Ark Channel

Do the right thing yourself! – Ark Channel 31/03/2023 Fri Luke 1b

So the child grew and became strong in spirit, and was in the deserts… (v.80)

* When God nurtures children and talents, He does so not in a comfortable nest but in a challenging environment. In a place full of challenges, where one hones the will to survive and solve problems, helps people have the confidence to rely on God alone.

Luke 1:57-80

* Listen to a book every day: ‘Jerusalem: 3000 Years of History‘

* arkchannel – copyright *

Hold on to eternal life! – Ark Channel 30/03/2023 Thu Luke 1b

…“Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!” (v28)

* Throughout the generations, God has mercy for those who fear Him. As Luke wrote, in the ordinary homes of the people, God is looking for vessels He can use. It was so in the past, and it is so today!

Luke 1:26-56

* Shu Juan/淑娟, who comes from a business director background, plans everything properly. After being ill, she realized that true strength is to look up to God, to unload the burden, to enter the community, to serve and comfort others, and that the Lord is the one who heals us! (See GNCI Life Stories Edition 6)

* arkchannel – copyright *

A Life of Ministry! Ark Channel 29/03/2023 Wed Luke 1a

And they were both righteous before God… (v6)

* It is not easy for a married couple to love each other year after year and it is even more rare to serve together! From such a couple, the Holy Spirit often writes the prologue of a moving story.

Luke 1:1-25

* Christmas Island, Australia, there we find 120 million red crabs. Every year, an army of crabs fills the island during the rainy season, making it a red spectacle. Baby crabs are a delicacy for fish, but the numbers are so large that as long as they live and reproduce, generation after generation, they will continue to grow!

* arkchannel – copyright *

The Lord Working With Us! Ark Channel 28/03/2023 Tue Mark 16

…“Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. (v15)

* Christ has resurrected, appeared, and ascended. He has gone before us. Those who have met the Lord are all His witnesses. Take our stories to the ends of the earth!

Mark 16:1-20

* In a summer camp, Pastor Dorothy Wong/黃學齡牧師 talked to a woman who argued strongly against her! Wong did not want to argue and asked if they could first pray. The Holy Spirit moved, and during the prayer, the woman cried out and humbly accepted salvation. She later became a steward of the church!

* arkchannel – copyright *

Eagerly Await The Kingdom of God! 27/03/2023 Mon Mark 15b

…Even those who were crucified with Him reviled Him. (v32)

* The Lord bore our suffering and reconciled man to God. Have we suffered for the sake of the gospel and witnessed for the Lord? Are we steadfastly serving under God’s mighty hand?

Mark 14:43-72

* Pastor Dorothy Wong/黃學齡牧師 mentioned in her “Personal Evangelism Kit/個人佈道錦囊” a brother who had a calling from God, but hesitated to respond. One night he dreamed of a large lake of fire with many people crying for help, including his family …. He woke up in sweat and without hesitation he started to serve full-time and was used by God (Ark Note: Subjective experience varies from person to person, but in general, God’s Word is as clear as heaven, and simply following the Lord’s Word is more important)

* arkchannel – copyright *

Why Have You Forsaken Me? Sunday Hope 26/03/2023 Mark 15a

… and he delivered Jesus… to be crucified. (v15)

* Jesus endured unfair harms and suffered a quiet death to complete His Father’s work. His mission was accomplished upon His resurrection. He would keep His silence no more!

Mark 15:1-20

* Christ Is Mine Forevermore(Lyric Video). (A modern hymn inspiration by CityAlight, music ministry in Australia)

* arkchannel – copyright *

Jesus Said, I Am! – Ark Channel 25/03/2023 Sat Mark 14b

… And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.” (v62)

* Jesus uses the name of God Himself “I AM WHO I AM” (See Exodus 3:14). He tells explicitly that He is the “Son of Man” in the prophecy (v62). He has to go through suffering, death, resurrection, ascension, and will be “coming with the clouds of heaven”! (Daniel 7:13)

Mark 14:43-72

* From Calgary, Canada – We have Wednesday meetings in our community. People come over from different countries. We have over twenty in the group, singing hymns, reading the Bible, and have tea together. We often have new comers. The meetings are filled with joy. All want to linger a bit longer before they leave. Ball games, countryside walk, cooking vegetables, swimming, gymnasium sports – all these enable us to share the love of our LORD. We have Monday prayer meetings at home. For a whole hour we pray with one heart for the residents in our village. (Timothy Tsoi and wife / 仕傑伉儷)

* arkchannel – copyright *

Take this cup away from Me! – Ark Channel 24/03/2023 Fri Mark 14b

…Sit here while I pray. (v.32)

* Mark’s Gospel exclusive live coverage reported on the only one time that the Savior “fell on the ground” – indicating that when facing the greatest difficulty, there was no other choice, and what was needed most was to pray to the Father God! Fall down before God!

