张茂松牧师信息－11月19日晚上

一條江河

以西结书47：1－12
“47:1 他帶我回到殿門、見殿的門檻下有水往東流出．（原來殿面朝東）這水從檻下、由殿的右邊、在祭壇的南邊往下流。
47:2 他帶我出北門、又領我從外邊轉到朝東的外門、見水從右邊流出。
47:3 他手拿準繩往東出去的時候、量了一千肘、使我逿過水、水到踝子骨。
47:4 他又量了一千肘、使我逿過水、水就到膝。再量了一千肘、使我逿過水、水便到腰。
47:5 又量了一千肘、水便成了河、使我不能逿過．因為水勢漲起、成為可洑的水、不可逿的河。
47:6 他對我說、人子阿、你看見了甚麼．他就帶我回到河邊。
47:7 我回到河邊的時候、見在河這邊、與那邊的岸上、有極多的樹木。
47:8 他對我說、這水往東方流去、必下到亞拉巴、直到海．所發出來的水、必流入鹽海、使水變甜。〔原文作得醫治下同〕
47:9 這河水所到之處、凡滋生的動物、都必生活、並且因這流來的水、必有極多的魚、海水也變甜了．這河水所到之處、百物都必生活。
47:10 必有漁夫站在河邊．從隱基底直到隱以革蓮、都作晒〔或作張〕網之處．那魚各從其類、好像大海的魚甚多。
47:11 只是泥濘之地、與窪濕之處．不得治好、必為鹽地。
47:12 在河這邊、與那邊的岸上、必生長各類的樹木．其果可作食物、葉子不枯乾、果子不斷絕．每月必結新果子、因為這水是從聖所流出來的．樹上的果子、必作食物、葉子乃為治病。”

一、日日更新

－江河的水不斷的往前流
－大江東去不回頭
－任何的大山、岩石都不能阻擋他的前進
－聖靈的工作也是不斷的前進
－我們的生命也是不斷的往前進
－教會的事奉也是不斷的往前進
－人的習慣是守舊的，不喜歡改變的

二、愈流愈深

－江河愈來愈深
－經歷愈來愈深，恩賜愈來愈強!!
－感覺愈來愈敏銳
－我們的生命也要
－愈來愈成熟、愈來愈美麗、愈來愈強壯!!

三、生機蓬勃

－江河流過之處都會充滿生機
－每個名城都會有一條大河
－聖靈的江河流過之處都會產生蓬勃的生機
－小孩的生命是充滿生機的，老人的生命是漸漸凋零
－春天大地充滿生機，秋天漸漸凋零

四、苦水變甜

－所有死海之水會改變!!
－生命中的苦水變甜!!
－以色列人、路得、拿俄米……
－上帝要賜福給他的兒女
－環境改變之前，他要改變人的心境
－心中充滿甜水，四週的苦水就會變成甜水

多一點的讚美、少一點的批評
多一點的感恩、少一點的怨言
多一點的禱告、少一點的籌劃
多一點的安息、少一點的焦慮

五、豐收的生命

－屬天的、屬地的、看得見的及看不見的
－可以結出果子來
－生命的果實、事奉的果實、工作的果實
－一個非常美麗的生命
－一個大有果效的事奉
－一個職場成功的人生
－上帝的祝福包含了工作及職場的祝福

张茂松牧师信息－11月20日早上

如鷹展翅

以赛亚书40:29-31
“40:29 疲乏的、他賜能力．軟弱的、他加力量．
40:30 就是少年人也要疲乏困倦、強壯的也必全然跌倒．
40:31 但那等候耶和華的、必從新得力、他們必如鷹展翅上騰、他們奔跑卻不困倦、行走卻不疲乏。”

詩103:5
“他用美物、使你所願的得以知足、以致你如鷹返老還童。”

我們是神國的飛鷹

老鷹與雞的故事

老鷹與雞的分別
1 兩者的窩不一樣
2 兩者的渴望不一樣
3 兩者的眼光不一樣
4 兩者的人生不一樣
5 兩者的高度不一樣
6 兩者的能力不一樣
7 兩者的勇氣不一樣
8 兩者的智慧不一樣
9 兩者的價值不一樣
10兩者的信心不一樣

一 展翅上騰

1 相信自己是一隻「神國的飛鷹」
2 脫離雞群加人飛鷹的行列
3 學習老鷹說話、作事、思想、態度
4 學習使用上帝給我們的翅膀
信心及禱告的翅膀、翅膀愈用愈有力!!
5 張開異象的眼睛，看著未來的愿景!!
6 投身在聖靈的暖流之中!讓祂帶領我們飛向美麗的天空

二 返老還童

－老鷹的經歷
－最困難的是除去老舊的包袱及習慣
－改文章非常困難，但是必需改，要一次又一次的改，如同我們寫短訊總改了又改
－謙卑的承認自己什麼都沒有，忘記過去!!
－改變我們的習慣: 說話、禱告、事奉、禱告
－改變我們的眼光、態度、形像操練信心、改變禱告的習慣，需要立志、需要操練

