Alpha12-Chinese-video-synopsis
The Alpha Course is called the “Inspiration Course” (启发 qifa 课程) on the Chinese language video.
Title: How can I resist evil
(Hosts watch Beijing Opera) LZ: Why is Caó Caō’s face painted white? Isn’t he obviously a traitor? TR: Beijing opera makeup 脸谱 has a set pattern. 定律. Yellow stands for wolfish, gray for greedy, blue for fierce, green for irritable, and white for treacherous (奸邪). So the white make up symbolizes that he is a traitor. Evil can always pretend that it is good. LZ Hey I think that your face is also very white….haha, just kidding. just kidding. Its the lights, just the lights.
(The Beijing opera performance ends) LZ: When I was young, I was actually afraid to watch Beijing Opera. Especially the painted face with the big beard. Also seeing Wu Sheng with all the flags in his robes always gave me nightmares. TR: You are just too cowardly. Beijing Opera is one of the gems of Chinese traditional culture. A national treasure. What’s there to be afraid of? LZ: Yeah, I know that...but I am really afraid of evil spirits. When I was a little girl, I was naughty and always told ghost stories with my friends. I ended up scaring myself half silly! TR: That’s right, The devil loves to make us afraid of him. He has a power of seeping into or permeating 渗透力 our thoughts. TR: That’s right. In the Bible, the apostle Paul wrote: Spiritual forces of wickedness pervade 大行其道 this world. The New Testament teaches that God is the supreme Lord over power for good. However, the devil is behind evil powers. Perhaps this sounds a bit unbelievable. For some people, believing in the devil is easier than believing in God.
INTERVIEW QUESTION | Do you believe in the existence of evil powers?
Three young men and girl say yes...No, there is no evil power….gangs and mafia….Since I believe there is good, then surely there is evil….there is certainly evil people, could they be called evil powers?….if there are light places, then there are dark. Anyhow, if there is no light, then there is no dark. Any how these are all equal. 等同的….if there is a just area, then there are evil forces….there are rotten people so certainly there are evil forces...I believe this, for example if you go out could be carried off in a big sack, things like that are evil forces….I do believe in evil forces but believe more in good forces like “Ultraman” ( a cartoon superhero)… I believe that evil forces exist, but because I believe in God, who has greater power than evil. So God can control 掌控 everything.
3:29 SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION | Do you believe in the existence of evil powers?
3:46 (Teacher opens a door and sits with a small group ) When we were small, we all probably heard chilling ghost stories that made our hair stand on end. 令人毛孔悚然的鬼故事 Horror movies influenced our cognitive process so that we may think a spirit, (ghost) has long, long hair, like “A Piao” in the white robe. Or like a zombie 僵尸 going around with two hands stretched out in front of them. The Bible tells us that the devil really exists. But his real face and the image we just talked about are very far apart. The New Testament mentions three allied powers. These are the world, the flesh, and the devil. The world indicates enemies who surround us. They are the people who oppose God and the ever-present evil that surrounds us. The “Flesh” is the enemy that lives inside of us. The main area of flesh is not the body itself, which God created which is not in itself evil. The flesh which the Bible talks most about is our fallen nature and desires inside of us. The Devil, Satan, is the enemy above us. Even Jesus went through being tempted by Satan, who tried to deceive Jesus into disobeying God. The devil Satan, continues to use the same kind of temptations against us. So Jesus also teaches us to pray to escape the evil one. Actually, it isn’t only the Bible that talks about the devil Satan. Generations of Christians have all believed that these evil powers exist. Perhaps you have also had this kind of experience. After you were filled with the Holy Spirit’s power, you discovered it seemed like nothing was going very well. Temptations you never noticed before suddenly sprang up. When you take a good look at this world, you can see terrible things happening every day. How can we explain this? Why is the world so full of evil?
6:14. [Scene of the Beijing Opera stage] Hosts. Speaking of evil forces. We often have two extremes in our attitude. Both are dangerous. The first is to completely deny their existence. The other is to be too curious about the devil and witchcraft 邪术. This could even lead to an obsession with these kinds of evil forces. Another wrong attitude is to pursue various kinds of supernatural experiences. Evil power can be attached 依附 to different kinds of media which then attracts people into an obsessive addiction to it.. For example being addicted to violent video games, can cause people to unknowingly have a tendency toward violence.
