Sunday, 13th February 2022
Pastor Deborah (Guest Speaker)
THE DAY OF THE LORD SHALL COME (V1-11)
Joel 2:1-11
Blow the trumpet in Zion and sound an alarm in My holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble; for the day of the Lord is coming, for it is at hand: A day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness, like the morning clouds spread over the mountains. A people come, great and strong, the like of whom has never been; nor will there ever be any such after them, even for many successive generations. A fire devours before them, and behind them a flame burns; the land is like the Garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; surely nothing shall escape them. Their appearance is like the appearance of horses; and like swift steeds, so they run. With a noise like chariots over mountaintops they leap, like the noise of a flaming fire that devours the stubble, like a strong people set in battle array.
Before them the people writhe in pain; all faces are drained of colour. They run like mighty men, they climb the wall like men of war; everyone marches in formation, and they do not break ranks. They do not push one another; everyone marches in his own column. Though they lunge between the weapons, they are not cut down. They run to and from in the city, they run on the wall; they climb into the houses, they enter at the windows like a thief. The earthquakes before them, the heavens tremble; the sun and moon grow dark, and the stars diminish their brightness. The Lord gives voice before His army, for His camp is very great; for strong is the One who executes His word. For the day of the Lord is great and very terrible; who can endure it?
FAST, WEEP AND RETURN TO GOD (V12-17)
We are not only facing the virus, but we are also facing the big and fearful times of the Lord. But there is always a way out, there is always help. But we must repent not just on the appearance but inside the heart. In the light of the Holy Spirit, can we see our own sin? It’s so easy for us to blame on the Government, to plane on the authority, to blame on the society, and blame on other people. When we are willing to tear apart our hearts, we will no longer blame on other people, but ourselves. Do we know our sins? Do we admit our sins? God treasures our heart when we repent and return to Him.
Even after God spoke the prophecy through the prophet, He will still give us a way out. There will be solutions, but we must listen and follow. The prophet called the people to come and pray. This is a crucial time, we are the royal priests, and we are to stand in the gap, to pray and intercede for our families, our nation, and our world. We must pray and fast, ask God to show His mercy to this land.
GOD DOES WONDERS, SHOWING HIS MIGHT (V18-32)
Rev Daniel Xi An Poon (Senior Pastor)
We might think that there is nothing we can do in this time, the virus, the cyclone, the wars… there is only so little we can do, but it’s not true. We must know that when we pray, as the followers of Christ, God will listen to us. As we worship, the sun will come out, the cloud will go away, we must believe in the Word of God, have love and have trust. When we pray for the world, God will do the Work and save the world. We are not just sitting there, watching the news, worrying, and letting the worries influence our emotions, but to stand in the gap and pray. See God’s wonders and miracles happening in our lives.
God’s Will for us is to give us peace. No matter what we are feeling, worrying, or struggling about, let us pray together. God’s healing and peace will come to us, He is Jehovah Rapha, He is Jehovah Jireh, and He is the Lord Jehovah. Let God’s angels surround us, miracles will happen, healing will come, and God will provide.
