BS P IN Equipping God s Workers With God s Word For God s Work November-December, 2015 Genesis 26 records the southbound migration of Isaac, Abraham s son, to Gerar (the southern tip of Canaan) due to famine. God did not want Isaac to follow his father s footsteps in fleeing to Egypt because of famine; so He appeared to Isaac, forbad him to go to Egypt, and promised to bless him. Because of his obedience, Isaac stayed in Gerar and gradually became very wealthy. This eventually made his host, the local king Abimelek, jealous, who then forced him to leave. So Isaac moved from the city to the valley. But the locals continued to take advantage of him that he had to move to Beersheba. That night, the Lord appeared to him, and promised to bless him. There, Isaac built an altar and dug a well (Gn 26:24-25). From this passage, we see God assured Isaac that he will be blessed. Isaac responded by doing two things: he built an altar and dug a well. Let us study the spiritual significance behind building altars and digging wells. The Significance of Altar Building Genesis 8 is the first record of altar building in the Bible. In those days, mankind was completely corrupt and wicked, so the Lord commanded Noah, the only one righteous, to build an ark. God used the flood to destroy the earth. After the flood receded, Noah came out of the ark, and proceeded to build an altar and offered a sacrifice. Much earlier, when Adam s son Abel took the firstborn of his flock and the fat portions and offered them to the Lord (Gn 4:3), the Bible did not mention him building an altar. When Noah built the altar, the merciful God remembered mankind and put up a rainbow as a sign of covenant with man: to never curse the ground again and never use the waters again to destroy the earth (Gn 8:22). He also promised to bless Noah and his descendants. To build an altar is to establish a relationship with God. It is an act of reconciliation between God and man so that man may claim the blessings God promised. Hence, altar building is the gateway to blessedness. The second time the Bible mentioned altar building is in Genesis Chapter 12, when the Lord called Abram to leave his father s hometown and go to the place He designated Canaan. Upon arriving in Canaan, Abram promptly built an altar and offered a sacrifice (Gn 12:7-8). Although at that time he had not yet received any of the blessings God promised, yet by faith he set up the altar and called on the name of the Lord (prayer). This implies that Abram willingly initiated a fellowship, or relationship, with God. He then proceeded to wait patiently for God s promises to be fulfilled. To build an altar is to open the gateway to blessing. When it comes to altar building, we are most familiar with the story of Abraham