Alpha-video07-transcript

The Alpha Course is called the “Inspiration Course” (启发 qifa 课程) on the Chinese language video.

Title: How Does God Guide us?

(Opening Scene) TR struggles to choose what fruit to buy in the grocery store. LZ tells him twice to make his own choice after he asks which he should buy.

0:44 Opening Qifa Montage

01:08 HOSTS are walking in a garden with a bag of fruit from the market. LZ asks “Do you know how many decisions a person must make in a day?” TR guesses. LZ answers: “around 15,000”! Thus if we need guidance to make decisions, it should come from a very reliable source, to help us avoid many wrong way turns (冤枉路 Yuānwǎng lù.

1:45 Question | When you need guidance who do you look for?
friend...myself...older sister...Baidu, Google...whoever I ask, depends on the kind of problem...I’m not the type who can really ask others...First my father...God...A tutor...The Heavenly grandfather...Baidu...first from my God...I have few problems in my life, people I know can help...depends on my feeling...best friend or older brother…. My elders? But will they really help?

2:40 Small Group discussion | When you need guidance who do you look for?

2: 57 (Hosts walking in city) We face many decisions, big and small. Who will we marry, what work should we do... Where to live, Financial questions.  The Bible says:
 “We are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Ephesians 2:10)

This tells us that each one of us is unique and God has a specific plan for us to do good things in this world. We can trust God’s plan for us. God is like a navigation device that indicates the right direction to go. Of course he’s not a machine. But he wants us to follow his direction and we can trust him completely.

Suppose we are going in the wrong direction…God will patiently return us to the correct road. “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;  I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.”(Psalm 32:8)

4:02 TEACHER God wants to practically guide everyone who trusts him. How? Through relationship. God will speak to us. But how can we hear his voice? I have found he does this primarily through five methods.

1.
Through the Bible admonishing us. (劝诫) “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path`” (Psalm 119:105) Through his word we know who he is, his character and what he does. He is holy, kind, and righteous. He has wisdom and all power. In the scripture he tells us that he loves us. We understand that we are his children. His word also tells us how to respond to his love. This response has two aspects. First we should love him and second we should love people. (family, friends, neighbors, even enemies.) There are many ways of doing this. Maybe you think small acts of kindness are not important, but it is very possible that some person’s life might never be the same after a single kind deed.
God tells us to become like Jesus in his personality. For example become an upright and loving person. Like this story: A thief became a Christian and wrote to the manager of a supermarket: “Dear Sir, I recently became a Christian and could not sleep because God says ‘You shall not steal’. So I am giving back what I stole from you. But he added a PS: If I still can’t sleep I will come and take it all back.“The Bible has guidance in important areas such as: character, relationships, work, family, marriage etc. You must start reading the Bible to excavate (发掘 )these treasures. The bible is an amazing book, but we should not think of it as a ‘magic book’. Some people act that way by randomly opening the Bible and taking a sentence out of context to find guidance from God. This distorts (曲解) the Bible. We need to develop a habit of reading scripture to find out and understand its original meaning.
 
2.
7:29 Second method of God’s Guidance is through the Holy Spirit’s  prompting. (催促 cuīcù). When we became believers God sent his Holy Spirit to live within us. At times, he will speak and lead us. In Acts 20, Paul describes him saying that he was pressed (催逼 cuībī) by the Holy Spirit, who wanted him to go to Jerusalem. He said that even though he did not know what would happen to him, he still obeyed. A Christian is a person who is led by the Holy Spirit. Jesus said that those who follow him would know his voice. This is similar to a phone call. I may not immediately recognize the other person’s voice, but when my wife says “hello”, I immediately know it is her. So the more you know Jesus, the more you will recognize his voice. When we pray or read the Bible, the Holy Spirit will speak to us. Prayer is two-way communication (双向的交流). It’s like going to the doctor. You don’t leave immediately after you tell him your symptoms. You still need to listen to what he says. In prayer after you tell him your request, listen to what he tells you. You should reflect a little after you read scripture, in case God wants to say something about how it relates to your life. I was riding a motorcycle on a busy street in Phnom Penh Cambodia when I saw a three wheeled cycle stuck in a ditch. The driver was struggling to get it out of the water. Though many people passed in front of him, none stopped to help. When I passed him, the Holy Spirit led me to think of the story of the good Samaritan. That story teaches us when we meet someone in trouble to take practical actions to help them. So, even though I had somewhere to go, I turned back to help him. The more you read the Bible, and learn to listen to the Holy Spirit, the more you will discern his voice. So I also recommend that during your Bible and prayer times you have a notebook to write in. You can also directly ask him. Holy Spirit what do you want to say to me today?  
In addition, the Holy Spirit may press us quite strongly at times in guiding us. Philippians 2:13 says “for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.” Originally I wanted to be a cartoonist to find fame and fortune (名利). After knew Jesus, the Holy Spirit guided me to use cartooning to provide nutrients ( 养分) and the gospel for people’s hearts. There are also a small number of people who receive guidance from the Holy Spirit supernaturally. For example seeing a ‘vision’ or in dreams, some even hear sounds.

