Author: Pastor Timothy Tin
Translator: Mandy Kwan
On the evening of June 2nd, three trains derailed in India, causing almost 288 deaths and more than 1,000 injuries. According to a BBC report, this was the most devastating train collision in this century.
India has the world’s largest railway network, with a total distance of over 100,000 kilometers or 62,000 miles, which measures over 1.5 times of the earth’s circumference. Over 25 million daily riders utilize this massive rail network. Since this was built in the 18th century while colonial India was under British rule, much of its infrastructure requires frequent maintenance and updates to prevent serious incidents. However, a derailment in 1995 caused a death toll of 350; fast forward to 2010 in West Bengal: a passenger train derailed and collided with a freight train, causing 150 deaths. Prior to 2017, over 100 passengers were killed in rail related accidents. According to the June 4th edition of the New York Times, between 2021 and 2022, there were 34 incidents including collisions, derailment, fire, explosions, collisions with other vehicles, or collisions with other trains in intersections. This was an increase of 27 incidents compared to the prior year’s records.
Though derailments are common in India, the government is making tremendous efforts to improve the aging and massive railway network. Since Modi became President, over one hundred million dollars had been spent to upgrade the rail infrastructure, leading to a world record of zero deaths in 2022. Moreover, parties responsible for derailment would be heavily charged. So what was the cause of these accidents? The initial finding was: malfunction of signal lights. According to Vivek Sahai, a transportation and management expert, derailments are such headaches. According to a 2019-2020 report, derailments make up 70% of all rail related accidents.
As we witnessed the devastation of the derailment on the 2000 passengers, let’s think about our lives as a high speed train on rails. As long as we remain on the “railway of truth” without swaying and avoiding wrong signals, we should arrive at the desired station. We lay our foundation at a young age to stay on track by learning knowledge and skills and putting morality and conscience into practice. Yet life is not as smooth as we think: Evils can damage the tracks of life and the devils might give deceptive signals to cause our “derailments and deaths” because “we all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:6). When we were led astray off the tracks, God sent Jesus His only Son to die for us on the cross. Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).
Do you feel like flowing aimlessly in the ocean with no end in sight? You could pray to God and ask Him to help you:
“Dear Heavenly Father, I thank you for letting me see the devastation of derailment and being astray from truth. Help me receive God’s gift of salvation. Because of Jesus’ sacrifice, I can now walk the path of righteousness and eternity. In His name I pray, Amen.”
Author: Rev. (Dr.) Timothy Tin is the lead pastor of the Christian Alliance Bible Church in L.A.. Rev. Tin serves as Board of Director in the International Fellowship of Christian Short Term Missions and Presence Quotient. Rev. Tin is currently teaching in USA Christian Mission Seminary. He holds practitioner’s licenses of acupuncture in Southern CA and NACCAOM in US. Rev. Tin received his Master’s degree in Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine from Alhambra Medical University, Master of Longevity Martial arts and Doctoral degree in Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine from University of East West Medicine. Rev. Tin is a frequent speaker in many churches and nonprofits organizations.
Tin, Timothy (translated by Mandy Kwan). “Train Wreck in India” NYSTM Truth Monthly, July, 2023.
https://nystm.org/nytm0723-12/
《泰北漣漪》滕張佳音序言
漣漪漸漸擴大,心理學上用於形容一個行動或行為帶來持續的影響。細閱《泰北漣漪》30多篇見證文章,正好反映一位宣教士投身在一個宣教禾塲上逾40年來所帶出的生命影響,像漣漪般一代一代地延續下去!
【人生天地線】巴黎奧運開幕式與末世預言
第33屆奧運會雖然已經在巴黎落幕,但在開幕儀式所引發的國際輿論與批評的聲音並未平息,特別是那一幕引起天主教極為反感的「最後的晚餐」時裝秀,甚至連回教徒也認為這是對基督的羞辱⋯⋯
復活和生命
簡介
▪︎講員:滕張佳音博士
▪︎主題:復活和生命
▪︎經文:(約十一25新譯本)(詩篇十六11和合本)
▪︎語言:粤語
▪︎性質:復活節福音主日
▪︎地點:宣道會宣嶺堂
▪︎日期:2024年3月31日
【人生天地線】新春談龍
十二年一回的龍年又來了,恭祝大家龍馬精神、新春蒙福!提到「龍」字,古人把龍安排在十二生肖中的第五位,所相應的時辰正好是這個「辰」時,表明在這「一日之計在於晨」的重要時刻⋯⋯
【問得好】為何這個世界有那麼多的苦難?(二)
有關苦難的來源,上期文章我們探討過是由於有魔鬼撒旦的工作,尤其是在世界末日之前,聖經告訴我們「地與海有禍了!因為魔鬼知道自己的時候不多,就氣忿忿地下到你們那裡去了。」(啟示錄12:12)除了魔鬼能使人陷在苦難中之外,聖經記載,人本身也要為苦難的出現負上責任⋯⋯
末世預兆與福音廣傳 The Sign of The-end-of-age and Evangelism(華語/英語)
講員 Speaker:滕張佳音博士 Dr. K. Y. Cheung Teng
主题 Title:末世預兆與福音廣傳 The Sign of The-end-of-age and Evangelism
經文 Scripture:(太廿四 3-14) (Matthew 24:3-14)
日期 Date:2023.12.31
語言 Language:華語/英語 Mandarin/ English
地點 Venue:芝城西北郊華人浸信會 Chinese Baptist Church of NW Suburbs
【問得好】為何這個世界有那麼多的苦難?