胡民气牧师信息－11月18日早上第二堂

婚姻与家庭（一）

一、婚姻之关系

A. 是神所设立

婚姻不是父母催促，不是人有我也有

创2：18：“耶和华　神说、那人独居不好、我要为他造一个配偶帮助他。”
－独居不好
人需要配偶，神造男造女

中国人说没结婚就还没有成人，到老还拿红包

在还未吃分别善恶果子，只有善，没有恶
吃了之后，善恶不分－善中有恶，恶中有善

神给亚当一个女人，他可以拒绝，但他却很兴奋地接受
当犯罪后，他怪神给他夏娃

负责任，神给恩典

创2：21－25“耶和华　神使他沉睡、他就睡了．于是取下他的一条肋骨、又把肉合起来。 耶和华　神就用那人身上所取的肋骨、造成一个女人、领他到那人跟前。 那人说、这是我骨中的骨、肉中的肉、可以称他为女人、因为他是从男人身上取出来的。 因此、人要离开父母、与妻子连合、二人成为一体。 当时夫妻二人、赤身露体、并不羞耻。”

曾经为了对方牺牲，但你忘记了
婚礼时什么问题都“I do”

B. 是人类关系之始

兄弟如手足，妻子是衣服
圣经：人类的开始是夫妻，不是父母，不是兄弟

人要离开父母，与妻子连合，二人成为一体

所罗门王审案，两个母亲争孩子。王命令把孩子分开
生命可以分开吗？夫妻是神赐的生命，不可分开

教会和基督可以分开吗？
我们和主合而为一

创1：27：“神就照着自己的形像造人、乃是照着他的形像造男造女。”
男女就是成人
当你对另一半不好，你心里也不好过

创1：18：“耶和华　神说、那人独居不好、我要为他造一个配偶帮助他。”

创2：20－25：“那人便给一切牲畜、和空中飞鸟、野地走兽都起了名．只是那人没有遇见配偶帮助他。 耶和华　神使他沉睡、他就睡了．于是取下他的一条肋骨、又把肉合起来。 耶和华　神就用那人身上所取的肋骨、造成一个女人、领他到那人跟前。 那人说、这是我骨中的骨、肉中的肉、可以称他为女人、因为他是从男人身上取出来的。 因此、人要离开父母、与妻子连合、二人成为一体。 当时夫妻二人、赤身露体、并不羞耻。”

美国女人争取人权，她们说：“男人可以脱衣服，我们也可以脱。”因此就坦胸露乳地走在街头。

夫妻要坦诚，没有隐藏，没有羞耻

C. 是不可分开的一体

台湾的家庭，家具黏颜色标签，等候有一天分开各自搬走
一结婚就准备分开，后门打得很大

有些人，一半在一起不能灵修

妻子在教会事奉，回家看丈夫的黑脸

胡民气牧师信息－11月19日早上两堂，继18日早上第二堂

婚姻与家庭（二）

二、婚姻之目的与意义

A. 反映神的形象
神就是爱

创1：26－27“26　神说：“我们要照着我们的形象，按着我们的样式造人；使他们管理海里的鱼、空中的鸟、地上的牲畜，以及全地，和地上所有爬行的生物！” 27于是，　神照着自己的形象创造人；就是照着他的形象创造了人；他所创造的有男有女。”

约一4：7－21“7亲爱的，我们应当彼此相爱，因为爱是从　神那里来的。凡是爱人的，都是从　神生的，并且认识　神。 8不爱人的，就不认识　神，因为　神就是爱。 9　神差遣他的独生子到世上来，要使我们借着他而活；　神的爱就在我们中间显明了。 10不是我们爱　神，而是　神爱我们，差遣他的儿子为我们的罪作了赎罪祭，这就是爱了。 11亲爱的，　神既然这样爱我们，我们也应当彼此相爱。 12从来没有人见过　神，我们若彼此相爱，　神就住在我们里面，他的爱也在我们里面得到成全了。 13　神把他的灵赐给我们，我们就知道我们是住在他里面，他也住在我们里面。 14父差遣子作世人的救主，这是我们见过的，并且现在作见证。 15凡承认耶稣是　神的儿子的，　神就住在他里面，他也住在　神里面。 16　神对我们的爱，我们已经明白了，而且相信了。　神就是爱；住在爱里面的，就住在　神里面，　神也住在他里面。 17这样，爱在我们里面就得到成全，使我们在审判的日子，可以坦然无惧。因为他怎样，我们在这世上也怎样。 18爱里没有惧怕，完全的爱可以把惧怕驱除，因为惧怕含有刑罚，惧怕的人在爱里还没有完全。 19我们爱，因为　神先爱我们。 20人若说“我爱　神”，却恨他的弟兄，就是说谎的。不爱看得见的弟兄，就不能爱看不见的　神。 21爱　神的，也应当爱弟兄，这就是我们从　神领受的命令。”

神就是爱，爱就是神。家里有神就有爱。家里有爱，没有神，这爱是假的。家里有神，没有爱，这神是假的。

B. 两人成为一人

C. 延续生命

现在人都不生了，宁愿养宠物不养人。
人对人失去信心，对爱没有期待。

爱是为了叫对方得益处。

三、婚姻之角色

A. 丈夫是头

弗5：22－23“22你们作妻子的，要顺服自己的丈夫，好像顺服主一样， 23因为丈夫是妻子的头，好像基督是教会的头；基督又是教会全体的救主。”

