"How can I not dedicate myself wholly to the Lord, who loves me, chose me, and has given me so many blessings, though I am old and know that I am not capable of serving Him," said Guo Zhen, a female pastor.
The 77-year-old pastor has preached sermons in the local church for more than a decade, opening her home as a gathering site. In the simple house, there are many bibles, hymn books, and a notebook full of notes.
Suffering from heart failure, she is still in high spirits, full of gratitude to the Lord with a heart of living for the Lord.
She said that before she came to Christ, she felt God’s special love for her, as she always got the flat land next to the well when the land was divided by lot. Only later did she find out that God had chosen her. Afflicted by several ailments before she accepted Jesus, she had pains in her stomach and limbs all the year round, but the doctors could not identify the problems.
By that time, her mother and younger sister had already been baptized. One Sunday, her sister said, "Aren't you sick? You may be healed if you go to listen to the sermon of a pastor from out of town." She waved her hand, saying, "I won't go. There is not any God who can cure me." Later, perhaps inspired by the Holy Spirit, she came to the church voluntarily. Hearing about how Jesus was sacrificed for the people and buried, she started to shed tears, feeling an inexplicable joy and peace after making a prayer for confession. Later, she kept attending church services and was baptized, with her body gradually recovering.
Later, following her husband who worked in a coal mine, she went to live in a mine more than 100 kilometers away, where there was no church at that time. So they had to walk more than 10 kilometers along the railway line every Sunday to another town to worship God. Once hearing that her neighbor planned to sell a house, she told an elder who later paid a visit there, paying the deposit of 50 yuan. Then, the church spent 8,000 yuan buying it which cost more than 8,500 yuan in total. So in the mine lot there was a church, where she served and the number of believers increased.
She came back to her hometown with her husband when he retired. Appointed by the church since 2004, she began to preach sermons. She reads the Bible and takes notes every day. Besides looking up the dictionary, she asks her children when she fails to understand the text, as she is poorly educated. Being familiar with the Bible, she bears testimony boldly to God relying on Him through prayers. She not only preaches at meeting points in the city, but also leads the worship in surrounding towns.
Two years ago, the church announced that the pastors aged over 70 could retire, but she was not reconciled, thinking that she could still work for the Lord. But at an old age, she realizes that she should give the opportunity of serving God to younger people. But she is not slack in doing daily devotions and prayers.
As in-person church meetings have been suspended during the last two years due to COVID-19, she gets up every morning at four o'clock to read the Bible, pray and praise. Apart from praying for the churches in different places, pastors, the children, sick and weak believers, she is sharing the gospel with her neighbors, regardless of whether they believe or not. After reading the Bible and praying at night, she listens to audio sermons when she is unable to sleep.
(The article is originally published by the Gospel Times.)
- Translated by Abigail Wu
“尽管年纪大了，我深知自己能力有限，但神爱我拣选我，赐我多少恩典祝福，我又有什么理由不全然献上为主而活？”老人说道。
日前，笔者走访身边一位年已77岁的老传道人郭珍阿姨，她在当地教会的讲道服侍多年，并且家里也被奉献作为活动接待点。室内陈设简朴，桌上摆放着许多圣经和赞美诗，一旁的笔记本上写满了听道笔记，显示了老人的敬虔。
她虽有心衰的毛病，但精神矍铄，谈吐中流露出对主的满心感恩及为主而活的心志，一番畅谈，倾听了她的信仰及服侍经历。
她说信主前，她就感受到神特别爱她（尽管她还不认识神）。村里分地拈阄时，她总是分到了既平整又挨井旁的好地，后来才知道，神早已要预定拣选她。她没有信主时，浑身是病，常年胃痛四肢疼，到医院也查不出毛病。
当时她母亲和妹妹已经信主，一个礼拜天，妹妹来叫她说：“姐姐，今天教会礼拜，城里来人讲道，你不是有病吗，可以去听听，或许能治你的病呢。”她摆着手说，“不去，哪有什么神能治病呢，我不去。”后来也许是圣灵的感动，她身不由己跟着来到了教会，当听到主耶稣为了救人钉死十字架埋葬时，她流下了感恩的泪 ，会后接受了讲道人的入门祝福祷告，心里感到莫名的喜乐和平安。后来她就不断去参加礼拜，并且接受了洗礼，身上的病也慢慢地好了。