LZ That’s right. The devil wants to destroy our life. Jesus described the devil as a thief 盗贼 who wants to steal 盗取 our lives. John 10:10 says: “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy.” This is Satan’s ultimate purpose. This is the complete opposite of what Jesus said he wants to give his people: “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” God wants to give us this fullness of life, but the devil only wants to destroy. He uses all of his tricks to make us leave Jesus, and return to living in sin.
7:29 (Testimony) Freedom for me is very important because I have been to prison twice. That kind of feeling makes me really uncomfortable. In those days, freedom for me meant to be able do whatever you want. And I did many things. When I was little we learned to get ‘protection money’ from people. When I was bigger I got involved 涉入 with nightclubs. Then I also did high interest loans. In those days I liked fighting, drinking, and nightclubs which eventually led to doing drugs. This continued until I met a friend who influenced me to gradually go to her church. After I trusted the Lord, I still wanted to continue what I had been doing, even though many things were wrong. My heart was in a struggle. I felt that on one side was God and on the other was Satan, and both sides had a tug of war going. 拔河 It went on like that until something happened. I remember that I was at a Bible study. My pastor was like a father taking care of a child. He often called me to invite me to a meeting. I lied to him saying things like, “I’m feeling sick” or “I have something else”. But really I was going to the nightclubs. However on that one day while having fun with friends and drinking a lot, a conflict and fist fight broke out. That last thing I remember is falling to the ground. 倒地 But whatever happened after that I had no memory. Later I went to the Pastor and his wife’s home and talked over what happened. He asked me if I had ever gone before God and really prayed, repented, and confessed sin, asking God to help you escape your past. 过往 After that I resolved to be completely rid of my past life and to keep going to small group meeting, bible study, prayer meeting, and Sunday school, and Sunday worship. I put my heart into both attending the meetings and try to reject my the temptations that Satan brought. I gradually left my old friends and the power of darkness. I trusted God as I went through this process of resisting evil. This gave me new knowledge of freedom. Freedom isn’t doing whatever you want. It is not wanting to do those things. So, I think I truly possess freedom.
10:21 (A traditional courtyard with trees). HOSTS: So what kind of evil schemes does the devil use? There are three main ones: temptation, doubt and lies. Temptation brings confusion 意识模糊 that influences people to do evil. Satan uses our own lusts 邪情私欲 to lure us away one step at a time. For example: gambling. We may have an inner desire to get rich, then be lured away by money. The result may be an inescapable gambling addiction. Satan has an actual plan to lead us toward the road that leads to destruction.
11:05 QUESTION | Have you faced temptation?
Yes...certainly….many times….too many times…(an unattractive girl) says, I’m really looking and hoping for temptation….Yes, yes many temptations about money….does stealing money when I was a child count?….I feel there is never a time when I am not facing temptation….When relaxing or at work there are many temptations of money or beauty….when traveling I have been “hit on” 被搭讪了 ...I have lots of temptations from girls….I’m tempted to eat sweets even if I am full….
12:21 SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION | Have you faced temptation?
12:26 (HOSTS ENTER A COURTYARD) Being tempted is not a sin in itself. Everyone is tempted. This is very differing from giving in 屈服 to temptation by doing something wrong. Even Jesus was tempted by the devil. This is also called a trial. 试探. Jesus resisted temptation and won over the trial. He did not sin.
