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Pastor’s Corner | Relationships: What a pain!

    As we all know, working with numbers, with computers, with machines, with cars, with food, with construction, with almost anything is easier than working with people! People are exasperating! They are often undependable, self-centered, prideful, unfair, uncaring, insensitive, hateful, unloving, judgmental, prejudiced, deceptive, etc………

    So, why are we even bothering to look at relationships today? Why did Jesus care about humans anyway? I sincerely can’t say that I fully understand the answer to that question but it is something that we must recognize as a fact…..He Cared! We know that God created the world and humankind. We know that God had his only begotten son, Jesus, sent to this world as a sacrifice for the sins of all. We know that Jesus suffered greatly for our good while we also know that most of mankind is virtually unappreciative of God’s efforts on our behalf.

    FCBC is so much more than our building, our programs, our activities, our music, our worship, etc. FCBC is here to follow the modeling of Christ in identifying our existence and in reaching out in the name of Jesus. If our individual faith is only an academic understanding, our church should close its’ doors. If all we are is structure and policies, we should close our doors. If we are truly disciples, our goal is to spend less time worrying about our comforts and safety as we seek to be with lost people and reach out in the name of Jesus. This means we must learn to “welcome the pain” of working with relationships and that means loving the unlovely and caring about those who know not Jesus. May we find joy in our discomforts, inconveniences, and the criticisms received from others as we seek to show a love beyond understanding. (James Ch. 3)

     

     

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    人际关系:真不容易!

    我们都知道,比起和数字、电脑、机械、车子、食物、建筑或任何其他的东西打交道,都比和人共事来得容易。人是会被激怒的!他们常常是不可依赖、以自我为中心、骄傲、不公正、不关心、不为他人着想、可憎的、缺少爱心、喜欢批评、带有偏见和欺骗等等。。。

    那为什么今天我们还要谈人和人之间的关系呢?耶稣为什么关心人呢?推心置腹地说,我没有一个完美的答案,但我们必须了解背后的事实- 祂就是在乎人!我们知道上帝创造这个世界和人类。我们知道上帝差祂的独生子来到这世界为我们的罪牺牲祂的生命。我们知道祂为我们受极大的苦,同时我们也知道绝大多数人并不知道感激上帝为我们做的一切。

    第一华人浸信会不只是一栋建筑物,或众多事工:各种活动、音乐、崇拜等。第一华人浸信会在此是跟随基督的榜样来表明我们的存在及以向外宣扬耶稣的名。如果我们每个人的信仰只是知识上的了解,我们教会就该关闭;如果我们只是框架及政策,我们也该关闭;如果我们是真的门徒,当我们寻找并以上帝之名带回灵命失丧的人时,我们的目的是抛开对舒适和安全的担忧。这也就是说在人际关系上,我们必须学习“欢迎苦难”。即是爱不可爱的人和关心还未认识耶稣的人。在我们寻求智慧处理这不容易明白的爱的时候,愿我们在其他人给我们的不适、不易或批评中得到喜乐。
    (雅各书 第三章)