神的國度降臨在地上
作者/英譯：盧國禮
人活著就需要：食﹑衣﹑住﹑行。這些東西乃是人人維持與保養生命的自然生活。可以說，人同其他植物動物的生命相似。先賢孟子說："人之異於禽獸者幾希。" 然而，"人算甚麼，你[神]竟顧念他？世人算甚麼，你[神]竟眷顧他？" (詩篇8：4)
但是，我們(基督徒)很清楚："人" 是照神自己的形像[屬性]造的，乃是照著祂的形像造男造女(創世記1：27)。
"耶和華神用地上的塵土造人，將生氣吹在他鼻孔裏，他就成了有靈的活人" (創世記2：27)。
聖經記載人類始祖因犯罪墮落，被趕出伊甸園(the Garden of Eden)(創世記3：24)。從此，人類出生在世上便帶有罪性，本來人性本善，從此變為人性本惡。
英語："SIN" 一辭，解 "罪"，正好說明，"人" 總會把 "I" (我)放在中央，以
"我" 為中心。常說："我想......我要.....我不要......我能......我全能......，" 不知不覺，我們把生活(食﹑衣﹑住﹑行)放在第一位置，把外在的生活無限擴大，將自己以為是的觀念強行於他人；有權勢者，更加自傲矜誇，打起 "政治正確" 的旗號，帶領並支持群眾走上道德滅亡的路途，高唱個人自由無限化。
"自私和貪慾，我們的自滿，渴慕權勢，形象，等等......，強制了我們，看不見異象，使我們不能清楚領受神'以忠信誠實行過奇妙的事'(以賽亞書25：1)。"（靈命日糧，6 月 2019，Winn Collier)。
我們不可忘掉了聖經記載有關巴別塔(The Tower of Babel)的啟示。
"他們彼此商量說：'來吧！我們要作磚，把磚燒透了。'他們就拿磚當石頭，又拿石漆當灰泥。"......
"來吧！我們要建造一座城和一座塔，塔頂通天，為要傳揚我們的名......"。
"耶和華說：'看哪！他們成為一樣的人民......以後他們所要作的事，就沒有不成就的了'"......"於是，耶和華使他們從那裏分散在全地上；他們就停工不造那城了" (創世記11：3-4，6，8)。
"所以你們要謙卑，服在神大能的手下，到了時候，祂必叫你們升高" (彼得前書5：6)。
聖經記述耶穌受魔鬼的試探。"祂禁食四十晝夜，後來就餓了。......" 耶穌對魔鬼說："......人活著，不是單靠食物，乃是靠神口裏所出的一切話" (馬太福音4：4)。所以神的話語(聖經)是我們每日的飲食，是生命的重要用糧，是永生的渴望。
"魔鬼又帶祂上了一座最高的山，將世上的萬國與萬國的榮耀都指給祂看，對祂說：'你若俯伏拜我，我就把這一切都要賜給你。'" 耶穌說："......'當拜主你的神，單要事奉祂'" (馬太福音4：8-10)。
從古至今，基督徒或非基督徒都是為著生活而受食﹑衣﹑住﹑行的不滿足而無限期望和貪求。若是只有外在的生活，卻沒有內在的生命(being)，又怎可能是 "有靈的活人" 呢？生命便沒有了意義。
試想想，神既照祂的形像造了人，我們本來有祂的屬性。神就是愛，[祂]差祂的獨生子[耶穌基督]降世，不是要審判世人，乃是要叫世人因祂得救 (約翰福音3：17)。若我們認罪悔改，並接受耶穌基督為生命的主，決志一生跟從祂，重生得救，受洗，成為神的兒女，聖靈內住，帶領我們走人生路，"向著標竿直跑，要得神在基督耶穌裏從上面召我[們]來得的獎賞" (腓立比書3：14)。
中國人傳統教導的修身之德行，齊家—父慈﹑子孝﹑兄友﹑弟恭﹑夫婦好合；治國—供獻社會，為國盡力，我們要安己以待神的帶領。
耶穌基督被釘十字架前，向門徒說葡萄樹與枝子的比喻，"我是葡萄樹，你們是枝子。常在我裏面的，我也常在他裏面，這人就多結果子，因為離了我，你們就不能作甚麼" (約翰福音15：5)。
耶穌又說："你們若常在我裏面，我的話也常在你們裏面，凡你們所願意的，祈求就給你們成就" (約翰福音15：7)。
讓我們親愛的弟兄姊妹們恆切禱告，願天國早日降臨。神啊！ "擦去[我們]一切的眼淚；不再有死亡，也不再有悲哀﹑哭號﹑疼痛，因為以前的事都過去了" (啟詩錄21：4)。奉耶穌基督名求，阿們！
當福音傳到地極，世人都信主耶穌基督的時候，神的國便臨在地上，如我們所祈求的。那時，祂的 "旨意" 行在地上，如同行在天上，世界各國才得太平，人人平等，生活自由獨立，阿們！
The Advent of the Kingdom of God
by: Francis Loo
Human beings live to eat, to clothe, to shelter and to go about. These things are naturally needed to sustain and maintain human life. We may say that humans are similar to plants and animals. Guru Mencius said: "There is nuanced difference between humans and animals". Then, "What is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?" (Psalm 8:4)
But we Christians know for sure the "human being" was created in the image of God (affiliating to God); "God created him; male and female He created them" (Genesis 1:27).