The second way in Satan tempts people is with Doubt. We cannot avoid having questions which do not get clear answers. When this happens Satan can cause us to doubt our identity and worth. Or whether God actually exists, or whether God loves us. How does Satan make us doubt? Through lies. This is the third method Satan uses. Jesus said that the devil is the father of lies. The Bible first showed Satan appearing in the form of a snake. The first thing he said to people was: “Did God really say that?” He causes us to doubt God’s word. The devil constantly tells us these kinds of lies: You are bad, you did poorly, nobody loves you, you have been abandoned 被遗齐的, you have no worth, God doesn’t love you, Jesus did not die for you etc. But none of these thoughts are true! Lies can bit by bit enter our thoughts 心思意念 and destroy us 摧毁. So we need the truth which found in God’s word. This helps us to resist Satan’s lies. The devil has another name, “the accuser”. He loves to accuse us with things like: “Its all your fault”, “you do not deserve love”. He also condemns us. 他定我们的罪. Confessing sin and condemning are two completely different words. Confessing sin comes from the Holy Spirit’s inspiration. He helps us know for sure 确知 when we are wrong, and willing to repent and receive God’s forgiveness. However, condemning comes from the devil. Condemnation makes us feel depressed and hopeless. The Bible says: “Now, there is no longer any condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Romans 8:1.
14:40. (Small group) Teacher: On the cross, Jesus took the punishment for all of our sins. Because of this we will no longer be condemned. So, our position in the fight against Evil has changed. This is what Scripture says: “ For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves,” (Colossians 1:13) The ‘dominion of darkness” is the territory that Satan rules. But at the moment you invite Jesus into your heart, through the cross of Jesus’s death and resurrection, God takes you out of the power of darkness and brings you into Jesus’s kingdom, the kingdom under Jesus’s authority. There is complete freedom in this kingdom.
15:36 (Hosts walking) Jesus’s death and resurrection, have won for us the ultimate victory. 终极 The moment that we invite Jesus to enter our lives, the power of evil is broken. 破除了 But, you might ask: “Why do I still have so much struggle”? This is how you can understand: The war is already victorious, but we still have to wipe out the remnants of the enemy, until Jesus comes again and we see him. Only then will the war be completely over. That is to say, Jesus has already won, but we are still fighting. After trusting Christ, our life has been changed and is also slowly being made holy. That is a process of cleansing ourselves. Sometimes God immediately cleanses us. But at other times there needs to be a time of cleansing ourselves. That is a process. Honestly, up to now my inner life still has many struggles, because I have many kinds of wrong desires. So, I often have to face temptations from evil forces.
16:53. Teacher: Even though ( 就算) I have trusted Christ for many years, I still constantly fight (搏斗) against sin. One time Zhuling and I drove to the city center to buy a winter coat. 外套 I remember that was a Monday and it was very hard to find a parking place. Even more, the parking fees are very high at parking lots. I don’t want to spend money. Nearby was a place that you could park. It had a very steep slope (很陡的斜坡). It felt like climbing up and down a mountain just to buy a single item of clothing. Way too much trouble! So we went round and round at the bottom of that hill, still looking for a parking place. Then I saw a small bridge. Next to it were several cars parked. It was in an excellent location right next to a shopping street. I thought to myself, God is so good to me. Look at this great parking spot he provided. But Zhuling said, I think you can only park here on Sundays, other times are not allowed. I said: “No problem. Look at the others that parked here. Regardless of the consequences (不管三七二十一) lets just park the car here. So we walked down the street looking at store after store, going farther and farther away. We came to a large street and saw a tow truck pulling a black car. Zhuling said, ”Look, someone’s car is being towed away. Then I said, “Hey, their car looks just like ours”...but my heart had a kind of uneasy premonition 不安的预感… We looked at each other (对望了一下...oh hurry, hurry, we ran back to the place we parked, and found that there was not a single car left. So, that day we had a parking fee of over a hundred US dollars. So as I walking along thinking, I realized that I still have a long way to go to become a good Christian.
19:10 (Hosts in Courtyard) This is a process, the battle continues. It will only be over when Jesus returns. So how should we fight? The Bible in Ephesians chapter six says: “ Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.”
19:34 (Cartoon) Describing the Christian’s Armor
Buckle the belt of truth around your waist. Jesus said: “I am the truth”. Constantly fix your eyes on Jesus. The truth and hypocrisy are opposites. The truth helps us to stand firm.
Using righteousness as our breastplate. In order to maintain our relationship with God we need to regularly reflect on our mistakes 反省. If we offend people we should ask them to forgive us and solve the issue. If we sin we should repent and ask for God’s forgiveness.
