圣诞节到了,香港著名基督徒艺人周慧敏在社交网络向歌迷朋友致以节日的问候,同时在这普世欢腾日子为基督信仰作见证,分享她信耶稣以及重生的经历,由衷期待大家感受到主爱,获平安与喜乐。
周慧敏表示成为基督徒后,圣诞节对她的意义就不同了,"圣诞再不是关于圣诞老人、圣诞礼物、或圣诞狂欢派对的节日,而是纪念著耶稣基督的爱而普世欢腾的日子。"她说。
圣诞节当天,周慧敏也提醒自己主赐给她的恩典,让她时刻都感受到被爱与能爱的幸福。因此,她在这特别的日子有感动向广大歌迷朋友分享她的信仰见证。
作为演艺圈常青树的周慧敏为何要信耶稣?她有哪些重生的体验?她的生命都经历怎样的转变?信主后又如何靠主恩典胜过试炼、迈向属灵成长?周慧敏用注入真挚情感的优美文字娓娓道来。
她回忆记决志当晚的感受说,"我决心弃掉家里一切与拜偶像有关的物件,祷告承认自己的罪,接受耶稣基督的救赎,感受到前所未有的轻松、平安,与宁静。"
对于2010年的洗礼,周慧敏见证说:"我的旧我就如跟著基督死去般浸进水里去。我从水里起来那刻,我就如跟随著基督复活,成为新造的人。"
"如果不是神的安排,很难想像在我寻找祂的道路上,能走得这般通畅无阻。回想这段路,其实神的使者早已陆续在我的生活里出现,为我的信作预备,保守我的心直到受浸。"她说。
以下是周慧敏亲笔撰写的信仰见证(中英文版)
2013圣诞快乐
Dear all
我从Connecticut平安到港了。
成为基督徒后,圣诞节对我的意义不一样了。圣诞再不是关于圣诞老人、圣诞礼物、或圣诞狂欢派对的节日,圣诞是纪念著耶稣基督的爱而普世欢腾的日子。这天,提醒我祂赐给我们的恩典,让我时刻都感受到被爱与能爱的幸福。所以,这个圣诞,我希望向您们表达爱和思念的同时,也藉著这个特别的日子为我的信仰作见证。
其实,训练了自己40多年建立而来的一套信念,理应根深蒂固,能让我心甘情愿地放下这套建立已久的信念,由零开始,真的不可思议,神的力量远远超乎人能想像的。
未信主前,我曾经视个人修为作生活一大指标。因为自信,我认为依靠他人或宗教是软弱的行为,所以,并不理解和轻视圣经强调因信才能得救的重要性。一天,我与朋友偶然谈起宗教,意识到基督教以外的宗教大都强调自我修为的重要,然而,那套准则,几乎是凡人不可能达到的。再者,我想到若圣经所说的属实,那么因我没有信主,未接受基督的救赎,我即使在个人修为上到达到甚么境界,都是没有资格进天堂的罪人。相反,就算圣经所说的不实,我即使成为基督徒,其实都没半点捐失,因为我不会在个人修为上退步。想到这里,我决意用开放心认识基督教,了解圣经所强调的信,生命就这样逆转。
记得第一次到教会,适逢2009年的复活节崇拜,那天我的心情异常激动,我抖震的声音无法唱出半句圣诗,但我在心里,却重复地向神说著一句话:"天父,我回家了!"
初信主的那段日子,特别需要私人空间,好让自己专注寻求神,免于因琐事分心。但因为我是公众人物,这个要求谈何容易,我无法控制人,只能凭信心祈求神。一年下来,我与丈夫到教会崇拜,与教友查经,一切与寻求神有关的事宜,都被圣灵保护著,进行得很顺利。记得决志当晚,我决心弃掉家里一切与拜偶像有关的物件,祷告承认自己的罪,接受耶稣基督的救赎,感受到前所未有的轻松、平安,与宁静。
圣经让我明白得救不是靠自身修炼,而是靠基督的救赎,无人能够凭行为自夸。就是因为世上没有完美的人,世人就无需把个人修为的高低定位,因为永远高处未算高。当我放下刚硬的心看清自己的罪,我喜见自己逐步放下了旧我,放下了盲目靠个人力量的一套自信,放下呈强的担子。摒弃了成年人的外壳,让我从孩提阶段再生,而建立起对人对事的谦让。越是懂得把自身的不足放大,把自满缩小,我发觉自己更有勇气包容怜惜人的软弱。信仰令我的价值观改变了很多。现在,我不会执著世界的眼光,更不时提醒自己不以自己的准则要求或论断别人。就是因为信念明确,自己就更有能力去取舍和追求,寻到真正喜乐的根源,和那份靠个人力量无法相比的强大信心。
如果不是神的安排,很难想像在我寻找祂的道路上,能走得这般通畅无阻。回想这段路,其实神的使者早已陆续在我的生活里出现,为我的信作预备,保守我的心直到受浸。随著2010年浸礼的进行,我的旧我就如跟著基督死去般浸进水里去。我从水里起来那刻,我就如跟随著基督复活,成为新造的人。哥林多后书5章17节记著说:"若有人在基督里,他就是新造的人,旧事已过,都变成新的了。"
受浸后,我经历了一次又一次的试炼;藉著这些试炼,我学会信靠和顺服神,而得以在灵里成长,以神喜悦的方式生活。今后,因著信,我已得著平安的心,欣然面对未来的考验,走在光明与爱的道路中,盼望基督再来。我感谢神让我看清自身的不足,给我谦卑的心去继续寻求,好好爱神,爱人,爱自己。
2014年,是我踏进演艺界的第28个年头。这些年来,与大家建立了的一份友谊,相信是我回顾演艺生涯里得著最珍贵的礼物。过去,我接收了很多爱,今天我可以藉著同样的艺人身份和岗位透过工作回报支持者,是我最大的福气。感谢神让我们相遇,以爱互动。2013的圣诞,无论您们身在高处或低处,愿您们都能感受到祂给我们的爱,而得著那份平安与喜乐!
