Chinese Baptist Church of New Orleans 新奥尔良华人浸信会 - 紐奧良華人浸信會
Wednesday, February 23, 2022
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見證分享 Testimony Sharing 新受浸的見證  柴玲的见证
亲爱的弟兄姐妹，在主里平安！下面是我的得救经历。
1． 信主以前的我
在认识主耶稣基督以前，我和你一样，是一个“自然人”。所谓的“自然人”，就是一个凡事都以自我为中心，顺从肉体私欲的人。认为在不违法犯罪的前提下，什么都可以做，尽量争取自己的利益最大化。同时，我也是一个无神论者。从小学开始，在学校里被灌输的都是唯物主义思想。认为人定胜天，科学能解决一切。和大多数人一样，随着时代的潮流从小学，中学，大学，一路走来。从没有独立地思考过生命的意义。也没有接触过任何宗教，思想单纯的如同一张白纸。理所当然地认为只要不做恶，就有内心的平安。只要靠善行，就有快乐。大学毕业后，由于在政府部门工作，经常有宴请和应酬。养成了一个很不好的习惯，就是每次都要醉酒。醉酒后就身不由己，既影响工作又丑态百出。虽然认识到这样不好，但就是无力改变。后来就打算通过考研而逃避那种环境。
2．我的信仰之路
福音最早在我心中撒下种子是在95年的那个平安夜。出于好奇，跟着几个研究生的同学到南京金陵神学院去看圣诞节篝火晚会。篝火没有看到，倒被几个神学生领到他们的宿舍楼下谈圣经。具体细节已经忘了，但只记的一句话大体说来就是神爱世人，让信他的人得永生。走时我们每人得到了影印的一卷马太福音。很遗憾，福音的种子随后就枯干了。后来，又随着出国留学的大潮去了瑞典。在那里参加了校园团契的查经班，逐渐明白了一些属灵方面的道理。虽然不期望将来得永生，至少懂得人是有罪的，比如贪心、骄傲、嫉妒、自私等。耶稣死在十字架上，做了我们的赎罪祭，只要信他，生命就会因他而改变。2002年春天，在福音营会上，当我听到圣诗时，受圣灵感动，马上找到牧师，他为我做了决志祷告后，受洗而归向主。
3． 生命因主而改变
信靠主耶稣，虽然没有让我的事业飞黄腾达、享受荣华富贵，但也从没让我在物质上缺乏过。虽然仍在为生活奔走忙碌，但每到关键时刻，他都指引我当走的路，无论是从瑞典到美国，还是从明尼苏达到新奥尔良。在他那里，有真正的平安和喜乐；从他那里，有不断涌出的生命的活水，永远使人不渴。在这个世界上虽然还有苦难，但他已经胜了这个世界。感谢神，如今醉酒的律在我身上已经死亡了。因为我已经与基都同钉十字架，现在活着的不再是我，乃是基都在我里面活着（罗6：11）。感谢神，他在我还是一个罪人时就拣选了我，没有让我在属灵的道路上经历较长时间的挣扎。然而，这白白的恩典却是无价的。你愿意接受它吗？
 未預見到的果子  English Version《李懋平》
張秀賢(劉師母)譯
我們活在這後現代主義的世界裡，有一個最大的問題是人人都渴望“快速的得到回應”‧我們想要立刻得到結果。我們希望在很短的時間內就看到工作的果效。基督徒也無法避免這個社會趨勢的影響‧假定我們在教會默默的事奉卻無人記念，我們的感覺就好像我們的事奉對世界毫無影響。我們可能在教會的嬰兒房事奉，照顧小嬰兒‧我們所聽到的全是嬰兒的哭聲，有時我們會驚覺這是事奉主？或只是一般的嬰兒看護者？最糟糕的是，當試煉與困難來臨時，發覺我們正處於最黑暗的幽谷裡‧我們可能變得灰心喪志，失去信心，甚至否認神的存在。我們忘記了神在詩篇23篇裡的應許：“我雖然行過死陰的幽谷，也不怕遭害‧因為祢與我同在。祢的杖、祢的竿，都安慰我”。
“主如牧人餵養自己的羊群，用膀臂聚集羊羔抱在懷中…”（以賽亞書40:11），“你們這小羊群，不要懼怕，因為你們的天父，已應許把國賜給你們。”(路加福音12:32)。只要相信！只要相信！在神凡事都能‧無論如何，我們必須等候神的時間，而不是我們自己所定的時間。
下面這見證是出於紐約辛傑米牧師所寫的“風火大能”裡的一個真實故事。在1921年有一對瑞典(Swedish) 宣教士夫婦，名叫大衛和絲美雅 傅拉德 (David & Svea Flood)，他們回應神的呼召到非洲(Africa) 的中心，向比利時所屬的殖民地剛果的土著 (Belgian Congo) 傳福音。他們到了那裡的宣教中心，認識了另一對宣教士夫婦叫艾瑞生 (Ericksons)。主帶領這兩對宣教士進到偏遠的鄉村，是個拜偶像又是瘧疾以及其他熱帶疾病入侵的地方。這兩對宣教士們就在北多勒拉 (N’dolera) 附近安頓下來，但是當地的酋長因為怕惹他們森林的神明們發怒而不准他們入村‧唯一允許能跟這兩對宣教士聯繫的，只有一個小男孩每星期賣兩次雞和雞蛋給他們。於是他們集中他們的努力教育這個小男孩，最後成功的帶領他歸向基督。