Put on the shoes of preparing ourselves with the gospel of peace. We are not to live a life doing nothing. 无所事事 Instead we are to be prepared to serve people, to share the gospel, to take part in church activities, serve our neighborhood, and enthusiastically help those in need of charity.
Take up the shield of faith which quenches the fiery missiles of the enemy Satan does everything he can to attack you. 竭尽所能 His missiles are doubt, fear, worry, sexual immorality etc. We must persevere in trusting God, never giving up.
And put on the helmet of salvation in order to gain victory in our thinking. Salvation is the freedom that Jesus brought to us. All temptation begins in our thoughts. Thinking turns in action and an action turns into a habit. And habits determine our whole life.
Take up the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God. Try hard to read God’s word daily. It has great power. When Satan attacked Jesus with temptation, Jesus used God’s word to counterattack him. Jesus really knew the Bible and fought back 回击 against the devil by living according to the truth.
18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. As we stand against Satan’s attacks we must rely on the Lord to stand firm and never stop moving forward.
22:02 Teacher: The Bible says: “Do not be defeated by evil, but defeat evil by doing good. True goodness is not just refraining from evil. It also has a positive aspect. 积极层面 Do more and more good things. There is so much evil in the world, people feel they live in darkness. But Jesus said we are the light of the world. This means that we should use our good deeds to bless this world. Jesus is our example for this, he went from town to town doing good: healing diseases. teaching repentance, and reaching out to the despised and rejected people. God has given us many models 典范 of this in history. For example Martin Luther King persevered in influencing America to abolish its racist laws. Chinese great revolutionary, Sun Zhongshan, who led the Xinhai revolution which overturned feudalism. Mother Theresa who cared for abandoned lepers, helped many people turn their lives around. But it is not only great people who do these kinds of things. You don’t need a lot of money or great talent. Jesus said any gives the people something to eat, drink or wear or cares for them when sick has actually done this to Jesus. There will be an eternal reward for these kinds of deeds. Let us look at the people around us with mercy and give the energy 精力 and talent we have, while trusting in the Lord’s love. Through him we can bless the world. You life has a purpose. You can leave behind a valuable inheritance. So let’s encourage each other. Do not be defeated by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Small Group discussion | After watching this video, how has your view of evil changed?
Title: How can I resist evil
(Hosts watch Beijing Opera) LZ: Why is Caó Caō’s face painted white? Isn’t he obviously a traitor? TR: Beijing opera makeup 脸谱 has a set pattern. 定律. Yellow stands for wolfish, gray for greedy, blue for fierce, green for irritable, and white for treacherous (奸邪). So the white make up symbolizes that he is a traitor. Evil can always pretend that it is good. LZ Hey I think that your face is also very white….haha, just kidding. just kidding. Its the lights, just the lights.
(The Beijing opera performance ends) LZ: When I was young, I was actually afraid to watch Beijing Opera. Especially the painted face with the big beard. Also seeing Wu Sheng with all the flags in his robes always gave me nightmares. TR: You are just too cowardly. Beijing Opera is one of the gems of Chinese traditional culture. A national treasure. What’s there to be afraid of? LZ: Yeah, I know that...but I am really afraid of evil spirits. When I was a little girl, I was naughty and always told ghost stories with my friends. I ended up scaring myself half silly! TR: That’s right, The devil loves to make us afraid of him. He has a power of seeping into or permeating 渗透力 our thoughts. TR: That’s right. In the Bible, the apostle Paul wrote: Spiritual forces of wickedness pervade 大行其道 this world. The New Testament teaches that God is the supreme Lord over power for good. However, the devil is behind evil powers. Perhaps this sounds a bit unbelievable. For some people, believing in the devil is easier than believing in God.
INTERVIEW QUESTION | Do you believe in the existence of evil powers?
Three young men and girl say yes...No, there is no evil power….gangs and mafia….Since I believe there is good, then surely there is evil….there is certainly evil people, could they be called evil powers?….if there are light places, then there are dark. Anyhow, if there is no light, then there is no dark. Any how these are all equal. 等同的….if there is a just area, then there are evil forces….there are rotten people so certainly there are evil forces...I believe this, for example if you go out could be carried off in a big sack, things like that are evil forces….I do believe in evil forces but believe more in good forces like “Ultraman” ( a cartoon superhero)… I believe that evil forces exist, but because I believe in God, who has greater power than evil. So God can control 掌控 everything.
