Sunday, June 26, 2011

June 26, 2011) PCCF Weekly Online Sermon


“Ka mit ka auter ko”

Text: 2 Siangpahrang 6:17

Cun Elisha nih thla a cam i, “MAW BAWIPA, a hmuh khawh nakhnga, a mit hi hun auter ko,” tiah a ti. Cucaah BAWIPA nih tlangvalpa mit cu a auter i a hmuh; cun zohhmanh, Elisha velchum ah cun, tlang cu rang le mei rangleng in a khat.

Vanlawng voikhat hmanh a hmu bal lo mi khua pakhat a um. Nikhat cu, vanlawng an khua cung in a zuan. Vanlawng cu sangpi in a zuan ca’h, a hme te long in a lang. khau chungmi dih lak in in zoh ceu. Mipa pakhat te zong a ra zoh ve. A hmuhlo nain, mitampi nih “vanlawng te cu a dawh ngai” an ti caah, a hmuh ve bantukin “aw si ngai” a ti ve. A liam deng te ah, mi pa te nih a vum hmuh ve. Cuti’n a hmuh tikah, aa lomk tuk i a aw ringngai le thangngai in, “Wow!!! Vanlawng ka hmuh cang!!” a ti. Cuvebantukin, kan nunram ah Jesu kan hmuh taktak ah cun, kan nunram aa tlen i nunman kan ngei.

2 Siangpahrang 6:17 hi, profet Elisha le a salpa kong a si. Siria Siangpahrang nih ralkapbu nganpi hna, rang hna le rangleng hna cu Elisha tlaih ding ah a thlah hna. Dothan khua ah Elisha cu a um ca’h, ralkapbu nganpi nih an khua cu an dum. A salpa nih ral pawl nih an dum mi a hmuh tikah, a lau tuk i ,“Aize, ka bawipa zei tin kan tuah lai?” tiah a ti. Cuvebantukin, kan nun nak ah, harnak le bawibainak nih an kan dum tikah, kan thin a phang i kan lungre a thei. Zeicatiah, kan thlarau mit a au lo i Bawipa kan sin a um kha ka hmuh kho lo. Elisha nih tlangvalpa caah, thla a cam hnu ah Bawipa nih tlangvalpa mit cu an vun auter i, an sin ah Bawipa lei a um tikha a hmuh. Cutikah, hna ngam nak he aa khat.

Dawtmi u le nau hna, kan thlarau mit a au rih lo a sin ah cun, vawleicung bawibainak le hnahnawhnak lawng na hmunh lai. Na nun nak ah dainak na hmuh khoh lai lo. Nain, na thlarau mit a au ah cun vawleicung bawibainak pin lei ah Jesu thawnnak lei, Jesu nih nifa a kan um pi timi na hmuh khoh lai i, hnangamnak na hmuh lai.

“… khuaruahhar biatak kha ka humh khawh nakhnga, ka mit ka auter ko” (Salm 119:18).

Lomhnak tampi he
Van Nun Thang

Saturday, June 18, 2011

(June 19, 2011: Father's Day) PCCF Weekly Online Sermon


“PA” LE SUNHLAWIH NI HMANGIN KAN CAWN AWK NUN

(Lessons From Father’s Day)


By Robert Cung Cinzah


Baibal Caang Thim: Exodus 20:12; “Nan nu le nan pa kha upat hna u…”; Phungthlukbia 17:6 “Fale hna an sunparnak cu an Pale hi an si”; 1Korin 11:7 “…Pa cu Pathian mui a kengmi asi i Pathian sunparnak thlalang asi.”


Biahmaitthi:


Hmasabikah PCCF maivan hmangin thawngttha aa hrawmmi u le nau hawidawt vialte “Happy Father’s Day” tiah Bawi Khrih minin nan kut kan tlaih hna. Bawipa nih kan umnak cioah le kan tuahttuanmi cung cioah thluachuah kan pe ko seh. Tu kum “Pa le Sunhlawih Ni” (Father’s Day) kan nih PCCF chungkhar hna zong sullam ngei tein hmang kho tthan dingin lam a kan hruaitu Pa PATHIAN amin thangttha ko seh. Amen! Pa le Sunhlawih Ni hi kum fatin in kan hmang hna i mah ni nih hin “zeidah tthathnemnak a kan pek, zeidah a kan cawnpiak duh, asiloah mah ni nih hin zeidah aa tinhmi asi?” ti hi ruat tti hna usih ti ah sawm kan duh hna.


