Spiritual Thought for the Week 2009/4/12

DATE: 2009/4/12
本周默想分享
今天复活节，我们庆祝基督复活，同时也庆祝我们自己在基督里已是新造的人。"若有人在基督里，他就是新造的人，旧事已过，都变成新的了。"（林後5：17）
在神看来，在亚当里众人都死了，都是灭亡的人，包括我们每一个人，都不配活在神面前。只有基督是神所喜悦的，在祂里面才能存活，藉着耶稣基督的代死，将一切旧有的都带到死地。而在祂的复活里，可以成为新造的人，向神活着，这是最基本的真理。可是许多信徒没有明白救赎的意义，以为仍然可以让我们的旧人，在亚当里的人继续活下去。
这是不可能的。那样，何必要基督代死呢？所以凡在基督里蒙救赎的，都当作新造的人，不仅是地位，而是实际整个人。旧事已过，都变成新的了，不只是旧的目的，想像，欲望，生活，行为，以及一切的关系等旧事物都过去了。而且整个人都变成新的了，新的生命，道路，关系，盼望，以及一切所发生的事，都变成新的了。
在基督以外的一切，都不为神所许可和喜悦的。不但都是虚空的，将来还要被定罪，受亏损。仍在旧造的里面，也必定没有平安，喜乐，因为所有的情形与神的旨意不和，与基督脱节，不是在圣灵的引导之下活着。心中常会自责，一直活在罪中，哪有甚麽属灵的前途和祝福呢？在基督以外，甚麽都是旧的，毫无存在的价值。必须站在基督里，活在基督里，行在基督里，一切才变成新的。
我们在基督里，不但有了新的地位，在重生时，里面也有了新的心，新的灵，新生命，所以是一个新造的人。以前残存的旧人和旧人的行为，必须脱去。（弗4：22），不容它再存留在我们身上和里面了。
Spiritual Thought for the Week
Today is Easter Sunday. We celebrate the resurrection of Christ. At the same time we celebrate the fact that we are new beings in Christ. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!”(II Corinthians 5:17)
In the eyes of God, all men had died in Adam. They are perished beings. That includes each and every one of us. We don’t deserve to live before God. Only Christ meets God’s pleasing sight. Only he deserves to live. Through Christ’s propitiating death he puts an end to the old beings. In his resurrection, we become new ones. We become living creatures again in the eyes of God. This is the basic truth. Unfortunately many believers do not understand the meaning of redemption. They thought they can still live in the old being and continue their lives in the old Adam.
If this is so why did Christ have to die for us in the first place? Thus all who are saved by Christ should look at themselves as new beings. Not only in abstract sense but also in practical sense. Our old selves have become new. Not only we leave behind the old meanings, thoughts, desires, life, deeds and relationships, but also we acquire the whole new person with new life, ways, relationship, hopes and purpose.
Apart from Christ, nothing is pleasing and acceptable in God’s sight. Everything in us is in vain. We have to face judgment and condemnation. We have no joy in our heart because there is disharmony from the will of God. There is dislocation with Christ’s connectedness. There is contradiction with the direction from the Holy Spirit. Our conscience leaves us no peace. We are in constant threat under guilt. What spiritual future or blessing can we get out of there? Outside of Christ everything is old. It has no value for existence. If we want value for existence, we have to stand in Christ, live for Christ, walk with Christ who makes everything new.
In Christ, we have a new position. Being born again we have a new heart, a new spirit, a new life and a new being. Like Paul said, “You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.”(Ephesians 4:22)
--End—

CALL TO WORSHIP: I Pet. 1:3-4
Please put Holy Baptism after Children Music and before Children’s message.
HYMNS: 1. Cancelled from now on
2. #108 Christ the Lord Is Risen Today
3. #110 I serve a Risen Savior
SCRIPTURE READING: John 20:11-18
SERMON: Tears turn to joy
講道題目: 眼泪变成喜乐

CONGREGATION & CHURCH CONCERNS:
(English)
1. Today is Easter Sunday, we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord from the tomb. We will have baptism for Brother David Li and Brother Huo Yan who confess Jesus as their Lord and Saviour. We congratulate them for becoming a new being in Christ. 2. This Friday April 17th, 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. This Saturday April 18th, 2009 evening 6:00 pm Chinese Scholars’ Evangelist Testimony on DVD will be held in the dinning hall featuring the 10th lesson on “Science and the ideology of science.” by Rev. Hong Yu Jian. All are welcome. 4. This Thursday April 16 the Chinese Association of the United Church of Canada will commence their annual meeting in Calgary Chinese United Church. Theme: “Let us go beyond Church’s Walls” Rev. Wilson Chan will be attending representing our church. He will come back late evening on April 19. 5. Next Sunday April 19 Brother Miguel Stack will preach on the pulpit. Please come and hear the message of God through his faithful servant. 6. 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. Sign up sheet is posted on the bulletin board. 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. 今天复活节我们庆祝基督从坟墓里复生。我们为接受基督做主和个人救主的李志恒弟兄和霍岩弟兄举行洗礼。恭喜他們在基督的救恩下已是新造的人。 2. 本星期五4月17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. 本星期六4月18日下午6时，中国学者传道人布道光碟见证晚会有『洪予健讲道集』。第十讲"科學和科學主義"，请带新朋友来参加。 4. 本星期四4月16日加拿大华人联合教会协会年会将在卡城华人协和教会举行。主题：让我们走出教会的高墻。陈伟甡牧师将代表本堂出席参加。他将於4月19日晚上回来。5. 下主日4月19日Miguel Stack弟兄将擔任證道，请来聆听他带给我们的神的话语。6. 2009年国语联合培灵大会定4月24至26日星期四至星期日下午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。表格已貼在報告板上，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。