ORLANDO CHINESE CHURCH MONTHLY NEWSLETTER
MARCH, 2000
Dear Beloved in the Lord
It's been year since we moved away. I often remember with thanksgiving your fellowship. Thank the Lord for so richly bestowing His grace upon the church, His body for which He gave His life. Orlando Chinese Church indeed is loved by the Lord. I give thanks for the families who love and serve the Lord with a pure heart. Because of your willingness to follow the Lord in the way of the cross, God is able to, through your submission, manifest His eternal and infinite power to bless us, the new believers. Just like Paul said: "The wisdom and mystery of God has been hidden in Christ to be made known in the last days through His body which is the church." God can do great things through those who have become an useful vessel in His hand. I think of you often and shed much tears as I thank the Lord. I am thankful for the example of in your walk with Christ. It is my hope that our family will imitate you in bringing God's grace, the mystery of Christ, and the wonder and comfort of the Holy Spirit to the hearts of many. I hope that many who live in this polluted and hopeless world would receive salvation, and be filled with joy and hope. Let us be alert and prepared as we await the Lord's return.
My days in Orlando were like a flower in a greenhouse, because God had put me in a good church environment to protect me. By surrounding me with Christians the Lord had kept me away regardless how much I desired of the world. I was therefore able to develop a deeper fellowship with the Lord and a better understanding of the Gospel. The Lord knew my weakness better than myself. If I was thrown into the world too soon, I certainly would have fallen and been polluted; or else I would have wandered down many winding roads and have had to go through much sufferings.
Presently our lives are undergoing some great changes. Surrounded by many non-believers, we face a growing need to care and make sacrifices. Having been resurrected with Christ, we fixed our thoughts on things above. The heaven and the earth will be destroyed and all things will pass away. Nonetheless, even though our citizenship is not in this world , we still need to toil for our livelihood. Even as a tent dweller, we often stray unknowingly into the world and become occupied by things of the world. So, we often experience defeats and failures because if we are not for Him we are against Him. Praise the Lord! He does not abandon us who belong to Him. His every rescue serves to wake me up to the realization that He alone is my shield and my help. I only need to hide myself in Him in order to escape the enemy. When I live by the flesh I grow weaker; but when I live by the Spirit I grow stronger. The more trials and temptations on the outside, the more I am compelled to seek the Lord's presence. I no longer rely on myself but Christ, the author and finisher of my faith. I need to abide by God's words fearfully because apart from Him, I can do nothing. I need to grow spiritually lest that I would backslide. If I stand still, I would fall back. Our attitude should be like the five wise virgins: "There may not be enough for both us and you." We ought to forget what is behind and press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." May God's will be done in me so that on that day I shall be found blameless. May we are pray for one another so that we are able to witness to others with our lives!
All is God's Grace
About nine years ago, I worked in a hotel restaurant. I started with the lowest position, but within six months, was promoted to become the general manager. I began to think highly of myself with much self-confidence. I was convinced of my great future by working hard. Therefore, I was always on the look out for opportunity to make more money. My aim was at the comfort and material things of the world.
That was my pursue for a year and a half. When an American company opened a chain of Chinese restaurants, it recruited me. Considering it as a most important opportunity for my career, I worked very hard at pleasing my superior. In a short time he was impressed and made me the general manager of one restaurant. At that time I had great hope for becoming the district manager soon.
Seeming to get what I was working hard for, yet in a strange way I was not satisfied and had a growing sense of emptiness. I began to smoke and drink more heavily. But all that did not do anything to fill the emptiness within. On the outside, people saw me as a good person. I believed I was a good person also since I did not rob nor steal. In reality, however, my heart was filled with pride, selfishness, and envy.
Just when I had great hope for advancements in the company, the company shut down all the Chinese restaurant operation overnight. My hope and my ambitions went up in smoke with that. I was not discouraged, however, and still believed in my own ability. I then opened a Chinese takeout with a friend. But in only six months it went bankrupt. I realized that the my ability of man was so limited.
When I had lost all directions and purposes, a friend invited me to church. I began to learn about Jesus. By attending Bible studies, gradually I realized what a sinner I was who would never escape God's righteous judgement. But our God was a God of love. Willingly He died on the cross for our sake and with His precious blood washed away all our sins. When I was called by God's love, I put my faith in Him and received Him as my personal Savior.
After I became a Christian, I began to experience satisfaction and peace in my heart, something I had never experienced before. In just one week I was able to quit smoking even though I had been a smoker for more than ten years. I no longer went out drinking with my friends. I still had my failures and stumbled every now and then; but God had been faithful and would not abandon me. When the company's business went under, those who called themselves "friends" were gone. Those who always agree with me were gone, and those who flattered me were also gone. However, the One who is the Lord of all creations would never depart from me.
The Lord had blessed me with much happiness and peace. He blesses my wife and me with abundant grace and provision. He has provided me a nice job with a computer company. It has been almost two years and I never have to miss a church meeting due to of computer emergency calls. The Lord is good; His goodness far exceeds what we can ask for or imagine. Thank the Lord for giving me this opportunity to be a witness to His grace. (Eddie)
The Transfigured Life
" If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature ..." (2Cor. 5:17)
The experience of Salvation means that in your actual life things are really altered, you no longer look at things as you used to; old things have lost their power. One of the touchstones of experience is --- Has God altered the things that matters? If you still hanker after the old things, and talk about being born from above, you are juggling with yourself. If you are born again, the Spirit of God makes the alteration manifest in your actual life and reasoning, and when the crisis comes you are the most amazed person on earth at the wonderful difference there is in you. There is no possibility of imagining that you did it. It is this complete and amazing alteration that is the evidence you are a saved soul.
What difference has my salvation and sanctification made? Can I stand in the light of I Corinthians 13, or do I have to shuffle? The salvation that is worked out in me by the Holy Ghost emancipates me entirely, and as long as I walk in the light as God is in the light, He sees nothing to censure because His life is working out in every particular, not to my consciousness, but deeper than my consciousness. (Adopted from "My Utmost For His Highest")