ORLANDO CHINESE CHURCH MONTHLY NEWSLETTER
MARCH, 2001
The Church is Simple
Unlike the common perception that a church is a complicated organization, it is very simple. If a church is a boat, it is a simple boat. When the wind blows, it moves. The wind is the Holy Spirit. When the Holy Spirit works, the church moves forward. The churches today are not simple boats but motor boats with sophisticated engines. Therefore they can move with or without wind. Since they can go wherever they want, they have their own directions. This is not the church mentioned in Acts; it was a simple one.
Why is a church simple? It is because a church is a family, not a society which is complicated. A lot of people today are trying to give brothers and sisters a feeling of being a member of the family. This is not right because only those who do not belong to the family need to feel that. The important thing is to let these people know that they are parts of the family. If you are born of the Holy Spirit, He will be in you and you should see this as your family with other brothers and sisters as members. The Holy Spirit puts us into one Body. We are together and therefore each is a member of the family. Not only should we have the feeling of one family, but realize that it is a fact. In this way, the church can be naturally simple. Why can't we be as simple as that today?
One reason is that we have too much of other thoughts in our mind. Paul said, "But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ." It is like crossing a river. After you crossed the river, you have changed. What was considered gain before is now counted as loss for the sake of Christ. When you have this experience, then you know you have crossed the river. After crossing the river, the complicated will become simple. Paul said again, "Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth." If a person keeps setting his mind on earthly things, he has not crossed the river thus still lives a complicated life. Our spiritual life should not be complicated but simple.
May we see that the church is simple and therefore reject anything that makes us complicated. In our personal lives, we ought to learn how to cross the river because without crossing the river, we can not live a simple life. In the church, we ought to see ourselves as a family member. If you see a piece of trash at home, you will pick it up. It is that simple. You will not blame the one who was assigned to sweep the floor for his poor job. This will not happen at home because when you see it, you will pick it up and it will be over. Therefore we ought to treat the church as our home, then we can gather together in simplicity and live a simple life.
The Church Is Our Family
Whenever I receive the short but meaningful issue of "Tree By the Water", I will become emotional and excited. It is the Orlando Chinese Church that had led many to attend church and to study the Bible. It is the Bible that gives the direction from God for the lost to return. It is God who gathers everybody together as a result of the prayers from brothers and sisters. Since the church is God's family as well as the family for brothers and sisters, it is a common family and a common paradise. It is natural for believers to put their strength and love on the services that build up the church since it is their family.
We are retired professionals, all with gray hair. Most of us have more than 60 candles on our birthday cake. They represent our lives as children, youth, and adult. The elderly Chinese in America are lonely and often without hope. They consider themselves as second class citizens. They do not enjoy an active social life as before, thus feeling that they are losing their mother tongue. The dreams of the past only bring a deep sense of loss. For the elderly newly arrived in America, they hunger for the old friendship, resulting in memories that seem to grow meaningless as time goes on.
Many of such elderly were one time high-tech researchers, or teachers in higher education or generals in military services. All they can do is to remember their old glory. Although trying hard to get out of the old days, they face daily only foreign people speaking foreign languages. There is hardly any chance for them to develop a new social life. The old friendships are fading away and it becomes more difficult to pick up the phone and call as days go by. These elderly, having no income here, keeps on reminding themselves of the 1:8 exchange rate. They were one time the supporters of the families, now they are the unemployed burden of the family.
Dear friends, let us forget about the past and treasure the blessing and joy of our present day. Let us meet in the church and enjoy the support of the spiritual realm. Let us actively participate in the church, which is our common paradise. There we can learn from the teachings of God and enjoy the everlasting peace and abundant joy in Him!
Different Voices
I am glad that I was able to attend the co-worker's meeting yesterday. While we were having discussion on one subject, even when the majority of the co-workers had reached a consensus, a few others still hold on to their personal ideas. Then I thought, "Why do they insist on their own ideas even most of us have an agreement which looks good to me?"
Thank the Lord that He always explains and teaches. After I got home and thought back, a sense of thanksgiving came from my heart for those who insisted. For during the discussion, it is not necessarily true that whoever speaks loud again and again would represent the right idea (during the co-worker's meeting, I spoke a lot and was loud because I am young and immature in my spiritual life). I have to remind myself: whatever decision we make, we need to lift up to the Lord because the result is up to Him. He is the one who has the true wisdom, and He is our God Almighty who loves us very much.
I remember a sister once said to me, "When we have not known God or not knowing Him well enough, our voices will be much louder comparing to the small voice of the Holy Spirit. Our old selves can be so dominant that we can not hear the Holy Spirit at all. The voice of the truth is not loud comparing to the voice of the world, but it is still the truth that nobody can deny.
Thank the Lord that He always reminds me by voices that are different from mine. I do not mean that it is not good to come to an agreement (under normal circumstances, this is what we need). Sometimes we do need different voices to remind us. I remember clearly that when I was returning home after the co-worker's meeting, I insisted on my own opinion, somehow judging others. I was immediately rebuked by a brother. Of course it was hard to accept at that moment, but later on I found out that he was right. When I judged others, my old self was dominating. I forgot that "In all things, we should let Christ be the head, follow Him and let Him make the decision."
Thank God for all these different voices that help me evaluate my own way of thinking and acting. I thank brothers and sisters for showing me the maturity of their spiritual life, and teaching me to keep my heart pure before the throne of the Lord. May all the glory be to Him!