然而，由於艱難的叢林生活，加上不斷的瘧疾侵擾，造成他們巨大的痛苦，最後艾瑞生受夠了，無法再留在那裡，於是就回宣教中心站去了，丟下大衛和絲美雅夫婦繼續那艱難的宣教工作。後來絲美雅懷孕了，在剛生完一個小女嬰後17天，由於耗盡體力又加上瘧疾的攻擊而過世了。大衛面臨如此巨大的危機，整個人變得灰心沮喪‧他想到自己把生命完全的奉獻給神，所得到的只看到一個男孩得救，卻是附上極大的代價：在叢林中受盡痛苦與煎熬，甚至最後連妻子也失去了。因此，他丟棄了神對他的呼召，甚至否認神。他把小女兒給了艾瑞生然後自行回瑞典去了。過了八個月以後，艾瑞生也過世了，死因不明。於是這個小女孩被一個美國宣教士領養，後來回國住在南達科他州 (South Dakota)。
這小女孩就在傳道環境中長大，嫁給了一個年青人，名叫杜威 賀斯特 (Dewey Hurst)。後來杜威成為當地一所基督教大學的校長。這女孩子一直渴望知道她瑞典親生父母的消息，但一點資料都沒有，無法知道他們發生了什麼事。有一天，竟然有一份瑞典語的雜誌在她家的信箱裡‧當她翻開雜誌時，突然看到一張照片上的墓碑有一個白色的十字架，上面寫著“絲美雅 傅拉德”。她認得這是她母親的名字，於是立刻到基督教大學找朋友幫她翻譯。那篇文章談到多年前的第一批宣教士在北多勒拉的情形‧當那些白人宣教士都離開那裡以後，那個唯一得救的小男孩長大後在那村莊建立學校，他把從宣教士們所學到的去教導那些學生們，並帶領所有的學生歸向基督‧然後這些學生們又帶領他們的父母信了基督 ─ 甚至那位酋長也成為了基督徒。如今那個村莊有六百位基督徒，都是因為當年傅拉德家庭的犧牲而產生的。
後來賀斯特全家到瑞典去找他們的父親大衛 傅拉德。他們告訴他，當年他和他妻子帶領得救的小男孩如今如何把救恩傳遍全村。大衛聽了之後，向神認罪悔改，如迷失的羊重新回轉歸向基督。過了幾年以後，賀斯特全家到倫敦參加一個宣教會議，遇見了一位撒伊 (Zaire)【是比利時之殖民地剛果 (Belgian Congo) 的前身】的國家教會的總會督，他牧養了一個有十一萬受過浸的信徒的教會。他們發現這位總會督就是當年帶食物去給大衛和絲美雅 傅拉德的那個小男孩。他是當年傅拉德家流淚所撒的種子。
詩篇126:5-6: “流淚撒種的，必歡呼收割‧那帶種子流淚出去的，必要歡歡樂樂的帶禾捆回來。”約翰福音12:24: “一粒麥子不落在地裡死了，仍舊一粒；若是死了，就結出許多子粒來。”哦！主啊！求祢赦免我們的短見！求祢赦免我們在試煉中的軟弱！求祢施恩憐憫我們，因為我們不認祢的次數比彼得還多！然而，我知道祢在十字架上所流的寶血已洗淨我們一切的罪。祢的恩典大過我們所能承認的眾過犯。我們必須作的就是信靠順服祢！
神對我們的一生都有奇妙的計劃。在祂的眼中，任何一個計畫都是寶貴的。我們都是基督身體的一部份，都是重要功能的事奉。在教堂的打掃、抹地與牧師在講台上講道一樣寶貴。我們的事奉都是神隨著自己的旨意用不同的方法，把種子撒在不同的心田與境遇上。神已經應許了，有一天我們將歡呼收割。我們既聽到這個見證 ─ 小小的福音種子栽在一個小男孩身上，卻帶來全村的人悔改得救恩。我們就必須全心轉向神，徹底的信靠順服祂的命令，因為有一天祂的榮耀將會向祂謙卑的僕人顯現。
 Unforeseen Fruit
《 David Lee 》
One of the biggest problems in the postmodern world we live in is that everyone desires instant gratification. We want to see results right now. We want to see the fruits of our labor in a relatively short period. Christians are not immune from this societal trend. Perhaps we serve silently in the church and yet no one else seems to notice, as if our labors have no effects in this world. We may be serving in the church nursery, caring for infants. All we hear are baby cries and sometimes we wonder if all this matters or we are just a regular baby sitter. Worst of all, when obstacles and trials come our way, we find ourselves in the darkest valley. We may become discouraged, loosing our faith and worst of all, denying our God. We forget the promise of Psalm 23: “Even when I walk through a dark valley, I fear no harm for you are at my side; your rod and staff give me courage.”
