Good News to Tell /传好消息

[Dexu Xia]

Good News to Tell

Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus. Acts 8:35

 “What’s your name?” asked Arman, an Iranian student. After I told him my name is Estera, his face lit up as he exclaimed, “We have a similar name in Farsi, it’s Setare!” That small connection opened up an amazing conversation. I told him I was named after a Bible character, “Esther,” a Jewish queen in Persia (present-day Iran). Starting with her story, I shared the good news of Jesus. As a result of our conversation, Arman started attending a weekly Bible study to learn more about Christ. 

One of Jesus’s followers, Philip, guided by the Holy Spirit, asked a question that ignited a conversation with an Ethiopian official traveling in his chariot: “Do you understand what you are reading?” (Acts 8:30). The Ethiopian man was reading a passage from the book of Isaiah and seeking spiritual insight. So Philip’s question came at the right time. He invited Philip to sit next to him and in humility listened. Philip, realizing what an amazing opportunity this was, “began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus” (v. 35).

Like Philip, we too have good news to tell. Let’s seize the daily occasions we encounter in our workplace, at the grocery store, or in our neighborhood. May we allow the Holy Spirit to guide our steps and give us the words to share our hope and joy in Jesus.

传好消息

腓利就开口从这经上起，对他传讲耶稣。-使徒行传8章35节

有位伊朗学生阿曼问我：“妳叫什么名字？”我告诉他我的英文名叫以斯特拉，他听了顿时眼睛一亮，惊呼道：“我们波斯语也有类似的名字，叫以瑟特拉！”这小小的连结，开启了我们一段美妙的对话。我跟他说，我的名字是依着一位圣经人物“以斯帖”命名的，她是一位犹太裔的波斯（现今的伊朗）皇后。从这位皇后的故事开始，我跟他分享了耶稣的福音。而在这段对话之后，阿曼开始参加每周的查经班，希望能了解更多有关基督的事。

耶稣的跟随者腓利也曾经得到圣灵的引导，问一位驾车出巡的埃塞俄比亚官员说：“你所念的，你明白吗？”（使徒行传8章30节）这让他们开始了一段对话。那位官员所读的是以赛亚书中的一段经文，他不太明白其中的意思，因此腓利问得正是时候。这官员邀请腓利上车与他同坐，虚心听腓利解说。腓利知道这是一个不可多得的大好机会，“就开口从这经上起，对他传讲耶稣”（35节）。

如同腓利一样，我们每天都应把握每一个机会，在工作场合、超级市场或社区中，向人传讲福音。愿我们让圣灵引领我们的脚步、赐下话语，使我们能与人分享在耶稣里的盼望与喜乐。

亲爱的天父上帝，请引导我的步伐，
走向需要盼望的人们，这盼望唯有耶稣才能给予。

你会如何预备自己随时对人传讲耶稣？
腓利的例子如何激励你呢？