B. 妻子为助手

创2：18“18耶和华　神说：“那人独居不好，我要为他造个和他相配的帮手。””

女人不是弱者，若是弱者就不能帮助。
头必须是头，助手必须是助手。

父亲不可骂妻子没有好好管教孩子。中国人说：“子不教，父之过。”
许多妻子在别的女人面前讲自己丈夫的坏话。你让你的丈夫抬不起头来。

C. 彼此同心建立

传4：9，12“9二人胜过一人，因为他们一起的劳碌有美好的酬报。12有人能制伏孤身一人，如果有二人就挡得住他。三股合成的绳子，不容易扯断。”

D. 婆媳关系

中国人以前场发生婆婆折磨媳妇，我们只有婆媳冲突，没有婆婿冲突，怎解？
因为女婿是照顾自己女儿的，所以必须对他好一点；但媳妇却是外来跟自己抢儿子的。

得1：8－18“8拿俄米对两个媳妇说：“去吧，你们还是各自回娘家吧。愿耶和华恩待你们，像你们善待已死的人和我一样。 9愿耶和华使你们各人有机会再嫁（“有机会再嫁”原文作“在丈夫家里”），找到归宿。”跟着亲吻她们，她们就发声大哭， 10说：“不，我们一定要跟你一起回到你同胞那里去。” 11拿俄米说：“我女儿啊，你们回去吧，为什么要跟我去呢？我肚子里还有儿子作你们的丈夫吗？ 12走吧，我女儿啊，你们回去吧，因为我太老，不能嫁人了，就算我说我还有希望今天晚上有个丈夫，又生儿子， 13你们可以等到他们长大吗？你们可以为他们守节而不嫁人吗？不行，我女儿啊，我为你们非常难过，因为耶和华伸手对付我。” 14她们又放声大哭。俄耳巴就和婆婆吻别，路得却舍不得离开拿俄米。 15拿俄米说：“你看，你嫂嫂已经回到她同胞和她的神那里去了。你也跟着嫂嫂回去吧。” 16路得说：“请不要逼我离开你回去，不跟从你。你到哪里去，我也要到哪里去；你在哪里过夜，我也要在哪里过夜；你的同胞就是我的同胞，你的　神就是我的　神； 17你死在哪里，我也要死在哪里，葬在哪里。除非死亡把你我分离；如果我离开你，愿耶和华加倍惩罚我。” 18拿俄米看路得坚决要跟她走，就不再多费唇舌了。”

四、婚姻之危机

A. 自我中心－各自发展

太12：25“25耶稣知道他们的心思，就对他们说：“如果一个国家自相纷争，就必定荒凉；一城一家自相纷争，必站立不住。”

摩3：3“3二人如果没有约定，怎会同行呢？”

腓2：2“2就应当有同样的思想，同样的爱心，要心志相同，思想一致，使我充满喜乐。”

男人要爱妻子，女人要顺服丈夫。
中国人：“相敬如宾。”
同一句话若语气不同，意思就不同。

B. 缺乏沟通

箴12：18－19“18有人说话不慎，好像利刀刺人，智慧人的舌头却能医治人。 19说实话的嘴唇，永远坚立；撒谎的舌头，眨眼间消失。”

中国人时常贬低自己的儿女，这是要不得的谦卑。

创3：1－6“3在耶和华　神所造野地所有的活物中，蛇是最狡猾的。蛇对女人说：“　神真的说过，你们不可吃园中任何树上的果子吗？” 2女人对蛇说：“园中树上的果子，我们都可以吃； 3只有园中那棵树上的果子，　神曾经说过：‘你们不可吃，也不可摸，免得你们死。’” 4蛇对女人说：“你们决不会死； 5因为　神知道你们吃那果子的时候，你们的眼睛就开了；你们会像　神一样，能知道善恶。” 6于是，女人见那棵树的果子好作食物，又悦人的眼目，而且讨人喜爱，能使人有智慧，就摘下果子来吃了；又给了和她在一起的丈夫，他也吃了。”

亚当缺乏与夏娃沟通，她就与蛇沟通。

注重语气。
先欣赏她，然后给她分析。

沟通不单在语言，也在身体接触，所以神给我们性。

要给人做错事的空间。当你做错事，你希望别人给你机会。

C. 不协调的性生活

箴5：15－19“15你要喝自己池中的水，饮自己井里的活水。 16你的泉源怎么可以外溢？你的河水怎么可以流在街上？ 17它们要独归你一人所有，不要让外人与你共享。 18要使你的泉源蒙福，要喜悦你年轻时所娶的妻子。 19她像可爱的母鹿，人所喜悦的母山羊，愿她的乳房时常使你满足，愿她的爱情常常使你恋慕。”

申24：5“5如果人娶了新妇，不可从军出征。”

五、痛苦的婚姻

A. 忍
B．无味
C．伪装

六、幸福的家庭

A. 合神心意

徒13：22“22废去扫罗之后，又为他们兴起大卫作王，并且为他作证说：‘我找到耶西的儿子大卫，他是合我心意的人，必遵行我的一切旨意。’”

