弟兄姊妹平安:
到神面前來的人，必須信有神。敬拜神的人，是以神為神，是「有備而來」；因為敬拜就是奉獻。
「有備而來」是個人甘心樂意地擺上和付出，而不是教條，律例和傳統。在七日的頭一日，我們齊集在一起，獻上我們的時間和金錢，擺上我們的心智和感情，奉上我們率性的歌聲和旋律，以心靈和誠實敬拜我們在天上的父。
「有備而來」並不取決於我們個人主觀的判決，更在乎接受奉獻的主。神所看中的「有備而來」，不只是奉獻的供物，更是奉獻的人。耶和華看中了亞伯和他的供物，只是看不中該隱和他的供物。人比供物在更優先的位置。
什麼是神的看中呢？耶和華不像人看人，人是看外貌，耶和華是看內心。在該隱的怒氣中，看出敬拜的自我中心。耶穌教導我們: 讓小孩子到我這裡來，不要禁止他們，因為在神國的, 正是這樣的人。我們要學小孩子的樣式，天真和純潔來親近主，學習在知錯、認罪、悔改中成長。神所要的祭是憂傷的靈, 憂傷痛悔的心，祂必不輕看。在每一個主日崇拜，我們都當關心留意崇拜中的每一個小朋友，怎樣在笑聲和淚水中磨練成長，他們是我們的老師！
「聽命勝於獻祭，順從勝於公羊的脂油。」聽命和順從是神所喜悅的祭。敬拜神的人就是聽命和順從的人。讓我們愛慕神的話語，在學習聽命和順從中成長，作一個蒙福的人。
「因為到神面前來的人，必須信有神，且信祂賞賜那尋求祂的人！」來11:6
主內
王 興
24/11/2022
25th November,2022
Dear brothers and sisters,
Anyone who comes to God must believe that He exists. Those who worship God must respect God as God and “come prepared”; because worship is sacrifice.
“Coming prepared” is a willingness to give. It’s not doctrine, laws and traditions. On the first day of the week we come together to offer our time and money, our minds, our affection and our songs, to worship our Father in heaven in Spirit and truth.
“Coming prepared” does not depend on our personal judgment, but on the Lord who accepts the offering. God looks with favour on the people who offer rather than the offering. The Lord looks with favour on Abel and his offering, but not Cain and his offering. People are prioritised over offerings.
What is God looking for? He does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. We can see the self-centeredness of worship in Cain’s anger. Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” We must learn from the children, approaching the Lord with innocence and purity, acknowledging our mistakes, confessing our sins and repenting. What God delights in is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart God will not despise. We should pay attention to every child in the Sunday Service, noticing how they grow through laughter and tears. They are our teachers!
‘To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.’ Those who worship the Lord are those who obey and heed. Let us love God’s Word, to be a blessed person through learning to obey and heed.
‘Anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek him.’ Hebrews 11:6
In Him,
Sam Wong