Gwen Shaw的部落格

你們當挺身昂首 (選摘自2011.3.25末世使女Sis. Gwen禱告信)

 譯:金幼竹(Bambi Wright)

 『一有這些事﹐你們就當挺身昂首﹔因為你們得贖的日子近了。』（路加福音２１﹔２８）

親愛的禱告夥伴﹐

  我們正活在馬太福音２４章和路加福音２１章所說的日子裡﹐從今年正月開始﹐我們看到許多巨大的事件不斷的發生。自從我們在三月一日從天使谷出發以後﹐光是在日本就發生了三個大災難－－地震（餘震繼續蔓延到世界其他地方﹐包括我們住的阿肯色州）﹑海嘯﹑以及在日本東海岸受損的核能電廠（六個反應爐到現在還沒有控制下來。） 

這個九級大地震所造成的死亡和失蹤的人數﹐目前已經到達兩萬三千多人﹐飲水測驗的結果﹐發現距離水源２５０公里（約１５５英哩）的東京自來水的核子感染﹐已經超過安全飲用標準的兩倍以上﹐而東京的人口有一千三百萬﹗（我們在日本事奉的『末世使女』路得的來信﹐有更詳細的報告。） 

在以色列這邊﹐雖然我們的旅遊都很平安﹐但是﹐因為恐怖份子的攻擊﹐我們周遭有很多人面臨了困難。三月十二日禮拜六那天﹐在天還沒有破曉的時刻﹐一個在沙馬利亞地區的一個以色列家庭受到無名份子的攻擊﹐他們殺死了父親母親和三個孩子﹐只有一個男孩和一個女孩沒有受傷﹐現在﹐他們和祖父母住在一起。

禮拜三的時候﹐我們的旅行團才離開以色列二十四小時﹐就有恐怖分子將一枚炸彈藏在紙袋﹐遺留在耶路撒冷的一個靠近特會中心的巴士站裡﹐那個巴士站離開我們旅行團所住的領館只有步行十分鐘的距離﹐三十九個人被炸傷﹐有的人傷得極其嚴重﹐其中有一人死亡。我們後來得知﹐死亡的是一位英國女學生﹐名叫瑪利．珍．加德納(Mary Jane Gardner)﹐我們所知道的是﹐她是一位聖經翻譯﹐她已經把新約翻譯成非洲的多哥語文(Togo)﹐這回她是到以色列進修希伯來文﹐為的是可以完成舊約的翻譯。這次的爆炸事件是２００４年以來﹐耶路撒冷又一次的受到恐怖份子的重大攻擊。

以色列官方決定報復這次的攻擊﹐於是他們向別是巴(Beersheba)和亞實基倫(Ashkelon)發射火箭﹐這些衝突就發生在以色列正在慶祝普珥日的期間。

我們週圍有許多國家在暴動不安之中﹐敘利亞﹑約旦﹑巴林﹑葉門﹑突尼西亞﹑伊朗境內都在示威衝突﹐而埃及到現在仍然有不少混亂的問題。這個禮拜﹐我們收到在埃及同工的來信﹐要我們為他們禱告﹐因為﹐原來埃及人民所要求自由和民主的革命﹐現在已經發展成對基督徒的迫害了﹐而埃及今年九月要舉行的選舉﹐很可能使穆斯林教的『沙里亞法條Sharia Law』（註１）被強迫實行在他們的社會和民眾當中。《末世使女僕人》的克里斯．米歇爾(Chris Mitchell)在禮拜三下午參加了我們在『和平之屋(House of Peace)』的禱告﹐他向我們見證﹐當開羅的示威從和平轉向危險的那段時間﹐他所所見到的種種光景。我們親愛的弟兄﹐凱斯．懷勒(Keith Wheeler)將在四月一日飛到開羅﹐從那裡開車到亞歷山大城﹐然後﹐扛著十字架向西步行到利比亞﹐請你們在禱告中紀念他（註２）。

請為朵琳和我禮拜二飛往柏林的路程﹐和那些留在以色列將面對許多壓力的同工禱告﹐還有比爾．戴福仁、賴瑞．格瑞夫、貝蒂．白哲和葛瑞絲．馬高寧將會在禮拜四飛回阿肯色州﹐也請記念他們旅途的平安。

神已經把祂的末世使女和僕人放在世界許多戰略性的角落﹐從埃及前線的爭戰、到在日本災區放光﹐或縱橫聖地的四方（像我們的旅遊團）﹐或扛著十字架走在利比亞的土地﹐或在我們以色列的基地禱告﹐以及在《天使谷》我們的總部料理每天的事務﹐都有祂特別的旨意。各位弟兄姐妹﹐這是你走進你在神國的崗位﹐在祂裡面得力的時候了﹗

我將會在德國柏林連續事奉五天﹐從三月三十日禮拜三到四月三日禮拜天。聯絡人是《耶路撒冷之家》的安德斯．褒爾牧師和他的妻子阿德海蒂﹐地址是Berlin ·Spreeufer 5 ·10178 Berlin.電話﹕ 0049-30-28389144﹐若需要知道交通資訊﹐請電郵到 e-mail berlin@jerusalemgemeinde.de.

