Jo是引领我认识上帝的澳大利亚老太， 一个一生侍奉主的虔诚的基督徒， 在非洲做了二十年传教工作。 虽然当时我很贪玩也不上进， Family Church上也经常说些大不敬的话（那些让我feel struggling的圣语和自己的疑惑）， 她总是象我的外婆那样姑息我的软弱，鼓励我的信心， 很认真的给我解答。 不遗余力的关心我的点滴。 在我看来， 她的说教远比学校的lecturer高出几个档次， 如果那是说教的话。另外，在澳洲， 基督教会的组织是频繁而积极的，所有人都沐浴在Christian fellowship的圣光里。 而每一次的sermon总让我受益匪浅。

这是我今天收到的邮件。 希望Jo的解析能给在地震过后对上帝存有片刻怀疑或是“微词”的脆弱的信徒一点力量。

----- quoted -----
Dear Angela,

Thank you for your email. Yes, the terrible earthquake in China has been on TV here and makes me and all who see it so sorry for the people hurt and killed and especially the children and parents who have lost the only child the one child policy of China allowed them to have. The question is, why did God made our world with the possibility of earth tremors, quakes, tsunamis, floods, fires, famines etc and not a world with no possibility of anything to cause suffering? There are many possible answers to that question, but the answer that there is no God, is not the answer. God is there and he must have a reason.


The Bible seems to be answering the question in a number of ways. Jesus tells us that God will judge us on how we look after our neighbour who is in distress. Jesus said at the Judgement Day, he will be there, and he will say to us, “I was hungry and you fed me” or “I was hungry and you didn’t feed me” – read Jesus’ words in Matthew 25:31–46


If this were a perfect world with no possibility of sickness, accident, hunger or death, what could be the trial of our faith in God? Or what need to ask God’s or anyone else for help in time of need? There would be no needs – everyone would be self-sufficient and totally selfish and there would be no need to care for others or share anything. In other words, a world without suffering would be a world without love and sacrifice.


God uses sorrow and suffering to give us the work of loving and helping those in trouble and need, caring for others.
On TV we are seeing that many people in China are giving up their time and risking their own lives to rescue those trapped by the earthquake. Sadly, in Myanmar, the Generals who rule the country are not giving enough help to their people devastated by the hurricane and tsunami it caused. In Zimbabwe in Africa where people are starving President Mugabe is now ordering all aid-workers out of the country because he says they support the political opposition which claims to have won the country’s election.  These are reactions of political leaders, and they are being watched by God just the same as all of us are being watched by God.
God sees all.


Our sermon at Trinity today was on Matthew 13:24–30. The disciples asked Jesus the meaning of this story of a man who sowed good seed but an enemy sowed seed of thistles and thorns in his field also, and when the seeds grew up, the gardener asked whether he should pull up the weeds. The owner said no, he might pull up the good with the bad; let both grow till harvest, then the useless weeds could be pulled up and burnt and the good harvest gathered in. Jesus said its like that with the world. God lets good and bad develop together until the end, when those who do evil will be punished and those who do good will be saved.


So it is not a “perfect” world but a world of good and bad, of accidents, illness and catastrophes, a world full of trial and error and struggles to do good and help the helpless or to look after only yourself, and God has given us Jesus who shared our suffering and died a cruel death to take the punishment of the sins of those who believe in him and are sorry for their wrongs, which he took upon himself to expiate our sins and thus forgive us.


Disasters can also be a “wake-up call” to remind us that life is short and we can die at any time, so we need to keep close to God so we will be ready to meet God when our turn comes to die! The disciples asked Jesus why some people at that time had met a violent and cruel death and Jesus gave them his answer as a warning to them, and to us too. Read Luke 13:1-5.


