摘自: 基本基督信仰论坛 (ABCD Online)

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我出生在一个传统的中国家庭，从小学到大学所接受的都是无神论教育，加上自己的成长过程一直比较顺利，因此从来没有想过需要什么救主，也不相信任何宗教，只想依靠个人的努力去实现自己的人生目标：一份轻松的工作，一个舒适的家，一笔多多益善的存款。

1999年底，我们全家移民来到加拿大。一是觉得加拿大的环境比较好，二是因为加币和人民币相比，还是有些魅力的。但另一方面，我又觉得自己的英语不好，找不到好的工作，前途渺茫。不过，依靠自己的观念仍然没有改变。所以每天忙碌地学英语，打工，修课，日子就在这种既有诱惑又有焦虑的境况中一天天过去。期间，有一位基督徒好朋友曾向我传福音，但我却对她说：没有亲眼看见神迹，我谁都不信，只信我自己。那时的我是如此的盲目骄傲和狂妄，虽然我其实并没有骄傲的资本。

2001年，我的婚姻发生了变故。这突然的打击使我伤心欲绝，也把我的自信打得粉碎。处在崩溃的边缘，我突然觉得原来自己是如此的靠不住，我很迷茫。在伤心，怨恨和无助的情绪中，我选择了逃避并回到了中国。回国以后，有了父母亲人的安慰，我的心情稍有好转。我努力使自己平静，使自己忙碌，使自己欢笑，但一切只是表象，我知道我的内心并不快乐。怎样才能忘记过去？怎样才能拥有快乐？我努力寻找答案，但是没有答案。正彷惶中，那位曾向我传福音的好朋友给我打来电话并一再鼓励我重回加拿大。於是我决定返回加拿大。

2003年，我回到了加拿大并暂住在这位基督徒朋友的家里，他们全家给了我无微不至的关怀，我的内心充满感激。但是每当我向他们表示谢意的时候，他们总说：感谢上帝吧，是他让我们彼此相爱和关心。现在没有人能拯救你，只有上帝能把你从痛苦中解脱出来。向他祷告吧。我很好奇：上帝到底是什么样？基督徒为什么能有这样无私的爱？上帝会怎样拯救我呢？於是我开始学读<圣经>，当我读到：凡劳苦担重担的人，可以到我这里来，我就使你们得安息。(马太福音11：28) 时，我的眼泪流了下来。从来没有人对我说过这样的话，从来没有。但是上帝对我说了。为了这份温暖的应许，我对自己说：我愿意去。於是我在朋友的带领下作了决志祷告。我开始每天向上帝祷告，告诉他我的忧虑和所求，请他分享我的快乐。同时，我也定期到教会敬拜并参加了团契的学习，这使我进一步感受到主内弟兄姐妹之间的爱，使我有一种回家的感觉。一段时间以后，我惊讶的发现，自己的忧愁在慢慢地减少，心中的怨恨也在慢慢地平息。我又开始对生活有了信心。我知道这一切的改变都是因为有了上帝的爱，是上帝给了我新的生命。感谢主，感谢你给了我一个充满平安，喜乐和对永生期盼的新的生命。感谢你奇妙的救恩。感谢你让我回到了你的家。

现在，好的工作和赚钱已经不再是我的人生目的，一切物质的东西都如过眼云烟。就如主耶稣说：人若赚得全世界，赔上自己的生命，有什么益处呢？人还能拿什么换生命呢？(马太福音16：26)上帝给予我生命有他的目的，我也是为他的目的而活。感谢主，你让我明白了自己存在的意义。

最后，我想和大家一起分享这节经文：“倚靠耶和华，以耶和华为可靠的，那 人有福了。他必象树栽于水旁，在河边扎根；炎热到来，并不惧怕，叶子仍必青翠；在干旱之年毫无挂虑，而且结果不止” 。(耶利米书17：7-8)

By John MacArthur | Grace to You

From the moment I sensed the call of God into full-time ministry, the driving passion of my life has been simply to understand God's Word and then make it understandable to others. I have never aspired to be known as either an academic theologian or a distinguished clergyman. I simply want to know what the Word of God means and to make it known to others. All my pastoral energies-my preaching, shepherding, teaching, writing, and even visitation-are focused on that one goal.