復興來到柏林﹗

寫於耶路撒冷的『和平之屋』

Sister Gwen

石桂林

註１﹕Sharia Law 沙里亞法是伊斯蘭教根據穆罕默德教導的『基本誡命』﹐從有關潔淨的細節到婚姻大事都有他們特殊的規條﹐但是﹐常常因地區的派別而有所分別。今天﹐在伊斯蘭教國家的沙里亞法統治之下﹐最明顯的社會形態是婦女沒有自己的自由﹐婚姻完全操縱在父兄的手裡﹐每一個男人可以有四個太太﹐丈夫可以用體罰『約束』自己的妻子﹐如果父兄認為家中有女眷『丟臉』﹐他們可以自行『解決』。（譯者按）在美國﹐已經有好幾宗案子﹐是伊斯蘭教父親﹐因認為女兒自由戀愛有辱他的名譽﹐而親手殺死女兒的事件。

註２﹕懷勒弟兄所扛的木頭十字架有七英尺高﹐十架下頭有小輪子﹐當他扛著他的十字架步行的時候﹐總會有人問他﹐為什麼他要這麼作﹐他就會停下來為耶穌作見證。

(閱讀原文)

 Luke 21:28  "And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh."

Beloved Brothers and Sisters,

We are living in the days of fulfillment of Matthew 24 and Luke 21. So much has happened since the beginning of this year it is almost impossible to keep up with all the facts. Since we left home on March 1st, there have been 3 catastrophes in Japan- the earthquakes (which are still continuing and in other places around the world, including Arkansas) the tsunami, and the damage of the nuclear power plant on the east coast of Japan (all six reactors which still have not been brought under control). The earthquake, rating 9.0, left 23,000 people dead or missing. Water in Tokyo, 250 kilometers (about 155 miles) from the plant, has tested to be more than twice the safe level for consumption. The population in Tokyo is 13 million people. (Please see the latest report from our ETH Ruth who is serving in Japan later in this prayer letter).

And though our tour was peaceful, all around us there were people that were suffering because of terrorist strikes against Israel. On Saturday, March 12^th, in the early hours of the morning when it was still dark in the Samaria region, a family was attacked by unknown assailants and the father, mother, and three children were left for dead. A boy and his sister were not harmed. They are living with their grandparents now.

On Wednesday of this week, just 24 hours after the last of our tour group left Israel, a terrorist left a bomb in a brown bag near one of the bus stops in Jerusalem by the Convention Center. This bus stop was only about a ten-minute walk from where our group stayed in Jerusalem. There were 39 people injured, some critically, and there was one casualty in that bombing - a British student, Mary Jane Gardner. We were told that she had translated the New Testament into the Togo language. She was here to study Hebrew so she could translate the Old Testament. This was the first serious terrorist bombing in the city of Jerusalem since 2004.

Rockets have been fired into Beersheba and Ashkelon. Israel is promising to retaliate.

All these things that have been happening in Israel this week have been happening around the Feast of Purim.

All around us, the nations are raging. There are uprisings in Syria, Jordan, Bahrain, Yemen, Tunisia, Iran, and there is still trouble in Egypt. We received a report from our ETH in Egypt earlier this week asking for prayer. What initially meant to be a revolution for more freedom and democracy has turned into great persecution against the Christians.  Sharia law is a very possible reality when elections take place in September.  Our ETS Chris Mitchell, attended our prayer meeting Wednesday afternoon at the House of Peace. He gave a report on his experience of being in Cairo when the demonstrations turned from peaceful to dangerous.  Our beloved, Keith Wheeler will be flying to Cairo on April 1^st. From there, he plans to go by car to Alexandria and then begin walking with the cross westward towards Libya, please keep him in your prayers.

Pray for Doreen and myself as we fly to Berlin next Tuesday. The rest of our staff who stayed behind to really get the feel of life in Israel, Bill Devlin, Larry Groves, Betty Bazzle, and Grace McGonigle will be flying back to Arkansas next Tuesday also. Please remember them in your prayers as they travel.

God has placed His End-Time Handmaidens and Servants strategically around the world to serve Him. From being on the front-lines in Egypt, to being a light shining in Japan, walking the length and breadth of the Holy Land (as our tourists did), walking while carrying a Cross to Libya, or an intercessor in our prayer houses in Israel to those holding down the fort from our home base in Engeltal. Now is not a time to crawl and hide. It is a time to take your place in the Kingdom and stand strong in the power of His might.

I'll be ministering five days in Berlin, Germany - Wednesday, March 30^th through Sunday, April 3^rd. Pastor Andres Bauer and his wife Adelheid of Jerusalemgemeinde Berlin · Spreeufer 5 · 10178 Berlin. Call 0049-30-28389144 for directions or e-mailberlin@jerusalemgemeinde.de. Revival is coming to Berlin.

From the House of Peace in Jerusalem,

Sister Gwen