"The Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being" (Genesis 2:7).
The Bible records that the fallen human ancestors were expelled out of the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:24). Since then, human beings are born with sins in this world. Originally human beings were sinless but they have become sinful.
The English word "SIN" means transgression of God's law. This word clearly illustrates that humans always put "I" in the center--always "I" be central. We often say, "I wish. . . I want. . . I don't want. . . I can. . . I always can. . . " Subconsciously, we would put in the first place our living (i.e., to eat, to clothe, to shelter and to go about). We would expand the outside of lives out of bound; impose on others our subjective value; those with power would be proud of themselves, bragging with the flag of "political correct". And they lead and support the group towards the way to moral degradation. They would sing loud the song of "unlimited personal liberty".
". . . Selfish and greed, our self-sufficiency, our lust for power or image—all these compulsions obscure our vision making us unable to clearly see the God who 'in perfect faithfulness [has] done wonderful things' (Isaiah 25:1)."— (Daily Bread June, 2019, Winn collier).
Let's not forget the revelation of the story of the Tower of Babel in the Bible.
"They said to each other, 'Come, let's make bricks and bake them thoroughly.' They used bricks instead of stone, and tar for mortar. . . "
"Then they said, 'Come, let us build ourselves a city. With a tower that reaches to the heaven, so that we may make a name for ourselves. . .' "
"The Lord said, 'If as one people . . . then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. . . ' "So the Lord scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city" (Genesis 11:3-4, 6, 8.).
"Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time" (1 Peter 5-6).
The Bible records the devil's temptation of Jesus. "After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. . . " Jesus said to the devil: "Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God" (Matthew, 4:2-4).
Therefore, the Word of God (Bible) is our daily bread and drinks — the essential food and hope of eternal life.
"Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 'All this I will give you,' he said, 'if you will bow down and worship me' ".
Jesus said, ". . . 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.' " (Matthew, 4:8-10)
From ancient time until now, Christians or non-Christians all the same having been dominated by the un-satiable craving of: What to eat? What to wear? Where to live? How to go about things? If we only live outwardly without the innate "being", how can we claim that we're living beings? If so we live -- life becomes meaningless.
Let's ponder. Since God created human beings in his image, we originally would have affiliated to God. God is Love. "For God did not send his Son [Jesus Christ] into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him (John, 3:17). If we admit our sins and repent and receive Jesus Christ as our savior, and determine to follow him for life, we will be re-birthed and re-deemed and baptized — becoming the children of God. The Holy Spirit lives in our hearts and leads us the way in life. "[We] press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called [us] heavenward in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 3:14).
The Chinese traditional teaching in self-cultivation of moral in harmonious families includes fathers' compassion, filial love, brotherly love and husband and wife in harmony. And to serve the country patriotically by serving the society. We must be patient and wait for the vision from God to lead.
Before Jesus Christ's crucifixion, he told his disciples the parable of the Grapes Vine and the Branches. "I am the vine, you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing" (John 15:5).
Then Jesus said, "If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given to you" (John 15:7).
Let's brothers and sisters consistently pray for the early advent of the Kingdom of God. "[O Lord, God], wipe every tear from [our] eyes. There will be no more death or morning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away" (Revelation 21:4). In Jesus Christ's name, Amen!
When the gospel will have been proclaimed to the ends of the world and humanity will have believed into Christ Jesus, the Kingdom of God will come to this world as we have been beseeching. At that time His "will" will be done on earth as it is in heaven. All nations in the world will have peace, and everyone will be equal — living independently at liberty. Amen!