It is my conviction that the Bible is not difficult for the believing heart to understand. And the more I understand, the more unshakable is my conviction that the Bible is the living, authoritative, inerrant Word of God. It has this remarkable effect on me: the more I study it, the more I hunger to know. So God's Word not only satisfies my appetite, but also arouses an even deeper hunger for more.

I want you to experience that hunger too. I want you to live in the joy of a genuine relationship with Jesus Christ that comes only through knowing the meaning of Scripture. Here's a simple process to get you started.

Step 1 - Reading

Begin by developing a plan on how you will approach reading through the Bible. Just by reading the Bible you become familiar with its themes, history, and contexts. There is simply no replacement for Bible reading.

Unlike most books, you will probably not read it straight through from cover to cover. There are many good Bible reading plans available (like The MacArthur Daily Bible). Here is what I recommend:

Read through the Old Testament at least once a year. As you read, note in the margins any truths you particularly want to remember, and write down separately anything you do not immediately understand. Often as you read you will find that many questions are answered by the text itself. The questions to which you cannot find answers become the starting points for more in-depth study using commentaries or other reference tools.

Follow a different plan for reading the New Testament. Read one book at a time repetitiously for a month or more. That will help you retain the New Testament so you will not always have to depend on a concordance to find things.

If you want to try that, begin with a short book, such as 1 John, and read it through in one sitting every day for thirty days. At the end of that time, you will know the book. Write on index cards the major theme of each chapter. By referring to the cards as you do your daily reading, you will begin to remember the content of each chapter. In fact, you will develop a perception of the book with your mind's eye.

When you come to longer books, divide them into short sections and read each section daily for thirty days. For example, the gospel of John contains twenty-one chapters. Divide it into three sections of seven chapters. At the end of ninety days, you will finish John. For variety, alternate short and long books, and in less than three years you will have finished the entire New Testament-and you will really know it!

Step 2 - Interpreting

In Acts 8:30, Philip asked the Ethiopian eunuch, "Do you understand what you are reading?" Or put another way, "What does the Bible mean by what it says?" It is not enough to read the text and jump directly to the application-you must first determine what it means, otherwise the application may be incorrect.

As you read Scripture, always keep one simple question in mind: "What does this mean?" To answer that question requires the use of the most basic principle of interpretation called the analogy of faith-interpret the Bible with the Bible. Letting the Holy Spirit be your teacher (1 John 2:27), search the Scripture He has authored, using cross references, comparative passages, concordances, indexes, and other helps. For passages that remain unclear, consult your pastor or godly men who have written on the issues involved.

Step 3 - Evaluating

You have been reading and asking the question, "What does the Bible say?" Then you have been interpreting, asking the question, "What does the Bible mean?" Now it's time to consult others to ensure that you have the proper interpretation. Remember, the Bible will never contradict itself.

Read Bible introductions, commentaries, and background books that will enrich your thinking. As you evaluate, be a true seeker. Be one who accepts the truth of God's Word even though it may cause you to change what you have always believed, or alter your life pattern.

Step 4 - Applying

Jesus made this promise to those who carry their personal Bible study through to this point: "If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them" (John 13:17).

Having read and interpreted the Bible, you should have a basic understanding of what the Bible says, and what it means by what it says. But studying the Bible does not stop there. The ultimate goal should be to let it speak to you and enable you to grow spiritually. That requires personal application.

You must let God's truth penetrate and change your life. Studying Scripture without allowing it to penetrate to the depths of your soul would be like preparing a banquet without eating it. The bottom-line question to ask is, "How do the divine truths and principles contained in any passage apply to me in terms of my attitude and actions?"

If there is a command to be obeyed, obey it. If there is a promise to be embraced, claim it. If there is a warning to be followed, heed it. This is the ultimate step: submit to Scripture and let it transform your life.