Mark 14:27-42

* Samuel CHING/程蒙恩 talks about the Golden Lampstand and the Tabernacle

* arkchannel – copyright *

Treasure! – Ark Channel 23/03/2023 Thu Mark 14a

…Then she broke the flask and poured it on His head. (v.3)

* The sealed long-necked bottle of fragrant ointment must be broken at the neck when used, allowing the sealed ointment to flow out. Once broken, the ointment cannot be stored again. Do we, or have we ever, broken the fragrance bottle for the Lord? Can it be collected again?

Mark 14:1-26

* Ming was knee-deep in gambling, owing more than a million in debt. His family treated him like he was invisible, and he felt better off dead. When he first heard the Gospel at a church service, the pastor and many others helped him to reorganize his debt and quit gambling. In a time of turmoil, five of his close friends were converted one by one because of his transformation!

* arkchannel – copyright *

The Bible Is The Anchor! Ark Channel 22/03/2023 Wed Mark 13b

“Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or, ‘Look, He is there!’ do not believe it. (v21)

* In the end times, there are disputes in various regions, and people are in turmoil, creating a large market for false Christians and false prophets. Know the Word of God in its entirety! Beware of those words out of context and generalise, and those speakers who seek money and deceit!

Mark 13:14-37

* Scientists estimate that a cat’s brain can store 1500 times more information than an iPad. The human ear only hears 20 kHz of audio, the cat ear hears 80 kHz! What is man?

* arkchannel – copyright *

Beware Of Heresy! Ark Channel 21/03/2023 Tue Mark 13a

For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am He,’ and will deceive many. (v6)

* Cults take advantage of people’s curiosity about end-time omens to distort and confuse them. The historian Josephus recorded that several false Christs appeared in the forty years before the destruction of the Holy City. Anyone who claims to be the Christ, God’s only spokesman, must be a dangerous person!

Mark 13:1-13

* My Sunday school students (2) – Brothers and sisters shared the gospel with Wen’s aunt by video phone and she looked forward to the call everyday! Later her aunt passed away but she was saved. Looking back, I was like the “two pennies” able to teach Sunday school with my limited Mandarin! God wants to finish His work and even me, with little faith, can intercede for others! ~ Ken, Silicon Valley.

* arkchannel – copyright *

In The Resurrection! 20/03/2023 Mon Mark 12b

…Are you not therefore mistaken, because you do not know the Scriptures nor the power of God? (v24)

* Can the logic of this world be applied to understand the way of survival in the next life? God is “the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob,” reveals that the living God has established an eternal relationship with each of them. God will raise them up, proving that He is not the God of the dead!

Mark 12:18-44

* My Sunday school students (1) – There was a group of foreign students in this area, and the church hosted them, helping them blend into society. I could not speak Mandarin well, but I still recommended myself to teach Sunday school, and Wen was among them. A few years later, Wen was baptized. Another few years later, she invited me to join her “mission” – she had finished her theology study and was going home to visit her mother who was very sick – her aunt had been a Buddhist for many years and her life was now in danger. Responding to the gospel, she accepted the Lord with all her heart and agreed to move the KuanYin statue she had worshipped for years out of her home! ～ Ken, Silicon Valley

* arkchannel – copyright *

Ingratitude is Part of Human Nature! Sunday Hope 19/03/2023 Mark 12a

… He will …give the vineyard to others. (v9)

* God trusts His vineyard to a fruit-bearing community. We are a holy nation, and God’s own special people (I Peter 2:9). We have been entrusted with God’s kingdom. Are we faithful stewards? Would God’s stewards fail Him?

Mark 12:1-17

* 但非我，乃心中基督 Yet Not I But Through Christ In Me. (Song lyrics translated in Chinese, Toronto Christian Community Church.)