Biahramdomhnak


Pa le sunhlawih ni kan rak ngeih hi cu Pathian ka thangtthat tuk zeicaahtiah cun “Pa” le hi sunhlawih tlak hrimhrim an si i Pathian nih a kan fialmi nawlbia pakhat zong asi fawn. Hringtu Pa le Ni athawhkehnak tuanbia tu cu kan theih dih cio ko caah ka chim ti lai lo. Micheu cu vawleicungah nu le pa cungah thih tiang lungfaakmi le thinhungmi an um i an caah nu le pa hi harsatnak an tonmi vialte hrampi ansi tiah an ruah. Cun nu le pa nih fa siinak in hlawtmi, nu le pa nih fale hrang ruat loin an mah zawn lawng ruat in fale kha saram hmanin hramhram in ahmangmi (child abused) an rak um ve hoi, nu le pa sin in zawtnak tthalo tibantuk hna ichuahpi (ichawnh), nu le pa nih chikkhat thinhun ruangah fale cungah ningcang loin kutke hman ahmangmi zong an rak um rih. Nai ah USA ah a mah chungchuak fapa a thatmi nu kong News ah nan rel cio lai ka zumh. “Nu le Pa” hi sunhlawih tlak an um ve bantukin sunhlawih tlak lo zong an rak um ve kho ko tihi kan mithmuh kan hnatheih a si i vawlei he aa tthen kho lomi zong a si kan ti lai cu. Sihmanhsehlaw nu le pa hi zeibantuk an va si hmanh ah upat dingin Pathian nih Baibal Cathiang ah amah zuummi hna cu a kan cawnpiak i zulh hrimhrim dingin nawl a kan pek.


Nawlbia Pahra chungah “Nan nu le nan pa kha upat hna u, cu tin nan tuah ahcun, Bawipa nan Pathian nih an pekmi hna ram ah hin saupi nan um lai” (Exodus 20:12). Nawlpek timi hi tuah hrimhrim dingmi phun asi bantukin nu le pa upat hi kan ithimmi siloin kan tuah awk hrimhrim rian pakhat Pathian nih nawl a rak kan pek mi tu asi. Pa le upatnak kan pek hna hi pale hrang lawngah siloin fale nih Pathian lung kan ton khawh nak hnga caah le thluachuah vanlu zong kan hmuh nak hnga ca tu ah a rak si rih fawn. Asia ram tampi ah cun nu le pa biaknak timi (ancestor worship) hi alaar ngaingai i ram tampi ah hmuh khawh ansi hna, mah biaknak i amuru cu nu le pa hi kan thluachuah hrampi an si I an lung kan fahter hna ahcu sunghzatlaknak nih kan innchungkharah a kan tlunh ti zumhnak in arami asi. Nu le pa an nun lio lawngah bia loin an thih hnu tiangah an biak caamcin rih hna. Nu le pa abiami hna hi an nun zoh tikah an tuahttuanmi ah an hlawhtling ngaingai i Khrihfa tampi nak in an nun zoh dawh deuh i an nung kho deuh kan ti lai cu. Ka ruah lengmang ve tikah Pathian nih nan nu le nan pa kha upat hna uh arak timi hi an rak pemh ve hlah maw ti hna ka ruat. Cucaahcun nu le pa upat hi kan nih Khrih zuummi kan caah cun Pathian nih nawlbia akan pekmi zong asi pinah fale hna kan ca hrimhrim ah thluachuah hmuhnak tawh pakhat arak si ti hi philh hna hlah usi tiah ka duh. Pale hi mithmuh pathian ansi tiah Kawlte nih an zumh. An chim duh ttheo tawn mi cu “Pathian, Nu le Pa, Sazate” tiah phung an thluuk. Korin cakuat chungah Mithiang Paul nih Pale cu Pathian sunparnak thlalang ansi tiah a ti mi zong hi Kawlte nih an rak pemh ve ko hlah maw aw ti ruah awk a um ngai. Zuumlotu (unbelievers) tiah kan ruahmi hna Kawl (Burmese), Tuluk (Chinese), le Japan mi (Japanese),…etc hna nih nu le pa an sunhlawih ning hna le an upat ning hna, an nawl an ngeih ning hna le an cawimawi ning hna, an nun lio lawng hlah an thih hnu tiangah athlum a al an ei ah an philh bal hna lo ning tibantuk an nunziadawh hna khi kan nih Laimi (Khrih Zuumtu aa ti mi) nih kan cawnttha asiloah cawn awk tlak nunziadawh ngai an si tiah ka ruah.