sacrificing Isaac. Abraham listened to God s command and by faith obeyed to offer Isaac to Him. When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son (Gn 22:9-10). What a deep impression it must be for Isaac to lie on the altar as his father raised Rev. Eduardo Lo the knife to sacrifice him! He witnessed how his father built the altar to offer sacrifice. He witnessed how his father kept the intimate relationship with God. And he witnessed how God greatly blessed his father as a result of that relationship. Isaac learned this valuable lesson, understood that this was the gateway to blessing, and so followed in his father s footsteps. When God appeared to him and promised to bless him and his descendants, Isaac proceeded to do the same by building an altar (Gn 26:25), praying to God and establishing a close relationship with Him. He then waited in faith for the gateway of blessing to open, for the fulfillment of God s promise. The Significance of Well Digging Let us look at the second thing Isaac did. Apart from building an altar, he learned another important lesson from his father digging wells. What does it mean to dig wells? You will notice that when the Bible talks about altars, it refers to forming a relationship with God. When wells are mentioned, it is about establishing relationships between men (an interpersonal relationship). The first mention of well in the Bible is found in the story of Hagar. She was being mistreated by Sarai, her mistress. When Hagar ran away from Sarai, she came across a well, and God spoke to her, telling her to go back to her mistress (Gn 16:14). God wanted her to return and establish a good interpersonal relationship with her mistress. He promised to bless Hagar and her descendants. This event reminds us that we need to have good interpersonal relationships, and God 2 77-B Karuhatan Road, 1441 Valenzuela City, Philippines website: www.bsop.edu.ph (63-2) 292-6795 (63-2) 292-6675
will bless us. This is also a gateway to blessings. Before Abraham was called to sacrifice Isaac, there was a time when, because of famine, he moved south from Canaan, to where the Philistines lived. Abraham befriended the local king Abimelek. But when Abraham became wealthy, Abimelek felt threatened. So he asked Abraham to set up a treaty with him. He wanted Abraham to promise not to oppress them. Abraham did not want to use his wealth and power to take advantage of the local people, so he gladly agreed to this peace treaty with Abimelek. But before the treaty was set, he reminded Abimelek that one of the wells they dug before had been seized by Abimelek s servants. Abraham then gave Abimelek seven ewe lambs in exchange for the well, to seal the deal (Gn 21:22-32). This well was originally Abraham s, but it was taken from