11:16 Question | Do you think that God can guide you into your life’s direction?
(different people answer)...I think he can… I don’t much believe that...I believe he can guide...of course not-this question hahaha….because I think that God is made up by people...to be honest I don’t quite believe these things, but I do believe a little bit...Yes, there is a person always and everywhere caring for me and walking with me...we would really like this kind of person to appear, but we feel it isn’t very possible, I also believe that everything is in my own hands…What heaven could bring me around? Then I wouldn’t need to work, everyday whatever I wanted to eat...steamed buns, noodles...I would ask him what am I doing? How do you like my hair, when I go out to today could you pick out an outfit that matches, actually from the time I became a Christian my clothes match better. So our God is great!...its possible, its possible, a kind of encouragement, an invisible 隐形 encouragement ..I believe God can guide my direction

12.22 Small Group discussion | Do you think that God can guide you into your life’s direction?

12:27 (10 second countdown)

12:42 (Train scenes: Testimony) I remember once on the train when I saw an old man (老伯-bó). His back was very badly hunched. (驼得...). That moment (当下) God moved me saying, “Go pray for him”.  Actually I really struggled with that because many people were in the subway car. I felt it was very hard to submit to this leading. Too awkward! Then I began to bargain with God. I said, okay if this old man gets off at the my station or the one just before. Then I will know this leading is from you. And it came to pass, he got off at the station just before mine. Then I knew this leading was from God. So I said, okay Lord, you win. So I stirred up (鼓足) all my courage and went forward. I said “Sir, is your back in a lot of pain? I’m a Christian and I believe God could heal your back.Could I pray for you?”  He might not have understood everything what I said, but thankfully he was willing for me to pray for him. So we found a quiet corner and I laid hands on him and prayed for God to heal his back pain. After that something amazing happened. He had been carrying a plastic bag and took out a book from it. It was ‘Knowing God’. I was so surprised to see that book because the old gentleman had told me he wasn’t a Christian. God at work is really amazing. When God had moved me to pray, I actually think that he used me to share his love. Then I helped the old gentleman to take a picture. After that I never saw him again and don’t know what he is doing. But our time together showed me that God actually talks with us. He loves us and pays attention to us. especially when we are in pain. Sometimes God moves us to do things that we would not ordinarily do. At that  moment we find it hard to yield to the leading, but we should still do it. Because when we do we understand God’s heart more.

3.
15:04 (Teacher) The third way God guides us is by other believer’s exhortation (劝告) Quàngào, This includes advice from other Christians. This is one of the amazing things about church life, that we regularly encourage one another. Proverbs says that it is the wise who listen to correction. We need to open our hearts and ears to the suggestions that others give us. We should not just accept everything people say ( 照单全收 ), The Holy Spirit will help us to judge and decide what to accept.  In fact, the Bible says we should carefully inspect spiritual utterances to see if they are from God. So, how should we discern this? First we should identify whether the message is in line with scripture’s teaching. If what is said conflicts with the Bible, then certainly it isn’t from God! Secondly we should ask whether what is said fits with Jesus’s premise (前提) of loving God and loving people. If not then it cannot be from God. Finally, after we make a decision, note whether or not there is a sense of peace. This because the Bible says “Let the peace of God rule in your hearts.’ If after you make a decision you still have no peace in your heart it is very possible that the decision is not from God.

4.
16:55 The Fourth Way God Guides: Judging with Common Sense ( 常识 ) (Hosts walking in a factory area). Becoming a Christian does not mean you have to give up logical reasoning (推理).  You are still you. God promises to guide u,s but that does not mean we no longer use our minds. Take marriage for example. The Bible never tells us who we should marry. You still need to use common sense to decide. The same with work. Some people may wonder whether they have to resign from their jobs after becoming a Christian. The apostle Paul said: “Each person should remain in the situation they were in when God called them.” (1 Corinthians 7:20)  God may have a purpose for you in this job. (上帝让你做这份工作自有他的旨意). So the general principle (大致的原则) is stick to your post (坚持你的岗位), until God calls you to another. No matter what kind of work God guides you to, it should fit with your temperament (性情) and personality (个性), educational background and expertise (特长). You can ask yourself: “what do I like to do, ”What kinds of things do I have talent (天分) for and enthusiasm for?  What work can I do with competence? (胜任)

5.
18:19 The Evidence from Circumstances
When we are facing tough choices (抉择) we often don’t know what to do. (该何去何从) For example we aren’t sure whether to continue in a relationship or not, or in a job, or whether the decision we made is the right one or not. Proverbs 16:9 says it like this: “In their hearts humans plan their course, but the LORD establishes their steps.  Psalms 37:5 also says “Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him  and he will do this:” The most important thing is to entrust the decision and its outcome to the Lord. This means that we need to evaluate the circumstances. But don’t be overly worried by this. When experiencing difficulties be especially patient until the end. God turns ordinary things into extraordinary works of art. God wants us to keep working hard and not give up. This is because he walks alongside of us!  On the other hand, when things are going well, we always feel that we don’t need any guidance. But when things are not going our way we discover that people are limited.