Step 5 - Correlating

This last stage connects the doctrine you have learned in a particular passage or book with divine truths and principles taught elsewhere in the Bible to form the big picture. Always keep in mind that the Bible is one book in sixty-six parts, so its truths and principles are taught over and over again in a variety of ways and circumstances. By correlating and cross-referencing, you will begin to build a sound doctrinal foundation on which to live.

Now, get to work! As you dig in to God's Word using those five simple steps, you'll be amazed at the rich treasure your study yields. My prayer is that the Lord will use this plan to revitalize your Bible study, increase your appetite for knowing and understanding His Word, and further conform you to the image of His beloved Son.

Adapted from "How to Study the Bible" in The MacArthur Study Bible. Copyright 1997, Grace to You. All rights reserved.

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For those of you at K-W area, the only Christian station available there is FM 94.3 Faith FM. It started back in 2004. New but very good!

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What is a credit score?

A credit score is a statistical formula that translates personal information from your credit report and other sources into a three-digit score. For example, when you fill out a loan application, pieces of information from the application along with information from your credit report will be used to compute a score that indicates to the lender the statistical probability that you will become delinquent on the loan.

Some scores that lenders use are based strictly on the data in your credit report; these are known as "bureau scores". The most widely-used bureau scores in Canada were developed by Fair, Isaac and Co., headquartered in San Rafael, California.

It is important to understand that a credit score is only one criterion that a lender will use in making decisions. For example, in mortgage lending, the lender will take into account the property being purchased and the homeowner's equity. Many lenders look at their relationship with the customer, which may include other financial services. Each lender will have its own policies and you should feel comfortable asking a credit institution about these. Our work with credit grantors has shown us that most lenders want their customers to have a better understanding of their lending processes.

How do lenders view my score?

Your credit score is an important indicator of your creditworthiness. In general, the higher your score, the lower the probability that you will become delinquent on credit extended to you. And while many lenders use bureau scores to help them make lending decisions, each lender will base its decision on more than just the score.

Lenders use your credit score to determine if you are a good candidate for credit and likely to pay your bills. In the event of bankruptcy, it will also help them determine what type of repayment plan is best for you.

Because your credit report is updated every day, your bureau score is recalculated continuously. So your credit score from a month ago is probably not the same score today.

What is used to calculate my score?

Payment history - Indicates whether you have made your credit card payments, loan payments and other payments on time
Amounts owed - Compares how much you owe to your credit limits with various lenders
Length of time in file - Indicates how long you have had credit accounts
New credit - Shows how often you are looking for new credit and how you handle accounts you have recently opened
Type of credit - Considers the type of loans you have - car loans, lines of credit, credit card balances
*Note: Any Mortgage information that may appear in your credit report is not used to calculate your credit score.

Will inaccurate information in my credit report affect my credit score?

This will depend upon what information is wrong. If the inaccurate information is used as part of the score calculation, your score will be affected. The majority of information used in the score calculation is found in the Credit Information, Public Record and Collections sections of your credit report.

We encourage all consumers to request and review their credit report on a regular basis. By doing this, you can ensure that your report contains information that accurately reflects your credit history. You have the right to dispute any discrepancies by immediately notifying the credit reporting agency. We want to ensure that your credit report is as accurate as possible and will work with you to resolve your issues. Click here to download the Consumer Credit Report Update Form, which is used to correct inaccuracies. You can fax or mail the completed form to the address below:

National Consumer Relations
Equifax Canada Inc.
Box 190
Station Jean-Talon
Montreal, Quebec
H1S 2Z2
Facsimile: (514) 355-8502

What can I do to improve my credit score?

Pay all of your bills on time. Paying late, or having your account sent to a collection agency has a negative impact on your credit score.

Try not to run your balances up to your credit limit. Keeping your account balances below 75% of your available credit may also help your score.

Avoid applying for credit unless you have a genuine need for a new account. Too many inquiries in a short period of time can sometimes be interpreted as a sign that you are opening numerous credit accounts due to financial difficulties, or overextending yourself by taking on more debt than you can actually repay. A flurry of inquiries will prompt most lenders to ask you why. However, most scoring formulas will not penalize you if, for example, you are shopping for the best mortgage rate or the best car loan.

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Excerpted from Equifax.ca website

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