举例：你拦阻你的孩子顺服神的旨意。

B. 彼此有良好关系

C. 委身于婚约

胡民气牧师信息－11月18日早上第一堂

能活着真好

昨天上午8时30分上车，过关卡发觉行李不见了
连圣经和全部讲章不见了

讲发生在棉兰的车祸

一、能活着是神的恩典

路12：20－无知的财主
“神却对他说，无知的人哪，今夜必要你的灵魂。你所预备的，要归谁呢？”

雅4：14－15－不知明天如何
“其实明天如何，你们还不知道。你们的生命是甚么呢？你们原来是一片云雾，出现少时就不见了。 你们只当说，主若愿意，我们就可以活着，也可以作这事，或作那事。”

二、经历主所应许的平安

约14：27－主留下的平安
“我留下平安给你们，我将我的平安赐给你们。我所赐的，不像世人所赐的。你们心里不要忧愁，也不要胆怯。”

腓4：6－7－出人意外的平安
“应当一无挂虑，只要凡事借着祷告、祈求、和感谢，将你们所要的告诉神。 神所赐出人意外的平安，必在基督耶稣里，保守你们的心怀意念。”

三、极大的安慰

林前15：58－不摇动，劳苦不徒然
“所以我亲爱的弟兄们，你们务要坚固不可摇动，常常竭力多作主工，因为知道你们的劳苦，在主里面不是徒然的。”


四、神信实的供应

诗23－
“23:1〔大卫的诗。〕耶和华是我的牧者．我必不至缺乏。
23:2他使我躺卧在青草地上、领我在可安歇的水边。
23:3他使我的灵魂苏醒、为自己的名引导我走义路。
23:4我虽然行过死荫的幽谷、也不怕遭害．因为你与我同在．你的杖、你的竿、都安慰我。
23:5在我敌人面前、你为我摆设筵席．你用油膏了我的头、使我的福杯满溢。
23:6我一生一世必有恩惠慈爱随着我．我且要住在耶和华的殿中、直到永远。”

腓4：19－所需用的都充足
“我的神必照他荣耀的丰富，在基督耶稣里，使你们一切所需用的都充足。”

有人问：耶稣没有保护你吗？
我们是当兵的，必然准备死伤

不要做逃兵、软脚兵、懒惰兵，要做精兵

神说：我的恩典够你用；那杀身体不能杀灵魂的，不要怕他

五、神的医治

王下20：5－医治希西家王
“你回去告诉我民的君希西家，说，耶和华你祖大卫的神，如此说，我听见了你的祷告，看见了你的眼泪，我必医治你，到第三日，你必上到耶和华的殿。”

他（讲员）两个礼拜可以走路；三个月讲道

诗30：2－祢医治了我
“耶和华我的神阿！我曾呼求你，你医治了我。”

彼前2：24－他的鞭伤，得医治
“他被挂在木头上亲身担当了我们的罪，使我们既然在罪上死，就得以在义上活。因他受的鞭伤，你们便得了医治。”

六、无限感恩

诗103：1－5－如鹰返老还童
“103:1我的心哪、你要称颂耶和华．凡在我里面的、也要称颂他的圣名。
103:2我的心哪、你要称颂耶和华、不可忘记他的一切恩惠。
103:3他赦免你的一切罪孽、医治你的一切疾病。
103:4他救赎你的命脱离死亡、以仁爱和慈悲为你的冠冕。
103:5他用美物、使你所愿的得以知足、以致你如鹰返老还童。”

诗116：12－13－举起救恩的杯，称扬耶和华的名
“我拿甚么报答耶和华向我所赐的一切厚恩。 我要举起救恩的杯，称扬耶和华的名。”

张茂松牧师信息－11月17日晚上

生命中最重要的东西

让我们好好爱神

韩国教会脱鞋，因他（讲员）以前袜子穿到不同颜色的而尴尬，以后就索性买清一色的黑袜子

耶稣不在乎你懂不懂唱歌、讲道，乃在乎你爱不爱他

你涂口红，是否一次涂完整支？马利亚一次打破香膏 SK2，肯定慷慨

患上超郁症 Hyper depression－他或她讲完了不听你就走，这种人难搞

神给的－眼睛未曾看见，耳朵未曾听见，心未曾想过的

神对你说：儿啊，没有这么快走开？ 听听流水，看看飞鸟

奉献要给什么样的钞票？最大张的
有爱就舍得
神若把氧气收10％，我们都不得了。神从来没有舍不得

今天我们必须打破贫穷的灵，打破小气的灵

尽心尽意尽力尽性爱主你的神，其次也相仿，就是爱人如己

很多教会人多，但从来不令人感动
怎样才可以感动？就是多陪人走一里路

举例：你给人面包，要加一点酱，加一杯咖啡，让别人更蒙福

Lord, Thank You for This Papaya

A trip to rural Guatemala last week reminded me of how much I take for granted. Have you counted your blessings?

You won’t find El Rosario, Guatemala, on most maps. If you drive on the busy, two-lane CA-9 Highway between Rio Hondo and Gualán, all you see of the tiny village is a white brick wall with a big blue Pepsi sign. But if you turn down a dirt road you will find a thriving community with dozens of modest houses, a school, three churches, two butcher shops, a pharmacy, a TV repair shop and several small food stores.

