Through their blows, the persecutors and the persecuted came to know one another. This is an important gain for both of us, as we continue to walk through persecution. This is what it means when we Chinese say: “Out of blows, knowledge grows!”
There will always be conflicts for people who grow up in a traditional Chinese education, because a Chinese education is an atheistic education. But I never doubted the existence of God. The existence of God was as natural to me as the sun rising in the east and setting in the west. It was as natural to me as getting up in the morning.
I am a subversive patriot because, despite the progress we have made as a nation, America is not my best hope for "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." My ultimate allegiance is to a King who gave up his own life, liberty, and happiness to redeem us from the tyranny of sin.
As believers, we are under the rule of a good and perfect King who stands ready to welcome them international students into his glorious kingdom. The way we interact with Chinese students and scholars may look different, but our responsibility and privilege to invite them to follow Jesus remains.
Read MoreThe Church has an opportunity to shine with the hope of Jesus Christ in the darkness of this global pandemic. While we may not have as many students coming this academic year, we still have many international students from all over the world in our communities. They are looking for hope, for fellowship, for relationships, and for rest.
Read MoreMy prayer is that God will motivate and mobilize Hong Kong people as a diaspora with the mission of God. Whether they are staying in Hong Kong to be faithful witnesses, or leaving the city for the kingdom of God, they will be following Jesus, as his disciples, to finish his mission.
Read MoreWe all have things to think and worry about. But when I think of God, I feel comforted, because he will not leave us alone. Lord, you know the road ahead of me, and I am willing to put my hands into yours. When I go through painful trials, grant me this pleasant thought: that you do remember me!
Read MoreFreedom: when it is wanted more than our Lord, it becomes an idol.
Money: when it is worshipped more than our Lord, it becomes an idol.
Housing security: when it takes offerings from our Lord, it becomes an idol.
Education: when the Lord is not taught in it, it becomes our idol.
Read MoreAs some of the extravagance and shine of Hong Kong has been exposed as fallacious, I pray that the unparalleled beauty of the church – those who have been rescued and redeemed by the Lamb and are determined to live for his glory – will stand out in this city, being an incarnational signpost to the hope of Jesus for all of Hong Kong.
Read MoreCOVID wears a crown. It’s a wannabe king. It has the power to make people fear it, to have it rule over their lives. However, we Christians have a far greater King. The only true God, who reigns over all the earth. Over every country, every person, and every cell. We can take our worries and concerns about the future to our gracious Savior and King, who knows us intimately and provides for us perfectly.
Read MoreAre we going to see a more socially active Chinese Christianity? Are we going to see a larger missionary movement from China to other places around the world? Are we going to see more theological education coming out of China, in Chinese, for the diaspora? These are all a lot of questions. But I think China is going to take more and more of a central place in world Christianity.
Read MoreTranslation of the Christian message has become increasingly important. There is a great need for Christian scholarship in Southern languages to be translated into English, French, German, Italian and other languages of the Global North. Language lies at the heart of the Christian message and is the key to the continued vitality of truly cross-cultural Christian experiences.
Read MoreThe authors of “A Mighty Fortress Is Out God” and “Great Is Thy Faithfulness,” and the saints who have sung them for centuries, had an additional category of suffering beyond the inter-personal and intra-personal realms that you and I default to in our interpretations of these songs. That category of suffering was persecution.
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