Attending a Chinese Funeral after Ash Wednesday
Ancient Chinese tradition says that the deceased can somehow take worldly possessions into an unknown next world by burning paper replicas of material goods, but we Christians have the sure hope of resurrection, where God will breathe new life into our ashes and raise these dry bones into imperishable bodies. The world as we know it will be restored to its fullest glory. The bad things we see in this world will be undone; the good things will never be taken away; and the best is yet to come.
Read More
The Chinese Church Under Pressure - A Special Series from Our President
In the past, while China was busy getting rich, the government had confidence in its full legitimacy to rule and there were fewer questions of loyalty. But now, in this time of reconstruction, they ask: “Do you love me? If you do, you must raise the national flag. If you love me, you will register [your churches].”
Read More
The Chinese Church Under Pressure - A Special Series from Our President
How could China continue to exist as a cultural and political body? There were two potential paths – the first was to have a constitution to save the nation; the other was to change through revolution.
Read More
The Chinese Church Under Pressure - A Special Series from Our President
China had a Confucian system of thought. Over two thousand years, China gradually merged its politics of governance and domination, forming an “orthodox” cultural ideology. Ethics and relationships were built and maintained upon Confucian ideology.
Read More
The Chinese Church Under Pressure - A Special Series from Our President
The persecution of the house church in previous decades, as well as now, is part of a large and extensive transformation of Chinese culture and society. The gospel has entered Chinese culture in modern history, and it continues to win over men and women to build the kingdom of God. In this process, there are both hills and valleys.
Read More
The Chinese Church Under Pressure - A Special Series from Our President
How do we view the Chinese church under pressure? There are many perspectives: some focus on whether the church can continue to exist – should we first preserve the remnants? Should we view the church from a more traditional, pragmatic perspective? Others view the church in China as the rise of the greatest private self-governing body. Those who hold this view have high hopes for the church and expect the church to drive China to change.
Read More
Friday Reflection – A Movement Which God Himself Raised
This is my belief: the great challenge that the Chinese churches face today is to combine our organic gospel movement with the organization that is the institutional church, so that both can function together in a balanced manner.
Read More
New Year Reflections: More Than Well-Wishes
New Year greetings are quite literally wishful thinking. They carry no actual promise, power, nor potential; they point to empty cisterns that do not satisfy. But we have with us the weighty glory of good news. We have the Father's adoption, the Son's death and resurrection, and the Holy Spirit's intercession for us. We have real hope.
Read More
Marks of the Kingdom of the Gospel – Part I
The NIV translates Acts 4:23 to say that after Peter and John were released, they went to their “own people” and reported what happened. The gospel of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ separated the Jews, formerly one people, into two peoples. John and Peter’s own people were those that belonged to Christ, the new people in Christ. For the same reason you and I, formerly Gentiles, are now one people with all the saints in Christ. I am privileged and honored to come to you and be with you tonight, my own people. Because of our Lord, we are no longer only Americans and Chinese, but one heavenly people in Christ. I am very thankful and pleased to share with you this passage of scripture and report to you how stories similar to the early church in Acts are happening in China.
Read More
New Wine and Old Skin, Part III: Pastoral Preaching in Transient Communities
The third point addressed during the training is that only Christocentric preaching can teach believers and unbelievers at the same time, and present the full gospel in a transient population. For quite a long time, becoming a believer [in the Chinese context] has meant becoming a follower of a set of religious norms. Christian moral rules are admirable; however, conversion to such a religion requires a different mentality. Preaching moralistic teaching causes believers to despise unbelievers on the one hand, and on the other hand, it lays an unbearable burden on both believers and unbelievers.
Read More