Last week, with a team of six friends, I made my fourth journey to El Rosario. We went to encourage Oto and Ilma Morales, pastors of Iglesia Nueva Vision (Church of New Vision)—the largest evangelical church in the area. In the past we helped them remodel an orphanage, build a youth center and host a women’s conference. This time we ministered to their congregation and hosted a conference for families in an auditorium a few miles away.

I leave more of my heart in Guatemala every time I visit. I’ve watched the kids in the church grow up. Some of the teenagers who have Yahoo accounts e-mail me in broken English. Pastor Oto occasionally calls to ask when I can come back. Sometimes I just want to move there.

"In all this bare simplicity, a sense of joy pervaded the house. We knew these people loved Jesus. We could feel His presence there."

My friend Danny, a youth pastor from Baltimore, walked with me last Sunday afternoon through El Rosario’s narrow streets. We were soaking in the sights and sounds of rural Guatemalan culture: Coconut palms rustling softly in the breeze, barking dogs, crowing roosters, giggling children, houses painted bright yellow or aqua, motorcycles revving, hammocks swaying in tiny carports—all this against a breathtaking backdrop of the Sierra de las Minas mountains.

Life is not easy in El Rosario. The most prosperous family I met operates a bus service. Some people work in the fields harvesting local produce. Some of the women are maids at a nearby tourist hotel while others must find work in Zacapa, a larger town to the west. Many residents of El Rosario have never owned a car or traveled more than 20 miles in any direction. They certainly don’t have health insurance—although there is a local doctor who makes house calls for less than $5.

Danny and I walked to the edge of the town to a place called Linda Vista—“beautiful view”—where the poorest of the poor live in plywood and mud huts on the side of a steep hill. Their only running water is a common spigot on the path between six or eight homes. Crude electrical lines are drooped dangerously over corrugated metal roofs. As many as eight people live in each of the tiny huts.

It was almost dark, so some people in the neighborhood were outside their homes cooking dinner over open flames. Most of them live on beans, potatoes, plantains and—if they can afford it—scanty portions of meat. They are especially fond of their local fruits—including the papayas that were ripening on the trees during my visit.

These children live on the outskirts of El Rosario, Guatemala. A local church, Iglesia Nueva Vision, gives them education and meals four days a week.

As Danny and I walked down the hill a man came out of his three-room cinder block house and waved excitedly. He recognized me from the church service that morning and asked us to come inside. His wife and daughter greeted us, and the little girl shyly offered me two small orange flowers as a gift. “I have a gift for you, too,” the man said in Spanish. Then he went behind his house with a machete to retrieve the surprise.

Danny and I looked around at the sparse room with its bare concrete floor and exposed rafters. A few plastic toys were scattered in a corner. Two metal chairs and a simple dinette set furnished the living area. Light came from a single electric bulb dangling from the ceiling. In all this bare simplicity, a sense of joy pervaded the house. We knew these people loved Jesus. We could feel His presence there.

The father returned in a moment holding a giant papaya—almost the size of a watermelon. It was obvious he wanted to honor me in some way because my sermon that morning had blessed him. This was his offering. It could have been his dinner, but he wanted me to have it.

Then I hugged the man’s wife and reached down to thank the little girl for the flowers. Danny exchanged hugs with all three of them, and the man told us he and his family would see us again in church that night. I gave the man a hug and took the massive fruit, holding it carefully as if it were an expensive package.

Later that evening after church, we sat around Pastor Oto’s kitchen table and shared the sweet, juicy papaya—which was big enough to feed our whole team. It was not as fancy a meal as the turkey dinners many of us will eat this week, and it was not served in a china dish with silver utensils. But that simple fruit, cut from a tree by grateful hands, helped me reclaim a heart of thanksgiving.

J. Lee Grady is editor of Charisma.

Central District Council Thanksgiving Dinner

The AG Central District Council holds a Thanksgiving Dinner for its Ministers on 24th Nov. It was held at Bangsar Seafood Restaurant.

Pastor Johnson & Mrs Penny Low (R) with Pastor Allen & Cecilia Tan (L)


Students from Malaysian Tamil Bible Institute

Julia Teh (R) & Ann Low

The violinist cum singer from First Assembly of God, Pudu, Kuala Lumpur

Pastor Jason Goh (R) receiving a reward from CDC superintendent Pastor Michael Ho for being in >30 years of Ministry

What is happening to the Charismatic Renewal Movement?

by William Lau

In response to J. Lee Grady's Preparing for a Charismatic Meltdown

Preparing for a Charismatic Meltdown was written by no less an authority on the Charismatic Movement than J. Lee Grady, Editor of Charisma. The article is shocking in its import although not surprising. What is happening to the Charismatic Renewal Movement?

When the Charismatic Movement was born over forty years ago, it was in reaction to a form of evangelicalism which at that time among other things taught believers the virtues of self-denial, suffering for Christ, and even poverty. It promoted austerity both inwardly in the spirit and outwardly as a lifestyle. Unfortunately, there was little joy or "abundant life" evident in the lives of the believers. Some even characterized it as being spiritually dead and lifeless.

The ground was thus fertile for the advent of a teaching that taught an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit which would result in unspeakable joy, power through the Spirit for an abundant and overcoming life, and fruitfulness for the Kingdom of God. It taught that through the Holy Spirit believers would be enabled to become effective witnesses for Jesus Christ.