后来跟着在煤矿工作的丈夫，来到一百多公里外的矿上生活。当时这个矿还没有教会，每个礼拜天他们要沿着铁道线走二十多里路，到另一个镇上去做礼拜，非常不便。一次教会一位长老来这里探访，她听说邻居有个房子要卖，立即告诉长老，并且立即交了50元定金。原来房主8500没卖，最后教会8000元就买下了。就这样在矿上建立了教会，此后人数不断增加。她也参与了教会服事
丈夫退休后，他俩一起回到家乡。自2004年开始受教会委派，开始做讲道服侍工作。首先要克服文化水平低的困难，她坚持研读圣经，每天又读又记笔记，不懂就向孩子们问，有时还查字典，就这样熟读了圣经，并且不住祷告靠神支取力量，终于她站在众人面前放胆为主作见证，不仅在城区各点服侍讲道，还到周边乡镇的活动点主领礼拜。
前两年，教会宣布年过七十的老传道人可以退休，她还不甘心，觉得自己还可以为主做工。现在她想通了，自己年纪大了，放手让年轻人去做，给他们以成长操练的机会。但是灵修祷告绝不放松。
在两年的疫情期间，不能聚会，她就每天早晨四点多起来读经祷告赞美，为各地教会祷告，为认识的各位牧长一一提名祷告，为孩子们祷告，为患病软弱的代求；有时间就向街坊邻居传福音，不管人家信不信；晚上也是读经祷告，晚上躺下睡不着就听讲道录音。
注：本文作者为福音时报特约撰稿人。
http://www.fuyinshibao.cn/article/index/id/60927
忠心侍奉为主活——与一位爱主的77岁老传道人一席谈
"How can I not dedicate myself wholly to the Lord, who loves me, chose me, and has given me so many blessings, though I am old and know that I am not capable of serving Him," said Guo Zhen, a female pastor.
The 77-year-old pastor has preached sermons in the local church for more than a decade, opening her home as a gathering site. In the simple house, there are many bibles, hymn books, and a notebook full of notes.
Suffering from heart failure, she is still in high spirits, full of gratitude to the Lord with a heart of living for the Lord.
She said that before she came to Christ, she felt God’s special love for her, as she always got the flat land next to the well when the land was divided by lot. Only later did she find out that God had chosen her. Afflicted by several ailments before she accepted Jesus, she had pains in her stomach and limbs all the year round, but the doctors could not identify the problems.
By that time, her mother and younger sister had already been baptized. One Sunday, her sister said, "Aren't you sick? You may be healed if you go to listen to the sermon of a pastor from out of town." She waved her hand, saying, "I won't go. There is not any God who can cure me." Later, perhaps inspired by the Holy Spirit, she came to the church voluntarily. Hearing about how Jesus was sacrificed for the people and buried, she started to shed tears, feeling an inexplicable joy and peace after making a prayer for confession. Later, she kept attending church services and was baptized, with her body gradually recovering.
Later, following her husband who worked in a coal mine, she went to live in a mine more than 100 kilometers away, where there was no church at that time. So they had to walk more than 10 kilometers along the railway line every Sunday to another town to worship God. Once hearing that her neighbor planned to sell a house, she told an elder who later paid a visit there, paying the deposit of 50 yuan. Then, the church spent 8,000 yuan buying it which cost more than 8,500 yuan in total. So in the mine lot there was a church, where she served and the number of believers increased.
She came back to her hometown with her husband when he retired. Appointed by the church since 2004, she began to preach sermons. She reads the Bible and takes notes every day. Besides looking up the dictionary, she asks her children when she fails to understand the text, as she is poorly educated. Being familiar with the Bible, she bears testimony boldly to God relying on Him through prayers. She not only preaches at meeting points in the city, but also leads the worship in surrounding towns.
Two years ago, the church announced that the pastors aged over 70 could retire, but she was not reconciled, thinking that she could still work for the Lord. But at an old age, she realizes that she should give the opportunity of serving God to younger people. But she is not slack in doing daily devotions and prayers.
As in-person church meetings have been suspended during the last two years due to COVID-19, she gets up every morning at four o'clock to read the Bible, pray and praise. Apart from praying for the churches in different places, pastors, the children, sick and weak believers, she is sharing the gospel with her neighbors, regardless of whether they believe or not. After reading the Bible and praying at night, she listens to audio sermons when she is unable to sleep.
(The article is originally published by the Gospel Times.)
- Translated by Abigail Wu
After Retirement, 77-Year-Old Female Pastor Serves Church With Prayer