亲爱的,圣诞快乐!God Bless!
Love
V
2013 Merry Christmas
Dear all
I have come back to Hong Kong from Connecticut, safe and sound.
Christmas has a new meaning to me after I have become a Christian. The festival, no longer about Santa Claus, Christmas present or rave party – it is now a time to celebrate the love of Jesus Christ and the joy to the world. This day reminds me of the grace given by God, I feel so blessed that I am able to love and be loved. At this Christmas, when I am telling you how much I love and miss you, I would like to take this special opportunity to witness for Christ.
Honestly, I have trained myself to follow my own rules for more than 40 years. These principals are supposed to have deep-rooted in my mind. But I have changed, I am willing to let go my long-established self-belief and rebuild a new me. God’s power, far beyond our imagination, is truly amazing.
Prior to my believing in God, I regarded personal development as an ultimate goal in my life. I was always self-confident, regarding the dependence on others or relying on religion is a kind of weakness. You can imagine - it was reasonable that I didn’t understand and even look down on what is emphasized in the Bible – salvation only comes from faith in God. One day, my friends occasionally chatted with me about religion, I then realized that the other religions (other than Christianity) stress on the importance of self-development. But the standards set by them are almost impossible to accomplish. Then I thought more about it - if what the Bible tells us is true, I would consider myself not yet qualified to believe in God - because I have not obtained salvation from Jesus Christ, that means no matter how well I have developed myself, I am still a sinner, still not eligible to get into the gate of heaven.
But, how about the Bible is wrong? I won’t lose anything even if I decide to be a Christian – I am still the same person and my personal quality will not be affected. I decided to open my heart to learn about Christianity, to understand the faith emphasized in the Bible. My life has been changed since then.
I remember it was the 2009 Easter Service, the first time I went to church. I was extremely excited and I couldn’t sing the hymn at all with my trembling voice. But in my heart, I kept praying to God: “Father, I am home! I am home!”
In my early stage of becoming a Christian, I tried to minimize distractions from trivial issues and spare more room for myself to focus on seeking God’s mercy. But being a public figure, it is not easy to have a lot of privacy, I couldn’t do anything but only pray to God for help. For the whole year I felt very blessed by the Holy Spirit, everything relating to my seeking of God went on smoothly, such as going to church with my husband and gathering with fellow Christians for bible study groups. On the night when I made a commitment to follow Jesus, I decided to clear away everything at home that is in relationship to false idol worshipping. Then I prayed to God and confess my sins, and received salvation from Jesus Christ. Immediately, I felt so relaxed, peaceful and calm, I have never felt as easy.
The Bible teaches me a lesson – salvation comes from Jesus and not self-development, nobody can boast about themselves a well developed person. In fact, no one is perfect and there is no need to judge the level of self-development. After I have let go of my stubborn mind and seen my own sin, I am happy to see that I have gradually left my old self behind and no longer solely depend on my own confidence or strength. I don’t have to gear up and show my strong sides anymore, I am free from the hardship. Abandoning the adult self, I am reborn as a kid and I have more courage to accept the weakness of human. My value changes after I am in God - no longer persistent to man’s value. And I always remind myself not to judge others with my own criteria. Now I have a clear direction towards seeking God, I am more powerful to let go and seek for the ultimate source of joy, as well as the great faith which self-strength can never compare to.
I cannot imagine without God’s mercy, how can I walk so well on the path leading to Him? But when I look back, God’s messengers have gradually come into my life and prepared me for my change, as well as preserving my heart till my baptism. At my 2010 baptism ceremony, the ‘old me’ died, just like Jesus Christ immersed into water after his death. At the moment I was raised from water, I was reborn just as Jesus’ resurrection and became a new person. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” 2 Corinthians 5:17.
I have experienced tests again and again after being baptized. But I learn to depend on God and be obedient to Him through these opportunities. I grow with the blessing of the Holy Spirit and live in a way pleasing God. I now have a peaceful mind and I am contented to face the coming challenges, walking on the path of light and love and wait for Jesus to come again. I am really thankful to God for guiding me and grant me a humble mind to seek for Him, to love God, love everyone and myself.
The coming year 2014 is my 28th year being an artist. I am very happy that we have built friendship and stayed close, this is the most treasured gift in my career. In the past I received a lot of love from you, today I am glad that I am able to return my love as an artist, this is a real blessing. Thank God for letting us gather together and interact with love. At 2013 Christmas, no matter you are struggling or enjoying life, I hope that you can feel the love, peace and joy from Him!
My dear, Merry Christmas! God Bless!
Love
V