him. Technically, he could have asked for recompense. But Abraham willingly suffered losses just so he could form a good relationship with the local people. As a result, he was able to continue living peacefully and prosperously in the place. The gateway to being blessed is to be in harmony with fellow men. History repeats itself: After Abraham died, Isaac moved to the land of the Philistines due to famine, and the local king Abimelek also became friends with Isaac. Isaac too, became wealthy, and again, this scared Abimelek. But this time, Abimelek did not want to set up any treaty with Isaac; rather, Abimelek commanded him to leave: Move away from us; you have become too powerful for us. (Gn 26:16). The original term used here, ע צ ם (ʿā ṣǎm), means mighty. Isaac did not use physical force to argue with his opponent. Instead, he willingly gave way and moved to the valley. When he arrived, he reopened the wells dug in the time of his father Abraham, which the Philistines had stopped up. God blessed him, allowing him to dig out a well of fresh water. However, the Philistines insisted that it was theirs, so Isaac, instead of arguing with them, proceeded to dig another well, in the hopes of maintaining peaceful relations with these people. That night, the Lord appeared to him and promised to greatly bless him. Like his father, Isaac dug wells to enter the gateway of blessings. He learned to yield and suffer losses to be at peace with others. In the New Testament, John 4:6 mentions Jesus and his disciples passing through Samaria, and Jesus chose to rest beside a well on the road. A Samaritan woman came, and Jesus began to talk to her while they were at the well. He worked to first bond with her, and then at the opportune time, presented the gospel to her. This resulted in the whole town receiving the gospel. Jesus used this encounter at the well to remind us how to have good social relations, to tread the path of blessedness. Conclusion Building altars starts from the ground and progresses upward. It forms the bond between man and God. Digging wells requires downward progression from the ground. It relates men to men. Loving God and loving men go hand in hand. This is also Christ s greatest commandment for us: Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on the se two comm andments. (Mt 22:37-40) The command to love God and men is to build altars and dig wells like Isaac. Build altars and connect to God. Dig wells and bond with men. This is a gateway to blessing. Guest speaker Hon. Pr. Jerry Yaokasin, Batch 1993 Top, right: Students giving testimony BSOP Convocation was held on October 18, 2015 (Sunday) at the BSOP Auditorium. The guest speaker was our alumnus, Honorable Pr. Jerry T. Yaokasin. He is the Vice Mayor of Tacloban City and pastor of Tacloban Christian Church. 2
