by 鍾卓權牧師 (Rev. Bernie Chung)
出埃及記第16章是記載有關以色列人出埃及之後，在汛的曠野因為沒有食物吃而向摩西、亞倫發怨言。耶和華聽到他們的呼喊，祂的榮光在雲中顯現，說他們必有食物得飽。各人要按著自己的飯量收取瑪娜，多取的沒有餘、少取的也沒有缺，晚上還有鵪鶉，為的是要以色列子民堅強他們的信心並知道耶和華是他們的 神。
由於肉體飢餓，以色列人忘記了耶和華如何保守他們沒有受到十災的傷害，又順利地讓他們行乾地過紅海離開埃及，但飢餓使他們感到悲觀絕望，繼而發出怨言，其實他們所飢餓的不是物質的糧，而真正缺乏的是生命的糧。在約翰福音主耶穌親自說祂就是生命的糧 (6:58節說：「(祂)就是從天上降下來的糧．吃這糧的人、就永遠活著、不像你們的祖宗吃過嗎哪、還是死了」)。我們都是善忘的人，應當時時警惕， 不要重蹈覆轍，若我們已蒙恩得救，藉著主耶穌已與天父和好，有著重生的經歷，我們就必須將上帝的恩典帶给需要接受生命之糧的人，使眾人同樣得到救恩。耶穌說：「我就是道路、真理、生命．若不藉著我、沒有人能到父那裏去」(約翰福音 14:6)。
許多人仍然不認識天父，不知道祂拯救罪人的福音，我們是傳福音的使者，將基督的愛和救恩傳给萬民，這就是此次短宣隊的目的之一，參與中信所籌劃的秘魯利馬市短宣之旅，與當地教會在福音工作上配搭，彼此勉勵，共同建立神的國度。弟兄姊妹們，我們要切記主耶穌所交託的大使命，向萬民傳揚上帝在基督裡拯救人類的美好信息。遠在利馬教會的同工並沒有因資源短缺，而耽延傳揚福音的事工，他們同心協力建立教會和傳福音的熱誠，是值得我們效法的，願主繼續恩待利馬的福音事工。
Translation:
Exodus 16 records that the Israelites who came out of Egypt grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the Desert of Sin because there was no food to eat. The Lord heard their cries, and His glory appeared in the clouds, saying that they shall have food and be filled. Everyone gathered manna according to his needs and there shall be no shortages or leftovers. There were evening quails to supplement their diets as well. God wanted to strengthen the faith of the Israelites and let them know that the Lord is their God.
Because of physical hunger, the Israelites forgot how the Lord had kept them from being harmed by the ten plagues and successfully let them cross the Red Sea to leave Egypt. There is no question that hunger made them feel pessimistic and desperate, and led to their grumbling. However, their urgent need was not the lacking of material food, but the bread of life. In John 6:58, Jesus says that He is the bread of life: “This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your ancestors ate manna and died, but whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.” We are forgetful and we need to be vigilant in not repeating the same mistakes. As we have been saved by grace and reconciled with God through Jesus Christ, we must share God’s grace with those who do not have the bread of life. They desperately need God’s salvation grace. Jesus said: “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6 NIV).
Many people still do not know the Father and the Good News of salvation. As Gospel messengers, we must pass on the love and salvation of Christ to others. This is the main purpose of our short-term mission trip as organized through Chinese Christian Mission. We went to Lima, Peru, to work with local churches to spread the gospel and encourage each other to further the kingdom of God. Brothers and sisters, we must remember the Great Commission entrusted by our Lord Jesus to proclaim God’s salvation to the people. Our Gospel partners in the Lima church have continued their Gospel ministries despite the shortage of resources. Their determination and hard work to establish churches for evangelism are the things we should emulate. May God continue to bless the evangelistic ministry of Lima.
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