3:29 SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION | Do you believe in the existence of evil powers?
3:46 (Teacher opens a door and sits with a small group ) When we were small, we all probably heard chilling ghost stories that made our hair stand on end. 令人毛孔悚然的鬼故事 Horror movies influenced our cognitive process so that we may think a spirit, (ghost) has long, long hair, like “A Piao” in the white robe. Or like a zombie 僵尸 going around with two hands stretched out in front of them. The Bible tells us that the devil really exists. But his real face and the image we just talked about are very far apart. The New Testament mentions three allied powers. These are the world, the flesh, and the devil. The world indicates enemies who surround us. They are the people who oppose God and the ever-present evil that surrounds us. The “Flesh” is the enemy that lives inside of us. The main area of flesh is not the body itself, which God created which is not in itself evil. The flesh which the Bible talks most about is our fallen nature and desires inside of us. The Devil, Satan, is the enemy above us. Even Jesus went through being tempted by Satan, who tried to deceive Jesus into disobeying God. The devil Satan, continues to use the same kind of temptations against us. So Jesus also teaches us to pray to escape the evil one. Actually, it isn’t only the Bible that talks about the devil Satan. Generations of Christians have all believed that these evil powers exist. Perhaps you have also had this kind of experience. After you were filled with the Holy Spirit’s power, you discovered it seemed like nothing was going very well. Temptations you never noticed before suddenly sprang up. When you take a good look at this world, you can see terrible things happening every day. How can we explain this? Why is the world so full of evil?
6:14. [Scene of the Beijing Opera stage] Hosts. Speaking of evil forces. We often have two extremes in our attitude. Both are dangerous. The first is to completely deny their existence. The other is to be too curious about the devil and witchcraft 邪术. This could even lead to an obsession with these kinds of evil forces. Another wrong attitude is to pursue various kinds of supernatural experiences. Evil power can be attached 依附 to different kinds of media which then attracts people into an obsessive addiction to it.. For example being addicted to violent video games, can cause people to unknowingly have a tendency toward violence.
LZ That’s right. The devil wants to destroy our life. Jesus described the devil as a thief 盗贼 who wants to steal 盗取 our lives. John 10:10 says: “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy.” This is Satan’s ultimate purpose. This is the complete opposite of what Jesus said he wants to give his people: “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” God wants to give us this fullness of life, but the devil only wants to destroy. He uses all of his tricks to make us leave Jesus, and return to living in sin.
7:29 (Testimony) Freedom for me is very important because I have been to prison twice. That kind of feeling makes me really uncomfortable. In those days, freedom for me meant to be able do whatever you want. And I did many things. When I was little we learned to get ‘protection money’ from people. When I was bigger I got involved 涉入 with nightclubs. Then I also did high interest loans. In those days I liked fighting, drinking, and nightclubs which eventually led to doing drugs. This continued until I met a friend who influenced me to gradually go to her church. After I trusted the Lord, I still wanted to continue what I had been doing, even though many things were wrong. My heart was in a struggle. I felt that on one side was God and on the other was Satan, and both sides had a tug of war going. 拔河 It went on like that until something happened. I remember that I was at a Bible study. My pastor was like a father taking care of a child. He often called me to invite me to a meeting. I lied to him saying things like, “I’m feeling sick” or “I have something else”. But really I was going to the nightclubs. However on that one day while having fun with friends and drinking a lot, a conflict and fist fight broke out. That last thing I remember is falling to the ground. 倒地 But whatever happened after that I had no memory. Later I went to the Pastor and his wife’s home and talked over what happened. He asked me if I had ever gone before God and really prayed, repented, and confessed sin, asking God to help you escape your past. 过往 After that I resolved to be completely rid of my past life and to keep going to small group meeting, bible study, prayer meeting, and Sunday school, and Sunday worship. I put my heart into both attending the meetings and try to reject my the temptations that Satan brought. I gradually left my old friends and the power of darkness. I trusted God as I went through this process of resisting evil. This gave me new knowledge of freedom. Freedom isn’t doing whatever you want. It is not wanting to do those things. So, I think I truly possess freedom.