2015 BSOP SUNDAY SCHEDULE Date Church Speaker February 10, 2015 United Evangelical Church of Balintawak Dr. Rosa Shao March 8, 2015 United Evangelical Church of Olongapo Rev. Dennis Yam September 13, 2015 Glory Evangelical Church Dr. Joseph Shao September 20, 2015 United Evangelical Church of the Philippines Rev. Philip Co October 11, 2015 St. Stephen s Parish Rev. Anthony Hao October 11, 2015 Caloocan Christian Baptist Church Rev. Philip Co October 18, 2015 Jubilee Evangelical Church Rev. Philip Co October 18, 2015 New Millennium Evangelical Church Dr. Joseph Shao October 25, 2015 Bethany Church Rev. Samuel Tan November 08, 2015 WSC Westminster Church Rev. Samuel Tan November 22, 2015 Butuan Gospel Church Dr. Joseph Shao November 29, 2015 Union with Christ Community Church Dr. Wilson Tran November 29, 2015 United Evangelical Church of General Santos Rev. Dennis Yam Dr. Joseph Shao was in Bandung, Indonesia from October 26-30, 2015, teaching a Doctor of Ministry course on "Biblical Leadership" at the Bandung Theological Seminary. He also visited two Board members and some supporters of BSOP in Jakarta. Drs. Joseph Shao, Chiu Eng Tan, Wilson and Irene Tran represented BSOP and reported on our assessment project during the ICETE Consultation in Antalya, Turkey. Dr. Michael Malessa, who is currently on furlough, flew from Germany to attend the Consultation which took place on November 4-11, 2015. The faculty, staff and students of BSOP attended a two-day seminar on November 18-19, 2015, sponsored by Grace Gospel Church, featuring Dr. Bill Lawrence as guest speaker. Dr. Lawrence is the President of Leader Formation International, Senior Professor Emeritus of Pastoral Ministries and Adjunct Professor of D. Min. Studies at Dallas Theological Seminary. He spoke on "Altared Hearts, Altered Leaders." This event is part of the 50th Anniversary Celebration of the Grace Evangelical Association, a mission organization of GGC that supports many BSOP faculty members. Dr. Tan Chiu Eng was in Taipei, Taiwan, from November 23-29, 2015, as a member of the Visiting Evaluation Team (VET) of Asia Theological Association (ATA), evaluating China Lutheran Seminary and Methodist Graduate School of Theology. Dr. Chris White visited BSOP and gave a 3-hour lecture on Christian Genealogy on October 30, 2015. He received his Ph.D. in Contemporary Chinese History from Xiamen University in 2011. He is a post-doctoral Research Fellow of the Max Planck Institute for the Study of Religious and Ethnic Diversity. New officers of the Alumni Association for 2016 have been elected. They are: President Rev. Dr. Wilson Gonzales; Vice -president Rev. Terence Lim; General Service Manager Elder Christopher Beltran; Public Relations