2022年2月13日 主日信息
#董帖心 牧师 分享：
信息：禁食祷告 – 神行大事
- 约珥书 2:1-17
本章的第1,11,31节不停的提到“耶和华的日子”- 就是神的主权完全彰显、神审判的日子。
一、耶和华的日子将到 v.1-11
当“耶和华的日子”将到，神借着先知告诉百姓要做什么呢？
V1 先知要百姓吹出长长的号角，发出警告，因为耶和华神审判的日子要到，到时人都会发抖。
V2 耶和华来的日子是可怕的，在过去或未来都“没有这样的”。
V3,5，6-10 这里描述“蝗虫大军”来时的惨况：蝗虫大军的到来十分有序，训练有素，勇往直前，非常有力量、无孔不入，当他们来的时候，就好像世界末日。看到这大军入侵的民众只是悲伤哀恸，脸色苍白。当时的犹大在日渐昌盛的日子，逐渐骄傲，拜偶像，离弃神，神就借着先知发预言让他们悔改，不然耶和华审判的日子一定会临到。前一章已经讲述了一系列灾难：干旱、火灾、严重的经济损失。如果这些灾难还不能让百姓悔改，接下来耶和华的日子要临到，会带来更可怕的打仗的风声，如同蝗虫一样的军队，造成国家战争，是更大的灾难，是没有人能抵挡的。
V11 先知对犹大说，这个灾难背后发号命令的是神。当神说“攻击”，整个蝗虫大军就会像箭射出去一样完成他的命令。犹大确实是神所爱的选民，但当他们不听神的劝诫而悔改，他们就会像北国以色列一样 – 神兴起亚述为管教的杖来管教以色列。灾难和管教的意义在于：人要从罪中悔改，重新与神建立关系，因为罪使人与神隔绝，致使神的祝福进不来。神想与我们有好关系，想把各样祝福倾倒在我们生命中。不悔改的结局是比神百姓之前所经历的灾难更可怕的。也许我们现在没有经历战争，但我们面对全球性的新冠疫情，它带来的损失无法估量。然而神不是为了审判而审判，或为了管教而管教，只是想让我们回头、与神有关系、让我们生命蒙福。
先知预言有三个层次：现在发生的事，短期的将来会发生，以及末日会发生的事。启示录 9:3-8也讲到蝗虫入侵给人带来的痛苦。过去的犹大在经济损失的灾难面前没有回转，于是面对耶和华大而可畏的日子，那我们不仅要面对新冠，也同样要面对耶和华大而可畏的日子。神借着先知发出预言是否不能更改？
二、禁食哭泣归向神 v.12-17
V12 就算神已经借着先知约珥发出预言，人仍然有出路，就是要禁食、大声哀哭、全心全意转向神。
V13 真正全心全意的转向不是只有外表的认罪（“撕裂衣服”），因为神不要外表的敬虔，他要的是我们里面“撕裂心肠”，也就是我们在圣灵光照下看到自己的罪。在新冠的日子我们很容易把“倒霉”的事怪到政府、其他国家或个人头上，但真正的撕裂心肠是愿意在神面前承认是我犯错、承认事情的发生是我自己犯罪得罪神，不是别人的问题。我们的禁食祷告不是外在的，若想让耶和华灾难的日子可以延迟，或着神的心意会改变，我们就要来到神面前这样以痛悔的心承认自己的罪，承认自己是恶的，不将任何责任推到别人身上。忧伤痛悔的心，神必不轻看，这样的禁食祷告在神眼中才有价值。
V14 如果我们真的可以在神面前认罪、撕裂心肠、转离恶行，真实的悔改，纵然神已经借着先知发出预言了，他也一定会有余下的福要留给我们。
V15-16 “吹角”意味着要召聚所有人来禁食祷告，不管这人年龄或地位如何，都要来回转归向神。
V17 “事奉耶和华的祭司”要起来成为中保，为万民代求，来到神面前哭泣祷告，向神为百姓求怜悯、恩典，神也会垂听这样的祷告。现在是疫情的关键时刻，每天的确诊人数不断上升，我们是神君尊的祭司，所以要站在破口、举手呼求，呼召人来，不仅为本城也为全地来代祷，求神让疫情可以止息，让神的怜悯临到！
#潘锡安牧师分享：
面对世界各地的天灾人祸：疫情、飓风、战争，我们可能觉得我们只是渺小的人类，做不了什么，但这个想法是不对的。我们要知道，我们是蒙主耶稣所召的人，当我们祷告的时候，神就垂听我们。神对我们有爱有信任，他相信我们会为这个世界和其上的人祷告，以致让神的拯救临到世界和其上的人。我们也要对神有爱有信任，相信神听了我们的祷告，也要感恩神的应许。我们不要只是坐在那里听新闻而担心，然后情绪起伏不定，要站在破口代祷，就会看见神迹奇事发生。神对我们所怀的是赐平安的意念，不管我们在担忧什么，在什么事上挣扎，让我们一起来祷告，神的医治和平安就会临到我们。