Acts 1:8 - But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

What was the purpose of the coming of the Holy Spirit?

The primary purpose of the coming of the Holy Spirit was to empower believers to witness for Christ and to proclaim the Kingdom of God effectively. It was to impart power to believers to fulfill the Great Commission before the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. As clear as this purpose was according to Acts 1:8, it was in the end neglected for the most part by the Charismatic Movement. How did this come to pass?

There is a trait of human beings that is manifest time and time again. Whenever we move to an extreme position, there will inevitably be a reaction. That reaction will be in the opposite direction. Unfortunately the backlash can take us all the way to the very opposite extreme. That is what has happened to the Charismatic Movement.

As an example of this, over 500 years ago Martin Luther and the Protestant Reformation reacted to Roman Catholicism which erred at the time by teaching a form of justification by works. We are now taught correctly from Ephesians 2:8-9 that we are saved by grace through faith, and not by works. However, Protestantism eventually went to the opposite extreme of teaching that once we are saved by faith in Christ, we are not required to obey the Lord with any good works at all---despite the admonition in James 2:14-20. Some have aptly labeled this the gospel of "cheap grace." We have gone from salvation by works all the way to salvation by doing nothing except a public confession with no outward evidence whatsoever of saving faith---from one extreme to the other.

What happened to the Charismatic Renewal Movement

This very same thing has occurred to a large extent within the mainstream Charismatic Movement. In reacting to the self-denial and asceticism once taught by mainstream evangelicalism, charismatic teaching has drifted steadily to the opposite extreme. The emphasis has become primarily directed toward securing God's blessings for our spiritual and material comfort here on earth. While it is true that God wants to restore His people's lives on earth and to provide for their physical needs, there has developed a definite imbalance in the teaching. Even though it is taught that like Abraham we are "blessed to be a blessing," the emphasis is almost always on how to secure God's blessing for oneself and far less on being a blessing. The original promise to Abraham from God is found in Genesis 12.

Genesis 12:2 - I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.

And so we scour God's word and listen to many good teachings on how to secure the Lord's blessings in their various forms for us and our loved ones---how to become "successful" in this life. After we are sufficiently blessed and restored, then we can be a blessing to others. What is wrong with that?

The heart is deceitful beyond all things

Firstly, "the heart is deceitful beyond all things and beyond cure" (Lamentations 17:9). When we start out our walk with the Lord by focusing exclusively on what He can do for us beyond eternal life and the forgiveness of sins, our priorities can go astray, however gradually. Our priorities should be to obey and please Him in everything that we do because we love and fear Him. But instead we are slowly led to the motivation of obeying and pleasing Him for the sake of receiving blessings from Him on earth. It is the "seed" theology of giving in order to get back here on earth. We have become unbalanced and forgotten the admonitions from Paul and Peter:

Colossians 3:1 - Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

1 Peter 1:13 - Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed.

When will enough be enough?

Secondly, when will we reach the point of being sufficiently blessed, strengthened and restored so that we can devote full or more attention to being a blessing to "all peoples on earth"? Few are the believers who have been taught to pursue God's blessings zealously and then who can change direction and their focus to devoting energy for dispensing blessings for the sake of the advance of the Kingdom of God on earth. Once one has been given a motivation and a focus, it is not easy to change.

For some believers, enough is never enough. They want "all that God has for them" on earth. Yes, they have learned to give generously, but for the primary purpose of getting more.

We are blessed in order to become a vehicle of the gospel

Thirdly, the original promise to Abraham that "all peoples on earth will be blessed through you" referred specifically to the coming of his seed---Jesus Christ---through whom redemption and the forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed to all nations (Genesis 22:17; Galatians 3:8,16). Abraham would be a blessing by being the obedient vehicle through whom the gospel of Jesus Christ would be given to the world.

Therefore we are to be a blessing by being the vehicles through whom Jesus Christ will be proclaimed to all peoples as the only Savior and the only way to the Father. We are to be a blessing as agents of the Great Commission given by Christ to the Church. But how many of us are actively involved in preaching the gospel and fulfilling the Great Commission? The answer is very few, although we are thankful that some do indeed give very generously for the work of evangelism and missions. But most charismatic believers instead invest their time and energy in learning about what God can do for them.

Unfortunately, this kind of "learning" (as designed by the teachers) can take a lifetime, leaving precious little time and energy to accomplish the works commanded by Jesus Christ to His disciples in order that He might return for His Second Coming. When are the learning and restoration complete? For the many who have learned how to just sit and receive, it is likely never finished. Ironically, this is good for the success and popularity of the teachers whom they so avidly follow.

The Old Testament is but a shadow

Fourthly, many of the earthly blessings cited by charismatic ministries which teach about the "successful Christian life" are taken from the Old Testament. Deuteronomy 28 is an especially good example of this. The Old Testament, however, is but a shadow of what is to be fulfilled in Christ Jesus. Thus the flavor and tone of the Old Testament contrasts noticeably from that of the New Testament. The Old Testament can be compared to the letter while the New Testament to the spirit. It can only be by the spirit that we can properly interpret and understand the purpose behind the letter. Does the New Testament place more emphasis on material and spiritual blessings in this life, or on the eternal blessings in the next? Does the New Testament focus on the benefits of faith in this life, or on having faith in Christ which leads to a life of holiness and good works pleasing to the Lord? The answer is clear to those who know the Scriptures.