Officer Pr. Jeanette Chua; Treasurer Pr. Mary Ann Wong; Secretary Dr. Juliet Lee Uytanlet. The Adviser is Dr. Jean Uayan. The officers have also requested other alumni to represent their regions, as follows: North Luzon Pr. Evelyn Chua; South Luzon Rev. Willy Tan; Visayas Rev. Felix Ong; and Mindanao Pr. Teresita Co. Rev. and Mrs. Wilson Go Kiao will be ending their services at BSOP in December 2015. Rev. Go Kiao has been serving as faculty since 2001 and later became the Chaplain. His wife, Tessie, served in the Business Office from 2002 until the present. Thank you for your labor of love to the Lord! 3
I chose Discipleship, Missionary Service and Youth Ministry in my Application Form as fields of interest. Could this be what I m called to do? I am a licensed mechanical engineer with focus on Mathematics, Physics and Plant engineering. I also love history and geography. I also love History and Alberto Tamayo Dy and his wife Susan who is also studying at BSOP Geography. For the past 36 years my work centered on footwear manufacturing, and in the last two years, I trained and motivated the work force. It was frustrating at times, but the end result was fulfilling. This is the reason why I chose Discipleship. I had opportunity to travel to many places during these 36 years of work: China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Indonesia, Cambodia, Korea, Thailand, Germany, USA, Japan and Italy. I loved learning different languages and communicating with the people and learning their cultures. I specially noted that most of these countries are non- Christian just imagine the millions of unsaved people who have never heard the Good News. Hence, I selected Missionary Service as another area of interest. Lastly I chose Youth Ministry for the simple reason that I failed miserably in bringing up my children in God s way, because I was so involved in my work that I practically didn t spend time to guide my children. I have recognized my mistakes in the way I brought up my children. By God s grace, my three sons are all Christians. If Youth Ministry can help me bring the youth close to God, it will be very fulfilling. I am sure in time God will show me the way as I go through theological training at BSOP. my life as a believer kept on making me insecure. A friend referred me to another mentor, who assured me that this was a conviction of the Holy Spirit to go beyond my comfortable life and take the way of the cross. The truth was finally explained clearly that I have to submit fully to Christ s sovereignty and live a life of obedience as evidence that I knew Him (I Jn 2:3) and loved Him (Jn 14:21). One day I was working and suddenly it seemed that a voice was asking me, Do you really like what you are doing? Is this what you want