God, You Took It Away

Speaks the weak soul:

Vividly do I recall Your promise,
upon Christians
that there shall blossom peace in Your nation.
But behold, all creation gray and ashen,
demise of nature in a fiery destruction,
only by a curse from Heaven.

You took it away
You took it all away
Away is the peace of Your promise.
Away is the grace Your Right Hand bestows, only to be destroyed by Your Left Hand.

You took it all away
Away is my garden of roses, away the fragrance of love.
Away is my farm of animals, away the physiques of life.
Away is my piano that plays melodious praises, away my hymnal songs.
Away is my home, my companions, my family and friends.

You took it away.


(dedicated to victims of calamities and tribulations)
Then speaks the enlightened soul:
You took it away
You took it all away
in trials and tribulations
in Your holy awesomeness.

You took it all away
Away is the evil that I thought was good
Away is the danger I never saw
Away are the obstacles that would uproot my faith
Away is Satan whose snares and crafts lay beyond comprehension.

Away is my murmuring, comes my repentance and realization.
For I am unworthy.
For behind trials and tribulations hides Your beautiful Will,
hides a blessing in disguise.

picture praise

picture praise

回来吧！

浪子回头

过了好久好久，我归回来了，正如浪子的归来，我回到来这个部落。
路15：说到一个儿子，分获了他应得的家业后便流浪远方去像一只出笼的鸟儿。当我流浪在这个现实社会的世界里时，我向神所许下的诺言以及与神的约定便抛到九霄外了。
只有当我受到一些鼓励后，才想起我亲爱的弟兄姐妹们的爱；
只有当我解决了一切世界的压力后，才记得我曾定下的约定。
一个浪子回头了，忏悔着，因没有完成自己曾许下的诺言。
儿子说：‘父亲！我得罪了天，又得罪了你。从今以后，我不配称为你的儿子。’（ 21节）

做工的人少
要真正了解《太9:38》的“悲哀”，就得当那少数的工人。
就因为做工的人少，所以他们的劳苦便显得非常珍贵。
冯长老曾在几堂证道里提到说真耶稣教会使怎么样接触到那在比较落后国家遥远的乡区，例如越南和柬埔寨。这是由于那些少数的工人坚持的把握所拥有的胜算及艰苦的跨过种种逆境。
在1917年，一位在越南开工厂的弟兄把福音带到那里。这位弟兄把奇妙的福音传给工厂的工人并且牧养他们的信心。
不过却很不幸的，这位弟兄在不久后离开了越南，留下神的羊儿们在寂寞危险的旷野中漂泊彷徨。
2005年，冯长老与那些失散已久的弟兄们团聚，但是，他们家里已经有了偶像。
“为什么会这样？”他们回答：“真耶稣教会在这里已经失踪了很多很多年。。。”
“当他们需要我们的时候，我们在哪里？”这是长老的结论。

我在这里
当浪子回头了，其父亲却非常高兴吩咐仆人说：“把那上好的袍子快拿出来给他穿，把戒指戴在他指头上，把鞋穿在他脚上，把那肥牛犊牵来宰了，我们可以吃喝快乐。。。”

这意味着，假如你偏离了神，你内疚难过是应该的。那么现在，你得做一个正确的选择，那就是带着一颗悔改的心回到阿爸父那里去。阿爸父会以最开心的喜乐庆祝你的归来。
回来了之后，看着要收的庄稼多，做工的人少，便说：
“我在这里，请差遣我。”

To Be Back

A Prodigal Son Returns

Liken to the return of the prodigal son, I have returned, after a long long time, back to this blog.

Lk 15: tells of a son, after having obtained his part of the father's property, went out to roam about the world like a free bird from a cage. As I was roaming about the virtual, material and social worlds beyond the church, forgetting my promises and commitment I once had towards God.

It was only after some sort of encouragement that reminded me of the love of my concerned brothers and sisters, or when I settled down from worldly stress, that I remember my

commitment.

A prodigal son returns, and regrets over not being able to fulfill his own promises.

vs ²¹ “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’"

The Workers Are Few

To truly understand the "lamentation" in Mt 9:38, one must first be one of the FEW workers.

Because of the very small number of workers, their labor is deemed much more precious.

Eld Phoong mentioned in several sermons of how True Jesus Church was able to touch the distant rural areas of many less-developed nations like Vietnam and Cambodia. It was the very few workers who were persistent enough against all odds and adversities.

The Gospel arrived in Vietnam in 1917 through a brother who opened a factory there. The brother preached and pastored the factory workers. Unfortunately, the brother had left Vietnam later, leaving God's sheep wandering in the perilous wilderness.

In 2005, Eld Phoong had a reunion with the long-lost brethren. They had idols at home.

"When asked why, they said 'the True Jesus Church has not been here for so many years...' where were we when they needed us?" concluded Elder.

Here I am

When the prodigal son returns, the father commanded his servants most gleefully

"BRING THE BEST ROBE for him to wear, A RING for his finger, SHOES for his feet, slaughter the FATTENED CALF for a feast!!!"

This means, if you have strayed away, it's only reasonable you feel guilty and bad. And now, you should make the right choice, to return to the Father with repentance, and the Father will only celebrate your return with the greatest joy.

After the return, and seeing the full harvest with few workers, say,

"Here I am, send me."