* arkchannel – copyright *

The Lord is mindful of me! – Ark Channel 170323 Fri Mark 11a

Then they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their clothes on it, and He sat on it. (v.7)

Protect Me Until Eternity!

Mark 11:1-14

* As previously mentioned, during the Sino-Japanese War, Dr. Stephen Douglas Sturton provided medical aid in Hangzhou. During this time, GuangJi Hospital, Huilan Middle School, Renai Hospital, Hongdao Women’s Middle School and the Youth Association provided refuge at the risk of danger, and in total accepted more than 25,000 Hangzhou women and children, saving them from the Japanese army’s slaughter. It is the light and salt of the earth, a bond between people.

* arkchannel – copyright *

O, Holy Spirit, come and renew! – Ark Channel 16/03/2023 Thu Mark 10b

And He said to them, “What do you want Me to do for you?” (v.36)

* Are we pursuing earthly honour and status? Greedily seeking the fame of religious circles? Or are we only gaining Christ for ourselves (Philippians 3:8), and only looking to God for the glory He has prepared for us in eternity?

Mark 10:32-52

* Christopher YUAN recounts the turning points of his life – the joy of leaving prison, and his parents’ steadfast love rewriting his destiny.

* arkchannel – copyright *

Tell It Truthfully! Ark Channel 15/03/2023 Wed Mark 10aa

and the two shall become one flesh’; so then they are no longer two, but one flesh. (v8)

* Man’s views on marriage, values, history, life and death…can be distorted and changeful, but the Lord always brings us back to the “beginning”, back to the Word of God (v6)

Mark 10:1-31

* Search and rescue dogs and guide dogs are man’s good friends. The scents their brains can process is 40 times more than humans, and they have 300 million Olfactory sensors. Every creature is created with different talents, canines are no exception!

* arkchannel – copyright *

Humility Is The Touchstone Of Godliness

He Feeds And Imparts Grace! Ark Channel 14/03/2023 Tue Mark 9b

“Whoever receives one of these little children in My name receives Me… (v37)

* The journey of suffering leads to glory (v8:27-9:13); humble service leads to glory (9:30-50). A true revival cannot be separated from the hatred of sin and the fear of God!

Mark 9:30-50

* During the reign of Emperor Kangxi, Jesuit and sinologist Joachim BOUVET came to China to study Chinese and introduced advanced astronomical instruments from Europe, teaching Kangxi geometry, astronomy and medical chemistry. He also translated Chinese classics into Latin and introduced Chinese culture to Europe. He died in Beijing in 1730 at the age of 74.

* arkchannel – copyright *

Hear Him! 13/03/2023 Mon Mark 9a

…Jesus took Peter, James, and John, and led them up on a high mountain apart by themselves; and He was transfigured before them. (v2)

* The Lord, who is hidden in an emaciated man, is the divine and everlasting holy Lord of infinite glory. Who does not hold his breath to hear Him! Who will not totally focus on Him!

Mark 9:1-29

* Earlier we helped a believer with his funeral service. Afterwards his daughter WhatsApp us that the unbelieving mother had come to faith in the Lord, Hallelujah. A helping hand extends comfort, and is never in vain. ~ Bro.Oscar (HK)

* arkchannel – copyright *

I am Nothing but God is Everything! – Ark Channel 11/03/2023 Sat Mark 8a

…How can one satisfy these people with bread here in the wilderness? (v4)

* The Lord performed another miracle to feed the multitude again. This time He fed the Gentiles. His compassion for the whole world is made visible. He took the initiative this time to feed. O Lord, have mercy on us again!

Mark 8:1-21

* I am reading the biography of Dr. Stephen Douglas Sturton. A medical graduate of the Cambridge University, he responded to God’s calling and came to China in 1921 with his wife, a nurse by profession. With the love of Christ, he served in the medical field for thirty years, and was the president of Kuangji Hospital in Hangzhou, greatly improving the medical service and helping the leprosy patients. During Japan’s occupation of Hangzhou in World War II, he stayed behind and provided refuge for the citizens and wounded soldiers. Thousands of lives were saved. He was later sent to the concentration camp until war victory was won.

* arkchannel – copyright *

Crumbs Under The Table! Ark Channel 10/03/2023 Fri Mark 7b

… the demon has gone out of your daughter.” (v29)

* Those who forsake God are like beasts. See how the Canaanite woman, just as she was, willingly begged the Lord like a “dog”. God blesses all who are humble before Him.