for your life? Don t you want to give this all up and serve Me? I struggled for two years. My mentor advised that serving fulltime is a serious decision that should not be made hastily. I had a chance to witness to my wife s co-workers and they agreed to have Bible study with me at least once a month. It was such an encouragement and I felt this gracious task given by God could be one of His ways to help me realize He is calling me. Still, my mentor told me to wait. As the conviction grew ever stronger, I came to a point where I had to decide whether to continue my employment or commit to fulltime servanthood. God gave me confirmation through His words in Jeremiah 1:9-10. This is how God called me into fulltime service. As His servant, it is my duty to obey His will. This is His preparation for my life (Eph 2:10) and I pray that I will make certain of His calling (2 Pt 1:10). In one moment of my life it suddenly came to me. Prior to this unveiling, I was living the comfortable life. I was in a church that accepted me, giving me multiple ministries of service, I had a stable job, friends and family it was all so perfect. Until one moment when suddenly, my conscience, which I believe to Nathaniel Ngo Sy and his wife Juliet be the work of the Holy Spirit, questioned me: ARE YOU LIVING THE GENUINE LIFE OF A BELIEVER IN CHRIST? The question haunted me for the longest time. The Holy Spirit convicted me to compare my life with the New Testament Apostles. They suffered for Christ and were martyred for their faith. Compared with these Apostles, I felt like I was a fake, a phony in the faith. My faith ought to result in works unimaginable (Mt 17:20) but it was really a selfish faith. In my search for answers, I desired to have a worthy mentor whose Bible knowledge would be so thorough that God could provide answers to me. There was one who made an impact in my life, but he later left for theological studies abroad. Three years later, the dissatisfaction and guilt regarding 4
主曆二零一五年十一月/十二月 裝備主僕 扎根主道 做成主工 後來以色列百姓過逾越節來紀念上 帝用血遮蓋保護他們 主耶穌的名 字就是救主 祂是被殺的羔羊 祂 所流的血遮蓋我們的痛苦 遮蓋上 帝對罪的憤怒 讓我們得到平安 上帝為什麼要殺埃及長子呢? 因祂 曾說以色列是我的兒子 是我頭生 的兒子 以色列家族看重長子 很 多父母特別寶貝長子 將他們放在 心中深處 當我們處在痛苦中 我 一 面對痛苦 出 1 至 3 章 以色列百姓第一次遇到苦難是在摩 們知道上帝會幫助我們解決問題 西的時代 當上帝呼召摩西時 上 二 面對壓力 賽 7 至 9 章 帝說我看見了你們的困苦 聽見你 們的哀聲 我要下去拯救你們 因 以賽亞書第七到第九章講到亞哈斯 為法老專橫霸道 一再苦待以色列 王膽顫心驚 因風聲傳到有兩王將 百姓 在摩西出生的時代 法老吩 來侵略 殲滅他們 如果我們也處 咐接生婆要殺死所有的以色列男 於工作的痛苦和戰爭將至的雙重壓 嬰 但接生婆卻讓男嬰順利產下 力下 我們是否也會恐懼驚慌 當 時有兩個預言 一是 有一嬰孩 後來 摩西要帶領百姓出埃及 他 為你們而生 一是 將有童女 對法老說 上帝要百姓去敬拜事奉 懷孕生子 但亞哈斯王卻不能相 祂 法老王十分生氣 又故意加重 百姓的工作 越發苦待他們 我們 信 列王記下第十六章記述亞哈斯 在世上有時也會遇到有苦難言 也 王反轉向亞述王求助 許有些人從小幸福快樂 沒遭遇過 今日世人極需平安 雖然中東戰事 甚麼苦難 不過有人在未出生前 離我們尚遠 但是電視將這戰爭狀 家庭就已經處在苦難中了 況播放到我們家中 帶到我們眼 摩西那時代因為改朝換代 新法老 前 當初亞哈斯王必須面臨的選 執政就苦待以色列民 上帝為救以 擇 跟今日敘利亞國面臨的選擇有 色列百姓向埃及降下十災 最後一 些類似 敘利亞選擇求助於俄國普 