The primary blessing is spiritual

Galatians 3:14 - He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.

The primary blessing that we are to receive as New Testament believers is spiritual: the promise of the Spirit and spiritual blessings that He brings.

Ephesians 1:13 - And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession—to the praise of his glory.

Here the apostle Paul describes the Holy Spirit as "a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance." Indeed, that is the greatest blessing---not the real estate known as the land of Israel as promised to Abraham, or any other earthly blessing for that matter---but the guarantee of our inheritance above where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.

The purpose of the coming of the Holy Spirit

The purpose of the coming of the Holy Spirit should be for disciples to know the Lord intimately so that they will love Him more, live a holy life in the fear of God, and serve Him obediently. Its purpose should be for disciples to have power to become effective witnesses of Christ Jesus so as to fulfill the Great Commission. Then they will hear His words, "Well done, good and faithful servant! …Come and share your master's happiness!" This is what disciples of Jesus Christ should live for and look forward to.

The gifts of the Holy Spirit upon which charismatic believers place much emphasis are, in accordance with 1 Corinthians 12, for building up the body of Christ. But what is the purpose of building up the body? Along with the five-fold ministry, the gifts help to "prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up" (Ephesians 4.12). Unfortunately, most charismatic teachings do not equip God's people for works of service, but instead to receive more blessings from God on earth. Again, we note the imbalance within the contemporary charismatic Church.

The Holy Spirit should stir our hearts not just to ask what God can do for us, but what we can do for God.

A suspect foundation

Finally, "your boasting is not good. Don't you know that a little yeast works through the whole batch of dough?" (1 Corinthians 5:6) Whenever there is a weakness in the foundation of a building, the entire structure is in danger of collapse as more and more weight is put on the suspect foundation over time. In the same way, the imbalance that has characterized the Charismatic Movement since its near inception is now threatening the entire structure and may bring down the entire movement. When the Movement returns to the fear of God in spirit and in truth, then it may survive. Or God may decide to demolish the entire structure and then to rebuild the foundation: we are given the Holy Spirit in order that we might be empowered to be effective witnesses of Jesus Christ to the world in our lives, in our words, and in our works of supernatural power.

What about our earthly needs?

Jesus taught us to "seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well" (Matthew 6:33).

As J. Lee Grady wrote at the end of his article:

"All of us should be trembling. God requires holiness in His house and truth in the mouths of His servants. He is loving and patient with our mistakes and weaknesses, but eventually, if there is no repentance after continual correction, His discipline is severe. He will not be mocked.

Romans 11:22 says: 'Behold then the kindness and severity of God; to those who fell, severity, but to you, God's kindness, if you continue in His kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off' (NASB)."

Christmas in the midst of financial dilemma

Christmas is near. It is school holidays. People in the commercial world are trying to make some profits out of this season. These days we are in the midst of financial dilemma worldwide.

Yeah, many people have missed the meaning of Christmas. Hope that people will know that the main figure of Christmas is Jesus Christ. He came 2000 years ago to save mankind from sin.

These pictures were taken in Selangor Sunway Pyramid Mall

马来西亚神召会中文教会联合营会－11月17至20日 AG Malaysia Chinese Churches Combined Camp - 17-20 Nov

这次神召会中文教会联合营会是第19届。
组成－48所教会； 1个机构；及个人

住宿者－成人：311人；儿童：42人＝共353人
非住宿者－成人：47人；儿童：27人＝共74人
成人和儿童共427人
（临时报名者不算进内，无论如何只属少数）
晚上公开－约每晚增加100成人，18日晚最多人

大马神召会全国有300所教会，其中140所有中文聚会
为了让中文更合一，1982年在槟城升旗山举办第一届联合营会，参加者60人
早期我们每年举办一届，而近期改为每两年一届

很抱歉我们总会的网站并不齐全，若有空可浏览
http://www.ag.org.my/cld.htm











左下：胡民气牧师和胡李秀珠师母
Bottom left: Pastor Oh Beng Khee and wife Mary

A-Level Test

Please test your IQ:










Never mind if you could not answer. Me too!

Preparing for a Charismatic Meltdown

Three prominent charismatic ministries have suffered huge setbacks this month. What does this mean for our movement?

Foreclosure. Eviction. Bailouts. We’re hearing those terms a lot these days, and not just in the newspaper’s business section. In the last two weeks three charismatic churches that once enjoyed huge popularity have fallen on hard times.
In Tampa, Florida, Without Walls International Church is facing foreclosure. The mega-church, which once attracted 23,000 worshipers and was heralded as one of the nation’s fastest-growing congregations, shrunk drastically after co-pastors Randy and Paula White announced in 2007 that they were divorcing. On Nov. 4 their bank filed foreclosure proceedings and demanded immediate repayment of a $12 million loan on the property.

