among you seems to be wise in this age,
let him become a fool that he may become wise.
For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God.
For it is written,
"He catches the wise in their own craftiness."
18人不可自欺。
你們中間若有人在這世界自以為有智慧，
倒不如變作愚拙，好成為有智慧的。
19因這世界的智慧，在神看是愚拙。
如經上記著說：
“主叫有智慧的，中了自己的詭計。”
My prayers gradually became longer and longer.
I was not used to lengthy prayers
because I grew up praying for less than a minute
or two in words of understanding.
These extended prayers made me feel so close to God
—a closeness I had never experienced.
My past experiences were very surface-level compared to this.
After a year of coming to the TJC,
I was ready to commit
and trust that God's Holy Spirit, evidenced by speaking in tongues, was real.
I wrote this in my journal, adding,
"No turning back," and signed it at the bottom.
我的禱告逐漸變得越來越長。
我以前不習慣冗長的禱告，
因為我從小就禱告不到一分鐘，
或是兩句話的默禱。
這種情況導致禱告讓我感覺與神很親近，
—是一種我從未體驗過的親密感。
與此相比，我過去的經驗就很膚淺。
來到真耶穌教會一年後，
我已準備好信主，
並且相信神的聖靈，以靈言為證，是真實的。
我在日記寫下了這一點，並補充說，
“絕不回頭”，並在文末簽名。
THE JOURNEY OF BELIEF AND BREAKING BARRIERS 信仰之旅打破藩籬
I do not change very quickly, but when I decide to change, I fully commit.
I remain skeptical up until I am not.
This is the approach I took with our church doctrines.
I looked at the doctrines skeptically but studied to find the truth.
I appreciate that the TJC members
do not blindly follow and accept the pastors' words.
They pursue the truth of our basic beliefs.
Attending the young adult and basic beliefs classes at Baldwin Park TJC
helped me understand our doctrines more deeply.
There was no specific moment when I fully believed;
it was a slow, methodical process
of coming to believe through seminars, Bible reading, and prayer.
This is by God's grace
because He knows I do not believe things so easily or quickly.
I enjoyed studying church history
because I could see how, historically, church doctrines were changed
by church and world leaders.
I realized God's truth is absolute; man cannot change God's instructions.
What gives me great confidence in the TJC is that
our doctrines align with what the Bible says,
and not the declarations of a single person.
我沒有很快轉變，但當我決定改變時，就會全心投入。
我一直有懷疑的態度，直到我不再懷疑為止。
這就是我對教會教條所採取的方法。
我懷疑的看待這些教義，但透過研究尋找真理。
我很感謝真耶穌教會的信徒，
並沒有盲目跟隨和接受牧師的話語。
他們追求我們基本信條的真理。
參加博恩真耶穌教會的社青班和基本信條課程，
幫助我更深入了解我們的教導。
並沒有任何特定的時刻讓我完全的相信；
這是一個緩慢而有條理的過程，
透過講習會、讀經和禱告以致於信主。
這就是神的恩典，
因為祂知道，我並不會輕易很快的相信事情。
我很愛研究教會歷史，
因為我可以看到在歷史上，教會教義是如何改變的，
由於教會和世界的領袖。
我意識到神的真理是絕對的；人無法改變神的教導。
真耶穌教會能夠給我充滿信心的地方是，
我們的教義與聖經所說的一致，
而不是某個人的聲明。
Reconciling Doubts, Simply Trusting God 化解疑惑，簡單靠神
In the summer of 2018,
I felt ready to give my life to God and be baptized.
I would also attend the National Youth Theological Seminar (NYTS)
and ask Kelly to marry me that summer.
However, Satan was working against me.
My overthinking had gotten extreme.
I started doubting God's existence and the concept of eternity.
So, the NYTS came at the perfect moment.
The thought that I could not let God down,
since He had blessed me with this opportunity,
kept me going during this time.
2018 年夏天，
我覺得自已已經準備好，要將自已的生命獻給神，並接受洗禮了。
我也會參加全國青年神學訓練班（NYTS），
並在那個夏天向凱莉求婚。
然而，撒旦卻在與我作對。
我過度的思考變得很極端。
我開始懷疑神的存在和永生的概念。
所以，全國青年神學訓練班 NYTS 來得正是時候。
一想到我不能讓神失望，
既然他已經祝福我給了這個機會，
在這段時間讓我繼續前進。
During the NYTS, a pastor shared with me that faith is like a tree.
You cannot force the branches to grow faster.
It takes time for faith to grow and develop.
Just like everything else, it is a journey and a process.
I struggled through every emotion during this seminar
—from anxiety to joy to doubt to fear
and to a spiritual depth I had not experienced before.
I was edified through fellowship with the brothers and sisters
and received a lot of intercessions and encouragement.
It was truly touching.
I enjoyed digging deep into God's word during the classes.
