The priest who unexpectedly met a suspected distant ancestor made an appointment with Mai Ke and left.

He didn't pay much attention to Mai Ke telling him that he was also called Mai Ke, probably thinking that it was just another coincidence with the same name.

Mai Keke couldn't be calm.

The love kiss with Jingrui not long ago confirmed that he could no longer marry Hong Xuanjiao, since he couldn't marry her, he couldn't cross over and become his distant ancestor.

Of course, it turned out that he really felt that he was really going to cross his distant ancestor, which was too ridiculous, and he also asked the messenger who had never met before.

As a result, the answer he got was that he didn't have to worry about it, and there must be a road before the car reached the mountain.

Therefore, he couldn't concentrate on this couple's meal, and the relationship that he wanted to further deepen was still in place.

Jingrui noticed that Mai Ke was absent-minded, so she ate quietly and obediently without disturbing him.

After the meal, the owner of the restaurant came over and told the two to follow him.

Mai Ke left two or two pieces of silver and followed.

At this time, the silver taels were very valuable, and ten taels of silver could buy one acre of Shangtian, so although the price of Western food was not cheap, two taels of silver was not only more than enough, but also a very generous tip.

The three of them came to the back of the hotel and entered a room by a window that looked out over the street to a church.

The priest was already seated behind a round table, and there were two empty chairs, apparently prepared for Mai Ke and Jing Rui.

Mai Ke glanced at the room and felt that it was very similar to the prayer room of the later generations.

Sure enough, the pastor said that the church and the owner of the hotel were old friends, so he opened a prayer room where Christian employees could study the Bible and pray.

Priority can be given to the church if it needs it.

After sitting down. Mai Ke first asked where the pastor was from.

Because he could hear that his accent had the English pronunciation characteristics of the Southern states of the United States.

What a coincidence, it turned out that this pastor was from Tower City, the capital of Florida!

Mai Ke happened to have been there for a while before he crossed over.

"I haven't been back for about ten years, I don't know if it's changed much, the state government building is the tallest building in Tacheng, and I have also gone up to the highest city to look at the whole city. ”

It's not like that anymore.

Next to the old state government building is a tall new building, at least twice as tall as the old building.

Mai Ke had been to the top floor of the new building. Not only is it open to the public, but it is also an art exhibition hall.

After further confirming that his name was Mai Ke, Mai Ke asked him what his surname was.

Maybe it's just the same name, but the last name doesn't matter at all.

However, this illusion was immediately shattered.

The pastor said that his surname was Li, and his full English name was MikeLee, which was slightly different from the Chinese pinyin of Mai Ke's name, MikeLi.

Mai Ke has studied many of the names of Chinese surnamed Li when they are expressed in English. Lee is used to represent his last name.

"So how do you write your Chinese name?"

Mai Ke asked again, hoping not to crash.

When the opposite person wrote the word "Mai Ke" crookedly, Mai Ke was really speechless.

It seems that it is inevitable to cross your great-ancestors, and the name or everything is ready.

That's all there is to it for now.

However, Mai Ke didn't bother too much, Mai Ke was just a translation, and it was one of several choices.

Another translation was more popular in the dynasty before I crossed over.

Wouldn't I just call you "Mike" before I crossed you?

How famous that basketball superstar is.

That's it!

The original intention of Mai Ke was to make a temporary difference, and at some point he would become one like Peter. This distinction is useless.

What I didn't expect was that this was really quite long for the time being.

Talked about so many things that didn't matter much. Mike was in a hurry to evangelize the two.

After all, this meeting was supposed to be the purpose.

Mai Ke herself is not necessary, Jingrui has almost mastered the basic content of the gospel, and Mai Ke has specially preached it to her.

Since I'm here, I can't retreat when it's time to get down to business, so I'd better listen patiently.

When Mai Ke heard it, he felt that he was famous. Fortunately, he listened, otherwise if he told Hong Xiuquan and them about this in the future, it might really cause chaos.

It turned out that his basic message of the gospel was okay, and it was also a call for repentance. Believe in Jesus as the Savior and Master of life.

The thing is, he's added a few more things.

He made it clear that his idea was to establish a kingdom on the present earth like that of Old Testament Israel.

The people of this kingdom are born-again Christians, and the general law of this kingdom is the Ten Commandments, and then all kinds of criminal, civil, and ceremonial laws are elaborated according to the requirements of the Bible, and anyone who violates God's will is not allowed, and those who violate it will be severely punished.

Not to mention, Mai Ke is really familiar with this point of view.

Historically, some countries in Europe and some states in the United States legislated and operated according to this idea in the early days.

In the Netherlands, for example, it was only in previous years that the tithes paid to the church were separated from the taxes paid to the state.

Before separation, the two were combined and collected by the state in a unified manner.

Mai Ke is familiar with it, but he does not agree with this proposition.

In fact, the New Testament scriptures do not have any similar teaching, the kingdom of heaven is heavenly, and cannot be established on earth.

Israel is all falling apart, and trying to follow the cat and the tiger is just a pipe dream. The center of the New Testament is about saving people, not about establishing a rational system and kingdom.

It is no wonder that the policies, regulations, and actions of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom are all aimed at establishing a heavenly kingdom on earth, and even the name reflects this dream, which should have a lot to do with the ideas of my distant ancestor.

Looking at the trajectory of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom in history, from development to failure, there is a shadow of this idea.