19:21 (a house by water) TEACHER: I thought that many things were all within my grasp. It was only when I went through an particular experience that I deeply understood my limitations. I believe that without God’s help both my wife and I would have died a while ago. At that time we were in Cambodia, having only arrived two weeks before. One afternoon in our school dorm, we heard a lot of noise from our neighbors. We saw them hurriedly moving house, holding their goods in their hands and their mattresses over their heads. Then the whole village followed moving out, also carrying their mattresses over their heads. We thought it was really interesting, perhaps it was the Cambodian way of moving house. So I quickly grabbed the camera to get some pictures. Then around 3 pm we heard thunder. Strange...the weather is nice...how could there be thunder? Then we heard firecrackers. Could it be a big festival? Later we found out that the thunder and firecrackers were actually bombs and machine guns.  We were actually going through a military coup! Both sides were fighting. The army locked down the whole area. Both we and seven other of the school’s students and staff were trapped between a hail of bullets. 枪林弹雨. Bullets were flying back and forth on our roof. The building was shaking  振动摇晃 huang) and felt like at any moment it would collapse. 崩塌. The communications were also cut and we could no longer contact the outside world. We were all terrified. We could only pray. The electricity also stopped, so by nightfall everything was black. We did not dare to light candles either, in case the soldiers might think that we were the enemy. Or they might kidnap us. (劫持 Jiéchí ) In the middle of the night we heard the sound of footsteps outside. It was a soldier. He came just outside the room. His flashlight 电筒 shone on the window.  All nine of us were too scared to even move. Then I realized that someone, I don’t know who, had already closed the window. Even though a person had done this, I still believe that God in his hidden leading had been protecting our lives. The next day the war was still going and we all thought we were going to die. Then a friend had just read Psalm 118 and felt that God was speaking to us through it: “I will not die, but live and proclaim the deeds of the Lord.” This sentence from the Bible brought us great comfort. It led us to trust God that he would certainly protect us. After 3 days of hiding, the fighting began to quiet down. When we opened the door we were shocked. A rocket gun (bazooka) 火箭炮 had fallen at the main entrance 正门口. If it had been fired into our room we would have all been blasted to pieces. Every time I think of this, I feel that God is silently guiding and protecting. we made a glass display case for the rocket gun as a memorial to God’s deeds and guiding hand. On it we wrote “God is my refuge”. This reminds me that I am not in control of things, but God is! Just as Psalm 118 says. I truly lived through a battlefield. And today I have the opportunity to tell you how God protected us, to “proclaim the words of the Lord”. God also wants to guide you into the beautiful plan he made just for you. To make you into someone with the power to influence this world. To become good news to many people.

23:53: (Cartoon) In the middle of nineteenth century the English Lord Randyll (landaoxun) stayed 下榻 at a hotel in Norway. One night he heard in the main hall below a terrible sounding piano. It turned out to be a young girl playing and making horrible noises. Lord Randyll was a very patient man, but this racket was driving him crazy. Then he saw a man walk over to the girl and sit down beside her. He began to play (弹凑) together with her. His playing was just right 恰到 Qià dào, seamless (天衣无缝), In a moment, melody that moved people’s heartstrings (心弦 ) filled the entire hotel. That man could change a young girl’s noise into an extremely moving piece of music. Later Lord Randyll learned that the man was the girl’s father the famous Russian composer Alexander Borodin.

25:00 (Boat crossing under a bridge) HOSTS God is like the father of the girl in the story. He helps and guides us. When we ask God to direct our paths, sometimes God quickly answers. But sometimes God doesn’t answer right way and we have to wait several months or even several years. These times require patience and faith to wait. Often when we look back (回首) at the past, only then do we realize how God was leading us the whole way. God has a wonderful plan for us. Through reading scripture, and listening to the Holy Spirit, and the advice of friends, carefully thinking and observing, we can then understand the purpose of life.We may be something like the little girl who could only produce a raw, harsh sound on the piano. But God wants to sit beside us to turn our raw sounds into beautiful music

26:15 SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION | In your life up to now, what areas do you need guidance for?