祈求就給你們

到現在這個城市居住, 神很恩待的給了我一個很棒的小組, 小組的人, 對於慕道友有負擔, 於是成立一個慕道友小組, 很明確的目標, 讓我們能一同服事, 我是很感恩的。

小組的人, 個個都很優秀, 把學經歷搬出來, 都是菁英, 但卻都不自誇, 謙卑的模樣, 常常讓我敬佩不已, 服事的態度, 也常常讓我很感動, 因為總是把神放在首, 真正讓我看見基督徒那種無論在做任何決定, 都是以服事人為出發點, 除了感動, 也感謝神將我放在這樣的小組, 讓我有模範可以學習。

最近, 我們為了小組的一個女生的一些狀況, 在個別談話不成之後,  我們決定禱告。一開始是三個人, 透過conference call, 我們在週間選一天禱告, 隔一周, conference call的禱告會, 變成四個人, 禱告的對象, 也從那個女生, 延伸到整個小組未信的人。這樣的禱告, 進行一個月了, 每次聚會時, 我們這幾個女生, 有時看到代禱的人未出現聚會時, 心裡是失望的, 也問神, 神阿, 你怎麼沒帶他們來呢？但今天, 神奇妙的, 將那些代禱的人帶來聚會, 有的甚至消失了半年有了, 但今天他們一個一個走進教會時, 我們的眼睛只能用一個比一個大來形容, 我們心裡雀躍的大聲說, 感謝神！垂聽我們的禱告, 更用這樣的方式來激勵我們！

神知道我們的軟弱, 在我們懷疑祂時, 祂用了這樣巧妙的劇情告訴我們, 祂掌權！要相信, 祂顧念！多麼美好的一個晚上, 神用這樣美好的方式來激勵我們。 今晚小組的另一個女生, 也說她要加入, 所以這樣的禱告conference call, 就在短短的時間, 成長至五個人。

我喜歡這個小組, 還有另一個原因是, 在禱告時, 我們真是把我們自己的軟弱帶到姐妹面前, 今晚, 參與禱告 conference call的兩位女生, 很誠實地說, 其實每個禮拜要做, 剛開始是有點厭煩的, 但就在禱告過程中, 神改變她們, 她們反而很期待這個conference call, 讓她們記得我們要為主裡的姐妹們, 弟兄們禱告, 也要為未信的人禱告！

今天讀到路加福音11:9-10 "我又告訴你們, 你們祈求就給你們, 尋找就尋見, 叩門就給你們開門。因為凡祈求的就得找, 尋找的就尋見, 叩門的就給他開門"

神真是告訴我, 祈求就給你們！謝謝祢, 阿爸父, 讓我們真實在禱告中經歷祢～

Our prayers for Taiwan tonight

The murder of a 10-year-old boy whose throat was slit in a games arcade in Greater Tainan over the weekend has reignited a debate over the death penalty after the suspect reportedly said he would get away with a life sentence.

Public anger mounted after 29-year-old suspect Tseng Wen-chin (曾文欽) was quoted in the media as saying he would get a life sentence at most “even if he were to kill two or three people” and that he wanted to go to jail to avoid having to worry about living expenses.

Tseng, who was arrested the same day, said in a statement that his resentment toward society was the result of long-term unemployment and the burden of debt.

He picked a victim at random with the express intention of being jailed for life, the police said, adding that Tseng said that if he had not been caught, he would have continued to commit crimes.

Taiwan reserves the death penalty for serious crimes, including aggravated murder, kidnapping and robbery, but politicians are divided about whether to maintain it.

What would like you to pray for:

1. Pray for the working class' financial stability.  In Taiwan, arcades are not like they are in America. They're considered to be unsafe places for kids since shady people tend to hang out there.  Most parents do not allow their kids to go to an arcade unsupervised. In fact, there has been talk of a law being passed to prevent kids younger than age 15 from entering an arcade unless they are there with a parent.  This boy did nothing wrong by being at the arcade with his friends, and we are not trying to indict his parents, but in this case 
2. many of the problem associated with the working class apply—divorce, absentee fathers, parents always working.  In this family, details that were reported in the paper include:

• sister lives with mom, boy lives with his father
• Dad did not have money, worked odd jobs—bulletin boards, we need work, call this number
• So poor that the kid had to get subsidized lunch from school, and bring it home to for his dad to eat too
• He wanted to go to the arcade to make some friends
• He didn't have enough money to play online games, so he went to the arcade (may not have internet connection)
• Mom wanted to pick him up, but it was raining, so she decided not to pick him up
• Classmates asked him many times not to go to the arcade

1. Pray for the working class' family stability and structure.  When divorced parents move from relationship to relationship, they can see their children as burdens, so  kids are passed around between grandparents or taken to live with the new boyfriend/girlfriend, which increases the risk of abuse and certainly hurts kids' emotional development.  Pray that social workers and the church people can step in to take those children to safe places and make them feel wanted.  Pray that they do not need to live in fear or feel like no one loves or cares about them.  These kids need love.

