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.
Jesus Christ has already accepted the poor, the rich, the weak, and the strong into him. By his grace in salvation, all of us have been received into him and all relationships have been restored. If we humiliate other Christians, if we sin and do not repent, we are guilty of profaning the Lord’s body and damaging to the church.
Read MoreProper discipleship is related to living out the gospel. If you refuse to build gospel-centered relationships with other Christians, you reject vital growth in Christ.
Read MoreDiscipleship refers to the mutual relationships and building up of Christians. Of course, through discipleship, we also hope to see growth in the depth and number of the church. Your view of the church will affect your choice of discipleship model and determine how your church will grow.
Read MoreWhat kind of person experiences the deepest rest and edification from tasting the grace of the gospel? I must say it is those who have suffered the most in a culture of legalism.
Read MoreGod calls us to be the salt and light of the earth (Matthew 5:13). What would it mean for Christians to be salt and light as spiritual first responders to tragedies both physical and social? Jesus is the one who was passing by, saw us dead on the side of the road, and had compassion for us. We ought to go and do likewise to others.
Read MoreReach out to your Chinese and other Asian friends and let them know you stand with them and with their children today and will keep doing so in the future. Educate your kids about racism in general and encourage them to be on the lookout for prejudice against Chinese and other Asians during COVID-19. Let your Chinese and other Asian friends know that you are someone they can talk with honestly about their experience of xenophobia and racism - anytime, but particularly during the coronavirus. If they trust you enough to open up to you, make sure to listen to them without judgment or prejudice.
Read MoreI thought if I had a good family, then I did not need anything else, including God. If my heart was satisfied with life, then that was all I wanted. Marriage was my idol. I am so thankful God was never satisfied to let my desires for my husband or for a strong marital relationship be enough. God used my disappointment with my husband and marriage to point to something more important: the relationship I have with him.
Read MoreAround topics of sex and sexuality, it is not uncommon for conversations to be steeped in shame and fear. The enemy uses these emotions and fears to keep hidden that which God desires bring into the light. Many women approached us and thanked us for boldly and beautifully bringing these topics into the light. They expressed a sincere longing to understand God’s design for them as sexual beings and what it looks like to steward the gift of sex.
While I can’t speak for the larger Chinese population, the women we met were encountering challenges similar to those faced by American women. There app
Read MoreThere is not only gospel obligation, but there is also gospel benediction. Prayer is not just a duty, but is participation in our fellowship with Christ. He said, “No longer do I call you servants… but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you” (John 15:15). The dynamic of prayer is a friendship dynamic.
Read MoreIn light of the epidemic, we foresee that our church will not be able to meet together for quite a long time – anywhere from one to three months. During this period, how can we fulfill the biblical command of Heb. 10:25: “not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near”?
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