10:21 (A traditional courtyard with trees). HOSTS: So what kind of evil schemes does the devil use? There are three main ones: temptation, doubt and lies. Temptation brings confusion 意识模糊 that influences people to do evil. Satan uses our own lusts 邪情私欲 to lure us away one step at a time. For example: gambling. We may have an inner desire to get rich, then be lured away by money. The result may be an inescapable gambling addiction. Satan has an actual plan to lead us toward the road that leads to destruction.
11:05 QUESTION | Have you faced temptation?
Yes...certainly….many times….too many times…(an unattractive girl) says, I’m really looking and hoping for temptation….Yes, yes many temptations about money….does stealing money when I was a child count?….I feel there is never a time when I am not facing temptation….When relaxing or at work there are many temptations of money or beauty….when traveling I have been “hit on” 被搭讪了 ...I have lots of temptations from girls….I’m tempted to eat sweets even if I am full….
12:21 SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION | Have you faced temptation?
12:26 (HOSTS ENTER A COURTYARD) Being tempted is not a sin in itself. Everyone is tempted. This is very differing from giving in 屈服 to temptation by doing something wrong. Even Jesus was tempted by the devil. This is also called a trial. 试探. Jesus resisted temptation and won over the trial. He did not sin.
The second way in Satan tempts people is with Doubt. We cannot avoid having questions which do not get clear answers. When this happens Satan can cause us to doubt our identity and worth. Or whether God actually exists, or whether God loves us. How does Satan make us doubt? Through lies. This is the third method Satan uses. Jesus said that the devil is the father of lies. The Bible first showed Satan appearing in the form of a snake. The first thing he said to people was: “Did God really say that?” He causes us to doubt God’s word. The devil constantly tells us these kinds of lies: You are bad, you did poorly, nobody loves you, you have been abandoned 被遗齐的, you have no worth, God doesn’t love you, Jesus did not die for you etc. But none of these thoughts are true! Lies can bit by bit enter our thoughts 心思意念 and destroy us 摧毁. So we need the truth which found in God’s word. This helps us to resist Satan’s lies. The devil has another name, “the accuser”. He loves to accuse us with things like: “Its all your fault”, “you do not deserve love”. He also condemns us. 他定我们的罪. Confessing sin and condemning are two completely different words. Confessing sin comes from the Holy Spirit’s inspiration. He helps us know for sure 确知 when we are wrong, and willing to repent and receive God’s forgiveness. However, condemning comes from the devil. Condemnation makes us feel depressed and hopeless. The Bible says: “Now, there is no longer any condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Romans 8:1.
14:40. (Small group) Teacher: On the cross, Jesus took the punishment for all of our sins. Because of this we will no longer be condemned. So, our position in the fight against Evil has changed. This is what Scripture says: “ For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves,” (Colossians 1:13) The ‘dominion of darkness” is the territory that Satan rules. But at the moment you invite Jesus into your heart, through the cross of Jesus’s death and resurrection, God takes you out of the power of darkness and brings you into Jesus’s kingdom, the kingdom under Jesus’s authority. There is complete freedom in this kingdom.
15:36 (Hosts walking) Jesus’s death and resurrection, have won for us the ultimate victory. 终极 The moment that we invite Jesus to enter our lives, the power of evil is broken. 破除了 But, you might ask: “Why do I still have so much struggle”? This is how you can understand: The war is already victorious, but we still have to wipe out the remnants of the enemy, until Jesus comes again and we see him. Only then will the war be completely over. That is to say, Jesus has already won, but we are still fighting. After trusting Christ, our life has been changed and is also slowly being made holy. That is a process of cleansing ourselves. Sometimes God immediately cleanses us. But at other times there needs to be a time of cleansing ourselves. That is a process. Honestly, up to now my inner life still has many struggles, because I have many kinds of wrong desires. So, I often have to face temptations from evil forces.