In one, we discussed Psalm 84：11–12：
在全國青年神學訓練班期間，有一位傳道與我分享信仰就像一棵樹。
你不能強迫樹枝生長得更快。
信心的成長和發展需要時間。
就像其他事情一樣，這是一個旅程和一個過程。
在這次講習會上，我的每一種情緒都經過掙扎，
—從憂慮到喜悅，又到懷疑，又到恐懼，
並達到了我以前從未體驗過的屬靈深度。
經由與弟兄姊妹的團契使我受到造就，
並且得到很多的代禱和鼓勵。
這真的很感動。
我喜歡在課堂上深入挖掘神的話語。
有一機會，我們討論了詩篇 84 篇 11-12 節：
For the LORD God is a sun and shield;
The LORD will give grace and glory;
No good thing will He withhold
From those who walk uprightly.
O LORD of hosts,
Blessed is the man who trusts in You!
11因為耶和華─神是日頭，是盾牌，
要賜下恩惠和榮耀。
他未嘗留下一樣好處
不給那些行動正直的人。
12萬軍之耶和華啊，
倚靠你的人便為有福！
These verses perfectly summarized what I needed at that time.
I did not receive the Holy Spirit at this seminar,
but in my heart, I knew He had a better time.
這些經文很完美的包括了我當時所需要的。
在這次講習會上我沒有接受聖靈，
但在我心裡，我知道他度過了更好的時光。
Around this time, a member encouraged me to use my doubts
as motivation to draw closer to God.
She also explained that humans exist within time and space,
so we cannot fully comprehend eternity.
If man could fully comprehend God,
then what kind of God would that make Him?
I realized it was not about having all my questions answered.
I used to seek Bible verses to prove things to myself,
but I now use the Bible to support my faith.
Praying, singing hymns, listening to sermons,
and attending NYTS allowed me to conclude
that having simple faith and trusting in the Lord was all I needed.
I had instinctively kept my struggles to myself because of shame,
and the fear of judgment and appearing weak.
However, it helped to talk about them and bring them to light.
I could hear other perspectives, and in turn,
the brothers and sisters could pray for me.
大約在這個時候，一位信徒鼓勵我利用自已的疑慮，
作為親近神的動力。
她還解釋說，人類存在於時間和空間中，
所以我們無法完全理解永生。
如果有人能夠完全理解神，
那會讓祂成為什麼的神呢？
我明白到，這不是要使我所有的問題得到解答。
我常常查尋聖經經文來向自己證明一些事情，
但我現在用聖經來支撐自已的信仰。
禱告，唱讚美詩、聽講道，
參加全國請年神訓班 NYTS 讓我得出結論，
我所需要的就是單純的信心和信靠主。
由於羞恥心，害怕別人的看法和顯出軟弱。
我會本能的把自己的困難留給自己，
然而，談論問題並且提出來是有幫助的。
我可以聽到其他的看法，反過來，
弟兄姐妹可以為我禱告。
Thank God, I received the true water baptism in the fall of 2018.
During my baptism, I was overwhelmed with so much emotion
that it was difficult to express my feelings.
I broke down and wept as I entered the water.
I was moved by God's love
and how arduous the journey had been to get to that point
—the internal struggles and walls I had to break down
to accept God wholeheartedly.
I felt profound peace and cleanliness
—my sins had been truly washed away.
感謝神，在 2018 年秋天我接受了真正的洗禮。
在我受洗的時候，我的內心情感波濤洶湧，
要表達出自已的情感很困難。
當我進入水中時，我內心崩潰並且哭泣。
我受到神的慈愛的感動，
要走到這重要一步的旅程是有多麼的艱辛，
—我必須打破的內心的掙扎與城牆，
要可以全心全意的接受神。
我感到完全的平安和潔淨，
—我的罪孽確實被洗淨了。
Receiving the Holy Spirit 得到聖靈
My next goal was to receive the Holy Spirit;
the more I learned, the more deeply I believed.
Just as Jeremiah 29：13 says：
我的下一個目標是要得到聖靈；
我學得越多，我的信心就越深。
正如耶利米書 29 章 13 節所說：
And you will seek Me and find Me,
When you search for Me with all your heart.
13你們尋求我，
若專心尋求我，就必尋見。
What helped me believe in the Holy Spirit was our basic beliefs.
I would ask myself, Why don't other churches do the things the TJC does
when they make so much sense
and are so clearly stated in the Bible?
The answer to this question is the Holy Spirit.
Without Him, we cannot fully understand the Bible
(Jn 14：26, 16：13; 1 Cor 2：10–11).
The promised Holy Spirit is written and spoken of by Jesus Christ,
the prophets, and the apostles throughout the Bible.
幫助我相信聖靈的是我們的基本信條。
我會問自己，
即然它們很重要，而且聖經都有很清楚的記載
為什麼其他教會不做真耶穌教會所做的事情呢？
這個問題的答案就是聖靈。
沒有祂，我們就無法完全理解聖經
（約 14：26，16：13；林前 2：10-11）。
整本聖經中，應許的聖靈是耶穌基督，先知和使徒，
所書寫和所述說的。
In April 2019, I received God's promised Spirit.
It had been almost a year and a half
since I sincerely started praying for the Holy Spirit.
I had not been praying much
because I was sick and had a sore throat.
