親愛的弟兄姊妹:
「義人祈禱所發的力量是大有功效的。」(雅5:16)
謝謝你們的禱告，為時代作忠心的守望者，為萬人祈求，禱告，代求和祝謝，為君王和一切在位的，也該如此，並且常常禱告，不可灰心。
我們禱告多時， 10月31日英國脫歐死線在即，但英國前途暗晦，仍處於首相與國會之爭。
香港因修訂逃犯條例引致的社會矛盾，仇恨和警民衝突，在陰霧中看不見曙光，情況日見嚴重，我們痛心，憂慮，甚至憤怒。今日特首引用「緊急法」頒佈「禁止蒙面條例」，全城民情洶湧，讓我們繼續為這城求平安，為這城的市民祈禱，求神的憐憫。
「以利亞與我們是一樣性情的人，他懇切禱告，求不要下雨，雨就三年零六個月不下在地上； 他又禱告，天就降下雨來，地也生出土產。」(雅5:17-18)
這三年零六個月的時段，不是人的計劃而是神的安排，也許我們會遇上情緒低落，自覺孤苦伶仃，向神埋怨並試圖放棄信心。但神要我們在睡眠裡恢復體力，並賜我們飲食增加我們的體能，要我們親近神，聆聽那微小的聲音:「你不孤單」神對以利亞說：「但我在以色列人中為自己留下七千人，是未曾向巴力屈膝的，未曾與巴力親嘴的。」(王上19:18)
「所以你們要彼此認罪，互相代求，使你們可以得醫治。義人祈禱所發的力量是大有功效的。」(雅5:16)
「撕裂有時，縫補有時。靜默有時，言語有時。」(傳3:7)
主內
王 興
2019年10月4日
4th October 2019
Dear brothers and sisters,
‘The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.’ (James 5:16)
Thank you for faithfully making petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving for all people, for kings and all those in authority, and not discouraged.
31st October is the deadline for the Brexit. We have been praying for a long time, but the future of Britain is still uncertain. The Prime Minister and the Parliament are still fighting.
The Amendment of the Extradition Bill has brought social conflicts, hatred and clashes between the people and the police, and the situation is getting worse. We are sad, worried, and even angry. The Chief Executive has enacted the Emergency Law to ban face masks today and led to unrest in the whole city. Let us continue to pray for the peace and the people of this city and ask God for mercy.
‘Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.’ (James 5:17-18) These period of three and a half years is not man’s plan but God’s. Maybe we will encounter depression, feeling lonely, complaining to God and trying to give up our faith. But God wants us to recover our strength in sleep, and gives us food for strength so that we can get close to God, listening to His whisper, ‘You are not alone.’ God told Elijah, ‘ I reserve 7000 in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and whose mouths have not kissed him.’ (1 King 19:18)
‘Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.’ (James 5:16)
‘A time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak.’ (Eccl 3:7)
In Him,
Sam Wong