In Duluth, Georgia—northeast of Atlanta—sheriff’s deputies arrived at Global Destiny Ministries and ordered Bishop Thomas Weeks II to leave the property. According to documents filed in state court, Weeks—who divorced popular preacher Juanita Bynum in June—owed more than $511,000 in back rent to the building’s owners. He was escorted out of the building on Nov. 14 while a church service was in progress.

"The wrecking ball of heaven is swinging. It has come to demolish any work that has not been built on the integrity of His Word."

In another part of the Atlanta area, leaders of the Cathedral at Chapel Hill announced that their church is officially for sale. The massive Gothic building—which at one time housed one of the nation’s most celebrated charismatic churches, with a membership of 10,000—has slipped into disrepair after lurid sex scandals triggered a mass exodus. The church’s founder, Bishop Earl Paulk, has turned the 6,000-seat church (valued at $24.5 million) over to his son, Donnie Earl, who in recent years has abandoned orthodox Christian doctrines and embraced universalism.

In addition, the bank that called the loan on Without Walls also began foreclosure proceedings on its satellite campus in Lakeland, Florida. That massive campus with its 10,000-seat sanctuary was once known as Carpenter’s Home Church. Under the leadership of Assemblies of God pastor Karl Strader it enjoyed huge success, but its membership dwindled in the 1990s, and it was sold to the Whites in 2005.

A crisis hit Without Walls two years later when the Whites announced from their pulpit that they were divorcing. They did not give specific reasons, but Randy said he took “100 percent responsibility” for the breakup. He later told Charisma: “This was a decision of last resort after years of prayer and counseling.”

In the case of the Cathedral at Chapel Hill, many parishioners walked out 16 years ago when it became known that Earl Paulk and other staff members were involved in wife-swapping. Paulk created a bizarre culture of secrecy to cover the immorality, which included his affair with a sister-in-law—and resulted in the birth of Donnie Earl (who thought he was Earl Paulk’s nephew until last year). The church has only had a few hundred members in recent years.

Today, Donnie Earl has embraced the inclusionist doctrines of Oklahoma pastor Carlton Pearson, who left the faith in 2003 and was labeled a heretic by a group of African-American bishops the following year. The younger Paulk now preaches that all people, not just Christians, are saved. He told Charisma last week that the Cathedral “has expanded to include all of God’s creation—Christian, Jew, Hindu, Buddhist, gay, straight, etc.” And this distorted message is broadcast from a pulpit that hosted the premier leaders of the charismatic movement during the 1970s and 1980s.

Even before Weeks was charged with assaulting Bynum in a hotel parking lot in August 2007, the pastor of Global Destiny Ministries defiled his pulpit during a “Teach Me to Love You” marriage conference. He told married men they should use profanity during sex to heighten their experience, and he brought couples on stage to play a game in which men were asked to name their favorite female body parts.

Lord, help us.

Was it supposed to end like this? How did a movement that was at one time focused on winning people to Christ and introducing them to the power of the Holy Spirit end in such disgrace?

I hear the sound of bricks and steel beams crashing to the ground. The wrecking ball of heaven is swinging. It has come to demolish any work that has not been built on the integrity of God’s Word.

All of us should be trembling. God requires holiness in His house and truth in the mouths of His servants. He is loving and patient with our mistakes and weaknesses, but eventually, if there is no repentance after continual correction, His discipline is severe. He will not be mocked.

Romans 11:22 says: “Behold then the kindness and severity of God; to those who fell, severity, but to you, God's kindness, if you continue in His kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off” (NASB).

God is not married to our buildings. If He allowed foreign armies to burn Jerusalem and its glorious temple, He will also write “Ichabod” on the doors of churches where there is no repentance for compromise.

I pray the fear of God will grip our hearts until we cleanse our defiled pulpits. Let’s examine our hearts and our ministries. Let’s throw out the wood, hay and stubble and build on a sure and tested foundation. It is the only way to survive the meltdown.

J. Lee Grady is editor of Charisma.

张茂松牧师信息－11月18日晚上

题目：梦想

他（讲员）服侍主超过40年。

人生没有师傅成长就很慢。老师和师傅有什么分别？老师是三年，师傅是一辈子。

台湾破一千人有10多间。

林前13：13“如今常存有信，有望，有爱，其中最大的是爱。”

用信心打造未来，用盼望勾勒愿景，用爱心滋润四方。

盼望使人的生命不一样：将

圣经鼓励人要梦想。从一个小梦想开始。

神将我们生在这个世上都是有一个了不起的目的，他要我们去完成的。他不是我们平白走这一段人生。

一颗种子种下去，会长出多少榴连。

你的热诚在哪里？你的梦想是什么？开面包店吗？做爸爸吗？这些都是很好的梦想，没有什么东西是不属灵的。

你希望你的生活好一点，这梦想是可以的。

华人文化不想有梦想，如果你告诉你的梦，别人就说“白日梦”。

要扩张你帐幕之地、张大你居所的幔子、不要限止、要放长你的绳子、坚固你的橛子。（以赛亚书54：2）

神不单给我们梦想，也给我们力量去完成我们的梦想。

圣经有许多的应许，目的就是让我们有信心可以走上寻梦之路。

神给我们的生命是无限可能的生命。

你的家庭，儿女，事业，身体，事奉，教会可以更好一点。
在信的人凡事都能。