The Lord feeds his flock like a shepherd. He gathers the lambs in his arms (Isaiah 40:11). Fear not, little flock, for the heavenly Father has promised you the kingdom (Luke 12:32). Only believe, only believe! All things are possible. However, we must wait for God’s time, not our time.
The following testimony was told by Pastor Jim Cymbala in the book, “Fresh Power.” In 1921, a Swedish missionary couple, David and Svea Flood, was called by God to bring the good news to the heart of Africa –then Belgian Congo. They met another missionary couple, the Ericksons, at the central mission station. The Lord led them to take the gospel to a remote village of idol worshipers, an area infested with malaria and other tropical diseases. They settled near the village of N’dolera, but the local chief would not allow them to enter, fearing that forest gods would be angered. The only contact these two couples had was a young boy, who was allowed to sell chickens and eggs to them twice a week. They concentrated their efforts in educating the young boy and succeeded in leading the young boy to Christ.
However, the hardship of the jungle and repeated infestation with malaria took a huge toll on them. The Ericksons had enough and returned to the central mission station, leaving the David and Svea to continue the mission. Svea became pregnant and gave birth to a baby girl—only to die seventeen days later due to exhaustion and malaria. Faced with this enormous crisis, David became discouraged. He devoted his life to God and all he could see was one boy saved at the cost of suffering in the jungle, eventually losing his wife. He rejected his calling and later denied God. He gave the baby girl to the Ericksons and returned to Sweden. Eight months later, the Ericksons mysteriously died, and the baby girl was adopted by American missionaries who later returned to South Dakota.
The little girl grew up in the ministry and married a young man named Dewey Hurst who later became the president of a local Christian college. She was always curious about her Swedish birth parents and did not have any information about what happened to them. One day a Swedish magazine appeared in her mailbox. As she turned the pages, she suddenly saw a picture of a grave with a white cross written with the words “Svea Flood.” She recognized her mother’s name and immediately went to the Christian college to ask a friend to translate the Swedish text. The magazine article talked about the first missionaries in N’dolera long ago. After the white missionaries had all left, the young boy grew up and built a school in the village using the education he received from the missionaries. He won all his students to Christ. Then children led their parents to Christ—even the chief had become a Christian. Today there were 600 Christians in that village, all because of the sacrifice made by the Flood family.
Later the Hursts went to Sweden to visit their father, David Flood. They told him how the one boy he and his wife led to Christ had brought salvation to the entire village. David repented and returned to Christ like a lost sheep. Few years later, while attending a conference in London, the Hursts met the superintendent of the national church of Zaire (the former Belgian Congo) who spoke about the 110,000 baptized believers in the church. They found out that the superintendent was the little boy who brought food to David and Svea Flood. He was the seed that was sown with tears by the Flood family.
Those who sow in tears will reap with cries of joy. Those who go forth weeping, carrying sacks of seed, will return with cries of joy, carrying their bundled sheaves (Psalm 126: 5-6). Jesus said that unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit (John12:24). O Lord, forgive our shortsightedness! Forgive our weakness in times of trials! Have mercy on us for we have denied you many times more than Peter! Yet your precious blood shed on the cross has washed our sins away. Your grace is far greater than the sins that we ever confess in ourselves. All we need to do is trust and obey!
God has a marvelous plan for each of us. In his eyes, all plans are precious. We are all parts of the One Body of Christ, each serving a critical function. Cleaning and mopping the floor of the church is just as precious as preaching from the pulpit. Seeds are sown many ways in different soils and weathers according to God’s will. God has promised that we will one day reap with cries of joy. We have heard the testimony that a small seed of the Gospel planted in a small boy has led to the salvation of an entire village of sinners. We must turn our heart to trust God completely and obeys his commands for his glory shall be revealed to his humble servants one day.
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