Obviously, there is a huge gap between my thoughts and that of this distant ancestor.

Will I change him after I pass through him, or will God change him first, and then I will pass through again? Or will I let me pass through him first, regardless of thirty-seven twenty-one?

"So, do you think you should concentrate on saving souls, or do you do everything you can to build a kingdom of God? Pastor Mike?"

"I advocate saving people first, but saving people should be used to build the kingdom of God later. The two are inseparable. ”

Pastor Mike said it seriously.

I know it's hard to succeed, but I firmly believe that God wants me to do it. So whenever I have the opportunity, I will do my best, at the cost of my life. ”

We are consistent in insisting on saving people first.

Building the kingdom of God on earth will certainly not work.

However, the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom wanted to gain a firm foothold. There must also be institutions and regimes that conform to God's will, some of which are at least compatible with some of God's kingdom initiatives.

This can be slowly coordinated and a consensus can be reached.

"There's one more thing I want to ask the pastor - is this idea of building the kingdom of God the unanimous opinion of the church that sent you, the unanimous assertion of the brethren who came with you, or is it your own assertion?"

Mike hesitated, pondered, and said, "That's not our church's position. The Southern Baptist Convention adheres to the general Reformed understanding of this issue. The kingdom of God is no longer possible on earth, but some of my brothers and co-workers here are on the same page as me. ”

I said that I had never heard of the largest church in the United States having such a position, but it was just a personal insistence.

Presumably this issue has been pondered within this sect and a decision has been made against this proposition.

It seems that Pastor Mike is a stubborn diehard, like Confucius, he can't do it, he floats in the sea and goes to China to find an opportunity.

Now Mai Ke doesn't feel very comfortable. Because while discussing this with him, you also have to pay attention to whether you are like Peter. Suddenly it's one.

But that fear didn't happen until they were almost over.

This is Mai Ke suddenly remembered the teaching of the Bible, the Gospel of John said that the wind blows according to its will, and no one can know which direction it is coming from and where it is blowing.

He opened the English version of the Bible and determined that this teaching was in the third chapter of John's gospel.

Said there. One can hear the sound of the wind, but it does not know where it comes from.

At the same time, it is further emphasized that this is the work of the Holy Spirit.

I was able to come here from the United States and go back a hundred and sixty years from modern times. It's all God's workmanship, and where I know when and how to cross, no matter how much I pay attention to it, it doesn't help.

Can I decide or determine where the wind is coming from?

At this time, Pastor Mike couldn't help but be stunned when he saw the Bible in Mai Ke's hand.

It seems like it's a Bible, and it's much higher quality than the one I use.

He stopped, and came closer to observe the Bible in Mai Ke's hand.

Mai Ke smiled bitterly and said, "Pastor Mike, I'm sorry I didn't tell you in advance, I'm actually a pastor too! I was also sent to China by my church, and my sending church is the Presbyterian church in New York. ”

He handed the Bible in his hand to Mike and said, "This version is translated and printed in-house by our Presbyterian Church itself, and I am familiar with it."

This time, all the things they brought with them, including the Bible, did not have a publication or production date, so Mai Ke was not worried about being questioned.

Mike also took out his own book, compared it with Mai Ke for a while, and made sure that it was really the Bible.

In McCor's book, the quality of the paper is not to mention, but the translation of the scriptures is obviously highly skilled, and it is particularly smooth to read.

Looking at his own book again, he couldn't help but ask Mai Ke if there was any extra one, he wanted one.

This Mai Ke can't be given away, so I promised him that I would keep a copy for him after the new edition was printed.

At this time, Pastor Mike seemed to have just wondered, complained about Mai Ke, and said, "You are a pastor, why are you still wasting my time preaching the basic gospel?"

Mai Ke apologized again.

Of course, he knew that Mike was also half-truths.

When a pastor preaches the gospel and is heard, it is the most pleasing thing for a pastor, and he will not be really angry.

However, Mai Ke still gave him a good reason, saying: "It's true that I'm a pastor, but my fiancée is still a seeker, and you still have a real audience for preaching the gospel." ”

This fiancée, who had been listening to the excellent listener next to her, had a hot face and a sweet heart, and twisted her head to the side, not daring to look at either of them.

"What? She's not a Christian yet, so why are you making a relationship with her? Don't you know that believers and unbelievers can't be yoked together?"

This old ancestor is really stubborn! He also has to take care of this?

But he's not wrong, though not so absolutely. Mai Ke hurriedly lowered her posture and corrected her attitude, saying that the relationship between the two is just that both of them have this will, and it has not yet been formalized, and there will be a long time for her to become a sister in the Lord.

Later, Mai Ke told him that he had the opportunity to go to the interior of Guangxi and asked him if he would like to go with him.

"And what?" Mike's eyes lit up.

He's suffocated here! Because the Gwangju government confined them to a very narrow area, and they were not allowed to go beyond the thunder pool.

Being able to preach the gospel on a larger scale was what he dreamed of.

He couldn't help but look at the young man in front of him.

This, of course, disturbed his attention to Mai Ke's fiancée, and instead asked about Mai Ke's itinerary and details.

But Mai Ke has his own thoughts in his heart, and I don't dare to let my crossing object go unchecked. Even though God is in control, I must be careful and do my best in what I can do.

Pastor Mike, my ancestors, come with me! (To be continued.) )