F.A.T.H.E.R timi biafang in cawn awk nun le dirhmun langhternak:

Faithful

Admirable

Trustworthy

Honorable

Edify

Responsible


Biatlangkawmnak


Kan lai pipu phungthluk ah “nu le pa luruh hmanh nih fale thluachuah a pek khawh” ti asi. “Pa” le Sunhlawih Ni ah hringtu pale nih nunpi tilomi zong kan um lai cun pale biakchonh awk ttha tilo i a um mi zong kan um lai cucaahcun tuchun ni tiang hringtu pale nih nunpi rihmi PCCF hawidawt hna “Pa le Sunhlawih Ni” ah hin pale caah thlaza cam in le Pa Pathian sinah thluachuah bongmal halpiak hna usilaw alamkip in Pale hi upatnak pe hna usih tiah kan sawm hna. Pale hi mithmuh Pathian ansi bang dawt khawh chungin dawt izuam hna usilaw Pathian nih akan kamhmi thluachuah zong kan dong hrimhrim lai tiah ka zumh. Cun innchungkhar ah “Pa” dirhmunah adirmi kan si ahcun acunglei i ka langhtermi F.A.T.H.E.R sullam hmangin Pathian ah zumh awk tlakmi le kan innchungkhar cung zongah zumhtlak in nun le zohchun tlak nun in siseh, Pathian nih akan khinhmi rianah bochan tlakmi si le kan hruaimi chungkhar si hna seh, mipi si hna seh, an hmaiah ttihzah upat awk tlakmi si zuam buin nitin kan nunnak ah le kan tuahttuanmi cio ah aa biatakmi le ‘Pa’ nih arian asimi ah rinhchan tlakmi le rian a upatmi si i zuam hna usilaw Bawipa nih kan nun, kan innchungkhar, kan Khrihfabu le kan ram zong adamter hrimhrim ko lai ti hi tuchun ni ah hawidawt toidornak he sawm kan duh hna. “Pa” dirhmunah a dirmi caah zohchuntlak (model) pale pali (Enoch, Noah, Abraham, le Joshua) hna hmangin kan nun i zoh zungzal hna usih tiah kan sawm duh rih fawn hna. Atheih lawng theimi siloin kan theihmi hrimhrim hi nitin aa nunpimi le atakin ahmangmi kan si khawh nak lai Pa Pathian nih veel kan ngeih hram ko seh! Bawipa nih abia kan zapi caah athar in thluachuah kan pek piak hram ko seh.


Tampi kai lawm,

Sunday, June 5, 2011

(June 5, 2011) PCCF Weekly Online Sermon

Thawngttha Chimtu:

Salai Hung Kii


General Understanding of Miracles

Jesus ministry is full of miracles. His miracles can be divided into four parts, (1) curses, (2) casting the demons, (3) resurrection of the dead and (4) controlling over the nature. The most wonderful event of Jesus’ miracle is His resurrection. That is central to our Christian faith. The purpose of all these miracles is to show His uniqueness and to enthrone the Satan. Today I want to share with you about Jesus first miracle of changing water into wine.


First of all, it is important for us to know the word “miracle.” Sometimes, it can be translated as a sign or wonder. The word “miracle” derived from Greek, dunamis, (miraculum in Latin), which is the root of our word dynamite, meaning power or strength. Dumamis indicates the nature of Holy Spirit—transforming us from within. Miracle is something that still happens to us today in supernatural way. Unfortunately, many scientists do not believe in it and some Christians say Jesus’ miracles are just for “embellishment.”


John 2:1

“God’s Performance and Human’s Participation”


The Gospel of John is a bit different from the Gospels of Mathew, Mark and Luke. The Gospel of John is known as “spiritual gospel” and three of those Gospels are called Syn-optic Gospels. We can see 7 kinds of miracles in John Gospel. (1) Changing water into wine (Jn 2:1-11), (2) Healing the official’s son (4:43-54), (3) Healing the sick at the pool of Bethesda (5:1-9) (4) Feeding the 5000 people (6:1-5), (5) Walking on water (6:16-25), (6)Healing the man-born blind (9:1-41), (7) Raising Lazarus from the dead (12:1-18)


The first miracle has two significant levels—the first level is about wine for a party, and a deeper level is revealing Jesus’ glory.


Context:

I am very interested in “the place and time” that Jesus performed this first miracle by using water into wine. Jesus has a special purpose for choosing the time (wedding) and place (Cana) and changing water into wine. Wedding is one of the most honorable events in a whole life. Why Jesus chose Cana, which is a small and unpopular place. He should choose Jerusalem (a big city) to make miracle and why Jesus did not make the first miracle at the Passover or some other festivals. The context tells that God chooses unlikely places (Bethlehem, Cana and Nazareth etc) and unlikely persons to do His works, like (David, Moses, and Gideon etc) to reveal His glory. Thus, this miracle gives us a motif of Jesus’ humble mission into the world!