災是擊殺長子 上帝教導以色列百 丁總理 但是美國卻幫助沙地阿拉 姓用羊羔的血塗在門楣上 就可以 伯打敘利亞 以賽亞對此事預言說 逃過此災 而埃及每家都死長子 有一嬰孩 一位和平君王將降生 在歷史上 國王與人民的關係對國 家興衰舉足輕重 和平之君 意 義深遠 給人帶來平安與喜樂 聖 經這個信息值得我們思想 法老王 給的痛苦 摩西告訴子民平安的盼 望 亞哈斯在戰爭的壓力中 先知 傳達平安的信息 希律王給嬰孩的 驚慌 猶太人的王賜下的平安 下 面從子民的歷史處境探討這個主題. ( ). ( ) 第九十一期 這嬰孩將如何解決這些問題呢 其 實是要我們看見在這些壓力下有一 位值得我們信靠的救主 亞哈斯王 好像很屬靈的回應說 我不敢相 信有童女懷孕生子 我不能試探上 帝 但上帝說這個恩典我要賜給 我的百姓 今日嬰孩已為我們出生 在馬槽 祂看似軟弱 卻是和平的 君王 祂能解決我們的問題 紓解 我們的壓力 賜給我們平安 在世上我們難免有壓力 我們早晨 張開眼睛 是否就想到問題 也許 只是一般瑣事 如廚房沒有油了 不知商店有沒有開門 或是等會兒 不知有沒有車載我去教會 或是掛 意健康 經濟等問題 以至於晚上 睡不著覺 和平之君已經降臨要賜 給我們快樂平安的人生 幫助我們 除去壓力 聖誕節到了 我們要慶祝甚麼呢 也許我們喜歡有聖誕燈 聖誕樹 聖誕裝置 還有聖誕禮物 但最重 要的信息是聖嬰為我們降生 祂要 幫助我們面對困苦 壓力 我們要 將問題交給這位和平君王 三 面對驚慌 太 2 章). ( 博士從東方來尋找猶太人的王 且 要敬拜祂 希律王聽見後 害怕有 新王興起 奪其王位 因此他在博 士離開後 立刻下令殺掉伯利恆城 所有兩歲以下的男嬰 新約一開 始 以色列人就遭遇種種困境 雖 有自己的國家 可是經濟貧困 雖 有大祭司 也不能在政治上幫助他 們 羅馬帝國封希律為王 讓百姓 以為有了王 可惜不能解決他們許 多問題
明年菲律濱大選對我們有何益處? 有何影響呢? 目前世界各方面變化快速, 難以預料, 為我們出生的救主, 將賜給我們平安 耶穌傳講上帝與人和好的信息, 領人歸回敬拜上帝, 滿有平安喜樂, 聖誕節最重要的禮物就是上帝賜下平安 雖然生活有困苦, 但我們知道和平之君 與我們同在, 要解決我們的問題, 使我們的家庭更加美滿 結語 我們可能好幾次聽過耶穌降生的故事, 但是我們需要迎接祂到我們心中做王 當面對痛苦如摩西時代的百姓, 我們要記得耶穌像摩西時代 犧牲的羔羊, 耶穌已為我們死在十字架上救我們脫離痛苦 當面對壓力時, 我們要記得有位嬰孩 和平之君已為我們降生, 面對驚慌時, 我們要記得猶太人的王, 這位萬王之王與我們同在 但願我們能過個有意義的聖誕節 : 每個人都能迎接這位和平君王在我們家中敬拜祂 創世記第二十六章記載亞伯拉罕的兒子以撒因飢荒而南遷到基拉耳 上帝怕他學父親因飢荒南遷到埃及, 而向他顯現阻止他下埃及, 並應許必賜福給他 以撒因遵照上帝的吩咐而逐漸昌盛, 引起地主亞比米勒王的嫉妒, 逼他離開 以撒就從基拉耳城搬到基拉耳山谷, 因受當地居民欺負, 就退到別是巴 當夜耶和華向他顯現, 應許要賜福給他, 以撒就在那裡築了一座壇和挖了一口井 ( 創廿六 24~25) 下面將探討 築壇 和 挖井 的屬靈意義 築壇的意義 聖經第一次提到築壇是在創世記第八章 當時世人完全敗壞, 上帝吩咐義人挪亞建方舟, 以洪水毀滅天下 挪亞在洪水退後, 一出方舟就築壇獻祭, 上帝顧念人類, 用彩虹與人類立約, 不再因人的緣故咒詛地, 也不再用水毀滅天下 ( 創八 22), 同時也應許賜福給挪亞及後裔 由此, 我們可看出築壇的屬靈意義, 乃是象徵人與上帝建立或恢復和好關係, 迎接上帝應許的祝福 築壇可以說是蒙福的途徑 聖經第二次提到築壇是創世記第十二章 耶和華呼召亞伯蘭離開他的父家, 到祂所指示的地方去 亞伯蘭到迦南地, 做的第一件事也是築壇獻祭 ( 創十二 7~8) 當時他還沒有得到上帝所應許的任何祝福, 卻憑信心築壇, 求告上帝的名 這意味著亞伯蘭願意先與上帝建立關係, 與上帝和好, 再忍耐等候上帝所應許之祝福的實現 這就是築壇的意義 蒙福的途徑 正如亞伯蘭獻以撒得到更大的祝福 亞伯拉罕聽從上帝的吩咐 : 他們到了上帝所指示的地方, 亞伯拉罕在那裡築壇, 把柴擺好, 捆綁他的兒子以撒, 放在壇的柴上, 亞伯拉罕就伸手拿刀, 要殺他的兒子 ( 創廿二 9) 以撒親身經歷躺在父親所築的壇上的驚險處境, 他看到父親築壇獻祭, 與上帝建立親密的關係, 結果上帝就大大的賜福給父親 以撒學到了這門寶貴的功課, 知道這是蒙福的途徑, 當上帝向他顯現, 應許將賜福給他及後裔時, 他築了一座壇 ( 創廿六 25), 以禱告與上帝建立美好關係, 再以信心等候上帝應許祝福的實現 可見, 築壇真的是蒙福的途徑 挖井的意義 以撒除了築壇之外, 也從父親學到了挖井的功課 聖經裡提到 壇 時, 就象徵人與上帝建立關係 ; 提到 井 時, 就象徵人與人建立關係, 也就是建立人際關係 聖經第一次提到 井, 是夏甲 二 被主母撒萊苦待逃走, 在路上看到一口井, 上帝的話就臨到她, 要她回去服在她主母手下 ( 創十六 14) 上帝要她與主母建立好的人際關係, 並應許要賜福給她及後裔 這井旁發生的事, 提醒我們要與人建立好的人際關係, 上帝就會賜福給我們 這是蒙福的途徑 亞伯拉罕曾因飢荒從迦南遷到南邊非利士人的地方, 與亞比米勒王做了朋友 他逐漸昌盛, 亞比米勒安全感受到威脅, 便要求亞伯拉罕與他立約, 保證不欺負他們 亞伯拉罕樂意跟亞比米勒立和平之約, 在立約前, 他特別提出以七頭母羊羔作證據要回之前被亞比米勒僕人霸佔去的一口井 ( 創廿一 22~32) 這井本來就是亞伯拉罕挖的, 理應是可以索回, 但他卻寧願吃虧, 與對方建立好的人際關係 也因為這樣他才能繼續安居樂業, 大大昌盛 井的故事, 提醒我們要與人建立好的人際關係, 這是蒙福的途徑 歷史重演, 在亞伯拉罕死後, 以撒 也因飢荒遷到非利士人的地方, 他 也與非利士王亞比米勒成了朋友 當以撒昌盛時, 亞比米勒王也怕 了, 但他不願與以撒立約, 並下逐 客令 : 你離開我們去吧, 因為你 比我們強盛的多 ( 創廿六 16) ע צ ם強盛 原文 (ā ṣǎm) 是指力量 的強盛 (mighty), 但以撒並沒有靠 武力與對方干戈相見, 而甘願離開 遷到山谷裡 在那裡, 他把以前父