So it should be the great priority of our lives - each of us - to keep close to Jesus, and not to drift away from him. To take the opportunity he gives us to read our Bibles, pray, and look for fellowship with other Christians. Thus strengthened in these ways we will be ready when God takes us from this earth, whether suddenly in an instant we don’t expect, or not. But if we neglect these helps God has given us we won’t be ready when God comes for us. We need “oil” in our lamps and to “watch” and be ready. Read Jesus’ parable of the 5 wise women and the 5 foolish women in Matthew 25:1-13

If you try to keep close to the Lord all by yourself you cannot do it – You need the help - the “oil” that God provides - the Holy Spirit, the Word of God and the fellowship of other Christians – “oil in your lamp to keep you a brightly shining lamp.”

With much love, and prayers,
Jo
----- unquoted -----.

谢谢。.

拜托!哪位给翻译以下？.

Jesus tells us that God will judge us on how we look after our neighbour who is in distress. Jesus said at the Judgement Day, he will be there, and he will say to us, “I was hungry and you fed me” or “I was hungry and you didn’t feed me” – read Jesus’ words in Matthew 25:31–46
耶稣要我们爱邻居．帮助有困难的邻居．

水孩儿妈，这个姊妹真好．谢谢你分享．.

有时一些非基督徒朋友问我为什么上帝这么惩罚我们人类,我不知如何回答是好,终于找到答案了.谢谢分享!.

谢谢分享，多学习，多思考！.

拜托!哪位给翻译以下？

[ 本帖最后由 jrmm 于 2008-6-11 12:29 编辑 ].

慢慢看，认真体会。

水孩儿妈，谢谢你的分享哦.

不大敢翻，怕翻不出原意。最好找个英语超好灵命也深的姐妹翻译..

因为本人看的是英文版的圣经，看中文圣经反而找不着感觉，祷告也用英文的。但是，今天还是尝试一翻，我相信主会帮我，凭着我对JO的了解，借着我的抛砖引玉让大家领会他的教诲。灵性不够 翻得不好，请各位姐妹指正。特别关于圣经部分的中文解释，还请大家帮忙。.

“谢谢你的邮件。 是的，中国发生的可怕的地震我们这儿也播了，我和所有看到的朋友都为死去的受伤的灾民，特别是那些孩子和失去惟一孩子的父母感到难过。问题出来了，为什么上帝创造的这个世界隐含着地震，海啸，洪水，火灾，饥饿种种可能，而不是一个排除一切灾难可能的世界呢？这个问题有很多种可能的答案，唯有一个答案不存在，那就是－世上没有上帝。上帝一直在，所作必有理由。

圣经对这个问题有多种解释的途径。耶酥告诉我们圣父会评定我们的表现关于我们是如何帮助照料我们受难的邻居。耶酥说在审判日到来那天，他一定会在那儿问我们：“我饿时，是你给了我食物”或“我饿时，你没有帮我”（翻得实在拙劣，请参阅 马太福音25章:31-46节）

如果这是个完美的世界不存在疾病，意外，饥荒或死亡，那拿什么来试炼我们对主的信靠呢？如果世界如此完美，我们还有什么必要去请教上帝或任何其他人以解危难呢？一切都不需要了。每个人自己就能搞定了，因此我们将变得自满，自负进而完全的自私，这样就没有必要去关心别人或和人分享所有。换言之，没有苦难的世界将变得没有爱，没有自我牺牲。

上帝运用悲伤和灾难赋予我们爱人的工作，去帮助和关怀困境中寻求帮助的人。电视上，我们的确看到许多中国人不惜代价，夜以继日地冒着生命危险解救被困群众。同样的事发生在缅甸，我们却悲伤地看到统治者们没有给予受飓风和海啸威胁的民众足够的援助。在非洲的津巴布韦，当人们饱受饥荒摧残，总统却下令把国际援救组织驱逐出境，因为他们参与支持了反对党后者宣称在大选中获胜。这些是面临危难时，执政者的种种反应。一切都看在上帝的眼中，如同我们所有人的一举一动一直看在上帝眼里一样。上帝看着一切。

我们今天的查经围绕着马太第13章24-30节, 有这样一个寓言，在种着好种子的院子里，敌人在夜间也撒下了稗草，当种子渐长，仆人问他的主人是否要拔掉， 主人说不，他担心会把好种子也拔掉，于是他说让他们一起生长直到收割，把坏的稗草收集起来烧掉，好的聚集到我的马厩。门徒问耶酥这个寓言的含义，耶酥说这就象是这个世界，上帝让好的坏的一起发展到最后，作恶多端的人最终会受到惩罚，好人自会得救。”.