But that night, I wanted to kneel and pray for a particular person
and the situation they were going through.
All of a sudden, I felt a strong feeling of motivation,
and my tongue started vibrating.
I was in disbelief.
Afterward, I called Kelly,
who said it sounded like I had received the Holy Spirit!
2019 年 4 月，我得到了神所應許的聖靈。
這幾乎已經是快一年半了，
自從我虔誠開始祈求聖靈。
我並沒有很常禱告，
因為我生病了而且喉嚨很痛。
但那天晚上，我想要跪下來為一個人禱告，
以及為他們正在經歷的情況代禱。
突然間，我感到一種強烈的動力，
我的舌頭開始振動。
我簡直不敢相信。
後來我打電話給凱莉，
她說我好像得到聖靈了！
However, I was not so easily convinced.
I spent the next couple of weeks doubting
and testing if I had indeed received the Holy Spirit
or was vibrating my tongue on my own.
But thank God, a pastor confirmed it,
and I slowly began to believe more and more,
becoming filled with the Holy Spirit.
然而，我並不是那麼容易就相信了。
接下來的幾週我就一直懷疑，
並且測試自已是否確實得到了聖靈，
或是我自己在振動自已的舌頭。
但感謝神，一位傳道證實得到聖靈，
我慢慢的開始越來越相信，
並且得到聖靈充滿。
I now see that
the Holy Spirit would not overpower me in an out-of-control way.
Receiving the Spirit is about surrendering, letting go,
and letting His living water flow freely.
Even during that period of uncertainty,
I felt peace and contentment to not lust after the world.
I distinctly remember this feeling and change.
This encourages me to believe that this is God's true Spirit
because even though I doubted,
I still experienced a clear difference in myself.
我現在明白了，
聖靈不會以失控的方式壓制我。
得到聖靈就是要順服，放手，
讓祂的活水自由流動。
即使在那段不確定性的時期，
我感到平安和滿足，不再貪戀這個世界。
我清楚記得這種感覺和改變。
這鼓勵我相信這就是神真正的靈，
因為即使是我有懷疑，
我仍然感覺自己有明顯的不同。
Now hope does not disappoint,
because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts
by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
(Rom 5:5)
5盼望不至於羞恥，
因為所賜給我們的聖靈將神的愛澆灌在我們心裡。
（羅 5：5）
MOTIVATED BY GOD'S LOVE 得到神慈愛的感動
On reflection,
I was encouraged early on by the love of the brothers and sisters.
Before coming to the TJC,
I would not participate in church activities
or talk to anyone at my previous churches.
I would show up, worship, and leave.
Members of the TJC would approach me and share their testimonies;
we would eat together and clean together.
I was so touched by the shared sense of family.
The Sabbath day is a full day of rest,
where before, I would worship God for just one hour and go home.
經過思考，
我很早就被弟兄媗妹的關愛所鼓舞。
在加入真耶穌教會之前，
我不會參加教會的活動，
或是和任何人談到自已以前的教會。
我會出現，聚會敬拜，然後就離開。
真耶穌教會的信徒會來找我，並分享他們的見證；
我們會一起吃飯，一起打掃。
我被這種共享的家庭氣氛所感動。
安息日是一整天的休息日，
以前，我只會敬拜神一小時，然後就回家。
The TJC is the only church that motivated me to change my life.
Other churches would proclaim what we should do as a slogan,
but as much as I tried or had good intentions,
I could not follow through.
I used to use God's love as a crutch;
now, it motivates me to improve.
I am continually encouraged by this verse：
真耶穌教會是唯一感動我改變生命的教會。
其他的教會只會把我們該做什麼事作為口號，
但儘管我會盡力嘗試，或是有良好的意圖，
我無法堅持到底。
我以前把神的慈愛當作拐杖；
現在，神的愛感動我變得更好。
我常常受到這節經文的鼓勵：
"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,'
shall enter the kingdom of heaven,
but he who does the will of My Father in heaven."
(Mt 7:21)
“21凡稱呼我主阿，主阿的人不能都進天國；
惟獨遵行我天父旨意的人才能進去。”
（太 7：21）
Let us all continue this race of faith together as one family.
I thank God for all the brothers and sisters
who continue to labor, pray for, and support me on this journey.
I thank God for His patience and enduring love.
As Jeremiah says：
讓我們大家都像一家人，一起繼續這場信仰的比賽。
我為所有的弟兄姐妹感謝神，
在這段旅程中，他們一直為我付出、為我代禱，並且支持我。
我感謝神的耐心和恆久的慈愛。
正如耶利米先知所說：
The LORD has appeared of old to me, saying：
"Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love;
Therefore with lovingkindess I have drawn you."
(Jer 31:3)
3古時（或譯：從遠方）耶和華向以色列（原文是我）顯現，說：
“我以永遠的愛愛你，
因此我以慈愛吸引你。”
（耶 31：3）
May the glory, honor, and praise be to our heavenly Father.
Amen!
願榮耀、尊貴、頌讚都歸才我們的天父。
阿門！
小頁 markvmax@hotmail.com
歡迎主內同靈來信加入翻譯