1. Pray for the Taiwanese justice system.  In Taiwan the legal system is not as pure as it is in this country.  Corruption exists, and sentences are often light.  Frequently, if you know the right people, or if you you can find enough money, you can buy your way out of a crime.  As you can see this 29-year-old man mentioned that he knew he not only would not get a death penalty when he killed the boy but also could get free food in jail.  He might be an extreme case, but he does show that some criminals know that the justice system can be exploited.  Under the current law, people convicted of homicide could be sentenced to death, life imprisonment or more than 10 years in jail.  Pray that the legal system can be more thorough to protect kids and that perpetrators will not take advantages of current laws to hurt more people.  Also pray for the lawmakers that they can amend current regulations to reinforce the protection for children by cooperating with schools and arcade owners.  Pray that the legal system will be just and fair, and that the culture of secret corruption will end.

為台灣禱告

最近開始和一個ABC的年輕媽媽語言交換後
我們彼此談著對台灣的熱愛
在她的促成下, 今天, 我們有三對夫妻開始了為台灣的禱告會

我們沒有什麼計劃, 只是很單純的想為台灣禱告
因為目前我們都因為家庭因素, 無法回台灣
唯一能做的, 似乎就是禱告

今晚, 我們分享要為台灣禱告的內容

A夫妻說: 求神讓我們明白怎麼為台灣禱告, 也讓我們能透過禱告, 看見祂的心意, 讓我們明白我們最後的呼召是什麼。也為著A先生的父親禱告, 因為他還沒信主, 偶爾陪著信主的媽媽去教會, 但求神幫助A先生, 能在父親面前成為好的見證人。

B夫妻說: 求神讓我們能同心合意禱告, 也求神幫助台灣的事工團隊有合一的心, 讓領導的人, 能謙卑的聽取他人的意見, 為着台灣人的得救禱告。也為B先生禱告, 因為目前B太太很想回台灣, 但B先生心中沒有感動, 求神在禱告會的過程中, 讓他們明白神的計劃, 也能順服謙卑的走在神的心意中。

C夫妻 (我們): 先生雖然沒有出生在美國, 但2002年回到台灣拜訪親戚時, 他說第一次覺得他回到家了, 那時他20多來歲, 從那次以後, 想搬回台灣的心, 只隨著年歲的增加而增加, 但因著婆婆的不捨, 這個搬回家的念頭成為我們中間常常的禱告, 我始終相信, 若神允許, 必將那困難的大石挪開, 於是我們提出的禱告是, 求神讓我們明白他對我們的心意, 也讓婆婆在面對我們搬回台灣的感動, 她能有所放下！接著就是為著之前短宣的那群孩子們禱告, 求神繼續在他們心裡動工, 藉著孩子, 讓父母能看見神, 進而回轉。然後就是為著台灣年輕人禱告, 在物資充足的時代, 他們對神的渴慕似乎因著物質文化而取代, 求神讓這群年輕人看到, 他們為何而活, 生命的意義是什麼？

B太太做結束禱告, 而我在A先生禱告時, 眼淚就不停地流, 在輪到我禱告時, 卻泣不成聲, 我不知道為何而哭, 但我想在為那群孩子們禱告時, 心裡想的是, 神沒遺忘每個人, 即便我們覺得神忘記我們。我經歷過埋怨神的階段, 因為我覺得他不愛我, 不然怎麼會把我放在一個艱困的環境, 我只能羨慕同儕們的才藝, 自身卻一點才藝都沒有。最討厭寫自傳, 因為才藝部分, 我完全是空的, 當大家能歌善舞, 我卻是個啥都不懂的孩子。

但神的恩典就是這麼奇妙, 當我受洗後, 回顧生命, 除了感恩, 沒有別的, 因為那巧妙地安排, 神眷顧我, 讓我有了很多媽媽們在關心我, 教導我。短宣那次的見證分享, 我說, 有一天他們也能感受到神, 神沒有放棄我們, 祂其實一直都在。

如果, 你需要人家幫你禱告, 但有礙於某些原因無法分享, 我很願意為你禱告。雖然我們彼此不認識, 但相信, 天路有人與你同行, 是輕省許多的。

你可以寄到rcruth99@gmail.com  我會在禱告時, 為你提名禱告, 或者你覺得台灣有什麼需要禱告的, 也請告訴我, 因為身處在那地的你, 一定比我體會更深刻！