未完待续.

"所以，这个不“完美”的世界向来参杂着好的坏的，意外，疾病和灾难并举，各种试炼，谬误和挣扎充斥在每个善举和助人或自助的阶段。上帝让耶酥来到我们中间分担我们的痛苦，用他的死带走信徒的罪孽，我们的忏悔他全部背负，替我们赎罪，以此原谅我们。

灾难同样可以被解读为一个“预警信号”，提醒我们生命如此短暂，我们随时可能死亡，所以我们需要靠近，更靠近上帝。这样当死亡降临时，我们已做好充分准备来面对上帝。 当门徒问耶酥为什么Galilaeans会死得那么惨是因为他们更有罪吗，耶酥的回答是：不是，这是对你们同样的一个警告，如果你们不悔改，也会象他们如此灭亡。对我们，道理如出一辙。（路加福音13章1-5节）

因此，我们生命的首要任务，就每个人而言，是尽量地靠近耶酥，不要渐渐从他旁边散去， 利用一切他赐予的机会研读圣经，祷告，照看姐妹。持续不断地这样做，当他把我们从这片土地带走（不管是因为遭遇突发事件还是其他），我们可以面对上帝。但是，如果我们忽视上帝的帮助， 我们不可能做好准备。我们需要预备的油，充足的油在我们的灯里，并时刻关注着，警醒着，准备着。（马太福音25章1-13节，“5个聪明的童女和5个愚钝的”）

如果依靠自己的力量靠在耶酥身边做不到，你就需要帮助， 这就是上帝提供给你的“油”―― 圣灵， 圣经， 和基督姐妹的友谊关爱， 都是一直照亮你灯芯的“油”。"

……………… 结束…………………….

说的真好，谢谢分享！.

谢谢分享！.

谢谢您的翻译！辛苦了！

“如果这是个完美的世界不存在疾病，意外，饥荒或死亡，那拿什么来试炼我们对主的信靠呢？”   这句话我有疑问：试炼？试炼我们对主的信靠？为什么拿许多可爱的孩子的生命，健康，来试炼我们这些罪人呢？孩子们比我们罪要轻啊！？

[ 本帖最后由 jrmm 于 2008-6-11 22:35 编辑 ].

这一段我也是不甚了解。
不管谁谁谁说的再好，都不是圣经，还是看圣经吧。.

当门徒问耶酥为什么Galilaeans会死得那么惨是因为他们更有罪吗，耶酥的回答是：不是，这是对你们同样的一个警告，如果你们不悔改，也会象他们如此灭亡。对我们，道理如出一辙。

不理解.
地震中消失的许多小生命也是由于他们的不悔改而灭亡?可他们还是一张白纸呀..

逝去的那些没有机会听到福音的生命，主一定会用他的方式怜悯的。.

我觉得反而是因为大人的罪，才使得小孩子受到伤害，因为孩子不会保护自己。
前段时间看人民神殿的事情，那些人决定自焚，里面却有二十多个孩子，后面评论说：可怜的不是大人，因为他们有自己的思维可以思考，而最可怜的那些孩子，被无知的母亲带进去就再也没有出来了。
有许多是成人的私心或者愚蠢，可是最受伤的倒是那些孩子，天真烂漫地相信着这个世界和这个世界里的大人们。.

这反而更显示出人的罪孽了.

等到审判的那一日，这些小生命怎么办呢？她们还没有来得及接受主不意味他们不愿接受主。.