Mark 7:24-37

* While in Bulgaria, Faith NG/吳頴姿, in the love of the Lord, through singing techniques, offers help and support to cancer patients. Giving help and energy to those alone and helpless, gaining children midst hardship and danger. Showers of Blessing!

* arkchannel – copyright *

My heart is far away from me? – Ark Channel 09/03/2023 Thu Mark 7a

For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’… (v.10)

* Taking care of elderly parents is also part of following the Ten Commandments. It may be difficult at times, but accompanying the elderly in their weakness, with God’s mercy to strengthen us, is also a way to show respect to God!

Mark 7:1-23

* The Bible and poets have used grapes and wine to symbolize spiritual life experiences. How did people make wine in ancient times?

* arkchannel – copyright *

Moved With Compassion! Ark Channel 08/03/2023 Wed Mark 6b

And Jesus…was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd. So He began to teach them many things. (v34)

* Strict to self, lenient to others – The Lord was tired (v31) but he was mindful of the people’s needs and continued to serve. On the other hand, he allowed His disciples to rest after their weary journey (v31). As we serve faithfully, let us also have compassion for our fellow workers.

Mark 6:30-56

* Saints in the Marketplace: A Biblical Perspective on the World of Work

* arkchannel – copyright *

Your Love Is Better Than Life! Ark Channel 07/03/2023 Tue Mark 6a

Calling the Twelve to him, he began to send them out two by two… (v7)

* There are three things to look for in those who are sent by the Lord: to go lightly, to rely fully on God’s provision, and to be able to walk in partnership with others (v.8-9). With these three things, the authority of the Lord will be revealed to us.

Mark 6:1-29

* Ah Mei has been applying for public housing for 6 years. After the death of her husband, it took more than a month for the family to apply for CSSA, but she never thought that she would be able to move into a flat soon! She knew it was because of the prayers of the brothers and sisters and the grace of Jesus! Now the family is learning to pray for everything, and the son is studying at church and is getting a lot of help. She can still be cheerful despite the loss of her husband because the Lord is walking with her.

* arkchannel – copyright *

That Sacrificial Love! 06/03/2023 Mon Mark 5b

…“Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction.” (v34)

* Lord, You triumphed over demons (v1-20) and also sickness! (v21-34) Great! O love Jesus!

Mark 5:21-43

* Ah Mei came to HK, got married and raised a family of four. The church visited her family in a subdivided flat and cared for them. When her husband became seriously ill, her child was not yet two years old. She was in fear and the saints comforted her. When her husband died, the funeral was expensive and she didn’t know how to handle the aftermath, she prayed in tears and heard a voice saying, “You are not alone!”. Not long after a Christian organization helped to handle the matter! Jesus hears our prayer and remembers the widow!

* arkchannel – copyright *

Glorious Freedom! Sunday Hope 05/32/203 Mark 5a

“For He said to him, “Come out of the man, unclean spirit!” (v. 8)

* Evil penetrates human hearts. The gruesome details in a recent Hong Kong news are even more horrific than Stephen King’s horror fictions! The Biblical story of a man from Gadarenes exposes the reason behind the sickening acts and tragedy. Possibly they are caused by the demons and evil spirits. Possibly the human heart is manipulated by satanic thoughts and forces. There is no hope of rescue, except in the visit of Christ.

Mark 5:1-20

* Rainy days. Sunny days. (晴天雨天). Fluttering and fallen leaves. Joy and sadness. God’s love and promise is ever-present. A heart-warming Cantonese song.

* arkchannel – copyright *

Who can This be? – Ark Channel 04/03/2023 Sat Mark 4b

Then he arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still.” (v39)

* Windstorms are testing ground for our faith. Our LORD said he would cross over with us to the other side of the sea. Would he say it in vain?

Mark 4:21-41

* “My calling spurs me on. The LORD’s grace rekindles me“. Missionaries fuel many with their life testimonies. This world is our mission field. It is not our home. We will return home when our mission is completed. Our LORD has not called us home yet, so let us diligently work our part. (Message by Albertina Wong / 黃劉雅璧. Read the full Chinese message in CCM Proclaim).

* arkchannel – copyright *