2. The Condition of Changing Water into Wine (Jn 2:1-5)

We notice the substance “water and wine.” Water stands for a symbol of purification (Myanmar New Year) and wine stands for a symbol of God’s bountiful grace (remember Holy Communion). According to Jewish culture, wedding is to be celebrated for one week. Jesus is invited to this ceremony along with his disciples and mother. His mother appears in this Gospel only here and at the cross. When wine was gone, Mary said to Jesus, “They have no more wine.” She might expect Jesus to take a collection from His disciples to buy additional wine. It is unclear what she has in mind, but for sure, she is worried about wine.


In verse 4a, Jesus replied her, Dear woman, “why do you involve me (NIV), this is not my problem (NLT)? Te emoi kai soi kunai” in Greek, literally meaning, what to me and to you or what is my involvement in this? Jesus’ response sounds uncaring or disrespectful, but the word, woman used by Jesus to His mother stands as a form of “distance address rather than disrespect.” Jesus says, “My time has not yet come in verse 4b.” At a few moments, may I request you to be supposed as the groom or his parents, and imagine how shameful and difficult condition in front of the invited guests! We might say, the groom and his family has very limited budget for marriage.


I believe that it must be the most difficult time and most serious embarrassment for the groom; he might have no more resources or hopefulness. But Jesus’ words, “my time has not yet come” is a time of His glorification. Jesus’ action is always governed by the time set by His father. Jesus always makes miracle in due time, never in a hurry. As humans, sometimes we are in a hurry, but God is never late, always on time! See also Luke 5 (Jesus and Peter). The best time for God to make miracles is when we are in the most difficult time or in time of crisis. Thus, C.S, Lewis says, “God whispers in time of normal condition, but shouts in times of crisis.” Remember, Jonah’s hopeless situation inside the belly of huge fish. It is the best time for God to make miracles for him!


Jesus’ Method—Changing Water into Wine! (2:6-11)

Sometimes I wonder Jesus should change water into wine without using the servants at the wedding ceremony! Jesus has power to change water into wine directly. Why Jesus uses the servants to participate in this miracle. It is very important for us to think today!

In verse 7-8, Jesus said to the servants; “Fill the Jars with water, so they filled them to the brim and draw some out and take it to the master of banquet.” The servants fill the six water pots with water. I am so happy to see that all the servants have no hesitation and response to Jesus. But, they follow and obey what Jesus asks them to fill the pot with water. Jesus used His servants to be the participants in the matter of his miracle.


In verse 9 and 10, we see Jesus’ promise has fulfilled—water is changed into wine. There is much confusion about it. The master of the banquet didn’t know where that wine came from, but the servants know about it. In this manner, most of the religious leaders did not often know about the meaning of Jesus’ signs but it was the disciples or the ordinary peoples who know it. Even today, many people do not understand what Jesus miracle means to them.


In verse 11, this first act of Jesus’ miracle is to reveal His glory so that His disciples may put their faith in Jesus. The word “glory” is very much important here, associates with God Exo 14:4, 17. When Jesus reveals His glory through this miracle, He is revealing his Divinity—being son of God. The purpose of this sign is to inspire the belief of disciples so that all His disciples come to know that Jesus is the messiah, son of God. Through believing, they may have life in His name John 20:31. Thus, the main purpose of this miracle is to reveal Jesus’ glory to the life of disciples so that they may honor God. Jesus’ disciples follow Jesus for almost three years without knowing Jesus is God’s son!


Looking at the Symbolism;

By looking at the symbols that Jesus uses in this miracle, the “old wine” stands for “old covenant” and “new wine” for God’s new covenant. The six empty water pots symbolize the heart condition of unregenerate peoples (the number 6 is not a perfect number but 7 is a perfect number for Jews). The water symbolizes the ceremonial cleansing, which is central to the practice of old covenant. A joyful wedding symbolizes a group of Christians or the church. And more importantly, the unnamed servants whom are used by Jesus as the participants symbolize “you and me” today in the ministry.


Conclusion:

Is it still possible for God to make miracles today? Yes, of course, Hebrew 13:8 say, Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever. If the answer is yes, so how God’s miracles can happen today? Today, God uses the peoples as His channels or ambassadors in many ways. It is the Holy Spirit living within us to make miracles through us today. It is a nature of dynamite as I talked earlier (eg., boat moved by wind and dynamite). Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, God wants you and me to be the participants not just the observers in His ministry. Remember, through the participation of servants, all the peoples at the wedding come to know and honor Jesus. Especially, the disciples came to put their faith in Christ and honor Him. Likewise, let us welcome and invite God to use us in wonderful way so that other peoples come to know God as creator and savior and experience God’s grace. Although, we are just the ordinary servants of the extra-ordinary God, we can become extra-ordinary peoples through serving the living God! The Spirit is always on the move with us through the dynamite power today! May God bless you all. Thanks.