轉變的世界上帝的同在 God's abiding presence in this changing world

In 2019, COVID has begun to spread through the world. Not only the virus mutated to evade our immune system but also the measurements governor and health policy maker revised in order to control the situation. The world is constantly changing.

2019年疫情開始蔓延至全世界。為了逃脫人類的免疫系統，病毒不斷的變種；為了控制疫情，政府部門和醫療策劃者也施行滾動式的政策。轉變一直在發生中。

Extradiction rule of Hong Kong revised after handover to mainland China more than 20years ago. Admist the changing population, difference in legal system, and life-style between the places, such rule forced Hong Kongners to expression their political view and unsatisfaction by protesting.

引渡條例在香港回歸約二十年後大幅度的修改。兩地之間在法律制度、生活方式存有很大差異，在香港人口結構急遽變化下，條例的修改迫使香港人示威抗議，對政府表達不滿訴求反對修例的政治理念。

“There are decades where nothing happens; and there are weeks where decades happen.”Vladimir Ilyich Lenin J Hepatol

Anxiety, and fear grow alongside the social, economic and political turmoil. Behavior of escape, denied and fear results. The situation make us feel so strange, the hope and faith to the future is easily fade, the presence of God is forgotten.

在動盪不安的時代，社會、經濟和政治，面對這樣的瞬息幻變，適應實在不易。恐懼、焦慮、不安的情緒反應隨之而來，使人們做出驚恐、迴避、逃走的行為。現況令我們感到陌生，更對未來失去信心和盼望，漸漸忘記了上帝的同在。

保羅曾在帖撒羅尼迦逗留一段時間，他在當地工作謀生，更重要的是，將一群會衆建立和組織起來，建立了深摯的關係。
帖撒羅尼迦那裏有猶太人的會堂，反對保羅的猶太人妒忌他在傳揚基督教方面的成功，便糾集暴民行兇。
這個新興的教會也受到迫害，保羅逃離帖撒羅尼迦後，打發年輕的同工提摩太回去探訪並幫助那裡的信徒們，後來從提摩太的口中得悉他們並未屈服於迫害。保羅在欣慰之餘，仍關心他們屬靈的前徒，因為他在他們當中作工不長，深恐他們真理的基礎不夠穩固，容易受外來各種教訓所影響，

因此寫信勸勉當地的信徒。
保羅寫書信中想帶出什麼訊息？
為著教會生活的聖潔生活─事奉活神，分別成聖，並等候主來。保羅在致帖撒羅尼迦人的信裏首先稱讚他們的忠信工作，出於愛心的勞苦，以及因希望而有的忍耐。好消息得以傳給他們並不單在乎言語，『也在乎權能並充足的信心』。帖撒羅尼迦人效法保羅為他們所立的榜樣，「蒙了聖靈所賜的喜樂」，領受真道，並且成為馬其頓、亞細亞和甚至更遠地區所有信徒的榜樣。他們完全捨棄偶像，「要服事那又真又活的上帝，等候他兒子從天降臨」。
【1Thessalonians 1: 1-10】

初信是美好的，但面對外在環境的迫害，堅守信、望、愛 (Faith, Love, and Hope) 是信仰不變且重要的元素。信─因信稱義；愛─愛中建造；望─望主再來。

撒瑪利亞人 (Samaritan) 被猶太人認定為外邦人，他們之間存有很深的敵意。 撒瑪利亞夫人選擇在炎熱的中午時間到井口打水，可能是為了避開人群對她的目光。
「撒瑪利亞的婦人對耶穌說：『你既是猶太人，怎麼向我一個撒瑪利亞婦人要水喝呢？』原來猶太人和撒瑪利亞人沒有來往。」

什麼東西是人應該追尋的？
透過口喝的身理需求來指出撒瑪利亞夫人對婚姻的不滿。素未謀面的耶穌了解這位夫人的過去，了解她們族人的信仰。「耶穌說：你去叫你丈夫也到這裡來。婦人說：我沒有丈夫。耶穌說：你說沒有丈夫，是不錯的，你已經有五個丈夫，你現在有的，並不是你的丈夫，你這話是真的。」
耶穌希望把真理說給她聽，真正能滿足人的是真理的活水而非夫人一直去尋找的東西。(The water that I will give him will become in hime a spring of water welling up to eternal life)當門徒回來井邊，問耶穌是否餓時，耶穌的回覆卻是 (My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work) 【John Chapter 4: 4-43】

遇到不如意之事，碰到挫折之時，我們會試着用人的方式來處理。有些方法是對的，有些可能方法，不但沒有解決問題，只是暫時性麻醉了自己內在的需求。人要追求真理，真理是祂的話語，學習行祂的道。人遠離真理和道理是危險的。

Prayer with fasting and alms with uprightness are better than riches with iniquity. Better to practise alms giving than to hoard up gold.

【Book of Tobias Chapter 12:
1-22】

Free from condemnation, law of sin and death 免去讉責、法律和死亡

For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit which brings us to Holiness, Righteousness Life and peace 定精於肉體上會死亡；定睛在靈性上，帶來聖化、正義和平安。

Paul says that since we have the Spirit, we can now live for God (Romans 8:9), but we must make the choice to do so, for even though the Spirit of life is in us, the body of sin is still there as well, seeking to lead us back into death, decay, and destruction (Romans 8:10-15).

Please God and belonging to Jesus Christ 取悅主和屬主的

為自己禱告 Jesus Prays for Himself (1-5) : glorify God

為門徒禱告 Jesus Prays for His Disciples (6-19): I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one.

為信徒禱告 Jesus Prays for All Believers (20-26): I made known to them your name, and I will continuoue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.

【John 17: 1-26】

　　「轉變的世界．上帝的同在」，就是要提醒我們不論世界如何轉變，上帝始終與我們同在，只要我們尋找、便會發現。最後，我想用陀螺作一個具體的比喻，當陀螺在迅速轉動的時候，越遠離中心便會越波動和不安，相反當走向中心時就會變得平安穩妥。今天我們是否仍以上帝為生命的中心呢？我們是否正因為遠離上帝而在轉變中感到徬徨、還是願意在轉變中因抓緊上帝而堅定不移呢？

如何在崇拜中經歷上主的同在？
How do you experience the existence of God during worship?
在禱告如何聽到上帝的聲音？
How do you listen the God's voice during your prayer?
您在黑暗中有經歷過主的光嗎？
In your time of darkness, did you experience God presence?