Congreation & Church Concerns 2009/3/1

DATE: 2009/3/1

CALL TO WORSHIP: Matthew 5:3

SCRIPTURE READING: Col. 3:5-14
SERMON: Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
讲道题目: 主怎样饶恕了你，你也要怎样饶恕人。

CONGREGATION & CHURCH CONCERNS:
1. New council meeting was held last Wednesday. New officers have been elected They are: Brother Frank Pan (Chairman, Christian Education, Pastoral Care and Ministry & Personnel）, Brother Liang Yi (Treasurer), Brother Wei Wang (Secretary and Property), Brother Bruce Newman (English, Property, Ministerial & Personnel and Presbytery Representative), Brother Simon Ma (Treasurer), Brother Tie Qiang Hu (Christian Education), Brother Shupang Chou (Outreach, Christian Education and Ministerial & Personnel), and Brother Winson Orr (Worship and Ministerial & Personnel). We look forward to a vibrant church ministry under their leadership.
2. This Friday March 6, 2009 evening 8 pm Rev. Gerry Fuller and his wife Norma will lead Bible study and prayer in the dinning hall. We are studying Jesus’ sermons on the mount. We will pray for our church as well as for individuals’ blessings. All are welcome.
3. Lent has begun starting from last Wednesday Feb. 25 called Ash Wednesday for a period of 40 days. Please take this time to fast and pray for the preparation of Christ’s saving act on the cross.
4. The March-April Chinese devotional “Proclaim” has arrived and is displayed on the foyer table. Please claim your copy and do your daily devotional with it at home.
5. 2009 Joint Mandarin Devotional Meeting will be held April 24-26 (Friday to Sunday) evenings 7:30 pm at the Emmanuel Alliance Church Ottawa. Theme speaker Rev. Felix Lau encourages us to enter into a program of fasting and praying relay which last 40 days starting from March 15 and ending on April 23. You can fast one meal per week. With another 20 people signing up one form we will cover every meal with a person praying and fasting for the event. Please pray for personal need, church revival, families, seekers to the faith and all others that have specific needs when you fast.
会友与教会关怀：

1. 第一次堂会会议已于上周三举行，选出8位堂会职员，他们是：潘文弟兄(堂会主席兼基督教教育，牧养关怀，教牧人事)，梁毅弟兄（司库），王蔚弟兄（堂会书记兼楼业管理），Bruce Newman弟兄（英语事工兼楼业管理，教牧人事，区会代表）马文豪弟兄（司库），胡铁强弟兄（基督教教育），周树邦弟兄（外展布道兼基督教教育，教牧人事）和柯文生弟兄（崇拜兼教牧人事）。愿主祝福本堂在新一届堂会领导下继续发展天国圣工。
2. 本星期五3月6日下午8点，GERRY牧师和太太NORMA女士将带领查经和祷告。我们现在查考耶稣登山宝训的经文。我们为教友的事情和教会的事工，同心合意祷告
3. 为期40天的大斋节於上星期三2月25日（灰的星期三）开始。请弟兄姊妹多作禁食祷告。预备迎接救主在受难节和复活节所成就的救赎大功。

4. 三四月份的[传]灵修小册已放在门口桌子上，请领一本回家作个人每天灵修之用。
5. 2009年国语联合培灵大会定4月24至26日星期四至星期天下午7：30分在渥太华主恩宣道会举行。大会讲员刘富理牧师呼吁我们推动四十天的连锁禁食祷告。参加特会的弟兄姊妹，每人每周至少禁食祷告一次，而且每餐都有人为这特会禁食祷告。陈牧师已制作了表格，您可以签名在其上。让我们在禁食祷告中，为个人，为教会的复兴，为家庭，为慕道友，为有需要的人迫切祷告。

本周默想分享
在大斎节期间我们要听耶稣的宝训，祂说：“虚心的人有福了！因为天国是他们的。”（马太5：3）圣经原文的意思是：灵里面贫穷的人 有福了，因为神的国度是他们的。灵里贫穷的人是一个承认自己是个灵性破产的人。这样的人已经是神国度里的一分子了。因为只有这样的人会在神面前谦卑认罪，得到神的怜悯，享受天堂无穷的恩典和祝福。我们有时得不着恩典和祝福，会不会是因为我们太骄傲，不肯承认自己是个灵里贫穷的人，以至神的怜悯和恩典永远不能进到我们的心里呢？
耶稣在路加福音6章更直接了当地说，“你们贫穷的人有福了。。。但你们富足的人有祸了。”让我们反省，我们是不是一个灵里贫穷的人？我们谦卑，就得怜悯，变成一个有福的人。还是我们坚持要做一个灵里富足的人，因骄傲，我们不需要神的怜悯，得不到神的祝福，变成一个有祸的人？
过去我们犯过要坚持灵里富足的罪。我们说在这礼拜堂里没有灵性餧养，我们得不到我们应得的富足。我们只问我们要怎样填满礼拜堂的座位。我们没有问填满了座位是为荣耀神还是荣耀我们自己。倘若为荣耀神的话，神不用我们的力量也必能把这些座位填满。倘若不是为荣耀神的话，神自始至终都不会让这事成就的。我们又何必勉强神呢？
马利亚说：“我心尊主为大；我灵以神我的救主为乐。因为他顾念他使女的卑微，从今以後，万代要称我有福。那有全能的，为我成就了大事，他的名为圣。他怜悯敬畏他的人，直到世世代代。她用膀臂施展大能；那狂傲的人，正心里妄想就被他干散了。他叫有权柄的失位，叫卑贱的升高；叫饥饿的得飽美食，叫富足的空手回去。”(路1：46-53)
在禁食祷告的期间，我们要忏悔认罪，我们要承认自己是个灵性破产的人。求主怜悯。叫我们能够有一个谦卑的心接受祂的拯救。
Spiritual Thought for the Week
In this season of Lent let us listen to the words from the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:3) In other words, you are blessed when you feel you are spiritually bankrupt. It is because only those who humbly admit their spiritual bankruptcy will ask help from God. Then God will give them grace and forgiveness. Eventually they become blessed citizens in the kingdom of God. Sometimes we find ourselves outside of that blessedness. Could it be because we are too proud to admit that we are poor in spirit? Our pride keeps God’s grace and mercy from entering into our hearts.
Jesus spoke the same message in Luke with even more direct words. He said, “Blessed are you who are poor…But woe to you who are rich.” (Luke 6:20&24) Let us search our own souls in light of this Scripture. Are we poor? Do we acknowledge our need for help? Do we ask God for help and seek his mercy? Have we experienced his forgiveness and become blessed members in his kingdom? Or do we insist we are never poor? We are proud. We don’t need God’s mercy. We don’t need his blessings. We couldn’t care less even when Jesus says ‘woe to you who are rich’ because we are rich.
Until recent days we as the church have sinned by insisting we are rich. We complain we are treated with poor spiritual nourishment. We deserve richer spiritual nourishment than this. We are concerned merely on how to fill up our pews. We are not concerned about filling up our pews in this particular case would mean only glorification to men and not to God. If filling up our pews can glorify God, God would have done this long time ago with or without our help. The fact that God does not make this happen is proof that filling up our pews can not glorify God. Why do we have to force God to do things He never meant for us?
‘And Mary said, “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me—holy is his name. His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty.”’ (Luke 1:46-53)
In this season of fasting and praying, let us confess the corporate sin of our church. Let us ask God to make this church poor. So that the blessing that Jesus promised, “Blessed are you who are poor” will be fulfilled in this church.
——End——