欣逢救主 耶穌降世 之歡慶節 日 菲華 邵莊秀美博士 地區 華 福婦女團契 正籌備創立三十五週 年感恩愛筵 還記得某一次菲華婦 女聚會邀請了唐崇懷博士當主講 他開門見山便道出感人肺腑的話 菲華教會這一群婦女給我很深的 印象 她們身上有一股超塵拔俗的 氣質 我想這平庸的婦女儀態果 然是詩人所描繪的 主發命令 傳好信息的婦女成了大群 (詩六 十八11) 我也確信這種屬靈幽雅 的特質也在馬利亞身上 泉水旁 (一)從質疑至信靠(路一46 ~ 47 ) 本來身世平凡的童女馬利亞 蒙上 帝差遣天使加百列對她說 蒙大 恩的女子 要懷孕生子 起名 叫耶穌 稱為至高者的兒子 主 上帝要把祂祖大衛的位給祂 (路 一26~32) 馬利亞在驚慌中反復思 想 必定憶起先知以賽亞預言過 主自己要給一個兆頭 必有童女 懷孕生子 給祂起名叫以馬內利 (賽七14) 但是她也可能同時明白 按猶太人法律 訂婚與正式結婚是 親被非利士人惡意塞住的井重新挖 出來 上帝又祝福他挖出一口活水 泉 而非利士人硬說是他們的 以 撒也沒有與他們爭辯 另外再挖 井 尋求與對方維持好的人際關 係 當天晚上 上帝向他顯現 應 許要大大賜福給他 以撒在挖井的 事上向父親學到另一個重要功課 寧願自己吃虧也要與人建立好的人 際關係 這確實是蒙福的途徑 新約約翰福音第四章六節提到耶穌 具有同等的約束力 一個已婚或訂 了婚的女子要是不貞 丈夫可用石 頭打死她(申廿二23~24) 面臨這榮 辱取捨 深不可測的宣言 馬利亞 以信靠順服的心態接受 我是主 的使女 情願照你的話成就在我身 上 (路一38) 而她口唱心和地頌 讚 我心尊主為大 我靈以上帝 我的救主為樂 (二)從卑微至尊榮(路一48 ~ 52 ) 雖 在 天 主 教 盛 旺 的 國 家 如 菲 律 濱 天主教徒家家戶戶都崇拜馬利 亞過於耶穌 然而馬利亞自己完全 不以為然 她更清楚自身卑微 是 全能的上帝為她成就了大事 頌詞 句句都在頌揚這位憐憫敬畏的全能 者 其實從 馬利亞頌 可見馬利 亞的頌揚歌詞 幾乎每一句都引自 舊約 證明了她對聖經相當熟悉 第47節是引自賽六十一10 第48節 是引自撒上一11 第49節引自詩一 零三17 第51節乃自詩八十九10 第52節引自伯五11 第53節乃引自 詩一零七9 而第54節是引自九十八 3 難怪馬利亞身 心 靈都在高歌 頌揚主 她一進到以利沙伯家問起 安來 以利沙伯懷的胎就在腹裡跳 動著 而且是歡喜跳動著 因此以 與門徒路過撒瑪利亞 有一個撒瑪 利亞婦人來打水 耶穌就在井旁與 她交談 先建立人際關係 再找切 入點把福音傳給她 最後使全城的 人都出來接受福音 耶穌在井旁談 道的故事 給了我們一個好的提醒 和榜樣 就是要與人建立好的人際 關係 因這是蒙福的途徑 利沙伯受聖靈感動說 這相信的女子是有福 的 因為主對她所說的 話 都要應驗 (三)從個人至普世 (路一53 ~ 58 ) 這一首 馬利亞頌 也被 稱為 尊主頌 不僅是 當時馬利亞個人受感而頌 揚之歌 更是普世教會詩 班及崇拜的信徒 震盪古 今 而 感 人 心 弦 的 尊 主 頌 一個平凡童女的真誠敬拜 竟然成為普世信徒口唱不停的崇 拜 歌 頌 在 現 今 爭 權 奪 利 的 世 局 人心居功自傲的時代 讓我 們一起正氣凜然地向上帝鄭重敬 仰 以 馬利亞頌 迎接今年主 降生佳節 因為出於上帝的話 沒有一句不帶能力的 表 示 人 與 人 建 立 關 係 愛 主 愛 人 兩樣並重 缺一不可 這也 是主耶穌所教導的最大誡命 你要盡心 盡性 盡意 愛主 你的上帝 這是誡命中的第一 且是最大的 其次也相倣 就是 要愛人如己 這兩條誡命 是律 法和先知一切道理的總綱 (太廿 二38~40) 願我們彼此 鼓 勵 學 結論 習 以 撒 的 榜 樣 同 時 築 壇 又 挖 築壇是從地上往上建 表示人與主 井 與主與人都有美好的關係 建立關係 挖井是從地上往下建 因這是蒙福的途徑 三
教授動態 2015 菲 聖 神 學 主 日 邵晨光院長於十月二十六至三十日在印尼萬隆神學 院教授教牧學博士課程 聖經領袖 他還訪問 了在雅加達的兩位董事及支持者 邵晨光院長 陳秋瑩博士 陳伍能及陳林蘊和博 士 和正在德國休假的馬麥克博士代表本院於十 一月四至十一日往土耳其安塔利亞參加ICETE會議 及報告我們的評估專案 陳秋瑩博士於十一月二十三至二十九日往台北參加 亞洲神學協會 (ATA)對信義宗神學院和衛理神學研 究院的資格鑑定工作 吳家順牧師伉儷將於十二月底結束在本院的服務 吳牧師自二零零一年以來擔任教職及生活導師 隔 年出任院牧仍保持教職 吳師母也於同年任辦公室 職員 本院謝謝他們十幾年來與我們的搭配服事 日 期 2015 會 講 員 2月10日 描仁斗沃中華基督教會 邵莊秀美 3月8日 荷浪牙波中華基督教會 余民利 9月13日 榮耀基督教會 邵晨光 9月20日 菲律濱中華基督教會 許書義 聖公會聖司提芬堂 劉保成 恩園浸信會 許書義 菲律濱基督教禧年堂 邵晨光 基督教銀禧堂 許書義 10月25日 伯大尼堂 陳維堯 11月8日 中華基督教郇山堂 陳維堯 11月22日 務端基督教會 邵晨光 合在基督小區教會 陳伍能 南古島中華基督教會 余民利 10月11日 10月18日 11月29日 迎新會剪影 教 客座教師 迎新會於十月十八日在本院禮堂舉行 講員校友姚宏 中文部首學季和第二學季 一共邀請到六位客座 偉(任職獨魯萬市副市長和獨魯萬基督教會傳道)分享 師 羅惠敏傳道(靈命導引) 林震玉長老(教會行 信息的主題是 屬上帝的人 (提前六 11~14) 他勉勵 政管理) 莊祖鯤博士(護教學) 李錦文博士(優質 同學做一個賽跑的人 一個士兵 一 教學) 李蔡美莉師母(學習策略/英語) 呂榮輝博 個管家 持守上帝所託付的 至死忠 士(入出埃及經西乃進迦南行程) 心 完成上帝呼召差派的工作 2015新學年學生統計表 學科 基督徒事工證書 神學學士 道學碩士 神學碩士 哲學博士 舊生 新生 人數總計 人 35 人 14 人 11 人 20 人 8人 31 人 1人 1人 10 131人 校友會消息 宣道講座 本院教職員及學生於十一月十七至十八日連續兩天 2016 新屆職員芳名如下 (恕不稱呼) 參加靈惠堂第五十週年宣道年會專題講座 祭壇 上 的 心 祭 壇 上 的 領 袖 講 員 Dr. Bill Lawrence 是 國際領袖塑造機構的主席 達拉斯神學院資深教牧 榮譽教授 菲聖有五位老師是靈惠堂的宣教師 註 嬰孩耶穌圖源:webweaver's free clipart 四 黃均培 ( 主席 ) 林克舜 ( 副主席/司會 ) 吳天恩 ( 總務 ) 潘蓓蓓 ( 聯絡 ) 王美安 ( 財政 ) 黃許柳 麗 ( 秘書 ) 蕭信心 ( 顧問 ) 外埠各區職員代表 蔡碧娥(北呂宋) 陳為理(南呂宋) 王振國(米 沙鄢) 黃亞莉(棉蘭佬)