16:53. Teacher: Even though ( 就算) I have trusted Christ for many years, I still constantly fight (搏斗) against sin. One time Zhuling and I drove to the city center to buy a winter coat. 外套 I remember that was a Monday and it was very hard to find a parking place. Even more, the parking fees are very high at parking lots. I don’t want to spend money. Nearby was a place that you could park. It had a very steep slope (很陡的斜坡). It felt like climbing up and down a mountain just to buy a single item of clothing. Way too much trouble! So we went round and round at the bottom of that hill, still looking for a parking place. Then I saw a small bridge. Next to it were several cars parked. It was in an excellent location right next to a shopping street. I thought to myself, God is so good to me. Look at this great parking spot he provided. But Zhuling said, I think you can only park here on Sundays, other times are not allowed. I said: “No problem. Look at the others that parked here. Regardless of the consequences (不管三七二十一) lets just park the car here. So we walked down the street looking at store after store, going farther and farther away. We came to a large street and saw a tow truck pulling a black car. Zhuling said, ”Look, someone’s car is being towed away. Then I said, “Hey, their car looks just like ours”...but my heart had a kind of uneasy premonition 不安的预感… We looked at each other (对望了一下...oh hurry, hurry, we ran back to the place we parked, and found that there was not a single car left. So, that day we had a parking fee of over a hundred US dollars. So as I walking along thinking, I realized that I still have a long way to go to become a good Christian.
19:10 (Hosts in Courtyard) This is a process, the battle continues. It will only be over when Jesus returns. So how should we fight? The Bible in Ephesians chapter six says: “ Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.”
19:34 (Cartoon) Describing the Christian’s Armor
Buckle the belt of truth around your waist. Jesus said: “I am the truth”. Constantly fix your eyes on Jesus. The truth and hypocrisy are opposites. The truth helps us to stand firm.
Using righteousness as our breastplate. In order to maintain our relationship with God we need to regularly reflect on our mistakes 反省. If we offend people we should ask them to forgive us and solve the issue. If we sin we should repent and ask for God’s forgiveness.
Put on the shoes of preparing ourselves with the gospel of peace. We are not to live a life doing nothing. 无所事事 Instead we are to be prepared to serve people, to share the gospel, to take part in church activities, serve our neighborhood, and enthusiastically help those in need of charity.
Take up the shield of faith which quenches the fiery missiles of the enemy Satan does everything he can to attack you. 竭尽所能 His missiles are doubt, fear, worry, sexual immorality etc. We must persevere in trusting God, never giving up.
And put on the helmet of salvation in order to gain victory in our thinking. Salvation is the freedom that Jesus brought to us. All temptation begins in our thoughts. Thinking turns in action and an action turns into a habit. And habits determine our whole life.
Take up the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God. Try hard to read God’s word daily. It has great power. When Satan attacked Jesus with temptation, Jesus used God’s word to counterattack him. Jesus really knew the Bible and fought back 回击 against the devil by living according to the truth.
18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. As we stand against Satan’s attacks we must rely on the Lord to stand firm and never stop moving forward.
22:02 Teacher: The Bible says: “Do not be defeated by evil, but defeat evil by doing good. True goodness is not just refraining from evil. It also has a positive aspect. 积极层面 Do more and more good things. There is so much evil in the world, people feel they live in darkness. But Jesus said we are the light of the world. This means that we should use our good deeds to bless this world. Jesus is our example for this, he went from town to town doing good: healing diseases. teaching repentance, and reaching out to the despised and rejected people. God has given us many models 典范 of this in history. For example Martin Luther King persevered in influencing America to abolish its racist laws. Chinese great revolutionary, Sun Zhongshan, who led the Xinhai revolution which overturned feudalism. Mother Theresa who cared for abandoned lepers, helped many people turn their lives around. But it is not only great people who do these kinds of things. You don’t need a lot of money or great talent. Jesus said any gives the people something to eat, drink or wear or cares for them when sick has actually done this to Jesus. There will be an eternal reward for these kinds of deeds. Let us look at the people around us with mercy and give the energy 精力 and talent we have, while trusting in the Lord’s love. Through him we can bless the world. You life has a purpose. You can leave behind a valuable inheritance. So let’s encourage each other. Do not be defeated by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Small Group discussion | After watching this video, how has your view of evil changed?