每一天當我們打開報紙或者電視,大家都會發現這個世界充滿了苦難,很多新聞都是叫人十分難過心酸的⋯⋯
生命影響生命(滕近輝牧師的宣教生命)[華語]
▪︎主題:生命影響生命(滕近輝牧師的宣教生命)
▪︎講員:滕張佳音師母
▪︎語言:華語 (有字幕)
▪︎聚會:中國福音大會 2023 宣教之夜
▪︎日期:2023年12月29日
▪︎地點:美國芝加哥
▪︎参考:中國福音大會 2023
https://www.gospel4china.org/
▪︎後期製作:宣道傳意台
【人生天地線】希臘夜貓助人解困的奇妙故事
筆者在2023年10月27日曾參加了一個聖經古蹟進深考察團,共有27名團員⋯⋯
God’s Creation of Life & Man’s Choice of Death
Every person in this world has the freedom to choose; however, this personal freedom is limited and conditional. We all can choose what we like and how we do things, when it is bound by the situation or legal constraints.
【問得好】信主有甚麼喜樂?
人人都很想得到快樂,無論在家庭、工作、生活或娛樂中,人不斷的尋求快樂⋯⋯
【問得好】改信耶穌會得罪其他神靈嗎?
有些人知道信耶穌好,但是因為一直在拜其他的神靈,恐怕改信耶穌後,那些神靈會不高興。人們因怕得罪其他神靈會受罰而不敢信耶穌,這樣的想法對嗎?請看看以下的回答。
[Storm Buster] Storm Surge
Storm surge causes inundation of large swaths of coastal land. Eleven years ago, storm surge from Hurricane Sandy havocked large damages in New York (NY) and New Jersey (NJ). Today, some of those destructions are still noticeable and remain unrepaired.
【人生天地線】創造生命的神與選擇死亡的人
我們每個人活在這個世界上都有選擇的自由,但是人的自由是有限度與有條件的。人可以選擇自己喜愛的東西,做自己想要做的事,可是當人在運用這個自由做出選擇的時候,就必須服從環境限制與法律的約束。
【問得好】為何信主有平安?
今天世人缺乏甚麼?其中一種是平安。世局的動盪、意外的發生、各種苦難的臨到。世人如何才能得到平安呢?基督徒常說信主有平安,到底是甚麼一回事?請看下文分享。
[Storm Buster] Autumn Foliage Forecast
Autumn is pleasant. It has many public holidays for the most populous countries in the northern hemisphere. In the U.S. we have Labor Day, Columbus Day and the Veterans Day. In China there are Mid-Autumn Festival and Double-Yang Festival.
The Eternal Meaning Behind Thanksgiving
When people think of Thanksgiving, we often think of the bountiful feast with turkey and other dishes. How often do people remember the treacherous journey of the Puritans, who came upon the shores of North America on the Mayflower and their harrowing experience as they settled upon Provincetown, Massachusetts?
【人生天地線】感恩節背後的永恆意義
當人們提到感恩節的時候,我們常會聯想起美國人的火雞大餐,但是又有多少人會記得四百年前,第一批清教徒由英國乘坐「五月花號」船,在美國麻州普羅旺斯鎮(Provincetown, Massachusetts)上岸時所發生的驚險故事呢?
[Good Questions] What is Truth? Part 2
In the article I wrote last time, I shared three characteristics of truth with you. First, the truth is fact. Second, truth is trustworthy. Third, truth is correct. Besides these, truth has the following characteristics as well:
[Good Questions] What is Truth?
“What is truth?” Pontius Pilate, the Governor who judged Jesus, had also asked this question. The Bible records that Pilate returned to the palace, summoned Jesus and asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?”
滕張佳音博士
國宣創辦人
▪︎美國芝加哥三一福音神學院文學碩士(宣教)及教牧學博士(宣教學)
▪︎前建道神學院跨越文化研究部副教授
▪︎牧職神學院榮譽創院院長
▪︎國際短宣使團創辦人